![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Entry tags:
Enoshima.
This weekend I participated in a class trip that was put together by my language school. I and about eight other American students were taken to Enoshima and Kamakura for a whirlwind walking tour of two of Kanagawa Prefecture's loveliest cities.
The class met at school at nine in the morning on Saturday for a three-hour lecture on the history of Kamakura as Japan's first shogunate capital. During the lecture we went over the details of the Genpei War (1180-85) that took place between the Minamoto and Taira military clans at the end of the Heian period (794-1185). We also read up on some of the sites we'd be visiting and each gave presentations on them to the rest of the class, which was an amusing experience. The other students (who are mostly about seven or eight years younger than I) elected to read from the fliers the teacher gave us; I took the opportunity to design a mini-lecture on the history and iconography of the temples and sculptures I was presenting on. There was a marked difference between the presentations.
At noon we broke for lunch, and I joined Rocky Choi and some other students for udon at a nearby noodle joint. Rocky and I are of the same opinion when it comes to food, and we each chose something off the menu that was a complete mystery - much to the astonishment of the others who were in agony over the idea of not being able to figure out what they were ordering. Rocky's and my sense of adventure was rewarded, when we each ended up with absolutely delicious food. I ordered buka'kei udon - which turned out to be a cold noodle soup served with naruto and dried mushroom shavings that were actually extremely tasty.
After lunch came the commute, and we reached Fujisawa-shi sometime after two in the afternoon. We left the train and began the walk across Sagami Bay to Enoshima Island. Enoshima Island is characterized by two separate mountainous formations, and our walk up into the island was long and uphill. For part of our journey we took tall escalators, which cost money to ride, and - in the case of the observation tower - an elevator.
Our first stop was at a small shrine dedicated to the money god. Here, visitors washed money in the sacred pool on the understanding that anything washed would come back to them three-fold. A number of students washed token amounts of money, but everyone ignored the suggestion of our chaperon Tanaka-san - who joked that we ought to wash bills in addition to coins.
From the money-washing pond, we went further up into the mountain towards the botanical gardens, observation tower, and Enoshima Daishi temple, passing a number of amusing and awe-inspiring sites on the way. We passed a sweetheart tree, where two trees had grown together, and took pictures of the numerous love charms and wishes that were hung there. At shrines and temples throughout this trip, I would see many examples of wishes made by previous visitors for a variety of things, including love, happiness, success, wealth, and fame.
On our way, we also came upon an amateur magician in a square and spent some time watching his hilarious act. His shtick was to act as if he were incompetent or foolish, and he often flubbed his juggling or magical tricks, periodically broke into mime, and eventually wowed the crowd with superb theatrics and acrobatics. The impromptu show was a favorite among students and chaperons alike.
The botanical garden afforded a lovely view looking back to Fujisawa, and was dotted with various garden arrangements - including gardens meant to represent typical China and Korea. We spent a short period of time there, and eventually moved on to the observation tower - which looked out to sea. The view there was exquisite, and we arrived in the late afternoon in time to catch rays of the setting sun along the surface of the water. The cloudy sky seemed lit from within, and the shining waters merged with the sky at the horizon line. It was quite windy there, and periodically - if you stood perfectly still - you could feel the tower rocking gentling back and forth (a sensation that wasn't exactly comforting, but was nonetheless invigorating).
Climbing back down, we walked to the Enoshima Daishi where we were each invited to take part in the ritual prayer for ancestors. Approaching the altar, I knelt and lit three sticks of incense, shook them out, and placed them in the sand. Then I turned to the ritual gong and, with the padded staff, struck it twice. Replacing the staff I bowed my head, steepled my hands, and thought of lost loved ones as I listened to the ringing gong slowly reverberate into nothing.
From the temple we headed back down out of Enoshima, by way of the Yama no Futari - the place where the two mountains meet. There was a delightful observation spot where we all took pictures of the glorious ocean stretching out from the gap between the two mountains.
On our way out we stopped for Sakura Ice (Cherry Blossom Ice Cream), which is one of the most fantastic things I've ever tasted in my life. Imagine eating the scent of cherry blossoms with a delicate frosting of sweet cream and you'd have something of the idea. There's hardly anything else on this earth more heavenly.
Thoroughly tuckered out by this point, we caught a train to Zushi - one of the suburbs of Kamakura - where our Ryokan (Japanese-style inn) was. Settling in, we changed into the complimentary yukata that were provided for us and ate dinner. Afterwards, me and the girls made a beeline for the Japanese ofuro (bath) where we showered off and then indulged in the luxurious heat of the bath.
The Japanese bathing experience is very unique, and I'd been longing to experience it for myself. One of the girls was a little nervous about the idea of communal bath, but the other girl and I talked her into it, and so we went. In the front room we took off our slippers and clothing and then went into the bathing chamber. There were four seats and four shower nozzles (a rather small bath), and we each sat down and cleaned off. Every one shares the ofuro and so everyone is expected to be clean before they enter it. The hotel provided shampoo and body scrub, and lots and lots of steaming hot water.
The bath itself was piping hot, almost scalding, and none of us could sit it in for more than about five minutes. But what a five minutes that was! Every muscle in my body was relaxed and de-kinked, and even though I couldn't stand it I was loathe to leave it. The experience has only strengthened my resolve to ask my hostess, Fujiko-san, if I can run at least one ofuro while I'm here with them. Hot water is prized in Japan (which is why most families share the ofuro), and I don't want to waste a precious commodity. But man, that ofuro is so the bomb.
After the bath, everyone congregated in our room (the boys and girls had separate rooms, of course) and we served tea to our visitors and spent a couple hours chatting and joking together. Around ten we all packed it in for the evening, with plans to get up early and go for a walk on the beach before breakfast. A beyond delightful day.
Check out the Enoshima pictures here.
The class met at school at nine in the morning on Saturday for a three-hour lecture on the history of Kamakura as Japan's first shogunate capital. During the lecture we went over the details of the Genpei War (1180-85) that took place between the Minamoto and Taira military clans at the end of the Heian period (794-1185). We also read up on some of the sites we'd be visiting and each gave presentations on them to the rest of the class, which was an amusing experience. The other students (who are mostly about seven or eight years younger than I) elected to read from the fliers the teacher gave us; I took the opportunity to design a mini-lecture on the history and iconography of the temples and sculptures I was presenting on. There was a marked difference between the presentations.
At noon we broke for lunch, and I joined Rocky Choi and some other students for udon at a nearby noodle joint. Rocky and I are of the same opinion when it comes to food, and we each chose something off the menu that was a complete mystery - much to the astonishment of the others who were in agony over the idea of not being able to figure out what they were ordering. Rocky's and my sense of adventure was rewarded, when we each ended up with absolutely delicious food. I ordered buka'kei udon - which turned out to be a cold noodle soup served with naruto and dried mushroom shavings that were actually extremely tasty.
After lunch came the commute, and we reached Fujisawa-shi sometime after two in the afternoon. We left the train and began the walk across Sagami Bay to Enoshima Island. Enoshima Island is characterized by two separate mountainous formations, and our walk up into the island was long and uphill. For part of our journey we took tall escalators, which cost money to ride, and - in the case of the observation tower - an elevator.
Our first stop was at a small shrine dedicated to the money god. Here, visitors washed money in the sacred pool on the understanding that anything washed would come back to them three-fold. A number of students washed token amounts of money, but everyone ignored the suggestion of our chaperon Tanaka-san - who joked that we ought to wash bills in addition to coins.
From the money-washing pond, we went further up into the mountain towards the botanical gardens, observation tower, and Enoshima Daishi temple, passing a number of amusing and awe-inspiring sites on the way. We passed a sweetheart tree, where two trees had grown together, and took pictures of the numerous love charms and wishes that were hung there. At shrines and temples throughout this trip, I would see many examples of wishes made by previous visitors for a variety of things, including love, happiness, success, wealth, and fame.
On our way, we also came upon an amateur magician in a square and spent some time watching his hilarious act. His shtick was to act as if he were incompetent or foolish, and he often flubbed his juggling or magical tricks, periodically broke into mime, and eventually wowed the crowd with superb theatrics and acrobatics. The impromptu show was a favorite among students and chaperons alike.
The botanical garden afforded a lovely view looking back to Fujisawa, and was dotted with various garden arrangements - including gardens meant to represent typical China and Korea. We spent a short period of time there, and eventually moved on to the observation tower - which looked out to sea. The view there was exquisite, and we arrived in the late afternoon in time to catch rays of the setting sun along the surface of the water. The cloudy sky seemed lit from within, and the shining waters merged with the sky at the horizon line. It was quite windy there, and periodically - if you stood perfectly still - you could feel the tower rocking gentling back and forth (a sensation that wasn't exactly comforting, but was nonetheless invigorating).
Climbing back down, we walked to the Enoshima Daishi where we were each invited to take part in the ritual prayer for ancestors. Approaching the altar, I knelt and lit three sticks of incense, shook them out, and placed them in the sand. Then I turned to the ritual gong and, with the padded staff, struck it twice. Replacing the staff I bowed my head, steepled my hands, and thought of lost loved ones as I listened to the ringing gong slowly reverberate into nothing.
From the temple we headed back down out of Enoshima, by way of the Yama no Futari - the place where the two mountains meet. There was a delightful observation spot where we all took pictures of the glorious ocean stretching out from the gap between the two mountains.
On our way out we stopped for Sakura Ice (Cherry Blossom Ice Cream), which is one of the most fantastic things I've ever tasted in my life. Imagine eating the scent of cherry blossoms with a delicate frosting of sweet cream and you'd have something of the idea. There's hardly anything else on this earth more heavenly.
Thoroughly tuckered out by this point, we caught a train to Zushi - one of the suburbs of Kamakura - where our Ryokan (Japanese-style inn) was. Settling in, we changed into the complimentary yukata that were provided for us and ate dinner. Afterwards, me and the girls made a beeline for the Japanese ofuro (bath) where we showered off and then indulged in the luxurious heat of the bath.
The Japanese bathing experience is very unique, and I'd been longing to experience it for myself. One of the girls was a little nervous about the idea of communal bath, but the other girl and I talked her into it, and so we went. In the front room we took off our slippers and clothing and then went into the bathing chamber. There were four seats and four shower nozzles (a rather small bath), and we each sat down and cleaned off. Every one shares the ofuro and so everyone is expected to be clean before they enter it. The hotel provided shampoo and body scrub, and lots and lots of steaming hot water.
The bath itself was piping hot, almost scalding, and none of us could sit it in for more than about five minutes. But what a five minutes that was! Every muscle in my body was relaxed and de-kinked, and even though I couldn't stand it I was loathe to leave it. The experience has only strengthened my resolve to ask my hostess, Fujiko-san, if I can run at least one ofuro while I'm here with them. Hot water is prized in Japan (which is why most families share the ofuro), and I don't want to waste a precious commodity. But man, that ofuro is so the bomb.
After the bath, everyone congregated in our room (the boys and girls had separate rooms, of course) and we served tea to our visitors and spent a couple hours chatting and joking together. Around ten we all packed it in for the evening, with plans to get up early and go for a walk on the beach before breakfast. A beyond delightful day.
Check out the Enoshima pictures here.
no subject
I never went to Enoshima when I was there, but as it's pretty close to Yokohama, I'll have to find time to do so in the fall. Likewise, the Hachiman-gu was all shut up for renovations four years ago, maybe it's open now.
懐かしい。。。Okay, I'll leave you alone now.
no subject
Also re: Hachimangu - it is open, and you'll get the details of my visit (plus pictures) tomorrow. But for now, bed! 6am comes awfully early around here.
no subject