PINK PARADISE

Japan has earned the distinction of being one of the most beautiful countries to visit during the spring season. It's the time of the year when the cherry blossoms or sakura, the most adored flowers of the Japanese people bloom.

On the train from Narita Airport to Tokyo, my heart jumped with joy when I saw cherry blossom trees with flowers abloom along the sides of the railroad in Chiba Prefecture. In Tokyo, we visited the Ueno Park where we witnessed many Japanese people merrily eating, drinking, singing, and chatting under the cherry blossom trees. This is called hanami or cherry blossom viewing party. I found it awesome, but little did I know that this was just a snippet of the scenes that would unfold before my very eyes in the next few days.

We took the shinkansen (bullet train) from Tokyo to the Kansai region where the most popular places for tourists to visit, especially during the spring season are Kyoto, Osaka, and Nara. In Kyoto, it was rather crowded at the Kiyomizu temple that we had to patiently wait for our turn to have our souvenir photos taken beside the sakura trees.

Yoshino Mountain (Nara Perfecture)

My greatest sakura experience happened aboard a helicopter. From Osaka, we flew over several mountains and hills until we were above the Yoshino Mountain in Nara Prefecture, where more than 30,000 cherry blossom trees were proudly staging the most magnificent flower dance of all time. I felt like a bird hovering above a pink paradise. Yoshino Mountain is part of a designated UNESCO World Heritage “Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range”. Several temples and shrines are located around Yoshino Mountain.

Zoheikyoku (Osaka Mint Bureau) 

The gods were in our favor in Osaka because we chanced upon the zoheikyoku or the mint bureau in Osaka which opens its gates to the public for only one week every year to share the beauty and splendor of more than 300 sakura trees of different varieties inside the compound. The dates vary depending on the weather and the blooming time of the cherry blossoms. Yes, it was also crowded but the beauty of the flowers was overwhelming, especially those with multiple layers of petals which I imagined as pink Christmas balls delicately hanging and swaying with the gentle afternoon breeze.

I remember a friend from Tokyo, a retired florist who, along with other volunteers used to go to the Tohoku region to plant sakura trees. They wanted to paint a ray of hope to the hearts of the victims of the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake. I asked him why sakura? He answered, “For us, sakura is a symbol of joy, beauty and hope.”



Japanese folk song

I found the English translation of the famous Japanese folk song Sakura on Wikipedia and it goes like this:

Cherry blossoms, cherry blossoms (Sakura, sakura)
In fields, mountains and villages (Noyama mo sato mo)
As far as the eye can see (Mi-watasu kagiri)
Is it mist or clouds (Kasumi ka kumo ka)
Fragrant in the morning sun (Asahi ni niou)
Cherry blossoms, cherry blossoms (Sakura, sakura)
Flowers in full bloom (hana zakari)
Cherry blossoms, cherry blossoms (Sakura, sakura)
Across the spring sky (Yayoi no sora wa)
As far as the eye can see (Mi-watasu kagiri)
Is it mist or clouds (Kasumi ka kumo ka)
Fragrant in the air (Nioi zo izuru)
Come now, come now (Izaya, izaya)
Let’s go and see them (mini yukan)

Yoshino Mountain in Nara Prefecture with 30,000 sakura trees

Me and my daughter aboard the helicopter above the Yoshino Mountain

Zoheikyoku (Osaka Mint Bureau)

THE SAND, SNOW, AND SAKURA IN TOTTORI

THE SAND, SNOW, AND SAKURA IN TOTTORI

A trip to Japan is not complete without visiting the charming countrysides.

While the beech trees on the roadsides were silently bidding goodbye to winter as they beckoned the refreshing notes of spring, my eyes were glued up in awe of the majestic partly snow-covered Daisen mountain in Tottori Prefecture.

Tottori is in the Chugoku region in western Japan and sits along the coast of the Sea of Japan. Being the country’s LEAST populated prefecture with a relaxing laid-back atmosphere, Tottori is an ideal retirement place where one can commune with nature and feel the tranquility of each passing day. It is also a place for respite for anyone who desires to de-stress and be away from the chaotic web of urban life. The place is also known for the sweet and juicy nashi pears. In fact, the Tottori Nijisseiki Pear museum is dedicated to the history of pear.

The more than three-hour trip from Kobe to Tottori was worth every second. When I told some of my Japanese friends that I had been to Tottori, they were surprised because they themselves have not been to the place. For tourists like me, Tottori offered something different from the other places I visited in Japan. For one, the largest sand dunes in Japan called Tottori sakyu stretches to about 16 kilometers from east to west and about 2 kilometers from north to south. My daughter enjoyed wandering through sand heaps and flats riding a camel named Lisa, while I was mesmerized by sand ripples and the good view of the deep blue sea.

After experiencing the dry spell of the sakyu, we drove up to the Daisen mountain and frolicked in the snow. I would have loved to hike the famous trails in the area but the temperature was too cold for my tropical flesh to bear.

In the late afternoon, we walked along a street in the city lined with full bloomed cherry blossom trees. If in Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto we had to inch our way through the crowd to have a closer encounter with the flowers, in Tottori, we had the sakura to ourselves. We touched and examined each part, and were completely captivated by the softest shades of pink and white petals. The gentle floral smell, with a hint of fruity scent still lingers in my memory to this day.  The serenity of the scene was made more dramatic by the lighted Japanese lanterns hanged on each tree.

In an open field nearby, we saw some locals setting up a fire and preparing food at the back of a pick-up type truck. A few minutes later when the light of day began to fade away, more trucks arrived, bringing in more food and booze. It was, indeed, a memorable celebration of the sakura season on a chilly spring evening in Tottori.

         Partly snow-covered Daisen Mountain

       

         Tottori Sakyu (sand dunes)

My daughter Hannah and camel Lisa

        Daisen Mountain

         Sakura trees (cherry blossoms)

         Locals celebrating the sakura season

A Year Ago in Japan

The memories of my visit to Japan in the spring of 2015 are lovingly kept in my mind. I just didn’t have the time and the proper mood to write about them, but my magic carpet is pushing me to continue where I have left off. So here I am sharing the chronicles of my visit to the Land of the Rising Sun exactly a year ago today.

AWAJI-SHIMA’S APRIL SONATA

From Kobe, we crossed the Akashi Kaikyō Bridge for our trip to Awaji Island. It is the world’s longest suspension bridge (3,911 meters) that links Awaji Island to Kobe in Hyogo Prefecture. The biting afternoon sea breeze welcomed us at the Awaji Service Area. But never mind the chills because the whole stretch of the Akashi Kaikyō Bridge could be viewed closely from this place. As some observers noted, the bridge is “one of the greatest triumphs of Japan in the field of engineering”.

Upon arrival in our room at The Gran Resort Elegante Awajishima, my daughter and I changed into traditional yukata, a casual kimono provided by the hotel, and headed for the dining area for a quiet traditional Japanese cuisine or Kaiseki dinner.  To complete our unhurried day, we went up to the public bath and immersed in hot spring pool while peacefully gazing at the panoramic night view through the bath’s wide clear glass panels. I seized that present moment.

I greeted the light of day on a cold spring morning with a delightful hot bowl of Awaji onion soup. The onions produced in the island are extraordinarily big and sweet. I bought some delicious instant Awaji onion soup packs for my family in the Philippines.

Flowers in full regalia danced gaily at the Awaji Yumabutai Botanical Garden. Tulips of different varieties were abloom.  Indeed, the sprightly color palette of nature in Yumebutai is like eternal bliss that resonates an utter joy to the soul.

                

 My daughter at the Awaji Service Area overlooking the Akashi Kaikyō Bridge

                

 My daughter and I wearing yukata for a Kaiseki dinner at the The Gran Resort Elegante Awajishima.

               

The flowers at the Awaji Yumabutai Botanical Garden

A pack of instant Awaji onion soup

Bitter-sweet DUET

Simple pleasure is derived from every sip of green tea and a bite of traditional Japanese confectionary called higashi. The duo is often served in tea ceremony. Higashi is made from wasanbon, a premium fine-grained Japanese sugar. It comes in floral shape or any timely symbols of the seasons in Japan.

This is the theme of my blog’s header and my Facebook’s cover photo. A friend from Tokyo gave me two boxes each of higashi and green tea. I arranged the higashi neatly on a green tea color paper and requested my artist son to take photos. He also designed the logo using modern typography. Just like Japan, my header/cover photo is a mix of the old and the new. 

Green tea and higashi, traditional and modern, me and my son. I do believe good things come in twos.

Serenades of Nara and Kyoto

In the ancient cities of Japan, nature swayed to the slow rhythm of the wind. The temples, shrines, parks, people and food inevitably beckoned and my heart followed the dynamics of each note. I was in awe of the massive splendor of the Tōdai-ji and Yakushiji temples in Nara and the Kiyomizu and Kinkakuji Temples in Kyoto.

    Yakushiji Temple, Nara

Tōdai-ji Temple, Nara

 Lunch at Shizuka Restaurant in Nara City was a feast to remember. The main course was a flavorful serving of kamameshi or “pot meal”.  It blended pretty well with the cozy ambiance inside and the drizzly weather outside. I noticed a number of tables with two or three Japanese women enjoying the food and soft conversations. I later learned that Japanese women, especially those in their fifties or older are fond of having small get-togethers at restaurants for lunch.

For dinner, we tried out the resto bar Suicakuri in Saidaiji, Nara City. It has a seating capacity of about ten to twelve. The place, food and drinks were orchestrated in perfect harmony by a one-woman-band, Tomoko-san. No wonder, it has become a regular stress-relieving destination for people who have had a long day at work.

   Kiyomizu Temple, Kyoto

    Kinkakuji Temple, Kyoto

On the way to Kiyomizu Temple,I could not resist the temptation of the food on display at the Gion Tamejiro restaurant. A meal of Yuba-Don was worth the stop. It's a bowl of rice topped with yuba (tofu skin) with seasoned ground chicken on the side, grated carrot, potato and kudzu (Japanese arrowroot) sauce