Children's memorial with origami cranes in the casings behind
Well last night got a little crazy. Remember how I said we were gonna go do that all you can eat and drink thing? We did. And actually didn't get all that drunk. Just the right amount of drunk. And I know it was just the right amount because we ended up at karaoke afterwards. We had joked about it the other day, how we should go do nomihoudai and then karaoke. At least, I thought we were joking. Rei took me very seriously though. So I agreed to go and do 1 hour of karaoke, because I intended to get up early today and go see Hiroshima Peace Park and all the atomic bomb stuff. Well, one hour turned into two, which turned into two and a half and then we had to stop ourselves. It was great. I love karaoke. And I'm glad I did it because what's a trip to Japan without karaoke?
So that was super fun. Plus it's great with Rei because she's one of my best friends so we literally don't give a fuck and just enjoy ourselves. And then I actually did manage to wake up and go see the Peace Park this morning. It had to be kind of early cause we had a train to catch at 11:30, so the plan was to be out by 8:30, walk over and spend some time before heading to the station. It was actually really close to our hotel, though, and not very big, so I made it back with time to spare and we went out for coffee at a famous local bakery.
Cranes are made into framed pieces reading "Peace"
The park wasn't all that nice because Spring has not yet sprung, but there are some great monuments in there. I really liked the children's memorial, which is surrounded by all of the origami cranes that we used to make in middle school. They actually do get sent to Japan, it would seem. It's really wonderful to see all the cranes and wishes from around the world. The only complaint with the park is that the dome, which is one of the most famous Hiroshima sites, is undergoing it's tri-annual stability check, so it's covered up in scaffolding. The building is famous for being almost directly under the bomb blast, which wiped out pretty much every building in the city center, with a few exceptions. This dome was one of the exceptions. So it's been kept in it's post-bombing state as a memorial, while the rest of the city has been rebuilt around it. That was another interesting fact I learned - apparently the bomb never hit the ground. It exploded above the city, and still managed to destroy everything. Scary to think what would have happened if it actually impacted with the ground. I'll find out in the next couple days if it's the same for Nagasaki, which is our next destination.
An old Japanese man trying (and failing) to use a selfie stick in the park
Hakata ramen
But before Nagasaki, we've arrived at Huis Ten Bosch. That train we had to catch at 11:30 took us to Hakata, which is famous for ramen. We spent an hour there to have some ramen (delicious), then hopped on the next train to our current location: Huis Ten Bosch. Huis Ten Bosch is one of the weirdest places I've been, and I love it. It's a Dutch themed amusement park in the middle of the Japanese countryside. God knows why it's here, but it was apparently built in the 80s and was super popular, then lost popularity and went bankrupt, and then was bought out and refurbished and made into it's current awesome self. And it is awesome, yet so bizarre. I'm not even really sure how to describe it. I mean, on the one hand, it's just an amusement park with various rides and attractions (nothing too big or scary, unfortunately), generally themed around the Netherlands, but not always. Like, for example, Thriller Town, which is all ghost themed. Or Adventure Town, which we haven't been to yet but they were playing banjo country music when we walked by. Tomorrow will be another full day of exploring this strange and magical place, so I'll spend more time talking about actual rides and stuff then.
The entrance to Huis Ten Bosch, in the middle of nowhere Japan
And until then, music time. My karaoke session last night found me pulling out some of the old Japanese songs that I used to love. Back in the day I used to be really into Japanese music, although it's probably been about 7 years since I've followed it at all. But I've still got a few songs up my sleeve. And so I decided that for the rest of my time in Japan, I'll be sharing some of my old favorites.
It lights up all pretty at night, which must have taken a ton of time and lead to a massive electric bill.
And they project Taiko no Tatsujin, only one of the best games ever, onto a building while you play!
Today is Sheena Ringo, who is like a Japanese rock goddess. She was one of my early favorites. In addition to making great music, she's known for breaking the rules and pushing the envelope of acceptability. Plus her kanji game is on point. ギブス (pronounced Gibusu if that helps, and meaning cast, like one you wear on a broken arm) is off of her second album, Shoso Strip, which came out back in 2000, and is probably my favorite song by her. Maybe my favorite Japanese song, period. in fact. Have a listen and see what you think.
If you like it, there's plenty of great stuff by her. Tsumi to Batsu, Honnou, Koko de Kiss Shite, Memai... the list goes on. Plus there's the work she did with her Japanese supergroup, Tokyo Jihen. Plenty of stuff for you to listen to.
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