April 19

Okaasan’s son did not come today either, so we (okaasan, otusan, and I) went to Ise for the day. It was amazing!!! We took my daily Tsurumai from Irinaka to Nagoya, then an express train from Nagoya to Ise. Unfortunately, my host parents bought the tickets so fast I couldn’t offer my student discount. We rode on what wasn’t the shinkansen, but a pretty fast train that took us around the seaside from Nagoya. When we finally got to Ise an hour and a half later, we were going to take a bus, but we got snagged by a taxi driver promising a discount. Ryoushin fell for it and when we got to the shrine the driver gave us a higher quote because he had driven us further than originally planned. Otousan laughed it off (I wonder if anything can bother him) while okaasan gave a bit of an opposition.

Once we were out of the taxi, okaasan began leading us (fast) down what looked like a traditional Japanese street. We had to get a number to have lunch at a traditional Japanese restaurant. After putting our names in and browsing the nearby pottery shop, we removed our shoes and sat at a low (even for me when sitting in sezan) table where we ordered very fast. We had maguro sashimi with soy sauce over rice, azuki-flavored miso soup, and some kind of seaweed. I had a hard time eating daintily, and I ended up taking longer than both my host parents (of course). I wonder how they eat so fast!!! The restaurant was beautiful though, totally traditional with open windows that looked out on the canal and a traditional bridge.

Afterward, we visited the shrine and main bridge (which was under construction), which is rebuilt every 20 years, for a reason I can’t quite understand based on Okaasan’s Japanese. On the way to the shrine, we walked through a forest with trees that are clearly hundreds if not thousands of years old. It was beautiful. Okaasan and I washed our hands before we went in the shrine, and inside, she showed me how to pray (throw the coin, bow twice, clap twice, pray, bow), and we did. On the way back, I saw a koi pond, and I had to take pictures. :D Too bad my camera was too slow to catch the one of the little girl pointing her finger at a fish who subsequently popped its mouth out of the water to eat it. Okaasan bought an amazing omiyage for me. It’s a paperweight (that’s not the amazing part) made out of the wood of the shrine from the previous 20 years. Every time they rebuild it, they take the old wood and sell it as souvenirs. It’s definitely an “only from Japan” gift.

After the shrine, we hit the town (where we had lunch) for shopping. Okaasan is quite the shopper!!! We started out with ice cream (I had macha flavor, but maybe I should have tried sesame flavor...) and then okaasan bought new macha. The area seems famous for pearls and there was a Mikimoto store, so Okaasan and I went there to look around. I saw a $17850 necklace!!! I must say though, most of the jewelry was very (appropriate for the price range) pretty design-wise. There were all sorts of pieces such as black and white strands, earrings with tear-drop shaped pearls (okaasan even tried them on!), elegant pins, etc. It was an experience. I also found a shop that sells nothing but manekineko.

On our way back to the main gate, we passed a shop famous for its mochi and azuki omochi. I almost turned down the offer to try it, but okaasan went with me to see the people making them, and we decided to buy some. It was the highlight of the trip!!! We had to join the long queue of people to get our treats, but it was totally worth it (and fun). You buy a ticket at the register, then sit on the tatami and when the ladies in aprons come by with trays, give your ticket in return for three purple sweets. There’s free macha too from the other apron-wearing clerks. It was amazingly crowded inside and you had to yell to the ladies to get your food, but it was very fun (and fast-paced). The sweets were wonderful too; the azuki is the consistency of soft-serve (though not cold) and the mochi inside is equally light (not tough like oshougatsu mochi). It would be really easy to overdose on them. The store itself was interesting too with a covered wood fire and a room where three people make the azuki mochi. :D

We took a taxi again on the way back to the eki and okaasan talked with the driver about the area and its colleges. At the eki, I was quick to draw my (out-of-date but accepted) waribiki and we boarded the double-decker (yes) train to Nagoya. I’ve never seen one before, but it was pretty cool. The guy next to me ended up sleeping so well he was snoring, but it wasn’t bad. Oh, did I mention I saw an advertisement for Asuka speedway on the way to Ise?

At Nagoya eki, okaasan said I was free to do my own thing, but I had spent the whole day walking Sakae the day before and I was in the family mode (you know, when you actually want to be in your family’s company) so we went to the panya and rode the chikatetsu back to Hirabari. On the way, okaasan asked me what I thought about a girl’s wild fashion, and I answered yes to whether I thought her appearance was cute or not. We agreed that it was weird and definitely not kakkoi, but long story short, we had an interesting conversation.

Okaasan made a detour to the grocery store while otousan and I went back to the car. Since it’s a prius, we watched TV on the navigator and I got extremely homesick. Two Japanese girls were interviewing a Japanese race car driver and one of them got to ride in the GTR and get racing tips from him. When okaasan got back, we couldn’t watch anymore (because of the way the car works when it’s in drive) but we listened, and I understood when they were talking about hitting the top speed and the revs bouncing. I got a super-flash back to auto-x and I’m dying to get behind the wheel (even on the passenger’s side) of a speeding car again. D: Did I mention I passed by the Maserati/Ferrari/Something Else store yesterday? They’ve got a café in there!

Everyone was tired after the long day, so okaasan made curry and nan (amazingly delicious) and we watched a program about hawks catching prey.