Ollie Diary day12

May the 26th

For this second Sunday of my stay, Ryota-san took me to Hiruzen, on the northern part of Maniwa.

In the morning, an event is held in Chuka district. Organised around some environmental themes and located near a nature museum, there were plenty of stalls, food, activities and musicians in the middle of the mountains and rice fields.

We started by sampling delicious grilled eel, all in the company of the town's mayor (no less) who kindly asked me a few questions about my impressions of the town.

Shortly afterwards, I had my first opportunity to catch fish with my hands. Men came and threw buckets full of fish into small basins. Families, children and I tried to catch fishes, which kept slipping and escaping.

In the end, these same men cut up the fish and we can leave with them to eat! A successful experiment.

Here, almost 45-minute drive from Yono, I enjoyed seing familiar faces from all over Maniwa: friends and acquaintances, near and far, of Ryota-san, who show the importance of these gatherings in the general life of Maniwa. It's as if you're always in your element.

We then discovered the Shiogama cold spring, reputed to be one of hundred best waters in Japan (Japan is fond of counting its 100 most beautiful natural wonders...).

At the foot of the Nakahiruzen mountain, this small icy spring produces water that I was able to taste and which is indeed very good and fresh.

We finish the tour at the Herbill, an English-style terraced garden overlooking the mountains, with fields of lavender, rose bushes and small benches. They don't call this region 'Western Japan' for nothing.

Finally, today I learnt a term that I really like: komorebi 木漏れ日, which refers, very precisely, to the light that passes through tree leaves. Ko comes from 木, the tree, more漏れ means overflowing, and bi comes from 日, the day. What could be more poetic than to have a word in one's own language for the light that flows like water between the leaves?