A postcard from Toyama Castle, Japan

Toyama Castle - southern ramp

I've shot through Toyama city several times on the shinkansen, in a rush to get somewhere further west - Kanazawa for a training session or exploring the full extent of the Hokuriku line down to Tsugura, without getting off to explore. I also used to drive to Kanazawa for work, but again, always in a rush (or taking the scenice route through Gifu instead).

Dedicated effort this summer break to take a slow look around the castle & city centre!

I have to admit there's 'not a lot to the castle'...it was flattened/burnt to the ground towards the end of the war in 1945 (Aug 2nd). The grounds remain, with the basic outline of the domain but only one small, rebuilt tower on the south side.This reinforced concrete 'reconstruction', on the site of the Honmaru Kurogane-mon, was completed in 1954; there's a hint of a gateway that would have crossed the inner moat. It looks like the moat, as in many other castle cities, was filled-in & re-used as a tramway & or main road. The north side of the domain does feature a lovely river as part of the defences (even offering short river cruises under the cherry blossoms I assume), but again, as usual, post war corporate/local government construction within the larger grounds is incongruous. 

Toyama castle's extant moat

Nothing much has been done around the keep - a nice open park - but pretty hard to take a nice photo of the 'castle' without a hotel in the immediate background or a stupid clock in the foreground!

Lonely concrete keep

Unfortunately this castle lacks a wow factor - but I did instead fall for the trams...more about them in a post coming soon...cities with tram networks are really cool, in my opinion!

Full history here

Postcard from - Shenzhen, China

 Hi Jim sensei,

I came to Shenzhen, China for a short business trip. I stayed here for three nights and had three appointments.

My passport will be expired in a year, so this will be my last trip with the current passport. I had lots of trip with good memories!

Tomoko

Postcard from the end of the line; O Shi station in Gunma

 

I found a rather unusual station in Golden Week, in Gunma - near Kusatsu onsen. It is no longer in use (it closed in 1971). However, it is still interesting!

The building behind the platform sign used to be three storeys high, into which iron ore was dumped from the local mine. Then, it was loaded into the wagons below, to be transported down the line through Naganohara for processing. 

There is some old rolling stock & the platform has been restored - there are no trains running now. Obsessives can get their stamps, and memorabilia in the quaint little museum which used to be the ticket office, with some really cheap prices for tickets to Niigata or Yokohama! There are some great black & white photos on display too.

I really liked this chance to see some of rural Japan's industrial past - before it gets too hot this summer!

Postcard from Canton, China

Hi Jim sensei,

I am on the business trip to China with Tomoko from April 12 to 16.

This photo when we went to Canton Fair on April 15 and had lunch there. There were a lot of people from various coutries!

See you again in the class.

Thanks! Chinatsu & Tomoko

 

Postcard from Taipei, Taiwan

 Dear Jim-sensei,

Happy New Year!

I had been Taipei in New Year's Day. It was very nice place, people and food than I expected!! I'd like to visit again :)

I hope you will have a great year 2026

Nene

Postcard from Ariake Sea - Floating Torii Gates of Ouo Shrine, Saga, Kyushu

Floating Torii Gates of Ouo

When I was thinking about extending my little trip around Kyushu, I happened to notice this little spot onthe map as I was looking at local train routes...and I thought OK, maybe, if I have time. The Floating Torii Gates of Ouo Shrine.

Ariaki Sea, beyond the torii

As you can see, it was a really good choice to find the time, catch the late afternoon light, and make the10-minute walk from Tara station (Nagasaki Line) to these magnificent torii, that stand into the tidal Ariaki Sea; at low tide I could slip & slide along the 'undersea road' and crunch across the oyster beds as well.

Oysters & Asahi :)

The view was gorgeous, oyster farms & the Kumamoto coastline yonder. The torii themselves glorious in their bright red livery. And time to kill for the next train south = delicious deep fried oysters & a well-earned beer!

Postcard from Takeo Onsen, Saga, Fukuoka

Takeo station

 A quick 'hello' from western Saga - I got the train here from Tosu, via a walkabout in Saga to find the castle there (details about that detour soon!), and arrived after dark. Unfortunately I had a lot of work to do in my hotel after a Cambridge session, but did manage to finish in time to see the famous onsen's gate ('mon') lit up before it closed. 

I enjoyed a late onsen at the hotel, with a view over the town from the 10th floor...and an early start next morning meant I could bathe in the real onsen as well, before catching my bus to Yutoku Inari Shrine (again, another postcard owing!).

Sakura mon (gate) Takeo onsen

Kanji isn't my strong suit, nor vending machine ticket dispensers, but I ended up in the super hot Motoyu pool - 45.5 degrees hot enough to inflict actual pain! Water itself  'smooth' and very refreshing with its sodium bicarbonate content.

I wish I'd had more time (or actually a car!) to explore the area better, but this glimpse was well worth the trip!

lucky dip

Postcard from Napa Valley, California USA

 Hi Jim,

I am in Napa!!

I managed to grab a postcard while I'm drunken!

Sorry for this messy message!

Postcard from O'Hare airport, Chicago USA

 Hi Jim sensei,

During the past two weeks, I traveled a lot. The first week in Shanghai and the second week in Chicago. It was still warm in Shanghai while it was freezing cold in Chicago (It snowed the day before we arrived!). 

I enjoyed the local foods and would like to share some pictures here :)

Tomoko

Postcard from - Asama Onsen, Matsumoto, Japan

This was a lot of fun!

In all the years (decades) I've lived up here in Central (and rural) Japan, I've always managed to miss this really cool, really local, really smoky festival. Stupid me!

The Taimatsu Festival is a really traditional festival through the narrow streets of Asama Onsen, nestled above Matsumoto city. Local groups/clubs/businesses/neighbourhoods drag/haul/carry or wheel their huge straw bundles up the hill to Jinguji Shrine - usually utterly deserted & unvisited...I don't think I've ever been up this particular little hill myself.

Faces blackened with soot, straw bales kindled & fanned into life, and the air full of encouraging taiko drum beats - and welcomed to the destination bonfire beside the shrine by the firefighters' bugles!

The usual matsuri yatai selling takoyaki, grilled squid, okonomiyaki etc + less traditional 'doner' kebabs (sic), and the chance to bump into ex-students in the dark...sights & sounds of the lesser travelled parts of Japan well-worth discovering & exploring, photographing & enjoying. 

My photographer advice = come early, scope out a decent perch or two - a small pair of steps will give you excellent above head-height vantages. And walk about, talk to folks, get fun-groupies - this yomp up the hill stops every couple of minutes - migrate down the hill & 'do' a different group at each rest stop. Forget the fireworks though - a distraction. Once a year this shrine is the focus - grab a free sake and enjoy the buzz. Let the town come to you on a lovely autumn night!

Postcard from Otaru, Hokkaido, Japan

View from Otaru Station

 A very quick side-trip to the lovely (touristy, usually?) & historic port of Otaru, just west of Sapporo. I was already going to be in Sapooro for work over the weekend, so what's another little train trip?!

19th century western influence immediately obvious around the canal (not many of these in Japan that are not actually moats), with stone warehouses & factories I guess, as well as remanants of Hokkaido's first railroad (to haul coal to the port, I think - sorry, not a planned trip but a whim!).

Charming unrushed feel to the place - a lovely sunset over the old dockyard...some yakuza having some sort of ceremony stylishly in a car park...tourists jostling to get into a 50m boat cruise along aforementioned canal!

Canal cruises - not ocean going!

Had to go for seafood - sushi & tempura - after sundowners in a German-style "beer garden" - my size of steins for once!

Shrimp tempura - divine!

Postcard from Berlin, Germany

 Dear Jim sensei,

It is sunny with clear blue sky in Berlin. This must be the best season to visit here. Not too cold, not too hot...just comfortable!

We came here for usiness, but we had chances to visit many famous places like Brandenburg Gate and East side gallery.

We walked around everyday, as our phone told us it's over 18,000 steps per day! We believe we became healthier during our stay in Berlin.

Ritsuko and Tomoko

Postcard from Kintaikyo, Yamaguchi pref., Japan

Hi everybody at Luna,

Magnificent Kintaikyo Bridge

I had a long train journey and I wanted to break it up with a scenic detour - and take another train and a local bus! 

This famous medieval bridge has been on my photographic bucket list for a long time, and I couldn't go past it yet again without stopping by.

Kintaikyo Bridge is a remarkable structure, first contructed in 1673 to replace previous spans across the Nishiki river. Several had been washed away, as indeed was this one in 1950 by typhoon flooding...and it was painstakingly rebuilt to its original design three years later (and subsequently restored 2001-3).

Stone paving & pillars, wooden arches

It truly blends into its surroundings, steep wooden arches atop stone paving & pillars - phenomenal engineering & craftsmanship, intiated by Hiroyoshi Kikkawa (3rd lord of Iwakuni domain).

Dimensions? 210m long along the arch; 193.3m in a straight line. 5m wide, sitting on pillars 6.64m high.

I think you'll agree it's uniquely beautiful, and well worth a detour if you are in the Hiroshima region!

(Thank you Kazumi for teaching my classes - I'm sure I wasn't missed!)

Postcard from...Bristol, England

Dear Luna International,

I'm studying English in Bristol now. My dormitory is called ....It is okay, bu there are a few problems. My classmates are very kind, but communicating in English is difficult for me.

My teacher is called Thomas. his class is easy to understand for me. He is a very good teacher.

The food in England isn't so delicious. I miss Japanese food.

The United Kingdom is very beautiful. I went to Cardiff, Bath, and Thorpe Park. Also, I did sightseeing in Bristol. It was very fun.

The weather is nice here. It's not hot and comfortable. I'm happy here.

See you in Japan,

Miyu

Postcard from - readers in China!

Hello Jim sensei!

Yumi & I have been in China factory this week. We've been busy for the meeting everyday. The Chinese that Yumi learned is "Ming Pai Ra"

See you next class :)

Graded readers on tour!

 

Postcard from Oxford, England

 

Hi :)

It's already been almost three weeks since I arrived in Oxford!

For now, I'm doing well here (though I had been having a sore throat!).

I don't feel improving my English skill, but I'm going to keep studying hard!

I'll send you another postcard later.

Mitsuna

Postcard from Sydney, Australia

 

Hi everyone at Luna!

I arrived in Sydney in the middle of winter, but the weather is beautiful! I stayed near the fabulous Harbour Bridge in a traditional little hotel above a pub...perfect!

I took a ferry to Manly, across the harbour and had delicious fish & chips on the beach. The view of the Opera House from the boat was magnificent!

I'm going to see a rugby match tonight, then travel south to see my brother's family. hope you are not missing me too much?

Jim

Postcard from...Taipei, Taiwan

 

Hi! Jim!

I'm visiting Taiwan, just two days.

Taiwan like Japan, so I can't feel like travelling abroad.

But, Taiwanese food is delicious and quite different from japanese foods, so I'm enjoying to eat!

See you next class!

Makiko  :)

Postcard from Chicago, USA

Jim sensei,

Hello from Chicago!

Chinatsu and I had a business trip to the US. On Sunday afternoon we walked around Chicago downtown and took many beautiful pictures. We enjoyed American food with locally brewed beer. We will make efforts to improve our English so that we can communicate with our customers more fluently!

Chinatsu & Tomoko

 

Postcard from the tropical rainforest - Malaysia

 Hello, Jim :)

How are you?

I'm enjoying my life!

I'm going back to Japan February 17th

See you in the next lesson :)

From Sachiko