Hagi+Akiyoshidai national park

Kävimme Hagissa kouluretkellä viime kuussa. Hagi on vanha linnoituskaupunki, ja se on historiallisesti merkittävä siksi, että moni samurai jolla oli merkittävä osa Meiji-restauraatiossa oli sieltä kotoisin. Meitä seurasi matkan ajan NHK:n (tv-asema) kuvaaja, ja ilmeisesti päädyimme Japanin telkkariin jossain vaiheessa...

We visited Hagi, a former castle town, during a schooltrip. Hagi is historically important place because many samurai, who took part in the Meiji Restoration, were from there. During the trip, we were followed by a cameraman from NHK, and apparently we appeared in the TV after that...

But first, a doggie

Fuku souvenirs

Natsumikan (summer tangerine). It's something between a tangerine and lemon...You can see natsumikan everywhere in the castle town, because when the samurai lost their jobs, they had to find another way to make an income, and growing these fruits was an easy way to make some money.

I like his expression

These dolls are rather life-like, even creepily so!

No, we didn't go there...

Riksha

This guy likes to show off

Kävimme myös Akiyoshidain luonnonpuistossa, johon kuuluu Akiyoshido kalkkikiviluola ja karsti tasanko.

We also visited the Akiyoshidai National Park, which includes Akiyoshi plateau with karst topography and limestone caves.

The entrance to the cave

It will take around 500 years before the pillars meet again

This formation is called Mt.Fuji :D

This one is called "The King of the Cave" or "The Count of Monte Cristo" :D

The plateau

Finally, this is from Yamaguchi...we get some snow occasionally

Tällä hetkellä kevätloma on alkanut, ja suunnittelen reissausta pitkin Japania...tarkoitus olisi ainakin käydä Tokiossa pidemmästi, ja käydä katsomassa Fujia (ei kiivetä sentään), muusta en ole aivan varma vielä. Kiotossa tulee käytyä sitten vähän myöhemmin.

The spring break has started, so currently I am planning some trips around Japan...I am at least planning to go to Tokyo for a bit longer time, and also see Mt. Fuji (not climb), not sure about anything else yet...a trip to Kyoto will be done later.

Hofu+Kitakyushu+randomness

So, the American exchange students left. The Fall semester is soon over, and the rest of the Finns (except for me of course) will leave in February&March. It's going to be rather lonely here, but I hope we will get some nice, new exchange students in April :)

Being in contact with different nationalities every day has been rather interesting, and there is always some reflection on how things work in different countries almost in every conversation. Even though I usually don't really like to stereotype cultures, but here I have found myself agreeing on many things. "The Asians are like this, the American as different from the Europeans like this" etc...it's like everyone has to have a place and a role. I had never really identified myself as "European" before coming here, I was just "Finnish", because the countries and cultures in Europe are so different from each other! But, there are some great differences between us and Americans, too.

Even though I have been exposed to American culture ever since I was a child, I still learned a lot from our American friends during these four monhts.

Tässä kuvakokoelma satunnaisista asioista!

Hofu

Incence

Omikuji

Hofu Tenmangu. Just look at that line...! And this was taken a week after New Year...

I met some Japanese Jehovah's Witnesses in Hofu by the way. It was very confusing.

Kitakyushu

These things always get stuck in my clothes...

Riverside shopping center. I like the architecture...

I guess I am using these wrong, but I was able to take some potentially creepy but cool pictures!

This is quite disturbing

Kokura castle

Look at his expression...!

Normal day in Japan

There was something oddly retro in this city

Creepy

Oops this one is from my jogging route...

I suddenly felt like I was in Finland again

This is what we did in class...yes I am a university student. His name is Apollo. He's a Frog Prince.

Everyone's creations

Soy bean candies an an oni mask for Setsubun festival

No ninjas allowed