Blogs from Kotohira, Kagawa, Japan, Asia - page 3

This blog entry is in response to a suggestion by loyal reader Kristen Leutz. Before I came to Japan, Kristen had said that she would be thrilled to follow my adventures through my blog, but there was one particular question she had in mind: “What are the like in Japan?” If you know Kristen, you know why I had to paraphrase. Well, I’ve found him. It only took me seven weeks, but he’s here and he’s a jerk. I’ve been warned not to use people’s names in blogs (apparently our celebrity status leads to much googling, where many an unadulterated blog detailing the seedy underbelly of a school has been discovered), so for now let’s just call him Kubo-sensei…ok that’s actually his name…I hope he reads this…you jerk. Let’s start with the bright side. It ... read more

When biking through the narrow, rice field bordered streets of Kotohira, you can smell the centuries of rich history in the air. And if you listen real close, you can hear the faint sound of…slurping? Kagawa Prefecture is nationally renowned for their fine, cheap, and ubiquitous cuisine known as Sanuki Udon. Sanuki is the former name of Kagawa Prefecture, but since everyone in Japan knows where to get the best udon, the name is shortened to just that. Udon is more than just a food in Kagawa. It is more like the pride and joy of its residents, and believe me, Kagawans certainly do their part to pay their respects to their food of choice. You literally cannot walk or bike 5 minutes in any direction without passing an udon shop. I compare it to Starbucks ... read more

In Japan there are temples on main streets, in back alleys, next to the ocean and in the mountains. Kotohira is a mountain temple and is generally referred to as Kompira-san. Located on the side of Mount Zozu the temple has 785 steps to the main shrine and 1,368 steps to the inner shrine. Kotohira city has a calm old feeling that I associate with Nara or Kyoto. Perhaps this feeling stems from the narrow roads and city layout. Or maybe it is because the road that leads up the mountain turns into a street full of souvenir shops. The sides of the path were full of them when I started taking my first steps up the mountain. After the first long set of stairs the shops disappear and you are on the temple grounds. Cherry ... read more