We've done loads of walking whilst in Japan and for the most part we've felt really safe and the countryside has been a real treat to see. However, things did get a little sticky a few days back as we were merrily walking along a little pathway into some forest area when a car stopped by us. The woman in the car wound her window down and tried to warn us about something up ahead and was gesturing with her hands that whatever she was talking about was quite big. Iain said that he understood most of what she was saying and that she was just warning us about some big cobwebs and spiders that were in the trees up ahead. We couldn't understand her concern and were all joking about it as we marched merrily on. However, we soon came across a big sign with a picture of a ferocious bear growling at those reading it. It turned out that the word for spider and bear are very similar in Japanese and Iain had misunderstood her - thank heavens for the sign is all I can say; otherwise we may well have had a rather more sinister story to tell!
The Japanese Alps, it has to be said, were a little disappointing. We arrived by bus into a very well constructed car park which gave way to the typical plethora of snack and souvenir shops, pristine toilets with heated seats and various vending machines which seem to adorn every single street corner in Japan. There was a clearly defined path which was mostly concreted over and there seemed to be no way up onto the mountains. This sort of summed up Japan in that anything that can be done is done to make their lives easier. The clearly laid out paths of the so-called Alps, the toilets that automatically squirt jets of warmed water around your bum so you don't have to wipe, the numerous convenient stores that sell everything from knickers to curry donuts and the bento-boxes filled with such goodies as re-formed fish on a stick, lotus roots and stewed bamboo are all there so nobody has to think too hard about what to do or what choices to make. It all seems so... nice. Scratch the surface however and you soon see a darker side - adult comic books feature school girls in situations that would have social services in a spin. In the Onsen (a sort of public shower/bath) there are many rules that you are expected to adhere to, and most of the time everyone does. However, yesterday morning there was only one Japanese person in there and he obviously thought that we Johnny-Foreigners wouldn't know what the rules were so he was breaking all of them from walking around without his towel covering up his modesty, to jumping into the hot bath without showering first. I'm sure that had there been someone else in there that was bound by the same rules as him he would have conformed like he was supposed to. It makes me wonder how much of this is all show and keeping up appearances.
We had a bit of a blow-out a couple of nights ago and yesterday I was feeling the little worse for wear. We went to an all you can eat barbecue in Beppu and decided to take the alcohol option too, so for 2800 Yen each we could stuff our faces stupid on beef, pork, chicken, unidentified other animal parts, sushi, beer and cake and we really went for it. The trouble is, you only have two hours to do it so we came out feeling decidedly brittle and one of the three of us (who'll remain nameless) spent the rest of the night 'regretting' his four slices of gateaux while hunched over the loo. It wasn't pretty. For our two nights in Beppu we were staying in a Ryokan, a sort of Japanese B&B, and although it was interesting two nights was more than enough. Every time we entered the place we had to take our shoes off and since I've been travelling for the last couple of months in the same shoes mine are getting pretty fragrant. I must try and find some industrial strength spray for them somewhere... When we left yesterday morning, I tried to put my shoes on while carrying my huge rucksack. That was a big mistake as I nearly keeled over like a top-heavy turtle and crushed the wildly lacquered hair of the Ryokan's hostess that was hovering behind me. She looked more than relieved as she waved us off the premises.
We're now in Nara and last night, after dinner, Iain and I were trying to find a second-hand book shop that he knew of but were getting lost so Iain decided to ask someone for directions in Japanese. The girl was really trying to be helpful by answering us in English but she just couldn't remember how to do it. She was flapping and pointing, umming and aahing and muttering 'Right' while tapping her left hand. This went on for a few minutes so we gave up in the end and left her to it while we carried on down the road. She seemed completely oblivious to the fact that we'd walked off so she was obviously enjoying it in her own little world.
We've only got one more night in Japan now as we leave for Australia tomorrow and I have to say that I'm quite looking forward to going somewhere where things are going to be a lot more familiar. I've really enjoyed our three weeks here, but the lack of communication and the constant rice dishes are beginning to wear me down a little bit. The language difficulties have made us laugh though. Before coming to Japan I thought that it was only a joke that the Japanese mixed up their R's with their L's, but having seen some of the signs around the various towns that we've visited it really is true. Some of the best ones were:
The Japanese Alps, it has to be said, were a little disappointing. We arrived by bus into a very well constructed car park which gave way to the typical plethora of snack and souvenir shops, pristine toilets with heated seats and various vending machines which seem to adorn every single street corner in Japan. There was a clearly defined path which was mostly concreted over and there seemed to be no way up onto the mountains. This sort of summed up Japan in that anything that can be done is done to make their lives easier. The clearly laid out paths of the so-called Alps, the toilets that automatically squirt jets of warmed water around your bum so you don't have to wipe, the numerous convenient stores that sell everything from knickers to curry donuts and the bento-boxes filled with such goodies as re-formed fish on a stick, lotus roots and stewed bamboo are all there so nobody has to think too hard about what to do or what choices to make. It all seems so... nice. Scratch the surface however and you soon see a darker side - adult comic books feature school girls in situations that would have social services in a spin. In the Onsen (a sort of public shower/bath) there are many rules that you are expected to adhere to, and most of the time everyone does. However, yesterday morning there was only one Japanese person in there and he obviously thought that we Johnny-Foreigners wouldn't know what the rules were so he was breaking all of them from walking around without his towel covering up his modesty, to jumping into the hot bath without showering first. I'm sure that had there been someone else in there that was bound by the same rules as him he would have conformed like he was supposed to. It makes me wonder how much of this is all show and keeping up appearances.
We had a bit of a blow-out a couple of nights ago and yesterday I was feeling the little worse for wear. We went to an all you can eat barbecue in Beppu and decided to take the alcohol option too, so for 2800 Yen each we could stuff our faces stupid on beef, pork, chicken, unidentified other animal parts, sushi, beer and cake and we really went for it. The trouble is, you only have two hours to do it so we came out feeling decidedly brittle and one of the three of us (who'll remain nameless) spent the rest of the night 'regretting' his four slices of gateaux while hunched over the loo. It wasn't pretty. For our two nights in Beppu we were staying in a Ryokan, a sort of Japanese B&B, and although it was interesting two nights was more than enough. Every time we entered the place we had to take our shoes off and since I've been travelling for the last couple of months in the same shoes mine are getting pretty fragrant. I must try and find some industrial strength spray for them somewhere... When we left yesterday morning, I tried to put my shoes on while carrying my huge rucksack. That was a big mistake as I nearly keeled over like a top-heavy turtle and crushed the wildly lacquered hair of the Ryokan's hostess that was hovering behind me. She looked more than relieved as she waved us off the premises.
We're now in Nara and last night, after dinner, Iain and I were trying to find a second-hand book shop that he knew of but were getting lost so Iain decided to ask someone for directions in Japanese. The girl was really trying to be helpful by answering us in English but she just couldn't remember how to do it. She was flapping and pointing, umming and aahing and muttering 'Right' while tapping her left hand. This went on for a few minutes so we gave up in the end and left her to it while we carried on down the road. She seemed completely oblivious to the fact that we'd walked off so she was obviously enjoying it in her own little world.
We've only got one more night in Japan now as we leave for Australia tomorrow and I have to say that I'm quite looking forward to going somewhere where things are going to be a lot more familiar. I've really enjoyed our three weeks here, but the lack of communication and the constant rice dishes are beginning to wear me down a little bit. The language difficulties have made us laugh though. Before coming to Japan I thought that it was only a joke that the Japanese mixed up their R's with their L's, but having seen some of the signs around the various towns that we've visited it really is true. Some of the best ones were:
- Rist of Prices - This was spotted in a hair salon that was supposed to be showing the List of Prices.
- Blidal Salon - Pretty obvious, but the funny thing was on one sign they had correctly put Bridal Salon whereas on the other it was misspelt.
- Lrental of bicycl - Seen at a bicycle rental place. Clearly they had no clue whether to use the R or L on Rental so they went with the safe option and used both!
- Hysteric Gramour - Seen pinned to a shirt in a second hand clothes shop. I think it was supposed to be Historic Glamour, as in vintage clothing but it's my favourite and me chuckle. A lot.
We're off to Matsuya tonight which is a sort of Japanese fast-food joint. We've used them quite extensively for the last three weeks and we're now quite fond of them. We pigged out on pizza and pasta last night so our last meals should be a Japanese one; I might even treat myself to a raw egg to stir into my rice. Flipping heck - listen to me!
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