Japan Trip 2007

Our first trip to Japan occurred in 2000. That seems like a long time ago. Since then we have had members come and go. Now we have a mix of people who went on that first trip and those that did not. About one year ago thoughts of going to Japan came up from one member. That started a cascade of events; the planning began and in October 2007 we went to Japan again.

From our previous trip we learned that the mix of playing taiko, traveling together, sightseeing and learning more about taiko was a good one. No reason to change what worked before. But with some twists.

Our intent was to have a slightly slower pace than last time. Try to relax a bit and take in the sights. We wondered what would happen on this trip. Well one person came with a cold which would make its way through almost the whole group by the end. Luckily it was never a severe problem. Whew. But let�s start at the beginning of the trip.

There were 13 members traveling together at one point. A few had commitments so they could not travel with everyone the whole time. We started in Tokyo on October 13. The first thing everyone did, jet lagged or not, was to wander around Ueno sight seeing and shopping. Wow, no time to waste.

The next day we visited Hayashida-sensei for an okedo lesson. It was great to see him again. The group first met him on the trip in 2000. He is the leader of a professional taiko group and former Kodo member.

While in Tokyo we also had a taiko lesson with Oedo Sukeroku Daiko. This touring professional group started in the 1960�s and is one of the pioneer groups that started ensemble taiko performances. We were greeted warmly and it was wonderful to be taught by a group with a high level of skill and dedication. Kobayashi-sensei, one of the founder�s, led the lesson.

On another day we visited 5 taiko groups in Saitama (about 1 hour from Tokyo) and had a performance exchange with them. We performed in a really nice theatre. It was also the first chance to get into a quiet bedroom community.

Then we started traveling. It started with a train ride to Magome. This small town is known as at one end of a well-known hike which is approximately 8 km long. At the other end is a town called Tsumago. The route is part of the Nakasendo Road which connects ancient Kyoto and Edo (Tokyo). Magome is very quiet and in a beautiful setting in the mountains. The hike provided gorgeous scenery and there were almost no people. There were countless places to take photos. It was a huge departure from Tokyo where the pace is so fast.

We then went to Okazaki and met another taiko group named Rin. The members of Rin drove us to a facility which produces Japanese paper (washi) and we made our own. We could make a fan, make a Japanese written character out of the wet paper, or make a mobile. It was really fun and we learned how difficult it is to make quality paper. Ours were, uh, creative. Actually we were all very happy with our results.

After that we had an incredible lunch in a beautiful room in a restaurant across the street.

We then played with Rin at a special needs school. It was a wonderful experience. We were welcomed so warmly with Canadian flags and a banner and gifts from the children. Afterwards a few of us played basketball with some of them which may have been more of a highlight than the show itself.

From there we headed to Kyoto and stayed at what was by far our favourite accommodation. We stayed at a machiya which is a traditional townhouse. It is one place where we decided to spend a few more dollars than other places but then we had an entire machiya to ourselves. It had 2 inner gardens, our own kitchen, and incredibly luxurious and inviting bedding. The townhouse was 2 stories high and overlooked the street. It was something special.

While in Kyoto we visited an all day flea market where, if you look, bargains are to be had. Of course Kyoto has an abundance of gardens, temples and shrines. We barely scratched the surface while there.

We saw a 3 hour parade in Kyoto which portrayed famous figures from Japanese history dressed in period costumes. The costumes were something else.

We ended up sitting with a bunch of local people who were fun to be with. We exchanged snacks but we did not have much and one member only had half a loaf of bread bought that day. It was received with some surprise but received politely nonetheless. A few of them actually heckled the people in the parade and in the end one apologized to us for being so loud.

We then headed to Koyasan. That is a mountain in the Wakayama area not too far from Osaka. It is famous for its temples and cemetery. It is an amazing place to see. There are many famous historical people whose remains are at Koyasan. We stayed at a temple that night and had a delicious vegetarian dinner.

Then off to Himeji to see the famed castle. We had a tour guide who told us some wonderful stories. That day we returned to Kyoto. The next day we made a day trip to Nara to see the Daibutsu at Todaiji. Even those that had seen it on the previous trip were moved by seeing it once again.

Our final day trip was to Iga Ueno to see a ninja house and museum. It was one of the few rainy days but it did not stop us from enjoying it.

During our travels we met a previous member of the group who lives in Japan. We ate amazing meals and saw incredible things. The unexpected certainly happened as well. On our way to Magome we had to transfer several times. We had a lot of luggage, and often the trains stop for a very brief time at stations.

When we got on one train one member realized that he might be missing one bag. Panic set in but it was too late. We were in the train and the doors were closed. As the train departed we looked out the window. Yup. There it was on the platform. But after talking to the conductor we found out we could transfer at the next station with 1 minute to spare. Two of us went back to the original station. On this train the conductor told us they had already picked up the bag and that it would be waiting for us. Yay! While two of us were on our way to pick up the lost bag, everyone on the other train said to each other, �Let�s be careful now. Make sure you have all your things.�E/p>

Two of us picked up the bag and waited for the next train which would let us catch up to the rest of the group. While waiting, we got a phone call from the group saying that someone left her backpack on the train. It was a poor attempt at a joke and we said we would see them soon. Uh, no. It was not a joke.

We were also able to retrieve the backpack. At least we didn�t leave a person behind.

We started by trying to go at a slower pace than in 2000 but it didn�t happen. No regrets; it was a great trip and we were lucky to see and do all the things we did.