Concert at Kyusyu Lutheran College - Clara Davidson

After a fantastic first night with our Kumamoto host families, we all gathered back together at Kyusyu Lutheran College.  This is where we would have our first of three concerts today.  This college was originally established as an all girls high school in 1926, but in 1997, it switched to become a four-year college for both men and women.  Kyusyu Lutheran College is one of the two colleges that is affiliated with the Japan Evangelical Lutheran Church.  

When we first got to this college, we attended their chapel service with some of the students.  It was pretty similar to the 15 minute chapel services we have at Wartburg College, except for the fact that this service was all in Japanese.  I think it's safe to say that the large majority of us have no idea what the message was about.  I thought it was interesting to see something that was familiar to us, yet in a completely different language.  The most difficult part about this service was the fact that they gave us song sheets to sing along, but they were written with Japanese characters.  We couldn't even sound words out, but we were able to hum along.  

The chapel area was also the space in which we would be playing our concert.  It was really beautiful with the stained glass and the big windows along the sides that brought in plenty of the sunlight.  However, the space was limited for this performance.  As you can tell from the picture, the percussionists had to stand in front of the stage instead of behind the last row where they are normally found. 

 

This space was perfect for songs like Song from County Derry and Near My God to Thee.  These slower pieces filled the room, which helped the songs to soar.  During Semper Fideles, our song that features the trumpets, they all went out into the audience to play their memorized part of the song.  It was so cool to see the reactions of the audience, and they really loved this interaction with us.

This concert was especially fun because there was a whole group of kindergarteners who came to listen to us play.  They were all so energetic and eager to hear us play.  It was fun to have such a young and lively audience there to listen to us play.  

 

 

For many of us seniors, this was one of our final concerts with the WCCB, and for all of us it was one of our final concerts as the 2012-13 WCCB Wind Ensemble.  It is definitely surreal how fast this year has gone.  I have loved making music with these people everyday, and I feel blessed to have had the privilege to travel with the WCCB across China and Japan this May Term.  This past month has been one heck of an adventure, and we are all looking forward to coming home in only a few more days to see all of our families and friends!

See you all soon!

Clara

Kumamoto: sites, food, and hosts - Sarah Wickett

Today was our first whole day in Kumamoto. So far it has been a fantastic city! The weather here is hot, but the city itself is beautiful–it has many trees and is constantly moving and thriving with its people, cars, and city buses. It certainly is a long way from Iowa, but is full of the same smiles and cheerful greetings.

One of the city's attractions is the Kumamoto Castle. The castle was built as early as the 1600s by Kato Kiyomasa, and now thirteen undamaged structures in the castle have been desginated as Important Cultural Property. It is one of the three premiere castles in Japan, and is an important part of Kumamoto (information from Wikipedia). On the way to Kyusyu Lutheran College, where we played a concert, my host family was kind enough to take my roommate and I to see the castle. We only stopped for a few minutes, but it was long enough to take a few pictures and admire the castle's unique structure. I loved being able to share that moment with my host family–it was great that we could see a part of their culture with them, and that we could take that photo together.

Our host family has been just wonderful. Last night they served us great Japanese food for dinner. We had "somen," which were white, thin noodles served on ice. We ate them by dipping them in a thin brown sauce that tasted like a mild soy sauce. In Japan, this is a tradition summer dish, and we both enjoyed it a lot. Another dish we had was specific to Kumamoto–it was a soup called "dahgo suru." It has vegetables and doughy, dumpling-like pieces inside a broth that tastes similar to our chicken noodle soup's broth. It was also very tasty. It was really interesting to see both Japanese and Kumamoto dishes, and both were very good.

The conversation at the dinner table was even better than the food. Although our hosts don't speak much English, we were still able to communicate with gestures, re-wordings, and their Japanese-English  dictionary. We tried to teach them to say words like "Europe," "volunteer," and "thank-you"–these are difficult to say since the Japanese language doesn't have the same sounds as English does. It was so fun to communicate and laugh togetehr about the language! Not knowing the language almost made it better–we could laugh at things more easily and laugh in delight when we understood each other. Every word was precious, and together we helped each other understand not just the words, but also our lives and hearts.

Kumamoto also has a type of mascot–his name is Kumamon ("Coo-ma-mone"), and he is a cute panda bear. At dinner last night, our host family presented us each with a small Kumamon bear keychain. They also showed us their Kumamon–when you turned him on, he would repeat everything you said. It was very fun because as soon as he repeated something, we would all laugh, and then Kumamon would laugh too. It was so cool that Kumamon could repeat everything we said, even though he is from Japan and we are from America. The laughter was the best part–no matter where people are from, we all laugh the same–even panda bears like Kumamon.

Hiroshima and Free Activity -Emily Hogan

The bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki during the final stages of World War II are well known. 

Within the first two to four months of the bombings, the acute effects killed 90,000–166,000 people in Hiroshima and 60,000–80,000 in Nagasaki, with roughly half of the deaths in each city occurring on the first day. The Hiroshima prefecture health department estimated that, of the people who died on the day of the explosion, 60% died from flash or flame burns, 30% from falling debris and 10% from other causes.  During the following months, large numbers died from the effect of burns, radiation sickness, and other injuries.  In both cities, the vast majority of the casualties were civilians.

Japan surrendered 6 days later on August 15, 1945.  The ethical role of the bombings and nuclear warfare are still debated.

The city of Hiroshima itself also has an interesting history aside from the second world war.  Hiroshima has been a city since 1889 and is the capitol of the Hiroshima prefecture.  The city's name means "wide island" in Japanese.  The city was founded in the Sengoku period in 1593 as a village by the warlord Terumoto.

During the Great War, Hiroshima became an important military location as Japan joined the allies and housed German prisoners of war.  This standing as a strong military base which began in World War I led to the United States Air Force targeting Hiroshima for the atomic attack in World War II.

www.lclark.edu/~history/HIROSHIMA/‎

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www.pcf.city.hiroshima.jp/index_e2.htm

During my free morning in Hiroshima we returned to the Memorial Peace Park that we also saw briefly the day before.  Experiencing the Memorial site was truly one of the most moving places I have ever been too.  A different blog entry has covered the park itself and the museum, but I will talk more about experiencing the Memorial Park on a individual basis.  Being able to go back to the park and museum for an unguided tour in smaller numbers allowed me to really reflect on a personal level.



I found it really interesting that the site and museum are both momuments to remember those who lost their lives on the August 6, 1945 bombing and also I call to World Peace.  The openness of the park made me feel almost hauntinlgy aware of the devestation.  That openness combined with the portions of the museum dedicated to ending nuclear warfare caused me to feel almost angered that it was mly own nation that chose to evoke such destruction and suffering.

Portions of the museum and plaques around the park called attention to the devestation caused by this atomic bomb, also calling specific attention to the United States Air Force's military decision to make the attack.  I did find it interesting that one specific room of the museum was a type of history lesson.  This section was a reminder that Japan has also caused many other nations and people's harm during war times throughout history.  The nuclear bomb was a product of the evolution of war fare itself, and so World Peace needs to promote not only nuclear disarmament but also peaceful resolutions to conflict in general.

The somberness of the overall experience was like nothing I had ever experienced before.  I am truly greatful I had the opportunity to experience the Hiroshima bombing site while on this trip.

Hiroshima -Colton Thoreson

Colton Thoreson

Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park

Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park was created in Hiroshima’s city center as a memorial to the victims of the atomic bomb dropped there on August 6, 1945. The memorial park stands on the area that was the hypocenter of the blast, an area completely cleared of almost all standing structures and vegetation. The park was built in 1954 to memorialize the victims of the attack, of which there are up to 140,000, and to establish a memory of the horrors of nuclear warfare and to advocate for world peace. The park consists of a memorial cenotaph to the victims, which reads “Let all the souls here rest in peace, for we shall never repeat the error.” The “evil” refers to the evil that is warfare. Also included in the park are 6 gates of peace, which have the word peace written on them in 49 different languages, the peace flame, which has burned since 1964 and will continue to burn until all nuclear weapons are destroyed, and children’s peace monument, to which thousands of paper cranes are donated to in the memory of Sadako Sasaki, who folded paper cranes until she died at age 12 after she contracted leukemia from the radiation. She did this with the belief that whoever folds 1000 paper cranes will be granted one wish. Perhaps the most famous monument at the park is the A-bomb Dome, the remains of the building almost directly under the blast that remains standing to this day. A museum is located near the entrance of the park that preserves artifacts from the blast and serves to educate people of the horrors of nuclear warfare.

 

 

 

We entered the park by the gates of peace and made our way to the cenotaph. The park had a very sorrowful feel, and as such, the band was very quiet. It seemed that the park had an effect on everyone, and all wanted to show their respects. From the cenotaph, we made our way past the peace flame and towards the children’s monument. Our original intentions were to present the cranes we had folded earlier in the year at that time, but as our luggage had been moved ahead to the next town without us, we had to make arrangements to have them delivered there at a later time. Instead, we gathered as a group and sang “The Lord Bless You and Keep You.” It was an honor to sing at the monument and it felt incredibly right to sing at that time. Several members of the band had goosebumps and many had tears in their eyes. I, myself, had several times where I was almost to the point of tears while walking through the park. I would consider it as a sign of emotional maturity and another way of honoring the dead.

                        After we sang, we rang the peace bell there and proceeded on through the rest of the park. We stopped to look around when we came to the A-bomb Dome and saw the incredible destruction that the bomb had caused, and several of us stopped to reflect for a moment.

                After that, we moved on and entered the museum. Inside of the museum was many artifacts that had been destroyed or preserved from the bombing, and there was also sever models that showed the town center both before and after the bombing.

                Also in the museum was a world globe showing all of the current nuclear stockpiles, graphic images of the human damages a nuclear weapon can cause and, what I consider to be the strongest images of the museum, paintings of the horrors seen by some of the survivors. I feel it important that everyone is aware of these horrors, so some of the paintings, though graphic are included below.

    In all, this was an incredibly emotional experience for nearly every person in the band, and though it was incredibly tragic, I’m very glad to have had the experience. It most definitely changed the person that I am and changed my opinions on war and any type of violence, and I have a feeling that it did the same for many of my band-mates. The amount of respect that should be shown for the people who survived and rebuilt from such a horrific event caused by our country is immeasurable.

 

 

 

 

The Itsukushima Shrine -Liz McElligott

The Itsukushima Shrine is a Shinto Shrine in the Hiroshima Prefecture in Japan, most known for its “floating” Torii gate. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site and dates back to the 6^th century. The shrine has been destroyed several times over the course of history, but its current design dates back to the mid-16^th century. The Torii gate at Itsukushima Shrine is designated one of the Three Views of Japan and is an immensely popular tourist attraction.

During high tide, the shrine appears to float in the water. It was built on pier-like structures so that it would be separate from the sacred island, and only the truly devout would be able to cross to the shrine. Before the shrine was built, people on the mainland worshiped the great mountain on the island from afar, too much in awe to approach the island. However, eventually some ventured to the island to appreciate it religious significance. The only people allowed on the island used to be religious practitioners, but now it is open for other Japanese people to live, and for tourists to visit. At low tide, people can cross the sand to approach the gate. Many visitors place coins in the cracks of the legs of the gate and make wishes, or gather shellfish during low tide. Locals often use the shellfish they gathered to make miso soup for their evening meals.

The Itsukushima Shrine carries great religious significance to the people of Japan. It was dedicated to the three daughters of the Shinto deity of seas and storms. The island itself is also sacred, and over the course of history, commoners were not often allowed to set foot on the island. The Torii gate appears to float, which symbolizes the liminal space between the sacred world of the shrine and the profane world of the people on the island. In fact, to retain the purity of the shrine, no deaths or births have been allowed near the shrine since 1878. Pregnant women are required to leave the island for the mainland as delivery approaches, and the ill or elderly leave for hospitals on the mainland. There are also no burials allowed on the island.

The island itself, located in the Seto inland sea, has long been a holy place for the Shinto religion. The shrine today preserves the same ancient styles of traditional Shinto architecture, which features contrast in color and form between the mountains and the sea.

 

It was easy to understand why our guide called it the third most beautiful place in Japan. The shrine took up the main view of the front of the island, so we could see the floating gate from the ferry as we rode into the island.  We made it to the shrine in the middle of the day, so the tide was rising. Low tide was at 11:30am, and high tide would be at 6:00pm. Some of us had fun watching all the little crabs scurry around on the sand before the tide came in!

While walking around the shrine, we stumbled upon a dance ritual that was happening. We weren't allowed to take pictures, but it was really cool to watch. There was a dancer dressed up and a Gagaku Orchestra performing. It contained some traditional Japanese instruments, like a sho and a ryuteki, some flute instruments, and two different drums. The music was very different from Western style music but really interesting to listen to. It was really cool to see a ceremony being performed, even if we didn't understand what it was for. We've visited a lot of shrines but this is the first time I've seen groups there that weren't tourists. We had free time to look around, so lots of us took pictures in front of the torii gate with the beautiful sea in the background. I loved Miyajima Island and the Itsukushima Shrine, and I would definitely go back in a heartbeat if I ever have another opportunity!

 

Liz McElligott

Miyajima Island - Amanda Schares

Miyajima island is a small island less than an hour outside of Hiroshima city and is just a short ferry ride from the mainland.  Though actually named Itsukushima, it is more commonly called miyajima, which is japanese for shrine island. It is most famous for its giant tori gate which seems to float at high tide. Because of its many temples and shrines, the island is considered a very holy place. As such, women were not previously allowed on the island and the sick and elderly people were taken to the mainland to die. 

Miyajima island is full of mountains and forests and is fairly removed from the city, making it a nice change in pace. Numerous deer wander the streets  and are tame enough to pet. If you have food though, they will not leave you alone.  We were able to see then main shrine in the island and then have free time to explore on our own.  There were many different shops lining the narrow streets. You could find anything you would ever want, from green tea ice cream to hand painted glassware.  One thing that was prominent in many of the shops were wooden spatulas.  Miyajima is well known for rice scoops or spatulas and is the home of the worlds largest spatula.  This spatula can be seen along the main shopping street on the island. 

Miyajima island was wonderful to visit.  The island itself was beautiful, with flowers and trees everywhere.  The many shrines made the island a very serene place that would be great to visit at night.  As we have been spending a lot of time during this tour in big cities, it was very nice to go somewhere that was much smaller.  We could have easily spent a whole day there, exploring the mountains and relaxing on the beaches.  Miyajima island is very popular tourist destination so there were many people there when we were.  It would be amazing to go to the island at night when the big crowds of people are gone and all the lanterns are lit. I had a great time visiting the island and only wish we could have spent more time there! 

Kyoto-tally Cool!!! -Alex Valentine

First off, I’d like to give a shout out to Mrs. Valentine’s third grade class at La Grange Elementary School in Tomah, WI. Can’t wait to see you all soon! Next, I’d also like to say that this trip has just been wonderful. It’s going to be a sad day leaving this beautiful nation. Now, why don’t we get to the stuff you’re interested to hear about, Kyoto and the Bullet Train.

            After being dropped off by our host families at the train station, we got on a couple different trains, but the most exciting one was the Shinkansen, with the literal translation meaning ‘bullet train’. This amazing transportation system can travel up to 200 miles per hour! It usually leaves and arrives at train stations on time and to the very second. The first train began service on October 1st, 1964 for the Tokyo Olympics and went between Osaka and Tokyo. In 1975, Japan expanded this system to include Hiroshima and Fukuoka.

            During the train ride, we got a lot of really cool pictures only some of the time because it was moving so fast. What I loved about it though was when we passed another train. The sound and sight of the train next to us happened so quick it surprised me most of the time. I really can’t wait until the United States develops their bullet train.

 

            Our destination for the evening was Kyoto, which is a city with some pretty awesome history. Kyoto is in the Kyoto Prefecture of Japan and was actually a former imperial city from 794 BCE until 1869. It was also one city that was considered to be attacked by the atomic bomb in World War II. As a result of not being targeted, there are many buildings that have been designated as Unesco World Heritage sites in Kyoto. This city contains more than 2,000 shrines and temples and has over 30 million tourists annually.

            Once we got off the train, we traveled to three different attractions. We saw the Golden Pavilion, Nijo Castle and the Kiyomizu Temple. You’ll learn more about those places in later posts, but what I will say is that it was really cool getting to see so much of ancient Japan in one place. Kyoto is to Japan what Xi’an is to China, the one place that holds pretty much all of the culture of the country.

            After the temple, we traveled to the hotel and got the rest of the night to ourselves. A group of friends and I decided to walk to the Nintendo building, seeing as it was only twenty minutes away. On our walk, we found an Udon noodle place and it was de-li-cious!! We finished there and kept walking toward our final destination. It was so cool seeing the headquarters of the company that has the number one selling game franchise in the world (It’s Mario if you didn’t know). Once we finished there, we took another route back and found the mall right behind our hotel and wandered around there for a bit.

 

               I went to bed after the mall since it was such a long day. Kyoto is a wonderful city with many cultural aspects that I would just love to explore. The view from the temple was amazing and getting to see only three of the cultural heritage sites was not enough for me. I would have loved another day or afternoon even to just explore that amazing and historical city. But, as it would happen, we have more places to explore with just as much culture and wonder waiting to be discovered.

 

                                                                                                                        -Alex Valentine