Mishima Things to Do

There is a slow moving river that has the clearest water I have ever seen moseying down through the center of the city. The walk is like a controlled rock jumping mission that you would do on a babbling brook through the mountains. The runoff is from Mt. Fuji being that Mishima sits in the wake of its Volcanic meltdown down in the valley. When arriving theres usually kids there looking for frogs or butterflies, and the scene is so serene and peaceful. It seems the people are there completely appreciating what the earth is giving them.

If you ever wondered what the explosion of Fuji left behind here it is. This is the hole in the top. I would look like a speck of sand in there, so this thing is huge. If you look closely you will see a little building on the far left on top that hill there. There was this group of scientist hanging out there that I gues was from there. It was middle of august but still like 35 degrees or lower at the top. Thats fahrenheit. Why does America use a whole nother way of measuring everything? I can't even understand celcius.

CHECK THE MT.FUJI TRAVELOGUE FOR AN IN DEPTH WRITE UP ABOUT THIS EXPERIENCE!

Surreal.....just a bit. All families throughout the community are given a fully decorated paper fold out latern from their local shrine. The hexagonal latern has a metal landing in the center to mount a candle. Obon is a holiday that lasts for three days in which the spirits of deceased family members come back for a visit. Obon calendar designation falls on ................ At the end of the three day period families line up by the river in the center of town, light their candle, mount it, hand off the latern to the monks, feet submerged in the water. The monk carefully lays the latern on waters surface and families watch their ancestors spirits head the way of the river. Totally amazing, and all the whille theres a group of monks standing shoreside bellowing chants. Another world!

Go to the JAPAN page for more talk about Holidays and Tradition....coming soon.

If your looking to not see other english speakers and see rich culture get to this four day sumer festival. Usually falls in mid August. Get to see girls wearing the most colorful yukatas while walking around in crazy chaotic scenery. It takes place in the center of town and at the shrine. The shrine is beautiful in unto itself being that it is a couple thousand years old, and quite a large complex. So unlike Tokyo.

CHECK OUT THE MISHIMA MATSURI TRAVELOGUE FOR MORE FLICKS FROM THIS EVENT!

Just walking around the quiet downtown district of Mishima City will reward you with many scenes intermixing old and new. Facades falling into decay highlighted with newly painted exteriors help the colorful street life of Mishima. If in town make it a point to stroll around aimlessly to catch your own little scene to remenisce about later.

Funny story......

I'm at our house in Japan, Yuki is in the shower, its just the two of us. I hang shirtless regulary and today was no exception.

"DING DONG" the door bell rings.

I swing the door open to find a monk before me. His face spells out a suprised look as I spill forward the same. We study each other for a breif second, he makes a grunt sound and pushes past me. His robe grazes my arm hair sending tori hara (chicken skin, our equivalent to Goose Bumps) covering my epidermis, on this humid semi-tropical day. He contines quickly removing his two toed foot pieces and darting into the tatami room (traditional Japanese room, you know with the screens and all). Shortly I hear moans and groans arising with taps and rings of bells. With utter confusion and fright I run to the bathroom, rip the door open and notify Yuki of the wild bandit monk.

"Its fine Johnny, he comes every year during Obon to bless the shrine in the Tatami room."

"Oh..."

Susono is real small town living in Japan. Once again I'm the only white man in sight, thats great. Our home falls into Mishima and Susono but more apart of Mishima. Susono is littered with Temples and home that a re still barely standing. Its also a place with normal everyday living needs, in that they have huge American sized supermarkets, this can be good and bad.

I just neede this here being that it is my favorite photo from my excursion. This kind of explains the angle of the earth there.

CHECK OUT THE MT.FUJI TRAVELOGUE FOR AN IN DEPTH WRITE UP OF THIS EXPERIENCE!