Changing Impression of Japan

Actually I am a japanese, so bigining of the semester, I had no ideas what should I write about this topic. But I wrote many blogs, I could find many goot things of Japan.

I went to many places during this semester. However I had never thought about what I am doing or what I am feeling before. But when I started post the blog for Visual Anthropology, my mind was changed, I think.

I thought, that I wanted show Japanese real life and introduce many japanese place to foreign people. And I always thought that I should take pictures for blog whenever and whereever I went out.

Taking pictures of mu life became my important task because of this blog.

But I was really eanjoyed. I actually still wanted show more things for people.
My japanese life was changed because I always found something good topics for the blog.

Actually my impression of Japan was not changed, but my way to live in Japan was changed.

Actually I hated taking pictures before. However, now I really like to take pictires.

I realized that saving memories by photos is really nice, sharing my experiences with exchange students are really wonderful.

I hope that many students know more about japanese normal llife with this blog.
I want to continue to post this blog.

Today's two pictures are my trip to Tokyo. As you can see, you can hardly to realize that I took these pictures in Tokyo. Actually when I went to Tokyo, I don't always go to land mark in Tokyo. I am always enjoyed normal things there as I can do in Osaka. And I meet my friends who live in Tokyo.

Finally, sorry I was late to post this blog because I misunderstood the date of posting final blog.

But I was really enjoyed this class and this assighment.

Thank you.

KOBE

I went to Kobe last week. Kobe is one of the my favorite city in Japan. There are many shopping stores. And Kobe also has many western-style buildings. Because about 100 years ago, Kobe port was the outlet of the trade with foreign countries.

Many imigration who are from not only western countries but also Asian countries lived there. And Kobe still has foreingn country areas like chinese town. Kobe is the city which is mixed meny cultures.The upper picture, I went to the Kobe University which is the public university in Japan. My friend goes this university and I went to eat school lunch there.

After Kobe University, I went to area of western-style built for westerners in Japan in the Meiji period, Ijin kan. There is my favorite Star Bucks coffee. This Star Bucks coffee is different from other one, because they use old western-style building. In the store is like western-style house because they use old western-style funiture and rooms. Maybe you can enjoy, if you go there!

We also entered the most famous house in this area, Kazamidori no yakata (house of the weathercoock). It was so nice. Every faniture were so beautiful, but they sometime used Japanese style funiture but it was also nice.

After we went to the Ijinkan area, we went to the Chinese town. There are many chiese stores, we can eat many cheap chinese foods and buy many chinese things. Almost all worker are chinese there so we can feel that we are in China. I ate Niku man and Tapioka drink. These were so delicious. I want to go there again.

Finaly we went to the Kobe Bay. And we took on the plesure boat. We can enjoy the cruise. We can see the view of the Kobe town and also Akashi kaikyou bridge. We can stay in the boat about 1 hour and cost is only 800yen, so it was really cheap and we can see many things from see, so if you went to the Kobe, please take it!

Kobe is really interesting city.

If you have never been there, please visit there.

I love to walk around Kobe city so much!

Mt. Rokko! Rokko zan☆

I went to Mt. Rokko with my friend. Mt. Rrokko is located in the north of Hyogo prefecture. Mt. Rokko is 931 meter above. There are many tourism facilities. So, Mt. Rokkou is good for sightseeing!

First I went up the mountain by the cable car. This cable car is so cute and antique style. We could enjoy the view of this mountain throw this cable car's window.
After we took off the cable car, we took the bus and we went to the house of the music box.

There are many music boxes and i can enjoy

to listen many musics.

When I went to the Mt. Rokko, they held the art festival, Rokko Meets Art 2010. We could see many arts everywhere in the Mountain. These are so nice and all arts are harmonized with nature.

We also went to the Rokko zan country house.

There is a hill and we could play some sports (badminton, sleigh and so on) on the site. Also we could sleep there if the weather was so nice!

I chated with my friend there and we spent really nice time.
We could also go there with dogs, so i would like to go to there with my dog someday!

I went up to the top of the mountain by the lift, and we went to the Rokko garden terrace. There gave a sweeping view of Hyogo and Oosaka bay. It was so beautiful and nice. In the night we could enjoy the night view! I think the night view of Mt.Rokko is so romantic, so it is really good place for couples!

Mt. Rokko is really nice place, you can enjoy the nature. And you can reflesh! I recommend to go to there! However in the winter, It is so cold there, so you should go to there in the spring!

NARA

I went to Nara with my friends.
Nara is one of the Japanese old town. There are many old historical buildings.
And Nara has also World Heritages. I went to one of the World Heritage in Nara, Toudai ji.

When we arrived at Nara, it was around 1 o'clock. Actually we didn't have lunch then, so first we went to Nara Machi. Nara Machi has many small nice cafes. The townscape is old japanese style. There are many narrow streets and Machiya. (Machiya is the Japanese old style house.) when I walked there, I felt as though I were a time-traveler in the old Japan.

We could find the really nice small cafe, and have lunch which was uses special products of Nara. It was really delicious. Especially Nara pork was perfect. After ate lunch, we went to Toudai ji. Todudai ji is the really big temple which is the most biggest wooden building in Japan. And it has the Great Buddha of Nara. Actually it was on thursday, but there are many people to see the Great Buddha. This year is anniversary for Nara. Nara was relocated as the capital city of Japan just 1300 years ago. So many people visit there.

The Great Buddha is really big and so beautiful. And I felt that I got the energy from him.

After toudai ji, we went to the small cafe to take a rest. We ate crapes there. It was also so delicious.

Nara is actually really old town, you can see many old buildings there. But there are also many modern nice cafes and buldings. And now, this season is really good for to see turned coler leaves. You should go to Nara at soon! I promise that you can have wonderful time there!

Two photographers,Annie Leibovitz and James Nachtwey

I watched two documentary films about two different kinds of pfographers.

First I woudl like to say about Annie Leibovits who is one of the very famous pfotographer.

Leibovits was born in Warterbury, Connecticut. Her mother was modern dance instructor and her father was a lilieutenant colonel in the U.S. Air Force. When she was a high school student, she became interested in art and she went to San Francisco Art Institute. She lerned not only painting but also photograph then. In 1970, she started to work for the launches Rolling Stone Magazine. She developed her career then. After 1980, she started to work forVanty Fair magazin.

Actually I didn't know her before, but I knew her work which is the photograph of Jhon Lennon and his wife, Ono Yoko . This is really famous photograph also in Japan. When I saw at first, I got a shock. John Lennon is really famous person in the world, but he show his weakness in this photograph to all over the world. And this photograph became his last work.

Leibvovitz's work always give us a big shock. And her works are so elegant, beuatiful and passion. I like her works. When she took Pfotograph, she looked really happy and enjoy. I thought, that's why she could make such a lively photographs. Some time she made really mysterious one, but all of her works fascinated me. I want to know and see more her works!

James Nachtwey is war Photographer and Photojournalist. He is from NY. First he started to work as a pohotographer of the newspaper publishing company. After he became free journalist. And he went to overseas. First he went to North Ireland to collect data for civil strife. After then, he spent time in South Africa, Latin America, the Middle East, Russia and Eastern Europe.

He is really different from Annie Leivovitz, because he never took portrat. He just tell us real things. His works show us what happen in the world, especially wars and conflicts. We saw really shocking world from his photographs. But his photograph is also artistic. He could show us sadness and shocking world by artistic way. He made many black and white photographs, i felt really cold and sad from this kind of photos. If he takes photo with color, I was impressed less than black and white one because black and white makes photos more sad and cold.

Annie leibvovitz and James nachtwey are different kinds of photographers. Annie workes at the really bright and gorgeous world, but hames workes at the really dangerous and dark world. But they are same artists, ther works are really artstic which fascinate people. I like both of the photographers.

Japanese People～お母さん～

Today I would like to introduce one of the japanese people who has a strong relationship with me.

My mother.

Her name is Kiyomi Tsukiyama. Her home town is Okayama prefecture, when she moved to Tokyo for work, she met my father and they moved to Shiga where our family lives now.

She is really short person who has only 149cm.
She likes animals, especially she loves dog. We have a pet, Chihuahua, she devote lot of her affections to our pet, maybe she give more her affection to the dog than i and my brother receive it.
She is talkative women, when my friends visit my house, she always join us for chatting. Sometime I don't want her to join us....

She is interested in international curtural exchange, so we became a host family for exchange students all over the world. We hosted 6 or 7 exchange students at my house.

And every exchange students said that Kiyomi is is the best host mother.

She is not strict person, and she always makes us fun, so exchange students live a comfortable life in japan with my mother.

And still we continue to contact with exchange students.

She calls them every their birthday.
Sometime exchange students come back to japan to meet her and thay stay our house during holiday. She is always welcome to come back in Japan.

And she also trips to countries where exchange students live.

She said that she has many houses in the world.

I and my mother have quael all the time. But I like my mother and I am proud of my mother.
She is not only our mother but also mother for many exchange students in the world.

Neighborfood Chuzu in Shiga

I live in Yasu city in Shiga. 6 or 7 years ago, the area where I live is calles Chuzu-Cho.

But now Chuzu-cho was merged in Yasu-shi, so the name of Chuzu was disappeared.

However still people who live in this area call "Chuzu" because we love our home town and be proud of Chuzu spirit. Actually Chuzu is familiar with the city which is the relly countryside.

There are no stations, and the bus comes once a hour or less. Chuzu is the relly inconvenient place. But people are so kind and friendly and there are lot of natures.

Chuzu has the famous Shinto shrine which calls "Hyouzu Taisya兵主大社”.

I live in near this shrine. This shrine is so beautiful with lot of nature and so old.

Hyouzu Taisya was built in 1180, and worship as a deity "Yachihoko no Kami" who is symbolized as the Great Land Master.

I often go to Hyouzu Taisya. Every New Year day, I go to this shrine with my friends and prey for having a wonderful year and pull out an Omikuji. I also go to there before I have a big examination.

Hyouzu Taisya has a beautihul Japanese garden.

So all year long, many tourists come to this shrine and see beautiful garden.

Also there is a small park, when i was young, i came here everyday and play with my friends.

In May, Hyouzu Taisya has the festival, many people come and see many portable shrines神輿（みこし）. There are also many streer stalls屋台（やたい）. So we can eat traditional japanese festival foods like apple candy.

I love Hyouzu Taisya, and also people who live in chuzu do.

We must protect this beutiful shrine and nature because the name of Chuzu was disappeared now but "Chuzu" spirit is remained in this Shrine.