Japan: June 2014

Hi everyone! It's been awhile since my last post, so this one I'm going to tell about some traditional Japanese things I've been up to =). I've seriously got to start getting better at blogging as I go....sorry it's a lengthy one!

KYOTO
Two weekends ago I went to Kyoto for a day with one of my new friends, Yukko, who lives in the same apartment building as me! Kyoto is known for its literally thousands of temples and shrines. We took the ~45min train into Kyoto and were lucky enough to snatch up a seat shortly into the trip. We met up with Yukko's hometown friend and took a bus about 10minutes across the city. We walked up a long stretch with small shops on either side, stopping in a few here and there to look at the souvenirs. Eventually we made it to Ginkaku-ji temple. "Ginkaku" is a word for silver, however, this shrine is not silver. Nonetheless, it was a gorgeous view and the gardens were breathtaking. Literally some of the most beautiful and refreshing sights I've ever seen. After Ginkaku-ji we got lunch in a small, tucked away restaurant that sat about 10 people. I had boiled tofu with rice and some sort of gooey vegetable bite (there are so many names of different foods I can't remember). But Oh how I love traditional Japanese food =).
Kiyomizu-dera is the second temple we went to. It took about an hour to walk up the mountain and past sooooo many shops!! The view from the main temple was unbelievable and easy to understand why it's one of the most famous temples for foreigners to visit. There were so many small shrines inside the temple too, a few which I made wishes to =)! You toss a coin to the shrine (or put it in a box, if one's provided), ring a bell one time, bow twice, clap twice and make a wish, then bow again. Voilà! Otawa waterfall is at the base of the temple where pure water runs down from the mountain off the roof where you can drink from. Check out the picture below. Each stream is meant to give luck for something different...love, health, and success!!
Kyoto is definitely my favorite place so far....so much history and beautiful sights!!!

TEA CEREMONY
Last Thursday I attended a tea ceremony with another couple of girls who live in my same building. Lucky for me it was practice, and I didn't look like a complete fool not knowing exactly what to do =). Tea Ceremonies are true Japanese culture and have been going on for hundreds of years. They consist of a very delicate and precise way of preparing and accepting matcha--green tea--which is usually served following some kind of Japanese sweet. And it isn't like the green tea you may have bought in the grocery store....it is true, frothy, bitter green tea. The bowls and tools used are typically very beautiful and detailed, with intentions of being looked at and appreciated. It was pretty neat to see and be a part of, and I'll definitely attend again sometime, and try to become better at accepting these delicacies!! Sorry I have no pictures for this one....

HIMEJI-JO
This past weekend my new friend Pasi invited Mika and I to her home in Kakogoya. Her parents were some of the nicest people--and so excited that we were there visiting! Her mother prepared some of the most delicious food I've had yet, since I've been in Japan!! Check out the pics below. Pretty sure I gained a couple pounds just over the weekend. The first night we got there the table was set and ready. A giant platter of raw vegetables, a platter of raw meat, a skillet, and a bowl of eggs. Mika handed me an egg....uhhhh what am I supposed to do with this?! Crack it into my bowl and mix it up of course! Oy....this was a little scary at first, the idea of eating raw egg. But I figured I'd give it a shot and keep my fingers crossed I wouldn't end up in the bathroom all night. Annnnnd I didn't. As the vegetables and meat cooked in the skillet, we each used our chopsticks and pulled straight out of the skillet, put the food into our raw egg, and ate up! OOOOOOMMMMMGGGG. Never knew raw egg could be so delicious. The next morning's breakfast was equally as impressive. Japanese meals consist of so many small dishes, and it's perfect because then you get to try so many new things!!! Saturday we went to Himeji-jo (castle). Unfortunately the main part of the castle was under construction, but there was still so much to see. The castle and grounds are enormous and sit up on top of a hill. Walking through the castle there where many boards of historical information. It's really crazy to think how long such a marvelous piece of architecture has been around--and the history that it comes with it. The castle was used as a fort during war and was said to have been built strategically on the top of the hill to confuse the invader. There were so many interesting stories. I'll give you this one... a maid had accidently broken a treasured dish that was used in the castle. As punishment, she was killed and her body was thrown into the well on the castle grounds. The well still (obviously not useable) is still there today with a metal grate above it, but if you look down into it you see the bottom of the pit covered in coins that people have been throwing into the well for years.

KIMONOS AND RICE FIELDS
After Himeji-castle we went back to Pasi's parents, where a certified kimono-dresser (? not sure of the real name) was waiting so we could try on and wear kimonos! Holy cow---two hours later, you can see the finished product below. She first took about 15 or 20 minutes to style my hair. Putting on the kimono was so much more work than I ever knew. The final beautiful layer that everyone sees is actually the third layer. And each one underneath of it must be set perfectly on your body! The sash that is worn around the torso took about 30 minutes to put on and perfect. By the end it is somewhat exhausting, and you really can't breathe completely normal. I probably wore the kimono for about 45 minutes, and when I took it off (which only takes about 1 minute compared to the almost 2hrs to put on) I had indentations around my torso from the layers and the fabric being wrapped tight around me. Now don't mistake this as a complaint, because it was a really awesome experience and I now have some really great pictures, I just want to make sure you all get a true idea of what wearing a kimono is like ;-).
Sunday morning we woke up at about 7am and headed to Pasi's grandparents home, where we planted RICE!!! (Now) Rice is planted by using a machine (looks like a sit-down lawnmower with rice plants on the back of it) for most of the field, and by hand in the corners. For the most part her dad used the machine and the three of us girls planted in the corners, but I did drive the machine for a row of rice-woooo! The rice fields consist of shin-deep clay and water. It was like a leg workout planting in the corners, feeling like pulling your legs out of quick sand every step you took! Surprisingly the fields are right up against the houses, and not as big of fields as I pictured. They open a small dam from the river during rice-planting season which allows water to flow into the drains (actually, the opposite of a drain, because its holding water) along the streets. Hopefully the pics can give you a better idea :-)

RANDOM THINGS
-I found a bar near my apartment that has Hoegaarden and other great beers. Made some new friends there and am finally able to have a good beer every now and then =) Joy!
-I might be forgetting how to speak good English....
-I met a famous dog. Famous. dog.
-Most dogs here look like a child's toy--but in the most adorable way
-I've now seen 4 or 5 stray cats, and want to keep every one of them

Where we walked into to start the adventure to Kiromizu

Inside Kiromizu temple

Kiromizu from across the way

This guy!

This is the famous dog I met. I don't even remember the little guy's name...

This is a junior high student who had to speak to a foreigner in English about their trip to Japan. I could tell he was usually shy--he gave me a bookmark welcoming me to Japan =).