Aug 13, 2010

Sendai Station and then walking home 05


It is very easy for foreigners to get around in Japan. As you can see in the picture, most road signs are in both Japanese and English. This is true of trains and subways, too. There is one possible problem, however, and that is outside the cities in the true countryside there is much less English, although the main roads do have bilingual signs. This is the entrance to a park. You can just see one of the downtown buildings above the trees in the middle. Every year in the fall, they hold an Oktoberfest in this park. They set up tents in case of rain and have lots of booths selling beer and German sausages. They also have a lot of entertainment, German Oompa Pah bands and the such. However, one year when I went they had a bunch of Japanese women doing belly dance. Not exactly German, but what the heck, it comes from the other side of the world.
As I was walking up the sidewalk, I discovered this businessman making a phone call. I could hear his conversation as I passed - he was talking to his next customer. Many salesmen and people who call on customers used bicycles to get around. On rainy days they hold an umbrella in one hand and steer with the other.
Another of those old buildings nestled between the modern constructions. This one houses a very famous store which sells rice balls covered with bean paste. I love them and this store makes exceptionally delicious ones.

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