Saturday, August 23, 2008
Explanation
So I started writing all of these posts (or at the very least was thinking about them). But I’ve been busy. I just had about 3 hours on the train, so I decided to catch everyone up. I’m going to split this into a couple of posts so it’s not one massively long post. Plus it makes sense to break them up the way I wrote them. I kept it so the most recent trip is the newest post so you will have to go back to the Nara post and scroll up from there to get it all in chronological order (if that is how you want to read it). Also, I didn’t go back and change stuff for the Nara post to reflect that I took that trip about 2 weeks ago. Just to let you know.
Out of Tokyo
Okay, I can now check off another famously Japanese thing off my list. I have now had a homemade bento. My host mother made it for me because we didn’t have time for dinner. I was just going to buy something at the train station, so I was really surprised that she put it together for me. And it was fantastic, so much better than anything I could buy. I wish I had thought to take a picture of it before I ate it. It was so nice and balanced, rice, meat, vegetables, egg (I seriously am going to start making tamagoyaki when I get home. Best eggs ever). Even the guy next to me commented on my bento. It was soo good. And she even wrapped it up with chopsticks and everything.
I love my host family so much, just in case it wasn’t obvious. I set a day aside to see them again. So they picked me up at the local train at 10, and then we hung out at their house for the whole afternoon and they took me back to the train at 6 so I could get to Shin yokohama for the train to Himeji at 7:22. But I had such a good time hanging out with them. I realize now how incredibly lucky I have been to have them. Many Japanese are not so easy to get close to, but my family didn’t stand on ceremony at all. I played with the kids and washed dishes. And my host mother hugged me as soon as she saw me again. It makes me sad that I don’t know if/when I will see them again. Will definitely have to send them a package when I get home. Ideas as to what to send? I’ll have to think about it.
And I accidently ended up in the smoking car again. So annoying, how did I manage to sit down in the only smoking car on the train! It’s a gift. I’m too stubborn to move, though really I should. Maybe in a little while I will. Seriously though, if these people can’t go 30 minutes without lighting up, how do they survive the day when smoking isn’t allowed in most places? Seriously, a mystery.
Anyway, tomorrow is the castle at Himeji in the morning, then Hiroshima were I seriously expect to shed some tears. Despite my host researcher’s urging not to see the memorial and museum dedicated to the bomb and those affected because it would be “unpleasant” I am going. I don’t think I should ignore an important part of modern history that my country was involved in simply because it will make me uncomfortable. Unlike Kubota who seems to refuse to see anything negative about his own country (seriously, I was really tired of the endless comments about how great Japan is by the end. And don’t act all superior about things like racism – you have it too and in some more insidious ways than the US. This is worth it’s own post really), I feel like I should be aware of both the good AND bad things of my country. Ignoring one side or the other is dangerous, I feel. I don’t expect to have an easy time with it, and I fully expect to cry (just the thought of the girl and the cranes makes me tear up). But ignoring the event is worse, I think. Any thoughts?
I love my host family so much, just in case it wasn’t obvious. I set a day aside to see them again. So they picked me up at the local train at 10, and then we hung out at their house for the whole afternoon and they took me back to the train at 6 so I could get to Shin yokohama for the train to Himeji at 7:22. But I had such a good time hanging out with them. I realize now how incredibly lucky I have been to have them. Many Japanese are not so easy to get close to, but my family didn’t stand on ceremony at all. I played with the kids and washed dishes. And my host mother hugged me as soon as she saw me again. It makes me sad that I don’t know if/when I will see them again. Will definitely have to send them a package when I get home. Ideas as to what to send? I’ll have to think about it.
And I accidently ended up in the smoking car again. So annoying, how did I manage to sit down in the only smoking car on the train! It’s a gift. I’m too stubborn to move, though really I should. Maybe in a little while I will. Seriously though, if these people can’t go 30 minutes without lighting up, how do they survive the day when smoking isn’t allowed in most places? Seriously, a mystery.
Anyway, tomorrow is the castle at Himeji in the morning, then Hiroshima were I seriously expect to shed some tears. Despite my host researcher’s urging not to see the memorial and museum dedicated to the bomb and those affected because it would be “unpleasant” I am going. I don’t think I should ignore an important part of modern history that my country was involved in simply because it will make me uncomfortable. Unlike Kubota who seems to refuse to see anything negative about his own country (seriously, I was really tired of the endless comments about how great Japan is by the end. And don’t act all superior about things like racism – you have it too and in some more insidious ways than the US. This is worth it’s own post really), I feel like I should be aware of both the good AND bad things of my country. Ignoring one side or the other is dangerous, I feel. I don’t expect to have an easy time with it, and I fully expect to cry (just the thought of the girl and the cranes makes me tear up). But ignoring the event is worse, I think. Any thoughts?
Nikko
Hmm. I don’t think I say much about this trip. I got up early on Friday to head out Nikko which is 2 hours by train north of Tokyo. It gets busy, so I was trying to beat the crowds. I mostly succeeded. But the main thing about this trip was that I was cold! For the first time Japan. When I left the hostel, I realized that it was a bit cooler (a storm had moved through the night before), but I was so used to Shirahama where no matter how cool it is in the early morning, by 10 or so, it is freaking hot. So although I thought about going back at least for my long sleeve hoodie, I didn’t. I should have. And I should have put the one pair of pants I had on. And brought an umbrella. I didn’t do any of those things so I was a bit cold and wet (though the rain wasn’t so bad because it misted and didn’t really rain heavily. And I bought an umbrella for the second time this trip. You would think I would learn. And now I have I will always bring an umbrella from now on.). I later remedied being cold with my favorite Japanese thing, a trip to an onsen which was super hot. 15 minutes in the water was all I could stand, but it was wonderful and warmed me up completely.
Anyway, as for Nikko, near the town there is a complex of temples and shrines amongst a forested area. The guy who established the Shogunate asked his son to build a tomb for him there and enshrine him as a God. He did so and along the way, built lots of buildings that seem to serve the purpose of showing off how powerful and rich the family was. Seriously, these are the most gaudy temples and shrines (particularly the Toshogu shrine complex) that I have ever seen. Lots of gold and very involved carvings. On the other hand, there is a lovely garden associated with one of the temples, lots of beautiful stone lanterns, and moss covered stones that are really beautiful all over.
Those elements help make all the gold and ornate carvings seem less over the top. But the whole place reminds me of a super-done-up Kumano shrine. But those shrines are more dignified and serene and they are not the result someone in power trying to show off. I can see why the people in Tokyo who all told me the loved it were impressed – you can’t see anything like it in Tokyo, but it is truly sub-par to a shrine and temple complex like Nachi. But I’m glad I went, and I liked it. Plus it makes me realize how lucky I was to see two of the Kumano Sanzan which have a longer and more interesting history to me as well as nicer complexes.
Anyway, as for Nikko, near the town there is a complex of temples and shrines amongst a forested area. The guy who established the Shogunate asked his son to build a tomb for him there and enshrine him as a God. He did so and along the way, built lots of buildings that seem to serve the purpose of showing off how powerful and rich the family was. Seriously, these are the most gaudy temples and shrines (particularly the Toshogu shrine complex) that I have ever seen. Lots of gold and very involved carvings. On the other hand, there is a lovely garden associated with one of the temples, lots of beautiful stone lanterns, and moss covered stones that are really beautiful all over.
Those elements help make all the gold and ornate carvings seem less over the top. But the whole place reminds me of a super-done-up Kumano shrine. But those shrines are more dignified and serene and they are not the result someone in power trying to show off. I can see why the people in Tokyo who all told me the loved it were impressed – you can’t see anything like it in Tokyo, but it is truly sub-par to a shrine and temple complex like Nachi. But I’m glad I went, and I liked it. Plus it makes me realize how lucky I was to see two of the Kumano Sanzan which have a longer and more interesting history to me as well as nicer complexes.
Leaving Shirahama for Tokyo
So my last day in Shirahama seriously sucked from a work perspective. I have been seriously angry at Kubota sensei for what happened that day and in my heart of hearts, I don’t know that I will ever completely get over it. I don't think I can talk about it rationally yet so it will have to wait until more of my anger has dissipated. But I can say that I am super happy that I left Shirahama that night and met up with my roommate at Sokendai, Lee. I absolutely love that girl and within 5 minutes she had me laughing and relaxing. She goes to school in West Virginia, SS. Some day I will need to rent a car and travel to the state to see you and Lee. Plus her host decided to pay for a hotel room for her Monday and Tuesday night which meant that I didn’t have to pay anything for a room. Good thing too because it’s so easy to spend money in Tokyo, I overspent a little.
Then on Wednesday, we were put up by JSPS at the Keio plaza in Shinjuku. The nicest hotel in the most upscale neighborhood that I have ever stayed at. I don’t know why they chose to put us all up INDIVIDUALLY in this super expensive hotel. It seems that at least could have made up pair up (and I wouldn’t have minded being with Lee again). Not that I’m complaining, but it seems like they could have used the money a bit better. It was nice to see everyone and talk to them all again. I would say that I meet about 4 or 5 people that I really want to keep in touch with. Hopefully they feel the same too.
Oh, and there was a minor earthquake during the final presentations for the program, so I have now experienced that too (something Kubota sensei said that I needed to experience while I was in Japan to have the full experience).
Then on Wednesday, we were put up by JSPS at the Keio plaza in Shinjuku. The nicest hotel in the most upscale neighborhood that I have ever stayed at. I don’t know why they chose to put us all up INDIVIDUALLY in this super expensive hotel. It seems that at least could have made up pair up (and I wouldn’t have minded being with Lee again). Not that I’m complaining, but it seems like they could have used the money a bit better. It was nice to see everyone and talk to them all again. I would say that I meet about 4 or 5 people that I really want to keep in touch with. Hopefully they feel the same too.
Oh, and there was a minor earthquake during the final presentations for the program, so I have now experienced that too (something Kubota sensei said that I needed to experience while I was in Japan to have the full experience).
Nara
I just had both a really nice weekend and a really frustrating one. On Friday evening, I caught the bus back to Osaka (my 3rd trip on this bus!) where I spent the night. I was really glad to be in a hotel that night because it meant that I could watch the Olympics! (the TV in the common room of the dorm does not work). I missed the performance unfortunately, and had to settle for watching the teams march in and the lighting of the torch. I must comment that Japanese coverage of the event is far superior to American coverage. I watched it for a few hours (from about 10:30 to after 1 since it took so long to get to the lighting of the torch) and there was not a single commercial! I don't know how it works here, but that was wonderful.
The next morning, I got up early to head to Nara, the first official capital of Japan. There is alot of history in Nara...and deer. Most of the sights are concentrated inside or around Nara Koen (nara park). The park is also filled with deer who are entirely tame since tourists (and vendors) feed them. Nara is famous for the deer and the world's largest wooden building, the Todai-ji temple, which also houses Japan's largest Buddha statue. Anyway, I met up with Jamie, another American JSPS fellow who is working in Kyoto. We walked around the park, seeing the various temples shrines and lanterns (the Kasuga Shrine here has hundreds of charming stone lanterns that have moss growing on top). I won't comment on the heat because you all should know by now that it is very hot everywhere in Japan now. But I enjoyed green tea ice cream and later melon flavored shaved ice (the shaved ice that they have here is awesome. Also, I love the melon-flavored stuff here, something I sadly cannot get in the US).
Nara itself was nice. It was of course nice to have someone to talk to and we met up with Liz (who I had previously traveled with in Osaka and who is stationed in Nara) for dinner and had a wonderful meal of okonomiyaki, yakisoba, and some other teppan cooked thing that was also oishii (delicious).
The annoying part was listing to Jamie (who is stationed in Kyoto) and realizing that she has seen NOTHING of the city even after about 6 weeks there! I mean, I know that she is working hard, but she didn’t even take an hour out of her day to see the big Gion Matsuri parade! There were so many people in Kyoto to travel with and it is easy to navigate. Plus there is tons to see, so her constant comment “next time I come to Japan, I do x and y” got on my nerves. You gotta take advantage of opportunities when they come! And what makes you think next time will be different from this time? If you were not motivated to do it while it was so easy, why would you do it next time? That just drives me crazy. But looking at her is kinda startling because I think that is how I used to be. I now realize how far I’ve come and I’m really proud of myself. I’ve come a far way from the insecure high school student who worried about everything and never did anything. And Japan has really pushed me and forced me to grow in a good way. (As I side note, I have similar frustration with Liz who complains about how isolated she is. Excuse me? You are about 1 hour and maybe 30 minutes from Kyoto and Osaka. I realize that you have to take a bus and a train to get there so it’s not really an option on evenings, but at least you have access. And you got taken to Tokyo for a long weekend to do work and shop so I don’t want to hear it!)
Sunday was crazy. Since we did Nara as a day trip, I decided that I would go back to Kyoto to buy gifts since I hadn’t done that yet. I knew a good place that was a cooperative of several small stores that sell handcrafted things. So I thought that I would catch the train to Kyoto from Nara which is pretty easy, grab a bus to the store, shop, grab the bus back, and hop on an express back to Osaka in time to catch my bus at 1:50. The bus to Osaka only takes about 30 minutes (everything is pretty close together in Kansai). And catching buses from Kyoto station is easy so I thought I could do it no problem. I did do it, but I barely made my bus. Seriously, I got to the bus at 1:45 and the bus left promptly at 1:50 because everything is one time in Japan. And I don’t know if I would have made it if it weren’t for the fact that the train let me off right by Sakurabashi gate which is the exit that I needed for the bus. But I got gifts for all my family members…except Ryan who I totally forgot (though I included him the budget, I kept wondering why I was under budget). Oh well, I’ll pick him up sometime.
The next morning, I got up early to head to Nara, the first official capital of Japan. There is alot of history in Nara...and deer. Most of the sights are concentrated inside or around Nara Koen (nara park). The park is also filled with deer who are entirely tame since tourists (and vendors) feed them. Nara is famous for the deer and the world's largest wooden building, the Todai-ji temple, which also houses Japan's largest Buddha statue. Anyway, I met up with Jamie, another American JSPS fellow who is working in Kyoto. We walked around the park, seeing the various temples shrines and lanterns (the Kasuga Shrine here has hundreds of charming stone lanterns that have moss growing on top). I won't comment on the heat because you all should know by now that it is very hot everywhere in Japan now. But I enjoyed green tea ice cream and later melon flavored shaved ice (the shaved ice that they have here is awesome. Also, I love the melon-flavored stuff here, something I sadly cannot get in the US).
Nara itself was nice. It was of course nice to have someone to talk to and we met up with Liz (who I had previously traveled with in Osaka and who is stationed in Nara) for dinner and had a wonderful meal of okonomiyaki, yakisoba, and some other teppan cooked thing that was also oishii (delicious).
The annoying part was listing to Jamie (who is stationed in Kyoto) and realizing that she has seen NOTHING of the city even after about 6 weeks there! I mean, I know that she is working hard, but she didn’t even take an hour out of her day to see the big Gion Matsuri parade! There were so many people in Kyoto to travel with and it is easy to navigate. Plus there is tons to see, so her constant comment “next time I come to Japan, I do x and y” got on my nerves. You gotta take advantage of opportunities when they come! And what makes you think next time will be different from this time? If you were not motivated to do it while it was so easy, why would you do it next time? That just drives me crazy. But looking at her is kinda startling because I think that is how I used to be. I now realize how far I’ve come and I’m really proud of myself. I’ve come a far way from the insecure high school student who worried about everything and never did anything. And Japan has really pushed me and forced me to grow in a good way. (As I side note, I have similar frustration with Liz who complains about how isolated she is. Excuse me? You are about 1 hour and maybe 30 minutes from Kyoto and Osaka. I realize that you have to take a bus and a train to get there so it’s not really an option on evenings, but at least you have access. And you got taken to Tokyo for a long weekend to do work and shop so I don’t want to hear it!)
Sunday was crazy. Since we did Nara as a day trip, I decided that I would go back to Kyoto to buy gifts since I hadn’t done that yet. I knew a good place that was a cooperative of several small stores that sell handcrafted things. So I thought that I would catch the train to Kyoto from Nara which is pretty easy, grab a bus to the store, shop, grab the bus back, and hop on an express back to Osaka in time to catch my bus at 1:50. The bus to Osaka only takes about 30 minutes (everything is pretty close together in Kansai). And catching buses from Kyoto station is easy so I thought I could do it no problem. I did do it, but I barely made my bus. Seriously, I got to the bus at 1:45 and the bus left promptly at 1:50 because everything is one time in Japan. And I don’t know if I would have made it if it weren’t for the fact that the train let me off right by Sakurabashi gate which is the exit that I needed for the bus. But I got gifts for all my family members…except Ryan who I totally forgot (though I included him the budget, I kept wondering why I was under budget). Oh well, I’ll pick him up sometime.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Update
So I’ve been pretty busy lately trying to get some research done before I leave (especially because I think my host wants me to give a talk on what I did here even though I have repeatedly told him that it would be a very short talk), and with various activities in town and travel.
Last Friday we had the dance festival in town, which wasn’t much of a festival. I mean there were a lot of people and it was nice, but there wasn’t really food, games or other things that I now associate with Japanese festivals. Basically, these women who were all dressed in identical yukatas (the obi color differed sometimes) gave everyone a fan and urged you down the street to a park which had lanterns and was done up for the occasion. The fan had a number on it (mine was 285) and I was a little confused at this point. Anyway, they played this song and the women started to dance in wide circles around a central stand. The dance only had about 8 moves and they encouraged everyone to join in. After an hour, everyone broke for free tea, some speeches and chitchat. Then the women did a more involved version of the dance for a little bit before going back to the simplified steps and encouraging people to join in again. After a while, the dancing stopped and they had a lottery (which included some nice prizes including a ryokan stay). Sadly, I did not win anything, but I was very proud of the fact that I understood most of the numbers (though it took me a few minutes to remember that sen is 1000). The whole thing was very low key and pleasant. I participated in the dance for 20 minutes or so before chatting with another American for a while (I have actually seen a few white people around now that it is high season here).
The girl, whose name I can’t remember, was really nice but a bit of an idiot. She apparently got some money from her school (she had just graduated college and I think it was her school that gave her money) to study bunraku, the elaborate (and awesome) puppet theater developed in Japan. Bunraku is centered in Osaka where there is a national theater for the art form (also several stories of this art form are about life in Osaka). I saw a short performance of bunraku in Kyoto and totally loved it. So much so that I looked into trying to go to a performance in Osaka. Unfortunately, I could not figure out how to get tickets (I only found out AFTER I went to Osaka, darn it), but I did know that there was a summer performance going on in Osaka. So when I asked this girl if she was going to see the show (shows actually, because they have 3 going on at a time), she said that it had just left Osaka. I gave her a weird look but figured she knew what she was talking about. During my travels this weekend I saw a flier for bunraku in Osaka stating that the performance would end on AUGUST 6. Soon after, I also figured out how to get online tickets (there were still some available for all 3 shows). I lamented the fact that I could not back to Osaka to see this, and generally thought that the girl was an idiot. How do you come to a country to study something and don’t even have the right dates? Oh well.
On Saturday, I caught the train down to Kii Katsuura so that I could see the Nachi waterfall and the adjoining grand shrine. This was the second of the three grand shrines of the Kumano region (the Hayatama shrine in Shingu being the other I have seen so far). I am hoping to make it out to Hongu to complete the trifecta, but it will have to be the last weekend I am in Shirahama and…well, we’ll see how it goes. I think I should be able to make it.
I arrived at Kii Katsuura unsure of which bus to catch up to the waterfall. Luckily I asked a guy at the bus station, who didn’t speak any English but was super nice and looked out for me after that (he came up to me later to tell me I could buy a ticket when the woman started manning the both, then he made it clear by pointing which bus was the one I wanted). I was nervous about finding the right bus and the right stop since I know there wouldn’t be any English, but managed fine as always.
Nachi was very nice, though hot (as it is everywhere these days). The waterfall is the tallest in Japan I believe, being about 133 m high. It does not seem very wide, though it is hard to tell from the base of the waterfall. There is a small shrine right at the base, but that is not the grand shrine. For that, you have to hike a considerable way straight up (more stairs, just like the Kamakura shrine in Shingu). I had hoped to avoid a lot of upward climbing because it was so hot, but what can you do? (Later my host told me that he had seen the waterfall, but had never hiked up to the shrine. Which seems rather pointless if you ask me. The waterfall is beautiful, no doubt, but some of the more enjoyable views are from the shrine and it is the shrine that makes the area more than just a pretty place).
Anyway, I got up there; though I was disgusting by the time I made it. I stopped to have an ice cream (which tasted fantastic because I was so hot) and while I was eating it, I had marvelous views of the waterfall, the surrounding mountains and forests as well as the valley. Definitely worth the hike. The shrine was nice and next to the shrine was a Buddhist temple. The people at the temple where especially friendly, urging everyone to come in and look around. And the guy who stamped my book spoke a little English and joked around with me a bit. Left me with a really warm feeling of the place. Then I went down to find daimon-zaka. Daimon-zaka is part of the ancient pilgrimage between all the grand shrines and a few other holy sites in the Kumano region. I guess it was a popular pilgrimage at one point (imperial family members made the trip and there is a famous quote about the path being so crowded, it was like a line of ants). My understanding is that people believed that the Gods dwelled in the Kumano region and that these particular Gods accepted everyone, regardless of gender or background, as long as they made a sincere pilgrimage. Not surprisingly, this made them very popular. Daimon-zaka is a remnant of that ancient trail, so I walked down it a bit. It was really lovely – lined with trees so that it was cooler than other areas with a nice breeze. But it was pretty vertical. It was no walk in the park to make this pilgrimage, I got a sense of that walking back up Daimon zaka to catch the bus back to Kii katsuura (and I later learned that I could have picked the bus up at the base of the trail. Sigh). Anyway, I have a lot of respect for the people who made (and still make) that pilgrimage. And I can see why it would be a deeply religious experience.
After that, I had a headache from being overheated and not eating enough (I drank a lot of water but only realized later that I hadn’t eaten very much). So I grabbed some yakisoba at a restaurant while I waited for the train back. Overall, a great experience although 10 degrees cooler would have been so much nicer.
I went to the open-air onsen on Sunday and ate out in town, but I think I will talk about those later (I really need to do a separate post on onsen…).
Last Friday we had the dance festival in town, which wasn’t much of a festival. I mean there were a lot of people and it was nice, but there wasn’t really food, games or other things that I now associate with Japanese festivals. Basically, these women who were all dressed in identical yukatas (the obi color differed sometimes) gave everyone a fan and urged you down the street to a park which had lanterns and was done up for the occasion. The fan had a number on it (mine was 285) and I was a little confused at this point. Anyway, they played this song and the women started to dance in wide circles around a central stand. The dance only had about 8 moves and they encouraged everyone to join in. After an hour, everyone broke for free tea, some speeches and chitchat. Then the women did a more involved version of the dance for a little bit before going back to the simplified steps and encouraging people to join in again. After a while, the dancing stopped and they had a lottery (which included some nice prizes including a ryokan stay). Sadly, I did not win anything, but I was very proud of the fact that I understood most of the numbers (though it took me a few minutes to remember that sen is 1000). The whole thing was very low key and pleasant. I participated in the dance for 20 minutes or so before chatting with another American for a while (I have actually seen a few white people around now that it is high season here).
The girl, whose name I can’t remember, was really nice but a bit of an idiot. She apparently got some money from her school (she had just graduated college and I think it was her school that gave her money) to study bunraku, the elaborate (and awesome) puppet theater developed in Japan. Bunraku is centered in Osaka where there is a national theater for the art form (also several stories of this art form are about life in Osaka). I saw a short performance of bunraku in Kyoto and totally loved it. So much so that I looked into trying to go to a performance in Osaka. Unfortunately, I could not figure out how to get tickets (I only found out AFTER I went to Osaka, darn it), but I did know that there was a summer performance going on in Osaka. So when I asked this girl if she was going to see the show (shows actually, because they have 3 going on at a time), she said that it had just left Osaka. I gave her a weird look but figured she knew what she was talking about. During my travels this weekend I saw a flier for bunraku in Osaka stating that the performance would end on AUGUST 6. Soon after, I also figured out how to get online tickets (there were still some available for all 3 shows). I lamented the fact that I could not back to Osaka to see this, and generally thought that the girl was an idiot. How do you come to a country to study something and don’t even have the right dates? Oh well.
On Saturday, I caught the train down to Kii Katsuura so that I could see the Nachi waterfall and the adjoining grand shrine. This was the second of the three grand shrines of the Kumano region (the Hayatama shrine in Shingu being the other I have seen so far). I am hoping to make it out to Hongu to complete the trifecta, but it will have to be the last weekend I am in Shirahama and…well, we’ll see how it goes. I think I should be able to make it.
I arrived at Kii Katsuura unsure of which bus to catch up to the waterfall. Luckily I asked a guy at the bus station, who didn’t speak any English but was super nice and looked out for me after that (he came up to me later to tell me I could buy a ticket when the woman started manning the both, then he made it clear by pointing which bus was the one I wanted). I was nervous about finding the right bus and the right stop since I know there wouldn’t be any English, but managed fine as always.
Nachi was very nice, though hot (as it is everywhere these days). The waterfall is the tallest in Japan I believe, being about 133 m high. It does not seem very wide, though it is hard to tell from the base of the waterfall. There is a small shrine right at the base, but that is not the grand shrine. For that, you have to hike a considerable way straight up (more stairs, just like the Kamakura shrine in Shingu). I had hoped to avoid a lot of upward climbing because it was so hot, but what can you do? (Later my host told me that he had seen the waterfall, but had never hiked up to the shrine. Which seems rather pointless if you ask me. The waterfall is beautiful, no doubt, but some of the more enjoyable views are from the shrine and it is the shrine that makes the area more than just a pretty place).
Anyway, I got up there; though I was disgusting by the time I made it. I stopped to have an ice cream (which tasted fantastic because I was so hot) and while I was eating it, I had marvelous views of the waterfall, the surrounding mountains and forests as well as the valley. Definitely worth the hike. The shrine was nice and next to the shrine was a Buddhist temple. The people at the temple where especially friendly, urging everyone to come in and look around. And the guy who stamped my book spoke a little English and joked around with me a bit. Left me with a really warm feeling of the place. Then I went down to find daimon-zaka. Daimon-zaka is part of the ancient pilgrimage between all the grand shrines and a few other holy sites in the Kumano region. I guess it was a popular pilgrimage at one point (imperial family members made the trip and there is a famous quote about the path being so crowded, it was like a line of ants). My understanding is that people believed that the Gods dwelled in the Kumano region and that these particular Gods accepted everyone, regardless of gender or background, as long as they made a sincere pilgrimage. Not surprisingly, this made them very popular. Daimon-zaka is a remnant of that ancient trail, so I walked down it a bit. It was really lovely – lined with trees so that it was cooler than other areas with a nice breeze. But it was pretty vertical. It was no walk in the park to make this pilgrimage, I got a sense of that walking back up Daimon zaka to catch the bus back to Kii katsuura (and I later learned that I could have picked the bus up at the base of the trail. Sigh). Anyway, I have a lot of respect for the people who made (and still make) that pilgrimage. And I can see why it would be a deeply religious experience.
After that, I had a headache from being overheated and not eating enough (I drank a lot of water but only realized later that I hadn’t eaten very much). So I grabbed some yakisoba at a restaurant while I waited for the train back. Overall, a great experience although 10 degrees cooler would have been so much nicer.
I went to the open-air onsen on Sunday and ate out in town, but I think I will talk about those later (I really need to do a separate post on onsen…).
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