Yesterday we took a day trip to Kamakura, about 50 km south of Tokyo.  We started the day by touring several Zen Buddhist temples.  Even though there were many people doing the same thing, the overall feeling was one of quiet calm.  Unlike the elaborate and ostentatious structures at Nikko, Kamakura’s temples are much simpler and largely constructed of dark, unpainted wood.  Some  structures even have thatched roofs.  Though some of the buildings and the surrounding grounds are open to the public, several of these are still in active use.   We could hear chanting coming from inside one of the them and everywhere we went, the smell of incense hung in the air.

Like Nikko, the temples of Kamakura are nestled in natural forest.  The trees, plants and moss reminded me of the B.C. coast.  We also enjoyed walking through stands of bamboo.  Everything was so green!

At the end of our temple walk we came to Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gu, the main Shinto shrine of Kamakura where the atmosphere was drastically different from the quiet repose of the Zen temples.  Located at one end of Kamakura’s main street, the brightly coloured shrine had a carnival feel.  Here we met up with the bulk of the Golden Week crowd visiting Kamakura.  Food stalls lined the walkway up to the shrine and tacky souvenirs abounded.  Crowds of people waited their turn to rush up the main steps of the shrine, toss their coins into the offering box, offer a quick prayer, clap and bow.  To an outsider, at least, there seemed to be little reverence or real religious significance to what they were doing.

After leaving the shrine, we walked to the main train station where we caught a bus to Kamakura’s most famous sight, the Daibutsu or Great Buddha.  We were packed into the bus like sardines as it crawled it’s way through the narrow and crowded streets but the wow factor was definitely worth the ride.  Cast in bronze in 1252, the statue stands 11.4 metres high and is said to weigh close to 850 tonnes.  Though it isn’t quite as big as the enormous Buddha that we saw in Nara three years ago, the weathered giant sitting out in the open  was quite something to see.  It was originally housed in a huge hall but that was washed away by a tsunami in 1495 and it has sat outside ever since.

We have one more day of teaching before our Golden Week holiday.  In Japan, April 29th is a national holiday known as Greenery Day and May 3rd to 6th is Golden Week.  Our employer gives us the three days between these two holidays as days in lieu of other national holidays when the school doesn’t close.  That provides us with an eight day break.  Originally we’d thought about going to South Korea but by the time we got to Japan, got settled in and started looking at booking flights, the Japanese had made their holiday plans and flights were full.   We decided to stay in Japan and will probably go to Korea during our summer vacation in August.

On Tuesday we’re heading to Nikko, some 3 to 4 hours from here by train.  Nikko, a community of approximately 18 000, is well known for it’s splendid temples and shrines as well as its onsen (hot springs).  Nikko, which is inland from here, is part of the Nikko National Park, a mountainous area complete with extinct volcanoes, lakes, waterfalls and marshes.  While we’re there, we hope to visit nearby Chuzenji-ko lake and Kegon-no-taki, a 97 metre high waterfall.  If the weather cooperates, we’ll probably do some hiking in that area.  With a name like Golden Week, how could it not be sunny and warm?  Hopefully that’s not just wishful thinking!

We have reserved a traditional Japanese room with shared bath at a small inn in Nikko for 3 nights.  The inn is also preparing a traditional Japanese dinner for us one evening while we’re there.

A visit to at least one of the onsen is an absolute must while we’re at Nikko but it will take a fair amount of courage on my part.  Unlike North American hot springs, Japanese onsen are considered public baths and as such, swimsuits are not worn.  Fortunately for those of us gaijin (foreigners) who are not used to getting naked with total strangers, most are separated into male and female baths.  Some also provide “modesty towels” to cover your most private bits and pieces until you slip into the water.  One of my adult students assured me that I needn’t worry, the hot springs are indeed very hot and the resulting steam makes it difficult for bathers to see one another.  I hope she’s right!

Since our grandson is yet to be born, I may seek out an internet cafe if such a thing exists in Nikko but I likely won’t be blogging until we return.  We’re coming home on Friday and will do some day trips from here during the remainder of our break.  That will be the actual Golden Week holiday during which schools and most businesses other than stores, are closed.  As a result, everywhere we go will be extremely crowded but we’ll return to our quiet apartment at night.

As my Alberta friends dig themselves out after a late spring snowstorm, I feel like I’m living in a flower garden!  The cherry blossoms are long gone but every day new trees and plants seem to burst into bloom.  Space is at a premium here but people manage to tuck beauty into every little nook and cranny.   Of course, the climate is right for such things.  All the rain we’ve had lately has to be good for something!

Since we don’t have a garden, my sweet husband visited the 100 yen store and bought me a vase which he has been keeping filled with flowers.  Right now it contains beautiful light pink lilies.  Yesterday one of my students brought me bright red tulips from her garden so our one tall drinking glass was put into service as a second vase!

We continue to be surprised when we come across something familiar in the midst of the unfamiliar.  For example, after we left church this afternoon, we decided to walk around Nishi Funabashi, the area where the church is located.  Just up the street from the church, we discovered a Denny’s restaurant!

McDonald’s is everywhere, of course.  In fact, there’s one within easy walking distance of our apartment.  We pass it on our way to school each day.  We haven’t eaten there but we do occasionally stop into a McDonald’s when we’re out and about on a day off because they’ve recently been promoting their premium roast coffee and we can get a good sized cup there much cheaper than anywhere else.

In addition to McDonald’s, food courts in the malls include Subway and Baskin Robbins.  Starbucks is also found in all the better shopping areas and apparently there are Tona Roma’s restaurants in Tokyo.  Kentucky Fried Chicken and 7-Eleven are both seen in a variety of locations and we’ve passed both Esso and Shell gas stations.  I still remember my extreme surprise at passing a Century 21 real estate office on our way to school the first time!

Many of the vending machines, which are found absolutely everywhere in Japan, sell Coke.  Pepsi is less common but we have seen it.

The grocery store also contains surprises.  Most of the labels are completely foreign to me.  In fact, through grocery shopping I’ve been given a glimpse of what it must be like to be illiterate because I can read so few of the labels and am constantly searching for a familiar English word to give me a clue as to what the product might be.  We do have Ritz crackers in the cupboard, however, and Kraft Parmesan Cheese in the fridge and I eat Kellogg’s Bran Flakes for breakfast quite often!  Some such items are imported and quite pricey while others are made specifically for the Japanese market.  For example,  the Bran Flakes are quite different from those sold at home.  Richard doesn’t like them at all as he likes cereals that soak up the milk and get mushy while these maintain their crunch.  I love them because, unlike Bran Flakes at home which are pretty bland, these are slightly sweetened.  With a bit of fruit on top, I find them quite delicious.

Perhaps the biggest surprise to us was the obvious fact that there was a connection between Wal-Mart and the Seiyu department store where we do most of our grocery shopping.  The familiar Rollback signs and the fact that the clothing departments sell the George brand were clear giveaways.  A little research online showed that Wal-Mart bought a majority interest in the chain in 2005.  Those of you who know Richard’s anti Wal-Mart leanings will understand that he was somewhat reluctant to shop there at first!

There are many familiar items that aren’t available here, however.  Those who also know Richard’s fondness for Kraft dinner might sympathize with his regret that we haven’t seen it anywhere!

Today I went to the 20th annual Sakura Tulip Matsuri (festival) where I strolled through fields of beautiful blooms – some 550 000 in all!   Sakura is a community to the east between here and Narita.   The first tulips were planted there in 1989 to celebrate goodwill between the Netherlands and Japan.  They were followed by the building of the landmark Netherlands windmill in 1994.  It was made in Holland, shipped to Japan in pieces and assembled on site and is the first wind driven water pump in Japan.

In addition to enjoying the beauty of the tulips, it was great to get out into some wide open space!  Sakura Furusato Hiroba (square), where the windmill and the tulips are located, is surrounded by a marsh on one side and fields on the others.  I took the train to Sakura, then caught a free shuttle bus from the station.  To reach the tulips from the drop off point, I walked a gravel pathway between the fields and alongside the marsh.   Even though there were people everywhere, it was a very nice change for this girl from the country!

As I wandered through the tulips, I could hear street organ and accordion performances taking place and alongside the tulip fields vendors had set up stalls selling all sorts of foods and souvenirs.   I treated myself to a picnic lunch of okonomi-yaki from one of the stalls.  Okonomi-yaki might best be described as being somewhat like an omelet containing cabbage and various other fillings.   We were first introduced to it when we visited Matt and Robin in Osaka three years ago.  It’s really a Kansai specialty so we haven’t found much of it in this area.   While I enjoyed today’s, it wasn’t as good as Matt makes.

In addition to the foods and other products being sold by the vendors, tulips are also for sale.  In fact, those who want to buy them are given a trowel and a bag and head out to the outer fields where they can choose the plants they want and dig them up themselves.  Perhaps it’s a good thing that I don’t have a garden here.  I would have had a difficult time choosing from amongst the approximately 166 different varieties!

As I mentioned a week or so ago, our bathroom deserves a blog entry of it’s own. As is typical in Japanese homes, it’s actually two separate rooms as the toilet is always separate from the bath. Public toilets in Japan vary widely from the traditional squat toilet set into the floor to amazing high tech ones with heated seats, built in bidets and sound effects so that whoever is in the next stall can’t hear what you’re doing. As if they don’t know! After all, what are the options? Our toilet is pretty typical of those found in homes, however. In this day and age when we preach the virtues of water conservation, I really cannot figure out why this invention hasn’t found it’s way to North America. There is a tiny sink built into the top of the toilet tank. When the toilet is flushed, rather than clean water entering directly into the tank, it flows through the spigot into the little sink and is used first for hand washing.

Bathtubs in Japan are for soaking and relaxing in, not washing. Our bathroom is actually a large shower stall containing a short, deep tub and a small sink. One is supposed to shower outside the tub first then climb in to soak. Soap and shampoo are never supposed to be used in the tub. We, however, choose to bathe North American style keeping the water in the tub instead of all over the room.

The tub is only about 3 feet long but it’s significantly deeper than our tub at home so it is possible to enjoy a good soak. For those who enjoy long baths, it has a wonderful feature. At the push of a button, the water cycles through a heater and is warmed up almost instantly! No more having to get out because the water has cooled off.

In order to get hot water in the first place, we have to turn on the gas and the water heater but once that’s done there’s hot water almost instantly and as much of it as you want. The water to the kitchen sink works the same way. The bathroom sink only has a cold water tap but if you need hot water, the hand held shower is close enough to provide it.

I’m a registered card carrying alien! We actually registered our first day here but I had to go to the Funabashi city office yesterday to pick up our alien registration cards which are issued by the Ministry of Justice. We’re required to carry them at all times and they’ll be our primary form of ID while we’re here. They’re the size of a credit card but carry our photos, our signatures, our birthdates and places of birth, our passport information and much more.

I’m delighted to finally have internet at home! I really missed it. What else do I miss? My friends, of course. That goes without saying. I also miss church, especially this week with Easter just a few days away. So far, I’ve been working on Sundays so we haven’t had an opportunity to attend church but we’re both off the Sunday after next so we’re determined to find a church to attend that day even if the service is in Japanese. We have a couple of leads.

I also miss counter space in the kitchen and a bathtub that I can stretch out in but would you believe that I really miss twist ties? Yes, those common little twisty things that we take so for granted at home are few and far between here!

Before we left home, I packed a small plastic container with all sorts of little odds and sods that I thought we might find handy here – elastic bands, paper clips, straight pins, needles and thread which have already come in handy for several minor mending jobs, a miniature flashlight, screwdriver and tape measure, even poster goo for hanging things on the wall but, alas, no twist ties! Amazingly, though, with the modem for the internet came several twist ties wrapped around the various cords! They’ll definitely come in very handy in the kitchen!