Japanese June is quite rainy, very different from Europe and USA. Not much sun, yet very very humid. Which prevents us from celebrate the day as a festival. However, at Ise ([ise]), Wakayama prefecture, where AmaTeras [amateras] the Goddess of the Sun is worshiped, holds an important festival on the sea, and make a prayer to the rising sun.
Before anything, I must express my heart filled with sorrow for the people in Ukraine.I am against any form of violence. Though I know violence is quite a main and entertaining part of performing arts, the reason I am in the perfroming art is to make the world peaceful.
By saying that, today, I am going to show you peaceful scenes of spring near Tokyo.
The beginning of the spring of Japan is symbolized by plum blossoms. Elica has been busy visiting many plum orchards and gardens. Here are some videos of plum orchards.
Not many people, even a Japanese, actually visit, for the place is located really deep in the mountains in deep Nara. It is TenKawa Dai BenZaiTen Shrine. This shrine is the head of all shrines for performing arts! (BenZaiTen is the name of the god of performing arts.)
The music behind the video is also made by me ELICA.
Only, there was a road construction and you may hear low buzzing noise sometime. Still, you can dip yourself into the summer sound of high mountain in Japan.
Before I deliver this blog, I must share my deep sorrow and prayer for UKRAINE who suffer without a reason. I cannot pretend as if nothing is happening and write my usual blog. But at the same time, one may need to stay calm and bless the world.
Though the wind and politics are savage, the spring is coming here in Japan. The early rise of spring is traditionally symbolized by plum blossoms. I went to Odawara, two hour drive from central Tokyo, to see the plum orchard. Here is the video. I hope this gives you some relaxing moment.
The season has just started, which means not many flowers on trees.
! ZEN ACTING ! Breathe in the fresh air, to refresh your mind.
Do you know the oldest shrine in Japan? It is Miwa Jinja in Nara. (“Jinja” means “shrine”.) As you might have guessed, my name is given from this shrine. Last summer in Japan, the pandemic eased down for a few months, and I took the opportunity to visit there. Enjoy watching!
You may have heard of Mt. Fuji. There is another great sightseeing spot near Mt Fuji called Hakone.
The Name
Hakone is the name of an active volcano and there is a huge crater lake called AshiNo. We Japanese call it as AshiNo-Ko. “Ashi” is “reed”.”No” is “of”.”Ko” is “lake”. Yes, the lake of reed, Reed Lake.
How to Get There
If you use a public transportation, take a train from Shinjuku to get to Hakone-Yumoto, then take a bus to the lake.
What to Do
There are some old shrines, ancient foot travel road through the deep forest, variety of eating places from traditional Japanese to Italian cafe. You can enjoy lake cruise in a Pirate-Ship. From here you can visit the huge and deep crater called OhWakuDani (Great Bubbling Valley) in a rope-way.
Right, this is a place of fun and awe, in the chest of nature energy.
I took a beautiful video of the lake with my GoPro 9. Enjoy the scenery.
Zen Acting Tip
Listen to the sound of the water. Keep in touch with the wave.
One cloudy day, I went to TanZawa Lake. It provides water for Kanagawa prefecture.
You can only approach by car, which means theare are not so many people there. That means the air is crisp and clean. The atmosphere is quite different from Okutama Lake of Tokyo, though Okutama is also beautiful and clean. How shall I put the difference? This Tanzawa Lake is quieter, bearing old Japan of 100 years ago.
There are an old style Japanese farm life style museum. You can see a people’s house, not aristocratic, just an ordinary farm house.
As I put some notes in the photographs below, I realized the similarities in the architecture of Japanese farm house and Shakespearean farm houses (even theatre!). Thatched roof and white mud. Isn’t it interesting to think of human thinking process?
Left is a living are. Right is a barn.
Red Maple. The rood is thatched, same as Shakespearean English farm house.
Golden Ginko. The wall is white mud, same as Shakespearean Globe.
You see a literal character on the roof, meaning “water”. To write “water” on the roof was believed to prevent fire and lightening struck.
Some lake photographs and me, too.
Hey!
Hi!
Miscanthus is the symbol of autumn.
Never seen this plant. It seems they are flowers.
Hi!
Where to Eat
There are two restaurants in front of the farm house museum. I recommend the smaller one which focuses on Soba menu. (The bigger one has deer meat and other lovely menue as well!)
Look at this big size Tempura plate! When you order Tempura Soba, you have Soba and Tempura in separate plate, for the amount of Tempura is so big! (I order hot soba. You can choose cold soba, too.)
Tempura is with big Prawn and forest vegetables and mushroom. Great and very satisfying!
Acting is about looking inside yourself. We actors (and directors and writers) need to experience as much as possible, as long as it is safe and nobody gets hurt.
This is why I put travel diary in my Zen Acting blog.
Though you may see me just having fun, I learn and take in so many things which might help in my acting, directing, and creative writing. When you visit (or virtual visit through videos), allow yourself to take in the surprises like a child.
Another beautiful Japanese autumn.
Kawaguchi Lake, by Mt. Fuji.
There is an antique music automata collection museum by Kawaguchi Lake.
It is modelled in Western European style houses and gardens, for we Japanese admire and yearn to live like white European since when we opened our country to Western civilization in the late 19th century.
Well, I need to write a full thick book to talk about how we Japanese became to have complexed mind and longing for Western culture. So I should stop here.
Enjoy the beatiful red Momiji maple leaves and me!
Another beautiful Japanese autumn view spot. When you go visit the beautiful DoRyu Waterfall, don’t forget to put your step onto a long and high bridge of Kawamata River.
The deep valley overlooking the river Kawamata at the bottom, you are surrounded by the beautiful multi colored hills. The bridge is settled at the very high point and you feel like floating above the valley.This is such a wonderful feeling very rare to experience near Tokyo.(Well, 3 hours drive from Shinjuku).
You will see a superb surprising thing, too, if the weather is nice like my video.
Enjoy! And don’t forget to subscribe to ELICA MIWA.
