Very Inspiring Blogger Awards: And the winners are...

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Elaborate April Fools joke or genuine accolade: I'm still not sure but this morning I woke to find that Alison over at Haikugirl's Japan had decided to include me in her "Very Inspring Blogger Awards." Thank you very much, Alison! I am tentatively honoured (it could still be an April Fools)! AussieOnTheIzu.blogspot.com is a labour of love but also a mechanism keeping me tethered to sanity. I enjoy writing and hope to find a career in writing in the future. For now, I plan to share my experiences traveling around Japan and living in Shizuoka. I am very touched that anyone would think to 'award' my mindless babbling.

So if you haven't figured it out yet, this post is a link in an ongoing chain blog. Alison (rightly so) received the award for her wonderful blog about Japan and now she is required to 'pay it forward' to other bloggers who "inspire" her. At the risk of inflating my ego even further, now I am going to do the same! I'm not usually one for chain blogs but, meh, why not?  Might make for an interesting post... You'll have to excuse me if this is not really your thing. The Very Inspiring Blogger Award requires me to:

• Thank the person who has awarded me by linking back to them,
• Share 7 things about myself,
• Pass the award onto 7 other bloggers and let them know I awarded them.

7 things about myself:

1. I hate umeboshi with a passion.
2. I first came to Japan in 2006 with a friend for our celebratory 卒業旅行 (sotsugyou ryokou; "graduation trip")  from the shackles of studying and spent two months backpacking across much of Japan. The trip inspired me to apply for the JET program so I could test my mettle living in Japan.
3. I studied Japanese at the University of Adelaide for 3 years. Its been a huge help with my day-to-day life in Japan but I am nowhere near fluent and still have a lot of studying to do!  I definitely recommend hitting the books before coming to Japan; the locals will appreciate it and it will benefit you hugely!
4. I enjoy traveling but haven't had much of an opportunity to do so! Prior to coming to Japan, I spent 7-8 years (!!!) studying at university, including completing a Master of Arts. I didn't take any gap years or study abroad opportunities (I'm kicking myself for that) so this is my first time out in the world, discovering it and myself, at the age of 25. I don't see myself settling down any time soon; there is just too much to be seen in this great wide world.
5. My favourite destination in Japan has to be Hiroshima for its stunning floating shrine, moving history, and great night-life.
6. My favourite Japanese film is Akira (1998) with all of Hayao Miyazaki's films a close second.
7. I have a grotesque birthmark on my right elbow.

7 blogs which I find inspiring (in no particular order): 

Japan Australia : The owner of Japan Australia was the first bloggers to give me a chance and regularly post comments on my own blog. The Japan Australia blog is amazing for providing detailed insights into Japanese culture, celebrations and way of life.

Whoa... I'm in Japan? I find the posts on this blog particularly inspiring. Amanda shares her experiences and challenges adapting to a life in Japan.

short, small, & sweet : Ru-chan's blog explores all that is short, small and sweet about Japan. From cute Japanese characters to sweets. From arts and crafts to finding the perfect kimono.

Rocket News 24 : I don't know if this counts as this is more of a news site but I am constantly coming back to Rocket News 24 for the inside information on new wacky Japanese products and events. (I tweet their news stories a lot!)

Confessions of a Badboy in Japan : In his own words, "A blog written by an aggressive asshole with an axe to grind and a chip on his shoulder ... Names are not changed and no one is immune. Brace yourselves."

Loco in Yokohama : I discovered this blog after reading the owner's recently published book. Loco's website shares his experiences living in Yokohama.
 

Muza-chan's Gate to Japan : Muza's hugely successful photo journal about Japan gets me inspried to go traveling to some great destinations across Japan.

Also, please do not feel obligated to perpetuate this chain blog/post thingy if you are one of the 7 bloggers mentioned above. I just wanted to give a friendly shout-out and expect nothing in return.  

Thanks for reading! I'm on twitter, tumblr and pinterest!

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