垂井で過ごしたゴールデンウィーク

Last week was Golden Week in Japan. The 3rd 4th and 5th of May are all holidays so basically most factories and businesses shut down for the whole week. A lot of people go abroad, a lot of people go to their old hometown and either way people have a generally good time. Aaron, Andy Sebastian and I had the pleasant fortune of being invited to spend a few days at the house of Andy's girlfriend, Aki's grandparents (on her father's side), in a small town called Tarui in Gifu Prefecture. It took about an hour and a half to get there by train so it's not too far from Kyoto. When we got to the house around lunch time this is what was ready waiting for us.




This and the next picture stolen from Aaron. From bottom left clockwise: Me, Andy, Sebastian, Aaron, Grandma, Aki's dad, Aki's Aunt, Aki's Uncle, Aki's cousin. I'm bad with names.


Bottom Row: Aki, Andy, Sebastian, Aaron, Grandma. Top Row: Me, Random townperson, Grandpa, Aki's Aunt.

Stuffed to the gulls we went around for a little walk around the town. Coincidentally, while we were there the town was holding a festival commemorating an imperial visit from the 1300's. When the emperor came back then they performed Kabuki for him so to this day they perform Kabuki in the streets on three special stages called yama. The thing is all the performers all elementary school kids, some as young as 5. Back in the day Aki's dad as well as his brothers performed during the fetstival. He works in China right now, but he makes sure to come back every year for this festival and he said when he comes back and sees the Kabuki he's reminded of how doing that really cements you as a person from Tarui.











The rest of the day was spent drinking eating and relaxing. The amount of food we ate there was insane. Aki's grandmother was always feeding us. It never stopped. Grandmother's all around the world are exactly the same in this aspect I suppose.

The next day Aki's aunt took us to the neighbouring town to Tarui, Sekigahara. In 1600, a massive battle was fought between opposing Eastern and Western Japanese forces. The East came out on top and thier commander, Tokugawa Ieyasu went on to establish the Tokugawa Bakufu in Edo (Tokyo) which would rule the country for the next roughly 270 years. We visited the museum there and saw the place where Ieyasu had his camp. We also visted the spot of one of the Western army's camps. It was nice to finally see a place that I had studied about before in Toronto in person. Not to mention all the times I had played the battle in the Samurai Warriors video game.












Upon returning to Tarui we wandered around the town a bit and spend most of the remaining time taking in the festival, as well as all the great food. All in all a great way to spend a Golden Week. Aki's grandmother asked us to come back once again for a day or two before we leave so I'm sure sometime in the summer we'll definately hit up Tarui again. Now if you'll excuse me I must go because my brother is arriving today and I have to pick him up.