narita plum blossom festival

So one thing I've learned since coming to Japan is that they have festivals for everything! Last weekend I went to the Narita Plum Blossom Festival, which was a small celebration that took place inside Naritasan Park, which is also home to Shinshoji Temple. I've been there before, but it really is such a beautiful place that I could go there just to sit on a regular basis and probably wouldn't get sick of it. :)


Anyway, the festival had been going on for a few weeks and this was the last weekend, so I'm not sure if the timing was too late or too early, but there weren't as many blossoms as I expected. Which is not to say that the ones that were there weren't pretty, though! It was also a really gorgeous day out, which was perfect for wandering leisurely outside, which is what we did.


Highlights of the day included getting to participate in a tea ceremony outdoors, which I've never done before! An elderly lady who apparently used to be an English tour guide came up and talked to us, explaining that this is the only time of year when you can drink tea outside under the plum blossoms, so they do it for free at the festival. I have to admit I was more interested in the kimonos they were wearing than the tea ceremony itself (partly because I never know what to do at the tea ceremony so it's always just kind of awkward), but it was pretty awesome to drink hot tea outside on a sunny but slightly chilly day.


We also got to hear some live tsugaru shamisen performances, which were really impressive. It was pretty mesmerizing to watch their hands and fingers move so quickly while playing, and there were a couple of solos where the performers got really really into it. Intense.





I'm glad that I got to see more of the park than last time, including some ponds I didn't know where there before. (I also realized that giant koi freak me out a little bit, though I'm not sure why exactly...) All in all, it was a very pleasant way to spend a Saturday afternoon!

chiba zoological park

This post is a bit late, but last month I finally made it out to the Chiba Zoological Park! I've been hearing about it every since I came to Chiba City but never actually went - until now, that is. I must say, I didn't have super high expectations for it (the last zoo I went to in Japan just depressed me a little), but we were both pleasantly surprised!

To start off, maybe because it's called a zoological park instead of a zoo, I was expecting it to be pretty small, but actually it's quite big! After asking around a bit it seems that the reason for the name is that it's not only a zoo, but also a park (as in, there are areas without animals that are meant to just be enjoyed as they are, like a huge lake and a promenade with flowers and benches). Makes sense!

I also learned the other day (via the mayor's Twitter, haha) that the Chiba Zoological Park has no meat-eating animals, which I assumed meant that everything would be pretty dinky, but again I was proven wrong! The zoological park is split into several small areas, including a monkey zone, lake area, children's zoo, origin of farm animals zone (...? Like actually, that's the name, and I seem to recall it including reindeer and bison and other things that I guess are the ancestors of farm animals?), a little amusement park (which we didn't go to, though I kind of wanted to), and more. And they actually have quite a large variety of interesting animals (not just farm animals and their ancestors, haha), so all in all I was impressed.
 
Anyway, we got there via the Chiba Urban Monorail, using a weekend day pass, where you can ride the monorail as much as you want for just 600 yen! Considering it can cost up to 400+ yen to go from one end of the line to another (and the starting fare is 190 yen), the pass is really a great deal. Plus it gets you a discount to places like the zoological park, Port Tower, the Chiba City Museum of Art, and more! My companion for the day had never been to Chiba City outside of work before, so of course I had to take him on the monorail (besides the fact that it's also the only way I know how to get to the zoological park), and he seemed pretty impressed. :D

When we got to the zoo, our first stop was the monkey zone, which was not so bad, considering I am terrified of monkeys. (Though it didn't help that my companion kept pointing out how easily it looked like they could escape...-.-') There were big monkeys and little monkeys and medium-sized monkeys (those are the scary ones), including a mandrill, and we got to see them right around feeding time.

Other highlights include: finding birds and a sloth in the tropical/jungle area, bats and bushbabies and a slow loris (it really moves so slowly it's hilarious, I couldn't stop watching it) in the nocturnal area, and finally seeing the red pandas that they PR like crazy! We couldn't figure out which one was Fuuta-kun, who is (I think) the Chiba Zoological Park's mascot (he's even on the monorail day pass) and is famous for standing up on two legs and just turned 10 last year, but they were pretty cute, it's true. (Random fact - in Japanese they're called 'lesser pandas' for some reason.)

All in all, it was a lovely afternoon filled with cute/interesting/scary animals, and I'm glad to have finally gone! The mayor was tweeting about how the zoological park is considering acquiring some meat-eating animals in the future, so who knows, it could have even more to offer soon!


Chiba Zoological Park
Address: 280  Minamotocho, Wakaba-ku, Chiba-shi, 264-0037
TEL: 043-252-1111
Hours: 9:30AM - 4:30PM, closed Mondays
Admission: 500 yen for high school students and older (200 yen discount available with a monorail day pass), 100 yen for middle/elementary school students
Access: just outside Chiba Urban Monorail Dobutsukoen Station
Website (Japanese only): https://www.city.chiba.jp/zoo/index.html

fourth and final chiba-kun ambassadors tour!

So a couple of weekends ago was our very last Chiba-kun Ambassadors tour, aww. Our term lasts until June though (I think), so you'll still be getting updates from me, never fear. This last tour was very chill and relaxed (due in part to an accident on the Choshi Railway that prevented us from riding it as planned), and it felt like a good ending to our joint adventures.

Our destination this time was Choshi, the town where my parents actually stayed for a couple of weeks when I was in high school! My dad had a business trip there and my mom went with him, to my intense jealousy, haha. Anyway, it was my first time there, so it was pretty cool to finally go to the place whose sushi my mom still raves about. :)

After a brief rest stop amidst some falling snow (!!), we arrived at our first destination, Hayashi Strawberry Garden (?) for some all-you-can-eat strawberry picking! I've always thought of strawberries as a summer food, but here in Japan they grow them in greenhouses and so the time to go strawberry-picking is January to early May. This particular destination in Tohnosho was famous for a type of strawberry called 'ai-berry', which is apparently not often sold in stores, but whose berries are sweet and tasty whether they're big or small. Basically you just go to the garden and you get half an hour to pick and eat as many strawberries as you want, then and there! They also give you a little tray with some condensed milk to dip them in, which is amazing. We all got fuller faster than we expected and had lots of fun both eating strawberries and taking pictures of ourselves doing it, haha. :)



Hayashi Strawberry Garden
Address: 1120  Sasagawaro, Tohnosho, Katori-gun, Chiba Prefecture
TEL: 0478-86-1614
Hours: 10:00AM - 4:00PM
Fee: 800-1700yen, depending on the month
Website (Japanese only): http://w01.tp1.jp/~a273350079/index.html





Next we tried our hand at Choshi chijimi indigo dyeing! Choshi is apparently famous for this type of fabric, which is only made here and is an intangible cultural asset of Chiba Prefecture. We got to make tie-dye-style handkerchiefs, by first wrapping a handkerchief around a chopstick and strategically tying rubber bands around it.  Then we trekked outside to where there were three big vats of indigo dye, steaming and giving off a distinctive smell. Our instructions were to dip our handkerchiefs inside, slowly count to 50, and then vigorously wring and rub the fabric until it changed color. The fabric starts out yellow once you take it out of the water, but as it touches the air, some sort of chemical reaction happens (oxidization? Not sure) and slowly it turns blue! But you have to work the fabric pretty well to make sure that the color is uniform and dark, so apparently you can tell who is slacking by the color of their handkerchief...unfortunately mine didn't turn out very dark, but I swear I didn't slack! Anyway, I'm pretty happy with the end result. Definitely a fun and unique experience. :)

Choshi Chijimi Traditional Craft Center
Address: 3-228  Matsugishimachi, Choshi, Chiba Prefecture
Access: 5-minute walk from JR Matsugishi Station, 15-minute drive from JR Choshi Station
Hours: 10:00AM - 3:30PM
Fee: 1575 yen
Website (Japanese only): http://www.choshikanko.com/ccd/try/013.html

Having worked off all the strawberries by then, it was time for lunch! We went to a restaurant overlooking the ocean, which was a gorgeous view. Choshi is the easternmost part of Japan's main island, which means it's the first place to see the sunrise on the New Year and also right by the ocean, hence lots of delicious fresh fish. Which was the main part of our lunch! To be honest I don't know really know what most of it was as far as type of fish was concerned (sashimi of some sort, tempura of some sort, boiled (?) fish of some sort, miso soup with seafood of some sort), but it was certainly delicious! I don't think there's much that can beat eating yummy food while watching seagulls hanging out on rocks by the sea.

Ichiyama Ikesu
Address: 7387-5 Kurohai-cho, Choshi, Chiba Prefecture
TEL: 0479-22-7622
Access: 20-minute bus ride from JR Choshi Station
Hours: 11:00AM - 3:30PM (lunch), 4:30PM - 8:00PM (dinner)
Website (Japanese only): http://www.ichiyamaikesu.co.jp/index.html

Fourth and finally, our very last stop was the Inubousaki Kankou Hotel, for a dip in the onsen (hot springs) there! Apparently if you stay at the hotel you can get into the hot springs in the morning to see the sun rise from the bath, and since Choshi is where the sun rises first in Japan, it's probably worth it! The hotel has open-air baths that overlook the sea, and frankly, it's heavenly. In Japan people go into onsen without bathing suits, which can take some getting used to, but once you do, the feeling of being in essentially a warm bath while gazing out at the ocean and the nearby lighthouse is pretty sublime. From what I can tell, the hotel itself is very nice, too! They had ice cream and an assortment of exercise equipment available right outside the bath (including some sort of machine that is supposed to be like riding in a rodeo? Not sure but it was weirdly fun), so you can either try to gain weight or lose it right away, haha. Still, the exercise machines were all in front of some giant glass windows facing the ocean too, so I could see myself spending some time getting fit and enjoying the view at the same time.

Inubousaki Kankou Hotel
Address: 10293 Inubousaki, Choshi, Chiba Prefecture
TEL: 0479-23-5111
Website (Japanese only): http://www.inubou.co.jp/index.html

And so, we ended our last tour on a very relaxing note. It's not the end of our time together as Chiba-kun Ambassadors (we still have a presentation coming up next month too), but it was still kind of sad to think that it was our last tour, because they've all been really fun and I've enjoyed getting to know everybody else better. Still, I suppose all good things must come to an end, if only to make room for new ones! 

squid fishing in chiba port

Did you know that Chiba Port is one of Japan's busiest ports?

And did you know that you can catch squid there?

Because I was definitely not aware of the last fact, until I went fishing with my ultimate frisbee teammates and caught three of them myself!

Chiba Port is actually only about a ten-minute walk from my work, though I can't actually see it from my office (though if you go up to the top of city hall, you can) so I tend to forget about the ocean (I know I say this literally every time I talk about the ocean near Chiba City, but it's true), and the whole time we were fishing I kept thinking how weird it was to be so close to work but doing something so different from normal.

Anyway, we met up in the evening and set up camp in some random parking lot-esque area behind some company (a few of us kept wondering if it was really okay and a few of us were totally unconcerned), with a table and chairs and fishing poles. It turns out that for squid fishing, you can just use a normal fishing rod with a lure, in this case shaped like shrimp!

I didn't expect to actually catch anything, but in fact I caught my first squid while I was still being taught what to do (to my and everybody else's surprise). And then I caught another, and another! Altogether, the nine of us caught 19 little squid, which I think was a pretty good haul.

We also cooked and ate some right there, and though I was a little apprehensive about eating the entire squid whole, it was actually very tasty! I also ate mini-ramen out of a mug and it kind of felt like camping. :)

Anyway, it turns out that fishing for squid in Chiba Port is totally possible and that I am in fact capable of catching squid! Good times. :D

tour three in otaki

This weekend was our third Chiba-kun Ambassadors tour, down to Otaki in the middle of Chiba! I've actually been to Otaki a couple of time before, but we managed to mostly go to places I either hadn't been to or hadn't been able to get into (read: Otaki Castle, both times), so it worked out perfectly.

Our first stop was Yourokeikoku, which is apparently Chiba's most famous site for seeing the autumn leaves (which, in case you didn't know, are a big deal in Japan. And rightly so, I think - there's a reason fall is my favorite season!). Unfortunately, we were a little bit too early to see it in its (presumed) full glory, but there were still some pretty amazing views. We started at one end and followed a little paved path along a river, until reaching a waterfall called Awamata at the end. Taking a scenic walk in the beautiful fall weather was pretty much all I could ask for, so I really enjoyed this part of our trip. :) I think we only walked a short portion of the "waterfall walk", so I'm sure there's much more to be seen than we saw.

Yorokeikoku
Website: http://www.youroukeikoku.com/ (Japanese only)


Next we had lunch, which is pretty much always a highlight of every tour, because it's always delicious. Today was no exception, as we went to a restaurant specializing in Otaki's famous takenoko, or bamboo shoots (which was aptly named Takenoko). We had pickled (I think?) bamboo shoots, bamboo shoot rice, bamboo shoots in miso, and more. I liked the bamboo shoots in the miso soup the best, so much that I asked for seconds (no regrets!). :D

Takenoko (Reservation required)
Hours: 11:00AM - 10:00PM
Address: 181-2 Kurohara, Otaki-machi, Isumi-gun, Chiba Prefecture 298-0255
TEL: 0470-84-0368
Website: http://otaki-takenoko.main.jp/index.html (Japanese only)

Our next destination was Otaki Castle (Museum), which as I mentioned before, I failed to enter during my last two visits to Otaki. Before we went inside, we stopped to listen to part of a Buddhist performance that happened to be taking place as we got there, which had some amazing harmonies. Then we went into the castle! The inside is currently featuring an exhibit of Buddhas from the Kazusa area (where I believe Otaki is located), as well as its normal collection of "the castle and the warrior". Although unlike most castles in Japan, Otaki Castle doesn't have an open observation deck at the top, you can see around the area through some large windows and there's also a very detailed miniature recreation of Otaki Castle and its surrounding area from the past, which I liked.

The biggest hit with the ambassadors, though, was probably the area where you could try on some traditional clothing and armor! I tried on both of the (giant) helmets and they were both really heavy (despite being mostly plastic recreations), so I can't imagine how it must have felt to have a real metal helmet and all the armor. O_O

Otaki Castle Museum
Admission: 200 yen for adults, 100 yen for college/high school students, free for students under high school and senior citizens
Hours: 9:00AM - 4:30PM, Tuesday - Saturday
Address: 281 Otaki, Otaki-machi, Isumi-gun, Chiba Prefecture 298-0216
TEL: 0470-82-3007
Website: http://www2.chiba-muse.or.jp/?page_id=362

Then we went to the Akinai Shiryokan, which had many old artifacts from everyday life on display, including traditional toys, money, storage containers, what I think were calendars (? or old records of some sort), an abacus, and a scale with a lot of weights. It felt oddly comforting (if that's the right word) to see all these everyday objects in a very homey atmosphere (the building felt very Japanese to me, though I couldn't say exactly what that means). Apparently there's also a little park in the back, which we didn't go see for whatever reason.

Akinai Shiryokan
Hours: 9:00 - 17:00, Wednesday - Sunday
Address: 153-1 Kubo, Otaki-machi, Isumi-gun, Chiba Prefecture
TEL: 0470-82-2111
Website: http://www.town.otaki.chiba.jp/kankou/spot/akinai.html (Japanese only)



Our last stop was to Dental Support Otaki Station (yes, that's its real and official name) to take a look at the Isumi Railway! I've ridden the Isumi Railway and written about it before, but this time some people from the company came and explained its history to us, which was pretty interesting. I learned that there are only 28 people in the company (not including railway attendants, etc) and that you can rent out a railcar for only about $500 yen for 2-3 hours, which is super cheap! I would love to have a party or something in an Isumi Railway Moomin-themed car...:)

Isumi Railway
Website: http://www.isumirail.co.jp/ (Japanese only)

And that was our third (aka second-to-last) tour! Pretty sights, good food, and good company made for a pretty good day. :)

nikko~

It occurs to me (almost a month later) that I never posted about my trip to Nikko! It was actually my sister who wanted to go visit Nikko while my family was visiting last year (almost exactly a year ago, now that I think about it), but we didn't have enough time. Having heard that the fall leaves there are gorgeous though, I decided to go this year! We actually went at a pretty awkward time when most of the leaves in the mountains had already fallen and the ones in the town were just beginning to change color, but I did get to see lots of waterfalls and enjoy the clear mountain air with some good company.

Places we went/sights we saw: Shinkyo Bridge, Toshogu Shrine (part of the World Heritage Shrines & Temples of Nikko),  Yunoko Lake, Ryuzu Falls, Yutaki Falls, Kegon Falls

And for the rest I think I'll just let the pictures speak for themselves (because I am lazy):

 

monorail matsuri

So whenever people ask me what there is to see/do in Chiba City, I always mention that we have the world's longest suspended monorail. It's not really something to see or do (though obviously it is a stellar way to get around), but it's definitely one of my favorite things about Chiba, so when last weekend the monorail had their annual festival, I had to go check it out!

The festival took place at the monorail train depot, which I was never aware existed but is apparently where cars that aren't in use are kept (or something like that). It's also right next to the Zoological Park, which I've also never been to but will have to get to soon...

Anyway, I got there and promptly ran into my supervisor and his family, which was actually not at all surprising because he used to work in the section in charge of the monorail and probably loves it more than anybody else I know, haha. They were kind enough to invite me to have lunch with them, so we managed to procure some seats and have some of the famous monorail festival curry! Apparently it's something you can only get at the monorail festival and is very popular (there was quite a line, actually), and according to my supervisor the taste changes a little every year. And it was in fact very tasty! I had a good time eating and chatting while also listening to a (presumably local?) band play hits on a stage nearby.




After that I wandered off by myself to explore the rest of the festival, which included lots of food stalls, games and things like digging up sweet potatoes (not sure what it had to do the monorail, but...), a mini flea market, and more. One activity they had was actually the chance to clean a monorail car, which was so popular that only people who had registered in advance could do it! Personally I don't see the appeal, but I think it's a great idea - people get to try something they normally can't experience and the monorail cars get cleaned for free, haha.


What I thought the most interesting was an exhibit of the monorail cars inside their warehouse (?), where they explained various things about the parts of the monorail and how it worked, with the cars open to show the equipment inside. There was also a section where kids could try out the control panel and see what it's like to steer the monorail (if there hadn't been a huge line I'd totally have done it, too).




There was also an exhibit in another area that was some pretty impressive model railway tracks, one shaped like a city (complete with an AEON mall with an actual moving ad screen!) and the other with many different types of trains overlapping. I was also happy to see a copy (or maybe the original?) of the certificate from the Guinness Book of World Records certifying the Chiba Urban Monorail as the world's longest suspended monorail! I had actually looked it up in the Guinness Book of World Records before at the library (it's in there, I promise), but it was pretty cool to see the certificate.


All in all, I thought the festival was pretty cool! Most of the people there were families with small children (since there was lots for them to enjoy), but being a big fan of the monorail made even around wandering by myself interesting, haha. If you ever come to Chiba City, definitely try taking a ride on the monorail! Right now there's one car decorated in the theme of an anime whose setting is modeled after Chiba City (Ore no Imouto ga Konna ni Kawaii Wake ga Nai, if you're curious), and the stop names are actually voiced by the voice actors from the show, which I only discovered when I got on it on my way back and thought was pretty cool! :)