Old Farm Houses
Mood:  bright

Open Air Museum of Old Japanese Farm Houses

This was an outstanding chance to see 11 original old farmhouses brought from different rural parts of Japan and reconstructed in a natural outdoor park setting in Hatori-Ryokuchi Park in Osaka. These houses were all built in the Edo period, 1603-1867. They represent the styles and folk customs of their distinct geographical areas. Furniture and tools were on display in some of the homes giving us a tiny peak into what it must have been like back then. Didik, Sylvia and i sat around a fire on tatami talking in our limited Japanese about what it was like back then. Our hostess showed us how the charcoal was placed in containers to be positioned close to people to keep them warm. We got a taste of the smoky environment that most primitive peoples lived/do live in. We saw silk looms and a silk cocoon. The caterpillars were raised on the second floor of the building we were in. The ?gassho? type house was named because of its steep roof that looks like two hands pressed together in an attitude of prayer and obviously comes from a very snowy region of Japan. One L-shaped house with the style Chumon-zukuri also came from deep snow country and featured thickly thatched walls, pillars set directly on the ground and earthen floors covered with straw mats. BRRRR. One house from a more rainy part of the country was thatched with cryptomeria bark. It also had wooden boards, called Uchioroshi under the eaves to prevent heavy wind and rain from coming into the house. Because the village was situated in a valley this house was very narrow and long.

Too bad that we were a bit early for the cherry blossoms but the ume, plums, were just as pretty in my opinion. Well, maybe not.

Osaka-jo or Osaka Castle Museum

This is appropriately named. It is a museum and not an original structure but it sure is gorgeous on a sunny day.

In the autumn of 1496, the priest Rennyo of the Jodo-shinshu Buddhist sect built monks? quarters near the site of present day Osaka Castle. The monks? quarters grew into a big temple called Osaka Hongan-ji. This temple exerted great influence throughout the country during its period of civil wars. In 1580, however, Osaka Hongan-ji Temple fell to Nobunaga Oda, who was then rising in power. But just two years later, after coming under attack by his retainer, Nobunaga committed suicide at Honnoji Temple in Kyoto. Hideyoshi Toyotomi then succeeded Nobunaga in the campaign to unite the entire country, and seized control of Osaka. In 1583, Hideyoshi began building a large-scale castle at the site of Hongan-ji and the result was the magnificent Osaka Castle, unprecedented in its excellence. However, during the Summer War of 1615, some 17 years after Hideyoshi?s death, Osaka Castle was completely destroyed by fire.

It has gone through two major reconstructions and some large-scale repairs. There is criticism for its modern interior with 3-D computer dioramas, but i thought that they were cool. There is also an elevator so that even wheel chair bound folks can get a glimpse from the top. This is a fantastic view on a clear day. The down side of all this modernization is that you don?t get a feel of what it was like back then. That?s why a trip to Himeji-jo or another more authentic castle is highly recommended by this tourista.



Tuesday, March 22nd
Breaking the English Code

It?s really cold today and so i slip into the warming room on the train platform to wait for my train. There is a family in there already and as i enter their 4-year-old boy beams a big smile at me. After a nudge from Dad he proudly proceeds to introduce himself. He?s rather happy with his statement and prances off, but i can see that he?s still thinking. He gives Dad a nudge trying to get Dad to introduce himself. Dad won?t budge so the boy points at Dad and says: ?My name is _____.? I correct him and have him say ?My Dad?s name is______.? You can see a light come on, and he runs to Mom next. There?s a questioning look at me begging for the next prompt. After i tell him ?My Mom?s name is_____.? He introduces Mom. Then it?s off to grandma and his little two-year-old brother. By the time he has introduced his whole family to me there are quite a few onlookers. He is bubbling with excitement and does a bit of a victory dance amusing all of us immensely. How easy it is to teach English!