THE ROAD TO IWATE PREFECTURE, IN THE NORTHERN PART OF HONSHU ISLAND, REQUIRED TWO TRAINS. THE FIRST ONE WENT TO TOKYO.
IT WASN'T A "BULLET TRAIN", BUT A LIMITED EXPRESS ON A NON-HIGH-SPEED RAIL LINE. STILL PRETTY SPIFFY, NO? AND PRETTY FAST IN ITS OWN RIGHT. NOTICE ALL THE MARKS ON THE PLATFORM...
...FROM WHICH A LOT CAN BE LEARNED. DARK BLUE INDICATES WHERE CAR #1, OF A TEN CAR LONG TRAIN WILL STOP. THE LIGHT BLUE ALSO INDICATES WHERE CAR #1 OF A "SPECIAL" TRAIN WILL STOP. AND THE GREEN WHERE IT WILL ON A LIMITED EXPRESS. NOTE THAT THIS NOTE HAS ENGLISH, ASSUMING ENGLISH SPEAKING FOLKS TAKE ONLY THE FAST TRAINS....
FROM TOKYO, IT WAS A HIGH-SPEED "SHINKANSEN" ('NEW TRUNK LINE) TRAIN. ITS LONG SNOUT WAS CREATED AS A WAY TO LESSEN THE COMPRESSED AIR IMPACT CAUSED WHEN ENTERING TUNNELS OR MEETING ANOTHER TRAIN MOVING AT HIGH SPEEDS.
INTERIORS ARE CONSIDERABLY MORE COMFORTABLE THAN AIRCRAFT ECONOMY SECTIONS. INSEAT SCREENS ARE LARGER TOO! THE WELCOME SCREEN IS BI-LINGUAL WITH AN ILLUSTRATION OF THE TRAIN'S CONSIST.
NORIKO YANADA AND I TAUGHT AT THE SAME SCHOOL IN DATONG, SHANXI, CHINA IN 1994-1995, AND ALTHOUGH WE HAVE REMAINED IN TOUCH, THIS IS ONLY THE SECOND TIME TO VISIT HER IN ICHINOSEKI.
HER HOUSE IS RATHER LARGE, WITH...
...AN ESTABLISHED GARDEN...ALL OF WHICH, SHE SAYS WEARILY, REQUIRES A LOT OF MAINTENANCE.
AS DOES THE SHINTO SHRINE.
BUILDING MAINTENANCE LEADS TO A MISH-MASH OF COMPONENTS...WINDOWS, WALL SURFACES, SMALL ROOFS VARY. THE ONLY CONSTANT IS THE LARGE TILE ROOF.
A SURPRISING SIGHT WAS THESE INDIVIDUAL GRAVES. IT SEEMS FARMERS DESIRE TO BE PERPETUALLY NEAR THEIR HOMES AND FIELDS.
AUTUMN HARVEST IS A COMMUNAL ACTIVITY...HERE PICKING THAT LAST OF A SQUASH BED, AND REMOVING THE FRAMEWORK WHICH SHELTERED IT DURING THE HOT SUMMER SEASON.
NORIKO PLANNED A NIGHT AT A HOT SPRINGS HOTEL IN HIRAIZUMI, WHICH IS FAMOUS FOR THE GARDEN AT MOTSU-JI. A TENDAI BUDDHIST TEMPLE, IT WAS FOUNDED IN THE NINTH CENTURY AND ROSE AND FELL WITH THE TIDES OF MAN-MADE AND NATURAL DISASTERS, BECOMING COMPLETLY DESTROYED BY THE 12TH CENTURY. ITS LARGE POND "PURE LAND BUDDHISM" GARDEN, AND THE FOUNDATIONS OF BUILDINGS, ARE OBJECTS OF ON-GOING ARCHAEOLOGICAL INTEREST OF THE HEIAN ERA.
OF COURSE THERE ARE ON-GOING MAINTENANCE TASKS HERE AS WELL.
