Blogs from Kagawa, Japan, Asia - page 7

I really wish I had brought my camera with me to my welcome party back in February. It was a multiple course traditional Japanese dinner very similar to this party we held for Naomi sensei. Naomi’s meal was the lunch version of mine so there were only seven courses instead of nine. However, this establishment boasted amazing food presentation. The food was carefully prepared and arranged. Each dish also had more variety and I felt it was more traditional than the one we had visited back in February. First course: Appetizers: Shrimp, some sort of egg roll and spring roll, edamame, and something in a seashell on the main dish. In the colorful tray of dishes there was fish in miso sauce in the center and strange foods both to the right and left. (Often in ... read more

Who wouldn’t want to live in a city with its own castle? ^_^ Everyday when I go outside I see it and I smile. Near the end of Golden Week the city holds a festival on the castle grounds on Saturday and Sunday. Primarily the festival consists of stalls selling food and various goods lining every path and street in the area. On the street in front of the castle moat they had a parade during the day and a strange dragon dancing and taiko drumming competition. Two people are in a dragon costume and they make it shake, bounce, twist and turn while the other team members (usually kids) drum out a rhythm on drums. Surprisingly on the castle grounds I saw a salsa band, apparently there is a sizable population of Argentineans in Marugame. ... 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

If you could describe a perfect day, what would it include? For me; sun, a cool breeze, pink blossoms falling around you like rain, laughter, good conversation, new friends, tasty food, plenty of drink, fun, games, goldfish and the undeniable feeling of new beginnings brought by spring. This is Hanami. Spring is an important season in Japan and considered by most to be the best season. People get together during the short week that the cherry blossoms(sakura) are blooming and have picnics. I was lucky enough to get many invitations to Hanami parties (literally means hana - flower, mi - viewing), but I could only go to two because of my work schedule. The first one was in Takamatsu at Ritsurin Koen. The weather was hotter then I expected and I quickly shed my jacket on ... read more

March 3rd was Girl’s Day in Japan. On this day families with young daughters celebrate this event at home to ensure their daughter's future happiness by putting up intricate doll displays. Utazu has a Hina Matsuri (Doll’s Festival) every year in celebration. Many houses and temples in the older part of town have their intricate displays open to the public. My co-worker took me there on March 2nd. We wondered the streets admiring various displays. There were a few vendors in the streets selling various things to eat and drink. We stopped for some free macha (green tea) at a temple and bought some delicious fried octopus from a street vendor. We also stopped at an elegant Buddhist temple called Shotokuin and paid to enjoy a graceful tea ceremony. Shotokuin also housed a set of dolls ... read more