The Friendly Animals of Japan

Over many days, our family was awed by the bravery of semi wild animals when it came to human encounters.
Halfway through our train trip around Honshu, we stopped at my happy place, rabbit island or as more formally known, Okunoshima.
During World War II the island was used as a manufacturing plant for poisonous gasses to be used on the Allies. The toxins were tested on rabbits, but when the war ended and the factory was shut down, and workers released all the bunnies to run wild on the island. Nowadays, thousands of bunnies call the island home, protected from predators and feed daily by the tourists who often traverse the sunny paths that loop around the small island. We spent the better part of an afternoon feeding crowds of bunnies representing multiple species and soaking up the tan enduing beach views. Best day ever!!!!

After the morning visit to the Hiroshima Peace Museum, we spent the afternoon and into evening exploring Miyajima Island, home to the Itsukushima floating shrine. This classic, orange gate Shinto shrine appears to be floating at high tide, making it a bustling tour group destination. We wanted to photograph the shrine at this time, but we had a few hours check out the Buddhist monasteries on the steep hills overlooking the main village of the island. Prior to boarding the ferry we had been faithful sightseers and read up on our excursion of choice in our trusty Lonely Planet guide book. We had thought little of the quote mentioning "cheeky deer." As soon as we stepped out of the ferry terminal we noticed the four legged, sacred Sika deer roaming lazily down the streets monopolized by humans. "... Please do not feed the deer, they are wild animals. Do not pet the deer..." blared over the loudspeaker, but apparently that message didn't really get though to anyone. Many tourist found a relaxing buck or doe and took selfies with them, but, the herbivores, well actually omnivores if you count their love of paper, had other ideas. We watched one young lady attempt to snap a picture with one but didn't end up getting the shot when her photo buddy tried to eat her hair. One man had a small heard after his ice cream, and a few individual animals followed us more than a few times. It was cute, but also sad to see wild animals so dependent on humans. We got into some of the Buddhist temples just before they were closed to the public for the evening and saw many Sikas in a more natural environment.

A doe and her fawn don't make a signs of being afraid of us as
we stroll by

A pair of deer in front of the Itsukushima shrine

Stone lanterns stand guard at the water's edge

Japanese maple leaves grow outside a Buddhist temple

One Buck really wants whatever is in that white bag dad is holding...

Many small statues depicting the Buddha's disciples are capped in knitted hats

Lastly, one of Nick's favorite parts of the trip, the Owl Cafe. Only him and Mom ended up going to this low profile experience in Tokyo, but hearing their description of it made me wish I'd gone. They could pet over 30 different birds of many species, and even hold one! Nick chose to hold a Western Screech owl by the name of Pot-sticker. At first the staff was hesitant to let a kid interact with their birds of prey, but once they saw how much he loved owls and how much the owls loved him, he ended up getting to hold two. Michele requested "a big one" from the owl menu and was presented a beautiful South American species named Gorilla.

Nick and Michele hold Okra and Gorilla

Pot sticker is determined to get a higher perch

A tiny resident of the cafe

Nick and Okra

Japan has many amazing experiences, but we will always remember the friendly animals as some of the highlights of our time here.

Bathing in Beppu (Kyushu Japan’s Southern West Island)

We spent two nights and a day in the relatively small town of Beppu, a town well known throughout it the Japanese archipelgo for its traditional baths (Onsen) Aside from a few dips in our baths in our hotel, we also visited a sand bath. When I heard sandbath, I thought of what chickens and chinchillas enjoy, but it’s very different and very relaxing.
Upon arrival we were greeted by incredibly happy middle aged Japanese women and given special robes (Yucata) different colors and patterns for men and women along with the only instruction, “no under wear.” We changed into our robes and made the our way outside behind the main building. The sand pit for lack of a better word, reminded me of a garden where humans were the seeds and attendants the groundskeepers. The black sand was volcanic and raked smooth, with tendrils of steam wafting up from the inky earth. We were lead to our plots (I’m sticking with the garden analogy) where we handed over our camera and were told to lay down and rest our heads on a wooden pillow, which isn’t as bad as it sounds. Immediately our yellow robed gardeners began to shovel steamy sand onto us until we were covered up to our necks. The weight and warmth smothered us like moist, microwaved blankets making us truly relaxed. We had great views of the ocean and were warm and dry thanks to a roof over our heads despite the cold rain. Before we knew it our half hour was up and we retreated to our dressing rooms for a soak in the healing mineral waters of the baths.

The steam of hundreds of bathhouses is visible in the clammy afternoon air.  Over 26,000,000
of hot water is pumped out of Beppu every day

Hiroshima Peace Museum

On 8:15 AM, August Sixth, 1945, an atomic bomb was dropped on the Japanese city of Hiroshima. Over 350 school children were killed while building a fire break and 140,000 people were dead due to radiation, burns or instant incineration by the end of the year. The Atomic Bomb Dome was the only building at ground zero that survived the blast and is now just a corpse of its former self.
Yesterday we had the experience of visiting Hiroshima Peace Park and learning about the aftermath of the horrific history that the city has witnessed. We walked around memorials and gardens commemorating the precious lives lost. Nicholas added an oragami crane to Sadako’s collection. Japanese legend says that one who folds 1,000 paper cranes will be granted one wish. Sadako, a young girl suffering from leukemia, an effect from her exposure to radiation, folded 644 figurines and praying for a cure, before her death. Cranes in Japan symbolize peace and hope which is why the are so important to Hiroshima. We learned of the first hand accounts of survivors and the heart breaking tales from family members who lost their sons who had either perished at school or died of injuries soon after. A pocket watch frozen at the time 8:15 was on display alongside burned clothes and glass bottles fused together by the heat of the blast. Peace is very important to the people of this scared city and we left with one message resonating in our ears. The horrors of Hiroshima must not be forgotten.

Waiting Out Typhoon Jebi

After a long day at the shrine, well, almost the next day, we received an email from Paula and Logan. They warned us of a huge typhoon they had heard of from a stranger on the way to the airport. Typhoon Jebi would soon be rampaging out of control through Osaka and, gulp, Kyoto, right on top of us. We would later learn the storm we were about to meet head on would the largest in 25 years.
The following morning after a debate about going out to sightsee or not, we ruled not to, the family set out for the store a few blocks down from our hotel. Our flimsy hotel umbrellas did little against the wind outside. The gale would grab tight of a sleeve or umbrella like a pit bull and hold on tight, dragging us down the street. While the rain was lite, the gusts stirred it up, sideways and diagonal. It easily sliced through our thin layers.
For hours we waited in our hotel room, the small and only tv that was located in the bathtub (It’s a long story) was constantly on the news while we watched the weather on our tablets. We spent the day studying when we weren’t constantly running to the windows. Every minute or so we’d hear the CLANG of debris smashing onto metal or the SMASH of roof tiles shattering in the street. Shreds of tar paper were whisked into the air and large metal mail boxes and traffic cones blew in front of our guesthouse. Around 2:00 pm, the peak of the typhoon, we stayed away from the windows when a particularly large piece of roofing was hurled just outside our glass door.
We were perfectly fine when the clouds of the storm passed. Our building had fared much better than some of our neighbor’s. Television antennas hung from the peaks of rooftops by a single wire or two. One car had been disfigured by an unknown heavy object, leaving a deep dent running the length of the hood.
We had survived one of the largest hurricanes the new generations of Japan had seen with not a scratch on us and the next day we set out for Hiroshima.

A Visit to Fushimi Inari-Taisha With New Friends

We accomplished half of our itinerary in Kyoto, Japan on our first day. We met up with Logan, Paula and their two boys, Lincoln and Brextan (9 and 5) at the tourist destination, Fushimi Inari-Taisha, a Shinto shrine.
It’s pretty much the star attraction of the city, and judging by the hordes of western tourists, that was pretty apparent.
We passed through many elaborate orange gates. The bright wooden structures are iconic to Japanese places of worship. After a bit of ice breaking, Nick and Lincoln went off a bit ahead of the rest a group. They were glad to have someone their own age to hangout with. We ambled through clementine hued torri gates so closely packed together they gave the illusion of being indoors. This mirage was fractured of course by the sunlight and the glimpses of the forest between the wooden pillars.
We didn’t summit the sacred Mount Inari, only getting halfway up before heading back down to the main shrine at the foot of the mountain.
For lunch, we had our first Japanese classic, you guessed it, sushi. Our Kiwi friends introduced us to sushi trains, conveyor belts that would deliver rolls right to you. All of us kids were shaking with elation and anticipation as we got our seats at the counter, separated by a few patrons from all adults but Paula. In front of each stool was a tablet where diners could order from a vast selection of tasty plates of nigiri, sashimi, maki, drinks, soups, dessert and more. Or if you wanted to actually see what you were ordering, take your pick of  delicacies wizzing by on a circular conveyor belt. Just before we parted ways to go to distant seats, I had one question for Dad. “ Can we go hog wild?”
With his blessing we did.
We summoned plate after plate of salmon, shrimp, tuna, eel and vegetable delights, savoring every bite. Nick and Lincoln splurged on a rather pricey plate of tuna nigiri and Dad was brave enough to sample nato, slimy rotten rice “the consistency of mucus and the taste of rotting flesh.” It was a meal to remember.
We decided to scratch our plan to go to the train musum when we stumbled upon a playground for the kids and drinks for the adults. We spent a few hours enjoying running around with kids as well as adult conversation and an unsuccessful geocache excursion.
In the evening we said farewell to our fellow family of travelers. All in all it was an awesome day.

   

Kenichiwa From the Land of the Rising Sun

It’s been a long day.
We were up before dawn and in the Incheon International Airport a few hours prior to takeoff . As soon as we boarded our Peach Airlines flight, (they had a purple color scheme going) Nick and I fell asleep and stayed that way for the rest of the hour and a half ride.
We arrived in Osaka around 9 AM and after going through customs and quarantine and what not, the first thing that caught our attention was the vending machines. Well, they weren’t exactly vending machines, more closely related to a gumball dispenser that you insert coins into and your reward rolls out the bottom. There were hundreds of cheap, plastic trinkets up for selection. From spongy sushi to movie collectibles and tiny plastic soda bottles, they had everything. It was funny to look at all the knickknacks that we were offered and we took pictures of some of our favorites, like the tiny sniper and tiny milk. Is it real? Powdered? Guess we never get to know...
 Just as an experience we voted to purchase a tiny, squishy yellow rodent who we named “Squishy Squirrel.” We decided that if we didn’t lose him, (easier said than done due to his diminutive size) he would be our trip mascot, making appearances in our future pictures.
After an 80 minute train ride from the airport to the city of Kyōto, we checked into our apartment where we will be staying for three days, a few hour early. We were quite exhausted from the travel and rested for a bit before getting out and about, hoping to get a sense of the neighborhood. After an in between meal at 4:00 PM we went to a local grocery store to stock up on snacks for our fridge. Now that we have a kitchen we have more cuisine options for a quick meal, something other than ramen that is.
Tomorrow we have plans to meet up with another traveling family from New Zealand (See post “So Now We are in Mokpo”) and go to the Kyōto Railway Museam as well as Fushimi Anari Taisha, a shrine. Sorry we don’t have more details on that, don’t worry, we will know more about it once we have been there.

Lots to Say About the DMZ

Yesterday we got as close as we will likely ever get to reclusive North Korea.

Earlier than we usually get up we set off in search of the T Mark Hotel. This was quite an endeavor and we arrived at our destination seconds before our van departed. After a transfer to a tour bus and an hour drive, we arrived at our first stop, a park which still outside of the civilian Access Control Zone. In the short 15 minutes we were allowed by our charismatic tour guide George, we rushed around in hopes to see everything this package tour destination had to offer. Barbed wire fences were layered in red and yellow ribbons and South Korean flags that danced in the breeze. They had inscriptions in Korean that we inferred spoke for reunification. Reunion seemed to be something many of the South Koreans we talked to really wanted. Many families had been divided when the North and South severed ties. 

The splintered husk of a long forgotten locomotive peppered by bullets and shrapnel was also on display. The iron victim of the war had been discovered years after its derailment, deep in the wild forest between the countries.

Past the train was Freedom Bridge. This important historical structure’s cement supports blood red paint where shells had once ricocheted off the stone skin. We paid a few thousand won to get access to the restored segment of the bridge that had been bombed all those years ago. The bridge overlooked marshy wetlands that bordered the river. Across the wide stretch of water camouflaged and seemingly unmanned watch towers hid in the shadows of the treeline. The fact that no photography was allowed on the bridge didn't seem to stop tourists from pulling out their phones and snapping a few shots. We were whisked past bridges overlooking calm waters populated by koi and numerous statues by the tour guide. The whole family wished we had a little more time to see them before it was time to get back on the bus.

F

Family picture on Freedom Bridge, just in front of the No-Photo-Area

It was a short trip to the next attraction. The triangular red signs I caught a glance of as the foliage raced by warned of land mines, a vicious reminder of the horrors the tranquil woods had once endured. The notices were accompanied the occasional barracks and out buildings that stood at attention just off the road, whose only occupants seemed to be tour buses.
Our bus pulled up at one of my most anticipated aspects of the tour, The Third Infiltration Tunnel. This passage deep underground had been one of many that North Korea had dug in attempt to launch a surprise attack on it's southern neighbor. Thanks to a tip off, the South Korean and American forces had caught wind off the plot and drilled a series 107 holes deep into the earth, which they used to locate the tunnels. Absolutely no photography or even electronic devices were permitted in the tunnels, so unfortunately we can not show you what they look like.
After stowing our camera and other belongings in a locker and grabbing some yellow hard hats as well as a good dose of anticipation, we started our decent.

Mom, Nick and I outside the tunnel.
The statue symbolizes the separate halves of Korea

Mom said the South Korean interception tunnel reminded her of a Russian subway. It kind of reminded me of a tunnel a worm or burrowing mammal would excavate. I kept expecting for a 8 foot tall shrew to dig it's way through the wall. The angle was steep and it was a real workout for your legs. The original tunnel was 240 feet below ground and the access chute we had to take was no more than 200 meters, if that helps you visualize the pitch. We were ahead of the rest of our tour group when we arrived to the North Korean made section. There was an obvious difference between the two tunnels, the one we were now in had rough granite walls were the bedrock had clearly been blown apart by dynamite, where the interception and South Korean one was a large tube with a larger diameter and smooth walls. As we walked closer and closer to the 3rd barricade, a wall that stopped tourists and anyone really from crossing into the no man's land between countries, the ceiling was quite low. Condensation dripped from support beams only to fall an inch before it splats onto protected heads. Dad was glad he had that hard hat on as I estimate the highest point of the tunnel was no more than 6 5 foot 4 inches in places. After a 1,635 meter stroll deep under ground we arrived at a rusty iron door. A rectangular cut in the blockade gives a small glance into the flooded neutral territory between the estranged peninsula super powers. It's anti-climatic and entrancing at the same time if that is possible. Other than the standard reminder that photography is prohibited that was pretty much it. We shuffled back the way we came, past the rest of our tour and back into the medium sized room where the two tunnels met. In front of the entrance to the smooth and steep tunnel is a fountain with a picture of a cup next two it. Two cranes symbolizing reunification arch their neck over a marble turtle spewing spring water. North Korean water? Of course we had to try it!

Third Stop, the overlook. High on a hill perched a platform with a large collection of those super accurate binoculars. We had great views of the Demilitarized Zone as well as North Korea itself. Because I was a bit confused on the subject of what the DMZ is while I was looking right at it, let me try to explain it. The DMZ is a strip of land 160 miles long running east to west dividing the Korean Peninsula in two. No one, not even the military is allowed in this area, making it an ideal habitat for wildlife. However there are a view exceptions. Both North and South each have citizens that live inside the DMZ in two separate towns. Interestingly enough, we were told that the North Korean village is just a facade, with buildings with painted on windows hiding alongside unoccupied but normal buildings. The only people said to live there are only there to provide moment (as not to alert suspicion) and keep the town in order. The South Korean town has 200 residents. Of course there is Joint Security Area within the forbidden ground, where the North and South Korean leader meet. We could see it all from where we stood.
That was about all we will probably see of the North Korean boarder. Our tour also stopped at a train station where, if the countries were to unify back into one Korea, the already built train line would connect to the Northern capital Pyongyang.

Michele at the Overlook

View of North Korea and the DMZ

Nick and I signing art at the train station 

As soon as we had lunch back in Seoul, we headed to the Korean War Museum. Dad and Nick had a good time learning about all the airplanes, trucks, tanks and artillery. We didn't have much time inside because we arrived an hour before closing time, but all kinds of relics were on display outside. We looked at all kinds of stuff from boats to troop transporting trucks. We sure learned a lot yesterday!

Wild on the nose of a helicopter

"Brothers" statue outside the Museum

Statue in front of the Museum

Mom looking at all the vehicles outside the museum