Random Reflections

I know I go on about the toilet arrangements but, in Japan they're an endless source of fascination. I feel there should be an eye-spy spotters' guide on the subject... latest additions to my list; toilet that, when it flushes, also runs water from a tap at the top of the cistern to be used as hand washing water;toilet with additional high chair to park baby in whilst peeing; or, one with mini toilet next to it so that you and offspring can pee in unison.

My new place to stay has a toilet that raises the lid automatically and flushes for you when you're finished; not only that, it has 4 types of flush (one is oscillating  - but I haven't tried it!) And also today, in the grounds of the Meiji shrine, I encountered my first loo with a soundtrack...as I peed the sound of running water and twittering birds started up - to spare my neighbour the sound of my own running water.....
Twittering birds are a common motif - their sound is played as you wait for the subway or as the lights change at an intersection. The idea of nature and countryside is obviously appealing to the city-dweller.
My very delightful host here in a district called Daikanyama, Jenny, has lived on and off in Tokyo for twenty years and says she does miss green spaces - and then drove me, via the famous Shibuya pedestrian multi-crossing, to the Meiji shrine to show me where she finds some in the heart of the city.

Sweet child at the shrine

We wandered paths through trees around the shrine's perimeter, where the heat and light was filtered by leaves, and over greensward, ' like Hampstead Heath,' she said, and it was a bit.....also had a hint of Central Park as one looked up and saw skyscrapers on the fringes. By a replica teahouse there was also water, a little churned up by yesterday's rain but still quietly reflective.
A bit like me now, sitting in the sun on Jenny's balcony, as it sinks away. It's lovely to be somewhere where the sun is welcomed; most Japanese seem to shun it and sitting out in it is not done; balconies are for clothes drying.
Also, the scale of her apartment is absolutely massive compared to the capsule living I've been accustomed to!

View from my hotel balcony near Tsukiji fish market

So, did I get to the fish market and the tourist attracting event of the daily tuna auction?

My day began at 5 a.m. and I strode bravely into the market complex amongst fast moving little trucks with no real idea of where I was headed. I'd snapped off several pictures - including one of great tuna chunks - when I was ever so politely apprehended by smartly uniformed security men carrying a note that said, in English, ' no entry to this area until after 9a.m.' With much bowing and scraping I humbly exited, past the way I should have entered.  Displayed was a sign saying ' Due to yesterday's typhoon, there will be no tuna auction.' Ah well....

I think this might be whale.....

And I can't say there'll be a next time, as the entire old market is due to move to new premises in spring 2015.

So, tomorrow is my last day...I think it'll comprise of a gentle discovery of this district as I don't feel a great need to rush off to do lots of sightseeing.
After all, I imagine I'll be in Japan again before too long........

Allergic to Wasps

"A landfall on the island of Kyushu near Kagoshima is expected to occur early Monday, local time, as Vongfong begins to accelerate northeastward."


I'm now in Tokyo and as I write this part, it's early Monday. Having always been allergic to wasps, the wisdom of avoiding them is second nature. Hence I decided to move as far away from typhooney Vongfong (Cantonese for wasp) as possible. I'd planned to stay on Shikoku - in the orangey bit not far up from Kyushu- and bob about on boats.......but now I'm in a cosy hotel (with my own mini kitchen and washing machine!) near the famous fish market in Tokyo. 

I got up - or rather lurched up - at 4.30 this morning to take photos of this fishy world wonder only to find it was a public holiday! Ah well, tomorrow.....

I spent the weekend with Louise and Kouichi; Saturday Lou and I  travelled back from Gujo to Gifu and picked up things from her apartment (now I can picture her there)  before going on to Gamagori where Kouichi picked us up. We had a scenic driving tour and visited the island off the coast which is reached by bridge, just as the sun was sinking. We watched huge birds of prey wheeling overhead in the strengthening wind - a precursor to the typhoon.....
Then it was off to visit his father in hospital, briefly, before popping in on the family home just nearby. Both Kouichi's parents were very welcoming and later, his mother organised a feast of sushi which we shared with Kouichi's sisters, Akiko and Sachiko, and his niece and nephews in the family 'villa' - another property that was an old style guest house on a bosky slope, handily situated by the local shrine and the tennis courts. They were all extremely jolly and had a good stab at speaking in English. And Lou, Kouichi and I had the place to ourselves for the night - the deep wooden soaking tub was wonderful. Being given the only bed - I slept like a top for nearly 9 hours!
Sunday I sat and did a drawing of part of the house and watched a festival procession ( plenty of firecrackers!) while I waited for the young to surface....Then it was off for ramen at a particularly good little place. I still haven't got the hang of the slurp you need to do to be a true noodle eater!

It's now 5.30 pm and I've been out much of the day, latterly travelling back in rain which has arrived on the tail end of the typhoon....not at all bothersome. I've just checked reports and apparently there was a storm and high waves where I would have been...Lou's just messaged to say the typhoon has arrived with her and her lessons were cancelled.

The public holiday may have kyboshed the market trip but it worked in my favour for the museums, which are normally shut on Mondays. So I've mastered the subway (different line operators need different tickets...) and been to the Tokyo Edo Museum - mainly to see ukiyo-e prints (woodblock) but found it fascinating on all sorts of levels; there was also a music recital whilst I wandered.

After, more subway and a bit of a walk to the Contemporary Art Museum - which was amazing just for its architecture. But I enjoyed a lot of the exhibits too - particularly an artist called Naoko Sekine; she does contemplative pieces in pencil, with a high degree of craft. 

So, a little stroll to the Ginza before I think of food and settle to an early night before a second stab at the fish market.

Tomorrow I should be staying with some residents of Tokyo who also have a place in Sheepstead....! Just waiting to hear.......

Changing Plans

Yesterday's cloud meant no second visit to the Zen garden - but other activities were just as enjoyable. And I'm having to change my plans for the beginning of next  week too.
I'd originally thought I'd get some trains and do a little dash west across to Takamatsu on the Inland sea. My romantic dream was to take ferries across to two islands, Naoshima and Teshima - which are filled with art installations. Teshima particularly captured my imagination as it is home to a perforated dome that covers a floor of hygroscopic concrete - the way the water is repelled and moves and creates patterns is apparently something very worth seeing.
I'd imagined crystalline cobalt skies with clouds of perfect shape as I viewed this wonder. No such luck. In this, the typhoon season, the two days scheduled for my visit are due to bring heavy rain and high winds; not good for bobbing about on ferries - even if they run at all. Apparently the trains shut down at any hint of inclement weather...and it wouldn't do to be stranded on the wrong side of Japan.....
Thank heavens for the flexibility of Booking.com.....where reservations can be rescinded without repercussions! AND for the joy of walking wifi...my little bit of kit hired at Narita airport which allows for connectivity by email. English phones don't work here.
So, at this moment I'm planning to spend the nights of 12th and 13th in Tokyo too.....

I wandered up the road to the museum - everything labelled in Japanese but nice to look at (!) and caught a live rendition of the famous Gifu festival dancing - odori - by a couple of charming ladies who were entertaining a senior citizens tour group ( and very appreciative they were too)
Anyway, instead of drawing, Lou had organised another arty activity for me. We visited a delightful lady at the Takara Gallery who spoke excellent English (after living in NZ) and we could discuss the subtleties of linguistics; " Americans don't say they are ' keen on things'" she said incredulously.
We'd come to make tenugui; long strips of cotton that traditionally Gujo people use in various ways - to wash themselves, wipe down tables, dry dishes....But they're not ordinary bits of cloth- they're decorated with screen printed patterns. What I didn't know, as a bit of a screenprinter myself, is that Gujo was the birthplace of the art in Japan.
Inevitably, the process was simplified - we had ready-made screens to use but could choose the way we combined pattern, ink colour and cloth colour. She had a 'vocabulary' of Autumn designs- the fish available now; the flowers in season etc....and as a final flourish we could add our personalised kanji character as a signature.

It was all very soothing - and the music in the background was Jamie Cullum ; " I looked at the cloud this morning and thought we needed English music," she said!

Proud of our artistic achievements, Lou and I went off for a little light shopping - mainly gifts for others of course - but I can't help loving the fact that most hemlines here don't need a foot lopping off them! We sat and drank a mini bottle of milk outside the museum; Gujo milk is famed. And lovely it is too - simultaneously creamy and light.

The Japanese diet is famously healthy - that is if you don't eat too much! Lou has been giving me a culinary tour; we've tried okonomiyaki - delicious savoury pancake topped with bonito flakes and garnished with pickled ginger and the rather untraditional ice cream sandwich - yep, literally ice cream between a hot 'English muffin'....And yesterday evening we had sashimi, tofu, fried chicken and shrimp tempura starter followed by ayu rice; ayu is the famed local fish. It has an ' interesting' texture - a little granular. Anyway, after all those starters we were running out of steam and our kind serving lady took pity on us  and made up a take home bag.....It was an excellent breakfast. Later today, I was introduced to kakigori - a mound of shaved ice covered with, in my case, mango puree and chunks and condensed milk. Louise's had green tea and red bean paste (far more grown up!)
We ate all this in a delightful tea room overlooking a traditional garden - with background music ranging from All You Need Is Love to Fool on a Hill.

                               

And, today I managed a pencil drawing from my window and I did get back to paint the Zen garden in the sun.

Gujo Hachiman

After an evening in a bar with Lou and Natsumi - eating the Japanese equivalent of tapas, it was an experience, my night on the tatami........The pillow - full of beans - didn't leave me feeling that way the next day. It was a fairly sleepless night. And doing everything at floor level can be quite challenging! I had to smile at the difference in the height of everything compared to my recent Amsterdam trip ( the Dutch are the tallest race apparently - and the mirrors in my hotel there were above my eye level!) Here, even I had to lean down to wash in the sink....
I was also a bit scared that the shared bath was non-segregated so I shot down dead on opening time at 5 and washed and plunged in haste! It made me appreciate my softie Western style set up at the Yoshidaya hotel where I left my bag until check in later on Tuesday. I started the day by doing a little sketch in some temple precincts - the tourist season is very much at an end so I was undisturbed.

Lou and I spent the rest of the hours on a trek in the forest - delightfully cool away from the heat of the day, we walked uphill past tumbling streams and waterfalls: that at least was the good thing about my wakeful night - I spent it listening to the water that flows everywhere in this town. As you wander the streets you realise it's flowing under gratings beneath your feet. Even the manhole covers celebrate Gujo's watery and fishy connections.We walked via 'Fish Lane' where for 100 yen you can buy food to feed the massive koi carp.

By the time we'd got back and felt hungry the lunchtime sessions at restaurants were over so we went and indulged ourselves at the local supermarket and brought back some tasty dishes to eat in my room - which is furnished with table, chairs and fridge. Not sure Tesco would have eel on noodles and rice, with a side salad of shredded cabbage,okra,daikon and carrot....Can't say I was entirely certain what my pudding was but it had sponge and a soya type custard with a hint of rum......

I'm really enjoying the pace here. I seem to have shifted sleeping hours from midnight to 9 a.m. so, as it gets dark by about 5.30 that doesn't leave the longest day. And Louise tends to go off and teach late afternoon or evening, so it means I can retire guilt-free to my quarters and read or blog or listen to BBC iplayer. It is rather weird listening to the Archers as I look out at Gujo castle and drink green tea.....
Bathing, as you know, is important and now I have my own pod of a bathroom with a mini-tub in which to soak; takes a bit of time to fill - but that's a commodity I have!

Wednesday, dawned beautifully clear and sunny again but having slept blissfully till 9 the day didn't really get going till 10.30. I wandered off and picked up a tourist 'passport' to the attractions. My first stop was the Muromachi-era style garden of a Zen temple designed by a priest. You can't walk in it - it's designed to be viewed from a sitting position under a covered loggia. The light was so perfect when I arrived, and the whole view so framed by the verandah structure, it was like looking at the most glorious painting. Additionally, photography is not allowed - which rather wonderfully makes one concentrate on observing closely. I did ask if I might return with a sketchbook - which was granted...so, we will see......

When Lou joined me we made the steep hillside climb up to the castle - originally 16th century but rebuilt after a fire. I shall remember the creaking of the timbers as we climbed higher and higher up the structure and the views opened up; the roofs of Gujo's houses spilling down the valley like another river.

Today is Thursday....I opened my eyes at seven and saw cloud and turned over...well, there had been a little message traffic in the night; looks like the Oxford house sale is on the way to completion!!

So my plans to capture the light of the Zen garden receded. I put on more layers - feeling a little less conspicuous amongst the Japanese tourists who have been wearing anoraks and hats even in the lovely sun and temperatures in the low 20s. It seems that wearing bare arms is not de rigueur - and certainly no cleavage. Japanese ladies avoid the sun like the plague and sunhats and umbrellas are deployed.
I treated myself to a hot coffee whilst waiting for Louise's awakening - and listened to the ubiquitous jazz that seems to play in most restaurants and bars here...I'm not complaining! If it's not jazz then it's gentle favourites from the musicals - all very calming and non-invasive. We were amused by Greensleeves starting up automatically at the top of Gujo Hachiman castle!

Anyway, today's adventures can wait to be posted tomorrow.....

Timeless

I have a feeling that this blog is posting in UK time...

I'm now inhabiting Monday the 6th. Sunday is a day that appears to be the busiest shopping day hereabouts. On Saturday Kouichi and Louise took me to Nagoya to research a camera; if I hadn't forgotten my passport I could have purchased tax-free there and then. As it was, I had to return Sunday morning - solo- to get myself a lovely Japanese bit of kit; the latest Canon PowerShot with WiFi and all the bells and whistles. The exchange rate has been very helpful....but I'm most proud of negotiating the trains and crowds to make it there!

But it hasn't all been about consumerism-on Saturday we visited Atsuta shrine in Nagoya just at the time a wedding was taking place. Very picturesque.

Sunday was a day of feasting....Louise and Kouichi took me to a rather brilliant restaurant where you choose your selection at the door and pay for it at a kind of vending machine that gives you a ticket to present to your server. You can relax, not having to catch the waiter's eye! And then a beautifully presented selection appears....potato croquettes (top right) and tofu ( bottom right) were particularly good!

In the evening, great research was done to find a place that served nabe - a stew that is cooked on a gas ring at the table. Ours had motsu - beef small intestines, cabbage, chives, garlic and latterly udon noodles in the most savoury broth. Yum....but who would have thought my once squeamish daughter loves offal!

We have to own up to walking back to my hotel via JR station and going for a Baskin Robbins ice cream after (but mine was sweet potato and maple....)

 And as a small ablutory addendum- the toilets in the station precinct have heated seats!

So, my last night at the Dormy Inn Gifu, I availed myself of the onsen once more - this time sharing with two ladies who were giving each other thorough back scrubs. I've got the hang of this shared bathing - go early and it's quiet, clean - but pretty hot!

I've just had an early bath (alone!) at my ryokan in Gujo where Lou and I travelled by bus today. This is a countryfied town on the edge of hills and forests. A complete contrast in architecture to the cities I've seen. As I wandered around most of this afternoon taking pictures with the new camera - and haven't worked out how to transfer them( largely because manual is Japanese!) - those images may have to wait...but I did capture my tatami mat room and the local waterfall on iPhone.
Just having a refreshing green tea and then it's out for supper with Lou and her JT (the Japanese teacher she works alongside). Actually, as I walked past the school today, I could hear Louise enthusing to the kids.....
So, while she works this week I'm looking forward to walks and reading and maybe a little light artwork!

Seriously clever semi-type duvet cover - I will research!
Pillow's pretty firm however!

Further Tales of Ablution

Of course, you realise, this pace of blogging will never last but I have time to chill after having just had breakfast , an interesting combo of Japanese (tasty pork in soy sauce, omelette, Goji berry juice,seaweed,picked ginger,salad) and Western (waffles - with choice of syrup and custard,croissant, bacon,egg and sausage) I must say, the coffee's v good too.

I was able to eat heartily having slept a good eight hours helped by a delightful onsen- the hot spring bath that is in the hotel. Having checked the etiquette- totally naked is the way ( but they are segregated baths,phew) I trotted along in my leisure wear and found,to my relief, that the place was entirely empty. First one has to sit on a little stool in a booth enclosed on 3 sides - although you also face a mirror so you can see every wonderful (!) Inch of yourself in order that you can give them all a thorough clean.

After that you can sit in the hot spring bath and just luxuriate - the large pumice rocks artfully arranged around the edge in Zen groups were rather good for softening the feet too! Occasionally I sprang out and plunged in the coldbath but this time didn't go for the sauna - tonight? As I left the bath house I spotted a masseuse - and there followed forty minutes of foot and leg workout bordering on the excruciatingly fabulous....must have helped the sleep!

So far what strikes me about the Japanese is that they've got everything covered, they think ahead meticulously ( oh Sarah we could have done with that in these last weeks of letting-agent hell) so that if you're in a queue someone is always there making sure you've filled in the right form before you get to the important bit. In a supreme example of forethought, in the hotel lift is a seat which, wait for it, can be used as a toilet - presumably in case you get stuck in there......

Travel Made Easy

Can't quite believe I'm shooting through Japan on a Shinkansen Hikari; bullet train - but not quite as bullety as a Shinkansen Nozomi - use of which which isn't allowed on a Japan Rail Pass - towards Nagoya and finally Gifu. I'm enjoying watching the station attendants in white gloves saluting train departures and the on board train crew politely bowing and smiling. I arrived at Narita airport at just after 9a.m.;very easy flight with no one next to me and pretty uneventful. What I failed to spot was the seat behind was occupied by Jenny - who is to be my host in Tokyo at the end of the trip!

Well....I've now arrived in my hotel in Gifu and am slumped on the the very neat bed (western-style) in the 'lounge wear' provided by the hotel listening to 'healing music' streaming from the tv. That's a pleasant experience...not being dwarfed by hotel provided clothing; think I'm going to enjoy being in the land of the small.....
I have also tried out the washy washy toilet .....interesting....took me a while to work it out as all instructions are in Japanese and for a while I was baffled how to just flush it!

If I don't fall asleep I need to get out and feed myself ( although I know my hotel does free noodles in about 4 hours!) As Lou doesn't finish work till around 10 tonight. We're 9 hours ahead here..not quite sure what I should be eating at this point.
Sun's setting here over my tower cityscape.....more tomorrow.