Picture Post: Life in Shimonoseki

These are various photos we have taken since being in Shimonoseki:

The above two photos are the entrance to our apartment building.

There are 13 floors and we are on the 10th floor.

Our view from the 10th floor looking out of our front door.

If you look in the lower right hand corner you can see our parking lot where the car is usually parked. We are next to the white truck on the left side of the lot.  

The two above photos are our view from the balcony behind our apartment building. 

This is the entrance to the temple across the street from our apartment building.

This is the grocery store less than 30 yards from our apartment building. 
In Japan, there are many stores that are all in English and many that are a combination such as the above. But we did not know this was a grocery until we went inside.

Our parking space is a block away behind our building. 

This is the English version of the sign in the train station. It alternates between the English and Japanese.

This is a timetable of the San-In Line that we ride to and from the church where David's classes are. I work at the Christian Center which is near our apartment building but the church is about a 15 minute car ride and where all of David's English conversational classes are held. 

People standing in line waiting for the train. 

The train.

Us riding the train to David's classes. 

If you can read it the Priority Seats on the trains are for the elderly, those with crutches or crippled, pregnant women and those with small children. We sit in these seats when they are available.

This is outside of the Christian Center where the Pre-School is located. There is a group from South Korea of Pre-School/Kindergarten teachers that have come over to Shimonoseki to see what we are doing to get our Pre-School up and running!!!

This is the puffer fish. It is a staple fish here is Shimonoseki and the city is known for it.

This is the sign at the church where David teaches his classes. The gray house with the red trim in the background is Tony and Marcia Haug's house. 

This is the front entrance to the church.

In the front of the church and the Christian Center you have to take your shoes off and put on slippers. It is the same in homes and as I found out this past weekend in most dressing rooms at the mall. You have to take your shoes off before entering your individual dressing room :)

The above photo is the box of slippers that guests wear or if you don't have slippers at the church. I have slippers I brought to the Christian Center because I am working there, but I don't have any here.

 

This is not an uncommon sight in Japan, everyone's slippers they wear at church. These are all of the church members slippers. They will purchase a pair to use when they come to the church for meetings and of course, church!! If you wear socks you don't have to wear slippers but if you are barefoot slippers are a must.

The umbrella holder at the church. Most people will carry an umbrella even if rain is not expected to shield them from the sun. Japanese (women especially) like to have very fair skin.

The bookshelf at the entrance of the church.

The above two photos are upstairs where the church meets. 

David in his classroom upstairs at the church. This photo is set up for the children's classes. For the children's classes we sit on the floor. The photo below is set up for the adults with a taller table. 

Stay tuned!!!