Advertisement
Published: October 21st 2018
Edit Blog Post
My brother got us bikes from the sports center on base where he works..it felt so good to be pedaling again, and not walking!
Matt and Dianne rarely use their cars, preferring bikes and public transportation. Matt rides 50 minutes to his job on the Air Force base, and Dianne and Madelyn travel by foot, train or bus to shop or go to classes.
On Tuesday, Bill and I took a 10 mile ride around the area, crossing the river twice, and cruising tiny side roads. We visited an older small temple with a view back over the valley.
On Wednesday, Matt, Bill, and I rode to the organic restaurant in Ome where we had eaten after our hike last week, and met Dianne and Madelyn who had been at a baby class.
On Thursday, we all pedaled 40 minutes through the city to a community center baby class. Matt pulled Madelyn in the high tech trailer they have (it converts to a jogging stroller) and it drew a crowd! Moms often transport one or even two kids at time on bikes (one in a front infant seat and one in the back in a toddler seat!!!),
Local festival
Banners with branches on the top... but trailers are rare, since the roads and sidewalks are so narrow.
We spent some time down by the river, and while Madelyn was in class, Matt, Bill, and I explored the nearby park. A 19th century farmhouse had been moved there several years ago, and the docents welcomed us in. It was interesting to see how low everything was, since people knelt on the floor to do most tasks.
Once the class was over, we all pedaled to a sushi restaurant for lunch, and then on to a temple surrounded by azalea bushes. It is an amazing place when they are in bloom, and beautiful even when they are not!
"Shiofune-Kannon-ji Temple is where founder Yao Bikuni reportedly lived to be 800 years old by eating mermaid flesh. It is reported to have been built somewhere between the years 645-650, so it has a lot of history behind it. The building and monuments have very long histories, there is a wood carving that serves as the principal image of the temple that was made in 1264, and the main hall was erected in the Muromachi era (1336-1573). Aside from that there are 2 other structures constructed
at the same time as the main hall that have been designated as important cultural property. It is a building with great historical and cultural merit so it should be observed carefully. There are 17,000 bushes of fifteen different types planted."
As it was supposed to rain on Friday, we did some car travel: to the Japanese equivalent of Home Depot (Caines), a thrift shop with the name "Hard-Off" which we'd been to on a previous trip, and a children's park based on the stories of Tove Jansson, a Finnish author who wrote books about creatures called "Moomin" that are very popular in Japan.
Saturday I had an emotional reunion with a former student from Ardmore. I had last seen Yusuke when he was 7, and he's now 36! His parents, his wife, and his one year old son came too!
That night we attended a small festival in Matt and Dianne's neighborhood. There were food vendors and performances by local students and adults. The community leaders (apparently all men) were dressed alike in short kimono type robes. They made an effort to recruit Matt to join their service organizations and we were asked to a table,
Neighborhood photos
Paddle boarding the Tama River! I didn't get to try it this trip.... where we were served sake and food! The men took turns refilling our cups with sake constantly! Matt and Dianne had to leave as Maddy was getting fussy, but Bill and I stayed on until we'd had too much sake, and then with many bows and thanks, escaped and joined the audience watching the performances. These ranged from parodies of popular songs to a country western band, with comedy and traditional dances mixed in. After the show ended, Bill and I biked home in the dark, warmed by sake and good cheer!
Advertisement
Tot: 0.05s; Tpl: 0.012s; cc: 7; qc: 24; dbt: 0.0303s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb