Day 22 November 2nd 2015
Woke up had breakfast and headed out in search of the martial arts shop ‘Tozando‘. Darcy had given us a business card for the store and a request for a Bokken, (a Japanese Red Oak sword) and Hakama (Japanese pants).
We set out first by train, then bus confused when we ended up where we started from. Finally made it after stopping for breakfast in a simple cafe near the shop with friendly people fascinated by us being there. Once at the store we were helped by a delightful woman who was dragged into helping us because she spoke English. That was a lucky break because the Bokken selected turned out to be too small – because I mentioned my son they assumed a child.
Back to city we established the right side of the road to get the bus and then found ourselves aided by an elderly woman who asked if she could help. Once on the bus she told the driver to tell us. Shouting down the length of the bus to explain to us the driver knew where we wanted to get off-which he did.
We then headed into the Nishiki markets a large array of stalls selling Japanese food and goods. Not unlike our own Victoria Market in Melbourne.
Afterwards again with some difficulty and help from people we stopped along the way we found the Mariko exhibition. The exhibition was within an art and book shop where we also found a book I had read about Little Tree: An Uncommonly Beautiful and Subtle Japanese Pop-Up Book about the Cycle of Life
On the way home we visited the Takayashima food hall for dinner. This had become a favourite of ours since our first visit in Yokohama. We went back and talked with the lovely Moi-San who washed our clothes and served us Sake!
