On our way through various locales in Kyotamba, Kyoko and I stop for lunch and wander around Kitamura village in Miyama-cho afterwards. Here numerous homes built in the traditional way with thatched roofs have been preserved. I am continuously amazed at such sites, to see the manner in which natural materials are used.
Nothing is wasted. A number of the handmade tools and utensils are uncannily similar to those my grandparents put to use in their homes in a country on the other side of the Pacific. In like fashion, tidy garden plots surround the houses.
Designated a national preservation site, the locals (who probably don’t think of themselves as living in a museum) don’t seem to mind the visitors poking about on their streets gawking and taking photos. They go about their daily lives: gardening, posting letters, putting out washing. As we have other destinations in mind this day, we don’t stop to try our hand at making washi or pottery or visit one of the local onsen baths.
Alas, the Little Indigo Museum happens to be closed today. I’m sure it has treasures I would appreciate. A little more than disappointed I file it away on the mental “To Do” list for next time—always uncertain whether there will be a next time.
Somewhat drowsy after our lunch and exercise, we spot a picnic table in the sunshine. There we lie down on the benches like cats, and promptly fall asleep. The adverts for this spot don’t lie: They say we will leave relaxed and refreshed. Indeed. Truly, this unhurried mode is the best way to travel.
No surprise, none of the other sites on our list vanished during our nap. We got there in due time. Somebody (on a blog no longer active or I’d link it) once said that Japan has been here thousands of years. Japan will wait for you to do what you need to do. It’s true.