７月３１日（金）

Today started out slow because I am still pretty tired, although my cough was mostly gone. I spent more time planning travel and blogging in the morning. The owner of the guesthouse knocked on my door and chastised me for not opening my window, and commented that I "don't go out much." His English is pretty good but it still strikes me as kind of strange he chooses to use English to talk to me. In Japanese maybe his comments wouldn't seem as misplaced, but it's definitely a little difficult to understand his intent because his tone in English doesn't clearly convey his thinking.

In the afternoon I met Emma at 国際通り (kokusaidoori, International Street) to do some wandering around and observe a protest to the security legislation (allowing use of Japanese troops overseas).

First we found a place that serves gouya (bitter gourd) ice cream. It was a strange flavor, but not bad.

ゴーヤアイス (gouya ice cream)

Emma had been telling me about a place the sells fresh-squeezed さとうきびジュース (satoukibi jyuusu, sugarcane juice), so we found it and I tried some. It's very sweet and a bit dehydrating, but with a peculiar taste that is pleasant. It's available in Okinawa because sugarcane is often grown here, but not in mainland Japan.

juice being squeezed as you can see in the window, sanshin hanging above

sugarcane juice!

first time trying sugarcane juice, according to a sign at the shop it's good for preventing cancer

Emma and wandered off of international street so she could introduce me to a few of her favorite shops. We saw an adorable cat near a little indie movie theater and book shop. We also sat at a park for a short time before heading to the protest on International Street.

ちんこすこう (chinko sukou, penis cookies)... Really, Okinawa?

猫ちゃん (neko-chan, kitty-cat)

beautiful tree

you don't see brooms in the trees every day

Emma and I saw some people we knew from the last few days on the study tour at the protest, and Emma also met a friend of hers. One college boy handing out fliers took an interest in telling me about a student action club protesting security legislation at his school that he was working for, and suggested that I try to participate at  similar venture at Kyoto University that will start up around October. I had to tell him I'd already be back in the US, but I find it interesting that protest groups are also forming on the mainland. There don't seem to be many issues that Japanese people on the mainland will get fired up enough about to congregate and protest, but protecting Article 9 of the Constitution of Japan (the "no war" clause) seems to be one of those few things.

The banner means "the constitution has decided that we do not involve ourselves in war." I can't see the second part but it appears to be the name of the organization.

右翼団体 (uyoku dantai, right-wing groups) dissent the protesting, and try to disrupt the protests with loud announcements

There was a march, but since Emma and I both felt that commenting on the Constitution of Japan really is not our place as Americans, we declined participating in the march and went home.

I had a quaint dinner from the convenience store.

おにぎりとコロッケ (onigiri to korokke, rice balls and fried potato patty)

さきいか (saki ika, dried squid snack)

塩のはちみつレモン (shio no hachimitsu remon, salt honey and lemon)

Culture note: Dried squid snacks like the one pictured above have the image of being liked by middle-aged and elderly men.

It was a good, calm day.

Travel tips:
24. Don't let what other people say about your behaviors stop you from traveling in the way you like. Some people fill their schedules with activities and some let adventure find them. Some do both. Do what suits you. My guesthouse owner commenting on my actions annoyed me a lot, but it really shouldn't bother me what other people think of how I choose to travel.