From our balcony
Kagoshima is on the southern most island, Kyushu, of Japan, closest to Okinawa. It has an active volcano, Sakurajima. It has the biggest radish and the smallest tangerine.
Our ship on the drive to Chiran
We drove through the town up into the green hills with tall pines to the town of Chiran. It is a Samurai Tojo called Chiran Samurai gardens, called a miniature version of Kyoto. A section of the village has been preserved and people, perhaps ancestors, are still living in the 200 year old homes as they did long ago. The attraction was the 7 gardens open to the public. Our guide Miho said that a Japanese garden does not necessarily have colorful flowers. Shapes and water features and rocks are used with "borrowed" mountain vistas or forests that happen to be in the distance. We first saw a traditional two room home with tatami mats, small tables and a big chest in the living room and various pots in the kitchen. Futons are used for sleeping. There was a long shallow stone trough outside the entrance. We had to guess what it was used for. We were surprised that this permanent fixture was used to clean the blood off of the samurai swords when they came home from battle.
Another home offered us the famous Chiran green tea. It was very green and tasted almost nutty. This home also had a pond with borrowed tall pines in the background.
The last home had a large garden with fountain and rocks and the manicured trees.
Nexty we drove to the Chiran Peace Museum. This museum is dedicated to all the Kamakazi pilots. Kamakazi means "wind of God". Some 400 out of the 1,036 20 year old pilots who sacrificed their lives trained and lived in Chiran. The training started in 1941, but missions began in April, 1945. The atomic bomb was dropped in August, 1945.
Each pagoda pillar represents one of the pilots. Many lined the streets approaching the museum.
One of the planes
The museum had photos of each of the 1,036 pilots, replicas of the planes, many of the last letters written to their Mothers, a replica of the place they spent their last night, and movies showing them taking off and bombing, etc. No photographs were allowed. It didn't seem appropriate to me anyway.
"Mum, I am sorry for being a disobedient child. Please forgive me. I am happy to go." It was ingrained in these young men that dying for your country was the highest honor.
Famous green tea icecream
Chiran Green tea. The thinner symbols at the top mean Chiran, the big symbol means green tea.
Clever Japanese lanterns made from soda pop cans.
Back on the bus for the ride to the ship, Miho had prepared papers with Kagashima songs which she sang. One was about the beautiful cherry blossoms which bloomed last week. Another paper explained how to make the origami cranes. One of the men on our bus loves origami and can make several animals. He is teaching a class on the ship tomorrow. Then Miho passed out green tea crackers and green tea candy, both of which were very good. We bought a can of cold Chiran green tea, and some tea leaves. Miho also wrote out our names in Japanese characters for us and taught us some simple words.
We only visited Nagasaki and Kagashima in Japan, on our cruise. I didn't know what to expect. I had mixed feelings about going to these cities. My Uncle Jack was drafted into the Manhattan Project and calculated trajectories for the atom bombs that were used. I was surprised, relieved, and pleased with the warm welcome we received, the genuine friendliness towards Americans, the tasteful museums and memorials that didn't pass judgement, but recorded the history to mark the memories of the lives lost. 1,000 cranes, the symbol of peace, were everywhere present to set the tone for the what seemed a genuine desire for peace. "Through these historical facts, we will preserve and transmit the relics and the related materials in those days to coming generations, and proclaim and disseminate the message of peace, "the tragedy of war is never repeated again". Our guide even said that the government was really stupid to use the kamakazi.
At the atomic bomb museum, it was explained that the US felt it had to drop these bombs in order to save millions more lives if the war were to continue. The Japanese it seemed used similar logic with the kamakazi pilot program.
The friendly faces as well as the way they took care of us visitors was the best so far. I mean the bus seats had maps of the city, maps of the country with explanations, helpful people, and pleasing facilities. Did I mention the Toto heated toilet seats? These two Japanese ports have been a delight.
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