Japan Trip 2003 (Part2)

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2003/05/27 Cloudy

Going to Nagasaki

The Trip Plan

From To Carrier Departing Arriving Duration Memo (Cost)
Home Hoshigaoka          
Hoshigaoka Nagoya          
Nagoya (Meitetsu Bus Terminal) Nagasaki Nippon Kanko Nikkyu (5/27) 19:30 (5/28) 07:30 12:00  
             
Nagasaki Kyoto JR Kyushu (5/28) 19:47 (5/29) 07:52   Akatsuki
Kyoto Nagoya JR Tokai (5/29) 08:34 (5/29) 09:16   Hikari 212
Nagoya Home Nagoya Transit Authority        

I had dinner at 5:30pm, which was a bit earlier than usual. I left my home around 6:00pm, heading to Nagoya Bus Station to catch my bus to Nagasaki.

MATORIKKUSU-RIROUDEDDO! (the Matrix Reloaded is coming to Japanese theaters on 6/7, but special preview on 5/31) I personally like the third one from the left, which shows a bunch of Agent Smith 2.0.

Highway Bus "Glover", at station #6 in the terminal. It takes me to Nagasaki in about 12 hours.  Departing 19:35, arriving Nagasaki around 7:30am next morning. I heard using an overnight bus is becoming a trend in my country. You get to sleep and it's cheap. Just take whole a lot of time. Inside of the bus, there are only three columns for about 20 rows, so no worry about bugging person next you. There is a restroom, and some vending machine serves you cold and hot water. I think you can make tea or coffee.

The bus left the Meitetsu Bus Center at 7:30pm on time, heading west to get on the highway. The Mei-Han highway just started to going through a nightly repair work on the road from this night, so it did not go that smooth. The bus was late by 1:30 hours by the time when we took the first break. We had only 8 people on the bus, which was very nice. We could pick any seat we wanted.

The first break we took was at unknown place, I do not know but we stopped there around 10:00pm. After that, I locked my backpack and went sleep. I needed some rest to get ready for tomorrow.

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2003/05/28 (Sunny, Hot)

I somehow woke up around 5:00am. The bus is still Going to Nagasaki... I could see the road signs to know where we are at.

5:30 Fukuoka

5:40 Dazaifu

5:47 Saga

6:45 Omura-Wan (Taking Break at a Rest Area)

I need to recall where it was, but I could see an ocean from here. I will post the picture later on. I think I could see the Nagasaki Airport too. A door opened at the middle of the bus is where other driver can take nap.

Omura-Wan (Gulf of Omura) is just few hours away from Nagasaki. If you see the bigger picture (by clicking the link below), you should be able to see an island which is I think the Nagasaki Airport.

Click here for bigger picture

Arriving to Nagasaki (7:35am)

Well, we finally arrived to the bus station in Nagasaki. The bus was late only by 15 minutes, so I must assume that the driver did a very good job, (like going very fast...)

The first thing I had to do was to buy a one day pass for the street cars. I could only buy it at hotels or souvenir shops, but since it was 7:30 in the morning they are all closed, so I had to look for a hotel. The place I went was a Holiday Inn. I did not know they had a branch here but I was able to purchase the pass (8:45am, so I wasted about 30 minutes).

Holiday Inn in Nagasaki

I found a Seattle's Best Coffee shop right next to the Holiday Inn.

Walking down the street of Maruyama

Maruyama used to be an area of night time joys, there are places you meet with Geisha, have party and stuff.

This is an old fashioned police station, still being used today.

Maruyama in modern days...

Taking Street Cars

I already had a ride in a street car before, so I know how it feels like and look like.

Walking toward the Tenshu Do and Glover En

I took a street car from Shiwakubashi to Tsuki-Machi, then I had to switch the car for the other line. After a while, I got to Oura Tenshudo-Shita station. Since Nagasaki is right by the sea, there are many canals in the city, and smells a bit like ocean.

A canal nearby the station

This palace is called Shi-Kai-Roh, where claims they have started Chan-Pong in Japan. It's a restaurant. I heard the top floor has pretty good view in night time. (So called a date spot)

Tenshu Do

        According to the guide book I used, the real name is Oura Catholic Church. "Tenshu" in Japanese means "the God" and "Do" means a "hall". Originally built for foreigners, I guess they still needed to go to church no matter where they live.  It is kind of a funny thing to see old churches here is Nagasaki, but just to let you know that this place is one of the very first place in Japan where Christianity was taught, and once we had about 700,000 Christians in Japan during the federalism period. (Later they were told to give up or be executed.)

Going up to the Church

There are also several building surrounding area. 300Yen for admission. Inside of building has pretty stuffs related to the Christianity. I have seen pictures of hell and heaven which pretty much replaced European looking folks with Japanese... Some writings are in Japanese too. I bet Jesus can speak Japanese, or not?

Glover En (Glover Garden)

        Thomas Glover was a British trader long time back, even before we open up the country. The garden is located south of Nagasaki Station, where is a bit hilly. The Glover Garden represents a group of old houses which have been built for foreign people who were staying Japan long time ago. Here used to be an area designated for them and it is this museum today. Some of the building have been brought from other places because of its cultural values. It is very cool to see those mixture of European and Japanese way of designing and construction. There is a recommended route to go around this place so I put everything in that order... The admission is 600Yen.

Click here for bigger picture

View From the deck

Click here for bigger pictures

I'm in Nagasaki!

Nagsaki Kunchi is a traditional dance performed by Chinese people in Japan. They have this Dragon Dance which the dragon chases the moon (the golden ball leading the dragon). Asian Dragon is more like snake so you need to understand the difference.

Dragon got curious about the golden ball...

Started to chase

still chasing...

It was pretty cool performance. You will get to see it about four times a day. They sometimes stops, so you need to call out "Mottekoi" meaning "I want to see more!" but I think it more like "Bring it on!" from direct interpolation.

Glover is a British trader long time back. Have met with bunch of Shishi (A group of folks created movement to Tokugawa government to give up their feudalism)

His house has so many rooms

This must been the entrance.

Glover En, view from observation deck.

After seeing the all the houses, you will be at gift shop. There are some extra things you can see...

 

Walking back to the station

There was a store selling license plates in the U.S., They charge 1,500Yen (about $13) for it. If you have old ones, maybe you can sell them when you come to Japan? (By the way, where is KANSAS plate? It's a discrimination if I don't see it!)

On the way going back to the train station, you can see the port as you going down the hill. There are so many gift shops along sides of the road

Okay, this building used to be "Hongkong-Shanghai Bank Nagasaki branch" Now it's museum, I think.

They also claims that Nagasaki is the first place where the bowling was taught in Japan.

Dejima / Nagasaki Port

The first steel bridge in Japan, the bridge was made by Americans. I think this is a good FEM project.

Dejima was created in order to contain the spread of Christianity under feudalism in my country. During the Tokugawa period, Shogun has the absolute power and there are disciplines, so having the idea of all people are equal must not be taught. I think this one was built for Portuguese, who did not agree on stop spreading the religion.

a street in Dejima

Museum

Club House, not the place where you throw a crazy party but you could do pool (billiard)

A miniature of Dejima

Deshima Dharf overview

Northern Half

Southern Half

Taberna Restaurant (sounds exactly like "do not eat" in Japanese...)

Nice and calm...

a jellyfish!

One beautiful day...

AEGES cruiser being built.for JMSDF (Japanese Martime Self Defense Force)

Sapphire Princess (was Diamond Princess but, the name got switched after a freak accident)

China Town (11:30am)

You must check out "Nagasaki Chan-Pong" if you visit there. Chan-Pong is a soup noodle came from main land China long time ago while we had some of those folks to learn technologies. In a heart of Nagasaki city, there is also a China Town. It is not that big, but you can see a bunch of fun stuffs.

Nagasaki Chan-Pong!

Well, I just did not go there to eat. Here are some other pictures.

Northern Gate

Peace Park and Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum

After leaving the China Town, I took a street car to Matsuyama-Cho to check out another famous historical site, the Peace park.

The world's second atomic bomb used in combat was dropped in this city, Nagasaki, in August 9, 1945, 11:02am.

a park at hypocenter of the A-bomb

Stairway to Nagasaki Peace Park

Prayers' Fountain. Made for people who were dying after the bombing wanted to drink water.

This place used to be a jail compound, but got wiped out by the bomb so only the foundations you can see today.

Me at the park

Some people just don't realize how the nuclear weapon is such a bad stuff. I found numbers from the brochure so you might want to refer these.

The population of Wichita is about 300,000 so it is pretty much the same. So, think this way. 1/3 of Wichitans dies, another 1/3 of Wichitans will be injured. Many cases, radiation related injury are not treated easily.

To Urakami Tenshu Do

Urakami Tenshu Do is a church build in (year?). It was destroyed by the A-bomb but rebuild in today's form. It looks nice but you still can see some of the damage done by the bomb

View from nearby the peace park

Old wall mostly demolished by the A-bomb's powerful blow.

To Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum

Not like Hiroshima's A-bomb museum, this one is not that cheap and has less exhibits. This one talks more about the threat to humanity by the nuclear weapons.

Museum entrance

Some debris recovered, usually some shadows are casted from the intense ray of light. Sometimes it's a human, tree... I did not realize that they are not allowing taking pictures so I did not take anymore.

I am back at Matsuyama Station around 14:45. Heading to Nagasaki Station.

Kazagashira Park

I paid 160 Yen to get there by a city bus.

Statue of Ryoma Sakamoto

Who is Ryoma Sakamoto?

I think I need to talk about this guy.

This is what he used to watch everyday...

Click here for bigger picture

Ryoma Street (looking down)

Ryoma street (looking up)

Walking Back to Nagasaki Station

Megane Bashi

Nagasaki Station / Dinner

A view at the station looking SW

looking South

looking North

Nagasaki Station Complex

Who are these two guys?

Famous enough to cause this much crowd...

Nagasaki Sara-Udon! (5:00pm) I ate this at Kou Iyou Kou (the Chinese characters saying like King of the Kings, I think)

Trains in Nagasaki

Kamome express

 

What is the famous "Castella"?

The Castella is a cake like snack came from Holland. I guess Japanese liked the taste and learned how to make one. There are many different houses saying that they are the original Castella manufactures in Japan, but no one knows the truth.

Their cars have special "Castella" painting!

 

           

 

I bought some of castella here.

This place has very expensive snacks. The castella I was talking about starting from 4,500Yen, about 5 to 7 times more expensive than others!

Public Transportations (Street Cars, Public Bus, Taxi...)

coming back from Nagasaki

Well, I think I had enough fun in here.

Akatsuki (dawn) at Nagasaki Station

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2003/05/29

arriving Kyoto

I have slept a bit. I woke up because the outside was getting brighter.

 

Okayama Station

Suisei-Akatsuki at Kyoto. The two sleeper trains; Suisei (shooting star) and Akatsuki (dawn), joined at certain station, I like this locomotives much better than the red one.

the building complex in front of Kyoto station

Hikari 212 (40minutes from Kyoto to Nagoya!) 8:34am -9:16am

Arriving Nagoya

I could not find any seat which is empty so I had to stand all the time. I was in the non-smoking car but I see many people stood up and go to the smoking car to satisfy themselves. I think it is not fair if they smoke and taking a seat in a non-smoking car! When they come back in, they still smell like cigarette and makes me cough. They should stay in the smoking car. Thanks!

It was not so hard to spend time in the train.

Well, after the trip, I am usually happy but not this time. I was so stressed out near the end of semester, had only two days to prepare for the trip, then come back and drinking with my friends and Karaoke. My throat got so sore and started to cough very often. (O-oh, Did I get a SARS?). When I came back from this hard trip, my stamina is completely exhausted. I went to see a doctor and was told not to speak too much and drink lots of water. At least I am not a holder of the SARS, but I just don't want to be coughing at the immigration at the time I am coming back to the U.S.

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