Sakaiminato: Homage that wasn’t, roller coaster not ridden

Where in the world is Sakaiminato? 

You guessed it. Japan.I had not heard if this port until it appeared on our cruise itinerary. Like always we get excited about a new port and how Japanese it will be in terms of its architecture and culture. We expect Shinto shrines and the ubiquitous sea food markets. If any of these ports was very different from what we had already seen of Japan we would be very interested in it. It was different, but . . .

Worth the visit?

Alas, we find out that we are too far away from the city's so called attractions. The shuttle round trip to the heart of the city, 25 mins aways was 25 USD. You'll see why it was not worth it for us in particular. 

Sakaiminato is the birthplace of Shigeru Mizuki, the manga writer,  the creator of GeGeGe no Kitaro, a yokai creature ( seen in many forms throughout Japan).  Kitaro Road is a street dedicated to all the characters that appear in Mizuki's stories. Apparently one hundred bronze statues of the story's characters line both sides of the road. As though that was not enough, façades  of the stores and buildings as well as lamp-posts are yokai inspired. DrINK and I usually avoid theme parks and this promised to be one entirely based on manga. Certainly young Japanese have their quirky interests ( let alone Hello Kittys)and that is a trait that the rest of the world is aware of but does not necessarily buy into. But we can't escape it. There is a huge figure at a restaurant at the pier. The building at the base of the observation tower nearby is shaped like a samurai helmet and that, of course, relates to the glorious past.

Of course, we hear from our friends who made the trip rather than stay on the ship. They are impressed by the cleanliness of the streets and the restrooms. Even more impressive was the courtesy extended to foreigners and fellow citizens alike.

To ride or not

If you are interested in cars you would probably have watched an advertisement for Daihatsu cars. The cars drive up a steep ramp on a crooked bridge. This bridge is in Sakaiminato. Again, its about 6 km away from the pier. Public transport is spotty. A shore excursion will take us over the bridge and  to the garden on the island to which it connects. It would  be hardly more than a simple roller coaster ride.

Many of us who are not interested in the 'creatures' just want to walk around for a few hours. We decide to walk to the bridge even though the very helpful guides at the Tourist information booth tell us it's too far away. 

A walk to remember

Nevertheless, we stride towards it. 6km wouldn't be too much on this cool day. We could take short breaks. The first kilometer or so we see nothing. At junctions all the four roads have the same name ( the name of a landmark like a school or a shopping centre, or and office building). No memorable landmarks except the railway tracks to Amerikano station.  We just walk in the general direction counting the number of roads we have to cross. The pavements are shaded by verdant bushes and trees. They are filled fruits and birds chirping away. The road we take is now lined with alleys filled with traditional homes with well kept gardens. In between are vegetable gardens and green rice fields with farmers working on them. Some gardens have hand pumps for irrigation! 

Our feet begin to hurt. We find an abandoned building, sit in the shadows, refuel ourselves with a cookie and sips of water and then plod on. We meet a cyclist riding with his girlfriend and check our route with him. They both confirm the direction but little else. 

Hey, Presto!

About half an hour later we approach another cyclist who gives us definitive directions. A few metres more , turn right, walk up to the gas station, turn left and continue till you see the bridge. The one way conversation is all in Japanese and gestures but we feel as though we have arrived. 

Sure enough within the next 20 mins we find ourselves in the residential area where the bridge begins its low gradient slope to the horizontal span across the water before it dips steeply and at angle on to the island. The bridge was designed to accommodate the passage of ships underneath. We have already walked for more than 3 hours and climbing it, even over the low gradient, was out of the question. Just by the side of the bridge are a series of solar panels glinting in the sun. A short rest and back we go towards the ship making just another stop at a serene Shinto shrine . We have walked for nearly 6 hours. 

The shinto shrines gave us a cool respite. Then came what could have passed for the Ricoletta in Buenos Aires. Granite tombstones stood tall and mighty in a residential area. 

After a well earned dinner we slept well that night.

Sokcho, South Korea: a first for us, our ship, for the port

A celebration

After an afternoon and evening  of rough seas as we cross the Sea of Japan we dock quietly at Sokcho port in the wee hours of the day. It's  going to be a cold morning. At the port immigration clearance is easy peasy. We hear Korean drums. The moment the automatic  doors open masked figures appear.  Beside them costumed performers  hail us with their gongs. The team includes a sweet little boy who stole the show. We made history and they are drumming it home -- looks like we are part of a historic Holland America Cruise Lines's  very first arrival at this the port. More Importantly, the very first cruise ship after covid. Hence the joy.

Patience pays: freebies

What is the line forming behind one of the booths? Don't  want to miss anything. Three women artists with brushes and paints are busy painting paper fans. You have to give them your name in English, they pronounce it, and when they are sure they got it right they paint your name in Korean chacracters on the fan and then embellish it with painted flowers. There is no charge. Some guest are asking for several for themselves. Sheer greed. If e eryone was allowed one each only the queues would not have moved faster. 

They also have a coffee booth. I skip that for later. The local ale sample booth is wasted on us but very very popular.

Twists and turns

Our plan is to  explore the streets after the shuttle bus drops us at the Tourist market. What we thought we would see, and what we would skip all pop up as we ride through the streets. That are so many turns  that its hard to register it all. We ride past the tower erected for the EXPO of 1999. We didn't have it on our list because it seemed too far to walk from our drop off point and we didn't think it worth the visit. But the bus was slow enough to give us a photo opportunity as it drove around the huge park. According to the map we seemed to be making detours. Was this a predertimed tourist route or was the city planning poor?  

Navigating and negotiating a new city and an alien langiage

The tourist market is famed for( what else?) fish and fish products as well as various Korean snacks.. Its made up of rows of stalls with a high curved opaque roof covering the aisles that criss cross in a grid. After a few obligatory photographs we exit and walk out on to the street in a direction I think will lead to the famed seaside pavilion whose name sounds like the waves gently lapping the rocks at its base. Our port map does little to help us for most of the inner streets and lanes are spelt in Korean. 

We want to walk to the pavilion built on the shores of Sokcho but we can't identify the landmarks. It's best to ask. So I enter a bakery. The girls speak English. They insist that it’s  too far to walk and taking the bus would be best. However I was sure it was only a 20 minute  walk from the Market. She points us in the direction of the city bus terminus which was probably about 10 minutes  away. We hadn't  bothered to get local currency for we had really no need for it. She suggests a taxi. She points in the direction where we might hail one. Beleiving that the direction will lead us to the pavilion we start walking. After about 20 minutes it is clear that we are lost. We still do not recognise landmarks but we do recognise brand names. We are in the main thoroughfare lined with boutiques. We don't want to go around in circles in a bitterly cold morning. So, again we enter a boutique to ask for directions. The sales clerk converses in fluent English. She too tells me it's too far to walk and suggests a bus or taxi. But we want to walk. She enlists the help of her colleague who is now attending to a customer and doesn't speak a word of English. She knows the city very well. We are walking in the wrong direction. We are to take a U-turn and walk all the way till we catch sight of the sea and then turn right. 

Saved by the bull 

Now we  walk with more confidence even though we haven't a clue as to how long it would take us. We begin to recognise two of the landmarks. The Tourist market was probably on a parallel St. But the bull, like the one in Manhatten, is unmistakeable. We know we are walk8ng in the right direction. We are supposed to pass by City Hall and the Bus Terminus, but were thry also on a parallel st. My map reading skills are certainly not poor! At long last we catchmsight of the sea. Should've take a side road as a short cut? What it turns out to be a dead end. Not worth tak8ng chances. The day is beginning to get warmer. We are at the city's  main traffic circle. Our destination is in sight. With renewed vigour we practically skip towards it. It is well worth the walk. The shoreline is breathtaking with waves lapping against the rocks, the sonorous music having given rise to its name, Yeonggeumjeong. There are two pavilions: one at the tip of a pier, and the other on the top of a rock. It would have been wonderful to have been able experience sunset in the particular location.

Happy discovery: a refuge of two kinds

As we walked towards it we had glimpses of our ship. We do not have to return to the market, and probably get lost in the process, to catch the shuttle back to the boat.  So now we now take a route along the shore lined with hundreds of sea food stalls towards the bridge. To our delight the bridge partly crosses over into Abay village. Exactly what we had planned to visit after a short sojourn at the dock. What would have been a long route from the other end of the bridge becomes actually shorter. There is a staircase from the bridge that leads us directly into the village. We are particularly interested in the area since this is where refugees from North Korea first settled. Of the original thousand only a hundred or so remain. The rest have left for other parts of the country. It is a quaint village of small houses with typical tiled roofs separated by narrow alleys. The citizens even have lush vegetable patches. Many of the buildings have now been converted  into inns and cafes. 

The village lies along Sokcho beach, the ship docked at the deep end, and beach goers enjoying the beach just a few meters away. Lots of benches and excellent public WiFi to boot. Its wonderful to see a public beach with not a single beach umbrella or deck chair. 

A memorial catches our attention. Two hand reaching out to each other while a couple and their child look on with hope. You guessed it. We are only about 20 km away from the observation tower that overlooks North Korea. We are close to the DMZ.

There are many other attractions around Sokcho but they are just too far away and we stand the risk of missing our boat.

As we return to the ship i savour the smooth Korean coffee that I saved for last. Its getting colder. From the bow I get lost in the fascinating  procedures as we get untethered and back into the sea. Our host bid us loud fawells as we depart. A speed boat rushes ahead of us and then just stops. It's bobbing on the ocean. At one point it starts up and speeds across out path. Dare devil! We hoot a warning. The speedster is clear. He the bobs again with pride on the other side of the ship. 

What resilience, sense of community, and discipline can do: Miyako-Iwate

Not to be confused with Miyako Island

Miyako-Iwate is a small city of about 51,000 people situated on the eastern-most coast of Honshu, Japan's biggest and main island. It has a container port famous for its  fish. The main attraction is its surrounding national park with underground caves and limestone cliffs as well as its top rated beaches( especially Jodogo-hama beach) popular with Japanese holiday makers.

Miyako is not a cruise port and so there is no port building to walk through. The residents give us a warm welcome with their high school students playing music to their guests on a cold morning - guaranteed to warm our hearts. 

A truly Japanese welcome

The lack of a cruise building is more than made up for with several marquees. Hordes of volunteers gave out local maps. There is even a bouncy 'castle' albeit a Japanese cartoon character! The day is beginning to warm up. A shuttle bus takes us to the railway station in about 25 mins. There is a tourist office there but we don't need it since its an easy city to navigate and we are definitely not going to the the promoted attractions that are a long drive away. We could take the local buses but we are content to explore the immediate vicinity. This turns out to be remarkable since we really get to appreciate the nature of theJapanese culture as never before.

Is the Town alive

It has begun to drizzle but by this time we are already near their famous fish market. A quick tour gives us some respite before we resume the walk along what seems to be an arterial road lined with old and new buildings. It wax hard to tell whether each was residential or business property. Most of the doors a closed against the cold and we are not even sure if the businesses are open except if there is  a tell-tale sign of umbrellas placed in a tall receptacle at the entrance. There's one in every store.

Since it's still autumn the gardens are still abloom with flowers. One garden was especially attractive with its multicoloured flowers. As I was passing by, one particular pot made me stop on my track and retrace a few steps. Bunches of grapes- a few were green and others were purple. Was this a hybrid  or grafted grape vine? This is Japan after all! Defintely a reason for a closer look. Aha! These are not grape leaves! More scrutiny. Bunches of plastic grapes placed at strategic nodes with the help of ties! Could have fooled me!

Sylvan setting

We continued our walk uphill on a narrow road with a pullout now and then for passing cars (almost none). Water babbled in the background and birds chirped. We  were actually walking along a naturally camouflaged  stream. No fences. It can't get anymore natural. Almost every house has a garden with either fruit trees or vegetables. I spott a hairy fruit. You guessed it. kiwi. And there are hundreds on the few vines that a lady with a broad smile for us was tending. We had a one-sided conversation with a cascade of Japanese words which I took to mean , "Sorry, the fruits are not ripe, and will not be for a few weeks. My apologies for not being able to share any with you."

In another residence fire wood has been stacked in various parts of the garden. One vegetable garden has bright red chillies! And, what are these other fruits- passion fruit? As we near the top of the hill the rain picks up. We find shelter under an overhead pass.

 Perhaps the overhead two-lane  road would take us back to town, but our map stops short there and we we retrace our steps downhill. In one of the bigger residences in town we see a resident trimming off the parasitic creepers on his fruit tree from his balcony upstairs. There is a lot more life on the streets with Japanese women in their aprons  frequenting their favourite stores for their fresh fish and vegetables. 

What is it about Japanese temples? They are so calming.

Now, we follow the map again to a temple. We hadn't realised how cleverly the route had been indicated on the map. The relevant numbers appeared on the lamp posts! No trouble at all reaching the quiet temple beside which is a kindergarten. The tatami mats in the temple are very comfortable to sit on. I grab the opportunity for a short meditation.

On our way back to the port we pass by a shrine. We looked at the steep and narrow stone hewn steps. Not today! We have seen enough shrines in Japan

The most friendly citizens

Back at the railway station we take a quick look at the tracks, even crossing them, before we head back to the port. We are greeted by the many volunteers who know only a few welcoming words. They are all college students majoring in English, Korean and Chinese! They struggle as we ask about them but bravely and hesitantly try to communicate with us. 

The port is abuzz with guests trying on kimonos, trying out food from the food trucks, learning to write their names in Japanese, etc. 

Ha! There's WiFi. Of course, it's intermittent but who wouldn't want to connect. And then we are done for the day. As we we pull off the local high school brass band peforms a selection of music and the citizens have come out in full force to wave us off on a safe voyage.

What can the world really learn from Miyako-Iwate?: Recovering from the  tsunami 

Recent history is testament to their resilience. The prefecture was horrendously battered by a massive earthquake in March, 2011. The tsunami that resulted in  10 meter high waves that rose over their levees destroying most of downtown. Homes and businesses were lost. A 6 storey hotel on the famous beach lost two of its bottom most floors to the tsunami while the four upper floors remained. All the while the proprietor of the hotel was standing on the top floor watching his hotel being washed away underfoot. Today the Taro Kanko Hotel is a designated earthquake heritage site.

What a lively spot the city is today. The Japanese, typically, are not complainers. They pick up where they left, and carry on with life. They are not quick to blame. They look out for each other. There's something there that we can all learn from.

Do I now know Ainu better?: Kushiro, Hokkaido, Japan

Obscure Japanese tribes

You probably have heard of the Ainu of Japan. I ,too, have heard of them but as the outcasts of Japan. The largest population of Japanese outside of Japan lives in Sao Paolo, Brazil. We know they were little known Japanese tribes that had to escape poverty and oppression during the Edo period.

Hokkaido

One of our ports of call in a recent trans-Pacific crossing was Kushiro. This city lies on the Western Coast of Hokkaido, the second largest of the 14000 odd islands making up the archipelago that is Japan. We have been to Otahu on the Eastern coast and been impressed by the brick buildings, the gas lights and steam operated clock( referred to in a an earlier post), and how trade with the West left architectural influences. 

Kushiro: Cranes in the backyard of Japan 

As always we attend a lecture on the port and that is refreshing since it is more of an eye opener especially because it gives us a history and geography of the area rather than simply being a sales pitch for shore excursions.

Hokkaido is a natural reserve. The swamp that revived the almost extinct ubiquitios Japanese cranes, is a result of the sea receding. A river and stream snake through the reserve which also has a lake. It is also the island which is the backyard for Japan in that most of the fruits and vegetables in the country are grown here.

Not so homogenous as we believe

The indigenous people of Hokkaidao are the Ainu

At puberty, and after, they tattoo around their lips. They used to dress in traditional skirts and tops made of treebarks, feathers and leather . Were they fairer skinned? They were hirsute. They were very unlike the population in the rest of Japan, fair and smooth skinned. 

Considered uncivilised, the Edo government imposed strict orders for the tribe to adopt the mainstream Japanese way of life but the Ainu were not amenable to modernisation . Intermarriage worked to a small extent . Consequently the Ainu became downtrodden and marginalised. 

Attempt to assimilate

What do you do with a tribe that you want out of the mainstream? Move them all to an island furthest north, where they can continue with their traditional customs and cultivation and be the buffer island between Russia and the rest of Japan. They have since modernised and kept up with the rest of the country but the city of Kushiro does seem very quiet and sparsely populated.

Although there are still an estimated 24,000 Ainu living in Japan, reports claim they remain a marginalized people suffering from the long term subjugation, and loss of identity.

MOO, EGG: Dairy and poultry?

Our shuttle from the port drops us at M00. Its a market, a Fisherman's wharf. No cow's. Visitors are going bonkers over the Japanese snacks available. There are some cultural artifacts -- wood carvings - available. Many are just enjoying ramen and rice with a selection of fresh seafood. We can only bear the odors for a bit before we leave to explore the very quiet town. We walk their landmark bridge crossing the River. We see a park, but looking at the number of stairs to climb up to it, we'd rather stay on the waterside and imagine the residential area up on the hill, since we don't see any resident up and about even though it's almost noon.

Just beside the MOO is EGG, Ever Green Garden, an egg shaped glass dome that houses a temperature controlled park. it's greatest attraction for me is an apple tree about my height and size bearing more that ten good sized green apples. A table laid out with containers of various sizes and shapes wrapped beautifully in printed scarves saved the day. The women standing around the table invite me to try wrapping a bento box.  They delightedly giggle at my attempts.

That done we walk the streets,arrive at the library,go up to the 7th floor lounge.  The girls at the desk helpfully hook us to the WiFi. The lounge gets a few more people who select food from the vending machines, lunch and then leave. Others eat from their bento boxes packed from home. Everyone is absolutely quite.

The streets are lined with lamp posts and manhole covers adorned with crane motifs. The arterial road leads us to the JR station, the church, a Pachinko arcade and more. But few people are out and about.

When we enter a market, we see where all the action is. This is the market where you purchase a bowl of rice and then go around all the stores and pick want you want to add to your rice or your noodles. That is the highlight of most visitors to the city.