Departing Honolulu on JAL with tour managers Delbert (left) and Gale (center)!
We arrived in Kansai a little early and checked into the Hotel Nikko Kansai Airport. Dinner was a delicious tempura set!
On our way to Toba, we stopped in Mie to learn about Ama, the local women who free dive for shellfish, sea vegetables, and other marine products.
We gathered in the Hachiman Kamado, the huts used by the Ama to warm up between dives for some freshly caught seafood.
While enjoying some freshly caught seafood for lunch, we listened to the Ama divers share stories of their adventures.
We visited Futami Okitama Shrine, where a number of shinto deities (kami) are enshrined.
Many frog sculptures can be seen in the vicinity of the shrine as they are believed to be a type of charm for bringing people or things back.
We saw the Meota Iwa (husband and wife rocks). Both rocks are connected by a shimenawa rope which acts as the division between the spiritual and earthly realms.
We had a good sukiyaki set lunch that everyone really enjoyed!
After lunch, we visited Kumano Nachi Taisha. A bunch of us went down the 130 steps to see the Nachi no Taki, the tallest single tiered waterfall in Japan.
The view of Hashigui Iwa Rocks, a group of 40 gigantic igneous rocks that form a line in the sea that is 850 meters long.
Close-up of one of the rocks.
Group pic at Sandanbeki Cliffs and Caves
Sandanbeki Cliffs and Caves
Checking out Umeboshi Kan to learn about ume, it was a great stop!
We received a good explanation of the process and tried lots of samples!
Wakayama Castle was our last stop for the day with most of us walking to the top of the castle.
The steps inside the castle are a lot easier than the steps going to the entry level of the castle.
We explored Mt. Koya (Koya-san), the center of Shingon Buddhism; an important Buddhist sect which was introduced to Japan in 805 by Kobo Daishi (also known as Kukai), one of Japan’s most significant religious figures.
Our 9th day of touring began with a visit to Kiyomizu Temple (“Pure Water Temple”).
The next stop was Nijo Castle. Nijo Castle was used as an imperial palace for a while before being donated to the city and opened up to the public as a historic site.
Our hands-on activity for the day was surikomi yuzen (brush dyed yuzen).
Patterns are dyed by placing a paper stencil over a table mat.
On our last day and we went back to Osaka to visit the stunning vermilion colored Fushimi Inari Shrine, whose 4 kilometers long tunnel of scarlet torii gates was featured on the film Memoirs of a Geisha.
After lunch, we visited the Todaiji Temple in Nara. Todaiji, the largest wooden building in Japan, houses the largest bronze statue of Buddha at 16.3 meters high.
Last but not least, congratulations to these two for completing their goal of visiting all 47 Japan prefectures!! What an accomplishment!
