What a big… fish..

Found this big blue shark beside Tokyo National Science Museum… on my way to Tokyo National Museum… Across the street was a big park, where we found a group of Japanese youth having some kind of Elvis dance… a man practicing kung-fu or was it Tai-chi… and a couple… putting a show… their dogs showing a few tricks.. . Oh.. the National Museum… well… you can see… many things… from the evolution of Buddha… to the great earthquakes… samurai’s… clothings and weapons…old Japanese arts… and all kind of scrolls… and also Japanese batik… they call it batik too…!

Tokyo - meat festival

When I was touring Tokyo last week… met a few weird “cows” around the city. Most of the “cows” were decorated with colorful painting.. like the one in the picture. They were having some kind of “meat festival”… that was what I could understand… from the tags on those cows. May be a period when…Japanese like to eat cow meat…

Muramatsu Kokuzouson

When we were on our way to the Tokai beach, we stopped by a place having old Japanese style buildings as shown in the photo.. Saw a few couples bringing their babies to a couple of the buildings and doing some kind of rituals. Well, we could guest that it must be a ritual or worshipping place. But why bringing babies ???

Later, when we met a local acquaintance and asked him about this, he told us that the Temple – Muramatsu Kokuzouson is famous for bringing good health. So, those couples were praying for good healthy life of their children.. I guess.. while we were admiring the beauty of the craftmanship of those buildings… And we also had a chance helping a family taking their photo after they finished performing their rituals… must be from out of town…

Tokai-mura

Friday.. first weekend in Japan... Tokaimura, Ibaraki.

Went to the nearest beach .. met a few locals fishing... wait for a while... & tried to have conversation... they don't speak english.. i don't know much Japanese.. so we end up smiling to each other... on the way back.. went around to see surrounding village... The foto is one of the nice house... Then cycled back to lodging... stopped by Ibaraki wildlife reserve... didn't see any animal, just heard birds ... a lot of birds... singing...

Tokai-mura September 2008

Arrived once again in Japan Tokai for the 3rd time. Was here last on Sept 2005. Didn't live in the dormitory though cause it was just a 2 weeks training. Living in MITO hotel. Now I have to live in the Masago International Lodging. It is OK. The coordinator brought us to the JUSCO for groceries. We could cook in the dormitory. That's a good news because i don't have to put up with Japanese food all the time. Well, it is not that i am not familiar with Japanese food, apart from the cost, for 2 month duration in Japan, I need to taste my own cooking.

Today, the second day, used an old bicycle to ride to NuTec, the training place. Although it is not far, I sweat quite a bit, may be ... not used to it yet. Okay that's it for the morning blog....