2018-06-21, Sumo Wrestlers at School

We had planned to make snail cookies for snack cooking on this day because we've been studying seeds, insects, growing things etc.  We just happened to find a snail in the morning which we brought into our classroom for a couple of days.  And then we made these yummy cookies.

But the main event of the day was meeting Sumo wrestlers.

They let the kids (those who were brave enough) try to push them out of the ring.

Although there are many complex rules the main idea is to knock your opponent off his feet or to get him to step out of the ring.

There are many rituals that need to be carried out before the match starts.

The big guy is a professional (and famous from what I was told) the other two are trainees.

There main job is to eat and sleep so as to gain weight.  The eat 2 huge meals, sleep a lot and practice 3 hours per day.  I was surprised thinking they would spend most of the day training.

They big guy is 24 or 25, the middle one 18 and the other 21.

Most of my 3 year olds wouldn't go into the ring, and some clung to me the whole time.  But some of the 4 an 5 year olds were up to the challenge.  My kids all claimed (afterwards) that they weren't scared at all.  The sumo guys were very soft spoken and I'm sure very nice and gentle.  It's supposed to be good luck to meet a sumo wrestler.

2018-06-10, Higashiyama Botanical Garden and Moricoro Park

Hi there.  My friend Shioli from Hikone came to stay for the weekend and we did a little touring around.  I met her in Nagoya and we walked over to the 'Chicken Wing Summit' - yes, evidently there is such a thing... I think this was the 5th year.  One of Nagoya's special food is chicken wings.  I believe they are usually fried and then seasoned.  The seasoning is different from store to store and there is a competition at this festival - like the clam chowder or chili competitions in the States.  We tried a few different kinds and they were all delicious but there were clear winners for us.  Since it would do nothing to help my diet we only had a few.... 

Different varieties that were available.

 

After that we  went to the botanical garden on the way home to look for hydrangeas, which we found.

Shioli

On Sunday we went to MoriCoro Park - the site of Expo 2005.  It is a nice place to walk around, green and quiet.  And huge.  There's a bus that runs around inside the park.  There are gymnasiums, different gardens, water play areas, bike paths, and somewhere a special pool and ice skating rink.  And... a recreation of Mei and Satsuki's house from the animated movie 'My Neighbor Totoro' by H. Miyazaki.  Shioli really wanted to go in so I went with her.  And actually I was glad I did.  It's like a museum (of a country house) from the period  the early 50s I think).  They change the clothes and furnishings seasonally as would have happened in real life.  You can open drawers and closets and peek in here and there.

This was one of the areas in the park.  I don't know why there was 'steam' in the little stream.  Maybe it was just a way to keep the plants moist.

The Japanese garden.

Across the street from the park is an IKEA.  We decided to go for lunch and then walk around.  I didn't realize you couldn't just go in and out.  You have to follow the arrows one way so you end up having to go through EVERY department.  It takes forever!  Not my cup of tea.

But the lunch was good.

Back to the botanical gardens.  The pictures are all mixed up but it's too hard to fix them.  Sorry.

I love bamboo groves!  Especially when they come with a black cat!

2018-06-16, Nagoya Port Wildflower Garden Bluebonnet

I spent the last weekend by myself and although I've had a really good time with new and old friends lately, it was quite nice and relaxing to wander around on my own.

And surprisingly I didn't get lost once, even though I had to change trains and take a bus.  I did miss the first bus though because I was on the wrong side of the street...

I had read about a wildflower garden south of here near the port area.  When I priced it on my train app it looked like it would cost around $12 each way.  So I didn't know if I would go, since I've found  that some of the hardest to get to, or more expensive to get to places are not worth the time or money.  But somehow I ended up on google maps and it showed a way to get there that would be included on a one day subway/bus pass so it ended being around $6 round trip!  Totally worth it although it did take 1.5 hours each way!  I spent about an hour or two there, if I go again I'll bring a picnic lunch.

 It's not a big place but there are 5 or 6 different types of gardens inside.

The next three pictures are of the 'miniature garden' which was kind of like those model train villages people used to set up in their yards or basements.  It looks full size but those rows of tea below are probably an inch or two high.  Everything is made of plastic or metal or something and painted.

The first is of rows of tea, rice paddies and a cherry tree.

This is a town getting ready for a festival.

This is an old house or temple surrounded by rice paddies.

The 'real' garden pictures begin.

This is just the 'face' of a building, it's a couple of feet wide...

A different kind of hydrangea - the first time I've seen this type.

Wildflowers and gazebo.  There were even California poppies.

The topiary garden.

There are so many kinds/colors of dragonflies in Japan!

Across this bay there is an amusement park, an aquarium, shopping, etc.

I haven't been there yet.

As I was waiting for the next bus I noticed that the same bus (going the other way) went to a famous shrine I'd read about.  So on the way home I decided to stay on the bus and check it out.  It was in a forested area and very nice - the area, not the shrine so much as it seems pretty new.  It is one of the most important shrines in Japan but my guess is that it was rebuilt after the war.  But walking through the woods was quite nice.

This spring is supposed to have some sort of special water and there's a little shrine there.  There's also a small rock in the water in front of these women that's covered with moss, and evidently you're supposed to toss water onto it, so I did.

This must be a place for services or ceremonies.

 A couple looking for a place to take wedding photos.

A sacred tree.  Shintoism is tightly connected to nature.

Offerings of sake.

The 25 stone bridge.

Those colorful hanging things are origami cranes strung together.

On the way home I stopped in Nagoya and did a little shopping.  I really needed some summer pajamas which I found, then I also found a gigantic dollar store.  I was starving by that time and I ate dinner in the mall.  Interesting dish of thin pork rolled around enoki mushrooms and carrots and cheese (that's the unusual part) then fried.  Topped with a sort of Italian tomato sauce.  It was tasty, the rice was delicious and I was so hungry.  I ate it all.  Haven't eaten that much in a long long time.  Forgot to take a picture....