July 1, 2020
Golden temples, Torii gates, Imperial Palaces, beautiful geisha in silk kimono, and a massive traditional funerary cemetery right smack in the middle of town. What more could I ask for on my first travel abroad?
As a curious child I knew that I was destined to become a world traveler. I kept waiting and waiting….and waiting and it seemed like my dream would never come true. Finally, by my 4th decade I was offered a position with a group of teachers to spend 3 weeks in Japan as part of the Fulbright Memorial Fund Teacher’s exchange program. My time in Tokyo and Yamagata was filled sunrise to sunset with tours to learn the culture and art of the Japanese people. I also studied their educational system and spent a great deal of time in schools and universities.
My life was changed forever. Never again would I live in a life of domestic isolation and narrow thinking. My thirst for cultural knowledge and universal arts is still unquenchable. I soon returned to Japan with my husband and stayed with my friend, Rikako, a young lady who spent a year in my hometown teaching my 2nd grade children about the culture of Japan. I was thrilled to learn everything I could about the Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima, the Gion district in Kyoto, and the castles of the Edo Period in Toyama.
When I travel abroad, I try to spend some time in the home of residents. There is no better way to “live the culture” than to sleep on a futon placed on a tatami mat, eat sushi that I learned how to roll, and drink hot sake from a cup made by a local potter. My friend’s home was a traditional Japanese style home with shoji (paper doors), a shrine room, floral filled gardens butted up next to their family rice paddy, and a beautiful white Japanese dog (Spitz). Their soaking tub was better than any chemical filled hot tub I’ve ever experienced. I KNOW that I will one day return to Japan and stay for a longer visit.
My top 10 experiences include:
- Peace Memorial Park in Hiroshima
- Baseball game: Hiroshima Carp vs Tokyo Giants
- Annual gathering of the Geisha in Kyoto
- Soaking in the mineral waters of the onsen at the local Sento (bathhouse)
- Visiting a textile shop that spun and dyed the silk threads used in weaving kimono cloth
- Dining with , an elderly man who was a prison guard that befriended Louis Zamperini during WWII (subject of the movie “Unbroken”)
- Waking up at 4:30 to visit the Tokyo Fish Market and eating the freshest fish ever!!!!!
- Wearing a silk kimono while staying at a ryokan and eating a traditional 15 course meal.
- Practicing calligraphy with a street artist in Tokyo Times Square
- Learning the art of origami with young children who could create a beautiful origami crane in less than 30 seconds.
https://blog.goway.com/globetrotting/2018/05/10-essential-things-to-do-in-kyoto-on-a-trip-to-japan/
https://berkleycenter.georgetown.edu/posts/a-forest-of-graves-japanese-funeral-traditions
https://www.tokyo-in-pics.com/tokyos-cemeteries/2020/5/15/aoyama-cemetery
https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3902.html
https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3400.html
https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e7500.html
https://www.tripsavvy.com/gion-kyoto-the-complete-guide-4579820
