Japan+and+the+Japanese+Language+PAGE

If you get to travel to Japan, be sure to visit the old traditional places as well as the ultra-modern Tokyo. || Nothing beats the experi- ence of studying in a foreign country. It is not enough to simply learn the vocabulary and sentences. There are nuances such as facial expressions, gestures, and other forms of communication with a people of an entirely different culture. || On the outskirts of Kyoto my wife and I walked for miles in the countryside, sometimes with people and sometimes all by ourselves. Here we stumbled upon a cluster of pagodas and shrines where we found residents of the area practicing up on their Kendo skills. ||  || The Memorial was appropriately a place for solemn contemplation. Not far from Hiroshima is a picturesque place called Miya Jima Island. It looks much like a hilly jungle with the "Tori" arches imbedded in their lagoon. The boat to the island passes a natural whirlpool. At low tide you can walk out to the base of the Tori "welcome" sign. || Needless to say, Hiroshima was a place for solemn contemplation and reflection. || outside Kyoto. Though the restaurant was closed the people were welcoming of our coming in to take a picture or two....just as long as you/we take off our shoes first. || the residents of the area were seen practicing their Kendo as shown in the || I suggest that if it is still as safe in Japan as it was for us in 1995, that you try traveling the winter and staying in youth hostiles. This is a cheap way of traveling, and if affords you the opportunity to converse with people very informally while meeting other travelers in the region. In the winter, we had no problem getting a room or a bunk bed. It helps much more if you know at least some of the language though since not many speak English well in remote areas. || We were living in Nagoya, not far from Osaka, when the Kobe earthquake hit in 1995. In fact, we were visiting Kobe on a winter break from school two weeks prior to the quake. Just south of Kobe is Himeji Castle. There were several castles in the area stemming back to the days of the Sumarai. These are certainly national treasures. ||
 * [[image:Cherry_blossom_season2.jpg width="325" height="488" caption="Cherry Blossom Season in Japan"]]
 * [[image:Daikakuji_Kendo2.jpg width="403" height="293" caption="Kendo at the Daikakuji"]]
 * [[image:Atomic_bomb_Hiroshima.jpg width="407" height="246" caption="Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum (postcard)"]]
 * [[image:Arashiyama_restaurant.jpg width="412" height="281" caption="Arashiyama Restaurant near Kyoto"]] || Restaurant by the river
 * [[image:Daikakuji_pagoda.jpg width="365" height="533" caption="Daikakuji Pagoda near Kyoto"]] || This was the pagoda where
 * [[image:Himeji_Temple.jpg width="368" height="539" caption="Himeji Castle"]]