We've got it covered

This past Sunday was a bit stressful in our household.  My husband has been keeping a close eye on the coronavirus and decided we needed to get better prepared just in case.

Knowing that I have food stores in case of an emergency, we didn't need to pick up any extra food.

He was most concerned with getting some masks to wear on his train commute.  Thinking this would be an easy task, we asked a saleswoman at an AEON store (pronounced EE-on, a store similar to a Fred Meyer or Target) and she told us they were sold out.  A bit surprised, we headed to a pharmacy.  They were also sold out.  So was Don Quijote (a huge discount store that has everything under the sun - usually).  We went to 5 different stores and all of them were sold out.

We  headed home and tried to by some online.  But only private sellers had masks in stock on Amazon, with HUGE markups.  The most memorable one was a single box of 50 masks for ¥9,000/$82 USD!!!  Price gouging is so despicable, especially in times like these.

I reached out to the park moms for help in obtaining some masks.  The next morning I had a text telling me to go to Livin (a chain store part of Walmart).  By the time I got there, just  20 minutes later, all the boxes were gone.  There were still packages, but they only have 3, 5, or 7 masks per package and the store was limiting everyone to only 2 packages.  I bought two packages and continued on my way.  I spent ¥550/$5 for 14 masks.  I've heard that some stores are limiting their customers to only 1 box or package.

Later on I got a text from a different park mom - she was at a store that still had masks.  She was happy to buy me a box of 60 masks for ¥400/$3.65.  Another mom brought it to the school the next day.

Phew!  All that running around and craziness for a couple of masks.  I feel like we have enough as it is easy for us to reduce how much time we spend in crowded places.

I hope we will not have a need for these masks.  But it is better to be prepared than caught off guard.

Exploring Nagatoro (Part 3 of 3)

After exploring the tamami mat rocks and Hodosan Shrine, it was time to head up the mountain.  The kids were eager to get started, but we paused to fill them with food and take a quick bathroom break before hitting the trail.  I learned a long time ago that it is always so important to fill up your kid before hiking, otherwise it can be a very whiny adventure!

The trail is a gentle, but steady climb up the 497.1 m / 1,631 ft mountain.  This is a trail for all seasons, as the path is wide and well maintained.  There were lots of people hiking on this beautiful Saturday, but it never seemed crowded.  I still can't get over how many people we see when we are hiking in Japan, but maybe we just aren't going rural enough.

We stopped a couple times just to relish in the view, as it was super pretty.

I wanted to go on this trail because I wanted to see the wintersweet blooms that can be found at the top.  A grove of wintersweet trees, also known as robai or yellow wax plums, is right at the summit.  Now, I know you can take a ropeway straight to the top to see the blooms, but hiking up only took about an hour (it's much faster without little legs) and is a worthwhile stroll.

The blooms live up to their name by releasing a sweet scent into the cold air.  It was lovely at first, but got a bit strong as we walked through the trees.

When my husband had seen enough of the yellow topped trees, he wandered over to the shrine at the top of the mountain.  It is part of Hodosan Shrine at the base of the hill.  The one on top is not colorful or adorned with carvings like the other one is, but it still feels like a special place.

After we were all done enjoying the flowers and shrine, we headed down the ropeway.  While I am not a big fan of being high in the sky, I wasn't bothered by the height of this particular gondola.  Maybe it was because I was in the middle of the car, I don't know.  But I enjoyed watching the town get closer and closer.

Beyond the benefits of being in nature and enjoying the views of everything from small blossoms to calming scenery, the best part of hiking Mount Hodo was spending time with my family.  Nagatoro was a lovely little town with lots of beautiful nature.  I'd love to go back in other seasons, as the town is well know for several types of blooming trees.

Setsubun fun

We had a fun filled Setsubun.  After a delicious dinner of futomaki and grilled fish, our neighbor came over to join us for throwing beans (peanuts, actually) at Oni.  We laughed and laughed as each person took turns being the Oni.

There really is nothing like this crazy tradition of a demon entering your house and you chasing it away by throwing beans at it.

More Setsubun stories here and here.

Exploring Nagatoro (Part 2 of 3)

After looking, touching, and appreciating the tatami mat rocks for an hour, it was time to head back to the train station to pick up some more Hike it Baby families.  We could have stayed longer as it was very fascinating, but we needed to continue on.

When the whole group was gathered, we consisted of 6 adults and 6 kids.  There were both familiar and new faces, which is always so nice.  The kiddos ranged in age from 2 to 9.

As a group, we walked up to Hodosan Jinja, a shrine within a 10 minute walk of Nagatoro station.  It is a beautiful shrine known for the colorful sculptures carved into the main building.

Built in 110 A.D., the shrine is said to have been constructed by a Prince after surviving a fire on the mountain.  In the story, the Prince and his army try to fight the fire, but end up being saved by a pack of dogs that are spirits and then led to the top of the mountain.  After this experience the Prince built the shrine and enshrined three God - Kamu-yamato-iware-biko-no-Mikoto (Emperor Jimmu, who founded Japan), O-yama-tsumi-no-Kami (Mountain Deity), and Ho-musu-bi-no-Kami (Fire Deity).

Today over a million people go to the shrine to pray for their family's safety, prosperity in business, protection from fire and robbery, traffic safety, and good fortune with money, among other things, every year.

Although the main shrine is super beautiful, it isn't the only thing to see.  There are actually several other shrines on the premises to view and ask for guidance on a whole variety of topics.  The group separated and came back together as we explored the shrine.

It was a great place to start our adventure together.

To be continued...

Exploring Nagatoro (Part 1 of 3)

We spent the day in Nagatoro hiking with Hike it Baby.  It was another amazing day that has left us tired, happy, and grateful for such an amazing experience of exploring with our son.

My husband joined us for this adventure that started with a 2 hour train ride into Saitama.  

After arriving at Nagatoro Station, we walked with friends just 5 minutes to see the tatami rocks near Arakawa River.  Iwadatami (tatami mats of rocks) are thin layers of rocks created naturally by changes in the earth's crust and erosion from the river.  No matter the explanation of their creation, they are beautiful and interesting to see.

My son loves climbing, so this was the perfect place to play.  (We kept a close eye on him to make sure he was staying safe.)  He quickly transformed into a lion seeking for his place on Pride Rock.  I love how a little bit of time out in nature brings out his creative side.

We stayed for about an hour, but we all could have stayed for longer.  My son liked digging in the sand.  I liked watching the tour boats go down the river.  My husband liked exploring the naturally occurring pot holes.  And we all enjoyed walking and exploring the neat rocks.

To be continued...