Welcome to the first edition of PacSet Tries, an end-of-the-month column that introduces activities that we do on tour, as well as some episodes where we try a quirky/interesting/new product or food from Japan.
We’ve just returned from Kyushu Hideaways, which was literally a whirlwind of a tour as we dealt with some unexpected and unusual wind and rains for the season. On one particular day, we were scheduled to hike Shiratani Unsuikyo, better known to some as “Princess Monokoke Forest” because of its role as an inspiration for the backdrops of the animated film. If you have not seen Princess Mononoke, it is most definitely a film worth your time. It is my favorite movie!
Unfortunately, our group woke up to some heavy rain and we drove all the way up to the forest park entrance where we were forced to turn around due to the dangerous number of waterfalls and rapids that had formed from the precipitation. Luckily because of this, we were able to attend a wood-crafting workshop instead! We were given two options of things to make: a pair of chopsticks or a wooden turtle pendant. The wood was Japanese cedar, or yakusugi, a light-weight wood with a reddish-brown color. About half the group chose chopsticks while the others chose the turtle.
Our job was to sand our shapes down until they reached the desired shape and smoothness – some of our participants were quite skilled and earned the admiration of the resident wood-worker guiding our experience. He even said that in all his years he’s never had a group this enthusiastic and good at wood-crafting! We were thrilled that we were able to make his day. It was also such a calming experience to be able to focus on the craft and everyone left happy and relaxed and ready to brave the rain.
For those of you who need a bit of a break between all the sight-seeing, shopping, and walking while traveling, I highly recommend taking a crafts workshop! Japanese craftsmanship is some of the finest in the world, and to learn some of the word-working, pottery, fabric-dyeing, and other arts is a cultural experience that is fun, interactive, and more often than not, quite therapeutic too!
The group with our masterpieces!