Last weekend I was invited to my colleague's summerhouse in Nasu, Tochigi. Having lived for almost 6 month in a city with a larger population than that of my home country, I have really starting to long for a chancge of scenery. Tokyo is a wonderful place, and there's so much to do, but I miss quiet places.
I went there with my colleague, the other interns and three of my friends from Denmark.
This is Katori Senko, an old-fashioned mosquito repelling incense. It's smell is usually describes as "the scent of summer" by my Japanese friends, and brings about great nostalgia. There where tons of bugs, so we had a lot of katori senko burning around the house.
Beer in cute glasses.
Delicious plums for dessert.
Candles and beer.
The summer house.
Breakfast outside. Usually you can't eat out now, because it's too hot.
Tsuchiya-san, our amazing host and driver.
Rune is looking at a river.
On Saturday we went to the old trade station Ôuchi-Juku, Fukushima. It would be a lie if I wrote that there wasn't some anxiety in our little group, but Tsuchiya-san reassured us that we were still outside the 80 km safety zone advised by our government, so we manned-up and went. And I'm so happy we did. I have seen myself as somewhat calm after the earthquake, but I must admit that my image of Fukushima was one of death and destruction. What we met in Fukushima, was a charming old town and a lot of really kind, but somewhat economically pressured, people.
Sunglasses and smiling faces.
The adorable village of Ôuchi-juku.
Most of the houses had shops selling traditional crafts, foods and souvenirs outside.
The houses where so pretty.
Many houses had small gardens, growing vegetables.
Ramune, kept cold in a small stream. Very traditional, very Japanese.
I loved the mountains surrounding the village.
Pernille looking out from the first floor of an old inn.
The old Japanese buildings are nice and cool. If they weren't so flammable, I'd love to live in one. At least during the summer.
The fireplace. They keep the fire going to smoke the thatched roof in order to preserve it and keep insects out.
A pretty tea pot.
Rune.
More houses and flowers.
A Torii.
A small stream behind the main street. And power cables.
Buddha.
All travellers going to Aizu would take these stairs. It was a important route in the Edo era, and daimyou would travel to Edo using this route.
Synne.
A samurai helmet.
Lacquerware.
Synne bought some adorable stuffed toy vegetables.
Pernille had to eat her soba using welsh onion. It went pretty well.
That's pickled ginseng in the background.
After lunch Tsuchiya-san bought us ice-cream! Nønne had Japanese plum. Mmm!
I had sesame! Yummm!!
Pernille and Nønne.
One shop had honey with huge bees in it.
HUGE bees.
Fascinating stuff.
A family relaxing at the veranda.
Fukushima is gorgeous.
Fascinerende og hyggelig tur!
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