4.28.09 Korakuen Garden, Okayama

We are now in the city of Okayama, in which we saw Korakuen Garden (one of the three most beautiful in Japan) as well as some Kenzo Tange building which I was not impressed with. BUT we visited a My Neighbor Totoro store!!!!! 

Me, with my favorite neighbor TOTORO

Bye bye Miyajima!

Thanks Don for updating your photos finally!

4.27.09 Miyajima Day 2

About 400 Meters Up at this point...

Oh hai! 

Lolz

Despite the plethora of pictures I've posted here this place is not explainable. We hiked a mountain over 1,000 feet high (actually we took the cable car thing up - and hiked down :) ) and saw monkeys and temples and tiny islands ... We also visited the temple which appears to be floating on water and saw the tori in the water - a symbol of Miyajima. 

4.26.09 Miyajima

We are now in the island of Miyajima - wearing kimonos and soaking in the public baths. Tomorrow we will roam around the island and then head to Okayama! Some pictures of Miyajima meanwhile,... incredible. This place also has deer that hang out in the streets.

Oh yes, I CUT MY HAIR! Well, Bianca did actually :) 

4.23.09 Ando's Church of Light

The moment we've all been waiting for...

4.22.09 Fushimi Inari Tori

Bianca and I took a short train ride to Fushimi Inari (technically in Kyoto) to see the tori pathway. 'Tori' means 'gate' in Japanese, but everyone in our class keeps referring to them as "tori gates" which means "gate gates"... Nevertheless it was very nice, and the last thing we wanted to do in Kyoto! :( sniff - we leave Saturday for our week long trip and then to Tokyo!

4.21.09 Toji Flea Market

Above: Tako Yaki = Octopus Balls

We visited the largest flea market in Japan, which only occurs once in a while (I forget how often...) It was extremely crowded and there was a lot of food filled with red bean paste *yum* I got a wooden spoon and a headband, both which I got discounts for I think its because of my blonde hair... 

4.20.09 Gion

The old Kabuki Theater

Bianca and I took a quick trip to the Gion district in Kyoto - this is where the geishas used to be (like in Memoirs of a Geisha) - we saw a couple but they walk so quickly that it was hard to take a picture. The architecture in this area was completely bizarre, some random Chicago-looking new things, and mixed in a couple blocks over were some Heian period houses... Also the old Kabuki theater. There was also a small red light district but we didn't take any pictures :) 

4.18.09 Beach Day!!

Yes, we had a Japanese beach day!!! We took a 30 minute train ride to Lake Biwa (about the size of Lake Tahoe) and hung out at the beach, it was warm and reminded us of home :) 

4.16.09 Conveyor belt sushi Friday!!

What a nice way to end the week.

Beginning with....

Juice box sake? Always a good idea!

Japanese Television

There is nothing more confusing than Japanese television. A lot of the shows change every 15 minutes, so you'll be watching a cartoon and then all of a sudden its a soap opera or a cooking show. Also, often they cover the screen with so many Japanese characters that you can barely see the image. Weeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!