“How was Noah’s visit?” she asked. “Why didn’t you write anything about his trip?”
I’m not sure. I’ve been busy, but this past week has been good. Have I been a little lazy? Maybe.
I think the truth is that Noah’s visit really feels more like a dream now. It has since he left Ota. It’s hard to recall and articulate dreams. But, here goes.
I am so happy to be in Japan. It’s been a wonderful adventure and one that I wanted to share with Noah. Sure, I write and call and send pictures, but I wanted him to see it, and smell it and taste it for himself.
I also wanted to see Noah. And when I spotted him on the bus from the airport, I was excited, happy, nervous, anxious, eager… And so our adventures in Japan began.
His first day here and we were already off exploring. My kind and generous friends were able to help me borrow a bike and Noah and I rode around the city to some of the more scenic spots. We even found energy to hike up a mountain. Okay it was a small mountain, but still. Oh, and we ran into some of my students, much to their obvious delight.
The next morning, we headed out early and caught the train to Tokyo. It was so much fun to play tourist with Noah. It can be easy to forget the feeling of wonder I had when I first arrived. A visitor helps me to remember. And, it was nice that Noah found a delicious sushi restaurant for us to enjoy.
Our next big outing was to the home of my supervisor’s family for something very traditional, very Japanese, and very tasty. Noah and I were invited to Maruhashi sensei’s in-laws’ to make mochi, sticky rice cakes, for New Year’s. What an honour to be able to participate in a family event like this. There was lots of pounding, rolling, tasting, eating, and more eating.
After the mochi party, Noah and were driven directly to the train station. From there, we headed south and then west by bullet train to the ancient city of Kyoto. The city was magical. Our hotel was not. The owner a little on the disconcerting side as well. He kindly showed us some maps and highlights of the city, but lectured us about the brevity of our stay. The room was cold, drafty and felt kinda dirty – a fact that was more exemplified than hidden by the car air freshener theme in the bathroom. And when I asked for a suggestion about where to eat, I was repeatedly told only the fast food spots near the train station were within my budget. The nerve. Instead, we went to Gion for 6-dollar okonomiyaki.
The next morning, the hotel owner greeted us with a genuine smile and helped us sort out rented bikes and gloves for a day of touring in Kyoto. Everywhere we went people were getting ready for the night’s festivities. We joined in the fun at the Yasaka Shrine. We ate festival food, watched people light ropes to start their own New Year’s fires at home, and squeezed into a long line to experience the ringing of the temple bell by Buddhist monks.
On the first day of the year, we went to the Fushimi Inari Shrine. So did everyone else in Kyoto, it seemed. But it was just beautiful. Rows of orange torii gates wrapped around the mountainside like ribbon and the contrast with the green trees and grey stone cemeteries was astonishing.
That afternoon we headed to Osaka and our seemingly luxurious accommodations, by contrast any way, at the Ramada. Here, we had time to relax, catch up and enjoy a slower pace of travel. We climbed up the city’s castle, enjoyed the energy of America Mura, and devoured seasonal grilled crab legs.
Our culinary explorations didn’t end there. We decided to go to Kobe for…
Kobe beef! And it was absolutely, melt-in-your-mouth delicious. It even made up for the day’s wet weather and confusion about the Earthquake museum. The man at the subway station’s ticket booth was kind enough to give us directions, but he obviously had something he wanted to articulate and couldn’t figure out how to express to a couple of English speakers. As it turned out, the main part of the museum was closed for renovations.
After Kobe and Osaka, we headed to Hiroshima, our final destination. It was modern, beautiful and moving. So many reminders of the death and destruction as well as the ardent hope for peace. On our way back to the hotel the first night, Noah spotted an old European looking building. Too old, he remarked, to have been built after the war. Sure enough, a daytime visit confirmed that this was one of the only buildings in the area to have survived the atomic bomb blast. Inside were millions of paper cranes folded by children from all around the world.
Miyajima Island and her deer entertained us the rest of the day. It was low tide and so we were able to get a close up view of the famous torii gate. The overbearing deer nibbled on our shopping bags, and jackets and tried to steal our onigiri. The grilled oysters made a tasty and satisfying snack for humans like us. Mmmmmm!
Those were the highlights. We made our way back to Tokyo for a brief stay and Noah spent a few days in Ota while I went off to work.
Noah came to class with me one morning. The students were so excited to meet him. There was screaming and laughing. Several came running for handshakes and personal introductions. You would think they were meeting a rock star.
The visit was too short. And, all too soon, it was January 11th and time for Noah to head home. That morning, I was the one who had to say goodbye and leave first. I had lessons at my visit school. Noah took a cab to the train station where the airport shuttle bus picked him up. And just like that, he was gone. Sort of.
Noah’s flight to Canada was cancelled that night. He was given vouchers for a hotel room and meals at the Hilton in Narita. For another 12 hours Noah was in Japan, stuck out by the airport, a three-hour journey from my home. It was excruciating to think that he was so close and yet so far.
Now, Noah is on the other side of the earth. And, every Friday when I get on the bus to my visit school, I have this terrible feeling as if I’ve left something important at home.
Album One
Album Two
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