To Okayama!

Thursday, February 25th, 2010 in: News, Travel

When I climbed with Ryan the other week, we briefly talked about the upcoming Hadaka Matsuri (裸祭り, naked man festival).  There are several around the country, including one in Nagoya at the end of the month. He mentioned that he was going to the one in Okayama, to which I replied “Okayama? Why the heck would you go all the way out there!?” It’s where his in-laws live, and it’s really his second home.

Later on, we were chatting on facebook, and it became apparent that there’s more in Okayama than just relatives and naked men. Aside from being on the inland sea, just north of Shikoku, Okayama is home to quite a few interesting spots, including the birthplace of the legend of Momotaro (famous Japanese tale), an area famous for its swordsmiths, gorgeous hikes and the first public school and park in Japan. The in-laws live in the heart of Bizen, famous for its special pottery. To sweeten the deal, the Hadaka Matsuri at Saidaiji (西大寺) is the largest in the country, and this year marks the 500th anniversary for the event at that temple. You can’t find tradition like that back home… Despite the cost of traveling in Japan, I was feeling a little stir-crazy, working so feverishly to get the site set up, and I think I needed a little break from things. If I could get enough done before Wednesday, I was in for the full 5 days. Ryan’s in-laws were gracious enough to put out an extra futon for me, and he said that my only penance would be to hang out with his mother in-law and drink beer and speak Japanese with her. I think I can handle that.

Packing aside, I needed to get myself a little more presentable before I leave. I hadn’t shaved since I left the states (I was trying to wait until our site was complete, but really I was just being lazy). So off came the beard… well, at least the stache and cheek-scruff. Eager to test out the ruggedness of my gear, I limited myself to two of everything, but only one pair of my wool underwear (too much information, you say?). 5 days of hiking and sightseeing, this is a pretty good stress test I’d say.

I jammed on the work until 6pm, and ran out the door. Once I got to the station I realized that we should have specified where to meet, because there were several Shinkansen (bullet train) ticket counters, and I kept getting a “the person you are trying to reach is not available” message. I posted myself outside the main ticket office and within a few minutes Ryan appeared with a huge sigh of relief, waving his dead phone. “My wife has my phone charger!” That could’ve been a serious dampener on the weekend if he hadn’t spotted me!

I just need to take a second to say this… the Japanese train system is simply amazing. For traveling long distances, the shinkansen is like a dream. It’s… better than a plane. You have to experience it to understand what I mean. We glided in smooth, quiet comfort for around two hours before we arrived at Okayama station, and switched to a local train to get to Imbe. Despite being at least 30 years old, the local train was still very clean and comfortable. 9 stops later we arrived at Imbe. A single track and no turnstiles, just a box for you to put your ticket. I suddenly understood why the conductor was going around checking people’s tickets on the train… This station was old-school.

The house was a two minute walk from the station. I let Ryan enter first, and he popped his head in the kitchen with a hearty “tadaima! I’m home!!” Koyuki, the family dog, excitedly jumped up to greet him. I waited for his signal to pop my head in the doorway. “ojama shimasu”

Ryan’s wife, her mother and grandmother, sister and her fiancee, and a family friend were all cozily hanging around the dining table. I joined into their lively conversation, letting them take the lead. Where are you from? How do you know Ryan? What brings you to Japan? How did you learn to speak Japanese so well?

I felt oddly at ease, it felt a lot like hanging out with my host family years ago. The friend had brought some delicious coffee back from Hawaii; I hadn’t had good coffee in a few weeks, and I felt a little bad but I couldn’t help but ask for seconds. After everyone had left, I was asking Keiko (Ryan’s mother-in-law) about the temple hike in Shikoku, and she revealed a nearly-completed scroll of the 88 temples on the island. She’s been slowly visiting them all over the years, and showed me a book about the hike around the island and the pilgrims who follow it, some for decades. I wish I had that kind of conviction, I was tentatively considering spending a month on the trail myself, if I make it back to the island.

Bedtime already, I was shown to my room, a beautiful washitsu with a plush futon, all to myself. I lay down, feeling blessed to know such people. Whether it was my recent sleeping habits or the coffee pulsing through my veins, I couldn’t get to sleep right away. Thoughts and memories mixed together, burning into my mind with a taunting wakefulness. Tomorrow’s a big day. I finally slip into a restless sleep, continuing the dream that kept me from the darkness.

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