Departing London; little bit moist.
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@hugh GMaps also doesn't have all bus routes, twice I had to navigate my own alternatives, because it just didn't know a bus line I needed to take … the only one available.
@dahie Yeah, it can be annoyingly inconsistent.
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It's now time to catch a ferry to a tiny island just off the coast; requiring the negotiation of two buses to the middle of nowhere - that was a little strenuous.
This is really quite rural Japan!
I don't really know how you'd do this trip without Google Maps; it's extremely hard to find information about these routes unless you read/write Kanji. Even with Google Maps, actually finding the right bus is a challenge and requires Google Translating images.
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@hugh I have fond (?) memories of wandering around rural Japan trying to pictographically match the kanji on the front of the bus. Drivers were very helpful though!
@andrew I don't think the buses have changed much since you visited; they feel like museum pieces!
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It's now time to catch a ferry to a tiny island just off the coast; requiring the negotiation of two buses to the middle of nowhere - that was a little strenuous.
This is really quite rural Japan!
I don't really know how you'd do this trip without Google Maps; it's extremely hard to find information about these routes unless you read/write Kanji. Even with Google Maps, actually finding the right bus is a challenge and requires Google Translating images.
On the island is Ikeshima Coal Mine; which operated from the ~1950s through to closure in the late 90s.
Most of the "island" is actually spoil from under the seabed, and the surface buildings are largely abandoned and rotting away. But you can go on (a very limited) tour!
The mine itself is there and used for training, although the future of that is uncertain. Unfortunately access underground is not generally available
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%B1%A0%E5%B3%B6%E7%82%AD%E9%89%B1
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On the island is Ikeshima Coal Mine; which operated from the ~1950s through to closure in the late 90s.
Most of the "island" is actually spoil from under the seabed, and the surface buildings are largely abandoned and rotting away. But you can go on (a very limited) tour!
The mine itself is there and used for training, although the future of that is uncertain. Unfortunately access underground is not generally available
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%B1%A0%E5%B3%B6%E7%82%AD%E9%89%B1
@hugh@social.crablab.uk oh you're so cool for picking this as one of the places to visit :ablobcatbongo:
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On the island is Ikeshima Coal Mine; which operated from the ~1950s through to closure in the late 90s.
Most of the "island" is actually spoil from under the seabed, and the surface buildings are largely abandoned and rotting away. But you can go on (a very limited) tour!
The mine itself is there and used for training, although the future of that is uncertain. Unfortunately access underground is not generally available
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E6%B1%A0%E5%B3%B6%E7%82%AD%E9%89%B1
On the surface there are various buildings in an advanced state of decay.
I particularly enjoyed the solitary digger, sitting on the spoil heap and looking out to sea
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On the surface there are various buildings in an advanced state of decay.
I particularly enjoyed the solitary digger, sitting on the spoil heap and looking out to sea
Naturally, there is also a payphone here - priorities.
Being particularly remote and inaccessible, I wonder when it was last used? It's working, of course.
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On the surface there are various buildings in an advanced state of decay.
I particularly enjoyed the solitary digger, sitting on the spoil heap and looking out to sea
@hugh@social.crablab.uk that digger is almost wallpaper material
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Naturally, there is also a payphone here - priorities.
Being particularly remote and inaccessible, I wonder when it was last used? It's working, of course.
Back to trains: the Kamome Shinkansen is the silliest railway. It's the shortest Shinkansen, and goes from Nagasaki to the middle of nowhere in ~20 minutes.
Why is that? Politicians in the next prefecture don't want the Shinkansen...
So instead, you get shuttled between Takeo-Onsen and Hakata where you can connect with the rest of the Shinkansen network.
Maybe one day they'll join it all up...
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@hugh@social.crablab.uk oh you're so cool for picking this as one of the places to visit :ablobcatbongo:
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It's now time to catch a ferry to a tiny island just off the coast; requiring the negotiation of two buses to the middle of nowhere - that was a little strenuous.
This is really quite rural Japan!
I don't really know how you'd do this trip without Google Maps; it's extremely hard to find information about these routes unless you read/write Kanji. Even with Google Maps, actually finding the right bus is a challenge and requires Google Translating images.
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@hugh Props to you for all of these adventures, as it can be stressful! Also be warned, this is the reason that I originally started learning Japanese and many many years later I'm still hooked
@sally Ahh, is that the hook! Would love to hear about your adventures in Japan
Have you been back since you started learning? -
@sally Ahh, is that the hook! Would love to hear about your adventures in Japan
Have you been back since you started learning?@hugh My first trip was back in 2008 I think, and there was a lot less English even in Tokyo (coupled with less tech!) which was a big motivation. Since then I've been back tons of times, all over to different parts and for different reasons, taking exams for fun and making friends along the way. It's genuinely been one of the most rewarding things in my life
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@hugh My first trip was back in 2008 I think, and there was a lot less English even in Tokyo (coupled with less tech!) which was a big motivation. Since then I've been back tons of times, all over to different parts and for different reasons, taking exams for fun and making friends along the way. It's genuinely been one of the most rewarding things in my life
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@hugh I'm heavily pregnant at the moment and the whole journey to get to this point has meant I haven't been back for a little while, so I'm living vicariously through your posts. Thanks for sharing!
@sally Awh that means a lot, thank you
I'm glad they are appreciatedCongrats
And hope you'll be back to travelling (+1) in the near future! -
@hugh My first trip was back in 2008 I think, and there was a lot less English even in Tokyo (coupled with less tech!) which was a big motivation. Since then I've been back tons of times, all over to different parts and for different reasons, taking exams for fun and making friends along the way. It's genuinely been one of the most rewarding things in my life
@sally Whilst it's definitely a "superpower" being a native speaker of the most interoperable language on the planet, it is a bit sad that *everything* is becoming a kind of monoculture.
I'm enjoying travelling in areas where I simply cannot read the signage or understand people (despite the stress!).
It's helping me empathise with non-native English speakers.
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On the surface there are various buildings in an advanced state of decay.
I particularly enjoyed the solitary digger, sitting on the spoil heap and looking out to sea
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Back to trains: the Kamome Shinkansen is the silliest railway. It's the shortest Shinkansen, and goes from Nagasaki to the middle of nowhere in ~20 minutes.
Why is that? Politicians in the next prefecture don't want the Shinkansen...
So instead, you get shuttled between Takeo-Onsen and Hakata where you can connect with the rest of the Shinkansen network.
Maybe one day they'll join it all up...
Time for some more phones?
Seems like the Shinkansen's character is keen on them too!
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Time for some more phones?
Seems like the Shinkansen's character is keen on them too!
It's also worth sharing a photo of the dispatcher's console, used on the Shinkansen platforms.
Their role seems to be solely to open and close the platform edge doors, and some associated safety checks.
Looks pretty cool through!
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And in the same spirit as @janamarie, today I visited the International Conference Centre in Kyoto to appreciate the fascinating "metabolistic" architecture.
The home of the 1997 Kyoto Protocol, but its cuboid cousin in Tokyo is more famous: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyoto_International_Conference_Center
It's set in a lovely and extensive park, which was fun to explore.
