Dreams die hard and we watch them erode, but we cannot be denied the fire inside. - Bob Seger, The Fire Inside

THE Yoshida Fire Festival or “Yoshida no Himatsuri” is held every year on August 26th to appease the goddess of Mt. Fuji and to keep the volcano from erupting for another year. Yoshida no Himatsuri also serves as the closing ceremony of the Fuji climbing season. For this lively two day festival, named one of Japan’s three most unique festivals and celebrated for over 500 years, the entire community comes out to watch the burning of large “taimatsu” torches and the parade of two large Omikoshi (portableshrines) through the streets. The Fire Festival is one of Fujiyoshida’s most prized cultural possessions, and this year’s festival promises to live up to its reputation.

 That was taken from Fujiyoshida's official page about the festival. Cameron and I saw a flyer for this while we were at the ITT office trying to book our tickets for MotoGP. It sounded pretty cool and the idea of riding in the ITT trip was so that we could drink and travel without having to worry about planning it ourselves.

It ended up being a pretty cool experience later in the evening. If we go again, I'll want to go and stay for both days so we can stay out late. Our bus had to leave the festival at 8:30pm, right when it was getting fun....

MT Fuji from the city area where the festival has always taken place.

My grapes I ended up buying...I got suckered into it by a girl dressed up as a bunch of grapes

800 yen grapes!!! That's $10 for a small bunch of grapes...they are good....but I felt bad and bought them anyway. haha.

Some of the torches they were going to use that night.

The Fuji Sengen Shrine, where the festival started

Fuji Sengen Shrine

Fuji Sengen Shrine prayer cards

Fuji Sengen Shrine

Fuji Sengen Shrine

Fuji Sengen Shrine. This spot was where they housed the portable shrines, or Omikoshi. They had already taken them out at this point.

I loved his had thing in the back!

I am not impressed. I'm not sure what i was making the face about. haha

LOOK at all the cameras!!! It was crazy!

I wonder if anyone just goes somewhere and experiences things anymore besides focusing on taking photos....I know...I was doing the same thing. :P

Omikoshi being moved

Not sure what these stones symbolize or if they are headstones or what. The symbol on it that most people think of Nazi Germany symbolize Shrines here in Japan. Don't be alarmed.

Fuji Sengen Shrine

Fuji Sengen Shrine

Fuji Sengen Shrine

Fuji Sengen Shrine

The other portable shrine made to look like Mt Fuji. Apparently it weighs a ton and has to be carried by a lot of men. They are apparently sponsored teams for the event and wear colored clothes and almost look like separate teams.

Fuji Sengen Shrine

Fuji Sengen Shrine

You can see that group of men all wearing the same top? they were some that helped carry the portable shrines.

Along the path leading up to the shrine

When it became dusk, they put candles in all of these all along the path. it was really cool

So cute

ready to find the chu hai stand! we had trouble finding some at first!

Lighting of the torches. They had these big ones all along the main street with smaller stacks of wood in between.

On one of the back roads. Here, they had small bundles of wood on the ground on fire.

These were the stacks in between the large torches. VERY HOT and so many people walking up and down, you would swear some of your hair was burned off just walking by. Surprisingly, no fires have ever gotten out of control. They can party with alcohol and fire and not set the city on fire. NEVER would happen safely in the US. :(

Torch

The BEST part....we had trouble finding vegetarian food, like always in Japan, but we found these! They are whole potatoes, spiraled on a stick and deep fried. So good, I went back for a second!

Seriously. Amazing. Better than any fair food I've had. :D

The bus didn't get back until 12:45 am and I didn't get to sleep until after 1am and up for work at 5am, but it was still an awesome experience when I look back at it. Again, I want to go again and stay a few days next year. Maybe climb Mt. Fuji on the 25th and stay to party on the 26th and 27th. Anyone game to come join us???

If you think you're better off in a different country, why don't you pack your bags right now. Here's your ticket, it's on me. - Metal Church, The Final Word

What's in my bag??

Living in Japan, you will walk a LOT. We have about a 15-20 min walk to the train and then when you get to where you are going, you will walk more. After several trips of thinking, "Darn, I wish I had _____" or "MAN! I forgot my _____!", I have gotten really good at packing my bag for a day trip.

Essentials with exploring in Japan in summer:

*First, a good bag. I am obsessed with using shoulder bags instead of regular purses. It leaves my hands free and doesn't irritate me from falling off.
*Next, obviously, my wallet. Full of yen! Everything here is done in cash and not every ATM will accept our cards, so always make sure to have lots of yen on you for eating, train, etc.
Also, make sure you have change to get frequent cold drinks from all the vending machines.
*Next, cell phone fully charged. You will need it for translation, price conversions, maps, etc.
*Fan and sweat rag for the summer. Foldable fans really are useful here. It gets so humid! Maybe the temps aren't high, but the humidity is nasty. Fans are a small way of making yourself comfortable here. The sweat rag is necessary because you will sweat a lot and using your sweaty arm to wipe your sweaty forehead just doesn't cut it. (mine has a cat on a bicycle on it. So cute. )
*Neckerchief! You can buy them here that you hold under cold water and they puff up and stay cool around your neck. Very nice on nasty hot days.
*Keys, duh.
*Chap stick!
*Band aids, moleskin or blister bandages. I've had too many from walking around here. It doesn't matter the shoes....I will get blisters somewhere!
*Sunglasses. I can't live without them.
*Hand sanitizer. Most bathrooms are disgusting and many don't have soap! Plus, the trains are just germ tubes....use hand sanitizer or you will regret it. Cameron still wears his masks every time he rides the train to not get sick.
*Napkins. They hand these out on the street as advertizements and you should keep them. Some bathrooms may not have toilet paper or towels to dry your hands. Have tissue.
*Gum. You will be closely packed in on the train at times and you just don't want stinky breath. :D
*Hair ties and bobby pins. I will get a shower and fix myself up and within 10 min of being outside, I usually pull my hair up because I'm sweating too much and it's sticking to my neck. I always have to have them.

So, that's how I survive in Japan. I need to make a checklist by the door because it sucks when you're out and forget something!

Let me wander in your garden, and seeds of love I'll sow. - Led Zeppelin, Houses Of The Holy

It has been a long time since I have written. Being on night shift, I just didn't have the energy to go out and explore after I got off in the morning. I'm back on day shifts and I feel like a totally renewed person. I am ready to get out and see more of Japan. 

It can be quite expensive to travel over here, so we are looking at things close by and thinking about backpacking and using hostels if we go to other countries to keep down cost. 

Using my Frommer's guide that was a recommendation from a friend, I found a list of gardens to see in Japan. One of them sounded interesting and was located in Yokohama, not too far from us. 

We headed out on the train in the heat, planned on being covered in sweat. I have a system down now so that I am not miserable and whiny, but I'll save that for another blog entry. 

Waiting for the train at our stop by our house

It's coming! yay!

We took the train to Yokohama and then walked about 30 min to the garden. I'll copy what they say in the flyer about the garden:

About Sankeien Garden. Sankeien Garden is a spacious Japanese garden created by Sankei (born as Tomitaro) Hara, a successful Yokohama businessman who had built a fortune thorugh his silk business.  The garden is approximately 175,000 m2 in space and is located on land facing Tokyo Bay.  The construction started in 1902 and took 20 years to complete. Sankeien is comprised of 2 gardens: the outer garden that became open to the public in 1906 and the inner garden that was for Sankei's private use.  Being in perfect harmony with the 17 historic architectural properties (temples or buildings associated with historical figures, etc.) gathered from areaas such as Kyoto and Kamakura, the garden provides delightful scenery that changes according to the season.  Sankei was also known for his contacts with artists and literary figures.  Sankeien Garden served as a place to develop modern Japanese culture including art, literature and Chanoyu (or the tea ceremony ritual).

I can't cover all of the history, but it's pretty amazing. Many of the structures were built in years such as 1457, 1634, 1603, 1623, 1649, etc. It's amazing to me. HUNDREDS of years. When visiting the US, you just don't see many things that existed that long ago still kept so nice.

I thought these stairs were awesome! This was after we saw a random path up in the trees when we first walked in. Walked all the way to the top and saw a clearing and then these stairs.

Kakushokaku. Built in 1902 during Meiji Era. This was built by Sankei as his home.  It is known that many cultural and political figures with whom Sankei was acquainted paid visits.

Panoramic shot of the main pond. You can see the Kanshinbashi Bridge on left, Kankatei Arbor in middle.

Three story pagoda of Old Tomyji at the top there. Built in 1457 and moved in 1914!

Lily pads. I'm sure in the spring, this is beautiful!

Found this in the Kankatei Arbor. The brooms the little old ladies use here look like witch's brooms. All dry and straw like. Weird.

They actually use them though! Even in front of modern homes you will see women using brooms like this out on the sidewalk.

The fish would freak when we would stop on the bridge. I'm sure everyone feeds them! Dozens of them would come up and open their mouths. Hungry!

Main Hall of Old Tomyoji. Built in 1457 during Muromachi Period and moved in 1987 during Showa Era.  Just like the Three-story pagoda, this building was moved from Tomyoji of Kyoto Prefecture.

Buddhist Sanctum of Old Tokeiji. Built in 1634 during Edo Period and moved in 1907 during Meiji Era. This Zen Buddhist sanctum used to be located at Tokeiji, a temple in Kamakura famous for providing refuge to women seeking release from marriage. Didn't need to stick around that place. ;)

More cool stairs up and down the hills.

The three-story pagoda, built in 1457. It used to be a Tomyoji, an abandoned temple in Kizugawa City of Kyoto Prefecture. It is currently the oldest wooden pagoda in the Kanto Region!

Looking out of the Shofukaku Observatory. they had some vending machines and an open area you could sit and cool off. I just looked out at Tokyo Bay and imagined what it looked like when all of that industrialization wasn't there....

Not sure what these ruins were from.

Rinshunkaku. Built in 1649 during Edo Period and moved in 1917 during Taisho Era. This villa was built by Yorinobu, the first feudal lord of the Kishu Tokugawa clan (aka the son of the first shogunate of Edo Period, leyasu Tokugawa) in Wakayama Prefecture along Kinokawa River.  The interior is decorated with much  sophistication as seen in the ink painting done on the sliding doors and walls. Pictures just don't give this area justice.

Cameron took a lot of great photos, but I had to cut it down to my top favorites. The Rinshunkaku area of the gardens were beautiful! You could walk up behind those buildings and there were small bridges and little buildings. It was so magical.

I'd love to go back in the spring when everything is blooming. I just love the Japanese Gardens. I think they are some of my favorite things to see!

Hope to update sooner, but at least it's a little to look over. :D