Kobe

Edit: These entries are actually from about two weeks ago, but I've been too busy with midterms to post them until now. I also went to an onsen (hot springs) on Sunday the 5 but even though it was nice I'm not really up to describing that. Besides, there are no pictures because one doesn't take pictures in places where everyone is naked. Anyhow, to see what day these things really happened on, just look at the date of the entry. I'll be going to Tokyo tomorrow (Friday) night and staying until Wednesday, then traveling around the Kansai area on day trips for the rest of my spring break. So, in a little over a week, there should be some nice pictures.

On Saturday I went to Kobe with my Japan and Globalization. More recently it has been known for being damaged by an intense earthquake, but it is also known for being a very international city. In the mid nineteenth century after Japan opened up their country to foreigners again (they'd not let anyone but the Chinese and Dutch into their country for a few centuries because they didn't want outside influences affecting them, and those two groups could only be in certain parts of Nagasaki) Kobe was one of the first ports open to accomodate all the new traffic from foreigners that would be coming. As a result a lot of the foreign diplomats built their houses here, and there is also a Chinatown (called Nankinmachi, or 'Nanking-town', I guess).
We hiked up a big hill in an area called Kitano (which I think means 'north') to see the old diplomats' houses, but the way was blocked off for some reason. There was a great view of the city, though. After going back down the hill we went to Chinatown and got some time to eat. I ate delicious ramen (not the instant kind, the good kind), which is actually a Chinese dish that the Japanese imported. After Chinatown, we went down to the harbor to see the water and the earthquake memorial stuff. They left a portion of the harbor as it was after the earthquake to remind people of the horrible damage the city suffered. Besides that one patch, though, the city was so well rebuilt, that I would have never been able to tell that so much of it was destroyed about only a decade ago.



On the streets of Kobe

Me in front of the Kobe skyline

One of the European style houses

The entrance to Nankinmachi (Chinatown)

For some reason there were bright little planes strung up between the lanterns. Either Nankinmachi is sponsered by an airline, or there was a plane festival going on?


Happy Buddha

Near the harbor there is a gigantic fish sculpture. So big, I couldn't get far enough back to get it all in a picture.

This is the part of the harbor they left un-fixed so you could see how it looked after the earthquake