Yamasa: Take 2

Here’s a question:  Am I the only one who feels that no matter how much I study and practice a new language, I just will never learn enough?

When we moved to Japan two years ago (I know, right!?  Two years already!), I knew next to no Japanese at all. 

That was daunting.  I feel slightly less daunted now…but it took basically the full two years to reach this point. 

Yikes.

Last year we invested two weeks of our extremely hot and sweaty summer to studying Japanese at this wonderful place called the Yamasa Institute.  Though I feel my Japanese skills significantly improved during our two weeks stay, I found myself wishing I could stay much longer. I felt (and still feel) that I had just barely scratched the surface of understanding. 

Yamasa is a language school specifically designed for foreigners to come to Japan and study Japanese.  A variety of courses are offered.  We did the SILAC program last year and are signed up for it again this year.  All courses offered are intense immersion classes-almost no English (or any other language) is spoken. 

Besides the primary classes, private and smaller classes are also offered.  This year in addition to the SILAC course-which is around 23 class periods per week-we are signed up for  three CALL seminar classes per week.  Also, instead of staying in the dorms or apartments, we have signed up for a homestay.

I am hoping that with all of the classes, the homestay, and the studying, that my Japanese will significantly level-up during our four week stay. 

It’s time to get my Japanese game on! 

A Many Course Meal

After walking only a few blocks, we came upon what we later learned is the biggest temple entrance gate in all of Japan.  It loomed above us.  Careful not to slip on the slick stone steps, we began climbing up to the Chion-in Temple. 

  

We wandered around the temple, taking in the incredible beauty.  

On the way back to Shiraume.  The woman standing in the white and red kimono is either a Geisha or Maiko.

When we returned to Shiraume, they were ready for us to check in.  They showed us our rooms-which were gorgeous-and welcomed us with tea and cakes. 

One of the special things ryokans such as Shiraume offer is a elaborate dinner served to you right in your room.  This is a traditional multi-course Japanese meal called "kaiseki."  This was-without a doubt-one of my favorite parts of the entire trip.  

Ready for dinner-the napkins are provided as gift souvenirs.

The food was amaaaazing. ( I am afraid I can't remember what everything was called...)

Course 1:Eel, shrimp, bamboo shoots, plums, and fish.

Also part of course1: Some type of gelatin with miso (I think) sauce.

Course 2: A clear broth soup with fish, yuzu (a Japanese citrus) and fern garnish.

Course 4: Fish cakes, lotus root, konnyaku, and ginger.

Course 4-single serving.

Course 5 (option 1): Baby octopus, fish and asparagus.

Course 5, part 2, option 1: Delicious sashimi!

Course 5, option 2: Kobe beef. (It virtually melted in your mouth. Melted.)

Course 6: Potato dumpling with eel inside and fresh bamboo shoots. 

Course 7: Tempura.

Cute soy sauce container!

Course 8, part 1: Rice with some type of garnish.  Seaweed, I think.

Course 8, part 2: Japanese pickles.

Course 8, part 3: Miso soup.

Course 9: Dessert.  Fresh fruit, match (green tea) cake with black sesame ice cream.  Otherwise known as heaven.  (It was amazing!)

When we finished our many courses, we decided the best thing to do would be walking.  So out we headed out for some more sight seeing.  There happened to be a lantern festival happening during our stay.  This was especially good for us because that meant the temples and shrines would be open later. 

My favorite place was a Japanese Buddhist Zen Garden ( I am afraid I don't remember the actual name of the place-I am working on finding it) and the pools that perfectly reflected their surroundings.  It was stunning.  

After returning to Shiraume, Karl and I went to our room to relax.  The next day we would explore Nara-Japan’s first (or second) capital city.  

Our beds all ready for us to climb in for the night.

Traditional Japanese wooden bath-they are very deep tubs.  I love them.

Beautiful decor in our room.

White Plum Blossoms-白梅

First stop: coffee and bagel sandwiches.  

Japan can really do coffee.  Mmmm!

Second stop: Shinjuku station to pick up Japan JR Rail Passes. (If you ever travel in Japan, this is a MUST.) 

Third stop: Tokyo station to catch a bullet train-新幹線 (shinkansen).

Fourth stop: Kyoto.

When we arrived in Kyoto, we made our way to our accommodations for that evening.  We didn’t know it then, but our experience at this traditional Japanese ryokan (inn) would be one of the highlights of our whole trip.

The ryokan, which is in Kyoto’s Gion district, is called Shiraume-白梅, which means white plum blossoms. 

As we walked along the old stone street, we passed a geisha and a maiko.  The plum trees were blooming.  A small stream flowed along one side of the road.  A crane flew right onto the bridge entrance to our ryokan as we approached. 

I was instantly impressed.  The scene was so picturesque.  A crane.  A little bridge with a stream running under it.  White plum blossoms blooming.  It was perfect.

View of the street from the room.

Beautiful painting inside Shiraume.

Decor inside one of the rooms.

As we entered, we were greeted by Tomoko-the woman who runs the ryokan.  She spoke English extremely well.  Our rooms were not quite ready yet, but they took our luggage for us and gave suggested we do some site seeing before returning to officially check in.  

As we were leaving, Tomoko took me aside and told me that someone had just canceled their room reservation for that night and offered the room to Karl and I free of charge. 

We graciously accepted her offer.  What a delightful place!

And off we wandered, to find some temples...

飛躍 (Hiyaku-to leap forward)

This is the first section of one of the koto pieces I have recently studied.  My part was the second part, I could not find a recording of both parts played together, which is unfortunate because it is stunningly beautiful.

Here is the first page of music.  Each measure is a "box."  There are thirteen strings, each assigned a kanji character.  The first ten are simple numbered one through ten.  The last three strings are "toh, ee and kin."  I am not sure why...  The strings kanji are as follows from lowest to highest-ichi to kin.

一、二、三、四、五、六、七、八、九, 十、斗、為、巾。

My part, the second (which is what I am playing the video),  is the part on the left.  The music is read top to bottom, right to left.  I have added further explanations of some of the notations in blue. 

Since this piece is several pages long, I just recorded the first and last sections.  Here is the ending:

There are also many, many ways to tune the koto.  This piece has a more "major" sound to it whereas Sakura sounds "minor." 

More to come!

Toyko National Museum

Did you ever read that one book when you were a kid?  The one about a country mouse in a city house?  I think it was a “I spy book.” 

I loved those types of books as a child.  I also wanted to live in the country.  And ride horses everyday.  But alas, we lived in town. 

We technically live in the “inaka” or countryside here in Japan-though the Japanese perception of “the middle of nowhere” is decidedly different from the US.  This probably has to do with their comparative sizes.  

I am glad that we live in the inaka.  The air and water are fresh and clean.  There are many people, but nothing like the city.

I am also thrilled that we live a mere hours train ride from one of the most fantastic cities in the world: Tokyo.

Living close enough to Tokyo for day trips is great.  Museums, historical sites and other attractions are abundant.  Last weekend we went to Tokyo National Museum in Ueno, Tokyo.

This museum is supposed to be one of the best museums in the world.  It did not disappoint. 

The museum is set up as a campus of five or six buildings.  We paid extra to see the special exhibit on Honen and Shinran-two important figures in the history of Buddhism in Japan.  

It took us three hours to see the special exhibit and one floor of one buildings' permanent exhibits. 

Here are a few of my favorite items we saw of the permanent exhibit.

Seeing everything will take a few more visits.  Good thing we live so close to Tokyo! 

Also, Bailey's lattes are delicious!