Splendors of Japan
Day Five – 15 May 2014
Takayama
Weather: Cloud, rain, 19
Up at four, but stayed in bed till five and I couldn’t resist any more. I got up and looked out to see blue sky.
Cool.
Then I checked the forecast. We’re right in between two systems and the one to the west is headed this way and we expect rain this afternoon.
We don’t leave for the walking tour of Takayama until 9 am, so I took my time getting up and went down to breakfast at 7:30. It was quite nice. Not a huge selection but what was there was unique and delicious. They had pork dumplings, rolled omelet and chocolate croissants.
Did I mention that I’m packing on a few pounds again?
Wonder why.
We met up with Kimiko and people immediately wanted to know about some of the items in our rooms. There was a canister next to the kettle with what looked like a pink dried flower but the flower part was crystalized. I tasted it and couldn’t place it and apparently it’s dried salt. There was also a little packet that most people would think was powdered creamer, but I tasted that and had no idea. Turns out it was powdered mushroom tea. And a little wrapped item was a sweet.
I didn’t ask if the clothes that looked like karate-wear on my bed were pajamas.
Today we have no bus. The tour is a walking tour of Takayama. We have two gentlemen who are not 100% mobile but both managed it quite easily. It’s all flat with a lot of breaks. We went out on to the street and Kimiko again proclaimed that her good luck doll has worked.
For now.
I’ve seen the radar.
We walked by a school and it was in session. Kimiko said they have 6-3-3-4. Six years of elementary. Three years of junior high. Three years of Senior high. Four years of university.
Our first stop is to the float museum. Now, when you read in the itinerary that you’re going to see floats, don’t think of the Macy’s parade. These floats are works of art.
There are two festivals that take place in the region. One shrine hosts a spring festival on April 14/15 and the local shrine hosts one on October 9/10. There are 23 floats but only 4 are displayed. The 4 displayed are rotated and the rest are stored throughout the community. The floats can be disassembled but a fire resulted in them keeping the floats in one piece.
The first one we see is actually a portable shrine that weighs 2.5 tons and requires 80 people to carry it. The problem is that the bearers all have to be of similar height and they haven’t been able to find 80 people of similar height who are willing to carry it, so it hasn’t moved in over 50 years.
The four floats are ornate with embroidered curtains and gold plated sculptures. One is famous for its puppet show and is considered a cultural asset. The floats are on wheels so no similar-height volunteers are necessary. After the floats, we visited a museum next door with some models of buildings. I didn’t catch what it was about. I was taking pics of the floats.
After the museum, we moved on to Takayama House where we could check out the home and sample some Japanese tea. They had a display of Samurai items near the entrance that was put up for the recent festival and hasn’t been removed yet.
Kimiko showed us the altar in the house and said that in a fire, they don’t run to the photo albums. They take the altar.
Kimiko gave us a lesson on how to sit on the mats. The tagami mats are always the same size – 180 x 90 cm and a room is referred to by the number of mats. A bedroom would be like a ten mat room. The mats are connected by a hem that is usually black but can be crested. It used to be considered impolite to step on the hem so it would have been like trying to walk on a sidewalk and avoiding the cracks. Kimiko said the floor is raised so that there is ventilation and modern mats have a covering that can be replaced to preserve the mats as long as possible. And then they can be flipped over. They are thick and a bit spongy to walk on. Japan is very humid and everything in the house is meant to absorb the humidity – the mats, the wood frame and paper walls.
After we had our tea, Kimiko took us to the river where some shops were opening up and gave us some time to walk the street and meet her at the next bridge.
One tourmate misheard the timings thinking it was 12:15, not 11:45 and Kimiko went looking for her with no luck. (She spoke into the earphone hoping she would hear – which she would have if she had had it on as our earphone set has awesome range…up to 500 m).
We were ready to leave when we saw her and everyone waved to her.
She waved back and casually sauntered into the next shop thinking she had another 20 minutes.
LOL. You should have heard the chorus of “NO!!!” from everyone on top of the stairs.
Kimiko ran down to her and we could translate the conversation. The wide eyes and pointing to the watch were “OMG, I thought it was 12:15!”
From here, we walked along a shopping street that maintains the traditional Japanese style and dropped into a sake shop where we were treated to a free-for-all sake sampling and we got to keep the little cups.
I tried the dry and found it quite nice.
I didn’t try any others.
I don’t want to have to be carried back to the hotel.
Outside, the shop is indicated by a large cedar ball. Traditionally, it would be green and would turn brown. The colour was indicative of how mature the sake was. Today, they put it up and leave it.
From here, we head to the government house. The best introduction for this is straight out of the itinerary:
“Takayama Jinya was a former government outpost that was established in order to bring the Hida Province under the direct control of the Edo Bakufu (Shogunate) in 1629. The Takayama Jinya served as the local government office, headed by the officials dispatched from Edo. The present building complex includes various rooms for administrative purposes: kitchens, residential space, a court room and storehouses. It was in official use until 1969, and is now open to the public as a museum.”
It also has a granary where the rice paid as tax was stored and later sold. There is also a torture room.
Not sure if that was used up to 1969.
When we were done, the rain started to fall. Within seconds, it was a drenching downpour.
Great timing! The doll did its job….just.
From here, we headed to lunch which was hida beef. We passed the A tour on the way and they gushed over the lunch. It was like strips of the beef sitting on top of a mini BBQ heated with two little alcohol candles that cooked the beef and the sprouts and other garnishes. We had to BBQ our own meat so the four of us at our table had one little BBQ each.
The meal was delicious. The beef just melts in your mouth. We got rice and a yogurt dessert that I thought was cheesecake.
It was about 2:30 when we were done and set free on the town. It was still pouring out but a lot of the area has the sidewalks covered. Except for the old traditional street. I took my time shopping and taking pictures of cats. Well, not live ones. I’ve pretty well given up on live cat searches, but there is more than enough artificial ones on the shelves in every shape and material.
In one shop, I was chased out when I took a picture of some expensive cat hangings. I was actually considering buying one. Way to chase out your customers! LOL
Another shop had metal sculptures of Alien and this time I made sure I could take pictures least I get attacked with chopsticks.
I got my fridge magnet but for the life of me, there are like 2 t-shirts in all of Japan and I have one of them.
The rain began to pound as I headed back to the hotel and my plantars fasciitis was acting up. All around me were cyclists riding home in the pouring rain….holding umbrellas.
Yeah. You heard that right.
Granted, I would have happily hitched a ride once I was out from under the covered sidewalks. As I walked into the hotel the bellgirls couldn’t help but giggle at my state. I ran into a tourmate who was looking for his wife and I said I hadn’t see her but he should check out the canoes docked by the entrance. When I got into the elevator, I looked back and there was a puddle on the floor.
A hot shower was never so appreciated!
But it had to wait. Sumo wrestling is on!
Go to Day Six
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