Thanks for this write-up and those beautiful photos! It’s so nice to see the Japan of yesteryear – like taking a walk back in time. I’ve been there a few times myself and these pictures only make me want to go again!

my reply =

# JustMeMike Says:
November 26th, 2008 at 8:22 pm e

The small town of Miyajima is indeed a national treasure. In my view it was very picturesque and delightful. On the train to Miyajima-guchi I found myself sitting next to an elderly Japanese woman. She was nicely dressed. We sat peacefully for a while. I guess she instantly knew I was a foreigner and my camera was a clear-cut signal of the tourst. She spoke no English, and my Japanese is far less than sukoshi, pronounced scoshi and means ‘just a little’.

But when she did speak to me, I did pick up on the end of a sentence – Miyajima des ka? I figured she was asking me if I was going to Miyajima. I mean this was a small 4 car train on a commuter line that was running through Hiroshima to the coast which was south of Hiroshima. I didn’t look like a local resident going home from a day at the office. WHere else would I be going to on this train? But I didn’t say that, instead I said “Hai“. Which means yes.

And when we got to Miyajima-guchi, my destination, she politely signalled me that I should exit the train. Arigato gozaimas, I said. Thank you. Then I said Ja ne, which is a short way of saying, Goodbye, see you later. Far less formal than Sayonara.

Yes, she was old enough to have been born either during WWII or just after.
So yes, old Japan still is alive and well.

Thanks for the readership and thanks for the comment, Lee. Happy Thanksgiving to you.

jmm