Summer time in Japan
Spells moments of fun in the sun Of beach activities Festivals and fireworks Ice cream and kakigori Walking around in yukata Listening intently To the sound of geta clapping Hopping from onsen to onsen In a bid to cool down at each one I see families bathing together Children playing with the pails An intimacy with their mothers Before and after they enter It’s the steaming water bath where they let loose and relax together with their laughter Summer is a time When the sound of wind chimes Has that healing power To release the heat from our hearts Blow it away, further away The tingling sensations Lifting our spirits Making our moods lighter There are times when The summer fever Leaves me heading indoors Craving for a refresher Taking breaks more often Relishing the ordinary moments Reading, resting Drinking, eating In the heat of summer Seeking respite and company From familiar strangers I look out of the windows At the passing trees Whose crowns have turned Transitioned Into orange tinges And with the passing of time Become a sea of maple reds I can almost feel it Fall is coming The wind is chilly Around the edges of September And I am looking forward For Fall promises its colors
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This is a sequel to the first journey that I did using the Seishun-18 earlier this Spring! It has almost become a collector's hobby for me to go on trips during the three available seasons in a year, in spring, summer and winter. I love the autonomy it gives me to plan my travels, exploring places that I have not been to, connecting me to the local lines where I catch glimpses of the countryside. The scenes outside of the train windows unfold and transform as the train winds its way from the countryside into the cities and then back to the countryside again. Travelling in summer also means that you get to see fields and fields of lush greenery, mountains and buckets of sunlight filtering in through the windows. The only downside of using it though is that I have to hop onto the earliest possible train in order to maximise the day's travels, especially when I go on day trips over the weekend and there is the fact that some trains run infrequently on the local lines. Trains operate like magic clockwork in Japan. I have mad respect towards the organisation of the railway systems and schedules as well as the routines performed by the train conductors. There are also the station masters and cleaning crew designated at each station to ensure that things proceed smoothly. Having time to while away while waiting for the next train(s) that will take me to other parts of my journey also made me observe more about the goings-on. I think I can finally understand why some people find comfort in the regularity of watching trains and seeing them pull into the station. Some people take comfort in keeping notes of the train models and series that they have come across, detail them in a train-spotting notebook of some sort. Some people take photographs of the models (like me, who loves their colours), and there are some who enjoy collecting train station stamps (also, like me). Being on the same journey as others using the Seishun-18 has made me feel that I am kind of on a pilgrimage with other 'train pilgrims' on board. You know who they are simply by their behaviour and their actions. You find them at the same places you happen to be at. You notice because they remind you of yourselves. It's funny also because they make you laugh at your own train-spotting adventures. It is simply because there is that secret joy that wells up within you when you see someone else sharing the same hobby as you, isn't it? This time round, my trips centred around Tottori, Hyogo and Okayama Prefectures. I have also included some of the stopover(s) I have made en route on the overnight and day trips. Day 1: Sanda (Hyogo Prefecture) --- Tottori (Tottori Prefecture) Duration: 350 mins, 214.6 km Actual price (without using Seishun-18): 3670¥ Using Seishun-18: 2320¥ Stopover(s): Mount Daisen, Tottori Sand Dunes Overnight trip Day 2: Yonago (Tottori Prefecture) --- Sanda (Hyogo Prefecture) Duration: 400 mins, 307.3 km Actual price (without using Seishun-18): 5500¥ Using Seishun-18: 2320¥ Stopover(s): Yura town (Gosho Aoyama Manga Factory) Overnight trip Day 3: Sanda (Hyogo Prefecture) --- Uno (Okayama Prefecture) Duration: 253 mins, 235.3 km Actual price (without using Seishun-18): ~8000¥ Using Seishun-18: 2320¥ Stopover(s): Naoshima Day trip *From Uno Port, I took a ferry to Naoshima, one of the art islands, where the Setouchi Triennale is taking place this year! Day 4: Kinosaki onsen (Hyogo Prefecture) --- Sanda (Hyogo Prefecture) Duration: 241 mins, 142.3 km Actual price (without using Seishun-18): 2470¥ Using Seishun-18: 2320¥ Stopover(s): Izushi town, Toyooka Overnight trip Day 5: Sanda (Hyogo Prefecture) --- Kojima (Okayama Prefecture) Duration: 250 mins, 250 km Actual price (without using Seishun-18): ~8000¥ Using Seishun-18: 2320¥ Stopover(s): Bizen-Kataoka (South Village), Aioi Day trip **Please note that the duration includes stopover(s) and waiting time at train stations. Figures are rough estimates for easier reference. You know what is the best part of going on trips using the Seishun-18? I thought maybe it was the planning bit, or executing and watching the plans unfold. But I am sure that it is this now in my case: going on the journey for going's sake. ... the silence that reigns inside while the wheels beat in rhythm against the rails outside, the dreaminess in which we seem to stand outside our normal selves and to have access to thoughts and memories that may not arise in more settled circumstances. Having settled in Japan for a year now, I have been to a couple of festivals throughout the seasons. It didn't take me long to realise that there is always a festival happening somewhere, whether it is in a small town or in big cities, where they attract an international crowd. Having missed out on most of the Obon festivities last year, I found my way to Tokushima for the Awa odori festival during the Obon period this year. Obon period is the season where most people commemorate their ancestors by visiting their graves and making food offerings at altars and/or temples. Lanterns are hung in front of houses to guide the spirits home and obon dances (bon odori 盆躍り) are performed, accompanied by traditional music played on instruments. The festival took place over four days, from 12 to 15 August, with different dance groups (known as 'ren', 連) taking their dances to the grounds, in shopping streets and along the Shinmachi river. Bon odori is a dance praying for the spirits of the deceased. Tokushima Prefecture has its own unique bon odori style. This local dance received much influence from the Shoryo prayer dances in the past, in which people danced in circles together while chanting and praying. There were several types of dances in the Edo period (1603-1868). However, a particular one known as Zomeki (騒き), a lively and noisy dance, became popular because anyone could join freely in dancing. After the Meiji period (1868-1912), the Zomeki dance and rhythms started to express various changes. The dance was then transformed and has become the mainstream Bon odori style in Tokushima today. I really like how festivals are organised in Japan, involving large groups of people from all walks of life, be it volunteers who work behind the scenes, group performers as well as the street stall (yatai, 屋台) vendors.
Festivals are primarily events facilitating community bonding, seeking to create a stronger identity, and promoting tourism outside of the prefecture. It's September and that means... the next round of festivals is about to begin, celebrating the bountiful harvest received. (Well, there is always something to celebrate and be thankful for in our lives. :D) |
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