別府 と 阿蘇

Since I am now a man of leisure having had to forgo employment for visa reasons, I have been taking it easy and boy does it feel good!

Last week I travelled to Beppu in north west Kyushu. Beppu is the capital of onsens, there must be an onsen for every inhabitant as when entering the city you see steam rising from every household. It is a weeny bit tacky but is a very pleasant relaxed place which was surprisingly quiet because the expo in aichi has diverted all the tourists away. On visiting Beppu I also had a look rouund its famous sex museum the most bizarre of places. In the middle of the museum they have some enormous wooden phalluses as well as two oversized zebras pleasuring themselves. The place seemed to be run by a bunch of pensioners trying to push you the latest sex accessories. Bizarre!!
I also met a very kind student who gave me a tour of the best onsens including one that looked out at the sea. Very relaxing!

Last weekend i also took a trip to Aso whoch I have shamefully neglected over the last year (its only 30mins away.). Its a really beautiful area with lots of fine places to hike and great onsen. If malvern had a volcano in its centre and was 10 times bigger maybe you would get the same feel!
I decided to hike around one of the outer ravines, swearing and cursing as i stumbled over the lose rock. I felt like Frodo baggins in Mordor. It was very satisfying though to gaze down at the sulphuric fumes from the volcano and see the extent of the enormous caldera that was created thousands of years ago.
I also met some Austrian Airline stewards who had been to Japan 80 times! Its a figure hard to beat.

韓国

I have today just come back from Korea after being recently exiled due to visa reasons. I have now returned to Japan as a "tourist" and will remain so untill my new visa is (hopefully) issued.

It was interesting going to Korea as it is the first other country I have been to since I arrived in Japan. It was interesting to note the similiarities. The two countries share similiar root values such as family and respect for the aged but also have notable differences and I think after living in Japan for a year now the differences were more striking than the similiarities.

Korea has basically been a country in the wrong place. Sandwhiched between the Russian Empire the Chinese Empire, the Mongol empire and the Japanese empire they have unsurpirsingly fallen vicitim to a cycle of war and pillage of which the last chapter in their sad history ended up with them fighting with themselves. They reminded me a bit of the Estonians who also have fallen victim to such a cycle. There is a toughness about them and a cold sense of austerity that i have noticed in both places, though in both cases once you enter their circle they are very friendly.

They also undestand well the importance of humility encapsulated in the peasant saying "I have nothing but my testicles."

They also seemed to show their irritability and emotions which I actually found strangely pleasurable to watch. Having lived in a country where people laugh nervously and sumimasening like theres no day tomorrow, it does make the meditarranean side of me want to come out and make wave my hands about and get red in the face going "oioioioioi oh oioiooioiioi oh you are a big lump of stale cheese."
Well not quite maybe! but im sure you get what I mean and it was nice to see people not repressed to extremes, the city was bustling with chatter and a general brouhaha, there was a pleasant atmosphere, I felt back in reality again.

Went to the Demilitarized zone on the border. I descended down a tunnel that the north had dug to try and launch an attack on the south and that came very close to completion. We walked down the tunnel as far as a big barbed barrier and metal door 170metres from the north, from inside which only soldiers could patrol to prevent any counterattacks. I could smell the tension around the Dmz as I gazed along from the tower vantage point. I tried to call out my own personal message to Kim:

"Get a haircut!"

I also was lucky enough to meet some very nice Koreans and Chinese who I met sightseeing who took me out to immense meal where the tables were carried to us awith a sumptuous array of dishes, most of them of the spicy and hot variety. Very delicious. During the meal i was able to listen to traditional Korean music which was sung very well by women in traditional dress.
If the people concerned happen to read this blog thankyou very much!