Matsumoto Castle

Matsumoto Castle is roughly a 3 hour drive from Tokyo.  It is the oldest five (well six but more on that later) story tenshu (keep) in Japan. 23 generations of six families called this keep home. Most of the keep was built by father and son, Kazumasa and Yasunaga Ishikawa, starting in 1590. They built up the town as well, adding to the infrastructure, and gathered warriors to protect it. There were some pretty cool things inside the castle, like trap doors for dumping rocks on attacking enemies, hidden floor (hence six floors not five) for warriors to stay during wartime.

 There were a pair of Shachi from the main keep displayed inside. You can see others on the roof of the keep. Shachi are mythical sea creatures that have the face of a tiger or dragon and the body of a fish, and are put on roof tops as protective charms against fire. They were believed to spout out a stream of water to protect the building. Shachi always come in male-female pairs; the open mouth male is 127 cm high and the closed mouth female is 124 cm high. I found this incredibly ironic because let's face it when are men mouthed open and women closed?!? LOL.

You can't go to a keep without meeting a friendly ninja willing to pose for a picture. He told us aobut the Kurozaemon Akutagawa a ninja working under the Toda clan. (Matsumoto clan during 1617-1633). Apparently the family heads of Akutagawa have called themselves Kurozaemon for generations. The fourth of which was well known for his amazing skills in ninja art, and magic tricks.

This is a great place to pick up some Temari Handballs, also known as princess balls. They are beautiful, patterned, handcrafted balls made of colorful silk. They originated from this area 200 years ago. Initially they were a popular toy for girls, but later became a symbol for harmony and also a good luck charm.  

East Gardens of Imperial Palace

You would think I would be a lot skinner for all the stairs I climb up and down. Unfortunately the pastries here are outstanding and they cancel out all my exercise. 

When little legs get tired. Running round playing tag and doing cartwheels for over an hour would make anyone tired.

East Gardens are part of the inner palace, open to the public where the Edo Castle once stood. It is one of the defense areas that surrounds the palace complex, complete with tall stone walls and a moat. There is also a great 5K loop that I have every intention of taking advantage of. 

When old world meets new!

Cherry Blossoms

Spring has finally sprung and let me tell you all the talk you hear about cherry blossoms in Japan in the spring are worth the hype. We were a little worried we would miss them. They are only in bloom for such a short time, maybe 2 weeks.


We took a last minute spring break trip to Hawaii, this momma needed some sun and waves. We left Tokyo on the verge of spring and came back to this. They are just breathtaking. It's hard to appreciate them in a picture. 

They put everyone in a great mood. People are smiling and taking pictures under and in front of the trees. Some by themselves, others with family and loved ones, some with friends. Cherry blossoms not only are a sure sign spring is here, but have a strange effect on the people here, they are all suddenly smiling. 

I Want Candy!!!

So I was at the grocery store looking for treats for our upcoming road trip. (Tune in Monday for pics, it is sure to be an awesome trip). Strolling down the candy aisle is always a treat. This was the one that had me scratching my head. Normally I would have bought it just out of curiosity and I may at some point in the future, but tonight I just wasn't interested in toilet candy. Maybe it helps you poo??? Who knows but for now I will remain clueless.

We have found some candy we like.  

These are delicious little caramels. I have to buy a few bags because otherwise I end up in the closet eating them so I don't have to share.

These are also a family favorite. Hi-Choo They are chewy fruit flavored candies. Kind of like a Charleston Chew but better.

These were a major score. They taste like crunchy churros. 

Terrible Car Names Installment 1

Driving around Japan I have come across some pretty bazaar car names. I decided to start taking pictures for you viewing pleasure. 

Swedish Hellfire???

This person should be fired and the driver slapped.

Svlphy??? Did they mean selfie???

Hinamatsuri - Happy Girl's Day

     Yup, I'm going to say it again, "I love Japanese holidays!" Ok well this one isn't quite a holiday but more of a festival, but everyone decorates for it, so in my eyes it's a holiday. It is celebrated every year on March 3rd.  Also known as the Doll Festival, Hinamatsuri, is a day when people pray for the health and happiness of little girls. A great idea if I do say so myself! You can enjoy these beautiful displays of dolls, on a seven tiered stands, all over the city. There is a certain order to their placement. On the top tier are the emperor and empress in traditional court dress. Then each tier below them are various court officials, musicians, wise men and supplies for any festivities the dolls may need. 

     

     The sets are put out around the end of February and taken down no later than March 4th. If you fail to take them down by the appointed date bad luck and misfortune will befall the female members or the dolls may come to life and wreak some havoc on the household. So for those of you who leave your Christmas tree up until February, this holiday isn't for you. 

     Why do they put hina ningyo out? The tradition dates back to the 8th century. It derives from the combination of a doll (hina) play during the Heian period and nagashibina which is a ceremony where simples dolls made by paper and straw are thrown into the ocean or river after transferring bad luck and misfortune to them. Setting out hina ningyo is a family's wish that a girl will grow soundly to be a healthy and caring woman. These dolls are definitely not the ones you want to toss into the ocean. They can run thousands of dollars a piece. They are passed down from female generation to female generation and can take many such generations to accumulate an entire set. 

Miyazaki Steam-Punk Clock

There are a lot of little hidden gems in Tokyo. This one located at the Shiodome is one of my favorites. We took the kids down here to see the clock go off.  It was designed by Hayao Miyazaki and is the largest animated clock in the world. The 3 story clock has over 20 tons of copper and steel. There are robots, bucket percussion, puffing engines, cannons, bells and so much more. There is so much to take in you are never really sure where to watch. It's a little dark, sorry about that. You can see some daytime pictures of the clock here. Ghibili Clock