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By WAYNE GREEN
Hi I have just come back from Japan last week, I had the wonderful opportunity to go to Japan and spend time with my girlfriend's family and visit friends while in Japan. My girlfriend's name is Miyuki and she lives in Nagoya, I live in Cairns, which is in Queensland Australia. I planned my trip so I could spend some time visiting friends in Osaka, Kobe, Kyoto, Gifu and stay in the family house in Nagoya.
My trip was to coincide with spending a special time with Miyuki on "Tanabata" day 7th July. Osaka castle was great but I think I like Kinkaku-ji Temple better with its colourful history as well as being fascinating to look at. The old temples and shrines in and around Uji were well worth looking at too, such great architecture in these places and the scenery in Uji is wonderful, mountains, streams, fishermen and a fascinating culture.
Uji River
Gifu prefecture is well worth the train ride to a place called Gujo-hajiman (not sure how to spell it?) for the opening of the summer dancing festival. We took dancing lessons and particapated in the dancing in the street Gujo-odori, Miyuki and I were actually given an award for dancing by our dance teacher that night, it was such a great experience and all the people there were very respectful and encouraging, it was a great time and a wonderful place to visit, I had my first experience in an onsen - fantastic. The highlight of the trip was spending "Tanabata" with Miyuki it was very romantic and exciting for both of us I can't tell you anymore than that! Staying with a traditional Japanese family who do not speak English for one month gave me a greater understanding of the culture and way of life much more than as if I stayed in a hotel and just done sightseeing, it also helped me to learn Japanese too.
Eitakuji Iris Park, Kobe
We got to know each other much better and before I left to come back to Cairns I asked her father "musume san wo kudasai" can I have (or marry?) your daughter? This was my goal for coming to Japan. After some discussion the answer was yes! So sometime in the future Miyuki and I will marry and I will learn even more about Japan and its culture. She will come to live in Cairns with me for a few years and then we will both return to Japan. With the answer being yes and seeing such wonderful things in Osaka, Kobe, Kyoto, Nagoya and Gifu it has been the best trip of my life, without doubt. It was my first trip to Japan and it certainly will not be the last.
Making chopsticks at Asuke in the Nagoya countryside
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