Ollie diary day2

"May the 16th

The day begins with the cleaning of the guest house, which, in my opinion, is not so much work as the chance to take care of a house built some eighty years ago in the historic style of the Edo period. By cleaning the tatami mats, airing the rooms by opening the sliding wooden shutters, and setting up the futons, household activities become more pleasant here because they are a source of constant discovery and amazement.

Sweeping with a japanese broom in geta げた without falling can definitely be considered a baptism of fire for Japanese housework!

Ryota-san then took me to Katsuyama, a part of Maniwa that has preserved its historic main street, made up of houses from the Edo period, giving me a leap back in time that was all the more impressive that the streets were empty at this time of year. After eating at the Nostalgic Café, I set off on my own to explore the narrow streets.

I spent a long time in the house-museum of a former samurai of the Miura clan, now preserved as a relic of what life might have been like in those days. Once again, in complete solitude, I had the chance to contemplate all the parts of the house, to see the different woods used, and the beauty of the way the rooms are arranged together, typical of Japanese architecture, which, welcoming and open, has no immovable stone walls, but sliding doors that open onto nature and invite the inhabitant to commune with everything around them. I was able to sit for a moment on the tatami mats facing the とこのま decorated with fresh flowers in a vase.

Also this is a beautiful kimono detail I saw in the samourai house

Then I headed back up towards a large Buddhist temple, before coming back towards the main street where the wind makes the のれん (some cotton fabrics that became famous here, lying in front of every door) of shops shake. I chatted as best as I could with each nice lady on her stoop, waiting for someone to pass; one of them, incidentally, thought I was the town's new school teacher!

I bought my first 和菓子 🍡, the famous Japanese pastries, before heading off to Tsujihonten, a large sake brewery. There I tried three different sake 酒 to complete my sweety journey for the day.

three different sake at tsujihonten

the famous Japanese pastries

To make matters worse (or better), on the way back Ryota kindly offers me a たい焼き, which is also my very first.

So it's with great joy that I end this day in Katsuyama, which I love all the more because it's a town that was visited by one of the authors dear to my heart, Juinichiro Tanizaki. I'll have to come back one day to find out more about him !"