Exploring Around Hikone

This weekend has been pretty eventful in that I have managed to explore a bit around Hikone. The day before yesterday Joelle, Simon, and I took a four hour trek around town in 85 degree weather. It was very humid and sunny and I am surprised that I didn't get sunburned. On our adventure we took the bus down to the center of town and ventured back towards the school by way of the Sports Depo (not depot, depo... thank you, Japan) and the Mall. Along the way we found a few shrines and a tourist store that contained lots of merchandise of Hikonyan, Shiga prefecture's mascot chara!


Yesterday I participated in a trip to Taga town where a group of JCMU students and children from the area helped to weed a clearing of Sakura saplings on top of a mountain. The kids were really adorable. I tried to speak a little Japanese to them, but I have found it difficult to get into the habit of speaking. My vocabulary is limited and a lot of the common verbals that are used I am not familiar with. I am making it a mission from now on to write down any new vocabulary that I come across that may be helpful in the future. For example, today I learned that the Japanese word for picture is "syasin". To say ”I'm taking a picture” the correct phrase would (I think) be "Syasin o torimasu" or 写真を撮ります。It's been useful to know if I want to take someones picture or a picture of something that might be sensitive.


After hiking down the mountain and having a delicious Japanese lunch we traveled back towards JCMU. On our way back we stopped at a shrine in the area. Before entering the shrine you have to wash your hands in a special water to cleans yourself of any sins that you may have unconsciously committed. Once this is completed, you may go before the shrine. In front of the shrine you clap twice and bow once. Clapping is seen as a way of communicating with the Kami, or God, of the particular shrine. Depending on the type of ceremony being performed at a shrine, the number of times that a person bows and claps may change.


Today all of the students are going to be taught how to cook some basic Japanese meals so that we can survive the long semester without living off of cup noodles (not that that would be a BAD thing, persay... haha). Other than that, it's homework and studying for me! Tomorrow is the start of a long week of academic catch-up and classes so I better get prepared!!