The days pass by really quickly. In a flash, it is already Sunday and the 4th week of classes in Nagoya is about to start. I came back from a 4-hour karaoke session all tired and I just crashed in bed. Yesterday, the Nanzan exchange students group went to Magome and Tsumago as part of a sightseeing trip. It was a great break from the everyday pressures of studying, and the Japanese students who came along were pretty great.
The old towns of Magome and Tsumago were preserved from the old Edo period and they served as post towns where travellers could stop by and rest for the night. I think of it like those epic Lord of the Ring journeys where the travellers have to stop by in the middle of their adventure in a quaint little outpost. The houses have a rustic wood feel to it, slightly unfurnished, unfinished, worn out – in the spirit of wabi-sabi. The cobbled pathways and sloping hills made you feel like you were transported to another age. I think though, the 3-hour bus ride had some part to play in my imagination.
The houses have a unique rustic feel to them too. This one’s a yado 宿, or a small hostel for travellers passing by. The gardens are very precisely curated, and the auburn wood makes the hostel both elegant and rugged at the same time.
Like in Kyoto, I saw gardeners in their element, one of them featured right here. He was patiently tending to a tree, and when tourists were observing his actions, he gave a few annoyed glances to the side, but went about his craft silently. I wonder what went on in his mind.
Because of its heritage value, there are plenty of souvenir shops lined up along the main road, selling a variety of wooden crafts, のれん (those curtains that you see in front of many Japanese restaurants), fans, and foods unique to the area. For Magome, it was soba. There were 5-6 brands of soba from various parts of Gifu prefecture. The two towns try ice-cream too, but it ain’t spectacular.
I particularly enjoyed the gardens that sat in front of the houses. Each one was markedly different in their design and conception, refreshing to look at.
I particularly enjoyed being able to talk to a food vendor and converse properly without stuttering too much. I got to know a bit about her shop and family. So her shop has been around for 30 years, and has famous celebrities coming to visit. She also has giant mushroom sculptures that were made from a really really long time ago. I can’t quite remember now, but she was very welcoming and gave us some 麦茶, which is barley tea, and some 漬け物, pickled food. It was perfect for the hot and slightly humid day and it was cool to experience some kind Japanese hospitality.
A very curious sight was seeing 2 seemingly stray cats around the streets and being so tame. I don’t think they were stray because one of them had a collar, but they seemed to be left on their own agenda, probably like most cats would prefer. As I crouched, one of them went up to me, and gave a good long stretch, fur spiking up, before coming by my side. I think my heart melted there haha.
At the end of the day, I’m glad to have made some new friends, one of which I had some good conversations with about graduation plans and learnt plenty of Japanese from.
I’ll end off this post with a funny Japanese translation I saw in a shop in Tsumago. They shouldn’t change a word of it hahaha.
NINJA WANDERER: Tales of Travels 