Brewing sake.

Yesterday we went on our first MWR tour.  For those not in the military world, which I imagine is most of you, MWR stands for Morale, Welfare, and Recreation.  Typically, MWR provides opportunities for military families to participate in various forms of recreation at discounted prices (ie. cheaper tickets to Disneyland).  Here in Japan they conduct multiple tours throughout the month.  The tours usually include transportation, a guide, tickets, and lodging (if needed).  As you can imagine they are incredibly popular and fill up quickly.   

The tour that we signed up for included a sake brewery tour, washi paper making, and a visit to Kawagoe.  We came so close to skipping out (after Tokyo Disney and an air festival, we were beyond exhausted), but the appeal of sake and the non-refundable tickets won out. 

Our first stop was the sake brewery where we learned about the history of sake and the process of brewing it.  Here is a little hodgepodge recap (from memory and my handout):

• Sake is made from fermented rice and is usually brewed in the winter, because it needs to be done in a cold brewery.  Craftsmen come from the northern part of Japan to brew for the season (typically 5 months).
• Unlike wine that gets it sweetness from the grape, the sweeter flavors for sake have to be added during the brewing process.  It is called “multiple parallel fermentation” where the liquefaction of the mash and the conversions of starch to sugar and sugar to alcohol occur simultaneously (clearly, that part is from memory not my handout;))  Leslie, does this bring back memories of Sam Adams?!
• We tried Seiun sake and learned that the different types of seiun have to do with the rice polishing process.   By polishing the rice, the outer part of the rice is removed, leaving only the best parts.  The more removed, the better the sake. 
• “Sake is the best medicine” is an old Japanese saying and one that I have found they take to heart!
• You must shout Kampai before drinking sake (not really, but we have found that it adds to the experience)!

And because I am sure that you stopped reading around the “multiple parallel fermentation” part, here are some pictures of the brewery.

Discovering Kamakura.

Last weekend we joined some friends for a hike in Kamakura, Japan (otherwise known as home of the Great Buddha).  But we couldn’t just go straight to the Big Man himself, we had to work for it.  The 'work'  was a 5-mile hike that started out at Kita-Kamakura station and ended at the Tsurugaoka Hachimangu shrine.

Here is our day.  I'm sorry for the long post - it was a long day!  Our friend used Japan Guide to plan the hike and I used it for all the information below.  If you are traveling to Japan, this is an incredible resource.  

Map credit (before the obnoxious orange line that I added).

Here we are - ready to hit the trail!  Shortly after taking this picture I realized that it would have been smart to bring water and snacks (something a real hiker would have clearly known)!

Our first stop was Tokeiji and Jochiji.  According to my guide book, Tokeiji used to be a women's refuge.  After serving three years as a nun at the refuge, a woman could officially be recognized as divorced.  Jochiji is the fourth most important Zen temple.

Next, we headed down the path towards Zeniarai Benten.  Here are a few stops along the way.

One of the stops was the Kuzuharagaoka Shrine.  Not only do you have beautiful views of the countryside, but you can make wishes and prayers for love or good luck, get rid of negative forces, and cleanse yourself.

Wooden hearts with the prayers and wishes of visitors.

Picture guides are always so helpful.

More prayers...

Apparently this will help you find your true love (already found mine;)).

For just a few yen, you can purchase a dish that is thrown against this rock and broken into little pieces.  The dish is the negative forces in your life and by breaking it on the rock you are overcoming these forces.  Plus it feels good to slam a little dish against a big rock (embarrassingly enough, it took me three tries to break my dish!)  

If you look closely (you have to stare at the picture for about 5 minutes), you can see Mt. Fuji.
Hint: It looks like a cloud.

 We also stopped at Genjiyama Park, where there is a statue to Minamoto Yoritomo.

When we arrived at the Zeniarai Benten Shrine we were eager to wash our money.  Evidently, if you wash your money in the shrine's spring, it will double.

I saw people doing this, so I did it.  I still don't know why.  I'm hoping it was for luck (or wealth).

Our next stop was the Great Buddha, but before we reached him, we saw the beach.

After another mile or so, we made it.  All that work was worth it.  To be in the presence of a statue that was built more than 750 years ago was incredible.  

After lunch we walked over to Tsurugaoka Hachimangi, Kamakura's most important shrine.

To cap off the day, we actually saw a wedding at the shrine.  This was the processional.  I believe that is traditional wedding attire.

So far, this has been my favorite adventure in Japan.  In just one afternoon we were able to take the train, hike the mountains, double our money, rid ourselves of negativity, and soak in hundreds of years of history.  I'd say that was quite a day!  

Until next time, love from Japan.

Here comes the sun.

I woke up this morning to the news of Boston and it broke my heart.  What should have been a celebratory day for these amazing athletes and their supporters turned into an unbelievable tragedy. 

I wrote the below post a few days ago, before Boston.  When I was not sure how to respond to the senseless violence that occurred, I kept coming back to the idea of focusing on the good.  Evil exists.  We saw that today, we saw it in Newtown, we saw it six years ago at Virginia Tech, and we see it every time that we turn on the news, but so does good and beauty and love and kindness.  And they will win.  They always do. 

My heartfelt prayers are with everyone in Boston.

Here is my original post…

Last week it rained for two straight days.  I know that this doesn’t sound like much, but it was a shock for someone who moved here from San Diego.  The sun finally broke free late one afternoon and it seemed like everyone rushed outside to take advantage of the unexpected sunlight.  I grabbed Sadie and my camera and headed out to the fields behind our house.  You know how they say that you appreciate the sun because of the rain – well that day it proved true.  I tried my best to capture the beauty of the afternoon.  

PS - That song always reminds me of Nick and Leslie's rainy wedding ceremony!