Fish dinner

Travelling to Matsushima kaigan for the sunset maybe extravagant but this was topped by an excellent fish dinner by the sea.
The oyster-season had just started in Japan:



But I was looking for something different: Matsushima is known for the best fishing grounds around Japan and one of the specialties of the Miyagi prefecture is Sasakamaboko, a fish paste made with high-grade fish, processed into paste and then roasted in the shape of a bamboo leaf.

Matsushima Kaigan

Matsushima Kaigan is definitely one of the 3 most scenic places of Japan, a port by the sea looking out towards a bay dotted with more than 200 pine covered islands.
I arrived about an hour before sunset and walking by the shore I crossed the bridge to Godaido, a small islet not far from the pier. The tranquility of the Shinto shrine was by far more to my liking than the celebrated Temples of Nikko.

Short trip North

I always wanted to see as much as I could of Japan but you are restricted where you can go during a 15 days' visit. I was curious to go North but the most northerly place I visited so far was Nikko. Therefore Nikko which did not come up to my expectations was the starting point for my travelling extravanganza. With my JR travelpass I changed at Utsunomiya to the Shinkansen line and passing by a more hilly countryside I reached Sendai within the hour. From there I took a local train to Matsushima Kaigan.

Eki

Since I had no idea where the bus would stop, I walked back the straight road to the station which is only about 20 Minutes away.
The station itself deserves some attention as its elegant wooden building is noted to preserve the Romanesque atmosphere of the Meiji period. It was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1915 and remains the oldest operating station of JR East.

Shin-kyo

Down at the bottom of the hill is the Shin-kyo which spans vermilion lacquered gracefully across the River Daiya. According to legend a hermit was helped by two snakes to cross the high waters of the river.
The "Snake Bridge" is considered one of the 3 finest bridges of Japan, its simple elegance contrasts with the wildness of the river gorge, the tumbling waters and the multicoloured autumn foliage of the wooded hills in the background.
In feudal times only the emperor was allowed to use it. Nowadays you pay an admission fee for the sacred bridge if you wish to cross rather than by the modern bridge nearby.

Nikko...

My trip to Nikko the following day was disappointing...
To begin with it was a rather dull day and choosing a Saturday in early November was a big mistake. Many Japanese families celebrate "shichi-go-san", by visiting famous Shrines with their children of the appropriate age to thank for their good health and pray for their safe future. The place was crowded...
As soon as I arrived at the station I was pushed into a bus not knowing were it would take me. Nikko, a World cultural heritage is certainly a beautiful and highly artistic ensemble of Shrines and Temples but I felt like when in the Louvre the hustle and bustle around the Mona Lisa spoils the pleasure to view the famous painting.
Different to Himeji Nikko did not seem to care for Non-Japanese visitors and unless you consulted your guidebook you were lost among all the Japanese signs. Although I had bought a combination ticket for the various Temples having been among the crowds at the Toshu-go Shrine I turned my back on the other celebrated sites - I learned later, that it was quiet higher up the hills but I certainly had enough.

Lost in Tokyo

I have to admit I did not take to Tokyo. Maybe the metropolis does not represent the Japan I was looking for, maybe I was just tired after touring Japan extensively, or 4 days in Tokyo - most of them spent traveling to places outside - are just not enough.I think you have to be young to get the feeling for Tokyo and you should not travel on your own.
To begin with, my hotel was reasonably priced, comfortable and conveniently located within walking distance to Ueno station. My accommodation was spacious with even a private Japanese bath, a tatami room, but without much what I had grown to like, there was no alcove and the pictures on the walls were of the same style as you can find everywhere in the world. Self-service-breakfast was complimentary, so I do not want to comment on the food, but I disliked much the polystyrene bowls and dishes you had to use. This was such a different world from the care and pride with which food was served in any of the other places.


But the most shocking experience at the beginning of my stay in Tokyo was that I found myself lost. Soon after arrival I left the hotel for Ueno Park being given at reception a map with detailed landmarks such as Macdonalds and big department stores. I had struggled before with maps but when returning after dusk I obviously missed one of the landmarks and could not find my way. I asked a lot of people but they were all commuters rushing to get their trains home. They were kind enough to stop but could not help me as they were not living in the area. I tried an office building but the receptionist was not any wiser. Eventually a young lady seeing my distress turned and guided me around a few blocks until she could see me safely walking through the Hotel door.
I am still most grateful for her kindness...

On the way to the Metropolis

My journey took me from rural Gifu once more to the highly populated Pacific coast of Honshu, changing in Nagoya from the enjoyable Hida Wide View Ltd Express to the fast but very smoothly running Shinkansen.
It was very comfortable and the high speed was only noticeable as the scenery was flashing past the train window. Suddenly I saw a huge mountain over topping majestically everything : 富士山 . I was very excited about this most unexpected sight, not so my Japanese neighbour who after confirming that this was Fujiyama indeed continued reading his sport's magazine.

Nakabashi at night

Back at Takayama after a splendid trip to the mountain village of Shirakawago I enjoyed once more a delicious dinner, my last Hida steak. Afterwards I went for a farewell visit to Nakabashi bridge which was beautifully illuminated in the night. The picture does not do it justice, my camera was not working perfect since my "accident" at Matsue...



It was pouring with rain during the night, but stopped when I left Oyado Yoshinoya for the station. With sadness I said my good-bye to the kind owners, mother and daughter, who came out of the house and followed my progress down the arcade of Yasugawa Street, seeing me off in the truly Japanese way...

Shirakawago

While in Takayama to visit Shirakawago is a must-do. Once a secluded village, located in the mountainous region of Gifu and cut off from the rest of the world for a long period during winter, Shirakawago can nowadays be reached in 50 minutes by an Express shuttle bus from Takayama. Surrounded by tree-covered mountains, most beautifully displaying the various shades of autumn colours, the about 150 traditionally farmhouses in Ogi-machi are outstanding examples of a traditional way of life perfectly adapted to the environment and people's social and economic circumstances. They were built in the Gassho-Style, of wooden beams combined to form a steeply pitched thatched roof - resembling two hands together in prayer - to stand long-lasting rain and heavy snowfalls. The village subsisted on the cultivation of mulberry trees and so the houses were larger than normal Japanese private houses to have space in the attic for rearing silkworms and for producing fuming nitric acid to earn rare cash.

It was a pleasure to cross the suspension bridge and to walk through Ogi-machi. On this sunny day washing was on the line everywhere and clothes out for airing. A wheel barrow was leaning against a wooden shed and the colourful farmhouse gardens were gleaming in bright light. There were bikes and cars and of course modestly modern buildings in this lived-in historic village. I managed to find Kanda House, one of the two original Gassho-houses, now kept as a museum and open to the public. Up in the attic I could see the wooden structure of the roof and a display of the implements of the home industry. At ground floor there was an Irori fireplace and I was offered a cup of tea brewed from wild grass.





Back on the other side of the Shougawa river is the Heritage Museum of Shirakawago, a quiet and peaceful place, a world apart from the busy shops and eating places of Ogimachi.
Provided with a map in English at the entrance I strolled around a rebuilt historic village from various parts of the area. There are farmhouses, barns, sheds for storage of all kinds of goods, stables, a teahouse, a working watermill, a shrine and also a fire watchtower - all beautifully set along a river and ponds. On a field by the river two people where harvesting and bundling sheaves of corn.

Sake

Hida Furukawa as well as Takayama is noted for the high quality of its water and so two Sake breweries producing particular good tasting Sake can be found in the old town. Look out for a huge Sakabayashi or Sugidama, hanging under the eaves of the brewery's front door. This ball of tightly bound Suigi leaves which slowly fades over the year turning from green to brown is used as a symbol for a brewery.

It was early afternoon and I seemed to be the only visitor around. What a delightful day, it had turned bright, sunny and warm, whereas in the morning my fingers were numb with cold. More than anywhere else on my trip I experienced a considerable difference in temperature during the day in the mountainous northern Gifu prefecture - but bear in mind this area is also called Japanese Alps.

Koj

Before the old town would be too crowded I set off for Hida Furukawa, only 15 minutes by train North of Takayama, another Edo Period town, prosperous due to the rich high quality timber resources of the surrounding woodlands. This smaller riverside town is also full of historic wooden buildings nicely preserved.

Not far from the station I stepped aside to have a look at my map when I suddenly found one of my legs halfway plunged into water. What happened?
I had not realized until then that in Japan small canals are running close to the houses. Usually they are well covered and I do not know why a small panel about 40cm wide was put aside to cause my mishap. Fortunately by then the sun was shining quite warm and dried my sock and shoe quickly. Luckily I did not step into the deeper and wider Seto which is inhabited during the warmer season by beautifully coloured koj-carps.
Hida Furukawa is such a calm and pleasant place, that I soon recovered from the shock and carried on along the picturesque Seto canal, lined by old fashioned white-walled storehouses.

Sannomachi

The old town of Takayama, east of the river Miyagawa retains a traditional touch with beautifully preserved buildings more than most Japanese cities due to her isolated rural situation at the foot of the Japanese Alps. Many houses and whole streets in the Sannomachi part date back to the 16th century when Takayama was a thriving merchant town. The city was always surrounded by woodland. So the lined beauty of the old wooden buildings side-by-side with projecting lattice and eaves of uniform heights are fine examples of the excellent carpenter's craftsmanship which the area was famous for. Nowadays the houses are shops, living quarters or museums. The places of interest are well signposted and easy accessible and draw a considerable amount of tourists to the region.

Morningmarket

It was a chilly morning with the mist about rising over the bridges across the Miyagawa.

I kept my gloves on when visiting the morning market along the river and the farmer's wives offering their fresh produce covered their knees with blankets to keep the cold at bay. They come from nearby villages with vegetable, fruit and pickles. One stall presented a great variety of delicious apples and thin slices for you to try.
There were stalls with textiles as well obviously for the visitors, although pretending to be in the local Sashiko technique the label gave the goods away as "Made in China"...

Hoba Miso

I was warm and comfortable in Oyado Yoshinoya, and the food was excellent. On my first night I objected when I was given knife and fork for my dinner thinking, that it was expected that a westerner cannot use "hashi" properly, but soon found out that there is no other way to eat Hida steak, a beef raised in the Hida Highlands famous for its marbled meat and melt-in-the-mouth tenderness. As the steak was only one of the various dishes I could make use of chopsticks as well.
Breakfast the following morning was even more special. Along with the usual I was given HOBA MISO, thin slices of Hida beef with fermented soybean paste and mushrooms which is grilled on a leaf of a wild growing mountain magnolia. The girl from Okinawa, originally from the region who shared my table showed me how to cook the meat and also introduced me to the way how Japanese people eat breakfast. I followed her diligently but once it came to mix the raw egg with rice I was already full...

Hida Express to Takayama

Next day on the train again, I am used to the convenience and comfort of the fast Shinkansen by now.
Transferring in Nagoya to the Wide View Hida Ltd Express which brings you in just over 2 hours to the high mountainous district of the same name in Gifu Prefecture, I went on the most scenic journey of my trip. Past Mino-ota the unique landscape is carved up by the rough waters of the Hida . The train follows the river, crosses over again and again, sometimes on level with the river, sometimes high above offering at every new turn another breathtaking view.
At times the wild water runs in a narrow winding bed enclosed by misty mountains, or widens up to a calm shallow river.

It was already dark when I reached Takayama in the northern Japanese Alps and considerably cooler than in Miyjima which I left in the morning.

Kintay-kyo

Before returning to Miyajima in the late afternoon I took a local train to Iwakuni. Here in Yamaguchi, the next prefecture and only 40 km distant from Hiroshima crosses one of the most famous bridges of Japan the river Nishiki. Although during my visit the river seemed to be picturesque and calm, its fast moving currents during rainstorms often swept the wooden bridges of old entirely away. After repeated trial and failures in 1673 the Kintay kyo was completed using highest engineering standards spanning 210 m of the river in 5 steep arches without using a single nail. Only in 1950 after years of negligence of adequate maintenance the "indestructible" bridge was swept away by floods caused by a typhoon. With great efforts the almost identically reconstructed bridge was reopened only three years later.

At one time only samurai were allowed to cross the elegantly formed "brocade sash" bridge. Nowadays by paying a small fee I could walk the up and downs of the high arches across the magnificent structure, so getting a feeling for times long gone by..

Hiroshima

Just when the megaphone-guided visitors started to crowd the island I took the ferry to the mainland, first of all to visit Hiroshima and its Peace Memorial Park. The Atomic Bomb Dome, severely damaged and burnt by the first atomic bomb conveys the horror of nuclear weapons especially on a grey and overcast day and strongly appeals for peace.

Daishoin

During my 2 days on the Island I visited the sites at various times, preferably in the early morning, sometimes even before breakfast, and in the late afternoon or evening. I did not climb Mt Misen as it was overcast mostly apart from the morning of my departure.
Located at the foot of the mountain and above Itsukushima shrine the Buddhist Daishoin temple
was easy accessible and with its many magnificient statues, grand halls and pituresque gardens at least as interesting as its more famous Shinto counterpart. The richness of the site lavishly decorated in gold was enhanced by its natural surroundings of colourful maple woods in autumn foilage.
I know too little about Buddhism to fully appreciate the treasures at Daishoin but I visited the temple often and always found something pleasing. Numerous Rakan statues lining the steps with their unique facial expressions were intriguing to me and most of all a little figurine laying asleep with a small animal on his back.

o-torii

The cause of Miyajima's fame is the most revered Itsukushima shrine and its large torii floating over the waters at high tide.
Once the crowds returned to the mainland I was among the few visitors who staid overnight and as the stone lanterns were turned on and the sites illuminated I enjoyed the calmness of the beautiful island strolling in my yukata the lonely streets and even under the majestic wooden structure of the vermillion O-torii - as it was low tide by then.

Miyajima

Next day I made for Miyajima one of the offical three most scenic views of Japan.

What a change coming from peaceful Shimane to the hustle and bustle of the San'yo coast. Once facing the crowds on the sacred "Shrine Island" I realized how lucky I was to secure a room on the Island, indeed I found that this was only due to a mistake as single rooms are very rare at anytime. The Island is only small with about 2000 inhabitants and 20 hotels or guesthouses. Back in May I had already considered to look for a place on the mainland receiving many rejections of my request for bookings and so the confirmation of Ryoso Kawaguchi came as a surprise. On arrival I was asked where the second person was and then it was obvious that they had mistaken my booking for 1 person for 2 nights as for 2 persons for 2 nights.



I can only praise Ryoso Kawaguchi, there was no further problem, one futon and the yukata was removed from my spacious room and I was welcome to settle in a excellent guesthouse. The house was beautifully restored and furnished with great love and care for every little detail, the miniature pottery fish in a stone pond at the entrance, parts of roof tiles of the old house embedded into the modern floor, a branch of a tree as railing for the stairs and smaller branches covered with Japanese paper as lampshades in the dinning room, to mention but a few. I admired as well the many quilts and handcrafts by the owner of the inn.




The food cooked by the husband and chef was just mouthwatering delicious. As the oyster-season had started one of the many dishes was oysters in a homemade sauce covered with cheese and baked in foil. One morning at breakfast the young french couple at the next table asked to take a photo of my displayed breakfast - they were chewing toast and marmelade and did not dare to eat Japanese for breakfast...

Sunset

The sunset over Shinjiko was going to be the highlight of my visit to Matsue.

Late afternoon I set out for the shoreline where some photographers had already taken position. What a pleasure to watch children climbing on the big sculptures using great art playfully.
It was not one of the most spectacular sunsets, but splendid enough to make it very memorable, a poetic scene with the rays of the sinking sun dying the soft waves of the waters in ever changing hues of gold.
It lasted a long time and I strolled on along with many others until I stood opposite the tine island of Yomega-shima. I could not stop watching. On return to the Art Museum, I turned back for a last view, a last picture - when misfortune struck and I stumbled and fell over a floodlight barely pointing out of the pavement but just not very noticeable in the dim light. I hurt my knees badly, my clothes were unspoiled but my camera got a blow and didn't function properly thereafter.

It could have been worse but for the good Gods of Izumo providing me with a better destiny...

Fishing villages

From then on I was dipped into a Japan, I did not expect to encounter any more. I know the small fishing villages I visited will have all the modern, necessary equipment, but the small boats with their glass-lights for fishing in the darkness and the few houses clinging to each other raised the hope that the spirit of days gone by is still alive. The boats were moored opposite a small island where a small torii tells how everyday-life is interwoven with religion.

Sea of Japan

Only a few steps away I could see trough a granite torii the bright blue Sea of Japan. Outside a nearby shop jellyfish was drying pegged on a line. The intensive smell of fish and the picture of anything out of the sea up for drying stayed with me for the rest of the afternoon. Some visitors bought dried fish, others were nibbling away on barbecued fish or shellfish. From up the hill a winding small road I saw the white torii of the small island Fumi-shima, a breeding ground for Black Tailed Gulls and a sanctuary where only the priest is allowed to step on.



At the top the lighthouse of Hinomisaki, the tallest in the Orient.

A path over cliffs and through pine woods offered splendid views. Windswept trees transformed the sea into a living picture and small islands seemed to swim in a bay with forested hills as backdrop.

Hinomisaki-jinja

The bus along the coast to the westernmost peninsula of Shimane stopped near a granite torii. I knew about Hinomisaki-jinja from Lafcadio Hearn’s visit in 1891, but I did not expect such a contrast between the splendour of this joyful vermilion red shrine and the magnificent shrine of Taisha in its natural brown serenity. Both shrines belong to Japan’s important cultural assets and are very old, or based on old buildings, both are very extensive. In Hinomisaki some buildings are up a steep stair or hidden in the nearby woods.