This weekends adventure began after dinner on Friday night when while driving home in a rainstorm we got pulled over by the police at a road block. Panicked, I could not find my International Driver`s Permit which has always been in my car so I was flagged off to the side. The situation was so comical that when I suddenly recognized the officer who thrust his hand through the window to shake Kevin`s hand and say `ohisashiburi desu` and as it turned out this was the chief-of-police from otsuki and he knew us from a coffee date a few months back with him and Tommy san! Anyways, he had had covered regardless but at the last moment I found it and kissed it right in front of a squad of Japanese officers who thought I was very genki!
Saturday, the next morning, began after a late sleep in, I never have those anymore, when me and Rhee bundled up against the rainstorm and the cold and made our way to Saitama, a nearby prefecture, by car. We drove a few hours north and ended up in Kawagoe, a beautiful city with a well preserved Edo-era town. It was a very confusing drive which consisted of no signs and expensive parking that I thought I would never get my car out of (it had one of these things that raises when you car is parked so it can`t get out and all the instructions were in Japanese of course) but the very best part is the -moment- I parked the rain stopped and the clouds parted and a beautiful clean, albeit fragile, blue sky graced our visit.The town is famous for it`s black buildings with roofs that were designed only in the area and was famous as a storage town during feudal Japan. That combined with a beautiful temple just recovering from the onslaught of rain, two cats who frolicked about the temple, reflections in all the puddles, a bell tower which beneath it in an enclosed courtyard were two little pretty shrines, and a lane famous for the candy it sold made for a lovely time!
The main reason for coming all this was, for Kawagoe was only intended as a side trip, was a famous night festival in Chichibu! From Kawagoe we traveled further north to a little city nestled in the mountains. We arrived in time for a gigantic lineup searching for parking, decided to skip that, drove to a train station, and took that in to town. There we were greeted by an even more enormous festival. It went for streets and streets until we had no idea where we were going! Along the way I ate a delicious kebab and a churro which I found by following the smell of warm cinnamon to one of the stalls. But then we realized we had no idea where we were going and made the mistake of asking for help. (A lesson: never ask for help in Japan unless you are prepared to live with the fact that you have inconvenienced someone to the point where they might just drive you home even if you live a town over!) The point being, the man with the walkie-talkie we asked didn`t think I was speaking Japanese so he called over some old Japanese ladies that were not satisfied with just taking us to the portable shrines, the reason we were there, they planned to drag us all around until eventually, and it was a desperate move which I feel bad for but... after being led about for half-an-hour and seeing the floats only to be turned away and walked in a different direction we accidentally lost them in the massive crowd and instead of searching... we booked it the opposite way! Anyways, so once free of our oppressive escorts we spent the evening chasing down this huge elaborate portable shrines that were being hauled through the streets by more people than I could guess, all dressed up in costume and encouraging the crowd to chant with them. All the while fireworks were going off in the night sky and we found ourselves (slightly in trouble with the police for a second time in one weekend) when we climbed a fence to get into the shrine because the crowds made it impossible for us to get in any other way! The shrine was amazing at night and alive with taiko drumming, cheers, prayers and the fireworks that would light up the tori gate in all colours every once and a while. It was beautiful and felt like something very unearthly. The remainder of the evening was spent chasing down more floats to steal a picture of them with the fireworks which in the end foiled us but we were happy regardless! We made our way back to the station before the entire festival did and had no trouble catching a train just as we were bid farewell by one last display of fireworks. It was a great evening and the rain had held off!
The next day the sky was a powerful blue and not wanting to waste it we set out at once to Fujiyoshida because the volcano was of course beautiful now capped in snow and with the clear sky behind it. We went back to our village where we could dress up and Sheena took pictures of Rhee and I dressed in kimono. Then we ate warm curry buns and admired Fuji through a persimmon tree. We went in search of the thousand yen photo but there was no reflection instead a settled for a gorgeous shot with Fuji and the day moon. Fuji ate up our time like it usually does and then suddenly it was time for sunset. We crossed the town and went to watch from the other side, just in time to see diamond Fuji, the phenomenon when the sun sets just above Fuji! It was very beautiful and to celebrate some great shot Sheena, Rhee and I crammed into one of those silly little booths where you take pictures and decorate them into stickers and had a total blast!
And there it is, another exceptionally amazing weekend in Japan! It's getting colder now and I wish all I could do is onsen but winter is beautiful in its own way! Today it snowed, it didn't stick, but for a little while the top of the hills were gorgeous and then the sun came out. The day finished bright and blue with an amazing nearly full moon!
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