Sayanoyu

I had a free day on Saturday as I waited for my flight back from Japan. During the week, I asked around the office for some ideas of things to do.

A friend of mine came up with a great suggestion. He told me that there was an Onsen (hot springs) only 30 minutes from the office. It is called Sayanoyu.

I had to take a train and subway to get there, but I did arrive in about 40 minutes. I really liked it. There were several kinds of pools. Here is my quick summary:

• Cold Pool: Think temperature of a mountain spring fed by snow melt...
• Indoor Hot Pool: Think temperature of simmering water
• Sauna: 68deg C which was 154deg F. I couldn't breathe in that room and left fairly quickly
• Jaccuzi Pool: Just what it sounds like
• Jaccuzi Pool with cold headrest: Jaccuzi with metal round headrests that are very cold. I liked the combination.
• Outdoor Hot Pool: Simmering water with a view of the garden
• Medicine Pool: Once I got past the murky water, I liked it.
• Tea Cups: Small tubs just big enough for one person to sit in.
• Hobbit Hole: This was my favorite. It was a room that you get to by going through two hobbit size doors. Inside there was a basin of salt that you rub on yourself. The room was dark with only a small window. It had two chimneys pouring out steam. The salt and the steam had the fragrance of Old Bay Seasoning. That is the seasoning you use in Maryland when you are steaming crab. I sat in the room for a while thinking about steamed crabs and smelling the salts. Then, I started to feel like a steamed crab and decided to go out into the sunlight again.
  

I really liked this place. It was well worth the trip. Below is a picture I took of their garden.

More from Japan

It has been a busy fall. So, my blogging has suffered. But, time to catch up.

During my last trip to Japan, I stayed in a traditional Japanese hotel. The picture above was my room. You can see that it was very simple but comfortable.

Below is a picture I took of a temple in Matsuyama. I have always liked how these roofs are made.

Dinner Adventures

While I was in Matsuyama, I had a variation of the "boil an egg in a paper cup" trick I learned in Boy Scouts. In this version, the paper was folded nicely with some broth in the bottom. The waitress came by and lit the burner. She told us to put the sliced meat in first and then the vegetables. In a few minutes, we had a nice soup. And, the paper never caught on fire.


Of course, what would dinner be without a fish to look at. Unfortunately, this one was looking back at me.

Matsuyama

I went to Matsuyama this week for some meetings. I arrived and dropped off my bag at the hotel. On my way to the train station, I passed a wedding party in the middle of getting their picture taken.

I had to snap a photo myself.

Bento

I arrived in Tokyo last night and went over to Queen's Isaten, a local super market. The store is located inside the Shinagawa train station and has a great selection of "Bento" lunch boxes.

I wandered around and decided on the one above. It was great.

Statues in Kobe

While I was in Kobe, I kept seeing statues that I thought were interesting. Here they are in order of smallest to biggest. The picture above was from Sumadera Temple. It looks like a kind of dog that is guarding something.

The picture below must represent a religious teaching about how the world is suspended. I need to do some research about that. This statue was also at Sumadera Temple.


Next we move on to a bigger statue. This one is at the entrance to Chinatown in Kobe. I like the earlobes, and this is one happy guy.


And finally, a statue worthy of a fish story. No really, the fish was the biggest one ever.

Sumadera Temple Part 2

Sumadera is also known for being a location that Matsuo Basho, the famous Haiku poet, wrote about. Here is an example of his haiku.

to the flute's tone
the waves also approach
autumn in Suma

fue no ne ni | nami mo yorikitaru | Suma no aki

Matsuo Basho (1644-1694)

Sumadera Temple Part 1

When I was in Kobe, I took a slight detour before my meeting to visit Sumadera Temple. The temple was originally built in 886. I visited this temple when I lived in Kobe 24 years ago and wanted to see it again.

The temple is famous for its proximity to a famous Heike battle and the location of an episode from the Tale of the Heike, a classic example of Japanese medieval literature.

In 1184, at the end of the battle of Ichi no Tani, Kumagai Naozane (1141-1208) came riding along the beach looking to intercept a leader of the fleeing Heike army. He spotted a single horseman with a finely arrayed horse.


Naozane attacked and managed to wrestle his adversary to the ground and remove his helmet.

To his surprise, it was a young sixteen year old boy. He thought of this own son who was wounded in the battle, and having pity on him, thought to spare his life. But, at that moment, 50 of his fellow samurai came riding into view. Kumagai knew the youth would die and decided to deal the final blow himself with the promise to see that prayers were said for the boy.

Weeping bitterly he cut of the boy's head. Kumagai was so affected by the cruelty of war that he later became a Buddhist priest.

The boy was Taira no Atsumori (1169-1184), a noble from the enemy clan. Kumagai found among his posessions a fine flute that was a gift from the Emperor Toba. When Kumagai brought the flute to his Commander, all who saw it were moved to tears.

The flute is kept in Sumadera.

Blogging about the Bullet Train

This week, I took the Bullet Train from Tokyo to Kobe. It was the first time I had traveled that far by train in Japan.

I started off the morning by picking up some sushi to eat during the journey. I am a fan of Convenience Store sushi; it makes a great breakfast on the go.


I settled in and watched the scenery as we rushed by. I saw Mt. Fuji in the distance but couldn't get a picture in time. After we left the outskirts of Tokyo, the countryside was green and dotted with small villages like the one below.


I like the roof on the building in the picture below. It has a classic Japanese design.

2 1/2 hours later, I arrived in Kobe and took a quick detour on my way to my meeting. More on that later.

Tai Meshi in Tamachi

Last night, I went to dinner with some people from work. We went to a place that gets fish flown in from Matsuyama every day. The sashimi was quite good.

But, the highlight of the evening was a dish called Tai Meshi. The dish is pieces of Tai (sea bream) placed over uncooked rice and steamed with seasonings. This is the pot they used to steam the rice.


And, here is a picture when the rice was done. The rice had a nice mild flavor and the fish was perfectly cooked. It was the first time I've had this dish. And it was a winner.

Lost in Ginza

Japan in July is like a giant steam bath. I arrived in Tokyo on Sunday and have been sweating ever since.

After work yesterday, I took the train to Ginza to look for a present for my son. He has a birthday coming up, and I wanted to get him something here.

I had a map but couldn't figure out how it matched up with the myriad of streets. After walking around in circles for 40 minutes, I finally found the store. I can't remember being so glad to walk into an air conditioned building before. After I picked out the present, I took a deep breath and headed out in the heat again.

Tamanoishi

While I was in Matsuyama, I walked to the Dogo Onsen Main Building. On the side of the building was a large stone surrounded by a gate. It had a sign that said, "Tama no Ishi" (Precious Stone). When I returned to the hotel, I saw a painting with a description of the stone.

According to legend, two Shinto gods were visiting the hot springs. Suku na hikona, a small god, became sick. The grand god, Okuninushi No Mikoto, became concerned and put him in the hot spring. Suku na hikona returned to health and to show his thankfulness, he danced on on top of a stone. That stone is "Tama no Ishi".

Singapore Chicken

While in Japan last week, I had Singapore Chicken for the first time. The restaurant was located down the street from the Azabu-Juban Subway station.

My college buddy picked out the place. He has been to Singapore before and thought this place does a good Singapore Chicken. When we sat down, we noticed the helpful place mat with instructions.


A) With a spoon, dab some sauce on top of steamed chicken - you could sauce it individually or mix all sauces together.

B) Using a spoon like a knife, cut the steamed chicken into desired portion.

C) Using a fork, shove the cut chicken and fragant rice together onto a spoon.

D) In one shot, EAT! Just focus on myriad of bursting flavors.

E) Have a sip of chicken soup to cleanse your palate.

F) Ahh!! Give yourself a root canal. (OK it doesn't really say that. But, it sure looks like a root canal)

F) Ahh!! The perfect balance of juicy chicken and heavenly flavors of fragrant rice, complimented by complexity of the sauces. Yum!!

The Onsen Experience

When I was in Matsuyama, I stayed at a Ryokan type hotel that had its own Onsen (hot springs bath).

I have written about Japanese Baths before, but I've never had a chance to take a picture. This time, I got up early and found myself alone in the onsen. So, I rushed back to my room, picked up my camera, and took some pictures.

Here is my version of how you go to an Onsen.

First, you have to figure out which side to enter. The picture above shows the entrance to the men's side. The Chinese character at the top means "man".

Once inside, you enter the dressing area. You pick a basket against the wall and remove all your clothing - think of it like gym class without the angst of the teenage years.

You pick up a towel and head to the next room. The towels are for modesty but are only the size of a dishtowel.


Once inside, you select a spot against the wall that will be your "washing area", and you pick up a bucket. You fill your bucket with water from the main pool and rinse off. Then you can soak in the pool or start to wash up. You sit on the small stools, turn on the faucet, and lather up. In this Onsen, there were dispensers for soap, shampoo, and conditioner.

You use your bucket to rinse off.


Once you are finished, you head back to the pool area. These are usually designed to to have a combination of natural features against the side. The water is very hot. When you sit down in the pool, the water comes up to your chin. I spent long enough in the pool that I felt lightheaded when I tried to stand up.

The Onsen experience may seem strange for a westerner, but it is actually quite relaxing. I would never pass up an chance to go to an Onsen.

Moyashi-kun (Mr. Bean Sprouts)

I tried a new dish in Matsuyama. It is called Moyashi-kun or Mr. Bean Sprouts. It was cooked at our table in a pot on a portable burner.

They put a miso based broth in the pot, added thinly sliced meat, and placed a huge mountain of bean sprouts on the top.

As we talked and ate other dishes, the bean sprouts cooked down. It was very tasty.

Noh in Matsuyama

I flew to Matsuyama yesterday for some meetings. After work, I checked into my hotel and found out that there was a small Noh Theatre inside. My colleague from Matsuyama suggested that we go by and see it.

We were just in time to catch a few minutes of a demonstration. I didn't understand any of the song - neither did my colleague. But, it was really interesting to see. Click on the video below to get an idea of what Noh is like.

Tanuki

A few years ago, my brother and his family were living in Tokyo. I came on a business trip and met up with him. I was telling him about the "Tanuki", a raccoon dog found in Japan. The Tanuki is thought to be mischievous and to have the ability to change shape. I had remembered seeing little Tanuki statues around and wanted to show him.

We wandered around for quite a while and never came across one of the statues. But, on this last trip, I went to a lunch place with some co-workers and saw the statue. In this case, the Tanuki had an onion in his mouth. I don't know why.

How's your commute

I'm back from Tokyo but have a lot of pictures yet to post. While I was there, I rode the Yamanote train line everyday to get to the office. Between 8-9am, that train gets very crowded.

One day, I hit the train at the exact wrong time. I was packed in so tightly I could have lifted my feet off the floor of the train and not moved.

After that experience, I decided I had to take a quick video of the trains.

Try the fish

I'm waiting in Narita airport for my flight to go back to Boston and thought I post something.

Last night, I joined some colleagues and went to a traditional Japanese restaurant in Tamachi. After we sat down, the waitress came by with a cart of fish. I have seen fish in a tank that you pick out. But, it was a first to have the selection come to the table.

I always just let others order for me at these places. They picked some great things including the sashimi (see below) that was served at the beginning of the meal.

Strange animals

This week, I've come across 2 animal statues that I had to photograph. The one above was from a restaurant near Shiba Koen. It is a variation on a traditional Japanese good luck symbol, the Maneki Neko. A Maneki Neko is supposed to bring good luck to its owner. This one looks like it is completely strung out.

And, walking around at lunch yesterday, I saw this pig fishing statue. It made me wonder if that restaurant serves pork, fish, or some odd combination of both.