Leaving for Hokkaido

Maki and her mother had packed some food for us to take on the train to Hokkaido. The trip would take about 12 hours and four changes of trains.

We left early with Maki to get the train to Tokyo for the first changeover. This was the stop I was most worried about because of the size of the city and the stories we had heard about how busy the train stations could be. We had half an hour to find the platform we needed to take the next train to Hachinohoe, however it turned out to be not so difficult and only needed us to show the destination on the ticket to the guard to be pointed in the right direction. We arrived at the platform with plenty of time to spare.

Yesterday we had had to rebook our reservations, but even at this busy time of year, it was fine. We successfully got us and our luggage onto the train for Hachinohe and felt that we were starting to get the hang of using the rail on the Shinkansen (bullet trains). The trains run like clockwork in Japan, so it pays to be there early. Ofcourse this helps with connecting schedules as well and makes traveling through Japan more efficient.

From Hachinohe to the island of Hokkaido the trains were a little slower, and it took longer to cover the distances. The architecture of the buildings seemed to become less oriental in appearance, with a much simpler line, as we progressed north.  Curved shingle roofs straightened out into straighter geometric lines and this pattern continued as we crossed into Hokkaido.

By the time we got to Hakodate, at the base of the north island (Hokkaido),  the landscape was becoming more forested, in addition there were what appeared to be plantations of pine trees planted at the base of the hills and mountains, so none of the hilly areas were left bare. On this stage of the trip we could also see the ocean, in fact, the train had crossed under the sea from Honshu ( the main island of Japan) into Hokkaido, covering about 53 kms underground, with almost half of that under the sea bed. We dozed on and off to catch up with some much needed sleep.

In Hakodate, the change over was pretty simple as the train we were catching next was on the same platform, opposite us and sitting ready to go.

From Hakodate we traveled through lush farmlands and vegetation, as well as many fishing towns dotted along the coast. There was a beautiful spot we passed, that looked like a river between valleys, dotted with tiny islands. it was quite picturesque but the camera was not up to catching it with any clarity as we sped past.

We arrived at our final train destination around 9.30pm and waited for Mamiko and Yuko to arrive in the rental car. They were another hour as they did not realise that the festival we were going to was  so far from the station. They had gone ahead, after arriving in Hokkaido by plane, and rented a car and driven to the festival to set up the tent and camp.

Driving back to the festival we saw tow foxes run across the road: our first encounter with the local wildlife.

Ayumi had some Japanese curry prepared for us when we got there,  it was delicious and very welcome. After eating we headed to the big fire circle where people were still sitting listening to story telling and performances by the campfire musicians.

Turns out that we had the wrong dates for the festival and it had started on the 11th of August, not the 15th as the website I went to had stated. Ayumi had emailed to tell me that this might be the case earlier, but then she had seen something else that led her to think that the 15th was the right date after all. As you can imagine, we were a bit disappointed to find out that this was supposed to be the last night, but as it turned out there was another full day of Ainu cultural display and ceremony, as well as another night’s entertainment to come.

The festival  was located near a fast flowing creek, and against the background of lush green hills. The main festival centre was made up of a small rustic cafe/bar, and food places interspersed with traditional Ainu huts called Cise made from local barks and grasses.  There were tepees and various camping setups with their own small fires and gatherings. The toilets were drop toilets both traditional Japanese style at ground level and western style above ground. It rained gently that night and the four of us slept in the tent Mamiko had brought, with only An getting a bit wet from a leak in the tent during the night.

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Kyoto: second day

On the Friday we decided to visit the Fushimi Inari Temple Shrine after being recommended to see it the previous day by our friends of the night before.

Fushimi Inari Taisha (伏見稲荷大社^?) is the head shrine of Inari, located in Fushimi-ku,

This Shrine location features hundreds or thousands of red wooden arches, or gateways know as Torii which are donated by local businesses and inscribed in Japanese characters with the names of the business that donated it.

You walk through the pathways of Torii for about 4kms and it took at least 2 hours to wander through stopping to looking at the smaller shrines, like winding labrynth villages along the way. You can feel the generations of history linked to this place most strongly in these smaller shrines. At the shrines you can find incense, candles and offerings of  food for the ancestors. Along the walk there are small teahouses and refreshment stops where you can drink green tea, maybe some saki or refresh yourself with crushed flavored ice. For more info on the temple site see

http://www.jref.com/practical/fushimi_inari_taisha.shtml

It was after lunch when we finished and we thought of trying to fit in a trip to Mount Fuji using our rail pass but found out that it was better to do as a day trip as it was at least 2 hours by fast train each way. As we had to leave early next day for our next destination, we decided to come back to the hostel instead and do some washing, packing etc.

An stayed at the station when we got back to do some shopping at the Cube:  Well known for a host of delicacies, particularly its sophisticated sweets. I headed back to the hostel to find out it was closed for cleaning. After doing some catch up stuff on the internet (which was pretty slow) I decided to go for a walk in the opposite direction from where we had been already and discovered another temple only 2 blocks away.  Even better, this one was being used. One of the monks was conducting a ceremony (quite possibly for Obon) in the main hall, with families and onlookers seated on the polished timber floors.

I took off my shoes and placed them in one of the bags provided at the door before seating myself on the floor inside.

Family groups moved to the front of the room, where a monk addressed them and people threw coins into boxes placed in the hall for blessings and donations.

It was a wonderful insight into traditional religious life.

After an hour or so enjoying the cool and peace of the temple, I made my way back through the back streets and saw many shops selling religious paraphernalia for the temples. At this time of the year many people come together and travel to join with their families to honour and remember their ancestors.

Japan is a wonderful mixture of extremes: from futuristic modernity to timeless tradition.

Back at the hotel we sampled more food bought from the supermarket, shared saki provided by Nick from the hostel and shared stories with other travelers as they arrived back from their various destinations. For more information on the Tour Club Hostel see this link

http://www.tourclubkyoto.com/

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First Day: Nagoya with Maki

Early the next morning we caught a taxi to Kyoto train station for the trip back to Nagoya to see Maki and her family.  She had left Kuranda two days after us to come back to Japan, having spent the last 2 years in Australia.

This was the first time we had to catch the train on our own and the previous experiences we had with our excellent coaches made the world of difference. We debated as to whether or not to take an earlier train, as we still had half an hour to wait, and there are usually at least 2 unreserved  cars on the Shinkansen, but in the end we stayed with our original time and that worked out for the best, as the train was actually going to a  train stop closer to where Maki lived at Mikawa Anjo and saved us a lot of trouble changing trains in Tokyo.

This also worked out well as we could take the train the next day from the same station and again avoid rush hour in Tokyo. The trip took almost 2 hours and we were in Mikawa Anjo (just the other side of Nagoya) by 10am where Maki picked us up from the station.

First she took us to visit Denpark: a themed garden based on Danish gardens, It seems the Mikawa Anjo has often been compared to Denmark for its outstanding agricultural practices and this was some kind of tribute to that fact. Here there were gardens where people could plant community vegetables that were later sold at a market outlet just outside the park. At these markets you could find various fruits and vegetables for reasonable prices, as well as locally made handicrafts.

Danish music played from the speakers, while people wandered through the gardens. Each part of the gardens had a theme like a children’s play area called ‘wild things’ made from natural timber reclaimed from the trees which have fallen in the nearby forests.

There was also a huge slippery dip, that looked like fun but was only for children, and a large windmill.

A welcome feature of Denpark was that some parts of the garden, including an  arched trellised  area, were set up with hoses that sprayed a fine mist over you as you wandered underneath the arch or sat at one of the tables on the kiosk verandah. This was a pleasant way to cool down briefly, as it was pretty hot.

There was also a Secret Garden. water features, a huge greenhouse and numerous other specialty gardens. As well an undercover area with enough water to stage water shows.  Among all this were beautiful shops, artistically displaying their wares and inviting the prospective customer to take some time to look around and take some respite from the heat. An interesting contrast of cultures mixing into something between the two and perceived through the eyes of another culture (Australian).

After the park we had a late lunch at a barbecue restaurant that Maki took us to. Here we were served finely cut strips of different kinds of meat on a round grill, set into the table. We were seated Japanese style leaving our shoes off. (Most of my time there I spent in shoes that took a long time to put on and off. At the end of the trip I finally wore something easier to slip on and off. It makes a huge difference as you can imagine) The meat was accompanied by rice, green salad and many foods I could not identify, but all tasty.

On the way back to Maki’s house we stopped at a local samurai castle, where we decided to take some green tea in the traditional tea house, set in the temple gardens. Here a lovely man greeted us and suggested we try the local green tea, a bitter blend, which we sipped slowly kneeling on the mats and looking out over the gardens through the windows. This lovely gentleman, who spoke a little English having spent some time in the US, then brought out a bamboo cup made by his friend. We thought they were just exquisite, and seeing our interest he went and got the other ones his friend had made and given to him, about 5 in all and all and all different sizes and tints of colour. They are made from the base of a bamboo that grows in Japan and is only known to such artists of nature as himself. Each piece was a work of art and treasured by their owner.

We took heaps of photos (which again have to wait till I have photos from An or Maki, as my camera battery was flat) of the bamboo cups, and of us kneeling on the mats sipping green tea. Taking photos is Japan has even more significance, because the very act of taking a photo seems like an cultural extension of your experience of Japan. Our host asked to take  photos of us  in  a special room and then wanted to show us the ceremonial tea room, which ofcourse we were more than happy to see. As with many of the people there he was kind and went out of his way to welcome us to the castle grounds even gifting us with photos of the temple grounds, taken in all four seasons of Japan ( we were told that each season has a distinctive look and feel, and that this was often reflected in the emotions of the people, for instance that autumn was tinged with melancholy and nostalgia).

We left him a brochure of Kuranda markets and he said he wanted to come to Australia now ( he had been to the US and Hawaii) and would be sure to look us up.

By that time the castle interiors had closed, sot we could only view it from the outside. It was surrounded by a moat, as with most of the castles we saw. We were not sure whether the castle had been rebuilt or not, as many buildings were bombed or otherwise destroyed in the second world war, but it looked quite old. Many buildings of historical importance that were destroyed during the war have been rebuilt as close as possible to the original. Because of this it was easier to imagine what life must have looked at in Japan’s feudal and less hurried past.

Next it was off to Maki’s home where she lived with her parents and aunt. The house had a traditional interior having belonged to her grandparents, with a beautiful traditional lounge room:  low table, rattan mats and sliding paper doors. Simple and sparse.

After freshening up we went to Maki’s parents restaurant,  just around the corner from their house  and here we were treated to a feast. They had prepared a special hot soup to which was slowly added fresh mushrooms, small and large shallots, Japanese coriander, cabbage,noodles, sticky rices cubes, tofu and this slices of brown duck. Along with this was served a crab salad and glasses of local plum wine.

We ate as much as we could, it was delicious and so lovingly prepared, though the late lunch we’d had slowed us down a bit. The restaurant counter was full of regulars enjoying the food and company. We thanked her parents and presented some small gifts (nothing seems adequate in the face of such generosity) and then left to watch the fireworks for Obon.

Obon is one of the most important traditions for Japanese people. It is a Buddhist event and is the period of praying for the repose of the souls of one’s ancestors. People believe that their ancestors’ spirits come back to their homes to be reunited with their family during Obon. It is an important family gathering time and many people return to their hometowns.

Maki knew it would be crowded with people and parked a little away. We walked through streets lined with people sitting on the side of the road or walking to see the fireworks. The bridge was full of people on both sides, but we managed to make our way through the crowd and take a seat at the riverside to enjoy the rest of the show which went for another hour.

Maki said it was a small show, bit it seemed quite impressive to me. The fireworks display ebbed and flowed building up and then tapering off until the final crescendo of golden mandalas showered down, one upon another as the crowd broke into applause.

Everyone dispersed quickly and quietly and we went back to the house to prepare for the next day. We drank some plum wine and were about to head for bed when Maki’s mum and aunty returned. Rather than being tired, they were happy to see us and opened more food for us to try. Then we took photos of them in their yukatas. (will upload photo as soon as I get a copy)

What beautiful women working so hard and then coming home and spending time with us. We set the alarms for 6.15 am and headed  to the comfortable  and traditional bedding that had been prepared for us and lay down exhausted.

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Kyoto: historical sights

The first night in Kyoto, we had a booking for the Tour Club Kyoto. Close to the train station, clean, featuring many traditional style elements and with rooms available; this is certainly a big factor at this time of the year, with so many Japanese people on holiday in the summer holiday season.

After settling in to the hostel we went out for food. Up till now we had been looked after by all these lovely Japanese friends and their families and now we had to show some self reliance.

After finding a 24 hour noodle restaurant,we looked at a few shops and then headed back to the share room for some much needed sleep.

Got up around 8am and saw that An was already up ready to leave with or without me, I decided to go with her and we left to go and get a bus pass to see some of the popular sights of Kyoto. The buses are reasonably easy to use, but we almost got lost once, till a friendly local came to our aid with his limited English and called his wife over to use her less limited English to put us on the right track. A couple of young mums guided us again when we got off.

First we went to the Golden Temple: Kinkakuji Temple. The gardens are beautiful, with moss covering the ground instead of lawn. Workers used traditional stick brooms to sweep the leaves without disturbing the surface beneath and kept the gardens meticulous. It was so hot in Kyoto, but as most temples are set in gardens in the mountains or foothills it was more bearable than the city environs .

Next we visited the Silver Temple – Ginkakuji (the path of Philosophy) It was being restored and again the gardens were  beautiful. The last temple we visited for the day, Kiyamazu Temple, was my favourite, because it was so old and set in a breathtaking scenic location. It was also being used for religious ceremony when we were there. We were able to go inside after removing our shoes. The queues to go inside were huge with so many visitors both local and international. inside were many statues of deities, and areas for lighting candles and incense.

There are many temples and shrines at this location and it is definitely worth a visit to see them all.

Kiyomizu-dera’s namesake of “pure water” or “limpid water” comes from  a small spring (Otowa no taki) that flows from the base of the Main hall, divided into three small streams of water. According to legend, the Otowa no taki spring-water has curative and purifying properties. here we saw priests dressed differently than we had seen before, all standing in queue to drink some of the waters. Tradition says that drinking for the three streams makes one more intelligent, more beautiful and able to live a long time.

After we left the regal and ancient interiors and surrounds of this impressive temple, with its myriad of statues symbolising the different religious deities, we wandered over to another part of the grounds that was devoted to shrines and deities that facilitate fortune in love and marriage. Here young lovers and those seeking love came to offer prayers or buy talismans to find or keep love relationships. there were many young people here and the an almost carnival like atmosphere.

On the way back we stopped at a a small noodle bar, checked out the market stall that line the pathways to the temple and eventually found our way back to the right bus stop.  We found a convenience store near the hostel and bought a variety of food to sample back at the kitchen. Eating Japanese style food, restaurant or takeaway, is an experience in itself as it is so different and so diverse in ingredients and composition. After dinner we chatted with some wonderful travelers from Barcelona, Taiwan and Spain: All keen to explore a new culture and share their experiences with other travelers.

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Last day in Okayama

Ren`s holiday was over, and she went back to work at the child care centre. Francois asked us to wake him up early, and he finally got up after sleeping through the first 10 rings.

Today we went into Kurashika: an historical artisans` village, 30 mins by train from Okayama. Small traditional shops are scattered amongst restaurants, food stores and galleries. there are also museums and a small canal  full of huge carp and gondola type boats. We visited many of the specialty shops, each one beautifully displaying a wide variety of handcrafts like the toy shop, which specialised in children`s toys, and had a museum of old toys.

Francois suggested we visit the Momotaro Museum, which he described as a funny museum. This gave us no clue as to what we were in for, but it was certainly worth the effort to visit.

The start of the museum is similar to being on a ghost train, where you walk through darkened corridors to experience the dark world of Oni (the devil in the Momotaro story)

There are unexpected surprises along the way, and you can hear the young girls scream as they wander ahead. Along the way there are illusions and displays that entertain and delight. One of the highlights of this museum is the fish cake player. He is quite famous in Japan for playing music through fishcake tubes and various other fruit.

He also plays beautifully and I was almost moved to tears by the pieces he played. He demonstrated how he makes the flutes by biting off the pieces of fish cake, but it looked easier than I think it would be to replicate his skill.

After the museum we went to an Ubon noodle bar, where we struggled to identify the dishes on the menu, but with Francois help we were able to order something tasty.

Francoise bought a candle for Ren at the candle shop, where you can find so many types of candles. Buying candles, always a different type, for special nights with friends is quite popular with some Japanese and it shows the creativity of the people to come up with such novel ways to entertain themselves.

We caught the train back to town and went back to the flat to meet Ren and collect our things, then we caught a cab to the train station, with directions to find a hostel in Kyoto. We got a quick lesson in how to tell if we were catching the right train from Ren, this would help us with the trips we were going to make unaided and said our farewells.

Thankyou so much for your kindness Ren and Francois, it was a special time and lots of wonderful memories until we meet again, maybe in Australia next time. I am so happy to have been able to keep my promise to visit you in Japan. Please give my love to your family and take care of yourselves.

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Okayama Rainbows

Ren decided to borrow her father`s car so we could visit a waterfall in the afternoon. While she caught the bus to her father`s house An and I went with Francois into town to visit the hemp shop, while he went to get a card reader to load my photos onto a cd.

The summer here is hot and humid, much like Cairns in summer, and any rain brings  welcome relief. The hemp shop was open this time sowe went in to look around. It turned out that the owner had spent time in Australia and had enough English that we wrere able to converse with him. the brand he sold was Phatee ( a Japanese designed brand) he showed us around the shop which used to be an old tea house.

After photos and contact exchange, we met Francoise and visited a friend of his fromTurkey who now lived in Okayama with his Japanese wife. She makes flowers from fine twine. Each small flower takes about 3 hours to make into hair ties or earings. We bought a couple each for presents and An bought a beautiful amber setting for a neck lace.

We met Ren back at the house for lunch, and decided that there was not enough time to go to the waterfall so we ended up driving to a place she went to as a c hild on the coast. The traffic was the busiest we had seen since arriving in Japan, due to Obon. Lots of local take timne off at this time of the year to visit shrines to honour their ancestors.

As we drove further the scenery changed to lush green hills. Houses were intermittedly sprinkled with small family rice plots and we were able to see the coast as we got closer.

Then it started raining, and it seemed our seaside trip would be stalled. However, nothing happens without a reason. The rain stopped after a short time and the air became fresher and cooler. Ren drove us up into the hills, where we finally parked and were surprised to see so many cats living in the area.

We walked one of the tracks towards the place that Ren said we could see the ocean and islands. On the way we passed a building where a reggae festival is held each year in May, and just past there we came to the edge, looking out over the ocean.

The cliff edge is scattered with blocks of rock and one of them looked like a big smiling face gazing over the sea. Ren said it is affectionately known as the smiling gorilla. The view over the ocean towards the islands is truly beautiful, and as a further enhancement to our visit, we saw a rainbow, not only that but a double rainbow.

We were as excited as children and took photos and videos. Ren said she felt that this was a special place-similar to what we would call a sacred place, and it was easy to fall into a state of silent meditation on the beauty and tranquility of nature.

Interestingly, the last time ren had seen a double rainbow was in Kuranda. She said she felt that the `nature of Japan` welcomed us. What a blessing to be in this country with these wonderful people.

We stayed for a while enjoying the peace and then slowly made our way back to the car through the narrow winding paths.

We stayed for a while enjoying the peace and then slowly made our way back to the car through the narrow winding paths. Something about this experience was calming and profound. We drove back to Okayama in silence listening to beautiful Japanese music.

We collected the fireworks from the flat and then went to a noodle bar for dinner. Then we went to a special place where people gather to enjoy each other`s company and light Hannabe (fireworks). There we met some of their freinds,beautiful young people whose special energy makes you feel welcomed and humble to be there.

Ren saw a shooting star and we watched the moon rise over the trees as her freinds put on an energetic display of fireworks. Tonight was our last night there, and we talked about friends in common, Kuranda, music and the possibility of many of them coming to Kuranda in 2012.

It was a wonderful finish to a very special day.

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Okayama:mountain city

Ok, so these photos are from the day before, but it is not so easy to do what you say you are going to do when in another country with limited resources. So to clarify these photos are ffrom the night before: dinner and dressups. Suzy might recognise something here.

It rained all day, and as it turned out there was a typhoon off the coast off the coast.  we needed to got ot he train station to book tickets for the trip to Hokkaido which was a little stressful because we were ming it up a little as went, with scheduling due the amount of people and stops we were tryin gto fit in amongst a holiday season in japan.

This time of year is busy for Japanese people was they celebrate Obon and the students are on holiday as well.

*Obon is an annual Buddhist event for commemorating one’s ancestors. It is believed that each year during obon, the ancestors’ spirits return to this world in order to visit their relatives.

As it rained all night, it didn’t look like we would be doing much and we heard on the news of the damage done by the typhoon, in the same prefecture but further out from where we were.

Ren went into town to rent a car so we could visit the temple in the area where she grew up, and visit her family later in the afternoon. The temple was set admist rice fields and tree covered hills. Most of the temples in Japan are set  located in the natural environment and are peaceful and popular places for locals to visit. This temple was dedicated to the story of Oni and Momotaro.

Oni is a devil character and Momotaro is a boy who grows up in a peach and is adopted by an elderly couple who have no children of their own. he grows up to be a courageous and strong young man and askes his parents to give him permission to leave his home and kill Oni, who he has heard is killin g and plundering in the north west of Japan. He wants to stop this and return what he has taken to the rightful owners. Along the way he befreinds a dog, a bird and a monkey, who he influences to become friends and with him and each other.

He also teaches them courage and together they vanquish Oni, take back the treasures he has stolen and return their homes as heroes.

This story is famous throughout Japan, but particularly in okayama and you can see represeantations o f the story throughout the city.

After the temple we went to Ren’s parents house. her mother had prepared a feast for us and greeted us with a sincere and cheerful welcome. the house was beautiful and cool and again a setting of precourse food was beautifully set out on the table. We were overwhelmed by the hospitailty as tray after tray of beautifully prepared and delicious food was laid on the table before us.

Ren’s sister Tomoko, put on a dvd of her wedding so that we could see what a traditional Japanese wedding looked like. i’d never seen anything like it, and it was a long and complex process.

After lunch we took photos, gave some gifts and talked with Ren acting as interpreter. then we headed for the Korokuen gardens after thanking ren’s beautiful mother for all her kindness and efforts.

We met some freinds of ren and francois at the gardens Shinje and miki,, which were like a fairy tale with thousands of lit lanterns spread across the gardens. There are only 3 of the gardens in japan wheich are quite famous. scattered across the gardens a small replicas of tradtional style tea house with shadow people replicating daily activities.

In the middle of the large pond is an exquisite island with japanese sculpture and bonsai trees. overlooking the gardens is the impressive okayama castle. this is certainly something to see if you ever come to okayama.

On the way back from the gardens we passed by the Pieni Cafe Ecole, where francois teaches french to japanese students while they drink coffee. it seems many things are taught at this cafe. It was closed but certainly had a french flavour to the building.

Last stop was a quaint bar, overlooking the river, where we drank plum wine and beer, watching the moon and a few revellers who were lighting fireworks on the river banks.

It was a beautiful day, thanks to both Ren and Francois for this.

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Okayama second day

Our first day in Okayama  it was raining much to our hosts disappointment.

Sunday, it rained all day. As it turned out later, there was a typhoon  off the  coast of okayama prefecture.

We went to the train station to book the train tickets to Hokkaido, which was a little stressful as we were still planning the trip as we stood in the queue. This time of year is so busy for travelling in Japan because students are on summer holidays and later parents take time off to travel with their children. Booking for the Rail passes is not such an easy thing to do, so we wanted to get that part of the trip sorted so we could relax. We were able to leave the house for a short while to visit the Houkancho shopping mall, where we went to see if we could find the hemp shop. It was closed when we got there, but instead we went into see a Japanese artist and designers shop. He also designed graphics for Tshirts and made costumes for festivals. His business is called Otenten and with usual Japanese hospitality we were offered green tea, which we drank as we looked through his portfolio. The quality and scope of his work  was pretty impressive and I found a Tshirt for my son and swapped contact details.

Later that evening we went with Ren and Francois to a restaurant called Ryoutei, a beautiful Izakaya. Individual rooms overlooked a Japanese water garden  setting and when we entered the room there was a beautiful setting for 4 of precourse meals. then followed an array of beautifully presented and prepared traditonal foods such as sushi and other less known courses that I can’t recall the name for.

The food is not only visually pleasing  but tasty and fresh and the variety of food served at one meal can be quite diverse. We drank traditional plum wine and beer (for francois) before catching a cab home.

*will load more photos as soon as i can get the rest of the photos francois loaded onto a disc onto a computer

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Nagoya second day

Yasuko took us to the Nagoya castle, on the way we picked up her friend. It was a hot day, and the castle walk was quite hard in the sun, but well worth the effort. I can see now why japanese women often carry umbrellas to protect their skin from the sun.

The castle was burnt down from bombing during the second world war, and only the stones at the base are original, the rest has been restored. We were lucky enough to find a volunteer guide handy to explain to us in English the different parts of the castle. The part I loved the most was the small replicas of original  rooms with their different functions. It is easy to transport yourself back through time and imagine lifeduring this period.

 After the castle we looked for somewhere tradtional to eat lunch. Because we had been a bit longer than planned the traditional noodle house that Yasuka san was going to take us to had already closed its kitchen, but we did get to see the cook making the noodles in front of us. Instead we went to an okinmiyuki restaurant, where the meal is prepared on a small grill plate on the table in front of you. Made mostly of egg with various ingredients added as requested it was an experience of a gastonomical kind, as well as interesting.

After lunch we went to Old Nagoya, a shopping area, where many fashionable young Japanese people cometo shop. Here we saw a variety of shops and clothing, as well as uniquely dressed people.

 

 

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Nagoya first evening

Today we stayed at Yukos house and went into the railway station to get the ticket to Okayama. Travelling on the JR express train it is important to book your tickets in advance to be able to be sure of getting a seat on the train. You can’t do this by phone, you have to go to the station. Without  the language skills this is not such an easy task. Luckily we had our beautiful friend to help us.

Every day I am here I am reminded how important language is to communicate with people for the practical things of life. With a friend who knows the country and its language you feel safe and secure, without a friend to help it is a lot harder and I have a renewed compassion for those travelling through our country and I hope that every traveller to our country will find someone to help them and make their experience an enriching one.

In the afternoon Yuko treated An and I to a massage and Reiki session. We were both blown away by her skill and sensitivity. As a massage therapist she has a true gift for healing, using the chiropractic mode of massage.

We caught an early evening train to Nagoya, after reducing our luggage to a more manageable size.The trains are fast and comfortable and run on time, so it is important not to be late.

In Nagoya we were greeted by Yuseko san, Hiromis mum, who gave us both a beautifully

wrapped present, a traditional after bath set, and then took us to the hot springs. this was entirely unexpected and a pleasant surprise.

The baths consist of an array of water and spa treatments.

First you wash yourself with a large container of water and long handled cup and then you progress from one bath to another. There are also places for scrubbing yourself down and sitting in the hot  sauna

Needless to say this was an unexpected, yet welcome, treat and much enjoyed by the locals. Thankyou so much to Hiromis mum for taking us there and giving us the beatiful outfit to wear after.

We are both grateful for your hospitality and kindness.

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