Author: In search of umami

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Nakasendo map, Japan

From a map to the hike- our short adventure with the Nakasendo route

Maps in Japan are an art apart. Even the simple ones just by the roads are detailed, beautifully painted and hyper practical. It’s an art mastered through centuries. I still can’t forget the kilometers of map from the Edo period, we saw in one of the castles. Every single house, barn and bridge was painted on it and the undisturbed line of a trail was continuing throughout the meters of paper. It looked very simple but that’s where the charm of the country is- in its simplicity and perfection.

Later on we were given a map inspired by these old maps in a tourist information shop in Nagoya. The enthusiastic woman was going on and on about how stunning the old Nakasendo route was and the villages that we would pass on our way. Nothing convinces us like someone else’s enthusiasm so we decided to walk a small part of the trail.

Nakasendo route was one of the five most important paths connecting the empire in the Edo period and one of the two linking Tokyo with Kyoto. Out of over 500 km we chose the most popular 8 km in hope for a bit time- travel experience.

We started in Magome which was one of the post towns along the way. What didn’t survive the fight with time, was restored and Magome is now a charming, little town focused along one street on a slope of a mountain. Thankfully the amount of tourists is inversely proportional to the meters above sea level and so the top part of the village is far from crowded. Lower part is another story… there the amount of flashy-dressed, loud Chinese would drive a saint mad, not to mention them in combination with selfie sticks. It’s a shame as the old houses recreate a feeling of Japan from centuries ago and it is really magical.

We were happy to leave the crowds behind and start walking through the forest to Tsumago, another post town on Nakasendo. Entering the hike we got excited by frequent bells that we needed to hit to scare the potential bears away. Soon we realized that seeing any animal could only be a miracle… The path was far from secluded and it was constantly crossed or paralleled by a road where cars were passing all the time. Even though we tried to turn our heads around and listen to the sounds of the forest and waterfalls… we just couldn’t get the cars out of our mind. Sadly the map was prettier than the hike itself.

Fortunately it wasn’t all lost, it’s Japan after all. We passed some lovely houses, few of which were open… Those who know me are familiar with my passion of sneak peaking in people’s houses so that little treat made my day. We also visited an old “rest house” where we enjoyed smoking in an open fire with a cup of green tea and some Japanese sweats. Just like in the olden days the house was there to greet the travelers and help them recharge before heading further. A bit of sugar and tea managed to lift our spirits and get us back on track.

After a 3 hour walk we completed the tiny part of Nakasendo and ended up in Tsumago, the best award we could hope for. Tsumago was an oasis of piece and it really brought us back in time. The residents did their best to preserve and since late 60s to rebuild the houses and enchanting spirit of the past. Now a whole street of restored buildings as well as some back allies made it feel bigger than Magome. We felt we could emerge in the past and the fact that cars are forbidden on the main street and electricity cables are concealed helped our imagination even more. Strolling through the streets we imagined how it must have been to travel in Japan in those days. How crazy is it to think that a few hundred years ago many didn’t even know much about anything outside of their village…

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Tokoname, Japan

Tokoname- the Pottery Town

Ceramics was my passion when I was a little girl and not because I saw “Ghost”. I just liked playing with clay, creating little animals and painting them. The whole process was just fascinating for me and I never could understand how something so plastic as clay could become so hard by just putting it in the oven. Now I can’t understand how come I ever stopped… Especially when we went to Tokoname…

Tokoname is a small village on Chita peninsula famous for its pottery. Tradition there dates centuries back and judging by the amount of people that we saw there, it’s fighting for survival. Not many people are going to buy a plate for 40 euro when they can drive to IKEA and buy a whole set for the same price. Especially since young Japanese are fascinated with anything that is western. For tourists on the other hand most expect a village of old grandmas trying to clay something together, something not very sophisticated or stylish. That’s what Jandirk thought for sure so it was a challenge to get him to join me. But as soon as we got there it was clear he was wrong.

Entering the village we followed the signs of “The Pottery Footpath” passing 39 beckoning ceramic cats just along the road. They are an interesting tribute to Maneki Neko, the famous figurine of a cat that brings luck. Tokoname is the biggest producer of those. And cats in general are very popular subject of plates, cups and ceramic sold in the town.

Instead of grandmas trying to clay something together, Tokoname is full of small ateliers. They are all different in sizes and styles. Some are a part of someone’s garden or entrance where figurines and pottery are left unattended with just price tags and a collection box for the money. I get an impression that stealing is not a well-known concept in Japan. Some of the studios are a messy sight of work in progress and sadly dust on the pottery indicates that the pieces don’t fly out of the door as soon as they are made… Pots, cups, little chopsticks holders, it all made me feel a bit sad that my backpack was not filled with yen to spend. Especially the last atelier left me hoping that one day I will be able to switch from IKEA to a rather niche table setting. Just in case that would ever happen I tried to ask if it was possible to buy the things online and to my surprise none of the shops had a website…

To come to my senses and remind myself that I can only collect photos and memories we went to explore the village a bit more. My favorite part was a little “Clay Pipe Hill” made from clay shochu alcohol pots and another specialty of Tokoname, clay pipes. In the middle of that path we spotted “The Takita family house” that once belonged to one of shipping dealers in the area. Up to the 20th century the town was very much involved with shipping goods to Edo (Tokyo) and the house feels like a journey in time.

We left Tokoname with a strong feeling that someday we will get beautiful ceramics for our house either by going back to Japan to buy it or by learning how to make it…

Naoshima- the power of art

Naoshima could have been one of those lonely, sad, grey places. In the 50s and 60s it was booming and there were 8000 people on the island. All thanks to a Mitsubishi factory which was and still is the biggest employer in there. Sounds like a beginning of a science fiction movie but the machines really did take work of many of the locals, leaving the island to a certain death with the drastically declining population. Many left in search of a job, education and better life. With only 3000 people Naoshima was disappearing when art came…

Benesse Holdings, a big Japanese company was searching for a home for their big collection of art. They wanted it to help the locals and they decided that Naoshima would be a perfect place to do it. Art would bring tourism to the island, tourism would bring jobs and jobs would bring people back.

Now the island is a must see for every art lover coming to Japan.

The first thing we spotted while entering the harbor on this small island was the red pumpkin with polka dots. I was contemplating its beauty from the deck when we reached the port and tourists started to flow out of the boat, running to the pumpkin. Everything to take an “alone” picture with it or because they were afraid it might get eaten if they waited any longer… 🙂

The beauty of Naoshima is also in its size, it’s a really small island perfect for a day trip on a bike. So straight from the ferry we went to rent a bike and hit the road. First we went to where it all started in 1992 so to the Benesse House Museum. Although it was the first one to be build, it struck us with the harmony and beauty of already a well developed concept. The exhibition of modern art was unbelievable and it included a massive ant house made of colorful sand and divided into flags of the world. Ants were building tunnels that would eventually make a flag collapse and colors to mix beyond recognition.

As much as we loved the museum we were a bit disappointed we couldn’t see the Oval, the most famous part of the building. At least the most famous looking at all the pictures and posters promoting it. In fact only the lucky ones with willingness to spend “a bit more” get a chance to see it. It’s part of the hotel.

Except for the “mother museum” there are also two more in the area Lee Ufan Museum and Chichu Art Museum. All three of them follow the theme of art in harmony with nature and they are rather small and in our humble opinion a bit overpriced. 1030 yen (around 10 dollars for Benesse House) for a visit that takes maybe an hour including ohhh and ahhh and me trying to take a picture from every angle possible is a bit too much in my opinion. Even for an admirable concept of helping a dying island with its population.

Cycling down to the beach we saw many open-air art works. But none of them was as impressive as “Pumpkin”, yellow sister of the one we saw by the port. This one was more peaceful, situated on the edge of a concrete pier that otherwise wouldn’t be a pretty sight. Sitting nearby on the beach we were admiring the Instagram-queue created by the Japanese tourists. Every one of them was waiting patiently in a line for their chance to get a lonely shot with the famous pumpkin. Only the kids didn’t seem to understand the laws of social media photography and were constantly interrupting the photo sessions with short sessions of pure fun.

Art has a unique way of giving new life to old and neglected things. That’s what happened with empty houses in Honmura area. Through the Art House Project lifeless spaces were converted into works of art and got the local community even closer to beauty. Ando Museum tights it all together with a background story of the island and the architect who stands behind the majority of the transition of that God forsaken place.

For me there was a certain cherry on the cake on our way back to the ferry. “I love yu” bath is a great example that modern art can be far from serious. The building screams “fun” with all of its colorful tiles, crazy t-shirts and palm trees in front of it. We were tempted to go in but unfortunately we didn’t have towels or eagerness to strip so we only sneak peaked through the door…

Just before going to Naoshima when I was doing a bit of a research of what was there to see I realized that it’s not the only island included in the Benesse Project. It has expanded on two more islands nearby with similar stories and some extraordinary museums. Unfortunately time and availability was not on our side with that one and we couldn’t visit Teshima and Inujima. Maybe it’s for the best, one more motive to come back 🙂

Handful of practical info:

  1. To get to Naoshima we took a ferry from Takamastu Port (slow ferry takes 50 minutes and costs 520 yen so around 5 dollars one way, speed boat takes half the time but costs more than double the price- 1220 yen so around 12 dollars). The other way to get to the island is to take a ferry from Uno Port which can take you either to Miyanoura Port or to the other side of the island- Honmura Port.
  2. The only way to get to Teshima is to get a ferry from Naoshima which is not very frequent. That very same ferry follows later on to Inujima. To see all 3 of the islands requires a bit of extra planning…
  3. The best way to see Naoshima is to rent a bike, it costs only 300 yen (around 3 dollars) for a whole day and it’s cheaper than bringing your own on the ferry. For the lazy, there is a bus option 🙂
  4. Naoshima is not a paradise for travelers on a shoe-string. Chichu Museum costs 2060 yen (around 20 dollars) and Lee Ufan and Benesse House cost 1030 yen each (around 10 dollars). To visit one of the Art Houses it’s 410 yen (around 4 dollars) but there is also a joined ticket to visit all 6 of them and it’s “only” 1030 yen (around 10 dollars). To finish off Ando museum is another 510 yen (around 5 dollars). Adding bike rental, ferry fare and maybe something to eat and you know you have to love art deeply to pay for all that 🙂
  5. There are many restaurants on the island as well as a few grocery stores and a 7 eleven so there is no way to die out of hunger 🙂

Nagoro- the weirdest village of Japan

Nagoro also known as the doll village is actually not known at all… Every single Japanese person that I mentioned it to didn’t know what I was talking about. Like if it didn’t exist, like if it was a ghost town. Which it is…

The village is situated between the charming and ever green valley and rivers of the Shikoku region. Just like many other rural areas it suffered from closing a nearby company which was a big employer for hundreds of people. And over the years it became deserted. Some wanted opportunities and education and some well… passed away.

Tsukimi Ayano was one of those who left but she never forgot her childhood home. After years of working in Osaka she returned and without having much to do she decided to start her own garden. Unfortunately birds ate all her seeds and that brought her to an idea to create her first scarecrow. That one was supposed to resemble her father. Now 10 years and 350 dolls later Nagoro is the weirdest village I have ever seen.

To get there we took a few buses which are not very frequent and take hours. No wonder because no one is going to send a bus for 35 habitants as that’s the alive population… We knew immediately we got to the right place, the dolls were already waiting for us at the bus stop. With a bit of mist, rain and not a living soul in our sight, it was a scene straight out of a thriller. But it’s not meant to be like this. The artist wants to show people she knew that passed away or left just how they liked living… So the dolls smile, drink beer, cycle, work in the garden, fish and anything you can imagine.

Since 2012 when the last two students had left the school, also there people have been replaced. Unbelievable considering that the school looks pretty new and has a nice, big gym attached to it.

Escaping from the rain we entered the old cultural center where dolls were in the middle of the reunion. Old, young, in kimonos, with cigarettes, smiling, angry… every single doll was different and it felt like they had a soul on their own.

In so many places we really had to look twice if it was a doll or a person, especially from the back many looked very convincing. During the whole day we saw two people in the village and many, many great human imitations. There is no shop in the surrounding, no café, not even a vending machine. And when there is no vending machine in Japan, it certainly means that it’s a god forsaken town…

Tsukimi is now in her sixties but she is the youngest of the whole community of 35. Maybe she will outlive them all and turn it into a Ghibli studio village… I still don’t know if I liked it but I’m certainly happy we saw it. Somehow I feel that special places like this one are only possible to exist in Japan.

Jandirk is still doubting whether it was worth a 2 hours walk to the nearest bus stop and 1.5 hour wait till it came… So be warned if you decide to see it.

For art fans Tsukimi or the dolls, make nice pottery and other small things that are scattered all over the village with price tags and a box to collect the money.

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Oman

How to travel long term without going crazy?

Long term travelling is not a vacation, it's being away from family and friends, missing weddings, births and birthdays, it’s having your house on your back and leaving the rest behind. Two years after we left our jobs and lives, being on the road became our lifestyle. It’s been an amazing journey that has taught us so much but it hasn’t been easy. Constant traveling, change of food, environment, packing, it all gets difficult after a while.

How to travel for a long time without losing your mind? How we adjusted our lifestyle on the road…

We can’t and don’t want to see everything

Sounds obvious but it took me a while to understand that. We get so many tips and so many times during my research I read that 100 km further there is again something worth visiting. And well we have the time, right?

It’s just impossible to see everything and at this point we don’t even want to because that means we would be running around the whole time and lacking time to enjoy where we are at that moment. As a remedy I decided that we would have some highlights of places we wanted to see and besides those we would go with the flow which for long-term travelling works best. Sometimes we met incredible people or hear of something really unique and we are able to join because we don’t have a tight schedule.

We unpack

We don’t have a house and diving into a backpack every time I'm searching for something, was driving me insane so I decided to unpack everywhere where we stay more than 3 nights. That is one of my favorite routines that makes me feel at home straight away. Even if there is no closet, I spread plastic bags under our beds and unpack there.

We take stuff we don’t “need”

When we left I thought I wouldn’t bring any make-up because I was going backpacking and I need to have a light backpack and cosmetics are just not essential. To be honest I just missed them. I just like having a bit of vanity from time to time and that’s a small treat for myself. Besides the basics are not so heavy to bring along 🙂 The same happened for me with books. I brought an e-reader because it’s handier and lighter but I missed the feeling of turning pages and reading a real book. After a while I decided to take books that I find and exchange them along the way. That has worked pretty well.

It’s true that the backpack needs to be light enough to carry around for some time but it needs to have things you actually like.

We don’t travel as cheap as possible

When we started in Argentina we were able and happy to travel cheap. Sleep in dorms, walk instead of taking a bus etc. But now we got tired of people turning on the light at night, coming back drunk or snoring. Thankfully Japan has actually forced us to lift the standard since economic guesthouses are more expensive than renting a small studio on Airbnb. It made us realize that we really have to limit dorms and shabby places to the minimum for the sake of our sanity. Sharing with others and meeting new people is great but we also need our own space and privacy.

We treat ourselves

Sometimes we go to the cinema or we buy ourselves something small. We try to lead a normal life on the road and treating ourselves is an essential part of it.

We cook

Eating out tends to be more expensive than cooking. More importantly budget eating out lacks in vegetables, nutrition value and many times its deep fried. That’s why we prepare our meals as often as possible. We eat a lot of vegetables, fruit and we drink a lot of water and tea.

Food is an important part of any culture and so we always try local cuisine and many times we try to prepare it ourselves as well. Cooking local means also lowering the costs, ingredients used and grown in the country are way more economic than those brought from abroad.

We stop

We never stay in a place less than 2 days (3 nights) and generally we try to stay way longer, preferably at least a week. We like exploring places slowly, being able to come back to a spot if we want to. We love stopping, observing, sitting down and chatting with people passing by. Many times we have lots of places we want to see in a day and we decide to stay at the first stop just because it’s magical and has a great vibe. We love the feeling that we have time to do so. Seeing less is often more for us.

Some spots change completely with light, seasons, and atmosphere. Canals in Amsterdam are not the same place at dawn as they are in the middle of a hectic day. Japan during cherry blossom is a completely different experience than during the winter months. Why rush if we don’t have to?

We emerge in a culture

We read, ask and observe as much as possible. That’s my favorite part of the journey. It’s a continuous, never-ending learning process. That’s partially why we prefer to stay in countries with longer tourist visa's. To feel that although we came with so little knowledge, we broaden our horizons and scratch the surface of understanding at least a bit.

Disappointment is part of the journey

Online research creates expectations and those are a perfect recipe for disappointments. We have seen so many places that didn’t impress us at all and they stood high on our bucket list. It’s part of the journey. If we didn’t see those we would probably still think they were amazing and regret not going. At least we know. It’s important to understand everyone is different and for someone Machu Picchu can be a life-changing experience. We know that Peru has so much more to offer and many of the Incan ruins are a true Indiana Jones treat so we didn’t feel impressed with overrated and crowded MP. We were still happy we saw it though.

We enjoy small things

We appreciate when the sun is shining but we are also happy when it rains. We enjoy the time we get to spend with people that inspire us and we try to let them know that. Every day we remind ourselves of just how lucky we are to get this opportunity from life and how important it is to be conscious about it.

We accept

Bus is going to be late? It will come tomorrow? Well than we have time to read a book, update the blog, talk to people around us. In long queues and never-ending waiting times I learned to crochet. Something I always wanted to be able to do but never took the time to learn.

Travel taught us adapting and making the best out of circumstances that occur. Why to drill and get mad at things you can’t change? It’s lost energy. It’s better to take a different approach and “row with the oars you have”as the Dutch say 🙂

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Plum blossom, Kyoto, Japan

You know you’re in Japan when…

It’s been more than a month since we arrived in Japan and every day we discover new, fascinating details that make this country truly unique. Nowhere else in the world have we seen modernity and tradition blended together in harmonious unity. Nowhere else have we seen inventions that left us wondering: why didn’t we ever think about it?? So we know we are in Japan when…

  1. The toilets are not quite like at home…

Already at the airport we realized that we landed in a world apart. “Western toilets” as they call them here are more western that we could even imagine… The seats are warmed, bidet options are built in and in public toilets there is usually an option to play some relaxing sounds to make you feel comfortable if you decide to stay for a little longer.

  1. You end up soaking in a bath

Rather than taking a shower, Japanese prefer to soak a bit in the bathtub. It’s their time to relax and chill out after a long day. In many houses bathtubs are filled by pushing just one button. A computer pours the exact amount of water needed and the temperature you like. When your bath is ready and warm, a female voice reminds you that you should dive in.
Onsens (hot springs) are another obsession here. Everyone goes there and every single person we met was recommending us one in each place we’ve visited. Some say that onsens make the Japanese look younger…

  1. 3 seconds rule really can apply

After 2 years travelling we sadly realized that there is dirt and garbage almost everywhere…. Except for here. Here if my cookie falls on the ground I would still pick it up and eat it. Everything is clean and gets washed before it’s even dirty.

  1. The search for a garbage bin begins

Although Japan is the cleanest country we have ever seen we still can’t seem to figure out where to throw away the garbage. Searching for a bin is a time consuming task. Mostly our patience runs out and we end up pushing our rubbish into can-only trash next to a vending machine…

  1. In a soup restaurant everyone is slurping

Making noises while eating is showing how much you enjoy it and a soup is the best way to do it. So people slurp loud and often. In Fukuoka there is a whole street serving ramen noodles in the evening and the sounds coming out there are like an orchestra.

  1. You see masks not only in operation rooms

We still don’t know why so many Japanese wear face masks. Some say because of the allergies or contagious diseases.  We also heard theories that it’s because of the fact that they simply don’t want to show their whole face…

  1. Eyes get bigger

Special contact lenses are very important especially for women. For most they are there just to make their eyes look bigger but some ladies go extra far to change the colors of their eyes. All to make them look more western. Another option is to use a special glue to lift the eye lid so that it looks bigger and more divided. There are even surgeries to achieve that…

  1. Starbucks has never been so popular

In every city we have been to it was packed. Friday night, middle of the day, doesn’t matter. It’s almost the same with McDonalds and some other western chains. Everything that is western is hip and exotic so McDonalds is a good spot for a teenage date. We have seen a few of those. Mount Everest of being romantic.

  1. You upgrade your socks

Constant taking your shoes off makes you realize how boring the ones we buy are. Here they have fun patterns of sushi, geishas, anime and everything you could imagine. It has to be cute, flashy and stylish. And preferable a section for each toe or at least a separate one for the big toe. We don’t have to tell you we are already crazy for those 🙂

  1. There is matcha everywhere

Matcha is a powdered green tea and it’s everywhere. In deserts, snacks, mains. On every street there is a commercial of something with matcha, every gift shop or supermarket sells tons of packages of the tea and matcha-flavored goodies. Highly addictive!

  1. You change slippers everywhere

There are slippers to go to the garden and other ones to go to the toilet and obviously completely different pair to just walk around the house. That doesn’t even end at home. Going to the doctor you take off your shoes and put special slippers on as well… Same goes for some temples and museums.

  1. You don’t have to be drunk to sing your heart out

Karaoke is completely different in Japan, here you literally get a room to do that. There are plenty of entertainment centers where you rent karaoke rooms with your friends. There is nothing better than to chill out on the couch with people you feel comfortable with and sing your heart out!

  1. People care about each other!

Walking into a train or metro people scoot over on a bench to make place for us two. They know we prefer to sit next to each other than on two ends of a carriage. They stand neatly in queues, they don’t cheat, they help, they smile, and they treat others like they would like to be treated. That’s one of the things we could learn from the Japanese society.

  1. The moss is not only part of the forest environment

Moss is omnipresent in Japan and it gives it this mysterious, green look. We were already wondering how come it’s everywhere even in city gardens when… we spotted moss stands on a market. It turns out here you buy pieces of it to put it in the gardens. Mystery solved!

  1. Plastic food has never looked so good

It’s all about the look and who wouldn’t enter if at the entrance you see all those delicious dishes! And you don’t even need to read the menu which you wouldn’t be able to understand anyway unless you speak Japanese. Plastic food is everything and it has to be perfect. Often we catch ourselves staring and thinking if the food on display is real or not…

  1. You bow, bow and bow once more

You have done something wrong if you don’t spend your day bowing in here. It’s very universal, works for hi, bye, thank you and anything else 🙂

  1. You get your receipt handed to you with two hands…

That one we couldn’t really figure out. Why all the cashiers were giving us the change, receipts and everything with two hands?? Apparently it would not be polite to hand it with just one hand.

  1. There are vending machines everywhere

Even in the middle of nowhere or in a small village there are still vending machines. Five types of cold and hot coffees seem to be the basic human right and luxury in here! Not to mention the selection of teas and soft drinks. Except for drinks there are also vending machines selling cigarettes, ice cream and small snacks. One thing is sure, you won’t ever get hungry or thirsty in this country.

  1. You forget that the supermarket isn’t a restaurant

Every single supermarket has a wide selection of already prepared dishes, beautiful sushi and even more perfect sashimi. We often take our time in the fish section to watch the mesmerizing process of fileting fish and cutting it into thin, even pieces. We always wonder how it’s done in a restaurant if in the supermarket it looks like art already.

  1. You can’t figure out the smoking rules

We were delighted to realize that there were only some assigned areas for the smokers to enjoy their addiction. But then we were enjoying our sushi in a restaurant and out of the sudden a cloud of smoke drifted towards us. We were shocked to discover that in most places you can smoke and there are no non-smoking areas… It turned out to be a bit complicated to find fume-free spots…

  1. Signs are too cute to go against them

Japanese people are all about being polite so the forbidding signs need to be colorful, fun and cute enough so that no one feels pressed to follow the rules. Every single day we discover charming, little signs showing how you collect your dog’s poo or how you should cross the street. We can’t help but smile every time we see one of those.

  1. You collect your stamps everywhere you go

Train stations, tea houses, museums, castles… there are stamps everywhere. We got completely hooked we can’t stop collecting them. Especially since some are really stunning and for us they are like very light souvenirs that don’t cost anything.

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