Sayonara Kurashiki
This morning was my last day in Kurashiki. What a truly magical place. Although my stay here was very short, I have so many great memories of the places, experiences, and most of all the people. Everyone I encountered was so gracious, inviting, and friendly.
The city itself had a quaint, old town canal district, which was comprised mainly of gift shops and restaurants, and which honestly was a bit of a tourist trap. Nevertheless, during the night after the shops had closed and the tourists had scurried off to their hotel rooms, the vacant “Streets” had a very tranquil atmosphere.
Ah yes, the “Streets.” Well, some of the “Streets” in the old town area are more like hobbit trails than the streets like those we have in good old Menlo Park. One thing that struck me as totally odd was that you could be walking down what seemed to be a walking path, or even an indoor concourse-shopping district, and suddenly there would be a car driving straight towards you. Weird.
Don’t get the wrong impression. It was not like this everywhere. In fact, the majority of the city had larger streets, however I must admit, that driving on the other side of the road thing, was difficult to get used to. It’s no wonder that we were not allowed to drive during our stay here in Japan.
My favorite part of the old canal district was actually above the canals, at the Achi Shinto Shrine. This shrine was situated atop a large plateau above the village below. You had to climb some very steep steps to reach the shrine, but once there, the effort was well worth the peaceful serenity of the grounds. BTW, a shrine is where people of the Shinto faith go to pray. This segment of the population is actually quite small. The majority of Japan’s population is of the Buddhist faith.
Since I knew that yesterday was to be my last day in Kurashiki, I made a second trip to the shrine in my remaining free time, mainly to have some time to myself, because I was to spend the night with my group at a ryokan (Japanese style inn). This stay was to be the only stay in Japan where I would have to share a room, so having that time to myself was very much needed.
Wow! I am so glad that I made the second trip to the shrine, because I had time to explore more of the surrounding area. I found a great bamboo forest with this narrow-steep path that led to a cozy little village below. I would have gotten better pictures, but whenever I stopped for too long, I was totally attacked by mosquitoes. Yes, the thought of bird flu did cross my mind, and I ran back to the hilltop to safety.
Once back at the hilltop grounds of the Achi Shrine, I found a cemetery behind the shrine itself. It was more of a maze of small gated family plots, one next to the other, all connected by a cobbled path. This path led to a Buddhist temple on the north east side of the hilltop. I don’t know the name of that temple. However, it had an awesome view of the city down below. This temple was much more secluded than the Achi Shrine. In fact the only other people there were a family of three, and it was obvious that they were not tourists. I, on the other hand, could not have looked more like a tourist in my baggy cargo shorts, t-shirt, and flip-flops. I guess that I should explain that most adult men in Japan do not wear shorts, especially in October. This is just one example of the many cultural differences between our two countries. However, even in my unusual clothing, the family was, as expected, very gracious and made me feel at ease at their temple.
Speaking of cultural differences, I have to say that even though I am 5,124 miles from “Home,” I somehow feel like I belong here in this country, so foreign and unfamiliar. It is difficult to explain, but because I was raised in a Japanese-American household my experience growing up in America was a bit different than most of my “American” friends. I guess you could say that I have a unique perspective on life. Although I was raised in a Japanese-American household, I feel as if my values are very similar to those of the people of Japan. My parents had a great influence on the person who I am today, and for that, I am very grateful.
I feel a great connection to the people here in Japan. Yes, I know this sounds odd. These differences have become more and more obvious during my stay here in Japan with my group of colleagues, with whom I have spent the better part of three weeks together.
Allow me to explain. Although I am admittedly prone to be a bit loud at times, I would not be the first in my group to admit that I am more introverted than most of my American colleagues. Again, don’t misunderstand me, everyone on this trip is a genuinely nice person, it’s just that certain customs, foods, and attitudes that are new and foreign to them, I have experienced all of my life.
The food aside, the differences that stand out the most to me are the customs and attitudes that I have been taught by my parents, which set me apart from my colleagues. I’m not saying that I am better than everyone in my group, but I feel like I’m just different than others in my group. I feel as if I am experiencing this adventure here in this country on a different level. Not better or worse, just different. I know it’s not easy to understand, I guess this blog entry has turned into a cathartic monologue.
Maybe I’m just going through some early withdrawl signs of my trip coming to its conclusion, but I really want to stay here in Japan. Yes, I miss my family, friends, students, coworkers, and my bike, but, at the same time, I don’t want to go home. I want this adventure to continue. For this reason, I will do everything in my power to come back to Japan this summer.
Sayonara for now!
Mr. S
The city itself had a quaint, old town canal district, which was comprised mainly of gift shops and restaurants, and which honestly was a bit of a tourist trap. Nevertheless, during the night after the shops had closed and the tourists had scurried off to their hotel rooms, the vacant “Streets” had a very tranquil atmosphere.
Ah yes, the “Streets.” Well, some of the “Streets” in the old town area are more like hobbit trails than the streets like those we have in good old Menlo Park. One thing that struck me as totally odd was that you could be walking down what seemed to be a walking path, or even an indoor concourse-shopping district, and suddenly there would be a car driving straight towards you. Weird.
Don’t get the wrong impression. It was not like this everywhere. In fact, the majority of the city had larger streets, however I must admit, that driving on the other side of the road thing, was difficult to get used to. It’s no wonder that we were not allowed to drive during our stay here in Japan.
My favorite part of the old canal district was actually above the canals, at the Achi Shinto Shrine. This shrine was situated atop a large plateau above the village below. You had to climb some very steep steps to reach the shrine, but once there, the effort was well worth the peaceful serenity of the grounds. BTW, a shrine is where people of the Shinto faith go to pray. This segment of the population is actually quite small. The majority of Japan’s population is of the Buddhist faith.
Since I knew that yesterday was to be my last day in Kurashiki, I made a second trip to the shrine in my remaining free time, mainly to have some time to myself, because I was to spend the night with my group at a ryokan (Japanese style inn). This stay was to be the only stay in Japan where I would have to share a room, so having that time to myself was very much needed.
Wow! I am so glad that I made the second trip to the shrine, because I had time to explore more of the surrounding area. I found a great bamboo forest with this narrow-steep path that led to a cozy little village below. I would have gotten better pictures, but whenever I stopped for too long, I was totally attacked by mosquitoes. Yes, the thought of bird flu did cross my mind, and I ran back to the hilltop to safety.
Once back at the hilltop grounds of the Achi Shrine, I found a cemetery behind the shrine itself. It was more of a maze of small gated family plots, one next to the other, all connected by a cobbled path. This path led to a Buddhist temple on the north east side of the hilltop. I don’t know the name of that temple. However, it had an awesome view of the city down below. This temple was much more secluded than the Achi Shrine. In fact the only other people there were a family of three, and it was obvious that they were not tourists. I, on the other hand, could not have looked more like a tourist in my baggy cargo shorts, t-shirt, and flip-flops. I guess that I should explain that most adult men in Japan do not wear shorts, especially in October. This is just one example of the many cultural differences between our two countries. However, even in my unusual clothing, the family was, as expected, very gracious and made me feel at ease at their temple.
Speaking of cultural differences, I have to say that even though I am 5,124 miles from “Home,” I somehow feel like I belong here in this country, so foreign and unfamiliar. It is difficult to explain, but because I was raised in a Japanese-American household my experience growing up in America was a bit different than most of my “American” friends. I guess you could say that I have a unique perspective on life. Although I was raised in a Japanese-American household, I feel as if my values are very similar to those of the people of Japan. My parents had a great influence on the person who I am today, and for that, I am very grateful. I feel a great connection to the people here in Japan. Yes, I know this sounds odd. These differences have become more and more obvious during my stay here in Japan with my group of colleagues, with whom I have spent the better part of three weeks together.
Allow me to explain. Although I am admittedly prone to be a bit loud at times, I would not be the first in my group to admit that I am more introverted than most of my American colleagues. Again, don’t misunderstand me, everyone on this trip is a genuinely nice person, it’s just that certain customs, foods, and attitudes that are new and foreign to them, I have experienced all of my life.
The food aside, the differences that stand out the most to me are the customs and attitudes that I have been taught by my parents, which set me apart from my colleagues. I’m not saying that I am better than everyone in my group, but I feel like I’m just different than others in my group. I feel as if I am experiencing this adventure here in this country on a different level. Not better or worse, just different. I know it’s not easy to understand, I guess this blog entry has turned into a cathartic monologue.
Maybe I’m just going through some early withdrawl signs of my trip coming to its conclusion, but I really want to stay here in Japan. Yes, I miss my family, friends, students, coworkers, and my bike, but, at the same time, I don’t want to go home. I want this adventure to continue. For this reason, I will do everything in my power to come back to Japan this summer.
Sayonara for now!
Mr. S
posted by Mr. S at 3:31 AM
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