Day 5 - Nara

(The Ryokan in Kyoto was great, but only offered internet on the computer in the lobby, so I was unable to post anything the past three nights, I did however, write two of the days up so far and will post them. This post was written 5/30/06)

Monday started with a Japanese breakfast prepared by our ryokan. Everything was delightful, but Mum and I particularly enjoyed the soft tofu and sauce they had for it.



Our first stop of the day was the Fushimi Inari shrine, which is most famous for the hundreds of orange tori (gates) lined up one after the other. Tech Support and I had been here before, but it was well worth a return.





We hiked up a bit, and wandered off the trail some.



I love the feel of shrines like this, tucked into the woods, with staircases leading off to the side and rocks dedicated to the ancestors. When wandering up these stairs I think whimsically of Miyazaki movies and wood sprites.




We also learned what the red bib (and on some dieties, red shower cap) are foor. Apparently they are for dieties and statues that are outside, never inside, because they feel bad for them being outside and want to give them something to protect them. The red color is related to buddhism (even though this was a Shinto Shrine, Japanese mix religions).

We hiked up as high as we could, time permitting, and then returned to the station because we had an appointment in Nara to meet with That Girl and her family.



The day wasn't as warm as that day in 2004 when a typhoon was blowing through lower Japan and Tech Support and I thought we would melt in Osaka, but the day was very warm.

In Nara our first stop was a traditional style restaraunt for some... interesting food. Certainly it was an experience. I enjoyed some of it, but admit to detesting the Japanese tendency of turning solids into jellies. Nonetheless, experiencing the traditional food of Nara was not something I would have been able to do without That Girl.



Like last time we were in Nara, deer were in plentiful supply. They are considered National Treasures and thus can do what they want mostly. We watched one casually cross a street. They are also very fat and healthy looking, with visitors feeding them "deer biscuits" all day long. We watched one deer who had somehow gotten a hold of an entire stack of deer biscuits attempt to eat them all. Another deer had walked directly into the kitchen of our restaurant earlier, and was led patiently out with the promise of more food.

Our first Temple was the Toudaji, which houses the daibutsu (Great Buddah).



We'd been here in 2004 and not much had changed, so I didn't take too many pictures. Our next stop was another Temple I believe, high up on the hill where you can get a good view of Nara.





A sign described the horrible death that awaits Pacman should he attempt to drink some of the shrine water.



We then hopped back in the car, which was great as my legs and feet were aching, and drove quite a ways out into Nara. We passed the ugly, modern city with it's garish signs and self proclaimed (in english) "World Famous Chinese Food" restaurants. Until we came to another Temple with a name that I have forgotten. We arrived 30 minutes before closing so missed most of the excitement, but did get to see the impressive buildings which are apparently the worlds oldest wooden structure.



I love the detail of the design.







We then were driven back to the train station, another long drive which gave us some time for chatting as we were parting ways with That Girl and her family for the rest of the trip. I very much enjoyed my time wandering with her and her new husband around Nara, and was sad to hug her goodbye. I'll see her back in the states soon enough.

At the train station we ran into one of those things that white people run into from time to time in Japan, a Japanese person who wants to practice English. I wonder what happens to those caucasians who don't speak English, probably some confusion. It doesn't matter for us though, as the very nice older Japanese man very importantly made sure we knew which train to get on (which we already knew, but humored him) and sat with us for two stops. He was a retiree who "didn't remember his past", had never been out of Japan but wanted to visit the east coast, and had very passible English, though he complained many English speakers spoke too fast. I could say the same of many Japanese. He also struggled over describing the way Sony's stock was falling. We said bye to him at his station, and chatted the rest of the way back to Kyoto.

There we went to a Kaiten Zushi (conveyorbelt sushi) restaurant we'd been to last time, where me and Tech Support ate Quite A Lot Of Sushi. It wasn't as good as the one That Girl had taken us to, but it was dirt cheap and worth it for the money.

Muji was closed, and thus we were unable to spend more money there.

Back at the hotel Mum and I attempted a Japanese style bath. We made it through the shower before discovering the bathtub had been heated to 9 zillion degrees. The baths of Japan are often too hot for me, but this one was also too hot for Mum. Still, I enjoyed the shower part, which involves sitting on a stool in a large room, soaping yourself and then pouring water over yourself.

And that was it for the adventures of the day.

Day 4 - Tokoname to Kyoto

(The Ryokan in Kyoto was great, but only offered internet on the computer in the lobby, so I was unable to post anything the past three nights, I did however, write two of the days up so far and will post them. This post was written 5/29/06)

Sunday started out with us getting our stuff together and leaving the pleasant little Inn by the sea. At Tokoname Station That Girl's father helped us get tickets, and then directed us to the wrong platform. I stood there looking at the signs, and realized that we did not want to go to the International Airport, no matter what he had said. As we came down the stairs to go around he ran up and apologized, and then stood with us and waited until the train came. He seemed quite elated to have a day off.

A Nagoya Station a maw of writhing people promptly knocked Kirby over, as he took a step back to try and appease the crowd and slid his foot between the train and the platform. There was great concern over the fallen Gaijin (foreigner) and though he was a little bruised, he was OK.



At Nagoya we got our JR passes and ate at a bakery while we waited for our next train, the Shinkansen (bullet train) which bore us off to Kyoto.



In Kyoto we checked into our Ryokan. Exhausted from hauling our stuff around, we collapsed briefly onto the Tatami mats before venturing out to the station again. But before leaving we discovered our bathroom was the size of a very small closet.



And I discovered one of the resident kitties, a cute tabby who made me miss my own kitties.



First we stopped at Muji. A very trendy department store that sells items with no brand name (Muji is short for something longer which means "no brand"). Tech Support and I had visited this store briefly last time we were here, and very much regretted not being able to explore it more. The clothes section was particularly wonderful for me, as they definately had my size in mind.



Mum was very visibally fading but we pressed onto the station itself, and discussed the possibility of doing the Fushimi Inari shrine over donuts (from Mister Donut). Mum at first agreed to come, and then to the relief of us all, decided to go back and rest. She really did look tired. So we escourted her back to our room and set out just me and Tech Support.

We went back to the station again,and discovered a little concert of Hawaiin music playing.



We sat and listened before pressing unward to the very top where we could get several panoramics of Kyoto, which looks like any Japanese metropolis. Dense.



After crossing some catwalks high atop the station we decided to content ourselves with Muji, and I cuted my way into Tech Support getting me a jacket, skirt and shorts which I looked quite fetching in. Then we went back and picked up Mum, who had taken a nap and now looked like she belonged in the world of the living once more.

After two days of rich and often raw food, my poor Mum was feeling a little sensitive in the stomach so we went to a pre-approved area of Kyoto station that was composed entirely of ramen shops. These kind of shops have what appear to be vending machines right outside where you put your money in and select your dinner, drink and any appetizers you want, and get a ticket in return. We picked one that was the most Gaijin friendly, with useful numbers and english lettering, then handed our tickets to a young woman and sat down inside. Minutes later, we had dinner.



Despite our loose reasons for picking it, the food was delicious and I slurped mine down.

We then spent a bit of time exploring the underground station. Undergrounds became a fascination of Tech Support's and mine last time we were here, for the sheer distance and number of shops that Japan has crammed underground. Kyoto has nothing on Osaka, but it still provided some entertainment. We even found a yarn shop where I picked up some Bamboo yarn for socks (rather dissapointingly from Italy, but still the first I've found in a store) and Mum bought some cheap Noro.

We went back to the hotel, where the other resident cat greeted us, and posed.



Tech Support was quite exhausted and retired quite early, while Mum and I watched Transporter on TV, which was probably improved by being dubbed in Japanese. I faded quickly and the last thing I saw before I went to bed...

Day 3 - My Best Friends Wedding

As predicted I did crash, at about 8:30pm, but that was only after a very long day.

Me, Mum and Tech Support were picked up at around 9:30am by That Girl's Father and the Old Friend. We then went to pick up the Fiance's family. And drove the 40 minutes it took to get to Nagoya and the location of the wedding, Atsuta Shrine.

There we waited around as members of That Girl's family slowly showed up. I knew a few of them from previous trips to Japan, or their trips to America. Finally the groom showed up.

None of our pictures of the groom inside turned out great (there will be better outside pictures posted later) but as you can see, other people were taking pictures too.



Then, the bride joined us.



Then as a procession we walked outside to the outdoor shrine to pray for the bride and groom. Apparently May 27th is a good day to get married, and so their were many other wedding processions. The people at the shrine moved us around like clockwork, timing it so each one moved to the next section as the last one was leaving. Mum likened it to Disneyland.





The Shinto Priest (brief lesson for Those Not In The Know, Japanese use Buddhism to deal with death, thus, no one ever gets married in a buddhist temple, always at a Shinto shrine) led us from location to location, speaking to the couple and brandishing a tree branch that had some sort of significance.

Then, more photo ops.



The Bride and the Groom in full regalia.


The Bride and the Groom and their parents.


The entire party, sans Tech Support and maybe one or two other picture taker.

After that we went back to the lobby of the main modern building and sat down to wait for the actual ceremony. There was a general assumption by the staff of the Shrine that as white people my crew and the Old Friend belonged with the Groom's party that I admit to resenting a bit. But as he only had 3 memembers of his family there and the Bride had at least 10, it did even the sides out a bit more.

Inside the actual ceremony we were not allowed to take pictures. Let me be brutally honest here, I find wedding ceremonies in general quite dull, whether or not I understand the language. People talk, and talk, and I stiffle my yawns. In this case great ceremony was made of watching the bride and groom drink very small sips of sake, and it took a long time. The most interesting part to me was when they played some very loud, sharp sounding instruments while two women in red and white Shinto dress stepped from side rooms and did an eleborate little dance with the tree branches.

The groom did a good job at plodding through a long speech about marriage and the home, at which point the bride gets off easy and only has to say "I am wife" and we all drank the sake.

After that there was more sitting and waiting before the reception, and more photos. The Bride now had less on her head.



After that was the reception. And I'll admit, here I finally teared up just a tiny bit, when the bride and groom entered with music playing. Stupid music. The rest of the reception was not tear worthy as it involved another plethora of strange Japanese food, emberassing dart games, and a little more Karaoke. Tech Support did a rather stunning rendition of "(I Can't Help) Falling In Love With You". The Grooms parents went up and sang as well.

Everytime they offered him a drink, Tech Support accepted. At the time of this picture he had Whiskey, Champagne, Beer and Sake, later he would get more.



At the reception people loosened up, and people began to bond despite the language barrier. The Grooms brother bonded with the Brides Uncles over copious alcohol consumption. My Mum bonded with a family friend and the Brides Aunt in tears over the absence of the Bride's mother. And the Grooms parents even tried the raw fish.



The reception was like most western receptions, only with the edition of drunken Japanese Uncles who spoke excessively at the microphone about the Bride and her cousins. And adorable little girls in kimonos (the Bride's cousin's kids).



At the end we gathered in the Lobby for a little more conversation and the bride and groom left in a taxi for a wedding night in a hotel (instead of above the bride's father in a house she associates with death). We all said our goodbyes.

In the car conversation flowed more freely - between everyone else. I was tired of talking to people so I dozed on Tech Supports lap.

Back at our hotel we were so tired we mustered just enough energy to go get snacks at a local convenience store. They only had the last riceballs of the day, which wasn't very auspicious, but we took them anyway, along with some crackers and a drink. The riceball wasn't very good, but I thought it was quite edible, though Tech Support made very funny jokes about Gaijin (foreigners) being found dead on the streets of Tokoname.

Let me describe the streets of Tokoname for a moment. No doubt other sections on the town are more populated, but out on the edge, by the ocean, it is quite dead. You only see the occasional person walking their dog, and almost no cars pass by. The ocean and the leaves in the trees feel very loud. I find it very peaceful.



Back at the hotel I did my best to stay up until 11pm, but as stated before, made it only to 9pm.

Japan Day 2 - Tokoname

I think I'm in trouble tonight. I woke up at 5am Japan time TOTALLY awake, so I should CRASH at 10:30pm again. Maybe I'll try to stay awake longer tonight to see if that helps. But otherwise I am doing good.

So yesterday morning after a delightful little western style breakfast at our seaside Inn we set out for That Girl's house which was a 10 minute walk away.

Now, next to this sweet little Inn is a grass field. And in that grass field...



Do you see it? Yes, that is a vending machine next to a grass field.

The walk was very pretty.





We didn't get lost or anything and found our way to That Girl's house, which was once her maternal grandfather's, and now houses her father, and she hates it. Mostly because the people who live in it die.

We hung and gabbed for a bit before going to meet The In Laws at the beginning of the Pottery Walk. Tokoname is a fairly small city in Japan, but it is very famous for it's Pottery. The walk starts in a parking lot, and then you climb your way up through steep skinny streets that you imagine no cars could fit down, but of course they do.



We bought some little trinkets, my mom got a cup, and of course, ninjas were discussed.



Tech Support also had fun saying hi to everyone he walked by, which of course made the Japanese High School Boys shout it loudly back to him repeatedly, and the girls giggle.

After the Pottery Walk we went to a steak restaurant in an attempt to make sure the In Law's ate something while here. Conversation was awkward again. Tech Support put it best yesterday as, we both flew 10 hours from the same country only to sit across the table and have a culture clash. All of us being white isn't enough to carry a conversation on.

We went back to That Girl's house and hung out some before an Old Friend showed up. I'd gone with her to K-High School, though we did not hang out much in High School, and then hadn't seen her since. We gabbed a bunch. The In Laws, who were still full from a late lunch, decided to go back to their hotel and not join us for dinner, and the rest of us bundled into a van and drove for a long time.

We were taken to a restaurant where we got a traditional Japanese dinner, which meant lots and lots of fish. Too much to eat.



One of the definate highlights of the dinner was a Red Snapper that had recently (like, a minute ago) been alive and had just been chopped up into sashimi. Its nerves were still intact so as we timidly grasped at the sashimi it's entire body spasmed and gulped for air. There were two of these on the table and at one point they violently shuddered in unison. It was almost enough to make me Vegan. Almost.



Poor fishie.

After the meal Tech Support, in his standard style, went over and fiddled with the karaoke machine. It took a little figuring out.



But then:

Tech Support Sang YMCA (allow some time to load)

For legal reasons I will not post any more of the videos I took, but the rest of us did some singing as well:



Old Friend and my mom sang a Beatle's song that's title I can't remember at the moment.



Me and mom sung Strawberry Fields.



Old Friend and That Girl reprised "I Swear" which they had sung 8 years ago at That Girl's cousin's wedding in Japan.



And Mom and Tech Support did a powerful rendition of "The Letter".

After that it was time to leave the restaurant, which had a hotel above. Outside we could hear lots of yelling and sure enough, when we left there were many, many Japanese who were literally staggering drunk. We watched one woman walk off while held up by her two male companions. A group of VERY drunk men walked by us, the hotel staff tried to move them along, but once again, in typical fashion, Tech Support couldn't stop himself from talking to them. For the next five minutes my boyfriend was molested by drunk Japanese as he told them where he was from, which they loudly shouted back, and was handed three bananas by another man. He enjoyed it immensly.

There was a long car ride back where exhaustion really hit me, and I collapsed quickly on return to our hotel. Only to wake up too early!

Today: The wedding!