I am back from Japan. It has been a great trip, but I am really ready to be home. This is the longest I have been away from the girls ever.

Japan is the motherland of crafting. There is such attention to detail in everything.

We spent the last two days in Kyoto. Our sister-in-law Masae arranged a traditional Japanese hotel. We ate dinner in the room on the floor-Japanese style.

Kyoto was very interesting. Many more foreigners there. I think since so much of the old areas are preserved, and with all the books and movies about Geishas in the past few years it is more of a tourist hot spot.

We got to see the Kyoto O-bon festival (see the Wikipedia article …they have a better picture). The symbol here is for big. They light these in torches on the surrounding mountain sides. This is to say goodbye to all the spirits of the ancestors that visit this week.

Masae arranged for a taxi-tour guide on Friday. He spoke great English and was quite a hoot. He asked where we wanted to go-we gave the polite Japanese answer-”wherever you think is best”. This is a big tip if you travel there-you have no opinion and learn to go with the flow. Also, be prepared for raw squid for breakfast. Not a fiber oriented cuisine.

So he drove us quickly by the Gion (Geisha area) and seemed to hint that this was a tourist spot. We spent the rest of the day visiting temples.

(Mee looking tired holding a fish-head)

I tried lots of new stuff. I used a traditional Japanese toilet…I know TMI. I ate things with eyeballs still in them. I got to see a Keirin bike race. I went to the fabric district. I got whispered about in foreign tongues.

Keirin Race-notice the color coordination of the uniforms!

 

Oh, here’s some of the traditional fabric:

There is an entire area of fabric shops. Most were closed due to O-bon, but each had a specialty. Imagine if you will, one store for knit fabrics, one for quilting, one for suits, one of quilted fabric for children’s jackets. IT went on and on-just as well they were mostly closed…it would have been hard to get me out of there.

I’ll post some more pictures in the next few days. I got several Japanese sewing books and some yarn that is already half a sweater. That’s the other great thing about international travel…lots of knitting time.

 

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Categories:   Family, Crafting, Travel.
Posted:   Tuesday, August 21st, 2007 at 11:56 am