Japonaut: Jeremy Sewell came all the way to Japan!

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March 21, 2005

Jeremy Sewell came all the way to Japan!

Jeremy Sewell came all the way to Japan! How cool is that? I had an awesome time! It was great to see Jeremy, to travel around, to talk shop (design), and show this side of the world to someone from my side. We went to Kyoto for the first weekend, then came back to Tanbara for a week of school (I had to work) and then back out to Osaka for a long weekend! School was fun, Jeremy got to experience the weirdness that is Japanese youth. In Osaka we shopped, walked, played tourists and then also visited my favorite museum CASO and swung over the neighboring warehouses to see a sound installation piece. At night, despite the cold we made the club circuit as well, Osaka has an impressive range of clubs! And oh my I’ve got a lot of pictures for this entry!

Inside the Ijo castle complex.

Same location: Ijo-jo, in the gardens the blossoms were blooming: cherry, plums, and a few others that I don’t know.

Stones of the deceased.
I can’t call this a grave yard because the dead are cremated here. This site went up the side of a mountain overlooking the city.

After walking up through Gion we came to the temple complex of Kiyomizu-Dera. This is Kyoto’s most beleloved temple according to Ben’s Japanese co-worker. Mizu means water and this temple has 3 water fountains coming out of the side of the mountain from which you can take a drink. Each fall gives you health, wealth or intelligence. You can only drink from two though. ;)

Kinkakuji (golden pavilion)
I had come to this temple with Ben, but it was really cool so I brought Jeremy to it as well. I like this photo.

Feisty koi.

Jeremy outside of my apartment as we left for an evening in Matsuyama, the big city in Ehime prefecture.

Some sweet graffiti in Matsuyama. Is it a nipple or belly button? I say belly button.

Pachinko Tainment. My god I love it.

On to Osaka with us! Yaqoub came along to pick up his friend Timmo who was coming in from Germany. I’m not sure what this critter is, but it rather enjoyed being kissed by Yaqoub, and the man leading it around only said that it’s famous in Japan.

This is the coolest toy.

If only I had this as a little girl while going through my horse phase (Shush, you went through that same phase too, it’s freaking universal girl-ness)!

I like this photo too.

Osaka castle.

It was beautiful for half the trip, freezing cold, snowing and rainy for the other half. It’s actually snowing in this picture and Yaqoub and Timmo are warming their mitts above a barrel fire.

Osaka castle and the encroaching city skyline.

March 3rd is girls’ day (Hina-matsuri) and the celebration includes setting up displays of dolls depicting the emperor and his court. I would have been more into dolls if mine had looked this cool. I love the hair and the dozens of layers of kimono.

The matching male figurine.
These two were on display at the Osaka history museum. There will be a boy's day celebration as well. This includes fish air socks and more dolls (only these dolls are warrior gods! wha!? girls got the shaft!). Girl’s day is 3/3 and cutely enough boy’s day is 5/5.

Wha? Also at the museum. These are ema, boards to write your wish on and leave at a shrine. I wonder what the theme is supposed to be for these ones?

Yacoub and Jeremy at a small noodle shop in Osaka. I think the cold induced everyone into drinking to much alcohol, but beer and ramen are admittedly a good combination.

We stayed at a capsule hotel!! And I didn’t get any pictures of my cubby hole!!! This is the lounge area, complete with comics and video games.

On the way back to Shikoku on the day ferry. Again, the inland sea is just gorgeous.

A small island floats by.

One of the massive bridges connecting Shikoku to the mainland by leapfrogging across the inland sea’s islands.