This was more my speed. A small, sleepy town...and no tourists. The cherry blossoms were at their height. While I walked from the train station to the bicycle tour office (Satoyama Experience), I passed men standing below/in front of a second storey...garage? They were putting away a float from the parade held the day before. Each neighbourhood has its own float which they maintain for this one parade. It seemed fairly large...and heavy. Wonder how they got it in the garage...sorry...no picture.
The town is the hub for the farming community...think...Holland Marsh. Lots of water coming down from the mountains. Every street has a small channel running along it. Some large enough for Koi/carp. There are massive slip ways for the run off. During the summer, these become mere creeks.
The water is most important in the spring, such that they can flood each field for the rice.
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| Farm irrigation runway |
We stopped along the way at the local farmers’ market. Very little comes from outside the community. What’s interesting, is all the produce is labelled with the farm it came from. So...as my guide said, she has a preference of one woman’s swiss chard over another...no pesticides...she looks for imperfect vegetables. They also have locally made edibles...I bought...what I think were rice cakes...sweet rice held in place by a thin strip of grilled tofu. Doesn’t sound very nice, but yummy. It was made by one of the ladies who worked at the market - she was very excited that someone all the way from Canada bought it. I’m not sure what makes them happier, someone from far away buying something, or that I am able to tell them in japanese that I am Canadian (the beer commercial just played in my head, “my name is Joe. And, I. Am. Canadian”)...but really, all it is, is: Watashi wa Canadajin desu.
If I were to do this trip again...I would skip Takayama & Shirakawa-Go & spend that time at Hida (hee-da) Furukawa.
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| Left: Swiss chard Right: Rice cakes |
We stopped for my very first Hanami (picnic with cherry blossoms). Freshly made hot tea, thin biscuits & a beautiful view. Bliss.
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| Picnic view at Hida Furukawa |
With all the running water, channelled through the streets, you might be forgiven for thinking of this as a poor man’s Venice...well, not really. Much cleaner, no tourists & definitely no gondolas! But love the sound of running water!
As an aside, while waiting on the two car train to get to Hida Furukawa, got to chatting with the family of four beside me (French) and two ladies opposite (Italian). Not really chatting, but trying to determine whether or not we were on the correct train. We didn’t discuss what we’d be doing when we got there, but one by one, everyone arrived at the same place. And one by one, we all visited the “facilities”.
Where I encountered my first squatter. Not as bad as I feared. Of course, it’s not called a squatter, but Japanese style vs western.
Just before we finished our tour, we biked past a local sake brewery. My guide suggested I stop by on my way back to the station, to try a sample. I did & it was better than I imagined. Cold, gentle & faintly sweet. They had no english & I didn’t have the words appropriate to the conversation. It is quite possible, I will be able to start a new career as a mime. I bought a small bottle of local sake, for after dinner.
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| Sake from Hida Furukawa |
I think inn North America, they serve heated Sake!
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