Time to Move On...

Hey Cameron...I am 13 hours ahead of you, so you should just be waking up to your first day of summer vacation. It is 9:44 pm here on Friday. We had a great time at the ball game last night!

Today was a busy day. I started the morning by walking to a shrine down the street. It is really fascinating to watch the people around the shrines. I saw another one at lunch. It was a really steep climb to get to it and I had heels on! However, the climb was worth it. They were preparing for a celebration tonight. Several girls were there in the kimonos. They were lovely.

This morning a survivor of the bombing of Hiroshima spoke to us. He was 16 years old when it happened. He was in school that morning and on the far side of the building. He received many little cuts, but nothing very serious. However, as he walked across town he saw some terrible, terrible sights that will be with him forever. He described seeing one man with a large piece of glass sticking out of his arm. Two men were holding him down while another pulled it out. He saw people that were horribly burned. He was able to make it several miles to his house. Fortunately, his mother had evacuated earlier and his brothers were in the navy. He was the only member of his family actually in Hiroshima that day. He wants everyone to know what happened so that it won't happen again. He said he doesn't hate Americans, but he does hate war. He had some excellent points (pros and cons) about using the bomb to end the war.

After lunch, we had a Kabuki (traditional Japanese Theater) demonstration. It was very interesting. The language was daunting, but the music and dance were beautiful.

Tonight, I went out with some friends to look for things for my "Travel Suitcase"...part of a historical adventure to come. I picked up a "used" piece to the kimono I already have, some origami paper, Japanese fans, traditional toys, socks to wear with the traditional shoes, etc. I, also, went to a four story 100 yen store. It was pretty enormous! The subways are still scary. They are not scary - like dangerous, just confusing. I'm glad the people in my group are not freaked out about it all like I am. You can't just ask for directions...very few people understand English.

Tomorrow, I am going to Kamakura. It is a town along the coast about an hour train ride from here. There are lots of shrines there and a giant buddha. Sunday, I move onto my prefecture of Tama City, Tokyo. It is about an hour away.

Ask questions...I'll see if I can get an answer for you.

Stay tuned.

Enjoy summer.

Be good and be safe.