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Sekigahara and the Drums of War

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I want to talk about Sekigahara. Few places resonate with me, few so deep in my soul. I will get to discussing my university life in due time, but I believe this warrants priority. Sekigahara is a small town in Gifu Prefecture. For clarity, it took me 4 hours to get there from Tsukuba, 1 hour from Nagoya. It has a population of just under 8000 and is relatively quiet. Its claim to fame, however, is that it was the site of the battle of Sekigahara. often described with the adjective; decisive. That is true as the battle decided the future of Japan. With victory here and at Osaka, Tokugawa Ieyasu consolidated control over Japan and established the eponymous Tokugawa Shogunate. A Shogun is analogous to a Generalissimo and was usually hereditary, held by a family with the greatest military in Japan. The battle of Sekigahara was fought between the Western Army, supporting Toyotomi Hideyori, and the Eastern Army, led by Tokugawa Ieyasu. Within my first two weeks in Japan, before seeing much
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Smoke, Senso-ji and the Sky Tree

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Tokyo. The heart of Eastern Japan. When one travels to Japan, they usually visit Tokyo at least once. The city is similar to London, yet far more expansive. You could spend weeks there and not even see half of it. I had been in Japan for a week and I could feel it calling to me. But, where would I go first? Akihabara? Shibuya Crossing? Harajuku? No. I instead went to Asakusa. Originally, I was on my way to Akihabara (The Tsukuba Express goes from Tsukuba to Akihabara), as I would soon need to pass through there to get to Tokyo station and board a Shinkansen. On the way to Akihabara, I recognised the name of another station, Asakusa. At the time I hadn't realised the significance of Asakusa to me. When I first starting learning Japanese, I saw a picture of Asakusa and it enthralled me. It was that picture that inspired me to continue learning, to actually come to Japan. Also, the kanji on the giant lantern at the Kaminarimon, were the first kanji I ever learned. When I stepped out
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The Search for Food, the Gathering of Essentials

I should preface this post with an explanation regarding my adaptability to new places. After one visit somewhere, I immediately remember how to get there and where everything is. My first night went smoothly, except for the very uncomfortable pillow I was provided with. The average pillow in Japan is not like those in Britain. I barely slept on the flight, so I countered potential jet lag by going to sleep very early. My tiredness also negated the pillow's lack of comfort. My second day began with meeting my 'tutor', a student assigned to me who was Japanese or at least fluent in the language. Upon meeting, we discussed the various procedures I would have to do such as registering at city hall, getting a health insurance card and opening a bank account. Breakfast followed and it was my first experience of the Japanese version of 'curry'. Hailing from Birmingham, I live in the geometrical nightmare that constitutes the city. Part of which is the Balti Triangle, a
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Nothing Behind Me, Everything Ahead of Me

Across oceans and mountains I flew, towards my future, towards the culmination of events in my life. I was heading to Japan, where I would be living for a year, studying at Tsukuba University and learning many things about Japanese language and culture, and fantastic opportunities ripe for seizing. To preface my arrival in Japan, I must discuss the flight. It was a good flight, due solely to the fact that my legs and feet were not crushed. The legroom was adequate in comparison to every flight since I first began to grow taller than average. The flight provided me with good practice for the customs associated with eating Japanese cuisine. Upon arrival I was met with two things. The first being the view. Many people ask you what did you feel when you first gazed at the skyline of a land you have never been on. Were you awe struck? Dumbfounded? No. At that time, I was met with a view of an industrial area, nothing particularly special. The second thing however was the blistering heat. I
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