I couldn't let the Cherry-blossom moment to pass me by! (Seriously how often will I be in Japan in April!?) Still, I find it difficult sometimes to get around, especially if it's new and requires other maps than that ones I already have that my IC translated for me (applies only to school areas). I've been seeing advirtisments since I got to Japan to go to Joetsu City, Niigata for the Hanami, but didn't know where it was (even the google maps for Japan are in Japanese). I had asked around but some of the answers where vague. I tried a few places online and found one that is particularly popular this time of year with the Hanami and decided I would ask around and find out how to get to Takada.
I didn't need to look that far when just Thursday I found a map both in English and Japanese of the majority of the stops in the Prefecture stuck to the ciling of the train I ride to school. I scanned the names of all the stops and located Takada, and quickly changed my previous weekend plans of cleaning the apartment to spending the day surrounded by Sakura at an amazing Hanami! (good choice huh?)
At the start of the day I imagined it would be as low key as any of my other visits in the area in which I live. I'd go easily and come back the same, I'd be alone but at least would see the blossoms. As the day unfolded however, it proved to be not only a day to awe and wonder at the creation of the cherry-blossom but also of good hearted people! It seems regardless of culture, language and country we all like to have a good time, eat and enjoy the company of others and Japan would be the kind of country to welcome who ever to gather and enjoy life a little. (In a way sometimes when I travel the world seems smaller).
So the journey began! I knew it would take at least 2-3 hours to get there by train so I left pretty early, around 7 I believe. The ride to Takada was beautiful. I got the Yahiko Line which moves west of Tsubame toward the coast. I changed and got on the Echigo line with carves around the west coast and became mezmorised at the view: The morning was fresh, the waves crashed up on the rocks, there where fishermen out on boats and on docks bringing in fresh seafood and other ocean tresures, long beaches with run-off and little pools, the flowers, the trees, the ride over was worth the ride already!
Finally I made it to Takada! The station was totally decorated in Cherry-blossoms! I got out of the station and asked a man in uniform how to get to Takada Koen (park). He explained so politely and well in English that I could take the bus for 100 yen and it would drop me off at the park entrance. Then he gave me a map of all the other things to see and do in the city while I was visiting. He was so nice!
Here are a few pictures of the hanami, then I will continue the story.
The cherry blossom viewing is also kind of like a carnival/fair in that there are a loads of fun stuff for kids to do, there are games and prizes, bounce castles and jungle-gyms, there was even a haunted house! (I got a kick out of watching the reaction of the people walking out of the house)There was also a big pavilion set up for Kareoke and such. The festival is very set up for alot of fun and familyness. It's tradition that as a family you pack a big family meal and all the alcohol you can carry (not just drink) and put down a tarp ad blankets and everyone eats together under the sakura trees. This is done for obvious reasons, for family but also done traditionaly for good luck and for good family luck. Photographers also love to gather here, and families will pay them to take family pictures under the sakura. This is very popular!
And of course where there's people, there's food!
At a sakura festival you can also buy sakura products! They make everything from tea to icecream. The sakura flavor can be tastey but it depends on the product. The cherry "blossom" flavor tends to be salty with a burnt cinnamon taste. However the flavor that apparently comes from the petals is different. *shrugs* I don't know really well, all I know is that some sakura flavored products are really good and some are kimoi (nasty).The sakura icecream is to dye-for and is now close in the top slot to my favorite among the mint choc chip. Here at the festival chestnuts are also popular you can buy them roasted here like in the picture they also have chestnut icecream. It was soooooooooo good and nutty but so destinctly chestnut, I was really amazed! Yes, I ate two icecreams! I couldn't decided, so I got them both.
Everyone spends the day walking around, eating, taking pictures, doing fair activities or shopping in the city, but the most fun I saw were the families. I walked past, all of them gathered and having a great time together. I'll admit it made me sad, I wondered what I would be like to have all my family there and how much Aubrey would love the really cool rope jungle-gym and Abram would want to see everything and try a treat or two. It was a lovely moment to think for awhile. Then I said a little prayer I wouldn't feel so lonely.
Meanwhile the families and other groups are having a great time together they are waiting till the sky gets dark. When the sun goes down the lights come on, this is about the time that the lights against the cherry-blossoms look like a fire work show! It is beautiful and when I saw the pictures I took, I realised how little they hold a candle to the real thing. What an amazing sight!!!
Just a short while after telling myself I shouldn't feel alone I spotted a familiar face from the corner of my eye. It was DAVE! My buddy from training (we were team teachers together) So he had been dropped of my a JET friend that he made and was hanging out with a bunch of other JETS. We had a great time talking and catching up on all the news of the areas, schools and our first week. It was soooo fun! Plus these other groups of people (Japanese) heard us speaking English and came over to say hi and introduce themselves. Between their bad English and out bad Japanese we actually communicated quite well and had a good time hanging out the rest of the night with a bunch of random people. It was really good!
Knowing that the trains in my small area cut out earlier than the bigger stations I started out toward the journey of home. I finished taking pictures and set out back north. While at a major intersection of the tracks everyone got off. OH-NOOOOO, this was the train that was supposed to be going north however as it turns out it does not run north past 9:20, it was now 9:40! I desperatly made an attempt to the train conductor that I needed to get to X station. While all the passengers where walking past some one heard me say that I was trying to get to Tsubame. He stopped and told me where I needed to go. He and his friends had been at the festival as well and where headed home too but in a slightly different direction. One of them happened to be a train conductor and the rest of them where excellent English speakers! WOW! They even looked up online using their phones and wrote down for me what time I would be comming in on and when the departures and platform numbers where to get on to get back to at least Higashi Sanjo (only two stations away from home...as opposed to 2-3 hours away from home by train)WOW!Then one of them even looked up cab fares to see how much I would need to pay a taxi to get home from Higashi Sanjo, it turned out to be around 2100 yen. He told me I should just take a cab home from HS. I thought about how much I really had...oh about 500 yen. To be honest the original cost to get down there was double than what I thought so I didn't have as much "emergency money" and I should have. I though maybe I would walk even though that would mean I would probably be walking in Sanjo at 3 in the morning or possibly 4. Well, it was done, I thought that I'd figure it out when I get there. I thanked them a ton for their help and still had 50 minutes to wait till my train came. So I walked up to the bathroom. There was quite a line, which was fine I had a ton of time to wait. While in line, three funny girls caught my eye. I noticed quickly they wheren't speaking Japanese and figured they had come to see the festival as well. Although I don't know Chinese of course there was alot I could understand just between their gestures to one another, I could tell they where really good friends. The train came and I got on and waited, I wondered for a moment what to do about money. I thought I better take a moment and dig and see what I could come up with...I dug up about 720 yen which would get me maybe just outside of Sanjo. I prepared myself for walking. I put my bag away and put the 720 in my pocket. I felt like I should check my bag again although I just had. I hestitated, I was just in my bag. I figured it couldn't hurt. I dug around some more and pulled out 2 fresh 1000 yen bills. I don't know where they came from or what it was doing there. WOW. (I said a quick little prayer of gratitude for a Heavenly Father who has always got my back. I thought wow, someone must be praying for me, alot. Just as the doors where soon to be closing the three girls got on. One of them recognised me from the bathroom and waved with a big smile. Then they giggled to one another for a moment or two and decided to come and sit next to me. In all of my time in Japan this is the first time anyone has ever sat next to me. (Usually on a train I have this radius around me of space, people are more likely to stand in the middle of an ile than to take a seat next to me or even 2-3 seats away from me.)I think they asked me something in Japanese and when they noticed my hesitation they spoke in English. I found out they are from Taiwan and are studying Japanese in college in Kamo (Kamo University isn't too far from one of my schools) We spoke for while in English until I got off at my stop! It was sooooo fun to have someone to sit with and chat while on the bus. What a lovely evening! It didn't stop there, either! I got off at HS and got into a cab, I told the driver where I was going and how much I had. He told me he didn't know exactly how much it would be to get there but that he would guess that I had enough to get home. He started driving, I cautiously watched the meter of yen build as we got closer to home. I stared to try to tell him to stop when the meter got to the amount that I could pay him. He stopped at a red light, and cashed me out with the amount that I had. I started to get out of the car but he chortled and motioned for me to get back in. I'll take you home he said and he turned off the meter and drove me the rest of the way home for free.
Not only was the day a reminder of the beauty and creation in the festivities of the Cherry-blossom but also of people! Just good people in the world, and how something little can go a long way.
