Last Chance Matsuyama!

So, the day for my final trip to Matsuyama had arrived. On Sunday Jennifer, Kako, and I all headed to Matsuyama to go visit the castle and try some of the city's famous 5 color noodles. (yum!) Here is the story of that trip...

Sunday, July 4: Matsuyama














Around 10 am, we headed on the highway through the mountains and arrived at Matsuyama, parking the car near the shopping main street of Ohkaido and heading out into the cloudy midday for the walk up to the castle. We climbed up the road next to Starbucks (after stopping in for snacks, of course--starbucks food is awesome: only in Japan!) and headed into the departure point for the tramcar up the mountain that plays home the castle. But first, it was posing for pictures as the main characters from the famous book cataloging a city boy that comes to Ehime (my state) to teach English and the hardship he endures, called Botchan (named after the title character.) Here they are and look how good i fit as a Botchan! (and what a great 'Madonna' and principal Jennifer and Kako make, respectively!) Fits cuz i also have too big of a mouth just like Botchan *yay*! So after that lovely photo op, we headed to ride the slightly old (read: from the 70s) tram car up the large hill/small mountain to the castle (Matsuyama castle.) Along the way, viewing the 'chair lift' that ran parallel to the tram car (these are, in fact, chairs with no seat belts or foot rests. Just chairs dangling. Check out the grainy, hard to see video and see for yourself =)

Next, it was off to wander the road up to the castle, and along the way, I discovered one of the many famous haiku post stations in Matsuyama, a city as famous for its literature as it is for its five colored soumen.(soba style noodles.) and so, i composed my haiku for the day:

瀬戸内海の/白波の上/松山城
above the white waves of the Seto Inland Sea--Matsuyama castle.

with a little help from Kako as my editor! and so, after posting it into the haiku collection box for consideration, it was up the hill to the CASTLE! Well, first view was through the gate. Then of course we paused for the photo op before trekking up what was --unknowingly--to be almost 4 stories up intensely crowded, steep wooden stairs (more like attic stairs...thats what stairs were like in ancient Japanese castles!)

But I'll just post these photos for your consideration:

So these are some views before we entered a nd began the climb up to the higher floors of the building, then there are the views inside...and to the top! (Pausing along the way for the archery ladies to slay some approaching enemies from the comfort of those tricky, easy to shoot from, hard to shoot at windows!)

ah, how refreshing to have the best view in Matsuyama!

view from the top~

...and that same view shared with our feathered friends!

So after climbing up through the castle was our chance to scurry down the other side of the mountain through the forest on the other side, complete with sun-dappled path (theres a specific word in Japanese that means 'sun spilling through the trees' how cool is that?) So we made it down to the castle's park, complete with recreated ancient castle grounds, concrete planters and a giant well with a turtle. Not a stunning park but interesting none the less!

So after the journey to the often strange and always surprising castle-park, we headed back down to the bottom of the mountain--and thus back into Matsuyama--for some five color soumen noodles (you knew I was going to get back to that didn't you!) and here's a cool photo--thats right, they sold the noodles in sliced bamboo trunks! How Zen looking right?

On the way out of the restaurant, we ran into a post office with a strange covered mailbox... is this the official mailbox for royalty in Matsuyama? You tell me!

Finally we went and did some shopping, book shopping and window shopping, then fed our exhaustion with some delicious treats from this place called Angel Heart... which made sense once we realized they were actually raising birds that were being rehabilitated from the wildlife habitat that they were displaced from. How bout that? And they were so cute! This little green one, the youngest, gave a returning customer Grandpa little kisses on the nose. (you can just see gramps out the window.) Feel the love!

Well, that was it! It was a great trip, and an exhausting but well worth it day! Thanks Matsuyama! ;)

Mt. Ishizuchi shrine

It was a bright, beautiful May Sunday morning. Mt. Ishizuchi, Shikoku's tallest mountain at 6503 feet, beckoned from our backyard. So, we hopped on our bikes, stopping for a quick filling up of the water canteens at the freshest water around, our very own Saijo uchinuki (water springs.) Here's my personal favorite 'spring' where I like to fill up at (aint it purdy?) complete with its own pyramid of water, as you can see to the right. After stopping for water, it was on to traverse the rice fields, rice fields and...whaddya know? more rice fields, finally arriving at the foothills of the Ishizuchi mountain range, just off of Route 11 in Saijo. We brought along our picnic and trekked up the asphalt to the outer gate of the shrine. (The outermost gate, right on Route 11, can be seen below. Pretty tall, huh? Fitting for Shikoku's highest mountain maybe?)
Shrines in Japan are usually built into or onto hills, which are considered holy ground (thats why in Japan, as well as China and Korea, graveyards are usually up in hills as well.) The shrine dedicated to the Shinto spirit of Mt. Ishizuchi stretched out from the shrine at the foothills of the range, the one we went to, all the way up the side of the mountain to the very top of the mountain itself. While the official climbing season for Mt. Ishizuchi kicks off on July 1, we decided that the quite lovely base shrine is a treat enough in itself, as the four tiered approach is a workout of its own! So, we decided to climb to the main shrine building.At the outer gate of the shrine, we viewed the shrine guardians on either side. Often, goblins of the mountain are shown having particularly long noses (Pinocchio anyone?) and are always associated with the 'mountain winds'. (cuz when I think of mountain winds, of course, long noses come to mind..?) So we looked them over and enjoyed a moment in the cool shade before going through and walking up the stony path further up towards the inner shrine.













After climbing up the stairs, we reached a smaller entry shrine, next to a shady pond. Their over the pond was a small arched bridge that went over the pond. Looking off from the bridge, was a small stone shrine statue emerging from the pond. Circling the the stone shrine and crossing beneath the bridge were many koi -Japanese speckled carp- that were at least 2 feet long, some of them! We paused to take a photo and enjoy the view from our current perch at the bottom of the stairs that led up to the water shrine, and finally, the main shrine.
After washing our hands according to the instructions (wash left, then right, hands, clean mouth, left hand once more and then tilt ladle 90 degrees and wash ladle handle,) we walked toward the mountains, where there was a small spring gurgling up, with a dragon's head spewing water into a small pool of water. Presiding over the pool was a stoic figure, presumably a guardian spirit, guarding over the immediate area. There, a man made an offering, bowed, and began chanting a prayer that sounded more like it belonged in a Zen temple than a Shinto shrine!






















Finally, it was time to move up to the next--and second to last--shrine. There, a small water spring was bubbling, a spring that people were free to come and take water home from. Standing in front of the spring was a shrine building, guarded by two stone lions. There I made a small offering, intending to come back after I drank the water in my canteen at lunch to refill it with water (which I did.) Finally, we went up the final staircase to the main shrine hall. There happened to be a service while we were there. Actually, two, the more intriguing of which was happening...outside, and, um, around a car. Yes, that's right. There it was, a priest blessing a car. Waving the purity symbols around to get rid of any evil spirits hoping ton inhabit it (you can see them hanging off of ropes at the entrance to shrines in Japan, they look like white lightning bolts,) he was also chanting and throwing something onto the ground around the car. It was pretty surreal! Also in front of the shrine was a little boy, running around excitedly and watching the priests bang on the taiko drums (every shrine in Japan has a taiko drum that is used to open and close the shrine and also during prayer ceremonies.) Whether it was a private, commissioned ceremony for only a few people or a public ceremony I wasn't sure, but it didn't seem to make a difference to this kid. We talked to his mom, and she said he wasn't even two years old! That kid was moving around quite a bit for being so
tiny.




























After our stop at the main shrine building, it was down to the park to have a bite to eat for lunch. We walked down to a small garden, complete with pond and fountain. There were even some baby trees,

we tried to gauge their age using Jennifer's height! I carried our lunch in my llama bag as we strolled into a gazebo to eat our lunch away from the heat. After settling into the gazebo, we pulled out our sandwiches and admired the garden with its strange boulders surrounding a pond at the bottom of a hill, as well as trees and flowers around our gazebo. Enjoying our lunch while also viewing the beautiful weather and surrounding garden, I can only imagine what it must have been like to have a patio with one's own private garden to view the changes of the seasons in Japan back in the day...although, they probably weren't enjoying PB&J and apple slices!











Finally, it was one last stop to go grab more water for the canteen, then we bid goodbye to lovely Ishizuchi shrine, the carp, the flowers, and the mountain range it protected!
'til next time, Ishizuchi!

Imabari--the shores of the Inland Sea, and delicious ice cream!

On a sunny Saturday at the end of May, one of our fellow Saijo friends invited Jennifer and I to go on an 'outing' somewhere with her and her always-inquisitive son. To where we had no idea, so we grabbed our bags, headed over to her place and were told we were going to the nearby town of Imabari, about a half hour to the West. Having never spent a significant amount of time there, but having heard about the castle (as well as seen it from the train) and a certain towel museum, I was more than curious as to where the journey would take us.
As it would turn out, neither of those places.

First, it was down a highway towards Imabari, with a detour just outside of town to go to the very narrow beach of Seto Inland Sea National Park. Let's put it this way, if you were playing freeze tag with a few friends on the beach, you could run up and down the whole 'beach' and everyone could be frozen within a matter of minutes. Yeah.
it was kinda small.
But it was a beautiful day, the weather was perfect with clouds sailing above the distant islands and off towards the mountains of Saijo to the East, and we got to skip stones on the water and soak our feet in the frigid, frigid still waters of the Seto Inland Sea (I have yet to see any waves on this thing. I don't think it happens.) So, Jennifer and I chased Alex while Moto looked on and we all kicked water on each other (as it happened, my mini skirt was actually soaked by one of Alex's attacks. Thanks, dude!) and we made a sandcastle, that didnt last through the water coming ashore (the beach was mainly made of small rocks--or, maybe, large pieces of sand?--so we had to be reallly close to the water to make a castle out of anything resembling, um, sand.)
So, good times! Then we hopped back in the car with our sandy shoes, just in time to head off to a nearby farmer's market, replete with fish, fish, and more freshly caught fish! including some left out to dry (they must get more, um, delicious that way?) and a cafe for sweets, surrounded by small plants and herbs, and this giant cactus. There was a also a nearby restaurant, with this lovely setup of flowers and ... um, a poem I'll venture? Not sure what that says, but its pretty nevertheless. Of course, there was also fresh, fresh, freshly made ice cream (best ive had in Japan so far hands down) and plenty of horsing around. By the time we hung out there for a bit, it was already late and we had to come back. On the way back, we did get to see the eminent towel museum, but it was too late to stop by. Aw, man! I guess learning how towels are made will have to wait for a rainy day...

Okayama: Momotaro`s Hometown

I left on a Friday. A speeding train across the underbelly of the Great Seto Inland Sea Bridge. The weather was lovely, and the islands drifted above the nearby Seto Island sea like clouds leisurely cruising through the pale. The sunset backlit the scene, from the West, dipping behind the islands as though they were clouds obscuring all from view but the pink champagne and violet purple streaks across the lower back of the sky. It was the perfect beginning to a trip off Shikoku.

Location: Okayama (B)
That being said, my actual arrival in Okayama was fraught with doubt. Although it was a Friday night, the entire city was hushed, with even the street in front of the station muted--if this was the transportation hub of Central-West Japan, like I imagined it to be, where were the crowds of people, the hustle and bustle to go to and from bars and clubs and karaoke joints near the station? I hopped on a
streetcar and set off to find my favorite, internet cafe for my overnight stay. But first, I got lost. In heels.











After wandering with my 2 1/2 inch babies down 4 city blocks down a deserted arcade street, and down the back alley where the bus terminal/internet cafe was(n't), I found an Indian restaurant. The craving for curry superseding all else, I plopped myself down and ordered a spicy curry.
The curry wasn't spicy.
I also asked for directions to the bus terminal (/internet cafe)
I got directions on how to get back to the train station.
After that illustrious beginning, my fortune changed when I passed a Koban (police office box, here in Japan there are stations for police to wait and monitor the area, and they also give directions to lost people. They usually give directions..thats why there's a million maps in their windows and you can't miss them! Thanks po-pos!) And they pointed me toward the bus terminal. There I found my internet cafe--but not before popping into Starbucks!--and settled in for the night.







Next day I threw my bags in a locker, grabbed some breakfast on the go and headed out for the garden on the edge of the river. Short bus ride later, I was entering Ko-rakuen (a reference to pleasure after affairs of the state, a quote by Confucius) and what a pleasure it was! At 9:00 in the morning, not crowded at all, and with gorgeous sunny weather too! I took it easy, wandering through secluded forests glades with teahouses at every turn, over a Monet-esque bridge over water-lily filled ponds, across scenic stretches of open land with commanding views up to the castle, and even a look over the entire garden from a central bluff. After a stop to enjoy the pleasant surroundings with some strong (matcha) green tea, I wandered to the back of the garden where the plum trees and maples could be found, and wandered through a strange outdoor pavillion cut in two with a stream running through it, on the side of which were irises springing from a pond with a zig-zag, Tale of Genji-inspired footbridge running through it. There were forests of rustling bamboo stalks 20 ft tall, and shady coves with mini shrines to the Jizo bodhisattvas.































Then, it was around the corner to the river that divides the garden from the rest of the city, which has the lovely black Crow Castle standing guard over it. I would feel pretty cool if I was in the shadow of that castle. I'd probably offer it a peach, too, just like this kid is doing. (Actually, this kid is MomoTaro, or the little peach boy, from the legendary Japanese folk tale.) I hung out here snapped this shot and relaxed for a little bit before heading over and into the castle. Walked across the river and entered the castle keep, heading up through the gates and into the restored castle. it was pretty formidable. Luckily the inside not so much, as there was an elevator to shuffle me up to the top floor and I could leisurely drift back down. The display inside is pretty boring, and useless if you dont read Japanese, but the pictures of all of Japan's castles, and the palanquin that they used to carry the noble family in (that I got to take this picture with) made it semi-worth the stop. I headed out of the castle and back out into the beautiful weather, but not before snapping this awesome view of the park from the top floor of the castle's interior. After admiring the castle one more time from outside, I headed along the river before coming upon this sculpture park, at the junction of the riverside walk and Momotaro St. From there I headed right up the street to the Museum of the Orient, where I unexpectedly arrived at the beginning a tour of the ancient Near East history section. It was like having a listening comprehension test and a history lesson, all in one. Who knew the first wheat (=beer) was brewed...er, harvested, in the Middle East thousands of years ago? I do now. There were interesting shaped pitchers, bowls, and even seals for documentation. Then I headed upstairs for the special exhibit on Persia, with artifacts from Iran through the ages. Some were very sophisticated, and I appreciated their fine glazes and extraordinary detailing of scenes and miniatures. Even better, upstairs there was a cafe where I could enjoy something I had never tried before (despite serving it multiple times at Alsolymania hookah bar in Journal Sq...) arabic coffee! So I ordered myself a fingel masboot and waited for her to bring it over and pour it..it was so much richer than average instant coffee, like with actual complex flavors. If that's real coffee, I might become a coffee drinker. Oh the wonderful things we have received from the cradle of the world!In the cafe, I got to have a talk with a Japanese guy with impeccable English who was delivering a lecture later that day on glass and glassware as it had traveled from the Middle East along the Silk Road until the methods arrived in Japan. While I didn't stick around for the lecture, he was a cool enough guy, and mentioned his interest in Middle Eastern culture and the fact that he lived in Africa for two years when he was younger, where they spoke french and arabic, but not english. I think it must have been an interesting juxtaposition, Japanese and Arabic cultures, but not so different. They are both very hospitable and welcoming to guests, after all.






















Then, it was off to do some shopping in the arcade, where I met a really nice girl, Hitomi, who is currently studying English in Okayama. I gave her my email address and told her to look me up and to definitely come to New York City! I think it's just a really mind-blowing place for the Japanese, even after Tokyo--New York must seem really wild and untamed to the average Japanese, I think (maybe its wishful thinking haha) but she was really sweet, and I picked up some clothes I desperately needed for zazen the next day. Then I stopped by the bookstore, and finally I surprised myself by running into the Okayama Prefectural Museum of Art, and as there was a current exhibition on Angkor Wat in Cambodia, I popped in and looked around. Pictures weren't allowed, but I did manage to sketch a couple of the more interesting pictures. There were lots of Hindu references, including some finely detailed panels from the Cambodian version of the Ramayana. Even more interesting were the facial features on the Vishnus, Lakshmis, and Buddhas ... they were very soft and with wide faces, looking more pacific islander than mainland Asian. It was definitely a style I've never seen before...even more interesting were the gold leafmetal shadow puppet looking sculptures toward the end of the exhibit. With the precision of the tips of the figures, I can see how shadow puppetry must be really exciting to witness there.

Finally, that was the apex of my picture taking, at the end of the day it was one last look at the lit castle at nighttime, then an early bedtime. The next morning I was up and on the bus for 6:12 to Sougenji, the temple on the outskirts of Okayama where I had read there was a free weekly zazen meditation on Sunday mornings. And so i arrived, slipped out of my heels, got a refresher course, and then did the one hour meditation (with a break halfway through to stretch, amen.) The most interesting --and distracting, unfortunately--part was during the second half of the meditation, when the priest and his assistant came around wielding sticks that they swatted people with who looked as though they needed to reach enlightenment. They didn't hit them hard, it was mainly the sound that made me flinch! Finally, I got a ride home after a short tea ceremony from a really cool Mr. Mori, who dropped me off at the train station in time for my ride home.

So, in one weekend I got to explore a garden and a castle, visit the Middle East and Cambodia, enjoy starbucks coffee and arabic coffee, and finally, i got some Zen back in my life. Overall, a
pretty kickass weekend!