Takayama, from the BFF’s POV

The week’s been busy with a handful of big corporate illusion gigs, as well as, a little public special appearance over the weekend. Do join me on Twitter to follow my tweets

Now, I’d like to thank wonderful fans and supports who came down for our meet and greet, despite the hot and humid weather… I’ve also gotten some photos from various gigs J C & I recently did, and I’ll put them up hopefully later this week.

For now, I’d like to share some of the BFF’s pictures of Takayama & Tokyo! It’s things from a different point-of-view, cos Pam’s really into taking pictures of food and people, while yours truly is more a scenery person

We wore beautiful yukatas (cotton kimonos) which we personally selected in the ryokan we stayed at. We were also given comfy Japanese slippers and socks (which the BFF fondly calls “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle” socks because of how they make your feet look). This is us:

That’s us heading down to our private dining room on the second floor of our cosy ryokan, which had that splendid view I was telling you about… a lovely wintery scene outside our window.

That’s the BFF’s feet… she was so tickled by her TMNT toes As you recall, after our meal, we headed off to the Takayama old folk town later…

In Winter, it gets dark quickly… so we caught the last shuttle back to our ryokan and prepared for dinner. Our personal dresser came and prettied us up in our yukatas, before we trotted off in our Japanese slippers for our scrumptious shabu shabu meal.

It was a filling meal, which I had fun cooking *grin* I was sad because our time in Takayama was coming to an end, we had to leave for Tokyo the next day… I enjoyed our private onsen (hot spring) in our traditional Japanese room, complete with futons and tatami mats.

This was our last meal at the beautiful Hidatei-Hanaougi… a Western breakfast, and yes, it was a generous spread!

We drove to the Takayama station and with half an hour to kill, the BFF & I kinda goofed around…

We tried making a hobbit of a snowman but his head fell off and we were pressed for time, and didn’t wanna risk missing our train to Nagoya, where we had to catch our Tokyo bound train…

…As you can see, he must be a really sweet guy, cos he totally attracted lotsa chicks

What we ate (isn’t my bento box just the cutest?!) on the train… the BFF & I had reserved seats, and totally enjoyed the Takayama scenery and comfy train ride.

At Nagoya, we took the Hikari line to Tokyo, where we were going to meet my dear friend Mang. I call her “Okaasan” which means “Mom” because she’s a real sweetheart, not because she’s old enough to be my mother!

The BFF was bored so she snacked on some yummy chocolate biscuits we bought from a convenience store and basically entertained herself on the train ride, while I tweeted…

………………………..Anyways, Mang met us at the train station when we reached Tokyo, and we threw our bags in our hotel, which was in the swanky central business district area, before venturing out for dinner.

Being Singaporean and having been in Japan for half a year, Mang missed spicy food dearly, so we decided to have Thai food for dinner! As you can see, my dear friend was mighty pleased!

Tokyo’s Shinjuku district actually reminded me of a more cosmopolitan and fashionable Orchard Road in sunny Singapore. Bright lights, big buildings, it was another busy city.

It was actually snowing lightly when we were walking down the cold streets, and it never ceases to amaze me how little the Japanese women wear… short mini skirts, heels, light jackets… and yet they don’t seem to be affected by the low, low temperatures! RESPECT

We spent a day at Tokyo’s Disney Sea… will blog more about the amusement park which Mang informed us, is currently the world’s most expensive amusement park, as it was built on a whooping US$5 billion budget!

Ta for now, more later

Takayama (高山市): Land of the Tall Mountains

After coming back home, I found myself caught up in the crazy whirl of work… business meetings and site recces, intensive rehearsals and training, besides four big shows to perform Things are busier than before and I’m back in the groove of things, but it’s always isn’t easy to make time for leisure & ‘me’ time.

To be honest, I feel horrible that my hectic schedule hasn’t allowed me to make it down for family dinners during the CNY stretch, as even my weekends are all burnt. I’m just really fortunate that my family understands.

I recently found some spare pockets of time to upload my series of photos taken when I was in Takayama, Japan. They’re up on my Facebook page, but here are some favorites…

Taking a 4 hour train ride from Kyoto, the BFF & I explore Takayama, situated in the mountainous Hida region of Gifu Prefecture, which has retained a traditional touch like few other Japanese cities. It’s a beautiful place which has touched my heart…

Reaching Takayama’s quaint little train station, which was so different from the train stations at Tokyo & Osaka, we were picked up by our courteous driver and driven to the beautiful Hidatei-Hanaougi (飛騨亭花扇).

The ryokan’s service was truly world class. The BFF & I were assigned our own personal server, as well as, dresser. Our traditional Japanese room was complete with tatami mats and futons,  and we also shared  a private outdoor onsen /温泉 (spring) *grin* Yes, we really spoiled ourselves… We’d selected a room with an open-air bath so we could gaze at the star-filled night skies, and we were hoping to experience snow too!

Dinner was at a separate private dining room, which had a wonderful picturesque view… and gosh, we were treated like royalty! Dressed in our personally chosen yukatas (a causal cotton kimono), we were really fed well and exquisitely pampered. The food was delicious and fresh, and after so many hours traveling, I really enjoyed the winding down period.

The next morning, I woke up at about 6am and sliding open our balcony doors, I quickly realized that it was snowing! Looking outside, I saw everything covered in a soft blanket of white and the snowflakes were gentling falling. It was truly, beautiful. So after taking some hot soba tea and rousing the still-sleeping BFF, we went out on our open balcony and relished a dip in our private onsen.

It was freezing cold as it was snowing outside, so it took some courage taking off your clothes and gingerly getting into this steamy onsen… as usual, the BFF was the pluckier one, so I got in after her, my precious towel near me the entire time

The experience was amazing, watching pure white snow drift slowly down and being disappearing into nothingness when the flakes touch your warm skin as you soak in the hot spring. Plus, the view from where we were was just magical.

It was the most beautiful morning of my life Freshening up, we then headed down to our private dining room for breakfast after our dresser came to our room to dress us up in our yukatas.

The wintry view from our breakfast room was just truly amazing… It felt like how Christmas should be, like a scene in a snow globe, not the commercial bright lights along Orchard Road.

After a hearty Japanese breakfast, we decided to head out to the folk town and soak in the sights. So we left our comfy ryokan and drove out to the heart of the city.

It had stopped snowing by the time we were in town, but it was raining lightly. Still, Takayama’s scenic beauty came through and I felt so at awe as we plodding down the streets, walked by its rivers, and honored the tall mountains that surrounded us. After all, takayama means “tall mountains”

I noticed a flock of birds fly above the cold river and it was almost like experiencing poetry in motion, as I stood in the cold crisp air, my breath coming out in puffs of steam.

Walking down lanes and getting lost like a stranger in a strange land, I came across some interesting places and things.

…For instance, a spooky looking local museum focused on showcasing authentic ancient Japanese weaponry and armor…

…A freaky little animated man who does an appearing sushi trick, which reminded me of the brilliant automaton stuff Robert Houdin made a very long time ago

…Sad but funny melting snow people… and of course, people and places…

After many happy hours wandering around the streets of Takayama, we went back to our ryokan at about 6pm and got ready for dinner. I was so glad we decided to venture to this special place, though it was such a long train ride away.

So that’s yours truly in my chosen traditional yukata for the evening, with a cute Sarubobo doll specially got for Okaasan Mang, who was in Kyoto but meeting us in Tokyo the next day.

Dinner that night was a scrumptious shabu shabu with the freshly sliced beef from the Hida region, known for its delicacy. This is the splendid view from our private dining room…

We were supposed to meet up with Mang in Tokyo as we had plans to catch Cirque Du Soleil’s ZED, as well as, head to the Studio Ghibli Museum. I’m a huge Hayao Miyazaki fan, having adored all his works… so I was really disappointed that we couldn’t get tickets  for both shows.

Still, we decided to make the most out of Tokyo anyway, so we decided to do a Disney amusement park thingy Thus, this was my last day at Takayama. I woke up about 6am again and the rising sun was just so beautiful to watch

Like Kyoto, Takayama will always have a special place in my heart. It is after all, where I experienced wintry snow in a piping hot onsen and also made a snowman with the BFF *grin*

Taking a train from Takayama to Nagoya, the two of us girls caught another train to Tokyo , where Mang was waiting for us at the Marunouchi Hotel in the heart of Tokyo’s central business district.

It was a long journey to Tokyo from where we are, so I bought a Bento box (lunch box) and amused myself by taking pictures along the way. Here are some pictures of scenic views along the ride…

Yes, I’ve never seen so much snow in my life Being a typical Singaporean girl who’s spent most her life in the tropics, it was quite the eye opener *grin* The bullet train traveled a whole lot faster than the one at Takayama station, which wasn’t as modern as the shinkansen system.

However, there is an old-school quaintness of the Takayama train station, and I bought a kids meal there before we boarded the train for Takayama-Nagoya-Tokyo. The Bento box was in the shape of a Sarubobo… remember, that Japanese lucky charm that I bought for Mang?

Sarubobos are specially acquainted with the mountain city of Takayama and these traditional Japanese amulets were passed from grandmothers to grandchildren and mothers to daughters, for good luck. These days, these  charms are now mass produced and sold as souvenirs in all shapes and sizes. I even saw a Hello Kitty one!

For an old soul like me, Takayama is a gorgeous place… and if you’ve got time to spare when you’re in Japan, you should definitely seek it out. It’s only got less than 200,000 locals living in the city and its old town is beautifully preserved. I’d definitely be back, because there’s so much more I’ve yet to explore about it.

I’ll upload the rest of my Japan pictures soon… what I’ve got left are the ones from Tokyo & Kyoto, before the BFF & I flew back to Singapore. Thanks for your patience

Japanese poetry in motion

A whisk of a beautiful Japanese arrow, shot from a hand-carved bamboo bow, from the steady hands of a petite, lithe young girl dressed in a traditional kimono. She was none other than Hayuka-san, Kyoto’s number one female Kyudo archer.

It was a rare opportunity to catch her in action, and it wouldn’t have happened if we had not followed Okaasan Mang to the Budo (Japanese traditional martial arts) Centre,  where she had her weekend Kyudo (traditional archery) practice with her senpai (senior), the highly skilled and talented, Hayuka-san.

The weather was chilly and on their practice grounds, these archers seriously trained while the BFF & I watched at the side in quiet respect. It was probably 4 degrees or lower and though I had my jacket, my hands were cold… how could these modern day warriors not be freezing?

I observed with keen interest, that when Hayuka-san walked in quietly, with her Kyudo bow and arrows, everyone stopped what they were doing to quietly sit and watch.

All standard Kyudo practitioners wear a uniform, but at a certain level, they don’t need to. And as you can see, this young Japanese woman is dressed in a kimono. Kyoto’s #1 archer silently ties back her kimono sleeves and prepares to start.

Needless to say, she hits the mark every single time. It was an honor to watch Hayuka in action and capture all these on Mang’s camera. I tried to do a ying-yang thing below, of Mang watching respectfully on the right… separated by lines.

It was a truly beautiful experience, as was the entire compound. A walk around the Kyoto Budo Centre made my heart sing… here are some random favorites taken on my camera.

The fresh wintry air was crisp and cold, but the skies were a gorgeous blue… unlike the gloomy grey of London in the winter.

So once again, this is “Okaasan” (mom) Mang (who likes to call me “aka-chan” which means “child”/”baby”) & the superbly skilled but extremely humble Hayuka-san…

A great picture of Mang that the BFF so deftly captured, during training with the other Kyudo practitioners. It was COLD and these folks were wearing so little layers! It was fascinating to watch

This is my favorite picture I took of Hayumi-san in action on my camera…

Her grace and poise with the weapon is truly commendable. It’s perfectionists like her who make Kyudo such a beautiful art to appreciate. I can completely understand why she is Mang’s hero

And with her permission again, I took a few of her doing practise indoors, using the mirrors.

These mirrors remind me of magic… haha… I’m such a geek, sorry! But seriously, I could personally identify with how Hayuka-san is so intently serious when she’s doing what she’s doing, and then completely her easy-going self later when she’s not in Kyudo mode

It’s beautiful watching passionate professionals when they work!

The tall bamboo bows are over 2 meters high and handcrafted by artisans. Mang’s 88 year old sensei (master) bestowed upon Mang her very own bow, and my friend let me hold it. It was beautifully crafted and the bamboo bow had a good weight to it, what an honor.

The arrows used for Kyudo were also beautiful, very different from those I’ve seen in parts of South East Asia They were long and slender, definitely more modern looking than the traditional bows… but still beautiful, deadly, little things.

After Okaasan Mang changed out, we left the Budo Centre and ate at a slurping good ramen shop nearby. We enjoyed a bowl of hot noodles in flavorful soup, that had slices of pork in it – charsiew ramen!

Aahahahaa… The BFF’s digicam had some kinda weird anorexic mode that made us all look skinny! What a cheat But it was a great day for walking and after a few hours of checking out places, we were feeling peckish again. Mang suggested a place we all jumped at immediately – a chocolate organic tea house! *grin*

It was a quaint but cosy setup, run and managed by a  Japanese dessert chef and his Canadian wife. They look like a lovely couple (she definitely looks good in a kimono!) and they had a really cute cat called Meow Meow & a dog called Jodski!

As you can see, it’s a really beautiful little cosy place… customers could sit outside if they wished, but it was just too cold out!

The chocolate treats (dark, milk and green tea) were simply heavenly – if you’re a fellow chocoholic or dessert foodie, you MUST come to this place Where we were sitting, Meow Meow suddenly padded over from the radiator and cuddled near us. Cute!

Heading back to freshen up, we had a glimpse of the temple near our apartment, on the way back home… Yasaka Jinja is where the Gion Matsuri starts from, in summer

Dinner was at a sukiyaki restaurant popularly frequented by the locals, situated along a stretch of eateries along the river, which was just a short walk from our Gion apartment.

Oiishi!!! We were all well fed and happily contented girls… in fact, we were the very last customers to leave the joint at the end of the night *grin* On the walk back to our apartment, we saw three real Geishas clad in full make-up and pretty kimonos, hurrying to their appointments

It was a fantastic day out, as the weather behaved and I got to experience more things than just the typical touristy stuff… I’ll blog about my experience at Takayama next, as we took a 4 hour train ride next, to this glorious place – which is amazingly beautiful, and a place that I’d certainly wish to go back to.

We’ve got four big illusion shows happening this week (goodbye weekend!), so things are getting pretty busy. But till I find time to blog again, I’d like to leave you with my all-time favorite Japanese art work… Katsushika Hokusai’s most famous print, The Great Wave off Kanagawa, which is in fact, the first in the series 36 Views of Mount Fuji. It was made between 1829 – 1832, during the Edo period.

May you contemplate, enjoy, and be inspired!

Hayuka-senpai