Kokura Castle in Kitakyushu, Japan
September 22nd, 2009
These are photographs I took last weekend at Kokura Castle in downtown Kitakyushu (my city here in Japan). It is a really interesting place with a museum, a decent amount of grounds to explore with great photo ops, a traditional Japanese garden, and a memorial museum too. Directly next to Riverwalk shopping center, Kokura Castle is definitely a highlight if visiting Kitakyushu.
Categories: Japan, Kitakyushu, Kyushu Island, Photography, Video
Hope the loneliness passes dude, it always has for me. Though I didn’t make the commitment to live in Japan the 3 months on the road there didn’t leave much room for making long term friends. But no-one is further away than a Skype call, and if you talk to people back home you’ll quickly realise just how awesome it is being emerged another culture.
Hey I also went that weekend to Kokura, it is a great place, also the market and nearby shopping areas are nice. I also liked a lot the view from the top of Riverwalk Mall (which also has a nice architecture).
As for the loneliness this is just my second week in Japan, but as a ryugakusei (overseas exchange student) it is a little bit different. Students can speak a little more english than the average Japanese and they are more open minded. Btw, I live in the ward of Yahatanishi. I also left you a msg on facebook.
Oh and great photos!
Unfortunately finding friends is not easy. As you wrote, most of Japanese are shy and reserved, many of them feel isolated as well. There is a reason why so many Japanese commit suicide. Also Japanese who like to talk to Gaijins are usually ones who love Gaijins. They see you as a catalogue of the glamorous western cultures, not as a person. You have to be able to speak Japanese close to the native level if you really want to make friends with more regular kinds, which takes time. So use Skype to talk to your friends back home or other ALTs in Japan, it helps. And also join some local activities like a music group or a sports team, or take some class of an adult school. Well, I guess that’s what people do anywhere to meet people. After you finish your school, it takes an effort to meet people unless you are a very social person. Good luck!
You have some lovely pictures there!
very nice photos, homosapien
I can totally sympathize with the loneliness deal. While Taylor has lots of English speakers, 98 percent of all my homies are all long gone (you included) and I’m living 11 hours away from the old lady. So it’s weird coming back when the place you remember isn’t really like what you remember. You have it worse, but nonetheless, I feel you.
At any rate, great pics this week man. Always look forward to seeing a new post.