Yamadera～Tendou (1)

Hello my friends!

Tamaki Hiroshi fans are experiencing the “Silent” days! ^^ But it’s just a temporary thing… soon the “Jurassic world” Movie will be in theaters and we will get to see more of him in the news. But he is extra busy with the NHK morning drama right now and all we can do is support him and send him as much energy as we can ^^ Waiting in the silence is not always that bad ♡

OK! Ready for another Journey with Tamaki Hiroshi in Japan?!

Today I will be writing about his visit to Tendou in Yamagata prefecture!

But before that, Tamaki san first visits Yamadera.

As he starts his Journey, he looks at the huge sightseeing map

and says that there are too many sightseeing spots in the mountain.

Then he finds a temple on the mountain and points to it with his finger.

But the fog is too strong it’s not easy to see anything there…

Can you find it? Honestly I couldn’t see anything XD

BUT

On a sunny day,

the temple is visible on top of the mountain.

It’s the famous risshakuji （立石寺）

Tamaki san is heading there but before going to the mountain,

he takes a walk in the town and stops by at a tiny shop…

A lady (Yarimizu san) shows up at the door and opens it…

Tamaki san greets her and since there are

many different things on sale in the shop,

he asks the lady:

“What type of a shop is your place?”

But the lady is troubled and gives him a funny answer:

“What type shall we call it?”

hehehe they both laugh and the lady explains

that in this season,

she sells nuts like Kurumi (Walnuts) or Kayanomi (Torreya nut).

Especially in winter when she has more time,

she cracks and shells of the kurumi…

She also complains about how these days,

everyone buy the ready to eat type

and don’t want to spend time on cracking them.

Then as she shows us some shelled kurumi packs,

she asks Tamaki san if he wants to get inside

and see how she cracks them.

Tamaki san folds his umbrella and gets inside the shop.

Yarimizu san tells him that there’s a special way for cracking them,

and Tamaki san says that he has never done it before!

I was kinda surprised when I heard that XD

So she asks him if he wants to try cracking some,

and Tamaki san of course says yes!

Then she starts hitting the kurumi to crack the shell.

Somehow it doesn’t go right this time

but she tries cracking another one,

while saying that sometimes the shell doesn’t crack,

the way it should!

This times it goes perfectly and while she is bragging

about how tasty they are XD… she puts a small piece

in Tamaki san’s hand and asks him to try it.

Itadakimasu!!

And it’s delicious he says ^^

This type of kurumi is called “himegurumi”

with a beautiful shape of a heart!

(If you can crack it perfectly of course!!)

Now it’s Tamaki san’s turn to crack the kurumi.

He starts hitting it rather softly,

probably because he wants the perfect crack.

After hitting it a few times he says that it’s difficult.

But then the cracking sound and

the kurmi shell opens up!

He picks it up and tries opening it with his hands…

And guess what?!

It’s the perfect crack!!

The kurumi is broken from the center…

Tamaki san says with pride in his voice:

“Yatta!” meaning “I did it!” XD

You can hear the staff laughing behind the camera!

Then Yarimizu san helps him get the fruit out

with the sharp corner of the shell.

She keeps praising him for how perfectly he did it XD

After showing his masterpiece to the camera,

Tamaki san starts eating the kurumi he cracked by himself

for the first time in his life!

Then Yarimizu san also show him the Kayanomi.

During the winter,

they roast them on the stove and then eat them.

Yrimizu san asks him if he has ever had any and

Tamaki san who is pretty busy getting the kurumi

out of the shell,

says in an absent-minded tone of voice:

“I have not!”  XD XD

Yarimizu san starts telling him about

what they do when it’s valentine’s day…

Tamaki san is still focusing on the kurumi…

trying to get the fruit out with Yarimizu san’s tiny nut pick…

so he responses with delay!

Yarimizu san goes on and says that they put the kayanomi

in melted chocolate and the result is

something close to Almond chocolate!

It must be tasty…

but Tamaki san is still busy with the kurumi and then he asks:

“The kayanomi, not the kurumi, right?!”

hahahahahahaha!!

Listen to her!! XD

Then as she keeps going about how the high school girls

visit the shop and buy them for the valentine’s day,

Tamaki san once again reaches for the nut pick!!

Wonder if it’s the taste he likes so much,

or it’s because he just can’t relax until he takes out

 the remaining fruit left inside the shell! XD

hehehehe

He finally comes to his senses after Yarimizu san

gives him some Kayanomi to try out.

It seems to be really hard…

so he doesn’t risk and breaks it with his back teeth.

The roasted texture makes it even more delicious.

Then looking around the shop,

Tamaki san points to something and asks:
“What is this?”

“Sarunokoshikake!” Yarimizu san replies !

“Is it a mushroom?” Tamaki san asks with a doubtful tone.

And yes she replies!!

He holds it in his hand but still can’t believe it’s a mushroom…

“Doesn’t look like a mushroom… it’s more like dried wood!”

It is a mushroom!! They put it in tea and then drink it as a medicine.

There are lots of gifts taken from the nature

lining in the shop!

OK, it’s time to go now.

Tamaki san thanks Yarimizu san and then leaves the shop

with a bright smile on his face.

☆

Next he stops by another shop…

He greets the lady standing in front of the shop…

she is making something…

Tamaki san asks him what she is making.

and she says “Chikara konyaku”

A famous product of yamadera.

The travelers who come here to visit the temple,

will eat this before climbing the mountain,

and get the energy they need for the tough way XD

“Nice smell!” Tamaki san says!

Then the lady (Endou san) asks him if he wants to try some.

All they use for boiling the konyaku is Soy sauce!

Endou san gives him a stick of ball shaped konyakus and

tell him to be careful because it’s hot!

Tamaki san tries eating one and as soon

as he starts chewing,

he says that the konyaku is plump and hard!

Seems like it’s the characterestic of the Yamadera konyaku.

As Tamaki san continues eating,

Endou san explains that it is believed that

eating the konyaku before climbing the mountain

and going to the temple, will purify your body.

Then as she walks into the road,

she says that you should look at the mountain

while eating the konyaku,

and think about your destination! XD

Tamaki san follows her instruction and turns toward

the mountain with the konyaku in his hand ❤

Then as they are looking at the mountain,

they say that the fog is making the mountain look

even more whimsical and magical.

Tamaki san says that he actually preferred it to be sunny at first,

but being able to see this face of the mountain

is pretty amazing as well.

Then Endou san says:

“You are going to climb the mountain, right?”

And when Tamaki san says yes! she continues:

“It will be tough if you go alone…

why don’t you take my father with you?!”

while pointing at the man standing there inside the shop!

hehehehe he is actually her husband XD

Tamaki san looks at him and says: “Is it OK?” 

And Endou san laughs!

Endou san (The husband) says that it’s fine and then he

gets closer and says that he is not good at talking so he may not

be of any help… XD He is just being modest of course.

Then the wife says that she actually has a map she made by herself!

hehehe she brings it to him and it’s a very cute and easy to read map!

Then the husband says that they have known each other since

school days… they were in the same class for 9 years!!!

Elementary and Junior high-school!!

They even shared the same family name XD

and here the husband says that she was her first love!!

XD XD

The wife becomes embarrassed and hits him while laughing

and when Tamaki san says:

“So you really didn’t go out with anyone else…”

the wife says that it’s not certain!!

No one knows if he is lying or not!!

ahahahahahaha!! Lovely couple!!

They look like a a comic duo!! XD

☆

Finally the two men start heading to the mountain…

Endou san will be our guide.

Risshakuji…

Matsuo Bashō, who is a very famous Japanese poet,

visited this place 320 years ago,

and it is said that this is the place where he wrote

the most famous haiku in Japan.

Endou san lets us know that

there are 1015 stairs they have to climb

in order to reach the temple.

Just hearing that makes you wonder

if you can actually go all the way or not…

Endou san says! XD

On their way, they also pass by a

tiny cottage-like place where you can find

a very scary statue of an old lady called “Uba do” inside!

They also climb a series of tiny steps in a narrow passage.

Endou san says that these steps are called the

oyako michi (Parent and child passage)

meaning that both the parent and the child

has passed through this passage!

But the deeper meaning refers to the student-teacher relations.

meaning that the teacher has passed all the ways

the student is passing right now.

Finally they reach the place called semizuka.

It is believed to be the place where Matsuo basho

wrote his poem.

Endou san says that coming on a day like this is

perhaps much better than a sunny day.

Tamaki san agrees and says that

it’s a whimsical landscape.

And it’s not crowded! Endou san adds.

Here’s that famous haiku

Matsuo basho wrote when he was here:

閑かさや

岩にしみいる

蝉の声

ah this silence

sinking into the rocks

voice of cicada

When Matsuo basho visited this place,

it is believed that it was during the summer,

probably in July according to the new calendar.

Tamaki san says that as a guess since

the voice of the cicadas can only be heard during

that time of the year.

And he is right, as Endou san says.

The atmosphere is really amazing.

A feeling of loneliness as Tamaki san mentions,

matches perfectly with a place like this.

And the trees coming out of the rocks,

insistently willing to keep on living!

It becomes a beautiful painting,

without even trying to be beautiful!

Of course in a place like this…

the photographer side of Tamaki Hiroshi wakes up!

So he starts taking photos…

and photos again!

It is decided now!

This beautiful place

is picked up as the

Kokoro no hikyo #14

by Tamaki Hiroshi!

 ヽ(・∀・)ノ

☆

There is still a long way to reach the top…

but Endou san left and Tamaki san will have to climb

the stairs all by himself.

On his way,

he stops once in a while and looks at the landscape.

“It’s covered in mist!” he says.

But it’s very beautiful I think.

Stairs and stairs…

Tamaki san reaches the niyoumon…

standing there waiting for our traveler,

were the guardian Gods of the temple.

Tamaki san takes a look inside

“This is the Enma sama…”

he says while getting back XD

Enma sama is known to be the God, waiting for the dead.

It is said that he has the ability to see the past of the people

passing by the gate… a little stressful to pass now ^_^;

“Kids are probably scared of this… “

Tamaki san says…

Wonder if he is scared too XD

hehehehe

He keeps on going…

Finally the two buildings of Kaisando and Nokyodo

appear in front of his eyes.

But he is going to the top!!

To a building called “Godaido”

As he climbs higher and higher in the mountain,

there are places where the snow is still remaining on the ground.

“Slippery here…”

he says while walking on the slippery frozen snow piles!!

But we all know snow is his good friend XD

So no need to worry!

Jumping and running…

Finally… he reaches the top!

Godaido…

he gets inside and walks toward the cliff…

But no panaroma was waiting for him there…

“Pure white!!”

hahahahaha!! Nothing is visible!

It’s all fog and mist!!

“Sea of clouds or better say right inside of the clouds!”

Tamaki san says with a bitter sweet laughter XD

I bet he wanted to see the landscape on a sunny day!

“You can use it as a CG compositing background!“

he says and makes everyone laugh XD

It’s a waste but nothing was visible on that day…

But on a sunny day…

It will be as beautiful as this!

“Climbing up here in your own pace and with no rush,

while thinking about the stories from 1200 years ago,

or the fact that Matsuo Basho wrote his haiku here,

is quite a meaningful thing to do I think!”

☆

After a tough climbing…

Tamaki san finally goes to Tendou!

Walking on the streets…

he finds a good place!

“Koshikake an” is the name of a shop

selling Japanese style sweets!

Of course he will go for it!! XD

Tamaki san gets inside the garden and then

the entrance area…

He opens the door and goes inside while

greeting the old lady by the counter.

aaaa this is heaven!! ヽ(・∀・)ノ

Looking at the showcase,

Tamaki san asks the lady (Nakano san)

which one is the most popular!

And she says “Warabi mochi”

So Tamaki san asks her for a warabi mochi set.

Then she guides him to the other room,

while explaining that the stairs are steep,

because this building was built many years ago,

with the old style!

Tamaki san who’s surprised by the atmosphere of the room,

asks her when it was built and she says 140 years ago!!

Tamaki san is even more surprised by that answer XD

But seems like the rooms in the back are

usually used as Warehouse.

OK let’s do some more climbing again…

Tamaki san goes first and Nakano san goes after him.

Tamaki san steps into the 2nd floor and he is amazed

by the great atmosphere…

says that it’s more like a nice Attic,

even though it’s a Warehouse!

Tamaki san sits down at one of the tables…

and finds some notebooks

in which the customers who

had visited the shop in the past,

had written their notes.

He starts flipping the notebook…

and right when you think the atmosphere is so

nice and the background music is as soft as possible…

He stays on one of the pages,

keep looking, and then turns the face of the notebook

toward the staff and says:

“For Asahi TV, this would be the one.”

ahahahaha!! It’s an illustration of Doraemon XD

The staff members laugh out loud XD And Tamaki san as well!

(Both Doraemon and Hikyo are the products of TV Asahi)

Nakano san arrives with the warabi mochi and some tea.

Perfect…

Tamaki san looks at the mochi with LOVE! XD

Then he moves the plate and as the mochi moves like jelly,

he becomes even more excited!

and… itadakimasu!

He enjoys the taste,

says that it’s very reach!

Its jelly-like texture and it’s sweetness is great as well.

Then Tamaki san says that he took a look inside the notebooks,

and read some notes written by customers coming

here from all over the country.

It’s amazing he says.

Nakano san also says that this is the treasure of this shop.

OK… as one of their customers,

Tamaki Hiroshi will also write something in the notebook ^^

Concentrating and making a serious face,

for a moment I felt really proud to be his fan (I always am!!)

but then after finishing…

taking a look at his own handwriting, he says:

“Surprisingly, my handwriting is pretty good isn’t it?…”

ahahahahaha!!

Nakano san immediately says: “Yes! It is great…”

But then all the staff members laugh and Nakano san who

probably didn’t know if he is being serious or not,

laughs with everyone!

Then, when Tamaki san laughs and looks at her…

she repeats herself: “It really is!”

Then Tamaki san says that he started to think that

it’s coming out better than what he has expected!

And he just spoke his heart I guess XD He is always like that!!

(I’m still proud to be his fan!! I will always be XD ) hehehehe!

A special note with his own stamp ^^

Thanks for sharing it with us ❤

☆

Still a lot to do in Tendou…

Encounters…

New things to try out…

And places to visit!

But for now let’s end the first part and leave the rest for next week!

Thank you so much for being with me until the end…

see you soon!

( ´・ω・｀)ﾉ~ﾊﾞｲﾊﾞｲ

☆

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End of part 1

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