the land of the rising sun – oceangirl

It has been a frigid start to winter in South Australia. Summer was an absolute beast with scorching heat and little to no rain. Autumn came and passed with a mere shiver, a season of some discontent, however I emerged wings intact and with a readiness to leave the cold behind and head for a balmy Japanese summer.

As the plane was about to land, a thunderstorm filled with lashing rains rolled in making the city of Kansai gleam. Behind me was Australia, and ahead, the land of the rising sun. 17 hours door to door may seem long yet it is always astonishingly lovely to wake in another part of the world.

Each day, I made an effort to be up early and just appreciate the morning. Something I did not regret. An early morning street skulk of Japan does not call for words. It is made for soft light, silence, cool air, the rhythmic cawing of the resident crows and deep breaths.

Japan is a country that seems to ground me and warm my soul at the same time while nourishing me with hand-cut soba noodles in gently simmered broths. The foot falcon, my preferred mode of transport, certainly got a good workout as I was encapsulated by the magic of Japan all over again. The elegance and grace of the country, the absolute kindness of its people, its amazing food, the calm, their divine sake, back lanes, flooded rice fields of vivid green, wonderful teas, and so much more. It is truly such a beautiful country with every vista looking lovelier than the last…..if that were at all possible.

I purposefully missed Japan’s intrepid season of the cherry blossom, Sakura as it is known. A time when all of Japan and its visitors are gripped by a wild and often times crazy blossom fever. It is a spectacularly beautiful time but far too busy and crowded for me. By the time I arrived, the blossom had dried to a papery texture and were bleached of their stunning pink hue.

A spotlessly clean country, disciplined and friendly, Japan is rich with a fabled culture forged over thousands of years. As usual, I took one hundred thousand photos of just about everything. I promised myself I would take only one or two photos of a particular subject given my old dinosaur of a mobile is a Samsung 4 and I knew it would heave under the weight of so many photos. I broke my promise and nearly my phone which laboured badly toward the end of the trip.

There have been earthquakes and typhoons in Japan since arriving back in Australia. Sadly, it is one of the most earthquake prone places of the world. Somehow though, so many of its Shinto, Buddhist and other ancient temples remain standing during the violent jolting of the earth just as they remained stoic even after the blanket bombing of World War II. And does Japan have a deeply troubled past and confronting horrors of war. Of course, and some of it is so unbearable it is difficult to think about!

There has been a particular sweetness in arriving back in Australia this time however there was also a struggle knowing I had to surrender to the end of my time in Japan. I slowly unpacked my port, my memories and the trinkets I had gathered feeling all that I had experienced was quickly becoming distant. I was so deeply grateful for every moment but perhaps I wasn’t ready to leave Japan behind just yet.

As usual after a trip away, I go through small bouts of heart-panging withdrawals especially for those one-of-a-kind, unexpected experiences no one else has. I can also be a stubborn hobgoblin in getting back into my routine however this afternoon, I spent considerable time in my over grown, weedy garden. The afternoon light was particularly lovely and golden and the cold air so very sharp.

It has been so rainy in South Australia while I have been away and the weeds have flourished with abandon. I pulled an absolute tonne of stinging nettles from one garden bed. Where they have come from is anyone’s guess! In folklore, stinging nettles ward off darkness and fear and will strengthen the will and trust me, it has taken much will to pull these prickly little buggars from the ground. So robust are they, they easily stung through my tough gardening gloves.

The lavender has been voracious too, almost swallowing up the old art deco steps leading to the front door. I love the wildness of how it looks along with the gold leaves shed from my neighbours large oak tree which are strewn throughout the yard. But somehow today, it was those usual suspects, those tough rooted weeds of mallow, wood sorrel, and tough fusty grass mats which are in their element. To make up for it, bulbs I have been collecting and planting over the past three years have broken the soil and will soon flower and although their season is short, they will be oh so lovely.

I always mourn the day I leave somewhere and although I am missing Japan and my morning Japanese rituals, the honeymoon is far from over. I have a love for Japan which has never wavered since the very first time I visited. I am filled with much gratitude for being there and for being able to travel. My love affair with their toilets also continued 🙂

Part II of Japan coming soon…….x

Japan. The land of the rising sun and such a peaceful place of immense beauty……..

Japan has a rich history and a culture which has formed over thousands of years yet the traditional and a modern Japan fit so elegantly together. This beautiful land has a tranquil air of mystery to it and it appears to be a place where you could find yourself as a respectful outsider looking in on such loveliness.

The people of Japan are hardworking yet delightfully courteous. They have odd little mannerisms, they are welcoming and at times a little quirky, they have a quiet sense of composed beauty and their genteel politeness is utterly charming. It seems too that good manners are paramount and these manners are taught at a very young age. It makes for sweet yet respectfully dear children and who doesn’t appreciate that.

Traditional to hipster, this is modern Japan…….

Throughout Japan, and due much in part to Shintoism and the adopted Buddhism, there are thousands of beautiful public shrines and temples which you can respectfully wander through. It is a very peaceful experience and at one temple midweek, we were so fortunate to witness the beauty of a hushed Shinto wedding ceremony.

Japan has a troubled war history and due in part to this, they have denounced all military aggression for which I salute them. As most reader know, I struggle with war. Those bitter, unbearable and horrific conflicts where no one ever wins! Japan was decimated after WWII – see previous post of Pearl Harbour – yet somehow, it rose from atomic ash to become one of the biggest economies in the world and one of the most beautiful places on earth.

There is war between the ones who say there is a war and the ones who say there isn’t…………Leonard Cohen

This is also the country of 6 million vending machines offering anything from ice cream, hamburgers, floral arrangements, hot ‘frozen dinners’, deep fried hot chips……how do they do it! to fresh eggs and hot coffee in a can. Ubiquitously Japanese, your can of coffee will come out steaming hot and tasting of caffeine and your ice-cream will be frozen to perfection. You can buy almost anything out of these machines including undies and they are incredibly convenient as they are situated everywhere. I am in no doubt to the world having vending machine envy.

Somehow, I think one could very happily live in Japan, if only for a year, yet barely scratch the surface of this enchanting land.

The rail system in Japan is brilliant. It really is a great way to get around and in itself, it is a tourist attraction. Think the ‘Mag-Lev High Speed Bullet Train’ which has a maximum operating speed of 320 km/h and which reached 603 km/h in testing.

Image courtesy – indulgy.com

The commuter rail system is slick, fast and very clean. It can be slightly complex to navigate at first, which is half the fun, but there is always someone willing to help you out. In our case, an elderly gentleman helped navigated us through the underground network of tunnels and twist and turns to walk us right to our platform. Not only was he delightful company for this brief encounter, but his gesture was also very kind.

And the trains are punctual! I would recommend purchasing the unlimited rail card as train travel really is, apart from walking, one of the best way to get around.

You will eat well in Japan and often only for a few yen at noodle bars or Yakitori’s. And who doesn’t love a noodle bar. We tended toward the smaller bars with their dark spaces and narrow benches which faced the kitchen to look upon the huge steaming pots of broth and noodles. And do slurp your noodles as it will not only enhance their delicate flavor but in Japan, this is also the correct and most polite way to eat them.

Another food tradition are the Bento boxes. You can travel like a Ninja as these boxes were initially designed to eat whilst in a nomadic state. It is quite an appealing way to eat although I suspect if travelling on the bullet train, you may not have much time to truly savor one.

Something quite lovely to try while in Japan are Rakugan. These are sweets, not too sweet, that have been hand shaped into animals and flowers and objects of beauty. Some of them really are works of art and I often found them just too lovely to eat. Naturally, they come beautifully packaged – as is everything in Japan – and they are often served at traditional tea ceremonies. The thing with the Japanese is that it is all about the aesthetically pleasing aspect of presentation. The attention to detail, the precision and the art of giving with love and joy appear paramount from the presentation of a simple tiny Rakugan to the most expensive and elaborate of gifts.

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‘The Princess and the Pee!’……. aka, my fascination with Japanese toilets! What can I say. The lav’s in Japan are everything I had heard and dreamed them to be. Elaborate, modern, high tech, sophisticated, sensory, heated seats, melodic – they really do play music to camouflage any ‘noise’ – and they make for very happy travellers. Give me a futon and a Japanese toilet and I’m a happy girl…….. 🙂

Japan Part II coming soon………..xx

oceangirl – these are my stories

Tag: the land of the rising sun

Japan…..

A little yen for Japan…….