Today we move from Zao to Shiroishi, these two places are actually next to each other. The weather of today is quite bad; it was raining heavily. Luckily for me, I concentrate a lot on in-door activities.
碧水園-Place for Orthodox Japanese Tea Culture
The Japanese tea culture is famous all over the world. Most people are “frightened” by its complicated process, but I am totally attracted by its etiquette and courtesy. The Hekisuien (碧水園) is such a place of culture and tradition, where people meditate and enjoy Japanese tea .
Hekisuien is not only for its tea culture lessons, but also famous for the twice-in-a-year traditional Japanese Opera.
The Tea culture is normally associated with pottery; those two elements are the two fundamental part of Zen Buddhism. Thus where there is tea, there is nice-looking pottery.
The essential of Japanese tea culture does not lie in the tea itself, rather, it lies in the environment in which you drink tea.
Hekisuien’s tea house is a very traditional Japanese-style architecture, with a delicate courtyard outside and a cozy comfortable room of minimalism.
Sunlight, changing season of the outside view usually gives people different inner feelings when drinking tea.
The address of 碧水園 is as follows.
藏王キツネ村-A Open Zoo with Healing Powers
The Zao Fix Village is located in the mountains near Shiroishi, which is filled with over 100 animals and 6 different types of foxes. The fox village is a must-see tourist site in Zao, South Miyagi.
When I entered and paid the admission fee of 1000 yen,and another 100 yen for the food for the foxes.
The fox village is very different from the petting zoo, in that the foxes are kept neither in cages nor with a colloar and leash. Instead, they are set free in the whole “village” area, therefore, they are to some extent “wild”.
This area is open, and the foxes can freely walk around the entire area.Surrounded by lots of trees and bushes, I feel like I am actually out in the wilderness. Most of the foxes are out in the snow, and they are of different colors and shape.
Some foxes jumped at me with curiosity, and others run away. Apparently they have got use to the cozy environment around them, even the temperature is below zero in the winter.
My trip to Fox Village was extremely fun and pleasurable. I have been to so many countries and zoos, but this experience is absolutely different and memorable.
The address of is as follows. If you like cute little animals as much as I do, then be their, and spoil the fox you like most.
麦の季-Champion’s Noodle’s Restaurant with Stories
Muginoki Udon Restaurant (麦の季)’s owner, Okumura Akira used to be a cyclist for 32 years before he opens his udon restaurant in Shiroishi.
“I ride a bicycle all over the country, and when I tasted the Udon noodle in South Japan, I decide that one day I will have a Udon Restaurant of my own.” Mr. Okumura said with proud.
Normally, the Udon is made by machines in most of the Udon restaurants in Japan, but Mr. Okumura insist to make the Udon by hand, which takes up to 5 hours each day and he has to repeat the same process over and over for 5 times.
The environment of Muginoki Udon is really nice, customers can literally enjoy sun-bathing while having delicious Udon.
The address of Muginoki Udon Restaurant is as follows.
こけし村-Birth Place of Kokeshi Wooden Dolls
Kokeshi village is an art gallery of Kokeshi Wooden dolls, and you can enjoy painting Kokeshi by yourself. I made a doll that I am proud of today and I enjoyed the process very much.
The Kokeshi Wooden Dolls are very famous in Japan, and it is hand-made by folklore artists with different background and life stories.
The basic order when painting patterns on Kokeshi doll is as follows. Usually the eyebrows are painted first, followed by the eyes. Then the nose and mouth is painted, as well as the side locks. This is just the basic order of painting Kokeshi doll, but it may vary from people to people.
There are all kinds of Kokeshi Doll in Kokeshi village, some of them are modern, some of them are traditional.
The Kokeshi Dolls made by experts are colorful and highly skillful.
Some of the dolls are made in couples.
Different woods and different painting materials result in different outcomes of the doll.
The address of Kokeshi village is as follows.
