We woke up at 4 am to get ready. We all met in the lobby and made our way to the train stations. We had to exchange our rail vouchers for actual rail passes. The rail and subway system is kind of hard to understand but I think I'll get used to it once we start using it more.
I was talking with my mother on who we are exactly meeting today. I am meeting my grandma's youngest brother in Iwakuni.
In Hiroshima I am meeting my grandpa's side of the family. Most of them are in there 80's and 90's. I will probably never see them again. My grandma's brothers son (Kazuo) came to meet us at the train station in Iwakuni. Hitoshi and Hisako also came to meet us but they came from Kyushu (6 hour drive to where we were), Hiroshi is Kazuo's brother and Hisako is his wife. They came to meet us at the Iwakuni train station. We went to the hotel after that and dropped off some luggage. When we were all set we went across the street to the Kintai bridge and Iwakuni Castle. There we saw some Japanese tv show filming. In Iwakuni castle I thought it would have been more castle like but it was more like a museum dispalying swords, armor, and other various weapons. The castle also had historical pictures of the site and pictures of famous bridges and castles all around Japan. When we came back down we went to a temple and went to the white snake exhibit. The white snake is only found near Iwakuni and is endangered. We got ice cream after and said our goodbyes where me and my mom would spend the afternoon with Kazuo at my uncles house.
My grandma's youngest brother Shizuo lives near Iwakuni and is over 90 years old. He still farms and grows all kinds of vegetables. He knew we were coming and he saved us a bunch of strawberries to pick. We also picked daikon and we saw that he grew green onions and various other plants. Shizuo also showed us where he used to work as a tailor in his younger years as a profession. After we were done taking a tour of the garden and house we went to the ancestral graves where my great uncles and aunties were buried. Kazuo showed us the monument where they were buried at. Their urns and ashes were underneath it. We said our hi's and goodbyes to them and headed to Kazuo's house where his son in eighth grade greeted us. After that we came back to Shizuo's house and me and Kazuo left to go pick up his oldest son from the train station. I only had met him once over 15+ years ago when he came to Hawaii and came over to play once. He's now in college and goes to Hiroshima University.
We came back to the house and talked until it was time to return back to the hotel. At night we had a full 8+ course Japanese meal with a Geisha performing. It was one of the best meals so far. After eating I went to take some night time pictures by the bridge with Eric while the parents went to the onsen. Near Kintai bridge was really cold!
The group with our tickets onto Kintai bridge and Iwakuni Castle. L to R Ronald, Eric, JoAnn, Roy, Jere, Caryn, Ryan
Looking towards the mountains on Kintai Bridge.
Sakura was almost in full bloom across the bridge. There was a sign on this tree indicating it was over a 100 years old!
The group finding their way to Iwakuni Castle.
We took a rope way car up to Iwakuni Castle. We saw a well where the samurai used to get their water and we had to hike a few stairs to get to the castle.
We saw some villains in a tv show they were filming just below the castle.
Inside Iwakuni Castle they had weapons armor and pictures of old Japan.
The view from the top of Iwakuni Castle. You can see the hotel across the river on the left side and Kintai Bridge near the middle of the picture.
Iwakuni Castle
The white snake exhibit. These snakes are only found in and around Iwakuni and no where else in the world
Along a bridge in Kikko Park in Iwakuni
You are able to buy carp food for 100 yen to feed the Koi in the water.
My mom and I at a Jinja in Kikko park
Today was a picture perfect day with blue skies and Sakura.
The group eating ice cream. I ate a regular chocolate ice cream while Eric had Habanero flavored one. The ice cream shop at over 50 different flavors!
My Aunty Hisako, Uncle Shizuo and my mom picking strawberries in my Uncles garden.
My uncles also grows green onions also known as negi in Japanese.
Aunty pulled some fresh daikon out of the ground.
We all exchanged gifts and at castella cake. Here is my mom and her cousin Kazuo.
Masanori and I sharing some stories and strawberries.
One group family picture before I leave.
Dinner, at the hotel we had a full on Japanese dinner with different kinds of food.
A geisha performed a song and danced for us during dinner.
We all had to dress in Yukata, we also asked the geisha to take a picture with our group.
Kintai bridge at night surrounded by Sakura
Sakura near the Kintai bridge
Some light painting near Kintai bridge
Futons in the hotel. Probably one of the best nights I've slept in Japan.
Iwakuni was one of my favorite places to visit in Japan. It wasn't crowded with buildings like the cities are in Japan. There is actual space to walk around and actually have a personal bubble. Kintai bridge is one of the coolest bridges I've seen. Supposedly it doesn't have a single nail in the bridge and is all man made! Iwakuni castle was cool to see but the shooting of an episode for tv was really distracting. I also thought Iwakuni castle would have been more preserved as a castle than a museum. The night time shots of Kintai bridge were the best night time shots I took for the whole trip so don't expect too much shots during the night in my upcoming blog posts.
A little background on the family side of the trip. I never really knew my grandma that well. But finally visiting my uncles house where my grandmother is from was very good. I feel that I know a little more of my family now that I never knew before. If you are fortunate enough to travel and go to Japan to see your relatives or even anywhere else in the world be thankful for that. Some people aren't that fortunate to travel. I am so thankful that I got to meet them before they passed away. I hope to stay in touch with my family more in Japan now that I actually met them in person and I really hope to one day go back to Iwakuni.
Stay tuned for more!
-Ryanschang
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