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I realized after I got on the train that I had carefully brought money, passport, train pass, and directions back to the minshuku, but not Rina's phone. That was, however, no problem, as she was waiting there for me. We first went to her mother's office - apparently one of her two jobs is working at this art school, and at the moment she is readying an exhibit of the works of former students, some of which need a bit of cleaning up, and apparently not many Japanese know much about oil paint restoration so she's very involved in that. Her OTHER job is accompanying exhibits of ukiyoe pictures. These are mostly woodblocks, genre paintings (the word means "culture picture" and I was given a catalog of these paintings, which were not originally intended as "works of art" but which are now being so regarded. There were many artists of these pictures, not just one, and originals are rare, though prints are not.
I was shown around the gallery, introduced to a nice man Teruko works with/for, and finally taken away for a ride up the mountain nearby. If you didn't know there had been an earthquake, a superficial look wouldn't tell you so, but there are many vacant lots where buildings have been torn down. There are street crews working constantly still on electrical connections, etc. We went up to an observation deck at the top of a ridge of mountain, and had a beautiful view of the harbor.
A few notes: presents from R&T include a doll for Jeannette. Rina is extremely dubious that J. will like it, but *I* love it! and some tiny cups, teapot, etc, from her mother-in-law who has just been installed in a nursing home. Or rather from her household, granny being a bit on the vague side at this point I gather.
Rina remembers when she stayed with us, that she had complained that mama told her what to do too much. And that I had told her "just say YES, DEAR." This has stuck, and apparently the strategy has been much used!
At the Kobe station, to announce a train they play electronically "down at the station, early in the morning, see the little pufflebellies all in a row."
When there is a signal anywhere in Kyoto that has a walk sign, there is a bird chirp that signals when it's okay to walk. Different bird chirp in each direction.
Finally, tonight I got up nerve to try the bath, and it was indeed a marvelous experience. This one isn't incredibly wide, and it had bars to hang onto, so I appreciated it very much.
Rina says that minshuko are where you put up your high school child travelling. But I find it just fine.
I haven't set the alarm the last couple of days, and that has been very nice. After the big feast and late arrival back last night I didn't have any trouble sleeping until almost 8. I didn't take breakfast at the minshuko and am glad I didn't; I had a Japanese breakfast at Sakai-san's house and that was enough. But I have made it through not eating any American food, indeed not any for over three weeks. Except that coffee.
Satsuma-Dojo Izakaya
Satsuma-Dojo Izakaya
We then went down to downtown Kobe and to a little restaurant that is run by friends of Teruko. Only about six tables and a bit of counter; people sitting with people they didn't know before they sat down, others who knew Teruko (a "very famous" medieval scholar, for instance). Very cozy and neighborhood-y, but also very IN. By no means a simple corner bar. The name of the place is Satsuma-Dojo Izakaya, and it serves the food of the part of the country called Satsuma, the Satsuma Ryor.
We had an incredible meal of many courses; I wrote them down with Rina's help. There was a little dish of zen-mai, which is some sort of slightly pickled somethings, maybe even mushrooms. Good. Then satsuma age, which are pounded-fish-balls deep fried. Very fresh. And homemade tofu custard. As in Sakai's house, there is a different sauce or two for every dish. After the custard, which was so unlike the tofu I've had everywhere else as to be unrecognizable, we had ton kotsu, which is pork bones, on top of daikon. Very good. Then came a large bowl of ice with tiny sashimi fish radiating out from the center, silver with black stripes, about 2" long, very narrow. Sort of fresh raw anchovies. This is called kibe nago sashimi and came with both a mustard and a shoju sauce.
This was followed by an excellent chicken yakitori skewer, then by some kalashi lenkon, which is large daikon whose holes have been stuffed with some hot substance, then deepfried. Finally that was followed by satsuma miso soup, with many kinds of vegetables in it.
Throughout, Teruko kept up a running conversation with someone: me, or the medievalist, or the two men who sat down at the table with us (it's very tiny and very crowded there). Rina's English is good enough that we were able to talk most of the time without trouble. While waiting for Teruko in her "office" Rina was able to tell me a good bit about her mother and her mother's life - parents who wanted to send her to a girls' university, but whom she deceived and went off to graduate from (?) Kobe University as the only woman in the class, then marrying late (35), not living with her husband for years but not getting a divorce until 2 years ago, etc. etc. Rina says she needs to live with her mother to "take care of her" - mother of course rightly pooh-poohing this. Mama is 65. She looks maybe 55.
In any event, we finally left the inn, got me to the station and I got back before curfew at 11.
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