Prefecture descriptions. Get it? Ken? Hyogo-KEN ^.^
Who are you and where are from? What year are you on JET? Where do you teach and what level? Hello! My name is Shane Allen. Originally from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, I came to rural Kagoshima by way of the neon lit Las Vegas, Nevada. I am currently here on my second year teaching in…
This had been the image of Japan in my dreams: a land that looked part cyberpunk and part geisha, a land with cities that rose up from the dark, grey sea in a swirl of neon blinking lights and giant steel buildings, labyrinthine in that each building led unto the next in a uniform fashion….
In Ibaraki, my home for the last 9 months, it’s both common and fun to say the prefecture’s name with a long, rolling “r†while switching the “k†for the “gâ€: “Ibarrrragi!†Despite the energetic name, many people may not know much about Ibaraki-ken. However, they might know our prefecture’s mascot, Mito Komon. Other than…
Hello from Ehime! (愛媛) We’re nestled on the island of Shikoku between Kagawa and Kochi Prefecture. Maybe you’ve heard of us from the Japanese drama “Saka no Ue no Kumo� No? How about as having the oldest onsen in Japan? No? That we’re the third phase in the famed Shikoku 88 temple pilgrimage? Still No?
Welcome to Kagawa! We’re Japan’s smallest prefecture, home to less than a million people. But just because we’re small, don’t think “little†of us. Our small size is actually a great advantage because it means all of Kagawa’s treasures are well within reach!
Miyazaki? What is that? Do you mean Hayao Miyazaki, the famous animator or perhaps his son, Gorou Miyazaki? Or perhaps you are more familiar with the words Hamasaki (Ayumi Hamasaki), or Miyagi? No, I meant Miyazaki, as in Miyazaki prefecture. Before I came to Japan, I also had no idea about this prefecture. Now, I would like to introduce you to wonderful Miyazaki Prefecture and all it has to offer.
Opening my mail box to discover that I’d been accepted to be an ALT by the BOE of Kuwana in Mie, I was very happy. Yay, I have a job! But, where is Mie? I did as many recently accepted JETs probably did, and googled the location of my future home.
There wasn’t much about Mie on the internet, but I did find a map, information about the former asthma capital, Yokkaichi, and the mythical birthplace of Amaterasu, Ise…