Urabandai (2)

Hello and I’m back again!!

Sorry for leaving you like that last time…

Yes that’s Tamaki Hiroshi…

Riding freely on the surface of

the frozen lake in urabandai, Fukushima.

As Tamaki san showed interest and got on that vehicle last time,

he actually decided to take the challenge

and have a ride on the frozen lake with it…

and he was doing perfectly good… until…

a weird sound… is the ice cracking?!?! O__O

What is happening?!

Suddenly the back of the vehicle goes down a little bit…

and another sound of the ice cracking….

and this time the whole things goes down… Σ(ﾟдﾟlll)

It’s stopped!!

The wheels are stuck in the melted ice and it cannot move!

Tamaki san tries to move it a few times…

but it’s no use!!

He is stuck in the middle of the lake >__<

The staff and the residents are watching him

and as soon as they find out what’s happened,

the rescue starts moving!! XD

Help arrives with a snowmobile….

This is no time for shooting!!

Somebody help him get out of there (/ω＼*)

After checking out the situation,

and probably making sure it’s not that dangerous,

more people (including the filming staff) come to him.

Then right when he is asked to get on one of the snowmobiles

and go back to where everyone else is,

Tamaki san turns back and starts laughing!!

hahahahaha!! What happened?!

The left foot of one of the staff members is in the water!!

hahahaha!! Poor thing!!

Tamaki san!! You were in trouble a few minutes ago…

don’t laugh like that at the poor man >__<

XD

As if nothing scary has happened to him XD

Tamaki san gets on the snowmobile with a smile,

with his camera hiding in the safest place…

inside his jacket XD

It’s cute the way he actually checks on him

before they start moving!

After the arrive,

Tamaki san thanks for the ride XD

And as they are both laughing,

he gets off and puts his foot down on the ice…

and aaaaaa!!!

His right foot goes down in the water again!!

>___<

hahahahaha!!

No worries… everything is under control.

Finally he’s back and they explain to him that

there is no need to worry because actually,

the ice layer is pretty thick and what made all this trouble

is the ice and the snow covering the surface on the main layer.

They start melting on a hot day like this but the ice in beneath,

is still hard and strong!

OK! Now that he is back…

He looks around and seeing the holes

the residents have made in the ice…

he becomes curious and asks them what they are doing.

Seems like they store their “Osake” (Alcoholic beverage)

here in the ice!! 1920 bottles are stored here!!!

While the men are trying to get the bottles out…

Tamaki san says:

“What if something completely different comes out?!”

The man says that that’s impossible and they both laugh!

XD But it happens a lot in movies! XD

Finally they get the box out…

The melting ice is still fooling around with them…

One of the residents actually falls down…

everyone are surprised at first but then they start laughing…

Tamaki san says that this is no joke XD Not funny anymore!

 As they are laughing…

suddenly an unexpected guest jumps out of the water!

A tiny fish…

Tamaki san says:

“Didn’t I say something different will come out?!” XD

He walks toward the fish and picks it up with his hand…

Have no idea what happened to the fish after that,

but hope he let it get back in the water…

 OK now that we got the osake out of the ice…

let’s try some!!

It’s sweet and smooth, easy to swallow, Tamaki san comments.

Then his eyes go for some snacks

the residents have prepared…

It’s fish Tempura.

The fish is this morning’s catch…

from the frozen lake of course!

Tamaki san goes for it of course…

And he loves it!

Goes for more while saying: “Delicious!!”

Keeps eating and drinking with everyone for a while…

sounds like fun XD

☆

Tamaki san gets back on the road again,

and visits another town called Kitakata!

The buildings and the architecture is interesting!

He finds a wine shop…

According to the wooden board outside,

the wine cellar has been in business since the Edo era!

小原酒造　http://www.oharashuzo.co.jp/

Tamaki san gets inside!

The lady who comes to greet him is Ohara san,

the 10th generation in the shop!!

She lets us know that the shop has been in business since 1717!

Ohara san explains that they also have an observation course

for visitors who want to know more about

the process of making the wine.

And the staff will help them with that…

And while she points at their staff in the back,

she says that they are sitting on their knees on the floor

all the time while working…

being it answering the phone

or working with the computer…

they sit with their knees folded behind them all day long!

O__O

For Tamaki san who cannot do that even for a few minutes XD

This must be a terrifying job XD

It’s just the style they use in the shop.

座売り  zauri

The staff should sit on their knees when

handing the products to their customers.

Then they have a chat about how many

types of drinks they sell in the shop.

And Ohara san says that they only sell

different types of pure rice wine since 2009.

She also mentions a type called sakura,

which is actually pink!!

This surprises Tamaki san: “Pink?”

Ohara san takes out the bottle from the showcase and

shows the Sakura wine to him!

It really is pink!!

And above that, this is the natural color!!

Tamaki san is more surprised!! XD

Ohara san asks him if he wants to drink some,

and Tamaki san laughs and says yes!

Then Ohara san looks toward the staff,

maybe the director XD

and asks if it’s OK! XD hahahahaha!!

Tamaki san also looks at the staff and

says that he has been drinking here and there today!

Working and drinking… if it’s him, no problem at all!

XD

Ohara san pours some Sakura wine and hands it to him.

Tamaki san says that this is actually a perfect match,

because this episode will be aired on TV right around

 the Cherry blossom peak in April!

Tamaki san drinks the wine…

and says that it’s really easy to drink

but it also has the substantiality.

Ohara san agrees and says that it’s true

since this is a nigorizake (Unfiltered wine).

Keeping the old traditions and running the shop

almost exactly the same way it used to be years ago!

Wonderful!!

☆

Tamaki san gets back on the road and starts walking…

while enjoying the view of the old buildings

lining in the street!

“Using the old buildings with care…

of course many of them should be renovated

or they will not be a place to live in!…”

He also says that in Japan,

that idea of keeping that traditional look in the way

the houses and the shops are lining in the streets, still exists!

So keep protecting that is a good thing he says.

Tamaki san arrives at his final destination!

There’s a beating sound being heard…

It’s a workshop…

He gets inside.

Greets the old man working on something…

then asks him what kind of job he is doing!

And he says that he makes “Oke” here.

Oke (桶) is a kind of a Japanese bucket

which is mostly used in the bath.

All the process is done by hand of course.

A very rare thing these days…

Tamaki san takes off his shoes and sits

on the tatami floor right in front of the old man (Kikuchi san).

Tamaki san asks him if he has been doing this job

for a long time and he says that he took it after

his father and he is the 3rd generation running

their family’s workshop now.

Then Kikuchi san introduces himself and says that he is 90!!!

Tamaki san is shocked!!

He suddenly turns back his head and says

that he definitely doesn’t look 90!

His skin is soft and shiny, he adds!

I totally agree with him XD

Kikuchi san denies but I’m sure

Tamaki san really meant what he said ^^

Kikuchi san starts working and showing

Tamaki san how he makes the oke.

He scrapes the wooden blocks and make them smooth.

Then measures them carefully to get the size he needs.

Then lining the blocks all together

… and creating

the Basic shape of the oke.

Tamaki san looks carefully and it’s obvious he

is enjoying watching the process.

Then he starts taking photos…

photos and photos…

Wish I could see them all!!

Kikuchi san is lost in his work…

and Tamaki san is lost in capturing the minutes!

It’s done!!

You can’t believe it all started from those tiny blocks!

This is magic XD

Tamaki san is impressed and starts clapping for him!

Then Kikuchi hands him the oke

… and he mentions the good smell

of the wood he’s been sensing since minutes ago.

Tamaki san is obviously moved buy what he just observed.

“A unique kind of beating sound,

and then the completion…

And of course it is not made by a machine,

the process of giving it the shape,

it’s all done by a man’s hand!

It all makes you feel good…

I’m sure the kids living in this neighborhood

have grown up listening to this beating sound!”

Then with an indescribable kind of joy in his voice,

Tamaki san thanks Kikuchi san for letting them

watch the process of making such an amazing thing.

Kikuchi san laughs, bows back and tells him to

drop by anytime he wants, if there was anything he needed.

And Tamaki san thanks him again with the most

beautiful big smile on his face ^^

Bowing and thanking again at the entrance,

Tamaki san leaves Kikuchi san with his

tiny but magical workshop…

He says that being able to watch this kind of

traditional work is great but more than that…

The feeling of “Not wanting” this culture to

fade away and disappear,

becomes stronger in a way.

Another journey with many new things to try out,

It was a good trip after all ^^

And of course we won’t end this report without

Tamaki Hiroshi’s best shot of the day!

Thank you all for reading the English reports every time.

I try to describe as good as I can…

but sometimes words are not enough ^^

So please try to look carefully at the photos and

feel what he is feeling at some emotional moments.

☆☆☆

Next!

 Tamaki Hiroshi will be visiting Yamadera and Tendou

in Yamagata prefecture.

New experiences…

New places…

and new encounters again!!

So please stay tuned!

Thank you and

( ´・ω・｀)ﾉ~bai bai

☆☆☆

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玉木宏の秘境ふれあい紀行

is being aired on BS Asahi,

Every Thursday at 23:00

Please visit the official pages here:

Official Homepage: http://www.bs-asahi.co.jp/tamaki-hiroshi/
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