Thursday, December 02, 2004

Billiken in Osaka


Billiken in Osaka
Originally uploaded by KumamotoMark.
Apparently the mascot of both my high school and college, the Billiken, has its origin in Japan. During my trip to Osaka in October this year, I found its roots. There is a district in Osaka City called Shinsekai (New World). There were Billikens all over signs, in front of restaurants and in gift shops. I picked up a few collectibles as you can clearly see in the picture. In addition to a ton of sightseeing in Osaka and historic Kyoto, I purchased a video camera in the technology rich area of the city. I had fun recording, then editing a video about my trip there. It will be available for public viewing when I return to St. Louis in January.

I am taking the Level 3 Japanese Proficiency Test this coming Sunday. I have been spending a little time recently just reviewing stuff I have already learned. I feel pretty confident about the test. The test has 4 levels, 4 being the easiest and 1 is pretty much complete fluency. My brother's friend Ed (seen in some of the wedding pictures) is taking level 1. Pretty impressive. Best of luck, Chu-hi.

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