大きに! Thank You!

Like last year, I have to say thank you to everyone for making this trip memorable. I know it was very trying at times, but we all made it through.

Bev, my roomie. It was so much fun shopping with you. I think I spent way too much this year. It was worth it though. I already developed the pictures including the ones I took for you. I'll get them to you as soon as I can. I can also put them online on Flickr if you want. Also, thanks for putting up with my passiveness. I know it can be a little irritating when I say "I don't care" and "Whatever, it doesn't matter."


Rei, the prepared one. You always had what someone needed for any mishap. Whether it was tissue, cough drops, or even an extra hand bag, you would just pull it out of your bag. What else were you hiding in that bag? You're so kind and thoughtful. That's why all those elderly people would talk to you. I would always look down so they wouldn't talk to me. I'm sorry about the incident in Yodobashi Camera. People can be so rude. Wasn't the sentou great? It's one of my favorite things to do to relax. Hopefully you get to go to the Tokyo trip. It's not as stressful as this trip was.

Aaron, Charlie and Travis, ninjas in training. More like ninja school dropouts. I didn't get to spend much time with you guys. You were too busy with your other plans.
-Aaron, Mr. Comedian. Always making jokes. Hai Dozo (はい どうぞ). I think that's is one of the things I'll remember you saying throughout the trip.
-Charlie. What happened to you this year? You weren't as excited as last year. I thought we were going to hang out more.
-Travis, my guest. Thanks for buying those fireworks. I forgot about it last year and made it a point this year to do it. So, what about next year?


Yoko. Thank you again for volunteering to show us around your hometown. I can't believe you would go through all this just for us, you're too kind (^_^). I want to go back! Kushikatsu, takoyaki, okonomiyaki, and omu-rice! (T_T) I miss them already! Thank you so much for making the hair appointment for me, Bev, and Rei. I want to cut my hair in Japan every year from now on. Also, thank you for finding that sentou. I really needed it after all that walking and stress. You're a very giving person and I appreciate everything you have done for me during the trip.


Jayson. Thank you for putting this course together. I know that this year was more difficult even though we had less people. Who would have thought that the heat would cause so many problems. Even I was affected by the heat. I was very irritable because of it. Even though we were all complaining, you still got us to keeping going. I really want to go back. Eight days isn't enough time for a course like this. I think it would be easier to separate the two into two different courses (traditional Japan as one course and modernity in Japan as another course). Thank you for introducing me to Taishuengeki. I want to watch more. I hope you will let me go on more of these trips in the future. I will be graduated by the time the next course comes around.

帰ります! Time To Go Home, But I Don't Want To!

8 days have already passed. Time goes by too fast nowadays. Before we have our free half-day, Jayson planned a closing lunch just to debrief our 8 days we've experienced. We head to Umeda to eat okonomiyaki (お好み焼き). I've been waiting to eat okonomiyaki since the last trip. This is Osaka food. Too bad we couldn't go to the popular local spot Yoko talked about.

As we wait for our orders, Jayson briefly goes over the 8 days. We have gone to a lot of place in just 8 days. There is so much information to digest. My mind is overworked and overloaded. It's hard when you have two summer courses. Last year was a little easier with just one. Another thing he goes over is the blog. I really wasn't looking forward to typing another blog. It takes a lot of work to do this type of blog where you have to take the readings and discussions and apply it to where we have been. I know I should have taken better notes, but my energy was drained out of me by the heatwave.

After lunch, we have free time to roam around the area. Bev, Rei, Kuki and I head to Yodobashi Camera. On the way, we find another Uniqlo. It's amazing that you can find more things to buy at each Uniqlo location. Next we head into EST. I'm not really sure which way to go after that, so I ask someone how to get to the station since I remember Yodobashi being by the station. Every time I ask for directions, it seems like I get the same answer: "Straight that way."

It's time to head back. We have to get to the limo bus to get back to the airport. I can't believe we're going home. It seems like we just got here. I can't believe all the stuff I bought this year. Instead of bringing home two suitcases, I have three. I don't mind paying for the extra check-in, it's worth it.

On the ride to the airport, Jayson starts talking about the extra credit; that we should consider trying to do it. I make a comment that it's hard. When I think about it, people on Maui are so busy with trying to make ends meet that they don't have time to make a difference about their community. I can think of all these types of solutions to ease the costs of transportation on Maui by using Japan's examples, but I have a hard time figuring out where I can fit it in my schedule to actually go out and do something. I know it's bad to not make my voice heard, but when you're tired, you don't want to yell.

I try to reflect on what has happened on this whole trip and how it has changed me. During the trip, Jayson has told us that he's seen us grown since the last trip, and for the new people they have grown from the beginning of the trip. I know that I'm not the same person as last year. Last year, I was very timid. This year I was more confident in walking around a place that I didn't know. I wonder how this trip has changed me this time. I'll see when I adjust back to Hawaii's environment.

I also have a chance to really see the connection of tradition and modernity in Japan through the areas of Kyoto and Osaka. I realize that's each area's niche. Kyoto is all about preserving traditions. From the Gion Matsuri to restoring and upkeeping its temple, Kyoto shows off to its visitors where they came from. The past is what makes them whole.

Osaka is in transition between tradition and modernity. Osaka still has some of its traditional values. Some merchants are still xenophobic and treat foreigners crudely. There are other merchants that are the total opposite and treat foreigners like any local customer. Also, Taishuengeki tries to keep a dying tradition alive. Osaka also is in a phase modernity. It has areas like America-Mura and DenDen Town trying to mirror Tokyo (which represents modernity and the future).

In all my observations from this year and last year, I see that Kyoto represents the past; Osaka is the present; and Tokyo is the future of Japan. If you wanted to see Japan's evolution, all you would have to do is observe these three areas of Japan.

We've arrived at the airport. No upstairs seating for us. The flight is almost full. Oh well, can't have everything you want. We have a little over an hour until we have to say goodbye to Yoko and Jayson. So what do we do? We go shopping for omiyage for people at home!




~The last Hello Kitty posters I'll see before going home. Hello Kitty Osaka Kani, Hello Kitty Kansai Itami Airport, and Hello Kitty Kushikatsu.




Time to head back home. Just like last year. Not much room, but it doesn't matter. I'm going to sleep most of this flight. I am a little hungry. I should have bought something to eat. At least they gave us a little bedtime snack. I think I slept over half of the flight. I can't believe it's over, but the work has just begun.

Free Day! Time To Cut My Hair And Shop!

Finally we're free! Free to explore around Osaka or Kyoto on our own. Bev, Rei, Yoko, and I go to Namba to get our hair cut. For the past few days me and Bev have been buying magazines, trying to find a haircut we would want.

The time has finally come. Time to get a Japanese haircut! Last year we talked about it but never got a chance to do it. This year, Yoko made appointments for me, Bev, and Rei at the Three Choice hair salon. I am so nervous. I don't know why. I just cut my hair 3 weeks ago, so it shouldn't be so bad, right?

My stylist is Miki Masui. She doesn't speak or understand much English so Yoko helps our communication. I can understand what she asks but I don't know how to really explain what I want. It's a good thing that I took a picture of what I wanted. She takes one long look at the picture and it's off to wash my hair. It's different from home. All you have to do is sit down and the chair automatically reclines, making it more comfortable when they wash your hair.

It's very quiet. I don't know what really to say. I'm usually like that. I rarely cut my hair, so it's not like I really know the person cutting my hair. Plus, I think she thinks I don't understand Japanese. She looks busy trying to get my hair exactly like the picture so I don't want to bother her. Almost an hour has past and she still is trimming certain areas. They are not that precise at home. Usually they take about 30 to 45 minutes to cut my hair back at home. When she is done, I see a lot of hair on the ground. My hair feels lighter and looks just like the picture I showed her. I'm so happy (^_^)! She gives me her business card (how nice). Now I want to cut my hair every year in Japan.

After we are done, we head off to go shopping. Finally we have the free time to shop till we drop (and we will take that literally). We head off to find Namba Walk. With Yoko's directions we head off to where we started, the subway station. There we find Namba City. We browse through some stores but it's very expensive. In the end, we try to find our way to Namba Walk. It's so hard to find. It's very confusing when shopping places are all connected by the subway. We had to ask 3 different people for directions in getting to Namba Walk. Each time I would ask, the answer was always keep going straight and you will eventually get there.

Yay! We found Namba Walk. This place is much more in our price ranges. So many people are around. It must be because of the holiday. People have nothing better to do than shop on a holiday? Plus, Japanese merchants are very smart. Since they know that the summer time is hot, and that people will go to shopping areas to get out of the heat, they have summer sales to entice the customer to buy more. I'm glad that we came during the summer so we can take advantage of these sales.

All the shopping makes us hungry. We have to find a place to eat. There doesn't seem to be a lot of restaurants around where we are. We passed by a few while we were shopping but don't want to walk all the way back there just to eat. Instead we find a Curry House at the entrance of Namba Walk. I haven't eaten curry in a while, so I'm glad that we found the place. Me and Rei order omu-rice curry (オムライス カレー) and Bev orders spicy chicken. I think I would rather have Bev's lunch, it was spicier than my curry.



~Hello Kitty Ebisutai. The workers even where Hello Kitty hats. I should have taken pictures with the workers.



It's time to leave Namba and find our way to Dotonbori. Yoko said that we can walk to get there. So we try to find our way there. I'm glad that there are maps outside each subway station. On the map it says that Dotonbori isn't that far from where we are.

On our way, we see policemen running on the road. How odd. Maybe they are chasing someone. In the distance, we hear a woman's voice on a loud speaker. We look down the road and see a vehicle with lots of blue banners and a crowd of people carrying similar banners. Bev and Rei ask me if I can understand what is being said. All I could hear was, "We will never forgive them for what they have done." I don't know who and what they were referring to. That's when we realized that it was a protest. We don't want to get mixed up in that crowd and quickly cross the street.

We finally make it to Dotonbori. That wasn't so hard. It's so crowded. It seems like there are more people here today than that Friday night. The place isn't the same without all its lights. We pass right through and go through the street of shops.

I think we took a wrong turn somewhere. This place does not look familiar to me. We head into a convenience store and ask for directions to Sankaku Kouen (Triangle Park). It's a good thing that I remembered that landmark. The cashier points in the direction we came from and says, "Straight down for a while."

We've made it to America-Mura! Finally Body Line! I am a maniac in the store. It's not as spacious as the Harajuku location. It's hard to maneuver around. Also, there is one girl that isn't courteous to anyone else in the store. She thinks she's the most important person in the store. She bumps into people as she moves around the store. She goes in front of you and doesn't say "excuse me." What really gets me frustrated is that she didn't buy anything after all of that.

In the middle of shopping in Body Line, Yoko calls Rei about going to a sentou (public bath). This is what I've been waiting for. After all that walking around in Kyoto and Osaka, going to a sentou will relieve my aches. So I call Yoko and tell her "YES, I want to go." We have to figure out how to get back to the hotel from America-Mura. First, we need to get to the station.

We decide that we should just take a taxi to the station. We try to get a taxi. The first few that pass by have customers already. The first empty one, did not stop for us. That's odd. We walk a little more until we see another one. This one stops for us. Bev tells him that we want to get to Shisaibashi station. Maybe he didn't hear the location, so I repeated it. He looks puzzled. Then he tells us, it's down the street behind us. I told him that I understood, but we were tired from all the walking around. I notice that the screen with the fare isn't turned on. I thought nothing of it. In about a little over a minute, he stops and points to the station. I ask how much. He says "Tadade." I thought I was hearing things. Then he makes a zero with his hand. I wasn't hearing things. He gave the ride free of charge. How nice! I think it would have been different if the guys tried to do that.

Time to meet with Yoko and Jayson. Sentou time! There are only four of us this time (Yoko, Jayson, Rei, and me). Too bad Bev couldn't make it. That bee is lucky it died after it stung Bev. If it didn't, I would have killed it myself. It's weird that we haven't seen a bee since that day at the Gion parade. This time, there are many more families. Yoko said that the place we went last year was more a locally known place. This place is more known by anyone around the area local or visiting.

This year I tried something different. Instead of the sauna, we went into a room that is like a sauna, but we lay down on heated stone. This is much better than the sauna. The heat doesn't feel as dry (I don't feel like I'm in an oven). The stones in the room are supposed to help detoxify your body. There must have been a lot of toxins in my body because I perspired a lot during those 40 minutes. I felt much better after that. We still had time to soak in the bath. I wish we had a sentou in Hawaii. I don't think it would be the same though.

Rei, Bev, Amanda, Jayson, Yoko and I all meet up for dinner. We have a mini-closing ceremony since tomorrow we head home. I am so relaxed from the sentou. I am even more happy when the food comes. I was so hungry when we were at the sentou that when we were in that room my stomach started growling. All the food and all the events we shared about the day was a great way to end such a long day.

Tomorrow, we head home. I don't want to go yet! There is so much more we didn't get to see.

Nara (The Land Of The Deer), and Taishuengeki

Welcome to Nara! Nara was Japan's first capital. We're in the land of the deer. The people of Nara believe that deer are the messengers of the gods and do not interfere with them. That's why there are many deer roaming the area of Nara.

We're far from the busy streets of the city. It feels like home, just nicer. The air seems cleaner even though there are wild deer around.


The first stop on the Nara tour is Kasuga Shrine. According to DK Eyewitness Travel, Kasuga Shrine was built as a shrine for the Fujiwaras, one of the families that helped to establish Nara.

During our exploration of the shrine, there is wedding ceremony in the main hall. It seems rare nowadays for Japanese couples to have a traditional Shinto ceremony. It is very quiet and calm. As the ceremony is over, people visiting the shrine congratulate the couple as they pass by.

A little behind schedule, we don't have time to wait for the bus to come back. We decide to walk to Todai-ji Temple.


The sign outside the temple gates says that Todaiji Temple was built for Emperor Shomu and completed in 752. Emperor Shomu hoped that this would position Todaiji as the head temple and Vairocana Buddha as the central Buddhist deity of the Kokubunji system of provincial temples. The temple serves as both a place of prayer for peace as well as a center of Buddhist doctrinal research of the Kegon doctrine.
There are many people gathered here as well. It's amazing to me the amount of people that would go out during this heat. If I had my way, I'd probably go somewhere air conditioned. Once inside, you are staring right at the Great Buddha Vairocana.

You wouldn't think that this temple has had its share of disasters. It doesn't look like the temple experienced fires, earthquakes, or decapitations. The Japanese find ways to restore and preserve their past. They never forget that the past made them into what they are today. Sometimes I forget about that. Without the past, things today may not exists, including myself.

The day seems like its not going to end. Too bad we didn't have enough time to change for the Taishuengeki (大衆演劇). I have never heard of this before. The only types of theatrical performances Japan has to offer are Kabuki, Noh, and Bunraku. Even Morton's text does not mention Taishuengeki, but does mention the others. So of course, I was skeptic about the unknown, especially when you tell someone it's three hours long.

We head back to Shinsekai. We're all skeptic about the show and wonder if there is a way out of watching the performance. When we get into the theatre, I thought it's like a smaller version of high school theatre.

What is Taishuengeki? It literally means, "theatre for the masses." It is something like watching the local performing arts troop (i.e. Maui Academy of Performing Arts). They are not professional, but they try their hardest to keep this art alive.

The show starts with the dancing. Jayson said that this isn't a usual thing. Usually the dancing is at the end of the performance. How strange to start things backwards. Each member goes up and does their dance. As they perform, members of the audience go up and pin envelopes of money (or just the money), and some give gifts. The one's that just give the money I see 20,000 to 30,000 yen being pinned on them. This is to show their support to the art. They want the performers to keep doing what they are doing. This is all voluntary. These performers want to keep the art alive. I really respect these performers. I can understand how hard it is to explain to people why you are volunteering as a career. It's all for the passion of the art. Also, it's probably all the attention the receive from their fans.

There is a short intermission from the dancing, and in Osaka-style, jokes are made in the rules for tonight's performance. They also announce that tonight is a full house, and are very appreciative. You can see all of them tearing. After the announcement, they come into the crowd to sell tickets for tomorrow's show. Taishuengeki is usually a 30 day event. When the troop comes, they perform for 30 days, each night a different performance (different dance routines, and different story). That's a lot of dedication.

After the second half of the dancing portion is done, there is another intermission. Over an hour has passed already from just dance routines. I wonder what the point is for all those performances. An announcement comes on over the P.A. system to turn off all cell phones, cameras, and video cameras. I can understand why they want this from the audience. Since it is a dying art, you don't want someone to come in and record the performance so that they can post it on YouTube for others to watch for free. My opinion is that it is better to watch it in person than on YouTube. During the performance someone is caught video taping the play and is asked to erase everything from the camera. They stay there and watch as you erase all the footage. They are very serious in following the rules.

Although I didn't understand all of the dialog, I got the main idea of the story. I also got the humorous puns put into some scenes. Each play is supposed to be based on actually events. It's like a history lesson on the stage. The stories are part of history that isn't written in the history books in America. These are stories that were handed down from parent to child in the hopes of keeping the past known.

The play was very intense in the end. I can understand why the dancing was in the beginning and not at the end. Also, I don't think the actors would have enough time to get cleaned up to do their dance numbers. It was pretty bloody. Jayson said that they went all out because there was a full house. They did a lot of ad libbing, especially during the whistle blowing scene. That was hilarious.

I really got hooked on Taishuengeki even though I was really skeptical about it at first. Jayson said that there aren't many sites (he probably meant English sites), but I found quite a few fan sites. The only problem is that it is all in Japanese. I was trying to figure out if it were possible to invite a troop over to Hawaii to put on some performances. It would take a lot of work. On Maui, there is the Maui Arts and Cultural Center (the MACC) that probably could help out if you are convincing enough. There is also the Japanese Cultural Society of Maui, but I hardly participate in any of the functions. My mom has a connection at the Diamond Resort that probably could make some accommodations. It's so hard since it's so expensive to come to Hawaii, and I don't think that the troop members could pay for their own expenses. (>_<)* Tomorrow is a free day! Time to cut my hair (0_0)

Umeda, Tenjinbashi, DenDen Town, Shinsekai (Did I Miss Anything?)

There seems to be a lot to be seen today. Like this whole trip, so many things, so little time. Today's route is a little different. Instead walking outside under the sun, we will travel underground. Why can't we have a transportation system like that? If Japan can connect its four main islands, why can't we find a way to connect the islands? I wish Maui had some sort of system like that. Can you believe that about 2 years ago Maui finally started a public bus system? Maui is far behind of Oahu.

We head to Yodobashi Camera in Umeda. We have a little over an hour and 30 minutes. There are many floors of electronics and clothes shopping. It's amazing how many Uniqlo stores there are in the Kansai area. In Tokyo last year, I remember only seeing one. This year, it seems like Uniqlo finds you. I wonder how hard it would be for Uniqlo to expand to Hawaii.

Time to leave Umeda and head to Tenjinbashi. From the Kansai Collection website, it says that this area is 2.6 kilometers (1.6 miles) of shops and restaurants. Each section has different color torii (Shinto gates) probably to help you locate a shop. This area reminds me of Soko Ga Shiritai (そこが 知りたい). All are mom and pop shops. I wonder how they make it through during a slower economy. It must be a hard time for them. Maybe that's why they are so friendly towards customers as they patron their shop. Also they do have their loyal local customers. Everyone stops at the hanko shop. A hanko is a legal stamp that is your signature. Each find their name except for me (T_T). Yoko says to go inside and ask. The couple looks through their records and finds my name. Is my last name that uncommon in Japan? Maybe next time I will look in a phone book to see how many Nikaidos there are. The couple is really nice and starts a short conversation about their kids. They said that their kids have friends from UH Manoa. It must be refreshing to have foreigners come for them. It really shows how much department stores and national chains have taken away from the social aspect of the merchant world. Osaka is the city of merchants, but department stores feel cold and unemotional compared to the warmth of the mom and pop shops in Tenjinbashi.




On the way to the station, we pass by a shrine. It seems like they turn up anywhere. Osaka is a merchant city. They don't have time to go out of their way to pray at a shrine. Instead, shrines are found on the way to the station or to work.





Our next stop, Den Den Town. It isn't like Akihabara. I don't know what to do here. This place seems like Osaka's response to Tokyo's Akihabara during the anime explosion. In Akihabara, there were more maid cafes, manga shops, and cosplay stores. In Den Den Town, there are more discount laptops (パソコン) and other electronics. There are a lot of Ero (エロ) video stores. There isn't much time to explore, so me and Bev look around a toy store and to our meeting place.

As we walk around, I wonder if otaku is dying in Japan. My friend raved about Den Den Town when I said we were going there. I don't think it's the same place as he saw it in high school almost 10 years ago. Is Japan moving on from otaku and into something more modern? Japan is constantly changing itself to improve on itself. Can America keep the otaku spirit alive?










The last place to see today is Osaka Shinsekai. This is the sight of Tsutenkaku ("tower reaching heaven"). I was surprised with the line to go up the tower. I never really knew about this place until I read it in the handbook. It isn't listed in the DK Eyewitness Travel. The tower is 103 meters total, but the observation area is at 91 meters. It is not the original tower. It was taken down during World War II to prevent any air attacks on Osaka.

The tower is also home to the Billiken. The Billiken was created by the Japanese, but a by an American school teacher who saw the creature in a dream. This year is the 100th anniversay of the Billiken. Maybe that's why so many people have gathered. Billiken reminds me of other magical creatures like the Menehune or Leprechaun. The Billiken must be in the same league as these creatures.

On the observation deck, you can have a 360 view of Osaka. I could see the Don Quixote building and Den Den Town. Everything looks so close together. It looks like we can walk to each location instead of getting on the subway.

After a short look around the observation deck for pictures, we have to head back to the hotel and get ready to meet the Osaka graduates.

This time it was a different experience. They were quiet at first. They didn't know as much English as the Ritsumeikan students. I guess it shows what areas are emphasized. It took a little more for the students to open up to us. My Japanese helped me a lot in making the students more comfortable to speak.

Our time is almost up at the first izakaya. Things have just gotten started and decide to go to another izakaya. We learned quite a few Osaka dialect words. We also tried to teach Hawaii's dialect, pidgin. It is very interesting trying to teach some words that really don't have an explanation. It's even harder to explain it in another language.

Hopefully we all can stay in touch with each other. Last year we did for about a month and then they stopped writing back. I can just hope for the best.

I cannot believe that tomorrow is the last class day. The time has gone by so fast. A couple more days and we will be heading back home.

Goodbye Kyoto, Hello Osaka!

It's our last day in Kyoto. The Gion Matsuri lanterns have been taken down in the lobby of the hotel. How efficient these Japanese people work.

To pass the time, we have the option of going on our own or going to the Toei Uzumasa Cinema Village (東映太奏映画村, Kyoto Studio Park). This is one of the places I had to go see. Well it was more for my boyfriend than for me. When I told him about this place, he said "take lots and lots of pictures."


We have free time to explore the area. Of course I want to find Super Hero Land, but we head out around the samurai sets. It feels like being in the show, even the workers are dressed up and ready to take pictures. The theme for Abarenbo Shogun plays in my mind. Also Mango's exclamation "Abunai Shogun" comes into my mind. One of the samurai tells us that there is a ninja show that has just started. We know that the boys are there and go inside to watch.

There is so much to see in this place, but we don't have a lot of time to see everything. With just around half an hour left we head off to Super Hero Land. My boyfriend is really into tokusatsu. Tokusatsu means "special effects," but is used to describe the live-action television shows and movies. Shows like Battle Fever J, Power Rangers, and Kamen Rider (all under Toei studios) are all tokusatsu series.




~Eiga Mura Kitty, Kyoto Maiko Kitty, and Tokugawa Shogun Kitty
















After the Toei Studio Park, we head back to the hotel and say goodbye to Kyoto. We are going on the shinkansen (bullet train) to Osaka. It's only going to be a 15 minute ride. No time really to take a nap, just sit down and relax.


We arrive in Osaka and head towards the Ramada Hotel. There seems to be a mix up with the reservations. Things happen for a reason. If the mix up did not happen, we would have had a chance to relax in our hotel rooms. Andy wouldn't have met all those children that were drawn to him. I couldn't believe that these children ranging from 4 through maybe 9 were talking in very good English. It shows the shift in the emphasis of the English language for elementary students in Japan. Horton stated that even though the study of the English language starts at an early age, the stress on grammar and reading are neglected. Horton's statement represents 5-10 years ago. After meeting those kids, it shows how much English is becoming a universal language.

After the reservation mix up is fixed, we are back out and head towards Osaka Castle (大坂城). Like the other shrines, temples, and castles, it is a long walk until we reach the entrance to the castle. We first have to enter through the gates. Then we walk down the side of the moat until we get to the bridge. After crossing the bridge we have to walk alongside the castle until we reach the main entrance.

According to DK Eyewitness Travel, Osaka Castle was the largest castle in the country during its time.

We don't have much time to look around. We head up to the top floor to see the view of Osaka. I get tired and need to find a place to sit and rest. Me and Bev end up on the 5th floor where there is a video playing. The video goes frame by frame of a large screen painting of the Siege of Osaka (大坂の陣). According to the video and Japan: Its History and Culture, the siege started in the winter of 1614.

Ieyasu feeling threatened by Hideyoshi's growing power, even after Hideyoshi's death, plotted against Hideyoshi's family for power. In 1614, Ieyasu started his siege conquering small forts and villages of the Toyotomi clan. To stop Ieyasu's advances, Hideyori promised to fill the outer moat of Osaka-jo.

In 1615, Hideyori secretly builds his forces and is rumored to be emptying the outer moat. In the next frames, it shows all the battles during the siege. It shows each side battling and commoners fleeing for safety. In the end, Toyotomi's clan is trapped and is forced to flee back to the castle and are all captured by Tokugawa.

It's a sad thing to watch as civil war reigned before Japan became unified under one shogun. In order to keep your land, you have to fight for it. In America, most times you inherit land and don't have to fight till the death for it. You may have to fight in court with relatives but not as severe as those days where you put your life on the line.

There is no time to rest. We head back to the hotel to get our bags into our rooms and change. In less than an hour we have to head out again to America-Mura and Dotonbori. Jayson and Yoko try to plan out what we will see. In the end, it is settled that we go to America-Mura and then walk to Dotonbori.

America-Mura has many America-inspired shops and shops that are found in America. Of course, there is a McDonald's restaurant. Also on the way towards Dotonbori, there is graffiti on one side of a building. Is that how America is depicted to the rest of the world?

We have a short 30 minutes to wander around America-Mura. I was glad to find a Body Line store here. We must come back during our free day. I wonder if the Harajuku store is really closed or maybe it just relocated.

After a short walk through a shopping area, we are on the Dotonbori bridge. It wasn't a far walk after all. Here we see the famous Glico-man and the large kani (crab). I notice the groups of guys on the bridge. Also there are many double dates meeting up on the bridge. So many teens and twenty year olds are gathered here. It must be because it is a Friday night. Unless every night is like this.

Now it's free time. We are in Osaka, it's time to EAT! Tomorrow is another long day. Maybe there will be more change of plans.

Gion Matsuri 祇園祭...And More Sights.

It's that time of the year. It's the Gion Matsuri parade. The festival is said to have started in 869 in the hope of securing divine intervention to halt an epidemic that was sweeping the area. The current form of the festival was created in the Edo Era when the yama and hoko were made. The festival starts on the first of July and goes throughout the month.

I try to get into my yukata in the morning but it isn't working. It isn't until Yoko comes to the room and teaches me, Bev, and Amanda what to do. It's a good thing that my coworker taught me how to put on the obi so I could help everyone. It's too bad that Rei didn't wear a yukata with us.

We get our seats to watch the parade. It's unbelievably hot and there is no breeze to relieve us from the heat. It feels like I'm sitting in an oven. Even though I'm wearing a yukata, I think it's more comfortable than my regular clothes. Also, I don't have to worry about getting a sunburn, well only on my face.

It's amazing how many people are gathered. Many are from other parts of Japan. It reminds me of Maui's County Fair Parade. Like the Gion Matsuri parade, the roads close and all of Maui County comes to watch and join in the festivities.


As the parade comes towards us, you can see these massive floats that shoot up to 25 meters high. Each yama (float) weigh around 12 tons and are pulled by over 2 dozen men. Each yama are elaborately decorated with tapestries imported from many countries including Belgium, Persia, and Turkey.

Everyone that participates in the parade is a volunteer. I cannot believe that this many people volunteer to do this, and they do it with such pride that they are keeping tradition alive. I made a comment to Yoko and Bev that the amount of people in parade is probably equivalent to the population of Maui. Well, it seems like to me.

The heat is unbearable. At one point we had to get out of the sun and go underground to the shopping area. When we get back out, majority of the people are gone. I guess the heat got to those people also. I don't blame them. It was during the hottest times during the day (11:00 A.M. to 1:00 P.M.). The day isn't over for us. We head to the Gion district.


We now are in the streets of Gion. Too bad it's too early in the day to see any maiko. Maybe one day there will be a chance to go at night. The streets of Gion is Kyoto's best-known geisha area and symbol to the average Japanese man of all that's good in life: wine, women, and karaoke.

The streets are narrow, yet cars fit themselves in between pedestrians. I don't know how people in Japan drive. I would be too scared to go down these types of streets. But Japanese people are more aware of their surroundings and pay attention to cars and bicyclers passing by.

After a short tour around the streets of Gion, we head toward Yasaka Shrine (八坂神社). This shrine used to be known as the Gion Shrine. Yasaka Shrine is the host of the Gion Festival. According to DK Eyewitness Travel, the shrine was established around 656. The deities protect from illness and thus started the Gion Festival known today.

So many people are gathered and many vendors are setup selling food or offer games to win prizes. The heat has drained my energy, so I don't really explore much of the shrine. Instead I wait in the shade and rest my feet. I notice many people pass by and head toward the main hall. I wonder how many have made the pilgrimage in the hope for protection (probably all).

The rest was short lived. We're back up and head toward Kiyomizu-dera (清水寺). I wasn't prepared for what was to happen next, I don't think anyone was. The walk to get to Kiyomizu-dera was a steep incline. I've noticed with majority of the shrines that have great impact to Japanese culture require us to work hard in order to get there. It's like a test of will. We have to show how much dedication we have to the place in order to get its full reward.

When we get to the gates, my mind says "let's go," but my legs say "no, no more." In the end my legs win the battle, and I rest for a while. After a short rest I am ready to go explore the area. I have been waiting to see this place. I've seen pictures and have seen it on Haro@Morning.

Kiyomizu-dera was built in 798 and is one of the most famous Buddhist temples. For more than 1,000 years, pilgrims have made the same climb as we did to pray at the temple and drink from its sacred spring. Kiyomizu means pure water.

Looking at the main hall's veranda, you wouldn't think that all the supports underneath are nail-less. It's amazing that after all these centuries that all the interlocking joints are still supporting the structure.

Because of time restraints, we don't have time to drink from the spring. This is such a big tourist spot. There were a lot of Chinese tourists. Plus, because I was still in yukata from the parade, a couple of girls asked for a picture with me (^_^).

Finally, free time. Time to unwind with shopping! It seems like there is more to digest than last year's course. Three to four places in a day is a lot to digest. Plus with such little time at each place, it's hard to notice everything that you should notice. It's our final night in Kyoto, tomorrow is Toei Eiga Mura and Osaka!