Notes from Shikoku

Studying Japanese Again

2025-06-26T05:19:00.000-07:00

It's been a long time. Hisashiburi desu ne! Well, I am still studying Japanese, though not as often as I used to. It has become a bit easier with the advent of chatbots and with all the helpful videos on Facebook and elsewhere. In the mean time, I've also been learning Chinese, and I'm finding a lot of overlaps. Still a long way to go. But I was happy to find that this blog is still here. Some great memories in those photos. I'll return here from time to time with more recent updates. I haven't been to Shikoku since I came back home, but I am planning another trip next year.

Back in America

2013-08-05T20:56:00.001-07:00

I've been back in America since 2011. Long story short, I look forward to visiting Japan again. I'll still write a post here and there, when I find out something interesting. If you're interested in the previous years, you can see part of what I learned and wondered about while I was living in Japan.

Okinawa: Bus from Naha (Bus Route Numbers)

2009-02-02T07:11:00.000-08:00

GOING TO

Chatan (Sunset beach, American Village, Mihama area): 20, 28, 29

Yomitan (Zanpa Cape, Nikko Alivilla Hotel, Yachimun Pottery Town area): 28, 29

Onna village (Manza-mo, Manza Beach Hotel area): 20, 120

Nago city (Orion Beer brewery, Busena Terrace Hotel, Churaumi Aquarium): 20, 120

--to get to Churaumi Aquarium, you must change busses at Nago Bus Terminal.

Churaumi Aquarium from Nago Bus Terminal, take bus # 65 or 70.

[Get a time table at the terminal. Also for your return trip.]

Yes, you can. :)

DETAILED INFORMATION

How to get on buses
<http://www.okinawa.usmc.mil/public%20affairs%20info/Archive%20News%20Pages/2006/061215-bus.html>

Bus Maps

North area = Northern than Kyoda(許田）<http://www.rosenbus.com/TimeTBL/RoadMap/HOKUBU.jpg
>
Middle area＝From Naha to Onna Village<http://www.rosenbus.com/TimeTBL/RoadMap/CYUBU.jpg>
Southern Area=Naha and Southern than Naha city<http://www.rosenbus.com/TimeTBL/RoadMap/NANBU.jpg>
Inside Naha City<http://www.rosenbus.com/TimeTBL/RoadMap/NAHA.jpg>

These maps are all in Japanese.　

A FEW TIPS

1. You raise your hand when you want to get on.
2. Though there are four different bus companies running, they all use the same numbers for the same routs, so you just have to pay attention to the #s. When you get on a bus in Naha city, the buses that have # between 1 and 19 (except for 15) only run inner City. Buses that have # 15 and 20 or bgger number run outside of the city.
3.If you wanna site see inner Naha city like Kokusai St. and Shuri castle, and beaches, you can purchase a one-day pass. It costs about as much as you pay for one time.

Moving to Uwajima

2009-01-24T03:53:00.000-08:00

Hi, it's been a while since I posted a blog entry. I'll be moving to Uwajima on March 1st, 2009. Between February 20th and 27th, I'll take a break in Okinawa. I'm just now planning the Okinawa trip and will have lots of photos and stories from that! I found a kind of domestic shipping service that will transport my few suitcases and boxes to the new address, so I can just get on the plane and enjoy the vacation. For anyone moving in Japan, you might find it useful also. More to come.

Osaka: Takoyaki Stand

2008-05-03T09:52:00.000-07:00

Takoyaki chefs prepare their specialty in Osaka.

Osaka: Street Portraits

2008-05-02T14:19:00.000-07:00

A Rainbow at the River's Edge

2008-04-29T01:31:00.000-07:00

風薫る

色とりどりの

鯉が舞い

Cool light summer breeze

All the season's colors flow;

The river dances

My Life, in Transit

2008-04-28T18:25:00.000-07:00

Train from Shikoku to Okayama

Trees rush past windows;
Olden houses stand sadly;
My life, in transit.

(Okayama. April, 2008)

A Fish In And Out Of Water

2008-04-28T08:38:00.000-07:00

灰色の鶴、
羽を広げる、
心地よく。

Gray crane spreads his wings;
Children laugh and feed the fish;
I now feel at home.

(Sanuki. April, 2008)

Tomo ni Naru (友になる)

2008-04-27T09:33:00.000-07:00

春の公園
お抹茶を飲んで

友になる

Spring at Ritsurin.

Shall we have some tea, she glanced,

And we became friends.

(Sanuki. April, 2008)

The tea house at Ritsurin Park

Flowers in Sanuki

2008-04-27T07:49:00.000-07:00

Nihon de ha
Boku no itoshiki
Sakura kana

(Sanuki. April, 2008)

Today was a day of flowers. I went to Ritsurin Park and had matcha (green tea) in a traditional tea house. In keeping with tradition, the people seated next to me spoke amiably and we exchanged contact information. I hope that we can become friends. I then went to Jardin (from the French, "garden") to see floral designs. I have posted some of my photographs from Jardin. I went with a close friend who invited me to her house, and I was able to meet and talk with her mother, who is a calligrapher. She brushed the calligraphy above, based on a haiku we wrote together. I felt very warm and welcome. What a wonderful way to start Golden Week.

Poll (投票)

2008-04-24T17:16:00.000-07:00

What would you like to see on this blog? Please comment. English and Japanese are both OK.

ブログでどんなものを読みたいですか？英語でも日本語でもOKですので、コメントください

Naoshima (Art Island) 2

2008-04-20T04:16:00.000-07:00

I took a ferry from Sunport Takamatsu to Naoshima (Art Island) today. It is far and above one of the best experiences I have had in Japan so far. The island is awash with museums, galleries, architecture, and culture. Let me share some of my photographs, videos, and experiences with you. I arrived at the ferry from Takamatsu at 9:45 in the morning, and the boat is pictured on the left. The ride was a pleasure. It takes about one hour and you can sit on the upper deck and watch as the boat passes many beautiful islands on the way to Naoshima.

On arrival, I took this bus (left) to Chichu Art Museum. But before boarding the bus, don't forget to go into the station and pick up the bus schedule as well as maps of the island and an English guide if you need one. The bus costs only 100 yen ($1) for each ride. It is possible to walk or bicycle to the various desinations, but the bus is simply more convenient. You'll want to maximize your time looking at the art! Inside Chichu Art Museum you'll find dreamlike rooms by Walter de Maria (Time / Timeless / No Time); fantastical spaces by James Turrell (particularly Open Field). Open Field starts as a blue square on the wall, rather uncompelling. Until you realize that you can walk up a set of stairs, and it is not a blue square, but rather an entrance that you can walk into (!) only to discover that you have entered a minimalist painting. I'm not kidding. It is one of the most psychedelic works of art I have ever experienced. Once inside the painting, turn around for a surprise about the entrace in to which you walked. There are also four works by Claude Monet. The building is a masterwork by Tadao Ando, itself pure art. Photographs are strictly forbidden, hence no images. But you really need to experience these works with your own eyes and body in order to appreciate them anyway.

Among myriad smaller galleries, this one features ink paintings. They use classical techniques to express modern images of sakura blossoms and coastal scenes. There is also the Art House Project, comprising six buildings. It costs 1,000 yen ($10) for access to all six buildings. One in particular, again by Tadao Ando, starts with pitch darkness so disorienting that it is nearly intoxicating. But as you sit in the dark for about five minutes, your eyes adjust and you can see lights in the distance. You then stand and walk toward the light, putting you hand into it, with surprising effects.

Fish flags wave outside of a traditional-style building. In addition to all of this architecture, Naoshima also features beautiful beaches with pristine, clear water. Birds call from overhead and the wind gently blows as you immerse yourself in nature and art. As you continue to walk the island, your mind reels with what you have already seen, and with the anticipation of what is to come. It is a place for discovery, for intrigue, and for life experience. No matter what your views on art, it's worth the trip.

See if you can spot these cute metallic signs.

The new meets the old as a digital mosaic flashes inside a traditional building.

Stone etchings near a shrine with a sacred staircase made of ice that will not melt under the blazing sun and descends into infinity for your viewing pleasure.

Light streaming into a narrow stone passage.

Wind moves metal at the beaches of Naoshima.

Shikoku Mura (Shikoku Village)

2008-04-14T05:25:00.000-07:00

I visited Shikoku Mura (Shikoku Village), which is an open-air, walk-through museum of sorts. It is a preservation of traditional Japan and Shikoku. It for me brought up the feeling of the Japan I had always seen in films. Its attractions include a bine bridge; Shodoshima Farmers Kabuki Theater; Yamashita family house; Kohno family house; Sugar cane press; Shikoku-mura Gallery; Nanyo tea hall; Bamboo grove; Lighthouse from Okunoshima; Light house from Cape Esaki (and others); Bark-steaming hut; Shimoki family house; Water-powered rice mill; more family residences; an arched bridge; an old fire station; a soy sauce malthouse; and other similarly folksy attractions. This face of Japan is somewhat lost in the city, although elements remain throughout Japan. And, this is preserved. It's not far, and you can get there by public transportation. Here are some of my photographs from my first visit.

Cross this bridge, suspended by vines, to enter

A Kabuki theater that still hosts performances

An old-fashioned residence

Inside the residence

A sugar mill with sakura

Inside the sugar mill

Walkway into the bamboo grove

Water glide outside a small art gallery

O-Hanami in Takamatsu

2008-04-06T22:04:00.001-07:00

There was a huge o-hanami (flower viewing) party at Ritsurin Park yesterday. It was great to sit under the trees with friends and chat all day, with blazing sunlight and beautiful nature all around. In America, there is a similar party in Washington DC, but it is not quite the same as in Japan. The American version is a bit toned down, and it is often cold at that time. The Japanese version is extremely festive and warm, and it is steeped in centuries-old tradition. If you find yourself in the Takamatsu area, definitely check out Ritusrin Park.

How Many Roads?

2008-04-06T20:43:00.000-07:00

At Ritsurin Park, Takamatsu. O-hanami (flower viewing) party.
A group from the Philippines had come and played music.

Cherry Blossoms in Takamatsu

2008-03-30T08:41:00.001-07:00

Today I went to Ritsurin Park to see cherry blossoms. Even though it was raining, it was a wonderful time. The park is so beautiful. It's the kind of place you'd want to walk around, even if you have to put your umbrella up. There are winding paths, ducking in and out of wooded areas, as well as bridges arching over ponds with fish swimming in them. One of the reasons I came to Takamatsu was to experience the natural beauty of Japan, rather than it's intense urban centers, and I am finding just that.

My father sometimes describes these type of images as emblematic of the beginning of time. I know the feeling. When I look at these stalks in the water, I can imagine what ancient poets might have been thinking when they wrote. It was very peaceful and calm. I am going to go again next weekend, with a totally different atmosphere. It will be daytime, and I expect not a rainy day. The next time, there will be a group of about 20 people, and we'll all bring a lunch box and plenty to drink. That's the tradition, so we can all live it up and have a great time together. Ritsurin park is actually really close to my apartment, so I can go there any time. It's just $4 (400 yen) to enter, which in my view is completely worth it. If you're planning to visit Shikoku, definitely don't miss it.

Lastly, my friend and I went to Youme Town, which is a kind of shopping mall with a little bit of everything. There is a grocery store which includes foreign foods and even organic ones, which I didn't know was popular in Japan. There is also a pet store, where I saw the cutest animals. It's definitely worth a trip to Youme Town if you're in Takamatsu and are craving something other than udon shops for a change. You can get Chinese and Korean food as well.

Reported Speech

2008-03-22T21:04:00.000-07:00

From an exchange with linguist Noam Chomsky:

Question: In reported speech, what is the approximate human limit to understanding embedded phrases? For example, "John asked Mary to tell Susan that Mark asked Alex to tell Jill ..." Or, for comparison, "He asked her to tell him that he asked her to tell her ..." Moreover, what are the reasons for the limitation? My initial guess is short term memory, but I imagine there is a lot more going on behind the scenes. When I tested it with both NS and NNS, one of the first effects was that people started interchanging pronouns. I'm not sure what was happening in the mind.

Answer: Those are not embedded. Recursion is often confused with embedding. Sentences of the form you mention can be understood up to the limits of patience. They are typically reformulated prosodically in speech, like the famous "this is the cat that ate the mouse.....the house that Jack built."

Truly embedded sentences, like "if [the man [who Bill saw] is smart] then...." can be understood up to about 7 embeddings, as expected: that's the cross-specific limit on short-term memory. Self-embedding, like a relative clause within a relative clause, breaks down in speech at about 3. There's discussion of this in a paper of George Miller's and mine in Luce, Bush, Galanter eds., Handbook of Mathematical Psychology, about 1964.

An example of 3: The man who the boy who you met saw likes Mary.
Try: The woman who the man who the boy who you met saw likes just left.

Karaoke in Takamatsu

2008-03-16T05:43:00.000-07:00

One place that is quite good is Big Echo, and another is Banana Club. Both are located in downtown Takamatsu, near Kawara-machi (Kawara Street). Any trouble finding them, just catch a cab. I don't have the addresses handy. But I'll probably go next weekend. If I do, photos and more details to come.

Valentine's and White Day

2008-03-05T17:00:00.000-08:00

According to Wikipedia, "In Japan, Valentine's Day is observed by women who present chocolate gifts (either store-bought or handmade), usually to men, as an expression of love." Actually, it is also observed among friends, and even co-workers.

One month later, on White Day, men who received a chocolate on Valentine's Day are expected to return the favor by giving gifts, usually more expensive. Sometimes the term sanbai kaeshi (三倍返し, literally, "three times the return") is used to describe the generally recited rule that the return gift should be two- to three-times the cost of the Valentine's gift."

As far as I know, that's true about White Day. But notice that these days are "observed" more than they are "celebrated." In America, people make a big fuss about Valentine's Day, and White Day doesn't exist. My experience? Don't do too much -- in Japan, excessive compliments make people feel shy. So, don't go by American standards in Japan. And the reverse, don't go by Japanese standards in America. Have fun though!

Water

2008-03-03T07:41:00.000-08:00

Rain bathes the train windows as announcements flow in Japanese.

Tsugi no eki de gozaimasu. Matsuyama eki desu. Arigatou gozaimashita. Shitsureishimasu, ki wo tsukete kudasai.

An ocean away from home, Shikoku is my island now. Culture shock comes in waves. Things seem upside-down here. Maybe American is upside-down. My perspective is dribbling away.

Dogo town's hot springs attract me, and 3,000 years have aged them. The streetcar to Dogo squeals under rainfall. At the final station, I follow the crowd to the hot springs.

People gush out fresh, clean. I slip off my shoes. Attendants give me a robe, and light streams through milky windows.

Upstairs, I disrobe to bathe. Wooden stools line marble walls. I sit on one and scrub myself before entering the hot spring. Fountains pout ancient water. Understand that water is silent.

Fellow bathers edge away, slightly nervous. I am a guest and often an outsider. Maybe I should say hello? Maybe it's me, not them. I sink in more deeply, saying nothing. I think we're all curious to talk with each other, but none of us has the nerve.

The bath refreshes me, and I dry myself, feeling better. Attendants bring tea. I sit crosslegged and sip, tasting its subtle leaves.

While walking the grounds, I meet a couple. She has lived in Boston, as have I. He speaks Japanese, and she translates. We have coffee, and I'm relieved by their kindness. Why am I in Japan, they wonder.

We chat for an hour but I can't fully explain it. I'm just searching for something pure, like water.

March 2008. Dogo, Japan.

Round One - Japanese Fun Center

2008-03-01T20:39:00.000-08:00

I went bowling with friends last night at Round One, a six floor mega entertainment complex. It was about $5 per hour each, and the five of us had a great time until 3am. They have Japanese bowling (mini everything), karaoke, electro-darts, scads of video games like you've never seen, bike racing, skating, and just about every mind-numbing thing you could imagine. It's a great place to go for fun. I don't have the exact address, but if you take a taxi, just say "Round One, kudasai" and they will know it. Have fun!

Aka Yo!

2008-02-28T05:46:00.000-08:00

I was biking home from work tonight with my colleagues, and we came to a stop signal (the red one, pictured left). As is customary in America, we looked to see if there were any cars, and since there were none, we crossed the street. On the other side of the street was someone waiting for the light to change. He was quite upset that we had skipped the light, and called out to us "aka yo!" (It's red!) I had completely forgotten that the custom in Japan is always to wait if someone else is waiting. But, if nobody is waiting, you're free to take your chances. Safest is to wait, but I'm still used to the American way of crossing the street.

Coming up: Lots of plans for the weekend! A party with co-workers and clients; hanging out in Kagawa with a new friend; and a solo trip to Dogo onsen in Matsuyama. Stay tuned!

A Day in Marugame

2008-02-25T15:57:00.000-08:00

This weekend, I took the JR Train to Marugame. I went to Zentsuji temple, which has a lot of special features. For 500 yen ($5) you can go to a special hallway downstars in total, total darkness. It's even better if you close your eyes to avoid any ambient light. Touch the left side wall with your left hand, and silently repeat the chant that they tell you before you go inside. It is a bit disorienting to be in total darkness, which adds to the spirituality of the experience. I felt that I was outside of my body while doing the chant. Eventually, the hallway leads to an inner sanctum, where you can pray. For anyone who is interested in Buddhism, I suggest it. After you come up from the passageway exit-side, leave your shoes where you left them before, and take some of the leather slippers for walking around. Directly outside, you can see what is photographed here, and much more.

There was another outdoor temple, whose name I cannot remember. So I'll just tell you a story about it. It's up in the mountains, so you have to walk up and up countless steps. Maybe about 500 or so, winding through trails and trees. The birds were calling. As we walked up, a Buddhist priest was on the way down. As we passed, he simply said, "good day" and we said "good day" and each kept walking. There was nothing particularly special about that moment, and yet there was. For the rest of the day, everyone we passed said good day. Before that moment, everyone had walked silently. After walking to the top, seeing the incense pot and offering some prayers, we walked down as well. Then I went to Marugame Castle.

The view from the top of Marugame Castle's grounds is definitely worth it around sunset time. Toward the end of the day, we slogged up the steep slope to get to the top. The castle itself is closed until the end of February, but there is a great 360-degree view. A man was jogging up the slope as I stood there and the breeze swept by. Anyway, the important this is: what would life be without dinner?

So I went on to Ikkaku, the well-known chicken restaurant. (This character on a lit blue slab is their sign.) I have to say, it fully met my expectations. As we walked in, the greeter bowed, and led us directly to a table. There are two choice, either hina-dori (young chicken) which is soft and easy to eat, or the oya-dori, which is much more chewy, but in many people's view has more flavor. I got the oya-dori and chowed right into it. Hold the bone with a napkin and use chopsticks to help yourself eating it right off the bone. I also ordered a rice dish that came with cubes of chiken in it, as well as a side of soup. (I think that was the tori-meshi, from memory.) The restaurant's reputation holds: it was absolutely delicious, and wonderful way to end the night.

Takeo Kikuchi - Japanese Fashion

2008-02-23T23:31:00.001-08:00

Takeo Kikuchi is a Japanese designer who is part of the top scene in Japan. I found one of his boutique shops, TK, below Okayama JR train station, in the endless shopping mall there. If you need something really cool and spiffy for a night out in Japan (or anywhere), then I highly recommend TK. The prices are not cheap, but one can probably afford a single shirt or hat, etc., even on a budget. It's important in Japan to be conscious of your image, even more so than in America and elsewhere. So, if you want to fit in and be cool, I suggest starting a collection of fashionable clothing for informal situations. Here is the link to Kikuchi's webpage.

Also certainly of note is the brand A Bathing Ape, led by Japanese fashion star Nigo. And, their official website. Don't spend too much!