Hakone

January 2012
Earlier this Fall I went to Hakone with Yumiko, the lady with whom I used to live. Hakone is a nice valley located half way between Tokyo and Mount Fuji. It's a bit of a touristic place, but when you get there, you understand why. A wonderful place, calm and with a very nice view of Mount Fuji (unfortunately Mount Fuji was a bit shy when we were there, and was hiding behind clouds). After a long climb by train on the side of a mountain, the last stretch was done in a cable car; when we arrived at the top, we were surrounded by clouds but a few glimpses of the sun allowed us to appreciate the beautiful scenery. On top of this mountain, at the station, the tradition demands that visitors eat a *black* egg in order to add years to their lives. The black eggs are boiled in a nearby geyser, which gives them the black color.

We headed down on the other side of the mountain, in the center of the valley. There was a calm lake surrounded by a forest, a rare feature for a place so close to the biggest city in the world. Some special ships help travellers reach the little town of Hakone. Museums and shops true to the Japanese traditions were not as interesting to me as the temple at the outskirt of the town. There was a very special atmosphere there. Rain had just cleaned the air, leaving a thick humidity; there, time stopped a long time ago, in perfect harmony with the forest and with the gods. Often near temples, some trees have rice straw ropes hanging around them to indicate the presence of discrete gods. Silence was only disturbed by the sound of my camera. I headed back to catch up with Yumiko who had stayed outside. As she had lost her husband a few months before our trip, she was not to enter a temple, according to Buddhist tradition.

One of the particularities of this region is wood working. I had seen a few of their creations, and had gotten some information. So, I headed back in December to learn a bit more about Yosegi (wood design). I found a shop that was still doing those interesting designs with the traditional techniques. It's a fairly simple idea but requires quite a lot of knowhow to get great results. Artisans first take a few pieces of wood of multiple colors, slice them in very precise shape and glue them together. Once it's dry, they literally shave a thin sheet out of the block. This sheet is then applied onto other wood item. Their technique is the same one used for many centuries (well almost). I was allowed to assist them in a few steps of their work. This art being so truly... Japanese, it required perfection and a huge dose of patience.

One of the things that fascinate me most about Japan is that they have so many amazing traditional knowhow techniques which have not yet disappeared, and still create products with so much refinement.

Mister Fish.

While walking with a friend in Kabuki-cho, Shinjuku red light district, we walked in front of a strange *Doctor Fish* display. Curious, we gave it a try. 1000yens for 15 minutes, feet in the water with a few hundred small fish, which officially *wash* your feet. Quite an experience!!!



a few more photos




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