A Walk Back In Time

Today, we took a three-hour bullet train trip and traveled back in time to a 17th century town.  Kakunodate is known as "Little Kyoto" and is an example of a castle town where samurai lived.  The streets are lined with weeping cherry blossom trees.  We went into samurai homes, museums, merchant shops, warehouses, etc.  We were treated to a lunch of Inaniwa Udon, an Akita specialty, by Obaachama Yokota.  Gochisousama!

Back at the onsen ryokan, we enjoyed a multi-course dinner with tin-foil fish smothered in cheese, chicken cutlet (for the non-vegetarians), nimono stewed vegetables,  tomato salad, and much more.  Of course, we enjoyed another ultra-hot onsen bath.  

Tomorrow, we head to Urasa to KJ School and meet our host families!  Excitement (and perhaps some trepidation) abounds. 

a little cultural lesson on Japanese graveyards

     

Trippers squeeze onto a bridge at the first "buke yashiki"

Some of the samurai homes

A thick door to a storehouse, or "kura"

An oddity at the door!

closer up

Some of the relics

and of course, another group photo

Lunch

Nature everywhere, even growing on the top of a gate to the house