Hotel Hikyonoyu Miyoshi

... has a gift history. Then the train back to Takamatsu. I got on an express train by mistake, but no big deal. When I got to Takamatsu, I just boarded the first local train going in the opposite direction and went two stops to the station closest to my hotel. Now that I have activated my Japan Rail Pass, I can jump on any train (except first class Green Cars and Nozomi super-fast trains) at no charge. <br><br>I am getting better ...

... I have my hat off to them. Dropped my **** off at Takamatsu before heading to Marugame which apparnetly makes 90% of the fans (uchiwa) for Japan. They also has a castle which I visited and doesn't really inspire much. Even the view, though expansive, is of cranes in the harbor and the sprawl of humanity approaching Takamatsu. The other main sight there is the fan museum which has demonstrations of how they're made. I was ...

... I've beeing trying to use coughing sickness, but that's not really working. Finished the night watching a TV special on the dramas on Fuji TV channel over the past 50 years. Basically the 80s were pretty ****** everywhere, though it may have lasted into the 90s here in Japan. But it was entertaining nonetheless. Tomorrow, will travel around Kagawa prefecture trying to waste time before I have to return to the business hotel. Up next: Zentsu-ji, Marugame, Takamatsu -mike

... bearers for them to hire.They will carry you up the steps to the Dai-mon Gate. One funny thing was I saw many people even took their little dogs with them to Shrine. Watching the dogs jump up the steps, I guess the dogs must want to cry for coming to this kind of place. Btw, Kotohira produces the best Udon in Japan. Outside one famous Udon school, you ...

... We will fly into Bangkok, Thailand and then travel over land through Cambodia to Vietnam. On new year's eve we will fly back to Bangkok and then go to an island to relax on the beach for a few days. I'm sure I'll have plenty of stories to post after that. (Most will undoubtedly have to be censored a little bit, e-mail me for the whole picture haha). Until then, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Eric Gardneregardner1 (at) gmail (dot) com

... it is the first place in Japan that I went to when we ported there on Semester at Sea in September 2006. Laura and I visited Sannomiya, Chinatown, the Port of Kobe, and Kawasaki Good Times World. Overall it was a great weekend.   The next weekend I went up to the Iya Valley with my friend Gilly and a friend of hers who was visiting. The Iya Valley is about an hour west of my house and is incredibly beautiful. We were up there to see all of the leaves ...

... city on an icy November evening was not part of it. However, after you sink into the hot bath it is all worth it. The rest of the night was spent chilling in one of the rooms whilst enjoying several beverages ^^ The midnight stroke was accompanied by happy birthday songs in about 5 languages. I was finally 20. Finally an adult for Japanese standards (at 19 I wasn't even allowed to buy my own phone...) which, of course ...

... easy these days, I don't think I've worked an entire five day work-week yet, and I'm still getting paid anyways. I'm going to see Radiohead in Osaka on thursday (be jealous), which is going to be awesome. There's other things I'd like to talk about (car inspections, my cell phone, the impact of Tom Brady's injury on the global financial markets, etc.) but I'll save those for another blog post. Hey, maybe I'll start updating this more often, but no promises. 'til next time. Eric Gardner

... team, and yes, they spell out "Socks") game in Anon with Henry, Laura, B, and Maggie. It was a pretty rainy night, but the game went on and the I-Socks ended up winning. After the game we went out in Tokushima City, which was a pretty good time. The next day we had soccer practice. Now, anyone who knows me probably knows that soccer is one of my least favorite sports. But, we've got a group of JETs in our area who are playing in a weekend soccer tournament in a few weeks and ...

... glad to have been able to escape the heat for a while. I left the castle grounds and made my way to Kokuen Garden. I had saved money by getting the combination ticket. I had seen my first Japanese Garden back in Kobe and had enjoyed my experience immensely. Kokuen did not disappoint me. It consists of nine separate gardens designed in various garden styles of the Edo period. Made my way back to the train station in ...