Nagoya Domatsuri (Read to hear about dancing superhero battles, post office teams and when ABBA met some pirates)

This weekend I stayed around Nagoya. On Sunday I met up with Elspeth and we headed to the YahooBB store so that she could register for internet. The Sakae store had claimed to have English speaking staff...but they lied. Luckily, Elspeth rocked the Japanese and was even able to understand all of the technical lingo. I sat there for moral support and tried not to laugh when the saleslady tried to tell Elspeth that if I got internet too, we'd get a gift certificate, which we could spend on food (she actually mimed the eating).



Afterwards we got some cheap udon (250yen) at our favourite ticket restaurant (a chain with cheap yet amazing Japanese food) and then checked out Loft (really cool and hip multi-purpose store). As we walked out of Loft, we heard the music of the domatsuri. This dance festival had been going on since Friday and it was the last day. Get this - hundreds of dance teams travel to Nagoya to dance and they get 4 minutes to show off their stuff. This was the most amazingly well organized event.



Each team arrived (from subway??) and got in line. There were never more than 5 teams waiting and each had a designated area. The team on the 'dance stage' would introduce themselves, dance (how they organized the music, I have no clue) and then walk off one side. The next team in line would move directly onto the stage and get in position. It was cool to see.

The teams ranged from university teams to community teams (with kids) to company teams (my favourite was the post office team...more on them later). They had colourful and interesting costumes (some more traditional, some dressed like ABBA met some pirates) and most used these hand clacker things that slapped together (kind of like castinets) and made a noise. Some had huge flags, taiko drums, fans, ribbons, superheroes (more on them later), and battle scenes (hahaha!).



[This was one of our favourite teams because it was the POST OFFICE team! We called them that because of the red T-like symbol on their outfits and then found out that they ACTUALLY were the post office team! Yeah, go post office...you put stamps on all of my postcards!]

[The post office team in action]

The team that got the most points from Elspeth and I was the team that had the superhero! Out ran this guy in a neon orange unitard thing and started lipsynching to the 'superhero speech' in the music. Then, from the back came the evil villian with a rake-like weapon and they had a vicious battle that of course, ended with the superhero winning!


One of the last teams we saw was the ABBA meets the Pirates group. They said something about having latin music and all of the girls were wearing white bellbottoms and colourful sequined tops. The guys were wearing black shirts and pirate-like scarves on their heads. It was all very confusing, yet completely entertaining.


It was an enjoyable experience. 4 minutes was just the perfect amount of time to see each group perform. I leave you with the very happy, and energetic team from a university. Their announcer guy was amazing and even danced along from the sidelines. You can hear how enthusiastic he is in the video.

Ise-jingu Shrine & Meoto-iwa

Last week I asked some of the Japanese teachers at work where they'd suggest going for a day trip. Shinobu-sensei suggested Ise and Toba. After discussing with Elspeth, we decided this sounded like a good idea (we're going to save Kanazawa and Takeyama for the fall). We went to Nagoya to get the Kintetsu train to Ise. We splurged on the Kintetsu train and got the limited express so we would get there as quickly as possible. 80 minutes later we got off the train in Ise and got on a bus headed to Naiku, the larger shrine in Ise.




Ise Jingu is one of the oldest shrines in Japan (dating to the 4th century) and it honours Amaterasu Omi-kami, the Sun Goddess. It is a simply made shrine consisting of thatched roofs with high crossbeams. The shrines draw about 6 million people each year. The most sacred buildings are only open to members of the Imperial family. Lowly folk like us have to stand on tiptoe and try to catch a glimpse over the high fences (I just don't understand this...). An interesting fact about Ise Jingu - every 20 years the shrine is rebuilt and the new kami transferred to a new home (the next rebuilding is in 2013). Now when Elspeth and I reached the shrine (which was very simple, and crowded with people) I naturally went to take a photo. I am usually pretty good about seeing signs with pictures of cameras crossed (and I believe there wasn't one) but this man rushed up to me and yelled at me that I couldn't take pictures. Everyone at the shrine was staring at me and I felt like an idiot. Here is the photo I got...it wasn't even a good one..




After thinking about it a bit...it got me wondering. Why can't I take pictures of the shrine? I mean, its not like at the Sistine Chapel where the paint is disappearing or somewhere where the flash will hurt it. I mean, the shrine is rebuilt every 20 years. If they can take it down, move it and then rebuild it, I think it can survive a photo. Or is it because the kami won't like it? But if thats the case, why was I able to buy a postcard? Someone took a picture. I want to know. why???

After the shrine we walked around Oharai-machi, an Edo-style neighbourhood (read: tourist-trap) where we got some Ise udon (so good - udon noodles with a soy-sauce-y sauce and tempura) and bought postcards of the shrine (?!?!?!).



[This little guy was so cute with his curly mop of hair, 'newsies' hat and ice cream]


[An army of cats - Elspeth bought one...it had a fortune shoved up its butt]

[Mom - check out all of the sembei!!)

[Eeeeewww! Laura's enemy = the dreaded konnyaku! But I LOVE the way they are displayed!]

We decided against going to Toba (there's an expensive aquarium and pearl island) and instead hopped on a train to Futami to see meoto-iwa or the Wedded Rocks. It was only a couple stops from Ise and it appeared we were the only ones going to see it at 5pm on a Sunday. When we got off the train, the first thing we saw was this;


Later we learned it was Edo Wonderland, a place that is now on my 'places I MUST see' list. It is an Edo-theme park where you can wander around a castle, see shows put on my samurai and geisha and get this - there are ninja shows. And you can dress up like a ninja and have your picture taken!! It is of course, ridiculously expensive but I must go someday...

We reached the water and walked along the 'beach' or rather the stone steps that led into the water. Elspeth was excited about the water (she's a swimmer) and ran down to touch it, only to be freaked out by the many creepy bugs crawling all over the steps. We stayed away from the edge after that. The beach was lined with ryokans and there were people coming back from a day of surfing, tanning, etc.


The wedded rocks are two rocks who represent the union of Izanagi and Izanami, the mythological creators of Japan. They are joined together by a long straw rope called a shimenawa. The two rocks and rope form a kind of torii, or the gate that are found infront of shinto shrines. Elspeth and I both agree that the pictures exaggerate the rocks' size. But it was nice to see, especially since we got there just as the sun was starting to set.



[I know, I know, I have a serious problem. I just can't resist taking pictures of cute kids here. And there are SO MANY cute kids]

[The shrine was full of frog statues - huge frogs, tiny frogs, frog fountains, etc.]



We headed back to the train station to wait for the train. In Japan, the sun sets for about 10 minutes and then boom, it's night. We sat in the dark of the country train station and tried to kill the mosquitoes that were attacking us and listened to the music coming from Edo Wonderland. The train finally came and I slept during the trip back to Nagoya. At the station we were both starving but almost everything was closed. We found an 'American' taco diner place and ordered taco salads. Surprisingly, they were awesome and we enjoyed our American food surrounded by pictures of Marilyn Monroe and the Beatles, while listening to 50's music that we'd never heard before. Good way to end a very interesting day.

it has happened...

Yesterday was day number 50. That's right, I've been in Japan for 50 days. Everything is fabulous. I love it here. I'm having the time of my life.

But yesterday was just wrong. Even though my classes went really well something just wasn't right. Then it hit me. I was homesick. I got home to my apartment and I just felt SO alone. There was no ice cream in the freezer and only vegetables in the fridge (what the heck is wrong with me?) so I curled up on my futon, had a good cry and tried to distract myself with a book.

Today I felt somewhat better and I had some awesome lessons (one with a girl named Kyouka was great - we were laughing hysterically) but I still feel lonely. Steph assures me this will pass and that it's natural...until then I'm off to the 99yen for some ice cream and then home for some 16 Candles (surely Farmer Ted and his dancing will be able to cheer me up).

Taryn, I went to VENICE...

The day after we got back from Kyoto, Becky and I decided to go to Venice. We had heard about it at training and were immediately intrigued. We jumped on the subway and went down to Nagoyako (the port area). We emerged into the burning hot sun to find crowds of people! Seriously, there were more people there than in Kyoto. It was weird. After seeing a little kid almost get run over by a car (because her mother forgot about her when crossing the street) we ventured onto the boardwalk area.

It was sweltering and we headed towards Venice. Now Taryn, I know you're thinking, 'what the hell is she talking about?' 'She can't mean VeniceVenice, where I saw a gondola race and was attacked by pigeons?!?'(I seem to remember these stories from your Venice slide show) Oh my friend, I don't mean Venice, Italy....Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you Venice, Nagoya, Japan....




That's right. For some reason at Nagoya Port there is an 'Italian Village', which is a replica of Venice, Italy. You can buy Venetian glass, eat pasta and gelato and go on a gondola ride poled (I just looked up the term for rowed a gondola...poled)) by an 'Italian' man (random foreigners hired to look Italian). Now, I thought...hmm..I could go for some Italian food, even if it's Japanese Italian food (often has Japanese elements added, like fish roe, etc). Think we could find a restaurant that didn't have a super long line-up?!?!? We finally gave up and ran away from Venice (there's just something a little creepy about pretending you are in Italy when you are actually in Japan) and ate lunch at Red Lobster near the aquarium.



We still had to wait but it wasn't as busy and the pasta was actually really good (I can't believe I just wrote that, but it's true). After paying for our overpriced pasta we headed to Sakae to meet up with Neil and Tommy. While waiting for Neil outside the subway station, this guy decided to sit down right beside Becky and make himself comfy (I mean com-fy). Tommy decided to chat with him, either ignoring how uncomfortable Becky looked or not noticing or thinking that this conversation was helping. Tommy ended up giving him his cell phone number and made plans to meet him at some club. It was random. Tommy = Mr. Personality.

We had hamburgers at Outback (it was a day of American food) and then headed to a bar Neil and Tommy had found during training week. We hung out there for a while, drinking, chatting and watching Neil and Tommy destroy braincells by drinking something called Spiritus, which has a crazy high alcohol content. The subways in Nagoya shut down shortly after midnight so Becky and I ran for our train and just made the last one back to my apartment.

Read this first.

I tried to publish the posts about Kyoto in order but blogger had its own ideas. Please scroll down and start at Kyoto Day One and read them in order (they'll make more sense). I hope you enjoy!

The huge KYOTO update - Day Three

Today was our last day in Kyoto (for this trip at least) and I knew I couldn't come to Kyoto and not go to Ryoan-ji or my dad would kill me (it's his favourite place in Japan). Becky and Neil had gone the day before (Becky said they'd gone to some place with some rocks..hahaha!) so they decided to go on a boat tour and Elspeth and I headed to Ryoan-ji (she had never been before). We caught the bus to kinkaku-ji (the golden temple) but decided that since we had both seen it before that we could save it for our autumn trip. We decided to walk to Ryoan-ji rather than wait for the bus since it only takes 15 minutes.




We entered the garden/temple and took the path towards the famous rock garden. We sat at the garden for more than half and hour, taking pictures (I used stitch mode dad!), relaxing and looking for the 15th rock. The zen rock garden in Ryoan-ji is made of 15 rocks surrounded by raked pebbles. The thing is, you can only see 14 of the rocks from any view. Only when you reach spiritual enlightenment will you be able to see all 15. Or, as my brother Christopher pointed out when he was 12, when you fly over the garden in a helicopter.

After trying to see the 15th rock we checked out the moss garden and the famous tea ceremony basin. This basin is a favourite of my dad's and he loves the zen saying that is engraved on it - "I learn only to be contented". I now own a keychain shaped like this basin.....



We took the path less traveled by on the way back through the garden and found the entrance to a garden that one can only enter if they decide to have lunch at the restaurant hidden in the back (how Japanese). Neil's school group had eaten here the day before and he had nothing but good things to say about it. Elspeth and I decided to splurge on the yodufu meal. It is like a hotpot but with tofu cooked in special herbs and spices, which you dip into a sauce. We also got the accompanying pickles, etc. These small dishes included some sesame tofu (eeww) and the dreaded mountain pototo thing that I hate but everything else was very tasty. The best part of the lunch was getting to eat in a beautiful tatami room (which was empty until we were almost done) and look out into gardens that 'normal' folk don't get to see.
[Interesting fact about these water spouts - they were originally designed to make a loud noise when they filled with water to scare away the deer! I didn't know that...hey, Christopher remember when we would time the one at Sherway Gardens??]



We took a bus to Nijo-jo (Nijo Castle), which was built in 1603 to be the official residence of Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu. It is famous for its uguisu-bari (Nigtingale Floor). The floors in the palace squeak and creak when ever anyone walks on them and it sounds like a nightingale. These floors were specially designed to warn the guards of intruders. I wasn't allowed to take pictures inside due to the paintings but it was interesting to walk along the floors (they really do sound like little birds chirping) and look at the various rooms in the palace. The surrounding garden was nice too...it was just so hot and humid...



[a note about this picture: I have noticed that a lot of boyfriends in Japan carry their girlfriend's purse for them. It's a very sweet thing to do (as I hate carrying a purse sometimes) and I thought this guy was particularly nice since his girlfriend's purse was pink and had a ruffle!)


After walking around the palace, getting some ice cream to cool down and finding the famous Japanese tourist site stamps Elspeth and I headed back to Kyoto station. We met up with Becky and Neil, had dinner at our favourite family izakaya (although avoided the scallop thing) and then got the shinkansen back to Nagoya (only 45 minutes!). I LOVE KYOTO. I can't wait to see it in the autumn (I've decided to go once a season).