www.snowmanjapan.net

Snowman Japan Web Log

NOTE:  The OBJECTIVE of this BLOG is to help my students with their study of English.

AND

For all of you, out there, around the world to;

SEE HOKKAIDO

2007 August 31 Friday.

I had a class with one half of the second year students at the Dokan Nursing School 北海道立旭川高等看護学院 from 9:00 until 10:30 this morning.   After that, I got into a taxi and asked the driver to take me to the Asahikawa Chamber of Commerce.    When we arrived there, I asked him to wait for about 5 minutes, while I went inside to buy a textbook and get an application form for The Master of Hokkaido Tourism examination 北海道観光マスター検定.    When I came back out of the building again, the driver took me back to my classroom.   In the photo above/left, you can see the cover of the textbook.  It is 142 pages in 4 colors of the A4 size, divided into 8 chapters with a data index.  The eight chapters are entitled as follows;  About being a Master of Hokkaido Tourism  北海道観光マスターについて,   Basic Information about Hokkaido  北海道の基礎情報,   Hokkaido's Sightseeing Areas   北海道の観光地,   The History of Hokkaido  北海道の歴史,   Festivals in Hokkaido   北海道の祭り,    The Nature of Hokkaido  北海道の自然,   Hokkaido's Transportation Networks and Facilities　　北海道の交通網と交通機関.    A rather wide ranging study course, to prepare for the exam.  I can read this book rather easily, but at a somewhat slower speed, than if it were written in English.   Sometimes, I have to read a certain passage two or three times to fully understand it.   No problem.    All I have is time.   About 6 weeks in fact, to memorize all of this information about Hokkaido.   The magic island upon which I live, and the land and people which I love, more than any other, anywhere on this Earth.   I want to know everything about it, and this is a good start.    I'd like to write more today, but I need to get back to reading this book.  Talk to ya all later.

2007 August 30 Thursday.

Last night after I finished my last class at 20:00, I went outside to mail some postcards at the postbox in front of the 道の駅　あさひかわ which is right next door to my classroom.  Just out of curiosity, I went inside the Roadside Rest Station to see what kind of posters were pasted to the walls of the long hallway there.   One poster in particular caught my eye.   You can see a photo of it above/left.    It says; The second annual Master of Hokkaido Tourism examination to be held on 2007 November 23, Friday and National Holiday.  Over on the right side of the poster it says; Because I Like Hokkaido.   Wow!   They must have made this exam just for me!   I hurried back home and took a look at the official website which you can see here.    After reading the entire contents of the website, I decided right then and there, to take the exam.   I will stop by the Asahikawa Chamber of Commerce tomorrow morning, after I finish my 9:00 class at the Dokan Nursing School, and buy the textbook which I need to study for the test.   I can't wait!    By the way, I also finished a new auto-playing photo slideshow that I made of GaRou No Taki 賀老の滝 which is located in ShimaMaki Village 島牧村.   You can view it by clicking here.   Enjoy!

2007 August 29 Wednesday.

Another photo of Jomon Pottery taken at the 南茅部縄文遺跡群　国指定史跡　大船遺跡.    You can see most of the photos that I took at this site, in a NEW auto-playing slideshow that I just made this morning, by clicking here.   Notice the wide variety of sizes and shapes of this pottery.   Each and every one having a specific purpose that was formed from the intentions of the people who made them.   It doesn't get much more BASIC than this.  CONTAINERS 容器 for everything.  Including the kitchen sink.   And maybe even a bedside portable toilet.   Who knows?  They were homo sapiens, and so are WE.    There is in fact, nothing new under the SUN.    Only the knowledge that has been FORGOTTEN, or the knowledge that hasn't been FULLY UNDERSTOOD, yet.     Yesterday, today, tomorrow.  Every day is today.  Whenever it is, that you look at the calendar or the clock, it is ALWAYS NOW.

2007 August 28 Tuesday.

The Cherry Moon.   You don't get a chance to see this every day.  A full Lunar Eclipse 月食.   This is a photo from the Hokkaido Newspaper taken by 諸橋弘平 using a 500 millimeter lens at a 2 second time exposure with an aperture setting of 5.6 and recorded on an  ISO3200 CCD at 19:15 this evening.  I had straight classes until 20:00, but I was still able to see a similar view of the moon, and the beginning of the end of the eclipse, as the sunlight began to shine bright white along the southwest corner of the moon, and move its way across the face of the moon, up to the northeast corner.  The wife and I watched it for about 30 minutes, using big military field binoculars.   What an awesome sight it was.  We were literally watching the curved shadow of the EARTH itself, moving across the face of the moon.  The moon and the EARTH never felt closer.   I didn't even bother trying to take a photo of it with my very old digital camera, because I know from past experience that I can't get a good photo of the moon with my limited options on this equipment.  That's why I took a photo, of the photo, that appeared in the 北海道新聞.  I don't know exactly where this photo was taken, but it appears to be along an elevated bank of some river, either here or near Sapporo.  I can't say for sure.   One thing I do know for sure, this event caused awe and wonder along with a feeling of celebration, in all who witnessed it.   It was a truly magical evening.   I will never forget it.

2007 August 27 Monday.

First lesson of the day started off at the Mebae Kindergarten めばえ幼稚園 at 10:00.   Today, the principle of the school, asked me to sit down with each of the three groups of kids, and show them how to draw a simple picture on a sketch pad, with pastel crayons, while talking to them in English.   I use this very same method in my own classroom from time to time with the very young students.  It is enjoyable for all, and they remember English Language words along the way.   After that was finished at about 12:00, I came back to my place to eat a quick lunch before heading off to the 神楽公民館で英会話を楽しむ会.   Today, one of the lovely young ladies showed us the 4 pages of her very detailed travel plans for early September.   She and her husband will be driving on almost the exact same route around Southern Hokkaido, that I took during August.   Just like with my written plan, she had the route numbers and the locations of all of the Roadside Rest Stations 道の駅, written down.  However, unlike me, she also had exact times of when she thought they should leave and arrive at each and every location!!!   Wow, I am impressed.   I am also glad that I will not be the driver on this excursion.   I always plot out a very specific route before I depart, and I know where I will be staying overnight, but I don't care what time I leave, nor what time I arrive at any particular location.   I might see something unexpected along the way, and stop by to take a closer look.  I just let it go with the flow.  Like a river.   Other members talked about various things until about 14:30, when I headed back over to my classroom for straight lessons from 15:00 until 20:00.  After that, it was back to reading the Japanese Language books I have about the Jomon Era.   Fascinating stuff.   The photo above/left is another fine example of Jomon Pottery.   I really love the simple beauty of it all.

2007 August 26 Sunday.

Another photo of "useless" stone tools that were made, not for real use, but for ceremonies and rituals.   The 4 long and flat specimens starting from the top left corner of the photo, are known as SekiTou 石刀.   The two round specimens in the lower right-hand corner of the display case are called SekiBou 関棒, and are thought to be representations of the protruding male sexual organ, the penis, and were probably used in fertility ceremonies and other such ritual events.  I very much doubt that they were used as "adult toys", but one never knows for sure, in such matters of private conduct.   Again, this is an example of what can be created out of NOTHING SPECIAL, and transformed into SOMETHING SPECIAL.   AIR into WATER.   WATER into CLOUDs.   CLOUDs into RAIN.    RAIN into RIVERs.   RIVERs into SEAs.    SEAs into OCEANS.  OCEANs into CLOUDS.   CLOUDs into RAIN, and around and around we go, where it STOPs, nobody knows.   WHY?    Because IT NEVER STOPs!    THAT is why there is LIFE, HERE and NOW, still again.   Even to this very day.   Are you anticipating the END OF THIS WORLD.   Are you actively PRAYING for it?   If so, you need a COLD HARD SLAP in the FACE.   You, yourself might be doomed, but the EARTH is HEALTHY.   Global Warming is caused by SUN CYCLES.    NOT by the puny farts of humankind.     WE, are not that important.  WE are merely OBSERVERs, still alive because, and ONLY BECAUSE, the planet EARTH has not become too hot, nor too cold, for the majority of US,  as of THIS MOMENT in time.   NOT YET.    Cycles come and cycles go.    Infinite Intelligence is ALWAYS THE SAME.     Back to Basics.   Back to Jomon.    Sunrise, Sunset.     A FULL ECLIPSE of the MOON will happen on August 28, from 19:00 until about 21:00, Japan Standard Time.   I'm looking forward to OBSERVEing IT.   How about you?

2007 August 25 Saturday.

More stone "tools".   These are not really tools used for chopping as their shape might suggest, but were thought to be used in "religious" ceremonies, as the representation of such tools.   Real cutting tools had to be made from sharp glass-type rocks such as obsidian  黒曜石.   The largest amounts and best quality of Japanese Obsidian, is found right here in Hokkaido.   The main point here is, that it required a great deal of time and loving effort, to shape these stone "tools" into their respective shapes.   Why would they take so much time to do this, if these "tools" were not practical?   They must have had a deep sense of spirituality and felt it necessary to, have rituals to honor the abundant environment, within which they were living.   Believe you me, there was never any shortage of food during this ancient era.  It was literally right there for the taking.  The Jomon people were smart enough to realize, that all these good things were a gift from some much higher power.   And they made it a point to say thank you every day, and even display more gratitude at certain times of the year, with rituals and ceremonies.   When was the last time you said thank you to what it is that you are eating every day?   If you are eating greasy and fatty junk foods most of the time, it might be better just to say; NO THANK YOU.

2007 August 24 Friday.

This is a photo of some of the jewelry that the Jomon People made.   The necklace is made of jade.   The only place jade can be found in Hokkaido, is in the Hidaka Region 日高管内.   This area has many steep rock cliffs, and rough rivers running swiftly towards the nearby Pacific Ocean.   I want to go back again to the Hidaka Region, and look for natural jade along the rivers and river banks.   All I need is a rock hammer, and a lot of time and patience to find what I am looking for.  The lady who was working at this museum on the day I visited, told me that there isn't any jade in Hokkaido, and that researchers think that the Jomon People who lived in Hokkaido, traded with other Jomon People who lived in Honshu, where jade is more plentiful.    You can see from the photo, that the jade beads on the string, are quite small, requiring a lot of time and a high level of skill to make.   Also, they found asphalt at the Minami Kayabe Site which was determined by chemical analysis, to have come from the Akita 秋田 area of Honshu.   Asphalt in those days, was the common glue, used for many purposes such as repairing broken pottery.  Asphalt was melted near fire pits, and applied in its liquid form.  They have even found clay jars filled with hardened asphalt, indicating that it was stored as a valuable commodity.   Nowadays, we pave our roads and highways with it.  It is still a useful tool, even in this wacky day and age.

2007 August 23 Thursday.

Chock full of nuts.   Here is how they made flour 粉 in the good old days.  Many types of foods can be created and enhanced, with the addition of high fiber, low fat, nuts and seeds.   You don't need a PhD. to figure it out.  Just try it, you'll like it.   The stones which the Jomon People used to make these tools, were found in and along the many rivers and streams, that crisscross everywhere, here in Hokkaido.   In other words, millions and millions of years before the Jomon People ever found these very smooth and rounded stones, the COSMIC LAWS, in the form of endless flows of water, embracing and massaging these rocks, had already completed about 90% of the job.   It was then up to the Jomon People, through hard work and constant effort, to put the final touches on the material, until it became a useful tool for daily life.   Even though these ancient stone tools are somewhere between 9,000 and 4,000 years old, the nuts and seeds that you can see in the photo were grown just recently.     Wait a minute!     Trees and plants get old and die, how can this be???   Did the Jomon People have access to the very same plants and animals that we can still see here today?   Yes, of course.   LIFE has no beginning, and it has no final ending.  It IS a complex matrix of CYCLES that go around and around, for ever and ever.  Just like the WHEELS ON THE BUS.

2007 August 22 Wednesday.

Another photo which I took at the 南茅部縄文遺跡群　国指定史跡　大船遺跡.   As you can see, these are various stone tools used for cutting, scraping, crushing and polishing.   These were the tools of their daily lives.  Every morsel of food they ate, every piece of clothing they wore, every dwelling they ever built, all came from just ONE SOURCE.   Mother Earth.     It still does today.      Nothing has changed except the thinking of humankind.    You can't defeat the laws of nature (COSMIC LAWS), you can only defeat yourself, while trying to do so.   It's time to wake the phuck up.

2007 August 21 Tuesday.

First class doesn't start until 15:00, so I have a lot of time to read more of the printed materials that I got at the 南茅部縄文遺跡群　国指定史跡　大船遺跡. 　They even went so far as to make and print a Comic Book 漫画 entitled 縄文の里　Home of the Jomon　北の夜明け Northern Dawn.   It is very well done and makes it easy for even children, to understand the basics of Jomon Culture.   Along with all of the daily chores that the Jomon People had to do just to survive, there is also the constant theme of how all life is connected, and that all life must be respected and praised with gratitude, at all times.   Like I said in yesterday's blog, this is an entirely different mentality, from that which pervades the MASS MEDIA bullshit of today.  Turn off the Boob Tube.  Spend more time outdoors with your family.   Watch the real theater of life, with living things all around you and everywhere.   From the highest mountain, to the deepest ocean, from the driest desert, to the wettest rain forest, there is LIFE.   In amazing variety, and endless abundance.   The WORLD is NOT coming to an end, but hopefully the false beliefs and nonsense lifestyles, promoted by what we call ENTERTAINMENT, will have its death-grip on less and less people, as THE SHIFT gets into full swing.   When was the last time you sat in a swing, on a playground anyway?    I live right next door to Crystal Park, where they have a swing set among many other things.    I especially love to gaze into the water fountain during  the early evening, just after sunset.  H2O is always in motion.

2007 August 20 Monday.

Back to school.   First class doesn't start until 13:00 at the 神楽公民館で英会話を楽しむ会.   I haven't seen this group of people in about 3 weeks, so I knew that there would be a lot to talk about, from everyone, myself included.   One of the things that I made sure to do, was to bring along my second copy of all the City Town Village signs Magnet Sheets to show everyone.   I am not the only collector in this group.  There is another young lady; who, like me, has a very good starter-collection of these colorful decorations.  As of today, I have about 4 times more of them than she does, but she told me while looking at my collection, that she and her husband will be taking the exact same Southern Hokkaido Coastline Route, sometime during the first half of next month.   I know for a fact that she will carefully map out their route, being sure to stop at every 道の駅 along the way.   Have a great time, and BE SURE to drive slowly and defensively.   Even here in Beautiful Hokkaido Japan, there are some NUT CASES out there  on the road that might put you and your passengers in danger.  Let them pass and go around you.   Slow down even more, and make it SAFER for them, and everybody else on the road, while they are speeding off, towards the PATH to nowhere.   I have many true stories about ridiculous drivers, that do absolutely unbelievably stupid things, when viewed from the standpoint of, the basic laws of physics.  So much so,  that I could write a 5 minute stand up comedy routine about it.   But,....     That will have to wait, for another day.   As for now, I am in the SLOW LANE.   Even though, this day, is always TODAY.

2007 August 19 Sunday.

My last day of summer vacation.  Tomorrow, it's back to school for almost everyone, including myself.  It was both a long, and short, three weeks.  I did a lot of driving, and saw some amazing things.   I also learned a lot, during that time.  Living is Learning.  War is NOT Peace.   Again today, another photo which I took at 南茅部縄文遺跡群　国指定史跡　大船遺跡.   This one shows various arrowheads, and other cutting tools.   These specimens range from about 6,500 years ago and were found at a different location, which is very near to this site.   While I was at the OoFune Site, I picked up for free, and also bought one copy each, of every type of printed material available.   It turns out that I made a very smart investment,  indeed.    Knowledge available only to those people who can READ JAPANESE!!!    Until now???     I will summarize it for you all, in easy to read AMERICAN ENGLISH, right here on this website.   Stay tuned.   MORE,......     Much more,...    about the  JOMON CULTURE coming soon.     It's time to get back to basics.

2007 August 18 Saturday.

Another photo that I took at the Jomon Culture, Ohfune Site 南茅部縄文遺跡群　国指定史跡　大船遺跡.  This one shows the ChuuKuu DoGuu 中空土偶 hollow clay figurine, which was found by KoSaka Ae　小阪　アエ, on 1975 August 24,  while she was digging around in her vegetable garden!   It was designated as an Important Cultural Asset on 1979 June 6.  And, most recently, this DoGuu was designated as a National Treasure 国宝 on 2007 March 13.  An important thing to remember about this clay figure is that it is HOLLOW inside.   If it was just a solid chunk of clay, even I could have made it.   But the very fact that it is hollow, shows a rather high level of realism and artistic skill.   By the way, what you see in the photo above/left is only a replica of the real thing.   The real thing is put on exhibition, both in Japan and throughout the world, and is stored at a much more secure location, somewhere outside of Hokkaido.  The real figurine was made about 3,200 years ago, and is the largest  one of its kind, to have been found anywhere in Japan, or the entire world for that matter.   In its entirety, the Jomon Culture lasted from about 12,000 years ago, until about 2000 years ago.   As far as I know, this is by far the oldest and most long lasting single culture on the face of this earth.   Therefore, it is important to learn more about it.  And not just for me, but also for as many other people as possible.   In other words, the Jomon Culture was a 10,000 years long reign of PEACE, in this part of the world.   I mean think about it for a moment, they had; Free food, free housing, free "witch doctors" to chant over the ill, and free child care.  Of course, they had to work the land very hard, to get it all and as a result I'm sure that there was the occasional homicide here and there, for various reasons, but there were NO STANDING ARMIES, constantly training to wage war 365/24/7.   It was a completely different MENTALITY from that which this sorry-ass world has today.     Back to Jomon.

縄文人の心を学びましょう。

2007 August 17 Friday.

Another photo that I took at the Jomon Culture Ohfune Site 南茅部縄文遺跡群　国指定史跡　大船遺跡.   This one shows what you will see when you enter the small museum which is right there on the site.   As you can see from the photo, there is a huge amount of pottery and pottery fragments that were recovered from this site.  The different sizes, shapes and designs of the pottery, causes me image what the purpose for each type of pottery might have been.   I mean, think about all of the various dishes, plates, bowls, cups and other things that you have in your house and kitchen.   Each and every utensil was designed and built for a certain purpose, and when you saw them at the store and bought them, you had a certain purpose of use in mind for each and every one of them.   So did the Jomon People.  Their INTENTIONS created the pottery they made, and then they used each and every piece of pottery for their intended purpose.   I guess the very BASICs of human thinking haven't changed that much in about 10,000 years.   Only the tools have become more powerful.

2007 August 16 Thursday.

Another photo that I took at the Jomon Culture Ohfune Site 南茅部縄文遺跡群　国指定史跡　大船遺跡.　These are stone plates known as 石皿 that were used to grind up various meats, plants and nuts, as well as cook them on the hot stone surface of the ones placed on top of burning embers.   Even today in Japan, this method of cooking is used and is called IshiYaki 石焼.   It is a very delicious way of cooking, indeed.

2007 August 15 Wednesday.

2007 August 14 Tuesday.

A BIG EVENT today again, in the Kagura District of Asahikawa.  The annual 花火 in Kagura, which always happens on August 14, regardless of the day of the week.  Today was no exception.   Thousands and thousands of people from all over the city and the KamiKawa Basin towns and villages, gathered here, right next door to my classroom, to see a fantastic, and no holds barred, giant fireworks display.   My wife's family, most of whom live here in Asahikawa, all gathered together at the Soba Restaurant ChoGoRou そば処　長五郎.  Which is located directly below my classroom.   Then, we took our folding canvas chairs and walked on over to the river bank, to stake out a land claim, and sit down, awaiting the start of the show.   During the walking process to our final sitting destination, Ikuko's mother got separated from the group, and Ikuko and I, both went out to look for her.   I almost bumped into her, on the riverside plaza of the snack and drink bars, along the way.   I gently guided her back to the location where everybody else was sitting.   Then, I hit the trail one more time, to look for Ikuko.   I couldn't find her, but I did buy a cocktail or two along the way.   I got back to Base 147, just as the BIG BANG was about to take place.   What an EXCELLENT show it was, and is, each and every year.   No expense spared, and nobody disappointed.   Another, in a long series of "WIN/WIN SITUATIONS"   An annual event that I look forward to, with much anticipation.  Each and every year.      I hope you do too.  It looks better from the standpoint of BOOTS ON THE GROUND.    Love it, OR, Leave it.     Your choice.   Always has been.   Always will be.

2007 August 13 Monday.

Whew!   That was another excellent ROAD TRIP.   What should I do today?   Anything but drive.   I have a ton of photos that I need to put into slideshows and a lot of other things to do as well.   The noise of the construction work continues, and is a relatively minor discomfort in an air conditioned room.    The photo in today's blog is also of Lake Kanayama, panned to the right from the photo in last Wednesday's BLOG.   Even in this photo, you can see the steep brown sandy banks along the waterline.   Indicating that the amount of water in the lake is lower than it was in the recent past.   The effect of the SUN is overwhelming, isn't it.

2007 August 12 Sunday.

2007 August 11 Saturday.

I woke up at about 6:00 to a nice warm, partly sunny and partly cloudy day on the sandy beach at  江ノ島 in  島牧村.   There were only about 7 other cars and two motorcycles in the same vast area of beautiful coastline.    I need to eat breakfast and then wait around until 9:00 when the gift shop opens at the 道の駅「よってけ！島牧」just a 5 kilometer backtrack down Route 229.   I sat around in my big canvas beach chair with attached leg rest, just looking out at the ocean and up into the sky.  Occasionally, I would turn on my 12 band short wave radio and listen to broadcasts in several different languages.   Chinese being the most prevalent next to Japanese and Korean.  Another man who appeared to be about the same age as myself, and who had a Toyota van of a much more expensive type than mine, was having trouble just sitting still and looking around.   He would sit for a few minutes, then get up and fiddle around with the massive amount of gear that he had inside his van, then sit down again for just a few minutes, and repeat the process.  The number plates on his van revealed that he was from somewhere in TokoroZawa 所沢, which is the central city in Saitama Prefecture 埼玉県 on the big island of Honshu  本州.    I got the feeling that he was accustomed to living in an area where there are a lot more people, and a lot more "things to do".   Poor guy.   At least he had the good sense to come up here to Hokkaido this year for his summer vacation.   As for me, I have a definite road map along the way, but also I have an  "I'll get there, when I get there"  type of attitude for my driving.   If I see something new and unexpected along the way, I'll stop and take a closer look, no matter how much time it takes.   Today, was yet again, just such a day.   About 14 kilometers inland from the ShimaMaki Roadside Rest Station, is a very famous waterfall called GaRou No Taki 　賀老の滝 which has been selected as one of the 100 most beautiful natural sceneries in all of Hokkaido 北海道自然１００選.    How anybody could come up with such a ranking, is a mystery to me because there is so much that is beautiful about this island.   Anyway, after a 14 kilometer drive into the Bear Infested mountain forest, I arrived at a small parking lot, and the beginning point of a 670 meter long, partially reinforced dirt trail, that leads DOWN the mountain to were the waterfall can be observed.   When I say Bear Infested 親子クマ出没中, I am not kidding.   Not only are bears seen nearly everyday in this area, I actually saw a huge pile of bear feces クマの糞, on the asphalt, on the side of the road, as I was driving to this location.  I did take a photo of it as proof, and will include it in a special photo slideshow, NOW ON AIR.   Click here to view.   It sent chills down my spine to realize that they are soooooooo close.  DO NOT  get between a mother bear and her cubs, or you will most likely end up as road kill, as well.   Anyway, the 670 meter climb down the dirt trail was slow and slippery, because of the misty rain that was in the mountain air, but the view of the falls from the observation area, was well worth the effort.  See the photo above/left for details.   This is most assuredly a POWER SPOT on the Earth.   Think of all the negative ions being created by this powerful falling water.   I stood around for a good 15 or 20 minutes, just breathing deeply of the electro-magnetic energy.  I just wish I had brought my Alto Recorder down here with me.  It must be crying out to me,  from my van.   What a magnificent place.   I need to come here again sometime.   The 640 meter climb back UP the dirt trail, was easier than the climb down, in some ways.   Along the way, I took many photos of the various flowers and other plants.   One thing that I noticed, and made a deep impression upon me, was the fact of observing small clouds, being generated on the forest floor, and then rising up through the trees, and into the sky!   It was totally amazing and clearly visible on the other side of the small river, from where I was standing on the trail.   When I got back to my van in the parking lot, it was time for a big drink of fresh water, and then back on the road again.   Today's final destination is Otaru City 小樽市.  I continued driving all along the Sea of Japan Coastline, except for the Shakotan Peninsula 積丹半島, which I cut across, on Route 276 and then Route 5, from IwaNai Town 岩内町 to YoIchi Town 余市町.   When I finally arrived in Otaru, it was only about 15:30, so I decided to make a side trip to AkaIGawa Village 赤井川村 in order to stop at the Tonden Farm Hopi Hill Ranch とんでんファーム・ホピの丘　and the KiRoRo Resort キロロ.    At Hopi Hill Ranch, I looked at all of the newly purchased Native American Indian Jewerly on display, but only one of the silver Navaho bracelets was big enough for my wrists.  I bought that, along with a deep purple colored Dream Catcher, also made by a Native American in Arizona or New Mexico.   After eating and then buying some homemade herb sausages, I continued my drive to KiRoRo Resort only about 3 kilometers away, in order to take a bath at their hot spring spa.   While I was there, they had some type of amateur band contest going on, and most of the musicians were,...   not that good.   The bath itself was a bit pricey at 960yen, but what the hey?   Gotta keep our bodies clean and refreshed.   After about an hour of bathing and looking around, I was back on the road, heading back to Otaru.   Like Hakodate, Otaru does not have an official 道の駅, so I always park in the parking lot at the MaxValue supermarket, which is open 24 hours a day, and is right next door to the Otaru Morning Fish Market 小樽朝市.   A lot of other travelers do this as well.   I walked from my van, along the Canal Plaza 運河プラザ to the Otaru Beer Warehouse Number One, with the hopes of listening to the PALOSIKS live on stage, while eating good food and drinking excellent micro-brew 地ビール.   To my surprise, half of the place had been rented out for a special party 貸切 and there would be no live music tonight.   So, I waited about 30 minutes, took a stool at the counter, ordered the Beer Viking 飲み放題, and ate two big bowls of German Style fried small whole potatoes, with the skin still on them.   As I was doing so, the clarinet player of the PALOSIKS, who was there on other business,  saw me and walked on over to say hello and chat for a while.     Another "Coincidence"?   You decide.     Total driving distance for today, 228 kilometers.

2007 August 10 Friday.

During the last leg of yesterday's drive from Muroran City to Hakodate City, I stopped by the last Roadside Rest Station along the way at 道の駅「なたわ・えさん」to buy the Hakodate City magnet sheet sign, and also to ask if there was a public bath nearby along the road towards Hakodate.   The nice lady behind the counter showed me how to get to ふれあい湯遊館 which was just 5 kilometers down the road.   For only 360yen, you can use a shower, a sauna, a couple of hot tubs including an air jet bubble bath, and a cold tub to finish it all off.   The only catch,....    you have to bring your own soap, shampoo and towels.   I can handle that.   In fact, I keep that stuff in my van 24/7/365.   I am always ready to go, at a moments' notice.   Anyway, just as I had finished a most relaxing outer-body cleaning, I was back onto Route 278 for the remaining 55 minutes drive until an overnight rest stop, in Hakodate.   That's when another huge rain storm moved in and dumped big time upon the land.   Oddly enough, it all cleared up just as I pulled into the city itself.  Hakodate doesn't have a 道の駅, so I always park my rig near the docks where The Blue Moon ブルームーン cruise ship berths for the night.  Why?   Well the scenery is nice, and there is a public toilet right there as well.   Not the cleanest one I've ever used, but good enough for the morning wake up call.   Then, I was off to Hakodate Beer for drinks and dinner.   When I woke up at about 6:00, it was raining again, and coming down hard.   Yeah, well,.....  back on the road.  Today I will be driving all along the southern most coastline of Hokkaido and then heading back up north until I get to ShimaMaki Village 島牧村 where I will stay overnight.   Along the way, I saw many stunning views of the ocean and the greener than green hills and valleys.   One of the places that I liked the most was a little fishing village called ChiiSaGo 小砂子漁港 which is located in KamiNoKuni Town 上ノ国町.   See the photo above/left for details.   Not only is this a beautiful location to live and work as a fisherman, but they also have an elementary school here called 小砂子小学校!   It is the biggest building in the upper left of this photograph.   Wow!  Imagine being a teacher at this little out of the way school.   What a privilege that would be.   After many more hours of slow driving, I finally arrived at the Roadside Rest Station 道の駅「よってけ！島牧」.   I have stayed here once before on May 1, of 2005, so I continued on down the road for about 5 more kilometers until I found a nice beach area, with toilet facilities and drinking water on tap available 24 hours a day during the summer months at 江ノ島.   There is even a place to throw away your garbage!   What a beautiful place to spend the night, and the early morning hours of tomorrow.   The only problem,...    lots and lots of 　蚊 mosquitoes.   No big deal, I have a large supply of spray-on peppermint oil ハッカ油 for just such occasions.  I sprayed myself with such copious quantities of the candy cane smelling stuff, that my eyes and nose began to water.   Even still, some of the little flying critters managed to withstand the Peppermint Defense Shield (PDS) and penetrate far enough thru, to feast upon my hapless body.   Well, if they have what it takes, to overcome all obstacles, and get their hard earned dinner, so be it.   I will recover from their jabs in a few weeks.   Total driving distance today, 339 kilometers.    Sittin' on the warm evening BEACH and LOVIN' it.

2007 August 9 Thursday.

I woke up at about 8:00 to a hot, sunny and humid day.   I had to wait around until 9:30 when the gift shop opened, so that I could buy the Muroran City sign magnet stickers.  Then, I was back on the road again.  Today's final destination will be Hakodate City.  The weather all along the way today, was a mixture of sunny, cloudy, rainy and very rainy, but the wind was not that strong.  Another objective of this road trip is to stop by and see the 5,000 year old Jomon Village at the Oofune site in Minami Kayabe  南茅部縄文遺跡群　国指定史跡　大船遺跡.   On May 26 and 27 of this year, I went to Date City 伊達市 as a member of the Hokkaido Cultural Property Protection Association to see a similar but somewhat smaller site.   Since that time, my interest in the Jomon People 縄文人 has been on the increase day by day.   Not only because the remains can be found in Southern Hokkaido, but also because the Jomon People were the very first homo sapiens to have made pottery.  Since the discovery of how to light instant fires, the making of pottery is probably the second most significant event in the advancement of human culture.  The Jomon People never discovered metal making.   All of their tools were made from stone and wood with hemp ropes binding them all together.   Animal and fish bones were also used to make various utensils.   They lived a very simple and primitive life.   At 縄文の丘 in Date City, there was a big mound of seashells that the Jomon People had eaten and then discarded.   At least they had enough social order to create a garbage pit.   At Minami Kayabe, they have found no such shell mounds 貝塚 even though the site is right next to the Pacific Ocean!!!    However,  that was more than 5,000 years ago.   The geography could have been different then.   Very different.    So could have been the climate.   There are many things to consider.   Another possibility is that the shell mounds are in fact present, but as yet,  undiscovered.  I haven't developed a final theory on this yet.   Nonetheless, it was an honor and a privilege for me to be easily able to come all the way over here, and learn something new, about something which is very very old.   Or is it?   After spending more than 50 minutes taking photos both outside and inside the data center 資料館, talking with the nice lady who was on duty that day, and taking photos of every exhibit inside the data center, I continued my journey, south, towards Hakodate.   Click here to view the Photo Slideshow.  Today's drive was very interesting, and more than educational.   Why am I attracted to this now island that we now call Hokkaido?   Why did I feel that; "Ahhhhhhh!      Home Again!"       Why?       I just KNOW it.          I've been here before.        And so have you.        What other island on the earth today, looks quite like the dragon head shape of Hokkaido?        I can't find any on the world map.    Can you?     Back to Basics.    NOT ABC but CBA.    Total driving distance today; 275 kilometers.

2007 August 8 Wednesday.

I'm on the road at 10:30 a.m.  The road that is right in front of my home, Route 237 heading south towards Biei.   If you follow this road all the way to it's end at Mombetsu Town 門別町 you will find yourself on the coast of the Pacific Ocean not far from Tomakomai City 苫小牧市.   As I passed through Minami Furano 南富良野, I took a 20 kilometer side trip to take a look at Lake Kanayama 金山湖　and was very surprised to see how low the water level was.  Take a look for yourself in the photo above/left.   This lake is made possible by Kanayama Dam, and when I drove by to take a look at the dam itself, there were some workmen there working on it.   This place has a whole lot more water during Golden Week than it does now in the blistering August heat.   I continued on down Route 237 stopping at each and every roadside rest station along the way, to buy two copies of each and every magnet sheet roadside replica.   I also stopped at the big AEON shopping mall in Tomakomai City to eat some 回転寿司 and  buy two new short sleeve shirts, one of which I put on right away.   The remainder of the drive to Muroran was dark and rainy.   Along the way, I made a short side trip to NoboriBetsu OnSen 登別温泉.   I haven't been here in a very long time, and I was pleasantly surprised to see it full of tourists wandering around in their cotton bathrobes that the hotels provide them with.   I finally pulled into the 道の駅　みたら室蘭 at about 20:30 and got set up for the night.  As I was doing so, it started to rain big time.  Like Niagara Falls or something.   I climbed inside my Hotel Noah and took a rest.   Total distance driven today, 366 kilometers.  Another long driving day again tomorrow.

2007 August 7 Tuesday.

Today is the day when I must double check and finalize my route to be taken during my upcoming drive around the entire coastline of Southern Hokkaido.   I drove this exact same route during Golden Week of 2005.   When I finished that 5 days 4 nights travel adventure, I decided right then and there, that I would come back again, during the hot summer months.  Tomorrow, I will be leaving for that long awaited journey.  To see a series of 5 photo slideshows for that wonderful adventure during late April and early May of 2005 click here.   This time I won't be going alone.  Even though Ikuko can't come with me, on this trip, my new pal Densuke でんすけ君 will be along for the ride.   He seems to think that he is some kind of Snow Country White Bear God King, but in reality, he is just a stuffed animal and a poorly paid  representative of the Asahiyama Zoo here in Asahikawa City, Hokkaido Japan.   To me he looks more like some kind of mix between Native North American; Navaho, Hopi, Zuni and Apache.  He is also about HALF?DOUBLE? Jomon 縄文人　with a Big Splash of Ainu アイヌ thrown in for good measure.   Anyway, he and I will be rapping with each other, all along the way.  The long and winding roads that lead to everywhere, around Hokkaido.  All of them in excellent shape and veeeeeeeery easy to drive.   I will be leaving tomorrow morning at a time of my best convenience.   First overnight destination, MuroRan City 室蘭市.

2007 August 6 Monday.

Not very hot and humid again today, but warm enough to remind you it is still summer in Hokkaido.   I am sure that it isn't anywhere near as hot as it was in Hiroshima on this day in 1945.  It's so easy to forget, isn't it.  Let's go over a few of the horrible facts of that day sixty two years ago.   More that 73,000 people of all ages were killed in a flash, along with the heat wave and the radiation fall out that immediately followed.  The first Pandora's Box had been opened, leading straight to the gates of hell.   Could it ever happen again?  Yer damn right it could.  In fact, there are literally thousands and thousands of military planners, getting ready to do it again, right now, as you read this blog.  Where will the next targets be???   You will have to ask them.   It's almost impossible to believe, isn't it.  How so  many people can make a living by figuring out more efficient and more economical ways to kill the living.   Does that make any sense to you?  If you want to read more about the Big BBQ at Hiroshima and Nagasaki, please click on the photo of the mushroom cloud on the left.  It will take you the the BBC website, where they have an excellent recap of those days' events.  Don't forget history.  Learn about it before it is completely rewritten.  The Ministry of Truth is now accepting job applications.   But first, let us bow our heads in a moment of silence.

2007 August 5 Sunday.

The rain has finally stopped falling, but it is still very gray and cloudy.   Not too hot and not too cold.   A nice day to take a walk in the early evening.   Also, I finally finished the photo slideshow for Lake Mashu, which you can see by clicking here.   There are 93 photos in the slideshow, and each one appears for only 3 seconds so that's a total of about 4 and one half minutes of viewing time.    I think you will find it to be time well spent.   These photos are somewhat more numerous and better than the ones I took of Lake Mashu in 2002 which you can also see by clicking here.    I need to start planning for my next driving expedition around Southern Hokkaido, soon.   I only have two weeks left of my summer vacation.    The photo in today's blog was also taken at Lake Mashu which is out of sight on the right, and shows a rather interesting oval cloud hovering over the hot spring resort town of 湯川.   If you pan to the left, as in the slideshow, you can see IoZan 硫黄山 and Lake Kussharo 屈斜路湖 as well.  You can still enjoy the beauty of Hokkaido, even if you can't be here right now.

2007 August 4 Saturday.

More rain today, but the wind has died down considerably.   According to the newspaper weather forecast, things should start drying out by tomorrow.  The photo you can see above/left was taken on a small island in the middle of Lake Akan 阿寒湖.   It is a kind of green algae known in Japanese as MARIMO 毬藻.   In English it is called variously Cladophora Ball, Lake Ball or Moss Balls.   The scientific name is Aegagropila Linnaei.   It is not only found in Lake Akan but also in some other lakes in Northern Japan as well as lakes in Iceland, Estonia and Siberia.   It is the gentle motion of the tides in the lake, which cause these clumps of filamentous green algae, also known as Chlorophyta, to roll around and form together into these ball shaped masses.   You will see replicas of these marimo on sale at gift shops throughout Hokkaido in various forms, and it has in fact become one of the symbols of Hokkaido.   Personally, I like the deep green color and fluffy texture of these big globes of algae.   Someone even gave us a toothpick holder, some years ago, that had simulated marimo floating in some kind of green liquid, in the outer layer of the souvenir.   I still have it to this day, and when children come to my classroom and see it, they are always fascinated by it.  The real thing, however, is much more beautiful.  Just see for yourself, in the photo on the left.

2007 August 3 Friday.

2007 August 2 Thursday.

After a wonderfully rich breakfast at the Hotel Resort 北天の丘 it was back on the road from Abashiri 網走 to Asahikawa.   Today it was 34 degrees with high humidity in Abashiri.  Time to roll up the windows and turn on the AC.   Put a little bit of winter in the air.   I drove slowly and put mint oil on a tissue placed inside an AC vent.  The drive was cool and relaxing with a little help from Mozart on the CD player and Palosiks on the MD player.   I made it a point during this trip to stop at each and every roadside rest station 道の駅 along the way, and purchase small magnet sheets in the design of the official city and town road signs that you can see along the roads.   They are very colorful and attractive, and I will put a photo of my current collection of about 12 of them, in this blog in the near future.  But for now, please enjoy another photo of Lake Mashu 摩周湖 above/left.   I was able to take so many good photos during this trip, that I must and I will make some new slideshow photo galleries for this website.  Please check the 写真舘 link on this website from time to time to see them when they are finished.   As we were driving along Route 39 from Kitami 北見 towards Asahikawa, we stopped again at the OnNeYu Onsen Roadside Rest Station.   While we were there, the winds picked up considerably, and the sky grew darker and darker.  Typhoon Number 5   うさぎ is coming up to meet Hokkaido on the Pacific Ocean side.   The rest of the drive will be a challenge to make it over the SekiHoku Mountain Pass  石北峠,  before the weather conditions get bad enough for them to close it down.   I can't drive faster in order to do this, I just have to focus on the road and go with the flow.   I did it, and we made it over the top just as the heaviest rains and winds hit upon the island.   We got home safely at about 16:30, and put an end to a wonderful 4 days and 3 nights summer drive course, in Hokkaido.   My summer vacation isn't over yet.   In fact, it is just getting started.   However, I will be staying at home for the next three or four days to stretch out my legs, and wait out the rain.   Typhoon Number 5 is still coming this way.   As a result, every day is a rainy day,  but with sunshine in my heart.

2007 August 1 Wednesday.

Time to check out of the Akan Tsuruga Hotel and drive north towards Abashiri 網走 where we will stay one night before returning to Asahikawa on Thursday.   Yesterday, while we were walking through the forest along a wooden board walk, I had my new "turquoise" key holder hanging from the outside of my shoulder bag, because it makes a clanging noise which will alert any bears in the area, that humans are passing through.   I had just purchased this "turquoise" key holder on the same day at a gift shop near Lake Mashu.  The sign above the key holder said ター コイズ and the price was 3,650 yen, so I figured it was real.  However, while we were walking along the forest boardwalk, I suddenly heard the sound of a small stone hit the wood below.  I stopped and turned around to see what is was, and was very surprised to see a piece of my "turquoise" key holder laying on the ground.   The keys had hit the stone and broke a piece of it off.   When I picked up the piece, I immediately noticed that it was white inside!  It was not turquoise or any other type of semi precious gem stone at all, but a manufactured fake!  I was really pissed off about it.  So, today on our way from Lake Akan to Abashiri, I stopped by the same gift shop and got my money back.  I should have known better in the first place, but the beautiful blue color and the tiger claw shape caught my eye, and my better judgment  went out the window.  After a beautiful drive of about 3 hours, we arrived at our hotel in Abashiri at about 16:00 and checked in without a hitch.   It is a new place called 北天の丘 and is also a part of the Tsuruga Hotel Group.   It is a beautiful place modeled on the theme of Ainu art and culture.  Lots of wood and Ainu pattern designs everywhere in and around the building.   It has a very nice view of Lake Abashiri as well.   A very nice place to stay if you are in the Abashiri area.

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