The trip was organized by the International Students Center of the University of Tsukuba. It was a 3-days hop to the three (3) prefectures of Tohoku namely, Iwate, Miyagi and Yamagata.

The first prefecture we went to was Iwate. Take a peek at the photos I took. (1. Inside a restaurant 2. One of the temples in Chusonji compund 3. Miyazawa Kenji Museum)

Next destination was Matsushima, Miyagi prefecture. (1. Akiu Ootaki 2. Inside a museum 3. During the bay cruise)

And the last one was Yamagata prefecture. (1. Inside a museum 2. Yamagata ken souvenir shop 3. Cherry fuits)

Although the trip was a little bit tiresome by just sitting inside the bus, the tour guide's efforts were worth mentioning, trying to be awake and genki (energetic and lively) all the time while all of us are dead tired slumbering in our seats.

The full of memorable stories museums in Iwate, the wonderful splashing waters of the Ootaki in Miyagi, and the tasteful cherries in Yamagata, all made the 3 days trip worth treasuring.

For the rest of the photos in bigger resolution, you may view them in my Zooomr album.

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dimaks blogs at skamid.com

2 Comments

• At July 13, 2007, Vivian wrote:

  the cherries look absolutely scrumptious!

• At July 13, 2007, dimaks wrote:

  Too bad, nobody is allowed to bring a fukuro and stock some in for a bring home :) You got no option but the omeyage shops across the road.

Tsukuba to Narita Airport Bus Schedule

Tsukuba to Narita Airport Bus Schedule (after November 20, 2008)

Please keep in mind that the bus schedule is subject to change, so keep an eye on the Japanese page for the updated schedules.

3 Comments

• At October 30, 2008, Prima Cabina wrote:

  Great job!

  Bus companies in this area haven't internationalized yet. It's a shame...

• At October 30, 2008, Shaney wrote:

  Thank you, Prima Cabina! Yes, it is a shame. It's especially annoying because they used to have the schedule available in English and now they don't. It's the opposite of progress!

• At November 26, 2008, TsukuBlog » Getting to Narita from Tsukuba in the Early Morning wrote:

  [...] is a fairly convenient bus service that runs between Tsukuba and Narita airport, but it doesn’t run in the early morning or late at night. For example, the earliest bus [...]

G0-Raiko phenomenon at sunrise on Mt Fuji

In pre-modern Japan, however, those who climbed, did so to COMMUNE WITH THE GODS , as it was believed (as it still is by some)  that various KAMI (Gods) and ancestral spirits often dwelled atop mountains. In fact, certain mountains were believed to be GODS in themselves. These beliefs developed in ancient times, with their most primitive form probably being the supplications and offerings that early hunters made to these mountain spirits who were believed to rule the domain of animals.

As agriculture developed, mountains came to be especially revered most probably because they were as a source of water (necessary for irrigation), and as a result it often came to be TABOO for the people to climb mountains. This seems to me to be a reasonable way to keep WATER RESOURCES PURE and is probably the reason why the Yamato People always settled on PLAINS surrounded by mountains and rarely (to this day) develop the mountainsides (as opposed to westerners who prefer to build houses up on hills-even in Japan- look at Nagasaki or Kobe). Just look around Tsukuba today, and you will finld that most greenery survives on hills, and of course Mt Tsukuba.

In spring, select villagers would climb  mountains to greet the TA NO KAMI (God of the Rice Fields),which were manfest in the wild mountain sakura (cherry trees) which bloomed on them, and led the KAMI down to the fields. For most villagers, the Ta no Kami  also represented ancestral spirits, who were believed to dwell at the mountaintops during winter and came down to help their descendants (through crop production) from spring through fall.

Even after Buddhism became a major influence, mountains remained spiritually important and great temples, Training halls and centers of learning, were built on mountaintops (the most famous and important being Enryaku-Ji on Mt Hiei, on the North-East tip of Kyoto).

During the Heian Period (794-1185) a religious sect which came to be called SHUGENDO (mountain asceticism) developed. Practioners known as YAMABUSHI would climb mountains to commune with the GODS and SPIRITS, perform asceticisms and try to develop supernatural powers. This sect grew in popularity over the centuries and during the Edo Period (1600-1868) Mt Fuji and several other mountains became the the focus of their worship.

 Climbing  Mt Fuji  by pilgrims was restricted by the shogunate , however, to the 2 month period starting with the 1st day of the sixth month (now set at July first) and ending on the 27th of the 7th month (August 27th) . This regulation was most surely was implemented for safety reasons.

And so it is today. Still every year on July first , ceremonies are held to mark the opening of the mountain to climbers, with Shinto priests  performing rituals and saying  prayers for safety on the mountain.

Shugendo, which combines what are now called Shintoism and Buddhism and focused on the attainment of MAGICO-RELIGIOUS POWERS was banned by the Meiji goverment (in the late 19th century), but after the Second World War this proscription was lifted. Once again, from July first to the end of August, along with all the other recreational climbers, you can spot pilgrims in white robes holding special climbing sticks (kongotsue)  negotiating the famed mountain as they chant  ROKONSHOJO ROKONSHOJO , repeatedly as they move along.

This year, on July 1st, the top of Mt Fuji is so snowy and icy that though the mountain was OPENED , with YAMABIRAKI ceremonies, it will still be a week to ten days till climbers will be allowed to head for the summit.

Climbing Fuji-San, one of the world most famous and recognizeable mountains (if not THE most) is certainly an unforgettable and very worthwhile undertaking. Read more abnout the climb here:

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e6901.html

And if you are looking for good company during hikes up Mt Fuji and other great Japanese mountain and natural hiking destinations ,why dont you hook up with the Tsukuba Mountain Walking and mountaineering Club. Learn about them at:

http://eve.bk.tsukuba.ac.jp/twmc/

Read about my own personal misadventure on Fuji (and other places) at:

http://tengooz.blogspot.com/2006_09_01_archive.html

And dont forget that climbing Mt Fuji is NOT EASY (well, not for me at least). That is why in the Edo Period, at the height of Mt Fuji worship fever, little FUJI MOUNDS were constructed at sites all over Japan as substitutes for climbing the real thing. There is one right here in Tsukuba, near the space center. At only 23 steps it is more than a bit easier than slogging up to 3776 meters in altitude. If you are feeling out of shape, this is the option for you! Read my article on Tsukuba`s SENGEN-ZUKA at:

http://blog.alientimes.org/2009/06/a-climb-to-the-top-of-tsukubas-little-mt-fuji-23-steps-high-sheds-light-on-local-edo-period-dispute-resolution-processes-folk-beliefs-and-the-origin-of-the-place-name-sengen-%e5%8d%83%e7%8f%be/

Happy climbing!

HIS Experience Japan is offering tourists and residents of Japan a chance to experience “real Japanese culture,” in addition to the usual tourist spots. The company has nearly a dozen programs that allow participants to learn directly from professionals. Activities include sushi-making, yuzen silk-dying, calligraphy, karate and ninja lessons, taiko drumming and lantern-making, among others. Guides who speak English, Chinese, Korean and Spanish are available, and reservations can be made online at www.j-experience.com. Further info is available in English by calling 03-5328-4030 or emailing info-en[at]j-experience.com.

They are not particularly well written (they didn't bother to have the translations checked by a native English speaker), but they may give you some ideas about where to travel to experience the natural beauty of the Japanese archipelago.

There is a lot of information about vaccinations on the internet, but some of the advice you get is conflicting, so I decided to try to find a travel health clinic to consult here in Japan. The Japanese Society of Travel Medicine lists a doctor at Tsukuba Soai Hospital (029-873-2511, Takasaki 1245) as a member amongst other doctors in the Kanto Region. There is also a major travel health clinic in Tokyo called the Travel Clinic at the International Medical Center of Japan. I decided to go to the Tokyo clinic to get some advice, as I was not certain that the people at the Soai Clinic would have as much experience with travel medicine specifically for trips to Africa.

It is quite easy to get to the Travel Clinic from Tsukuba. Take any train into Akihabara and get off at Shin Okachimachi, the stop just before Akihabara. Switch to the Toei Oedo line and take a train heading to Tocho Mae (都庁前). Get off at Wakamatsu Kawada (若松河田) and take the Wakamatsu Chou Exit (若松町). When you get up the stairs, look for the Lawson's on your right. Walk towards the Lawson's and turn right again onto the road after the Lawson's. Follow that little road until it ends and then turn left. You should see the hospital right in front of you. Some parts of the hospital are under construction, so you might have to wander around some pedestrian paths before you actually get to the front door.

You must make an appointment before you go, so once you arrive at the hospital, check in at the desk near the front entrance. They will hand you your chart and send you upstairs to the Travel Clinic on the second floor. Once there, you will be asked to fill out some forms that detail your medical history, your travel plans, and your current state. After all that is done, you will be able to talk to the doctor.

The doctor was able to give me good advice about the vaccinations that I could receive there, which ones were applicable to my trip, which ones were obligatory and which were optional (in my case, all were optional), the schedule that I would need to follow for getting the vaccinations, and how long they would be effective. I had my consultation in Japanese, but they say on their website that they do have doctors who can speak English. (You may have to come on a particular day to be able to see an English-speaking doctor.) The doctor was extremely knowledgeable and was very happy to answer all of my questions.

Vaccinations are not covered by regular health insurance, so they can be really pricey. My bill for the consultation and the three shots that I ended up getting came to about 20,000 yen (16,600 yen for the shots and 2700 yen for the consultation). I didn't see any information about being able to pay by credit card, so it is probably better to bring a big wadge of cash with you, just in case. (By the way, the shots are cheaper at the Travel Clinic than they are at Soai in Tsukuba.)

As it turned out, I decided to get my first shots at the Travel Clinic and then have my follow-up shots at Soai Hospital in Tsukuba. I am glad that I went to the Travel Clinic in Tokyo for my first consultation because I felt like they would have more experience in dealing with this kind of information. Also, as an added bonus, while you wait to pay your exorbitant bill, you can spend your time looking up at the intricate overhead paths of rails from which dangle briefcase-sized boxes of documents that the office staff send around to each other. It is one of those things that looks like it could have been really futuristic in the 1960s, but now it just looks messy. Still, it's surprisingly captivating to watch the boxes scurry about like little automated trains along the rails.

There are lots of parking lots on the drive up to Narita, so you won't have a problem finding a place to park. If you want to be certain to get a spot, though, you should probably make a reservation. I generally use one of the USA Parking lots as they seem to be located closest to the airport. They have a number of different options, and the price depends on how much pampering you want. Types A, B, C, and D will have you park your car at a lot and take courtesy buses to and from the airport. Type E will have you park your car at the lot on the way there, and then have the car brought to you on the way home. Type F is the most luxurious, and it will let you drop your car off at the airport and have it brought to the airport on the way home. Of course, the price increases as you add more bells and whistles. Reservations can be made through the USA Parking website.

Once you have made your reservation, you might want to have a look at Prima Cabina's empirically determined faster route from Tsukuba to Narita.

2 Comments

• At November 26, 2007, Vivian wrote:

  If you work it out, it is often even cheaper to leave your car w/a parking service rather than taking the highway bus. USA parking is okay, but we usually use Sky Parking due to its speedy service and excellent customer service. Also, make sure your cellphone still has enough battery power so you can call the company to pick you up when you've come back to Narita!

• At November 26, 2007, Shaney wrote:

  Hi Vivian,

  Do you have any other details about Sky Parking? I have never heard of it.

  That is a very good point about making sure there is enough juice in your battery when you get back. My cellphone sometimes can't hold its charge over a long period, so by the time I get back, my battery is often dead. Fortunately, there are cellphone shops in the airport that will let you charge your phone. Or you can just plug your phone in at the store and make the call. If you store a charger in your car, you can charge the phone the rest of the way on the drive back to Tsukuba.

The Canadian government has recently updated its system for letting Canadians register their trips abroad. They now let you set up an account so you can update your information yourself instead of re-registering from the beginning every time something changes. They might still keep the data from people who registered through the old system for a while, but it would be better to register yourself in the new system as soon as possible, just in case.

For future reference, contact information for the Canadian Embassy in Tokyo is:

7-3-38 Akasaka, Minato-ku
Tokyo 107-8503, Japan
Tel: 03-5412-6200
Fax: 03-5412-6247
(If calling from abroad, add the country code (81) and take off the first zero.)

Some of the other embassies should offer similar services. (If you know of a system like this for your country, please post it in the comments.)

Here is the schedule for upcoming walks. Write to the organizers of the walk (through the mailing list) for more information.

Dec 6: Soba-uchi & Tsukuba-san (organizer: Masako)

Dec 13: End-of-Year Tsukuba-san hike & party (organizer: Anja (hike) and Julian (party)

Jan 17: Kamakura (organizer: Alok)

Jan 24: Makabe - Indigo dyeing (organizer: Ginny)

Jan 31 or Feb 14: Takao-san (organizer: Jean-Luc)

Feb 7-8: Ski trip to Inawashiro area (organizer: Terry)

Feb 21-22: Ski trip to Zao (organizer: Akira)

March 20/21/22: onsen trip (Izu): (organizer: TBA)

April 4: Tokyo (organizer: Jan)

April 18: Family hike (organizer: Alok)

This is Matt Topping, CIR for Ishigaki City in Okinawa, announcing the start of the Interpreter Volunteer Program for the 2008 Ishigaki World Cup Triathlon. The triathlon is a world-class competition with athletes from over 30 countries in attendance. We are looking for volunteers that have a strong command of Japanese as well as another language. Many of the international athletes can speak English, but it is highly likely that we will also need translation/interpretation in languages such as Chinese and Russian. Come down to subtropical Okinawa in April and participate in a great exchange opportunity.

The triathlon will be held April 13th, and the volunteer program April 8th-15th. For more information, please visit http://triathlonvolunteer.blogspot.com.

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