Nagoya!

I did it! I went through with it and took a day trip to Nagoya with 9 fellow JCMU students and Tsubasa! And it wasn't scary or confusing at all! We did so much today that I can't go through it all. I took over 130 pictures, and I'm sure they'll do more justice to my experience than what I write here, so please check them out (the link's on the bottom of this post, as usual). But here's a little recap for you anway!

Morning: Psalm 80. All day: Wearing out my feet, legs, and shoulders by biking and walking around in heavy humidity and consistent rain. Also, sweating buckets.



I'd like to take a moment to note how unusually fly I look in this picture

I ate onigiri for breakfast, then headed off to Hikone Station with the group. After 2 trains and 2 subway rides, we came above ground in Nagoya right across the street from Meijō Kōen.

First we walked through a food festival on the way to Nagoya Castle. Except for the foundation, the entire castle was destroyed by U.S. Air Force bombings in WW2, so most of what we saw has been reconstructed and remodeled. In fact, construction is still being done to that place. Still, it was a very beautiful place. We climbed all the way up to the top of

Sunshine Sakae

the castle, which has one of the highest staircases I've ever seen. I survived the climb, though! The good thing is that the castle's designed so that the first 4 or 5 floors have museum-like displays and showcases. This way, guests stop at each floor and get distracted so that getting to the top doesn't feel so much like the long, arduous struggle that it is.

After that, we ate at a kishimen shop that's located in the complex. Kishimen is a flat type of udon that is a specialty of Nagoya. I had tempura kishimen.

Then we took a loooong walk to the shopping district, where we stopped at Sunshine Sakae mall. Next, we took an even loooonger walk down the street to Osu shopping district, which is
off of Akamon street. This shopping area is too expansive for words, and I didn't buy anything but I walked through all of it. It's full of cheap stuff and street food, so it was right up our alley.
At one end of the district is Osu Kannon Temple which Tsubasa went to pray into.

As I walked around the shopping district I was reminded of how simple I am sometimes. While everyone else is buying souvenirs and gifts and street food/junk food, I'm just along for the ride. That's how I go on "adventures". I don't need to buy anything. I don't need to taste every food I see. Making myself go outside and try something new is an accomplishment in itself for me, so long as I enjoy the experience and can get some good pictures, I'm content. I might actually leave Japan without buying any mementos for myself or gifts from anybody. That's certainly not my goal, mind you. I'm just not in any rush to buy things to show myself and other people that I've been here. I'll know that I've been here, and sometimes knowing you've had an experience is enough.

Anyway, we made our way back to Nagoya Station and I ate omurice (オムライス/omuraisu) for the first time at a restaurant in a nearby underground mall. Then we boarded the train back to Hikone, and here I am writing about my awesome day!

70 Days in Kansai photos