Obon is a Buddhist holiday to honour the departed spirits of ancestors. Its also a national holiday, which thanks to my new employer I could take advantage of. Naomi, Victoria, Miki and I had a little road trip planned. Friday’s evening air was a soupy 35 degrees. We had designs to leave that night to avoid highway congestion and to wake up the next morning with that holiday feeling.

We didn’t get out of Gifu so fast. We were hungry. Sekky’s diner served up some real boigers and Orio shakes. Then there was the 99yen shop stop for some kirakira (shiny things). And then the need was agreed for an Onsen. (Japanese natural baths). Clean as clean, we finally, we were on the road.

Furukawa lies somewhere plonk in the middle of Japan. We arrived at the log house of Kazuo and Naoko sometime about 3 and crawled into the tents they set up in the backyard. Kazuo and Naoko, Victoria’s friends from way back kindly put us up for a few days in their tranquil mountain hut. They’re a slightly older couple with great vitality who, though on holiday, couldn’t stop working. (kinda reminded me of my Oma and Opa.)
Behind the wooden shack in the corner of the yard sat a treasure, a traditional Japanese Goemon Buro. This style bathtub was named after Ishikawa Goemon, a Japanese Robin Hood who was boiled alive in it. As I soaked in it next morning rain pattered down drenching plans for a bbq. We ate ramen (Chinese noodles) down in the Furukawa town instead, and after, with the arrival of Erena (fun American/Japanese friend) we headed to Furukawa’s old town, the rain having stopped. We mossied in the old streets, paused for the carp, lingered in the temples and belted a heavy Okoshidaiko drum. Then we broke the peace with some antics and headed back to base.

Next day we checked out a waterfall with a ちょっ　とあぶない（dangerous） jumping spot but really we just hung out and demolished a bbq feed. Kazuo pulled out a pretty monstrous watermelon which we gratefully devoured. Watermelon, like all fruit in Japan is crazy expensive. That was a 50 buck watermelon.

We were really about saving our energy for the main even of the Obon Holiday. For the third weekend straight I donned my Yukatta and Naomi wore hers. Our quartet said our farewells to Furukawa and jumped back in the car headed for Gujo Hachiman. Gujo has a few claims to fame – it’s the home of all the mouth watering plastic food displayed in every restaurant window, and Bon Odori (bon dancing), where thousands dance all night in the traditional bon style. Eg .video here (not mine)

We powered up with some alcoholic beverages at a café on the river, overlooked by Gujo’s castle beaming with light. And then the dancing… harukoma, harukoma… not nightclub beats but entrancing rhythms that sweep you away with everyone else. The cool thing is anyone can pick up each dance in a few minutes.

It was thirsty work and the bugger was that all the vending machines were sold out of anything cold and wet. I smelt the work of the Yakuza. They organise the roadside stalls and bought out the machines to on-sell for twice the price.

Sometime around 3am we made tracks, but not home. We’d picked up another crew member, Takechan, Miki’s friend, who took over the wheel and drove us for a couple of hours up to Kanazawa City, on the coast of the Sea of Japan. It was 6:00am and we were some tired muppets in the back seat. But rather than get a hotel there was another option – Onsen complexes. That’s right, have an Onsen (natural baths remember) and sleep the night all for a cool NZ$10. Feeling pretty dosed we stumbled into this gaudy looking kirakira palace surrounded by alien oddness.

Upstairs in the communal area Japanese were zonked on airline chairs some sleeping where they fell, others drinking beer and watching movies on the flip out tvs on the chairs. Glass chandeliers hung in the hallways. We had to split up again for the baths (girls and boys). Tired and lost I fumbled around with the lockers and towels before just getting naked like every other Japanese body. The Onsen ritual must start with a shower and proper scrub (with a shave and teeth brush if you like) before even thinking about getting in to a bath. I passed by some glances surprised to see a Gaijin (foreigner). I’m not going to pass comment on the size of a japanese mans … there’s nothing to say. I strode into my first Onsen pool of pleasure surrounded by large flat screen TV’s replaying the days baseball. There are more than half a dozen different baths with jets and sprays or lavender smells, and to cap it all off there’s the freezing plunge pool. After I luckily I caught up with our Japanese friend Takechan who showed me the sleeping quarters. I found an empty bed in a row about 30 beds long. Time for a few hours wink…

…but only a few hours. This was a road trip and sleep is for pussies. The plunge pool woke me up next morning and together we set off to find a reputed sushi restaurant. Inside, the sushi ninjas made art while we excitedly pulled one dish after another from the conveyer belt, and ordered some specialties on top. Fatty Tuna, eel, oyster, and salmon sushi. Great breakfast, I’m sure you’d agree. Between us we ate 40 plates. We’d long stopped caring how much stuff cost. We’d all chipped in to a kitty, and kitty looked after us.

Kanazawa City is home to a 21st century art museum, which is probably more interesting for its architecture. The highlight of this little excursion was Victoria’s pink sequined cowboy hat that was doing the rounds. It had the unchecked power to turn its wearer into an instant porn star.

The hat came with us to kenrokuen regarded as one of Japans three most beautiful gardens. The garden dating from 1676 is a masterpiece of simplicity and peace. For the occasion I was again wearing my Yukatta and Naomi gave permission to a couple of Japanese girls who wanted their picture with this good looking Gaijin by the lake. We strolled around the 8500 odd trees, the largest with their branches propped by wooden supports to shape them and prevented damage from the weight of snow in winter. Lanterns stood timelessly in the sickle cut moss and carp meanered in the ponds. Japans oldest fountain oldest fountain is powered by the difference in height between 2 ponds.
It was getting late in the day and we weren’t sleeping in Kanazawa. Oh no, we were headed for the beach! BEACH! I hadn’t seen one of those since Waiheke Island in March and we were all pretty excited. And we were camping. Putting up a tent in the dark is always an enjoyable experience, particularly someone elses tent, on a poor excuse for a campsite. Most of our campsite couldn’t even be described as flatISH and there were even some constructed wooden platforms for people to erect a tent on! We fumbled with pegs, threw the thing up and then made preparations for a bbq. Actually Miki took the car and just bought a cheap charcoal burner. We cooked by candlelight, slapped a few mozies, got drunk and the 5 of us slept it off in a cosy four-man tent.

Naomi shook me up next morning, BEACH morning. Sand! Beach! We strolled down and was pretty underwhelmed. Chirihama beach was flat and narrow with a kind of dirty brown sand. Ugly beach hut cafes selling fast food stood at the back. But, hey, it was a beach and we took the plunge. The water was wet – just how it should be.

And then ITAI!! Pain shot through my back. I looked around: nothing. On the back of my shoulder blade Naomi checked out my perfect jellyfish kiss. All the tentacles of the transparent little bugger had stung me in a perfect circle. The pain dissipated and we weren’t deterred from enjoying the only beach we’d seen for a long time.
The pink hat made another appearance, we got some grub and we checked out some huge sandcastle sculptures on the shore. But with time moving on, we dragged down the tent early afternoon and headed off to…another Onsen. By this time I was suspecting that Naomi was actually born in an Onsen.

Returning home always feels like it takes forever. And it does when your stuck in traffic. We sung our little hearts out in the back seat to whatever came on the radio before we could hold our peepers open no longer. We fell asleep with mouths wide open.

*view photos in my Photolog: Japan > obon-holiday

Once again I’m reeling with catchup posts, so heres a bit of an August round up. Put it down to making the most of summer
I’m not adverse to summer’s heat if there’s a cool place to dip your feet. For about 6 weeks straight Naomi and I headed to the Nagara river to swim under the gaze of Gifu-castle atop Kinka mountain. We’d ride my bike out there, Naomi doubling on the back and laden with beach stuff. Occasionally we make an evening of it and spark up a BBQ and crack a few Asahi’s with friends. And then come night fall the cormorant fishing boats come drifting down the river.
(more…)