Okay, in this case the ajisai (hydrangea). Each month has it's own flower. The ajisai viewing season is in June which coincides with the rainy season. This particular sunny spot is at the top of the stairs at Jojuin temple, Inamuragasaki in Kamakura-shi. Hundreds of people visit the temple to see the thousands of ajisai along the hillside. Traffic is snarled all along the beach towns so the best way to travel is via train/bus/foot. I've lived here for over 3 years now and as a pseudo-local, I avoid driving on summer weekends as much as possible to avoid the Japanese tourists with their cameras and tour leaders. (Yes, Virginia, even in Japan, the quintessential camera-toting Japanese tourist exists!)2. Visit the izakaya after a long day at work, sometimes followed by karaoke: Izakayas are Japanese restaurants that serve drinks as well as fairly inexpensive food. Since Japanese homes tend to run on the small side, large parties (say 10 or more people) tend to gather in nearby izakayas. Good, cheap food is counterbalanced by the oft-expensive alcholic beverage of choice (a nama-biru or draft beer can run you about 600 yen or more around here... more in Tokyo). Karaoke afterwards (with more alcoholic beverages and beer munchies) can also follow. For an idea of what this is like, watch Bill Murray in "Lost in Translation". Some karaoke establishments are just like in the movie (pay a flat fee per person for a set amount of time in a private room and order off the drink/food menu as desired). Others are high-tech karaoke DVD machines attached to a TV set up in a local bar.
My personal favorite is Casablanca in Yokosuka City. It's tucked into a corner and is owned by Charlie, a local dude who has a voice like an angel. Casablanca fits about a dozen people, max... get there early and don't mind the second-hand smoke! PS: If you're younger than 30, you may feel out of place when you first enter. Just grab the mike and sing your heart out...you'll fit right in!
3. Watch hanabi (literally "fireflowers" or fireworks) Okay, last year, we watched no less than 3 hanabi shows in the month of August. Some Japanese apparently make a sport of it, which is easy to do since there's a show somewhere in Japan nearly every night in August. For Westerners from North America, a Japanese hanabi show is not to be missed. They last about 45 to 60 minutes and the ENTIRE show is the equivalent in "bang" as the finale or last few minutes of the biggest fireworks show in the U.S. SERIOUSLY. The Japanese take everything they do seriously...including their hanabi.
4. Visit temples and shrines Since this is a country rich in culture and tradition, visiting temples and shrines should come as no surprise to any visitor who's read a guidebook on Japan. As a Westerner living here in Japan, I've grown accustomed to the many national holidays throughout the year, mainly because it means the following:
- traffic in/around temples and shrines will increase, especially around Golden Week (May) and the New Year holiday
- trash pickup may be affected, especially around Golden Week and New Year
- our local neighborhood restaurants will be crowded so we either eat at home or order take out (non-Kamakurans love one of our favorite eateries, San Go Sho...it's a famous Japanese curry house, made famous by the surfer community). Sorry, these links are in Japanese (the 2nd one shows the exterior of the restaurant), but I plan to list favorite Kamakura area restaurants and cafes in a future blog, with directions too!
- local businesses may be closed
5. Give gifts It could be fruit or flowers from the backyard or omiyage (souvenirs) from their latest trip abroad, but it's guaranteed to be beautifully wrapped and presented. Warning: don't delay in reciprocating with a gift of equivalent meaning/value but do not outdo the other person...you may end up in a gift-giving frenzy.
This list is by no means inclusive (or exclusive for that matter)... there is so much to list! These are just the first few to come immediately to mind.
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