2005 Japan Trip: Nojiri 2

We spent a second day in Nojiri (later). Joy's husband Uichi is a sculptor and taught modern art at the famous Tokyo University. He commuted weekly between Tokyo and Nojiri. He was home that day and we enjoyed getting to know him. We were looking at a book on a retrospective of his work.

looking at Uichi's book in cabin

He had one piece in his yard - "Thin Torso". The chest and abdomen of a male figure is visible.

metal sculpture close-up

It was originally created in wood. This one is bronze on a stone base.

Uichi standing by it

This day we took a ferry to the island. We went to see a Japanese dance that was to be performed by a friend of Joy's daughter. Again, I was outsized in Japanese sensibilities.

standing, with my head on boat ceiling
The island has a Shinto shrine on it. (The Japanese worship of their ancestors.) The torii arch marks the path to the temple.

approaching island with arch

The torii ("bird perch") arch comes from a Japanese myth: The sun goddess had hidden in a cave. The earth people were without sunlight, so they put a perch for a rooster outside. When the rooster crowed, the goddess decided it was morning and came back out.

walking under arch

I was pleased to see very large trees on the island. Maybe the trees had not been cut down during the war because it was a place that was sacred to the Japanese.

trees along island path

At the entrance to Japanese temples there is a coin collection box and a big rope connected to a bell. They ring the bell to alert the gods and then pray for blessing.

coin box, thick rope, temple entrance

The dance was slow, long and complicated. The dancers did well. It was performed to traditional Japanese music with droning male voices (played from a cassette tape player).

four young girls dancing on raised tatami

That afternoon we went to the cabin that my Dad built. It is owned by another family now, but we had permission to go inside. Note the middle tree trunk.

standing by cabin

Compare to this old winter family adventure picture. (My dad is pulling the sled at left. I am probably the one following him.) The trunk in the middle of the house is that same tree, just smaller.

pulling sleds on snow to cabin

The cabin's main room is small, so it is hard to capture it in photos. New paneling had been put up. However, the floor under the carpet, some funiture and the kitchen sink area were original.

kids inside cabin, looking out to trees

The ropes serve as handrails for the stairs. I remember putting them in. The door to what was Mom & Dad's room is at the left. The cabinet under the TV is original (although we had no TV).

inside cabin, steep steps, ropes sides

When I was very young, Mom & Dad would put a board over the stair so I wouldn't climb up and risk falling.

me standing by stairs

Upstairs, this was Marilyn & Lisa's room.

girls in beadroom upstairs

My room was on the other side.

Larry sitting on upstairs bed by window

There was a steel barrel between the upstairs rooms (under that black box). It was one of the original ones that my Dad, Leslie Grove, used to ship our stuff to Japan. (L GROVE, YOKOHAMA)

steel barrel by stairs

One of the most evocative parts of Nojiri was the paths. Walking the paths really brought me back.

green footpath up hill

Next stop, the waterfront.

We had to take a photo at this tree again. There were so many good memories created near it.

Groves by tree at waterfrong

The kids got right in the water. The octopus was a great toy villain.

kids being attacked by octopus floaty

I was glad I decided to go swimming again as well. The water was warm enough I could have been in it all day. Maybe it was just the nostalgia, but somehow the water also felt more real than any place I had been swimming in years.

I joined the kids in playing with the octopus for a while.

Larry in water, Brooke carrying octopus above

Our last event of the day was at a trout fish farm. I recognized this exact place as soon as we drove in.

The kids had a blast fishing. I am not a fisherman, but this is the kind for me - just put in a line and pull the fish out. Later, the kids fished without bait and successfully caught quite a few.

fishing by trout pond

The farm also has a small inn. They cooked and fried the fish for us. The small ones still had their head attached.

It was excellent food - some of the best fish I ever can remember.

cooked fish on the table

Afterwards, I had a very memorable long conversation around the table with Yuichi (by way of translation) about modern art and the role of beauty.