Mr Suzuki takes us into the mountains
After making a dozen or so calls in the last two days to confirm details, Mr Suzuki came to collect us today in his luxurious car. He proudly showed us the onboard sat nav and the computer which he can bark instructions at. He only has to say "it's cold" and the car starts to warm itself up for him. It also has cameras which show you outside the car, especially useful when reverse parking. The computer screen predicts where your car will go too. Knowing nothing about cars I found this impressive.
A long drive calling initially at Mr Suzuki`s house. He is the president of a successful plastic modelling kit company. Pressed for space it seems even quite wealthy Japanese live in modest spaces. We met his wife again briefly. There is some ambiguity in Mr S`s life between his "classmate" who he clearly adores, and his wife who apparently rules him with a rod of iron. He is about 60 and is very kind and unbelievably eager to please but seems very lonely to me.
Then we drove for about an hour and a half into the mountainous Kawane region. We followed a river which had once been broad but was now reduced to small flow through a plain of big grey rocks, this is due to a massive hydroelectric dam being built upstream. To my eyes at least this had the effect of creating a massive stone garden with a stream in it. The mountains were huge and often quite sheer and covered in forest. Here and there in slightly flatter parts were tea plantations and the odd village.
We stopped in one which had a tiny picturesque station on the Ooigawa railway overlooking the green water below. Here we boarded a tiny red railway train. This was a somewhat Harry Potterish experience. The train is apparently the highest altitude line in Japan, and required at the stop after we got on the addition of a powerful engine as we were climbing steeply by the sides of some quite sheer drops and over high bridges. Some wonderful views down at the water and in the forest and mountains. We passed at one point the massive dam, which didn't seem to be a construction on a human scale at all.
We stopped at four or five stations. Mr Suzuki was racing the train in his car and was there grinning at us at one or two of them as we pulled in. Eventually we reached our destination of Sessokio and getting off at one station, we found ourselves outside the onsen. The ticket collector also worked at the onsen too, and after collecting the tickets he appeared at the baths.
In short order I found myself stripped and showering before plunging into the baths with Mr Suzuki who was explaining in Japanese all kinds of complicated things such as the nearby trees being used to make the paper for Japanese Yen and so on. None of which I was able to grasp at the time. We moved from the inside bath to the one outside and it was undeniably pleasant to be sat in the hot, oddly thick seeming water, looking up at the mountains and breathing the fresh mountain air.
After the bath I felt super hot (not to mention fat). But the water is naturally warm and leaves your skin feeling very smooth. Mr Suzuki has said (on more than one occasion) that if a fly lands on you it skids off afterwards. We all had some ice cold beer afterwards and then went down to another room to eat. In Japan as is well known people don't wear shoes inside. This means that there are a variety of slippers available for guests. Invariably these are small. I found myself wearing a nice pinkish pair which makes waddling about quite tricky. If you go to the toilet you have to take off these slippers and wear the ones that are in the toilet. It is all very civilised. Taking on and off your shoes is done lots in Japan, and Toby's top tip (naturally given me after my arrival) is that you should wear slip-on shoes. In Japan I am forever fiddling with my laces and rushing to catch up with everyone.
Lunch was splendid. The room had a hearth with a fire in it in the centre of the room. From the ceiling a big piece of time darkened bamboo hung down from a rope. On the end of this was an iron bowl cooking slowly. Inside the bowl was a wild boar stew, cooked in honour of it being the Year of the Boar (and I suspect, partly for me). In the stew was of course wild boar, and I think a type of pak-choi cabbage, lots of mushrooms all in a miso base. We ate these with toasted rice cake dipped in a soy and sugar mix.
For starters we ate sweet beans and shreds of pickle as well as an entire fish each. This always gives me pause, but the thing to do is to get the head down first and then it is fairly easy going until the tail. To crunch the tail or not to crunch. If possible don`t is my experience.
The others then went for another bath, while I stayed in the room, making a few notes and enjoying the scent of glowing charcoal and the aroma of stew which still hung about the place, and looking up at the sheer banking mountainside.
Then off again in Mr Suzuki's car. We stopped on the top of the vast dam and we took some photos. And it was here that I managed to conform to my own personal New Year`s tradition of a random injury. Hurrying to get back into the car my calf muscle which had been twinging lately after I twisted my leg suddenly made a popping sound and I think I have torn something. Very painful at first, but it got better gradually, I am hobbling somewhat though.
Finally after stopping at a teashop we arrived back at Mr Suzuki's house. Hiroko had insisted the night before that we would not be eating at their house, but there was a big spread nevertheless. Mr Suzuki showed us lots of things, and talked continuously saying increasingly sweeping things like if ever we needed money we only had to ask. And trying to give us things. I came away with a framed carved bamboo bird made by his brother, despite my protestations. Finally a taxi came and we could escape. He is a very kind man, but it all got a bit intense.
Home and the angelic Hitomi showed up and later, after Hiroko and I had shared a stiff drink, we went off to a nearby Sushi bar which is a particular favourite of Hiroko. She was very adamant that there was only one right way to eat sushi and that was sitting at a counter where you could point at the fish and watch the man making it. We ate lots of sushi (I am doubling my body mass in Japan) and drank some Sake. In the corner of the room was a television with the Japanese version of celebrity who wants to be a millionaire on. The presenter is on TV in a variety of shows every night. He was the first one I watched crying in the corner of the screen when a woman told her cancer battle story.
Hitomi a very nice woman, and laughing when Hiroko was calling me Peter chan which is a sort of affectionate diminutive, and quite funny given that I am about 13 inches taller than Hiroko. Hitomi also very attentive, in the Japanese manner. Making sure that Toby and my sake cups were replenished, and nicely folding my coat for me. A gentleman could get spoiled in Japan. Back to the ranch and Hitomi left, and Toby and Romy went to bed and I had an absolute bloody final drink with Hiroko before hobbling off to a dreamless sleep.
Below a Buddha in the mountains, starters, wild boar stew, Toby and Romy with the angelic Hitomi conforming to the unwritten law of making strange peace signs when being photographed in Japan.
After making a dozen or so calls in the last two days to confirm details, Mr Suzuki came to collect us today in his luxurious car. He proudly showed us the onboard sat nav and the computer which he can bark instructions at. He only has to say "it's cold" and the car starts to warm itself up for him. It also has cameras which show you outside the car, especially useful when reverse parking. The computer screen predicts where your car will go too. Knowing nothing about cars I found this impressive.
A long drive calling initially at Mr Suzuki`s house. He is the president of a successful plastic modelling kit company. Pressed for space it seems even quite wealthy Japanese live in modest spaces. We met his wife again briefly. There is some ambiguity in Mr S`s life between his "classmate" who he clearly adores, and his wife who apparently rules him with a rod of iron. He is about 60 and is very kind and unbelievably eager to please but seems very lonely to me.
Then we drove for about an hour and a half into the mountainous Kawane region. We followed a river which had once been broad but was now reduced to small flow through a plain of big grey rocks, this is due to a massive hydroelectric dam being built upstream. To my eyes at least this had the effect of creating a massive stone garden with a stream in it. The mountains were huge and often quite sheer and covered in forest. Here and there in slightly flatter parts were tea plantations and the odd village.
We stopped in one which had a tiny picturesque station on the Ooigawa railway overlooking the green water below. Here we boarded a tiny red railway train. This was a somewhat Harry Potterish experience. The train is apparently the highest altitude line in Japan, and required at the stop after we got on the addition of a powerful engine as we were climbing steeply by the sides of some quite sheer drops and over high bridges. Some wonderful views down at the water and in the forest and mountains. We passed at one point the massive dam, which didn't seem to be a construction on a human scale at all.
We stopped at four or five stations. Mr Suzuki was racing the train in his car and was there grinning at us at one or two of them as we pulled in. Eventually we reached our destination of Sessokio and getting off at one station, we found ourselves outside the onsen. The ticket collector also worked at the onsen too, and after collecting the tickets he appeared at the baths.
In short order I found myself stripped and showering before plunging into the baths with Mr Suzuki who was explaining in Japanese all kinds of complicated things such as the nearby trees being used to make the paper for Japanese Yen and so on. None of which I was able to grasp at the time. We moved from the inside bath to the one outside and it was undeniably pleasant to be sat in the hot, oddly thick seeming water, looking up at the mountains and breathing the fresh mountain air.
After the bath I felt super hot (not to mention fat). But the water is naturally warm and leaves your skin feeling very smooth. Mr Suzuki has said (on more than one occasion) that if a fly lands on you it skids off afterwards. We all had some ice cold beer afterwards and then went down to another room to eat. In Japan as is well known people don't wear shoes inside. This means that there are a variety of slippers available for guests. Invariably these are small. I found myself wearing a nice pinkish pair which makes waddling about quite tricky. If you go to the toilet you have to take off these slippers and wear the ones that are in the toilet. It is all very civilised. Taking on and off your shoes is done lots in Japan, and Toby's top tip (naturally given me after my arrival) is that you should wear slip-on shoes. In Japan I am forever fiddling with my laces and rushing to catch up with everyone.
Lunch was splendid. The room had a hearth with a fire in it in the centre of the room. From the ceiling a big piece of time darkened bamboo hung down from a rope. On the end of this was an iron bowl cooking slowly. Inside the bowl was a wild boar stew, cooked in honour of it being the Year of the Boar (and I suspect, partly for me). In the stew was of course wild boar, and I think a type of pak-choi cabbage, lots of mushrooms all in a miso base. We ate these with toasted rice cake dipped in a soy and sugar mix.
For starters we ate sweet beans and shreds of pickle as well as an entire fish each. This always gives me pause, but the thing to do is to get the head down first and then it is fairly easy going until the tail. To crunch the tail or not to crunch. If possible don`t is my experience.
The others then went for another bath, while I stayed in the room, making a few notes and enjoying the scent of glowing charcoal and the aroma of stew which still hung about the place, and looking up at the sheer banking mountainside.
Then off again in Mr Suzuki's car. We stopped on the top of the vast dam and we took some photos. And it was here that I managed to conform to my own personal New Year`s tradition of a random injury. Hurrying to get back into the car my calf muscle which had been twinging lately after I twisted my leg suddenly made a popping sound and I think I have torn something. Very painful at first, but it got better gradually, I am hobbling somewhat though.
Finally after stopping at a teashop we arrived back at Mr Suzuki's house. Hiroko had insisted the night before that we would not be eating at their house, but there was a big spread nevertheless. Mr Suzuki showed us lots of things, and talked continuously saying increasingly sweeping things like if ever we needed money we only had to ask. And trying to give us things. I came away with a framed carved bamboo bird made by his brother, despite my protestations. Finally a taxi came and we could escape. He is a very kind man, but it all got a bit intense.
Home and the angelic Hitomi showed up and later, after Hiroko and I had shared a stiff drink, we went off to a nearby Sushi bar which is a particular favourite of Hiroko. She was very adamant that there was only one right way to eat sushi and that was sitting at a counter where you could point at the fish and watch the man making it. We ate lots of sushi (I am doubling my body mass in Japan) and drank some Sake. In the corner of the room was a television with the Japanese version of celebrity who wants to be a millionaire on. The presenter is on TV in a variety of shows every night. He was the first one I watched crying in the corner of the screen when a woman told her cancer battle story.
Hitomi a very nice woman, and laughing when Hiroko was calling me Peter chan which is a sort of affectionate diminutive, and quite funny given that I am about 13 inches taller than Hiroko. Hitomi also very attentive, in the Japanese manner. Making sure that Toby and my sake cups were replenished, and nicely folding my coat for me. A gentleman could get spoiled in Japan. Back to the ranch and Hitomi left, and Toby and Romy went to bed and I had an absolute bloody final drink with Hiroko before hobbling off to a dreamless sleep.
Below a Buddha in the mountains, starters, wild boar stew, Toby and Romy with the angelic Hitomi conforming to the unwritten law of making strange peace signs when being photographed in Japan.
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