Japan-The land of
rising Sun
When my dream came into
living reality of traveling to Japan-the
land of rising sun. That too, to the sacred Mt.Fuji, I was totally exultant
& jumped out of excitement. The journey begin with Japan Airlines(JAL).A
direct 8 hour flight till Nirata. Oh what an amazing & easy flight it was
on an reclined seat of business class. After landing & transferring to Apa Resort Myoko Pine Valley which is in Niigata prefecture in Fujikyu bus after a
tiresome land journey of about 200 kms away. Japan has 47 prefectures or
administrative divisions. The view of the resort took the entire fatigue out of
me. Look at the various shades of greens as if the nature is welcoming us with
all the zig zag turns to this prodigious hotel. We had a grand welcome here,
“konnichiwa” with a bow meaning hello with respect with some outstanding
Japanese food along & wine awaited us for dinner.
The view from the glass
window. Totally Stunning!!
The room was quite neat &
spacious but the toilet was quite small with a small tub. What excited me the
most in my trip to Japan
were the toilet. The seats came with adjustable temperature shower jets for the
‘front’ & “back’, an add on with music make up, at some places a special
attraction was, a blow dry functions for the bum.
Next was the visit to Mt.Fuji
or locally called as ”Fuji-san”. Yes, “San” is always added to a name to give
respect here in Japan.
I could feel the goose bums all over me while I was gazing to this secret
mountain. The highest mountain in Japan, Mt. Fuji is 3,776
meters above sea level, and is located more or less in the center of Japan, stretching over Shizuoka and Yamanashi prefectures.
The area surrounding Mt. Fuji is a
most attractive tourist route for there are all kinds of sightseeing spots in
the environs such as the Five Lakes of Fuji
known as 'Fuji-go-ko' and Hakone.
Mt. Fuji has been the object of awe and
admiration as a sacred mountain and a divinity of fire. Some myths depict Mt. Fuji
as a deity, most frequently as a goddess. I was in Yamanashi Prefecture,
totally astonished to have a view of fujisan from high up where we reached by
the cable car. The clouds were playing hide & seek with this black tip of
Mt.Fuji. The sun too was a part of the game. Couldn’t have had a better view
though. Some shopping & souvenir added to the charm of my kitty. For all
the language problem: bargains, food & to shop for any specific thing, Raj
& Rakesh were a great help who are also Indians but mostly work there.
Our visit finally landed us
at Hotel Mt.Fuji, which has an onsen, a natural hot spring, enriched in sulphur
& iron. A dip for 15 mins. in this richsome onset, detoxicate all the
toxins from the body, any pain in the body can be removed in a couple of
minutes from this healthy water. It gave me a relaxed & refreshed feeling
after a tiresome day. Many use it as nightcap of sorts as it is open till late
night.
Many other experiences of the
trip will endure. A must visit on my wish list. I was showcased all across the
winery, given the demonstration on wines, the way it is made,& musts to
keep in mind before picking up a glass of wine: check the colour, ordour &
taste. Saw the bunch of grapes hanging up there, which were so eye catching,
could not resist to taste! More thrilling where the roller coaster rides in
Fujikyu Highland, Most remarkable was my ride on Hippo vehicle(Bus),which ran
us on the road, in between the greens for almost 20 mins & suddenly jumped
into lake Yamanaka. The Buddhist Zen temple (15th
Century) whilst during zazen, seated meditation, you are hit with a bamboo rod
on your shoulder if you lose concentration.
Shizuoka prefecture is a treasure for powdered green tea
locally called “macha”. They hump on varieties of the same in ice cream,
cookies, candies, mousse & even soap. Here, green tea is another brew. It
is practiced as a sacred tea ceremony. It is elevated as an elaborated art
form-the tea equipment, the chadogu, the vajra asana style seating, the entire
episode of tea making is touched by grace & respect. Fukatsu Fumiko, has
been still learning this graceful art who must be somewhere in her 60’s &
started learning it from her teens. Every move-pouring the water in the boiler,
stirring the powder with a bamboo brush was like a rhythm in itself. Watching
her on every step in the making was as an unsaid essay, easy & relaxing to both
body & mind. Once ready, the tea must be consumed whilst in vajra asan
& as a sacred offering.
No wonder the fitness of the
Japanese is so fit as the food intake is rich in proteins-sushi, sashimi, tuna
salmon are made with restraining oil & minimal use of salt.
Super- light on stomach &
the digestive sytem. The rice wine “sake” is like a part of their staple food
to flush down everything. I also enjoyed some Indian delicacies like Sambar, Rajma
Chawal & Gajar ka Halwa in one of the Indian restaurant’s there., This was
indeed a surprise which was an add-on to my Trip here. For Japanese food, one should
surely eat a meal at “K.House” too. They have a chain of 40 restaurants across Japan. For
Japanese food lovers, in India
a surprise beholds for them too from the same chain called “Fuji Restaurant” in
Delhi & 2 more in kolkatta. Soon they will be coming up with some more in India. This fun
& frolic of Japan
trip will always remain bright & high in my memories.
