We had quite a delay in getting back home. Apparently a volcano erupted in the Aleutian Islands, causing the plane, that we were waiting for to arrive to take us back to Newark, to be delayed. There was also a medical emergency on that plane, that required the pilot to turn back to San Francisco. So all these things combined, delayed our plane about 6 hours. But, because the crew can only work 13 hours according to FAA rules, when we finally boarded our plane in Tokyo, we had to make an unexpected stop to refuel in San Francisco and to change crew members, which delayed our arrival home another hour. We wound up getting home at 4 am, instead of around 9 pm.
We will miss Japan. It is a beautiful country, with humble and gentle people, streets, subways, trains, buses, and hotels that are sparkling clean, and delicious food that tempted our taste buds at every meal. We met some wonderful people on the tour, and of course our guide Hiro was second to none. We saw so many wonderful sites, and participated in so many amazing adventures, that the days flew by too quickly. And of course…the cherry blossoms. Words can’t capture how truly magnificent they were.
一期一会, which is pronounced as Ichigo ichie. Translated, it means “once in a lifetime encounter.” In other words, you must enjoy and live every exceptional encounter to its fullest, as long as it lasts.
This morning after breakfast we realized that our luck had finally run out with the sunny weather. Rain was predicted for most of the day, but it didn’t deter us from taking the subway to the Daiki Suisan Sushi Seminar, to experience the making of nigiri sushi.
We were greeted by the master sushi chef and we sat down at the table and examined the fish on the tray in front of us: ahi tuna, flounder, salmon belly, octopus, squid, shrimp, and salmon. The chef then had us don plastic gloves so that the sticky rice we’d be working with would not stick to our hands. We made a small ball of sticky rice, weighing it on the scale to the correct weight determined by the chef. Then, we formed the rice ball into a long rectangle, making a dent in the middle with our thumb. We then placed the fish on top of the rice, making sure that the rice was not too visible under the fish. I did mine very carefully and the chef went by and gave me both thumbs up, so I went on and did the same for all the other fish.
The chef gave us a strip of seaweed and we put a rectangle of rice in the middle of it, leaving a small space on either side. Then we wrapped the rice overlapping the seaweed around it and we topped it with a fish, pickle, and I believe sake mixture.
I finished making all my sushi and this time the chef went by and said to me “Beautiful!” (I was the only one who received that accolade, so apparently I am good at frothing Matcha as per the monk and now I’m a good sushi maker according to the chef! LOL!)
The chef then told us a little about his life, and then he brought out all of his sushi knives and told us what they were all used for in the fish and vegetable cutting preparation. It was a very interesting morning, and best of all, we ate the sushi that we made for lunch. It was delicious!!
We thanked the chef, and Allan and I presented him with Hershey candy bars for his grandchildren, and he was very appreciative.
We all went and had some matcha ice cream in the sweet shop nearby, except for Allan who has vanilla since he was pretty much macha-ed out. We walked around a bit in the huge mall under the subway system, before we boarded the subway back to the hotel.
We took the train to the restaurant where the farewell dinner would be served. We walked down a long quaint alley, with little restaurants on either side, and then we arrived at the restaurant. We took off our shoes and climbed the stairs to a room which overlooked the river. We had bento boxes for dinner, and we all thanked our guide Hiro for the wonderful job he did getting us from place to place, regaling us with interesting stories about his life in Japan, and just being a fabulous guide!
After dinner, we took the train to the Fushimi Inari Shrine, which is famous for its thousands of vermilion colored Torii gates which line the walking trail. It is the most important of all the several thousands of shrines dedicated to Inari, the Shinto god of rice. Statues of foxes are found along the trail, thought to be the messengers of Inari.
We had the shrine almost all to ourselves as it was around 8 pm when we arrived, and it was very serene walking under the gates.
We rode the train back to the hotel, and bid farewell to some of our new friends that we wouldn’t be seeing in the morning. We finished packing and went to bed to get a good night’s sleep before our plane ride back home tomorrow.
The fish awaiting us at our sushi seminar
The master sushi chef
Voila!
My perfect sushi that got the comment “beautiful” by the master chef.
The chef’s knife collection
Matcha ice cream
Allan opted for plain vanilla as he was matcha-ed out!
Farewell dinner
Bento box
The narrow street to the restaurant
Gate leading into the Fushimi shrine. No pictures were allowed inside the shrine
We purified before entering into the shrine by washing our hands
I mentioned in a previous post that I participated in some sumo wrestling, and here’s the proof! (I tried using distraction as a ploy, but that didn’t work! This guy was as sturdy as a tree!)
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What an amazing day we had today! After breakfast, we rode in our bus to the Arashiyama area, a serene and peaceful scenic place. We boarded a punt boat that would take us down the Oi river to visit the Asenjo-ji Temple.
A punt boat is a flat-bottomed boat designed for use in small rivers and shallow water. The men (punters) of the boat, propel the punt boat by pushing against the river bed with a pole. We were lucky that the river wasn’t too deep today, since if it was, the poles would not be long enough to push into the river bed to propel the punt boat along.
The scenery along the river was bucolic, with the different shades of green in the trees as spring is just beginning to blossom. There were ducks that followed our boat along the way, and they had gorgeous feathering. We also saw some cormorant in the river as well.
After about a 20 minute ride, we arrived at our destination – the Senko-ji Temple, to meet, meditate, and chant sutra with the monk who lives there.
We had to climb up 240 steep winding steps to the top of the mountain, a feat not for the faint of heart. We all made it, stopping a few times along the way to catch our breath, and to admire the foliage.
At the top, we were all given the opportunity to ring the temple bell three times, by drawing back the rope and beam hammer to make a beautiful sound that carried over the surrounding mountains. We climbed the last few steps and were greeted by the monk. We removed our shoes, and entered the reception hall, where we sat on benches to listen to the monk, who told us about Zen Buddhism and the concept of seeing one’s true nature by trying to understand there is no “I” – that our true nature is empty and willing to accept.
The monk told us how he has trained for years to try to become enlightened, and then he chanted sutra, while giving thanks for our safe travel to Japan, and for our safe return to home. He then guided us through meditation. We sat quietly, practiced our breathing, and focused on a spot three feet in front of us. We breathed in and out slowly to the count of ten, and then we started the count again. We tried to empty our minds of all thoughts. It was very peaceful and gave us all a sense of calm.
We then were given matcha powder with hot water, and after frothing it, we drank it along with a sweet candy, made of red bean paste. (Just want to say, once again, I excelled at frothing, since the monk went by me, peered into my mug and said, “Very good!” I mean c’mon…the monk even said I did good!! 😂)
After our enlightening visit with the monk, we had lunch and then it was off to learn about the history of Ikebana, the art of flower arranging, from a professional Ikebana instructor. Our instructor was a renown Japanese florist, who specializes in the art. Some of his arrangements have been requested by very popular and influential people in Japan.
The florist owner talked to us about flower arrangements, how to arrange the flowers with regard to height, color, length, and of course, incorporating simplicity.
We worked in pairs, so Allan and I worked together, and we were given a bowl, a vase frog, and a clipper. The instructor then presented us with branches of pussy willow, chrysanthemum stems, tulips, and some greenery. He taught us how to open certain flowers, like the chrysanthemums, by rubbing a finger into their centers, how to bend the pussy willow branches, and how to cut the bottoms of all the flowers and greenery…some on an angle like the pussy willow, some straight across like the tulips. He also told us that using sake, will extend the life of the arrangement much longer than using plain water. Huh!
Allan and I had fun positioning the flowers, measuring the length of the pussy willow so that it was about two and a half times the width of the bowl, bending the pussy willow branches into a pleasing arc, and then filling in the other flowers, keeping in mind simplicity.
When we finished our arrangement, the instructor critiqued our efforts. He told us that he loved the way our pussy willows curved and our placement of the other flowers. The only suggestion he had was to cut the other flowers down a bit more. We did that and our final creation met with his approval. It was a very informative lesson, and the knowledge I learned will apply when I’m arranging flowers in the future.
We rode back to our hotel and only had time for a quick bathroom break, as some of us had opted to attend a concert, and we had to take the city bus to get there. The bus was very easy to navigate; you get on the back of the bus, and when your stop comes, you press the button alerting the bus driver you want to get off, and then you walk to the front of the bus with your pass, tap it, and get off. We used the same pass that we were given for the subway rides that we had taken.
We arrived at the home where our private concert would be, and we were greeted by the musicians, a man and his wife. The wife played the koto, a string musical instrument with 13 strings, and she knelt down by the instrument and played the most beautiful and serene song – the notes zen-like. She has been playing the koto for over 65 years and she also teaches how to play it, to try to keep the tradition alive.
She also played the shamisen, a three stringed instrument that originally used to accompany kabuki. The instrument had a long thin neck, and had a beautiful sound when strummed.
The man then came out in costume and played the Shakuhachi, a Japanese flute made of bamboo. This type of music was traditionally performed at the imperial court. He played some songs for us and finished with Amazing Grace, and as the last notes of the haunting melody floated in the air, we were all hypnotized by this unique instrument.
They then played a piece together, composed by a young man who wanted to depict the ocean in song, and we were encouraged to sit back and use our imaginations to feel what the song was saying to us. It was beautiful, and you could almost feel the waves of the ocean crashing, and then receding, leaving its footprint in the sand.
It was a unique experience and we were so happy we were given the opportunity to be part of it.
After the concert, we took the bus back, and 6 of us went to a nearby restaurant to eat Okonumiyaki, a type of pizza/pancake consisting of a batter and cabbage. It is particularly popular in the cities of Hiroshima and Osaka.
And what a feast it was! First, we were served delicious fried potatoes, followed by grilled octopus, with shrimp, pickled cabbage, and bonito flakes, made of smoked skipjack tuna. Then came some grilled beef that was flavored expertly, followed by grilled chicken. And then since we were sitting right at the grill, we watched the chef prepare our Okonumiyaki. After grilling the pancake-like batter, with eggs and cabbage, he topped it with a thick and sweet Worcestershire sauce and drizzled mayo for the finishing touch. It was delicious, and I was sorry we had eaten so much before hand, because we were rather stuffed and couldn’t appreciate our Okonumiyaki to the fullest.
And then, as unbelievable as it was, the chef prepared for us yakisoba noodles (fried noodles), with sautéed bacon. It tasted just like a delicious Italian pasta with a garlic flavor, and even though we were really stuffed, we made room for this delicious dish!
The chef ended with making us French toast with ice cream. I know – how could we possibly eat any more???? But eat it we did, and it was delicious. The French toast has a custard quality to it, and paired with the ice cream, it was the perfect end to the evening.
What a day it was! From start to finish, an amazing opportunity to delve into the culture of Japan and all its wonderful sounds, tastes, and beauty.
The punt boat
Sitting on six inch chairs in the boat
The punter, using a long pole to propel the boat
Cruising along the river
Making our way up to the temple
We each rang the bell three times
The temple reception room
The monk
Making our way back down the mountain
Ikebana. Our bowl and frog ready for our floral arrangement
Our creation!
Playing the koto
Playing the Shakuhachi
Playing the shamisen
Two unique instruments combining to make a beautifully distinctive sound
The beginning of our feast… roasted potatoes.
Grilling the shrimp and octopus.
Then came the grilled beef
Making the Okonumiyaki
Delicious!
Fried noodles
Dessert. French toast and ice cream.
Forgot to mention the other day. These are Sake cups that we received as gifts from the home-hosting visit.
The breakfast in the hotel we are staying at hasn’t been as good as the other hotels. We love the Japanese cuisine for breakfast, and for some reason, this hotel offers mostly western food, mainly a lot of bread. It’s a bit disappointing.
After breakfast we left on the bus for Nara Park, which is renowned for its free-roaming deer and world famous temples. You can purchase little biscuits to feed the deer, but I didn’t do that, because I was told by my friend who had already visited the park – once you feed the deer, you can’t get away from them.
When we first entered the park, the deer greeted us looking for food, but we just kept walking and so they finally dispersed. They looked a bit mangy, perhaps because it is mating season, and they might have been biting each other. There were signs up that cautioned to watch out, because during mating season, the deer can kick, butt, bite, or knock you down (yikes!), but actually, they all seemed pretty calm and tamed.
On the grounds where the deer roam free, is the Todaiji Temple, which dates back to 728. When you walk through the Nandaimon Gate in front of the temple, you are confronted on either side by Kongo Rikishi Statues, that guard the approach to the Great Buddha. The hall that houses the Buddha, is one of the worlds largest wooden structures and the Great Buddha itself stands about 50’ high and is cast from over 400 tons of bronze.
After visiting the temple, we strolled the grounds and just appreciated the beautiful sunny day and the beautiful scenery. We then had a tempura rice bowl and udon soup for lunch, before boarding the bus to the Uji tea farm.
The owner of the tea farm took us around the grounds and we saw the bushes where he has different varieties of tea growing. Most of his tea farm was on the other side of the mountain, and that is where he harvests and makes the different teas for sale. His green tea is the most famous.
After seeing the machines that he uses to make the tea leaves for sale, we had an opportunity to grind tea leaves ourselves, using a device with a handle that you had to turn to grind the leaves. It was hard work, and took quite a bit of time for all the leaves to be ground. When all the leaves were ground, we scooped them up and put them in a tin can and we went to another area to make our matcha green tea. I was able to froth the ground tea leaves when we participated in the formal tea ceremony in Tokyo, so once again, I took my bamboo whisk and did a great job frothing. The owner nodded and told me it was perfect. (I’m such a show-off. LOL!)
We drank our matcha tea, after turning the bowl 180 degrees, and we sprinkled the leftover ground matcha on vanilla ice cream that we were offered, and that actually was really good!
After the tea ceremony, we visited the Nishini Market, a narrow, five block long shopping street lined by more than one hundred shops and restaurants. It was a mad house, with crowds of people looking at all the fish, and vegetables, and deciding what they would like to eat. You had to practically push your way through the throngs. Japan is extremely clean and one of the reasons why that is so, is that it is an unwritten rule that you never walk while eating. You must find a place to either sit or stand to consume your food if you are out and about. Also, you will have a tough time finding any garbage receptacle, since everyone is supposed to take their garbage home with them to dispose of.
After the crowds of people in the first five long blocks, we finally arrived at the shopping area, with tons of stores offering everything you can think of from upscale leather bags, to T-shirts, to chopsticks, to men’s suits, and on and on and on. It was fun to experience, but not being a shopper, I was just as happy when we finally were outside, and walking back to the hotel.
We took the subway from the hotel to a restaurant to enjoy some Kyoto cuisine and then it started to rain so we took cabs back to the hotel. It was a wonderful day!
Nara deer
Yikes!
Nandaimon Gate
One of the Kongo Rikishi Statues guarding the Great Buddha
Today six of us, including Allan and I, decided to leave the tour group for the day and visit Hiroshima. We took a taxi to the bullet train, boarded the bullet, and then took another taxi to the memorial. Traveling around via taxi is very easy. The taxi drivers are very helpful – just show them a picture of where you want to go, or present an address, and off you go. The drivers open the doors for you, wear white gloves, snappy hats, and starched white shirts, and they drive very safely. (Although traveling on the opposite side of the street from what we are used to, is a bit hair-raising.)
We walked the grounds of the memorial park, stopping first at the A-Bomb Dome, the ruins of the former Hiroshima Industrial Promotion Hall. It is the building that was below the bomb when it was detonated, and so it is considered the epicenter. It has been left partially in ruins, in memory of all who lost their lives. The A-Bomb Dome was added to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1996.
The Children’s peace monument was where we stopped next, a statue dedicated to the memory of the children who died as a result of the bombing. The girl statue has her arms raised with a crane above her. The statue is based on the story of Sadako Sasaki, a little girl who died from radiation poisoning. Before she died, she folded 1,000 origami cranes, (there is a Japanese legend that cranes live for 1,000 years), so she made one for each year. Today, children from around the world send cranes to the site and they are displayed in pictures around the memorial. People are encouraged to ring the bell, which we did, and the beautiful sound can be heard throughout the park.
Near the center of the park is a concrete, saddle-shaped monument that covers the names of all of the people killed by the bomb. The monument is positioned so as to frame the Peace Flame and the A-Bomb Dome.
We then walked over to the Peace Bell, a large Japanese bell hanging inside a small open-sided structure. Visitors are encouraged to ring the bell for world peace and the melodious tolls, just like the children’s Peace Bell, ring throughout the Peace Park.
We walked through the Hall of Remembrance, which inspires thoughts of the victims, prayers for the peaceful repose of their souls, and offers a place to sit and contemplate peace. The fountain in the center depicts a clock face showing 8:15 am, marking the time of the bombing. The fountain offers water to the A-bomb victims, many of whom died begging for water to quench their thirst. We walked down a ramp going counterclockwise, to the bottom, where 140,000 tiles are mounted in the walls, representing the number of victims that are estimated to have died.
The last stop was the Hiroshima Peace Memorial museum, that was very emotional to walk through. We saw torn and bloodied clothing that was from some of the victims, as well as the charred remains of everyday items. Pictures from the aftermath of the bombing were on display, and most were difficult to view.
It was an emotional visit, but one we were glad we had the opportunity to see. We can only hope and pray the world learns from this tragedy, and that a better world can exist that is free from nuclear weapons.
We ate a quick lunch at the park before making our way back to the hotel, and by then it was dinnertime, and Allan and I went to a tiny Japanese restaurant with udon soup for Allan and rice, eggs, and chicken for me. We also ordered a grilled beef skewer, and draft beers. The owner seated us at a little secluded table, with walls that surrounded us with wooden slats, and we listened to the 60’s music that was playing. Go figure. It was a nice little romantic getaway.
We walked back to our hotel, through the narrow streets. It is very safe, but you have to be cognizant of the cars and the many bikes that are going by.
A-Bomb Dome
The Children’s Peace monument with the crane overhead
Pictures made with origami cranes
The peace bell which I rang for peace throughout the world.
The monument is positioned so as to frame the Peace Flame and the A-Bomb Dome. The peace flame has burned continuously since it was lit in 1964, and will remain lit until all nuclear bombs on the planet are destroyed and the planet is free from the threat of nuclear annihilation.
Depicting 8:15 when the bomb detonated. The fountain offers water to the victims who died begging for water to quench their thirst.
“Prayer for Peace” statue erected in 1977. The artist, Katsuzo Entsyba, wrote about his piece, “I want to sound the trumpet for peace in the search for a new future.”
After breakfast this morning, we broke up into groups of five and went off to a Japanese family’s home to meet with them and see what their life is like.
We were greeted warmly by Masanari and Noriko Nakagawa. Masanari spoke some English, so we were able to understand most of what he was saying. Noriko didn’t speak much English at all. They have two boys. One boy is a fashion designer and the other boy is a dentist. They have four grandchildren. Masanari makes sake and he and his wife own a liquor/convenience store where his sake is sold.
Masanari was very proud of his home, and showed us many of the artifacts and paintings that he had collected over the years, some were worth quite a bit of money. He took us on a tour of his home, showing us the living room, the kitchen (where a cold storage bin was embedded into the floor), their bedroom (where they put away their bedding each morning into the closet and take it out the next evening to sleep on), the bathroom, with a very deep tub, and the upstairs roof area where we could look over the city and catch the breeze.
He is very interested in baseball and loved to play it. He was hit by a ball years ago that fractured his finger and it wasn’t set correctly so his finger pains him at times, especially when he does the calligraphy for which he has won three gold medals. Allan and he enjoyed talking about the Japanese baseball players. Masanari is a big japanese Tigers fan. He is proud of the fact that his youngest grandchild also loves playing baseball and does very well.
Masanari showed us his record player and then brought out old LP record albums of The Ventures, Elvis, Glenn Miller, and Percy Faith, to name a few. He sits in a little room by himself and loves to listen to the oldies.
He showed us the photos of his parents, that hung above a shrine to them, and he showed us a beautiful painting on material, the painting he said was over 400 years old. It looked like it had just been created.
Then the wife offered to dress me in a kimono. The kimono was beautiful and she was very adamant about having my clothes tucked in so they weren’t seen, and she placed the bottom of the kimono a certain way so as to hide my socks. Masanari gave me a fan, and had me hold it just so, and Allan took my picture.
After the tour, we were invited to sit down at a table in the dining room. The table was similar to the one we dined at last night – you sit down on a cushion on the floor and put your legs down under the table so they hang straight down into a huge opening. In that opening was a flame heater with a grate, upon which you placed your feet to keep warm.
We were served tea and red bean paste cakes and when the repast was over, Masanari brought out paper upon which he had written in calligraphy, his name, address, date, and also the beautiful saying Ichi-go ichi-e, the Japanese four-character idiom that describes the cultural concept of treasuring the unrepeatable nature of a moment. The term has been translated as “for this time only.” Masanari then wrote our names on the paper and presented it to us, along with two pottery sake cups.
Allan and I presented the couple with candy from our home town, as well as some note cards that I stitched with Japanese motifs as well as notecards of my water color paintings, as a thank you for their hospitality.
Before our cab came, Masanari took us over to his liquor store and we had a small glass of his sake, which was very good. We had our pictures taken with Masanari and his wife and then we were off to meet the rest of our group and had lunch together before boarding the train for the two hour ride to Kyoto.
We ate our lunch at the train station mall, which is enormous. There are restaurants one after the other, and beautiful stores selling everything you could imagine. Everything is open, no doors for the most part, and it was lovely to walk past all the lovely displays and take in the smells that mingled together – perfumes and food.
We boarded our train and arrived in Kyoto and went to our hotel, the Vista Premio Kyoto Nagomitei. Then, it was off for an orientation walk and out to dinner. Tonight we had Western and Japanese mixed, with small hot dogs and French fries, along with tempura and a small pancake/pizza. For the first time, we didn’t have rice. I missed the Japanese fare.
After dinner, we all walked over to the train station which, in the words of Hiro, is like Disney World. On the way we passed some temple gates that were very elaborate. We arrived at the Kyoto station and went up three elevators to the very top to see the “big stairs”, with 171 steps with about 15,000 LEDs that generate a light show, created for whatever season it is at the present. It was a pretty fantastic display.
We took a cab back to the hotel as the weather turned breezy and cold, and we didn’t want to walk the two miles.
We’re interested to see how our bathroom shower works tomorrow morning, as It is different from any other shower we’ve ever seen. There is a small tub and an area next to the tub where you stand and shower. It’s all open, so it will be interesting to see where all the water goes.
Home hosted visit. A kimono on display
Our hosts paintings
Our hosts LP records from the 60’s.
A cold storage bin in the floor
Writing our names in Japanese calligraphy
Masanari’s homemade sake
Masanari and his wife bidding us goodbye
Lunch
Bento box dinner
When you flush the toilet, the sink behind runs water for your hands.
We again had both a Japanese and western breakfast, but another tour group came in, so the food items disappeared quickly. The kitchen staff did a great job in quickly replacing everything, however, so everyone was happy.
After breakfast we boarded the bus for a trip to Gokayama, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The area is famous for the traditional gassho-zukuri farmhouses, some of which are more than 250 years old.
Gokayama consists of two villages: Suganuma and Ainokura. The houses in the villages are shaped like praying hands, with the slanted thatched roof having an A-line shape, which helps to withstand the heavy snow that falls in the winter. The roofs were constructed without nails, and provided a large open space to cultivate silk worms, which was done years ago to supplement income. Periodically, the thatch on the roofs has to be repaired using pampas grass that is grown and harvested nearby. These homes have remained traditional, and most have not taken on the modern ways. People still live in them, and because of that, tour buses are not allowed to arrive before 8:30 am. The people have gardens for growing vegetables, and there is a convenient store not too far away.
We first visited Ainokura village, the most remote village, with 23 homes. Most of the homes are private residencies, but some have been converted to stores or restaurants.
We climbed up the mountain trail and had a breathtaking view of the quaint village, nestled in the valley between the mountains. The sun was shining once again, and we were able to take off our jackets to enjoy the warmth. We walked down from the mountain and strolled through the neighborhood, admiring the homes and their thick thatched roofs.
We got back in the bus, and on the way to our next stop, Hiro gave us all delicious strawberries from the market we visited yesterday. Very tasty.
Our next stop was a local community center in Ainokura, to try our hands at rice pounding, better known as the art of mochitsuki. Steamed short-grained rice is placed in a large mortar to be pounded by a wooden mallet into paste. The rice is pounded until it is completely smooth and shiny, and paste-like. It is then called mochi which can be cut into different sizes and made into various shapes.
We all had a turn pounding the rice with the wooden mallet. It was a little nerve-wracking, as in-between each pound, the lady kneeling at the side of the mortar, quickly put her hand in between each pound, and reshaped the rice ball before the next mallet hit came crashing down. We were so worried her hand would be crushed , but she’s done it so many times, she would quickly get her hand out of the way. She took a chance with us though, as we were just learning how to manipulate the mallet. Thankfully, no bones were smashed during our attempts at pounding.
Mochi can be either sweet or savory. We sampled the sweet kind. It was delicious, but here’s the dark side of mochi. Hiro told us that people have died eating it, choking to death, as the mochi is very thick and glutenous and can get stuck in your throat. Needless to say, we all chewed our mochi balls very, very, VERY well!
One of the towns around Ainokura, is well known for its Washi paper, and so our next stop was Gokayama Washi no Sato, where we learned how washi paper is made, and we had the opportunity to make our own.
At Washi no Sato, Kozo, a type of mulberry tree, is grown high up in the mountains, and is cultivated to make the washi. After harvesting the Kozo branches, they are steamed in huge vats to soften them and then the bark is peeled off and the branches are cut into strips. The strips are then placed in the snow for bleaching. After that, they are beaten to soften the fibers and then rinsed to get clean. They are picked over by hand to remove any leftover dirt. The fibers are then beaten again to loosen them, and they are mixed with water and Neri, a thickener. This makes the paper strong.
This now thick pulp is scooped from a vat into a screen and the screen is shaken back and forth and sideways so the water drains out. This is done a few times, depending on the thickness desired of the paper. The paper is finally pressed to get the water out and is dried.
We made our own Washi paper by doing the scooping, shaking, and straining over a vat, and then we placed small designs on our paper and waited while it dried. The paper turned out beautiful, and was postcard thick.
We bid our goodbyes and thanks to the folks who helped us make the washi paper, and we went off to a local restaurant for lunch. The lunch was vegetarian with vegetables that were harvested nearby, and included pickled delicacies and tofu. We had a soup with buckwheat noodles and some rice with a delicious sauce on top. It was one of the best vegetarian meals I’ve ever eaten.
After our lunch, the ladies who had served us our meal, performed a dance, while another lady sang a Kokiriko-bushi, or folk song. The lady who sang kept time with bamboo sticks, while other ladies performed a dance with a Binzasara. The Binzasara is an instrument made up of several wooden plates strung together with a cotton cord, with handles at both ends. The stack of wooden plates are played by moving them like a wave. There are exactly 108 plates, meant to protect from the 108 worldly desires in Buddhism. To play the Binzasara, you hold it at both ends and with a flick of your wrist, one side at a time, you do a wave like motion, and the pieces of wood clap next to each other, making the sound.
The dance was very expressive and afterwards, we were given a turn to try the Binzasara. We all did pretty well once we got the hang of it.
After lunch we visited the Murakami House, which was built in 1578 and is the oldest ghasso-style house in the area, and the largest by far. No nails were used in its construction, and all the joints in the second floor and above are fastened with fibers and straw ropes. We were served tea and the owner of the home, who is from the Iwase family, told us all about its history. We watched a traditional dance using the Binzasara, and then we were invited to take a tour of the many levels in the home. Allan went up the steep ladder for the tour, but I’m not a fan of ladders, so I didn’t go.
For dinner we went to a restaurant and had Wagyu beef that we barbecued at the table. The last food to be barbecued was beef intestines. I tried it but didn’t like it – too tough and fatty. The rest of the meal was very good; the beef was tender, and the veggies and soup were very good as well.
I meant to mention in yesterday’s post, that I saw someone throw cherry blossom petals in the air for a photo, so my now new friend on the tour and I decided to do it too. You can see the result at the end of the post.
Climbing up the path to view the thatched homes.
The homes. The countryside was magnificent.
The thatch on the roof
These large metal plates were embedded in the sidewalks
Allan pounding the rice cake
Irene taking a turn
The finished product – mochi
Making Washi paper
The screen is placed into the vat vertically and then is turned horizontally to scoop up the mixture, kept horizontally and brought back out to allow the water to drain through the screen.
Breakfast today featured an assortment of Western as well as many Japanese choices. No congee at this hotel, but I did enjoy the miso soup with noodles and pickled vegetables, as well as the half-boiled egg. Most of the options are in small individual bowls that you pick up along the buffet line. By the time you are ready to eat, you’ve accumulated about 10 little bowls and plates. I was wondering…who washes all of these? Hiro told me they have a dishwasher that can accommodate the small dishes, but the miso soup bowls that are laminated must be washed by hand. Apparently, the Japanese don’t like to do that job, so people are hired from Vietnam, etc to work in the kitchens.
After breakfast we boarded the bus and drove to the Kenrokuen Gardens. I know I keep saying this, but you can’t believe how magnificent the cherry blossoms are and in this garden, they were spectacular! Hiro said we picked the best two weeks of the spring season to be in Japan.
Kenrokuen, meaning “garden of the combined six,” is so named because it combines the six qualities of a perfect garden according to an ancient Chinese text. The qualities are grouped in three pairs: spaciousness and seclusion, human artistry and the effects of age, water features and vistas. The garden maintains its beauty throughout all the four seasons – green grasses and mosses carpet the grounds in summer, autumn finds the leaves aglow with color, in winter the snow on the tree branches is beautiful, (but the branches must be tied up so that they don’t break), and of course, springtime brings the cherry blossoms, which is when I think the garden is at its finest.
Today being Saturday, admission to the garden was free, so we were able to stroll all over and take in the beauty. We passed by The Fountain, Japan’s oldest fountain, which is powered by natural water pressure and combines two of the six traditional elements in one: human artistry and water.
We came upon the “neagari matsu” or “raised roots pine” which was planted by the 13th Lord Maeda Nariyasu.
Scichi-Go-Sanis a traditional Japanese rite of passage and a festival day for girls who are 5 and 7 years of age, and sometimes for boys who are 3. It is usually held in November, but because of covid, many families are doing the rite of passage now. It is held to celebrate the growth and well-being of the children now and for the future. We happened upon three small children who were participating in this rite of passage. They looked darling in their traditional Japanese garb.
While strolling along, we also came upon a couple who were holding what appeared to be little robots. They were photographing them, and walking with them, so I went over and asked them what it was all about. They thrust the robots into my arms and said we could take photos with them. The boy robot was 3 years old and had just celebrated his birthday (the lady showed us his birthday party video) and the female was younger. The robots’ arms moved and the camera on their heads swung their faces back and forth. The robots were trying to talk, and what we gleaned from the broken English of their “parents”, the robots were just learning how to speak, so no words were being uttered as of yet. Robotics is very big in Japan, and we were lucky to be able to see and hold the little creatures.
It was a wonderful morning, and then we were back on the bus to visit the fish market.
Omicho fish market has been in operation since 1721. Nicknamed “Kanazawa’s kitchen”, there are 186 different stores, selling seafood, fresh fruit and vegetables, and confectionery. Amazingly, with all the unusual seafood on display, there was not a fishy smell anywhere, thus attesting to the freshness of the fish. There was a stand selling scallops and Hiro treated us to one each. The scallop shells were huge, and they were placed onto a grill to be heated. Suddenly, the shells popped open and then the scallop shells with the scallops inside were removed from the flame and washed in water. After the water bath, they were placed back on the grill and a little water was squirted into the open shell. The scallop inside was cooked on the shell over the flame, and a kitchen torch was used to finish the preparation. The scallop was delicious and we all were happy to be able to sample them.
We ate a western lunch of chicken, carrots, and a small potato, but I missed having the Japanese fare.
After lunch we strolled through the geisha district. Along these streets are many still-active tea houses, open only in the evening and only to select clientele. Below the tea houses are stores as well as some small restaurants.
We happened upon a bride and groom who were having their photos taken. We were allowed to photograph them, and one of the nearby men dressed in a suit came up to me and proudly told me the bride was his sister.
Soon, we were back in the bus, this time on our way to the gold leaf factory. Kanazawa has thrived as a center of gold leaf production since the sixteenth century. Gold leaf is made using the entsuke technique, which is unique to Kanazawa.
The ingredients of gold leaf are gold of course, and small amounts of copper and silver, making the gold leaf able to become very flat and thin. The gold is melted and poured into a mold to harden. It is then passed through rollers to flatten out. This is repeated until the gold is about 5/100mm thick. The strip of gold is cut into 6mm squares with a scissors. The squares are placed together with special gold beating paper between them and beaten with a foiling machine. At this point, the gold has been flattened to just 7/1000 mm thick. It is cut again into squares and once again layered with gold beating paper. (The gold beating paper is a type of washi, which has a complex method of manufacturing, a process which takes months to complete.) The gold sheets are stacked, with this washi gold beating paper in between, and once again, the stack is beaten with the foiling machine. By the time this process is completed, the gold leaf is 1/10,000 mm thick. Finally, the gold leaf is trimmed into squares with a bamboo frame.
The highlight of the tour, however, was making our own postcards with gold leaf. The teacher first showed us how it was done, and then we were able to do it ourselves. It was a lot of fun and it was amazing to see the gold leaf and realize how thin it really was.
We went into the ice cream store on the premises, and had delicious ice cream cones topped with a sheet of the gold leaf, that we consumed. Wow! Who would have thought we could eat that much gold!
It was a wonderful morning and afternoon!
At night, we had dinner at a sushi restaurant which was excellent. We had ahi tuna, tuna rolls, and salmon with salmon eggs on top. Allan also had a crab cake. We also enjoyed some beers with our meal. It was a wonderful day, and the weather once again was perfect!
We ate breakfast this morning, another Japanese meal just like yesterday, but again, so many choices, who can decide? I chose to stay with congee, my favorite, with pickled veggies and a half-boiled egg. It’s such a delicious start to the day.
Outside the restaurant in the lobby of the hotel, a kiosk was set up with packaged fish. I asked Hiro, our guide, what it was for and he said the Japanese guests of the hotel purchase the fish for gifts for when they return home, to give to family and friends. (I think I’d prefer a bottle of wine!)
We left our hotel and took the bus back down the mountain to board the bullet train, or as the Japanese call it, Shinkansen. It is one of the world’s fastest trains, clocking speeds of about 200 mph. Before boarding, we purchased our lunch, to be eaten during our trip since after the bullet train ride of about an hour, we would be on another train (the Limited Express train, which is not a bullet train) for about three hours, taking us to Kanazawa. Hiro purchased our tickets for the Shinkansen and we waited for the train in the exact spot where the doors to our car would open. The train doesn’t stay at the station very long, so you have to hurry onboard before the doors close. We boarded with ease, found our seats and off we went. You don’t even realize you are going at speeds of 200 mph, but as we passed Mt. Fuji in the distance, you couldn’t take a photo because of the speed. It made everything blurry.
After riding on the bullet train for an hour, we left the train and boarded the Limited Express train that took us to Kanazawa. We ate our sandwiches – really four separate sandwiches together – one was ham, one cheese, one tomato, and one egg salad, and they were very tasty.
I must say, both trains were extremely comfortable, and the time passed quickly. The scenery along the way was mostly houses very close together, and it was awhile before we came to some farmland. Finally, we arrived at the Kanazawa station.
Despite being thought to be an eyesore when it was first constructed, Kanazawa Station is now considered one of the most beautiful train stations in Japan. The station was designed by architect Ryuzo Shirae and completed in 2005. The impressive Tsuzumi-mon gate is designed to look like a traditional drum used in Noh plays. A gigantic intricate dome covers the plaza which is stunning. We took cabs to our hotel, the Kanazawa New Grand Premier, and checked into our rooms. The hotel is lovely and our room is quite large.
After checking in, we took an orientation walk around the neighborhood. The sun was shining and the temperature was perfect for a lovely stroll through the streets as the cherry blossoms are still in full bloom. In some places the blossoms had floated down and carpeted the ground like snow. Speaking of snow, it does snow in Kanazawa and interestingly, all along the streets, as well the sidewalks, there are water spouts embedded into the ground that pop up when needed to spray warm water to melt the snow. What a great concept!
We passed a gas station, and the nozzles were hanging from above, rather than coming from the side of a pump like we are used to seeing. The attendant grabs the handle and pulls the nozzle down to fill the tank. We all stood taking pictures and I’m sure the attendant was wondering what was so fascinating about him pumping gas that we all had to take a picture. By the way, gas is about $6 a gallon.
We arrived at the restaurant where we ate dinner. Allan and I had the wagyu beef stew and it was delicious. I put wasabi in it which made it even more tasty. The sun had set, so after dinner, we walked over to the Gyokusen’inmaru gardens, one of Kanazawa‘s most beautiful attractions. It has been in existence since 1634, when Toshitsune Maeda, the third lord of the Kaga Domain, had it constructed. It was continually landscaped by the successive lords and was thought to be a courtyard for the lord, rather than a place to entertain guests. It has been reconstructed over the years. The garden features a large pond in the center with paths around and through for strolling. We stayed for the light show, which was calming and serene and listened to the peaceful music playing in the background. A lovely way to end the day.
Fish kiosk
Our lunch
Kanazawa train station
The cherry blossoms are spectacular
The gas station
Gyokusen’inmaru garden. It was nighttime, so it was difficult to get a clear photo.
Had a wonderful night’s sleep; our room is quite spacious with two couches and room to move about. All the bathrooms in the hotels so far have a bidet, and this bathroom has a heated toilet seat. Ahhhhh…
This morning for breakfast, I finally found congee! I added pickled vegetables, pickled plums (soooooo good), and a half boiled egg (yes, a half boiled egg). I was a content and happy camper. Also had fresh fruit, an amazingly light type of donut, almost like a malasada, fresh vegetable salad, and juice. On the vegetable salad, I sprinkled olive oil and some lemon juice which was very tasty.
Considering the weather was supposed to be rainy for the first ten days of our Japan trip, so far, we’ve only had light rain one day. It’s been a little chilly at times, but with our light jackets on, we are very comfortable. Today, the sun was shining brightly and it was glorious seeing the sun’s rays dancing on the cherry blossoms.
We boarded our bus and drove to Lake Ashi, for a boat ride along what is known as a crater lake, and best known for its views of Mt. Fuji. The name means “lake of reeds”. In Japanese ashi is “reed”, and ko is “lake”.
The chances of seeing Mt. Fuji is about 30% on any given day our guide told us, as it is usually hidden by the clouds. But as luck would have it, Hiro spotted the top of the mountain and excitedly called it to our attention while we were riding in the bus. I quickly turned around since I was in the back of the bus, and snapped the only photo that anyone was able to get. I shared the photo with everyone when we got back to the hotel, and they all were thrilled!
The boat ride was wonderful and we were the only people on this huge boat. The scenery was breathtaking, the sun was shining, and we were able to spot a glimpse of Mt Fuji from the boat, but in that short time of seeing it from the bus, it was already mostly hidden by the clouds.
One of the ladies in our group thought it would be a great idea for Allan and me to pose at the bow of the ship, and reenact the scene from Titanic. (Fortunately, we had a better ending then the movie.) LOL!
After disembarking the boat, we boarded the bus and drove to a woodworking mosaic studio. That was an amazing visit! The artisan showed us how he takes different kinds of wood, (which make different colors depending on the tree), sizes them to the depth he wants, glues them together, and then cuts them into shapes to form intricate patterns for whatever he decides to create. Sometimes he shaves a veneer off the glued wood, to be used in his projects. That veneer can be as thin as a fine paper. I purchased a lovely necklace that shows the fine workmanship.
We then had lunch at an Italian restaurant (go figure) and then walked to a nearby hotel to meet two geisha and had the opportunity to talk with them about what a geisha actually does.
Geisha are performing artists who spend many months learning how to perfect the dances that they perform. They usually can also sing or play a musical instrument and they also have to be proficient conversationalists. The geisha entertain at parties and are hired usually by hotels for wealthy business men. Sometimes they have long relationships with one man, who might always request her when he is in town, but modern geisha are not prostitutes; this is a misconception.
The first female geisha appeared in 1751, and today, the geisha performances are graceful and unique. Girls over the age of 18 can decide to train and become a geisha and live in what’s called a stable with other geisha as they learn how to perform. The Hakone geisha are unionized. They are hired by hotel managers through the union, and the union and the manager split the profits that the geisha earns for her performance.
Geisha traditionally wear long kimonos that represent the particular season during which they would be performing. It is not unusual for each geisha to own 50 kimonos. The kimonos can cost a lot of money to purchase, and many times, a geisha will buy used kimonos to save on the cost.
The kimono is made out of a 40’ long bolt of silk, that is about a foot wide. After the kimono has been worn for awhile, it must be cleaned by undoing all the intricate stitching and then assembled again. Sadly, there are not many tailors around who are capable of sewing the kimono anymore. The sash (obi) on the kimono is about 14 feet long and is wrapped around and around and then tied into the beautiful pattern that graces the back of the kimono. The geisha usually learns to do this wrapping by herself.
After the discussion, each geisha gave a dance performance for us which told a story through her movements. It was an informative afternoon and we were all so happy to have the opportunity to meet these lovely geisha.
We had dinner at the hotel and it was a buffet with both eastern and Japanese foods. Again, I tried many Japanese dishes, had a glass of wine, and then it’s off to bed.
