A wisteria wonderland.

Ever since I became interested in Japan, many things have entered onto my subconscious bucket list, Kawachi Fujien being one of them. Back when it did, I didn’t think I’d be living in Kumamoto, not so far away, or that Kohei would literally live down the road.

The downfall of seeing the wisteria in full bloom meant that so many other people would want to do the same. Despite my fears of it being jam-packed and ruining the experience, we managed to time it perfectly and miss the crowds. The wisteria tunnels were just enchanting, making me feel like a princess in my own fairy-tale. 

You follow the trail under the tunnels, through changing colours from violet and lilac, bright and dusky pinks, to crisp white. Every so often was a little dome of hanging wisteria, which reminded me somewhat of little Hobbit homes in The Shire.

Once we reached the top of the gardens, the view down the hill was stunning. Under the green canopy you could see glimpses of the colourful wisteria underneath, all while the light wind was blowing some of the petals around us.

It’s hard to describe how beautiful this place is, since the pictures barely do it justice; you need the full experience of the sweet smell that just engulfs you upon arrival, and the abundance of bees enjoying the flowers just as much as we were. 

It’s not just the wisteria garden that is worth a visit, but also the surrounding area. I’m definitely planning to head back when it’s not flower blooming season anymore, to have a picnic and a paddle in the huge lake next door.

Golden Week in Busan!

During Golden Week (a time in Japan were three public holidays are back to back, and everywhere in Japan is bedlam) Kohei and I decided to take a trip to Busan, a first for the both of us.

The evening we arrived was spent wandering around the Jagalchi and Nampo area, famous for its bustling markets and street food. BIFF Square and Gukje Market had such a similar feel to Myeongdong in Seoul that it was easy to forget where we were. 

I’ve been craving strawberry daifuku in Japan for weeks now, but the season has already past, so I was utterly delighted to see a stall selling the same red bean and strawberry filled mochi balls. We also tried something that can only be described as a soft, sweet, egg-y bread with bacon. So wrong, but so right. The next day we also ate “Quattro-cheese topokki” which was practically life changing.

Brown Hands Café

Somewhere I’d stumbled across while stalking cute locations on Instagram, this café is hidden in the back streets near Busan station amongst some random nightclubs.  It’s located inside an old converted hospital, providing one of the most hipster settings to a café I’ve ever been to. Coffee (and more importantly the banana smoothie I had) were good too.

Centum City

Deemed the largest department store in the world, we had to take a visit to Shinsegae in Centum City. The food court is an experience in itself, and the abundance of every type of Korean and some Western foods will have your head on a swivel. Nearby is Café the Box, another quirky little joint overlooking the river with cardboard leaves on the walls and a chocolate block ceiling.

Another café we visited was The Pancake Epidemic in Haeundae. Although the pancakes were magical judging by Instagram, they were sold out by the time we arrived. The store itself is pretty cool, overlooking the beach and is also connected to a pretty cool clothing store which is worth a visit. I even bought a hat.  

Gamcheon Culture Village is a must-visit when in Busan. What is commonly referred to as “Korea’s Santorini” is a favela like area, given an update and is now one of the most quirky areas I’ve ever been to. Art installations are everywhere, hidden along tiny paths in backstreets, or brazenly painted on any surface in view. I didn’t truly appreciate the abundance of colours until looking at the pictures afterwards. I’d love to go back and explore when it’s less crowded and get a change to fully delve into hidden gems I’m sure exist. However, if you’re not a fan of creepy birds with human heads perched on buildings because it’s “artsy”, this place may not be for you.

That night we headed to Gwangalli Beach just after sunset and spent the evening wandering along the beach, drinking beer and soju, and watching the infamous lights adorning Gwangan Beach in the distance. Although we went to Haeundae Beach the next day, there’s something a little more special about Gwangalli as there are less tourists flooding the place. Even better, you can sit, watch the lights on the bridge, hear the waves and see people setting off fireworks.

 While I’ve been to Seoul three times and will inevitably always have a return trip planned, Busan was a completely different experience, but also so similar. I missed the famous lantern festival by a few days, and also never got to do some of the beautiful coastal walks because of the weather… Let’s be honest though, like I need more of an excuse to return; the Korean BBQ alone does it for me.

 I’m proud to say that Kohei and I didn’t want to kill each other either! It won’t be long Busan, and maybe I’ll squeeze in a trip to Jeju too. Although I do need a Korean skin care intervention, it’s getting out of hand.

Taiko Festival time!

Back in October, I briefly mentioned how I’d just started taiko drumming with Chloe and Kim. Our group actually dances Eisa (エイサー) which is the traditional performing art originating from Okinawa. There a three types of drums; odaiko (the big one I play), and two smaller handheld ones, shimedaiko and paranku. 

I’ll admit, after weeks of practicing our posture and form, the basic foot work and the correct arm placements for hitting the drum, I felt like a big girl when I got handed a drum and told to put it on. Needless to say I felt like I had a temperamental child strapped to me that neither did what I wanted, knocked me off balance and threw itself in the opposite direction.

Fast forward to almost 6 months later, having just performed for the first time at the Ryukyukoku Matsuri in Oita. Don’t get me wrong, I was nervous as anything, especially since they’d decided to change the formations 3 times in the week leading up to the performance. 

Extra pressure was added when they announced how the Kumamoto team had three ALT’S; like I needed more eyes staring at me and my glowing whiteness.

That was an ongoing theme of the day though, since being the only foreigner does make you stick out. However the children whispering “gaikokujin”, seeing me smile, asking me if I understood and freaking out when I replied were actually pretty cute.

Despite the killer early morning meeting at 4:30am, the entire day was something I’m so glad I got to experience. Especially since now the younger members of the group have warmed to us, rather than staring at us petrified like they once did. We only performed one song being the novices we are, but we’re being taught more routines as the weeks go on, so maybe next time we’ll get to show off our skills a little more. 

I’ll admit that despite feeling like a pretty cool Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle all day, I’ve never been happier than when I could finally take my tabi off (which I’d been taped into might I add). Cankles don’t exist in Japan, that’s something I’ve had to come to terms with.