ÉTÉ 2004 AU JAPON - Récit de voyage.

<applet width=0 height=0> <noapplet> <li><a href="http://nihonfrance.free.fr" target="_blank">Etés au JAPON en 2000 et 2004</a> <br>et après l'été 2006 (stage) en Corée... <li><a href="http://chine-2007.over-blog.com" target="_blank">...une année en CHINE 2007-08</a> (<i>blog</i>) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br> <a href="http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/Congress/7848/" target="_blank"></a> <a href="http://eleves.ensmp.fr/P00/00rouaul/diw_delenn/diw_delenn.htm" target="_blank"></a> <a href="http://eleves.ensmp.fr/P00/00rouaul/diw_delenn/histoires_et_langues.htm" target="_blank"></a> <a href="http://eleves.ensmp.fr/P00/00rouaul/tangram/" target="_blank"></a> <a href="http://eleves.ensmp.fr/P00/00rouaul/" target="_blank"></a> <a href="http://membres.lycos.fr/controvenso/" target="_blank"></a> <a href="http://nullart.free.fr/" target="_blank"></a> <a href="http://polyglots.free.fr/" target="_blank"></a> <a href="http://opac35.free.fr/" target="_blank"></a> <a href="http://opac35.free.fr/opac35.htm" target="_blank"></a> <a href="http://nihonfrance.free.fr/" target="_blank"></a> <a href="http://nihonfrance.free.fr/japon/japon.htm" target="_blank"></a> <a href="http://nihonfrance.free.fr/japon/us_japan.htm" target="_blank"></a> <a href="http://jrbg.free.fr" target="_blank"></a> <a href="http://www.geocities.com/CapitolHill/Congress/7848/" target="_blank"></a> Japan-France: reflexions on the origin and the survival of the cultural and social differences while referring to the impact on mentalities of the type of writing, the religious fact and the natural constraints. Initiatory stay opening with discovered of another world: way of life refined, purified architecture, play of full and vacuum, swarming and nature... Japan-Frankreich: Reflexionen auf dem Ursprung und dem Überleben der kulturellen und Sozialunterschiede beim Beziehen auf die Auswirkung auf Mentalitäten der Art des Schreibens, der frommen Tatsache und der natürlichen Begrenzungen. Reflexion folgte von der Erzählung einer initiatory Reiseöffnung zu entdeckt von einer anderen Welt: Lebensart verfeinerte, gereinigte Architektur, Spiel von voll und die Vakua, von grouillement und von Natur... Japo'n-Francia: reflexiones en el origen y la supervivencia de las diferencias culturales y sociales mientras que refiere al impacto en las mentalidades del tipo de escritura, del hecho religioso y de los apremios naturales. La reflexión siguió por la narración de una abertura initiatory del viaje a descubierto de otro mundo: la manera de la vida refinó, arquitectura purificada, juego de por completo y los vacíos, del grouillement y de la naturaleza... La Giappone-Francia: riflessioni sull'origine e sulla sopravvivenza delle differenze culturali e sociali mentre riferendosi all'effetto sulle mentalità del tipo di scrittura, del fatto religioso e dei vincoli naturali. La riflessione è seguito dal narration di un'apertura initiatory di viaggio allo scoperto a di un altro mondo: il modo di vivere ha raffinato, architettura purificata, gioco di in pieno ed i vuoti, del grouillement e della natura... Japão-Japan-France: reflexões a origem e a sobrevivência das diferenças cultural e sociais ao consultar ao impacto em mentalities do tipo de escrita, do fato religioso e dos confinamentes naturais. A reflexão seguiu pelo narration de uma abertura initiatory da viagem ao descoberto de um outro mundo: a maneira de vida refinou, arquitetura purified, jogo de completamente e os vácuos, o grouillement e a natureza... ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br> "Culturally, Japanese and French people (or other Westerners...) are they so distant the ones to the others?" N obody can deny the originality of the cultures at the time of universalization, it would be a nonsense even if commonly the observers consider that the current society tends to standardize the cultures. It is true that the modern means of communication and displacements facilitate the exchanges and the meetings and make the people a little less foreign the ones to the others. For the Westerner, Japan is a complicated country, marked ambiguities and paradoxes, even of contradictions by its aspects where modernity and tradition mix. The Japanese people and the French people thus appear still largely distant. Between them remains a great cultural share strangeness. How to astonish since France and Japan are both in extreme cases extreme of the eurasian continent. This physical distance symbolizes in short cut all that can move away French and Japanese people. Among the factors which can explain this cultural distance, it seems that natural constraints, religion and writing have a strong influence. To reach the conclusion -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I t is not possible to evoke Japan without recalling that nature and more generally constraints have a strong capacity of differentiation between our two countries and beyond between our two populations. It is also a factor strongly discriminating compared to other countries of the Far East. France is a country supported by a varied, peaceful and fertile nature. The various types of relief and the climates, always moderate, make it possible the human activities to thrive almost everywhere, that it is about of agricultural productions or human establishments. It is added to that a favourable environment, as well maritime as continental making France a country hinge within Europe and of the Western world. With the opposite, great Japanese originality, it is living in the need for always having to face an ungrateful and parsimonious nature. Japan much more populated than France, does not have that a territory much more restricted, limited by the mountains and the sea, with a poor basement, territory made up of an archipelago of thousands of islands offering few agricultural resources. Most constraining however, it is the violence of the natural elements. Indeed, Japan rests on an unstable ground: the ground trembles there very often. That undoubtedly explains the fatalism of the population and her conscience of the transitory one. How to believe in the permanence of the things on a ground agitated by a thousand of tremors each year? The seisms involve also destroying tidal waves which sweep the coasts (tsunami). The climate also is interfered. The typhoons are current things in Japan, waited as much than dreaded because they bring the water necessary to the cultures. These natural conditions induce a duality of the Japanese people towards nature. Indeed, the elements have a too disproportionate force so that the Japanese people can fight them, it can only undergo them humbly. It dedicates a worship with nature that it is necessary to respect and fear, which led the Japanese people to seek to reconcile with it (deification in the shintô) or to tame (art of the garden and floral art) these forces. This contributes to survival of animism expressed in the Shintoism. For the Westerners, it is thus difficult to understand this state of mind, themselves not being confronted with all these problems. Admittedly disastrous climatic events as those which France knows with the hinge of the millenium lead to more humility and a perception of the common feeling of precariousness among Japanese people. Return to the introduction * H eirs of religions and different philosophies, French and Japanese people thus are influenced in their ways of life and their culture. The French culture owes much with the Judeo-Christianity. The primitive pagan practices, of animist type, were largely unobtrusive there with the favour of the romanisation. This one then became the vector of the Christianity which imposed itself like single religious model. Religion monotheist with a god immanent who offers eternity to right at the end of individual search of the safety of soul. Of course this religious substrate underwent some misadventures with the passing days, in particular with the Reform or more recently with the irruption of Islam to the favour of immigration and the rise of atheism However, beyond the reality of the religious practices or no practices, Christianity always influences the moral and the social organization, even in a laic state. The primacy of the individual in is a feature here dominating. Does a joke say that "Japanese people are born shintô, reflect Confucianist and die Buddhist". One of the characteristics of the Japanese people is to assimilate quickly any foreign contribution considered enriching. It is thus religions. Thus, to the original beliefs, were added external religious influences. Japan represents a perfect illustration of the religious syncretism. The considerable influence of the natural environment was strongly translated in a deification of the natural elements giving rise to the Shintoism, fundamental religion of Japan. This belief animist, it is at the base many structures, of the family to the social life. Its permanence is due partly to its capacity to coexist fortunately with other religions. The Emperor was guaranteeing shintô of State. The Confucianism, arrived from China in the first centuries of Christian era, rather than a religion, constitutes a social philosophy seeking to explain things. It is a system of thought turned towards knowledge. In Japan, the Confucianist doctrines influence the social order. Buddhism penetrated in Japan at the 5th century but it is really established through zen Buddhism about the 12th century, under Japanese influence who had studied in China. Zen allows to the Japanese people to achieve the Buddhist aim who consists in seeing the world such such as it is, with a spirit of very thought or any feeling, it is a perfect abandonment of his desires and his "illusion of ego". Moreover, for the Buddhist, the things exist only if they are comparison, it is necessary to avoid the extremes, to disavow his desires which cause the suffering. Buddhism thus creates a morals which influences still considerably the practice and the thought of the Japanese people. The Zens monks also inspired the Japanese cultural models: ceremony of the tea and the theatre nô. Zen transforms esthetics in the field of the fine arts: ink painting, calligraphy, ceramics, architecture, art of the gardens, art to arrange the flowers (bouquets), art of the lacquer, the work of the bamboos and metals. The Japanese sense of the beauty is a force of identification with the whole. Even if French and Japanese people are bathed today in a civilization materialist which goes hand in hand with the passing of the religious sense, their cultures and ways of life remain for a great part marked by their respective religious models. Return to the introduction * O necannot forget finally the image associated by Westerners with Japan. It is its writing (essential element of a culture) popularized thanks to the Japanese manufactured goods, writing which, at the same time, appears stranger by its sophistication and appears quite enigmatic to them. Admittedly, this writing is not completely original since it is with the 5th century that the Japanese people adopted the erudite Chinese ideograms carrying total sense. There exists nearly 50 000 kanji of which nearly 2 000 are of current use. Their study in is very difficult imposing a great discipline of training and a memory without fault to control thousands of signs. Penmanship associated with this complicated writing is a true pictorial art: to order with the hand the drawing wanted by the brain, without making overflow ink, to hold the quite right brush, all that concerns virtuosity. In addition to this writing in kanji, the Japanese language enriched its expression by creation of the hiragana and katakana alphabets, simpler phonetics writings (2 sets of 46 signs). Contrary thus with the Japanese people who practise to distinguish the sense instantaneously, the French people have a vision much more analytical things by using only 26 letters which they combine to form syllables, those forming in their turn a word but that remains more abstract than a drawing. The comprehension of the word prevents their immediate perception. This way of expressing and of communicating the knowledge goes hand in hand with the primacy of the reason compared to the action. In arts that as results in certain overloads and heavinesses that one can oppose to the quintessente expression of Nipponese arts. Using an alphabet of Latin origin, like all the countries of Western cultures, our writing presents however the avantage to be an easy training for the children and to be a convenient support for the diffusion of mass, whether it is of printing works or data processing. These different writing systems, the conditions of their training influence much the formation of the mind and the structures mental (memory and until the request different from the cerebral hemispheres) of the two populations and contribute to their differences. Return to the introduction -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- N aturally, it appears that between French and Japanese people, the differences are essential more than the similarities. Fundamental elements such as the natural conditions, the beliefs or the writing contribute if not to oppose them, at least to make difficult their reciprocal comprehension. Even if the shape of universal culture, consumerist and materialist, seems to touch the two populations, of great differences remain sometimes even beyond appearances. Whereas the French people assert the universality of their culture while proudly remaining perched at the top of their bell-tower, in all humility, the Japanese people that one often regards as isolationist conservatives launch out easily to discovered of the other regions of the world with a great desire to learn which is not new (old contributions from China and from Korea). That one wants to enrich his personal culture or that one is to manage wishing to develop commercial contacts, it is thus necessary to lead a patient step of mutual recognition if not one port risk hasty, harmful judgements with the quality of the relations. And this discovery must pass by the experiment, with through concrete exchanges. "Culturally, French and Japanese people thus appear quite different." -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Report carried out in 2000 by Armel ROUAULT, high-school girl (2nd level / 3) in Rennes - FRANCE ("Lycée Assomption") Since October 2003, the author is student in PARIS. She studies language and civilization Japanese in "Langues'O" or INALCO - Institut National des Langues et Civilisations Orientales (NA.I.L.E.C. - National institute of the Languages and Eastern Civilizations) and she begins learning Chinese language and civilization after legal and economic studies in C.P.E.I. - Centre de Préparation aux Echanges Internationaux (preparatory center for international exchanges and business:law, economy, accountancy, marketing...). Return to the introduction I currently seek any document on the life and the culture in Japan which you could have (in particular on "the current reality of the shintô in the Japanese everyday life" and on "Chinese Taoism and Japanese shintô: which similarities ?"). I am also interested by a job for summer 2005 in FRANCE (Paris area or Rennes area) or in JAPAN which would wish to propose to me of French companies having activities in Japan or Japanese companies established in France. Thank you. To go further in the discovery of Japan : "Japon Intime" ("Intimate Japan") of Louis Frédéric, Editions du Félin, collection Les Racines de la Connaissance, 1986 "Le Japon des quatre saisons" ("The four seasons in Japan") of Pierre-Emile Durand, Edition du Carabe, 1998 "De la Gaule au Japon" ("From Gaule to Japan" ) of Claude Durix, Editions du Cert, 1999 (it wrote many other works about Japan) "Japon, crise d'une autre modernité" ("Japan, crisis of another modernity") of Philippe Pelletier, Editions Belin, La documentation française, 2003 "Le Japon" ("Japan") Peuples et Nations, Editions Time-Life, 1990 and the site __________________ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- A question which the reader can put as I pose it with myself since years: From where does this passion for Japan come me? Absolutely nothing in my family circle could lead me to it! Then what? how? Only one clue, a childish reading about Myeko, the little girl with a red kimono ("Myeko's gift" by Kay Haugaard - 1966) which allured me so much by her grace than by her distress, in her universe divided between japanese tradition and american modernity... This had led me, before this voyage, to reflect on the origins of the cultural differences between our countries. All started in July 2000. After a very pleasant voyage from Paris, I have the impression that we were going to land on sea, but not, I was unaware of still that the airport of Kansai was located on a spit of land connected in Osaka. Arrived to Osaka, I was recovered by a Japanese woman who was going to be one of my professors at the time of my stay in Kyôto. We thus travelled by the train to Kyôto and we went to the International Languages Center where my host family awaited me. I was more than accomodated well, I was cherished as only can do it the Japanese and I was likely to remain 4 weeks in the city of Kyôto what enabled me to discover the city more in-depth than the tourists of passage. After these 4 weeks in the old imperial city, where I could be plunged in other places in Japan during two weeks. It is true that my level in Japanese language and the brevity of my stay enabled me to discover only some aspects of the life of the Japanese people, but the little which I discovered me filled with wonder and gave me the desire to go back there as soon as possible. I wish that all those which went to Japan be also magic. I was thus "Japanese" for one month and half, and the happiness which I tested over there gives me desire for dividing it with those which will read what follows. KYOTO With the first glance, the city seems the same one as the other large Japanese cities: obstructions at the peak hours, districts of the center where the trade and finance are concentrated... But however, Kyôto has a charm that does not have null another large Japanese city: as soon as one leaves a little the center, one enters another dimension where time acquires another value and one penetrates in immutable Japan, that of the communion with nature, calms it and serenity. Visits impossible to miss Of course, there are visits not to miss, as it should be for any tourist visiting Kyôto. Indeed, this one is given an impressive architectural heritage, having been capital of Japan during more than 1000 years. Thus, we start with Kinkaku-ji, the famous house of gold. It holds its name of the sheets of fine gold plated on its roofs which are reflected in the water of a pond. Unfortunately, one rather evokes with regret his founder, the shôgun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu; it had been indeed withdrawn in these places after his abdication at the end of the 16th century, alive in a shameless luxury whereas the population supported the famine, the seisms and the plague. Set fire to in 1950 by a young monk, (the novel of Yukio Mishima, the Gold House, is inspired by this event), it was rebuilt in 1955. Personally, I clearly preferred Ginkaku-ji This house was built in 1482 like reprocesses shôgun Ashikaga Yoshimasa, which planned to be made build a silver counterpart of the "gold house" built by his grandfather. But the death of Yoshimasa before the completion of the project did not make it possible to cover the residence with silver plates, designed to reflect the moon. In its garden, two monticules of sand and white gravels have been preserved for 3 centuries. They recall, says one, the Fuji Mount. Louis Frederic describes this house, in his book "Japan Intime", with sensitivity and accuracy, well better than I could not do it. I try to translate his words: "his garden, one of most astonishing than I know, admirable combination in a relatively restricted space, sand gardens and gardens with river, ponds and hills. Among these wonders of rocks and plants, strange, a small shintô shrine, timorous, deliciously discrete (...) Contrary to the other Zen gardens where one must stop being driven in space and time in order at the same time to contemplate them of only one point, here, it is necessary to move, follow carefully the alleys designed for a complicated ambulation which brings the ones after the others thousand subjects of amazement..." Among other "curiosities", one owes of visit the Sanjusangendo, built in 1266, it shelters a wooden statue of Kannon with eleven faces. It is surrounded by 28 protective statues and 1001 smaller statues representing it. This temple is very impressive when these 1000 aligned statues are seen all. This style contrasts sharply with sobriety of the other buildings, but of course each one its tastes... Essential, the visit you in Ryôan-ji, founded in 1473, which its reputated with its famous sand garden Ze, with sans and white gravel from where stand out 15 rocks evoking of the tigers leaping. One cannot not go to see this temple because its garden is undoubtedly one of most famous in the world, and yet, I was allured by other gardens Zen, less known but quite as mysterious (such as Tenryu-ji, place withdrawn and quiet, with the doors of the city, whose garden is strewn with rocks and dry cascades). Let us continue the visit with Heian-jingu, built in 1894 to celebrate eleventh centenaire of the foundation of the capital, Heiankyo : it reproduces the imperial palace of 794. If the buildings are of Chinese inspiration, the garden, is quite Japanese and famous for its great beauty with its flowers of cherry tree in spring and the red foliage of maples in autumn (two seasons that it remains me to discover). In a charming district, the fabulous temple is located : Kiyo mizu-dera. Erected in 788 and rebuilt in 1633, it is perched upon the edge of a ravine and its terrace rests on 139 beams 15 meters height. It is a spectacular building, which it is necessary to see absolutely. While going down, you can stop at the cascades of Otawa whose water has healing virtues. This is why one can see a Japanese crowd waiting to drink this fresh water (myself, I tasted there, when to know if water with really a curative capacity...). In Kiyomizudera, as in all the other Japanese temples, one can see the ema, small wood plates, decorated, some on which one registers a wish. One should not be gone from there without to have made a turning by Fushimi-Inari. Behind the first torii already the red of the large principal door shines, the richly decorated shrine shows the architecture of the Momoyama era. A splendid alley of walk, long 4 km where are laid out 1000 torii, crosses the wood of the Fushimi mount. There still, Louis Frederic comes to my help to make you share my enthusiasm: "the place is marvellous: all the shintô shrines are located in places supported by nature, in general within wood with the secular trees. Fushimi Inari does not make exception. Located at hillside, it climbing briskly this one of many alleys in staircases, broadsides of lanterns of stone or wood and small shrines in reduction. But what distinguishes this shrine and announces it more particularly are the alleys of torii. A torii is a wood door without leaf, made of 2 pillars on which 2 horizontal beams rest. These torii announces the entry of all the shintô shrines, and is in general 3. They are supposed to represent the successive doors making it possible faithful to pass gradually from the world of reality in the supernatural world of Kami. In Fushimi Inari Taisha, the habit is to offer, as a thanks, a wood torii, painted in red and black." Here, we made about the turn of the temples and shrines not to be missed. Each building of Kyôto points out a page of its long period of glory. It is the case also for splendid the castle of Nijo. It was the residence of the shôguns Tokugawa at the time of their stays in Kyôto and it is known for the luxury of its decorations. Built at the beginning of the 17th century under the shôgun Tokugawa Ieyasu, it is an example of architecture known as Momoyama. The interior shows, contrary to European aristocratic constructions of the time, an excessively stripped elegance. The 33 rooms are covered with 800 tatamis, all the sliding doors can be withdrawn at the hot season, so that the draughts thus caused refresh the buildings. On the other hand, one was to be particularly cold in winter because there was not heating. A strange characteristic of the castle is the uguisubari or floor-nightingale, on the first floor, which reacts to the least noise of step by a light acute sound. It allowed the guards partly hidden in alcoves dissimulated taking into consideration to locate the intruders. More secret treasuries As there exists more than 1500 temples and 200 shrines in Kyôto, there still, you have the choice after the "obligatory" visits. You have, for example, the superb Maruyama park which includes many temples: Chion-in which goes back 1619 whit the principal, high door (24 meters) impresses because of its imposing roof; Shoren-in which the current buildings go back to 1895 has a garden of an incomparable beauty or the Yakasa sanctuary, built in 1654, having a stone torii 9.5 meters height. Very also interesting, Ninna-ji, rested by the 19th emperor, Uda, into 888, was formally called the Old Imperial Palace of Omuro as it was used as residence to the ex-emperor. Chishaku-in (temple bouddhic of the Shingon sect, rebuilt in 1598, with a splendid garden Zen) and I enormously also liked Kodai-ji. Lastly, I advise you highly it Byôdô-in, which is in Uji, close to Kyôto, that one names also the house of the phoenix. This Buddhist temple goes back to 1053, it is famous because of a remarkable statue of the Buddha Amida, same time. I cannot quote all the temples or shrines which I visited but will know that none will disappoint you. If you seek a place to find your interio way, do not hesitate to make a turn in one of the temples or the shrines which you will cross on your way! Of course, and it is there that the charm seizing of Kyôto you cramp, one should not limit the visit to its places, splendid, certainly, but it is necessary to take time to stroll along the old channel, in the district of Pontochô or that of Gion to the meeting of the novices geisha, the maiko. You can thus discover randomly your walk, an old lady in yukata, a businessman refreshing himself with a range, a maiko which returns to it, of the schoolboys in uniform... The neighbourhoods of Kiyomizu-dera are very interesting also with multitudes of small shops. Do not hesitate either to make some excursions in the neighbourhoods of Kyôto, that it is in Nara, or even in the hills surrounding the old capital. Thus, discover the Hiei Mont. Very significant mountain in the past because in its top, Saichô created there the temple Enraku-ji, which became the principal monastery of the Buddhist Tendai sect, in the country. The Hiei Mount with its temples disseminated in all the mountain is a really magic place. More especially as one is with the variation of the city and that the freshness heights helps us to purify our spirit. If, like me, you are in Kyôto towards mid-August, is needed that you attend Daimonji, it is a festival which celebrates the end of O-bon (the All Souls' Day). Men carrying of the torches climb the Nioigatake Mount, close to Kyôto and, once the night come there forms a kanji, meaning large, of more than 150 meters broad and on 4 other mounts, others kanji are thus formed. These gigantic fires would be intended to wish a happy voyage to the hearts of late which regain Beyond. If Kyôto is famous for a thing, they are well its already the gardens evoked randomly with visits of the temples. It is according to tastes' of each one, but I do not think that it can exist people who remain insensitive vis-a-vis the beauty of the Japanese gardens. They are those of moos, of stone, with water or trees. You wander in the city, then a temple attracts you. You enter there and you penetrate in another world. There, the noises of the city are keep silent, only the "ÉCRIN de nature" (jewellery case of Nature) accomodates you. And they is marvellous. One can remain hours to contemplate a garden, it brings serenity and peace. I do not know anything which is also alleviating. For a few moments or a few hours, you can forget the actual moment, you smell yourselves, rather, immutable, like these gardens. To finish about Kyôto, I would like to quote Pierre-Emile Durand, when it describes this so beautiful city: "Here the beauty is not apparent. It is deserved and they are only randomly flaneries and gradually that the charm operates (...) If the beauty is thus jealously protected, it is swarmed also everywhere on this perfect quadrilateral of four side kilometers since one counts downtown this more than two thousand Buddhist temples and shintô shrines, of the palaces and the imperial villas, of the oneiric gardens and houses". Return to introduction My everyday life in Japan I liked the life much in Japan, and more particularly in Kyôto, during the few weeks when I was staying there. You will have noticed it, moreover, with the use of superlatives of which I misused in the first part, which is numerous in French and yet insufficient to translate my enthusiasm. My only regret it is the surprise which the incredible electric wire profusion constituted in the sky of Kyôto, I must acknowledge that that shocks. Moreover, the electric posts are enormous and in the lanes, one must sail between those, the cyclists and the cars. Fortunately, the Japanese people are very courteous. In the International Languages Center of Languages Every morning, I travelled by the train to cross the city and to return to me in the International Languages Center. And each morning, the train was per hour except for the second. What amused me much, it was to see that every morning, at the same place of the station, the same businessman in dark costume, was there, vis-a-vis the same compartment in which it assembled each day. It sometimes happened to me to see Japanese women out of kimono, businessmen refreshing themself with a range. Arrived at the station where I went down, there remained to me 10 minutes of walk to arrive atthe Kyôto International Languages Center. Each one was distributed according to its level in different groups. The intensive courses of summer proceed over 4 weeks, 5 days per week, the morning of 9H AM to 0H30 PM. Of course, if that interests you, will know that there are no only courses in summer, but throughout the year according to programs. In any case, the courses are very interesting and the teachers extremely sympathetic. But, I was very diverted by the method. In fact, all is based on the oral examination, I took only few notes, and, in that, I did not expect it. I was not accustomed to the oral examination, and I think that I progressed much, but I acknowledge that the effort of memory was very intense since the professors did all to us to learn by heart without really giving grammatical explanations. However, for our Cartesian spirit, it should be recognized humbly that the lack of explanations slowed down a little the training. However, I have an excellent memory of these courses. With the fact, at the end of the training course, we were entitled to an examination on our knowledge obtained during the 4 weeks: it was the serious one! Domestic uses There are some rules of good manners to follow and one can say that they are common to almost all the Japanese families. First of all, when one penetrates in a house, its shoes should be removed. There is a space designed to remove them, then one sees a walk on which of the pairs of slippers that is laid out should be put. In the same way, when the house is left, one takes off his slippers on walk and one takes again his shoes remained on lower walk. On the other hand, if one enters a part covered with tatami, one must take off his slippers. The other great difference compared to on our premises, is the Japanese bath. The Japanese people are insane baths and besides, in all the families where I went, I benefitted from it. Contrary to a shower, the bath with the Japanese way is very good for health because it makes it possible to be released. Test Ofuro, it is incomparable. But for that: the bath-tub is only used to be released while being plunged in extreme water, one should not especially be washed in the bath-tub but at side where one finds a kind of shower. In addition, the water of the bath is used to all the family, which finally is not awkward since being washed out of the bath-tub, the water of the bath is clean. In any case, one says that the best bath is that with 42.3°C, it is very hot but very pleasant... when one is accustomed! In any case, if you do not place in a family, you have the sentô, which are the public baths and which will make the same effect. It happens that one finds a furnace bridge Buddhist at the private individuals. In fact, they are often the old people who still preserve ashes of their late husband, on their premises. I had the chance that the grandmother of my host family allows me to see the Buddhist furnace bridge in which ashes of her husband were placed. The part was typically traditional with tatami and sliding doors and there was even a tokonoma (niche spared in the wall where a painting and a floral arrangement are presented). Delicious dishes Food constitutes in my opinion an additional attraction. And did not fear, if you do not control Japanese language completely, it is enough for you to show the fronts of the shops with the waiter to render comprehensible what you wish. In my host family, each meal caused innovation as much as delight. The morning, we ate either with the Western manner (with sandwich bread, omelette, fruit juice...), or with the Japanese manner with a meal containing rice (inevitably) and often of fish or the remainders of the day before at the evening, or the maki. The evening, I was impressed by the diversity of the dishes laid out on the table: often a soup (algae and tofu, mushrooms) and then myriad of dishes (chicken, tofu, sashimi, fritters of vegetables or meat). In short, assured treat each time. Small advice for beginners: persevere if you try to catch the cuttlefish with your rods, that slips by because they is a little viscous. In spite of the risks which you take while crossing the table with the cuttlefish between your rods, the game is worth the candle. It is excellent. With the family of my penfriend of Nagoya, we went in a bar of sushi. It was extraordinary. It was one of most famous of Nagoya, also, we must have patience at least an hour before being able to install us. Then, of the small plates, where were laid out of the sushi, ravelled in front of us on a travelling carpet. We were useful ourselves as far as we wanted and the addition was calculated according to the color and of the number of the plates on which there had been more or less expensive sushi. They is rather expensive, but it is a delight. If you have the opportunity, test the okonomiyaki, it is a kind of pizza pie made up of various elements such as meat, fish or cabbage. You have also ramens, of course, which is Chinese noodles which are eaten out of soup, the sushi and sashimi which are not presented any more, yakitori (chicken skewers been useful with vegetables), teppanyaki (meat which is prepared directly on a hotplate), it is a treat! There are several kinds of tea: the sencha (green tea), the usucha (light powder tea), the koicha (strong powder tea) or the macha (green powder tea), to quote only them. You still have the tea with roasted corn (mugicha), the tea with roasted rice (genmaicha) or the tea of first quality (ichibancha). In any case, accompanied by Japanese sweetened kidney beans (azuki), the tea, even bitterest becomes a delight! Do not hesitate to taste the zenzai (mashed kidney bean), the yôkan (jelly of kidney beans) or the shiruko (kidney bean soup). I highly advise you also to test the dango, they are pellets of rice and the mochi (rice paste cooks with the vapor and last with the rammer), I adored. Japanese perfectionism One very often speaks about the perfectionism of the Japanese people. I think that one can be convinced some quickly. Thus, whereas we test ourselves with a meeting of penmanship in my host family, the father of my family wished to show me which were the kanji of its first name. Unfortunately, I never saw them traced his own hand. Indeed, it started again good ten time the penmanship of its first name, and each time disappointed by its service, it preferred anything to show me. Finally, it was his wife who traced them to me in her place. Always in the same style, we made one evening origami. The father of my family made a point of showing me what a crab was in origami. He was so fastidious on the folding, which he put more than one hour before making us admire the masterpiece. With its discharge, it should be specified that the folding of crab is very complex... I wished to add that the Japanese people are incredibly nice and accessible. As of my arrival, my host family invited me to the restaurant. Then, it did not hesitate to make me visit the city or the places of which I had intended to speak and which I wished to see. The top was undoubtedly the day when my family offered a yukata to me that wore there at the time of the daimonji. I acknowledge that I did not expect it and it is a gift which made me an immense pleasure. More especially as they was extremely expensive. Together, we went to the lake Biwa where every summer a splendid fireworks takes place: more than 10 000 rockets are drawn. It is magic. This exit enabled me to see for the first time, that at the time of the festivals, the girls carry to them yukata. That added with the charm of the evening. To describe the life in Japan, for the daily newspaper, it is necessary to remain more than six weeks. At the end of one month, one only starts to understand some aspects of the society, but much from things escape to us still unfortunately. This is why, my descriptions concerning the life in Japan remain a little fuzzy... Return to introduction Other places After having left Kyôto, I made a small excursion in a small city located in the mountain, in the north of Nagoya. Takayama, built at the 15th century by the daimyô Kanamori, is surrounded by several mountains culminating with more than 3000 meters. The old district of the center, with its narrow lanes and its beautiful houses of wood some dating from the 18th century, is very picturesque. Takayama is often described of "small-Kyôto" because of its shrines, as its temples and many small channels. Moreover, this qualifier does not have what to surprise since the lord of this time wanted to create a reduced counterpart of Kyôto. The small city has a great number of houses of sake. One can also visit Takayama jinya. It is the single administrative building of the Edo period of still existing. Then, I spent a few days to Tôkyô, but I acknowledge that the ceaseless swarming one of crowd in the streets make feel dizzy and that ends up being tiring. The "tokyoits" are less cordial besides than the inhabitants of Kyôto. It is certain that I preferred "provincial" environment more of the old imperial capital. However, Tôkyô is an extraordinary mixture and it is amusing to see adorable small houses or tiny temples and shrines leaned with immense skyscrapers. I adored Asakusa. This district is distinguished clearly from the others because the spirit of old Edo remains there still a little: the lanes are full with charm. Asakusa developed around the temple Sensoji, oldest of Tôkyô (middle of the 7th century), one reaches it by crossing the impressive Kaminarimon door, then by borrowing Nakamise, an alley bordered of 150 souvenir and typical cakes shops. The shrine of Asakusa and the pagoda on 5 floors form the center of this district. The more trendy districts of Tôkyô are to be seen, also. You have the choice between Ginza, Shinjuku, Shibuya or Harajuku. The Chenese district of Yokohama is to be seen. You will undestand the architectural differences of style between two civilizations, at the time of your visit. It is, in any case, a very pleasant district and very animated. Wishing to see Fuji-san, I went with my penfriend near of Hakone. Unfortunately, at this period of the year, Fuji is difficult to see. To comfort itself, we then went to the shrine of Hakone. The place superb, is lost in the middle of a wood, with a torii on the shore of the lake which Fuji-san dominates. However, it remains me much of places to discover, in particular Miyajima, Nikkô, Nara, Kamakura or Hiroshima. I hope to go back to Japan longer, to visit all these places in charge of beauty and history, but also for better impregnating me mentality of the Japanese society. My narration which is completed is only one vision very partial of Japan, and I invite you to discover it by yourself. Return to introduction To go further in the discovery of Japan : "Japon Intime" ("Japan Intimates") of Louis Frédéric, Editions du Félin, collection Les Racines de la Connaissance, 1986 "Le Japon des quatre saisons" ("The four seasons in Japan") of Pierre-Emile Durand, Edition du Carabe, 1998 "De la Gaule au Japon" ("From Gaule to Japan" ) of Claude Durix, Editions du Cert, 1999 (it wrote many other works about Japan) "Japon, crise d'une autre modernité" ("Japan, crisis of another modernity") of Philippe Pelletier, Editions Belin, La documentation française, 2003 "Le Japon" ("Japan") Peuples et Nations, Editions Time-Life, 1990 Armel Rouault _______________ My dream was to spend a whole summer to Japan. Could it be carried out? Not, surely not. However, I have just spent two months (9 weeks exactly) to the Country of the Raising Sun. What a happiness! It is at the same time little and much. I have known incredible experiments. Enough to fill my days of memories and dreams to a forthcoming travel. Who knows? I often wonder why Japan is the country which attracts me more in the world... I have not found yet a final answer but it is quite possible that a part of the enigma lies in the account which follows. My route: overview of the trip Arriving from France, I landed with pleasure to Kansai Airport, in Osaka. From there, for a first phase, I went to Kyoto where a family, with which I have corresponded for 4 years, was going to offer me the hospitality during a few weeks. Overview of the first part of my trip: Stay in Kyoto, circuit in the south of the country and stay in Nagoya Kyoto To locate Some places touch us more than others and Kyoto is one of thoses places. Admittedly, as you will see it in all guides, at the first sight, the city is not beautiful. People expect to walk in a kind of museum in the open air, in the middle of some 2000 temples and shrines (or sanctuaries). But, this is not at all the case. One must know that Kyoto is also a modern city of 1 600 000 inhabitants which, despite conservatism, does not live anymore like during the Heian era (794-1185, the golden age of the ex-imperial capital). You will thus find many streets rather ugly whit electric wires, as in all Japanese cities (for example Kobe ), wires hanging up like lianas in the jungle. But in spite of all those things, let us acknowledge it, Kyoto is unique. You will be able to read in the guides that it is necessary to let oneself go to the flanery and you will be seized by the magic of Kyoto. Because magic it is. Believe me, this is not an overexagerated word. Kyoto is an enchanteress city. Why? Difficult to explain. As the photographs cannot tell everything, I will use my words. If Kyoto is not a museum city, one always feels a certain pleasure to run into a temple or a shrine, famous or not, in the middle of the city. And as each one of those places is surrounded with at least some trees, and often with a garden, one is seized by an incredible pleasure of being able to benefit from peace from the crowned place and beauty from the garden which accompanies it. It is at this precise moment that the charm starts to operate. Nothing bring more serenity and universal reconciliation to let itself carry by the magic of the places which is offered to us. Still is necessary it to be so kind as to let itself take by it. Some people will undoubtedly say to me, when you saw a temple, all they were seen and that it has anything fairy-like in that; but there, I then can not agree that. I always discover with rapture the new arragement of a temple and of his garden, because if they resemble all, I did not see yet one which is identical to another! In Kyoto, one should not miss the visit of splendid buildings and monuments the Chishaku-in Kinkaku-ji, the famous house of gold Ginkaku-ji Ryoan-ji Heian-jingu Ninna-ji Kodai-ji Byodo-in splendid castle in Nijo During this stay, I appreciated particularly Daitoku-ji , which gathers several buildings, temples and tea lodges. It very pleasant and is attended rather little by the tourists, which constitutes an advantage. It is necessary, of course, to visit its Daisen-in , the most known temple of Daitoku-ji, whose garden Zen is a typical example of the karesansui. The dry garden is a notation symbolic of nature. In another kind, it is necessary to visit Daikaku-ji, in the north of Arashiyama, in particular for its fusuma, covered with very decorative paintings. Eikan-do, temple Zen, are incredible too. It is a rather complex whole of houses connected by many covered galleries. Kiyomizu-dera remains one of my preferred temples. Because its access takes us along in small lanes to the old houses and the small charming shops and because this temple is very impressive. It is contingent on a structure of pile and dominates Kyoto. The panorama is thus very interesting. Kyoto has also some very pleasant districts because preserving old traditional houses, thus it is also necessary to be let allure by old districts like Pontocho or Gion where one can still see some geisha. "Around" of Kyoto Kyoto was thus my first stage during the first two weeks and half of my stay. However, I interrupted this stay with one or two days'journey, in particular at : Nara (old Japanese capital from 710 to 784) and at Koya mount, famous mountain which shelters more than 120 temples affiliated especially to the sect Shingon (a Buddhist sect esoteric). In the south of Japan To close this stay in Kyoto, I left for a circuit of one week which especially brought me in the south of the country, travelling with Japan Rail Pass (at an accessible cost, it makes it possible to travel on lines JR as much as anyone wants during a lapse of time fixed before) and making stage in youth hostels. I admirated in this southernmost part: Himeji and its famous castle, Okayama which has one of the three more famous landscape gardens of Japan and the "Castle of the corbel" which although black is superb, Kurashiki and its old centre town at the old houses out of wooden. More to the south, still, I went to Hiroshima and very close to Miyajima that the Japanese regard as one of the three most beautiful sites of Japan and that Westerners especially know by the image of the famous torii in the sea. Still further, I have even made a jump to the island of Kyûshû to visit there Kumamoto, the Aso Mount (a beautiful volcano, appears it, but I was disappointed because it was foogy and one did not see beyond 10 meters) and Beppu, with its famous thermal spa whose certain hot sources have flabbergast colors. From Beppu, I went back enough far, to the center of the island of Honshu , to Kanazawa, on the coast of the Sea of Japan, a very pretty city which knew to keep beautiful traditional districts. To join Nagoya, I passed by Takayama, called "small Kyoto" because of its beautiful old houses. Nagoya and "surroundings" To locate Nagoya is not a very interesting city from the tourist point of view except its castle. Admittedly, but at first it is the town of AOI, one of my penfriend, and then the surroundings of this city conceal some treasures, such as Inuyama (the oldest castle of the country and a beautiful tea lodge), the valley of Kiso (in particular Magome and Tsumago, two cities where time seems stopped at the 19th century). Ise, at good distance from Nagoya (1h30 approximately by train) is rich with the sanctuary more crowned of Japan which one sees... only the enclosure! since this place only the priests and the emperor reach. Overview of the second part of my trip : Stay in Tokyo, circuit in the north of the country and return to Kyoto Tokyo and "surroundings" To locate To close one week and half last in the area of Nagoya in the family of my penfriend AOI, I went to Tokyo to another Japanese friend's, HITOMI, for a stay of one week and half. Of course Tokyo is a large city but it not seemed so impressive, besides some districts particular whose high buildings are crushing (Shinjuku, for example). It is paradoxical, one could almost say that Tokyo is rather a whole of small villages. There is thus quantity of things to discover there: Asakusa (the old district of Tokyo), the Imperial Palace, Meiji jingû, Harajuku, Ueno, Yanaka. But board the neighbourhoods of Tokyo are very rich also: Kamakura, famous for its large Buddha out of bronze of 11 meters in height, Kawagoe, named the "small Edo" because of old houses of this time which are preserved there, Yokohama which shelters the largest Chinese district of Japan. In the north of Japan before the return to Kyoto From Tokyo, I left again for a second tour of one week, in the north of the country, this time, by using the same modes of travel (Japan Rail Pass and youth hostels) that in the southernmost circuit. I have visited various cities and sites, in particular: . Nikko, very famous for its incredibly decorated temples (too much with my taste, but I will say to you why a little further. cf §MENU "visits"). From there, I went "to lose me" in the Japanese countryside and more precisely at Aizu-Wakamatsu located close to the Bandai national park, whose landscape is rather pretty. The city possesses a rebuilt castle. After this stage, I moved to Yamagata because I had the intention to make an excursion to go to see the Zao Mount , whose crater is splendid over the leaflets but the bad weather played me a nasty trick. I leaved Yamagata to Morioka with a stage at Hiraizumi to go to see Chûson-ji, a splendid whole of temples. From Morioka, the train leaded me to Hirosaki, while passing by Kakunodate which has very beautiful samurai houses. Hirosaki was the most septentrional city of my tour. To the return, I "am gone down again" to Sendai and more precisely to Matsushima, which is also one of the three most appreciated sites of the Japanese people. Lastly, to regain Kyoto, I winded about the Japanese Alps and in particular to Matsumoto, with the black and white castle. The last week and half of my stay was held again Kyoto since I took again plane to go back to France from Kansai Airport, in Osaka. There are many sites which I would wish to visit, and as many other as I am in a hurry already to re-examine because I hardly could make more than to skim some places causes requirements of time and calendar. But I think that this travel gave me a good outline of the most beautiful and famous sites of Japan, and there is not the least of the contributions of it ______________ It seems to me that it is on the human level that this travel was the greatest adventure: indeed, I was immensely surprised and touched by the incredible kindness and the unique welcome reserved by my host families, of course, but also by the unknown ones. It is as if they had wanted to make me feel that Japan was my country, my house, my family. Such point it arrived to forget that I was not living in France because in Japan I had happiness to feel me as at my home... Life in Japan Railroads, the chance of the travellers My course: 1 st stage 2 nd stage With yant traversed more than 4000 km of way on the Japanese railroads during the summer, I think of being able to praise me of some experiment with regard to these means of transport. What is certain is that the non-residents in Japan and the not-Japanese people may find it very beneficial to use Japan Rail Pass (I do not make advertising, JR did not sponsorised me!). When buying it, you can find that expensive, but believe me, you will very quickly shown a profit. Everyone knows that the life is expensive in Japan, but those which did not go cannot imagine at which point it is true. Transport and housing in Japan are among most expensive of the world, then better is worth to have the opportunity such as this Japan Rail Pass. This one is exclusively reserved to the foreign travellers who visit Japan with a tourist aim (attention: you do not remain more than 3 months in Japan) and it allows a way unlimited on all the railway networks JR of Japan, excepted with the Nozomi train. Japan Rail Pass is sold in the approved foreign agencies, thus before your travel, in particular in JAL or ANA agencies. These will provide you a Japan Rail Pass Exchange Order which you will have to exchange in Japan against Japan Rail Pass, in a counter "midori madoguchi". Does other favour JPR, it allow to hold your place free. Indeed, almost all the Japanese trains have coaches with reserved places and others with the not-reserved seats. But if you wish a reserved seat and that you do not have the JPR, the price will be marked up; then with the JPR, you will not have any supplement to be paid. If you are interested, you will find all the information on the site about Japan Rail Pass. The Japanese stations in general are very well conceived because the directions, the exits and the name of the trains are written in kanji and hiragana, but most of the time also in romaji (Latin characters), therefore even if you cannot read Japanese, you will be able to be left there. And in any event, the personnel is very great kindness and it is always ready to help you. Even if you do not speak Japanese or that your interlocutor does not speak English, it is enough to show your ticket, one will then indicate the way to you or even one will accompany you to your coach. I have never met employees also pleasant than in Japan. One of great qualities of the Japanese trains is their punctuality. It everywhere is read, but I have really been able to experiment it. The train arrive just at exact hour and stop at the place marked on the ground. Small originality: in the shinkansen, the places are rather roomy, sufficiently to make it possible to swivel the seats and to be thus in the direction of walk or of opposite people. Lastly, to finish on the railroads, the stations are essential places for the traveller because one finds there the tourist information centers (TIC). They are located either within the stations or closed by, which avoids being lost in the city with their research. The TIC propose booklets, plans, charts in English and sometimes in French! The majority of the employees speak more or less quite English (for my part, I prefer to speak in Japanese...). Youth Hostels, lodging for young people... and less young people What relates to the solutions of lodging for the travellers in Japan, my experiment is limited, apart from the families at which I placed, with the youth hostels . There are some 360 youth hostels in Japan and a night in dormitory costs approximately 2500-3000 ¥ . This price is added, if it is wished it, a breakfast with 500-600 ¥ and a dinner with 900-1000 ¥. If you wish to stay in the youth hostel several nights, it is preferable to be member of the international Federation of the Youth Hostels (for example, the chart costs 10€ if you buy it in France), if not your invoice for the night will be increased by 1000 ¥. The youth hostels (except one) which I used were reserved before my departure (3 by the Internet from France and 10 via one of the host families). Indeed, I feared they are crammed in full summer since they are also the holidays for the young Japanese people. In fact, I realized that in the majority of the cases, there remained place. Lastly, if you do not know well your way in advanceor the duration of your stage, it is enough to telephone the youth hostel the morning to even hold a place for the evening. The prettiest youth hostel in which I stay is certainly that of the Koya Mount. Typical, traditional with its fusuma, tatami, penmanship and coffee table, the decoration of the parts is absolutely sumptuous. It was not more expensive than another, but it was worth some much more on the level of the decoration. One could undoubtedly compare it with a ryokan (Japanese traditional inn, often expensive). Moreover, it is a very small inn (in that one, I highly advise you to reserve) since its capacity is not more than 10 people. Food is delicious and the evening when I went, the atmosphere was very cordial. I met a Japanese, a German-speaking Switzerland and a French-speaking Canadian. I have been their interpreter and their translator, the ones not speaking Japanese, the others speaking not very English and, in spite of my "pidgin", we passed one evening very pleasant. Living out from the families which I knew was a formidable experiment because that compels me to speak Japanese with other people. But I also encountered and spoke with all kinds of people. On the other hand, if you do not speak at all Japanese, it will perhaps not be also interesting: indeed, majority of the boarders that I met in the youth hostels (except in the Koya Mount) was Japanese people. Some inns are of Western style, in Nikko for example, and other more traditional, as in Sendai, but in general, one is rather well placed everywhere. Small characteristic: how at the Japanese families, the bath in the youth hostels is used by all, then dont forget to wash you beforehand plunging in the comforting heat of the bath! To eat without ruining itself If it is well-known that the life is expensive in Japan, it is however completely possible to be nourished well for a reasonable price . It is impossible for you to die of hunger or to die of thirst in Japan: the drink slot-machines are plethoras and the konbini ("convenient store": small open mini-market 24h/7d) is very numerous. No need to seek, you will find them on your way almost every 100 meters! In does Japan, one find also the "hyakuen shoppu" (shops with 100 ¥ or 0,87€) where you will be able to buy food, drinks and even of clothing, books, make-up, domestic products, kitchen utensils... That can appear very practical for the wandering everyday life. For those which never went to Japan, I announce that at the entry of many restaurants wax reproductions represent the dishes proposed inside (the photograph above is a wax reproduction of soba). The aspect is very realistic and it is very practical for people unable to decipher the Japanese menus! In France, the Japanese food summarizes with the sushi, sashimi and sometimes with the râmen (noodles of Chinese origin). But over there, you will realize that the Japanese kitchen is infinitely varied . I must acknowledge my small weakness for the yakisoba (buckwheat noodles jumped on hotplate with meat or fish and vegetables), the okonomiyaki (kind of thick pancake cooked on a hotplate with a mixture of cabbage, egg, shrimp, squid or pig) and the kare raisu (rice with the curry, one of the preferred dishes of the Japanese people). Of course, all these dishes exist with alternatives. Thus, one can find zarusoba (soba been useful cold on a bed of bamboo), will tempura soba (soba been useful in a bubble with shrimp fritters)... There still exists of other kinds of noodles in Japan, the soba, and the râmen, already hold as an example : the udon (thick corn pastes), the somen (very fine white pastes generally been useful in frozen water)... And I overlook to you the donburi (rice bowls covered with various ingredients), will tempura them (crackling of all kinds foods: fish, vegetables or shellfish), the yakitori (skewers) and others sukiyaki (vegetable and ox fondue)! In short, as many delights . Contrary to the French people who eat a dish following to an other, the Japanese people put all the dishes on the table and one can take food in the various dishes at the same time and in the order which is appropriate to us. In any case, this as that occurs in the three families at which I was living. Generally did not have less than 4 or 5 different dishes, without counting sauces, sometimes a soup and the "immanquable" bowl of rice... But I am scandalmonger when I speak about rice. Japanese rice is a true gustatory pleasure, it is said that it is the best in the world and I conceive it perfectly. Its taste is incomparable and it does not resemble that of Thaïs or Indian rices. It sometimes happened to me rather regularly to consume rice with my three meals, when sometimes happened to me to eat a "Japanese breakfast". Not only one accustoms very well but one appreciates it. With the length of my 9 weeks in Japan, I had the occasion to discover different dishes almost each day. And each day, it was a new treat. A true gustatory adventure! The family life I lived in three different Japanese host families. It is thus a limited experiment. It would be to be likely to make a generalization of it on the Japanese way of life. I thus will present a partial view to you (biassed ?). With regard to the habitat, each house or apartment was equipped with a traditional part with fusuma, tatami and I slept on a futon in two of these families. To tell the truth, I find regrettable that the Japanese people do not keep this practice of the futon. Indeed, when an apartment is lived, one gains really place since one can arrange it in a wall cupboard. As in any Japanese family, it is necessary to remove its shoes at the entry of housing, it is an immutable rule. The pieces of furniture are perhaps fewer than in the French houses but they are of Western type. However, two of my families had traditional coffee tables and really sat down on a chair only for the meals. The remainder of time, they sat down rather by ground, however they had a settee. Same manner, many restaurants offer the choice between tables in Western style or Japanese style (coffee table). The Japanese people thus preserve the practice to sit down by ground. In occident exist some stereotypes with regard to the relations in the Japanese families. One thinks as well as the father would miss all the time, than it would not deal at all with the domestic tasks and than it would not have anything to say to his children. While the mother would remain confined at the house all the day, according to a expérience which is limited enough and partial. In these host families, the relations between parents and children were very free, as in France (these families were obviously more or less opened with the Western culture). Children not hesitating to tease their father, the father being interested in their activities. In the same way, I saw the fathers family to make the kitchen, to collect and fold the linen... Welcome and quality of the services I already says that and I will surely repeat it, the Japanese people are absolutely charming, accessible and obliging people . The three host families at whom I resided gave me a very cordial reception. My host took time to speak with me, took me in visits and to offer me gifts, whereas I was the guest ! But I was especially surprised by the kindness of unknown and the passers-by. Already in Kyoto, as of the first days of my arrival, I lived that. I thought that people of Kyoto accustomed to see foreign tourists would be sufficiently "used up" to be indifferent. But it was not the case in what relates to me. When I was waiting for the bus, it arrived rather often that about the Japanese people (Japanese women, in fact, most of the time) speak to me either in English, or in Japanese. In all the cases, since I speak some words about Japanese, the conversation was engaged and it was quite pleasant. I must acknowledge that some old Japanese ladies used a language which seemed rather incomprehensible to me, undoubtedly too dialectical, but the nice intention was there! The unknown ones even addressed spontaneous gestures of kindness to me. Thus this lady of Kyoto which started to speak to me and proposed to guide me in the district of Gion; a visit which lasted any the afternoon almost; or this restorer who never saw foreigners before me wanted to offer to me a tempura in addition to the menu; or an old Sir, owner of a small souvenir shop in Kyoto, which gave grant a reduction on the price of my purchases and which offered in more one box of cakes; and as this Japanese woman who offered to me medical bandages seeing as my feet were grazed ! I forget certainly others but do not note that the Japanese people are not distant and cold. Admittedly, they sint not quite as full attention, but nevertheless, I known various testimonys of interest and of sympathy almost in all the places that I was visiting. I dont think that it is resulted to my only smile or my Japanese speech (although the fact of speaking Japanese, even badly, generally is appreciated by the Japanese interlocutor who is not in the habit to see foreigners speaking his language). Perhaps it is this benevolence which had most touched me during this travel! Also I have been astonished throughout my course by the quality of the Japanese services which is undoubtedly dependent partly on the great number of employees of which the presence always not seemed relevant. When I speak about "quality of the services", it is well of the quality even more than of the quantity about which I speak: obliging employees, courtesy of the tradesmen and the cashiers always smiling (not as in France, without wanting to be scandalmonger)... When I speak about the great number of employees, I must say the superabundance sometimes, I think of the service stations where there is always somebody which fills the tank with gasoline and, if the other employees are not occupied, two other employees join the first around your car : one cleaning the panes and the other reinflating the tires and they do not await any tip (this practice does not have course in Japan). There is also a multitude of employees at the entrance of the carparks to indicate you the place where you to park or to make circulation in order to facilitate the exit of the carpark and to allow the car to insert it easily in circulation. I saw also many young people delivering leaflets, paper hankies or advertising ranges (very useful in summer!). But most original, surprising, diverting even, it with was at the entrance of an underground carpark in Yokohama, an old men took the ticket of the machine and tightened it with the driver. If not have these many small jobs in Japan, imagine what a would be the rate of unemployment ! It is in Tokyo, and in particular in Ueno area, that I was seeing the most homeless person. In the middle of the trees of the Ueno Park draw up a multitude of made precarious wood huts, with plastic covers and pasteboard. Their number is very impressive. On the other hand, I have never considering anybody to beg in Japan. The homeless survive of recovery (I often observed some which collected the empty quills) or of assistances of associations. Festivities All the people will say to you that Summer is not the most favourable season to visit Japan. Because the unbearable heat and then because the colors of nature are not prettiest. In spring, you have the cherry trees in flower and in autumn, they are the momiji (the sheets of maples have splendid orange red nuances). But in summer, you will be able to attend quantity of festivals and fireworks, in condition to be at the good place at the good time. July 7 takes place Tanabata Matsuri (festival of stars). This festival is celebrated through all the country where one plants masts of bamboos decorated with paper streamers on which one writes wishes and poems. This festival has its origin in an old Chinese legend: this day celebrates the reunion of the guard of oxen and of the princess of the weavers because they can meet only one time per annum, in the Milky Way. In Kyoto, Gion Matsuri, July 17, is a very popular traditional festival which should absolutely be seen: about thirty richly decorated carnival float in the streets of the city; they are carried or drawn by many young men. This festival goes up to 876 when the shinto priests decided to carry out a great procession as an honnor of the kami, hoping to alleviate them, so that the epidemics cease which devastated the city. O-bon, the All Souls' Day starts as from August 15. Various religious rites take place, linked with the bouddhic belief of the return on ground of the spirits. The Japanese people turn over in his native village and will clean and decorate the tombs of his ancestors. During the 3 days of this festival, dances (bon-dori) are carried out around a platform where took to seat the musicians. With the origin, these rites were accomplished to comfort the heart of the late ones. The animated life of the streets and places of the cities is also always a spectacle in oneself! Somes traditional arts In Tokyo, I went in Kabuki-za, in Ginza, the most known theatre for the plays of kabuki. The actors do not carry masks but an elaborate make-up. This theatre comprises a curtain for the changes of decoration and a scene where chorus and musicians are sat down. Although the kabuki was rested by a woman, Izumo Okuni, the actresses were quickly banished by it. The roles of women are thus played by men. I could attend a private demonstration of koto, traditional instrument of the Japanese music. This performance was made by the mother of one of the host families in Tokyo, former professor of koto, and one of her friends. The koto is an instrument with 13, 17 or 19 strings and which is played flat, as you can observe it on the photograph. Its sound is near that of the zither or that of the harp. To remain is so easy in Japan and it is so pleasant to live in the medium of the Japanese people who it would be a shame not to benefit from this quality of welcome to discover the wonders that this country has... _________ Japan is not a tourist destination very not attended in particular by Europeans. This too remote country has the reputation to have a high cost of living (and very expensive price) and its attractions are ignored... For my part, I tried to benefit from my travel to discover the greatest possible number of his landscapes, remarkable sites and monuments. Apart from the simple stops for the correspondence of the railroads, I had to stop to me, make stage or remain in more than 50 cities (or villages) and to carry out more than 150 visits (or walks)! In the three cities where I remained at greater length like in their surroundings, I could take all the time necessary while elsewhere, I often made "tourism like Japanese people" (during two trips of one week, at first in the south, then in the north)... Remarkable sites and monuments Reminder of my course: 1 st stage 2 nd stage Castles I visited ten castles: Himeji, Okayama, Kumamoto, Osaka, Nagoya, Inuyama, Matsumoto, Aizu-Wakamatsu, Hirosaki, Nagahama. The majority of these castles were destroyed by the bombardments during the second world war and they were rebuilt in the years 1950-60. One tried to restore the original style accurately. On the other hand, the interior of the castles either empty, or is transformed into museum. What remains castles, often it is only one large and majestic keep. In its general look, the Japanese fortified-castle seems an exception compared to the Japanese architectural tradition. Indeed, contrary to Japanese traditional archictecture (that they are the houses, temples or shrines), the castles privilege the stone with wood, these materials offer obviously a greater resistance to the enemies and to fire. In the same way, contrary to the other significant buildings like the palaces, shrines, temples and monasteries, they adopted an impressive verticality, massive volumes, complex plans suitable to divert the enemy, all that to show one defensive function less that a will of ostentation and power. Himeji is a very interesting castle; it is not only beautiful, because it preserved its enclosure and its courses but it give an idea of the complexity of the structure od a feudal fortress. Himeji is largest of the 12 feudal castles remaining in Japan. In 1577, Toyotomi Hideyoshi grabed an old castle located at this place and he decided to make it more attractive and to increase it to make its own residence (between 1581 and 1585). Then,he entrusted it to his brother-in-law Kinoshita Iesada (1543-1608). This one had given up after the battle of Sekigahara into 1600 which put in presence the Tokugawa armies against those of Toyotomi. It isTerumasa Ikeda, head of one of the Tokugawa armies who inherited the guard of the castle. This castle is sometimes called Shirasagi (aigrette) or Hakura-jo (castle of the white heron) because of the white color of its walls and the shape of its roofs. One oppose it with the castle of Okayama, called U-jo (castle of the corbel) with its black walls. The keep of the castle of Matsumoto (1597) deserves also some words. It is one of the most beautiful florets of feudal architecture in Japan. It releases a certain formal elegance due to the contrast of the black and white of its walls. Buddhist temples and statuary The bouddhic architecture changed in the course of time but, in the beginning, the crowned area comprised primarily a pagoda, a kondo (house to shelter the holy images), incidentally a kodo (house for the teaching of the bouddhic Law) and generally of the monastic districts. The pagoda is inspired, in fact, of the bouddhic stupa of India under which the relics of Buddha were buried. If Kyotoi is a well equipped city, richnesses exist a little everywhere else in the country... Thus the Horyû-ji (built towards 670), close to Nara, is the oldest Japanese temple bouddhic. It represents the oldest timber structure of the world and it shelters bouddhic statues among most beautiful of Japan. As for Todai-ji in Nara, it is rather remarkable by its dimensions. Indeed, the daibutsuden (large temple of Buddha) measurement 57 meters length on 50 meters broad for a 47 meters height and it approximately shelters a great bronze Buddha 15 meters height (it goes back to 749 or 752). Kamakura has one of the most impressive statues of the Amida Buddha, moulded in 1252, from approximately 11 meters. It gives an impression of balance to the visitors who are held in front of it. In a completely different kind, it is necessary to see the temples of Nikko, in particular the Tosho-gu. Tokugawa Iemitsu, the grandson of Ieyasu, made build Tosho-gu in 1634 for its grandfather. It wanted to illustrate, for its rivals, the richness and the power of the Tokugawa clan. With regard to the richness, one notes that it carried out its desire (a little too with my taste, the temples are overloaded even too much!). Two years during, 15 000 craftsmen worked to create this sumptuous whole of Momoyama style. Tosho-gu is known for its Yomei-mon (sunlight carries). It is with this door that samurai of lower row stopped while samurai of height row could cross it after having deposited their sabre as a preliminary. It is also called "gate of the twilight" (higurashinomon) because it was supposed to hold the attention and to dazzle the visitor until fallen the night. If you know the history of the 47 ronin, you will be perhaps interested of knowing that in Tokyo, the Sengaku-ji is the temple where these 47 will samurai were buried. The Koya Mount, in addition to its very many temples whose I then to make the detail, is interesting for its necropolis of more than 200 000 tombs, as well as Okuno-in, mausoleum of Kobo Daishi, the founder of the Shingon school. The be leading to this mausoleum is bordered of statues, monuments and tombs where the members of the most powerful families of Japan rest. If the Buddhist statuary impassions you, I also advise you to return to Koryû-ji, in Kyoto. To tell the truth, even if you know nothing there, you will seize the interest of it. Admittedly the ticket of entry is a little expensive, especially that a only one room is open. An admirable statue is presented there, that of Miroku bosatsu (known as the "Buddha of the future"). This wood sculpture of camphor tree dates from the 7th century and it is possible that it is originating in Korea. It is exceptional, not by its dimension, but by the incredible beauty of the face. Its features are very fine and reveal an inalterable serenity. The intention of the eye is vague giving to the glance an infinite softness. Without being "fan"of this kind of art, one can resist with difficulty such an amount of softness emanating of this statue all in delicacy, favourable with contemplation. The Shinto shrines (or sanctuaries) With the contact of Buddhism, the shinto was brought as of the 6nd century to formulate also a crowned architecture. In reaction and especially to prove its indigenous seniority and its character, it took as a starting point the constructions resulting from Japanese prehistory, and in particular from the attics. The basic architecture of the sanctuary shinto can thus be summarized as follows: pillars inserted directly in the ground, roofs with double slope and partitions made with juxtaposed boards. One recognizes easily a sanctuary shinto with the torii - kind of gantry often of vermilion color - which marks the entry of the crowned enclosure of the sanctuary. The shimenawa - cords of rice straw braided suspended above the entries in the enclosure of the sanctuary - delimit crowned and profane spaces. The principal building of a holy place is the residence of the kami (the god, the spirit) to which the sanctuary is dedicated and only the priests can penetrate there. The practise are held in front of the oratory where a bell is placed at their disposal to call the divinity. House of the spirits of the emperors of Japan, the large sanctuary of Ise is the the most venerated shintoist site in Japan. Its interior building is dedicated to Amaterasu (mythical ancestor of the emperors of the country), goddess of the sun of which it is supposed to shelter the mirror, crowned imperial treasure. Closed with the public, it is destroyed and it is rebuilt then every 20 years. Its last rebuilding goes back to 1993. Approximately 13000 cypresses are used for these rebuildings. The Fushimi Inari, in Kyoto counts among the most popular shrine. It is most famous of the shrines dedicated to Inari, kami of harvests; it particularly shelters the divinities of rice and the sake. An alley made up of hundreds of torii was financed by faithful come beseeched prosperity. Of course, one of the most known sanctuaries (in Japan obviously but also beyond), is that of Itsukushima, on the island of Miyajima, close to Hiroshima. It is a shrine built on pile, it dominates a split where the famous torii rises which seems to float on water. At the time of my passage, I could attend the course of part of a shinto ceremony in this prestigious sanctuary. It was very diverting but attractive. It was about a shinto marriage. The couple is dressed in the traditional behaviours of pageantry. The groom carries a black half-coat on a hakama (kind of divided skirt with stripe) and the bride is dressed in a kimono and a bulky cap. At three times during the ceremony, the couple carry out the exchange of the goblets of sake and three times carry them to the lips. It is there the most significant rite of the ceremony and I could observe it... Finally Yasukuni-jinja, to finish with the sanctuaries. This very discussed sanctuary is located at Tokyo was high with the memory of the 2.5 million soldiers died for the fatherland since 1853 (date of the treaty with the commodore Perry). This sanctuary shelters also ashes of certain criminals of the second world war, which raises many criticisms. With the accesses of this sanctuary, one often sees nationalist "demonstrations". With close this small course of the temples and shrines, often mixed, it should be recalled that the religion in Japan is in fact a syncretism between Buddhism, Shinto and Confucianist Philosophy... Japanese traditional houses The sheme and the appearance of the traditional habitat differ according to the regions, to generally adapt to the local climatic conditions. The traditional house was made with wood and paper; it was conceived to be integrated into space. The majority of these old houses were destroyed by fire and the majority of those which have can still admire through Japan were transformed into museum. The old urban houses, like those of the district of Gion, in Kyoto, are machiya, their plan differs according to the size from the frontage. There was other types of more rural traditional houses, like: the magariya, L-shaped, which sheltered as well the men as the horses, or the gassho-zukuri. This last type was characterized by houses with the sloping roof in form of gassho ("hands in position of prayer") which could support the weight of snow and evacuate the rain quickly in order to avoid the rotting of thatch. Their structure organized a vast interior space intended to accomodate families of 20 or 30 people. A traditional house includes : the doma - beaten ground - which is just behind the entry, the irori - the fireplace - heart of the house. It is the principal source of heat and it is useful for cooking of food a room for reception, in the beginning it is the only part whose ground is covered with tatami. One often finds there a tokonoma - niche dug in the wall, intended to receive a decorative element, a bunch of flowers or a penmanship, in connection with the season in progress - and a butsudan - bouddhic furnace bridge of the family. The traditional house is surrounded by a engawa - kind of external footbridge out of wooden, sometimes girded wood doors which one can open in order to allow the circulation of the left air. It is especially used by the visitors. Space is made flexible with the fusuma (sliding doors) and the shoji (sliding partitions opening on outside) which allow, moreover, to adapt the volume of interior and external spaces and to give a sight on the garden because finally, in Japan, the house is not nothing other than part of the garden. Japanese gardens and traditional parks The evolution of the style of the gardens is not independent but remains subjected to the blooming of other arts : linked by close links with the architecture of which it supplements the harmony, it also has significant relationship with painting, the religion and the subtle ethics of the ceremony of the tea. There are various categories of gardens - the garden of paradise, the dry garden, the garden-walk or the garden of tea - but all share a great component count and principles. Their common objective remains the creation of a microcosm where the various elements mix in order to offer a miniature landscape, idealized and symbolic system. The dry garden, karesansui, is attached to the temples bouddhic Zen. The gardens of this type are intended for the practice of the meditation. They stress the ground and the rocks themselves. The rocks and the gravel are selected like equivalents of the ink of penmanship, "as if the garden were a mental description of the meditation". The standard garden of this style is without question it Daisen-In in Kyoto. The destiny of the man, his relationships to nature and its place in the universe are expressed in this masterpiece of design of the dry garden. In a space closed on 3 sides by a wall, a white gravel cascade runs out of a rock evoking the mythical Horai Mount. Other groups of rocks symbolize the ground and the sky. The garden-walks also are very appreciated in Japan and in particular three of them are very famous. It is Kenroku-en in Kanazawa, Koraku-en in Okayama and Kairaku-en in Mito. With prospects in turn revealed and hidden, the sight, in a garden-walk, moves with each step. This style of landscape installation was very snuffed during the era of Edo. In Kyoto, the superb Maruyama Park which includes many temples, also deserves that one passes there the long ones and pleasant moments... The garden of tea (chaniwa) was appeared at the era Momoyama (1568-1600). This garden is composed of a path bordered of cut plants leading of the real world to the tea lodge (cf § according to) where is held the traditional ceremony. However, the simplicity of these gardens is only apparent. Their essential objective is to recreate, on a relatively reduced space, calms peaceful of a retirement lost in the mountain. For its vegetable composition, only the species with persistent sheets are allowed which still underline the austerity of it. Stones, lanterns and basins of stone meet the needs for the ceremony. The gardens of tea were arranged in such manner that they invited the visitor to become aware of itself and of its environment. Tea lodges The ritual of the tea aimed to combine the feeling of beautiful with the spirit of austerity. This is why, when Sen no Rikyu (1528-1592) gave him its traditional form, He tooks as a starting point the the rural architecture to determine the framework of it, and more precisely, he idealized the hermitage of mountain. This framework was thus an exiguous place, stripped, of closed aspect. The functional materials and elements were left as much as possible in a natural state. In Daitoku-ji in Kyoto or in Uraku-en in Inuyama very beautiful tea lodges are. The tea lodges are characterized by an entry (nijiri-guchi: "carries to cross to four legs") of very small dimension : 60 by 60 cm. One can thus pass it only while bending down very low, i.e. by strongly taking self-awareness. Thus, at the time of penetrating in the house, one is recalled to the conscience of his body and humility, because in the ceremony of the tea, any difference of social status is abolished. Once last this door, one is found in a part of 4 tatami and half, very sober, which illustrates perfectly the principles of the sabi (concept of rigour and sobriety) and of the wabi (aesthetic of rusticity calling upon a movement of loneliness and simplicity). In a tea lodge, refinement hides behind an apparent banality. The synthesis of all these evolutions and one of the most beautiful masterpieces of Japanese traditional architecture is the imperial villa Katsura (about 1620) with Kyoto which comprises several tea lodges. Its sumptuous garden is famous for the way in which its alleys and its stones punts organize the course of the visitor, thus enabling him to appreciate a succession of learnedly planned prospects. In the decoration, one would in vain seek the least note of emphase: all is there order and simplicity, logic and beauty, with this atmosphere invented by the architecture of the tea. Remarkable sites In Japan, there is what is called the "san kei", the three most beautiful landscapes of Japan: Miyajima near to Hiroshima, Matsushima near to Sendai and Ama-No-hashidate. Ama-no-hashidate, "the bridge of the paradise", is a sandy bar of 4 km, constellated with pines, which separates bay from the lagoon of Asoumi. According to Japanese mythology, it is there that the gods designed the Japanese archipelago. This sand bar was represented on the tables of the Japanese great painters, in particular Sesshû (1420-1506, one of the Masters of painting to ink in Japan) in 1502. Matsushima is a bay from where emergent hundreds of small islands covered with pines. Admittedly, it is pretty, but I must acknowledge that I expected something of a little more spectacular. Always it is that this site moves the Japanese people, and not of least since the very famous poet Basshot it would be cleaned: "Matsushima, Ah! Matsushima! Matsushima! " In my opinion, I estimate that Miyajima deserves indeed to appear in the row of the most beautiful sites of Japan. This island is a wonder, especially if you go there as of 9 hours of the morning, when the tourists did not arrive yet! Miyajima is symbolized by a boundless and vermilion torii planted in the sea about which I spoke in addition, giving to the whole island a crowned character. The island is famous also for the shrine of Itsukushima, about which I already also spoke. The island contains many other pleasant temples and walks in the heights which make it possible to admire beautiful prospects. Except these three the most appreciated landscapes, the country conceals other beautiful landscapes that the bad weather unfortunately did not allow me in particular to contemplate the Zao Mount close to Yamagata and the Aso Mount, in the heart of the island of Kyûshû. As for the Fuji Mount, in this period of the year; there remains obstinately hidden in the clouds! But I liked the national park of Nikko also much, especially the Kegon falls which fall 96 meters from the lake Chuzen-ji. This cascade is very impressive. Less spectacular but very pretty, the national Bandai-Asahi Park, made up of hundreds of lakes and of marshes allows very pleasant walks. Without going so far, Arashiyama, close to Kyoto, is a charming place. It is not so much Togetsu-kyo, "the bridge which crosses the moon" which allured me, but rather the pleasure of going in a forest of bamboo where small restaurants, small streets and pretty quite quiet houses are found, far from crowd, almost the countryside... Traditional or outstanding cities and villages Many cities kept some traditional houses and sometimes even whole districts. But among the cities which I visited, those which preserved the old districts best emphasized are, in my opinion, in addition to Kyoto obviously, Tsumago, Magome, Kawagoe, Kakunodate, Kurashiki and Kanazawa. Tsumago and Magome are two of the cities of the valley of Kiso. The Kiso River curves in a picturesque valley of mountain which was Nakasendo postal road of the era of Edo. The 11 old relays, in particular Magome and Tsumago, consist of narrow streets bordered by inns and wood stores. Kawagoe preserved it also an atmosphere of the 19th century thanks to its kura, structures with the thick clay walls, the double doors and the heavy shutters, which were used formerly as reserves. They resisted in 1893 a fire, also took again one to them design for the houses and the shops. Kakunodate preserved some vestiges of its splendour on Uchimachi, broad which occurred bordered of old doors giving access to the beautiful residences of the past. Kurashiki, commercial town of the era of Edo, still has some will kura go back to 200 lear a peaceful channel bordered of willows. Kanazawa, famous for its Kenroku park, is a city which knew to keep some traditional districts, as that of Nagamachi whose ground frontages hide beautiful residences of samurai. I liked also much the less traditional cities of Kobe, Yokohama and Beppu. Kobe, this city which does not keep any more traces of the terrible seism of 1995, preserves a cosmopolitan atmosphere which it has "cultivated" for several centuries. It was, indeed, one of the first ports to benefit from the reopening of Japan to the Westerners. In addition to one small Chinese district, Kobe has a district which contains more than twenty residences which belonged to rich person traders and to foreign diplomats of the Meiji time. This district, Kitano-cho, testify to a European elegance end of century (XIXth !). Yokohama is a little in the same style and has the largest Chinese district in Japan. I advise you a walk with the port, at the fallen night. The large buildings and the large highest wheel of Japan are very illuminated. Beppu is very different. Known for more than 3000 hot thermal springs. Beppu is famous in particular for its 9 jigoku, "springs of hell" which are coloured mineral water basins. Two of them are particularly pretty: Umi-jigoku "Hell of the ocean" whose color points out a tropical sea and Chinoike-jigoku "Hell of the red pond" which owes its colour with dissolved red clay. The colors are attractive, but the bathe is prohibited there (unless you did not make a point of plunging in a source to 100°C! one can cook eggs even there...). At last Hiroshima is located in very an other register. The city in itself is not so interesting, but the memorial for the peace is very moving. It exposes to it in a realistic and clear way the consequences of the nuclear apocalypse on the city. One sees there in particular the print of a black shade on the granite steps of a bank, only trace of the person who had sat at this place at the time of cataclysm. It is what moved me by all that that suggests. In the park-memorial of peace, there remains the genbaku-domu (dome of the bomb A), one of the only buildings still upright after the explosion of the atom bomb on August 6, 1945. Hardly returned to France, I am in a hurry already to turn over in this fabulous country which in my eyes Japan is. Country whose charm has equal only that of its inhabitants. It remains me so much of beautiful things to deepen and to discover there. In addition, it will still be necessary for me to enrich my concrete knowledge of the social life by a prolonged stay and multiple contacts. My wish would be even of being able to obtain a scholarship (in a Japanese university) or to live an experiment in the professional universe of the Japanese people... despite everything the defects which one so often evoked in the western countries... <li><a href="http://nihonfrance.free.fr" target="_blank">Etés au JAPON en 2000 et 2004</a> <br>et après l'été 2006 (stage) en Corée... <li><a href="http://chine-2007.over-blog.com" target="_blank">...une année en CHINE 2007-08</a> (<i>blog</i>) <br><a href="../../coree/index.htm" target="_blank">et après l'été 2006 en Corée (stage) ...</a> <br> <a href="http://chine-2007.over-blog.com" target="_blank"> <br> ...une année en CHINE 2007-08</a> (<i>blog</i>) travailler et voyager en routard, hébergement et se nourrir à petit prix, visa de travail, statut de résident <br><a href=../"../coree/index.htm" target="_blank">and after the summer 2006 in Korea...</a> <br> <a href="http://chine-2007.over-blog.com" target="_blank"> <br>...one year (2007-08) in CHINA</a> (<i>blog</i>) job, work and travel ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------<br> </noapplet> </applet> </body>