Sunday was my last day with the Hamatani family.  I had a bit of free time before lunch and decided to go for a stroll.  The park was in full hanami swing, with hundreds of families in the park to grill, picnic and look at the cherry blossoms. 

Beautiful spring weather!  There was a group of older ladies practicing hula, other groups doing tai chi, kids playing soccer...  I decided I would have my own little hanami, so I stopped by 7-11 to get a snack.  

I wasn't in the mood to get Crunky...  

And Cream Collon didn't seem quite right...  

So I opted for a taste of my youth, with Aquarius and Baby Ramen.  Good choice!

After my hanami, I headed back to the Hamatani house for lunch before leaving for my next host family's house.  I spent a few nice minutes with Hamatani-san in his rooftop garden.  He now has a "Texas section" where he planted the bluebonnet seeds I brought!   

We arrived at the Minagawa home mid-afternoon, and after I settled into my room, Jun-san took me for a walk in Mino City Park.  

I was expecting an urban park, but it was a 3-km forested mountain trail that ended at a waterfall.  On the way up, we passed a shrine dedicated to a samurai warrior.  There was a small statue with the characters "Ishi no ue ni mo san nen" inscribed on a rock.  I started laughing when Jun-san read the kanji to me-- it's what my old boss at Mitsubishi told me when I explained that I was hoping for more of a challenge in my job.  The literal translation is "three years on a rock," a suggestion that patience is rewarded.  I left Mitsubishi after three years...  

Anyway, the mountain stroll was quite peaceful until... MONKEY ATTACK!  At dusk, groups of wild monkeys wreak havoc on weekend strollers, molesting them for scraps of food.  The family right in front of us had their bag snatched from their hands and watched helplessly as the monkeys tore it to shreds...

Fortunately the park rangers showed up to kick some ass, in their little truck going 7mph, playing "Pachelbel's Canon" to scare the monkeys away...

Haiku #6?

maple leafs shimmer
springtime mist from waterfall
monkeys stole my lunch

Free Day with the Hamatani Family

Saturday was a “free day” with my host family.  We took a nice walk through the park near the house, where the cherry blossoms are in full bloom.  Then Hamatani-san and Emiko-san took me to see Sumiyoshi Shrine, a beautiful shrine in Osaka where they were married.   

Sumiyoshi Shrine was founded in the 4^th century and enshrines the guardian gods of seafarers.  Its bridge is a well-known symbol of the city of Osaka.

The roofs of the shrine offer good examples of chigi and katsuogi; chigi are the decorative “crossed swords” at the ridgeline, while katsuogi are the log-like elements laid perpendicularly across the ridge (originally intended to hold down thatched roofs).

 After visiting the shrine, we took the chin-chin densha (vernacular term for the cable car) to a cafe that Emiko-san likes called Maronnier, located in an old Japanese house.  Tasty lunch of bacon and omelette sandwich.  Our next stop was "Den Den Town," Osaka's electronics hub.  It was quite a contrast with the peace and quiet of the shrine, and we walked quickly through to our main destination, Doguya-suji, the place to go to buy all things kitchen-related. 

I really like the form and heft of the takoyaki griddle for cooking octopus balls (an Osaka favorite and no, it’s not what it sounds like) but it would definitely weigh down my luggage.   

Another store sold an incredible variety of knives, many for very specific purposes (like deboning a particular river fish that is typically caught in the summer).  Beautiful implements, but I think I could only afford a vegetable paring knife…

After a stroll through Doguya-suji, we headed to Takeshimaya department store to buy a few groceries.  I had promised Hamatani-san and Emiko-san that I would cook dinner, and wanted to find the ingredients for “southwest chicken stew.”  Only later did Emiko-san casually mention that both of her parents had been professional chefs and written cookbooks—her dad, Doi Masaru, was basically the Julia Child of Japan, the first and best-known TV chef here.  Her younger brother is also a chef, with his own TV show.  

 Fortunately the meal went over well, with my host family going back for seconds.  A very enjoyable last evening with the Hamatani family, though unfortunately Nobuko-san (Hamatani-san's mother) and Toshiki-san (15-year-old son) weren't able to join us.  Nobuko-san tried some leftover stew for breakfast though!

Vocational Day, April 2

Friday was “Vocational Day.”  I was picked up in the morning and traveled by car to Shijonawate, a small town outside of Osaka.  It was a very full day, with visits to a cultural museum, an old Japanese farmhouse, a Buddhist temple, a resort (for lunch and a tour), a shrine, an apartment complex, a high school and Mr. Yamaguchi’s 240-year-old house.  Here are a few pictures…

A terrace outside the main theater at "I and I Land" Resort...

a snack at Daikokuten Temple...

dragon statue at a Shinto shrine dedicated to a 24-year-old samurai...

Shijonawate High School is a public school with approximately 360 students.  It is one of the most prestigious high schools in the Osaka area, and is very difficult to get into.  The principal, Ikeda-sensei, gave us a one hour tour of the facilities.  The school has been dedicated a National Treasure, and would put most American high schools to shame.  Students (and faculty) must remove their shoes at the entry and place them in a locker; slippers are worn inside the school (hence the beautiful wood floors).  No gum under the desks here...

There is a swimming pool on the roof of the school, with a view of the mountains.  I told Ikeda-sensei I would like to send my sons here.  He said he would be happy to receive them as exchange students.  Corbin and Beckett, you have 6 years to get your Japanese up to speed!

the view from the "bedroom" of the studio apartment I visited...

The day concluded with tea at Mr. Yamaguchi's house.  Here's a view of the interior garden...

Action Figures

We visited the Higashi-Osaka "Creation Core," a regional business center that showcases local business products.  I met this guy in the lobby... he looks so much bigger on screen!

The center was quite impressive and there were a lot of interesting products, but this one caught my eye for some reason...

Hiraoka Shrine

On Thursday we visited Hiraoka Shrine, in Higashi-Osaka City just outside of Osaka.  Hiraoka is a Shinto shrine dating back to 3 B.C., though the shrine buildings themselves have been rebuilt numerous times.

Shinto is Japan's native religion.  The earliest Japanese writings about Shinto do not refer to a unified "Shinto religion", but rather to practices associated with harvests and other seasonal events.  Shinto is characterized by the worship of nature, ancestors, polytheism and animism.  It is a religion in which actions and ritual, rather than words, are of the utmost importance. 

  

A Shinto Shrine is typically built to house a kami, or spirit.  Ritual purity plays an important role in the practice of Shinto; the first ritual enacted in visiting a shrine is the passage through the torii, or gate which marks the division between the spiritual and the material world.

We were able to participate in a blessing during our visit to Hiraoka Shrine.  The ritual involved the playing of a flute by the priest and a dance by one of the shrine attendants; we each approached a small altar, where we placed a branch, clapped twice, briefly bowed our heads, and clapped once more.  The ceremony concluded with a ritual sip of sake.  Unlike many monotheistic religious practices, Shinto typically does not require professing faith to be a believer or a practitioner.  

At most shrines it is also possible to purchase a fortune.  My fortune indicated good luck (although the way the translator said it, it was more like "ok luck).  Kasey's fortune was "big luck" so she kept it; I tied mine onto the lines outside the main hall, following tradition.

Haiku #5

water tastes so sweet

from bamboo dippers resting

on moss covered stone

 

Nara

Two days ago we visited the ancient city of Nara, a repository of Japanese culture that was established in 710.  As the last stop on the Silk Road, Nara absorbed Chinese art, religion and architecture, fusing it with native Shinto tradition.  Nara was the capital of Japan from 710-794 (when the capital was moved to Kyoto); in 1998 it was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Todai-ji is the most important temple in Nara.  It was founded in 743 by Emperor Shomu as the seat of authority for Buddhist Japan.

The Daibutsu-den, or Hall of the Great Buddha, is said to be the largest wooden structure in the world.

The Todai-ji complex has been rebuilt several times, due to damage by earthquake and fire.  The current incarnation was constructed in 1709.

Nara is also famous for its deer.  Legend states that Takenomikazuchi-no-mikoto, one of the five gods of Kasuga Shrine, landed atop Mt. Mikasa riding a white deer.  The deer of Nara are thus regarded as sacred messengers and have been designated National Treasures.  Treasured they may be, but they are quite aggressive in their quest for snacks, and numerous warnings are posted in the temple complex.

After Todai-ji, we visited the less-touristed and more intimate temple complex of Tosho-dai-ji.  The temple was built in 751 for a Chinese priest named Ganjin, who was invited by Emperor Shomu to give formal instruction to Japanese Buddhist monks.

Despite numerous travails, Ganjin finally made it to Japan and shared his knowledge of Buddhism with his Japanese hosts over the course of many years.  He is also remembered for bringing the first sampling of sugar to Japan. 

The Golden Hall, also known as the Kondo, has a single story, hipped tiled roof with a seven bay wide facade. It is considered the archetype of "classical style,"  and borrows many elements of Chinese architecture.  Large wooden columns serve as the load-bearing and stabilizing element of the structure. Each column sits atop a single large stone, anchoring the building. The walls, floors, and complex bracketed roof structure are then built around these columns.

The ceramic tile roofs at Tosho-dai-ji exemplify the Buddhist belief that temple roofs should be curved, in order to help ward off evil spirits.  The ridge lines (both the main ridge and ancillary ridges) arc downward, avoiding any semblance of a straight line.   

Special pendant tiles called nokimarugawara decorate the eaves, and feature a circular disk attached to a half-round tile. The disk, or gatou, serves a practical purpose in closing off the end of the last tile, but also features a decorative image thought to act as a protective charm.  The corner tiles also feature an onigawara, or ogre that gives additional protection from evil

The image at left shows the temple complex storehouse, where canonical texts were stored and protected from the elements.  Elevated above the ground on piers, it is constructed like a log cabin, with triangular logs stacked horizontally to form its walls.  In wet weather, the logs would swell and seal any gaps, preventing water from entering.  In dry weather they would contract, allowing air to ventilate the building.

Haiku #4

across an old wall

tiles chatter like loose teeth

smiling in the wind