On Friday, 10/17, I headed across the prefecture to Yonago for a fun filled weekend with some of the ALTs. I met up with a large group of us at an Italian restaurant. I enjoyed being around such a large group of English speaking people, even more so because all the ALTs I have met are quite interesting and fun. While this was not the first Italian restaurant I have eaten at, here I realized that in the same way Americans 'Americanize' food from other places, Japan 'Japan-izes' a variety of food. Not to say this is a bad thing, the pizza and pasta were still delicious. But if you ever see a picture from my albums that looks a little odd, this is probably the reason.
The following day I joined ALTs Tim, Tim, (it was only marginally confusing) and Maria on an adventure to Niimi, a small mountain town in the middle of Japan, on the north end of Okayama prefecture. The town is famous for the Ikura-do and Maki-do limestone caves. Mika-do was the first cave we checked out. This (very) low clearance cave lead us through a variety of interesting cave formations, culminating at an underground lake where the ceiling opened up to a staggering height. Enhancing the spectacle, the whole cave was illuminated with the entire color spectrum, adding a surreal element to the tour. I felt bad for one of the Tims, who stands well over 6 feet tall, since at one point I was crawling on the path within the cave to avoid hitting my own head.
Next we ventured to Ikura-do, which contrasted greatly with Maki-do. This cave consisted of a winding narrow 1200 meter passage leading through an awe-inspiring vertical opening and underground waterfalls. The confined nature of the path gives you the feeling of being a true adventurer, which was rather fun. Many of the stalagmites and stalactites had epically amusing names. Unfortunately I seemed to have misplaced the pamphlet, so I cannot name any for you.
Heading south, we detoured to Soja to see Bitchu-Kokubunji temple, a 5 story pagoda in an unusually flat farming region of Japan. The pagoda's featured intricate carvings of the zodiac, and sat on a small hill, surrounded by flower fields, grassland, and parks. While I live in truly rural Japan, the sprawling landscape of Soja hosts the rural feeling reminiscent of American.
Afterwards we headed into Okayama where we got to briefly check out their famous Korakuen park, one of the 3 best in Japan. Similar to a Japanese garden, but with more of an emphasis on zones, variety, and open space. Sections of the park contained majestic, tall trees, while another looked like and asian-inspired Shire.
Then, after briefly wandering the grounds of the adjacent Okayama castle (it was closed by the time we arrived there), we ate at a small Mexican restaurant, with the wonderful name FREEDOM TACOS. Mexican food is always a rarity in Japan, but thankfully restaurants here are always faithful to the flavors, and honestly better than many Mexican restaurants in America. As the sun had long set, we headed to Tim's place for the night. If you want to check out more photos, the other Tim has some on his blog.
The next day in the coastal city of Yonago I hiked Mt. Daisen with Maria. A mountain that goes from sea level to roughly a mile high, Daisen is a fun summit. The beginning of the hike starts at some old shrines, which unlike many shrines in japan, have not been given a fresh coat of paint in probably hundreds of years. I appreciate this aesthetic, for the grandeur remains but the history is more apparent.
Our timing couldn't have been better for fall colors and weather. The brisk air kept us cool as we climbed, and the colors shifted from summery greens to vibrant yellows and reds as we made our way up the mountain. I took way too many photos, but the views were gorgeous. During this hike I came to understand why Japan is so enamored with "fall colors", to the point they even include leaves changing in their weather forecasts.
As we hiked we passed a variety of hikers. But everyone we passed said hello, which was a nice friendly atmosphere to be surrounded by. I got a kick out the majority of the hikers, most whom had large backpacks, boots, hiking poles, and jackets. Many looked like they were fully ready to camp. While it seemed popular to cook lunch (with small burners and all) at the peak, most everyone looked like they could have been on a 3 day trek (the hike is 4 hours round trip). But it's a trend I appreciate in Japan, people take their recreation seriously, gear and all.
As we approached the peak, we hit something akin to timberline. The trees stopped, and the ridge-line was lined with shrubs and tall grass. The path changed from a standard hiking trail to an elevated wooden walkway which seemed to float above the sea of grass. The peak of Mt. Daisen is a whole different world from the path up, with a panoramic view of the ocean and the cities of Yonago and Sakaiminato.After eating a quick lunch we ventured back down, and got to experience the beautiful scenery once again.
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