Although I live right next to the ocean, I rarely see it. Mostly I see boring buildings and concrete with the obligatory temple or shrine scattered about. I also see Mount Adachi, quietly guarding KitaKyushu. We climbed it as we needed our nature fix and as we had not yet gone momiji (Japanese maple leaves) viewing, as is our autumnal duty as residents of Japan. From Adachi we could see the ocean, the city, and the autumn leaves.
Fukusai-ji, in Nagasaki, might win the award for the coolest thing I've seen in Japan. It's a crazy space age Zen temple that was orginally built in 1628, destroyed on August 9th, 1945, and then rebuilt in 1979. It houses the world's third largest Foucault pendulum that starts in the goddess Kannon's head and ends in the temple basement. Everything about it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy as we (the temple and I) are about the same age. It has a cool nerdy scientist meets the cast of Free to Be You and Me kind of vibe. Plus, the woman that looks after it is totally crazy in two languages, which is rad. She is def my new fave.
Aonghus and I spent the public holiday in Nagasaki which was well known as Japan's port of entry for all things foreign, a vibrant cultural crossroads, until um, you know. Way to go America.
In the end, Lou's J-boy turned out to be a bit of a flake, but he was good fun to celebrate with, if a little overwhelmed by our gaijin presence, outnumbering the Japanese contingent by 4 to 3. He might be a flake, but we still love you, dear. Happy Birthday, Lou!
