Day 58-59 Sharing a Table in Picturesque Kurashiki
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Loading ...When I was 15 years old and made friends with a girl from Spain, I was surprised to find out she knew Japanese animated TV programs. These days it is one of the main attractions that bring many tourists to this country, and what would be an ugly construction site is no exception to such fun treatment. If there’s a girl, riding a pink bicycle by herself, there are hundreds of pink rabbits to make her smile.
After a long day of cycling on the stunning Shimanami Cycling Road over many islands and bridges, I was heading to the town of Kurashiki. I remembered how I was fond of its beautiful scenery when I visited there on a school trip. With the memories of the childhood past, I kept on pushing my pedals.
A pretty swan in the river was waiting for my arrival in Kurashiki’s Bikan District. As industrial as this city is, the Bikan (literally translates to “beautiful sights”) district is a historical merchants quarter with pretty white-walled 19th century warehouses.
I was walking through a maze of beautiful streets.
Kurashiki River runs through this pretty town, where you can ride a boat for a quiet sightseeing down from the water.
Having a coffee break with Bizen Ware was a tasty and cultural experience. It is a famous pottery from this Okayama region, known for its reddish brown look with their Bizen clay, high in iron content. I was taught that they only burn their ware once a year in the wood burning kiln with no glaze. It is an expensive, seven to ten day process using pine wood, which creates beautiful surprises with the pine ash landing on the clay in the burning process. The organic look with some metallic silvery shine has been attracting many pottery fans for centuries. The pottery shop owner told me that the more you use it, the better the look and taste get (such as sake)!
I wandered into a lantern shop too. The soft light added even more beauty to this pretty town.
What was a quiet walk by myself suddenly changed during lunch time. The place I went to have a pretty Japanese lunch was having a busy day. After a long wait, I was asked to share a table with a couple of people. I didn’t mind, the more the merrier.
They were from Tokyo, close to my age, and happened to be working in the same kind of industry I’d been working in. We got along well, and promised that I would see them again when I got to Tokyo on my bike. Having this beautiful lunch by a Japanese garden with two new friends was a bonus to my visit to the picturesque Kurashiki.
A boy and a udon maker.
Dinner time was shared with two locals I’d become friends with in Kurashiki. This region is known for Japan’s highest amount of blue jean and school uniform production. I was able to have dinner with these fashinable jean makers. Traveling alone is merely a label you can put on the trip. When your doors are open to welcome new friends, they are bound to come in.
“Ganbare Nippon.” It is a message I’ve been seeing all over Japan after the tsunami disaster. “Hang in there, cheer up, Japan!”
It is always inspiring to meet people in different cities and see their work in their region. This island country is made up of so many beautiful places, food, and minds that care about those who are going through an extremely difficult time. I for one, hope that I am contributing by sharing such goodness of Japan to people around the world. This cycling project, started out by sharing a table with friends abroad, is turning into a series of opportunities to share even more tables with many new friends in Japan.
About the Author: Sachi
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