Along the coast

Our exploration of Honshu continued down the coast from Kyoto with an overnight stay in the small city of Kurashiki. At first sight there was nothing remarkable about this place: just the usual drab concrete buildings & overhanging electricity cables that modern Japan is known for. But hidden behind a corner in the city centre we found what we had come to see, an area that takes you back 100 years to a Japan that wasn't completely concreted over. Surrounding the tree-lined Kurashiki Canal there are rows of beautifully restored wooden warehouses and shops, all dating from the Edo Period (1615-1868). A sight like this is not common at all these days as very few historical structures -except temples and shrines- receive conservation attention here. Which brings me to my pet hate about today's Japan: the tragic ugliness of the cities and the lack of historical conservation or interest in architectural aesthetics... I of course fully realise that World War II destroyed much of the heritage of this country but an equal amount of traditional buildings were levelled by the government itself, to make way for more efficient structures, like factories, office blocks and soulless appartment buildings. Why can't economic growth go hand in hand with attractive urban planning or preservation of old neighbourhoods? And why is every other building in this country constructed out of the most horrible-looking, depression-inducing grey concrete??? These questions have many answers, but as I'm not an expert I'll refer you to an insightful book by Alex Kerr called 'Dogs and Demons', a wake-up call for anyone who thinks Japan is all about temples, moss gardens & veneration for nature.

One of the highlights of this trip for me was our stay in a ryokan, a traditional Japanese inn. A visit to a ryokan can be fraught with cultural faux pas, like knowing when & where to take off your shoes, which way to put on your yukata or how exactly to digest grilled fish at 7 in the morning! I certainly put my foot in the mouth while talking to the hostess, the woman pictured above. She was under the false impression that Vaughan & I understood Japanese (that's what you get for uttering a few simple expressions!) and proceeded to ask all kinds of questions. One of them was, in my understanding, whether Karen & Vaughan were my mother & husband. I nodded at this, only to see a baffled and puzzled expression appear on her face... Vaughan was my 'oto-san', really??? Hm, turns out I just claimed that he was my father and not my husband, or 'otto-san'! Hilarious laughter followed from all parties, and every time she saw me afterwards she chuckled :-). Guess my ignorance broke the ice!

In a ryokan, dinner is served in your room and consists of a variety of dishes, including miso soup, rice, sashimi, udon noodles, vegetable tempura, grilled fish, tofu, pickled radish, fruit & some other items I couldn't recognise. Healthy, delicious and very cozy; can't wait to stay at a ryokan again to savour these delights...

The following day we stopped at Okoyama, a city famous for two things, Okayama Castle and Korakuen Garden, designated a 'Special Scenic Spot' and one of the 'Top Three Gardens in Japan' (ranking sights here is very common!). Can't say I liked the open, spacious areas as much as other, more intimate gardens we've seen but it was a pleasant stroll nonetheless.

Mother and son in front of a tea plantation

Before heading back to Fukuoka we stayed overnight in Hiroshima, a city which surprised me quite a bit. I guess I had been expecting an eerie place with a solemn & gloomy mood, but the atmosphere along the riverbanks was very cheerful, with students performing music of questionable quality, tourists licking ice cream & young couples strolling. The Peace Park and the A-Bomb Center (pictured above) certainly made you pause for a while & contemplate the horrors of war though...