Japan

In Japan we made two stops – one in Kobe and the other in Yokohama.  Our co-chairman of the Lifelong Learners was Betty Waldron.  Betty and her husband, Milt, had made some 10 trips on SAS, so Betty knew a lot about the workings of Semester at Sea.  Anyhow, we had a party in the Glazer Lounge (where the adults went for refreshments each night) for Betty’s departure.  She was a great help to all us old LLLs.



Betty Waldron

Our first day of two we went on a city orientation.

Our guide took us through an area where we saw several memorials to the 1/17/1995 earthquake in Kobe that saw some 6,000 people die.  It is an important part of Kobe as most of the city was devastated.

Between Shanghai and Kobe we passed north of Kyushu and south of Honshu. The below volcano was on an island before we passed between those two big isllands of Japan. Ken's brother was stationed at Fukuoko (spelling?) Air Force Base on Kyushu in the 1960s. Our guess is that this island was just west of Kyushu and not on that island. But the seas are large so it is hard to tell.

  

Active Island Volcano in the Japanese islands

Seattle, WA is a sister city to Kobe.  Sometime after the earthquake Seattle sent the below totem pole to honor the victims of the earthquake.

Totem Pole Donated by Seattle to Earthquake Victims

 

View from 24th floor of the government building with MV Explorer

Grace in front of our ship - the MV Explorer

 The 2nd day we went to the Kobe Fashion Museum.  No pictures allowed inside. It was very interesting as it included pictures over the centuries of fashion. Much of the exhibit featured pictures of France fashion starting in the early 1900s. We really enjoyed it.

Grace in front of the Kobe Fashion Museum

Corinne Law and Grace on a pretty boulevard in Kobe



Our guide ovelooking the first memorial to the Kobe victims

Another memorial to the earthquake victims

We will post Yokohama separately.