I took a direct flight to Japan this time, and was thus able to sleep virtually the whole way there. (Some people find they cannot sleep on airplanes. I feel sorry for them--I usually fall asleep while the plane is taxiing or waiting for takeoff!) On past trips I've bought cheaper tickets that have taken me through as many as four airports between Pearson and Narita, which is great if you have friends in each of those places to meet with during the layovers, but otherwise quite gruelling.
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The time difference between Toronto (Eastern Standard Time) and
Tokyo (Japan Standard Time) is +14 hours. It's the next day already in Japan!
Japan doesn't observe Daylight Savings Time.
UPDATE: Beginning in 1999, Japan will adopt Daylight Savings Time in an attempt to boost its economy. The government hopes that with more waking daylight hours, people will spend more money. |
At Narita, I caught a connector flight to Fukuoka. The first time I did this, a few years back, I was amazed that jumbo jets were being used for domestic flights in Japan. It stands to reason, though -- there are a lot of people here.
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From Fukuoka, I boarded the Taiko Maru, an overnight boat to the islands that make up the Goto-retto. My father met me at the pier in Fukue and said, "Typhoon #19 is coming. We've got to hurry and get out of here!" This has been a bad year for typhoons in Japan -- they started earlier, were more numerous and have persisted later than normal. Some attribute this to El Nino.
We drove to the outskirts of town to the recently constructed seniors centre,
where my paternal grandparents now reside. Though the outside looks very modern
and the inside has to be functional, there are a few traditional Japanese detailings
to remind the residents of their homes.
| Japan's aging population is a growing issue-- 25% will be 65 years old or older by the year 2025. In anticipation, many long-term care facilities are being built, along with other social security initiatives. |
We had thirty minutes to visit -- barely time to go on a quick tour of their floor and take some pictures.
I felt a bit like a celebrity making a charity appearance.
It looked like Ojii-san and Obaa-san were happy and being well cared for.
Obaa-san asked, "Is it still snowing in Canada?"
Ojii-san didn't get to launch into his usual "Hayaku kekkon shinasai" talk.
We had to catch a ferry for Nagasaki, so we rushed off to do some last-minute shopping errands, joining a steady stream of cars which was bypassing the small downtown merchants and heading for the recently built superstore just outside of town. We were almost late because of a traffic jam in the parking lot!
| North American-style retailing has really caught on in Japan over the past few years: 24-hour convenience stores (konbini) are on every corner and "Big Box" stores are popping up wherever space allows. |
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Local Food
I didn't really have time to try anything local on this visit, but Fukue is famous for its fish, either as sushi or sashimi (who needs rice, anyway? ;-) ). |
