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.

Allan’s cards

Irene’s cards

On the way to lunch

Delicious vegetarian fare

Dance performance with the Binzasara

Murakami House

Dance performance

Dinner the BBQ place

Intestines

Throwing cherry blossom petals

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!

Kenrokuen Garden

Kenrokuen Garden

Kenrokuen Garden

The Fountain

The raised root pine

The robots

The 3, 5, and 7 year old children

The scallops grilling at the fish market

Delicious!

The geisha district

The bride and groom

The geisha district

The gold leaf factory

Our project instructions

Working with the gold leaf

Eating gold leaf covered ice cream

The splendor of the garden

Dinner at the sushi restaurant

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.

My Fuji

Our boat

Mt. Fuji peeking through the clouds

Oh boy!

Beautiful scenery along Lake Ashi

Reenactment of the famous Titanic scene

Photo op with some sweet young girls

Geisha

My inlaid necklace

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)