Inuyama Adventures

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Thanks to my time in Japan, I am perfectly ok with not bathing alone. It’s actually sorta lonely now. Onsen (温泉）is the name of the Japanese public baths and be for warned! They change the baths every once and a while so be sure you walk into the correct one. If you can’t read Kanji don’t fret my dears, they usually have it color coded and possibly in English as well.

女 - women's　男 - men's

Also, sleeping on a futon is amazing!! It’s so cozy and fluffy and just enough cush but definitely bring your own pillow. Everyone looked at me funny and thought I was so weird walking through the airport and the city with pillow like a nut job dragging around a blanket or a body or something but no! Great. Idea. Makes everything more comfy because the pillows here are weird. They’re like full of beans or something, not happily bean filled like a bean bag chair, just hard beany shaped uncomfortable-ness. Princess and the pea style.

Also, and yes this is totally obvious but there are mosquitoes in Japan! SO so many mosquitoes and they are super unforgiving. They will eat you alive. Granted I was in a tea garden full of greenery and lush-ness full of moisture that those little mother truckers seem to love but whatever.

There was a totally random bon odori festival going on in Inuyama that we somehow found out about and even more surprisingly found where it was happening and randomly joined in. All the locals were so excited to have this literal heard of gaijin come join in on the dancing. These adorable little obaasan’s taught us all how to do the dances and I am now part of at least 6 random Japanese families bon odori pictures.

gaijin 外人 - foreigner (literally outside person)

obaasan おばあさん - literally grandmother but also used as a name for old ladies

One of the bigger local attractions in Inuyama Castle which overlooks the city from atop a hill and is a National Treasure. So far I have heard them say that about every castle but maybe there is one out there that they're just like, "And this one is just our ok, castle. It's alright I guess." Near the entrance there is a pathway to the local shrine as well, complete with iconic red gate entrance. I highly recommend the fantastic photo opportunities, for example, my blog photo.

There is also this local attraction where you get to see traditional Cormorant fishing, where fishermen use birds to fish at night by fire light. We all had fun on the dietary restrictions boat with special bento just for the weirdies like me (Pepper allergy). The birds dive underwater and the fisherman will bring the bird back up to spit out the fish. It was an interesting process to see, especially after we ate the fish for dinner and then got to see how I had once, if fact, intimately shared that fish with a bird. You wont really be able to see it in the picture but I swear there are apparently birds near the side of the boat that you just can't see in the dark, or maybe they were all diving underwater to grab fish I can't really tell, but they were there.



Boat 204 is best boat.

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Photos

Inuyama
An overview photo of Inuyama from the Inuyama Castle terrace overlooking the river.

Cormorant Bento
My special Bento of deliciousness. Just look at the pretty colors!

Cormorant Fishing
You didn't really expect me to be able to get a good picture right?