First Few Days, Second Visit... Very Busy

We went to Sushi Roll, or Sushi A-Go-Go, which is a great and inexpensive place to have sushi. It comes by on a little conveyor belt. So fun! I was able to have my favorite, bonito!!! Yum. :-)

Two days ago, after a glorious walk through the Koko-en gardens

of Himeji castle my students and I were able to experience the tea ceremony. It is a very ritualized and formal ceremony only conducted on specific occasions.

It was amazingly cool to experience the making of the tea and see the kimono-clad ladies preparing and serving the tea. I learned about how to eat the sweet, hold the bowl, turn it clockwise twice to drink, drink it to the last drop (this green tea tasted like fresh grass), and turn the bowl back to the server.

The kneeling for more than 30 minutes during the ceremony sent me to new levels of pain endurance, but our elderly guide (She's 80 and has dedicated her life to studying the tea ceremony) allowed us to sit cross-legged after 30 minutes and ask questions. The ceremony on the most formal occasions can take up to 4 hours with a meal, dessert, and tea. Himeji castle Later, I saw Himeji Castle which is a very old fortress employed during the Japanese civil wars.

There were some cool battle-associated items.

The building was designed with places were the protectors could shoot with ease and have movement and visibility on their attackers, but where the protectors were totally hidden. You can't see them at all from the outside. Much more sophisticated than European castles of the same period. Himeji also had an astonishing display of armor, about 25 full sets of samuri armor.

They were super cool.

For dinner that night, we had yakitori, or as I describe it, everything chicken. We sat on pads in a tatami room on the floor and used a low table.

They have chicken wings, knuckles, hearts, livers, mystery chicken bits and pieces, etc. prepared in every way you can image deep fried, grilled, barbequed, on a stick, off a stick... There were other things, too, salads, and fries. We had lots of hot and cold sake and many Kirin Ichiban and Sapporo beers. Many, many laughs.....

Yesterday, we spent the day in Osaka. We visited the Osaka castle. That castle was rebuilt having been destroyed. It was amazing as well though. The views from the dungeon (tower for the Japanese) were incredible; you could see for miles.

That castle had an excellent museum with armor, swords, helmets, bo staffs/ spears, individuals' stories of battle, paintings of battles, and field documents, including armistice and relinquishing of weapons agreements.

I think you can see many of the items from the museum online, but I was prohibited from photographing them. The photos come from various places on the net. After the Osaka castle, we went to lunch of okonomiyaki, which my friend Taki describes as Japanese pizza. But that seems to me to be more like a layered, sophisticated omelette and is partially prepared in front of you on a hot griddle. And then we walked through Osaka's Namba district to window shopped in this vast shopping arcade of streets that went on for miles.

It was covered with brightly-lit billboards and signs, and they nearly sold everything. Shopping in Osaka Namba, even window shopping, is a delightful stimulation. There is just tons to see and observe.

Return to Kato, Japan

Hi fellow travelers, I've returned to Japan again this year (Jan 2013) and will try to share some thoughts on my second experience here. So, culturally, I'd say the very important things are to be very polite and grateful. It isn't hard because everyone I meet is very generous with their time, gifts, and knowledge. So, thanking people a couple of times, is okay. Mostly I'm just myself and the people here really respond kindly to me. Hospitality is huge. It is very important to the Japanese to anticipate the needs of guests so that the guest is comfortable and doesn't have to ask for anything. It is a sort of pride or shame if a guest doesn't have to or does have to ask for something they need. The anticipation of the need is amazing; they put a lot of thought into what you will need and when you will need it. For example, when you arrive here, they will have thought about your need for 1) rest, 2) food/drink and 3) Japanese currency and mobile phone and planned getting those needs met into your schedule. There can be ultra-formality and a reserve. It is not to hold back from people, it's more of not wanting to push one's self onto others, a sort of timidity. Once folks know that you are receptive to them, they appreciate the openness and do open up to you. Bowing is big. One bows one's head to show respect 1) for the degree necessary for the occasion and 2) to the individual in terms of status. Status identification is the hard part. I ask trustworthy colleagues for insider information as to whom is highest ranking, etc. In seating arrangements at meetings and dinners, one can tell the level of status. For example, the highest ranking individual, whether in power at work or age, is given the best seat. The best seats are usually obvious- head of the table, middle of the table so they can discuss important matters (lol) and make deals, closest to the action, like in the tea ceremony next to the tea maker. Harmony is another cultural influence that one can see everywhere. It is the Buddhist influence, I think that guides them to strive to be in balance within themselves, in relationships and with their environment. Harmony, I think for them, is about balance and symmetry as much as it is smoothness and calm. So, you will see the idea of balance and harmony as guiding principles in everything from the design of buildings and gardens, to friendships, and art.