ExploreJapan

 

I found an interesting description in the book ”JAPAN UNMASKED”.

Because the Japanese were traditionally conditioned to get their pleasure from conforming to kata, from doing things in the prescribed manner, they became process-oriented instead of result-oriented.     

Today, I would like to probe the mysteries of process-oriented Japanese society with you.

 

This afternoon, I visited a Japanese book store. A lot of  books on a variety of know-how are displayed. These are book on ”How to learn calligraphy & pottery”.

  

This book features ”How to write a letter in English”. How is an example of how to write a Love letter? I have no comment whether this phrase is useful. LOL

 

”How to draw Manga comics”. And books on your right are ”How to speak not to end the conversation”.  

This is the book which surprized me the most. ”How to write a will”  I could not open this book as I was not ready yet.

The books featuring ”manners on ceremonial occasions” are always popular.

When I left a book store, I admited that Japan is process-oriented society.

I think this situation originally stems from the history that Japan’s agriculture has centered around the rice production. To yield much rice, Japanese people have corporated together. Besides that, prayers for a bountiful rice harvest have given rise to a number of festivals which helped them build a closer relationship. It can explain that working as a team in harmony with other members has been very important here. 

Now that you climbed a steep learning curve to know about Japan more, let’s do a review of how to Onsen hot springs!

Explore Japan!

   

Wearing Kimono, traditional Japanese clothing (left), is one of the unique experiences that you can do in Japan. When you happen to visit firework festivals in summer, you will see a lot of Japanese people wearing casual Kimono, which is YUKATA 浴衣 (right) usually made of cotton. 

  

   

These are must-have items for men’s Yukata. Yukata clothes & a Obi Sash, top & bottom garments (Suteteko), cotton belt (Koshihimo) and wooden clogs (Geta). When you go to shopping malls before summer starts, you see a variety of Yukata clothing displayed, mostly for ladies’ one.  Price starts from around 10,000 yen for a full-set. If you look for branded items, those can be purchased at department stores.

How To Tie an OBI Sash for Men’s Yukata.

 

• Putting on both top & bottom undergarments followed by a Yukata clothing. Then you tie it up with cotton belt. Please make sure its left side must be wrapped over its right side. If you do it the other way, that is for the dead.

  1.  2.

• Fold the edge of sash in half (about 30 cm long) first. Hold it over your belly bottom and start wrapping around.

  3.  4.  5.

• After wrapping around, you fold it in and leave it as long as the edge you left first.

  6.  7.  8.

• You place it over and wrap it behind. Pull it tight!

  9.10. 11.

• You fold the top edge over like photo 9. and pull the other through the loop. Then pull it tight again!

12.13.14.

• Make it look good, line the edge up. And rotate the knot to the back.

15. 16.

• Just make sure you place sash over your hip bone. If you have a beer belly, that helps you look good. I am lucky. LOL

17. 18.

• I put my folding fan in the sleeve. 

I can’t wait to explore Japan with Yukata on.  Would you like to purchase one for your gift? No chances to wear? Hmmm, how about Halloween? Anyway, have fun YUKATA!!  :)

Explore Japan!

It has been 2 mths since I visited Takaoka city, Toyama prefecture for decorative float festivalin May. I guess most of Japanese people have never heard of this city. When local people say there are nothing much to see in a city, that makes me more excited as I may be able to find something very interesting. Takaoka is not exception. It is filled with places worth visiting.

I can say this place is still under developing city in terms of tourism. But once you start to walk around the city, a lot of classic buildings can be found when you pay attention to each building.

During the war period, Takaoka was not attacked by the U.S army, that is why you can find a lot of old buildings scattered around the city.

 

These are bronze-walled watch shop left & mud-walled Umbrella shop right. Very interesting!

 

I found a very cute shop, this place was also mud-walled warehouse and renovated it into bread shop. Very retrospective interior… 

This shop sells daily objects.  

I found this street in line with unique houses with its exterior wall covered with copperplates. These are houses of local people.

I have to tell you that Takaoka bronzeware is a traditional product of the city. It supplies most of the bells and statues of Buddhist temples in Japan.  

Lastly I found a very beautiful street called Kanayamachi street where is the birthplace of its metal casting industry. It took me 20mins to walk down here. As there are a lot of  things to do, let me talk about it next episode!

Just walking around Takaoka station for a few hours brings you to the different world. Before they become the popular destination, why don’t you stop by at Takaoka city?

To be continued

Explore Japan!

Since ancient times, Japanese people have loved Hot Springs which can be found everywhere in Japan. Thanks to the country’s high concentration of volcanoes, we can enjoy hot springs. As you can imagine, hot springs are result of the volcanic activities.

When I was driving in the middle of the mountain in Toyama, I found a hot spring. I like exploring new places and i have decided to drop by this place.

Generally the things Japanese enjoy most about travel are the encounter with Hot Springs & Foods. It may sound weired for those who don’t have those cultures, but it is true in Japan.

I walked down the street to find a place where offeres hot springs.
 
It looks like a traditional Japanese house.  Nice…

Normally when you arrive at a house or Japanese style inns, there will be an entrance called Doma where you take off your shoes and put on a pair of the slippers lined up on the floor. I found it here as well.

Surprisingly I couldn’t find anybody. No staff. What it said on the paper was to put 500 yen into the box for bathing in the hot spring. What a relaxing business style it was… LOL
 
Most foreign guests don’t know that they have to change their slippers in the toilet. This is also a unique Japanese culture. Thank you for your cooporation.
  
Then I headed for the hot spring.

I realized that this place is located just behind the Dam, surrounded by the beautiful landscape with the sound of tons of water flowing into the river. Super awesome!

Under construction? Never mind, never mind. but I started to wonder if there is a hot spring here.
 
Left for ladies and Right for gentles　・・・・・・・・・・

Oh my gooooooood, I found it!!!!!!! Many kinds of minerals can be found in the water, which is believed to have specific benefits like promoting blood circulation or appeasing your fatigue. Here gave off the smell of sulphur.

Geothermally heated water wells up. It is 100% naturally flowing style without any human processing. I understand you feel embarrassed as you have to become naked. But traveling Japan is incomplete without experiencing Onsen Hot Springs!!!
This is going to be one of the most interesting experiences for you.
Onsen hot springs have put you at the top of the heaven! We call it GOKURAKU GOKURAKU!!!

Explore Japan!

As soon as snow start melting, farmers start their preparation for the rice planting. This scene can be found across Japan between March and May depending on the region. For most of the people who live in the downtown, it is rare to know how the rice was produced. So let me share with you how your rice was done. It is not easy at all!

After the harvest last year, we left it during the winter. This is the start. 
 
With a hoe, a farming equipment, I had to get rid of the mud along the corner of the rice field. This is tiring.
 
After you finish it, I had to spread the fertilizer over the entire filed. I spreaded the amount of 250KG!!! My arms became like a log.

Then, you need to use river water to irrigate dry rice field and soften the soil with a hoe again.
 
The trouble happened! Right after we started to plant the seedlings with a planting machine, our machine got stucked in the mud. Guess how to rescue our machine?  
 
With a helpf of mechanical shovel, we were able to help it out.
 
When you only look at the photos, it seems pretty easy. This was really a lot of work.  But at the same time, I learned one lesson. I will definately appreciate the food more by experiencing this rice planting. I am looking forward to having a harvest season this Autumn.  

Let me share with you one of the most beautiful sunsets here, which can be seen only this period.
Explore Japan!

I took a Johana line from Takaoka station in Toyama prefecture, famous for its single track, to go to the Johana station. I would like to take part in another float festival held every May, popularly known as the ”Johana Hikiyama Matsuri ”.  

 

This event is not as popular as Takaoka float festival ,which I featured a week ago. However, it doesn’t matter for the local people whether it is popular or not.

   

It was easier for me to get close to each float.  Take a look at the close shot!

   

The deity of their local shrine, which is the religious building of Shinto, Japan’s indigenous religion, enters each float.

   

As you can see the photos above, local people move them around the neighbourhood. This is a rare chance for them to get close to their deities.

 

As there are a lot of float festivals held across Toyama area during this season (at least 5 or 6 ), I would suggest that you would visit them. The smaller scale festival, the closer you can get close to the float.

I thought I would have a similar experience with Takaoka festival, but it was not true ,worth visiting this festival too!! I love Johana,  城端！！  

Explore Japan!

The 5th of May tomorrow, is known as Tango no Sekku, which is the day for boys. During this period, people in Japan celebrate this day for the healthy growth of boys. As you can see above, carp streamers can be seen across Japan.

Why carps? In Japan, carps are auspicious fish, which originates in the Chinese legend that a carp which swims up a waterfall turns into a dragon. Hence carps have been seen as a symbol of career success. By displaying them, parents wish that their sons would have a great success in their life.

Besides carp streamers, parents display the Samurai worrior helmet or suits wishing that their sons would become tough & strong like Samurai worriors. In some households, these decorations are handed down from generation to generation.

There are also kinds of food related with this boy’s event. This is steamed KASHIWA rice cake (柏餅) which includes red bean paste inside, wrapped with Kashiwa oak leaves. Boys eat this Kashiwa rice cake during this period.
There is also the meaning why they use Kashiwa oak leaves. It is because they don’t fall off the branches until the new buds appear in spring. They are seen as a symbol of continous prosperity.  

Lastly, I would like to introduce Origami paper craft to make a samurai helmet. I hope you would enjoy making Origami!

Explore Japan!

Inami city in Toyama, middle part of Japan facing sea of Japan is famous not only for the temple town, but also for a lot of artisans of wood sculpture.  There are a lot of unique things can be found in this wood temple town, Inami.

 

A wood public phone & a wood bus stop. Very interesting.

This is the main street called Yokamachi street, which is lined with many shops & studio of the artisans of wood sculpture.

 

When you walk up to the street, you can find many doorplates with Chinese letters. In Japan, there is a custom that a doorplate is displayed at each house to show their name, which proves that Japan is a peaceful & country,I guess. These are actually the name plates of  each house. Furthermore, you may also be able to tell how old the ower is as it shows the animal of the twelve sodiac signs in Chinese astrology.   

The studio of the artisans of wood sculpture.

When you look into it, you will see the artisans working in the studio. They carve the wood with great dexterity. Sooo coool.

Finally, you will be able to reach the Zuisenji Temple, which had a great influence on the people here in Inami. When I visited there, the kids of kindergarten were having a class in the grounds of temple.

This august  is a special month for this temple town. INAMI INTERNATIONAL WOODEN SCULPTURE CAMPs have been held every four years since the first one was held on 1991. This year some 20 people from all over the countries participate in this competition to compete their performance by carving the works. Wooden Sculpture Olympic!!  Would you like to challenge for 2015?

I enjoyed exploring this place with the sound of wooden mallets and the wooden scent borne on soft breezes. I like this wood curving town, Inami, Toyama prefecture.  

Explore Japan!

The cherry trees here in Toyama prefecture, located central part of Japan, burst into bloom. This is my first time to view Sakura  after I came back from Singapore last year, I was so excited to view them this spring. First I have visited Matsukawa river in Toyama city (10mins walk from Toyama station) as this place is known as one of the TOP 100 Sakura spots across Japan. 

OH MY GOODNESS!!!?!?!?

Not only adults but also Kids love Sakura.  

Children stroll around the river area to view Sakura. They were very polite to tell KONICHIWA (HELLO) to me.  

 

People gather together taking food & drink. I saw many people having lunch under the Sakura trees. I was one of them.  

You can also enjoy Sakura Cruising as well.

 

This was an unforgettable experience. I don’t know how I can describe my feelings. I was so touched to view them. Once again, I felt I really came back to Japan.

There is a Toyama munincipal office near Matsukawa river. You can go up to the observatory at 8F. When you watch the east side, you can see the beautiful Tateyama mountain range. Free entrance is attractive.

When you look down, the cherry trees in full-bloom can be found along the river. This view is not so fantastic, but at least you can enjoy viewing it from the top.

Wait a second. Don’t forget to see the west side from the observatory, the cherry trees stretch over a few kilometer alomg the Jintsu River. I felt like to going over there!  

Here I am!

 

I crossed over the other side, which was also very beautiful as well.

Can you see the plane is flying across the cherry blossoms?

This is the another type of Sakura called Shidare Sakura, which has kind of a willow shape.  There was a shrine near the Jintsu river and found this Sakura.

Very very beautiful.

After the long severe winter, Sakura bloomed so beautifully. I hope that all the Japanese people could weather this difficulty to have a beautiful life as Sakura trees have.  Ganbare Japan.  

Explore Japan!

When I strolled around my town, I found a unique building. Can you tell what it is? 

When I looked up, I saw the name KANNON BODHISATTAVA….. Usually the statue of Kannon Bodhisattva is placed in the temple. But this is not a temple but a communal bath. We call it a Sento. As I haven’t seen such a traditional style communal bath before, I was so surprised to find this place. I don’t think we can find this kind of communal bath in the city area nowadays.

When I was a kid, communal baths could be seen within the walking distance.  So I used to go there with my parents or friends to enjoy the big bath tub. I still can’t forget a bottle of milk after bathing. That was extremely tasty!

What is the relationship between communal baths and temples?

Communal baths date back to the Heian period (794-1191) and it was built within the temple ground. Originally Sento or communal baths were kind of sauna baths where they pour water onto the hot stones. In the Edo period (1603 – 1867), they developed into a public bath we recognize today.

Sento facilities still can be found in Japan, but it is rather modern style, not traditional.  So I believe that this temple-like communal bath is a remnant of the original ones in old days, which is preserved by the owener.

Unfortunately it was closed on that day, but I hope I would like to explore next time!  

Explore Japan