going to the chapel...

Besides taking pictures of cultural oddities when visiting another country, I also like to see how weddings are done in other places. Fortunately for me, Lori and I stumbled upon a dozen or more weddings while visiting the Shinto Meiji shrine in Tokyo one Saturday afternoon. Weddings in Japan seem to be complicated endeavors (aren't they everywhere?). Japan has had two main influences, Buddhism and Shinto, and people seem to embrace both. Japanese tend to turn to Shinto for events related to life (weddings, celebration of a baby's birth or the New Year) and Buddhism for events related to death (funerals, remembrance of one's ancestors) and mix in a little Christianity for weddings as well...kind of like a Religion Buffet.

The Japanese bride wears a white kimono and an elaborate headpiece that serves to bring good luck to the couple. A white hood is attached to the kimono, which the bride wears like a veil. Japanese grooms wear black kimonos. I've read that there is a ritual of drinking 9 cups of sake (and then singing karaoke, just kidding!) which unites the couple and the families.

At the reception, the bride changes into a red kimono and even possibly into a western-style gown. Certain wedding days are considered lucky, which I'm sure explains why we saw so many weddings at the Shrine on this day. Here are some pics of Adam & I and several of the weddings I saw in Japan.


Adam and I...






















a couple under the red parasol that is common at Japanese weddings...

















the happy couple...





















Do they look scared? Or maybe just preparing for the 9 cups of sake?

















Which one is the bride?


I wish I had taken more wedding pictures. However, as much as I love traveling, I hate being a camera-toting tourist and though there was no way I would ever fit in while in Japan, I was often times reserved in my picture taking. I guess next time I go to Japan (Adam willing), I'll be sure to be crazy with the camera.

I'm turning Japanese....and Mexican...I really think so!

Just when I was coming down from my Japan-induced high, a book came in the mail today: Dave Barry Does Japan. It is hilarious and is everything I wish I could write about such a fascinating and welcoming country. This summer has been fantastic to say the least. As a teacher, I try to cram as much into my free time that we call summer as possible. It began with a trip to Key West, followed by going on the trip of a lifetime to Japan, and completing my remaining time preparing my follow on plan. I am currently in the midst of preparing my Journey to Japan Discovery Box where I have included mass quantities of everything that is tangible in Japan into a neat little box that hopefully teachers will find useful for their classroom. When I got back from Japan, I also found out that I will be teaching Spanish again for the 1st 9 weeks of school which has sent me even further into "Culture Overdrive". I have pulled out all of my Spanish materials that have been stored for the past year and crammed them in the extra bedroom along with all of my Japanese materials as well...it looks like a small replica of the United Nations has exploded in there...just ask Adam. And speaking of my wonderful and completely patient and understanding husband, we just celebrated our 1 year anniversary (and they said it wouldn't last) and will be completing the summer with a belated anniversary celebration at the Dave Matthews & Willie Nelson concert this weekend in Memphis. Willie Nelson is my all time favorite singer to say the least and Dave Matthews is just icing on the cake. My Dad and I saw Willie (we're on 1st name basis) twice last year and I can't wait to see him this weekend. So as I try to make my last 5 days of summer as eventful as possible, I leave you with this picture. This is me in San Francisco the night before we left for Japan at the Counsel General's house. My enthusiasm was uncontrollable and I hope I begin this new school year with the same level of excitement and energy.

Engrish & random pics cont'd

1) This was on the train, where it is rude to chat on the phone. I think this is trying to say "Save your Drama for your Momma"
















2) Don't Forget Woman? What about Man? Oh, forget it!



















3) Looks like some people had problems using the toilet, hence the sign...






















4) Just to be sure that you don't try to look up...

Engrish anyone?

As I promised, a post dedicated to random signs around Japan. I think these amused me more than anything else.

1) Believe in meat only? Is the shirt trying to say "Don't Go Vegetarian"?













2) May I Have Your Attention Please Stupid American...You won't be able to read anything below this 1 line in English! This sign was outside the karaoke bar in Kamisu City and made me laugh everytime I saw it!




3) Now I've seem some Nasty Hair and maybe even been a victim, but not Natty Hair. Think it's the same?


4) Wonder what it sold here?
Stay tuned...more to come!

kah-rah-OH-kay

Joe from Miami, who was a part of my group while in Japan, sent me this comic strip today that sums up karaoke singing, at least in the US. In the United States, karaoke is more of an intoxicated dare, while in Japan you get a private room and only have to embarrass yourself in front of your friends. Lori videoed my debut of karaoke unbeknownst to me and sent it to my parents, who of course thought I had too much sake to drink because it was horrible, to say the least! I was actually, in fact, stone cold sober and just having a great time courtesy of Carrie Underwood. I'll spare you the video but here is a pic and the comic strip...

cultural oddities and fascinations...

This post is dedicated to one of the things I love about traveling to new destinations--encountering new cultural oddities in daily life, such as signs, public facilities, people, etc. I was sure to have my camera available at all times, so here is a short collection of everyday things I collected while in Japan that made me laugh or smile. Nothing says "tourist" like taking a picture of a toilet, but the "squatty" potty has already made my blog so I'll begin with something else...

1) Manners Street--Manners are a big deal in Japan, and no one wants to offend anyone or make another uncomfortable, especially when smoking. Smoking while walking is either illegal or just rude, though I never figured out which, so there are places strategically placed around the city (usually around train stations) for people to take a drag, though walking past these places is sure to give a potent dose of 2nd hand smoke.

2) Pointy Q-tips--these really frightened me, but I'm sure they are used for either make-up application or as a weapon, though I never ventured to sticking them in my ear. What do you think?



3) Child Bathroom Restraint--I was puzzled by this upon first entering the bathroom, only to realize that it's a seat to hold your baby while you do you "business"...ingenious!

4) Free Hug Signs--Though my next post will be dedicated to random signs, I feel that the "Free Hugs" sign people deserve a spot here instead. They seemed to be the happiest people and were standing ready to give a free hug to anyone that needed it. I wasn't brave enough to give this guy a hug, but on my last day in Japan, I couldn't miss out on this cultural aspect and just had to cuddle up with these kids...

I wonder what people from other countries take a picture of when they visit the United States? I'm sure that some things that are "normal" to us seem strange to others.

Following Form

In Japan, there seems to be a correct way to do almost everything--and I mean everything! In earlier posts, I mentioned the difficulty I had in taking my shoes off and putting slippers on, eating food, bowing, among other things. I could not keep all of the "rules" straight and I was doomed for failure...or so it seemed. One "rule" that really gave me fits was how to correctly give money to the cashier in order to pay for something. How many of you have really given any thought to this? Well, in Japan, there is a small tray on the counter, specifically designed for the customer to place the money, which they slide to the cashier, who then puts the change back in the tray, and slides it back to the customer. The tray has raised rubber bumps in it, which makes it easier to pick up coins. With a tray, change is all in one place, in a nice, neat little container, like most things are in Japan. Or maybe it's because of the dirtiness of handling money and germs. Who knows? For some reason, I could just not get used to this and I was sometimes doing good just to give the cashier the proper amount of money (all of those zeros confused me sometimes....10,000 yen is roughly equal to $100).

patience is a virtue

One of my classes in graduate school required us to do something we had never done before, such as taking a cooking class at the Viking School, which is what I did. The purpose of the assignment was to force us to follow directions in order to learn something new, which in an essence, made us see and feel how our students feel in our own classes. Kind of role reveral which also made us try something new. This simple activity had a profound imapact on me and I still remember it today and try to take a class whenever I get a chance. This past May, when my patience with my own students was wearing thin, I was in yoga class, trying to do something new and challenging and not succeeding. The patience my teacher had with me became such an inspiration and kindly reminded me to be patient with my own students. I also had an opportunity to take a stained glass class where I shattered an entire plate of glass and the teacher just calmly walked over, got the broom and a new plate of glass for me without saying a word. I wondered how I would have reacted if one of my students had done the same. This calm gesture by the teacher once again kindly reminded me to be patient, whether I'm the teacher or the student.
Being in Japan was in a sense, a 3 week crash course...and teachers can be the worst students sometimes! While there, I experienced the feeling of illiteracy that people of limited English skills feel in our country. I was totally dependent on someone else as I could not even read the Japanese characters to sound out words. I was essentially in a "language fog" for the entire time I was in Japan. Thankfully, restaurants had displays of wax food and my pointer finger definitely got a workout while in Japan. There are so many things I learned while in Japan, that it sometimes seems overwhelming. But one thing I did learn, was to be patient with my own students who are struggling, just like I do sometimes in various situations.
So as a new school year is approaching, I encourage you to try something new and break out of your comfort zone--you'll be surprised what you learn about yourself and others!

vending machines

Japan has the highest number of vending machines per capita--an estimated 1 vending machine for every 23 people! They are everywhere!! Most vending machines that I saw were stocked with drinks and snacks which I'm sure is due to the large amount of people on the run (by foot) at all hours. Because of the large amounts of vending machines, one would assume that there would be trash cans to deposit the garbage, but people don't eat or drink on the street (and definitely not walk while smoking--I think it's illegal). The streets are immaculately clean even though there aren't trash cans anywhere on the streets! Japan has a high population density, limited space, a preference for shopping on foot or by bicycle (as most people don't have cars) and low rates of vandalism, so vending machines appear to a convenient way to sell and purchase various goods. While the majority of machines in Japan are stocked with drinks, snacks, and cigarettes, I heard of some selling sake, beer and various other goods and some even sell hot drinks and food! Want to guess what "Pocari Sweat" might be?

C is for cookie, that's good enough for me

When we first boarded the bus upon arriving at Narita Airport, the 2 hour ride provided our tour guide, Laura, an opportunity to tell us a few things about Japan and Tokyo in particular. The first thing she said was that Japan is not only the "Land of the Rising Sun" but also the "Land of the Rising Yen" which I thought was pretty clever. Another thing she told us was that Japan is composed of 5 C's (I've forgotten the exact ones that she mentioned, so I'm just ad libbing and adding my own about Tokyo in general):
1) concrete--the first thing I noticed about Japan was the vast amounts of concrete! There is alot of green too, but the concrete definitely takes over.
2) construction--and speaking of concrete, there is construction everywhere, with buldings and skyscrapers going up everywhere you look
3) congestion--of course it's crowded, but not as I expected. Very few people have cars, which makes the train/subway crowded at rush hour, as it would in any large city.
4) confusion--most streets in Tokyo do not have names which I'm sure wreaks havoc on the postman. They also drive and walk on the LEFT side of the street and road, which confused me all the time. It's hard to train yourself to look the opposite way, or walk on the opposite side of the street. Needless to say, Japan can be confusing for not only the gaijins (foreigners) but it seems that there are many things that confuse even the Japanese. There are rules for everything that I will get into in later posts.
5) contradiction--there is a Japan that exists now and there is a traditional Japan, which are very distinct yet blend at the same time. A Shinto Shrine may be nestled in between two buildings or my favorite example is this picture of a modern hotel that was built around a traditional garden. The Japanese do a great job of preserving tradition while embracing modernity...kind of like the contrast in the toilets!

which way is front?

Before visiting Japan, I really thought all toilets were created equal, aside from the European version of the bidet that the US never embraced, but that's another story. Today's story is about the Japanese style toilet "squatty potty" and it how it became one of my biggest challenges while in Japan, ranking right up there with eating. Who knew it could be so hard? I'm sure cleanliness and cost effectiveness were the driving forces behind the design of this style of toilet, but it comes as a shock to Americans and is somewhat perplexing, to say the least. I mentioned the high-tech toilets in one of my first posts, and the "squatty" is definitely on the low-tech end of the spectrum. Another contrast in Japan, I guess. Many foreigners are baffled as to which way to face when squatting to do what they came to do. I only had to use the squatty once while at a karaoke venue as I searched out for "western" toilets everywhere I went. Most department stores have them as do restaurants though I actually think these "normal" toilets are for the handicapped though "not being able to use the squatty without wetting my clothes" could be considered a handicap I'm sure. The squatty is something that I hope I will never have to do again without serious training. I'm sure Japanese women have thighs of steel from using the squatties and I bet yoga is a cinch for them as well. Oh yeah, just in case you ever find yourself faced with a "squatty" while in Japan...you should face the raised portion of the toilet, toward the flusher (does that part of the toilet even have a name?...hmmmm)

Pachinko

Pachinko is one of Japan's favorite pastimes and seems to be very popular with the salaryman for after hours entertainment. One of our last nights in Tokyo, we decided to venture into a Pachinko parlor, as we had passed by these establishments everyday and they are rahter mysteriuos venues. Pachinko is often described as Japanese pinball with a slot machine twist. Actually, the only thing that resembles pinball is the steel balls that are used. We weren't exactly sure what to do, and the constant clinging of the pinballs and the smokiness of the place is almost mind-boggling....it is LOUD and smoky. Hello 2nd hand smoke! We first had to purchase balls, which entails feeding the machine money thought the slot. The balls then come out of the machine into a loading area at the bottom. To play, you insert the balls and then turn the shooter knob to the right which adjusts the speed of the ball. From there, the ball is shot somewhat rapidly and fall through pins and other contraptions where the goal is to...well, I'm not really sure. There is a video at the top of the machine that I'm sure somehow relates to the game if we only knew Japanese. Confusion ended the game quickly for us and we just basically wanted to be able to say we had played pachinko, so we gathered our balls and hunted for the place to convert the balls to money or prizes though we never found either, so we just left the little balls behind. See, gambling is illegal in Japan but everyone knows that pachinko is played for money. To get around this, balls are exchanged for prizes (like at Chuck E. Cheese...though I've heard that some give tickets for the prize). You then take the prize around the corner to a small window in the wall (I never saw one so I'm sure they are hidden really well), and exchange it for money money money. Sure is sneaky but rather clever! Here is me "playing" pachinko...the seriousness of my face is actually a look of confusion.

walk a mile in my shoes...

So I never really put as much thought into shoes as I've done while in Japan. Don't get me wrong, I do love the shoe department at Macy's, but after getting them home and finding the perfect outfit, I don't put much more thought into their existence...much less sheer terror and confusion. The first night in Japan, we went to a restaurant where you had to remove your shoes (see blog post) and of course I screwed up. And then the next day, being so mindful to not screw up, I did just that. The American in me cannot let go of keeping my shoes on at all facilities and when I do remove my flip-flops (my shoe of choice when the temp goes above 75 degrees), I'm not sure if going barefoot is proper etiquette either. My grandmother, Mrs. No White Shoes After Labor Day, would be in tizzy about all this for sure. When we visited the schools in Kamisu, we had to remove our shoes, place them in bins and then put on our slippers. And there are rules for proper removal that I won't get into...mainly because I'm not quite sure about them myself. I "accidently on purpose" forgot my slippers only to find that the school provides back up pairs just for those guests who came without. How sweet! This is a pic of my school-issued brown slippers and Stacy's fancy purple fuzzy ones. It's hard to take anyone seriously while wearing these slippers, but it does provide for a good laugh!
School children remove their shoes, place them in storage bins, change into their "school shoes" (everyone has the same pair), only to change into "toilet shoes" to use in the bathroom, PE shoes for gym class...the list goes on and on. I wonder if they have a "Proper Shoe Etiquette" Class on the 1st day of school because I would sure fail.
At the host family's house, I had to remove my shoes to enter the house, slide into the slippers, remove them if I went to the tatami mat floor room, slide into toilet slippers to go to the toilet, remove slippers to enter the "bath" room.....I just couldn't keep it all straight!!!! The hotel even provided slippers in my room, but I never ventured out to wear them, mainly because no one was around to notice.

“It’s a long way from Iuka, Mississippi, to the big stage I’m singing on tonight...

Think you can "kara" a tune, "oke"? The first part of the word,"kara", comes from the word "karappo" meaning empty or void. The second half of the word,"oke",comes from the word "okesutura," from the English word orchestra. Our last day as a group was, of course, heralded with a bit of karaoke! (pronounced the Japanese way: “kah-rah-oh-kay”…not “carry-oh-key” like we pronounce it…but who cares, right?). We left Akasaka Prince hotel after the Sayonara buffet (all 14+ of us) to find a perfect place to sing our little hearts out…and that we did! We had a big room equipped with two microphones to share in our own little private karaoke paradise. The room even had a phone that you can call for more drinks (or food). So…I ventured to Japan with only one desire…to sing my signature “Tiny Dancer” karaoke style. Sadly, though, there was no "Tiny Dancer" on the playlist at any of the karaoke bars I visited in Japan (this was my 4th time at karaoke and I love it!). My substitute for “Tiny Dancer” was Carrie Underwood’s “Before He Cheats” which I do an outstanding job at, I might add. This place didn’t have “Tiny Dancer” nor “Before He Cheats”, so I was a little bummed until I found Faith Hill’s “Mississippi Girl” to sing as my last song of the night and the last song of the trip before returning to Mississippi. Lori and I left a little early to get some sleep, but not before a photo session at the top of the hotel.

Sayonara makes me want to say "Hasta La Vista" Baby...

Wednesday was our last full day in Tokyo before the mass group departure. All of the groups did a presentation about their time in their 10 respective cities. Some groups were really creative and some even brought a tear to my eye as I couldn't believe what an incredible experience this has been. Our time here has been really amazing and the hospitality shown by the Japan government would make any Southern woman proud (I do declare, Troi!). My group, Kamisu, did a presentation put together at the last minute on the bus ride back to Tokyo on Monday. Some groups really put alot of time and practice into their presentations, but the Kamisu group favored sake in Club Troi's room more than choreographing show tunes, so we just gave the nuts and bolts of our trip, courtesy of a Dave Letterman style "Top 10 Things we learned in Kamisu City". I think we did a great job and even Dr. Satterwhite (the director) commented on our presentation several times that day. It was interesting to see the similarties and differences in everyone's experiences. Two groups visited cities that had just been hit by earthquakes the day before they arrived which further showed the hospitality shown by these people, even during disasters. Wednesday night was the Sayonara Buffet. It was very similar to the Welcome reception dinner that we had at the beginning of the trip with cocktails and an endless buffet. There were a few speeches, some videos from the groups, a martial arts demonstration called aikido and then group pictures at the end. Our tour guide, Laura (actually her name was Kumiko but she told us to call her Laura), came as did the group coordinator from Kamisu City, so we got to say goodbye to them and show our thanks and appreciation. The Japanese Fulbrighters presented money collected for the victims of Hurricane Katrina which was accepted by Betsy from our group who is from New Orleans. Betsy then asked us to reciprocate such a gracious donation by taking up money for the earthquake victims of Japan which further demonstrated what can be accomplished when 2 countries work together. At the end of the evening, we all sang Auld Lang Syne, which is usually sung at graduations in Japan. The evening was kind of bittersweet though I think that we were all ready to go home. Even so, it's sad leaving new friends and this wonderful country...but not without a "final farewell" karaoke style...

Tokyo Tower...the Eiffel copycat

Tuesday night my personal tour guide, Lori, had to teach some English at work, which left me to fend for myself for the 1st time. I met up with some fellow JFMFers and went to Tokyo Tower via taxi. This was my first time in a taxi in Tokyo (they are really really expensive so we take the subway). Our driver was hilarious and he had a slight resemblance to Elvis. What do you think?
Anyway, so we arrived at the Tower and began a photo shoot that didn't end until we came down from the top. Though I had seen the Tower from afar, this was my first up close and personal view and I really got some good pictures. Tokyo Tower is used as a communications tower and tourist attraction. Built in 1958, it is based on the design of the Eiffel Tower and was built as a symbol of Japan's emergence as a global economic powerhouse. Not sure why they didn't come up with their own design....The Tokyo Tower is 9 meters (30 feet) taller than the Eiffel. We went up to the Main Observatory (155 m or 508 feet) and were able to see a 360 degree view of Tokyo and even saw Mt. Fuji (kind of) through the clouds and smog, off in the distance. You supposedly can only see it from Tokyo 1 out of 5 days though I'm not sure today's faint glimpse counted. There is a Shrine on this floor of the Tower (boasted to be the highest in town, obviously), as it seems there is a shrine for everything in this country. There was even one at the Fish Market yesterday, but I never saw it and was not willing to risk my life to find it. Anyway, we braved the next set of elevators and went up to the "Special Observatory" which is 250 meters or 820 feet tall (just a little taller than the highest point in MS & Iuka, Woodall Mountain). This level also offers a 360 degree view through an enclosed circular observatory and the walls are made almost entirely of glass. Having had enough of "sightseeing" we got back in a taxi and went to Asakusa (yes, this was my 3rd visit) and had dinner in the same area. It was a restaurant without a menu (or maybe just not one in English) so we had to use our pointer fingers to show the waiter what we wanted. This is Mary ordering (pointing) her meal. Good thing beer is the same in any language!

Something fishy at sunrise...

I'm not exactly sure who had the bright idea to get up at 4:45am to visit the Tsukiji Fish Market, but I'm glad we sacrificed a little sleep (and our lives) to visit such a Tokyo landmark. Tokyo's normally lively streets and train stations were quiet and the smell of fish was evident immediately after we exited the train at the Fish Market stop...we knew we were in the right place. Arriving at the largest fish market in the world, it was nothing less than controlled chaos. If you're not careful you could end your life here, crushed under a tuna or a man wheeling a cart or driving a fork lift full of human-sized tuna. We really needed eyes in the back of our heads for this trip because I saw my life flash before my eyes several times. We saw the auction from the opening in the airplane hangar like building, filled with fat silver and black skinned tuna so big I think I could fit inside one. Lori commented that she didn't know tuna existed outside of the Chicken of the Sea can...I too was amazed at the size of these fish!! Tourists are no longer welcome at the tuna auctions as the camera-toting curiosity seeking foreigners (gaijin) were getting in the way of business and we too, felt like we were in the way the entire time. We had planned to eat sushi at one of the stalls surrounding the market after our visit, but after smelling the fish and sloshing around in fish gravy (FYI: flip flops are not a good idea) we decided to go back to the hotel and clean off instead.

food for thought...

One common theme on this trip (besides shopping and shrines) has been that our similarities far outweigh our differences. But as more than 70% of Americans do not possess a passport, are we "tuning out the world"? I encourage you to travel and learn more about humankind and yourself in the process...it really will open your eyes! Click here to read more: http://yaleglobal.yale.edu/display.article?id=6553
And check out this video that Laura from my group just sent me....it feels like the world comes together in this video:
Where the Hell is Matt? (2008) from Matthew Harding on Vimeo.

maid in Tokyo

The ryokan visit was the most awesome experience, especially after a rigorous schedule for the past 17 days! I felt like I really had a chance to relax and really get to know my group members. We boarded the bus early to return to Tokyo, but not after a little shopping and shrine visiting...which seems to be the theme for the trip! We arrived in Tokyo at 11:30 and luckily our luggage and rooms were all ready for us. The Japanese really know about customer service...we were assigned the same rooms we had the last time we were in Tokyo, so it felt like coming home in a sense. When I opened the door to my room, the maid had left me a note along with my camera's battery charger I had searched for high and low....I was so excited that I wouldn't have to spend all afternoon at electronics stores trying to find a Sony battery charger that seemed to be easy enough, but wasn't. Speaking of maids, Lori met me at the hotel (her wonderful boss let her off for the day so we could venture out one last time) and we did some last minute shopping and then went to Akihabara which is the electronics & technology district. While there, we visited a "maid cafe" which is becoming a popular industry in Japan, especially in Akihabara, where many "game geeks" hang out. Read this article for more--it's crazy!!! http://uniorb.com/ATREND/Japanwatch/maidcafe.htm

We walked in, a little nervous about what to expect (it's usually only guys who go to these places but we wanted to see for ourselves and thought that our "foreign-ness" would forgive any faux pas). We sat down and our maid washed our hands with a warm towel and then introduced herself as "I'm bunny" as she had bunny ears on and of course a maid costume. $5000 yen later, we had eaten cheesecake, played Crocodile Dentist with "I'm bunny" (I got to wear bunny ears because I lost) and even had a Polaroid picture taken with her as a souvenir. The people (all guys) in the cafe were engaged in a lively discussion with the maid-suited girls behind the counter, who seemed genuinely, deeply interested in them. These guys come in and basically pay for companionship. Through absolutely no effort on their part, they can be assured that a pretty woman will focus her attention exclusively on them for as long as they keep paying money. During the trip, we had heard more and more how teenagers are becoming socially inept due to rigorous studying and video game playing, among others and it seems that a maid cafe provides them with a little human interaction...but it still seems strange to me! It was a true Japanese experience!!

the art of bathing

This is us sporting the yukatas while enjoying a hot springs foot soak in the lobby of the ryokan...

One would think that having lived in a house full of girls, a college dorm, and a sorority house would have prepared me for the day when all modesty would be lost. The bus ride to the ryokan was one of dread and panic...who would have thought bathing would be met with such sheer terror by us Americans? Bathing is an art form in Japan, and this total "immersion" cultural experience in Japan was about to include an "immersion" in a hot springs bath at a ryokan with 10 of our best naked friends. A ryokan embodies the very essence of Japan and is surely the accommodation of choice if you wish to personally experience the uniqueness of Japan - the architecture, lifestyle, nature, traditions and culture. Staying at a Japanese ryokan offers a splendid opportunity to familiarize you with the spirit of Japanese hospitality and graceful customs that have been passed down over many generations. You can experience the elements of Japanese culture and customs: staying in a room with tatami (straw mat) flooring, changing into a typical yukata (robe), taking an onsen hot-spring bath, sleeping on a futon (bedding) put down directly on the tatami floor.
We arrived at the ryokan, perched high on the mountain of Tsukuba, one of the most famous mountains in Japan (obviously behind Mt. Fuji). Click here for more info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mt._Tsukuba My host family kept telling me I was going to "scuba" and having pictured scuba gear and diving...I was a little confused though elated when we pulled up to the gorgeous inn, nestled in the mountain and surrounded by trees and nature. We quickly changed into our yukata for dinner of a lavish feast followed by the dip we had dreaded. The sake flowed like the river below our feet, which just gave us the needed confidence to get in (Stacy dared me to do a cannon ball, but the bath was just too shallow...maybe next time). It was actually a very nice soak, though it took a lot of sake and a lot of "I'll never see these people again" thoughts to get me in there, but I'm glad I did. As loud Americans, we sometimes found it difficult to be "graceful and still" like the Japanese, but I think we accomplished just that on this trip to the ryokan. However, it does take a little grace (and a prayer) to position the towel just right over the "important" parts as you move from the shower to the bath, then quickly move it to your head where it won't get wet...and the scalding hot bath stuns you into the stillness we all needed...

TO MY FAITHFUL READERS: Please bear with me as I get recover from jet lag and try to get caught up on my postings. I will be posting every day for awhile, so please check back often. I will also get my pics up ASAP!