Welcome to the March 2009 newsletter from Oxalis Holidays!
Spring is at hand in Japan. The first sakura (cherry blossoms) are eagerly awaited, which will add colour to the landscape of Japan. They have already blossomed in southern areas of the country, and are working their way north, from sea-level to mountain-top. So, you have a very good chance of seeing them whether you go in late March or even in early May.
The Japanese flock to the best sites to do 'hanami' (seeing flowers), in cities, parks, country areas, even mountain trails. Television weather reports carry daily advice about where and when to go. Office workers organise hanami parties, bringing food and drink and as well portable karaoke machines. Beer is consumed in great quantities and the karaoke microphone is passed around even as darkness descends.
Hanami is not new - it's a centuries-old tradition, starting perhaps during the early Nara period when Chinese tradition still was having a profound influence on Japan. Aristocrats of Heian-era Kyoto would hold hanami parties and write haiku poems, while sipping sake. Karaoke may have replaced haiku, but it's still a uniquely Japanese event.
Those of you who have travelled before to Japan may have noticed how certain holidays and events are celebrated in grand style. National parks famous for one or another flower, are mobbed by thousands of visitors during the peak time for blooming. This makes it easy for those of us who prefer peace and quiet to avoid the long lines and go outside these seasons. The National Park of Oze, which we visit on the Mountain Spirits tour, is famous for its mizu-basho (skunk cabbage) which bloom in late May. For several weeks hundreds of buses arrive daily direct from Tokyo, and the trails are like Tokyo station during rush-hour. But then, as quickly as they arrived, they depart, and Oze is restored to its pristine, beautiful self.
A Japanese acquaintance once asked me, puzzled, why I would visit Oze in September. I responded saying that I preferred to be there without the crowds. For many Japanese, however, that's not an issue. They can focus on the flowers, the camaraderie, and not worry about the crowds.
It was one of those funny, cross-cultural moments
In this issue:
1. New cycling tour
2.
Accommodation spotlight: Rengejoin
3. Destinations spotlight:Nachi
4. Summer tours
5. Photos on Flickr
6. Photo competition
New tour!
Our new tour for 2009 is Japan on Two Wheels, our first cycling tour. We have created a varied itinerary travelling from Osaka and Kyoto to the rural Kii Peninsula, and onwards to a route around Mount Fuji and finally Tokyo. There is cycling on 9 of the 14 days, with two optional levels on cycling from 15 to a maximum of 90km per day. Bring your own bikes let us supply one of our new hibrids. Highlights are Kyoto and Nara, Kumano Pilgrimage route UNESCO World Heritage site - Kawayu river hot spring - Temple stay at Nachi - Grand Shrine of Ise – Mount Fuji - hot springs - Tokyo.
Accommodation Spotlight
About two hours south of Osaka, in the mountains of Wakayama, is the sacred temple-complex of Mount Koya. Founded in the 9th century by the monk Kobo Daishi, Mount Koya now has over 100 temples, with many of them offering accommodation. These 'shukubo' were originally for pilgrims visiting the temples and the shrine of Kobo Daishi, but now they will accept all visitors.
Destination Spotlight
The Japan Destination Spotlight for this newsletter is Nachi in Wakayama Prefecture.Nachi is famous in Japan for its 133 metre high waterfall, and Nachi Grand Shrine. On the south-east coast of Wakayama Prefecture, in the Kii Peninsula, this whole area is steeped in myth and legend. Nachi is part of the Grand shrines of Kumano UNESCO-registered World Heritage site, and one of the Three Grand Shrines of Kumano, which deify the three mountains of Kumano. Now worshipped as part of esoteric Buddhism, the religious significance goes back to the pre-Buddhist period in Japan, when shintoism was the only religion. The difference between the two religions has become somewhat blurred. You may see pilgrims, dressed in white, making their to Nachi.
Read more
Summer tours
Our April and May tours are now all full, however we have availability in June, July and August, and the autumn. Nakasendo Trail, Shoguns and Samurai, and also Mountain Spirits all have a few places left.
Get in touch for more details!
Share your photos on Flickr and Facebook
I don't have much time for social networking sites, but I do love uploading my photos and seeing those taken by our customers on their tours. I've been using Flickr almost since it started and I find it to be the best place to save photos. You can mark which photos you want everyone to see, and which to keep private.
We have an Oxalis Japan Photo Pool, and you can add your favourite photos of Japan to our pool and see those from others.
For those of who using Facebook, we have a new Facebook page. Come along and show your photos, make a comment, become a fan, or just take a look...
Photo competition
This year for the first time we will have a competition to see the best photos of Japan taken on our tours. Enter for a chance to win one of several books about Japan AND 20% off your next adventure there.
