Back in Time

Here is one of the most charming and interesting places we have visited.

There is a little city, nestled in a little valley completely surrounded by mountains, called Shirakawa-go.  ("Go" means "village.")  It is now a world heritage site, so they host visitors year round and the tourist trade is what keeps it running. (There is also skiing in the general area.)  It is a step back in time and it is a joy to see.

These homes are called "Gassho-style", which is a thatched gable roof.  The massive wood framed structure of the first floor supports the entire house.  The second and third floors are located in the space created by the steep gable roof with a gradient of about 60 degrees.  Not one nail or pin is used to hold the framework of this steep roof.  Instead, they are tied together with rope and viscous neso, a type of rope made by twisting young Japanese Witch Hazel.  The wide attic was used as a place to raise silkworms, an industry that once supported the lives of the people of Shirakawa-go.

There were ponds near most homes, and koi in many of them.
But the Japanese call these beautiful, bright vari-colored fish.....carp.

This building used to be the jail.

Several years ago we had a Japanese exchange student who had never seen wheat.
This photo is for those of you who have never seen rice, nearly ready for harvest.

The thatched roofs require replacement every 30-40 years.  Since the roofs are huge and very steeply sloped, replacement of the thatch requires a tremendous effort.  And the work must be completed as quickly as possible because the houses are occupied, and interruption of daily life much be minimized.  About 200 people accomplish the huge task in a period of approximately two days.  A system known as yui was developed to obtain the help of this many people.  Yui is a system of labor exchange that ensures a close relationship between villagers.  Since some houses no longer have thatched roofs, the yui system of today has changed, but a yui-like mindset does still exist.  Many volunteers now recognize the importance of this valuable heritage and come to Shirikawa-go to assist in rethatching.

Taking off the old thatch.




Replacement Step 2--laying mats.

Mats almost complete.

Adding thatch.

This is what you call working together!

So beautiful.  But when I see all these homes surrounded with ponds, rice fields, ditches, water everywhere,
I can't help but think "mosquitos."

We climbed a hill to get this great view.  It was an unusually hot day,
but we rewarded our climb with a soft ice cream cone.

Elder Barney, Sister Barney, Jesselah McGrath, and Sister Kondo.
Notice how this truly is a valley surrounded!

This is the bottom floor of one of the homes.  The fire under the black pot is kept burning,
even in the extreme heat.  It keeps the wood dry and the mosquitos away.
But it was smokey in there, and I wouldn't want to breathe that all my life.

This was in the second level of the home above.  It was a very large area.
This display shows the "needles" used to get the thatch into the roof.

This is amazing to me.  No nails.  Just rope, which I think they still make, too.  

Just two more tourists, spending their money to help the village out.

Jesselah was helping me choose some things
from this gift shop for the grandchildren.

Lunch break.  Sister Kondo brought lunch, complete with octopus.
It was actually good.  We were overlooking a beautiful river.

I think the rice fields look beautiful the entire growing season, from the first little shoots coming up, to the summer deep green covering everything, to this lime green as the rice starts to ripen, to the yellow of the fields ready to harvest.

The people make everything they need, mostly from rice plants.  Here are boots, bags, coats, baskets, brooms,
and a few things I don't have a name for.

Proof they have scarecrows in Japan.
And pretty girls trying to imitate them.

We were fascinated by this drink cooler.  Clever!!

Question:  Does it snow in Shirakawa-go?

This looks like it's out of a story book.

These last three are each a picture of a picture.  The people have to work together in winter, too.
 They have to keep the roofs from too much buildup of snow.  They can't bare the weight and
if the weather warms up and snow starts to melt, it damages the thatch.


Beauty shop names:  "Beauty Creation Lovers" and  "Hair Make Inner Vision"

Invitation to a Sale

 Who would have thought that part of being a missionary would include getting a call from the mission president's wife, telling you to go to a craft sale.  I just couldn't argue with an opportunity like that.  

A member of the church who lives in Inuyama, an hour and a half from here, was having an open house to show and/or sell items she and 11 friends had made over the past year, all out of old kimonos.  Right down my alley!

So on Thursday, we left around 1:00.  Sister Endo lives in a rather large home on a tiny narrow street and they have another home next to it, which is her shop for selling all the clothing and items she makes. 

The front entrance area outside was lovely, and she had a table with several things on it, among them some Books of Mormon, LDS flyers, and some advertisement for free English classes.  Great missionary!  Her English was very good.  

You can see this bow is old.

There were many beautiful antiques, including two bows and an arrow that belonged to her grandfather and were over 100 years old, a very interesting antique telephone, and my favorite:  wall hangings from a very old huge banner that had been produced for Boys Day with several Samarai warriors painted on it.  She had cut them apart and put borders on them from the kimono fabric, and they were beautifully done.  

Here's the expert.

Here's the novice.

Here's the result.

In the living room I met a woman weaving half-inch strips of kimono fabric.  I even got to try it myself.  She had a large variety of purses hanging that she had made from the woven fabric and they were really cute.  And, they will last forever. 

For Girls Day, every March 3rd, people hang darling rings with several strings hanging down, filled with creative hand made animals, babies, vegetables--all kinds of miniature items made from kimono fabric.  They had several here, but none of the them were for sale.  I was thinking that If I ever saw one that was for sale, I would buy it....until I found out they usually start at about $500.  

I can see why this exquisite flower wasn't for sale.
This took a while to make!!

There were baby kimonos, complete with baby shoes and a tiny bag. I  wanted to display it in our home. I decided to buy, but wanted to see everything first.    I also loved a flower made of a plant and covered in fabric blossoms, a small wallet-sized purse and a bunny.  

Then Sister Endo told us that most of her handicraft was in the home next door. The first room was filled with at least 100 clothing items, all made from old kimono fabric.  The dresses were expertly constructed, tailored and creative.  There was good variety and they were $200 and up.  There was one beautiful blouse that I wanted to buy for Sister Baird, but I had no idea if it would fit or if she would like it.)  The clothing was beautiful (and of course, too small for me.)  

She had woven hats she had bought and died with persimmon juice and put a darling trim around the top.  And there were all kinds of hand bags.  Some were in navy blues, the common color of men’s kimonos.  Some were in bright kimono fabric. But the ones that caught my eye were the bags made from the stiff fabric that goes in the obi, the big stiff bow that is tied on to the back of the kimono.  She had used that and died it with persimmon juice, and picked out beautiful patterns for accent, and they were wonderful.  

These are the bags Sister Endo gave to Sister Baird and me.
I loved that she displayed a picture of the Savior in her shop.

Sister Endo picked up one purse she had seen me looking at and offered it to me for free.  These were minimum $40 purses.  I tried to not take it, but she insisted.  She picked out another for Sister Baird.  Then she went to some beautiful wall hangings, and let Lee pick out one for himself and one for President Baird.  She was so very generous.  The time it must have taken her to make all of those!  I was so glad I had planned to buy some items.  

This is one of the wall hangings.

Sister Endo.  (Isn't she darling?)

Then we went back to the other house and I started buying the three or four other items I wanted.  As I picked up each item, Sister Endo would find the lady who had made it and bring her to me.  I would tell her how beautiful I thought it was and give her a hug, and Lee would take a picture.  Then that lady would give me another free item she had made.  This just kept happening and I was so touched and couldn’t believe they were all so generous.  Then after I quit buying things, other ladies started coming up to give me things.  I just couldn’t believe it, and at about the 5^th one, I started crying.  I was just so amazed by their sweetness and generousity.  Even after that, one or two more ladies had a gift for me.

Here you can tell the tears are starting to come.

Anyway, the Inuyama missionaries had been upstairs in this home all this time, teaching a lady who actually got baptized yesterday (Saturday).  Elders have to have another man with them whenever they teach a lady, so they had invited another investigator.  After that lesson, he asked if he could be baptized, too.  So I think he will be baptized next week.  They came down and we took pictures with them, and with everyone.  Lee got lots of great photos.

These intricate, delicate figures are made from paper and fabric.

Easter in Japan?  No.  Christmas?  A little.
Halloween?  By all means!

Aren't these two little girls cute?

Another beautiful hanging flower.

And lest we forget, the scene in Japan a year and a half ago.

Finally we left, drove the hour and a half home, stopped just before home and got dinner at an Indian restaurant.  I was home for an hour or two before I decided I wanted to brush my teeth.  I went into the bathroom and looked into the mirror.  I had a huge black mascara smudge under each eye.  It reminded me of a football player who smears black under his eyes to stop glare, but maybe not quite that bad.  I got mad!  I walked into the living room and said to my husband, "Lee!"  He looked straight at me and said, "What?"  I just stood there and we looked at each other, only about four feet apart, and he kept saying, "What?  What did I do wrong?"  Finally I said, "Look at me."  (He HAD been looking at me for almost a minute, but obviously not seeing me.)  Then he said, "Oh, you have some black under your eyes."  And that was honestly the first time he had noticed.  I couldn't believe it. 

I had been sure that the smudges had been there for the last while we were in Inuyama, all the way home, at the restaurant with a set of elders and waiters, and no one had said anything.  But later Lee got out his camera and looked at the pictures we'd taken at the house.  No smudges.  After we talked it over a little, I realized that after I'd gotten home, I had watched some U-tube video that had brought tears, and that's when I had developed the smudges.  What a relief!  Funny!! 

And now for your regular dose of beauty shop names:  Moo Beauty (I like cows, but don't want to look like one.)  Gran Hair (That's probably where I should be going!)  and Cherry Hair.