Kate taped Colleen's group singing with the video camera and I have not yet had the opportunity to download any of those videos. I do have a short clip from our general camera of all the children singing at the end.
I still don't know the exact results (1st, 2nd, or 3rd), however, Colleen's group did well enough to advance to the Utsunomiya all Tochigi competition. They all did great and she was very happy after they finished. She will be competing one more time at the end of this month.
Saturday we headed to Nasu for a short weekend trip. Nasu was only recently recommended to us by Kate's friend Chiyo san. She frequently goes to a hotel in Nasu with her friend Akiko and had a discount at a great hotel there. Before heading out we stopped at a store in Utsunomiya for some supplies. Liam picked up some children's sake. It was some kind of juice, and marked clearly that it did not contain actual sake.
I picked up a strange mix of habanero pepper and dried squid. It was actually pretty tasty, but nobody else in the car liked the smell much..
We arrived in Nasu early in the day, so we headed to the Nasu ropeway to ride up Nasu mountain.
At the top of the ropeway we realized that we had to hike if we wanted to see anything. I was not sure what we were in for, but I did notice that you could rent shoes at the top, and everyone looked somewhat serious with all the hiking gear. Anyway we set off on the hike.
The route was surprisingly rugged and slippery. It reminded me a bit of climbing Mt. Fuji. We were not really prepared for this type of hike. It would have been good to at least carry a bit of water..
While taking a short break, Liam decided to relax on one of the rock ledges. It made Kate a little uncomfortable, but it really was a good relaxing spot.
The scenery as we ascended the mounting was really nice. The starting point for us is the building shown in the picture below. Where the picture was taken was maybe half way up the hike.
Nasu mountain still emits volcanic smoke, as we climbed there were a number of places it could be seen coming out from under the rocks. It was kind of like hidden smoke machines were placed all over the mountain side.
Colleen and I decided we should try to get the the top while Kate and Liam stayed behind. As we climbed, we rounded a corner and saw a Tori gate up ahead. At that point we both decided we were too close to turn back now.
Colleen was really happy that she could make it. We stayed for only a few minutes to take in the view and then headed back to Kate and Liam. On the way down we ran in to Kate. She got tired of waiting and decided to continue on. She turned around with us as we passed her and then we all made our way back to the ropeway. Going down can actually be as hard, if not harder, than climbing as it is slippery and requires constant resistance to gravities forces.
At the ropeway station we were all hungry and thankfully a variety of foods were available. Kate tried mochi (pounded rice) with a sweet miso sauce grilled over a fire for the first time. Very tasty and it hit the spot after all the climbing.
On the way down we stopped at a famous placed called Sessho-seki. It is an area filled with noxious volcanic gas. There is an interesting story that goes along with this area. It is a bit long for me to explain, but if you are interested to read it, please click this link...
This area also contains many Jizo statues. Jizo are said to be protectors of children, travelers, and women. They are also supposed to help those affected by a physical or life problem. There are many of the statues doting the hillside and all wear a handmade red hat.
Many have offerings placed on them, kind of like a wishing well.
On the way back to the car the children and I stopped for a quick photo. This area is very peaceful, but I was glad to get back on our way and away from the sulfur smell.
By the time we finished up at Sessho-seki it was time to check in at our hotel. We met Chiyo san and Akiko san in the lobby and the gave us our key. They explained to us that there were special activities going on as Halloween was close. One of those activities was a gentleman that was cutting paper. I have actually never seen anything like it. All you had to do is wait in a short line and then tell the gentleman what you wanted, and he would cut it out of paper. It is difficult to tell in the photo below, but this one was an elaborate scene with two different manga characters.
Liam picked Totoro this guy is very quick and skilled with these scissors. Check out the video..
Here is the final product. Everything was free hand and with no pattern. Amazing...
Before dinner we went to the pool for the children to get some good swimming time in. Liam and Colleen forgot their swimming caps. Since they are required by all swimmers we had to rent two caps for about $1 each. I was glad I didn't swim so I didn't have to wear one..
After relaxing a bit, in our room, we met Chiyo san Akiko san for dinner at the hotel. They helped pick a variety of Japanese dishes for us to try. As usual everything was great.. I really am going to miss all the good food and friends.
When dinner was finished we all went to the Onsen to enjoy sitting in the hot water. It was a great finish to the evening..
In the morning we hit the Onsen one more time and then we were greeted with a huge Japanese breakfast in our room. We ate as much as we could and then we were headed back home. I had promised to meet a number of guys at Shinrin Koen and ride the Japan Cup course with them. As a result we had to get back a little early. Honestly I wish we would have heard about Nasu much sooner. we could have spent a number of weekends in this area. It is beautiful and there are a number of activities for all ages to enjoy.
After my training ride we met under route 64 bridge by the Kinigawa river for a BBQ. We were invited to go by a couple of my friends from work. Sagawa san and Ohbayashi san. These are the same guys I climbed Mt. Fuji with. They know our time is short and wanted to have one more get together before we move back home. Sagawa san brought his wife and Ohbayashi san brought his girlfriend. This was our first opportunity to meet them.
The party was a Yakinikku (grilled meat) party. There was a huge variety of different foods, all cooked on the grill by the river.
We had fresh scallops cooked on the grill. This was a first for me. They sat on the grill for a bit cooking. As they got closer to being finished the shells popped open and you could see the insides bubbling.
When they were almost finished the top of the shell was removed and a bit of butter and soy sauce was added for flavor. The end result was a bit chewy, but very flavorful. Kate said now we know how to cook these, so if we end up at a fish market again we will have something to buy and take home..
For the finale, Sagawa san brought 花火 (fireworks). Mainly Sagawa san, Ohbayashi san, Liam, and Colleen really got into setting them off. It was a great ending to a delicious meal and a fun time.
Have a great week..
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