The day we returned from China was Kate's birthday. Happy Birthday Kate... The following day after we returned we were greeted by the Shionome sans, they just stopped by to wish Kate a happy birthday and brought a gift by for her. The next day we all headed out to Karasuyama to help the Shionome sans family plant their rice fields. There were many different family members and their children all helping. Some of the children loaded into the back of the Suzuki carry pickup for a ride to the fields. They all loved it..
Taka san was all dressed up for planting, we almost didn't recognize him.
I am not sure his fathers age, but he is still energetic and very active with the planting of the field.
After the tractor makes its pass, everyone goes into the field to fill in any of the placed that were missed. There are two main areas that need filled, when the planter doesn't grab any starts, and where the tractor can not reach.
This is the finished product, Karasuyama is a pretty hilly area. The country side is very peaceful.
Already the frogs are starting to populate the rice fields. While planting the children found a ton of frog eggs. They went back and scooped a bunch up to try to raise. Here Chika chan is holding a big pile of them.
When we were finished we went to an older style rice field in Karasuyama. The older style is much smaller and requires a lot more hand work. This field is owned by the community and was decorated for boys day.
The following day we woke up early, loaded the car, and headed to Gotenba. We had a few days remaining in our vacation after returning from China. Kate and the children wanted to see Fuji up close and so we decided this was the time to make the trip. I have attached a map to show where we went.
The day we drove down was extremely hazy. Even as we got close to Fuji we really couldn't see it. Only when we were right under it could we catch a small glimpse of it. We checked in to our hotel for the night and headed out for dinner. In 2001 I came to Japan on a business trip. One night when going out for dinner we walked past about 10 restaurants with a fellow Japanese associate. He kept saying each one was no good. I asked if he had been there before to which he responded "No". When I asked how he knew it was no good he explained that nobody was inside and it was dinner time. Finally we passed a busy restaurant, we went in and had a good dinner. Well I have always remembered that, but never really put it to the test. We picked a restaurant that was empty, and the end result was that it was some of the worst food we have ever been served in Japan. We went back to the hotel unsatisfied and went to bed. When we woke up we were greeted by this view... and a new start to the day.
I looked at the map the night before and planned the basic agenda. To kick off the day I decided we should drive to station 5 of Fuji. It is the highest you can go by car and just happens to take the same route I will ride in my next bicycle race. Along the way there are many beautiful views of Fuji.
We passed a lake on the way and saw this huge swan boat. We didn't ride it, just stretched our legs a little.
When we turned onto the road that goes up Fuji and were greeted by a musical road. I have seen this in a commercial before but never personally experienced it. It was a pretty cool surprise. In the background is Fuji.
After arriving at the top we parked and walked around the station a little.
At the top you can get a variety of foods with the Mt Fuji theme. We opted for the Mt Fuji pastry. We started with only two to share, but they were so tasty that we ended up getting two more.
There were signs at the top for the up and coming race. The race is limited to 5000 people and it was already filled within a week of open registration. Should be an interesting event, the road up is not incredibly steep, but it just goes on and on..
Here is the family with Fuji in the background. It looks like it is not so far from the top, but it is a little deceptive. From this location we were probably only about half way up the mountain.
Next on the agenda was a trip to Owakudani. We heard about this place from the McNamara's (via Facebook) and thought it looked interesting. I only knew the rough location so when we got close we stopped at an information center and just asked where the black eggs were. The gentleman instantly said Owakudani.. So what is it? It is a place in the side of a mountain that still has volcanic activity. When you look up the side of the mountain there is steam pouring out from various locations. It really is a cool place.
There is a walking path up to a small building that passes a river of grey boiling water. We decided to make the trek to the top. Along the path there are signs that say don't stand in one place for too long as the fumes can be toxic.
At the top there is a small building and a pool of the boiling grey goo.
The building is for purchasing kurotamago (black eggs) The eggs are hard boiled in the grey bubbling goo which turns them black. They can be purchased in bags of 5.
The myth is that if you eat these eggs your life will be extended by 7 years. The eggs themselves were tasty, just like regular hard boiled eggs, but all the smell from the volcanic activity reminded us of rotten eggs and that made them harder to eat. We all decided that we should each eat 2 eggs to make up for the loss in years we incurred by breathing in all the toxic fumes while enjoying the scenery.
There is a ropeway at the top moving eggs up and down the mountain side for guests that don't want to make the hike up to the top. The eggs are used to flavor a number of food products at the bottom as well. We tried the black egg ice cream. Actually tasted like regular ice cream.
After we finished at Owakakudani I gave the family the option to head back to the hotel or drive to the beach. When I checked the map the night before I noticed that it was not so far. Everyone agreed that we should go to the beach. This coast did not have sand, instead it was hilly and rocky.
We drove out on a small peninsula to take in the sights. Looking up the hillside I wondered what it would be like to live in one of these houses overlooking the ocean.
Along the way we stopped to check out a temple. I liked how this picture of a stone fence turned out so I am including it in the post.
We stopped the car at a pull off and got out to explore. The children loved walking around the rocks exploring the various see life that lives in this environment.
There were a variety of different animals around. Tons of crabs could be found amongst the rocks.
We also saw fish, anemone, fish, a rat, and a number of things I had know idea what they were and would not touch.
We were there long enough that on the way home it started to get dark and we were hungry. Due to our experience with the restaurant the night before we decided to take my Japanese friends advice and we selected a restaurant that was somewhat busy.
Well his advice turned out to be quite accurate. This time our experience was totally different. We all were able to get a meal that we enjoyed. The children and Kate had tuna sashimi along with various other Japanese dishes. I asked for the recommendation. It was a variety plate that included a huge scary looking fish (you can see it in the picture below Colleen). The waitress only spoke Japanese, but when I asked how to eat the fish said said you eat it all and so I did. It felt a little strange eating the boney parts, but actually it was really good. In the future I guess we will have to stick with the busy is better philosophy..
That is all for this post, have a great week..
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