Visiting Etajima/Carlos Pueblo

Visiting Etajima/Carlos Pueblo

My last trip visit this time to Japan was Etajima , the island campus of the

old imperial naval academy current day maritime self-defense force. Mr. Lin

, a fellow Houston Taiwanese strongly recommended me to visit Kure and

Etajima for the old glory of Imperial Japanese Navy and I agreed with him.

There is a famous military song called Doki no Sakura, the Cherry blossom of

the same year, about the cadets of naval academy when they were out on a

Kamakazi mission. The glory of blossom lasts only a week until the fallen of

the pedal which is the spirit of Japanese current day samurai.

I took a regular Japan Rail train to Hiroshima station and transferred to Kure

Line to Kure, a famous navy center of before the war. Yamada Battleship

Museum was under the maintenance and I passed right through a mall directly

to the pier to Koyo harbor on Etajima Island. I was too late to make the first

visit of 10:30 am and waiting for the second on at 13:00 pm. I have admired

the military academy for all my life, the discipline, the uniform, and the march.

During my travelling in the U.S., I have visited West Point, Annapolis, Colorado

Spring, and New London. There is a private naval museum right outside the front

Gate of the academy with a good collection. This portion of Etajima is very pretty

In compare with bigger cities dwelling, there are houses with garden and with

colorful roof like traditional temple or shrine that I would compare with the

California Spanish Tiles. It is on the hill and I can have a good view of the harbor.

The gentleman guide took us in the first floor of the reception room for the 90 mins.

Tour. We began with the lecture hall, a typical big hall for spiritual lecture from the

president of the academy. Japanese left such system in Taiwan; therefore, I had been

very familiar with such installation. The building is grand yet inside is very simple,

chairs for the cadets and faculties and a podium for the speaker. The next visit was

the cadets hall, a red brick building similar with then senior Kodogatkou, like Kanazawa

Ishikawa and Taipei’s all school building of then Meiji era. There was an activity of the

Cadets at that moment while they briefly  gathered at the other end of the campus.

We visited the third building, the Naval History Museum. I must mention that I have

visited the British Naval Museum twice at Greenwich yet Etajima is unique.

At the entrance, there are three portraits of the naval heroes, Horatio Nelson of Brittan,

John Paul Jones of the U.S., and Togo Heihatchiro of Japan. I have run  out of  my space

and must end with my conclusion. The most touching of this visit was the big moment

when I walked into the rooms of the  youngsters of Kamakazi fighters with their pictures

and farewell letters to their family. I suddenly realize the reason why Japan is such a

great nation, the success of the family and school education.

江田島行/莊峻華

江田島行/莊峻華

行程終站是廣島縣之江田島，此為舊制海軍兵學校，現今海上自衛隊第

一術科學校，休市有位同鄉，對日本有研究，幾次推薦廣島附近之吳市

，說是吳市海軍區，是戰前日本帝國海軍重鎮，大和號戰艦和江田島海

軍兵學校，我喜歡聽日本歌，其中有一曲，同期之櫻，哀怨悲壯，是戰

時神風特攻隊，出征戰歌，據解釋為海軍兵學校之精神，出征抱必死之

念，像是櫻花燦爛後，花瓣之脫落。

我從廣島驛，搭吳線班車東向，到達吳市後，走向碼頭，搭渡輪到江田

島之小用港，吳市有許多海軍博物館，包括大和號戰艦之模型，戰艦博

物館，正直維修日，所以不作留連，直奔海上自衛隊學校。學校每日有

三節見學之招待，免費招待導遊，我參觀過美國四座軍校，西點軍校，

安娜波麗斯海軍官校，科羅拉多春泉空軍官校，和新倫敦海岸巡邏軍官

校，都是自助，其中西點和海軍校園，需要購票參觀。因為來得早，所

以在校外，排徊一個多小時。江田島市之此區，非常美麗，獨門獨院，屋

舍建築非常別緻，琉璃瓦古典設計，庭院花園，就在校門口外，就有一

私立博物館，都是舊海軍文史紀念品，包括東鄉元帥和三本元帥手蹟。

參觀者約是十餘人，我們先在一階待合室集合，紳士導遊開始說明，明治

22年，1888年，學校從東京築地，魚市場，遷移到瀨戶內海小島，對岸就

是吳市，帝國海軍區鎮守所，我看生徒館之紅樓建築，和當代高等學校相

似。出待合室，走到白色大講堂，台灣學校之大禮堂，就是聽訓之處，大

講堂，設備簡單樸素，出講堂，剛好學生有活動，整隊在操場，操場上有

陸奧艦砲，面向海上，整個校園，有美麗之松樹，令人難忘。

終站是教育參考館，就是日本帝國海軍博物館，一進口有三幀畫像，英國

海軍納爾遜，美國海軍瓊斯，和日本海軍東鄉，館內有很多收藏，我參觀

過格林威治之大英海軍博物館兩次，英帝國海軍時間較長，日本帝國稍短，

主要戰役，就是日清1895, 日俄1905，二戰內容是博物館最後一段，神風

特攻隊，館內有很多收藏，年輕飛行軍官，或是少年軍曹，與家人訣別書

，我猜是戰後家人提供者，此為日本家庭和學校教育成功之處。

Visiting Okayama/ Carlos Pueblo

Visiting Okayama/ Carlos Pueblo

It was because that I missed one day of my schedule between Kagoshima and

Hiroshima; therefore, I made up one night stay in Okayama, a few stations east

of Hiroshima. After Okayama, I would go to Hiroshima and return to Tokyo

according the original schedule. It was a 3 ½ hours Shingansen ride from Kagoshima

to Okayama, after putting down my luggage, I returned to the station and took an

express train across the sea of Setonaikai to Takamatsu city. I thought that I would

reach Marugame for the famous udonya franchise which I was closed yet no cigar.

I have been very fond of the Marugame Japanese noodle restaurant in Honolulu

for many years. The Kuhio street restaurant is the number one in the entire 120

franchise which I have been very impressed for how nice and affordable in Japanese

standard. Now I suddenly realize that the historical background is closed to Himeji,

two of my Himeji friends, Kiyoshi Otani and Minorie Toyotaka. They pointed it out

the restaurant was from Shikoku Island and I went to Shikoku without any more

details. Marugame is not far from Takamatsu where I arrive. The first franchise was

built at Kagawa Citynear Himeji. I only stayed one hour at Takamatsu.

There is a statue of Peachboy, Momotaro-san, in front of the Okayama Station.

Momotao-san is a famous folklore of Japanese. I was told when I was a little boy

and we passed it on to our children in Houston with a kindly help of my mother-in-

law. She even taught the kids how to sing the song. I followed the Momotaro-san

Dori, boulevard, toward the Okayama Castle. The has been rebuilt according to the

original design after the U.S. Army’s bombardment during the War. It is called the

Crow Castle due to the black color. It’s one of the 100 castles preserved in Japan.

Across the Asahigawa, river, there is a pretty Korakuan Garden. I ran into a Taiwanese

family of three visitors who would spend the lunar new year in a pretty city of Japan.

My inn is located near the Higashigawa Canal, West river canal. There are two sides of

driveway and four pedestrian all keep very  clean and organized. I like Japan for many

reasons and I like to point out why. There are so many Taiwanese visiting Japan every

year, about 3.5 million as a fact, we should know the difference. There is so much that

we can learn from Japan, the education, the good manners, the law obedience etc. I

just learn that the 6^th senior high school, the old educational system, is here in Okayama

later merged to the University of Okayama system. My conclusion is that the successful

school education makes Japan so difference from Taiwan.

岡山行/莊峻華

岡山行/莊峻華

我在旅行中，安排疏漏一日，於是補上岡山行，遊畢岡山市，再回廣島

市，接回東京回程，所以說岡山行是意外，放下行李後，我又特別回岡

山驛，搭特急快車渡海，瀨戶內海，到四國島之高松市，我想找丸龜製

麵店，據曰起源於四國島香川縣，但首家連鎖店，2000年，在兵庫縣之

加古川市設立，加古川市，在姬路市附近，難怪姬路市人，如大谷清和

豐高美紀，都一口咬定來自四國，我是因為夏威夷島威基基分店而感興

趣，未想到已經如此接近，我想看過一部日本電影，烏龍麵，很可能就

是這位讚岐丸龜烏龍麵，創辦人之故事，他是承繼父業，而加以擴大者

，威基基這家分店業績，全球第一。

岡山驛前，有座桃太郎銅像，和他出征三友，犬猿雉，桃太郎童話，是

我們幼年，家戶喻曉之故事，一直到我們家兩小孩幼年，岳母大人，仍

舊教導歌唱，我仍舊憶得故事本末，桃太郎故事，起源自江戶時代，就

在岡山的故事，魔鬼之島，指者為四國高松外海之兩小島，很有意思，

真是踏破鐵鞋無覓處，得來全不費工夫。

我從驛前，桃太郎大道，直通岡山城，因為此城是黑色，又稱為烏城，

在旭川畔，河對面有一，後樂園花園，烏城原為美軍轟炸，夷為平地，

戰後岡山市，依原設計重建，可見日本人之毅力。我遇見一位台灣太太

，攜帶兩子女來玩，說是過年。我的旅社在西川運河旁，兩旁車道人行

道，都很整潔。

我匆促來到岡山，又匆促離去，只覺時間短暫，回來準備作文回憶，查

到岡山市，為原舊制六高，朝日高校所在，現今之岡山大學，遺憾均未

有機會拜訪，我也讀到幾幾位台灣流日學者，文章提到台北高校，和台

北帝大之紀錄，台灣人能入學者渺，我有很多感慨，旅行日本，對故鄉

更多感觸，我希望迅速寫畢遊記，進入台灣維新，教育遠景。

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.