Battosai Manslayer

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Originally uploaded by OmegaBlake.

I don't know what they were expecting when they gave a foreigner with only 2 weeks Kendo/Iiado experience (over 5 years ago) a sword, but this is a picture of me doing my best.

I learned the simple kata by watching the students, though it took me a while to get the sword back in it's sheath.

Anjo Gakuen Kendo club

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Originally uploaded by OmegaBlake.

To cut a long story short, the Anjo City Council decided I lacked 'The Samurai Spirit.' As such, I was invited to a training session of the Anjo Highschool Kendo club. I had a fun time, even though I wasn't expecting them to lend me some gear so I could practice with them.

High Tide near Dusk

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Originally uploaded by OmegaBlake.

An hour before I took this photo, people were playing where the water is now. Many innocent tourist lives were lost beneath the sea.

ALL HAIL DAGON!

Ben vs the MegaMac

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Originally uploaded by OmegaBlake.

Ben eating a MegaMac (which is essentially two Big Macs stacked on top of each other) at McDonalds in Hiroshima.

Who is consuming who I ask? Who is consuming who?

Miyajima

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Originally uploaded by OmegaBlake.

A shrine built to Dagon, the King Under the Waves no doubt

Kiyo Mizu Dera Super Fun Happy Friendship Sunshine

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Originally uploaded by OmegaBlake.

I've been here too long... I've been here too long....

Dog on Hat

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Originally uploaded by OmegaBlake.

I saw this guy walking around Kiyo Mizu Dera. He and his wife kindly allowed me to take a photo of them with Robin-chan (on the top) and Rusk (lower left corner)

Yay!!!

Well, I have several hundred pictures to upload to the Internet as well as some interesting videos for You Tube. But of course I've left my camera cable at home, so you're not getting anything tonight I'm afraid.

What have I been up to since my last post, you ask? I, along with my comrades-in-arms Ben and Emma, have brought Japan to its knees in an epic 4-day odyssey spanning from Nagoya to Hiroshima. There were some accidents and misfortunes along the way- most notably, Ben got swarmed by a bunch of old Japanese ladies on a bus in Kyoto, but overall we returned victorious, bearing many spices and treasures from around the Horn the likes of which have never been seen.

It began on Saturday. I arrived at Central Air Airport to pick up my mates. It was easy to spot them, being that even Emma towered above the surrounding Japanese. After sedating them, I took them back to Anjo and left them to get some sleep while I went out to teach English and earn a few hard-earned Yen. The next day we took the Hikari Shinkansen to Hiroshima, which took a long time and cost me a small vital organ to buy a ticket. After dropping our bags off at the hotel, we took a smaller, less comfortable train to Miyajima, a holy island where the deer are free to roam the streets and molest tourists at will. The main attraction of Miyajima is the floating Torri out in the bay. We saw it at high tide and low, and I can appreciate why it is considered one of the best views in Japan.

The next day we went to Himeji, which is one of the oldest castles in Japan that has yet to be burned down. The weather wasn't the greatest, but we made the best of it. There were still a few cherry blossoms scattered throughout the grounds, and the castle is always worth a visit. Afterwards we went to Osaka, where I introduced them to the fine and venerable Japanese art of karaoke. This was probably the best part of the trip for me, personally.

The next day we went to Kyoto, where we stayed at a traditional Japanese Inn (which was not built for someone of Ben's size, I should add). We hired some bikes and rode around town (nearly killing two unhealthy bastards who shall remain nameless in the process) They really enjoyed the temples and shrines of Kyoto, so much so that we decided to stay there another day rather than go to Nara. On the second day we also got some shopping down in Terrimachi, a shopping mall full of old temples (including one in which Oda Nodabunga committed suicide). That night we travelled back to Nagoya and settled into my place for my mate's last night in Japan.

All in all, it was an awesome holiday. I'm feeling pretty homesick now that they're gone, but that was to be expected :-(

Trip highlights:

When we made the deer cry
Ben trying to consume the McDonalds Megamac (or was it the Megamac that consumed him?)
Trying to get Emma out of various clothes stores in Kyoto
Karaoke night
Having people around me who made me look a little saner
The whole 'Yayy' and 'Mortal Kombat' thing we had going

-Blake

(Photos forthcoming)

Hazu Onsen by Ure River

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Originally uploaded by OmegaBlake.

Very beautiful place to spend the weekend. More details to follow

This is how you eat Japanese food

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Originally uploaded by OmegaBlake.

I only manage to get good photos of Tsuna when she isn't looking. Very cute though

This isn't

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Originally uploaded by OmegaBlake.

Chopped... sticks...?

Cherry Blossoms

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Originally uploaded by OmegaBlake.

One of the few times of the year that urban Japan looks pretty