Katsuura, Nachi Falls and more sacred spaces

The most challenging part of writing this blog is condensing everything we’ve done and seen into short posts. Today is no exception. First, a map of our train ride from Kyoto to Osaka and then around the coast of the Kii peninsula to the fishing village of Katsuura, which is known for its tuna catch.

We’re staying in a ryokan with our own private onsen overlooking the Pacific Ocean and Nachi Beach across the inlet. It’s fun to think that this is the same water that is Laguna Beach, on the other side of the world.

The morning view from our room reminds me a bit of Hawaii, with the green hills that meet the sea. I also saw a palm tree here, so I guess it’s fairly tropical. Today the weather was balmy and in the high 60s F.

After yet another huge ryokan dinner and breakfast (seriously, who can eat this much?), we hopped a local bus up mountain to Nachi Falls and the UNESCO site of the Kumano Nachi Grand Shrine (Shinto) and the Nachisan Seiganto-Ji Temple (Buddhist), which once were part of the same religious site but were separated by the Japanese government in the 1800s.

This religious site contains many buildings. The photo above is from the interior of the Three Story Pagoda with a gold many-armed Buddha.

This Laughing Buddha reminded us of Poppy — round, happy and quick to laugh. We rubbed his tummy for good luck, as Poppy said to do.

This is the exterior of the pagoda with Nachi Waterfall behind (see below for more about the waterfall).

This is the exterior of the Buddhist Temple. The inside is very beautiful, but I didn’t want to take photos while the monks and others were having a service.

Some of the Shinto buildings, freshly repainted in colorful orange.

The gate leading to the waterfall.

Hannah burning a prayer stick. I hope her wishes come true.

I feel very tiny but very happy to be here on this beautiful, sacred mountain.

Hannah and I both descended into the trunk of this tree, said to be good luck to anyone who visits. We felt like hobbits in there. And in case we needed more good luck, we also drank water from the falls, which is said to promote longevity.

Click here for Nachi Falls. https://youtube.com/shorts/O3fDZcalvNY?feature=share

At 436 feet (133 meters), Nachi Falls is the tallest single drop waterfall in Japan. It is called Hiro-jinja Shrine because it is said to contain a diety called Hiro-Gongen, who promotes connection and marital harmony. Without a man made shrine, one worships to the waterfall.

Finally, tuna. 

Using long-line fishing, boats that dock here catch and sell bluefin, big-eye, yellowfin and albacore tuna. We’ve eaten tuna sushi for each of our three meals here, plus a lot of other kinds of seafood, including whale (didn’t like it). 

Dinner

Breakfast

Lunch

So much more to share, but for now will leave you with this. Time for me to head to the hot tub!

 

Miyako Odori

You’ve probably heard of geisha or read the novel Memoirs of a Geisha. Kyoto is the primary city in Japan for geisha, who entertain in private tea houses. Entertainment includes singing, playing traditional musical instruments, dancing, and the art of hospitality, including hosting tea ceremonies. Once a year, in celebration of spring, the geisha perform for the public, and the most famous of these performances is the Miyako Odori, which we were fortunate to see today at the newly restored Kabu Kaburenjo theatre in Gion. Photos of the performance are not permitted, but we did find one from the final dress rehearsal to share.

Plus, there was a photo op in the lobby.

                       

We loved the show for its elaborate costumes, make-up, and storytelling dance performances that were rich with near-perfect, very challenging choreography. The music was sung and played live, all by women. All in all, I’m guessing there were close to 50 geisha (also known as geiko and maiko) in the cast. 

A side note: Geiko (a variation of the term geisha) begin their careers as apprentices called ‘maiko’, usually at age 15. From then on, they move into a geiko house and dedicate their lives to the geiko world. After learning the basics of geisha traditions, behavior and dress, they study music, dance and calligraphy, and begin to join the geiko in entertaining clients. Around the age of 20, maiko graduate from their apprenticeship, and become fully-fledged geiko.

The first time that Gion Kobu’s nationally-famous geiko performed in public was in 1872. Since the second season in 1873, the dances have been held at the Gion Kobu Kaburenjo Theatre. 

The geisha perform three times a day every day during the month of April, which would seem to be very hard on the body, as the dances are very physical. Plus, every performance is expected to be flawless.

Though not flawless ourselves, we walked to and from the theatre for the show (over 6 miles) so we stopped in Gion for lunch and then at a store and cafe with everything matcha! Of course, we indulged.

We leave Kyoto tomorrow for Kii Katsura. Sayonara, Kyoto — we love you!

Body, mind & spirit

Halfway through our Japan trip, today was a day about taking good care of ourselves. For me, that meant a pilgrimage to the summit of the sacred Mount Inari through the 10,000 bright orange Torii gates of the Fushimi Inari Shrine. The day was warm and sunny and I took my time climbing up the 12,000 stairs, stopping along the way at the many shrines. The wind blew cherry blossoms all around me like snow as I reached the summit. Pure magic.

The gates wind through stunning forest landscapes. Bird songs abound as crowds speak in hushed voices on the ascent.

The shrines are protected by fox statues. This one looked particularly playful.

Here you can see one of the many stone lantern posts that surround Shinto shrines.

Hannah joined me for part of the visit, then opted for some R&R at the hotel. In the afternoon, we both enjoyed in-room massages by petite older women massage therapists. Quiet dinner of smoothies and salads, a small sweet for dessert and then early to bed. Perfect nourishment for body, mind & spirit.

Obubu Tea Farm

Perhaps the most out-of-the-way place on our Japan itinerary is Obubu Tea Farm, about an hour outside of Kyoto in the hilly farm area known as Wazuka, where much of the world’s fine matcha tea is grown, harvested and processed. Two trains and a bus were required to get there, but it was definitely worth the schlep. Think of it like wine country, but for tea. So here’s what we learned:

Because of its geography and climate, Wazuka is very well suited to growing tea, and farmers have been doing so in these hills for hundreds of years. Much as with wine, many cultivars (types) of teas are planted here and, when pruned, grow in beautiful, green lines of bushes that make for stunning scenery.

Also similar to wine, tea plants must grow for several years before the leaves can be harvested. Only the fresh, young leaves are harvested each year in spring for the finest teas. The summer harvest makes for a more robust tea flavor, and fall harvest teas are generally used for cooking rather than drinking. Tea plants can be harvested for 50 or 60 years, with some of the old plants as prized as old grape vines.

Once the leaves are picked, they must be processed within hours. For green tea, leaves are steamed to retain color and flavor and stop the oxidation process. Obubu grows and processes its tea on site to make sencha green tea primarily. It’s a small operation that relies on international interns to help and learn every step of the process. 

The interns taught us all about the farm and its operations. They also served us many, many varieties of tea, including one cup of cold-brewed tea that we drank on the hillside next to the tea plants.

The arc-shaped machine is used to cut the leaves, which are blown into a collection bag.

Then the tea is steamed, rolled and dried before packaging. Some of the tea is single-farm and sold directly by Obubu, while other harvests are sold to outside companies that blend teas from various farms to make their own products.

Our tour included a tasty vegetarian lunch, with a tiny salad made of tea with dried crispy rice with soy sauce. We learned that the taste of the tea depends on the cultivar, time of harvest, weather, brewing time and temperature. Hannah’s favorite tea was a young sencha picked in springtime. Not surprisingly, I loved the matcha tea as well as the genmaicha, which is made with tea and roasted rice. Go to obubutea.com if you’d like to learn more, and visit the farm if you can. We had a great time!

The fun and the fantastical

Dear me, I didn’t know I’d show up on this blog! I’m one of some 1200 deer that wander the streets and parks of Nara, Japan. I love people, especially the ones who buy and feed me crackers. I’ll be your tour guide for today. 

Check out this video of Hannah and me: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Iq-JpQRJg98

Deer aren’t the only reason to come to Nara. It’s a really ancient city, dating back to the 7th century, and served as Japan’s first capital city and the seat of our first Emperor from 710-794. Nara Buddhism was incorporated into the national government at that time, so there are many ancient temples in Nara. Even today, it is the center of Buddhist study in Japan.

This is Todai-ji Temple. It may look small here, but its one of the largest wooden structures in the world. 

Those of you who hold numbers dear, note that the front of the temple is 187 feet long, and its height is 160 feet high — almost a 12-story building. The gold fish tails at the top are said to protect the temple from harm, but in all honesty, it’s burned and had to be rebuilt twice over the centuries so I’m rather skeptical of all that magical thinking.

The temple is guarded by huge Nio statues, or Guardians of the Faith. Scary, huh?

The primary Buddha inside the Great Buddha Hall is one of the largest bronze Buddhas in the world. Again, you can’t tell from the photo, so just imagine:

He’s nearly 50 feet high

His head is 18 feet tall

His ear is 8 feet tall

And his nostril is big enough for a child or a small adult to crawl through.

These guys are as impressive as they are gigantic.

Hannah and Lauren visited some serene Japanese gardens today, too, but blah, blah, blah… 

I’d rather show you these insane guys beating the crap out of mochi: Click the link below.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=m417xPr5_rA

               The result: a warm, delicious mochi treat filled with red bean paste and coated in some sort of sweet peanut dust. Sounds weird but people like that sort of thing. Different strokes for different folks.

And if mochi pounding isn’t odd enough, you could order sushi on a touch-screen…

Ah, Japan, we love you!

Time for Tea (and champagne)

Kyoto is all about tradition, and if there’s one activity that’s perhaps the most traditional of all in Japan, it’s the tea ceremony. Hannah and I learned to formally participate in a tea service at the home of a Kyoto tea instructor who taught us how to bow, carry a fan (unopened), sit, greet our hostess, apologize for taking tea first (or before the host), slurp the final mouthful of tea, and finally, to make tea in the formal way that it’s been done here for centuries. Check out our video here: https://youtu.be/n4-rCj2D388

The afternoon and evening were filled with more food experiences and a picturesque stroll by the Kamogaro River and Takase-gawa Canal. The river flows south to Fushimi.

The shallow canal was dug around 1614 for flat-bottomed boats to carry cargo from Osaka and other cities to Fushimi. More than 100 boats once operated along the canal contributing to the economic prosperity of Kyoto. Today it’s lined with cherry trees, shops and restaurants.

Food/resting stops at various points during the day and evening included:

Nishiki Market

(John, this one’s for you. It’s a stall that sells hot sauce and other chili products.)

Cafe de K, a French wine bar, for a celebratory glass of Ca’del Bosco champagne…

And selections from an array of French cheeses (a much appreciated break from rice, fish & miso)

Finally, after a long wait to get in, we ate the BEST award-winning gyoza in the city at Chao Chao, which included chocolate gyoza for dessert!