Field Trip to Mie Prefecture

I am in Hyogo Prefecture, so for me it was a 4hour journey in total

Another overnight stay on a field trip with the other ryuugakusei, this time to a ninja museum, a shrine for the god and ancestor of the Imperial Family and to ride a cable cart to the top of 1200m for the views.

It was a 3 hour couch ride, so the ryuugakusei mostly slept, read, watched the movie ‘Last Samurai’, and did Karaoke.

Yeah, karaoke on the coach. Only in Japan, neh? : D

Tierney-sensei - songs included: 'Hey Jude', 'My neighbour Totoro' and Sinatra's 'My Way' 

view of some japanese countryside

Amy, a huge fan of tea and meditation zoned out. I love the sea in the background!

the maze had hidden doors in the walls that you had to find

wonky witches house

2 and a half hours later we piled back on the coach to go to the Ise-Jingu Shrine, which I must admit we sort of glazed over in favour of admiring the pretty fish:

We had to cross the Ujibashi (Uji bridge) which is a wooden bridge rebuilt every 20 years following the Shikinen Sengu circle, along with the Shogu shrine where the deity Amaterasu is (the main Shinto goddess). The next renewal  will take place in 2013. The structures in that place smelt strongly of fresh cider wood.  

We then hurried to the little village called Okage Yokocho, famous for the Akafuku treats that I ended up buying for my host family (which they loved). Akafuku is a red mochi, a kind of delicious sweet mashed up rice cake, highly recommended. Also enjoyed some tea and this Ebi negi which tasted so good I will never forget it.

Okage Yokocho village

free delicious grilled fish to try!

The hotel we stayed at was small but very nice, we had our own rooms this time and own separate showers, a nice view and a Japanese breakfast (rice, miso soup, salmon and sweet seaweed – I gave my pickled radish to someone else).

So after about 2 hours of sleep (as we basically had a sleepover in each other’s rooms), we got up early to do some Maru-dai braiding at the Iga-Kumihimo Centre (Iga Braiding Centre).



I chose autumn colours



Lunch was a feast at this place:

 

And then we went to ride the a gondola, a cable cart to the top of Mt. Gozaisho Sanjo Park, from which height you can see the Yunoyama hot springs below, the sea and sometimes Mt. Fuji!

We went in autumn so the colours were beautiful, but in winter Gozaisho is a popular skiing spot.

It was cold, but totally worth it.

So if anyone was interested, that was the field trip to Mie ^^

So we arrived at Ise-Azuchi Momoyama Bunkamura, a theme park for the days before Edo period Japan, with it’s beautiful castle with amazing views,  ninja museum and amusement attractions.