Hakodate

We started the morning with a stop at another of the hot baths. This really could be tour of Japanese hot baths (the girls: Mamiko and Yuko just loved them so much)

Soaking in the hot baths was much more pleasant in summer if there was an outside bath and we did get to try an authentic bath in Niseko, before we left to drive to Hakodate.

These baths were old and marked by years of filling the baths with water full of the rich minerals which make them so therapeutic. When we arrived at the location of these baths, we could see and smell the hot springs outside of the building. Smoke curled up from the hot lake and the sulfurous smell reminded us where the water came from.

Inside we found the baths had both indoors and outdoor baths, as well as  a spa and an area to douse ice cold water over you between baths. Outside were several baths ranging in temperature from too hot to even put my foot in to a slightly tepid temperature. One of the baths was a mud bath, and it was a wonderful experience to coat ourselves in the thick mud that sat at the bottom of the pool.

We finished off with the traditional showers and then set off for Hakodate which is where Yuko’s aunty and uncle live. They had graciously said we could dtay at their house, which they had only recently renovated. We are so grateful for all the generosity we were shown. as we could not have managed on such a limited budget otherwise.

Yuko’s uncle prepared a barbeque dinner for us which was cooked at the table on an electric barbeque while we sat at the table Japanese style. There was lamb, vegetables, tofu and fish served with rice and condiments.

After dinner we took the hire car to a popular viewing spot on top of a hill overlooking Hakodate. we were advised to go after 10pm, as there were many buses going up and down the hill on the narrow roads earlier in the evening, so most people drove up after that time.

The view 0f the lights over Hakodate city was stunning, and there were many observation decks on different levels to take photos from.

We left after an hour or so to return to Yuko’s aunty and uncle’s house.

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Furano

The next morning after breakfast we set off for a sightseeing trip of Furano, which is famous for many things including the Lavender Gardens and the on-site location for the popular Japanese drama Kitano Kunikara (this family drama, loved by many Japanese viewers over the approximately 20 years of broadcasting, puts focus on a small, beautiful part of  the Hokkaido region, surrounded by nature. Set in the town of Furano in Hokkaido, the drama revolves around the story of the Kuroita family).

First on the list of places to visit there was the lavender farm called Farm Tomita. Where large gardens of lavender, and many other types of flowers created a beautiful display of colour. A pretty popular place for photos, as people snapped friends and family against the picturesque backgrounds. Here you found shops that sold every conceivable thing you could think of to make from lavender: skincare, candles, lollies, food and many things you can not make from lavender but can print pictures of lavender on.

There was also a lavender icecream vendor. Icecream was a popular treat at the farm with its soft lavender colouring and unique flavour

At the entrance to the farm was a dried flower and souvenir shop, with the most awesome display of dried fruits, vegetables and flowers draped and displayed artistically around the walls and ceilings in an inspired presentation. Again cameras were clicking everywhere, but capturing the scope of the display was not possible. There was a small bridge underneath the central hanging displays where people posed for photos.

We left the lavender farm and drove to visit the bush location of the popular television drama, Kitano Kunikara . Amongst the thicket bush were a few houses which had been built, over the 20 years, to represent the different houses the family lived in over the time the drama was being filmed. The drama is about a young family with two children. The mother dies and the father takes care of the children. He has no money and builds their house from whatever he can find. There were a few houses at that location (over time the father built different houses)  and we were told there were more locations in Furano similar to the one we were visiting. These locations have become something of a tourist attraction, much like Ramsey Street from the popular Australian soapie, Neighbours.

We then drove to Sapporo, the capital of Hokkaido,  and had noodles (was it sorbet noodles?) at a famous noodle bar. There are messages and signatures from many Japanese celebrities posted up near the ceiling of this restaurant. Not far from here was the ‘Shooting Star’ hostel where we were staying the night. The price was pretty reasonable for  Sapporo, but that was  because it was a biker’s hostel and not quite as well maintained as some of the others we stayed at. However with our finances getting low, we were just glad to have  a place to sleep that would allow our budget stretch further.

There was also free internet here, even though it was slow, and I sat up as long as I could to post on the blog. (As it turned out it was much harder to access the net in Japan than I thought.  Most people carry phones and can do most of their online stuff commuting to and from work or school. Internet cafes were also,  much different than I expected. The one we went into in Tokyo was like a member’s club: clean, individual booths with a comfortable and stylish couch, up to date computers, showers outside the booths, and food if you wanted to stay long enough to eat. You could stay overnight up to 8 hours. You did have to sign in for a minimum membership fee).

I did my best to post as much as I could of the trip, but the amount of travel we had done in the last few days was taking its toll, and the wisdom of sleeping was evident.

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Niseko

The next morning we left for Niseko and I discovered about an hour into the trip, that I had left my camera behind. Mamiko and Yuko told me not to worry, that we could get it the next day when we returned the hire car. On the way though, we decided to extend the rental on the car for another two days to save hiring another car and moving all our luggage. I was concerned about whether we would get the camera back but the girls told me not to worry. It seems people in Japan assume that most Japanese people are honest, which is a wonderful thing.

When we arrived at Niseko, we went to the information centre and the girls found out there was  a discount pass to have three hot spring baths at different venues while you stay in the area.  Firstly, we went to the Hilton in Niseko, which was relatively basic, but had a nice outdoors bath (nice contrast to the cooler air outside) as well as some luxury bath products provided in the shower rooms. We spent quite a while there relaxing and getting clean after the past few days.

After that, we went for lunch at Terrazio’s restaurant and had some delicious seafood. Then we looked for accommodation without  luck and almost decided to camp in the car outside the 7/11 as they are 24 hours and have toilets inside. We had a bit of a laugh about this as it was raining and the whole situation seemed a but absurd, but the Yuko got a call from a friend, Mike, inviting us to a party.

As it turned out it was a wonderful experience. Mike, who we had met at the Ainu festival, is an interesting person, originally from the UK and now living in Japan for over 4 years. He knew lots of people and places. He arrived with his friends, so that we could follow them to the party which was a few kms out of Niseko, in a beautiful dome house set in bushland.

There were quite a few there already and as it was still raining we moved inside quickly to meet our host. This lovely man was passionate about Indian spiritual culture and inside two of the walls were devoted to Indian gurus and teachers. The photos and artifacts displayed were gently highlighted by candles and gentle drumming added atmosphere as the beautiful alternative Japanese people shared food and music.

Our host offered us green tea and we removed our shoes, parking them at the inside entrance with many other pairs of shoes. We made our way to a low table and settled in. During the evening there was drumming, flute, Indian chanting and an Indian inspired dinner served on a makeshift table.

An Indian man who had been at the festival ( many of these people we recognised from the festival) played a traditional stringed instrument and the most amazing Indian drum.

In the middle of the room was a sunken seated area surrounding a small wood stove used in the cold winters) and now decorated with candles. The atmosphere was gentle and quite unlike many parties in Australia, where the whole point seems to be to drink as much as you can as quickly as you can.  A few people drank saki or beer, but many drank green tea. Small groups formed to play drums, play flute or learn how to make throat tonal sounds (from Mike) or just talk and appreciate the experience. We had moved around a bean bag, which is where we eventually fell asleep.

The sense of harmony between the people there was beautiful and we felt comfortable and welcome enough to fall asleep. An was feeling cold and a little uncomfortable on the wooden floor, but our wonderful host covered everyone with blankets during the night, so we were able to sleep soundly.

There were still people talking and laughing as I went to sleep, when I awoke in the early morning there were bodies all over the floor, right up to the front door.  It was beautiful sight to see people sharing the space in sleep.

An and I went for an early morning walk and saw some beautiful homes, surrounded by bush and relatively free of bitumen, power poles and other such infrastructure. The homes were mainly designed for the cold ski season but a wonderful place to live for those who prefer a more natural environment.

When we got back we all decided we needed a hot bath and said our goodbyes to Mike and his friend (our host). We were so appreciative of his hospitality and the  evening was a memorable one for us all.

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Last day with the Ainu People

Sorry it has taken me awhile to get back to this blog, but had to focus on other things for a while. Hope to catch up quickly in the next few days.

The last day of the festival, we went to say our goodbyes. Everyone was picking up rubbish from the grounds (there was not much really) and sorting it into glass, paper, plastic, compost, tin and miscellaneous items that were then placed in sectioned areas. This happened everywhere we went in Japan, as people  are very concious about recycling and everywhere you see bins that have at least 3 sections for sorting rubbish. The festival grounds were left clean and with minimum impact on the environment. The long drop toilets were getting pretty smelly by the end of the 5 days and An was glad that we would not be there for much longer.

I went to say goodbye to some of the lovely Ainu people we had met there, as well as some of the other festival goers we had connected with. The Ainu people were still hoping that Gudju Gudju would be coming and I explained how disappointed the members of the band were that they were not able to get the grant to come this year and how they had tried till the end to find a way to travel there. One of the ladies we met on that last day even sang two of Gudja Gudja’s songs word for word.

It was  such an honour to witness the esteem they held for the music and lyrics, memorised from 10 years previously. We swapped contact details with some of the people there, thanked them for their marvelous hospitality and wished we had brought Gudja Gudja cds with us.

Then back to pack up camp and have a breakfast of noodles cooked on the camp fire before the rain got too serious.

After a couple of days without showering (except for washing at the creek)  we set off to find some hot spring baths (sento) The girls love them and Hokkaido has plenty, and each one is different. Firstly, though, we went to the Ainu museum to look at Ainu cultural artifacts and see more of the traditional housing. We spoke to one of the local women

who was tending the hearth inside one of the community huts. The building was pretty roomy and comfortable with its thatched walls and roof. This particular lady was not sure whether the festival was a good idea for Ainu people, as it attracted many alternative festival goers and in her opinion posed a risk to the young vulnerable and more  culturally protected Ainu youth.

However the lady in the next hut we went into, who was Ainu, believed that it was an important part of educating people about the indigenous culture and strengthening the Ainu culture at the same time.  She was weaving mats from grasses and told us that she taught Ainu language at the Ainu school. After leaving the Ainu museum,  we visited the Ainu school, as we heard that people could stay there sometimes to learn the language and culture.The school comprised of a set of dwellings, made up of some traditional cise and  other more regular buildings. We were taken into one of the huts,  but the occupant was recovering from the festival, so we left him to his reading and the fire in the hearth and went into town to have some lunch.

We ate at an Ainu owned and run restaurant and tried some delicious local specialties, including deer meat in a broth with noodles. As a side dish we tried something that the girls referred to as ‘like dim sims’ but as we found out later it is quite a rare specialty, only found at this restaurant and prepared by this one lady.

After lunch we left again to find the hot baths  so we could take a much needed shower and soak in the hot baths. Hokkaido is popular for its hot springs which are located everywhere. We found one attached to a resort and had a much welcome shower and bath.  Ken and Ayumi left after the baths to go back to Sapporo, as they had a hotel booked there as part of their hire car deal and we left to find the accommodation that Mumiko had reserved. It turned out to be an Indian Style hostel and there was an Indian music concert starting shortly after our arrival, performed by a talented Japanese musician called Sagar (who had studied music in India for several years), his Nepalese wife and a young Japanese woman who played Indian drums with passion and skill. The way she used her fingers to play the percussion, you could tell she must have practiced for quite while to toughen them, as well as master the intensity of the playing style. The concert was played in a small hall outside adjoining the hostel,  and the performance area was decorated with Indian cloths. It was quite an unexpected treat and free for the people staying at the hostel.

After the concert we had tea in the hostel dining room and chatted with the musicians. They also had with them some beautiful Nepalese jewelry for sale, but we were being careful with money, though I did buy one of Sagar’s cds. I hope he is able to go back and study some more, as he told us that grants do not exist for musicians like himself to further their knowledge and skills and he would have to raise his own funds if he were to go back to India and learn more.

It was a well kept hostel, and interestingly presented with its accents on Indian culture and the musicians came back each year to play there and visit the area.

It was a pretty big day and we slept well that night, especially Yuko and Mumiko.

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First day at the Ainu Festival

At the centre of the festival location, the site is at Biratori,  was a  hand crafted stage (powered by a generator),  covered areas for shade,  shelter and for conducting ceremony, an embroidery workshop,  undercover areas for general purposes, and a small village of organic looking stalls and exhibit areas. Amongst this was dotted tepees and cise (Ainu traditional huts) and a charming and rustic cafe and bar.

After a breakfast of noodles at camp, we made our way to the creek to wash and then to meet some of the festival organisers and those who had come along like us to learn about Ainu culture and enjoy time in nature listening to music and creating a sense of community.

As it was the last full day of activities, this was the day that the Ainu people were performing ceremony for the ancestors. The ceremony involved intricate processes of blessing and sharing food with each other and the ancestors. For this they used special instruments to flick the food to the spirits, as well as draw the energies in.

This ceremony  was all conducted around a fire hearth, which was carefully prepared before hand. In the background are special ritualistic and decorative carvings made from the willow branches and significant to Ainu ceremony and culture.

The Ainu people wore their traditional clothing, featuring the distinctive protection embroidery designs. On the heads they wore headbands in the same style and some of them wore the gloves and leg covers as well. They look striking in their clothing.

The rest of us attending the ceremony, sat undercover (it was raining lightly) on the tarp covered ground, at first watching the ceremony and then later we were invited to participate by sharing food and offering  it to our ancestors by flicking the food or drink from the bowl with a special ceremonial stick. We were asked to acknowledge our parents by thinking of their names, while we offered the saki to the ancestors by flicking it towards the fire using a spatula-like stick and bowl (ikupasuy & tuki) to send prayers back to the deities. Then we drank a little saki from the bowl and passed it on.

Two of the Ainu people present sang an American Indian song in honor of the Hopi Indian present who represented his people at the festival. The sang with such passion and heart, it was a moving performance and tribute.

After a lengthy ceremony of sending prayers, offering food and chanting, the Ainu elder called for trays of food to be passed around to everyone present. After this everyone dispersed and one group of people left to do a similar ceremony at the traditional cemetery in the mountain. Here the rules of protocol were a lot stricter.

Follow the ceremony, there were food tastings and games including a game similar to quoits where you throw circular coils made from willow bough onto the hook of a branch. This game is a traditional one passed down for many generations.

In the afternoon there were Ainu performances of traditional dancing and songs. The performers dressed in their head bands and tunics, covered with the embroidered symbols of protection. Historically, the Ainu believed thast covering the openings of their clothing with these symbols protected them from negative spirits entering through at these points. The young male dancers wore the gloves and leg wear as well, and looked awesome. Some of the young women, also used hunting tools like bows and arrows as part of their dance.

Nearby there was a workshop where you could learn to embroider the Ainu  symbols and make your own headband. This was a popular activity during the festival and Yuko started one while she was there. She was also honoured and deeply touched to be presented with one by the Ainu lady who was teaching the embroidery class.

To finish off the Ainu cultural events of the day, there was a circle dance around the fire, and we were all invited to dance. This was a statement of unity and again symbolic of our connection with Ainu and with each other.

Later in the evening there were performances by some of the musicians who were still there. One of them, Pak-Poi, A Korean/Japanese is quite well known in Japan. He played and sang a powerful set of songs including one called ‘No More Hiroshima’, which warns against the repeat  of the injustices and tragedy around war and reminding us never to let such things occur again.His songs were sometimes controversial  and he sang them with a passion and conviction that was deeply moving.

After that a Japanese reggae band played.  They played well and certainly looked the part. Near the end their set, Yuko and I walked with Mamiko to the creek to soak her foot, which had been scalded by boiling water from the small pot of water she was heating on a small gas burner to make tea at the camp earlier that evening. After she  let the cold creek water run over her feet for a while, we returned to an undercover area at the main site to listen the music. While we sat there, one of the Ainu men came in with his traditional stringed instrument, much like a guitar but with a much leaner and more rectangular base and played a song. He asked us if we knew what it was and I guessed (though I forget now) and he was pleased with that.

After the stage performances finished many people stayed around the fire to talk, listen to campfire performances or just enjoy their last night at a unique and special festival and location. We settled in for a drier night in the tent, while An opted for the back of the car. It was a special day.

(More photos later)

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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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