AES 150 -Computer Applications

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Culture Capsules: People, Places, and Processes Sukwoo, Kenichi, Taisuke Welcome to our web site!!

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Korean Sightseeing Places :

Gyeongbok Palace, Insa-Dong, Sinchon
Please contact me~

Introduction of Seoul 1)

Seoul is one of the biggest cities in the world. Approximately twelve million people are living in Seoul. Due to its location, Seoul has developed rapidly and nowadays it has become a city that is one of the most modern. On the other hand, Seoul has a long history. Seoul has been the capital of Korea for the past 600 years. Therefore, Seoul has not only a lot of aspects of a modern city, but also many traditional sites. Do you wonder about Seoul? I will show you some places where you can feel both the past and present of Seoul.

A traditional street.

Seoul was the capital of the Yi-dynasty, which started in the fourteenth century. Gyeongbok Palace 2) is the most famous site in Korea as it is the house of kings. It was built in 1395, but it was burned in 1592 and left in a destroyed state, so it had to be rebuilt in the nineteenth century. Because Gyeongbok Palace was the symbol of power, it was very huge and great. Nowadays, it is located on the most important street where there are a lot of Embassies and office buildings and, in addition, the President of ROK is living in the back part of Gyeongbok Palace.

To visit Gyeongbok Palace, follow these steps. You should find the main gate, which is named Kwangwa-mun in order to enter the palace. And then you can see a huge building called KeunJeong-jeon.3) It is the main building in Gyeongbok Palace, and also the largest building, which is built from wood. It had been used to conduct general affairs, receptions for foreign ambassadors and so on. If you walk down the road passing KeunJeong-jeon, you can find Kyeonghoe-ru4) that has been designated as National Treasure #224. This structure, that is surrounded with water like an island, had been used for a party or supper with other countries’ ambassadors. Also, as Kyeonghoe-ru means “joyous meeting”, Kyeonghoe-ru was a playground for kings and the royal family.

Insa-dong is the most famous street to see how a traditional family lived. You can learn about common people’s lifestyle at this site. Especially, since being declared as a “pedestrian-only street” on Sundays, in April of 1997, on Sunday afternoons, traffic does not pass through this street and various kinds of events 5) are performed. You can have chances not only to listen to Korean traditional music performed by street musicians who play several traditional instruments, but also to eat some traditional food. After seeing some performances, you can buy special products 6) that are only sold on this street. If you do not buy something, you can enjoy your time just looking at Korea’s special product. 7)

Youth street.

If you want to experience the young Korean culture, you should go to Shinchon. There are some universities such as Youn-sei, Ewa, Seo-kang and Hong-ik located here. These schools’ students are considered the leaders of the university culture.

If you go to nearby Hong-ik University 8), you can feel some differences. First of all, you can see very many murals 9) everywhere, even on the walls and roofs of buildings. Because this university is the most famous for painting, the moods of the street are influenced by this schools’ students. Moreover, because of liberal atmosphere, Hong-ik Street is the place where young and new artists can create their own styles. Every year, a festival, which is called “Indie Festival”10) is held on this street; it is a good chance for street artists. If you like rock music, I strongly recommend that you visit club ‘Drug’ 11). ‘Drug’ 12) is the most famous club for young people in Seoul. As the base of Korea funk rock, lots of rock bands play music at this club. If you want to see the night culture of the young people, you should go to Sinchon. 13) Because of a lot of university students, there are so many beer halls and night clubs. There are more people there at night even than in the afternoon. In addition, during the festivals of Youn-sei and Ewa that are held every May you can join lots of kinds of games and can watch amateur band performances 14) in the street.

Conclusion

Although I could not mention all things that are related to travel in Korea, a few sites which I mentioned above will help you travel more easily. Come to Korea!! You can experience mixed culture between the past and the present.

Additional pictures..1) 2) 3)

1) www.koreainfogate.com

5),6),7) www.geocities.com

2),3),4),8),9),10),13),14) www.lifeinkorea.com

11),12) www.jongkwan.codns.com

I would like to convince you to visit the most famous places in Tokyo, Japan, which are very popular among young people.

Roppongi, in Tokyo, is the most international and popular nightlife area in Japan and people say, “It does not sleep.” We can find everything there that is from the latest trends abroad like food, fashion, and music. These factors have made Roppongi the central attraction of Tokyo; therefore, Roppongi attracts young people, celebrities, and professional artists, all those who are fashionable. Though it is not lively during the daytime, once night arrives, lots of businessmen, women and young people come to Roppongi, with its dazzling neon lights. The clubs , discos and bars are packed together. At midnight, there are too many taxis and cars in Roppongi to drive smoothly. In addition, Roppongi is also the center of culture. A few blocks away from the center of Roppongi, there are old temples, traditional shopping malls, and many other attractions.

Tokyo Tower 1), which is taller than the Eiffel Tower by 13 meters, is 333 meters tall and is located near Roppongi. It is the highest building in Japan. The Tower has two observation galleries. The main observation gallery is 150 meters high, and the special observation gallery is 250 meters high. We can look down on a lovely landscape from the Tokyo Tower. (Adults: main gallery 820 yen, special gallery 600 yen. Children main gallery 310/460 yen, special gallery 400/350 yen depending on age. US $1 is now about 115 yen.) Moreover, there are also some amusements and attractions inside the Tokyo Tower, for example, an aquarium containing 50,000 fish, the Mysterious Walking Zone of Hologram Technology, and the Wax Works Museum.

There are many clubs in Roppongi. Among young people, trans and psychedelic music have come into fashion now. As for me, I sometimes go to clubs. I prefer psychedelic music to hiphop music, so Velfarre in Roppongi, Fura in Shibuya and Code in Shinjuku are popular with me. Velfarre is the largest club in Roppongi. Every time I go there, I go to Fura afterwards.

Azabu Juban 2), which is famous for its shopping arcade, is one of the oldest shopping places, and it is a 15 minute walk from Roppongi. I lived in Nishi-Azabu and Azabu Juban for a year and a half. I saw lots of celebrities by chance when I lived in Nishi-Azabu and Azabu Juban, such as Tsuyoshi Shinjo who is an MLB player, and Hitoshi Matsumoto who is the most famous comedian in Japan. There are various stores established in the Edo period or Meiji Period (about 1600-1900). Moreover, there are many famous restaurants around there. Everyone in Japan knows Azabu Juban Matsuri, which is the most famous festival in Tokyo.

Roppongi Hills 3), which crosses both Roppongi and Azabu Juban, was established in 2003. The scale of Roppongi Hills is huge and the environment is very clean. There are a shopping mall (about 100 shops), a very clean and huge theater, television station (TV Asahi) and more.

Shibuya, which is also popular with young people, is also located near Roppongi. It takes 15 minutes to go from Roppongi to Shibuya by bus or train, and the cost is about two dollars. If you are rich, you can take a taxi. This costs about ten dollars. Shibuya also has lots of clubs, shopping centers, and restaurants. Shibuya attracts more young teenagers (this link is a little old, though) than Roppongi. There are very many high school students and even junior high school students in Center-gai 4), a street, which is always very crowded. When I was 15-17 years old, I used to go to Center-gai to meet friends and to go shopping. When I walked in Center-gai, I could meet many friends.

I often go to all of these places, except the Tokyo Tower, because I lived in or near them. I recommend that you visit these places;that is, these places are not only the center of Tokyo, but also the center of Japan. That’s why more sophisticated restaurants, shopping malls and people are there!!

1) http://www.skyscrapers.com

2) http://www.tourism.metro.tokyo.jp

3) http://www.roppongihills.com

4) looking for source (will supply)

Shizuoka and Mt. Fuji

Do you know much about Japan? Have you ever been to Japan? Maybe many people know something about Japan and also Tokyo. Do you know about Shizuoka prefecture(1)? I don’t think you probably know much about Shizuoka. Some of you know about Mt. Fuji; Mt. Fuji is located in Shizuoka. Shizuoka prefecture is located between Tokyo and Osaka(1), it takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes from Tokyo by Tokaido Shinkansen(2), one of the Japanese bullet trains, and it is about 180km (113 miles) from Tokyo. Therefore, you are able to go to Shizuoka and Mt. Fuji from Tokyo easily. In addition to Mt. Fuji, Shizuoka has other beautiful scenery, such as hot springs in the Izu peninsula, and historical sites like the Kunozan Toshogu Shrine.

Mt. Fuji(1) is the highest mountain in Japan at 3,776 meters (12,388 ft.). It is one of the symbols of Japan and about 200,000 people, not only Japanese, but also tourists from overseas, climb Mt. Fuji every year. Mt. Fuji is a volcano and there are many hot springs around it. Although the top of Mt. Fuji is the highest point in Japan, it is easy to climb and enjoy its scenery and beautiful views. The best season for climbing Mt. Fuji is from June to the end of September. There are three main trails(1) to climb, Gotemba-guchi Trail, Subashiri-guchi Trail and Fujinomiya-guchi Trail. Mt. Fuji has 10 stages and it begins from the base. You can go to the 5th or new 5th stages by car, bus or taxi. It takes 5 to 7 hours to climb from the 5th or new 5th stages to the top of Mt. Fuji and 2 to 3 hours to hike back to the 5th or new 5th stages. Although Mt. Fuji is the tallest mountain in Japan, you don't need any special equipment to climb it. Furthermore, you can get food and drinks along the way. You can easily enjoy climbing Mt. Fuji; it's like hiking.

Mt. Fuji, a symbol of Japan, also has had an influence on art. Have you heard of Hokusai Katsushika? He is a Japanese painter of Ukiyoe(3). One of his well known works is ''Views of Mount Fuji(4)'' and these Japanese works of art were exported to Europe in the mid-19th century. Western artists, especially Impressionist artists, such as Claude Monet(5), and Van Gogh(6), were influenced by Mt. Fuji and Japan. Some of their pictures featured Japanese geisha girl or other Japanese traditional things and some of them were influenced in composition by Katsushika (Monet's(3) and Hokusai's(7). Besides art, Mt. Fuji has something to do with Japanese spiritual life. There are very many religious associations and cults, for example, Aum Shinrikyou, known for the Sarin gas attack on Tokyo, that have been based around Mt. Fuji.

For a long time, Japanese have loved Mt. Fuji and Mt. Fuji has been painted by many artists. Not only Japanese, but also Westerners have been influenced by Mt. Fuji. Though Mt. Fuji is the highest and most famous mountain in Japan, it is easy to climb and enjoy its beautiful scenery. Once you climb Mt. Fuji, you will have the same great impression which great artists have had from around the world.

(1) http://www.shizuoka-guide.com/
(2) http://www.hitachi-rail.com/index.html
(3) http://www.nga.gov.au/MonetJapan/Default.cfm
(4) http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/hokusai/
(5) http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/monet/later/
(6) http://www.vangoghgallery.com/
(7) http://www.artchive.com/ftp_site_reg.htm

The sites we mentioned above are some of Korea and Japan’s most famous tourist attractions and many people visit there from all over the world for several reasons. Both countries have their own character, so that there are some similar points and different points which attract many tourists to Korea and Japan’s sightseeing sites.

Both Korea and Japan have historic spots or traditional places of interest, for example, Gyeongbok and Mt. Fuji. Both Gyeongbok and Mt. Fuji attract not only domestic tourists but also foreign tourists. These are both similarities and differences between Gyeongbok and Mt. Fuji. First, they are both national symbols. Gyeongbok Palace was the symbol of Yi-dynasty’s power. On the other hand, Mt. Fuji is the tallest mountain in Japan and, therefore, one of the symbols of natural beauty of Japan. Therefore, when talking about Korea and Japan, we think of Gyeongbok and Mt. Fuji. There are some differences between Gyeongbok and Mt. Fuji. One is that Gyeongbok is an artificial construction, but Mt. Fuji is a natural creation, a volcano, so you can enjoy a great work of human beings at Gyeongbok and a great work of nature at Mt. Fuji. In addition, Mt. Fuji has had a great influence on Japanese and Western art. However, Gyeongbok Palace has been confined to domestic culture.

We can also feel both differences and similarities between the youth culture in Japan and in Korea, and the youth attractions of Roppongi and Shinchon Street. The similarities between them are that many celebrities, such as music performers can be found there, and many festivals are held there. In addition, there are lots of clubs in both Roppongi and on Shinchon Street and they attract all young people who want to listen to vivid live music and to release their stress. On the other hand, there are some differences between them. For example, there are lots of people from other countries in Roppongi, but Shinchon Street has almost all Koreans because it is not well known to foreigners. Moreover, there are some old buildings in Roppongi, but there are few old buildings on Shinchon Street.

In conclusion, as most sightseeing sites reflect their own country's character, each sightseeing site in Japan and Korea obviously have some different features. On the other hand, they have some similar points, such as man-made and natural beauty, or attractiveness to youth culture, which cause many people from all over the world to visit both Korea and Japan. If you do not believe our words, you can check with your eyes. Come to Korea and Japan!!!!!!!

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