Ohayo gozaimasu Students,
This greeting is "Good Morning" in Japanese. The first word is pronounced like the state of Ohio, the second word is pronounced just like it sounds with a long "i", and su is pronounced like the name "Sue", but with the "u" almost inaudible, so it sounds like "mass" to most non-Japanese.
Did you look at the physical map of yesterday's post? If so, then you could clearly see how mountainous Japan is. Japan is a country of great physical beauty I am told. Soon I will get to experience its rugged and dramatic beauty in person. I have only 20 more days until I leave on October 12Th!
Geologically speaking, Japan lies on a very unstable portion of the earth's crust.
Because of the movement of the earth's plates, the land shifts quite regularly causing earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. There are over 160 active volcanoes on the islands.
The most famous of all their mountains, and one which is a volcano, is Mt. Fuji. Mt. Fuji san is still considered an active volcano. It last erupted on December 16, 1707 and continued to do so until January 1, 1708. I am looking forward to seeing it. It is so perfectly shaped that the Japanese regard it as a sacred place. Many Japanese artists consider Mt. Fuji as a subject they never tire of recreating through their artistic medium. Katsushika Hokusai, a woodblock artist who lived between 1760 and 1849, created two series which have Mt. Fuji as the main subject. One is entitled "36 Views of Mt. Fuji" created between 1826-1833, and the other, "100 Views of Mt. Fuji" completed in 1834-1835. They are quite famous prints, and are considered masterpieces of Ukiyo-e art. I've included one here for you to appreciate.
