Today was the beginning of our first and (unfortunately) only weekend with our host families. My host family, like quite a few others, decided to bring me to Miyajima. Miyajima is an island that is home to a Shinto shrine that can be seen on pretty much anything that is Japan related.
Look familiar?
It was amazing in person. A lot bigger than I imagined. Even cooler, when the tide is out you can walk up to it.
(The girl in the black jacket is my host sister, and those girls to the left are her little sister and her cousin). There was a lot more to the island than a shrine, though. We were fortunate enough to be there during the oyster festival, which is a bit different than the one we hold in Norwalk. For starters, they actually go to the oyster festival with the intent to eat oysters. Actually, that’s the only reason to be at the oyster festival. There were no rides or games or anything (and not a beer tent in sight). Just oysters. Which is unfortunate because I’m not very much a fan of oysters. Luckily, Miyajima happens to be known for another amazing food.
I present to you Momiji Manjuu (もみじ まんじゅう). They are soft cakes filled with anything from custard to a green tea filling. Traditionally, they are filled with sweet bean paste. These happen to be fried, but usually Momiji Manjuu aren’t fried. They’re baked like a cake and filled. They’re amazing. Great. Phenomenal. An all around good time. Fantastic. すごい. 10/10 fun for the whole family.
The island (being the tourist attraction it is) also features many souvenir shops and restaurants. The storefronts line a covered street. It was one of the most fun shopping experiences I’ve ever had.
What? You don’t think this island is cool yet? You’re telling yourself “Ah, so what there’s some shrine and some type of cake thing. That’s nothing special.” Alright. I get it. You need convincing. Well, what if I told you there were super tame deer all over this island?
That’s right, you can reach right out and touch them. I didn’t though that’s disgusting. They’re wild animals who knows what they’ve been up to. But, you could.
Still not impressed? There’s an aquarium too.
I rest my case.
And (because this blog isn’t already too long or anything), I wanted to note Japan’s obsession with baseball. Everywhere I turn, I see baseball. There’s billboards and entire restaurants and packaged food and baseball caps on so many people - and it’s the offseason. I’ve seen people on the news wearing baseball jerseys on multiple occasions, and much of the school we go to sports (heh) baseball merchandise including pens, blankets, backpacks, hats, pencil cases, and erasers. There’s even baseball posters on the walls at school. I would love for us to have baseball posters at school. I’d even tolerate Yankee posters on the wall.
Here are all of the baseball incidents I have taken pictures of
(sorry for the poor picture quality. I was zooming in over some lady’s head). This is an entire store dedicated to the Tokyo Giants right in Tokyo Haneda Airport! Now, I understand that the Tokyo Giants are the most successful and popular baseball team in Japan (they’re pretty much the Yankees of Japan), but I don’t think there’s a whole store dedicated to the Yankees in JFK.
A framed and signed Kenta Maeda jersey in a department store in Hiroshima. Turns out Maeda was a star pitcher on the Hiroshima Carp before he signed with the Dodgers. When I say I like baseball, “do you know Kenta Maeda?” is pretty much a guaranteed follow up question.
A whole display of Hiroshima Carp themes food at a grocery store, and there were 3 (yes, three) more displays like this one.
A billboard at the baggage claim in the Hiroshima airport. I would love to translate it for you, but that’s beyond my Japanese abilities. I would guess it probably has something to do with season tickets.
A billboard in dowtown Hiroshima.
A performance at the oyster festival in Miyajima. I’m not sure if you can see, but those girls are wearing Carp jerseys.
I can’t tell if the prevalence comes from true love, a phenomenal marketing system, or some combination of both. But either way I love it! Honestly for a country that likes to call baseball it’s national pastime, America needs to step up its game. I want to get my news from a guy wearing a Mets jersey real soon.
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