The Initiation of the new head priest

This morning we headed for the myoshinji temple complex to witness the initiation of the new head priest of the complex.

Since we stay in the complex it was obvious to us that this particular ceremony was very important to the culture. To be exact it was the ceremony of the zen buddhism belief.

The ceremony took place early in the morning, people from all over Japan came to the ceremony.

Young and old people were present, they were all dressed formally and traditionally. The older women wore kimonos that were designed beautifully due to the specific season.

The initiation lasted about two hours, the previous priest was also present.The designs around the temple were very interesting to look at, they had many colorful flags around the temples.Journalists and camera crew people were gathered at this special ceremony.

what got my attention the most was the young man holding the umbrella that was made specifically told hold over the new head priest.

The umbrella to me resembled more than a shield from the sun, but a culture. The umbrella had a colorful, jeweled holding area. It also had a unique design when opened. The top part, once opened, appeared to be supported by a cage looking piece. The top of the umbrella was the colored or designed to match the Japanese flag, a small red circle with in an area of white space.

The umbrella to me also showed respect and honor to the new priest, it meant that we will shield you from whatever may harm you, whether its the sun or anything else.

The ceremony was exciting to watch and interesting to take in, here are some pictures to give you a feeling of what I witnessed on this beautiful ceremony.

The amazing Bullet Train ride to Nagoya!

Today my class and I rode on the bullet train to Nagoya city from Kyoto. A bullet train is basically a group of high speed railway lines. I have never been on a bullet train before today therefore ,I was extremely anxious and excited. The bullet trains are all operated by the Japan Railways, here in Japan they are called shinkansen. Hikari is the train that we took today, it took us about thirty minutes to reach Nagoya. The Hikari train also goes to Tokyo and Osaka. The train ride experience was fantastic, inside the train was very spacious for a train. Food and drinks were available for purchase. The train ride was smooth and quiet. The bullet trains go as fast as three hundred kilometers per hour.

Inside the train there were snack vending machines that included drinks and foods. They also have a person that sells coffee and snack on the train.

What surprised me the most is the bathrooms, they had a Western style bathroom as well as the Japanese style bathroom. The Western style bathroom is a toilet seat, and the Japanese style bathroom is a toilet built on the ground.

My experience on the train today was amazing, I got to see cities that we passed by that were truly heaven, they were very green, very bright and beautiful mountains that stood very high and proud. Japan has beautiful nature sites and the weather is truly amazing and it works perfectly with its nature.

If you ever come to Japan, make it a note to ride the bullet train at least once, it is an experience you would not want to miss and the memory of it lasts a life time.

Smoker's Paradise

Being in Japan has been a magnificent experience, I enjoyed observing the culture, the people and the environment around me. While walking around to learn more about the people and how they live, I came around a cigarettes vending machine.

I was excited and shocked at the same time. In the United States of America, we have a law that prohibits anyone from being able to buy a pack of cigarettes' under the age eighteen years of old. In Japan, it became visible to be different, it appears to me that you are able to put your money into the machine and pick the type of cigarette you want and there you go. A cigarette in the palm of your hand, no questions asked or having anone ask foryour age. On the other hand, if you were to sell cigarettes to a minor in the United States of America, you will get a ticket from the law enforcement, and if you were caught smoking a cigarette while being under the legal age, you would receive a ticket and would most probably be sent to a juvenile area to teach you a lessonfor breaking the law. Since Japan is one of the largest tobacco markets, and also more than twenty illion people are smokers in Japan, caigarettes are smoked everywhere.From my observation of japan, I have noticed that smoking in public places is allowed. You are allowed to smoke in restaurants, streets, bars, and fast food areas, while in the United States of America we have a smoking ban that bans indoor smoking in public places. Since this my first time coming to Japan and since everyone has told me that Japan is more stirct than the United States of America, you now know that when it comes to smoking.

Japan is extremely smoke friendly for all the smokers out there.