The events presented below cover the period starting in September 2005, up to now. Touristic visits in France, Japan, and South Korea are mainly presented. However a few hikes and visits at zoos are also described.
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September 2007: Visit at the textile department of 연세대학교 (Yonsei university) in 서울 (Seoul, South Korea)
I was invited by 조 길수 (CHO Gilsoo), director of the 스마트의류 기술개발연구소 (smartwear research center), to give a talk about the general public's needs in ubiquitous computing at 연세대학교 (Yonsei university) in 서울 (Seoul, South Korea) on 7 September 2007. I strolled in the campus of the university for the first time, discussed with specialists in smart clothing, and saw prototypes.
After my talk, a small group of Koreans working on smart clothes presented the group's activities, answered my questions, and showed me prototypes of smart clothes while explaining the techniques used and challenges. Interesting elements included textile keypads, and textile connectors. The keypads were used on sleeves of small tops for children, and the textile connectors notably transmitted data from sensors detecting ultraviolet light, embedded in a ski suit. The garments had been featured at the fashion show "Smart Clothing 2007" held in 서울 (Seoul) the 11 May 2007.
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August 2007: 富士山 (Mount Fuji, Japan)
This was my second time at 富士山 (Mount Fuji), and we had a wonderful weather. The 15 of us started from 五合目 (the fifth station), climbed until we reached a shelter, and had dinner there. Most of us slept a few hours but I remained awake and could thus talk with people in the main room, talk with the organizer, watch thunder in the clouds, and later take a look at the stars, red moon, and the city lights around the lakes. Leaving at midnight, we arrived at the top of the mountain in time to see the sunrise, which was beautiful. After a two-hours stop in a frosty wind at the top, we got down. Like the previous time, one of us got hurt (pain at a knee), and we therefore descended very slowly. Clouds prevented us from enjoying the scenery while going down. Finally, we went to ゆらり温泉 (Yurari spa), which we all enjoyed much.
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July 2007: Great People gathering in 東京 (Tokyo, Japan)
This was the second Great People gathering. The 5 of us met in 表参道 (Omotesando), one of the most fashionable areas of 東京 (Tokyo), then enjoyed an Hawaiian dinner at the local グランブルー (Grand Blue). We were a mix of French, German, and Japanese people who travelled quite a lot. Two of us were researchers (computer science, linguistics), two were in the information business, and the last one was a pretty good software developer. The discussions were quiet but enjoyable.
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May 2007: 群馬 (Gunma, Japan)
白根山 (Mount Shirane) and 草津温泉 (Kusatsu-onsen) are both in 群馬県 (province of Gunma). For my first trip there, the 9 of us we travelled from 東京 (Tokyo) in a mini-van, which took approximately four hours. The memory of the day is the incredibly emerald-green crater lake 湯釜 (Yugama) at 白根山 (Mount Shirane). Following a rest, we hiked around and even saw snow and ice. Later, we drove to 草津温泉 (Kusatsu-onsen), and attended a show featuring a traditional dance called 湯もみと踊り (Yu-momito-odori) created to cool down the water of the local hot springs. Finally, we enjoyed a relaxing time at 草津大滝乃湯 (Otaki-no-yu).
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April 2007: Parc oriental de Maulévrier (Oriental park of Maulévrier, France)
Although French, I am still surprised by places friends take me to when I come back "home". I owe my first visit to the Parc Oriental de Maulévrier to François-Xavier, and great sights to the wonderful timing: flowers blooming, varied colors...
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April 2007: Musée d'Orsay (Orsay museum, France)
The Musée d'Orsay (Orsay museum) is one of the finest French museums located in Paris. A former train station, the building is spacious and beautiful.
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March 2007: 富士五湖 (Fuji five lakes, Japan)
This was my second time around 富士山 (Mount Fuji), and the weather was extraordinary. 明日香 (Asuka) and I first crawled into 鳴沢氷穴 (Narusawa cave) and 富岳風穴 (Fugaku cave) then hiked in 青木ヶ原樹海 (Sea of Trees). Surprisingly, we saw numerous monkeys in the mountains near 西湖 (lake Saiko); no photos of them: they stayed away and ran quickly. After an excellent dinner at the café M we spent a calm night at サニーデビレッジ (Sunnide village). The next day we walked around 河口湖 (lake Kawaguchi) and visited 浅間神社 (Sengen shrine) in 富士吉田 (Fuji-Yoshida).
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March 2007: 鎌倉の天園ハイキングコース (Kamakura's Ten-en hiking course, Japan)
天園ハイキングコース, pronounced Ten-en hiking course, is a five kilometers long hiking course in the forest with a view of 横浜 (Yokomaha) in the north-east, and of the sea in the south. For my second hike in the area, the weather was quite warm. 明日香 (Asuka) and I walked from 鎌倉 (Kamakura) train station to 鶴岡八幡宮 (Tsurugaoka-hachimangu shrine) then checked several temples on the way to 瑞泉寺 (Zuisenji temple). There we started the hike, which took us to 建長寺 (Kenchoji temple); its buildings and statues were great rewards after the physical effort.
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March 2007: 横浜の桜木町 (Yokohama's Sakuragicho, Japan)
桜木町 (Sakuragi-cho) is a place I like very much for its open spaces, relaxing atmosphere, and lovely-human-fauna. I first walked there in 2002 during my first stay in Japan.
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February 2007: 上野動物園 (Ueno zoo, Japan)
上野動物園 (Ueno zoo), pronounced Ueno dobutsu-en, is a beautiful but crowded zoo situated in the north-east of 東京 (Tokyo).
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February 2007: 札幌の雪祭 (Sapporo snow festival, Japan)
This trip was my first time in 北海道 (Hokkaido), and I enjoyed the area and event as much as the people and weather (snow every day). I went to the city of 札幌 (Sapporo) to attend the annual 雪祭 (snow festival), and see the numerous ice and snow statues prepared for the event. Alone, I freely wandered in town the first day (8th of February), seeing the statues on day time and night time, and went up the nearby 藻岩山 (pronounced moiwa-san, Mount Moiwa) on the second day. The views from the top were beautiful but a bit foggy, and I found out a bar completely made of ice and snow: the bar The Ice. The third day I moved away from the city and took a bus to 豊平峡温泉 (pronounced Hoheikyo-onsen, Hoheikyo spa), where I relaxed in an outside spa, surrounded by snowy mountains, with a view on trees and on small stalactites created by the hot vapors of the bath.
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January 2007: Great People gathering in 東京 (Tokyo, Japan)
This was the first Great People gathering. The 10 of us met in 渋谷 (Shibuya), one of the young areas of 東京 (Tokyo), then enjoyed an excellent Asian dinner at the local Elephant Café. We were a good mix of French, German, Chinese, Thai, and Japanese people. Five of us were researchers (computer science, statistics), one was in the business, three were still students, and if no mistake the last one was job hunting. The discussions were lively and enjoyable.
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January 2007: 伊豆半島 (Izu peninsula, Japan)
伊豆半島 is pronounced Izu-hanto. Izu peninsula is quite close from 東京 (Tokyo), and this was my first trip in the area. 明日香 (Asuka) and I directly went south to 下田 (Shimoda), where we visited several temples and strolled along Perry Road. After admiring the view from the top of 寝姿山 (Mount Nesugata), we took the train to 蓮台寺 (Rendaiji) and spent the night at 金谷旅館 (Kanaya hotel). This hotel was expensive but huge, with a gorgeous hot spring. The next day, we enjoyed the landscapes of the peninsula by bus. We stopped at 堂ヶ島 (Dogashima) to bath in the tiny 澤田公園露天風呂 (Sawada-koen open-air hot spring), and see the coast by boat. We then continued to 修善寺 (Shuzenji), where one can see the famous main temple, as well as 独鈷の湯 (Tokko-no-yu), a mineral hot spring situated on a rocky promontory in the middle of 桂川 (river Katsura).
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January 2007: 伊勢志摩 (Ise-shima, Japan)
伊勢志摩 (Ise-shima) region is close to 名古屋 (Nagoya) and is particularly famous for its vast shrine 伊勢神宮 (Ise-jingu). 明日香 (Asuka) and I went there to ask the 神道 (Shinto) gods for a good year. The area was very crowded, which is not surprising considering that many Japanese people do the same thing, and considering that it was national holidays. We enjoyed a walk in 二見 (Futami), breathing the invigorating air of the sea, and looking at the local shrine: 與玉神社 (Okitama shrine). One famous spot I like to see is 夫婦岩 (Wedded rocks), a pair of rocks connected by a holy rope.
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