Our Time in Fukuyama

Noh Theater:
We did a lot in a very short amount of time! The first thing we did upon arriving was go to the Noh theater to learn from our teacher about the history, stories, and art form behind Noh theater. Through her explanation, we learned that this form is very complex and multi-layered, with over 200 different kinds of masks that all express different emotions and deep meanings. After she showed us the masks, let us try them on, and let us use the shoulder drum (kotsuzumi), she and her brother performed a scene for us. When they had finished, it was our turn. We went backstage and were dressed in traditional Kimonos and were taught the very specialized movements.

The Castle, the Shrine, and the Temple!

The castle, the castle, let’s go to the castle! The castle’s closed… Well, let’s explore around outside the castle! 
It was beautiful. Even though we didn’t get to go in on the first day (we made a second visit later), it was stunning from the outside. I loved the structure and the shape of the building. Inside was a museum, but evidently, museums are closed on Mondays… whoops. Outside we enjoyed the gardens, the views, and any shade we could find!

On to the Shrine! Again, I was amazed by the architecture of these buildings. They were absolutely stunning and I could have stayed there for hours, just taking it all in. We learned the proper way to enter a shrine and how to say a prayer. Before you enter, there is a small fountain with wooden spoons in the front. Grab a spoon with your right hand, fill it with water, and pour some into your left hand to clean. Switch hands to clean your right, switch hands again, pour into your left hand and clean your mouth. Pour any remaining water down the spoon and clean the handle; now you are ready to enter. To say a prayer, you pull on a rope to ring the gong, toss a five cent piece into the designated vessel, and say your prayer. (In some places, you clap at the end instead of ringing a gong in the beginning.) With a short amount of time and lots to see, we were swept away to our next location.

To the Temple! The view was incredible and the inside was filled with artifacts and trinkets. We spent some time here looking around and I asked one of the Japanese students to help me read some of the writings so I could better understand.

Calligraphy:

After lunch, we had visited a master calligrapher in his home. He graciously welcomed us in and showed us some beautiful pieces that he had made. He brought us to his studio, showed us how to make the ink using water, a sumi stone and a suzuri inkstone, and then he wrote some calligraphy for us to see. After watching and asking questions, he brought us to his company (he also happens to have a big shoe company in Japan), and we were able to make ink for ourselves, practice, and walk away with a final piece of our own!

Back to the castle! And to a traditional Tea house!

We traveled back to the castle and finally got to see the inside of the museum. We also walked around a traditional tea house with beautiful tatami mats. Although, watch your head, the door frames are much lower… my forehead figured that out..

Koto (Japanese Harp)

On our last day in Fukuyama, we learned how to play the koto. We dressed up in Kimonos, to feel more authentic, and we learned how to play the basic version of “Sakura” (Cherry Blossom). The harp sounded beautiful, and we all played the song together and threw in some accompany pieces to go along with the main melody.