Okayama, Takebe, Typhoons and Trains and more random festivals

Last of the Storm

Ah, back at home once more from a long weekend trip to Okayama Prefecture, west of Kobe and Osaka.

I headed down by shinkansen for a 3ish hour ride to Okayama city where I was picked up by some friends that live in Osaka. Off we drove into the hills and ended up at a wonderful villa and ryokan with an onsen spa.

We were racing against time trying to beat the literal oncoming storm, as Japan was hit with the "biggest typhoon on record (since 1951 when they started)" starting with Okinawa on Friday afternoon. The worst of it seemed to pass us by, and the central part of the storm itself, judging from the satellite maps, just grazed the Pacific edge of the Nippon island chain. This, combined with the mountain shelter left us with a rather unimpressed view of the whole thing. It certainly rained heavily and for a long time, but the super strong winds seemed to miss us completely. And while the river the villa was close to certainly did swell, it didn't overflow and there was no flooding in our area at all.

Pagoda in the Fields

Sunday we trekked closer to Okayama city and rented some bikes and took a little bike tour through a set bike path weaving in between rice paddies and temples to reach a spectacular wooden pagoda overlooking the fields. In my incredible wisdom I failed to pack sunscreen or even sun glasses not expecting there to be perfectly blue skies following the typhoon's passing. So, I have a very nice red glow; sunburn on my arms and face. Thankfully not too painful, lets hope it stays that way.

I was going to take a whirl-wind tour of the garden and castle in Okayama city today before returning, but the beautiful weather from Sunday didn't last and it was alternating between pouring and spitting. So after taking the bumpy, 45 minute train from Takebe to the shinkansen station, I wandered around to see if I could find a coin locker that wasn't already full. Alas, to no avail. At that point I figured that with the sunburn being irritating, lugging around a suitcase and the rain, maybe I should just hop on the next shinkansen back to Tokyo. So I did.

After being back a couple of hours, just heading out to the store to grab something to have for breakfast tomorrow, I run into one of my flat-mates gathering everyone to head just up the street to the Yutenji temple and shrine as there's a festival going on today.

Flocks of young girls in kimono (for what reason, I don't know yet ... wikipedia or google might help me out here ...) giggling and carrying on, circulating through masses of other people enjoying lots of festival food like tako-yaki, okonomiyaki, yakitori, and wow, so much junk food and booze! It was quite a sight. in the centre of it all a stage with dancers and drumers with more dancers dancing in literal circles around it all. So  much excitement, running children high on candy floss and bonking each other with inflatable hammers. So many smiles, so much laughter and just joy at being alive and there at that moment.