Calm Hills

Shizuoka, Japan

 

The city of Shizuoka is quite old; dating back to civilizations settled in prehistoric times.  Since then though, it has adapted and evolved into what it is today.  And even though it may not have all the hustle, bustle of Tokyo, or the iconic scenery of Kyoto, Shizuoka has green tea and its’ still, calm hills to make its’ claim to fame.  

 

Aside from the tranquility that is ensued, it is still a city however; a nice little escape is Miho Beach.  Also, known as Miho-no-Matsubara meaning Miho Pine Grove.  This beach takes about an hour to get to outside the heart of the city and is surrounded by 30,000 pine trees.  But the pine trees aren’t the only things that make this beach unique.  The beach itself is composed of black volcanic sand that once flowed from Mount Fuji and the three volcanoes that make the mountain itself.  

 

However, heading back to the city, we were quite a distance away from any disturbance in Mother Nature that may arise.  So, we ventured out to see what we could find.  

 

It was off to Round 1 for some bowling, table tennis, and arcade games! 

 

And while our time here is winding down there was still a lot to learn and experience.  

 

For one, it is definitely a country where you wanted to get your nails done if you have a chance.  They take so much time, the salons are so clean, and they even offer you tea after!  

 

Also, if you are ever board and go for a walk, you are sure to find multiple places to play darts, sing karaoke, play slot machines and even play arcade games.  Ferris wheels cover the country as well.  

 

However, no matter where you go, if you are here in the summer, its bound to be really hot and humid with a lack of the use of air conditioning.  And also know that no matter where you go, there are gong to be about 50 other people trying to go there too.  The streets are never empty and you are always running into someone.  You won’t ever be alone on a walk.  

 

Speaking of which, one of the reasons why the country is so safe probably contributes to the fact that children as young as first grade are responsible for getting themselves to school on their own.  They take trains and walk through the city without any guidance from their parents.  Their school days also start at 8 AM and don’t finish until about 4 PM, six days a week.  

 

It’s amazing to see how certain things are so different from country to country.  

 

For one, the language is definitely not one that is easily understood.  Not only does it very from region to region, but there are three different Japanese alphabets.  So even if you are from Japan, the person you may be trying to talk may not understand what you are saying, making it nearly impossible for us to even attempt to understand anything.  That being said, it’s almost a must to make sure that you have the Google Translate application.  It will definitely make communicating a lot easier. 

 

Picking up a few words here and there now and being able to say short greetings is nice, but I think it would take a while before I would be able to understand anything more without playing charades in a conversation.   However, with two weeks left we will see what happens; its off to Disney Sea for now and Saitama!