Travelog for: Kioko

Hi!

At the moment I'm still at home with my mum Marjolein, but I'm ready to explore the world! I especially would like to visit Asian countries.

Greetings,

Kioko the Backpacker

Hi!

Today I have started with my journey to Japan! I hope I'll arrive there soon!

Greetings,

Kioko the Backpacker

Hello!
It's a rainy season called "Tsuyu", which is a heavenly gift to the Japanese rice growing farmers, though we can't go out. 

*** curry on the rice ***
Japanese people love curry soooooo much!
This is Japanese style of Curry. Yummy! Oishii!

Run away from rainy Takamatsu, and catch the sunshine in Utazu!
Can you see  the Seto Ohashi Bridge over the Inland Sea?
The real summer arrives soon!


Seto Ohashi Bridge

A short stop at Matsuyama-city.
hanachan had a business meeting in Matsuyama, Ehime prefecture.
Cheryl and I are small, so we can hide in her bag during her working. 
Coffee break was fun! We shared this cute sweets.
In this area is very famous for hot springs.
This historical house is a bathhouse, which inspired Miyazaki's anime "Spirited Away".
If we had enough time, we could enjoy sightseeing by Rikisha 

Dogo Onsen (Dogo hot spring)

Kanpai!
Cheers!, Toast!, Prost!, Proost!, A votre sante!...
What do you say when you toast it? 
Izakaya restaurant is full of people who drink beer in the end of so hot and humid day.
I enjoyed food!!

the whole city view from Mt. Yashima's summit
How are you, Mummy?
They say the summer this year in Japan is unusual. It's very humid and hot. It made hanachan very lazy
She has forgotten to upload such great photos
Finally I show you them today. I hope you like them.

A special dinosaur exhibition for children at the museum.
Many "BIG" kids enjoyed!

Awajishima (island) is a big island in the eastern part of the Seto Inland Sea between Honshu and Shikoku.
According to the Japanese creation Myth, the two Deities, Izamagi and his wife Izanami, first stood on the "floating bridge of heaven" and used a spear to stir the sea below, whereupon the brine dripping from the spear's point congealed and formed the island of Onogoro. The two Deities then descended to the island and created the island of Awaji and others in the "great eight-island country," finally giving birth to various other Deities.
Encyclopedia of Shinto


*****
Awajishima is separated from Honshu by the Akashi Strait and from Shikoku by the Naruto Strait. The expressway run through both straits by the two big bridges.
Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge is the longest suspension bridge in the world, which connects to Kobe city.

Photos:
Akashi-Kaikyo Bridge, Kobe city view from Awaji island side
The Nojima fault, 1995 Great Hanshin earthquake cut across Awaji island. The fault was protected and shown at the Earthquake Memorial Park.
Sumoto Castle
Izanagi-Izanami shrine

On the way home Takamatsu, we stopped for a while before crossing Naruto Strait.
We expected to see the Naruto whirlpools, but the time of a high tide was gone. 

P.S. I ate Sushi 

Setouchi International Art Festival - Megi Island (Megijima)
Megijima, a small island off the coast of 4 km from Takamatsu.
We can see the city of Takamatsu over there 
Setouchi Inland Sea (Setonaikai) and lots of islands, that's "Art" itself.

Sea Gull's Parking Lot / Takahito Kimura (Japan)
They turn to the same direction as the wind blows all at once.

20th Century Recall / Funjo Hagetaka (Japan)
This piano never play the music, but blowing wind makes the sound.

Setouchi Art Project / Aichi Univ. of Fine Art and Music (Japan)
The old farmer's house was remodeled as an atelier with a wooden stage.

Setouchi International Art Festival - Ogi Island (Ogijima)
*****

Oiwa Island / Oscar Oiwa (Brazil)
Amazing drawing! His tool is a black ink pen only.
Sadly "Oiwa Island" was destroyed by a fire accident on this day after we leaving Ogijima.
Building an Island by Oscar Oiwa

Karakurin / Takashi Imura (Japan)
This mechanical fish-bone is riding monocycle. (it's turning around!)

project for wall paintings in lane / Rikuji Makabe (Japan)



Toyotama hime Shrine
It's not the art work for this festival. But it is wonderful ancient art.
It is said, Princess Toyotama, the Goddess of a successful and easy delivery.



Uchiwa Bone House / Takashi Nishibori (Japan/Thailand)

Setouchi International Art Festival - Shodoshima Island
Shodoshima is the second largest island in the Inland Sea, next to Awajishima.
An elephant is in the rice field after the harvest!!


House of Shodoshima / Wang Wen-Chih (Taiwan)
Straw Art / Musashino Art University (Japan)
Tsugi-Tsugi-Kintsugi / Masayuki Kishimoto (Japan)

Setouchi International Art Festival 2010

Hiroshima Peace Memorial (Atomic Bomb Dome)

Miyajima is an island located off the coast of Hiroshima.
After rain, we visited Itsukushima Shrine, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
This shrine was built over the sea. At high tide it looks like floating.
When we visited the shrine, the tide was low.
I saw some people were into the water and walked to the Great Gate of shrine.
Wow, it's a baby deer (Japanese Sika)! Cuuuuuute!
Many deers are wandering around. They are not afraid of us though they are still wild.