Departing London; little bit moist.
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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.
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And a study in brand guidelines and iconography for the World Expo 70, held in Osaka that year - my favourite
Which other event needs iconography for a Monorail?
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@hugh unable to find any iconography, but I will note that Seattle also has a monorail built for a world fair!
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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!
It's almost 9am and I'm at this insalubrious bus terminal, smelling of diesel fumes.
More popular than the public transport is the tonkatsu restaurant here, that has a queue of hundreds stretching around the terminal
Seriously! Clearly this is excellent tonkatsu!
(Sadly I cannot take a photo, as it obviously contains many people)
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It's almost 9am and I'm at this insalubrious bus terminal, smelling of diesel fumes.
More popular than the public transport is the tonkatsu restaurant here, that has a queue of hundreds stretching around the terminal
Seriously! Clearly this is excellent tonkatsu!
(Sadly I cannot take a photo, as it obviously contains many people)
More telephones.
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More telephones.
And a perfectly parked automobile. No notes.
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And a perfectly parked automobile. No notes.
@hugh@social.crablab.uk did you loot the Spezi crates?
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And a perfectly parked automobile. No notes.
Reviews of some Japanse snackfoods from the last couple of weeks. 1. Custard bun thing. Pretty tasty, seemed to include cream too. Could have been a better custard.
2. Spam rice ball. Excellent - goes really well with the seaweed & the saltiness cuts through the glutenous rice.
3. Chocolate cream bun. Rubbery; came from a vending machine with a BBE in 2028 and tasted like it too.
4. Squid strips. Salty, fishy and tasty. Could do with a sauce to dip into. -
Reviews of some Japanse snackfoods from the last couple of weeks.
1. Custard bun thing. Pretty tasty, seemed to include cream too. Could have been a better custard.
2. Spam rice ball. Excellent - goes really well with the seaweed & the saltiness cuts through the glutenous rice.
3. Chocolate cream bun. Rubbery; came from a vending machine with a BBE in 2028 and tasted like it too.
4. Squid strips. Salty, fishy and tasty. Could do with a sauce to dip into.@hugh oh lol i didnt know spam musubi is an actual product they sell
just saw it on their recipes site a while ago and made some
v neat stuff :3 -
@hugh oh lol i didnt know spam musubi is an actual product they sell
just saw it on their recipes site a while ago and made some
v neat stuff :3@snow very tasty!
