Spoiled Rotten

Last Saturday Michelle, Jamie and I had a wonderful outing with our adopted Japanese family, the Yamamotos. We drove to a beautiful hotel and onsen (hot spring) where the three of us took a hot spring bath, relaxed and got ready for lunch. Below is an outside onsen. These are simply amazing in Japan and located absolutely everywhere! I will definitely miss taking a hotspring bath anytime and anywhere! Here is a little bit about the onsen for all you curious ones out there..... Onsen etiquette Note that at an onsen you wash your body and rinse yourself thoroughly before you enter the hot water. This is vital in a public place as entering the onsen while still dirty or covered in soap can be very unsettling for others and may cause an uproar. Wearing swimsuits is also explicitly forbidden at the more traditional onsen and would be considered odd at least. People generally bring a small towel with them to use as a washcloth and for a modicum of modesty when walking between the washing area and the baths. Onsens are generally considered a respite from the hectic pace of life and consequently they are usually quite quiet. The onsen plays an important role in Japanese culture, providing socially institutionalised relief from the pressures of the contemporary Japanese twelve-hour work ethic and a chance for Japanese to break down the hierarchal nature of society through the mutual nakedness of skinship. After bathing, we had an amazing lunch which was a traditional kaiseki set. Here is also a bit of info about this traditional and special meal...... Kaiseki One kaiseki dinner can consist of anywhere from 6 to 15 different kinds of food. Kaiseki is a meal of courses, consisting of a number of small dishes: steamed dishes, simmered dishes, and grilled dishes. It often includes sliced raw fish (sashimi), tempura, grilled fish, soup, rice, and so on.The kind of food served will change according to the different months, seasons and what is freshly available at the local market. It is also depends on the area. Each dish is simply seasoned and presented beautifully in nice dinnerware.

This was just the start of the meal! Meet the parents! Both school teachers that enjoy spoiling us rotten!

After lunch we drove to another city to view the iris garden and then on to view a beautiful rose garden. It is that time of year in Niigata, the roses are in full bloom. The garden contained hundreds of different species of roses and numberous colors that allowed for a gorgeous walk through the country side of Niigata.

The hills of Niigata and velvet colored roses beneath.

These are some of my favorites!

The day was coming to a close but not until we had a home-cooked meal. We went back to the Yamamotos house to relax for a bit, drink tea and chat with them. Mrs. Yamamoto prepared a lovely dinner that was delicious. We had a nice dinner that consisted of conversation of their upoming trip to the USA, our lives after Japan, and how thankful we are to have met them. My Japanese experience would not have been nearly as wonderful without these two generous people.

Jamie, ready to eat!