Location: Kanto Earthquake Memorial Museum

September 1, 1923 was a horrible day in Tokyo's history. Just before noon, a massive earthquake struck the area and destroyed many of the buildings. And like the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, fires ravaged the remaining buildings, driving people from their homes to find any open spaces they could find.

One of those spaces was a small block that formerly held the Army Clothing Depot. Tens of thousands took shelter here after the earthquake, but a firestorm killed 38,000 in this small block alone! As such, it was chosen as the site of a memorial to the victims of the quake - almost 100,000 in all.

 The pagoda was built in 1930, in a traditional Buddhist style.

 There is a pagoda on the back side.

 The inside has a large space for services and remembrance.

 Below is the memorial to victims of the World War II air raid bombings, remembering the more than 100,000 people who died.

 There are other memorials scattered throughout the park.

 There is a nice memorial garden with a small stream and a peaceful walking path.

 Next to the museum is an impressive collection of equipment damaged by the earthquake and fires.

 This is all that remains of a burnt car - the engine, frame, and axles.

 Any idea what this is? How about a bunch of nails, melted into one big mass from the fires.

 Here is the museum itself; the outdoor "sculpture garden" created by the earthquake sits to the left.

 There are two floors to the museum. The bottom floor holds artifacts and exhibits relating to the quake. There are damaged items, such as the bicycle above, and other broken household goods. There are also several maps and displays to educate visitors about the earthquake. Almost everything is in Japanese, but there is an English pamphlet available.

 Upstairs, you'll find artwork relating to the disaster, collected from all over the world. Also on this floor are several city layouts, presumably showing what the city was like before the quake.

 Hrm. That car is driving on the right side of the road. They drive on the left side in Japan.

 This other street scene shows a couple streetcars and another car driving on the wrong side of the road...

 but looking to the right a bit shows that this particular street must be one-way. There's a nice residential area on top of that walled hill.

And here is an industrial area.

The museum has a nice collection of materials, but certainly feels dusty and old. Children wouldn't be interested as there isn't anything to do; older children might enjoy looking at the models seen above. While it doesn't have the new, clean feel many museums have, it holds an important part of Tokyo's history. Admission is free, and a visit could be a quick addition before or after a visit to the Edo Tokyo Museum and Sumo Wrestling Stadium and Museum nearby.

The memorial and museum are located in Yokoamicho Park, reached by a short walk from JR Ryogoku Station. Use the exit for the sumo stadium, and make a right. Follow the road, with the sumo stadium on your right, for two full blocks. Make a right at that light (the hospital should be on your left after you turn), and you should soon be able to see the pagoda. If you arrive at Ryogoku Station via the subway, just head north down the main street (away from the elevated JR tracks) a couple blocks to the park. Free admission, open generally 9:00-4:30 except Mondays.

Wrapping Up my Golden Week!

When I last left you, I had just finished two theme parks in two days. From there, it was on to some real sightseeing in Kyushu.

Thursday: Nagasaki. Funny, three days ago I was at the location where the first atomic bomb was dropped, and the next part of my adventure would find me where the second bomb was sent. The time between the two bombs being dropped: three days. I did not plan things that way. I started at Glover Garden, a collection of historic western-style homes and beautiful gardens on a hill overlooking the Nagasaki metro area and waterfront. One of the relocated buildings has rental costumes, and I saw these two lovely ladies ready for a stroll in Victorian Japan:

 Oh, and I took pictures of the houses too.

From there it was on to see the destruction America did to Nagasaki, by visiting the memorial sites for the August ninth bombing. Maybe it was because I had only recently had time to reflect, or maybe it was because the effects on Hiroshima's life was better-documented, but I felt less moved by the Nagasaki exhibits. That's not to say they weren't moving, or that they were bad. Perhaps Hiroshima has had more interest in preservation education, because it certainly seems like it's more infamous - it was the first, for sure.

...

Thursday night, I bused across the island to a city named Oita, about 20 minutes from Beppu by train. I hopped over to the resort town early in the morning, and started with a misty, cold morning in the mountains at an amusement park. From there, I bused back into town and visited the Hells, a collection of hot springs so named because they are so hot and foul-smelling (due to sulfur) that they must resemble hell itself. The area is really a tourist trap similar to cities like Orlando and Pigeon Forge in America, and the real reason to visit is to take in actual, usable hot springs.

 The hells may sound horrible (and if one fell into the water they certainly would experience hell - some of the water comes out at the boiling point and burns skin instantly), but they look beautiful in their touristy landscaped environment. The light blue color seen above is natural, and the others have their own colors and themes.

 Above is the hot spring/onsen I visited to take my first (planned) public bath. I started with a hot sand bath (very relaxing!) and then moved into a hot water bath. By hot water, I mean about 40+ degrees Celsius, which is very hot - about 104 degrees Fahrenheit or higher! Somewhat relaxing, but I wished I had had more time to enjoy it. I had to bus back to Fukuoka that night to take full advantage of my discount pass!

Speaking of buses, I bought this beer right before I hopped on a bus in Beppu. It claims to be Beppu's only local beer, and while it's an ale, it was very smooth and sweet. I quite liked it, but it was around 700 yen, so I won't be buying much more of it (if I could even find it outside of Beppu).

As I mentioned, Saturday was spent in Fukuoka. I slept in a little bit, but still went out in the morning to visit Japan's largest National Museum, located up a hill in the small formerly-important town of Dazaifu. The museum had a great collection of old stuff of national importance - historical and religious items that told to story of how Japan existed centuries ago. But from there it was back into Fukuoka proper, for my second Japanese baseball game.

The balloon release during the seventh-inning stretch is an amazing sight to behold. I didn't realize this at the Hiroshima game, but the visitors do a similar thing at the end of the sixth inning with their own balloons. As far as Japanese games go, the home teams are 2-0 when I'm there.

Sunday was my last day on the trip, and I spent it back in Hiroshima - actually, I spent it on Miyajima, a small nearby island long considered sacred. It is home to one of Japan's most famous landmarks, the floating torii (shrine gate). It doesn't really float, and unfortunately, despite perfect weather, it was covered in scaffolding when I was there. However, there's more to do on Miyajima than look at wooden pillars. The majority of my day was spent hiking up the 530+ meter (1700+ foot)-high Mount Misen, the tallest mountain on the island. Despite large crowds on the island, not so many people were working their way up the path, so I had plenty of time to enjoy the mostly-stairs trip. It took me almost 90 minutes to reach the very top, which wasn't empty thanks to the convenient (and expensive) ropeway carrying less energetic (and perhaps smarter) visitors most of the way. By the time I was done, my legs were rubber (and it was pretty warm that day) so I paid the toll for the return trip down on the ropeway. I also spent considerable time exploring Daisho-in, the main Buddhist temple on the island. There are many buildings to visit, and it is a bit overwhelming for someone (like me) who is unfamiliar with the Buddhist religion. Regardless, it's a beautiful and not-too-crowded stop on the island.

Miyajima is also famous for momiji-manju. Manju are bean paste-filled treats, and momiji is the Japanese term for maple, so momiji manju are in the shape of maple leaves. They are pretty good, and made fresh on the island daily. My first one was still warm from the oven (mmm!), and the custard and fruit (peach?) filled ones I had the next day were still great. However, I think I liked the age manju better, which are fried. They're harder to find (only a couple shops sell them) but if you've ever had a fried twinkie or fried oreo, you know how awesome fried sweets with fillings can get!

Here is what my fresh manju looked like right before I devoured it in front of a hungry deer. The deer are very friendly in Miyajima, and love handouts. They'll even steal your food and papers:

That sucker is eating a map. I saw him as I walked by. He seemed pretty happy getting his daily fiber. Here's a warning: you're not supposed to feed the deer or other wildlife, and be careful that they don't steal your food. They can smell manju a long way away, not to mention being able to see and hear it pretty well (the sounds I made opening the little wrapper was enough to get one deer's interest).

I finished up on Miyajima (though another visit is in order to visit the torii gate and its shrine under more photogenic conditions) and headed back to Hiroshima to relax for a couple hours before catching my overnight bus home. This time I slept most of the ride home!

I have plans to go into each location in more detail in the future, but to summarize, the trip was awesome! I saw nearly everything I wanted to see, and did almost everything I wanted to do! I only had a few problems: sleeping, concern about buses, and the scaffolding at Miyajima being the standouts. My coaster count is up to 379 (400 is coming quick!) and I found a few oddball local baseball cards for my collection in Fukuoka. Plus, I finally saw Japanese baseball games, spent the night in an internet cafe (several times), and had my first onsen experience. It's a trip I'll certainly never forget!

What's next for me, travel-wise? Well, I won't have any more days off (other than the usual Sunday-Monday weekend) until the big week-long vacation in August. The plan then is to go to Taiwan! I might try to squeeze in a couple weekend trips to Osaka as well, though that means more overnight bus trips or expensive train rides.

Until my next post, thanks for reading!

Celebrity for a Day, or Two

Being an American in Japan has its advantages. Many people will complain about the challenges of getting around and living a daily life with the language barrier and being such an outsider. I kind of enjoy some of those things. I live for a challenge and I've always been very independent.

The past two days of my Golden Week adventure brought me to the two biggest theme parks in Kyushu: Space World, near Kitakyushu, and Mitsui Greenland, near Kumamoto.

My last post left me on a train for Kitakyushu. I arrived and found the Manboo (chain) Internet cafe that would be my bed for the next two nights. Monday night, I arrived too late for a mat booth (good for laying flat) so I slept in a reclining chair. Tuesday night I got a flat booth. Needless to say, I slept better on the mat than in a chair, though it was hot and booth booths weren't completely private (the Manboo in Omiya has private booths/rooms. Tonight I'm on my way to Kumamoto via highway bus. The place I'm going appears to have the semi-private booths, but they also promise massage chairs! I hope they're pleasant.

Both amusement parks were fun, and I think I rode every coaster in both parks by the end of each day. I had concerns both days as there were large school groups, but the parks were large enough and designed good enough to handle the small army of students. There were bigger fears today as the weather called for rain. The rain came, but as forecast it was gone by the afternoon, and the morning showers weren't too bad, so I was able to ride some rides in the drizzle. I'm up to 376 coasters now! I'll hit 400 by the end of the year for sure.

Being out here in Kyushu, at amusement parks around all these high schoolers, makes me really stand out. I believe I was the only foreigner at both parks, and the kids loved to wave and say hello. One boy told me he loved me as he passed by on a chairlift today. Three 20-something ladies waved at me as I rode a coaster. Being foreign kind of makes me a celebrity around here! A preschooler even said "bye bye" to me as she exited a bus this week. At the same time, standing out makes it hard to just blend in.

Last, riding these highway buses today, I realize how dependent I am on this cell phone for travel. If it wasn't for the Internet, my meticulous planning, and the ability to verify things instantly on the go, I doubt I could be taking such an ambitious trip on my own. Signage at the stops is limited and in Japanese only, of course. Train station staff know little or nothing about the highway buses, and nobody around here speaks English. But the challenge makes it that much more fun!

Pictures: Venus GP coaster at Space World, penguins in the ice cave walk through in Greenland, and my wooden stick "plaque" that goes on the wall since I rode Megaton 10 times today (8 in a row, and I did it just for that stick).

Golden Week Update: Bombs, Baseball, Bridges

What that boring title means is that I am now on my way to Kyushu, where I'll be until sometime Sunday afternoon or evening. At which point I go back to Hiroshima for a day at Miyajima.

This was my first night bus trip, and trip it was. I was worried about timing but I had plenty of time to spare in Shinjuku. The bus ride was about 10 hours, including 15-20 minute rest stops every two hours. There were several other gaijin (foreigners) on the bus, and the two guys behind me kept their reading light on most of the night. Even after they fell asleep. Needless to say I didn't get much sleep Saturday night.

However, things were quite bright yesterday. Literally. It was a beautiful morning, and I got some great pictures. The focus yesterday morning was on the Atomic Bomb landmarks an museums. I started at the Dome, visited the Peace Park, and then radiated out from there, hitting a few of the buildings that were left standing after the bomb hit.

It was time for something a bit more cheerful in the afternoon. I attended my first Japanese baseball game, and it was a lot of fun. I believe the Hiroshima Toyo Carp's ace pitcher (Maeda) was on the mound and he threw eight innings of shutout ball. He took a no hitter into the seventh, though he walked a batter in the first. One of the foreign ball players hit a two run homer to seal the Swallows' fate as the home team won 3-0. As you may have read, Japanese fans are really into the cheering part of the game. They all have noisemakers to clap and sing with - and they have several different songs including a theme "fight" song. In the seventh inning, they sing a song and then release a bunch of balloons. At the end of the game, everyone stays and cheers as the game's heroes Are interviewed on the field. It's very interactive. I'll tell you more later (especially since I am going to another game this Sunday).

I was exhausted, thanks to a lack of sleep, the heat, and the movement from the morning, and almost fell asleep at the game. Maybe I did fall asleep for a minute. I was that tired. But I had to wait until after 9 to "check in" to the Internet cafe that would be my hotel, so I could stay until 9am (package prices are by the hour or groups of hours). So I went to Round 1, a chain o entertainment venues I wrote about before. For less than I couple thousand yen I sang karaoke, had all-you-could-drink sodas, and some chicken nuggets. (Chicken nuggets out here are made from real breasts and aren't processed. Maybe tenders is a better word? They're about the size of large nuggets though. And it was off to the I-net cafe for the night! Originally I was going to stay in a capsule hotel but I couldn't find the one I was looking for. It seems to have gone out of business very recently as I can't find any mention of its demise and it still exists on google street view. Sleeping in a net cafe has its ups and downs. It was relatively cheap and they had a shower and free drinks and Internet (of course). But the booth was a little too small to stretch out fully, and it was pretty warm in there. I went to WIP in Hiroshima, and I know different companies (and even different locations) have slightly different setups. Tonight I'll be in a Manboo in Kokura (KitaKyushu) and I'm hoping it's similar to the Omiya location I am familiar with.

Anyway, I got enough sleep, even of it wasn't perfect. This morning: rain. I was determined, though, so I was off to a garden set around a lake, followed by Hiroshima Castle and a temple. All were very nice, but then I hit the tracks and traveled to Iwakuna. Iwakuna is home to a very famous bridge and a castle. They also are supposedly known for their sushi, which looked like giant bloke of layered rice and fish. I passed on that. The rain finally stopped in the late afternoon and the sun tried to come out, but it never found a hole. At least tomorrow should be nice! I'm going to back to back amusement parks the next two days. There is a threat of rain but I am really hoping it doesn't ruin the trip! Fingers crossed.

So here I am on my local train to Kokura. I missed the 5:45pm train so I had to wait for the 6:49. I'll be in Kokura in about three hours and it's off to bed! I'm attaching some pictures from the trip; more to follow eventually.

A Week of Gold

As most of you know, I was sick a couple weeks ago. The cold turned into a bad cough, caused by sinus congestion. Perhaps a sinus infection. I'm doing much better now though I still cough occasionally.

But that hasn't stopped me from trying to enjoy myself a bit. I had a great night with Akiko at Round1, an indoor sports center with batting cages, small basketball courts, roller blading, tennis, volleyball, video games, billiards, and karaoke. All these are included in the entry price (different Round1 centers appear to have different sports stuff). Anyway, we got there just after 11pm, so there was an all night set price. Sure, we stayed only a few hours but that place was a lot of fun, especially with Akiko!

Last weekend, I had some training on Monday, and Sunday was a miserable, rainy day, but I met up with Kenny to talk and look at baseball cards. I'll talk about that on my other blog. He presented me with a gift brought back from America: a big bag of Funyuns! I haven't opened them yet. I'm waiting until I get back.

Back from where, you ask? I'm leaving tomorrow night for Hiroshima and Kyushu, and I'll be gone all week during the Golden Week holidays. Since I expect to have time, I should bring you some updates every night. I say that now, knowing that probably won't happen! But I'll sure try.

Have a great weekend everyone!

It's been a long time...

My last post was April 3, and here it is more than two weeks later. I haven't forgotten about you all! I've been sick. Last week was a cold, and this week is something else - lots of congestion, which is causing me to cough, which in turn is causing headaches, throat pain and neck aches. Needless to say, I have no interest in writing when I get home from work.

Speaking of work, I have a vacation coming up! April 29th is when my Golden Week vacation starts, and I'll be in Hiroshima and Kyushu taking in all the sites down that way. I plan on visiting two amusement parks, catching two Japanese baseball games (the Hiroshima Carp and Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks), trying my first onsen (spa), and more. Oddly enough, I'll be visiting both cities which have had nuclear bombs dropped on them (Hiroshima and Nagasaki), which means I'll be visiting their memorials as well.

This whole month has been pretty busy! I finally made it to Fuji-Q to ride Japan's best coasters, I visited Ueno Park a couple times, did some cherry blossom viewing, worked one Sunday, and will be going to some follow-up training this weekend.

I'm going to try to get back into the swing of things with posting. Hopefully I'm on the back end of this congestion/sinus infection type of thing and won't have a miserable weekend. It's supposed to rain on Sunday (my day off) which might put a dagger in my plans. No, really. Dagger. If it rains, I'm going to cancel my plans to go to a BayStars baseball game. I'm not really sure what I'll do if there's bad weather on Sunday. But I can figure that out when I get to the weekend!

So until my next post, have a lovely day!

Oishii-so: Fried Chicken for your backpack!

I'm a bit sick with a cold. It's wreaking havoc on my sinuses, mainly. I think I might be on the far side of a 48-hour flu or cold (I felt worse this morning than I do now) but I'm trying to take it easy. Not the simplest thing to do when life keeps going on: laundry and chores had to get done yesterday, and work goes on regardless of how I feel.

I'm cooking more, now. I need to tell you all about that. But for tonight, here's a snack I picked up from the kid's store in Shin-Misato.

The English on the front of the bag says "Fried Chicken Taste" and has pictures of real pieces of fried chicken. The back is a little more telling, that these are Texas Corn brand corn puffs (just like Cheetos balls but with different flavoring).

Opening the bag (see photos below) they don't have much color. I can't smell too well right now but they do smell a bit like chicken. And there's no mistaking the taste.

The flavor is not unlike that of fried chicken skin. There's a hint of oil flavor, maybe some light spices. The aftertaste reminds me of chicken meat. It's quite amazing when you think about it, how well the flavor matches that of actual fried chicken (if a bit unseasoned).

They aren't as good as the shrimp flavored chips (I've been thinking of getting another bag of those, when I run out of snacks). But they aren't bad. I won't buy them again, because there are other things I enjoy more in the snack category. I'll eat them again if they turn up at a party, though.