(for title context, "tuende" means "let's go!" in Swahili, and I've been in an alliteration sort of a mood)
5.17.23
It is HOT in Topeka today…well, Yakage, not Topeka. I just wanted to dish out my inner Blue from Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends. But, only mid-May and it’s 86' F!? Wooo-whee
Today we continue the saga of Golden Week, 2023 edition. This time in…Toyama!!!
Toyama is on the westcoast of Japan’s central region. If speaking in my geographical terms, it is right at the bend of the Sea Horse's spine. But since this is also one of Japan’s less-blitzed up prefectures, there was no direct shinkansen going from Okayama to Toyama. This meant committing to a 5-hour sojourn across local lines and hopping from place to place (Yakage to Kiyone! Kiyone to Okayama! Okayama to Osaka! Osaka to Kanazawa! Kanazawa to Takaoka! Batta bang boom!) Not the easiest commute, though one of the more beautiful ones, as I got to see many folk planting their rice fields from my shinkansen window.
But why go all this way to Toyama?
Yes, they do have incredible seafood (they are known for their rare firefly-squids ホタルイカ, white-shrimps 白エビ, and super fancy seabreams のどぐろ) and yes, they are famous for boasting what’s known as Japan’s Alps; however, I went across Japan to meet my great-aunt Chieko and her husband, Takashi-san. And despite the lack of energy that may tag being 83, great-aunt Chieko-san, my grandmother’s younger sister by two years, was so generous and kind in her hospitality. She went so far as to make my futon super layered (imagine princess and the pea…literally 5 different mats including a full on wooden board) because she thought my bed-cultured-American-self wouldn’t be as comfortable sleeping in a regular futon.
The visit was simple. Prepping meals, cleaning after meals, watching TV, driving in the car, going to the supermarket, looking through old pictures, and me going on lone walks while the two snoozed off for their mid-day naps.
But I couldn’t have asked for anything more.
In fact, this trip plants itself far deeper in myself than any other I have taken so far. Visiting Toyama and getting to know my great aunt and uncle gave me the chance to broaden my horizon over my Japaneseness. I feel like I can claim a history since thanks to Chieko-obachan, I now know the names, the order, the whereabouts, of my grandmother’s family, who were always so unknown and distant from me. This trip also allowed for me to fill Chieko-obachan on my grandmother’s status, which had been a mystery for her these last few years. Hearing her talk about losing her monthly calls with my grandmother brought me to Koh. I can’t begin to imagine how sad I’d be if I couldn’t figure out a way to reach her, so it was being able to recreate the connection between these sisters.
On my way back home, I made a split-second decision to stay in Kanazawa for a few hours…and my oh my! What a charming little city! And within the heart of said charming little city was yet another masterful art museum waiting for me to experience. The Kanazawa 21st Century Museum of Art, designed by none other than SANAA, was like a playground for all–between, among, through, across glass separations, lil humans, medium humans, big humans, all humans alike could, and were, exploring the visibility and creativity of themselves being a piece of the museum. Its fully transparent cylinder-self, with all parts but a few inner cubes free to any and every curious persons, made it a heaven to see and be seen, to be ones own and a part of the whole, to study and play, all at the same time. Though I could rave about this creative space for a century, I will just resort to visual representations of not just this museum, but of all my three days in central Japan. So, without further ado…
