Kamakura!

So part of checking in to Japan is to attend an AOB (Area Orientation Brief) when you arrive. The briefing lasts one week and covers everything you need to know in order to live in Japan. It also covers military items like health care and base rules. The wonderful thing about John's command is that they are the ones who teach the AOB. They suggested John and I go to the class today and tomorrow and then I can hop in on Monday through Wednesday of next week and take care of all my military benefits items. You're realy supposed to do it all in one week, but John will eventually be teaching the class, so they're not worried about him not getting the information. Today (Thursday) is the day they teach you the Japanese bus system and you go on a field trip to Kamakura.Kamakura is a large city about 40 minutes from Yokosuka. It attracts all kinds of tourists from all around Japan. Tomorrow we will be taking our driver's license test to be licensed to drive in Japan.

Below is the photos I took on our trip today! Enjoy!

 The above photo shows how to purchase a re-usable train card. John and I opted to just buy the train ticket (way cheaper) and buy the cards when we move out in town and will use the trains more often. The penguin is the mascot of the train card company.

The above picture is the Japanese train system. As you can see it's all in Japanese. Sooo...good luck with that.

We made it to Kamakura okay! This is the clock tower in the square next to the train station.

We had lunch in a basement restaurant that sat about 10 people. I had minced beef over rice and John had thin pepper steak. I meant to order a green tea, but my Japanese failed me and I ended up with a regular brown tea. John got it right and got a green tea and a beer made in Kamakura. We also overheard people talking about how cool it would be to be with the command that gave the tours in Kamakura (which is John's command)...we giggled to each other. 

This is Kamakura. It's Golden Week in Japan, which is a holiday. Everyone was out today and it was CROWDED.

This is the gate entrance to the shrine in Kamakura.

This is the shrine. There's real live Buddhist monks there.

Big smile!

The shrine is a common wedding spot and it's absolutely beautiful. These are the leftover sake casks from weddings that they store here.

We were lucky enough to come on a day the monks were gving demonstrations of their prayers.

This is the shrine.

Before you enter the shrine, you had to wash. You have a copper cup you dip in water. You use your right hand to pur water over your left hand. You do the same to your right hand using your left hand. Then you pour water into your right hand and rinse the outside of your mouth. Then you tip the copper cup striaght up to empty it. You return the copper cup to the bamboo fountain upside down for the next person.

Once you enter the shrine, you throw a coin into the donation box (literally throw). Then you bow twice, clap twice, then bow your head in prayer. Once you finish your prayer, you bow again and leave. All the while. there are monks praying in a section above you. Afterwards, you can buy gifts at the gift shop. One of the more famous things to do is get a fortune. You pay 100 yen, shake the fortune box, then pull and stick with a number on it out of the box. You are then given a fortune based on the number you pulled. My fortune is shown above.

Once you read your fortune, you tie it to this thing (not sure what it is) for good fortune.This is John tying his to the thing.

Okay, that's it for today! Tomorrow I take my written driver's exam! Then next week, not only do I have the military information I need to receive, John and I also taking some Japanese writing and language classes. I have to say that I had my first case of culture shock today. It's very frustrating not to be able to read the signs, understand the chatter going on around you, and not to know the customs. I know it sounds silly, but it really does make you mentally exhausted after a few days. I hear this type of mental exhaustion lasts only about two weeks before your brain becomes more open to the unfamiliar. I wish I could explain the feeling better.....it's somewhere between frustration and exhaustion. I just wish for once I could understand a sign or read my train ticket or even know what all the products were at the convenience store. I know I'll adjust...but still....also I think moving off base will hep.