Serenity, Sake, Soak, Slumber

You could be forgiven for thinking I was still soaking away in the onsen since it has been a while since I have posted. Sorry! To be honest, Thursday was just such a magical day that it has been hard to think of the appropriate words to explain it. We were greeted at the hotel by my wonderful friend from Hyogo International Association, Mr Nishiguchi, who announced that he had a special treat for us. He had arranged for us to visit an old, family operated sake brewery in the Tamba district of Hyogo. We arrived at the brewery, Ichijima, and discovered that the owner, Mr Yamana, was the seventh generation of his family to run the brewery and they had been producing for 296 years. Mr Yamana explained the production process to us in great detail and then showed us around the facility, which is also his home. After that we enjoyed sake tasting and of course ended up buying many products, particularly the Yuzu variety, which is a type of Japanese citrus. Upon departure Mr Yamana presented our group with a huge bottle of one of his finest and told us to enjoy it on the bus. We thought it was a joke, but in fact the bottle was opened as soon as the bus took off and we were once again very merrily on our way. The next stop was the Hyogo Prefectural Museum of Ceramic Art. It is the only museum in Japan dedicated to ceramic art and it showcases both special exhibitions and the works of the 60 ceramic artists in the surrounding area. The grounds are absolutely exquisite and there is even a magnificent tea house where people can join in tea ceremony while admiring the view. Many of us felt like we could just spend a day in that environment...it was almost like we had come across an oasis in the middle of nowhere. I suspect this is not a stop for the average tourist as it would not be the easiest place to reach so we all felt very privileged. However, it was time to stop just admiring and start doing so we headed off to the home of one of the local ceramic artists, who so kindly invited us in to show us how the pottery is made. Then it was our turn to have a go and while Team Member, Tony, worked up quite a sweat, you can see that Team Member, Neil, was very proud of his creation. It may be appropriate at this point for me to explain the sash that you may have noticed in some of the photos. I started announcing our Team Member of the day each evening at dinner based on certain achievements each day. A few days in I realised that a simple announcement was not enough so I decided to go and buy a sash, which basically says "Person of the Day". In good spirits the recipients for the first few days spent a few hours each wearing the sash to the great amusement of the Japanese people at the places we visited. Congrats to Gladys, Terrena, Jay, and Neil, who have all had their moment :) After drinking up sake, immersing ourselves in nature, then trying our hand at pottery, it was time to head to Arima for a gorgeous banquet and onsen at the famous Arima Grand Royal Hotel. Wow! What an experience!! Fortunately it was all a little rushed so there was no time for shyness amongst the ladies (not sure about the men), but we all got our gear off and got into the hot spring, which is located on the top floor of the hotel. There is not only an indoor spring, but also two outdoor ones, each with different properties to make us beautiful and healthy. Not that I felt particularly beautiful with a beetroot red face, but it was still worth it. Following the bath we were served course after course of exquisite food to the point that I felt like just rolling off my chair and going to sleep on the tatami mat right then and there. We all felt so tired, but in a really wonderful, totally relaxed and satisfied way.

Kobe 2013 - Thoughts along the way... From Team Member, Maree

On this my first trip to Japan I am certainly very fortunate to be travelling with the HPCGG tour group. Although only into day 5, at every point of our journey we are greeted with such friendly, warm hospitality and indeed made to feel extremely special and welcome. Although many of my fellow travellers in the group have some degree of Japanese language skill, and this has assisted my experience greatly, the overwhelming hospitality and attention to detail from the local Hyogo Government staff has been amazing! We have certainly been treated like lifelong friends and part of the Hyogo family, complete with gifts, special tours and incredible Japanese cuisine from the region. My husband Darryl and I joined the Hyogo tour to experience Japanese culture and heritage but along the way we have been humbled by the genuine and authentic warmth of all the Japanese people we have met and interacted with. This is a truly amazing adventure, highly recommended as the complete package to immerse yourself in all things Japanese.

Natsukashi! Team Hyogo visits my old hometown of Himeji

It is nearly 20 years ago, but returning to my old hometown of Himeji today, it could have been just yesterday that I arrived as a young assistant language teacher with the JET program. Mind you, with the World Heritage listed Himeji Castle undergoing massive restoration and being shrounded in a white cloth, things weren't entirely the same...We had two wonderful volunteer English speaking guides to show us around the grounds of Himeji Castle and then take us up to the observation deck, which has been specifically constructed to cater for the tourists during this restoration period. Our two guides had amazing knowledge of not only the castle, but the general history of the area and kept us entertained with various stories and historical tales. Returning to the entrance at the end of the tour we were greeted by the one and only Ouchi-sensei. Many of you would be familiar with this wonderful Professor from University of Hyogo, who has such a strong bond of friendship with Western Australia. I should have known that no visit to Himeji could take place without a special welcome and greeting from him! Following our castle tour we walked to neighbouring Kokoen where we enjoyed a beautiful lunch of Anago (salt water eel), which is Himeji's speciality. From there we headed to the tea ceremony house and enjoyed traditional tea and sweets while enjoying the gorgeous Japanese garden surrounds. But what about the shopping?, I hear you say! It is true. Someone...(yes, me - sorry!!) made the schedule so tight and tried to include so many exeriences that there is minimal time for shopping. However, knowing that samurai sword chopsticks were in high demand, (they are very cool), we power walked to a nearby souvenir shop where we were able to spend a few minutes buying omiyage. However, time was pressing and there was still much to be done, so we jumped back on the bus and headed towards Engyoji Temple where we had the opportunity to walk the same ground on which Tom Cruise stood when he filmed The Last Samurai. Of course this meant more to some of us than others... Ahhh.. the end of yet another exciting day, but quite tiring as there was a quite a workout involved with lots of uphill walking. Should we be sensible people and have an early night ready for the program ahead? Don't be silly!! We had karaoke to do! I must confess I was impressed with the Team's determination to press ahead with karaoke at the end of the long day, but the general consensus was that we were in Japan and it simply had to be done. Congrats to all for your fantastic efforts and a particular Otsukaresamadeshita to Shingo, who somehow managed to keep the drinks order flowing, enter the song requests, and belt out a few impressive numbers himself while all us Aussies just kept yelling demands at him. As for me, it is 4 days in and I am now hanging out for my first onsen on Thursday evening in Arima. I'll let you know how it goes!

Back to School!

Words cannot fully express the warm and wonderful welcome that Team WA received from both Takenodai Primary School and Kobe Shinwa High School on Day 3. It was not only the teachers among us, who had been eagerly awaiting this school visit day, but in fact, most members of the tour were excited about the unique opportunity provided to us. We first visited Takenodai Primary School, which is enjoying a fantastic exchange relationship with Kingston Primary School in Australind. We were welcomed not only by the Principal and staff, but also by a group of dedicated parent volunteers on the International Exchange Committee. We were treated to a special assembly, then given a tour of the school before joining with the students in their classrooms to participate in the traditional school lunch. The students are involved in serving the lunches and are responsible for packing away their dishes, which they do in an amazingly orderly fashion. After lunch we were invited to play dodgeball with the students, which was great fun although not ideal after a rushed lunch of rice, fish, vegetables, and milk!! We actually felt a bit emotional as we pulled away from the school with staff and students waving us off. The school is bringing a delegation to WA in 2014 so we can't wait to help them out in appreciation of their kindness. The visit to Kobe Shinwa High School (so kindly organised by the lovely Katsuki-sensei from Kobe Shinwa University), was also a big hit with the opportunity to not only view some classes and take a tour of the magnificent facility, but also to view the many varied club activities that take place after school. From athletics to art, drama to home economics, the students show great dedication to their clubs by participating 2 to 3 times per week and often stay in the same club throughout both junior and senior high school. What a priviledge it was to be given this opportunity. Truly, I can't thank our host schools enough for opening their doors to us and providing such a rich educational experience.

I think we packed the whole tour into Day 2!!

Just when we thought the day couldn't get any more amazing we entered the theatre of the Awaji puppets and were treated to an explanation as to how the puppets are made and operated before watching a performance. Although the performance was completely in Japanese, the music, tone of the narrator, and intricate movements of the puppets, allowed all participants to immerse themselves in the performance. But there was no time for hanging around. We had a baby koala to visit! The next stop was Awaji Farm Park where we greeted our very own Western Australian koalas and the beautiful new baby koala, which has caused great excitement around Hyogo Prefecture. I felt like a proud mum! So...the day had so far included feats of engineering and architecture, whirlpools, traditional puppet theatre, and baby koalas. What else could we possibly need? A visit to one of the best sake breweries in Japan, of course!! We departed Awaji Island and drove to the Nada area of Kobe where we found Shushinkan, producer of one of Japan's finest rice wines. We were treated to a tour of the brewery before having a taste. Mmmm...I must confess I had to buy a bottle of the sparkling variety, which really hit the spot after a long, but truly incredible day. Who would have thought so many experiences could be crammed into just 12 hours?? Hang on a minute, is this really only Day 2? It already feels like we have been here for weeks!

Day 2 continued...

Awaji Yumebutai also makes use of the beautiful Awaji tiles in various aspects of the building and garden constructions. In fact, even driving anywhere on the island in the bus it was easy to spot the tiles as they stand out as a true object of beauty. Of course, I am particularly aware of them given Hyogo Government's Awaji tile garden project currently nearly completion in front of Dumas House in West Perth. After departing Yumebutai we enjoyed a beautiful sashimi lunch before heading off on a cruise to view the Uzushio whirlpools. Participants expressed some anxiety prior to the cruise wondering whether their stomachs would cope...until we reached the departure terminal and saw the size of the ship. Sheer luxury! Combining that with the magnificent weather, we had a glorious run around the whirlpools. What a way to spend a day!!

Day 2 Awaji Island - Cruises, Koalas, and so much more!!

We all woke up on Day 2 with a renewed energy (particularly yours truly, who fell asleep at 8:30pm and didn't stir until 6:15am!!). It was certainly a good thing because Day 2 was absolutely action packed. We departed the hotel by bus and headed for Awaji Island with the first stop Akashi Bridge, the longest suspension bridge in the world. Naturally we were impressed by the enormity of this feat of engineering, but I have to say there were equally as many photos taken of the amazing line up of vending machines!! My personal favourite was the one selling hot dogs and takoyaki...not that I was actually game enough to try anything. The teachers among us also seized the opportunity to photograph Japanese character icons, Anpanman, Doraemon, and Hello Kitty. On Day 2 we were joined by Hyogo Govt CIR, Ben from the UK, as well as Yukiko-san from Hyogo International Association. It was great to have them along to provide us with additional support, language assistance, and general knowledge of the area. The next stop was Awaji Yumebutai, an international conference centre located on Awaji Island. Designed by world renowned architect, Tadao Ando, this conference centre is unlike anything I have ever seen. The facilities are absolutely first class and the grounds are amazing with such attention to detail that all of your senses come alive. We were greeted by the President of the facility and then taken on a tour of the area, including the incredibly maintained gardens and the amazing greenhouse.