It was 7 pm when we finally found a public phone on the Tsuru station. We promised ourselves for 5 pm but we missed the train during the afternoon because we found the Himeji castle’s park so magical with the fully blooming cherry trees, that we took the risk to catch the next train and still be there in time. We failed. But it was definitely worth it. However, at this time we felt embarrassed because we couldn’t reach Sachio san from the train due to the lack of service on our phones. We were in Japan for 7 days and our visit draws to its close. As usual, we were exhausted running through our chosen destinations and try to take the most out of it. Of course, it has backwards but we love this way. Finally, the phone started to ring and someone answered…
After 10 minutes we were already in Sachio san’s car. Luckily, he is a patient gentleman and he had not got any word about our delay. After changing 3 trains with the luggage and the backpack and hundreds of walking kilometers behind it was such a nice feeling to sit in a car entrusting yourself to the driver to take you anywhere where he wants to. Your only thing to do is staring out through the window and watch the unknown passing landscapes. The typical white cube car was parked in a sloping streets facing with big dark trees. Sachio san didn’t talk too much in the car first, he needed warming up to talk in English. But it was clear from the very first moment that he is a great host. He was just so excited having us.
We stepped in the house and immediately took off our shoes as it is obvious in Japan. Sachio san was uplifted to show us around in his authentic Japanese house. We were truly amazed. For such a low price we got a half house with 3 rooms. However we used our favorite one the Japanese bedroom with tatami and pure rice paper doors. It is so functional and just feels clearing your mind. No disturbance at all. The only things in front of your eyes are which have function and even among those, only the ones that you will certainly use in the next few hours. Such a relief!
After dropping down our stuff we were invited for a cup of green tea at a heated table where you can sit on the tatami putting your leg underneath the table in a little place close to the heater and cover yourself with a blanket, which is fixed for the edge of the table. It is called Kotatsu and is really something for me since I always have freezing foot.
Sachio san is a real individuality. He is in his 60's and got bored after retired so he started to host on AirBnB. Today he is fully booked and always busy. His curiosity was the most outstanding. He talked a lot with us over the green tea, however his English is still in progress he tries to express himself as much as he is able to. It was quite funny how he was hitting his bald head, closing his eyes if he could not remember a word. He was slow but told us everything that he wanted to.
Bath time
8:30 pm is bath time! No earlier, no later, everything has its own time for doing it. We got a printed Google sheet about how to take a traditional Japanese bath. Just in time. We also had Japanese bathroom in our two previous apartments where we stayed but we just had a shower in the tube…
But better late than never as we know. So now we are a proper Japanese bath taker! (They also can heat up the water in the tube in the case it would be too cold. It is really my country…)
We woke up for the sound of the rain. We slept like a baby in our Japanese room and felt pretty relaxed. They really know something about how to live our weekdays well. We just walked to the kitchen for the laid table. Sachio san baked a bread for us and just started to grind some coffee beans. With his manual coffee grinder. We really felt like home. A 80th Californian music sounded with Sachio san’s humming while we had breakfast. This is his favorite music since in his golden age he had the chance to travel to San Francisco and falling love with this music there.
We were planning to see Mt. Fuji on that day but the rain seemed to destroy our plan. We did not worry at all though. We were so calm knowing that we will have a great day anyway. After some chitchatting with Sachio san over our coffee we discussed to meet half an hour later and go together for Sachio san’s favorite temple.
When we arrived for a little temple the rain stopped, but the weather was still cloudy with a bit of sun and high humidity in the air. When we stepped in the silent, secret garden we just saw a big stunning cherry tree in fully bloom with sparkling raindrops on the little flowers. It was really amazing and we felt blessed for such a nice view.
After, we just said ‘See you at the evening’ for Sachio san at the Kawaguchiko station and jumped in the tourist information. Accompanied with another huge amount of brochure and information we just found ourselves in hurry to go up to a view point by rope way with the hope of having a chance to glimpse the top. How we got to know it is always changing and you never know you have a luck or not.
The magic mountain
It turned out that we were so lucky on that day! We were just sitting in the sunshine for 10 minutes drinking green tea and eating Japanese cookies when the top of the mountain just showed up for us from behind the clouds! She was so stunning with nice shape and proportional skirt.
She is a magic mountain! At least she looks like throughout the day. When we started to go down from the view point she was just hidden and when we walked to another view point next to the lake we could see her again! When we were on our way to a Japanese bath she was behind clouds. But when we were ready to take a relaxing bath in a beautiful wooden tube, she showed up again through the bath window, which was an amazing experience!
Arriving back to ‘home’ to have dinner and went to the bed early we had a great pillow talk about the day. We agreed that if you are in the present moment and just let the things happen around you it will really be in the most perfect way what you could never expect anyway.
We all have beautiful destinations on our bucket list which we dream about visiting once in a life. My no 1 was to visit Japan. However, sometimes we just can’t wait our dream to become true, but once it’s there we are not able to enjoy enough or we feel that we expected something bigger or we just can’t live for the moment and get the most out of it.
Mindfulness is not only related to our everyday life but also to our traveling, goals or our dreams.
Regarding our goals and wishes there are always two parts of it. First, we need to achieve it and second we need to enjoy it. Most of the people who achieved the first are still struggling with the second part. Do not stop there! Be in that moment and enjoy the magic happening.
Thanks for reading the draft of this to Máté Rauscher.