Conversation

Notices

1. Bernie (codewiz@mstdn.io)'s status on Saturday, 03-Jun-2023 07:56:02 UTC Bernie

   Arriving in Japan ⛩️

   • Bernie (codewiz@mstdn.io)'s status on Saturday, 03-Jun-2023 08:03:08 UTC Bernie

     in reply to

     This time I'm headed to Shikoku (四国). It's one of the four main islands of #Japan, the only one I haven't been to.

   • Bernie (codewiz@mstdn.io)'s status on Saturday, 03-Jun-2023 09:11:14 UTC Bernie

     in reply to

     My favorite tourist guide recommends visiting Ritsurin Garden, Shikoku Mura and the island of Naoshima 🤩

     #Japan #Shikoku #ChatGPT

   • Bernie (codewiz@mstdn.io)'s status on Saturday, 03-Jun-2023 09:57:13 UTC Bernie

     in reply to

     But I'm staying with friends of friends, and for tomorrow they organized a day trip to Shōdo Island (小豆島) for a "Sōmen Summit".

     No complaints 😋

     https://somen-summit-2023.com/

   • Bernie (codewiz@mstdn.io)'s status on Sunday, 04-Jun-2023 01:11:48 UTC Bernie

     in reply to

     Today we're visiting Shodoshima.

   • Bernie (codewiz@mstdn.io)'s status on Sunday, 04-Jun-2023 01:17:04 UTC Bernie

     in reply to

     The ferry will take us from Takamatsu to Tonoshou-cho (土庄町), the town of Karakai Jouzu no Takagi-san.

     #japan #anime

   • Bernie (codewiz@mstdn.io)'s status on Sunday, 04-Jun-2023 01:22:45 UTC Bernie

     in reply to

     The ferry staff took care of our road bikes with white gloves. They even added cloth padding to prevent scratching the frame against the metal rail. 😲

   • Bernie (codewiz@mstdn.io)'s status on Sunday, 04-Jun-2023 01:30:59 UTC Bernie

     in reply to

     The entire ship is themed after Karakai Jouzu no Takagi-san. Being featured In a popular anime series brings a lot of tourism these days.

     #anime #japan

   • Bernie (codewiz@mstdn.io)'s status on Sunday, 04-Jun-2023 01:33:12 UTC Bernie

     in reply to

     Departure!
     出発！

   • Bernie (codewiz@mstdn.io)'s status on Sunday, 04-Jun-2023 04:03:50 UTC Bernie

     in reply to

     Approaching Tonosho (土庄)...

   • Bernie (codewiz@mstdn.io)'s status on Sunday, 04-Jun-2023 04:13:29 UTC Bernie

     in reply to

     The Shōdo island is known for its olive trees, something that's not portrayed in Takagi-san's anime (or I didn't notice).
     #anime #japan

   • David (in Setouchi) (david@spore.social)'s status on Sunday, 04-Jun-2023 04:25:20 UTC David (in Setouchi)

     in reply to

     @codewiz Welcome to Shikoku. However, I'm not sure you should trust this as a guide. Sure, it advises you the most common things (that can be found on pretty much any basic guide), but not the actual hidden gems of the area.
     See, you're going to Shodoshima, and you'll love it. It was not mentioned.

     Have fun on the island.

   • Bernie (codewiz@mstdn.io)'s status on Sunday, 04-Jun-2023 04:25:20 UTC Bernie

     in reply to

     • David (in Setouchi)

     @David Do you live in Shikoku? I will be here also tomorrow, mostly biking around in Takamatsu.

   • Bernie (codewiz@mstdn.io)'s status on Monday, 05-Jun-2023 00:22:35 UTC Bernie

     in reply to

     We hit another Takagi-san location, but we're on the opposite side of the arches, with the red and white tower behind. #anime #takagisan #japan

   • Bernie (codewiz@mstdn.io)'s status on Monday, 05-Jun-2023 00:26:52 UTC Bernie

     in reply to

     After climbing a steep hill, we arrive at the Sōmen Summit 🥵

   • Bernie (codewiz@mstdn.io)'s status on Monday, 05-Jun-2023 00:32:32 UTC Bernie

     in reply to

     Olive Park is literally a botanical park of olive trees! 🤩

   • David (in Setouchi) (david@spore.social)'s status on Monday, 05-Jun-2023 03:52:34 UTC David (in Setouchi)

     in reply to

     @codewiz Is this anime a big deal? Well, I need to guess it is as one of the ferries is now themed after it, and the number of people who go to Shodoshima because of it.

     I had never heard of it until one day someone found my blog and was beside themselves when they saw I go to Shodoshima on a regular basis. :-)

   • Bernie (codewiz@mstdn.io)'s status on Monday, 05-Jun-2023 03:52:34 UTC Bernie

     in reply to

     • David (in Setouchi)

     @David Being featured in a popular anime brings a ton of otaku tourism, so I guess it's a big deal.

     My hosts never heard of this anime, but they're my same age and they know the anime I was watching in Italy when as a kid: Urusei Yatsura, Uchu Senkan Yamato, Gundam, Hokuto no Ken... this sort of stuff 🙂

   • Bernie (codewiz@mstdn.io)'s status on Monday, 05-Jun-2023 03:56:27 UTC Bernie

     in reply to

     • David (in Setouchi)

     @David By the way, I'm heading to Ritsurin Koen and then Busshozan Onsen. If it's not out of my way, we could meet for a coffee / tea / beer.

     I must be back for dinner wit my hosts around 7:30pm.

   • Bernie (codewiz@mstdn.io)'s status on Monday, 05-Jun-2023 05:48:14 UTC Bernie

     in reply to

     I didn't think of videoing us while catching the sōmen carried by flowing water, so here's some stock footage of this popular Japanese tradition:
     https://youtu.be/OPiQ5nZ_olg
     #japan

   • Bernie (codewiz@mstdn.io)'s status on Monday, 05-Jun-2023 05:50:11 UTC Bernie

     in reply to

     Before leaving, we hit another location featured in Karakai Jouzu no Takagi-san 😁

     #takagisan #anime #japan

   • Bernie (codewiz@mstdn.io)'s status on Monday, 05-Jun-2023 05:58:22 UTC Bernie

     in reply to

     Ah, forgot to mention another highlight of this trip: matcha kakigori (shaved ice with green tea powder).

     I like it with adzuki to contrast the bitterness of matcha, but since they didn't have it, I indulged with condensed milk 😋

     #japan #dessert

   • Bernie (codewiz@mstdn.io)'s status on Monday, 05-Jun-2023 10:08:16 UTC Bernie

     in reply to

     • David (in Setouchi)

     @David Oouch! Hope it wasn't painful! It was a great day, I will post some pics when I have time.

   • David (in Setouchi) (david@spore.social)'s status on Monday, 05-Jun-2023 10:08:17 UTC David (in Setouchi)

     in reply to

     @codewiz I hope you had a great day. Sorry, that could have been fun, but I was at work, and then at the dentist's.
     Enjoy your last hours in Takamatsu.

   • Jeeves (jeeves@mstdn.io)'s status on Monday, 05-Jun-2023 18:44:23 UTC Jeeves

     in reply to

     @codewiz Just logged onto Mastodon for the first time in a while. Looks like such a fun trip!

   • Bernie (codewiz@mstdn.io)'s status on Tuesday, 06-Jun-2023 00:02:33 UTC Bernie

     in reply to

     • Jeeves

     @jeeves 本当に！ 😁

     https://chat.openai.com/share/c19545f4-a41d-42d3-bfc5-d3e0ddf79ce1

   • Bernie (codewiz@mstdn.io)'s status on Tuesday, 06-Jun-2023 00:42:07 UTC Bernie

     in reply to

     My friends photographed my attempt at catching a big lump of sõmen with tongs 🍜

   • Bernie (codewiz@mstdn.io)'s status on Tuesday, 06-Jun-2023 00:47:10 UTC Bernie

     in reply to

     First manhoru (*) of the week spotted. This one is in たかまつし (Takamatsu city).

     (*) Japanese man hole covers #japan

   • Bernie (codewiz@mstdn.io)'s status on Tuesday, 06-Jun-2023 03:10:45 UTC Bernie

     in reply to

     • Benoit

     @benoit Those things are evasive! I can't imagine catching 流しそうめん with chopsticks! 😰

   • Benoit (benoit@toots.benpro.fr)'s status on Tuesday, 06-Jun-2023 03:10:47 UTC Benoit

     in reply to

     @codewiz it should be way easier than with chopsticks.

   • Bernie (codewiz@mstdn.io)'s status on Tuesday, 06-Jun-2023 04:39:35 UTC Bernie

     in reply to

     Fully stacked vegetarian okonomiyaki! 😋

     #vegetarian #japan #food

   • Bernie (codewiz@mstdn.io)'s status on Tuesday, 06-Jun-2023 05:22:01 UTC Bernie

     in reply to

     The next day I took the bus to the flat top of Mount Yashima to see the homonymous temple.

   • Bernie (codewiz@mstdn.io)'s status on Tuesday, 06-Jun-2023 05:31:15 UTC Bernie

     in reply to

     Does it qualify as a sanmon gate (三門) even when the side gates are blocked by walls? 🤔

   • Bernie (codewiz@mstdn.io)'s status on Tuesday, 06-Jun-2023 05:39:09 UTC Bernie

     in reply to

     These are definitely torii. They're a shinto thing, but also a common sight in Buddhist temples.

     The statue on the left is a tanuki, and the other is... a mother tanuki breast feeding a baby tanuki? 🤨

     #shinto #buddhism #japan

   • Bernie (codewiz@mstdn.io)'s status on Tuesday, 06-Jun-2023 07:58:43 UTC Bernie

     in reply to

     The view from atop Mount Yashima 🤩

   • Bernie (codewiz@mstdn.io)'s status on Tuesday, 06-Jun-2023 08:03:36 UTC Bernie

     in reply to

     The weather is too hazy to see the Seto-Ōhashi, one of the three bridges across the Inland Sea (瀬戸内海, seto nai kai).

     I will cross it tomorrow by train.

     https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seto_Inland_Sea
     #japan #shikoku

   • Bernie (codewiz@mstdn.io)'s status on Tuesday, 06-Jun-2023 08:09:30 UTC Bernie

     in reply to

     • tripu

     @tripu All you need is super nice friends who'll make vegetarian versions of any Japanese dish, even if they clearly disagree with vegetarianism 😅

     (I'm so lucky, yes)

   • tripu (tripu@qoto.org)'s status on Tuesday, 06-Jun-2023 08:09:31 UTC tripu

     in reply to

     @codewiz

     Oh, my…

     I became a vegetarian after my time in Japan, so I enjoyed okonomiyaki, sushi and all the rest while I lived there.

     Now I lament that I will miss those flavours forever, and wonder how much I will enjoy food when I come back to visit.

     Your post gave me hope, hehe.

   • Jeeves (jeeves@mstdn.io)'s status on Tuesday, 06-Jun-2023 23:45:25 UTC Jeeves

     in reply to

     @codewiz ChatGPT told me to respond それは良さそうだね！何が一番楽しかったの？

   • Bernie (codewiz@mstdn.io)'s status on Wednesday, 07-Jun-2023 00:14:19 UTC Bernie

     in reply to

     Surprisingly, there were no buses going down from Yashima for 2 hours, so I took a taxi.

     Those white fabric lace covers have a long tradition in Japanese taxis, while the plastic curtain must be a post-COVID thing. #japan

   • Bernie (codewiz@mstdn.io)'s status on Wednesday, 07-Jun-2023 00:23:21 UTC Bernie

     in reply to

     So how do you call a cab in Japan? Easy, you use Taxi Japan! 👍

     ...which has been replaced by a thing called GO 😠

     ...which requires a Japanese phone number 🤬

     Luckily, a kind shopkeeper called the taxi for me. 🙏

     No, Uber and Lyft are being kept out of #Japan, probably by anti- competitive laws 😒

   • Bernie (codewiz@mstdn.io)'s status on Wednesday, 07-Jun-2023 00:34:55 UTC Bernie

     in reply to

     • Jeeves

     @jeeves Thank you for the question. I'll ask ChatGPT to come up with a good answer 😁

     (seriously, this is the way we're headed soon)

   • Bernie (codewiz@mstdn.io)'s status on Wednesday, 07-Jun-2023 02:35:03 UTC Bernie

     in reply to

     • Benoit

     @benoit Ah, that must be new!

   • Benoit (benoit@toots.benpro.fr)'s status on Wednesday, 07-Jun-2023 02:35:04 UTC Benoit

     in reply to

     @codewiz Uber is in Tokyo but more expensive than Taxi.

   • Bernie (codewiz@mstdn.io)'s status on Wednesday, 07-Jun-2023 03:01:35 UTC Bernie

     in reply to

     Walking through Takamatsu's shotengai (covered market street).
     https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sh%C5%8Dtengai
     #takamatsu #japan

   • Bernie (codewiz@mstdn.io)'s status on Wednesday, 07-Jun-2023 03:16:15 UTC Bernie

     in reply to

     Ritsurin Koen (栗林公園) is considered one of the finest botanical gardens in #Japan, and also ChatGPT's top sightseeing recommendation for #Takamatsu.

   • Bernie (codewiz@mstdn.io)'s status on Wednesday, 07-Jun-2023 03:21:33 UTC Bernie

     in reply to

     These landscapes and the historical buildings are indeed magnificent...

   • Bernie (codewiz@mstdn.io)'s status on Wednesday, 07-Jun-2023 03:45:25 UTC Bernie

     in reply to

     ずっとカメ！
     🐢🐢🐢🐢🐢

   • Bernie (codewiz@mstdn.io)'s status on Wednesday, 07-Jun-2023 03:54:24 UTC Bernie

     in reply to

     Another pond has an incredible density of colorful koi 🎏

   • Bernie (codewiz@mstdn.io)'s status on Wednesday, 07-Jun-2023 03:59:59 UTC Bernie

     in reply to

     Up until now, Shinjuku Gyoen was my favorite botanical park in the entire world. Now it's at risk of being demoted to second best! 🤩

     #takamatsu #shikoku #japan

   • Bernie (codewiz@mstdn.io)'s status on Wednesday, 07-Jun-2023 04:02:11 UTC Bernie

     in reply to

     Everywhere I see gardeners at work. Maintaining a park like this must not be cheap...

   • Bernie (codewiz@mstdn.io)'s status on Wednesday, 07-Jun-2023 04:05:16 UTC Bernie

     in reply to

     This magnificent tea house...

   • Bernie (codewiz@mstdn.io)'s status on Wednesday, 07-Jun-2023 04:06:43 UTC Bernie

     in reply to

     ...with a view on a beautiful pond...

   • Bernie (codewiz@mstdn.io)'s status on Wednesday, 07-Jun-2023 04:07:44 UTC Bernie

     in reply to

     Oh! There's a boat slowly rowing over the pond!

   • Bernie (codewiz@mstdn.io)'s status on Wednesday, 07-Jun-2023 05:02:37 UTC Bernie

     in reply to

     Anyway, they served my matcha 🍵

     And you can enjoy all this for ¥700, or about $5.

   • Bernie (codewiz@mstdn.io)'s status on Wednesday, 07-Jun-2023 05:11:13 UTC Bernie

     in reply to

     In Los Angeles you can't even buy a soda in a friggin' cinema with $5! 😂

   • Bernie (codewiz@mstdn.io)'s status on Wednesday, 07-Jun-2023 05:59:38 UTC Bernie

     in reply to

     And this should be the last of the 4 ponds 🤩
     #takamatsu #shikoku #japan

   • Bernie (codewiz@mstdn.io)'s status on Wednesday, 07-Jun-2023 06:05:14 UTC Bernie

     in reply to

     They say that Ritsurin let's you enjoy all 4 seasons of Japan.

     Too bad I missed the highlight of the spring season: 🌸 花見 (hanami), the cherry blossoms:
     https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanami
     #japan #takamatsu #shikoku

   • Bernie (codewiz@mstdn.io)'s status on Wednesday, 07-Jun-2023 06:22:57 UTC Bernie

     in reply to

     • Benoit

     @benoit But it's only ¥410... How can they pay so many master gardeners by charging less than half of a movie theater?

   • Benoit (benoit@toots.benpro.fr)'s status on Wednesday, 07-Jun-2023 06:22:59 UTC Benoit

     in reply to

     @codewiz that's why it's paid entry.

   • Bernie (codewiz@mstdn.io)'s status on Wednesday, 07-Jun-2023 08:19:38 UTC Bernie

     in reply to

     Rode this cute train on the way back to my friend's home.

   • Bernie (codewiz@mstdn.io)'s status on Wednesday, 07-Jun-2023 08:57:10 UTC Bernie

     in reply to

     花火 (hanabi, literally "flower fire") are a popular summer tradition for kids.

     It was my first experience in real life, but I watched enough anime to know exactly what to expect: everyone holds the sticks still in the center of a circle. The one that sparkles the longest wins! 😁

   • Bernie (codewiz@mstdn.io)'s status on Thursday, 08-Jun-2023 08:30:02 UTC Bernie

     in reply to

     • Benoit
     • Tanuki

     @Tanuki @benoit Hold on, was it a real Uber or UberX?

     By "real", I mean a personal vehicle driven by the owner who doesn't have a pre-agreed shift: they can drive whenever they have nothing better to do.

   • Tanuki (tanuki@mastodon.social)'s status on Thursday, 08-Jun-2023 08:30:04 UTC Tanuki

     in reply to

     • Benoit

     @benoit @codewiz I took an Uber from roppongi to the Shinkansen station in 2014, has the regulatory situation changed multiple times? I hailed it with an iPod Touch on wifi lol

   • Benoit (benoit@toots.benpro.fr)'s status on Thursday, 08-Jun-2023 08:30:06 UTC Benoit

     in reply to

     @codewiz since 2020.