Oops

Explains the tilt.

A room with a view

Arrived safely in Kurashiki, at the most expensive hotel of the trip - still only 40 quid (no breakfast). On arrival I thought I'd lucked out - incredibly fancy foyer. However, I had second thoughts on seeing my room. It's on the 7th floor, so there is a view of sorts, but it also has the most stained carpet I have ever seen. Including the rug hiding most of it. And then there's the sparking hot water pot. And I can hear the lift.

Never mind. I'm here to plan for tomorrow and sleep.

Glass Village

The last tram

Spent yesterday in Nagoya with Dawn - our usual mix of lunch, shopping and coffee. Bought some Xmas themed cloth and patterns for a Xmas tree and some cloth bowls. Just need to learn to sew now...

There was no room at the inn for my case - all the large lockers were full. After I had hauled my case back up the stairs, the attendant who had been telling everyone the lockers were full started shouting in my direction. I couldn't make out what he was saying, something-customer (何かお客様). It was only when I heard the elderly lady next to me gasp and say 「外人と言った！」("He said 'gaijin'!") that I realised he was talking to me. He had found a medium locker - I didn't care what he called me! It's actually the first time I've heard anyone object to the word 'gaijin', which strictly means 'outsider' and as such is apparently very rude. A controversy best kept with learners of Japanese!

The locker was too small, so I ended up hauling the case around all day. Nice blister on middle finger to show for it, plus making a nuisance of myself in all the shops.

After coffee and cake and buying a bentou, I ran for my train. Jet lag is making me disastrously sleepy from about 6, so really had to concentrate especially when changing trains - ended up going around in circles in Osaka. Arrived in Hiroshima at 10:30 and headed for the streetcar. The first two didn't go to my stop, but the conductor told me to wait for the Number 0. I checked the the timetable as his tram left - there was no 0. But it arrived anyway, old, creaking and juddering. The Lonely Planet thankfully had a list of stops so I could tell where I was between counting my pieces of luggage. Damn jet lag.

Have arrived at the Toho beads park - later!

Hiroshima tram

There were some newer ones, but the one I took last night was like this too!

The view from Comfort Hotel Hiroshima

Needless to say, it's not why I'm here.

The kindness of strangers

I didn't sleep at all on the flight - nothing like three episodes of CSI, Pirates of the Carribean 3 and Die Hard 4 to pass the time.

While queing for my Rail Pass, I picked up a tourist leaflet which said Nov 3 - also culture day - was the 東京時代祭, a historical festival. I grabbed my canera and headed out, photos to follow.

I felt fine until I got on the train back to Hanae's, when I literally started nodding off. Unfortunately, I had a cup of coffee balancing on my lap. Which soon made it onto the floor. I grabbed some tissues out of my bag (I only carry them in Japan as despite being a developed nation their toilets often lack paper) and desperately tried to mop it up as the train swayed. I was scrabbling for another tissue when a small cloth landed next to the spill - a man in his fifties sitting across the carriage had thrown it to me. I had barely thanked him when another tissue appeared, this time from the lady beside me. The spill was gone, leaving me with coffee-soaked tissues and the cloth. The man across the carriage reached over to hand me an empty tissue packet to hold them with, and a moment later the lady beside me gave me an empty plastic bag. I could only thank them again.

I felt guilty about the cloth but when I asked, the man just waved his hand gently in my direction - I could have it. I managed to stay awake for the rest of the journey (who knew mortification worked against jet lag?) and thanked them again when I got off. The lady was in her own world and didn't notice me, and the man just gave a slight nod in response.

I told Hanae about it at dinner and she gave a huge smile - ここ下町だからね - this is an older part of town (北千住) with older people, and as far as she's concerned, kinder ones.

Off to Nagoya in a few hours, meeting Dawn and Nozaki先生，then on to Hiroshima tonight for my anorak trip to the Toho beads visitor center tomorrow.

This phone is going to give me RSI - no predictive text entry in English and actually quite chunky. Think I'll get up soon and quietly do some packing.

Sandals of the Gods

One ofthe pair of colossal straw sandals at Asakusa Temple - they were having a Parade of the Ages which I caught the end of.

Testing...

If this works, I should be able to email posts while I'm in Japan! From
a Japanese mobile, so will be short and full of weird punctuation no doubt.

A place to lay my head

I've been doing some intensive planning for my trip to Japan in November, and have found some good sites for hotels - AsiaRooms - and also ryokan and minshuku - Japanese Guest Houses.

The end is nigh

I've switched to buying weekly commuter passes, as I have only 3 weeks left to go...

Hopefully will be doing more posting here as I get back into the swing of things with the new year kicking off today! Patent translation, more Japanese to English translation, Writing in Japanese, Japanese the Spoken Language (albeit more listening than anything else) - and in six months, either Literature or Social Sciences. Hmm. Hmm.

And off to Japan Nov 2-24! Already attempting to put an itinerary together, since one of the people I'm staying with confirmed when they can put me up. Must go read up on my guidebooks...

Japan Media Review

Another one from my fellow student (also struggling with this essay):

Japan Media Review

I haven't had a look yet, but seems of interest.

Electronic Journal of Contemporary Japanese Studies

The site that the Black Truck article came from is actually very interesting - and run by a professor afilliated with Sheffield!

EJCJS

Black Trucks and Freedom of Speech

Media Intimidation in Japan: A Close Encounter with Hard Japanese Nationalism by David McNeill

A link passed on by a fellow student - a chilling account of how right-wing ultranationalism works, and the power of the black trucks.

Editor for a day...

"But this law [which enabled the authorities to silence the press in the Meiji era] had a considerable loophole: while it included provisions allowing the authorities to prosecute editors, it did not permit them to shut down papers that violated the law. As a result, the press began to hired so-called editors, whose main purpose was to serve the jail sentences handed down when their papers were caught having published offending articles." Closing the Shop, Laurie Ann Freeman, Princeton University Press 2000. p. 29

All the news that's unfit to print...?

お久しぶり。I'm just finishing up my second essay for the course, this time on the mass media and politics. Again, very depressing reading and making the thought of heading over there in a few weeks less rosy.

It only reinforces that feeling I get that Japan is a beautiful, enchanting, amazing place with the nicest people, but that it sometimes goes very bad just in the corner of your eye when you're not really paying attention.

But anyway. Lots of quotes to follow...

Word of the day!

A friend of mine just got back from Vancouver - at the limit of her physical strength, she excused herself to 爆睡!

Got to love that language.

Shoji TV

I really like this idea - Report on "Teleshadow" on BBC

Bad Thai cops to endure Kitty shame

Not strictly Japan-related (apart from Sanrio) but so funny it made me snort coffee at my desk...

Yahoo! News Story - Bad Thai cops to endure Kitty shame

Edit: my colleague found an even better version of the story!

What is this thing called kawaii?

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Nipponia magazine does a special issue on kawaii and what it means to the Japanese - fascinating reading!