Odate Town, Agita

I am now in Odate Town, Agita after spending more than 5 hours on the plane and bus traveling from Kita-Kyushu City back to Tokyo and then to this town. This is an agro-based country side town with a lot of greenery and paddy field. Well, perhaps it is time to explore the other side of urbanised Japan.

Mojiko Retro

This picture of me was taken in front of the pedestrian bridge at the Mojiko Retro of the Kita-Kyushu City, Japan this Saturday afternoon. The scenery at the sea side with the buildings integrated well with the nature is so beautiful, more so during sunset time. A lot of tourists especially the local are spending their casual time here. This must be the first tourists spot I visited Japan so far. The area is famous for its strategic location, the siting of railway museum, a train station and jetty for cruise here.

Scrap Metal

Can you imagine what is the cube that i am holding? It is the outer body of a car after hard press process. It is scrap metal, the final output at the automobile recycling factory at KitaKyushu City I visited last Friday. After dismantling the engine, windows, coolant, seats, tank, carpet, battery, bonnet, lamps, doors, wires, the car is hard pressed into ferrous scrap before sending for melting for steel.

Amazing isn't it?

I am now in Kita-Kyushu City, about 2 hour flight time south of Tokyo. It is a model of Eco-town transforming from the heavily polluted industries. It is now becoming the front runner in showing recycling industries, basically all type of used products are recycled for new resources and material for other types of industries.

This picture was taken at the lobby of the City Council office while waiting for briefing to start. The lobby is full of display panels exhibiting the history, places of interest, unique crafts and tradition and many more that will make you felt not to miss any one of them. Well, of course apart from time availability, it is costly to cover everything. I have to make a choice. Since environmental protection and innovation is so highly talked about here, the environmental museum, the Eco-town service centre and the parks should not be the places to give a miss, I hope.

Building and Nature

I found this shop while walking my way to the YoYoGi-Uehara Station of the Chiyoda Line. The placing of flower pots along the narrow street and junctions no only beautify the area and it is very refreshing.

If similar scene is happened in Malaysia, I believe either the plants will be removed and confiscated by the authority or be run over by the approaching vehicles.

First Day of the E-Waste Management Training

This is a picture showing the first day in class for the E-Waste Management Training Course at JICA Tokyo International Centre, Japan. My colleagues were busy preparing for the country report presentation and for the next few days, we will be in the Seminar Room 15 for our lectures. We have a very helpful program coordinator, Mr Yamaguchi san to sail us through.

I m in Japan, Tokyo

I am in Tokyo, Japan now for a training course on E-Waste Management. I will be staying in this tiny room at the JICA International Centre. Well, bigger than what I was told by some friends who have been here before. The ambiance is pretty good with Internet connection, shower, TV and etc.

I start enjoying here now and hope to maintain the spirit throughout.