Advertisement
Published: August 8th 2007
For the last two weeks my Mom and Dad have been here with me in Japan. Sticking with tradition, I made sure that from the moment their plane landed they would make the most of every moment, and see as much of the country as possible. (Past trips have included sightseeing all of London, England on a double decker bus right after leaving the airport; walking straight to the night district of Bangkok after arriving in Thailand, etc. ...I guess I just like to keep it interesting!) So, to ensure this trip got off to the right start we rented a car from Osaka's Kansai International Airport, and with the help of our
very handy navigation system (who we nicknamed Sake ) we were able to travel freely throughout Japan.
The first night's drive from Kansai Airport into downtown Osaka was an adventure to say the least. Not only did my Dad have to drive into heavy traffic after 24 hours of airports, planes, and very little sleep, he had to do so on the wrong side of the road, from the right side of the car (a North American car's passenger seat). It was a cross between amusing and
scary everytime we went to turn a corner and the windshield wipers went on instead of the turn signal!
Our first full day together, Sunday the 29th, we drove the 300 or so kilometers from Osaka to Hiroshima and checked out the countryside along the way. After spending almost 3 years in Japan I have forgotten just how foreign this country appears to a newcomer. The tile roofs, the narrow roads, and the rice paddies all demonstrated the very traditional countryside of Japan.
The next 3 days of our trip were spent in and around the Hiroshima area. We went to Miyajima and the Itsukushima Shrine; ate
okonomiyaki (Hiroshima's famous dish); studied Hiroshima's past by visiting the castle, Atomic Bomb Dome, Peace Park, and Peace Museum; and dined with my Japanese friends. Although all of the sightseeing created lasting memories, I would have to say that our most special experience was our visit to Nakamura-san's house. Nakamura-san, who has recently retired, was my supervisor for the past 1.5 years. She lives in a beautiful 150 year old traditional house with a rock garden in the front and rice paddies in the back. During our visit Nakamura-san showed my
parents many aspects of a Japanese home such as the
butsudan, the
kamidana, sliding paper doors, and
tatami flooring. We feasted on delicious Japanese foods such as
tempura, sushi, sashimi, tofu and spinach salad,
daikon salad, and
ohagi (sweet rice balls covered in a sweet red bean paste). I can honestly say that it was one of the best (and most traditional) Japanese meals I have ever had! (Oh, and the majority of ingredients, including rice, were all grown in Nakamura-san's garden!)
Side Note: I found it quite entertaining when, just before the meal, Nakamura-san and her Japanese friends started to panic thinking that my parents wouldn't be able to eat with chopsticks and would need forks to eat with... only to panic furthur upon realization that Nakamura-san did not own any forks and would have to supply my parents with a little plastic fork that her neighbour had received with her Kentucky Fried Chicken take-out! Haha!
After dinner Nakamura-san's friends dressed my Mom in a beautiful kimono and we took a gazillion pictures. It was such a nice evening!
On Thursday Mom, Dad, and my friend Brian and I all piled into the car and drove
east to Himeji Castle. Lesson #1 - Avoid highways in Japan on national holidays! Lesson #2 - Avoid any and every tourist attraction on any Japanese holiday!! After lining up to buy our entry tickets for the castle we experienced human traffic jams for the entire 3 hours it took us to walk through the castle grounds. Everytime we wanted to go up a level of the castle we had to wait due to the volume of people. It was kind of dissappointing because Himeji Castle is one of the prettiest castles in Japan, but it was hard to truly appreciate its beauty when we were constantly being bumped around. Oh well! After our Himeji/"can of sardines" adventure Brian headed back to Hiroshima and my parents and I continued on to Osaka.
Friday morning we got up bright and early (well, relatively) and began our day in Osaka with a walk through Osaka Castle and its surrounding park. Once again, being a national holiday it was very busy, but this time the majority of the crowd was participating in a group dance competition with groups of various ages performing on a stage below the castle. This event provided the
perfect entertainment as we ate our matsuri (festival) foods for lunch. In the afternoon we took a sightseeing boat from the castle right downtown to the Shinsaibashi shopping area. Our boat took us under many of Osaka's 'famous' bridges, and, had it been cherry blossom season, would have been very pretty as the edges were lined with cherry trees. Once in Shinsaibashi we walked through record breaking crowds (once again, national holiday) in the Shinsaibashi covered shopping area. I love walking along this street because it never fails to provide sightings of Osaka's crazy fashion trends. There are some who have spent so many hours in tanning beds that their skin tone is an undescribable brown, and then there are others who have not allowed the sun to touch their skin (always protected under parasols) for so long that they are shockingly white. There are guys who spend more time and money on their hair than fashion models, and there are grown ladies who are so decked out in Disney attire that they make Mickey Mouse jealous. It is crazy... and I love it! I think my mom and dad would agree with me that there really never is a
dull moment in Shinsaibashi.
Our next 4 days were spent exploring ancient Japan in the beautiful cities of Nara and Kyoto. I can't say much about Nara because I was sleeping in the park while my parents went sightseeing, but our days in Kyoto were really nice. On our first day there it was a little rainy so we decided to use the day to visit my old university (30 minutes away). It was so strange going back and walking through the campus knowing that I once was a part of it. We also ate lunch in what once was my favorite Italian restaurant, and drove around my old neighborhood. After a 3-year absence from the area it was nice to be back.
Monday morning, after a quick breakfast in the hotel, we rented bikes and set out for what turned into my favorite day of our trip. I couldn't have asked for a better day - the weather was perfect, the food was delicious, and although slightly crowded, our sightseeing desinations were as beautiful as ever! The first stop of our bike tour took us to Ginkakuji
(the Silver Pavillion) where we wandered through the beautiful moss
Where's the foreigner?
Mom just blends in... almost!gardens surrounding the pavillion. LOL, we were even fortunate enough to view the "Very Important Moss - Like VIP"... which just demonstrates the need for native English speakers in this country! Can't help but laugh! After leaving the Silver Pavillion we biked along the beautiful Philosopher's Walk (which in spring is lined with cherry blossoms) to Heian Shrine where we had a picnic lunch in a nearby park. To me, the Heian Shrine is a "must see" because it is featured on the 10 Yen coin, but in addition, it is actually a very beautiful Shinto shrine which elegantly demonstrates the traditional architecture and gardens of ancient Japan. Because of its bright orange wooden buildings it is a favorite of mine for taking "Japanese" pictures. Our next destination of the day was Kyomizudera, a beautiful wooden temple which is built into a hillside. Our bike ride to Kyomizudera proved to be quite a task as I automatically led mom and dad down the same route I walked 3 years before... a walking path, which, oblivious to my planning, included 2 stone stairwells leading up through narrow streets! Oops! The bikes
were a bit of trouble, but we made it. At
Nakamura's kamidana
A kamidana is an icon of Japan's oldest religion, Shinto. Its core concept is that deities, 'kami,' preside over all things in nature, be they living, dead, or inanimate. There are lesser and greater 'kami,' worshipped at thousands of shrines (as well as in private homes such as this one) throughout Japan. Today, few Japanese are purely Shintoists, but most will observe Shinto rituals (such as this kamidana for offerings) alongside Buddhist practices. Many Japanese habits, such as an emphasis on purification, are derived at least in part from Shinto. the temple we sighted maiko who I would have loved to take a picture with, but according to their photograher, were too busy. Thanks to Dad's 'stalking' abilities, we still managed to get a few pictures of them! By this point in the day we were all a little tired and so decided to head back to the hotel... which turned into a few more hours of sightseeing, more maiko sightings, and a delicious Chinese dinner (we pretended it was traditional Japanese) alongside Kyoto's river. It was the perfect day!
After another full day of sightseeing in Kyoto on Tuesday, by Wednesday we were ready to continue on our adventure and explore a new city. We programmed Kanazawa into our trustworthy navigation system and were on our way. Our drive was basically from the East coast of Japan to the West, so the duration of our trip was about 8 hours. I am sure that anyone will agree with me that 8 hours in a car with your parents can definitely put you to the test, so I am proud to say that I think things went quite smoothly because other than my outburst when I got my finger
Himeji Castle
"Built on a high bluff, Himeji-jo, the grandest of Japan's 12 remaining feudal castles, dominates the city of Himeji. The building is better known among the Japanese as Shirasagi-jo, the 'white egret castle,' because of the supposed resemblance of its plastered walls, stretched either side of the main donjon, to the image of a bird taking flight. For many people its military architecture, ameliorated by its graceful aesthetic lines, qualifies Himeji-jo as the ultimate samurai castle." -Eyewitness Travel Guide stuck in the window (which almost resulted in an accident!), the urges to abandon one another were minimal! Thank goodness for beautiful scenery and nap time! By 7ish we arrived safe and sound at our
ryokan (Japanese style inn) for the night. Within 10 minutes of our arrival our ryokan adventures began. We were served cow-pee-tasting green tea, we modeled our
yukata (think summer bathrobes), and Mom had a few issues with the Japanese-style toilet. To add to the experience we were then showed the communal bathing facility which we were expected to use... no thank you! Although our reservation was for 2 nights we decided to cut it short after the first night when we discovered our paper-thin (literally made out of paper) window coverings were not sufficient to keep out the street lighting. A good experience, but maybe something that is best tried only once (just ask my mom)!
On our 12th day of adventures we spent the morning exploring old Kanazawa as we wandered the grounds of Kanazawa Castle and the old streets lined with houses which were once lived in by maiko and geisha. It was fascinating! We went into the Shima Geisha House which
has been preserved perfectly since the 19th Century and is now open for tours. Walking through the little rooms and reading about the entertainment quarters where the elite once enjoyed various artistic performances, and seeing first hand all of the beautiful accessories which once adorned the geisha was truly a wonderful experience! After our first house I decided we had to see another, and so we made our way down the street to the restored Kaikaro Geisha House. This time, instead of touring the house we decided to sample the zenzai soup offered by the mainfloor dining room. Zenzai soup is a sweet red bean soup mixed with sugar that is eaten mostly in the winter. It was delicious! From there we got back into the car and began what soon turned into our scariest drive yet. As we drove through a torrential downpour our road continued to narrow until we were crawling along the side of a steep mountain... with no guardrails. The entire time we drove along this road mom sat in the back trying not to throw-up, and dad and I peed our pants in the front hoping that there would not be a gigantic truck (or
Himeji Castle
Brian and I outside Himeji Castle any vehicle.. of any size) coming around the next corner. It was a drive which I would gladly never go on again! The first chance we had we switched to a wider and safer road and drove the remaining distance to Shirakawa Village, Gifu Prefecture. For years I have wanted to visit the famous thatched roof houses of this little village (the population is only 1900), but I have never really had the chance because without a car it is quite difficult to access. When I began planning my trip with my parents this was the one destination which was new to me, and I was really excited to see. However, when imagining my visit to the UNESCO World Heritage village I did not picture us arriving on a cold, rainy day... so unfortunately a lot of our sightseeing took place from inside the car as we drove through the little village. (Note to Dad: Thank you for making me get out to take pictures, I may not have appreciated it then, but now that I have thawed out I am happy to have had the experience!) Due to the weather and our timing, we were not able to go
Himeji Castle
The ridiculous Golden Week (national holiday) crowds into any of the current gassho houses, but luckily the tourist information office had a perfectly constructed gassho house on display that we were able to walk through ... and it even had scary little pretend men demonstrating how the houses were built! It may not have been the experience I had in mind, but I am happy to say that I have now been to Shirakawa Village and have witnessed first hand my 8th (out of 9) UNESCO World Heritage Cultural Sites within Japan.
Friday, our last full day together, we drove south from Takayama to Osaka, sightseeing along the way. Knowing that we had to make it to Osaka that evening, we weren't able to take as many scenic sideroads as we had hoped, but we did manage to stop for lunch along the shores of Lake Biwa, Japan's largest lake. That evening, after checking into our Osaka hotel, we returned to the Shinsaibashi area and feasted on a delicious dinner.
Before heading to the airport on Saturday we did some last minute souvenir shopping in the Osaka Bay Area, which was to be our final tourist destination. Later, saying "good-bye" at the airport was as
Himeji Castle
Inside Himeji Castle difficult as ever, and being the one that stayed behind I now know how mom and dad feel every time they have to drop me off. It is a much different experience when you do not immediately have hours of airports, customs, and travel to take your mind off of the departure. By the time my bullet train arrived back in Hiroshima it felt like everything had been a dream... if only it had lasted longer!
Funny Moments: - Dad trying to work out the gas pumps which were speaking to him in Japanese, and then after finally filling up, turning and instead of saying "Arigato gozaimashita!" (Thank you), busting out "Haki mashita!" (I threw up!) haha! I'm please to know I have taught them something!
- Mom just about leaving an establishment in their slippers ... which were supplied in the washrooms, and then having the workers point it out to her... only to further the laughter upon realization that she was wearing the men's slippers and had read the signs wrong!
- Balancing on toilets
- Driving on the right side of the road for some distance before one of
Himeji Castle
Brian and I being "serious samurai" inside Himeji Castle us realizing that we should be on the left (thank goodness I live in the countryside!)
- Posing for pictures at Gujo Hachiman Castle... nothing like a caucasian samurai with their eyes crossed and tongue out!
- The look on my parents faces as they politely ate raw fish at Nakamura's dinner party. ... especially when Dad was trying his best to drown the taste with soy sauce and he was told not to use quite as much so that he would be able to 'savour the flavor' just a little more! Haha.. I am grateful that I am a vegetarian and am not expected to eat any such things!
Late addition to the funny moments list: By day 3 of our trip mom and dad had settled in quite nicely... they were even washing my dishes although they were guests in my apartment! So, as my dad walked into my room holding what was his best guess at which bottle from under my sink was dish soap, I laughed at the idea that they really were experiencing what I first went through upon arrival in Japan - helplessness! Without being able to read any of the
Ginkakuji (The Silver Pavillion)
This temple was originally the mountain retreat of shogun Yoshimase (1358-1408). In tribute to his grandfather, who covered Kinkaku-ji (the Golden Pavilion) in gold leaf, Yoshimasa intended to finish this pavilion in silver. However, war thwarted that ambition, and the 'Silver Pavilion' now shines with nothing but age. labels, things are not always as they seem. Well, after confirming that yes, his guess was correct and that he did indeed hold dish soap in his hand, I hear my mom utter "uh-oh!" Turning to her we all realize that she had not been quite as lucky with her guess, and had used some substance from a mystery bottle. As we followed her into the kitchen and she searched for yesterday's "dish soap", I was disgusted to discover that what was used to cleanse my dishes the previous day was none other than a bottle (which was also quite a mystery to me as it was left there 2 years ago by the previous tenant) called "My Pet!" SICK!!
Advertisement
Tot: 0.189s; Tpl: 0.019s; cc: 16; qc: 97; dbt: 0.0918s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.4mb
jean marc
non-member comment
hey, miss u have a very cool site indeed, now i know who to call if i want to plan a trip anywhwere, u seen to be an expert in the field. cheers!!!!