Trip to Shirakawa

Our school here in Japan is nice enough to provide a school funded trip to a remote part of Japan so that the students can get an authentic Japanese experience...and what an experience it was. An experience including scenic bus routes, authentic Japanese cuisine, mountain hiking, and of course someone falling off a ledge breaking his heels. Our school provided a very cushiony bus for the three hour trip.


We started early in the morning to get a head start on the day. The trip was breath-taking because of all the beautiful nature around us. We were heading north to a place called Shirakawa.

We had a brief bathroom break which included funny Japanese robot dancing.

I decided to take the break as an opportunity to take a picture of a mountain scene. Friends demand mountains...so I provide them. As you may notice, the trees were turning color and it was very cold. It only got colder as we went north.

We had another bathroom break at a dam (the kind that blocks a river) site. Here is a picture of Jessica and I in front of changing trees.
Essentially our school booked a traditional Japanese hotel (Usually cost around $200 per person). Before arriving to the hotel we were given a nice lunch at some nature school along the way. Here is another mountain picture.

The nature school had these very nice traditional houses with thatch roofs.

Inside they had a gift shop and I decided to buy a little critter....can you find him?



After our nice lunch we were treated to a mountain hike! It was very beautiful and the mountain was not too small. The picture below is the mountain we climbed.


Along the way our tour guide explained in Japanese various forest facts. Since I had only taken one year of Japanese prior to coming to Japan, I could not understand everything. However, it helped that he used fuzzy props to help illustrate the various facts.
The tour guide did not hesitate to leap out of the path after small but quick frogs. The frog looked hungry, and so did I looking at him. I never had frogs legs before, but I am certainly willing to try them.


After the long hike we went back on the bus to get back on our trip. We eventually arrived to be greeted by frigid air in Shirakawa. The town itself was very old and very small having many many thatch roofed houses. Our hotel would be such a house.
Here are two very happy students in front of the doorway to were I stayed. Notice their perfect choreography. Scared me a little....

Unfortunately for one of our students, the trip would turn out a disaster. Jessica and I were walking around town until one Korean student came running asking for the professors help. Jessica, the Korean girl, and I would find our fellow classmate Charlie mangled at the bottom of a three story cliff! A couple more people came to help. It turned out he was trying to take a photo of the mountains on top when he slipped, grabbing on to the small rope fence which flipped him over the cliff. He hit his head on the way down and landed on his heels which essentially shattered on impact. We tried to lift him to take him up but decided that it would be too dangerous. He hit his head and who knew if his back was broken in any way. It was best not to move him and call an ambulance. One of the professors eventually called and the paramedics arrived.

I was one of the people to carry Charlie to the ambulance. There is a picture of Charlie doing a Richard Nixon...at least he didn't break his neck.


After the fiasco, I headed back with Jessica. The girls and boys were in separate hotels so we had to part. That is why there are not as many pictures of Jessica. I was a camera hog! I came back just in time for dinner. I explained to everyone what happened and then ate dinner. Here is a picture of me in front of the fire in the eating room.
We had a very traditional Japanese cuisine involving many vegetables in small portions and a small fish. It was very good, but it is very easy to see why the Japanese do not have the weight problem the Americans have had in the past 15 years.
After dinner we had the opportunity to go to the local bath house. It was my first time going to one but it was a very relaxing and rejuvenating experience. Only about four of us men went while most of the women went. Unfortunately and obviously it was separated by sex. There is nothing like soaking in some hot water for a couple of hours.
When we got back, Jessica and I joined our fellow class mates for some sitting and fortunate telling. If the candles blew out during your telling, it is supposed to be some sort of sign. Mine blew out every 30 seconds or so. Strangely, it was always the same candle.
Here is a group shot of some of the people I know. I am doing a cool thumbs up, no?
I slept very well that night and woke up around 7:00am for some breakfast. The breakfast was very similar to dinner...very very similar. However, it was very good. That morning I decided I wanted to find poor Charlie's digital camera which he lost when he fell. I gathered a search party of three other people to go look. Here is a picture of morning fog rolling off of the mountains. The air was crisp, and good for a hunt.

Close to the bottom of the cliff where Charlie fell was a river.

We looked and saw the camera in the water. However, it was not accessible from where we were and we had to get to the other side.

Because it was dark when he fell, I was unable to take a picture of the ledge he fell from. In the morning I had a Japanese friend stand close to where Charlie fell to get a good idea of the height. He fell where that house is on top all the way down...not a bad fall indeed.
We were able get the camera out of the water! Here is a picture of camera and the accompanied SD card where the pictures are stored. The SD card had some water in it but after a good drying, it worked! The camera however was beyond repair. The story goes that Charlie tried to get a better shot of the mountains by slowly walking backwards when he slipped. If the camera company only provided a better panorama mode!
I was happy when we found the camera. The morning was beautiful with the sun hitting the trees just right.


It was a fine trip with many interesting experiences.

Another mountain picture to close off the day for those that demand them!
During the ride back we were all tired. Since there was not many pictures of Jessica, I decided to sneak one in while she was sleeping. She's not pleased....

Notice the sneaky finger in the picture...that is how you know I took it sneakily.

I hope you all enjoyed this entry. Please leave a comment and make sure to watch out for my next one.

Globalization

I would like, today, to tell you about all the exotic places I have eaten at in Japan. Exhibit A:

Yes, that is a good old Starbucks. This particular Starbucks is located in Sakae (Rich part of Nagoya, Sakae sort of means "prosperity"). For anyone wondering, yes, Starbucks in Japan is just as popular as Starbucks in America. In fact, when you walk in one here in Japan, you would think you are back in America...Except for the Japanese Menu. Exhibit B:

I know, that is really a poor picture and does not capture the whole menu. I felt a little strange because I was a white guy taking a picture of a menu. I choose not to be too strange, being white is strange enough for many Japanese...Especially the Japanese children. The next picture is another very delicious and fun place you can go and eat. Exhibit C:


Hardrock Cafe in Nagoya is truly a treat and I would recommend anyone visiting to go. It has delicious steak in large servings costing only a little more than one in the U.S.A. Also it comes with English menus and Japanese waitresses with quasi english speaking abilities. When we went here, there was a large group of Australians with a large group of loud children. It was Halloween time so there were decorations everywhere (Yes, there is a small following here in Japan who celebrate Halloween). The children ran around and literally destroyed said decorations. Did I dare to take a picture with the parents right there? Yes I did. Exhibit C-Bad Children:

I covered the child's body with an adorable picture of a kitten to disguise the identity (I don't want lawsuits here). As you notice, the child is preparing to throw the poor and not so scary pumpkin onto the floor to destroy it. There were things thrown, smashed, and punched around us through the whole dinner. The poor and nice Japanese manager tried to get the parents to stop the kids from being so naughty. But this is a feat impossible because well it takes an adult to stop a child....and the Australians were no adults. They were also rowdy, hanging off railings, being drunk, and loud...encouraging their kids to smash things. I say, might as well put breasts on the Japanese manager because he had to be the mother to all the "Children" that night. But, I cannot complain, it was like watching a really funny movie. Now for Exhibit D:


I have not visited the Denny's here in Japan yet because frankly I am scared of the food at Denny's in America. Should I dare go and indulge in a craptastic night of dingy food? The bigger question is, have the Japanese improved in any way the Denny's we have loved? I visited Denny's in the US many nights with my friends Tyler and Andrew...so maybe in homage to them, I will explore the Japanese version of the underbelly of American cuisine. Oh and here is another Starbucks!!!

And yes, like Starbucks in America, this one is also located a block away!

Here is a Mercedes Dealership...They like them over here. And what blog post would be complete without Japanese Elvis impersonators!
This is a picture of a Japanese Elvis impersonator competition. Some were really really good believe it or not...because I certainly didn't!

I hope you really liked this post...next post will be about the School sponsored trip to the middle of nowhere. Oh and please leave a comment.