Gabe TTG: Update from Japan Part 4: Papa's Work Place

The World Skills Competition held in Shizuoka Japan this year is an event that is highly publicised where we are. From notices all over train stations and visitor centres, to news coverage and even blocking out underpasses for shuttle buses, this event has hit the prefecture with a blast. In fact, the competition village is erected specifically for this purpose. It is open to the public, so they can visit the halls where the competitions are held, and there are specific sections of this village dedicated to showing the culture and practices of Japan. On the last day of the competition, I visited the village with gabe.

It was so crowded. We took a stroll through the entire village and met derod near the cultural exchange section, ate some food, peeped at some of the booths, grabbed some freebies and gave gabe his milk at the lake. We didn't have the time to go through the halls to take a look at the various types of skills in action. According to derod, some of them are really interesting, ranging from hairdressing to robotics to landscaping to floral arrangement to web design (derod's specialty) to cooking to sewing to caring (nursing and emergency skills). You can check out the details here. I have the privilege of daily updates and pictures from derod though.

The excitement of this event can be felt as we walked though the premises. It's good to be here.

Had lunch at this soba shop at Mishima train station. It's the kind where you stand, slurp up your noodles (highly welcomed in the cold) and leave.

At the Japanese garden just across the street from Mishima station. They were having a chrysanthemum festival.

What's a garden without a pond? Gabe's current favourite is moving water and the ducks here just add to the appeal.

Help desk at the wrong side of the station to direct you to the shuttle bus on the other side. These Japanese, they think of everything. It's rather impossible to get lost finding the competition village.