Entry #15 Japan - July 30 - Aug 8, 2019
Greetings from Japan!
So here’s the thing… Japan is overwhelming... in every way. From the history, to the innumerable sights, to the futuristic technology, to the heat and humidity, and most certainly to the incredible array of cuisine. And overwhelmed as we may be, we love it here!
To be honest, after more than 5 months of travel, the kids have had their fill of touring traditional markets, ancient temples, significant archaeological sites, important religious shrines, and basically every variation of living museums. Jamie and Jessie have been curious, patient, engaged and respectful through it all However, we are at the point where their interest in historically preserved places has pretty much expired. In fact, by the time we arrived in Kyoto, Japan’s cultural capital, we knew that if we dared to suggest visiting the city’s countless temples and shrines, that we may be facing a mutiny. That’s why we had to pick our activities carefully.
Instead, we ate… and ate, and ate, and ate.
It feels like we have been eating our way through Asia, but especially now that we can indulge in the bounty of Japanese delicacies. In fact, attempting to review our densely packed days may sound a bit like describing a menu. For example, there was so much to try and taste, (or simply photograph), as we walked through the lanes of Nishiki Market.
The boys in our family are far more food adventurous than the girls. Jamie will try ANYTHING!. He didn’t hesitate to try sea urchin sushi (which is basically gross fishy goo that looks like peanut butter gone bad) and even went back for a second taste! (Barf).
It may be considered “traveller’s sacrilege” that from the hundreds of famous and revered temples and shrines in Kyoto we visited...one. The Fushimi Inari Shrine is too photogenic to miss. As a shrine to the god of rice and sake, thousands of bright orange Tori gates wind up a mountain and make for a gorgeous hike up to a lookout over Kyoto.
Since the kids love all things animal related, we knew that close encounters with some furry, feathered, and quilled new friends would be winning options. Kyoto had a multitude of animal cafes where we were able to spend time with some incredible creatures. Of all the choices, it was the owl cafe and hedgehog cafe that truly stole our hearts.
The most immersive animal experience was in the city of Nara where hundreds of sacred deer roam free. The deer in this area are considered messengers for the gods. Tourists flock to visit this mob of Bambi look-alikes because they are so docile that you can pet them!
They appeared so tame that we rushed to buy “deer cookie treats” so we could feed them. As soon as we had the deer wafers in our hands, the deer attacked. They are known for bowing as a request for food, but we got to see their more aggressive side as they surrounded us and even nipped our butts in anticipation for their favourite snacks.
While in Nara, we also checked out the majestic Todai-ji temple that houses the largest Buddha cast in bronze. The statue is quite an imposing sight. Thanks to a lovely English guide we learned so much about the construction of the Buddha and the many layers of symbolism within the temple.
Back in Kyoto, Lee and Jamie received another type of education when they went for Ninja training at the Samurai and Ninja museum. Decked out in ninja apparel, the boys got a lesson in the history and distinguishing features of both the samurai and ninja, who were the warriors and mercenaries of the fuedal system in Japan. After a demonstration of a skill by a master samurai, the boys were able to try out some ninja weapons. They had a go with bamboo used for blow darts, ninja stars and samurai armour and swords.
Japan is f&@^$#%! HOT and HUMID! In an effort to escape the excessive sweating, we moved the fun up in altitude. We started with the town of Takayama. This cute little town also had a district of special old-fashioned buildings and bridges.
It’s the kind of place that really brings out the beauty of Japanese design. The historic buildings reveal uniform silhouettes of elegant, clean lines, and the minimalistic, sparse interiors emphasize natural elements and colours.
Tucked further into the mountains was a World Heritage Site in the village of Shirakawa-go.
Here we stepped into relics of the ancient world and learned about how these steep, thatched roofs were designed to combat harsh winters. The space inside was not only for homelife, but had room for silk worm production and used the area under the floors to produce “ensho”, which was an important ingredient for gunpowder.
However, the best feature of Shirakawa-go were the scenes outdoors, where these peaked cottages were surrounded by the greenest fields of rice.
North American manners and behaviours seem so primitive and rude compared to the ritualized, time-honoured, highly considerate and extremely dignified practices that still govern modern Japanese etiquette and behaviour. Efforts to be respectful and considerate are obvious in every space from the buses to the bathrooms, from cash registers to convenience stores. Being in Japan has made us aware of how all the things we do - even how we place our chopsticks to bowing - can show thoughtfulness and respect.
This became most apparent when we spent time in a traditional onsen ryokan, which is a guesthouse with hot springs meant for bathing. We travelled to the Japanese alps and settled ourselves into an isolated ryokan in a tiny village called Fukuji.
Our room a traditional setting with beds set out on mats on bamboo floors.
During our stay we donned yukatas (light kimonos), shuffled around in slippers, sampled an elaborate traditional breakfast, and learned the rules and expectations of the onsen bathhouse.
Evening entertainment involved the whole community coming out to present a performance of the Japanese version of the lion dance.
We have less than 2 weeks to go. It feels like we are hurtling through our days, so we make every effort to stay present, slow down the time, and savour this precious opportunity to be lost together as a family. Time together has been the most valued gift of this whole trip, and we plan to cherish every second of what’s left of our Zwaigen Family Adventure!
So here’s the thing… Japan is overwhelming... in every way. From the history, to the innumerable sights, to the futuristic technology, to the heat and humidity, and most certainly to the incredible array of cuisine. And overwhelmed as we may be, we love it here!
To be honest, after more than 5 months of travel, the kids have had their fill of touring traditional markets, ancient temples, significant archaeological sites, important religious shrines, and basically every variation of living museums. Jamie and Jessie have been curious, patient, engaged and respectful through it all However, we are at the point where their interest in historically preserved places has pretty much expired. In fact, by the time we arrived in Kyoto, Japan’s cultural capital, we knew that if we dared to suggest visiting the city’s countless temples and shrines, that we may be facing a mutiny. That’s why we had to pick our activities carefully.
Instead, we ate… and ate, and ate, and ate.
It feels like we have been eating our way through Asia, but especially now that we can indulge in the bounty of Japanese delicacies. In fact, attempting to review our densely packed days may sound a bit like describing a menu. For example, there was so much to try and taste, (or simply photograph), as we walked through the lanes of Nishiki Market.
The boys in our family are far more food adventurous than the girls. Jamie will try ANYTHING!. He didn’t hesitate to try sea urchin sushi (which is basically gross fishy goo that looks like peanut butter gone bad) and even went back for a second taste! (Barf).
It may be considered “traveller’s sacrilege” that from the hundreds of famous and revered temples and shrines in Kyoto we visited...one. The Fushimi Inari Shrine is too photogenic to miss. As a shrine to the god of rice and sake, thousands of bright orange Tori gates wind up a mountain and make for a gorgeous hike up to a lookout over Kyoto.
Since the kids love all things animal related, we knew that close encounters with some furry, feathered, and quilled new friends would be winning options. Kyoto had a multitude of animal cafes where we were able to spend time with some incredible creatures. Of all the choices, it was the owl cafe and hedgehog cafe that truly stole our hearts.
The most immersive animal experience was in the city of Nara where hundreds of sacred deer roam free. The deer in this area are considered messengers for the gods. Tourists flock to visit this mob of Bambi look-alikes because they are so docile that you can pet them!
They appeared so tame that we rushed to buy “deer cookie treats” so we could feed them. As soon as we had the deer wafers in our hands, the deer attacked. They are known for bowing as a request for food, but we got to see their more aggressive side as they surrounded us and even nipped our butts in anticipation for their favourite snacks.
While in Nara, we also checked out the majestic Todai-ji temple that houses the largest Buddha cast in bronze. The statue is quite an imposing sight. Thanks to a lovely English guide we learned so much about the construction of the Buddha and the many layers of symbolism within the temple.
Back in Kyoto, Lee and Jamie received another type of education when they went for Ninja training at the Samurai and Ninja museum. Decked out in ninja apparel, the boys got a lesson in the history and distinguishing features of both the samurai and ninja, who were the warriors and mercenaries of the fuedal system in Japan. After a demonstration of a skill by a master samurai, the boys were able to try out some ninja weapons. They had a go with bamboo used for blow darts, ninja stars and samurai armour and swords.
Japan is f&@^$#%! HOT and HUMID! In an effort to escape the excessive sweating, we moved the fun up in altitude. We started with the town of Takayama. This cute little town also had a district of special old-fashioned buildings and bridges.
It’s the kind of place that really brings out the beauty of Japanese design. The historic buildings reveal uniform silhouettes of elegant, clean lines, and the minimalistic, sparse interiors emphasize natural elements and colours.
Tucked further into the mountains was a World Heritage Site in the village of Shirakawa-go.
Here we stepped into relics of the ancient world and learned about how these steep, thatched roofs were designed to combat harsh winters. The space inside was not only for homelife, but had room for silk worm production and used the area under the floors to produce “ensho”, which was an important ingredient for gunpowder.
However, the best feature of Shirakawa-go were the scenes outdoors, where these peaked cottages were surrounded by the greenest fields of rice.
North American manners and behaviours seem so primitive and rude compared to the ritualized, time-honoured, highly considerate and extremely dignified practices that still govern modern Japanese etiquette and behaviour. Efforts to be respectful and considerate are obvious in every space from the buses to the bathrooms, from cash registers to convenience stores. Being in Japan has made us aware of how all the things we do - even how we place our chopsticks to bowing - can show thoughtfulness and respect.
This became most apparent when we spent time in a traditional onsen ryokan, which is a guesthouse with hot springs meant for bathing. We travelled to the Japanese alps and settled ourselves into an isolated ryokan in a tiny village called Fukuji.
Our room a traditional setting with beds set out on mats on bamboo floors.
During our stay we donned yukatas (light kimonos), shuffled around in slippers, sampled an elaborate traditional breakfast, and learned the rules and expectations of the onsen bathhouse.
Evening entertainment involved the whole community coming out to present a performance of the Japanese version of the lion dance.
We have less than 2 weeks to go. It feels like we are hurtling through our days, so we make every effort to stay present, slow down the time, and savour this precious opportunity to be lost together as a family. Time together has been the most valued gift of this whole trip, and we plan to cherish every second of what’s left of our Zwaigen Family Adventure!
Comments
Post a Comment