Our post-modern attempt to run this blog in parallel across two time zones and two continents proved too complicated for some (you know who you are, Matt) and now even we are confused, so from now on forget the fact that we are in reality in a hotel in Nashville on our way to Kentucky as we take you back in time- one month in fact - to Osaka in Japan ….
Loaded with the three of us and all our luggage Yuki's little car bravely struggled through Osaka to Kobe and up a very steep winding road into the Rokko mountains, where Hiro was there to welcome us to his lovely mountain home. We expected a rather Spartan mountain shack but it’s a fine two-storey house and very cosy. This was good as it was pouring with rain and cold outside and we stayed indoors and talked and read and ate spaghetti and drank red wine.
On the Sunday the rain had stopped and we went for a walk around the hillside. Lots of holiday houses but all tucked away in the trees. When we got back, Hiro’s wife Sachiko had arrived and the four of us – Yuki had studies to do – went for another walk around the lake and out to a lookout through the woods. Hiro and Sachiko then had to go home so Yuki took us along the mountain to the top of the ‘ropeway’, a cable car that brings day-trippers up from Kobe. After a bit of a walk we were fortunately back in the car (albeit a small one) when an enormous wild boar crossed the road. We drove back for tea but went out again after dark to see Kobe lights spread out below.
MondayThe next day’s plan was for Yuki to drive us back down the mountain and leave us to explore Kobe, starting at the world-famous Earthquake Museum. A closer scrutiny of our guide book would perhaps have informed us that it was closed on Mondays but there we were, a couple miles out of Kobe in a business park on reclaimed land. Fortunately our rail passes meant we could fall back on Plan B - once we had actually devised it. Leafing through our guide book we decided on Himeiji, renowned for its castle on a hill. Although a hundred miles away, thanks to the Shinkasen’ bullet trains we still had time to walk into town and be in Himeiji for lunch. The route was the first time we had progressed beyond the megapolis that runs from Osaka to Kobe and it was refreshing to see the farms and rice-fields. We had begun to wonder how Japan fed itself (apart from whale meat that is) as so far we had seen only urban sprawl and untameable mountains.
It was a lovely warm spring day and the castle grounds were full of visitors, many setting up for a hanami under the fully blossoming cherry trees. The castle itself is really spectacular rising like a 7-tiered wedding cake from a hill. The view from the top is equally spectacular but reached by narrow stairs so the large eager crowds have got be carefully organised and it took a while for us to wend our way up to the 7th tier. The view however was worth the wait.
By now increasingly confident on the trains we managed to make our way back to Osaka where we met Yuki’s parents who led us to Ikeda. Here we were to stay in a flat belonging to Yuki’s Aunt Hiroko. She keeps it, partly to keep part of her extensive collection of books and pictures, but mainly as a place for overseas visitors to stay as part of an exchange programme and we added our comments to a visitors book full of warm remarks from visitors from all around the world. It’s a very elegant apartment with good views south across the city and north to the mountains and a little balcony which caught the sun for breakfast. As well as a great place to relax and catch up with ourselves it was very convenient for our next few days sightseeing, the first of which was a trip to Hiroshima with Yuki.
However, that night we were invited to her aunt’s house along the road for supper. Her uncle and aunt are a creative couple and Yuki’s uncle is an excellent artist and photographer and they both have an exhibition coming up locally. He also had an interesting story to tell, through Yuki as translator as always, as he had been stationed at the Japanese navy training establishment on the (upwind fortunately) edge of Hiroshima and had been there when the atom bomb was dropped. It added another dimension to our visit there the next day
Taking the Shinkasen to Hiroshima station, we took the ancient tram down to the spot by the bridge above which the bomb was detonated. The concrete shell of the building is a real shock to see however many times you may have seen it in photos, the fact that it’s surrounded by parks with cherry blossom somehow making it seem even more telling.
We talked to a self-appointed guide, one of a group of survivors who felt the official line was too bland. They showed us various other signs of the blast including shadows and abrasions on granite gravestones. It seems amazing that any building survived until you understand that the detonation directly above and the force of the explosion was downwards and not sideways on.
In fact, we later discovered the precise optimum height of detonation was calculated to maximise damage to the wooden houses which made up most of Hiroshima at that time. We learnt this from original documentation now at the Museum across the Peace Park – that Hiroshima was spared ‘normal’ bombing so that the measurement of the impact of the explosion would not be distorted by previous damage; that Hiroshima was a major naval base but the base was ignored in favour of the city centre; that the bomb was dropped in part because if the Japanese surrendered through normal bombing (Tokyo and Osaka suffered far greater damage and loss of life through fire-bombing than did Hiroshima) then the enormous investment in developing the bomb would be difficult to justify. The Nagasaki bomb was then dropped because the US wanted to forestall Russian progress through Manchuria.
These documents, although new to us, form only part of the museum which focuses mainly on the damage done and the after effects. However a section is devoted to the militarization of Japanese society and the complete disregard of the government and military for individual Japanese citizens whether civilians or soldiers. Indeed, the Japanese establishment’s reluctance to surrender, even though it was clear from early on that defeat was inevitable, was purely to negotiate the continuation of Imperial rule after the war..
All in all, a very sobering day, but lightened in the evening when we headed back to the station as we found a no-frills okonomyaki café full of home-going businessmen busily eating and watching the baseball on TV. Life goes on.
Wednesday 8th
Today was a quiet day, mainly spent in the flat except for a late afternoon excursion into Osaka for tea in a fancy hotel near the station with Chihiro with whom Margot has worked on British Council projects. As usual a couple of changes were required and on the way back we got on the wrong train and headed off on some country branch line. We got off the next stop and caught the next train back.
Thursday 9th
Another quiet start – this flat is a godsend – and then we meet Kumiko and a friend for lunch at a macrobiotic restaurant nearby. It was more than just a restaurant with various community and health related activities in what had once been a private house with a gorgeous garden, Probably not much bigger than our own in York but possibly the biggest private garden we have seen here so far, with space on the coastal plain at such a premium.
We then headed off to the mountain and the local park. Apart from a rather small zoo crammed exclusively with animals from Australia, and a woman playing Okinawan folk songs on a ‘zither’ under a cherry tree there was a very interesting Buddhist temple with elephants, quite extensive but, unlike those we had seen so far, almost completely empty. We had it to ourselves and took the opportunity to try to lob pebbles up onto the archway lintel – success apparently brings good luck, but we failed miserably.
We walked back to Ikeda stopping for a green tea and Japanese cake in a cafe and then, saying goodbye to Kumiko, back into Osaka to meet Beverley, another erstwhile collaborator of Margot, now teaching at the University. We agreed to meet in a department store with a rather up-market food hall – really a collection of restaurants. While waiting for her we explored the 12th floor which had a remarkable collection of counters each displaying the products of a different craft but with a craftsperson actually working there and available to advise. A great idea but unfortunately nothing within our price bracket. We plumped for an Italian meal (somehow still with a Japanese feel to it) and lots of talk. Many of Margot’s friends here have excellent English but you forget how relaxing it can be to just to chat with another native speaker. (This from Peter whose grasp of Japanese over four weeks has rocketed from two words to five.)
Friday 10th
Today we re-traced our steps to Hiroshima but only on the way to Miyajima, an island off the coast with the gate that rises from the water, or the mud when the tide is out. The tide was in when we arrived but by the time we left it was out and a vast expanse of mud was covered in cockle pickers, apparently mainly family groups that come across from the mainland.
The gate is a spectacular sight and supported by a multitude of visitor attractions. However, a few minutes walk takes you past all the gift shops and up Mount Misen (533 meters from sea level, literally) through various shrines and temples to a lookout tower at the top with fabulous views. It’s quite a climb and just as long going down and although we ran to catch the boat we just missed the train that connected with the Osaka train.
Happily this gave us time to visit the Post Office and be entertained by a concert outside the station celebrating the local baseball team’s recent victory over the Americans with traditional dance and drumming.
This was our last day in Ikeda and when we got back we met Yuki to shop for our final meal. The next morning Hiroko and Reiso arrived to wave us off and Yuki drove us straight to Shin-Osaka station, avoiding the need for the two changes with all our luggage in tow. Fond farewells and tentative plans for Yuki to come to the UK again perhaps with some future summer school. ,
The next stage of our visit was to head out of the urban belt into the mountains around Takayama and this meant a change from the Shinkansen at Ngoya on to a regional train. We took the opportunity to meet up with Emi with whom Margot had worked while Emi did an MA in York St John. Emi had brought three year old Tako along, a very bright young man who not only greeted us in English but could identify all the various rail companies by the livery of the coaches, and had brought along some models for us to play with. Unable to book anything suitable at the main station Emi took us a couple of stops to a very elegant hotel with a buffet lunch and a great picture window overlooking the station from where Peter and Tako watched the trains while Margot and Emi chatted.
We had left our big bags in the left luggage at the main station and on our return Emi and Tako waited with the day packs on the platform while we went to retrieve them. Unfortunately, with time running out, it became clear that this station cum shopping complex had at least three left luggage locker locations and we ran backwards and forwards trying to identify where ours was. Having retrieved them we returned to the platform to find Emi gone, looking for us. She returned to get us on the train just in time baggage and all.
Up to now we had had the support and guidance of at least one Japanese friend never more than a few hours away. From here on we were on our own, not only this but leaving the security of cosmopolitan cities where key information was repeated in English. Will we survive? Read next weeks exciting instalment .....
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