Coming of Age Day

On January 9, 2017

In 2017, Coming of Age Day, Customs, Japan, Kamakura, Kimono, Shrine, Tsuragaoka Hachimangū

The second Monday in January is known as Coming of Age Day. The day celebrates when a Japanese young person reaches adulthood. This occurs at the age of 20 because, 20 is the age of maturity in the Japanese culture. It comes with expanded rights and responsibilities of adulthood. The day of celebration dates back to 714 when a young prince was permitted to wear new robes and had his hair cut marking his passage into adulthood. It was made into a Japanese National holiday in 1948.

Interestingly, the cut off date for the celebration is March 31st. So, any Japanese person turning 20 between April 1st, 2016 and March 31st, 2017 will participate in the ceremony. The ceremony is typically held in the morning at local government offices. After the ceremony, the participants will go out with their friends and family to celebrate often stopping by the local temple or shrine for prayers and good wishes.

Women often wear traditional formal kimonos. Some men choose to wear a kimono as well, although it is more common for men to wear dark suits. I went to Kamakura this afternoon to the Tsuragaoka Hachimangū Shrine hoping to catch sight of a few new adults dressed in kimonos. I saw many women dressed in kimonos and I was able to snap a few photos. The women seemed to happily have their pictures taken and EVERYONE was snapping pictures. It was like the “coming of age” paparazzi. Honestly, whom could blame them. The girls looked stunning in their formal dress kimonos.

Kimonos & Rickshaws

Notice the length of her sleeve. The long length indicates she is single.

Kimono selfie! Again, notice the sleeve length.

Kimono with the fur…

So pretty on the bridge

My favorite shot from today

Beautiful

Coming of Age Day reminds me of a sweet sixteen party mixed with your 21st birthday. Although the day is a celebration, it is also meant to serve as a time for reflection on responsibility and privileges associated with becoming and adult.

Kadomatsu

By wabisabisole

On January 6, 2017

In 2017, Japan, Kadomatsu, Lucky, Yokosuka

Have you ever noticed this emoji ?? Have you ever used ??

What does ?mean?

Well, now you can impress all your friends and explain to them what ?is.

The emoji ? is a kadomatsu. Kadomatsu means “gate pine.” It is pronounced ka-do-mā-zoo. Kadomatsu is a traditional New Year Japanese decoration. They are placed in pairs in front of homes and businesses to welcome Toshigami, the god of the New Year. The kadomatsu is considered temporary housing for the spirits. Usually, they placed after Christmas and remain until January 7 (although some sources said the 15th). Traditionally, after they are removed they are burned to appease the spirits and release them. Several of my sources said modern day kadomatsu are made of plastic and reused each year.

Three large bamboo shoots are placed in the center of the kadomatsu. In keeping with Ikebana traditions, the three bamboo shoots are set at different heights to represent heaven, humanity, and earth. The tallest shoot represents heaven, the middle shoot represents humanity and the shortest shoot represents earth. A pine wreath binds the bamboo. Because pine remains green, it is considered lucky. Further meaning of using bamboo and pine is for longevity and prosperity. The kadomatsu are placed in pairs on either side of the entrance, representing male and female.

Here are the two kadomatsu in front of Dave’s office building.

After living here for five months, my knowledge of emojis is growing faster than my ability to speak Japanese!

7 Lucky Gods of Zushi

By wabisabisole

On January 5, 2017

In 2017, Japan, Lucky, New Year, Seven Lucky Gods, Temple, Zushi

Another spouse who is very familiar with Japan after living here for six years, offered to take a group of us on the Seven Lucky Gods pilgrimage in Zushi. Unlike the Seven Lucky Gods pilgrimage Dave and I did in November, the Zushi Seven Lucky Gods pilgrimage is special because it is more traditional with respect it is only available during the first 10 days of the year. The pilgrimage consisted of only 6 temples with a double stamp and God at the 5th temple.

We started our pilgrimage at a temple near Jimmuji station. I put a star ⭐️ on each temple. We went in a counter clockwise direction, visiting the 6 temples.

At the first stop, we purchased a bamboo branch with a small prayer card, two ribbons, a small reflective card and a bell. At each temple, we purchased a small figurine ornament representing each different God to hang from the branch.

The bamboo branch with all 7 Gods

I have them arranged in the order I received them. From left to right –

Fukurokuju, Bentaiten, Daikoku, Ebisu, Bishamonten, Hotei, Jurojin

A close up picture of the God ornaments. So, cute!

2017 – Year of the Rooster. I purchased a cock ornament at the first temple.

I also purchased a board to have stamped at each temple. The finished board with all seven stamps is pictured below.

Our first stop was the Toshoji Temple in Zushi.

This temple is dedicated to Fukurokuju the God of fortune (fuku), happiness (roku) and longevity (ju). The rope in the picture is very significant to the Buddhist. The statue of the God, Fukurokuju, is inside the temple where visitors are not permitted. As an alternative to touching the statue when praying, a person can hold onto the rope. The rope is connected to the statue. Think of the rope as a telephone line to the God. With no international changes or dialing assistance needed.

At the temple I also had my new temple book stamped.

Our second stop was at the Enmei-ji Temple. You will notice the temples are adorned with the same decorations. The flags are prominently displayed to celebrate the new year. This temple is dedicated to the Benzaiten. Benzaiten is the God of music and fine arts.

Another temple stamp.

The third stop as at a temple with only a kanji name. This temple is dedicated to Daikoku is the God of wealth and prosperity.

So much sake!

Our fourth stop was at the Gyokuzoin Temple in Hayama. Again, at this temple the statue of the God Ebisu isn’t available to visitors. The hanging ropes provide direct access for prayers. Ebisu is the god of fishing.

This cherry tree not only has blooms set, a couple of them were already to blooming! A true sign of spring. However, it is only the 5th of January.

Peeking inside the temple

Also while visiting this temple, we were treated to tea. A little snack of green tea and rice crackers for the remainder of our journey.

Our fifth stop at the Senkoin Temple in Hayama included two stamps and two Gods. Here we received Bishamonten and Hotei. Bishamonten is the god of war, treasure and wealth. Hotei is the god of happiness.

And the second.

Our final Temple stop was at Koshoji Temple in Zushi. The final of our seven gods we needed to collect was Jurōjin. Jurōjin is the god of longevity. Perfectly fitting to say a prayer to longevity for the year.

One final picture of our group at the end of our pilgrimage.

Wising for much luck in the new year with a gentle nod to each god for:

Honesty, Fortune, Dignity, Amiability, Longevity, Happiness and Wisdom.

Kanpie, to 2017!

Phi Phi Island Excursion

By wabisabisole

On January 4, 2017

In Japan, Phi Phi Island, Phuket, The Beach

Phi Phi (pronounced PP) Island is a group of islands (Phi Phi Don and Phi Phi Ley) off the south east coast of Phuket. They became a very popular tourist destination after the filming of “The Beach” in 2000 with Leonardo DiCaprio. We went on a tour of the islands that included a round trip transfer from our hotel, snacks, snorkeling and lunch. We rode on a speedboat enabling us to get close to many viewpoints and docking off the coast of the islands. I took a picture of the brochure to show you our route.

The trip from the hotel to the Marina took about an hour. During this trip, we went up and over the mountain and were able to see some of the inland parts of the island. After getting underway, the first part of the trip was very bumpy and rough. We were excited for our first stop! Our first stop on the tour was off the coast of Phi Phi Don where we were able to snorkel of the coast for about 45 minutes. The water was very clear and refreshing! Here are few pictures I captured using our underwater camera.

After snorkeling, we made a quick sightseeing stop at Monkey Beach. We were not permitted to leave the boat to see the monkeys. Instead we could capture a few photos of them from the boat.

A short trip on the boat took us to Phi Phi Don where we enjoyed a buffet lunch. After lunch we had a little time to walk along the beach and through the town. It was a quiet island community.

After lunch we were back on the boat and rode past viking cave. It is located on the eastern side of Phi Phi Ley. The cave is not open to tourist in order to protect the wall paintings of elephants and various boats. The paintings are suspected to have been painted by sea gypsies or pirates seeking shelter in the cave from passing storms. Also, inside the caves are swift nests. Swifts are a bird similar to a swallow. The bamboo scaffolding outside the cave is used to access the nests. Simultaneously, there are a lot of platforms and alters used for meditation prior to entering the caves. The birds and caves are protected and formal permission must be obtained prior to entering.

Our next stop was Pileh Lagoon. Here we were able to enter a narrow and very shallow lagoon. It was breathtaking.

As we rode toward Maya Baya, we passed huge islands /rocks. Our guide told us this was “ground zero” of the 2004 tsunami. This was one of the first islands hit by the wave. You can see the erosion from the wave.

Next we anchored in Maya Bay. When you see pictures of Thailand beaches, it is highly probable you are seeing a picture taken in Maya Bay. It is majestic. There were as I have mentioned, lots of tourist. We still enjoyed walking the beach, taking pictures and swimming in the water.

Our final stop was Khai Nok Island. Here we were able to have a snack on the beach and a delicious adult beverage. I opted for a piña colada in a freshly opened coconut. Dave enjoyed a chilled Chang. (Chang became our favorite Thai beer during our visit.)

I do have to share one sad observation from our trip. Ecotourism has a price. Khai Nok Island was covered in freshly crushed coral. This picture captures the number of boats and tourists. I count at least 10 boats in this picture and it was only one area where they were docking. That represents a 250-300 people in one day stopping at the same. This island receives boats all day long.

And this picture shows the broken coral.

The experience was amazing. It was also a good reminder to keep our eyes open to everything and make kinder decisions. It was because of this, we decided not to do an elephant trekking tour or even the elephant bathing. We couldn’t bring ourselves to support an ecotourism company that exploits animals.

After our stop on Khai Nok Island, we were back on the boat and heading back to the marina. We went up and over the mountain and back to Patong Beach. What an amazing day!

Patong Beach, Phuket, Thailand

By wabisabisole

On January 3, 2017

In Beach, Japan, Phuket

Phuket island has many beaches each with a different vibe. Some are better suited for families, others offer more seclusion and then there is the party central option of Patong. During our vacation, we stayed at the Baan Laimai Beach Resort in Patong. It was located directly across the street from Patong Beach. In less than three minutes we could walk from our hotel room to the beach. The hotel was listed as a 5-star hotel. Dave and I agreed it was lovely and probably a 3.5-4 star hotel by non-Thailand standards. Our room was a pool access room, meaning we could step into the pool from our balcony. The hotel was a little dated and lacked amenities one might expect at a 5-star hotel. The customer service was definitely 5-star. The staff was friendly, helpful and attentive throughout our stay. The food at the hotel restaurant was also very good. I will describe our food experiences in a future post. The pool also had a swim-up pool bar. Between the bar in our room and the pool bar, we enjoyed quiet time by the pool when the craziness of the town became too much. Here are a few pictures of the hotel. It was decorated in a “Beyond the Sea” theme for the new year celebration.

Sitting on our pool side patio

Dave took a picture of me from the top floor.

Jellies & lanterns – they were illuminated at night

Afternoon pool time

Jellies & lanterns at night – view from our room

Us. From our room.

Patong Beach is one of the main public tourist beaches in Phuket. There plenty of water sport activities for rent. These included: jet skis, parasailing, Thai long tail boats as a water taxi, sail boats and tubing. We found the beach the most pleasant early in the morning when we would walk the break line searching for sand dollars. The beach was a decent length, it would take us over an hour to walk the entire beach. When we would walk later in the day, there was plenty of room for swimming, soaking in the sun and all the water activities. Here are a few pictures from our daily walks.

Just a few sand dollars we found

12 year memorial from the 2004 Tsunami

This is the arts & crafts project from all the sand dollars! I used them to accent picture frames. Now I just need to pick two of my favorite pictures!

The city of Patong was on the upper end of the “anything goes” scale. The main street is called the “Bangla Walking Street.” The street is lined with stores, massage parlors, firing ranges and bars. In the evenings the street was closed to all vehicles. Walking among the tourists are vendors selling and advertising both the tangible and the unimaginable. If you imagine Bourbon Street in New Orleans combined with Duval Street in Key West and Beale Street in Memphis and then amplify it 10 times, you would have a pretty good idea of Bangla Walking Street in Patong. I would not describe this area of Phuket as family friendly. Despite this, we saw many families with young kids and even strollers. Like I said, it was definitely “anything goes.” Here are a few PG-18 pictures. Proceed with caution.

One of several firing ranges

Massage- “happy end”

Virtual reality platforms

Yep, anything goes

Vendors in every direction

Another shooting range

Toys. For kids? And free drink with a shoot.

Check out the power lines! They were like this everywhere.

No shirt or shoes required

Soap. You wouldn’t believe me if I didn’t take a picture.

As you can imagine from the pictures, there was always a lot going on in Patong. This was part of the reason we enjoyed the quiet oasis of our pool and went on a couple excursions. I will share the details of the excursions in another post. I first had to set the stage and give you a true understanding of Patong Beach in Phuket, Thailand.

Happy New Year!

By wabisabisole

On January 2, 2017

In 2017, Customs, Dharma, Japan, Lucky, Phuket, Rooster, Temple

Dave and I had a wonderful time in Phuket, Thailand. I will share more details of our adventures over the next couple of days. First, I thought it important to share happy new year wishes and another Japanese new year tradition.

These funny looking men are called Dharma dolls. They are a hollow, papier-mâché doll depicting a bearded man and modeled after Bodhidharma. Bodhidharma lived during the 5th/6th century and was the founder of the Zen sect of Buddhism. They can be purchased at Zen Buddhist Temples.

The Dharma doll is rich in symbolism and has become a talisman of good luck in the Japanese culture. The phrase “Nanakorobi Yaoki” often accompanies the doll. It translates to mean “seven times down, eight times up”. The bottom of the doll is weighted ensuring the doll will always sit up, symbolizing relentlessly pursuing your wish. Most significantly, the Dharma doll is sold with one eye colored in and one eye blank. The new owner of the doll makes a wish. Once the wish is fullfilled, the second eye is filled in and the wish can be shared and celebrated. The symbolism here is the missing eye helps the owner keep sight of their wish and when their wish is fullfilled, they return sight to the Dharma reaching closer to enlightenment.

The object on the left of the Dharma dolls is a 2017 year of the rooster Sake barrel.

On New Years Eve, Dave and I made our wish for 2017 on our respective Dharma dolls. Stay tuned over the next 365 days as we patiently wait for our wishes to be granted. In the meantime, we have Sake to enjoy! Kanpie!

Christmas Vacation

By wabisabisole

On December 21, 2016

In 2017, Christmas, Japan, Phuket, Travel

Christmas Vacation.

Two of my favorite words. Having the opportunity to live on the other side of the world gives us a chance to vacation on the other side as well. We debated for a couple weeks at the end of September where we would like to visit. After seeking counsel from new friends we have made here and old shipmates (thanks, Audry & Matt), we decided on Phuket, Thailand.

I have spent the day cleaning the house and packing our suitcases. We leave tomorrow morning and fly non-stop to Bangkok. After a brief layover we continue to Phuket. From the airport, we will have about an hour taxi ride to our hotel. Here is a Google map of the island. We are staying at the red dot. It is a resort right on the beach in the Patong Beach area.

Here is a bigger perspective we are the blue dot in Japan.

We have plans to lounge on the beach and by the pool. We have looked at the possibility of taking a sea kayaking adventure and a speed boat to visit neighboring islands. We are planning to do some sightseeing around the island as well.

Unfortunately, with my Japanese cell phone, I will only have connectivity when we are in our room. I came to the decision that I am not going to stress about updating my blog while I’m on vacation. I will take lots of pictures and share our adventures when we return after the New Year.

Thank you for reading and following me through our first 5 months in Japan. I’m looking forward to the coming New Year and sharing all the adventures it will contain with you. I miss you all and love you even more.

Wishing you the happiest of holidays.

XOXO

Three Temples. Three Stamps.

By wabisabisole

On December 20, 2016

In Japan, Kamakura, Temple

In my first temple book I had three remaining pages. I felt the need to bring closure to my first book, especially since I started my second this weekend. I decided to head back to Kamakura and revisit two temples that I had explored before and didn’t have the opportunity to have my book stamped. The third temple was one I hadn’t explored before.

The first one I returned to was the Engaku-ji Temple. I went to this temple for the November Ikebana meeting. The leaves are beginning to fade, but it was still very lovely.

Engaku-ji Temple is one of the five important Zen Temples in Kamakura. The temple was founded in 1282 by a Chinese monk. The ruler of Japan at the time, Tokimune, requested the temple be built. Tokimune had a long-standing commitment to Zen and the temple was intended to honour those of both sides who died in the war, as well as serving as a center from which the influence of Zen could be spread.

The bamboo! I didn’t realize it didn’t lose its leaves in the winter. In fact, it almost appears greener!

Inside the main hall of the temple, there is a beautiful statue of Buddha sitting upon a lotus flower.

After collecting my stamp, I headed out to the Jōchi-ji Temple. I was able to briefly visit this temple when I went for a hike with Tiffany a few weeks ago. This is the temple with the happy Buddha statue.

I took more time to walk around and enjoy the gardens. There was such a variety of colors from the different plants representing three different seasons.

Fall

Winter

Spring

The main hall of the temple also had three statues of Buddha. These statues represented happiness in the past, present and future.

Another path through a bamboo forest.

Finally, after walking through the gardens, I was ready to have my book stamped. This became yet another opportunity to “be bold.”

There was no doorbell. I couldn’t read the signs and Google translate was giving me garbage. I guess there is only one thing to do…. slide the door to the right and walk in. Oh, geez. And so, I did. When I crossed the threshold, a chime sounded and a nice lady came running to stamp my book. Whew.

My third temple of the day was Meigetsu-in Temple. Also known as the “Hydrangea Temple” – (I can’t wait for spring!!)

The temple also had a cute rabbit & turtle display. Rabbits are symbols of peace & luck. Turtles are symbols of longevity.

The temple was completed in 1383 by Uesugi Norikata and believed to hold the grave of Hōjō Tokiyori’s, a warrior monk.

The temple also has a lovely bamboo forest.

One of the Ten Wells of Kamakura.

A zen rock garden.

Someone has a sense of humor. Do you see the frog in the first picture?

Here are two of the paths in the gardens. Notice the sticks on either side. Those are the hydrangeas. Like I mentioned, I will look forward to going back in May/June.

My final stamp in Temple Book 1.

22 stamps.

The book does not have a spine down the back enabling it to be used in reverse. By flipping the protective cover, the opposite sides of the pages can be used.

However, Dina gave me a great idea to order a picture of each temple and place on the back. This way, I can not only remember where I went, I can also easily share the memories of each temple. Off to order pictures!

PS. I received the BEST NEWS EVER this morning. A friend of ours from Chicago, Beth, has connections with people in the running community and was able to secure me a spot in the Tokyo Marathon. I just registered! Dave and I are going to run Tokyo Marathon in 2017! I could not be more excited! Seriously, I’m busting with excitement to run 26.2 miles with my husband! HA! Beth, thank you so very much for giving me a chance to run happy in Tokyo Marathon 2017! XOXO

Tokyo Christmas Market

By wabisabisole

On December 19, 2016

In Christmas, Christmas Market, Google Map, Hibiya Park, Japan, Tokyo, Train

Sunday afternoon Dave and I went to the Tokyo Christmas Market. We had heard it was better than the Red Brick Christmas Market we went to in Yokohama. It was a beautiful afternoon and we thought it would be a fun and festive way to enjoy the sunshine.

Here was our route. We met in Kanazawa-Hakkei and switched to the Yamanote line. The Yamanote line makes a big rectangle around Tokyo. The trains run in both the CW and CCW direction. It reminds me of the EL in Chicago. Except it’s underground.

Once off the train, we stopped for a quick bite to eat. We found a nice little Italian restaurant. Dave had calamari and steamed mussels & clams.

I had the lunch set. It was a turkey sandwich with fries and a side of lasagna. The sandwich and fries were good. The lasagna was a seafood lasagna. Gross. I had one bite and passed the rest to Dave.

After lunch, we walked over to Hibiya Park where the Christmas Market was located. The park was lovely and festive with the lights.

Notice how they make Christmas trees by using structures around the sculpted trees.

The Christmas Market Entrance.

This Christmas Market had more vendors overall. There were many food vendors and cute little shops. Like most places in Japan, it was very crowded.

The decorations on the buildings were very festive!

The German Christmas Pyramid (Weihnachtspyramide) was beautiful!

Can’t forget a selfie with my Glühwein and Dave’s Bier!

I stood in line to visit a store so I could buy an ornament.

It was a long line and an expensive ornament. But, it’s super cute!

My favorite photo of the day was Dave with the nesting doll. Kawaii!!

Merry Christmas! Fröhliche Weihnachten!

Matsumoto

By wabisabisole

On December 18, 2016

In Japan, Matsumoto, Matsumoto Castle, Temple, Travel

The second half of our day on Saturday was spent in Matsumoto. Matsumoto is a city surrounded by mountains in the Nagano prefecture. It was about a 1.5 hour drive from the Snow Monkey Park.

The highlight of our visit to Matsumoto was the Matsumoto Castle. This castle was unlike any castle I have ever seen. Mainly because it was a Japanese castle.

The weather in the afternoon was perfect allowing for excellent lighting on the castle. We were amazed with the perfect weather we had all day. Clear in the morning so we could see Mt. Fuji, snowed while we were visiting the snow Monkeys and then perfect clouds in Matsumoto.

The Matsumoto Castle is listed as a National Treasure of Japan. It is often referred to as the “Crow Castle” because it’s black color and roof line give the image of crow wings.

The castle was built during the Sengoku Period and completed between 1593-1594. For 280 years, the castle was ruled by 23 different lords until the Meiji Restoration abolished the feudal system. In 1873, the castle was sold at auction and prepared for restoration. The main structure was experiencing a significant starboard list. Since 1873b, two significant renovations have occurred. One between 1903-1913 and the other between 1950-1955. An earthquake in June of 2011 caused 10 cracks to form in the walls of the main structure and potential renovations are being discussed.

Upon entering the castle, visitors are asked to remove their shoes. You are provided slippers to wear while walking around. Dave had a little bit of a struggle finding a pair to fit his size 12.

The Castle has 6 floors. Each floor is connected by a set of narrow and steep stairs! I wasn’t able to photograph each set because of the crowds. These will give you an idea.

The view of the surrounding mountains from the sixth floor was beautiful.

After exploring the castle, we walked around the gardens and had a couple unique photo opportunities.

We had a little bit of time before needing to catch the bus, enabling us to explore the city of Matsumoto. We found this beautiful temple and I purchased another temple book. Two reasons – 1. I only have 3 spots left in my book. 2. I forgot mine. Ugh. Rookie mistake!