Akiu Falls, without the rain

I've mentioned Akiu Great Falls before, in this post about our very soggy bike ride. But, since we were exhausted and soaking wet, I'm not sure we got the most out of that visit! So when our friend Shoko suggested a day trip by car, we jumped at the chance! It was a gorgeously summery day, so we packed our swimming things and had a lovely time playing around outside!

Lunch of somen, with konnyaku and pickles

Dipping our toes in the river

Getting a bit deeper! We did go all the way in and had a lovely little swim in the waterfall pool, but no photos of that, for obvious reasons! 

(Also, clock the elegant lady with the parasol in the background...)

Me and the waterfall

Remember that lady? Well, you can just make her out on the left of the photo. I had to scramble on all fours to get up there, but she managed to make it look like a promenade! 

Bye waterfall! 

On the walk back to the car, we saw this monkey by the side of the road. I'm guessing from the red thing round his neck that he's a pet, but I don't know why he was sitting here by himself.

Akiu

We've been fairly busy for the last few weeks, teaching summer school. We only had one day off in the middle, so we decided to make the most of it. We went on a lovely long bike ride, to Akiu. It's a hot springs town about 12km south west of our house. Due to the insane hot weather we've been having recently, we weren't tempted by the hot springs, but there was plenty of nature to keep us busy. Right near the town there is Rairaikyo gorge, and a further 10km along the road is Akiu Great Falls. Despite a 2 thunderstorms, and very aching legs, we managed to get round everything and had a lovely (if exhausting day!).

I hope you're not all fed up with photo of rice fields, trees and mountains because, once again, that's pretty much all that's here! It's not my fault, blame the Japanese countryside.

Trees around Rairaikyo gorge

The gorge

We were so hot after our bike ride that I was longing to jump right in that water, but there was sadly nowhere to get down to it. 

Pretty flowers

Out into the greenery

A camera theft by John led to a picture of a bridge disguised as an aqueduct

After a bike ride in the thunderstorm. As John put it, "I've genuinely had less wet showers"

We finally made it to Akiu Great Falls. They were gorgeous and worth the rain!

It always surprises me how calm a river becomes straight after a waterfall

Mist on the mountains, and greenery everywhere. Sums up our day! 

I wish my camera took panoramas, there was this view in every direction.

Nearly home

Collapsed at home, Olympics on the telly, and a gorgeous sunset outside. What a lovely day!

Hinamatsuri

Hinamatsuri is the Japanese Doll's Festival and it's celebrated on 3rd March. It's really a day to celebrate and pray for girls growth and happiness. Families with girls put out beautiful displays of dolls, which are all arranged in a very specific way. Basically they portray the Emperor and Empress and all of their court. There's plenty of information on precise way the dolls are laid out on the Hinamatsuri Wikipedia page.

Last week, I went to two seperate events to celebrate Hinamatsuri, and had a really good time at both of them.

Firstly, my Japanese tutor took me to Akiu, a hot springs town about 15km away, where there was a display of different kinds of dolls and related things.

The traditional layout of a hinamatsuri display.

I can't remember the name of this instrument, but you played it kind of like a sideways harp.

There were lots of dolls made by local children. かわいいね？

All these were hand-made decorations, Each different thing has a different meaning.

For example, the prawn is a symbol of old age, because it is bent over like a very old person. You make one to add to your decoration to say that you hope you get so old that you are bent over like a prawn. Each to their own.　Satisifyingly, though, I looked up the kanji for prawn(海老), and it means old person of the sea. It's things like this that make me love kanji (just don't get me started on the things that make me hate them).

I don't know what this symbolises. It's cute though.

My Japanese tutor (at the back) insisted on dressing me and Chou, another student, up like dolls. Aren't we beautiful?!

Cute children's puzzle

[Another photo that won't rotate (anyone else having this problem with random photos on blogger? Or anyone who can tell me how to fix it?)]

This is why I am scared of hiking in Japan. 

Crane. The random blobs on the same tree are mochi, a Japanese rice cake. They are apparently made and then cooked over the Dontosai bonfire, then used to decorate things for hinamatsuri. It's apparently supposed to bring good luck.

Allegedly the fire at the bottom has been burning for 1500 years. Dubious, but I still wouldn't want to go anywhere near it with a cup of water. 

A traditional display of hinamatsuri dolls.

Then, the following weekend, I went to an event at the Sendai International Centre, to celebrate Hinamatsuri. A ¥300 ticket bought you 3 activities. Aside from the three I did (below), there was trying on kimonos and flower arranging.

Being me, I loved the origami the most. Isn't it pretty? I might have bought another ticket so I could make one of these to send to Mum too. And so I could teach myself properly how to make them. Hopefully I'll share the pattern with you all in my next post.

You could also participate in a (semi) traditional tea ceremony. I'm pretty sure traditionally you don't sit at a plastic chair and table and have the hot water dispensed out of a kettle, but they did make me mix everything in a very specific way, and eat my little cake in a certain way. Plus it was tasty so I'm not complaining! 

I also tried to do some calligraphy. The lady running this was a bit bossy and precise, and got stressed at me getting it perfect. They're quite pretty though! The one on the left means love, and the other means beauty.

That concludes my fun Hinamatsuri times. A festival all about women and crafts is right up my street. Thanks, Japan! 

Oh, and since it's February 22nd and this post is all about girls...HAPPY THINKING DAY to all the Girl Guides and Girl Scouts out there! 

Also, on a totally random note, I learned from Rurousha that today is Cat Day in Japan. Love it.