japan trip: final countdown

Well the date is getting closer, I have 16 days left until I'm on a plane heading for Japan!  It's finally beginning to sink in that I'll be exploring another country soon with people I don't know, and it's only making me more excited.

This post will be a run-through of the cities that I'll be visiting along the trip and a little bit about the things my group will be doing there.  Of course, once I'm home I'll have more detailed info and pictures, but this will give you an idea.

TOKYO

Obviously, we will be spending some time in Tokyo, you can't visit Japan without it.  Full of the 'new' side of Japan, this city is going to be a great starting off point.  We'll get to visit the Meiji Shrine, Harajuku, and Sensoji Temple.  Along with the sites will come the food, and I am determined to get a bowl of real ramen as soon as possible!

I had wanted to visit the Studio Ghibli Museum while in Tokyo, however it's a bit out of the city and tickets must be reserved far in advance, so I'll save that jaunt for another time.

NAGANO

If you watched the Winter Olympics in 1998, you'll be familiar with this area.  This prefecture is the home of the Japanese Alps and host to winter sports galore during winter.  However, our group will be exploring the towns and most of all the Zenko-ji Temple, which we will be staying at while in Nagano.  This is one of the highlights that I am looking forward to the most, as we are allowed to join the monks for morning prayers.  I'm not Buddhist, but being able to witness worship in such a serene environment will be awe inspiring.

Also in this area, we will be going to see the Snow Monkeys!  I'm sure you've seen pictures of monkeys soaking in hot springs during snow fall, and this is exactly where we'll be.  Can't wait for the cute photos!
 

MATSUMOTO

We'll have a quick stop in Matsumoto to visit the 'Black Crow' castle and stroll the old merchant district.  I'm hoping there will be others interested in visiting the Woodblock Print Museum that they have there, as I love traditional art.

TAKAYAMA

This traditional market town is going to be a blast from the past!  The remote town was cut off from westernization and has maintained its traditional ways.  The large market in town will give us an opportunity to see artisan wares, try new foods, and enjoy the culture.  Another highlight in Takayama is the Hida No Sato folk village, which is an open air museum of traditional farm houses.  Also, we'll have tastings at the local sake breweries! Kampai!! (Cheers!)

Our time here will be the first traditional inn that we'll be staying in, complete with floor futons, tamami, and a hot spring bath.  With the winter chill, the idea of soaking in a hot spring sounds perfect.

KANAZAWA

This coastal town is home to one of the top gardens in Japan, which won't be in bloom during February, but in typical Japanese style will still be beautiful and calm.  The samurai and geisha districts here are beautifully preserved and, I'm hoping, will offer great photo opportunities

HIROSHIMA

It goes without saying that this city will be a humbling experience.  The Peace Park and Peace Memorial Museum stand as testaments to the atomic bomb that destroyed all but the bones of a few buildings.  However, this city has rebuilt into a vibrant metropolis that has chosen to strive ahead for the future instead of dwelling on the past.

Aside from the museums we will be able to indulge in the local dish and visit the famous Miyajima Island that is home to friendly deer and the vermillion red floating torii gate.  I'm hoping to get a visit arranged to the nearby Mazda factory and see the production line! I'll have a picture of my car on hand to show and thank the workers for their amazing products.  This city trip will be ended with a bar hop!

KURASHIKI

Taking a break from bustling about the city, this charming canal town will be a beautiful place to unwind and slow down.  In warmer weather our group would bike ride through the countryside and view temples, Buddhist cemeteries, and rice fields.  During winter, a hot green tea along the canal and art galleries are more likely.

KYOTO

CULTUREALERT.  Having been spared from most bombings during WWII, Kyoto is the cultural hub of the country.  With hundreds of shrines and temples, this city will have more culture than I will know what to do with!  I have an entire book dedicated to this gorgeous city, and haven't picked out what I want to do here yet, there are just so many options.  One thing I do know however, is that I would like to look around the Gyon district, home of the geisha.  If you've seen Memoirs of a Geisha then this is the city that the story is based in.

YOKOHAMA

Second city to Tokyo our tour will end here.  Waterfront views along with the Ramen Noodle Museum and Chinatown will be a fun and beautiful end to the journey.

Having typed out all that we'll be doing, I'm finally seeing just how much I'm going to be able to pack into the 14 day trip!  So many cities and towns to explore, so much food to enjoy, and opportunities for adventure everywhere.  Now I just have to wait 16 more days......

Deuteronomy 22:25-27 -- What God Says about Rape

In light of the recent spotlight on rape culture in the world, I felt it only right that I give my opinion on the topic.  I had originally written a lengthy disjointed rant that ended in calling for Hell to open up and cast fire upon everything..but I felt that may be a bit too harsh and emotion-fueled.

Instead, I did some research on what the Bible says on the topic of rape and how that should be interpreted.  I had attempted some of the same research previously, but never got very far before I became overwhelmed and stopped.  What I've found is vindicating, and certainly shows just how perfect our God is.

Deuteronomy 22:25-27 -
²⁵ But if out in the country a man happens to meet a young woman pledged to be married and rapes her, only the man who has done this shall die. ²⁶ Do nothing to the woman; she has committed no sin deserving death. This case is like that of someone who attacks and murders a neighbor, ²⁷ for the man found the young woman out in the country, and though the betrothed woman screamed, there was no one to rescue her.

At first glace that passage seems very straightforward.  God commands his people to purge themselves of evil among them, and rapists certainly fit into the 'evil' category.  However, if you have done any Biblical reading you will of course note that in this instance there is no mercy.  Read passages on other sins and in most cases (especially in the New Testament) God has a mericful view of those who commit a sin.  But in this instance? No, no mercy.

One sentence that stands out for me: "This case is like that of someone who attacks and murders a neighbor."

God views rape the same as he does murder.  There is no room for interpretation here, he spells that out right there for everyone to understand.  For me this is a case of deja vu, I had said in a previous post that I viewed rape as the same as murder...and apparently God does too.  You do this, you should die.  End of story.  I'm just going to go ahead and say how much of a badass God is.  And I'm proud that I'm on the same page as him.

Another interesting point to make, no where else in the Bible is rape mentioned in this manner.  It's mentioned as happening, with armies pillaging and raping cities that they conquer, but it is never discussed again.  Even in the New Testament when many of the old laws were discussed and changed around after the death of Christ, this one remains the same.  God only felt it necessary to tell us this once, because there is no re-interpretation for this.  There is no change in how it should be viewed.

Now before I end this post, I will go ahead and attempt to tackle the next verse in that passage.

Deuteronomy 22:28-29 -
28 If a man happens to meet a virgin who is not pledged to be married and rapes her and they are discovered, 29 he shall pay her father fifty shekels[a] of silver. He must marry the young woman, for he has violated her. He can never divorce her as long as he lives.

THIS DOES NOT MEAN WHAT YOU THINK.

Take into context the culture of the time that this was written.  There had been no feminist movement, women were mostly viewed as being there for breeding.  If a woman were 'unclean' or not seen as anything but a virgin, then she would live in poverty for she could not survive without a husband or male relative to care for her.  And leave it to rape culture to give us victim blaming and the blind belief that a raped woman is a disgraced woman.  That was the same then as it is now.  The passage simply gives a way for a victim to be ensured care for the rest of her life.  It does not mention the fact that at the time a woman's father would have to consent to her marriage, therefore she may not have to marry her rapist.  God was setting up a way for her to be taken care of instead of having to suffer more as a social outcast.  I will again repeat, that it does not mean she would have to go be her rapists 'wife' in the typical sense, but that he will have to provide for her and any children that would come from that assault.

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I have no problem admitting that my trust in God was shaken from my own experience.  It's difficult to handle that the one who is supposed to look out for you failed at the time when you needed it most.  But having read that passage I do have a sense of peace knowing that my plight was not ignored.  God will handle it, just as he does murderers.  I just have to keep trusting.