JAPAN October 1999
In October I spent 2 weeks in Japan, another 5W gathering. It was a very interesting and unforgetable trip. Japan is so different, you can't read nor understand anything, but the population is very friendly and hospitable. Japan is a large country, from Hokkaido in the north to Irimote-jima in the south it is 2800 km.. But we saw only a small part, we arrived in Tokyo and left from Osaka .
We were 14 from 7 different countries in the age from 26 to 74 and when the gathering was finished it felt like one big family. ...
There were 4 different parts: Tokyo, Fuji-Hakone + Izu National Park, Nagoya + Gifuarea and Mie-area and for us (Denise and Arlette from Belgium and me) Nara and Kyoto too.
I stayed with 5 hostfamilies and they all were different, that just made it so interesting. When you go on a normal package trip to Japan you stay in hotels, but we stayed with families at home (and only twice in a hotel) and then you learn to know a country much better.
First I spent 2 days with my penfriend Katsuko in Saitama- north of Tokyo-, then 1 day with Sawako in Zama-city - south of Tokyo-, 2 nights hotel, 2 nights with Minako in Nagoya and 1 night alltogether in Arimatsu in an old merchantshouse, 3 days with Etsuko in Kameyama (Mie area) and 2 days with Noriko in Nara.
In Tokyo we had a walk in Uenopark and a wellcome lunch, there we met the other participants, at the lunch we were about 60, many Japanese members also had come, even one from Hokkaido!!! That evening I went with Katsuko and her husband to Kawagoe-city to see the harvest festival. That was just wonderful. Monday we first visited a Japanese garden, then went to see Katsuko's sister in Yokohama and I finally met Sawako where I would spend 1 night. With her and her mother I made sushi's and her mother drawed our names in calligraphy. That night I slept for the first tme on a futon, a matras on a tatami-mat.
On Tuesday the 2nd part of the programm started: Fuji-Hakone and Izukogen. We travelled by special mountainzigzagtrain and cablecar; we saw Mount Fuji, but there were clouds around, we didn't get the same view as you mostly see on viewcards. We then had a boatcruise on the Lake Ashi and finally arrived in our hotel in Hakone. For dinner we could choose: Japanese or French. Of course I chosed the Japanese one and that was a good choice. There were so many dishes, could be 12 even!! That evening we enjoyed the hotspring in the hotel, a wonderful experience. Wednesday we first visited Hakone Glass museum and then drove by train to Izukogen, We stayed in a small hotel, it's a beautiful area there and the young owners of the hotel were so friendly; we again enjoyed the hotspring there.
Thursday we went to the Pacific Ocean, saw the lighthouse, the rocks, made a walk and travelled by Shinkansen to Nagoya. It was sad to leave the Japanese members who accompagnied us on this trip. In Nagoya I was welcomed by Minako, my hostess there and her babydaughter Tomoka. The following day we went to Arimatsu where we first could practise to make a tie-dyed cloth in the traditional Shibori-method, then we had a stroll in the town, had tea-ceremony in an old merchants house - very interesting - and then we were dressed in a kimono. It took them about 20 minutes to dress each of us and it was a wonderful feeling to walk around for some minutes in their beautiful Japanese garden in such an expensive dress, After that we enjoyed a dinner which was prepared by the members of Nagoya-area, then Noriko joined us to the public bath and finally we all went to sleep in that old fabric merchants house, there were only 2 rooms, we all slept next to another on the futon. saturday we went to Gifu, we did some shopping, saw a big Buddah, were in a museum and then went up by cablecar to Gifucastle.
And Sunday we had to say goodbye to our friends in Nagoya already. We then drove to Iga-Ueno, we met some members there and tried to do Kumihimo (a string wove out of silk thread), I made a keychain. After that we walked to the city, there was autumnfestival, many stands on both sides of the street, mainly with food, we saw some big festivalcarts also and then we went to the Ninja-House. There we were shown how the Ninja could disappear. From there to Tsu-city, in Mie-area, I left the train in Kameyama and there Etsuko, my next hostess was waiting for me. On Monday we went to Mikimoto Pearl Island in Toba, that was an interesting day also, we saw the ama's diving for the pearls, were in the museum of pearls and some of us bought pearls also (not me!!). Tuesday we headed for Ise where we visited the Ise Grand Shrines - Naiku and Geku-, the last one is situated in a forest with with very old and high cedars and after that we strolled around in an old street with lovely shops. That evening we had the farewelldinner already, so sad to say goodbye to all our friends; the Japanese members: so many, so friendly, so hospitable, so caring for us; and to the other participants of this Japan Culture Gathering -we- the group. Some of them I will surely meet again, somewhere, some place. In fact the Gathering was ended then, I spent one more night with Etsuko and the following day she drove us (Denise, Arlette and me) to Noriko in Nara, we would spend there 2 days. Noriko showed us (Etsuko an Mieko -a member from Kyoto also) Nara in pouring rain. We walked around under our umbrella's and when I walked there, arm in arm with Etsuko under the umbrella, I thought: this is the 5W feeling: a Japanese and a Dutch woman, in the rain, sharing an umbrella, lots of talks, although we knew each other 3 days only...
Thursday Noriko showed us Kyoto, a wonderful city also. Both cities have been the capital in Japan in the past and there are many palaces, temples and shrines. Lovely Japanese gardens and not to forget the "Filosophy path" in Kyoto. Fortunately the wheater was good again in Kyoto. Noriko is an excellent guide and she and her husband are very hospitable also.
Friday was our final day, we had to get up early to leave for Kansai airport in Osaka. After a flight of 11,5 hours I was in Amsterdam and the airporttaxi brought me back to Eindhoven where I was welcomed by Arie. He had been very busy in those 2 weeks and had hardly time to miss me (his own words!!!!).
Thank you all so much once more: my wonderful hostesses - by now my friends - Katsuko, Sawako, Minako, Etsuko and Noriko and their families and to Kumiko, the organizer of this trip and Noriko, the 5W trustee.