Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Tue Sept 20th, Leaving Ikaho and visiting more family

This morning, we got up early and took one more dip in the hot spring and came back in time to have breakfast in the same private room. Again, it was way too much food, but it was all pretty good.

Then we checked out and made the 2 or so hour drive to Chika's grandmother's house. We ate fried ika (squid), ohagi (a red bean paste around a ball of rice), kimchee, ochawan and pudding that her grandmother made for all of us (keep in mind she's 97 ... and still cooks for her family). Then two of Chika's cousins came with their kids and the house turned into a zoo. We all had a great time, and it was so nice to be able to talk to Chika's grandmother.

Then we left and came back to Chika's parents house and got packed for our trip tomorrow to Kyuushuu. Now it's time to get some sleep, since we have to get up early to beat rush hour into Tokyo to catch our bullet train west.

Mon Sept 19th, Ikaho Onsen

Today we got up a little early and left for a town called Ikaho (in Gunma prefecture). We went to an onsen ryokan called The Fukuichi. When we first got there, we were too early for check-in, but Chika and I changed into our yukatas and then we went into the town to check out the festival that was happening that day. We got to see them carrying what's known as an omikoshi down some really narrow steps. Omikoshi are "little" mobile shrines, and during these festivals, the god of a particular shrine is supposed to come out of the temple and into the omikoshi, and the people of the village carry it through the streets, and then bring it back to the shrine to return the god to its home.

After we saw that and visited the shrine at the top of the stairs, we went back to check in and go for our first dip in the hot springs. Chika and I are planning to visit 2 more hot springs in Kyuushuu next week, so it was nice to go with her parents first so her dad could show me around. Basically, you're supposed to wash yourself off first, and then you can get in the hot spring, which I already knew, but there's lots of other little subtleties that I wouldn't have known.

After that we had dinner in a private room. The dinner was lots of little things, but the emphasis is more on "lots" than "little".

After dinner, we went back outside to see them return the omikoshi to the shrine and then they paraded it around in circles for a while taking turns supporting the 4 beams that ran underneath it.

After that (and after we had waited out the alcohol) we went to the hot spring again before going back to our rooms to go to sleep.

Sun Sept 18th, Udon, Ohakamairi and a movie

When we woke up, Chika's brother and her dad showed us how to make udon, and then we all ate it for lunch. It was a simpler process than I had anticipated.

Then when her brother and his wife needed to leave, Chika and I went with her parents to visit her grandparents' grave. We cleaned off the tombstone and left some flowers and paid our respects.

Then her parents dropped us off at a mall to go see the new Ghibli movie that's still in theathers called "Kokurikozaka kara". It wasn't anything spectacular, but it was fun to go see a movie in Japan anyway. Their theaters have pillows and blankets for you (if you want), but I guess other than that it's pretty similar to what a normal theater is in the US.

Then we went home again and drank with her parents again =)

Saturday, September 17, 2011

Saturday, Sept 17th, TGS and meeting the family

It's been a year and a half since my last Japan trip, and I'm at it again.

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Yesterday I got in around 4:30 and Chika was at the airport to meet me after I got through customs (which went really fast). We got our JRail passes and then took the train from Chiba to Saitama (about an hour and a half). We stayed up a little late drinking some sake and talking. The sake was really smooth and had lots of gold flakes in it. It's a celebratory sake (お祝い), and they got it to welcome their daughter's new husband to Japan.

Today we woke up too early (stupid jetlag) and had breakfast with Chika's parents once they got up. Then we left around 10 to go to the Tokyo Game Show. That was a lot of fun, and I've wanted to go ever since I started studying Japanese, so it was nice to finally get a chance. The God of War : Origins Collection that we just finished working on was on display as well, and it's always nice to see people enjoying something you've worked on.

Then when we left the show there was an outlet mall nearby that we walked around for a bit, and then decided to head back since we were going to meet Chika's brother and his wife for dinner.

We got back around 6 (I think) and had a huge dinner. Her brother loves cooking (so much that he's planning on opening a restaurant someday) and he had some stuff that he'd made. Also they had just gotten back from a trip to Hokkaido, and they had brought back some stuff from there.

It was the first time Chika had met her brother's wife and the first time her brother had met me, and it was really nice to find that we all got along _really_ well. Her family has a great sense of humor and they're incredibly warm and inviting.

I've got some pictures, but I haven't uploaded them yet, so I'll edit this post once they're uploaded.