Brits on Tour (2015.08.25)
My co-worker's friends came to visit Odawara and I got to tag along. It was a really good day out, but I was shattered by the end of it.
Anyway, we kicked the day off by going to Odawara Castle. Building work is still going on there, so you can't get inside at the moment. We did meet and cuddle a super fluffy dog, so it wasn't a completely wasted trip. From there, we went for a quick stroll at the beach (I picked up a rock a a souvenir because I'm a geologist and that's what we do). It was pretty windy and definitely not the warmest day to go, but not all that bad. "Bracing" is what I'd call it.
The next stop was Daiyuzan Saijo-ji. I've been a few times before (you can read about it here), but I'm always happy to go back there. It's definitely my favourite temple. We had the joy of finding a monk practicing playing the horns used during prayer, and by practicing I mean he was really practicing. That man is not the most musically talented person in the world. Before leaving, we climbed the 100 steps, which damn nearly killed me, and met a sumo wrestler.
Here are some photos from this trip to the temple.
Afterwards, we headed out for a meal and many many many drinks.
So yeah, good day out.
Mt. Fuji the Invisible (2015.08.27)
Got up super early to get on a train to meet my boss for the promised Fuji 5th Sation day-trip. As with all my days off, it was cloudy, and the promised views of said mountain did not happen. The only times I've ever seen Fuji is from the end of my road on my way to work. Each time I've gone somewhere that should have some good views of the mountain, it's always hiding in cloud.
Anyway, we ended up getting the bus from a car park up to the 5th station. Once there, we had a look around the shrine (dedicated to safety when climbing the mountain) and bought some souvenirs before jumping on a different bus to go back down again.
The tubes are supposed to grant you a long life and wealth if you go through them. I did both. I'll take all the help I can get.
When I say the view was non-existent, I really do mean it.
Next was the Funatsu Tainai 船津体内 lava tree moulds.
These formed when lava flowed across tree trunks, incinerating the wood and leaving a hollow shell. The site is sacred to those who follow Fuji-ko, and is used to purify themselves and to pray for safety when making their pilgrimage. The goddess of Mt. Fuji, Konohana Sakuya Hime, is enshrined within the tree moulds. As such, it is interesting on both a cultural and geological view.
The entrance to the caves here are inside the shrine building.
From a practical point of view, if you are tall this is not the place for you. I could barely make it through and I'm only 5'7". Both my boss and I scratched our backs and pretty much crippled ourselves from being crouched for so long. Here are some photos from inside the caves.
After Funatsu Tainai, we went to a different set of caves - Narusawa 鳴沢 Ice Cave. There was a a small entrance fee and the option to wear a hard-hat if you so wish. I chose not to because I'm a geologist who likes to live on the edge. The signs are also rather interesting.
Anyway, this cave is significantly easier to move through than Funatsu Tainai, although the ground was really slippy in places. It's much more impressive than in winter, although there was still a fair amount of ice in it when we went.
The final stop on the tour was Oshino Hakkai 忍野八海. There are 8 ponds (all with an assortment of fish and/or ducks) in a small yet touristy and impossibly busy village. It has a very traditional feel to it, and would be lovely if it weren't for the crowds. There's lots of chance to buy local produce and souvenirs (I bought some tea and a pair of canisters for it).
There's a traditional house that you can look around as well.
On the other side of the carpark, there's a zen garden. It's quite charming (despite the carpark), and much quieter than the main part of the village. On clear days, the view must be wonderful.
On the way home, we squeezed in a few minutes on the shore of Yamanaka-ko 山中湖.
All in all, a good day out. It's a pity that the weather wasn't the best, but the clouds did make it all very atmospheric (and much cooler than it would otherwise have been).
Octopus Balls and Chicken Innards (2015.08.27)
After getting home from Fuji, I had an hour or so break before heading into Kamonomiya to meet my favourite barman. Because I like takoyaki, it was decided on my behalf that we would go to Okan (a local takoyaki shop) and try out the menu. It was delicious, but hotter than the surface of the Sun.
Home-made takoyaki (as this is) is so much better than anything you can buy in the shops. In the end, I ate...
- Standard takoyaki (the picture)
- Takoyaki with salt
- Takoyaki with ponzu (bitter orange sauce kind of thing) and spring onions
- Takoyaki with soy sauce
The one with ponzu is my favourite, I think.
Next on my tour of Kamonomiya restaurants was Capace, though we only stopped in for a drink, before moving on to Kotoriya.
I was given the challenge of eating a range of things. Working left to right, I had chicken liver, chicken neck, more liver, chicken intestines, chicken meat balls.
It was surprisingly good, especially the liver. The ladies sat next to me kindly bought me a shot of vodka, which helped get rid of the taste of squid, cream cheese, and cucumber that the chef got me to try (and will never try again).
Afterwards, we went to drink in FuRat (and eat cake if I remember correctly). I ended up staying there until they closed, and then got breakfast on the way home. I was incredibly professional and taught a range of Japanese people to say "do you want to drink tequila?" I hate tequila, but apparently I drink it now.
So, bar Japanese. I've been going to the bar a lot more recently, as I've met some really lovely people who are all very understanding. As a result, they're throwing me a farewell party on the 11th with the view to give me severe alcohol poisoning from what I've gathered.
Only 8 days left now.
I really don't want to leave.
