We were both in awe while standing in front of this majestic statue. It was a very calming, almost soothing feeling just to be in her presence. Bern was very happy to finally get to see this statue which made this a very worthwhile trip!
Monday, October 27, 2014
The goddess of mercy of the white robe in Ofuna
Recently, Bern and I went to Ofuna to check out the beautiful statue of the goddess of mercy. Bern's been wanting to visit this statue for a while now because it reminded her of a gift that her father gave to her as a little girl. Construction on the statue began in 1929 and was nearly completed in 1934; but work stopped due to the outbreak of WWII in the Pacific. Due to the extensive damage of the war, work halted on the statue for the next 20 years but was finally completed in 1960. The goddess of mercy carries the prayers for peace on Earth.
We were both in awe while standing in front of this majestic statue. It was a very calming, almost soothing feeling just to be in her presence. Bern was very happy to finally get to see this statue which made this a very worthwhile trip!
We were both in awe while standing in front of this majestic statue. It was a very calming, almost soothing feeling just to be in her presence. Bern was very happy to finally get to see this statue which made this a very worthwhile trip!
Tuesday, October 21, 2014
The arrival of the Cariaga Family & Mark's Birthday
Hello readers! Hope all is well!
So much as happened since the last time I updated this blog.... Bern and I experienced two serious typhoons, I stopped taking Aikido in order to train in Pekiti Tirsia Kali, which is a Filipino combat system (another blog on this to follow), but more importantly we welcomed our friends to Yokosuka, The Cariaga Family; Ted & Kristine, along with their two boys J.R. & Kristian. Bern and Kristine used to work together back in San Diego and I knew Kit from high school. Ted also worked with my Mom at Paradise Valley Hospital so there was definitely a six degrees of seperation going on here. When a HR position became available, we were glad to hear that Kristine had applied and actually got the job! Since their arrival at the beginning of September, we've been showing them around town and trying to get them acclimated to their new life here in Japan. Needless to say, it's been really nice having them here with us!
They recently moved to an awesome apartment about two train stops away so Bern and I thought this would be a great opportunity to kill two birds with one stone...show them how to get to Tokyo by train and to celebrate my birthday.
The day beforehand though, Bern treated me out to a nice steak house called Station Grill. We both feasted on American-style prime rib which was absolutely amazing; the meat was cooked just right and was soaking in au-jus sauce. Afterwards, we decided to go for a night-cap and check out a chu-hi bar. Chu-Hi's are basically flavored shoju and carbonated water. There are tasty but very potent...so much so that Bern started feeling the effects halfway through her drink! We then went home to eat the chocolate cake she had made me for dessert; a perfect way to end my birthday night.
On to Tokyo....
Bern suggested we go to Hooters from my birthday which I had no problem with! haha But another good reason too is because it's located in heart of Shibuya, not far from the famous Shibuya Crossing. We thought this would be a cool thing to see for the Cariaga's first time in Tokyo. Even though Bern and I had been here before at night, there was a totally different vibe during the day so it was nice we got to experience both.
After our Hooter-rific lunch, we wanted to check out the Harajuku district of Tokyo which was only one stop away from Shibuya. The main focal point of Harajuku is Takeshita Dori, it's a long and narrow street where Japanese fashion & culture collide. On Sundays, people like to dress up as their favorite characters which is commonly referred to as "Cos-Play" (costume play). Not sure exactly why, but we didn't see too many people dressed up that day. Whatever the case may be, this whole area was just oozing with Japanese pop-culture...a must see for visitors!
I had a great time turning 33 this year! I want to take this opportunity to say Thank You to my wife, The Cariaga Family, & to all my family and friends back home for the birthday wishes. I definitely felt the love and can't tell you enough how much it means to me!
So much as happened since the last time I updated this blog.... Bern and I experienced two serious typhoons, I stopped taking Aikido in order to train in Pekiti Tirsia Kali, which is a Filipino combat system (another blog on this to follow), but more importantly we welcomed our friends to Yokosuka, The Cariaga Family; Ted & Kristine, along with their two boys J.R. & Kristian. Bern and Kristine used to work together back in San Diego and I knew Kit from high school. Ted also worked with my Mom at Paradise Valley Hospital so there was definitely a six degrees of seperation going on here. When a HR position became available, we were glad to hear that Kristine had applied and actually got the job! Since their arrival at the beginning of September, we've been showing them around town and trying to get them acclimated to their new life here in Japan. Needless to say, it's been really nice having them here with us!
They recently moved to an awesome apartment about two train stops away so Bern and I thought this would be a great opportunity to kill two birds with one stone...show them how to get to Tokyo by train and to celebrate my birthday.
The day beforehand though, Bern treated me out to a nice steak house called Station Grill. We both feasted on American-style prime rib which was absolutely amazing; the meat was cooked just right and was soaking in au-jus sauce. Afterwards, we decided to go for a night-cap and check out a chu-hi bar. Chu-Hi's are basically flavored shoju and carbonated water. There are tasty but very potent...so much so that Bern started feeling the effects halfway through her drink! We then went home to eat the chocolate cake she had made me for dessert; a perfect way to end my birthday night.
 |
| Oishi Ne! |
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| Outside the Chu-Hi stand |
Bern suggested we go to Hooters from my birthday which I had no problem with! haha But another good reason too is because it's located in heart of Shibuya, not far from the famous Shibuya Crossing. We thought this would be a cool thing to see for the Cariaga's first time in Tokyo. Even though Bern and I had been here before at night, there was a totally different vibe during the day so it was nice we got to experience both.
 |
| The Shibuya Crossing, Hachiko the Dog, & Mark City |
 |
| Just like home |
After our Hooter-rific lunch, we wanted to check out the Harajuku district of Tokyo which was only one stop away from Shibuya. The main focal point of Harajuku is Takeshita Dori, it's a long and narrow street where Japanese fashion & culture collide. On Sundays, people like to dress up as their favorite characters which is commonly referred to as "Cos-Play" (costume play). Not sure exactly why, but we didn't see too many people dressed up that day. Whatever the case may be, this whole area was just oozing with Japanese pop-culture...a must see for visitors!
 |
| Walking through this crowd was crazy! |
I had a great time turning 33 this year! I want to take this opportunity to say Thank You to my wife, The Cariaga Family, & to all my family and friends back home for the birthday wishes. I definitely felt the love and can't tell you enough how much it means to me!
Monday, September 8, 2014
Hiroshima, Miyajima Island, and yes....MATSUNAGA TOWN!
August 28th marked our 4th year wedding anniversary so Bern and I decided to get out of Yokosuka and travel south to Hiroshima. The reason why we decided on Hiroshima is not only because of its historical significance during World War II, but it was also the closest metropolitan area near the town of Matsunaga! What better way to celebrate two people becoming a family than visiting your own city right?!
In order to get to Hiroshima, we took our very first ride on a bullet train!
The speed of these bullet trains is around 150-200 mph so it only took us about four hours to get there. Even though we were traveling at such a high speed, it really didn't feel any different from the local commuter trains around town. It was a nice, smooth ride to my surprise. The inside of these trains are also very similar to that of an airplane cabin; plus they have entire passenger cars for bathrooms & smoking rooms. We were lucky because the tray table in my seat was broken so the staff moved us to a first class cabin with bigger leather seats and more leg room. SCORE!
Matsunaga is more of a quiet, small-town. There wasn't any big touristy things to do in Matsunaga town. The city's only claim to fame is that it became the largest producer of geta (Japanese wooden footwear) in Japan during the Meiji era (late 1860's). In fact, there was a huge display of geta inside the Matsunaga city hall.
After exploring Matsunaga town, we actually found the same sushi go-around restaurant we normally frequent in Yokosuka so that's where we ate for our anniversary dinner.
The next day of our schedule was jammed packed because we only had one full day in Hiroshima. So we first started by visiting the Hiroshima Peace Park & Museum. A quick history lesson for those who didn't know; but Hiroshima was the first city in history to suffer from a nuclear bomb on August 6, 1945 during World War II. Three days later, U.S. military forces dropped another atomic bomb on the city of Nagasaki; the extreme devastation led Japan to surrender to the Allies. Needless to say it was quite a somber experience to be in the exact hypocenter where the atomic bomb exploded. At the foot of river stood one of the few remaining structures that managed to survive the blast. The A-Bomb Dome was the former Industrial Promotion Hall that held military offices during the war.
The Peace Museum is the final stop at the park which covered information from the build up to the war to the actual bombing and aftermath with substantial displays/pictures throughout. Here are a couple of those displays that I thought really made an impact:
Before and After:
This next collage starting from the top left going clockwise shows 1) the atomic bomb actually exploded about 2,000 feet above the city. 2) Wax figures of people with their skin melting off due to the extreme heat & radiation of the A-bomb. 3) A clock counting the number of days since the A-bomb. 4) Display of what the actual atomic bomb looked like. 6) A globe of the world showing all the countries that have nuclear weapons (the U.S. has the most)
Leaving the museum, we felt so bad for what happened here to the people of Hiroshima. But at the same time, the Japanese forces committed serious atrocities themselves from the Pearl Harbor attack, to the Nanking Massacre in China, and even the Bataan Death March in the Philippines. So I guess the important lesson here is that War is wrong...it's ugly and should be avoided as much as possible!
Moving on, afterwards we took an hour ferry ride to the island of Miyajima, which is famous for their Torii (Shinto gate) set in the sea that was originally built in 12th century. Upon arriving, we noticed a sign at the ferry terminal warning visitors that wild deer roam freely on the island. There were many people who actually enjoyed going up to the deer and feeding them...we were not one of them!
The first item of business was to eat lunch so we went to a restaurant that had ozashiki (Japanese style seating). This was our first time eating like this and while Bern found it to be quite comfortable, I had more of a difficult time trying to adjust but still enjoyed the overall experience!
Walking through the town, we came across the world's largest rice scoop (shakushi).
Miyajima is known for their rice scoops as well as fresh oysters. There were a myriad of stands selling grilled oysters for super cheap so we had to give them a try. I actually just started eating oysters a year ago, usually raw though so eating them cooked just wasn't the same. Bern had to finish the rest of our order.
The great Torii was a sight to see! It's just too bad the weather wasn't cooperating with us, but we still managed to get some great shots of this historic Japanese landmark.
In order to get to Hiroshima, we took our very first ride on a bullet train!
The speed of these bullet trains is around 150-200 mph so it only took us about four hours to get there. Even though we were traveling at such a high speed, it really didn't feel any different from the local commuter trains around town. It was a nice, smooth ride to my surprise. The inside of these trains are also very similar to that of an airplane cabin; plus they have entire passenger cars for bathrooms & smoking rooms. We were lucky because the tray table in my seat was broken so the staff moved us to a first class cabin with bigger leather seats and more leg room. SCORE!
Once we arrived in Hiroshima, we checked into our hotel and immediately headed out to board another train to Matsunaga town. As we were approaching the station, Bern could tell how excited I was to actually step foot into a town with our own namesake.
Matsunaga is more of a quiet, small-town. There wasn't any big touristy things to do in Matsunaga town. The city's only claim to fame is that it became the largest producer of geta (Japanese wooden footwear) in Japan during the Meiji era (late 1860's). In fact, there was a huge display of geta inside the Matsunaga city hall.
After exploring Matsunaga town, we actually found the same sushi go-around restaurant we normally frequent in Yokosuka so that's where we ate for our anniversary dinner.
The next day of our schedule was jammed packed because we only had one full day in Hiroshima. So we first started by visiting the Hiroshima Peace Park & Museum. A quick history lesson for those who didn't know; but Hiroshima was the first city in history to suffer from a nuclear bomb on August 6, 1945 during World War II. Three days later, U.S. military forces dropped another atomic bomb on the city of Nagasaki; the extreme devastation led Japan to surrender to the Allies. Needless to say it was quite a somber experience to be in the exact hypocenter where the atomic bomb exploded. At the foot of river stood one of the few remaining structures that managed to survive the blast. The A-Bomb Dome was the former Industrial Promotion Hall that held military offices during the war.
At the entrance of the Peace Park stands the Children's Peace Monument; it was dedicated to the children who died as a result of the bombing. Around the monument are a number of displays with many sets of 1,000 paper cranes (Japanese symbol of longevity & happiness). Further down was the Peace Flame that was first lit in 1964; it will remain lit until all the nuclear bombs in the world are destroyed. At the end of the park lies the Memorial Cenotaph; a concrete, saddle-shaped monument that holds all the names of those people killed by the bomb. If you look straight through the cenotaph, you will see the Peace Flame and the A-Bomb Dome.
The Peace Museum is the final stop at the park which covered information from the build up to the war to the actual bombing and aftermath with substantial displays/pictures throughout. Here are a couple of those displays that I thought really made an impact:
Before and After:
This next collage starting from the top left going clockwise shows 1) the atomic bomb actually exploded about 2,000 feet above the city. 2) Wax figures of people with their skin melting off due to the extreme heat & radiation of the A-bomb. 3) A clock counting the number of days since the A-bomb. 4) Display of what the actual atomic bomb looked like. 6) A globe of the world showing all the countries that have nuclear weapons (the U.S. has the most)
Leaving the museum, we felt so bad for what happened here to the people of Hiroshima. But at the same time, the Japanese forces committed serious atrocities themselves from the Pearl Harbor attack, to the Nanking Massacre in China, and even the Bataan Death March in the Philippines. So I guess the important lesson here is that War is wrong...it's ugly and should be avoided as much as possible!
Moving on, afterwards we took an hour ferry ride to the island of Miyajima, which is famous for their Torii (Shinto gate) set in the sea that was originally built in 12th century. Upon arriving, we noticed a sign at the ferry terminal warning visitors that wild deer roam freely on the island. There were many people who actually enjoyed going up to the deer and feeding them...we were not one of them!
The first item of business was to eat lunch so we went to a restaurant that had ozashiki (Japanese style seating). This was our first time eating like this and while Bern found it to be quite comfortable, I had more of a difficult time trying to adjust but still enjoyed the overall experience!
Walking through the town, we came across the world's largest rice scoop (shakushi).
Miyajima is known for their rice scoops as well as fresh oysters. There were a myriad of stands selling grilled oysters for super cheap so we had to give them a try. I actually just started eating oysters a year ago, usually raw though so eating them cooked just wasn't the same. Bern had to finish the rest of our order.
The great Torii was a sight to see! It's just too bad the weather wasn't cooperating with us, but we still managed to get some great shots of this historic Japanese landmark.
To get different vantage points of the Torii, we went to the Itsukushima Shrine that lies directly behind the Shinto gate. This particular shrine, built in 593, is dedicated to the three Shinto goddesses of the sea, fortune, & accomplishment.
We also went up the lavish mountainside of Miyajima Island to check out a five-story pagoda & the Senjokaku Pavilion. This massive, open-aired hall was built in 1587 to honor the samurai warriors who died in battle throughout Japan.
As we were walking back to the ferry, we noticed that it was now low-tide which allowed us to step down onto the sea floor and take some more pictures of the famous Torii.
Heading back to Hiroshima, a last look at Miyajima Island...
On the last day of our trip, we managed to also visit Hiroshima Castle. It was originally built in 1592, but due to the atomic bombing, it had to be re-constructed shortly after.
Do you think I can pass for a samurai? haha
After the castle, we headed back to the hotel to gather our belongings and walk to the train station. We had about an hour before the train arrived so we walked around the station and found a mini-food court that had a few restaurants serving Hiroshima's famous okonomi-yaki (Japanese style pancake with various ingredients). It was pretty good, although I had mine without the egg.
I never imagined I would one day get the opportunity to live here in Japan! The best part of this whole experience though is I get to share it with such an amazing person! Already in these past six months, we've managed to do a lot of cool things. I look forward to all the wonderful memories that still lie ahead for us here in the land of the rising sun.
I Love You Bern, Happy Anniversary!
Sunday, August 31, 2014
Obon Festival in Tokyo
Last weekend, we went to our very first Obon Festival out in Tokyo. An Obon Festival is a yearly Japanese tradition to honor loved ones that have passed away. The festival we went to was at Hibiya Park, which is one of the largest Bon Odori (Obon dances) in Tokyo with about 40,000 participants every year. There was a stage with Taiko drummers at the front of the park that overlooked a circular fountain where people constantly danced around the entire evening. Bern and I had fun learning all the different Obon dances
There were also plenty of food options to snack on in-between dances; but our favorite were the thick pieces of grilled bacon on a stick
And no festival here in Japan is complete without sake...they had a huge barrel of it and were selling a full 9oz cup for only 100 Yen ($1). Needless to say but for that price, we had our share of sake that night! To our surprise, one of Bern's co-workers, Michael, was actually at the festival too so we all hung out together and had a blast.
Being that the true meaning of this Japanese festival is to honor family members who had passed away, I couldn't help but think of my paternal grandparents the entire evening. This is one of my favorite pictures of them taken around the 1930's I believe.
Being here in Japan has really given me the opportunity to truly connect with the other side of my heritage in a way I can't fully explain...all I know is that Bern and I are eager to learn more about the Japanese culture during these next 3 years!
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