Day 189 - 7th of March

6:46pm　快速
天気：雨天
I’m on the rapid express back to Amagasaki; alone. Today was a lot of fun, even though the weather’s been poor. I’m feeling pretty tired now and just want to get back, eat, and then get some sleep… We didn’t get back from karaoke until after 3 this morning; it was totally worth it though! I slept until 9:30 and the readied myself for the day. I decided to wear my orange pants, which turned out to be a bad idea, and not because they attract too much attention. When I bought the pants, there was already a small tear in the left leg, but unfortunately when I bend down, it sits over my knee, and so you can imagine; there’s a huge rip in it now. The pants are still getting plenty of attention, but now it’s the wrong kind; I’m a little embarrassed.

6:55pm　快速
I decided to just stay on the same train since it’s going all the way through to Kyobashi. So yeah, I’m not happy about the pants at all. I’ll have to get Nanny to fix them when I get back; that could be fun… I rode to Makino, and parked my bike in the gutter; hopefully it’s okay still. Then I took the local to Hirakatashi, where I met up with Erin, and we proceeded to take the rapid express to Kyobashi. I knew we could get directly to Takarazuka from Kyobashi (having seen the line when we went to Kobe) so we went for that. Erin and I had decided to go earlier, apart from the rest of the class, so we could check out the area a bit, and see the museum beforehand; the show didn’t start till 3. There are five troupes that make up Takarazuka, each with their own unique style: 花 (hana – flower), 月 (tsuki – moon), 雪 (yuki – snow), 星 (hoshi- star), and the newest troupe, 宙 (sora – cosmos). We would be seeing the snow troupe performing today, with ソルフェリーノの夜明け (Soruferino no yoake – The Dawn at Solferino), as the musical, and カルネヴァーレ睡夢 (karunevaru suimu – Carnevale: A Sleeping Dream), as the revue.

After changing over at Amagasaki, we were on our way to Takarazuka, and made it there before 1. We crossed over from the JR station to the Hankyu Station (the two opposing each other), and had a look around the department store, before finding something to eat; Ramen! We also noticed some of the students in uniform and actors from the Revue (clearly Otokoyaku from there slicked back, short-cropped hair), and contained ourselves not to bother them; there was heaps of merchandise and posters around the department store. After lunch, we made our way over to some buildings, clearly part of the Revue complex (beautiful architecture), and spent time browsing the shops. We walked past an English pub, went into one of the Revue gift shops (everything was so expensive), and even found a small gallery. The artwork was all animal inspired, and the guy there let us take photos, which I found very surprising; maybe because we’re foreigners? After walking through some gardens in the rain, we found our way into the 大劇場 (Daigekijo – Grand Theatre), stumbling upon the museum. Since we received a discount card from the professor when we got the tickets, we thought why not give it a look. I was once again surprised when they said we could take pictures; it certainly made it worthwhile. It wasn’t too big, but there were any costumes, poster, and photos displayed, and we even got some ink stamps; they had a special sheet to put them on…

7:25pm　特急
Now I’m on the limited express back to Hirakatashi, to change over for Makino… Coming out of the museum, we soon spotted to class (very good timing indeed), and after we signed off with Hester, we entered the main hall; it was very grand indeed. After a few more photos (including that of a grand piano that played itself – creepy), we went to get seated; up to lots of escalators to the second level. We were in what the American’s liked to refer to as the nose bleed seats, and indeed we were very high up, though not right up the back. The building’s interior, like its exterior, was really very beautiful, and the stage was no exception. It was immense; by far the largest I’ve ever been in. And then the show! Wow, I was so impressed; never have I seen anything like it before. In some respects, it was more amazing than Beauty and the Beast. The props, costumes, and even the stage itself were spectacular. There was a also a live orchestra, set up in the pit in front of the stage, which was surrounded by a walkway that the actors would frequently use. And although we were quite far back, the view was still good, and seeing all the action was no problem. Lots of people had binoculars, allowing them to see the intricate details of the costumes and make up.

7:39pm
I’m on the sub-express back to Makino; almost home… All the acting was amazing, but I was especially impressed by the Otokoyaku (male role-players), who really could have past as men; well, apart from their sometimes overtly sparkly costumes. But in singing, speaking, and demeanour, they were very masculine and powerful. The Dawn at Solferino was set in 1859, and focused on the war between Italy and Austria, and the creation of the Red Cross. It was very moving; though I’m sure I would have appreciated it more if I could have understood it all. It lasted for about an hour and a half, and then we had a 30 minute intermission. In the time, we all gathered at the grand staircase, and Hester got a picture of us; well several actually, and with several different lenses. Sitting back down again, we were treated to Carnevale, set in Venice, and very, very colourful. It was in complete contrast to Solferino, having no real plot, but instead an amazing array of singing and dance routines. The costumes just kept on getting bigger, more elaborate, and more sparkly, and the stage floor not only rotated, but also had platforms that the actors could ascend from below the stage on. The huge props moved around so fluidly before our eyes, and the lighting was magical…

After it was all over, just on 6 o’clock, Erin and I went to the gift shop (which incidentally is called “Qautre Reves” which means “Four Dreams” in French ~ this kind of doesn’t work anymore since there are now five troupes; I’m surprise they haven’t changed it). Erin was in a bit of a rush since she was going on to a party in Osaka, so I let her go, and continued to browse for a while. I was very excited when I happened upon the piano sheet music for some of their performances. I decided to go out on a limb and buy a book; the piano and vocals for the musical titled “Elizabeth”. I discovered later that this is the most successful German-language musical of all time, and was performed by the snow troupe; which made the purchase all the more meaningful since I’d just seen them. I exited the shop, and sat down on the floor to sort out all the paper I’d collected and accidently ripped my pants even further…

Getting back to Makino, I found my bike very wet, but otherwise okay. Wiping off the seat, I made my way home; luckily it wasn’t raining at that point. As soon as I got back, I went to have a shower to get nice and warm, and then I made gyudon for dinner. I stayed in the kitchen for a little way, talking with Jacinthe, and then I retired to my room, and got in some more study for Monday’s lesson test. I decided to have an early night; Hugo came back sometime after midnight. I thoroughly enjoyed Takurazuka, and would jump at the chance to go again; there is another theatre in Tokyo! Looking back on it now, it was kind of funny that I was one of only two guys in the class that went; I think that says something. Indeed, the majority of the audiences are women, getting there fix of ideal men played by women. I was there for a completely different reason, and came out with a great respect for the actors and their professionalism. It really was an experience like no other, and I’ll remember it for a long time to come.

Day175 - 21st of February

11:35pm　セミナーハウス
天気：晴れ
Today was such a nice, sunny day. Perfect weather for climbing a mountain; and that’s just what I did… I got up at 8:15, and readied myself to be out of the seminar house by 9. Well I actually took a little longer, but still managed to make it to Makino station before 9:30; yay for bike. I got on the local train, which took a little over 30 minutes to get to Fushimi Inari; I played Harvest Moon on the way. Getting off at the station, I met with the others (a disappointingly small number), and we set out for the shrine; after waiting for the next train, which no one else got off. I tried my hardest to stay close to the professor for the field trip, to gain as much information as possible; and it was very interesting. Even though we took the same path I’d been on before (it is after all the main route), many things along the way seemed much more meaningful. There was a stone, where you have a question in your head and, if the stone is heavier then you though it was when you lift it, the answer is no, but if it is lighter, then it’s a yes; I got a no.

And later on, there was a “coughing shrine” – basically a manifestation of Inari that deals with peoples coughs. This is interesting because the onomatopoeia for both coughing and the cry of the fox is “kon kon”, and Inari is most often portrayed as a fox; Japan loves its puns. This particular shrine even received mail, from people who either want their coughing cured, or in thanks. Nearby, we got to see a woman practicing waterfall purification; the water must’ve been freezing. Inari is a really amazing god actually. Undoubtedly the most personalised, it has so many different manifestations. I got some film, and of course took plenty of photos; sometimes falling behind a bit. Another interesting shrine, right at the bottom of the mountain, was the one to pacify executed animals i.e. the ones we kill to eat. We finished up around 1, and I decided to make my way straight home, not seeing much point in going to the flea market. All in all, it was a good field trip. Fushimi Inari is a beautiful place to visit; I think I might go back one more time during cherry blossom season.

Getting back to Makino, I bought some bread at Mini Stop, and then went over to where I parked my bike. When I found it wasn’t there, I freaked out and though, “My bike’s been taken away, and it’s only the second day I’ve had it!” Luckily, I soon located it, propped up in a nearby gutter; phew, I was so relieved! The ride back was very pleasant, although my legs did hurt a bit; oh well, it is good exercise. I made some lunch (avocado which corn chips on top), and watched TV for a while. There was a really cool quiz show on, where the contestant had to answer a question while doing jump rope. They had to get 6 people on without stuffing up; that would have been incredibly tiring. Japanese game shows are so active; and we wonder why they’re all so skinny. After that, I slept for a few hours, having developed a headache; probably all the exercise was too much for me, how sad. I got up at about 5:30, and cleaned up the room, and sorted my shelves and desk out; looks much better now.

I had dinner a little after 7:30 (heated up butaman and rice), and caught up with Rachel, who had been to the flea market; she didn’t end up getting any kimono though. We sat with Alvaro and Tristan (my next door neighbours), and talked about heaps of stuff. Simon came in a bit later, back from his exciting day at USJ. Since he didn’t have any dinner, he asked if he could have some bread and some vegemite, and how could I possibly refuse a fellow Aussie vegemite? We got Rachael to try some, and she hated it; the look on her face was priceless. Later, when everyone else had gone, Simon put on some rice, and we talked for a few more hours, and he told me about how Australia is making genetically modified lamb with a chocolate taste, I an attempt to increase exports to Japan. I don’t know if this is true, but that’s absolutely crazy; who would want to eat chocolate-tasting lamb!? Speaking of chocolate tasting things, Jeremy found “sparkling chocolate” at Top World, a soft drink; I want to try some… I finally got back down here at 10, and did some kanji practice for a little over an hour. I guess it’s time for bed now, uni tomorrow, and Hugo should be back in the afternoon.

Day 171 - 17th of February

11:21pm　セミナーハウス
天気：曇り
I’ve just finished some kanji practice for my Reading and Writing class; got a test on Friday. The amount of vocab and kanji we have to learn is so intense, but I guess it can’t be helped; we had to get good somehow. Today went well… I got an unexpected ride into uni with Otousan this morning. As I was walking toward the east gate, I saw Otousan driving and Jeremy on the passenger side, and they beckoned me to join them; so I did. I was quite funny when we went past Jacinthe, since she had past me only moments ago; I beat her to the lounge. I sat with Jo and Henry until class started, and we were treated by another speech; he talked about his life living in an apartment as opposed to the seminar houses this semester. There were some positives, but it sounded like it was a pretty negative experience; too bad. After class, I sat in the lounge with Jacinthe, and got my homework done, before we were joined by Hugo; he was doing his homework too. Just as Simon arrived, I had to get off to class; he went to lunch.

We’ve started chapter 2 of the Reading and Writing textbook, and boy is there a lot of kanji; and so many I’ve never seen before. It was a bit of a struggle, but we got through it, and at least the grammar points in this chapter are ones we’ve studied before. In Gender and Sexuality we talked continued a bit with Takarazuka, and the professor explained more of the field trip. We’ll be going the 7th of March (a Sunday), and the university is going to subsidise the tickets and transportation fares for us quite generously; so I’m definitely going. Then we continued on with the symbolic construction of gender, gender roles and the like, focusing on religion; Shinto in particular. After class, I made my way home. I put some rice on, then sorted out, and did some laundry, before going back up and making lunch. I watched children’s shows on TV, and Simon joined me, eating cereal for afternoon tea while describing to me his near death experience; his handle bars came off his bike as he was coming up to a red light at the bottom of a hill!

This didn’t make me feel very good about receiving his bike, but he said they went right back on, and we could get them fixed properly when we got to the bike shop; hopefully it’s free… After that, I went back downstairs and put my laundry out to dry, then caught up with Alex for the first time in weeks; that was great. Then I finished reading the Final Fantasy AC novel. It was actually quite heart-wrenching, and I felt mildly depressed when I finished it. It brought back so many memories of the past, when I was playing the game; I had such a deep connection with the characters. I guess I still do. So, a little shaken, I went upstairs to eat dinner; heated up 豚まん (butaman – steamed yeast bun with minced pork filling). They were actually really nice, and after just two I felt content. Talking and having a good laugh in the kitchen made me feel better. I offered Simon some Milo, which he enjoyed although he had to drink it out of a very small cup; I’m going to give him a larger one I have.

Just after 9, I came back downstairs and wrote out postcards; send them off tomorrow. Then I had a shower, before settling down and getting stuck into practice. Hugo arrived back at around 10:30, after going out for dinner; I wonder if it’s cheaper than cooking your own? It would be interesting to compare, that’s for sure. Anyway, I have uni at 12 tomorrow, so I’ll have plenty more time to revise for the test. After my classes, I’m going to probably go to the bike shop with Simon, and help him pick out a new bike, and his old one registered in my name. Then I’m going to go back to uni for the Japanese-French language exchange. It’s a great idea Jacinthe came up with. She, and other French speakers, are going to teach Japanese students, and other international students like me, how to speak French. I think this will be a good experience for me, as it’ll be relaxed, I’ll be learning the basics of French (which will be fun I think), and I’ll get to talk to Japanese students. I hope it goes well; I know Jacinthe has put a lot of effort into getting it organised. Anyway, time for sleep…

Day 170 - 16th of February

天気：曇り
This morning I was woken up by something other than my alarm. At 7:35 this morning we had an earthquake!! We have had several since I’ve been here, but this was the first one I actually felt; I was so pleased. It only lasted for about 5 seconds but it was pretty powerful. After that excitement, I fell back to sleep, and finally got out of bed at 9:30. I made egg on toast for breakfast, and then readied myself for uni. I had a vocab quiz in Speaking today, and felt confident about all my answers so that was good. In the hour break, I went to koto club to get some practice in. Maarika and Natalie were also there, Maarika studying and doing her Japanese homework, and Natalie going over the basics and making a start on Sakura sakura. As for me, I practiced a new piece of music we received today. I can’t remember what it’s called but it’s very pretty, and much easier than sandan. I went through the first koto part once, and then went straight onto the second koto part; the tuning is the same for both parts. I think it’ll sound great with both parts together, so that’s what Maarika and I are striving for.

After practice, I quickly ducked over to the convenience store to get a snack, and then went to Religion. We talked about the Shinto gods, Inari in particular. We’re going on a field trip to Fushimi Inari on Sunday, and while I’ve already been once before, I think it’ll be very informative going again with the professor. So that’s something to look forward to on the weekend. After class, I went to pick up a package from Nanny and Poppy, and hastily opened it to reveal a beautiful knitted scarf, a card, and some puzzle books. The scarf was perfect! I’d wanted to by a colourful scarf here, but they’re so expensive for what they are and the fabric isn’t very thick. This will be ten times warmer and it was made with love. Very happy, I made my way onto the main street and walked towards Kirindo, only to find it closed; this was odd. I needed groceries, so I decided I’d go back home, and then go to Sanko later on. I ended up being really lazy again, and just napping until about 6, when I went out to Sanko. I got some okay deals there, but there was hardly any meat left, which was a bummer.

Getting back, I went straight to the kitchen, and started cooking dinner after a brief chat with Ash and Rachael. I decided to make pizza, but tried to be clever by pre-slicing the base into four pieces, before putting my toppings on. For some reason, my stomach was sore (it had been since earlier this afternoon) but I persisted, thinking I might feel better after eating. Pizza in the oven, I went downstairs to get my homework done. 20 minutes later, I was back in the kitchen, to find the cheese spilling over onto the aluminium foil. This proved problematic when trying to separate pizza from foil. It actually turned into a mission, one that had me very frustrated in the end; that’s the last time I use aluminium foil when cooking pizza. I did finally get to eat it, warm and foil-less. Then I sat down with Katie, Ash, Rachael, and Rachel. Rachael had brought down her limited edition Final Fantasy Advent Children box set, and let me read the novel that came with it. This meant that I was only half listening to the conversation, and Rachel was in her funny mood again; everyone was having a good laugh.

Katie had bought a huge punnet of strawberries, and very considerately shared them out to everyone, but only after they were sliced and sugared; of this she was very strict. They were really tasty, a real treat. This made me think of Sweets Paradise; I really want to go there again in the near future. After that, we slowly drifted off, homework beckoning; well at least for the others. The only thing that was beckoning me was my blog, and I was finally able to get Sunday’s entry finished. Now that I’m all up to date again, I can spend way more time studying. I’ve really got to get my laundry done too. I was supposed to do it today, but that didn’t happen since I fell back to sleep. I’ll definitely do it tomorrow, though I don’t know when exactly; probably have to be after uni. Other than that, everything in my life is going really well at the moment, but I can’t stop myself from thinking about when this all comes to an end. I’m really looking forward to going back to Australia, but at the same time I feel that being here has been such a huge part of my life for a long time now, and it’ll sure be weird when that goes away. Anyway, I just have to make the most of the time I have left here; make it something to remember forever…

Day 47 - 16th of October

5:02pm　特急電車
天気：晴れ

We're now on the limited express to Kyobashi. Kelly and I decided to walk to the station, cause there were so many people trying to get on the buses. We ended up getting there the same time as the whole group. I'm so excited about tonight. We each donated 100円 to the teacher, to present to the danjiri (portable shrine) to receive good fortunate from the gods. It should be really interesting to see some of the Korean culture and lifestyle.

8:25pm　鶴橋

We've just finished our dinner. We've been here for about an hour and a half! We managed to fit 18 people in this tiny room. The food was great; I feel so full. We'll be meeting back with the rest of the group now, and seeing the main event, on the main street outside the shrine. It ended up costing 1,400円 each, which isn't that bad considering the amount of food we got.

11:04pm　急行電車

We're on the train back to Kyobashi, getting on at 桃谷 (Momodani - peach valley). Tonight was... intense!!! So much energy. The main festivities went on from 9 to 10:30. Hordes of people in traditional dress, dancing in the streets, screaming, drums, whistles, gongs; a cacophony of revelry. The dancing performed atop the danjiri was amazing. It was like they were in a trance; this was a traditional Korean dance-style. Three danjiri paraded the main street, each from a different shrine in the area. There were so many kids, and they provided much of the energy, shouting and chanting and dancing around. We followed a particular danjiri around side streets and then back onto the main street, before they made their way back into the shrine.

At one point the men actually picked up the danjiri; they only lasted about 20 seconds before dropping it. Then, they had to run it up a hill to get it into the main shrine area; the danjiri are on wheels, and it took about 5 tries for them to get it up there. They bombarded us with packets of mochi before more dancing ensued. They set up a stage in front of the danjiri, and younger kids danced along; this one little girl was so cute, and she was really good at dancing. Finally, they entered the shed where the danjiri was housed, the drums beat fading into the night.

11:43pm　普通電車

We're now on the train to Makino from Hirakata; we're going to walk back to the seminar house from there, since the buses are no longer running. After the festival, the organisation responsible for putting on the event invited us back to their headquarters. We all received fans, and took a group photo, then thanked them, before walking to Momodani station...

I woke up pretty late this morning, since I didn't have class till 12. It was the student teachers last sit-in on our class, and we thanked her and wished her well. After class I had to wait until 4:30 until the field trip. So, I hung out with Carly and Jessica, and read a bit of The Gossamer Years in a vacant room. Then when Diego came out of class, and Jessica went in, we walked around campus a bit, had icecream, and took some photos of the garden. We also went up to the top floor (11th floor) of the administration building and got a great view of the city. Finally 4:30 came, and we went on our way to the festival...

There was about 40 of us, and lead by the teacher, we toured around the streets around Tsuruhashi station, passing through restaurants and markets, before making our way over to Korea town. We got to the shrine, and there were a number of stalls set up, selling fries or corndogs or lollies, and others with side show games or goldfish catching; it seemed so Westernised. We split up from there; those with reservations i.e my class, went with the teacher to the Korean restaurant. On the way we passed this massive primary school for Korean children; it looked rather imposing. We soon reached the restaurant; shoes off, up the really steep stairs, and sitting on cushions in a tiny room. I was very certain that it was a converted house. As I said, the food was wonderful, and we even got to witness the danjiri parade as it past. By the end of the night I managed to loose two of my omamori; the study one went first, then the victory one. Kelly joked that I couldn't have victory without study, so it was inevitable that I loose that one too. Oh well, at least I still have my health...

Day 28 - 26th of September

8:13am　特急電車

天気：暑い

On the train to Tanbabashi (limited express). Woke up at 6:50, got out by 7:30, but had to wait till 7:52 for the bus to Hirakata station. I'm with Joanna and Dustin at the moment.

8:48am　丹波橋
It's not a cow!!! Kelly just pointed out that the kanji on my shirt isn't cow (牛) it's the sign of the horse (午). It can't believe I didn't realise that. So yeah, it reads 美午 (bigo - beautiful horse). But yeah you have to admit, they are very similar kanji. We're now on the train and should be getting to Asuka in about an hour.

9:55am　橿原神宮前駅

We're in kashiharajingumae station now, and will be transfering to another train shortly...

10:22pm　セミナーハウス

Wow!!! Today, was incredible. It was so much fun riding around on bikes, and seeing some amazing historical sites. Asuka is such a rich area for archaeological discoveries, and as I was to find, some very significant characters in Japanese history were based in this area. Getting off the train, we were so far out of the built up city area. Because of building restrictions, Asuka has remained largely undeveloped, and thus its historical sites have been left relatively pristine. As both Dustin and I had no money left (I had to borrow money from Joanna) we immediately went in search for an ATM machine. Unfortunately, like the one we had tried in Tanbabashi station, it would not except our cards. So, unperturbed, we went to the bike hire place to meet with the others.

We were soon on our way. There was 27 of us, including the professor, and it would have been quite a sight to see. Many Japanese were very friendly along the way, and we exchanged greetings. The first site we stopped at was the supposed tomb of 欽明天皇 (Emperor Kinmei) the 29th emperor of Japan. I say "supposed" because as I was to find out, a lot of the time the person who was actually buried at a sight is not 100% confirmed, so it's the Imperial Household Agency's job to decide who was buried where. And they get the final say, whether the facts are scientifically sound or not! Anyway, his 古墳 (kofun - tomb) was typical of the time having a large keyhole-shaped mound (前方後円墳 - zempokoenfun). This style is unique to ancient Japan and was prominent between the 3rd and 6th centuries, before the act of cremation was employed through the influence of Buddhist teachings. The strange thing is, you can't really appreciate the shape of the mound unless you view it from the air. So the question is, why did the ancient Japanese people build the mounds this shape; maybe the gods could appreciate them?

A short walk from the tomb was the supposed burial site of a princess I can't remember the name of; it was a lot to take in. I tried to find a photo of the information that I took, but for some strange reason, photos that I took at the start of the day were erased. This happened to Joanna too!!! So weird. Anyway yeah, present at the site were 猿石 (saruishi - Monkey stones). There were four, one of which was clearly male, xD. The professor told us that it could only be speculated what they were used for; they were very ancient. Popular belief held that they were signs of fertility, and if a woman was having trouble having a baby she would stroke the statue, in some fashion or another, to aid in fertility, lol.

So after that, we got back onto our bikes and sped up the hill to the site of the 鬼の俎 (oni no manaita - demon's cutting board) and 鬼の雪隠 (oni no secchin - Demon's toilet). The Folklore tells of demons that lived on the mountain, and on misty nights they would snatch passing people off the road and chop them up and eat them on a boulder up top, before relieving themselves on another boulder a bit further down; very colourful tale indeed. In fact, the boulders are supposed to be part of a tomb building project that was never completed. An unnamed family who wanted to be seen as powerful was trying to find a loophole in the restrictions surrounding tomb dimensions by using a boulder. For some reason or another it was never completed. The boulder higher on the mountain had chips in it, and the professor explained, that in the latter centuries, when castles were being built, people had to bring stones from all over to aid in construction. They weren't able to break this one, so it stays as a monument.

11:18pm　セミナーハウス

Yay, Deigo just recovered my photos. He's such a computer whiz. Anyway back to today...

We got back on our bikes once more and travelled to the 亀石 (kameishi - turtle stone). It's so cool, it's been curved into the shape of a turtle. Well, it's not complete; the project was never finished. One belief surrounding the stone is that, when the turtle faces due west the whole of Japan will sink under water. This is derived from the fact that in the ancient times it was though that Earth rested upon the back of a giant sea creature, swimming through the cosmos. The farmland was beautiful and throughout the day we saw huge fields of rice, and those beautiful red flowers, I think I've mentioned before. I found out that they are called 彼岸花 (higanbana - red spider lily). There was also a white variety.

We headed further along the paths, across streets, through houses, until we reached the site of 川原寺 (Kawahara temple). Only the foundation stones remained and in fact, many were replicas made of fibre glass. Weird hey; replicating ruin. But I guess it gives us a good idea of the size; and it's way cheaper than rebuilding the whole thing. The Professor talked about the names of Asuka. At present, it actually has two different sets of kanji that represent it. 飛鳥 ("flying bird") and 明日香 ("tomorrow's fragrance"); and indeed I saw both sets being interchangeably. There's even a third set derived from the Korean name 安直 (which means peaceful abode, but can be read in Japanese as cheap). That was very interesting to learn.

It was very hot today, so after Kawahara temple, we rode to a park for lunch. The ride there was awesome; through a beautiful forest. In the park there was what seemed to be some sort of play going on; however we stopped further up. I had my packed lunch so I was happy. Soon after eating, Joanna and I went exploring; not very far. We went to the site that we would be visiting next, which was just across the road. It was funny, because we walked right in without paying for a ticket; it was okay though, because we were payed for later as a group. When we realised though we still felt bad. Anyway we got to take a few pictures before the rest of class came and it got really crowded. This was the 石舞台 (ishibudai - lit. stone dancing platform), which could be the burial place of Soga no Umako, a very powerful figure in the 7th century. The structure itself was amazing; huge stones that were moved on sleds forming a tomb. We could all fit in there at once, so you can imagine how large it is.

We continued on to 板葺の宮 (itabuki no miya - lit. Shingled roof palace). I was in the second half of the group, and we ended up falling behind a bit and getting lost. We quickly found our way though, after ringing the professor. Again, just the foundations of the palace remained. In actual fact what we saw was entirely replicated. The original stones have been covered with earth and lie beneath. Well, I guess that's one way of preserving them. The professor retold the story (that we had heard in history) of the meeting of Prince Naka no Oe and Nakatomi no Kamatari (I love old Japanese names, they're so long). Apparently, at a football game (that was being played in a field right near us) Prince Naka lost his shoe. Showing his loyalty, Nakatomo no Kamatari rushed out from the crowd, recovered the shoe, and presented it to the Prince. As their eyes met, they immediately were of the same mindset, and conspired to bring down the Soga clan (Umako's line). At this point there was already much opposition towards the clan, but through their acts it was brought down. Right in front of the reigning Empress (Kogyoku), Soga no Iruka was badly wounded by the Prince. They rushed to plead their cases to the Empress but she left the room in great distress. Iruka was then killed. The day after, realising that the opposition against the Soga clan was too great, Soga no Emishi, Iruka's father, committed suicide, burning the fort and with it documents containing history of Japan. Some pages were recovered, but it was almost completely destroyed. And that was the end of the Soga clan!

We rode on, through the rice fields, to Asuka temple. We caught up with three people who had also got lost but gone ahead. It was a beautiful temple, but only a 3rd of the size of it's original glory. We went inside the main building, and the history of the temple was explained to us; the professor translated. Asuka temple, at least from what the monk was saying, is the oldest in Japan!!! I don't know if that's true or not (I suppose no one does), but it's a cool thought. I went to the oldest temple in Japan today! It displays one of the oldest images of Buddha; Shaka. It was burnt in a fire, so it isn't as spectacular is it would have been. It sad that so many things are ruined by natural, or indeed, unnatural disasters; human disruption. Outside there were three other small statues near the pond. On the first one (from the right), you pour one cup of water to ensure traffic safety; on the second one, you pour two cups to ensure safety at home and; on the third one, you pour three cups to gain luck in love. I didn't have time to try it as the professor was eager to leave.

After about 15 more minutes, we made it to our final destination for the day; Asuka historical museum. That was very cool, to see both the originals and replicas, of artifacts found in the area. By that time, a lot of people were really red with sunburn; I'm hardly burnt at all, lol. They had replicas of the stone monkeys and turtle in the garden. Some of the faces were so weird. It was about 4 o'clock as we made our way back. We all got back, safe in one piece, then boarded the train (Joanna had to pay for me again). We finally arrived back in Hirakata at about 6:30, and immediately Joanna and I went to the ATM that she knew would work. I payed her back, then she went and got McDonald's and, as she rode her bike there this morning, I left her and went to the bus.

Got home, made dinner (rice, scrambled eggs, and salad). At 8 there was this really cool show on. Basically, a group of contestants had to survive an hour in Universal Studios Japan, without getting caught by the "hunters" (like the agents from the Matrix). Lol, it was soooo cool. I caught the last half an hour of it. They where playing for a cash prize of 960, 000 yen (about 10, 000 dollars). They also had to complete missions, like turning off "lasers" that blocked off the parade. If they failed a mission, they would be limited to the area that they could hide in. Towards the end of it the "long leg men" came out; they were so cool. They had really long prosthetic legs, and would, in a literal sense, blow the whistle on contestants if they saw them, drawing the hunters to them. It was really intense; they could run so fast. We were all screaming and shouting, and hoping the last contestant could win; He did!!! I so want to watch it again next week. Anyway it's quarter to 1, so I'd better wrap this up. Probably won't do very much tomorrow. Just go into Hirakata, send my postcards, go to the police station, and then study. That's not much right?