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Report from Kumamoto and Aso

castle

Went on an inspection to Kumamoto city and Aso the other day. The traffic in the city was not very heavy even though in the middle of “Golden Week”, Japan’s precious long vacation season starting from the end of April to the early May which goes around a week. (it can be up to 10 days if lucky depending on the calendar) Normally, a lot of people go out for some sightseeing to those spots but I only found fewer tourists around the castle who seemed to be checking out the damage around the castle. Reconstruction of the castle buildings and stonewalls have not been started as yet because of the continuous smaller aftershocks, although they are no longer a threat to our living.

Though one of the roads from Kumamoto to Aso has been destroyed because of a huge landslide, we have a beautiful winding road named “Milk Road” which leads us to the northern part of the caldera. Found a helicopter port after around 20 minute drive on the Milk Road, you can’t get close to the volcano at the moment though, you can get the helicopter service and have a great view of the towns inside the caldera and the crater. Refer to the following about the price and courses. They are operated on weekends and national holidays but when the whether is not good, they are not. The helicopters are normally 5-seaters but some are only 3-seaters and NOTE the minimum passenger is 2.

3-minute course 4,000 yen / person
5-minute course: 8,000 yen / person Flies over the towns in caldera area
Crater course (20 mins):20,000 yen / person Flies over to the crater

http://www.sgc-air.co.jp/sightseeing_Eng_Aso.html

Without the helicopter service, I could enjoy the view of beautiful landscape surrounded by green field of the caldera on the winding road. Get a Rent-a-car at Kumamoto station or Kumamoto airport and enjoy the scenic tour.

#Kumamoto #Aso #earthquake

Kagura　神楽

In Hagi village, one of the five villages of Gokanosho and which has the smallest population of them, the locals hold their traditional rituals twice a year. On 15th March for spring and 17th October for autumn on Japan’s old calendar and it was on 21st April this time. I don’t live in Hagi village but have joined them with my wife as dancers for “Kagura” dances. Kagura means, in short, Japanese traditional Shinto ritual or ceremony dedicated to gods along with folk dances.

Originally in Hagi village, only the first born sons were entitled to take over the positions as dancers formerly, in other words, the other people could not even learn the dances. However, due to decline of the number of birth, it has become even difficult for them to maintain the succession of their traditions, not only Kagura. Their Kagura was started in 1684 according to a record or something, some say it’s not 1684 but in the 16th century. Anyway, it’s obviously true that their ancestors had handed down the traditions for generations in this hidden village with severe climate and living conditions.

Below is a footage of a series of dances we performed this time. Hope you enjoy them. There is another marvelous dance I would love to play. That is called “Men Kagura” which is about romance of a man and woman. I hope to play that next time in the coming Autumn, it’s on 16th November. This is not a show but everyone is welcome.

Earthquakes

I came back to Gokanosho yesterday after doing guiding jobs for foreign guests. I feel so sorry to hear of the loss of 47 people so far we had during/after the earthquakes happened in Kumamoto. Everyone in Gokanosho is OK, though we have had some rockfalls on the roads and some landslides. We still have to be careful of the continuous aftershocks.

I was in Kumamoto city when the first quake hit Kumamoto on 14 April night after visiting Kumamoto castle and Suizenji Garden in the afternoon with German guests. I gave them a lift to Hitoyoshi with my German guests next day, it was supposed to be a beautiful scenic tour on the traditional Steam Locomotive train on their own. And the next day was a tour to Kagoshima. The guests changed their plan to catch a flight back to Tokyo a day ahead of schedule.

Below is a little collection of the damaged structures of Kumamoto. Kumamoto Castle lost some of its towers and stonewalls. Aso lost its important highway which is one of two linking ways to/from Kumamoto and Aso shrine, the important treasure, collapsed. Shinkansen railways are badly damaged and they are estimated that it should take a long time to fix everything as they used to be. Gokanosho has had only rockfalls and some cracks on the road as far as I know.

However, we must go on to tomorrow in our living. Last night we had rehearsals of “Kagura”, which is a performance of dances by Hagi village, one of five villages of Gokanosho, dedicated to mountain gods. This is one of our traditions handed down for generations. We are going to hold a ceremony at Hagi shrine near Heike-so tomorrow, hoping for no more earthquakes…

Fukujuso (福寿草)

One of my favourite flowers “Fukujuso” (“Amur Adonis”) is about to be in full bloom! This flower has really auspicious flower languages, such as “Eternal happiness” and “Bring happiness”. Off I went to “Shirakue-daira” (白崩平) located in the middle of the mountains in Kureko village, one of the five villages, to admire these flowers as a trekking guide for a couple of Japanese guests who are from Kumamoto city.

It took about an hour to get to the destination, the colonies of Fukujuso, from “Kureko Kodai no sato“. They seemed to be almost in full bloom and welcoming us with its beautiful petals shining yellow and light green under the sunshine.

Normally, Fukujuso flowers start coming out in the middle of February and fall in the beginning or middle of March. It’s not a very hard walk to the place, and I have not seen any foreign trekkers in this beautiful trail before. Uh, sorry I am wrong. I saw one who was from a neighbouring town on this day.

Mt Shiratori 18 Feb 16

I was invited by Mt Shiratori after some snowfalls in Gokanosho. And enjoyed the atmosphere on the trail, taking photos of beautiful frosticles of branches and ice. I could have stayed here all day long, I had to head back to Yamame-so to get back the car which Mr Kuroki, the owner of Yamame-so, kindly lent me.

And I also found skiers there as the photos, it’s just unbelievable! They brought “short skis” up there to enjoy a road ski and mountain ski according to what they say.

In the evening, I visited Sakura-so on the way back home from Kumamoto city and saw the skiers again. One of them, who is a guide, was kind enough to lend me a pair of “short skis” and offered me to practise until he comes back to Gokanosho again next month. Yeah, I can’t wait the next snowfall!

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今日の五家荘は、久々の雪です。このまま積もるかな？降りすぎると厄介になるばってん、やっぱ積雪にはウキウキするね。タイミングが良かったら、雪割りの福寿草にも出会えそうな予感。
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Winter has come in Gokanosho

We have had a really weird weather this year in Japan. We had long rainy days even in April and May, though we usually have it in June and July for around 6 weeks. And we had a comparatively warm autumn which brought a short Koyo (=coloured leaves) season to Gokanosho.

Finally, we had some snow in Gokanosho yesterday, yay! It seems it’s time to change our tyres.

DSC_1777
icy road on R445

Kagura かぐら

Gokanosho day is fast approaching and the locals are getting well prepared for the day. Dance practices are currently being held every week at one of Gokanosho most beautiful locations, Umenoki Suspension Bridge and Waterfall.

There used to be over 33 different types of Kagura, but now the number is closer to 10. This is due to the fact that not many people are learning the traditional dance anymore.

The truly wonderful thing about Gokanosho’s two Kagura dances (Kanshin かんしん　and Okie おきえ) is that they are fun! Kids can really get involved and learn these very special traditional dances. Perhaps the youngest member of the Kagura Dance team is little Bon-Chan at only 18 months old!

Ogata-San and Hashizaki-San (the proud owner of Tourism Gokanosho) have been teaching the dance to a group of local elementary school students, and even more impressive, was the performance by Gokanosho’s elementary students where all seven students danced for the cheerful and energetic crowd at the local sports event or Undokai うんどかい.

The loud thud of the drums rings through my chest while I hear the sweet call of Mr Ogata’s voice urging everyone to join in, “come on it will be fun”, he sings in Japanese. The group of dancers start to thoughtfully place their feet, whilst wielding a Katana かたな in their left hand, and in perfect synchronisation shake the loud bells of the Suzu すず in their right hand. This dance is for the gods, that much is not hard to believe.

You can see the dance performed at Gokanosho Day on the 4th of October 2015.

 

Lyrics for Kanshin Kagura　監真神楽　歌詞

しゅじゅう　なにごとも　はじまるときはやがえ

Shujuu nanigotomo hajimaru tokiwa  yagae

このはより　かみのや  おことばは　やがえ　こえてまします

konohayori kamino ya okotobawa yagae koete mashimasu

はやが　あれをみる　みあげて　おがめば　かみくだり　かみくだり

hayaga arewo miru miagete ogameba kamikudari kamikudairi

しほうの　かみも  やがえ　こえてまします

shihouno kamimo  yagae koete mashimasu

さ  おもしろや　つかもと　とりて　や　さ

sa omoshiroya tsukamoto torite yah sah

さ  おもしろや　さ

sa omoshiroya sah

さ  おもしろや　まんなかとりて　や  さ

sa omoshiroya mannaka torite yah sah

さ  おもしろや　さ

sa omoshiroya sah

さ  おもしろや　きりさきとりて　や  さ

sa omoshiroya kirisaki torite yah  sah

さ  おもしろや　さ

sa omoshiroya sah

さ  おもしろや　たすきをとりて　や  さ

sa omoshiroya tasukiwo torite yah sah

さ  おもしろや　さ

sa omoshiroya sah

 

Lyrics for Okie Kagura　置絵神楽　歌詞

しゅじゅう　なにごとも　はじまるときは  やがえ

Shujuu nanigotomo hajimaru tokiha yagae

かみのしゅめ　こがねのしゅめとは　やがえ　こえてまします

kamino shume koganenoshume towa yagae koete mashimasu

はやが　あれをみる　みあげて　おがめば　かみくだり　かみくだり

hayaga arewomiru miagete ogameba kamikudari kamikudari

しほうの　かみも  やがえ　こえてまします

shihouno kamimo yagae koetemashimasu

おしかえし　おしも　よし　いまはや　しゅめりて　おさめまします

oshihaeshi oshimo yoshi imahaya shumerite osamemashimasu

みこやに　ごへいたまいて　われきたよ　ごへいの　ぬしとは　かみぞこそめす

mikoyani goheitamaite warekitayo goheino neshitowa kamizo kosomesu

おおにしく　まにこそ　かみはまします

oonishiku manikoso kamiwa mashimasu