The Final Leg – Japan!

Japan is decked out in full autumn foliage as the red clogs transit across the island of Honshu. We’re winding down our global travel lollapalooza and due to an Airline Situation, we have added 3 days which officially brings us to…Around the World in 90 days!

It’s my fourth visit to Japan, and the goal for this final segment was to take in the vibrant fall colors, disappear into the mountains (balancing out bustling Seoul and Tokyo), and explore new places that were not overrun with tourists. So in addition to the usual suspects (Tokyo and Kyoto) we visited Matsumoto, Takayama and Shirawaka-go; these are situated either directly in or as a preamble to the Japanese Alps.

There’s a lot to love about Japan, especially after recent weeks in places such as Uzbekistan and Dubai. Like Switzerland, trains run on time, citizens have huge respect for their community and each other, streets are squeaky clean, order rules.  Public service messages are actually fun to watch. The arrival of your train or subway is heralded with fanfare music. Displayed merchandise is beautiful and creative and useful and packaged exquisitely.

Where else can you find good luck charms for passing an exam, traffic safety, or avoiding your calamities?

But any strength extended can easily become a weakness. So, this also means that if you are a few minutes late checking out of your hotel or need to cancel the dinner reservation that you just made 15 minutes ago, you will be charged. A lot. If you try to put your trash somewhere – such as in a bag on the street that looks like it’s already full of trash – an old-fashioned-uniformed crossing guard may come running over screaming “No! No!” while flailing his arms frantically as you pivot to disappear down a side street. (this may or may not have actually happened).  

But really, what’s not to love about a place where the hotels give you beautiful pajamas and tells you to wear them to dinner and breakfast? Or where the toilet seats are heated and somehow know exactly when to flush? Where your bus driver wears white gloves?

Here are some highlights mostly from the Matsumoto, Takayama and Shirakawa-go portion of our 12 days in Japan.

Food and Culture Tour 

We spent a morning on a quest to discover the local specialties and cultural offerings in Takayama. We conducted thorough “research” at a sake brewery – mostly rice wine, but the plum wine was our favorite. We checked out two daily farmer markets which offer an array of pickled vegetables. Pickling is a vital culinary tool in this region as winters can be harsh and fresh food is limited. We also saw a variety of miso, some of which was aged for at least 5 years to create a deep red hue and funky tasting notes. In these parts, miso is served grilled on a dried magnolia leaf which imparts flavor.

Among our other samples were horse chestnut cookies (and yes, they also eat horse here) and tayaki – fish-shaped grilled waffle treats served piping hot and filled with red bean paste or sweet potato or custard.

Kaiseki dinner at Shojin Ryori Kakusho

What a memorable, holistic vegetarian meal!  Kaiseki is a style of cuisine with multiple courses focusing on aesthetics and flavor. Our kimono-clad servers were members of the 11^th and 12^th generations of the same family who has lived and served in this idyllic home and garden for 200 years. We dined in our own “zensational” room on low tables and enjoyed 10 different courses, each more beautiful and delicious than the last. The plating and serving pieces were exquisite as well. This was a Top 3 dining experience during our 3 month trip.

Gyoza Sohonzan

A very different dining experience from Kaiseki but no less delicious. After befriending Takeda-san at the Takayama tourist information office, we learned he moonlights at a gyoza place in town. Said gyoza place is only open Tues-Thurs nights from 6-10pm. When we arrived the next night, shortly after 6pm, we joined a long queue – understandable given that the restaurant, like many in the area, has only 2 tables and 4 counter spots. 90 chilly minutes later we were finally seated in the warm and cozy shop. We ate the most delicious gyoza and a bowl of spicy bamboo noodles in broth that was so divine, I lifted it up and drank the last spoonful. And in a gesture of typical Japanese kindness, Takeda had cooked just for us (in his own home!) Goheimochi – grilled rice cakes with local wild sesame paste. These he discreetly handed over in the alley by the restaurant after we high-fived the chef, told him “oishii” (delicious), and headed back to our hotel.

Bamboo forest

The Arashiyama region of Kyoto is a bit off the beaten path. In autumn the trees explode in a display of oranges and reds and yellows. Just beyond the temples and shrines lies an otherworldly bamboo forest with walking paths. We also climbed up to the observatory for stunning views of the surrounding mountains and occasional wooden boat gliding slowly along the serpentine river. We did not spot any of the local monkeys who hang out in these trees (literally) but like almost everywhere else in Japan, we saw a profusion of persimmon trees, heavy with orange fruit.

Shirakawa-go

A 45 minute bus ride brought us to the village of Shirakawa-go which is nestled in a valley. This beautiful, rugged hamlet is known for its unique style of houses called Gassho-zukuri, or farmhouses with sloped, thatched roofs. We were fortunate to be able to go inside one which had been built in the late 1800’s primarily from Japanese cypress (although chestnut wood was often used as well.) The five story house took 3 years to complete and in addition to costing a great deal of yen, much rice and sake passed hands as payment too.

What’s remarkable about Shirakawa-go is the community-based aspect of living. In Japanese, this is known as Yui, or a spirit of closeness and supporting one another. When a farmhouse roof needs to be rethatched, the whole village turns out to help. The Nagase family home, which we visited, had been rethatched in 2001 with over 500 people helping, including volunteers from all over Japan. Inside the home are old wooden implements for silk production and beautiful gifts that had been received from a wealthy Japanese family for whom the Nagase served as doctors.

I could go on and on. I could tell you about the 5 strangers who, one cold night in Matsumoto, came to our rescue and walked all over town for almost an hour, helping us to find a restaurant that was not “sold out”. Or about the old men who set up easels in the gardens, gaze out in the distance and try to capture the beauty around them with paintbrushes on canvas.

Or about the uniformed schoolgirls we followed one sunny afternoon to discover the tastiest snacks in town (flavored pudding in glass jars and buns filled with local Hida beef or red beans or pumpkin or pickles).

Or about the reverence I witnessed at shrines, the locals washing their money in a mountain spring to make it multiply, the entrance to the old house in Gion where geishas and maiko entertain as they have done for over 250 years.

Japan is a treasure trove and I felt as, if not more, well-cared for there as any of the other countries we visited on this 90 day adventure.

And that adventure has now come to an end. But the memories and relationships and mementos acquired will always remind me of what an astounding world we live in. I have so much to learn and experience still. Bring it on!