Tuesday 3rd September, 2019 – Mount Daisen National Park
We make our way back north going through small roads and admiring the japanese countryside with rice fields a bright green (or yellowish colour if nearing harvest time.) At one point we come across a monastery/ shrine lost in the middle of the forest. A monk was closing the gate for the day but re-opened just for us.
We arrive at Mount Daisen Natinal Park mid afternoon. It is designated a national park of Japan for its magnificent landscape.
Mt. Daisen is a volcanic mountain located in Tottori Prefecture, It is the highest in the Chugoku region with an elevation of 1,709 meters. In addition to the colorful changes of four seasons, Mt. Daisen changes its shape vastly depending on which side of the mountain the viewer is standing on. ( it looks remarkably like Mount Fuji on one side)
Daisen has been regarded as a god itself since the ancient times and climbing the mountain used to be severely prohibited until the Edo period.(17th century) As a result, Mt. Daisen boasts the largest beech forest in western Japan. There is a Buddist temple Daisenji in the middle of the mountain. Just above the temple is Ogamiyama Jinja (the shrine of the mountain of the great god).
Peak season is over and the 2 local campsites are closed but as everywhere in Japan , facilities offered in the Park ‘sVisitors Centre are excellent and include spotless showers ( for a small fee). We stay in the car park overnight.
Wednesday 4th September, 2019 – Mount Daisen hike.
The weather is not so good, it rained overnight and we cannot see the top of Mount Daisen but we decide nevertheless to go on the trail leading to the top. The trail is well marked and is a long succession of uneven steps built on the flank of the mountain under the cover of the lush forest. It is very humid and hot despite the clouds and the heat takes its toll but we nevertheless make it to the top in just over 2 hours. the last 30mns are in the open but on a special elevated boarded walk so as to preserve the fragile ground and flora below it. The summit is still in the clouds so no view to the coast unfortunately!
We have a short rest before it starts raining and we make our way down, cursing every step as it seems to last forever and our knees plead mercy!
We are back at the car park for 4 pm and start on the road to Osaka.
Thursday 5th September, 2019 – OSAKA
We are due to meet friends in Osaka for lunch and we have to be at the restaurant before 12 pm. We decide to go on the expressway (toll road) eventhough we know it will be expensive, as we are short in time. We make it to Osaka but get lost after a wrong turn in the massive spaghetti junctions near the centre and we end up going round in circles for a while. We finally arrive an hour late !
We have a great time catching up with our friendsTakihiro and Junko ( father and daughter) and Graeme ( from London) and enjoy the delicious and delicate dishes which arrive one after the other, served by ladies in traditional kimonos.
We had planned to visit Osaka Castle nearby after the meal but a sudden heavy downpour deterred us. we agreed to meet again for dinner later on and we went in search of the AirB&B flat we rented for 3 nights. The back streets are very narrow and it is sometimes a challenge with the truck but we manage to find the flat. It is in a recent block of flats which seems to be essentially dedicated to short term lets such as ours. The studio flat is quite small ( 27 sq m) but well equiped with a small balcony and conveniently situated near a metro station. There is paid parking across from the flat (reasonable) so it is perfect.
For dinner we meet Takihiro and Graeme at their hotel near Osaka Station and go for a meal of yakitori ( japanese skewers). We miss our last train home and go back in a taxi where the driver wears shirt and tie and gloves. (seems to be the rule here) The cabs are old Toyota Comfort model with doors opening automatically at the back, activated by the driver.
Friday 6th September, 2019 – OSAKA
We go and visit the Castle, wander in the park surrounding it for a while but it is hot and very humid so we retreat to the museum of Oriental Ceramics.
The Museum is dedicated to the collection, conservation, study and display of East Asian pottery. The Museum’s superb collection consists mainly of Chinese and Korean ceramics, but there are also a number of Japanese items which range in time from 7th century Nara period to the mingei folk movement of the 20th century. It includes some pieces designated as national treasures and important cultural assets.
Saturday 7th September, 2019 – OSAKA
Today we are invited for lunch at Junko’s flat in the suburbs. There we meet her husband and son for the first time. They do not speak english but with the help of wine and vodka ( from Russia) the language barrier is soon forgotten. The meal is delicious and we have a great time. We decide to go to a jazz club for the evening and we all pack in a taxi back to the centre. We arrive around 7.30 p.m and the session has already started. Later a lady singer comes on and sings a selection of famous jazz songs ( in english). The club shuts early (10 p.m) and we go for a last drink before going back home.
Sunday 8th September, 2019 – OSAKA
Our last day in Osaka. We meet at Nippombashi tube station and Junko is our guide for the day. We walk through the Kuromon Ichiba market which has been there for over 170 years. There are all kinds of stalls and restaurants but the main attraction for us is the fish stalls selling all kind of local fresh fish and seafood. You also have street food stalls where you can taste the local specialities such as Takoyaki ( octopus cooked in small dough balls) or sea urchin cooked in their skins, massive oysters etc..
We then go to the Shingesai district to see the Tsutenkaku tower, the local landmark. The 100-meter steel tower may not appear particularly tall by modern-day standards, but it has carved out its own place in local history as a symbol of progress and innovation.
We move on to the Sumiyoshi Taisha Shrine, one of the oldest spiritual sites in Japan. There we see several couples bringing their babies to the temple for the first time. It is to an extent the equivalent of a christening and the child and mother are wrapped in a special shawl, sometimes with miniature small baby toys attached at the back.
