Japtrip

- JAPAN TRIP-

During May - June 2001 I took a trip to Japan for the first time.

For the first two weeks I stayed in youth hostel in Osaka, Kyoto and Tokushima. For my thrid week she took part in a BTCV conservation holiday.

When I get round to it I will tell you more of my trip in my own words, but for now here's some of the thing I got up to on the BTCV conservation holiday.

BTCV HOLIDAY

It was my first visit to Japan and her first BTCV overseas hoilday.
In order to acclimatize myself and get my money's worth, I arrived in Japan on 25th May 2001 and left on the 17th June 2001.

The BTCV hoilday started on 6th June

Wednesday 6th June 2001

Stay: Mr Takemae's house

Writing this on the 8th June 2001 after arriveing at Takamatsu airport about 2.00pm to be picked up for 4.00. I found a seat outside the airport to have the bento lunch that I had bought at Takmatsu train/bus station. Once finished I found a convianent place in the airport, in front of one of their many TV's, to wait and take a nap.

I awake to find a group of people to my left talking English. One of them wearing a BTCV T-shirt. I had to consult with my BTCV liturature in order to recall the name of the leader, who BTCV said would be wearing a cream T-shirt.

It took a couple of trys to get his attention. I introduced myself and then was introduced to 4 or 5 people.

It was, we were told, to be about a 30mins ride to the project, but the jornery took a bit longer as we stopped for a snack and toilet break.

We were ist taken to the Misato Hotaru Musmum. Misato being the name of the village which we would be working and staying in, (the meaning of Misato being 'beatiuful countryside, "mi" means beautful, "sato" means countryside) and "Hotaru" being the Japanese word for lighting bug/firefry. We stayed there for a short wait and were introduced to a few more people there.

Next we were driven the short drive to Haruo Takemae's house where we would be staying some of the time.

When e arrived we were welcomed, for want of a better word, by their small yapping dog which was thankfully tried up. We were introuded to Haruo Takemae's wife, her name being Hisako

(by the way we were later to find out the meaning of Haruo Takemae's name. Haru means sky (as well as spring) Take means bamboo, mae means in front of/before.)
The house was what I would think of as a traditioal type of house as all of the main rooms had tatami matsand the sliding doors.,

We sat on the floor at low table and drunk tea and talked with our hosts. Hisake (the wife) started cooking dinner and a while later she asked us to help. I was dragged into the kitchen and the others taken off to help elsewhere.

MORE LATER!!

Thursday 7th June 2001

(BTCV Cut trees)

Staying at: Health place

Friday 8th June 2001

(BTCV, Fill Kiln)

9.00am put wood in fire.

12.00 Lunch (at Misato - tei)

13.00 Go sightseeing of Misato village

18.00 Go back to Mr Takemae's house

20.00 Enjoy the lighting bugs

Stay at Mr Takemae's house

Saturday 9th June 2001

9.00 stone wall making

Lunch

17.00 end

Stay at: Mr Yokoishi's house

Dancer at the Awa odori show inTokushima

Sunday 10th June 2001

9.00 stone wall making

Lunch

17.00 end

Stay at Ms. Ueno's house

Monday 11th June 2001

9.00 Go sightseeing in Tokushima

20.00 Enjoy the lighting bugs

BTVC work. Rebuilding a wall

Tuesday 12th June 2001

9.00 Visit the village schools

19.00 Meet the villagers

This is the famous terrised fields in Misato-son, Tokushima
(Click here to find out how to build a stone wall)

Wednesday 13th June 2001

9.00 Stone wall making

Our last day of 'work' was on the 13th of June and that night we stayed at XYZ after a farewell bar-b-q and a tour around the Misato Hotaru kan.

The 'girls' Me, and the two translaters Chika and Tomoko in one room and the boys in the other room.

As usally Chika took an eary night and the boys stayed up late into the night, but not as lsat a useal. drinking, talking and nibbleing on snack that the hostess kept offering. I stayed up late enght to swap address with a few people, then I did a bit of packing before I hit the sack, doing my best to ignor the clock that stuck on the hour every hour till I fell asleep.

18.00 Farewell party.

Thursday 14th June 2001

(Leave Misato)

more pictures

This was the view from from my room.
I was staying on a youth hostel in Omico, Tokushima

This is a view of the youth hostel in Omico (the white building).
Notice how close it is to the beach.

Puppet show in Tokushima

BTCV HOLIDAY It was my first visit to Japan and her first BTCV overseas hoilday. In order to acclimatize myself and get my money's worth, I arrived in Japan on 25th May 2001 and left on the 17th June 2001. The BTCV hoilday started on 6th June Wednesday 6th June 2001 Stay: Mr Takemae's house Writing this on the 8th June 2001 after arriveing at Takamatsu airport about 2.00pm to be picked up for 4.00. I found a seat outside the airport to have the bento lunch that I had bought at Takmatsu train/bus station. Once finished I found a convianent place in the airport, in front of one of their many TV's, to wait and take a nap. I awake to find a group of people to my left talking English. One of them wearing a BTCV T-shirt. I had to consult with my BTCV liturature in order to recall the name of the leader, who BTCV said would be wearing a cream T-shirt. It took a couple of trys to get his attention. I introduced myself and then was introduced to 4 or 5 people. It was, we were told, to be about a 30mins ride to the project, but the jornery took a bit longer as we stopped for a snack and toilet break. We were ist taken to the Misato Hotaru Musmum. Misato being the name of the village which we would be working and staying in, (the meaning of Misato being 'beatiuful countryside, "mi" means beautful, "sato" means countryside) and "Hotaru" being the Japanese word for lighting bug/firefry. We stayed there for a short wait and were introduced to a few more people there. Next we were driven the short drive to Haruo Takemae's house where we would be staying some of the time. When e arrived we were welcomed, for want of a better word, by their small yapping dog which was thankfully tried up. We were introuded to Haruo Takemae's wife, her name being Hisako (by the way we were later to find out the meaning of Haruo Takemae's name. Haru means sky (as well as spring) Take means bamboo, mae means in front of/before.) The house was what I would think of as a traditioal type of house as all of the main rooms had tatami matsand the sliding doors., We sat on the floor at low table and drunk tea and talked with our hosts. Hisake (the wife) started cooking dinner and a while later she asked us to help. I was dragged into the kitchen and the others taken off to help elsewhere. MORE LATER!! Thursday 7th June 2001 (BTCV Cut trees) Staying at: Health place

Friday 8th June 2001 (BTCV, Fill Kiln) 9.00am put wood in fire. 12.00 Lunch (at Misato - tei) 13.00 Go sightseeing of Misato village 18.00 Go back to Mr Takemae's house 20.00 Enjoy the lighting bugs Stay at Mr Takemae's house

Saturday 9th June 2001 9.00 stone wall making Lunch 17.00 end Stay at: Mr Yokoishi's house
	Dancer at the Awa odori show inTokushima
Sunday 10th June 2001 9.00 stone wall making Lunch 17.00 end Stay at Ms. Ueno's house

Monday 11th June 2001 9.00 Go sightseeing in Tokushima 20.00 Enjoy the lighting bugs
BTVC work. Rebuilding a wall
Tuesday 12th June 2001 9.00 Visit the village schools 19.00 Meet the villagers
	This is the famous terrised fields in Misato-son, Tokushima (Click here to find out how to build a stone wall)
Wednesday 13th June 2001 9.00 Stone wall making Our last day of 'work' was on the 13th of June and that night we stayed at XYZ after a farewell bar-b-q and a tour around the Misato Hotaru kan. The 'girls' Me, and the two translaters Chika and Tomoko in one room and the boys in the other room. As usally Chika took an eary night and the boys stayed up late into the night, but not as lsat a useal. drinking, talking and nibbleing on snack that the hostess kept offering. I stayed up late enght to swap address with a few people, then I did a bit of packing before I hit the sack, doing my best to ignor the clock that stuck on the hour every hour till I fell asleep. 18.00 Farewell party.

Thursday 14th June 2001 (Leave Misato)


	This was the view from from my room. I was staying on a youth hostel in Omico, Tokushima

This is a view of the youth hostel in Omico (the white building). Notice how close it is to the beach.
	Puppet show in Tokushima