Buildings

Last year, I watched three houses be built very quicky on a road I use coming home from school. I thought it might be a good thing to take pictures and show what happens here when they build things. But I did not do it--the houses went up so fast.

Then, this spring, a new building was built across the street. It is a dentist`s office. Should have done the same thing, taken pictures, but didn`t do it.

This summer, I noticed that they were tearing out what was sort of a garden/yard of a house I pass everyday. I know the woman that lives there, she works at the community center (kominkan) and says hello to me all the time. I was disappointed to see the trees go that were there. Then I saw the land flattened and I guessed they were going to build another house. When I came back from America in September, the house was finished. It sat very close to other house of the woman who says hi to me.

Then, her house was gone.

One Tuesday three weeks ago (I don`t go by on Mondays), I went by and saw her house was gone. Totally. The land was flat and clear next to the new house. Another week went by, with some municipal work under the street and then I figured out they were going to build another new house, this time on the plot of the old house. They poured foundations and let them dry. With the rain we had that week (Sept 25-28), they covered things with tarp. I finally figured I should take a picture. I used my phone and this is the picture I took on Thursday, October 2.

Then, Monday, October 6, I had a change of plans and had to go by the area and took this picture. No joke. They did that work over the weekend!

I heard they make pre-fab houses in boxes and import them from Canada. That is the only explanation I can give.

Mutsumi and I wonder at these houses. They have to have next to no insulation--few houses in JP do. I wonder how they do in an earthquake...

BIG BOY

Yes, they still have Big Boy Restaurants in Japan.

I took these pictures to send X96, a radio station in Utah. They sent me the shirt. Once in a while, I go somewhere weird and have my picture taken with the shirt. They then post it on their website: http://x96.com/rfh. If you scroll down, they have a section called RFH Photos. One of those sections is called Boners around the World (sic).

Besides Big Boy Restaurants, they also have Denny`s here (oh man! I just realized I never got to Denny`s while I was home!). You can look at the Big Boy menu here: http://www.bigboyjapan.co.jp/bigboy/menu_east/index.html. If you don`t have Japanese fonts on your computer, the pages may look like a bunch of goobleydeygook--sorry! There will be some English though, and you can just click on the pictures. Lots of meat there. How about that egg on a steak? Nope, sorry, no breakfast items. Denny`s is the same: http://www.dennys.jp/dny/index.html.

Other similar restaurants are Ringer Hut and Joyfull. There are more, I can`t remember all their names. The items they serve are, I think, usually called Yoshoku. So much meat that I have never been to any of them! Mutsumi says they are gross, but my students seem to like them.

Kumamoto-jo

In the spring, we went to Kumamoto-jo (-jo just means castle).

Kumamoto-ken is the prefecture just south of mine (Fukuoka-ken) and Kumamoto-shi is the major city. The castle is where the first major battle between the traditionalist samurai and the modern leaning government took place that was depicted in The Last Samurai (only it was not an American helping them, more like a few Europeans). It is called the Satsuma Rebellion.

The castle is now 401 years old. They rebuilt the hall that was the main socializing area (the Lord`s Inner Hall) for the 400th anniversary--only they didn`t finish it in time. When we went, it had only been open for a couple of months. It was very nice. It was made with a light-colored yellow wood that was in strong contrast to the black keep, towers and walls.

As a matter of fact, Kumamoto-jo is called the Black Castle because of the blackness. Osaka-jo is called the white castle. I still have pictures from last year posted below that you can see and the castle behind me in the picture on the upper right is Osaka-jo.

Kumamoto-jo is one of the three best castles in Japan. The Japanese love classifying things as the best in a category. I always get mystified when they ask me what is my favorite something or other what is the best because I don`t always think like that as a general rule. When I am asked what is my favorite country to have visited, I always balk--how do you answer that? The people everywhere I go are great--why would I say anyone was better than another? I can only have one favorite food? For a list of the top three things in many categories, go to http://wikitravel.org/en/Japan%27s_Top_3#Three_Famous_Gardens.

The castle, like most, has been rebuilt. This was started in 1960. Most of the damage came from the Satsuma Rebellion. One corner tower on the wall is the only thing left undestroyed. It has been renovated, but it is still considered an original structure, 400 years old!

Ever wondered what the facilities in a fuedal Japanese castle look like?

Kumamoto was just an hour drive south of my place. Mutsumi and I went with one of my students from the adult English conversation class (eikaiwa) I taught last winter. He came with his wife and two young boys. His name is Goichi--I am afraid I do not remember the rest of their names. The picture is Goichi and his oldest son.