August 2008: Omiya, Japan.

What better way to wrap up the Japan train trip with a day out to the Japan Railway Museum in Omiya.
It was still the Obon holiday and the school summer vacation. Omiya Railway Museum was jampacked with children out with their parents.
There were however a right mix of adults in the crowd. Two of them, parents out with their grownup daughter was feeling especially nostalgia for a
picture of an old train from Nagoya. They were singing out the tune the train would play as the train doors open and close.
When a curious visitor looked on, they again repeated the tune.

The museum is a huge building. It has to be as train engines and carriages from different era of railway development were housed within.
These include the first generation Shinkasen, the 'O' series that was retired with much fanfare in December.
On the wall of the museum was a timeline showing the development of railway in Japan, starting from the first steam engine in England.
The timeline stops on the year 2008 and has space left for the years 2009 to 2014. Going by JR track record, I await with bated breathe.

August 2008: Suwa, Japan.

Suwa is the site of one of the most famous Jinja, Shinto temple, in Japan. Two actually, since there are two, one Summer temple and one Autumn temple.
The two sites a link by road lined on its side with old hotels and bathhouse.

August 2008: Chino, Japan.

With the Taiko Matsuri going on in Okaya, the hotels in Okaya were all booked up. The alternative was nights in Chino, one stop from Okaya.
Chino station vicinity suggested an urbanized twon like no other in Japan (although it seems to have a greater share of bored-looking
youth in hip-hop attire). However, the colorful posters and brochures at the station tourist information counter suggested that no far away from the
town centre, great nature is to be had by all. So, with only a day left in Chino, I ventured out of the town centre. It took the bus less than 15 minutes out
of the town centre before it hits the open road. And in less than an hour, you will be right in the Chino highlands.

August 2008: Okaya, Japan.

The summer matsuri in Okaya is the Okaya Taiko Matsuri, where taiko (Japanese drums) takes centre-stage. Hundreds of them, in fact.

August 2008: Nagano City, Japan (by way of Okaya).

From Okayama to Okaya in Nagano prefecture. Then on to a day trip to Nagano City.
From outside the train station, caught a bus to the ancient battlefield of Kawa-naka-jima, site of one of the most famous battles during the Warring States period.
The day was also the Obon holiday, where people visit ancestors' grave to spruce it up and make offering.
Judging from the old folks at the stations with flower offering, it seems, similar to in Singapore, it is an "old-folk" festival.

August 2008: Okayama, Japan (by way of Osaka).

Okayama has the Go-raku-en, or literally After-Joy-Garden, or Back-Joy-Garden. It is one of 3 best lanscaped garden in Japan.
It got its name from a Chinese saying that a good court official should worry before the people worry, and to enjoy after the people get to enjoy.
Of course, depending on your sexual inclination, you are free to inteprete it some other way.

Anyway, the last time I was in Okayama as jobless recent graduate, I gave the garden a miss since it was charging an entrance fee.
This time as a jobless recent victim of the Wall Street fiasco, I decided to get in.

Okayama museum (next to the train station) was at that time holding a railway exhibition.
It was one on a small scale, but at least there wasa video about the designer of the first Shinkasen looping on one of the TV.

August 2008: Kochii, Japan.

Leaving Nagasaki, back up north to Honshu and crossing the Seto Inland Sea over to Shigoku.
Then all the way south to Kochii, or Tosa, as it is known by its old name. The last time I was in Shigoku, it was for the Awa Odori Matsuri in Tokushima.
Awa means fool in the local dialect, and the Fools' dance was quite a spectacle. The Yosakoi Matsuri is said to rival the Awa Odori. Yosakoi dancers uses
a pair of wooden flappers and dances to similar music (blaring out of loudspeakers from floats following each group of dancers). Other than these, it's everything goes when it comes to costum and dance steps.

The festivities start in the heat of late afternoon and continue all through the day until 10pm SHARP, when the dancers bid the spectators good night.
I was told at least 80% of the dancers are from Kochii and after 10pm, it's quite a sight to see them on public transport still in their costum amongst spectators in modern attire. A bit like a time warp.