Visiting Nagasaki/ Carlos Pueblo

Visiting Nagasaki/ Carlos Pueblo

From Kagoshima to Nagasaki, I have to transferred to an express train at

Shin-Tosu Station and once inside Kyushu Shingansen stops on every big

station from Hakada to Kagoshima. It takes about 3 ½ hours to make it

for the trip. My time in the northern Kyushu was very limited; therefore, I

still always walked to have my visit. I selected the direction of Dutch

settlement, the old town area instead of the Peace Park, the nuclear

explosion area. There was an uniform high school student excused himself

for helping me to read the map when the street light turned green, yet he

did inform through his cell phone for another kid in another group to catch

up with me to make sure I got the help. This is one reason why I have been

very impressed with Japanese good manners, a sign of the excellent home

and school education. I walked along the harbor, walking up to an elevated

platform to observe the harbor, passing by a beautiful market, a pretty park,

toward a huge cruise ship called Quantum of the Seas, after I saw the Hong

Kong Shanghai Bank Museum I knew that I was near to the destination.

The old British Consulate building was under re-innovation. This is the famous

Oura Machi with the Oura Church, the Confucius Shrine and the Chinese

Historical Museum etc., and the Dutch Slope, the old Dutch settlement. The

Slope means on the hill where I have walked from place to place. In 1541,

Nagasaki received the first visit of Portuguese ship, then Catholic and trading

ships attached and Spaniards joined, then British and Dutch followed. The

Shuganate allowed them settling in this area. Nagasaki was one of the three

Ports, Hakodate, Yokohama, and Nagasaki designated for foreign trade. There

Is a very pretty women university on the slope called Kwassui Women’s

University, Kwassui is the living water from the Bible I guess.

From the women’s university campus, I walked into the old Chinese settlement.

There is a popular local goddess temple, Martsu  a sea goddess in the Formosan

Straight, a Fuchien Club house built like a temple with Dr. Sun Yat-sen’s statue

inside the court yard. I was lost while attempting to locate another building and

walking into a new Chinatown with a lot of lanterns, a lantern festival I guessed.

The new Chinatown is busier than the old one. Chinese immigrants were very

Noticeable during those days almost reached 1/3 of Nagasaki population.

I did my gifts shopping at the station with a great help of a sale lady. I tried to

buy a famous Castella cake as introduced, a Portuguese left over yet she didn’t

know what I was talking. I think that is a sponge cake which we also have had

during the Japanese era in Taiwan.

長崎行/莊峻華

長崎行/莊峻華

從鹿兒島中央到長崎，需要在新鳥栖換車，新幹線在博多以南，十驛均停，

鳥栖到長崎是特急列車，經過西北九州，我在九州時間很短，所以依舊步行

參觀，我選擇舊荷蘭區方向，就是長崎老街。我一面看地圖，一面問路，一

群高中制服生，我英文詢問，剛好街燈轉綠通行，他為跟上隊伍，連忙道歉

，走不久另一位學生跟上，有禮貌問道可否幫忙？我猜測前一位手機呼叫幫

忙，我非常感激，轉入海港方向，登上觀望台，長崎海港，果然不一樣，有

新穎碼頭，商街，花園，我往停泊大郵輪方向前進，原來是一美商郵輪，亞

洲航線，查看地圖，方向無誤，更加放心。看到香港匯豐銀行博物館，我知

道已近目的地。

舊英國領事館，就在附近，街道上有很明顯之指標，這是著名之大浦町，大浦

天主堂，就在小丘上，長崎在1541年，就開始有葡萄牙父船進來，帶來歐洲商船

，天主教，三口通商後，函館，橫濱，和長崎，先有葡萄牙人，西班牙人，與幕

府有衝突，後來英國人和荷蘭人取代葡萄牙人，都居住在荷蘭坡附近，房屋尚在

，只是變成日本人居住，荷蘭坡上，有一活水女子大學，我想是宗教學校，我讀

過這段聖經。通商後，也引來更多福建移民，孔廟也在附近，我找到老唐人街曰

，唐人屋敷跡，日本漢字用法，非常有趣，敷有散佈意，屋敷者散居處也。此為

小山坡地，不甚熱鬧，我沿路標，到處逛，有天后宮，就是媽祖廟，有福建會館

，有一孫文塑像，下山坡後，就是長崎新地中華街，比較人多，每街都是張掛彩

燈 ，很是美觀。我忘記提到 孔子廟，在大浦天主堂附近，已經是中國歷史博物館

，據說全盛期，長崎人口，有三分之一是華人，我在福建通，就是大道問路，一

位修路工頭，派一中年同僚協助，此人有濃厚山東口音。

沿著來路，走向日鐵長崎驛，回家後溫習地圖，始知長崎平和公園，就是原彈爆

落地，是在另一方向，我未特別準備，而且天色已晚，我仍舊需要趕回鹿兒島，這

是走馬看花之缺點。我在驛內商店佇足，購買一些禮物，讀過介紹著名葡萄牙人蛋

糕，我又說不出名字，店員很努力協助，並且介紹長崎版之，白色戀人夾心餅，我

在函館錯過，但在成田機場，兌換所有日圓，買了兩大盒回家，結果所有禮物，都

擠在小行李箱，衣物擠壞小運動袋，冬季衣物，穿在身上。

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

Visiting Kagoshima/Carlos Pueblo

Visiting Kagoshima/Carlos Pueblo

Finally after three visits of Japan, I have reached the city of Kagoshima on

the southern tip of Kyushu Island. During the Japanese Imperial Rule of Taiwan,

1895-1945, many Japanese immigrants came from Kagoshima, the old name

Satsuma for the old Satsuma Kan at Bakufu era. According to those who know,

the generation of our parents spoke Japanese with Kagoshima accent, Satsugo

Hogen as theWikipedia indicates. Shingansen trains pass by several familiar cities

on the way From Himeji to Kagoshima, Hiroshima, Kokura, Shimonoseki, Hakada,

and some others like Okayama which I have an opportunity to visit on my way to

return. I split my two days stay to visit Nagasaki; therefore, my Kagoshima visit is

very brief yet meaningful.

Satsuma Ken was the first Japan to meet the European. 17 youth broke the law

to set sail to Europe and return to serve their lord. During the champion of Revere

the Emperor, expel the Foreigners, Satsuma played a major role to make Japan

becoming the super world power. There is a memorial park and museum not far

from where I am staying. Tis city park is very unique with Meji Restoration Museum,

old Samurai House, a small area of a description of early education of a samurai at

Satsuma. Japanese government, central and local, respect those who have contributed

to the Restoration, they call those heroes of the Restoration and memorial built in

Satsuma and another Prefecture, Choushu Shimonoseki. While I was taking photos

around an old frame samurai house, a senior lady volunteer dropped by and chatting

with me.as comparing the size of the frame house to Nogi Maresuke’s at Nogi Shrine

in Shimonoseki. That was his father’s middle rank samurai residence while this one was

like a lower rank samurai’s dormitory. The lady told me that Nogi’s wife, Shizuko was from

Satsuma. I notice that the city, the park old neighborhood area, is the birth place of many

Restoration heroes, such as Okubo Toshimichi, Saigo Takamori, Togo Heihachiro. The

Emperor Meji allowed Japanese worshiping those heroes.

I Admire very much of Japan, the people and the nation. I admire the successful Restoration.

I always wish that Taiwan will become the second Japan in the world which makes  it through

a peaceful Restoration and that is why I expect the new government of Taiwanese regime

will start immediate reform to make it a real progress instead of talking all in history.

鹿兒島行/莊峻華

鹿兒島行/莊峻華

三次旅行日本，終於到達九州南端之鹿兒島市，日治台灣時代，許多

鹿兒島市人，移民台灣，據說我們父執輩之日本口語，多含薩摩籓音，

我當然分辨不出。新幹線經過本州西南端，許多著名城市，岡山，廣島，

我最後兩城市；小倉，下關，和博多，都是2014年舊遊城市，火車也

飛馳過熊本，三小時半，就抵達鹿兒島中央，我之旅社，就在驛前，廣

場有許多城市西化之紀念碑，其中之一為德川幕府鎖國時代，17位青年

犯禁出國到歐洲，我到此旅行，主要是體會薩摩籓當年，尊王攘夷之努力

，不久，日本脫胎換骨，成為世界強國。

這些明治維新之英雄，有幾位留在驛前不遠，甲突川畔之公園，公園內有

市觀光中心，維新公園碑，薩摩籓新學介紹，每五十音，均有近體詩勵志

，籓主島津齊彬，任用賢能，碑文介紹為一代明主，重視幼年新學教育，

儒學論語，武術劍道，幾位維新英雄，西鄉隆盛，大久利保通，東鄉平八

郎，出生地都在維新博物館公園內，甚至四國島坂本龍馬，也在薩摩結婚

，我在一侍屋拍攝駐足些時，有一女士義工前來介紹，我提到下關長州之

乃木神社，保存有其父之小侍屋，她笑曰乃木奧桑靜子，乃薩摩人也。

我對日本有嚮往，尤其是明治維新，維新史中，薩摩與長州，各有英雄，輔

佐天皇，日本一直都在有秩序，有節奏之前進，國家社會，無比尊重這些軍

人，政治家，文人，旅行日本各地，經常遇見史蹟故事，讓國人深信，凡事

必須兢兢業業，社會尊敬對國家社會有貢獻者。

Visiting Himeji/Carlos Pueblo

Visiting Himeji/Carlos Pueblo

Traveling from Kanazawa to Himeji, I have me take a tourist express train

across the central mountain area of Japan on Hakuriku Line, the future of

Hakuriku Shingansen, passing through some pretty cities such as Fukui and

The beautiful Biwa Lake, of course, I didn’t see very much of the lake due to

snowing. The 4^th Senior High of Ishikawa and 3^rd Senior High of Kyoto athletes

competed in rowboat before the War as recorded. In two hours I reached to

Kyoto Station and transferred to Shingansen to Himeji in an hour. As usual,

I encountered certain difficulty to locate the Hostel inside a busy shopping

center not far from the famous Himeji Castle.

Finally, I found the small inn and waited in front of the door until a lady manager

woke me up. I was all sodden and in a panic due to the heavy rain. She took my

luggage inside and asked me to come back at four, daily open hour. I wondered

around the shopping center had food and dessert, a kind of small fish shape cake

with sweet red bean paste in it. Reiko, the lady manager on duty, was our Dallas

SMU educated, speaks good English and the next day manager, Poon is a sophomore

at the university both are very polite and kind. I had visited the Castle, an art Museum,

and the Koko-En Garden, an unique Japanese garden next to the Castle.

Himeji Castle is white color is also called White Egret Castle, or White Heron Castle

because it looks from distance like the bird is opening its wings and ready to take off.

A Castle has always had an interesting history behind it especially after such a long

Time that I call it a legend. Aksmatsu Norimara was appointed here as a lord in 1333

and built the first stage of this Castle to protect his domain, this was Ashikaga’s

Muromachi era, the one before Togugawa. Toyotomi Hedeyoshi made a big addition

To the 3^rd story in 1581. Tokugawa Ieyasu gave it to Ikeda Terumasa for his loyalty and

help in the decisive Sekigahara Battle. He kept on building the Castle between 1601-

1609. For some reason that I haven’t understood, the Daimyo became Honda Tadamasa.

He married Ieyasu’s first granddaughter, Kumahime. Look, hime is a honor greeting of

A lady in Japanese. His son, Honda Tadatoki, married Ieyasu’s successor, Hidetada’s

Daughter, Senhime. Senhime and kumahime are cousins. This Senhime had a very

happy life in her 10 years marriage with Tadatoki. I run out of my space to describe

more. The other two famous Castles in Japan are Matsumoto Castle and Kumamoto

Castle among the 100 preserved Castles in Japan.

Koko-En Garden is the closed neighbor of the Castle with classical design yet current

Construction, small bridge and the brook stream with a lot of colorful koi carps swimming

around. The Garden consists of pine, bamboo, plum, and peach sub-garden with a one

story tea house very beautiful, of course, many flower cherry trees.

姬路行/莊峻華

 姬路行/莊峻華

從金澤到姬路，需要越過北陸線福井市等漂亮城鎮，此為2022年之北陸

新幹線，依山傍海，風光明媚，過去金澤四高和京都三高學生選手，就在

琵琶湖划船競賽，將來北陸線，可盼通行抵京都，不過目前之特急觀光車，

雷鳥號，非常舒適，約兩小時許，就達京都，換新新幹線一小時，就到姬

路市。姬路市冰雨不停，我尋找旅社有困難，問上許多人，找到旅社，卻

須等候到下午四點，始有人在，於是我在門口小椅上等候，商街防雨設備

欠佳，約是鄰居店舖有人通知，旅店經理，開車前來喚醒我，這時候是下

午兩點，見我狼狽狀，要我四點回來，我可以先寄放笨重行李，走出旅社

附近，就是著名之姬路城。

我可以日語自我介紹自己，結果引來一位台灣女同鄉，她在驛前御案內中

心，很快的我們台語交談，非常親切。旅社這位女經理，曾在我們德州達

拉斯之南美以美大學兩年，英語流利，翌日值勤經理，是位女大學生，準

備將來教書，兩位均非常敬業親切，令我印象深刻。有趣事甚多，特舉一

例，鯛燒，我以為是烤魚，結果是一種甜點，一種魚型紅豆餅。我需原歸

正傳，我在姬路市，參觀姬路城，美術館，和好古園。

日本人暱稱姬路城為白鷺城，近代攝影，遠觀相片，確似白鷺斯展翅，真是

偉大美麗之建築，1333年，赤松則村受封於此，受室町幕府之足利高氏之封

，他開始興建城堡，就是今日之姬路城；1581年，豐臣秀吉，加蓋三樓，關

原之戰後，德川家康贈與功臣池田輝政，1601-1609，池田有擴建；不久，籓

主易人，這都是早期江戶時代，本多忠政，其父為本多忠勝，本多父子，有

戰功於德川，所以封籓，統領數州，年收一百萬石，和金澤加賀籓之前田相

同實力，比仙台青葉城之伊達83萬石稍高。德川家康，將長子之長女，嫁給

本多忠政，傳人二代將軍秀忠之長女千姬，嫁給忠政之長子，城內有族譜展示

，我覺得有趣，日本貴族，近親繁殖，難怪後代體質甚劣，我查一下維基字典

，族譜中甚至包括，織田信長之胞妹。千姬先嫁豐臣之子，其祖家康，砲擊大

阪城，置其夫，長子﹝秀吉之孫﹞，和其婆婆於死地，就是斬草除根。千姬再

嫁後，其公公忠政，添增西丸，為小夫妻寓所，是一長廊形，頗具規模，其夫

因肺結核早逝，據曰此為千姬，最美滿之十年。我查維基，姬路城，松本城，和

熊本城，是日本一百座古城之前三名。

好古園花園，就在城旁，是近代設計，我在阿根廷布宜諾市，不願買票參觀日本

花園是正確者也，花園內有小橋流水，錦鯉漫遊水池中，有松竹桃李園，茶屋候

客，當然要購票，小城垣連結於水池中，雕龍玉切應猶在，約是此境。

Visiting Kanazawa/ Carlos Pueblo

Visiting Kanazawa/ Carlos Pueblo

I was waiting at Niigata Station to take an express train via Echigo Line to

Kashiwasaki Station to continue to Shinetsu Main Line to Naoetsu Station

to connect to Kakuriku Shinkansen to Kanazawa. My problem is that the

express stops at Joetsumyoko Station which is not a Japan Rail System but

a local rail line, Kita Shinano Line. I must pay 450 yen to pass the station to

Shinkansen station. I attempted to argue my way to pass the exit yet there

was only 8 minutes  and my Japanese conversation was not quite sufficient

for argument, finally I gave in to pay the staff 500 yen. He was released and

put on his uniform hat, grasping my luggage and rush out toward Shinkansen

entrance. The Shinkansen staff understood the situation and smile sign to

pass. This Hakuriku Shinkansen only opened last year, 20115, an extension

to Fukui City will be completed in 2022 planned in 2012. Japan Rail is always

expanding for example, on 03/26/2016, Shinkansen will go through the great

tunnel from Aomri, Honshu to Hakodate, Hokkaido.

 Kanazawa city is very pretty yet very unique, actually all cities and township along

the railroad are very beautiful, at least Japanese make them very clean and pretty.

I have visited the Oyama Jinja Shrine, the fourth High School Memorial Museum,

Passing by Kanazawa Castle Park and Kenroku-En Garden, Daisetsu Teitaro Suzuki

Memorial, and a small tatami tea house nearby Kanazawa Art Museum of which I

Was very much impressed. It was donated by the last lord of Kanazawa to the city

Moved from Kanakawa Prefecture near Tokyo, it consists a tea house and snow ground

garden etc. I checked the Furoumachi Bakufu history, after the mid term of Ashikaga

Shogun, Kanazawa was ruled by Buddhist monks called themselves Peasant’s Kingdom.

That was a pure land section of Kyoto Honganji until mid 16 century, Oda Nobunaga sent

his deputy, Sakuma Morimasa, to conquer those monks, who became the lord of Kaga

briefly, another deputy, Maedo Toshiie defeated him and became the new lord of Kaga

later becoming a much bigger lord of Kanazawa. His wife, matsu, was quite famous at that

time, has a statue on the Oyama Shrine. I run out of space to describe more history.

I want to describe my surprise during my visit of Kanazawa. I ran into the Ishikawa Kodo

Gatgou, the old Ishikawa Senior High School Memorial Museum. The school was built in

1887 as my alma mater, Taiwan Normal predecessor, Taihoku Kodo Gatgo was built in

1922. They were all the products of the Great  Meji Restoration.

I also visited Suzuki Daisetsu Teitarou Memorial Museum. Suzuki is very famous for his

Zen Buddhism.