Kyukamura Shikanoshima Fukuoka

... it in my previous entry) was the original name of the Okinawan archipelago (it used to be known as the Ryukyu Kingdom which was a tributary state of Imperial China). Although commercial in almost all respects, this village was a very beautiful place to visit. We even saw numerous examples of the local poisonous snake (the "Habu") as well as a mongoose. Unfortunately there was no mongoose/snake fight today! I did get to feed a large number of carp as well as a couple of very ...

... rooms. It was fascinating to be walking through an area that was central to major World War 2 battles nearly 70 years ago.

We also took in Shurijyo Castle which is a reconstruction of the primary castle that served as the main administrative centre when Okinawa was still a feudal fiefdom under the Tokugawa Shogunate. The castle had been destroyed several times, the latest of which was during the Battle of Okinawa during World War 2. This latest ...

... next couple of days as we go on two guided tours. One will be up to the north end of the island to an aquarium and a pineapple farm. I am sure that once we get outside of Naha City that we will see the true tropical paradise aspects of this island. We will also be spending some time outside of the city on the south of the island. There is a lot of World War Two history here as this south end of the island is ...

... did all of our shopping in fast forward. On our way home, we stopped at the military exchange, the small American-style mall on base. My mom and I went inside to buy silk robes, like the one Julia gave me for Christmas. We also got books for our respective plane rides, and then went to dinner at Macaroni Grill nearby. It was absolutely delicious, and Riley was very funny. While Julia packed at home, my mom and I took Riley ...

... we saw how Okinawans lived in the past (obviously). The Okinawans lived in squat wooden houses on shelly lawns. What's interesting about this island is that it was not always a part of Japan- that only happened in the last century. It had its own special Ryukuan culture, as evidenced by many things around the island that are different from Japan's other islands. One of Okinawa's most special features is the shisa dog. Shisa dogs are ...

... routes in the forest were paved with stones and surrounded by attractive tropical trees, but some parts of the routes were slippery and it is better to use a cane sometimes which you can borrow for free at the starting point. In the most important site, two large rocks were naturally put together to make a route to the altar, where we can see the Pacific Sea through the bush. Seifa-Utaki had less visitors than the other attractions in ...

... to go searching for another. But we were prepared to do it, had it come to that. As it turned out, it didn't. The now not-so-nice and not-so-smiley manager returned to the room some 10 minutes after leaving it, screwdriver in hand, and proceeded to disconnect the meter before telling us the heating was "free" for the remainder of our stay. Maybe he realised we only came to be in his Inn as a result of it being on the ITCJ's ...

... 4... taking out my frustrations on hordes of the undead. From there I went to the Toys 'R Us because what could be more fun than a Japanese toy store? I ogled the Nintendo stuff and if I had the money and the Japanese language ability I would've bought it all. I settled on a stuffed Toad. I headed back to the subway and returned downtown and found a temple. The grounds were immaculately kept and the ancient smell of incense filled the air. The giant wooden Buddah was a sight to ...

... train. Exchanged our train pass for a ticket outside and went to find a suitable train to take. So instead we boarded the 10:06 headed to Shin-Osaka, we would have needed to change at Osaka or Okeyama on the way anyway. This train took just under 3 hours. It did pass Mt. Fuji on the way but the only cloud in the sky decided to plonk itself directly in front of it as we rode passed! Rather annoying! Today was easily the hottest so far, into the 30`s and very humid. It was fine on the ...

... of Fukuoka. The third way to collect money that I saw were people, all dressed in nice uniforms, either school uniforms or in suits, collecting money for the big earthquake in Niigata, that recently happened in Northern Japan. They usually stand in a row of 5 -7 peopole holding out a black large cardboard box in front of them, and every other second, they would call out "arigatou gozaimasu" (thank you), and politefully and ...