Chill like the Snow Monkeys

Posing for my camera

I must admit, I am not really an avid animal lover. Other than the whale sharks in the Philippines for which I recently took two flights and a van ride just to snorkel with (it was an amazing experience by the way!), I have never travelled long distances for any other creature.

So I am a little surprised at myself for deciding to take a 3.5 hours trip* from Nozawa Onsen where I was snowboarding, to a relatively difficult-to-reach place called Jidokudani.....just to see a bunch of monkeys. Well, actually these were really not 'just a bunch of monkeys', but I do have to attribute my decision to embark on this leg of the journey largely to a guy named Michael Helbig**. I don't know him personally, but his wonderful series of photographs taken of the Snow Monkeys of Japan inspired me enough to want to capture the fascinating behaviour of these Japanese Macaque myself.

Munching on some flea I suppose...

The Snow Monkeys are so named because they reside in a place that is covered in snow for 1/3 of the year due to its high elevation of 850m. The area of Jigokudani, located in the valley of the Yokoyu River that flows from Shiga Kogen (also the largest ski resort in the northern part of Nagano prefecture), is also known as Hell's Valley because of the steep cliffs and hotspring.

Unfortunately, of all times, I was at Jigokudani at the start of the remaining 2/3 year where there is no more snow. The best time to visit them would be December to February since capturing these animated animals (note: not all animals are animated) in the most scenic snow environment would have been highly rewarding. Nevertheless I met a few nature photographers who had come from Australia and Europe to observe and photograph the amazing behavior of these highly intellectual animals, so that humbled my grand ambitions to an appreciation of nature for what it is at any point in time.

To me, there were 2 most interesting things about these Snow Monkeys. First, they resemble Japanese in one very particular way - They love to lounge. In hotsprings. In fact, they have an outdoor onsen all to themselves at the valley which they soak in everyday. Well, to me that sure doesn't sound anything like hell!

Who says only people know how to enjoy life??

And....these monkeys sure know how to pose!! One brochure introducing these monkeys read, "Photography of the monkeys by camera or video is possible. The monkeys do not mind camera flashes." Well, at least that sounds more obliging than some people I have come across. Judging from some of the pictures I have seen and taken, I believe these clever animals knew exactly what we humans were there at their habitat for. Rather than feeling intruded, they have decided to be totally nonchalant about our presence...at times even sparing us the agony of TRYING to capture their expressions at the right moments by, well, just simply staring right into our camera lens. Now, THAT is good modelling skills indeed! :)

Taking a nap after a dip in the hotspring...what a life!

If I have a chance, I would come back in the snow season to do this again. Meantime, I need to learn from these monkeys and just CHILL!

* The 3.5 hrs ride included a 1.5 hr bus from Nozawa Onsen to Nagano City, followed by a 1 hour train ride to Yudanaka & Shiga Onsen, and a 45min bus ride to Jigokudani.

* The website of the photo gallery is http://giphsub.smugmug.com/gallery/3281434_n4nnb#241636160_WA8Wg

Stepping back in time to Old Japan..

A family from the Edo period..or at least, looking like it! :)

I have found a gem in Japan. A place called Yudanaka & Shibu Onsen at Yamanouchi town in Nagano. If I have to choose a place to truly feel like you are stepping back into old Japan, this would probably be one of the best.

Yamanouchi Town is located in the northeastern part of Nagano Prefecture, and comprises of three main tourists areas: Shiga Kogen heights (ski resort), Kita-Shiga Kogen Heights (ski resort) and Yudanaka & Shibu Onsen. The Onsen was found about 1,300 years ago by a Japanese monk, Gyoki and is a well-known hot spring resort among locals.

I was stopping by Yudanaka Onsen on the way to my hunt for the Snow Monkeys the next day. Knowing that I was going to stay at Kokuya, a ryokan with 400 years of history here made it a stay that I was really looking forward to. Kokuya ryokan (http://www.ichizaemon/) is the only one in the area with 6 different 100% natural hot springs and still uses the same pure hot spring water for the last 400 years. The ryokan’s present master is 16th generation and the Okami-san* (wife of the master who manages the ryokan, whom I had chats with about the history of the area and the ryokan), has devoted her life to mastering the skills and art of managing the ryokan.

Kokuya Ryokan on the right

There is deep-rootedness and preservation of Japanese tradition in this place. Everything along the main Shibu Onsen street brings you back to the past…to somewhere 300 years ago. It is almost natural to feel like you are in the Edo period. Locals and visitors alike were going to the public onsen baths and strolling along on the stone-paved streets in their yukata (simplified kimono) and Geta slippers (Japanese wooden footgear) just like how people who lived here did hundreds of years ago.

Walking out after a a dip in the public onsen

The tablet pass from Kokuya that is used to gain access to the public onsens in the town (looks like a tablet of authority from the emporer!)

The old architecture of ryokans and houses were also impressive. The ryokan just opposite of Kokuya (whose beautiful night light-up view I had the fortune to see from my room balcony while sipping on my Sapporo beer) - Kanaguya (http://www.kanaguya.com/), had managed to preserve its original form since 1758. The pictures outside the ryokan showed people from the long past, in their kimonos and hairstyles of that period, posing at exactly the same spots of the ryokan that were visible to anyone standing on the street looking at it now. This ryokan is a national heritage asset, and I hope it would still be the same 250 years later.

The beautiful Kanaguya ryokan built in 1758

Wanting to be part of the past, I decided that I would go out and stroll and have yakitori in a small little izakaya in my yukata. But first, I had to choose one out of 7 hotspring baths within Kokuya. Of course I chose the outdoor hotspring (Issa) which allowed me to do some star-gaze while soaking in the onsen (oh yes, of course!). It was a little difficult to tear myself away from that, but wrapping myself in yukata and with my toes in tabi socks and Geta slippers, I stepped out of the ryokan onto the street. Taking a deep breath of the crisp cool spring air while feeling warm from the onsen, I felt such bliss it was almost difficult to stop smiling to myself. I took my time to stroll up and down the street, listening to the tapping my slippers made on the stone-pavements. Being able to enjoy life the same way as the ancestors did (albeit just for one night), in an old ryokan and cobbled streets as the ancestors were in, provided such a transient interaction with the past that it was a truly unforgettable meeting with history heart to heart :)

* The okami's role corresponds to that of a general manager in a Western hotel. In many cases, the okami is the owner of the ryokan or the wife of the owner, which means that the okami, as the representative of the ryokan, attends to all external affairs such as business matters and cooperation with the local community (Quote: Japan Ryokan Association)

Fun facts about the Japanese language (Part 1)

I love how the Japanese are always so polite in telling you that he/ she is (pardon the language) pissed about something. Especially when they start to combine their versions of English words to it.

You know that when a Japanese ends a sentence with the word ‘desu’ or ‘masu’, he is being polite. For instance, if I say something is really delicious, I can say ‘oishii!’ to friends and family but I usually add the word ‘desu’ at the end i.e. ‘oishii desu!’ if I’m talking to someone I’m not that close with or who is more senior.

At the same time, English words more often than not take a whole new form in the Japanese language. Due to the limited vowels in Japanese language, there is no way to form Japanese characters so that they are pronounced exactly like English. For a start, there is no ‘L’ in Japanese, but only ‘R’. So Japanese find it ‘Ri-A-Ri’ difficult to pronounce the word ‘Really’…. (There is also no concept of 'V', I was reminded by someone I met today...it is replaced by 'B' in Japanese. So a Kevin Costner becomes a Ke-Bi-N Co-Su-Na...)



It's a 'pubric' place here....

And every vowel in Japanese ends with the mouth shaping into either ‘a’, ‘i’, ‘u’, ‘e’ or ‘o’. There is therefore no Japanese way to pronounce English words that end with ‘d’ or ‘t’, since they stop the tongue from spurting out one of the above vowels. For instance, the word ‘stop’ would be pronounced as ‘Su-To-Pu’ and ‘Good’ would somehow become ‘Go~o~o~do!’. I found the ultimate Japanese version of an English word when trying to locate a McDonald's one day in Osaka. The Japanese has no clue what you are talking about when you ask them where McDonald's is. Now it is impossible for anyone not to know what is McDonald's, so I was convinced it was my pronounciation. Not until the 10th try did I FINALLY figure out that the ‘Ma-ku-do-na-ru-do’ was just 20m ahead on the left!!!

So imagine when a Japanese gets pissed at something (well, not really 'pissed pissed' which is really not that frequent...but you know..'fun pissed'), says an English word and ends it in a polite form because you are a foreigner.

The other day I was playing cards with 2 Japanese friends at a pub in Nozawa Onsen. Imagine our Japanese rivals..sleek like Unagi-s (that is, eels..), and calm like the Samurais, intently focused on their cards and treating the game with life-and-death seriousness. All were quiet...very quiet....as other people in the pub went about their other little games. The Japanese peeped at our poker faces from the corner of their eyes with much suspicion, deliberating on their next move. "Now, would it be this card..or maybe that card...."

And after all this deliberation, it was quite unfortunate (yet funny) that one of them had to pick THE killer joker card from the pile. At this level of seriousness, there really couldn't be a better way to break the silence than 2 words shouted in samurai-fashion as if in a lost battle (i.e. in a style like he was about to kill himself)...

......"SHI~~TTO~~ DESU~~~~!!!"

Did I already mention that encounters of extreme opposites are common in Japan?

Adventure in the snowy peaks of Nozawa Onsen

My snowboard...after the 100th time crashing in the snow

Where in the world could you find beautiful alpines, snowy everything, do a BBQ on impromptu in the cold, make great new friends from all over the world, go to pubs and play table soccer/ cards with the locals, strike a conversation with the Ojisan and his wife in the little yakitori store, AND learn snowboard with cool Swiss instructors?

Welcome to Nozawa Onsen.

View at Uenotaira gondola station, Nozawa Onsen

I have never snowboarded nor ski-ed in my life. I don’t know what gave me the courage, but I decided to pack my bag, take the bullet train to Nagano, and put my life in the hands of a piece of plank on a snowy slope that stretches to forever. Granted, it would be a very nice piece of plank (and cool snowboarding gear at that), but nobody’s going to fly a helicopter for you just because you look more stylish than the ski-ers (sorry Renee!).

And so I decided to head to Nozawa Onsen, the least touristy and smallest in scale in Nagano compared to its bigger brothers – Shiga Kogen and Hakuba. Even then, it is still one of the largest ski resorts in Japan and the most importantly, it is also well-known as a hotspring resort since the Edo period (from the 1600s). In fact the locals are so proud of its hotspring water that almost EVERYONE goes to the public baths dotted everywhere in the village to bathe using hotspring water (not tap water). It was wonderful, to go back in time in those bathing houses. But of course, my main purpose was snowboarding…and trust me, snowboarding is not for the faint-hearted. After a short 2 hours lesson on how not to kill myself in snow, I made my first attempt to snowboard from the summit gondola station of Yamabiko (about 1,500m in elevation) to Uenotaira (about 1,200m in elevation). I suppose a good snowboarder could finish that route in about 10min. My first attempt saw me crashing face down, butt first, on the sides and basically in all positions possible before getting to Uenotaira after 1.5 hours (!).

My fellow crasher, in the same position as I was most of the time..

Fortunately, about half a dozen other people were also in those positions around me at any time. By about the 20th time, I was truly wondering whether it was all worth it. That’s when a look around the beautiful white powdery scenery around me (while sitting in the snow nursing my butt and my ego) reminded me that it was.

View at Yamabiko summit, Nozawa Onsen

Staying in a lodge run by Australians wouldn’t have been my typical choice of accomodation in Japan. However, I was not on a typical mission either in Nozawa Onsen, and so my criteria were different this time. The Villa Nozawa (http://nozawaholidays.com/) offered lessons from Swiss instructors, which is very much needed if you do not wish to spend too much time trying to figure out the English of some Japanese instructors from other schools (Nozawa Onsen Ski School offers such course).

Cool snowboarder taking a higher challenge

Learning to snowboard meant a lot of sharing and getting advice from people who are good at it. At Villa Nozawa, it was like being initiated into a big family of snowboarding and ski-lovers and beginners. Quite the opposite of a Japanese ryokan where privacy of the guests was paramount and guests hardly speak to one another, at Villa Nozawa, morning breakfasts are social gatherings with everyone trying to tell their near-death stories the day before (we did that over our impromptu BBQ in the cold too!). Of course there were also the authentic ryokans in the village, one of which is right next to the Ooyu Onsen and has a lounge with a view of a beautiful pond garden and its own outdoor hotsprings. I gather that a budget ski/ snowboarding course followed by a more luxurious ryokan stay at Nozawa Onsen could be a great end to a wonderful snowboarding trip!

Foot bar, where I played great table soccer with Luke & Renee from Villa Nozawa!

Japanese snowboarders, yeah..cool! :)

* I got my sense of balance miraculously overnight and finished that same course 3 times in less than 20min each :)

Onsen - truly a Japanese way of life

Little toddler I met yesterday at Kawarayu Onsen, soaking his feet in an outdoor hotspring :)

I think Japanese people deserve to have as many onsens and ofuros in their lives as possible. They work too hard for their own good. There is a term in Japan called ‘karoshi’, meaning ‘death from overwork’. That is the extreme of course, but a few Japanese colleagues of mine in the past had actually been clinically diagnosed with depression from work. The great thing about it is that an MC or resignation due to depression from work is actually accepted with much sympathy in Japan. Show such an MC to a boss in Singapore, and it would probably be thrown out of the window.

To release stress for better sleep, every family has an ofuro, or tub, at home in Japan. Unlike those we have in hotels or homes, these bathtubs are smaller (so that less water is used and it fills up faster), plasticky, and they are made in such a way that the water can be maintained at a desired temperature. I recalled my first experience of an ofuro the first time I was in Japan at 16. Because the water was 42deg and steaming, I remembered asking myself.... ‘do I REALLY have to do this???’. This was of course followed by a resignation to fate, and I thought an attempt to kill myself by hot water. I had inched in very (and I mean, very) slowly into the tub. It took me like 20 minutes to get one leg in. By then, the meaning of having a hot bath to keep myself warm in the 15 deg weather didn't make much sense. I never made it to get in totally that first time, because I figured the dinner (and maybe supper) would be over and lights off by the time I actually do. Subsequently I had gotten so used to ofuro and hotsprings, I can get in faster than any Japanese.

The Takadaya Ryokan at Kawarayu Onsen at Gunma* which I visited, a pioneer in hot sand bath

I have gone to quite a lot of ofuros (and hotsprings) mostly outdoors. I already cannot recall the first time I did it, but man, how I do recall the time I brought my 2 aunts & mum to an onsen at a beautiful ryokan called Yamatoya built in the Edo period at Hakone. Although they had spent 2 weeks in Japan then, this onsen thing was the highlight of their trip and they talk about it even until today. I shall use it as an illustration of what to do/not to do at an onsen. It's really fun once you get used to it.

What to expect (6 key points):

1. Someone at the reception or in your room explaining everything to you in Japanese. Yes, that is not very helpful...that's why this blog helps.

2. A tour to show you the ofuro for the guys and girls are. Still, the Japanese have created a system to confuse you by switching the ofuros at certain timings in the day..but unless you don't read Chinese or Kanjiu, it is still obvious which is which.

3. People changing in front of you and walking around with a towel enough to cover just the vital parts. Get over it. Some of them are 80 yrs old and all wrinkled and they don't look at you.

4. Hot spring (indoors or outdoors). I mean, really hot. But once you are inside, you will love it.

5. If you booked yourself in a ryokan, expect a full spread of Japanese kaiseki in your room by the time you reach it. Again, explanation of the delicacies are in Japanese, but heck they are all delicious!

6. A nice futon all set up after the dinner for you to fall asleep in after a hard day at the ofuro...nice :)

The kaiseki that Akane and I had at Takadaya Ryokan

What to do (6 key points):

1. Wear the ryokan's yukata (simple version of the kimono) to the ofuro. It's nicer to change into the yukata after your bath than to squeeze back into your jeans. Everything about you would have expanded.

2. The small stool at each open cubicle in the common bathing area is for you to sit on to shower before and after you jump into any hotspring. Don't stand. Don't spray your showerhead at your neighbour also. I'm serious, my mum always does that at 3 m radius.

3. Use only your small towel in the bathing area, not the king-size one. Really, nobody will look at your backside.

4. Keep your towel out of the hotspring. It's a hotspring, not a bathtub.

5. Keep a low profile in the ofuro, even if you have a great figure!

6. Dry yourself before stepping into the dry area after your bath, unless you intend to make the kind 80 yrs old grandmother slip and fall.

What not to do (6 key points):

1. Don't compete with each other who to take off the yukata first! hahah (sounds familiar, Ah Yi??) It ain't gonna make a difference in the end!

2. Don't laugh at each other...c'mon we all have tummies. Just use your small little towel cleverly and nobody is going to notice it.

3. Even if you don't mean to, don't attempt to make conversation with the 80 yr old grandmotherand then giggle at the realization that she ACTUALLY doesn't understand you(reference: my mum)

4. Don't make big actions in the bath. In particular, don't do your morning exercises in the bath with your splits and leg stretchings (reference: my mum again). It's already very hard to do that at normal temperature.

5. Don't talk to your companions loudly while in the bath. In Japan, there is a term called 'maa-naa mou-do' (that is, if you haven't figured it out, Manner Mode..) and you are not supposed to disturb others while in the bath.

6. Lastly, don't let the dos and don'ts stop you from visiting an onsen. Bathing in the ofuro and staying over at a ryokan is an experience by itself. If you visit Japan and not do this, you are missing out on a big part of the Japanese life!

(*Takadaya Ryokan is located at Kawahayu Onsen at Gunma Prefecture. It is more than 100 years old from the Daiwa era and is a pioneer in hot sand bath which Akane and I tried (almost burnt my butt in the first 10 min). Accessible by JR bus from Shinjuku, Tokyo, this onsen area will disappear soon due to construction of a dam.)

Kawazu Nanadaru - Outdoor hotspring under a waterfall

Talk about co-existence of extremes in Japan.

How would you react if you are faced with a half naked guy having a towel only small enough to cover either his frontal or backside in a co-ed hotspring (i.e. onsen), who suddenly realises he is not alone, and actually bows to you in the steamy cave and politely says 'sumimasen'?? Am I supposed to say 'hajime mashite...' (i.e. 'it's nice to meet you for the first time...')?

Onsen in these 7 tubs, where we experienced the above mentioned with another gentleman...

Of course that was not the highlight of our 2 days 1 night trip to verify an itinerary featured in Japan Hour*. Actually Naomi and I had just arrived at Kawazu Nanadaru area at Kawazu town, Shizuoka prefecture. Nana in Japanese means 7, and Odaru means waterfall. The Kawazu river tumbles down from Mt. Amagi and branches into 7 waterfalls in this town, eventually running down to deep sea, hence the name.

The river at Kawazu Nanadaru..

It had taken us about 2.5 hours to get here from Tokyo. We took a 45min bullet train (i.e. shinkansen) ride to Atami, an express train to Kawazu and then a mini-van pickup to the Odaru Onsen. Without the JR pass for foreigners, the transportation itself would cost as much as Yen12,000 (~S$190) 2-ways. With the JR pass that allows unlimited travel on bullet trains, the transportation 2-ways is about Yen6,000 (~S$100). I really think foreigners travel much cheaper in Japan than the locals and we should make full use of our advantage in this wondrous country.

Anyway, the purpose of this trip was to dig out 2 really authentic onsens, not easily known to foreigners. Even Naomi didn't know about them until we did our research. Japan Hour had recommended a green tea (i.e. macha) onsen at a traditional inn (i.e. ryokan) called Tsurabashi Ryokan. We were surely going to do that (and did it on the 2nd day), but we had found an even more special outdoor onsen. That is the Odaru Onsen.

Outdoor hotspring while overlooking a huge waterfall

Outdoor onsen overlooking the Odaru waterfall

The Odaru Onsen overlooks the largest of the 7 waterfalls at Kawazu Nanadaru and has various types of hotspring baths within the onsen itself. This includes a hotspring for people who want to have babies, and even hotsprings in a cave with tunnels that was really very fascinating (only thing was the hotspring water wasn't that hot). Our favorite though, was still the outdoor onsen overlooking the Odaru waterfall. The entire atmosphere was like having a bath in the forest, only better, because you have the river and the birds that come to feed...and in autumn, probably a blast of red and orange colors from the trees.

Imagine when the trees are full of autumn leaves...

The onsens are located down in a valley while the inn is at the top alongside the mountain. The water sprouting from underground is about 40 - 42 ℃. This may seem really hot but when the outside temperature is so cool at about 10 ℃, you just want to jump in asap. That is, until you realise that some half naked guy already submerged in the water is staring at you with dagger eyes...in which case you just hop onto another adjacent pool until he scrambles off after deciding that his backside is not as worth covering than his front. (Not to put off guys who are considering coming to this place. Just bring a swimming trunk and you won't ever be caught in this awkward position.) That little hiccup aside, which to me is really more amusing than a deterrent, Odaru Onsen is a beautiful beautiful place. As you close your eyes, soaked in the heat of the water with the cold air brushing your face, you can hear the waterfall gushing down the heights and the rushing flow of the river....all this time you would be thanking God for such wonderful nature created for man to enjoy.

We stayed over 1 night at Amagisou (http://www.amagisou.jp/) where the Odaru onsen was located. There are several types of rooms at this ryokan. Some of them have private onsens within the room, and balcony with seats overlooking the mountainous greens and sakura trees. We took the standard room without the bath nor the balcony since we were happy with the outdoor onsens, and it was too chilly to sit at the balcony. The room cost us Yen14,600 (~S$220)per person, and includes kaiseki dinner and breakfast. If you didn't bring a swimming costume/ trunk or towel, they can be rented at Yen300 (~S$5) and Yen200 (~S$3.50) respectively too.

Kaiseki dinner at Amagisou (this is only part of the entire course)


(I will be writing on how one should behave for an onsen soon so that whoever visits it one day will not find it such a cultural shock, but would enjoy it as the locals do :))

A feast for the eyes with beautiful sceneries

As if being here in this hotspring is not already worthwhile making this trip, there are also so many things to explore in this little town of Kawazu Nanadaru that will feast the tastebuds and eyes. The great thing is that all these are near enough to be explored on foot on a leisurely pace.

The unique thing about Kawazu is that it is probably one of the first places where sakuras bloom in Japan as the climate here is warmer. In Tokyo and Kyoto, for e.g., sakuras bloom in late March/ early April. At Kawazu however, they bloom by late February. If we had been 3 weeks earlier, we would not only have rows of sakuras lining the streets, but also outside our room. We still count our lucky stars that we saw a few remaining sakura trees along the way.

Sakura at Kawazu Nanadaru

On top of that, there were so many orange (i.e. mikan) trees too as Shizuoka is a place for producing them. Naomi and I bought a mikan each for Yen50, and I must say that...well, they were quite sour but still a good treat!

Mikan tree against a backdrop of sakuras...

We walked along the river meant for exploring the 7 waterfalls which are famous here. The weather is really cool and the walk was so refreshing. We didn't think we needed to see all the waterfalls but we had to go to this one.....

Shokei-daru waterfall


...the reason being that there is a picturesque statue of the famous dancing girl of Izu (i.e. Izu no Odoriko) who is the main character of a novel written by Kawabata Yasunari. In the story, a Tokyo student goes hiking in Izu, where he meets a young dancer. Though lonely and depressed, he begins to change after getting to know the girl and her family. Part of the setting of the story was along this river where they walked together. The novel was made into film 6 times, and Kawabata Yasunari (1899-1972) later won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1968, the first Japanese person to do so. 　

Wasabi Tororo Soba....and just about Wasabi everything!

Another really special thing we tried was Wasabi Tororo Soba, which we so fell in love that we had it over 2 days for lunch! Kawazu Town is famous as a producer of Japanese "wasabi" radish, carnations and irises, etc. If you love wasabi (and I know Singaporeans do. Admit it, you are a wasabi fanatic if you plonk chunks of the green stuff into your saucer dish for all your sushi and sashimi...), you are in heaven here.

Wasabi sold at S$6 - $10 each

The Wasabi Tororo Soba is really using lightly wasabi-flavored soba dipped into a light sauce (i.e. tsuyu) that has a plonk of grated yam in it. The secret lies in this grated yam dip and the fresh wasabi that you grate by yourself, and the fact that the soba is cold. It's so smooth! I can imagine eating this in summer or in hot & humid Singapore to cool down...if only I can have it everyday!!

My favorite Wasabi Tororo Soba at a shop called Kadoya near to Amagisou


Oh, and how can we forget the wasabi soft cream?! Hard to imagine (the packaging of stuff like wasabi chocolate reads.."could it be sweet?? could it be hot?? try it to know!")...and guess what, it was really oishi!! :)

Green tea onsen

We ended our trip with the much publicized macha green tea onsen at Tsurabashi Onsen (http://www.tsuribashiso.com/), which was just a 10min walk away from Odaru Onsen. It was a specially prepared bath made from green tea for us in a private hut. For Yen2,800 (~S$45) for a single time, we had thought that the onsen would be prepared in some really traditional way. In fact, Naomi and I imagined some lady in kimono pouring large wooden spoonfuls of green tea powder in a human sized tea cup and stirring it like how you do with normal tea...hahah...:) but it was not anything near to being so traditional! The process turned out real simple with green tea leaves being put into those white filter bag and immersed in hot spring water. It was still a great experience because the smell was so nice...and while you bathe, you can also see the water flowing in the river below.

The green tea onsen

The private hut we had

After dipping in 2 times in the Odaru Onsen and 1 time at the green tea onsen over 2 days, I actually think we had an overdose of onsens!! No doubt I would want to go back again though...maybe in November during autumn. Anybody interested? :)

Thanks Naomi for being my model in these photos!

* Refer to last section of the Japan Hour episode found at www.channelnewsasia.com/japanhour/highlights_jan17_2009.htm

A Japanese wedding

Tatsuhiro and Natsuko's wedding

My birthday this year was a particularly special one. 8 March also happened to be Natsuko Ono's wedding in Saitama, Japan. My relationship with Natsuko and the Ono family goes back really far, when I was 16 to be exact. I had gone on an international girl scout camp in Tokyo and I stayed with the Ono family for almost 2 weeks. It was a fascinating experience to be in Japan, the first country I ever visited (and subsequently another 20 times). And the impression was so great I never stopped being in touch with the family and learning about Japan and Japanese. I learnt Japanese and tried to write to them. At first we communicated mainly in very very basic English and a lot of gestures. But now, after many years....our conversations are mainly in Japanese. Natsuko doesn't even bother to bring along her dictionary anymore when we are together. She rambles on as if I understand everything nowadays..

The Ono family is small. There is Natsuko and then her older brother, Masataka who is married to Mayumi with a really cute daughter called Hiyori, who is now 5 years old. Otohsan (father) and Okahsan (mother) opens a 7-Eleven store at Saitama, in which I have attempted to work in for free. I was an 'arranger'..you know, the one that arranges everything and doesn't need to talk. Otohsan decided to do this after he was retrenched from a bank about 10 years ago. Both of them work really hard for someone at their age. Otohsan goes to work from 2pm to 7am, and Okahsan from 5am to 6pm. I admire their diligence. But they always tell me how happy they are to do something they like.


Okahsan (mother) and Otohsan (father, extreme left)

Actually, when I was told that I will be wearing Natsuko's kimono to the wedding, I almost couldn't believe it. This kimono probably cost about S$10k and it is so difficult to wear that Natsuko only wore it 4 times since her 'Coming-to-Age' ceremony at 20 yrs old. There are 3 layers to the kimono, and an Obi so stuffed with about 10 other layers of cloth belts all tightened around my torso that I could hardly breathe! The lady that was helping me with it said she was already being kind. She couldn't stop laughing when I let out a 'Oh My God' everytime she tightened the belts. And here is the result :)

Natsuko's wedding started off with a ceremony in a room where both sides of the family & relatives sit opposite each other like in negotiation. I wasn't expecting anything like that at all. I wasn't told about this part. Then each of them did a 'jiko shyokai' or a self-introduction. One by one. The gentlemen, clad in their black suits and white ties did their introduction as if in an interview. The ladies, all in black dresses except for the mothers and aunts who were in black kimono, look so sullen one might have thought it must be so wrong to be married. I was really priviledged to be in that room too. It was only for close relatives but I was told that I could sit right next to the grandmother in the church too, as it was 'toku betsu' or special in my case...otherwise I think I should be sitting right at the exit door! But everyone was all smiles when the serious part was over...later I found out from Natsuko no one is supposed to be laughing in the church, so they all suppressed it and let it out later on!

I always think that Japan is a place of contradiction. A place where extremes can co-exist. And no better illustration than kimono clad guests in a church waiting for a bride in white gown to make her vow with her new husband when both are not Christians. And the fact that everyone was in black except the bride and groom. Everyone was sullen in church but all smiles outside. Dad and mum had to do a 90 degrees bow to the new son-in-law in thanks for his promise to take care of the daughter for the rest of her life. It was serious joy.

In her red kimono, Natsuko was later led into the reception by Tatsuhiro walking 10 steps in front of her. I wonder whether that is a sign of submission cast in stone! But in real life, I know that Natsuko is a strong person..she is not going to let anyone control her for sure! :)

Congratulations Tatsuhiro & Natsuko! :)

First post before I fly

As I write this, I am 6 hrs away from my 1 month trip 'explorer' trip in Japan! This is the 20th time I fly to the country, so I am not there to explore the usual suspects or to do the typical touristy things. If you care to know how a 300 yr old traditional Japanese house in a snowy Unesco heritage place looks like (I hope it is still snowing!), or how snowboarding in the alpines is like, or maybe...how staying in a temple in Kyoto is like...watch this space :)

As a prelude to this adventure, here are some shots in various parts of Japan I have experienced which can only partly explain why I love it so much already.

Itsukushima Shinto Shrine (Miyajima, Hiroshima)

Torii Gate (Miyajima, Hiroshima)

Biei (Hokkaido) on 3rd week of July, 2008

Outside our inn at Biei (Hokkaido)

The A-Bomb remains (Hiroshima)

Mt. Fuji (view from Hakone)

Sanja Matsuri (Asakusa, Tokyo)

Children at the Matsuri (Asakusa, Tokyo)

Nightlife at Shinjuku (Tokyo)

of course, Japanese cuisine (taken at Hokkaido)

And to top it all off...

Sanja Matsuri (Asakusa, Tokyo)

Japan is a FUN place to be in! :)