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Published: September 10th 2007
Naruko gorge
Parts of this lovely gorge reminded me of Carnarvon gorge in Qld - it was so cool in the shadeAfter six or so trips you’d think we would run out of things to say about Japan and if we kept going to the same places each time that might be true but Japan is a country of many contrasts and Tohuku (northern Honshu) proved to be different again to anywhere we had been before. They had had a very hot summer (as many oher areas of the world thse days seem to) and even though it was late summer when we were ther it was still reasonably hot and humid away from the mountains.
In late summer, the rural and almost isolated parts of Japan where we traveled were green and lush with farmers tending the ripe rice fields and summer vegetable crops. The mountains were densely covered with forests with the occasional ski run to be seen. We could probably count on one hand the number of non-Japanese we saw over our week traveling in northern Honshu but everyone was helpful and with much pointing and laughuing we found our way around.
After flying in from cold and wet Sydney we stayed one night in Tokyo, then using JR East passes we took the Shinkansen north/east to
Naruko Spa where we stayed for 3 nights. This small onsen (a hot thermal pool area) town in the mountains was delightful and as westerners we were so obvious that the few taxi drivers quickly knew us and where we were staying! Little or no English was spoken around town but luckily our host spoke some and he was able to help us out.
First stop was one of the private hot spa’s the hotel offered (along with two public baths) where we soaked away our travel aches before heading out to explore Naruko Gorge and a museum that focused on the ancient tradition of doll making. The multi course dinners and breakfasts at the ryokan were feasts, filled with local produce. The sticky rice was even grown at the in-laws farm!
In our 6 days traveling by train we covered the length and breadth of Tohuku! After Noruko we traveled north across the mountains to Hirosaki (near Aomori) for 1 night and then came back along the north west coast on the Gono line (a tourist train with huge windows and special seats that folded down to make cabin wide cushioned platforms where whole families could lounge)
that hugs the coastline of the Japan Sea. Whilst it was placid when we were there, it was not hard to imagine the scene when cyclones bash the coast. Changing trains to criss cross mountains, valleys and plains we traveled closer to Tokyo and stayed the last 2 nights in Bandai Atami (a ski resort area) that was in easy access to Tokyo and Narita.
Some highlights of our travels included:
To the coast at Matsushima. This is renowned as one of three most naturally beautiful places in Japan (Miyajima in Hiroshima and Amano Hashidate in Kyoto are the other two) and in the season it is a favoured Japanese holiday area. We were there just after the holiday weekend but it was still busy with honeymooners and family groups wandering around. It was a grey day unfortunately but the islands dotting the bay were spectacular and we had the most fabulous tempura oysters to pick on for lunch.
A trip on a small mountain train that took us across to the western side of Japan to the Mogami river where we took a boat trip. Isabella Bird, the English intrepid traveler, whilst traveling solo through Japan
Island in the matsushima Bay
The bay is dotted with miniature mountains full of holes and covreed in bonsai vegetation & Hokkaido in 1878 crossed the flooded Mogami by raft in great danger but we did it in style - except for sitting japaneses style on our knees for a couple of hours.
Our ryokam host in Naruko planned our Mogami trip (as he said in the Japanese style) through a timeline that showed each stage of the days journey by train, bus, boat and foot with times and connections all neatly printed out for us. He was so generous with his help that Col didn't have the heart to tell him that he had already researched the same things. It even listed the time we would be back at the ryokan so that our bath and dinner could be prepared. There are a few things some of our hotels and motels could learn here I think!
I included an extract from his detailed travel plan which was written in English and Japanese - just in case we needed additional help.
Furukuchi Station 13:27 Arrival..... You have to change into bus for ship station ...(In case of going on foot it will take about ten minutes)
Bus leaving in three minutes
Ship Station 13.40 Arrival etc etc
Matsushima
looking across the red bridge from the island to the mainland ......for 3 pages!!
After Naruko we went north and stayed in Hirosaki for a night. A lovely clean city with a cluster of old English houses that were built to attract English academics and missionaries in the 1800’s. Isabella Bird mentioned staying with them in her diary. She went onto Hokkaido but unfortunately we had to turn south at this point ad the next day we took the Gono trip and then travelled back to Bandai Atami.
As always we were on the look out for a pottery town. These old kiln towns are spread across Japan and there are a number of important ancient ones. By chance we found we were staying quite close to Aizuwakamatsu where the famous Aizu Hongo kiln area is. We went there expectign to walk round and if we were lucky see some kilns and potters at work. What we found was the opening day of an art festival where artists from across Japan had been asked to create an artwork based on Aizu - its history, its clay or it's connetion tot he artist. Little shop fronts where artists exhibitied had been turned over to the festival. We really stood out
Rafting Japan style
The guide rolled the bamboo shade up for photo opps and sang old river songs! as we walked from shop to shop - so much so that the festival director took us under his wing and gave us a personal tour, took us to lunch with the committee in the local church and also arranged for us to be interviewed by Japanese television! He had studied in London and told us how lonely he was before he approached a local church and asked if he could have an exhibition. They agreed. He asked 100 local gardeners each for one rose and he used these to create an small artwork - some were prints, some drawings, some photographs with the dried rose in the compostion. He said he was never lonely again!
The high point of the day was the performance by an artist (well known in Japan apparently) who creates hollow balls of raku fired clay with slits and openings and loose pieces of clay inside each one. Then she plays them by rolling or hitting to create sounds and hauntingly beautiful music. We all crowded into the shop whilst she perfomed for us and at the end she invited the viewers to work with the balls and make our own music. I wished
that my camera had sound as my film doesn't do the whole event justice.
Last lovely meal, last bath and last train ride to Narita for this trip - but Hokkaido and the islands of the south still beckon. As we waited at Bandai Atami station the inn keeper came rushing up onto the platform - I thought we had left something behind..but no..he had mised us when we booked out and he wanted to come and wish us well and thank us for staying there. What a nice memory to take to America with us.
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ros moxham
non-member comment
wetting the appetite
Thanks for getting me into Japanes mode- its only two weks before I fly out- great pictures Ros