Hey everyone, Spring is here! Come mingle with your neighbors, enjoy the fabulous weather and hopefully sit under some remaining cherry blossoms as we set the grill ablaze for our monthly meat-ing.
This is a community event, open to all ALTs, English teachers, Okayama University international students, and your Japanese friends. It's got JET in the name, but it's open to everyone. It will be held outside every month until it's too cold to move or too hot to want to.
The location is in the river area next to Korakuen Garden, which is walking distance or a short 100 yen tram ride from Okayama Station.
It's B.Y.O. (bring your own) food and drinks, and we'll have a BBQ grill or two. Feel free to bring too much and we can all share a bit. Drinking is definitely welcome, but not drinking to excess.
Being that this is Japan, it's also C.Y.O. (clean your own), which is extra important since it's right next to Korakuen Garden and the river, and we are representing the foreign community here. We'll bring some trash bags for food/paper waste, but if you show up with it, plan on taking it away with you, too.
We'll be meeting in front of the East Exit of Okayama Station by the statue of Momotaro at 11:00, for anyone that would like to go with us as a group. We'll stop at a supermarket along the way.
________________________________________________________ Directions are simple:
From the East Exit of Okayama Station (the side with the Peach fountain and Bic Camera) head straight down Momotaro Dori (the main street) until it dead ends in a small park overlooking the river, or take the tram bound for "Higashiyama" 2 stops to "Shiroshita" (the station just before the tram turns) and walk the remaining 1 block to the same park. The tram costs 100 yen and you pay as you exit.
Once you're overlooking the river, turn right and follow the path around towards Okayama Castle. You'll see a metal bridge going across the river to your left. Take that across and when you get to the end, turn right.
Go past the various tea houses and shops until you come to the entrance of Korakuen on your left. *DO NOT* go inside the garden, you'll have to pay. Instead, if you walk straight past the entrance, the path continues along the riverside. Follow that around, past the abandoned greenhouse, until you come to a small park with benches. Walk into the center, turn to your left, and you'll be looking right at us, at the bottom of the stairs.
Since the police have kindly asked that we not BBQ on that side of the river due to the proximity of trees that can easily catch fire, we will be holding all BBQs on the OTHER SIDE of the river, though it's essentially at the same place.
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Please invite anyone you like to this event, it's open to all!
There is a supermarket on the upper level of Okayama Station where you can pick up supplies if you need them, and a larger one called Happy's just beyond Bic Camera.
Recycling and disposing of trash can be done at a combini on the way back to the station.
Please remember to be careful with fire/smoking as the location is next to a wooded park just outside Korakuen.