Jap Blog 3rd August 1996

We stayed up until nearly 1 am last night talking to Mr Soichiro Hasegawa. He is a sculptor, usually with wood. After breakfast, egg tofu [author’s note – one of the other most disgusting things to be faced with at any time of the day], he took us around to the businesses of some friends. They were all wood carvers. Some marvellous work (and more). Also visited an art gallery that where he had organised an exhibition of some dead guy’s work. We saved 300 Yen on the entrance fee. Up to a Buddhist temple where Hasegawa san refused to pay the entrance fee, on principal. Another 300 Yen saved. Drove up to a park that had wood carvings from Denmark, NZ, Russia, Colombia and Inami. Went to a wood carving gallery and he saved us another 500 Yen entrance fee [author’s note – a good person to know!]. Some of the rama(n), which go above the doors in a traditional house, cost 3 000 000 Yen! They can take 2-3 months to finish and I can believe it. Hasegawa san is in charge of the Inami International Wood Sculpting Competition, or some such.

Photos - Turtle and Snake, Dragon, Dragon 2

Caught the bus back to Toyama after lunch and saw “The Great Buddha” – one of many, and inside the temple. The streets were all dollied up for some festival too, and again. On our train journey we had five kids from Seinanbu Junior High School want to talk to us in English. The leader of this bunch had been to Houston for one year. His English was crap and Wayne admonished him for this. A guy at a remote train station jumped across the tracks to ask us if we wanted his train. How polite.

Arrived in Higashi-Maizuru and found a hotel for 5700 Yen/night and got the clerk to knock it down to 10000 Yen for the two of us to share. It was only a single room and he didn’t want to let it out to two people, of the same sex. My, my – what must have been going through his mind. I paid the difference as I slept on the floor. Found out that I left my toiletries bag at Hasegawa’s place.

- posted by Hammy @ 8:19 am