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Seems like every day around here is full of surprises. For the next few weeks I have something planned every day. Yesterday's trip to Tsuyama began around 8 in the morning when I took the train from Uno station to Okayama. I met a few kids from school and sat with them on the way; one was going to Kyoto to compete in a Japanese conversation contest. It's a little easier to relax on the bus to Okayama rather than the train, but I have to give the prize for best sights along the way to the train route. When we got into the mountains, rice fields stretch out into the horizon and bamboo forests can be seen from almost any window on the train.
In Okayama I met Cori, the exchange student from Canada, and we both took the train to Tsuyama. The trip offered some breathtaking scenery, including a whole settlement of wooden houses nestled in a valley. It didn't look like people were living there but I couldn't be certain. The train also went through various tunnels which was sort of spooky but also very cool. When we arrived in Tsuyama Janna, the exchange student from Virginia, and her host counselor met us at the train station. We were quickly shuttled away with another Rotarian to a nearby hotel where I had some red orange juice and we talked about the journey.
After being properly refreshed we walked outside into the beautiful Autumn day and across the street to the Tsuyama Wonder Museum, which was owned by Janna's host counselor. The place could only be described as one of the coolest museums I have ever been to, and probably the scariest at night. Apparently the owner's grandfather began collecting rare insects, animals, and various odds and ends about 40 years ago, and before his death amassed a collection of over 800 birds and animals, as well as countless butterflies, spiders, bugs, and other creepy crawlers (totaling 24,000 pieces). Of course everything is dead, but the sheer size of the collection is amazing. The collection was completed before the 1975 Washington Treaty (banning the trade of rare animals), so all the animals were legally obtained (making this one of the best and only places to see this kind of collection). Some of the animals in a long list included the Snub-Nosed Monkey, Bongo, Indian Lion, Griffin Vulture, White Owl, Siberian Tiger, and Polar Bear. Believe me, the list goes on. The kicker came when the owner of the museum told me that when his grandfather died he wanted his organs put on display in the museum. Sure enough, in one room was the man's heart, lungs, kidneys, brain, etc. Quite a gross out, but also interesting and scientific. There were also fossils, shells, various fishes, Japanese stones, and "nostalgic science and engineering parts," which included amateur TV broadcast equipment, a star lab, and a portable radio from 1935.
After the Tsuyama Wonder Museum we all piled into cars to head to Tomosue-san's house, the Rotary member who was hosting the party. We rode through the countryside of Tsuyama for about 20 minutes until we turned to head up a hill into the mountains. When we came near the top we were confronted with a huge house, one of the largest I’d seen to date in Japan. It even had a front yard of decent size, which I had never seen. Feeling well taken care of, I exited the car with Cori and Janna and went to the front gate which opened automatically. We walked through a small courtyard, where I discovered the large house was actually three houses side by side, and into the main building where we were greeted by a slew of Rotary members. The interior of the house was strikingly American, a stark contrast from most of the Japanese style houses I have been inside. We sat down in large recliners and chatted for a while in Japanese and English until we were told the barbeque was to begin. On the back porch of the house about 10 people met for lunch of yakiniku and hamburgers. The yakiniku was cooked on an old millstone with a fire in the middle, and featured meat and some vegetables. The hamburgers were cooked on a large propane grill along with potatoes.
The whole afternoon was wonderful, with perfect autumn weather and delicious food. I found out that Janna got to be on a TV program for school which must have been exciting. After we ate and took a bunch of pictures, Cori, Janna, and I walked around the grounds to get a feel for the area. Up a small hill were a few shrines and a great view of Tsuyama below. Around 5 o' clock we headed back to Tsuyama station for the ride home to Okayama.
In Okayama I met Cori, the exchange student from Canada, and we both took the train to Tsuyama. The trip offered some breathtaking scenery, including a whole settlement of wooden houses nestled in a valley. It didn't look like people were living there but I couldn't be certain. The train also went through various tunnels which was sort of spooky but also very cool. When we arrived in Tsuyama Janna, the exchange student from Virginia, and her host counselor met us at the train station. We were quickly shuttled away with another Rotarian to a nearby hotel where I had some red orange juice and we talked about the journey.
After being properly refreshed we walked outside into the beautiful Autumn day and across the street to the Tsuyama Wonder Museum, which was owned by Janna's host counselor. The place could only be described as one of the coolest museums I have ever been to, and probably the scariest at night. Apparently the owner's grandfather began collecting rare insects, animals, and various odds and ends about 40 years ago, and before his death amassed a collection of over 800 birds and animals, as well as countless butterflies, spiders, bugs, and other creepy crawlers (totaling 24,000 pieces). Of course everything is dead, but the sheer size of the collection is amazing. The collection was completed before the 1975 Washington Treaty (banning the trade of rare animals), so all the animals were legally obtained (making this one of the best and only places to see this kind of collection). Some of the animals in a long list included the Snub-Nosed Monkey, Bongo, Indian Lion, Griffin Vulture, White Owl, Siberian Tiger, and Polar Bear. Believe me, the list goes on. The kicker came when the owner of the museum told me that when his grandfather died he wanted his organs put on display in the museum. Sure enough, in one room was the man's heart, lungs, kidneys, brain, etc. Quite a gross out, but also interesting and scientific. There were also fossils, shells, various fishes, Japanese stones, and "nostalgic science and engineering parts," which included amateur TV broadcast equipment, a star lab, and a portable radio from 1935.
After the Tsuyama Wonder Museum we all piled into cars to head to Tomosue-san's house, the Rotary member who was hosting the party. We rode through the countryside of Tsuyama for about 20 minutes until we turned to head up a hill into the mountains. When we came near the top we were confronted with a huge house, one of the largest I’d seen to date in Japan. It even had a front yard of decent size, which I had never seen. Feeling well taken care of, I exited the car with Cori and Janna and went to the front gate which opened automatically. We walked through a small courtyard, where I discovered the large house was actually three houses side by side, and into the main building where we were greeted by a slew of Rotary members. The interior of the house was strikingly American, a stark contrast from most of the Japanese style houses I have been inside. We sat down in large recliners and chatted for a while in Japanese and English until we were told the barbeque was to begin. On the back porch of the house about 10 people met for lunch of yakiniku and hamburgers. The yakiniku was cooked on an old millstone with a fire in the middle, and featured meat and some vegetables. The hamburgers were cooked on a large propane grill along with potatoes.
The whole afternoon was wonderful, with perfect autumn weather and delicious food. I found out that Janna got to be on a TV program for school which must have been exciting. After we ate and took a bunch of pictures, Cori, Janna, and I walked around the grounds to get a feel for the area. Up a small hill were a few shrines and a great view of Tsuyama below. Around 5 o' clock we headed back to Tsuyama station for the ride home to Okayama.
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