This morning we ate once again in the Japanese restaurant and then we boarded our bus to visit the Ashigara Village, for our Day in the Life experience. We visited a local market and saw some very interesting vegetables. Hiro explained what many of them were and how they were prepared, since I had never seen some of them, no less would know how to cook and eat them.

We then traveled on to a tea farm, where we sat at tables in a kind of greenhouse, and learned about how tea is grown and cultivated from a farmer who specializes in tea. We sipped some delicious cold green tea that is made by putting the green tea leaves in cold water and shaking. The tea can be ready in as little as 15 minutes or you can put in the refrigerator overnight. The tea is very light in color as well as in taste. The farmer also roasted the same leaves over a fire in a metal pan and made tea with those leaves for us, which resulted in a very dark and richly flavored brew, which I actually preferred.

The farmer invited us outside to explore his farm, and he showed us how the teas from the tea bushes are fertilized, harvested, and bagged in foil lined bags to be sold. He showed us his new machine, a large fertilizing machine that did the job in record time, going up and down the rows of tea bushes, a job he used to do with a hand held fertilizer machine that he walked with. He even let Allan climb up on his new mighty fertilizer spreader, which he was very proud of and called his Ferrari. The farmer uses very little fertilizer and pesticide on his tea, and he is hoping that this year, he wins an award for best tea. He is a young, hard working, and enterprising man, and we wish him much luck.

He also grows hydrangeas, which were lining the edges of his entire farm. They will be bursting into flower in a month or so, just in time for the hydrangea festival that will be taking place.

He grows rapeseed as well, a beautiful flower that can be eaten and the seeds turned into rapeseed oil. We walked among the field and just reveled in its beauty.

We returned to the greenhouse, where the farmer and some local women showed us the proper way to prepare rice, by first washing it and draining the water 3-4 times. He said the only way to cook rice is to thoroughly rinse it and then cook in a rice cooker, never on the stovetop.

They prepared the rice for us and served us a lovely lunch with soup, pickled vegetables, tempura, fish, and we also made our own rice balls filled with clams, tuna, and spices. We finished the meal with homemade cotton candy. We bid our goodbyes and Allan and I presented them all with Hershey candy bars as a thank you for their hospitality.

The farmer left us with these words…Ichi-go ichi-e (Japanese: 一期一会,) A one-time meeting that describes a cultural concept of treasuring the unrepeatable nature of a moment. A lovely thought – treasure the moment, because you never know when it will come again.

We then took a short stroll over to the Seto Community House, that previously belonged to the Setos, a Samurai family that helped lead and protect the village for more than 300 years. In 1955, a descendent of the Seto family donated the house to Ashigara Village, and since then it has been used as a community center. The grounds feature a children’s playground and watermill, and the house often hosts seasonal festivals and local artists’ exhibitions. There remains a prominent vestige of the house’s past: a special front gate, beyond which no one besides the Samurai and his family were allowed to pass. Today, the center is open to all. We toured around and then boarded our bus and began the journey up the mountain to our hotel, traveling on a very windy road. Our driver navigated the traffic and the curves very well, and soon we were at our hotel, the Hotel Recove Hakone.

The staff greeted us and we all sat down to learn about…the hot springs…the on-site onsen, a traditional Japanese bathing facility that is the highlight of the hotel.

They passed out many papers with instructions on the dos and don’ts before entering the onsen, while in the onsen, and after experiencing the onsen. At first, it was sensory overload, and I thought I would certainly need the relaxing onsen after trying to remember everything, but gradually, we began to understand. Here’s how it goes:

You find a yukata awaiting you in your hotel room. (Allan and some of the other men were given larger yukatas right there and then, because of their height.) If you decide to go to the baths, you remove all of your clothing, except your underpants, and you don the yukata. This garment must be worn with the right side over the body, and the left side pulled over the right. (NEVER the opposite way, as that is how a corpse is prepared for burial.) Then you wrap the sash around your waist, (men wrap the sash around their hips). You must make sure the collar at the top is not too loose, and make sure your legs are not bare, by wrapping the yukata tightly. There is a small coat that can be worn over the yukata as well. The yukata was meant to be worn, if desired, while walking through the hotel at any time, not just on your way to or from the baths.

More information was imparted to us regarding the hot springs protocol, since most of the ladies and men on the tour decided we would take part in this activity. Here’s what it entailed:

A basket with two towels will be found in our hotel room; a large towel to dry off with after the baths and a very small towel to take and use as a wash cloth while in the baths. After you have donned the yukata, you put on the brown slippers that are to be worn when wearing the yukata outside of your room. (White slippers are also provided to be worn while inside the hotel room.). The hot springs are located in the basement, so you take the elevator, and the women use a pass code to enter into the women’s baths, but no pass code was required for the men to enter their baths on the other side.

Once inside, you find a locker, and you remove your yukata and your underpants and place everything except the small towel inside, lock it with a key, and put the key bracelet on your wrist. You then proceed naked to the shower area and sit on a step stool in front of a handheld shower where you thoroughly wash yourself from top to bottom with your small towel and with the soap that’s provided. You then hose yourself down to rinse. Many hand held showers lined the walls, so finding a place to wash was not a problem.

Once you are clean, you take your washcloth, proceed to one of the hot springs baths, and just slide in and relax, enjoying the warmth. You either put the washcloth on your head or place on the side of the bath, never in the water. There were a few baths, some very hot and steamy, one freezing cold, and one hot and steamy, but in a very cold room.

All of my now friends from the tour went together, and we had one bath all to ourselves. It was very relaxing. We stayed for about a half hour and then went back to the locker rooms and got the larger towels out of the locker, dried off, and donned our yukatas once again. The wet washcloth was placed in a plastic bag to be used again if we desired.

It was time to get ready for dinner at the hotel, and we all decided since we were already squeaky clean, we would wear our yukatas to dinner. The men did the same.

Our group had a room to ourselves and we were served many courses of traditional Japanese food. One of the courses was grilled yellow tail tuna, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Another course was Wagyu steak, which was delicious. (You can see the other courses in the photo below.).

We had fun chatting with each other and enjoying our dinner, and then it was time to head to our rooms for a good night’s sleep, as another busy day lies ahead of us.

The grounds surrounding the tea farm

We started the morning having breakfast on the western side of the hotel restaurant. I’ve been spoiled in only one day, with Japanese breakfasts, so tomorrow we will be back enjoying steamed dumplings and tiny meatballs at the Japanese side. The western breakfast wasn’t thrilling, as it offered the usual suspects – scrambled eggs, breads, and fruit, with a few other dishes thrown in. The Japanese menu was so much better.

After breakfast, we walked to the subway and boarded a train to Asakusa. The subway system is very organized. You place your transit card on the flat area, it is scanned, and the gates open. You stand in designated spots, but when the train comes, you must enter quickly, as the train will not wait and the doors will close.

The subway is immaculate as is the train, and before we knew it, we were at our destination and emerging out into the streets. It was raining today, but we all were prepared with raincoats and umbrellas so the light rain didn’t rain on our parade.

Our first stop was the Kaminarimon Gate, or Thunder Gate, with its giant red lantern and statues of the god of Thunder on the right, and the Wind god on the left. It is Asakusa’s most famous landmark, which was proven by the crowds of people waiting to have their pictures taken in front of the gate, before passing through and into the merchant street beyond, where souvenirs abounded.

We continued our walk and finally arrived for our Taiko drum lesson. Taiko drums are ceremonial drums that have been used throughout Japan’s history and are handmade using wood from the Japanese zelkova tree. The heads of the drums are made from cow hides and will determine the sound of the drum when struck with the drumsticks. The drum is tuned by stretching the hide and tuning must be done periodically to preserve the pitch.
We had the pleasure of listening to a performance by a 22 year old drum master, on one of the Taiko drums. The drums are LOUD and I found myself wishing I had thought to bring earplugs, something that this young girl did not use, and didn’t intend to ever use in the future. We all were concerned that she will likely be deaf by the age of 60.
After her amazing performance, we had the opportunity to beat out rhythms, under her guidance, to make our own music as a group. The master taught us the proper way to hold the sticks and the way to bring your arm up high and then bring it down, bending at the elbow, before striking the drum head. It is an art form that will no doubt be preserved, as more than ever, people are learning the Taiko drumming techniques to keep the tradition alive. We thanked the young drum master and walked on to visit the Sensoji Temple, which is a Buddhist temple founded in the 7th century, thus becoming the oldest temple in Tokyo (although much of the temple has been rebuilt because of WW II).

In front of the temple is a huge incense burner and as you pass, you are engulfed in the smoke. Our guide encouraged us to go close to the burner and with our hands, waft the smoke towards a body part that might need healing, as it is thought that doing so will definitely purify and heal that ailment.

After our visit to the temple, we had a delicious lunch of beef stew over rice, but we couldn’t take time to savor it, since we were due at a formal Japanese tea ceremony that we had to rush to get to for our reservation.

We were greeted at the door by our hosts, and after sitting down, we cleansed our hands and then we were presented with cherry blossom water, with an edible salted blossom inside, to be enjoyed before the actual ceremony took place. We then performed the shoe etiquette that I mentioned yesterday, removing our shoes and entering the tea room. Traditionally, guests would enter the tea room via a low and narrow door, which shows respect for the host, but we were not asked to participate in that part of the ritual.

Most of us sat crossed legged on tatami mats and watched our host go through the beautiful ritual of preparing Matcha tea. We were first given a savory sweet that would help enhance the flavor of the tea. Then our host commenced with the ceremony, implementing with grace the many steps that are required. The ceremony from start to finish was peaceful and meaningful, and if you are interested, you can google Japanese tea ceremonies to understand more about its significance and the elegant beauty of it.
When the ceremony was over, we left the tea room and sat down where we first enjoyed the blossom water, and we made our own Matcha tea, using the technique we learned from our host.

We bid our host goodbye, and then walked to what was the highlight of the day for me – a cherry blossom river cruise. The cherry blossoms are in full bloom and our guide arranged for us to take this 45 minute ride, with gorgeous cherry blossom trees flanking the river. It was glorious, and we all enjoyed seeing not only the cherry trees, but the unique buildings along the way. The sun had broken through the clouds as we boarded the boat and stayed with us for the rest of the afternoon.
When our boat ride was over, we strolled through the Hama-rikyu gardens, where beauty was everywhere – from the blooming cherry trees, to the many varieties of Japanese trees, to the shimmering lake which reflected the hanging branches of the blossoms. It was a restful and peaceful walk.

We returned to the hotel to get ready for the Welcome Dinner. The dinner took place in a nearby restaurant, where we were served sake, (I consumed a rather full glasses during dinner), and then was served multiple courses of savory food. I enjoyed the sashimi, as well as the tempura vegetables, and miso soup, but the smoked mackerel and the other fish that were served, were not to my liking, as I’m not a fish person. Matcha ice cream was served for dessert (Allan ate mine) and then we took cabs back to the hotel to pack our overnight bags to bring with us to Hakone, where we will be staying for the next two nights. Our other luggage will be shipped on to Kanazawa, since when we leave Hakone after our two night visit, we will take the bullet train to Kanazawa, and the train can’t accommodate the larger pieces of luggage.

Com’on readers…all three of you. If that headline about me sumo wrestling doesn’t pique your interest to read on, I don’t know what will.

But before I get into that, let me just say, today was an amazing day! First, we ate breakfast in the Japanese restaurant in the hotel. The cuisine offered many delicacies we have never tried before, and each dish we sampled was delicious! The textures, the flavors, and even the dishes in the “unknown” category (as we had no clue what they were), were stellar, and I went back for seconds.

After breakfast, Allan and I went for a quick walk around town. One can’t help but notice how immaculate the streets are…not a gum wrapper or coffee cup to be seen blowing around. The people are friendly, helpful, unassuming, polite, and kind. It’s a pleasure to embrace this beautiful country.

We got back in time to meet up with our group for an orientation meeting with our guide Hiro. (Every morning at these meetings, by the way, he will be taking our temperatures before we embark on the day’s activities.) This morning, Hiro explained what we have to look forward to for the rest of the adventure, went over some safety rules, and reviewed what the protocols will be for the various sites we are scheduled to visit. (There apparently is a “shoe etiquette” procedure that we will follow in order to be respectful when taking off our shoes before we enter someone’s home or before entering a shrine. See photo explanation below.)

After our orientation, we boarded a bus to visit an actual sumo wrestling ring, where wrestling bouts are held. The ring itself isn’t that large and with the size of the wrestlers, (over 300 lbs), it doesn’t give much room to fight. The goal is for each wrestler to use different techniques by either forcing his opponent to step out of the ring, or by making him touch the ground with any body part other than the soles of his feet.

The owner of the restaurant, along with a fellow wrestler, welcomed us when we arrived, and after we were seated, they both began demonstrating what sumo wrestling entails, beginning with the ritual of purification. Sumo has been popular in Japan for over 1,000 years. Young children can be recruited by scouts at the age of 12, but they must continue with their schooling until they are 15, before they can leave school and their familes to live in what is called a stable, a place where sumo wrestlers live and train. There are about 44 stables around Japan today, and each one is managed by a former wrestler who was in the top ranked division before his retirement. As of now, there are over 600 wrestlers living and training in these stables across the country.

The wrestlers explained what a typical day is like for them living in the stable: They wake up before 5 am, brush their teeth, wash their faces and then train from 5 am to 11 am, perfecting the techniques needed for the fight. Afterwards, they practice in the ring for another hour, employing the techniques they have just learned. After this rigorous workout, they cook breakfast together, and then they EACH put away about ten pounds (yes…10 POUNDS) of food, equating to over 10,000 calories. The meal consists of chicken, eggs, rice, tofu, vegetables, and carbohydrates, as they are trying to gain the immense weight needed for the sport. Sadly, this obesity can lead to diabetes, which actually is very prevalent among the wrestlers, as are severe injuries. The wrestlers see a doctor for health checkups four times a year. After eating their first meal of the day, they clean up the dishes and then take a bath together. The top ranked wrestlers go into the bath first to wash off the mud from the sumo wrestling ring, and the lower ranked wrestlers wash and scrub their backs. Then, the lower ranked are allowed to enter the baths, but by then, the bath water is pretty dirty.

After bathing, it’s nap time and then more workouts, and at night, they cook and eat their second and final meal of the day, (they only eat two meals each day) consuming another 10 lbs or more of food.

The majority of the wrestlers never make the top division, where they will be paid to fight in the ring with other top ranking wrestlers from other stables, so that people can pay to come and watch the matches. The ones that don’t make top ranking receive a stipend for spending money, which they receive every other month. While living in the stable, all the wrestlers room and board is included. Their life is training. No dating and no thoughts of marriage or children until they finally retire. The goal for the top rated wrestlers is to maintain their ranking in their division, while the lower ranked try hard every day to obtain it.

Sumo wrestling involves an intricate pushing of bodies and grabbing of each other’s loin cloths to knock the weaker wrestler out of the ring. There are many rules, and many different techniques are employed that have been laid out through the centuries. It really is fascinating.

We were invited to try our luck pushing one of the wrestlers over in a match. No one volunteered at first, so of course, I had to get up and try it. I pretended to start to push one of the wrestlers, but then I pointed over his shoulder and yelled, “Look!! What’s that!” and when he started to look, I immediately started to push. He was surprised and laughed, but guess what – this guy was like a tree and he did not move, even after my trickery to catch him off-guard. It was a lot of fun and soon, after my bravery, some others got up to try their luck, again to no avail.

After the demonstration, we sat down to Chanko, prepared especially for us by the wrestlers. It is a hot pot dish which traditionally is consumed by sumo wrestlers to maintain their competitive physique. This hearty soup typically features a chicken broth base, large quantities of protein, and vegetables such as daikon and bok choy. To increase the calorie intake, wrestlers typically pair this meal with large quantities of rice. The Chanko was delicious and I even had second helpings.

We bid farewell to the wrestlers and then the bus took us to the Meiji Shrine located within a beautiful forest. After walking through the lush greenery, we came upon the gateway to the shrine. We bowed before entering the portals to the shrine and then went over to the shrine itself. Our leader showed us how to climb the steps to the shrine, deeply bow two times, clap our hands twice, fold our hands in prayer, silently tell the deity our name (so the deity knows who we are) and then silently tell our petition. Deeply bow one more time before leaving, and quietly walk away. It was a very touching moment.

We drove back to the hotel as darkness descended upon the city, and went for a walk through the streets of Tokyo with our guide. Tokyo reminds me of midtown Manhattan, all the high-end stores like Prada and Versace with their neon lights illuminating the streets. We even stopped in a high-end fruit store that sells very expensive fruit for gift giving. A cantaloupe went for the equivalent of over $200. “Honey, I bought you a cantaloupe for your birthday this year.” “Oh, sweetheart. How did you know that’s exactly what I wanted? It ranks right up there with the vacuum you bought me last year!” 🤪.

All I’m saying…that cantaloupe better be quite tasty!

We walked to a restaurant for a beer and some snacks, compliments of our guide, and then we ordered another beer, and some skewers of pork and chicken, while we sat and enjoyed talking with the group.

It was a little chilly walking back to the hotel. Tomorrow we have a very busy day, so it’s right to bed.

We boarded our flight to Tokyo, and before take off, the pilot told us it would be a bumpy ride and because of headwinds, our arrival would be delayed. We put our seatbelts on but on this United flight, we also had to strap in with shoulder straps, and they came around to make sure we were all safely secured. The plane started to taxi, and we just kept going, and going, and going, and going. I’m thinking if we don’t find the runway soon, we’re going to have to refuel! Finally, after taxiing for about a half hour, we were 3rd in line for takeoff!
It was a fabulous flight. The food on United was excellent, and they fed us often. (Although, disappointingly, they did not have ramen for a snack. They told me that they used to do that, but since covid, things have changed, but they are hoping to offer it again in the near future.) One of the crew was balancing a glass on his head in the galley for the amusement of his fellow crew members, and when he came to ask me what I’d like for dessert I told him I was impressed with his balancing act. He laughed saying, “Oh, you saw that?” I said, “Yes, very impressive during a bumpy ride!” And then he offered me two desserts! 😂

The headwinds added another hour and 17 minutes to the already 13 plus hour flight, and we arrived to what I will refer to as Haneda Airport Hell. It was bedlam, and we had to go through probably 15 queue lines weaving back and forth the length of the huge room, to finally arrive at customs. We were fingerprinted, had our photos taken, and then we finally picked up our luggage and met our driver. We rode to our hotel with two other ladies who are on the trip and we enjoyed sharing our travel stories with each other along the way.

We met our guide Hiro who hugged us warmly, helped us check in, and then gave a mini briefing. Everyday, he will give us a sheet with the day’s itinerary, the weather for the day, what to bring with us, etc. which will be very helpful. Our room is actually larger than I thought it would be and comes replete with tub, shower, and bidet.

Even though we slept fairly well on the plane, the aftermath of the airport fun really did us in. We asked Hiro for places to eat dinner and he told us Hooters was across the street. Say what now? Allan and I actually went to Hooters whenever we would visit South Carolina when we lived down south. That particular one has the best burgers… but other ones we tried, not so much. We really weren’t very hungry, so we just walked around and since I was still craving ramen, we stopped in one place and asked if they served it. The guy emphatically took umbrage and said “No!!!! This is…!!!!!!! (lost in translation), but he did take us outside and explained where we could get ramen, and so we found a small (very small…sat maybe 12 people) and ordered it. Everything was in Japanese and English on the menu along with pictures, so it was easy to find our choice. The ramen was delicious and very satisfying. We ate with chopsticks and soup spoons , savoring each bite.

We walked back to our hotel, Ginza Grand Hotel, and called it a night.
Tomorrow we have to get up early to be at breakfast before 7am as Hiro said the hotel is filled to capacity. There are two breakfast restaurants in the hotel: one for the Western guests and one for the Japanese guests, and Hiro said the western side fills quickly. No problem for me, because I’m looking forward to having congee with pickled veggies on the Japanese side. I’m in Japan…why would I eat a western breakfast that I can have any day of the week, when I can sample Japanese cuisine?

Saturday, we will be off on our long-awaited journey to Japan. The trip was cancelled many times because of Covid, so we are excited that we will finally be able to see this beautiful country. We’re hoping the cherry blossoms will still be in bloom, as they are blossoming a little earlier this year than usual. (Although, seeing the pink and white petals carpeting the lawns will still be a beautiful sight I’m sure.)

There will be 15 folks on this Overseas Adventure Tour, hailing from California, Florida, New Mexico, the state of Washington, and of course, we will be representing Pennsylvania. The itinerary looks amazing – lunching with sumo wrestlers, sushi making with Japanese ladies, learning how to play the taiko drums, visiting the Ashigara Village to learn the customs and traditions of the residents – and that’s just a sampling of what lies ahead.

The flight will be non-stop and take about 14 hours, and we will arrive in Tokyo the next day at about 1:30 in the afternoon. The plan is to go to our hotel, meet our guide Hiro and our fellow travelers, and then take a walk around the area before we find a place for our first Japanese dinner.

We have been in contact with Hiro – we zoomed with him yesterday for the first time – and it was a delightful encounter. He reminded us that we had to complete the questions on Japan Web, to facilitate our entry into the country. Japan Web is a web service that people entering Japan can use for Immigration and Customs procedures in order to enter/return to Japan. Hiro said that having this information available before our arrival will eliminate waiting in customs for over an hour or more. They require proof of at least three vaccinations for Covid that must be shown on photos of our Vax cards, that we uploaded to the site. They also require documentation as to where we would be staying, how long we plan on being in the country, passport info, as well as a myriad of other travel information. Hopefully we filled everything out correctly, so we can breeze through customs.

I’m hoping to post every day, as long as the internet cooperates. Hope you join us for our adventure!

さようなら 
(Sayōnara)