10 Days Japan with U3A - Toyozo Arakawa Museum, Gifu World Rose Garden, Hayashi Brewery, Kani, Kakamigahara-shi

 Sunday 7 April 2024

First trip of the day was a visit to the Toyozo Arakawa Museum. Toyozo was a famous ceramic potter.  He is remembered as the "Living National Treasure of Shino and Setoguro (Black Seto), Mino ware".

The trip to the museum was followed by a trip to the Gifu World Rose Garden.  No roses to be seen this early in spring, but the tulips and daffodils were out.  We visited the Musee de Fleur, this was about perfumes and rose oils; the Morrocan Garden; the Tulips; and the Natural Garden.

We had a lovely lunch at the garden's restaurant and I found my favourite green tea ice cream!

Last stop of the day with our tour group was at the Hayashi Brewery, where the famous sake is produced. 

We started with a brief tour and finished with a taste of sake, followed by a cup of cold green tea.  The last was very welcome, because sake will probably not become my favourite drink of choice.  Not bad, but it doesn't have my preference.

The big brown sphere hanging near the entrance is a ball of cedar leaves.  It's hung up there to let everyone know that the sake is ready.

Our Kani City Council guides then took us to the town hall park next to the river for a photo shoot of the beautiful flowering trees.  We're so lucky because we've been told the cherry blossom had only just begun when we arrived, and in some places, the flowering finishes in just four days!

The weather, by the way, was extremely pleasant after the first rather dull, overcast days and rain.  The sun was out, and the temperature went up to 24 deg. 

Kevin and I gave the guides and driver of our bus some little gifts, as it's a very important gesture in Japan, and then we said goodbye for the day after drop-off at the hotel.

At the hotel we had a short time for a rest and then Rika and her niece arrived to pick us up.  They took us to Kakamigahara, close to Gifu City, where they live, to a cherry blossom festival.  Our group had been the night before and had to make the rather long walk to the train station (and back), whereas we had the luxury of being driven! 😊

There were stalls along the river with all kinds of food, and a few stalls like you often see at the country fairs.  We had a few things to nibble on, like, e.g. something in the shape of a fish which was filled with sweet beans, some crunchy chicken, like we had for lunch the other day, and later in the park we ate something shaped in the form of a ball with octopus in the centre.  Don't ask me for any names! 😊

We had a walk along a kind of boardwalk in the river, especially erected for the fair, and after that, Rika's parents arrived to meet us.  It was a bit of an emotional meeting for them and Kevin because they hadn't seen each other since Rika stayed with Heather and Kevin as an exchange student in 1988.  I was glad I had the chance to finally meet them too.

They left, leaving some gifts for us behind, and after a cup of coffee and a (green tea ice cream!) from a nearby supermarket, we went back to the hotel where we took leave of Rika.

Note: Coffee from a supermarket is not unusual here as they have the best coffee Rika told us.

Uploading the photos is a bit of a hit and miss.  Sometimes they are just out of order.  Nothing I can do about it...