Highlights from Japan

the Itsukushima Shrine off the coast of Hiroshima

Here are some highlights from my visit to Japan!

Last Day in Japan! (6/20)

Today was far less heavy than the day before had been. Since it was to be our last day in Japan, we were given most of the day off, with an optional excursion scheduled for the afternoon. We split into informal groups based on our plans for the day, and after a quick breakfast, went our separate ways.

Hayes had an awesome conversation with another guest, all in Japanese

My first stop was Hiroshima Castle, which dates back to the 1600s. The original was destroyed in the A-bombing, so the facility I saw was a reconstruction. I arrived before it officially opened, and killed some time on the castle grounds. The castle is right by the river, and I observed someone doing what appeared to be tai chi towards the rising sun. It was impressive to behold. I also scaled the large rock wall behind the castle, saw a stray cat that I attempted but unfortunately failed to befriend, and generally enjoyed the greenery that surrounded the site.

Hiroshima (6/19)

A Shinkansen (Bullet) train

Destination: Hiroshima. Means: the Shinkansen, or Bullet Train. I'd heard about it all my life, one of the many incredible things to come from Japan that isn't painted as strange but instead admirable, ingenious, or superior. I find it funny that I had to go all the way around the world to catch a train ride, especially since America was practically built and is still maintained on rails. But that's a story for another time.

Nara, Land of Deer and Temples (6/18)

Today was a much slower day than the one before it, for which I was very thankful-- I was still pretty beat after all the exploring we'd done in and around Kyoto! We did have a bit longer of a commute-- our destination was Nara, a city right across the border from Kyoto. We did take a train to get there, but it might as well have been down the street!

On our way to Nara

Our first stop was Todai-ji, a massive Buddhist temple in Nara. This temple lay on the other side of Nara's infamous Deer Park, through which we walked. Nara is known for its deer, which roam freely through the parks and streets. They're practically domesticated, and are so used to being fed by tourists that they'll come right up and steal brochures out of your hand (they seem to have developed a taste for paper, of all things).

(ALL) Around Kyoto (6/17)

Looking out at Kyoto from the hotel

Today marked the one month anniversary of my arrival in Asia! I woke up in a beautiful hotel in a beautiful city after a particularly beautiful night on the town and couldn't help but gush about the glory I felt to my fellow travelers as we prepared ourselves for another day of adventure. My professors tolerated my elated rambling over our eclectic continental breakfast before I wandered off to liberate a backpack-full of chicken nuggets for lunch later-- food is pricey in Kyoto!

The day's first highlight came to me in the form of a stranger at the bus stop between our hotel and our first destination, the Philosopher's Walk. I noticed the gentleman to my left paying a noticeable amount of attention to me, and when I looked his way was greeted with a kind and knowing smile. He was holding out his left wrist and casually snapped the beaded, elastic bracelet that rested upon it, nodding assertively towards the bracelet on my own wrist (the one that Myongsang Sunim had given to us at Unmunsa). Without sharing a single word, I understood exactly what he meant, and felt in that moment like I belonged to some secret Buddhist club.

Fast forward a few months-- I'm riding my bike through Athens and I pull up beside a gentleman wearing a similar bracelet. I gesture to mine, just like the gentleman at the bus stop had, and ask the biker if he's Buddhist. He cagily asks in response if anyone can call themselves Buddhist before riding off. I had way more fun with the person at the bus stop, without the words and the posturing. Was I a Buddhist in Kyoto? Was the person with the bracelet at the bus stop? It didn't matter-- we shared a beautiful single-serving moment of connectedness in one of the most temporary of places, and I loved it.

Hello To Japan! (6/16)

GLOBIS in Asia prepares to depart Yeungnam for Japan!

Straight from my journal:

In Japan! Flight went flawlessly--I guess I'm getting used to this whole Asian travel thing. We weren't locked out of the Daegu airport this time around, despite leaving more on-time than last time around--less people, less partying the night before, more professors involved. Our last flight from Daegu seemed to come quickly. They were out of bananas, thus ruining my breakfast plans. Curses!

Back in Seoul/Incheon

The layover in Seoul/Incheon flew by! I spent most of it stretching, which felt great. The fact that soccer was on TV helped a whole lot! I got to watch a good chunk of Love Fiction [a Korean rom-com]-- very fascinating film, definitely deserving of dissection later. The number of Koreans has been thinning out understandably; now, i feel flung into the unknown again. Japan is definitely noticeably different than Korea, but less shockingly so than China was, I think. Perhaps having two different Asian Tigers under my belt better prepared me for this third. The weather is humid and overcast; it should be this way for most of our stay, as a typhoon is on its way. I'm exited to cross that off my list of things to experience!