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Broadcasting to an audience of three (and a goldfish)...
Comment, ramblings and musings... life through the eyes of a Japanologist...
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Monday, December 30, 2002 |
 When I passed on the final bus from Koyo, Mejiro was open, the first time in quite a few days. I was so tempted to get off the bus at Jukka-Gakko and go for a quick bowl of manna- sorry, ramen- but it was cold, and I was full, so reluctantly- very reluctantly- I stayed on the bus. It'll be something to look forward to in the New Year...
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As I got on the ferry, I told Miura-kun to contact me when he came to Etajima, because it might be the last time we'd be able to go for a drink together. He said that at the very latest, he'd be back from Ominato in five years. Five years!- the likelihood of my still being in Japan then is almost zero! Miura-kun didn't realise it, but he was simply confirming what I'd said- that the beginning of next year might really be the last time we can drink together.
Little things like this really bring home the sad fact that my life here, with all my friends, hobbies, shops and restaurants I like, etc., is not permanent. Someday, all this will come to an end- and it's not a thought I enjoy.
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Given that we'd both eaten and drunk plenty in Gyukaku, we decided to go to the yatai for a bowl of ramen or so to finish off. That we didn't order just a bowl of ramen each goes without saying, of course... sake and shochu, gyoza, oden, butamimi (roast pig's ear- complete with singed hairs), and finally ramen- a veritable feast.
Miura-kun is fairly serious, but after a few drinks we were bantering away merrily, when a fairly old foriegn man with a long white pony-tail came in. At first he ignored us and tried to make conversation with the young couple at the other side of the tent, who were trying hard not to laugh at his order of 'biru kudasai' in the most broken of broken Japanese. ('Biru kudasai' means 'a building, please'; 'biiru kudasai'- 'beer, please'- is what he really wanted to say, I presume.) It was obviously only a matter of time, though, before he spoke to us. At first, he said something to me, and then continued his conversation with the couple, but as it became more and more obvious that his lack of Japanese wasn't going to get him anywhere, he turned his attention to Miura-kun and me. Now Miura-kun might be (is, from what I hear) an excellent Naval Officer, but from the very beginning of our friendship he's never liked speaking English. He doesn't have to with me, but when he kept asking me to translate my conversation with the pony tail into Japanese for him, I decided to get him to try a little English himself, which, to his credit, he did. It was very amusing seeing him pluck up courage to offer the last piece of pig's ear to the foriegner- but when he finally asked, there was no real problem with his English at all.
I was relishing the prospect of seeing how the conversation developed (not in a cruel sense, of course), but I had to be on the final ferry, so- unfortunately- we had to leave...
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After the onsen, we drove back to Miura-kun's house so he could leave his car. His lodgings look really ramshackle from the outside, but inside they are exactly the sort of apartment I'd choose for myself- all tatami, with lots of space, and nooks and crannies to store and display things. My apartment is great, but it's too modern, really; I would really like a more traditional place, like Miura-kun's apartment.
We then caught the bus into Kure, and went to Gyukaku, a yakiniku place, which was full. We made a reservation, and then wandered past the yatai (the outdoor stalls) and to a convenience stall, to kill some time. Miura-kun let slip that for his toshikoshi soba- the buckwheat noodles traditionally eaten to see in the New Year- he'd bought something along the lines of a Cup Noodle! I'd invited him to my house for the evening, but he was on duty on New Year's Day, so he couldn't come. All the same, though, a Cup Noodle to see in the New Year is a bit pitiful...
We finally got into Gyukaku, and- as Miura-kun hd promised- it was damn good. We ate plenty and drank plenty (I even tried a chestnut sake, which was basically a liqueur), and had an excellent time. It's a shame Miura-kun is moving to the other end of the country; we don't meet that often, but when we do it's always pleasant.
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I met Miura-kun, and, given that we couldn't go to Katsuragahama, we decided to drive to Ondo, to the onsen called Hi-maneki no Yu. This onsen is shared with a local old people's home, which isn't something I think I'd put in publicity for the place, but nevertheless we thought it deserved at least a look. Until we got to Ondo Lodge (where the onsen is), that is. There wasn't any one thing wrong, it was just that the building looked like something straight out of the 60's (it probably is), a little unkempt and not really the sort of place you'd choose to take a long, relaxing soak. So we went up to the park above Ondo, and I took some pictures of Ondo Strait and the Inland Sea, and then we drove across the mountain to Yasumiyama, and down to Kure.
Having driven down into Kure, we then drove back up out of it, to Yakeyama, where we'd both heard there was an onsen. Where the onsen was, though, was a problem... we tried the car navigation system, i-Mode, and then I had the bright idea of phoning Shinbe-san, who of course knew exactly where it was, and was able to give us directions.
Well, the onsen had certainly taken some finding, but it was worth it. The main pool and the outside rotenburo were clean and relaxing, but more than this, there were a few interesting features. One was an electric bath: a pool with an electric current running through it. It's a very odd sensation; unmistakably an electric shock (albeit a weak one, of course), but giving a strangely pleasant tingle. There was also a salt sauna- a sauna where you rub coarse salt all over your body- which we both liked so much we tried it twice. Finally, we took a dip in the yuzu bath- a bath flavoured with yuzu (a sort of citrus fruit). It was a very enjoyable hour or so; it'll be a little inconvenient to use the bus to get to this onsen, but nevertheless I think I'll give it a try sometime fairly soon.
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An aspect of Japanese culture that can be really irritating is the teikyubi, or 'set day off'. Many shops (especially small shops), museums, etc., have a set day (normally every month, but sometimes every week) on which they don't open. I suppose that this isn't too different to shops not opening on Sunday in Britain, but at least there the day off is well known, and constant; in Japan, it varies from place to place, and can follow all sorts of patterns. For example, it could be 'the third Friday of the month', or 'the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month', or even 'Mondays when it's sunny and the date is an even number'- there's just no way of telling. In other words, it's not uncommon to go somewhere and find that the specific shop you're looking for is closed. The shops either side of it might be open, the whole street might be bustling and lively... but one shop will randomly have taken the day off. As I say, irritating.
Anyway, Miura-kun and I had talked about going to the onsen, and I'd suggested Katsuragahama Onsen, in Kurahashi, a great little onsen by the sea. But, given that it was the end of the year, it crossed my mind that I ought to phone to see whether it was open or not... it wasn't. But not, of course, because it was the end of the year... because it was Monday. As I say, irritating.
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Went to Kure to meet Miura-kun. I walked to Deodeo to get a new ink cartridge for my printer, and passed on the way the main Kure Post Office. As they do every year, they were selling nengajo from a little tent on the street- and doing brisk business (it's obviously not just me who leaves it to the last minute). I took a good look as I passed, and I was very relieved to see that they'd sold out of the Hiroshima Prefecture design of postcards. It would have been extremely galling indeed had they still been selling them...
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Another entry from Alcohol and Health: D
Different: Physical reactions to alcohol are different from person to person.
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Great. I checked the Radio list of which sites are linking to the Breakfast Show, and found that for a search with the term 'userland lolitas', this site is at the very top of the results returned. Not good. I hope it's because I included the 'lolita' email a week or so back; if not, I dread to think what the reason might be...
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Web articles worthy of mention...
Another article from the Electronic Telegraph, this time about citrus fruits. It's notable, though, for its succinct but useful explanation of the difference between satsumas, mandarins and clementines. Since this is one of the questions I most often get asked here- especially at this time of year- I think I might be referring to this article not infrequently.
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Web articles worthy of mention...
An article in the travel section of the Electronic Telegraph about Miyajima. Miyajima is the island next to Etajima; indeed, Etajima is mentioned in the article as one of the islands that can be seen from the summit of Mount Misen on Miyajima.
I agree with the author in that Miyajima can be a beautiful, magical, place- but I do think that sometimes it's spoiled by some of the tacky shops, etc., and that it is without doubt best avoided in summer, when the heat and the crowds make for a distinctly unpleasant experience. My favourite time of year is in early January, when the town is quiet, and the clear winter air makes for sublime views.
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© Copyright 2002 Nathan Duckworth.
Updated: 30/12/02; 8:46:47 pm.
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