2023 年 11 月 11 日
Do you know that thing about planning a holiday? You go to all those websites and check out what there is to do in such-and-such a city etc. etc. You check the reviews. You look at threads. But when you get there it's rather different. That's because you have been relying on others and what they have written. Your own experience is your very own.
I've been writing about northern Japan - Iwate Prefecture to be precise. And like many I had used booking.com occasionally. As a result I found myself in the "Hotel Metropolitan Morioka New Wing". Hmmm. Dodging all the bowing and scraping of the businessmen, my eye caught this on the ground floor......what the.....
なぜホテルにオルガンがあるのですか？
Of course! You need an organ for a wedding, and maybe a church. But you are not a Christian? Don't worry, we'll set it up for you........
もちろん！ 忘れていました。 「western style」の結婚をしたいのですが、クリスチャンではありませんか？ 問題ない。 私たちはあなたのためにそれを手配することができます....🤵👰
You can of course get married at a Buddhist temple, or simply go to the registry office. Well, as far as I am concerned, as long as the marriage is a happy one, religion need not be a priority.
Apart from the medical stress I mentioned in my last post, my stay in Morioka was pleasant. It's the prefectural capital of Iwate, so there are good shops and restaurants. And a castle. Well the remains of one anyway. Now a sort of park. Judging by the amount of cherry trees here it must be mind-blowing in spring. But Autumn is pretty good too.....
盛岡を満喫しました。 城跡は現在は公園になっている
"Koyo" 紅葉 only the Japanese would have a word which describes the leaves changing from green to red/orange....
Hungry. Time for lunch. I mosey around the back alleys of the castle and dive into one of the first eating places I see. Pushing aside the entrance curtains I find myself in a tiny bar. A young lady in a kimono (rather flustered) quickly explains that it will take 30 mins to prepare a meal. No problem. I have time. There are 4 curries on the menu, and that's it. Behind the bar she starts cooking. I notice a little model of a shamisen in a glass case and say how pretty it is. I have said the right thing. Relieved by the knowledge that this foreigner can actually speak some Japanese, she starts talking.
And when I tell her about Main Matsuri in Frankfurt, and about the artists whom we fly in from Tokyo, she excuses herself for a minute and comes back with her own shamisen.
城の裏にある小さなバーで昼食をとります。 私がヴァイオリン製作者だと言うと、Sakurayamaさんは三味線を見せてくれました。
It is a beautiful instrument. A masterpiece of simplicity. The tuning pegs are made from ivory, and the drum skin from......a cat. Would I like to hear it? Yes please.
彼女は素敵な楽器を持っています。 シンプルだけど職人技が光る
If you are ever in Morioka I can recommend Sakurayama-san's discreet restaurant. The curry was absolutely delicious. 上手い。
Thank you Sakurayama-san!
Morioka lacks an obvious central attraction. For example, you have to walk 3km from the station to get to the famous Hoonji Temple. (I have to admit I took a taxi - being exhausted from my diet of painkillers).
This is a temple with a long history - it was founded in the 14thc. The highlight is the display of 500 Buddhist disciples (rakan), which are housed in a special hall. The rakan are the images of the disciples who gathered here from different places after the death of Buddha. The challenge is to find one that represents yourself......🙄
The rather gloomy weather on this day lent a rather sombre air to this place. And what's more, I was all alone there. But....well....here are some photos....
The temple gate entrance......the guardian warrior peers out of the gloom......https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%A0%B1%E6%81%A9%E5%AF%BA_(%E7%9B%9B%E5%B2%A1%E5%B8%82)
There were some nice carvings on the doors.....
aswell as underneath the eaves......
The vast courtyard.....
I walked in, and followed the signs down a rather strange passageway, greeting a horse on the way....
私は馬に挨拶しました (!)......
And found myself in a dark hall in the company of 500 rakans.....just a little bit scary.....少し怖い
Following a further sign I found myself in the mortuary......the fragrance of a freshly lit incense stick hung in the still air....
遺体安置所
I was rather relieved to get back outside. On walking out of the exit I turned around to take in this view......
元の世界に戻れてよかった !
and finally the view of the great Sanmon gateway.....https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanmon
So, enough of temples for today. I took a walk along the river to lift my spirits......Despite it being November, the paths were festooned with flowers....
川岸の花
🌺 Thank you for reading "..Metropolitan Morioka.."
"..盛岡.."を読んでんでくれてありがとう
🌺 Feel free to share the blog with friends.
よろしければ、リンクを友達と共有してください
🌺 And it would be nice to hear from you...!
そしてコメントしてください...
THE END
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