Sanuk Canadian

We'll wrap up this series on an educational, working farming village in rural Kanagawa.  Part 1 HERE         Part 2 HERE           Part 3 HERE   In the previous post, I highlighted the many uses of Japanese charcoal. The president of our lecture group made her own sumi , by burning disposable chopsticks at home. She handed them out to group members after the lecture. I broke the chopsticks into smaller pieces and arranged them in a jar (which is kept in my home)... After our visit to the sumi house (see Part 2 ), we had reservations to eat lunch at a restaurant. This shop was tucked into the side of a hill; we climbed stairs through a Japanese forest to reach the restaurant's entrance.  A group member stops to photograph the view: Due to the rain, another group cancelled their reservation, so we were the only ones in the restaurant. I ordered what the other ladies were eating -- a traditional Jap...

We continue a series on this educational farming village in rural Kanagawa.  Part one is HERE . Part two is HERE . In the previous post, I posted photos from inside the sumi house. The staff there had a large display of various tools used in the Japanese tea ceremony; today, I'll showcase some of the lovely ikebana (traditional Japanese flower arrangements), which had been planted inside carved out sections of sumi . They were so unique; I have never seen anything similar.  Every plant was for sale, and the prices were reasonable (from ¥2,000/ $20). Inside the lecture room, a row of ikebana: Close up of a stone garden and ikebana: A single arrangement; my personal favorite: Before the lecture on sumi was to begin, we were served tea: The speaker talks about sumi, its history, how it is made, the uses, and names of various parts:  I listened to the approximately 45 minute lecture in Japanese. While some parts were difficult to under...

A visit to an agricultural village for a lecture on sumi (charcoal) in Kanagawa, continues.  Part one is HERE . Our group arrived at the main destination for the morning: the sumi house, where we would partake in a lecture on Japanese charcoal. Outside the sumi house: This is the kanji character for sumi (charcoal):  Inside, I was surprised to find on display, numerous items which are used in sadou ( Japanese tea ceremony). The prices were unbelievable too. Some women in the group explained these pots are used to hold water during the ceremony:  Detailed close up of one pot:  This pot is about $600.  Detailed close up of another:  The price tag says ¥91,000 or $910. Smaller bowls:  These hold spoons or ladles used in the ceremony: These are chawan   (lit. tea bowls). In a traditional tea ceremony, tea is not served in cups, but in a bowl like those below. The bowl is usually a handcrafted, decorative p...

On October 25th, I participated in a lecture offered by an international women's group based in Tokyo. The group met in the countryside of Kanagawa to enjoy learning about 炭 [su mi], or charcoal.  In Japan, charcoal has many uses, far beyond our usual image (barbecuing/ campfires). Let's look around the Hometown Village and learn more about  sumi. The village is located about a 15 minute bus ride from Aoba-Dai Station on the Den-en-Toshi train line. From the final stop, you can walk, following this sign: The village is used as a "learning farm". Children from various elementary schools in surrounding areas visit the farm to plant and harvest their own rice. Students learn about and use traditional tools too -- not the automatic machines we see today -- to harvest the rice. (An example of the knife, called 竃 [kama] used to cut the rice is HERE .) Our group walked past many of these harvested rice fields... Harvested rice, drying: At the main inf...

Flea markets are enjoyed the world over; it's the place to hunt for treasures or snag a bargain. Despite Japan's image of being very "fashion-forward", even the Japanese love the kitch style that a flea market offers. I wandered around a flea market in Yamato, Kanagawa last Saturday and snapped photos of some interesting finds. I didn't buy anything, because I prefer having a simple, uncluttered home, but just looking was an event in itself. Enjoy the photos! Unique baseball trophy: Old kimono, for ¥1,000 ($10) each.  Kimonos are often the most sought after items in Japanese flea markets. The quality of the material is very high. A new kimono starts at a price of ¥100,000 ($1,000), due to the embroidery and silk. The obi (large, rectangular belt) alone can cost hundreds of dollars, so it's no wonder women love these cast aways. Japanese women often cut the kimono material to make pillow cases, vests, handmade bags, etc. Tourists often see "J...

More photos from a national park near the coast of Sagami Bay, in Kanagawa, continue.  Part 1 is HERE . Jyoyama park was large enough that it took over an hour to cover one section of the park. Here are more photos from my walk.  I continued following the suggested route through the park. Venturing down the hill from the highest point in the park, I found a wooden bridge:  Reaching the bottom of the hill, walkers can see this waterfall: Bamboo is an image that many of have of vegetation in Asia. Japan is no exception. This bamboo forest was well maintained, and almost seemed like a curtain: No Japanese park is complete without a koi (carp) pond. This particular pond was filled with many huge carp! Click the video below to see a 360 panorama of the koi pond in Jyoyama Park: On the other side of the koi pond, there were some hidden benches where one could relax: Near the end of the walk, we came across a tea house, which served matcha ...