Hi everyone. Let me share a peek into my daily life for Voyapon readers as part of the My Japan series.
For starters, I’m Toshiko, Voyapon contributor in Spanish and English. If you’ve been reading past installments, you might’ve spotted a distinct lack of pattern due to the nature of our work. My weeks are no different in that regard, weekdays and weekends have little meaning to me, which comes with its own set of advantages and disadvantages. Ever allergic to strict routines, this lifestyle suits me most of the time, fortunately.
Monday
I wake up in the morning around 8am. I’m not a morning person at all but on days that I work from home, for the most part I try to stick to a 9am-6pm schedule to match my husband’s own work schedule. I make some green tea, fold and store the futon, and open my laptop to get to work on my desk. On days like this one, I’m also working as a culture and travel writer for another Japan-related website so I check the day’s tasks and get to work.
I have a small balcony with a lot of light next to the living room where I usually work, which I’m quite grateful for. Sometimes I like to work from a nearby café but this balcony makes “my home office” a very pleasant day. I like to keep a small set of foldable table and chairs to eat on the balcony when the weather is just right, so I make a light lunch and enjoy the sun.
After work, I meet a friend for dinner at Harukor, an Ainu izakaya that’s relatively close to my place. I had gone once out of curiosity and I liked it a lot, so I had suggested it to my friend. We catch up about each other’s life over drinks as it’s been a while, and then we call it a night.
Tuesday
Today, the day begins roughly in the same manner as yesterday. My husband goes to work and I start my day writing about the assigned topic of the day. But this evening is quite a busy one. After I finish work, I go for a walk around the neighborhood, return home and rest for a bit before doing some more work, this time writing posts for social media for an IGLOOO project, Voyapon’s parent company. After I’m done with these tasks, it’s time to get my belongings and camera equipment ready for the next day, as I’m scheduled for a coverage trip for the same IGLOOO project, which consists in creating content related to the Kanto Area for social networks. I’ve been discussing some details with Kyoko, a colleague based in Fukuoka that’s part of this project and who is also one of my main support points during this trip.
Wednesday
I start my day heading to Asakusa to film a fun experience at Ameshin, a candy shop where I’m going to learn the art of amezaiku. It’s a fascinating process that reminds me a lot of glass crafts. We’re doing a simple piece, a leaping bunny, but I’m still quite far from achieving something similar to the model. However, this is quite fun.
After the experience, I take the train to Kofu, where I have to take a walk around Maizuru Castle Park and take photos of the Castle Ruins. I’m a bit concerned about the rain forecast so I try to make haste while trying to check the best spots for shooting. Luckily, it starts raining just as I’m finished and leaving the park.
Afterwards, I pick up a rental car and drive to my accommodation at ZEN&BED, a special lodging next to a Buddhist temple with Zen meditation experiences. It’s right after sunset when I arrive and a misty atmosphere after the rain adds a mysterious touch to this remote location.
I’m greeted with a tea ceremony before enjoying a delicious dinner consisting of shojin ryori, the traditional Japanese Buddhist vegetarian cuisine. Another two guests are staying as well, so we have dinner together while having a casual chat.
After dinner, I re-check the schedule for the next day and study the information for the next spots I will have to cover.
Thursday
Morning prayer chants wake me up gently. Before breakfast, there’s a Zen meditation experience with the temple monk. It’s a nice and refreshing way to start the day, although it can be challenging to try to void my thoughts while keeping my eyelids only partially closed. Truth be told, I’m more concerned with getting the scenes properly recorded, but I try my best to follow the experience.
Breakfast takes place in a restaurant that’s right beside the temple. Just like the dinner, it’s really delicious despite being completely vegetarian. After breakfast, it’s time to continue.
The next spot turns out unexpectedly fun. Saiseki no Kura is a museum dedicated to gemstones and how they’re processed into jewellery. But I’m not there to study gemology but to experience its most popular activity, which is searching for gemstones in a sandbox for 30 minutes. The sandbox also has a variety of non-precious stones which we can also keep to craft a charm or a cute bracelet. Alas, I was hopeful for a precious stone but I still got a small citrine so at least I didn’t leave empty-handed.
I hop in my car again and head to my next spot, Suntory Tomi no Oka, a scenic winery with pretty vineyards and great views of Mount Fuji. I’m taking part in a wine cellar tour that culminates with a wine-tasting experience. However, driving means alcohol is out of the question unfortunately, but the staff kindly provided me with servings of wine anyway so I could take photos for the coverage. The wine smell provides some consolation to get an approximate idea about what it tastes like. I did get to enjoy a nice glass of grape juice though.
After the winery, I take a quick lunch break and then drive to my last coverage location for the day, which is Misogi Shrine. A very nice Shinto shrine with a large noh stage that, fortunately, was almost empty because it was a weekday, allowing me to wind down a bit while shooting. Finally, I drive to return the car and ride a train to Kobuchizawa Station to rest for the day. It’s past sunset and there are nice views from the station building.
Friday
I’ve been looking forward to this day since the beginning of the coverage trip. I’m taking the High Rail 1375 at Kobuchizawa Station, a scenic train that covers a mountainous area between Yamanashi and Nagano with an interior specially designed to sit facing its large windows to enjoy the landscape. Its name is derived from the altitude of one of the railway sections, which at 1,375 meters above the sea is the highest of all the JR lines in Japan. A JR representative is helping me today, letting me know about some key locations during the ride and speaking on my behalf when requesting photoshooting permission from the train staff.
Because of the line’s altitude, JR goes with the theme of “the train closest to the sky,” with cute whimsical space-related motifs inside and a special section with a small planetarium and bookshelves with astronomy-related books. It made me feel very nostalgic about my childhood when I dreamed of being an astronaut or maybe an astronomer. The total ride was about two hours. I wouldn’t call myself a train nerd but I do enjoy riding trains, and this one in particular was so enjoyable that make up my mind to return some other time and take the evening train so I could also participate in the ride’s stargazing session.
I come back to reality at the end of the ride and head to the car rental shop. My next location is Nunobiki Kannon, also known as Shakusonji, a very impressive Buddhist temple built on a cliff, which requires a small hike to visit. I wish I could stay longer shooting at this location but I have a schedule to follow. I share my impressions with Kyoko, who had considered to schedule also a reel for this location but eventually decided on another spot. It’s certainly a challenge trying to pick between so many interesting spots. I’m rambling all the time with her on the trip’s group chat, to keep them updated about my whereabouts but also to share the things I like along the way.
Next and last on my list for the day is Unno-juku, a post town from Edo-era Hokkoku Kaido (the traveling route between Edo and Kanazawa). It’s one of those lovely traditional old towns with well-preserved historical houses. The only drawback is how early everything closes around here. I wander around shooting and trying to spot somewhere where I could sit for a cup of coffee or tea and try to soak in the ambience when I finally spot a charming second-hand bookstore and café. Unfortunately, as I’m about to enter, I check to verify the business hours and the shop is about to close.
I asked the owner for permission to shoot inside since I was already there anyway. This sweet old man must have taken pity on my visible disappointment, as he allowed me to take photos while also telling me I could order something if I wanted, when I sheepishly asked just in case about the closing time. Needless to say, after thanking him profusely, I tried not to overstay my welcome, enjoying my coffee as quickly as I could.
As evening falls, I drive to Matsumoto to return my car and spend the night.
Saturday
The day’s coverage starts with a fun samurai experience, where I get to wear traditional clothing and practice basic kendo moves under professional guidance. It’s not my first time doing these kinds of experiences but admittedly, swinging a sword and feeling like a cool extra in a samurai movie never gets old. My English-speaking instructor is casual and engaging, throwing samurai-related jokes here and there and making references to samurai-themed movies, which is a fun and fresh contrast to other past experiences where the instructor was much more solemn.
Then again, the clock is ticking and I must continue. This experience is offered in tandem with a Matsumoto Castle tour so I make my way there and meet with a Matsumoto City Tourism representative, which will allow me to bypass the busy weekend queues for my coverage. Despite this, sometimes I have to wait at the narrow staircases, as security staff tries to control the flow of people for safety reasons, delaying me unexpectedly. I finish the castle shooting with barely enough time left to make it in time to the station, exactly 15 minutes.
I can’t afford to miss my train as the next one will not depart for another hour. During the past few minutes, the representative had been trying to book a taxi to no avail. “Welp, time to make a run for it!” is what I think to myself as I thank my companion for trying to help me while signalling I have to go. She knew about my schedule so she wished me good luck as I ran, while internally feeling grateful for the moment I decided to travel with my camera backpack instead of a small suitcase. My back is not happy about the weight but that’s the convenient choice for moments like this one. Fortunately, I made it with a minute to spare.
My destination is Obuse, a well-preserved historic town in Northern Nagano, famous for its chestnuts and for being the place where Hokusai spent his latter years thanks to the generous patronage of Takai Kozan, a local wealthy merchant who was also a painter and calligrapher. During this time, Hokusai created several stunning masterpieces, contributing to the town’s fame.
At the station, a guide with a rickshaw is waiting for me. This is my first time riding one. My guide takes me around town, talking about the town’s history, relevant spots and Hokusai’s legacy, as well as some of the most famed chestnut spots. Obuse is my guide’s hometown, so he knows everyone and while walking around town, lots of people greet him while he explains to everyone that I’m there for a travel coverage. I’m amused by the experience despite feeling a little self-conscious. Being the center of attention is definitely not for me, but it’s fun and a little heartwarming seeing my enthusiastic guide being friendly to everyone. Some of the perks of small-town living I guess.
My rickshaw guide leaves me so I can have lunch and visit the Hokusai Museum, and picks me up later to take me outside of town to Ganshoin, a Buddhist temple famous for Hokusai’s impressive painting in the main hall ceiling, titled “Phoenix Glaring in All Directions.” The temple itself is well worth a visit because of its long history and beautiful surroundings. The temple staff kindly greets me and guides me around as photos are normally not allowed inside.
After I’m done, a taxi is waiting for me outside of the temple, to take me to Obuse Station. I get to admire a pretty sunset from the station before finally making my way home to Tokyo at night.
My husband is waiting for me at Okubo Station. We have dinner near the station before going home. I tell my supporting colleagues at IGLOOO that I’ve made it safely home and thank them for their help. During these past four days, Kyoko has been looking after me and we’ve been constantly in touch with each other regarding the progress of the coverage, both for status updates or simply sharing impressions and fun tidbits, so at the end of my trip I thank her for her invaluable help.
Sunday
I have another upcoming coverage in a couple of days so I intend to work today to edit the material I’ve been shooting during the past week. I excuse myself out of some social gatherings with friends and try to get some things done.
Turns out, however, I’m so tired that a panda lying around and chewing bamboo is probably more productive than me at this point. “I probably should go out to get some fresh air anyway,” I say to myself as I give up for the time being. A mountain of writing and editing work awaits me so I may as well have a small break to eat, drink and be merry with my pals.
I’ll take care of this tomorrow.
