The art of enjoying winter 2 of 3

What does New Year's eve, a zoo, Kevin's birthday and Nikki day all have in common? Well lots actually so that was rather anti-climatic. For starters they were all done over winter break, it was cold, I had a lot of fun and Nikki was there with me!

So, I drove back from the west coast in records time and made it back in time to pack up and go to New Year's at Laura's. We stayed up late with umeshu, nabe and this New Year’s TV program the Japanese apparently always watched that did all sorts of songs and dances. It was a lot of fun and we brought in the New Year with lots of cheering and sent the boys out to do their thing and all went off to sleep.

The next morning we woke when it was still early into the first day of the year to go to hatsumode. I decided to forgo on the 'watching the sunrise' tradition out of sheer exhaustion from the busy week prior to the holiday. Instead we bundled up, had McDonalds for breakfast and went to the Fuji Sengen shrine. It was an absolutely gorgeous day with the sky a clean blue and the sun fresh and new. We walked down the path to the shrine between the huge pine trees and old stone lanterns until we came upon the line to wait to make the first prayer of the year. I didn't mind the wait though, it wasn't that cold nor that long and there was plenty to watch. Children in their beautiful little kimono and the way the light rippled through the forest, the disposing of last year's charms (I gave up my little arrow from Enoshima may it rest in peace) and the shrine maidens running about with the new charms and fortunes. The music was soft and ghostly in a peaceful way and there was an anticipatory hush in the air. Two old ladies held our place in line as Nikki and I rushed off to purify at my dragon fountain and then at last it was time to pray. All I asked for was happiness for all I love. But ya know, some money wouldn't be missed. After we went and tested our fortune with omikuji and Nikki and I both got 大吉 'big luck!' Finally, we got to go pick our new charms for the year. Only Japan can make snakes look so darn cute! I got a new arrow with a snake plaque that I could just cuddle and giddy with happiness from renewal we went on our way. We finished the morning with purikura and then went home for a nice long relaxing nap.

I can't remember now if it was the next day or the day after that but after New Year’s Kevin and I put all our heart into planning Nikki Day. The concept: we have missed so many holidays not living on the same continent as her that we would make up for all of it on a single day: Nikki Day! Before she'd arrived Kevin and I worked super hard on decorations and banners so on the day I sent her next door to Kevin’s and quickly pinned it all up before calling them back. Now, we thought it would be really fun to have poppers with exploding streamers but I didn't read the package that carefully and it turned out that they were just explosions so when she walked in the door and we let them loose it rather just sounded like gun shots! XD Poor Nikki, we terrified her, but after she recovered she really did appreciate our efforts. So we explained the point of Nikki day, to give her the option to do whatever she wanted. In which case we got in the car and set off to her favourite temple in Minobu. It was a very cold but clearish day however when we got there we were in for a surprise we didn't anticipate. It was soooo busy because we were still in the first days of the New Year. So in the end we had to go park by the river and take a bus up to the little village in the mountains. My favourite part of Minobu is when you leave the main road and turn up this narrow one that passes under a temple gate and suddenly you are transported into the narrow mountain valley that unless you knew how to find it, you'd miss it every time. We strolled through the little town, snacking on festival food and I bought a cute snake charm to go with my collection (I have the rabbit and the dragon too~) and then we climbed the death stairs up to the main temple precinct. It was hard work, and I almost fainted when I lost to janken and had to run up a flight, but well worth it for enlightenment! It was too busy to go inside so we just wandered about and looked at charms, people watched and I admired the buildings with a blue sky for it seems to have only rained when I've gone before. A nice visit before hurtling ourselves back down the stairs, to the bus and off to Kofu.

 

 

The next part of Nikki day was Coco Curry's. Not much to report there. It was delicious. Then the animate store, the mall to get Subway and dessert and then home. A good day. The next couple of days were spent doing little bits of nothing, hanging out with friends, Kevin's crazy (belated) birthday party where lots of people came and it turned out that some of my teachers were in the booth across the way and came to drink with us and then we went to the zoo.

Not just any zoo. The Tama Zoo. But the name isn't as important as the fact that they had snow leopards! I love snow leopards! They are so beautiful and cute with most gorgeous tails. I dragged Nikki through the park at top speed bypassing ducks and bears, goats and deer, just to see the snow leopard. There was one male and he was by himself but in the other pen there were three younger ones and they all played about and were very active! I wanted to watch them all day! But finally Nikki pulled me away so we could see elephants, wolves, tigers, lions, giraffes, zebra, cheetahs!, bugs and well I you (being me in the future) get the idea. It was great! And at the end Nikki bought me a really cute leopard plushy which I creatively name Yuki, which means snow.

We took the train back to the previous station and after the zoo we went to check out this temple that I’ve passed a million times and never stopped to explore. Again it was super busy with the holiday but this meant I got beniimo oyaki which trust me is delicious!!! Not only was this temple magnificently beautiful but it's infamous for being a gathering place of the shinsengumi prior to them moving to Kyoto and gaining popularity. The members were originally from Hino and thus the temple is famous for them with a statue of Toshizo Hijikata. Yay! So we hung around there a bit longer, then went to Hachioji for food and shopping and headed home.

I gave us only on day to recover for on Monday our plan was to head to Nikko!

The art of enjoying winter 1 of 3

I navigated Tokyo by car for the first time ever! and was rewarded by welcoming Nikki to Japan for the fourth time. Oh what luck to have a best friend with a pilot for a father. So with only a little bit of complication, we made it home by one and slept. The next day she realized just how freaking cold my house was, we had a mini Christmas, packed and got in the car destined for Takayama.

Takayama was awesome! It was the first place Nikki and I went when we first came to Japan and has continued to be awesome all four times I've been now. It was where I fell for this beautiful country and it was amazing to take Nikki back and point out all the things we remembered out five years younger selves had enjoyed. Like this little red bridge over a side canal, a tiny shrine which is my favourite in all the land, the morning markets and fresh apple slices, the amazing Hachimangu shrine where we first felt something bigger than us and the streets lined with samurai era houses. It was amazing to retrace our steps but there was one thing we never got a chance to do because I got really sick when we were here in summer and I was not yet used to the humidity (am I really now?) and that's this temple hike through the mountains. It was a little cold but we still had a wonderful time following the map all over the hills framing Takayama through this maze of temples that contacted a path all the way until it reached the castle ruins. It wasn't that any of the temples were particularly exciting (except the one with the frozen pond and bridge!) but the general atmosphere of the outskirts of town and calm woods beneath a blanket of snow was really peaceful.

That being said, after the hike we were in need of a rest, oh and some lunch where I had the best hida beef bowl ever! (I could really go for one right now, so freaking yummy!) We had a rest at out ryokan (this really pretty inn with fresh tatami mats and a quiet bath. On the night we arrived the sun was just setting and lit up the mountains all pink behind a nearly full moon and it was so awesome.) and then head back into town for the evening lanterns and were showered in heavy snow blankets that had come to somehow warm the world a bit. We retraced our steps, now in a different world of fire light and snow flakes, and came home a wet and happy mess with conbini food and new memories.

The next day the skies had cleared and I must declare there is nothing more beautiful than a crystal clear sky after a snow fall. Blue and white might be the most complimentary colours of nature. (I say this because sakura season was so long ago but I'm sure I'll be repeating myself again with blue and pink in a few months time.) The point being it was fantastic and we had to stop many times to snap photos by the wayside!

Our destination that day was Kanazawa, a beautifully cultured city on the west coast of Japan and visited the first autumn I spent in Japan when Rhee was still here. I had wanted to go back for sometime, as I missed a few sites, but my true reason for venturing west was to work on my list of side quests ie. the third of three big Buddhas and the 46th of 47 prefectures. So we drove threw the mountains which eventually plateaued into the west coast and being way ahead of schedule we went to Takaoka in Toyama prefecture to check out this big buddha. It was big and it was buddha. I mean I've seen bigger (Kamakura and Nara) but it was still pretty neat and it had this cool ornamental halo behind it I hadn't seen on it's cousins. Sidequest complete! (Although, I haven't a good picture of the one in Nara as that was a long time ago before my photography savvy ways manifested.) We strolled about in the rather warm winter sun to this park and a red bridge and then headed for lunch at a Joyfun! (best family restaurant ever) and made our way for Kanazawa. As we were still ahead of schedule! (a rarity in my line of travel) we went to the garden and the castle remains in the last of the afternoon sun. (Glad that we did as the weather remained downright treacherous until we returned to Yamanashi.) The garden was lovely as ever but the trees were all dressed up in their famous ways for snow, but despite my desires to see them glazed in white the day was warm and it was all rather green and brown. Oh well, another time I suppose. An unexpected treasure was found across the castle bridge and through the castle gate. I had thought up until then that was all to see in the castle park but with Nikki's urging we explored further and found, to my delight, that a beautiful little park lay within the castle walls and in the fading light it was positively beautiful. That's pretty much the end of that day, on a good note of course, for next we checked into out hotel, ate some food and went to bed.

 

 

The next day the weather downright sucked! But against the rain (might I note it hardly ever rains in winter in Yamanashi which is most obviously the best prefecture ever!) we traveled southish to Fukui, prefecture number 46. In Fukui, we went to Maruoka castle. It is considered one of twelve originals (meaning I've now been to 10 of 12) and might be the oldest but I have troules with that considering Inuyama (and a few others) also claim this status and in the 50s this castle collapsed in an earthquake and while was rebuilt with all it's natural materials, was technically rebuilt... It claims to fame is it's also called 'mist castle' for apparently whenever enemies approached a thick fog would appear to hide it. All and all a neat little castle in the rain with great staircases that required ropes to get up. I enjoyed looking at all the pictures of the other castles inside (all originals have them) and the view on a nice day might have reach the ocean which was where he headed after.

Again on a clear day, of which it most definitely was not, this would have been a spectacular stop but instead Tojinbo was a stormy cliff where the rain and the wind go to fight. It was dreadful and it ruined my umbrella from Yufuin. I barely took any pictures before we hurried back to the car now huddling under a single umbrella now we reached the car sopping wet and a little out of spirits. I ventured the coast line, a red bridge had caught my eyes from the view on the cliffs, and we came across this little island connected by a long red bridge. How could I resist? The fact was I couldn't. The ocean, an island, a red bridge and a shrine gate, poor Nikki followed me out into the storm as we crossed into a seemingly different world. It looked and felt just like a Ghibli movie and left me inspired to right books about rain forests and adventures. On the other side of the bridge was an outpost to the shrine and secret stone stairs that led up to the top of the island. Nikki took the way and up we went into the very green inclosed part of the forest where the main shrine grew from the plant life and the mud puddles were cleared by stepping stones arranged in the little tented area. A single shrine great was framed by trees and pointed toward the cliffs we'd been to earlier. It was quite enchanting. Our intention was to circle the island but instead the mud only got worse and the stones became less frequent. Thoroughly doused in storm we sloshed back to the car giggling. And ended up at an Aeon mall for warm drinks and a chance to dry off.

The last day was also the last day of 2012. We woke early to strange weather, it seemed half the sky was battling for sun and the other for hail and no ultimate champion had been decided before we left the cold fight behind. But first, we went to the ninja temple! It was something Rhee and I missed last time because you have to make reservations but this time we were on top of it! It's called the ninja temple, not because it truly has anything to do with ninjas but because it is a maze of passageways, rooms, secret hiding spots and traps. During the Edo era is was illegal to build a building more than three stories high because that gave the impression it was for military use and that had been banned after Tokugawa Ieyasu had put an end to the warring era. The lord of Kanazawa got creative though and built a temple that would be perceived as a place of worship but really he could prepare there for battle. A building that appeared small and rather regular shaped was hiding seven floors, 23 rooms, 29 stair cases and possibly a secret passage to the castle which has never been confirmed but may be hiding in the well. There were all these trap doors and pitfalls and there were at least two instances where we reached a room where I thought we could go no farther and then the guide opened a closet door and reveal a secret staircase to another floor. It was so cool!!! Maybe the coolest thing I've been to in Japan. There was even this room with five escapes and we had to guess where they were. Since I didn't get to take pictures you better remember how awesome it was Sarah of the future!

Anyways, after that it was a direct route home. Not much to report there except hit lots of snow and some bad drivers going through the mountains but it was beautiful and clear in Yamanashi and before I knew it we were home.

Next up is tales form New Years, hatsumode, Nikki day, the zoo, Kevin's birthday party, Nikko and our last few days in Tokyo. It was such an amazing time. A great way to end 2012 or rather begin 2013.