Jeff In Japan

Off the coast of Hiroshima lies Miyajima Island – a very popular place to visit for both tourists and locals. The island boasts both Shinto & Budhist temples, as well as a lot of deer that wander around and interact with people. (Think really big pigeons with four legs that want to eat all your food – and can get rather frisky if you don’t feed them). Visiting this island made me really feel like I was in Japan and there was a very interesting exchange between me and a businessman selling fried food on a stick as he explained that EVERYTHING was from the ocean. No chicken, no beef, no pork – I wound up settling on the shrimp – the octopus, squid and other options (while deep fried) seemed a bit much to me.

The island:

On our “day off” (no scheduled activities), a number of teachers decided to go to Hiroshima. This was an expensive 4 hour bullet train ride each way… but the experience was life-altering. It is very easy to not question the decisions that were made six decades ago and simply state that America did what we had to do to end the war… There is some truth to the statement, certainly, but a visit here will more than convince you that even if the decision was the right one at the time, it will NEVER be the right decision again – it simply can not be… Here are some pictures of Hiroshima Castle (rebuilt – the A-bomb completely flattened the original) and the city itself.

Well, this may be the biggest area of culture shock of them all. I have heard from the female members of my delegation that the non-Western bathrooms for women consist of a fancy hole in the ground. When I inquired how one navigates this hazard, the word squat was used often. I shudder at the thought – though I think it is true for men as well. (I have yet to see a non-Western toilet, so I can’t say for certain). On the other end of the spectrum, the Western toilet is a technological marvel – though if you have any idea what all the buttons do, please let me know. I’ve been far too afraid to try using any of them…

Growing up in New York City, I wasn’t overwhelmed by Tokyo (either during the day or at night), but I was certainly impressed. A very modern city that knows how to make the most out of limited space, the only places I can compare Tokyo to are Times Square and Las Vegas – they never shut down, they’re never quiet, and subtle is not an option…

a

When it comes to food, Americans can feel right at home, if they want to…

And…

There are, of course, more traditional Japanese things to eat…

You eat the WHOLE fish…

Or you can have a “box” lunch…

Or you can eat sushi (mmmm), like we did here…