Japan
Downtown Kokura
We lived in Kokura from 1998 to 1999. When you arrive in Kokura by train, the first sight that greets you is the funky little downtown core, complete with good shopping (they even have a Gap!), a spiffy monorail (worthy of the Jetsons), and a sprinkling of giant TV sets. Don't worry--you're still in Japan. Just a few feet away is something we call the maze--one of those half indoor, half outdoor malls designed to confuse anyone who hasn't wandered them for years. And if you find your way out of that, a genuine recently reconstructed castle awaits--complete with gardens and a temple...
The Monorail--downtown Kokura
From the maze. We're not sure exactly what this is. Christ and his wife, we're guessing.
What we came here to fix...
Kokura Jo at Christmas - our local piece of simulated history
Even the gas station attendants here get into the Japanese version of the Christmas spirit--which features many Santas, romance and KFC
