New Year Celebration

The Japanese New Year is a holiday of importance. Almost every business closes down from the 31st of December through the 4th or 5th of January. Some even observe the older tradition of remaining closed until the 8th! It is a time of gathering with family to let go of the previous year and welcome the new one. I had the great fortune of being invited by my beloved`s family to join them at their cabin in Shizuoka for this auspicious time of year.

To say I had a fantastic time would be an understatement. There are many photos and information about the holiday that follow. Enjoy!

I left on the evening of the 30th via the shinkansen (bullet train), after teaching my last class in Kyoto for the year.



Even the train name is auspicious. Hikari means “light”.

December 31st

The day begins with mochi (rice cakes) making and eating.


Remember the hammer and huge wooden mortar used in the Mochi Tsuki Taikai from several postings ago? Eri`s Dad, Jun, used a mechanized version to pound the steamed rice into the doughy mochi.


This dough was then brought to the dining table to be rolled into the rice cakes. Eri`s grandmother, Tomoko, taught me the technique of how to pull a piece off and then roll it.


Eri & I doing our share.


The family enjoy the traditional first meal together. From left to right, Shou (younger brother), Tomoko, Kumi (mother), Jun (hidden), and Eri. There were three main ways to dip, stuff, and top the mochi: azuki (red bean paste), kinako (soy powder), shouyu, nori, and daikon oroshi (grated radish).

After our lovely breakfast, Eri`s father took us to see Fuji-san. The day was crystal clear and very cold, but the sun shone strong and bright.


Jun guided us to one view of Mt. Fuji...


...then a second view.


During the ride we saw this fellow out for a New Year`s Eve Day stroll.

After our excursion, it was back to the house to help prepare the osechi ryouri (New Year`s food). Eri`s Mom and Grandmom had actually done most of the food prep on the 30th. The tradition is to prepare enough food for the entire New Year`s celebration, so it is quite an undertaking. In these modern times, some families will actually just buy prepared items offered by the local stores. However, Eri`s family prepared every dish by hand. On the 31st, Eri prepared three dishes, with my assistance, so that I could play some small part in the creative process.


Eri making a sweet potato and chestnut puree.


A fine wine.


Eri and her Mom taking a brief break.


Eri making one of her favorite desserts, a gelatin flavored with red and plum wines, called kanten.

After a couple of hours, we took a break for dinner prepared by Kumi and Tomoko, cooked in the nabe pot, a traditional way to make large meals for many people. Ingredients are continuously added to the bowl as they are depleted.


A simple presentation.


A yummy meal of kani (crab), mizuma (the thin green stems on the left), ooki negi (”giant green onion”, brought by Shou from a friend), daikon (radish), shiitake, porcini, sashimi scallops, chicken, and wasabi.


Smiles and joking around were as plentiful as the food.


After dinner we had wagashi, which designates any Japanese sweet desert served with tea. This particular wagashi is called monaka. It is made of a crispy mochi shell, and filled with shiroan (white bean filling), which is only used in wagashi.


The final step, after all of the food is made, is to place it within a three to five tiered bento (lunch box). This was Eri`s task. Here are the three tiers, and what was placed within each of them.


Bottom tier: starting in the back, left to right, iwashi (sardines) marinated in sesame, shouyu, sweet sake, & sugar (the dish is called gomame), kamaboko (whitefish cod in a paste form) tied into knots, kuromame (semi-sweet black beans), tatemaki (sweet eggroll); hidden behind the decorative leaves just below the sardines is a pile of ginnan (ginko nuts) and directly opposite these is kamaboko cut in quarter circles; the bottom row begins with more kamaboko, then a big pile of the sweet potato & kuri (chestnut) dish, and finally the kanten


Middle tier: beginning in the back row, left to right, kazunoka (herring [nishin] eggs with fish flakes atop marinated ninjin (carrots) and daikon, matsumaezuke (squid, kelp, & carrots); more knotted kamaboko; the bottom row starts with gobou (a delicious root veggie), renkon (lotus root) wrapped around sake (salmon) and tied with konbu (kelp) - this creation was the third of Eri`s I assisted with, and kabu (another type of radish) cut into decorative flowers and marinated, with a tiny bit of carrot atop each


Top tier: the back row is a pair of two of my favorites - tamagoyaki (eggroll) and Kumi`s homemade chicken meatballs laced with carrots and kelp - both were very tasty!; the white ramekin contains fish eggs, and to the left of it is a dish I cannot remember; the bottom row holds grilled sawara (Japanese Spanish mackerel) which was very yummy, roast beef, and more kamaboko

The green leaves that serve as separation for the various dishes are camelia leaves (called tsubaki).


The stacked and sealed bento. It is interesting to note that every piece of food in the bento has a symbolic meaning, and are eaten to produce abundance in specific parts of life. For example, one dish is to increase one`s joy, while another is to increase one`s children. It is a very symbolic meal, and I felt very blessed to have been invited to participate in it.


This dish is kinchakuni. The pouch is the outside of tofu (age), and the thread is called ito. The inside is stuffed with carrots, gobou, dried shiitake, and ground meat.


After all of the work was finished, Jun, Eri, and I had a lovely conversation about tantric yoga over a second dessert of coffee and Eri`s homemade biscotti of chocolate, almonds, and rum raisin. Yummy!


January 1st

All the previous food preparation culminates in this day, in which families gather and eat, eat, eat!


Eri and her Grandmom setting out the feast.


Two platters of ika (squid), tako (octopus), ebi (shrimp), and a very tasty whitefish. The octopus was the best I have ever had.


The three bento boxes, plus one of two huge trays Tomoko had put together. This one contains tofu, and several types of yummy potatoes.


Tomoko`s other huge tray, of daikon, ninjin, tofu, renkon, and shiitake.


The traditional mochi centerpiece.


The Nakamura goddesses.


These hashi (chopstick) holders were made by Eri, Tomoko, and myself the night before from a design Eri found.


By nightfall we had gone through a bit of the food, but there was still plenty left. The evening meal was a combo of the afternoon`s feast with leftover nabe from the previous dinner.


Jun breaks out the sake for the traditional toast.


January 2nd

We began the second day of the New Year with a small breakfast of leftovers, just as tasty as when we first had them. Most of the food that is made for this celebration are things that can be eaten cold or at room temperature, and keep well in the cold, so there is a minimum of additional cooking needed during the week.

After our meal, Jun treated us to a local onsen (hot spring), with a spectacular view of Fuji-san from both the indoor and outdoor pools. Simply breathtaking!

Following the onsen, Eri`s parents again graciously treated us to a fantastic meal at a soba place known for their unique noodles which are almost four times the width of normal soba! Delicious!


The decor was simple but spacious.


My kabocha soba.



Happy diners.



These potatoes were outstanding!


The lake behind the soba restaurant.


A bit of post-soba horseplay.



Onsen. Soba. But there was more to come. We drove into the mountains to attend the New Year`s festival at the Hakone temple.


One of the many torii (gates).


This pit is where people can toss in last year`s various New Year`s decorations, to clear the space for new blessings.


This gorgeous forest walking path is placed below the temple.


The stairway goes down through another torii to the lake.


Lake view through the torii.


Ishidourou (stone lantern).


Jun by one of the many path entrances leading to the temple.


There were a small group of vendors clustered just outside the temple grounds. Here is one of them, offering azuki (red bean paste) & shiroan (white bean filling) cakes. These were scrumptious!


This reminds me of "Spirited Away" (Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi)


To keep warm as we waited in line, we drank hot amazake (sweet sugar sake).


Hakone temple.


To enter, we first pass through this circle, which is to purify the Spirit of evil energies...


....then one can make an offering, ring the bell, clap twice, and set prayers for the New Year.

At Hakone, Eri and I bought an arrow to place over our entrance, which is to simultaneously ward off evil spirits while attracting the gods of good fortune to enter. We tied our fortunes around the shaft, and it now hangs in our genkan (entrance foyer). Kumi gave us a decoration for the door that is supposed to attract good fortune as well. Next year, we will bring them with us to the celebrations, to offer to the fire pit.

2009 is the Year of the Cow in Japan.

The wooden prayer marker is blank on the other side to write down our prayers for 2009.

Our fortunes received at Hakone temple.

January 3rd

Our final day at the cabin. To my delight, Eri dressed up in kimono, and then performed tea ceremony for us. I took about fifty photos of her getting dressed with the help of her Grandmom. Wearing kimono is no small task, and requires a lot of time to put on. It was a special treat to observe this process, and especially the interaction between Eri and Tomoko. This was my favorite event all week. Here are a few photos from the process.























Once Eri was dressed, she artfully performed a simple tea ceremony for us. The bowl Eri used is from Jun`s family, and dates back to the Edo period of Japan, which ran from 1603 to 1867! Jun and Eri gave me a great deal of information on the history of sadou, literally “The Way of Tea”. A particularly interesting story is of Sen no Rikyuu, a great tea master who is said to have the most profound influence on the tea ceremony, and Hideyoshi, a master general. The tea master had begun to use the ceremony as a place to influence the decision makers who attended his events. Hideyoshi, fearful that Sen no Rikyuu was trying to usurp him, ordered the master tea artist to commit hirikiri (a form of suicide by knife in the stomach, that inflicts a very painful and slow death).

Prepping for the ceremony.





The room.

Presenting the wagashi.



Folding the cloth.



Cleaning the bowl.










Measuring the tea.



Whisking.



Jun performs the ceremony for Eri to partake.



This bowl was extraordinary to the touch. It felt as if you could leave a fingerprint in the surface, like it was wax or unfired clay.

This last image is a poem by Jun`s favorite poet, Aida Mitsuo. I was actually able to read it in its entirety without any translation help from Eri. It is very simple, yet profound. It says:

amenohi niwa, amenonaka wo

kazenohi niwa, kazenonaka wo

On a rainy day, you are in the rain

On a windy day, you are in the wind

This was the most enjoyable New Year`s I have ever spent. Being in the company of such a warm, heart-centered family with my beloved, celebrating in their traditional way, engendered a deeper appreciation for the Japanese culture as well as deepening my appreciation and love for Eri.

An Evening In Sannenzaka/Mochi Festival/Scenes From An Italian Restaurant/Christmas Day

I have a lot of photos from the past month, so without further ado, and minimal text...

November 27th - An evening out in Sannenzaka, to visit Koudaiji Temple to view the momiji (maples) in all of their fall attire and an amazing bamboo grove, followed by dinner at Mame-cha.

The temple grounds...

An incredible meal...

December 12th - We attended a small mochi tsuki taikai ("A gathering to pound rice cakes") festival not 10 minutes from our new home. This is a prelude to the mochi-making that happens over the New Year`s holiday.

First, huge quantities of rice are boiled in this impromptu cooker.

Next, the rice is poured into a giant wooden mortar so it can be pounded into the sticky flour-like mochi to be made into cakes.

There were several colorful characters who participated in the festivities.

Even yours truly took a few swings, my technique refined with the help of the local pros.

Eri enjoys my hard work - mochi covered in kinako, a yummy soy powder.

December 23rd - Italian dinner night! Using my Mom`s recipe for marinara sauce and homemade meatballs, Eri & I crafted a meal to delight the senses. WARNING: The following photos may induce the need to head out to the nearest Italian restaurant you can find.

The sauce had been made the previous day, to set overnight, per Mom`s instructions. The chef begins with an eggplant parmesan, the first time he has ever attempted it. 

The main course in the developmental stage...

...and the finished product.

Mom`s homemade meatballs in the skillet. Between these and the parmesan, the whole house was redolent with yummy smells that reminded me of my childhood.

Eri, making what became the best pesto I have ever had.

Our Italian restaurant, set up in our bedroom.

We began the meal with the eggplant parmesan, accompanied by some warm baguette and Italian bread from Le Petit Mec, Eri`s favorite bakery. Then it was on to the second course: Eri`s pasta & pesto, and the heavenly meatballs with cresson, a French herb. (Yes, I, the non-meat eater indulged in these too, and I relished every bite!)

Eri grates some fresh parmesan over her delicious creation.

Our third course was another fantastically yummy Eri creation: butter lettuce, walnuts, and orange slices in a yuzu, shouyu, apple vinegar, pepper, and fleur de sel dressing.

Dezaato was a scrumptious chocolate cake from our favorite patisserie, Au Grenier, with a side of Hagen Daas vanilla ice cream.

The chef comes out smelling like a rose...

...as Eri sweetly sinks into a food coma.

December 25th - I don`t usually get excited about Christmas. However, being with Eri in our house has been such a joyous experience that it was nice we both happened to have off on Christmas Day. In Japan, the 25th is like any other day. It is usually a day for dates and shopping, but almost all of the businesses remain open, as people shop in preparation for the New Year`s festivities, which begin on the 28th. In a way, Eri and I had our own version of the traditional "date". We left the bed in the late morning, and put together a lovely brunch. I cooked up a dish of onions, potatoes sliced thin, and green and red peppers, seasoned with a bit of pepper and salt. The rest of the main meal consisted of smoked salmon with lemon and cresson, pan du compagne from our favorite downtown bakery, Walder, and brie. This was followed by a fruit salad of aoi ringo ("blue apple"), ra furansu (pear), orenji (orange), and mikan (little juicy oranges) marinated in a lemon, sparkling strawberry wine (left over from the Italian dinner) and mikan juice combination. Our brunch ended with two pieces of Papa John`s cheesecake; blueberry for me and French vanilla for Eri. 

The following morning, we awoke to something I haven`t seen since moving to SF in 2002 - snow! My first Kyoto snowfall, and what a wonderful way to experience it.

Happy Holidays!

yoi otoshi wo omukae kudasai! (Please have a Happy New Year!)

Computer Challenged

I apologize for the lack of blogging, but I am having extreme computer and internet challenges right now. I hope to post a batch of new photos by the weekend before the end of the year. Have a wonderful holiday!

Three Days

Monday
Eri returned home around 7pm. I had dinner waiting, in celebration of us. We have only been together for a little over a month, but so much has happened to us. Tonight, it is a night of honoring our love. As I cooked, I listened to Maxwell’s Urban Hang Suite and his MTV Unplugged to infuse my cooking and the apartment with even more of a celebratory vibration. I made a kabocha and porcini miso, salmon, rice, and combined two of my favorite veggie dishes together: carrots and ginger with broccoli, garlic and chestnuts. They turned out to perfectly compliment one another, and both Eri and I were delighted with the tastes. She had bought flowers on her way home, and then dug into her boxes to bring out a couple beautiful candleholders. A lovely finishing touch for the eye. As we sat down to eat, I put on Maxwell’s Embrya. All of our senses were honored! We had a simple green tea to accompany our meal. For dessert, Eri had bought us each a sesame dumpling filled with red bean paste.


The chef.


A touch of shri.


Side one of our apartment...


...and side two. Chiisai apaato, ne. (It sure is a small apartment.)

Eri surprised me after the meal with an early Christmas gift from her parents Jun and Kumi; a lovely alpaca scarf from Peru, of multiple shades of brown with a river of white running through it. I have learned from Eri that Japanese names are not always written in kanji (the pictographs adopted from the Chinese language). Sometimes they are purposefully written in hiragana, which are the phonetic symbols. A perfect example is her parents names. Her father’s name is written as 淳 (kanji), while her mother’s name is written as くみ (hiragana). Though I haven’t met her parents yet, from what I have learned of then so far, they seem to have inspired the thoughtfulness and caring that is so prevalent in their daughter. I am looking forward to meeting them this New Years.

Tuesday
The 25th. Payday! We slept late, and had a relaxing brunch. Eri had a meeting with her new boss at 4pm to discuss hours and salary. I had a rendezvous with Falafel Garden for more emailing. First, a stop at the local convenience store to get some much-needed cash. I was down to my last 40 yen (40¢!). Eri went with me to help me negotiate the ATM. I inserted my snappy new bank card into the machine, punched in a request for my balance, and waited excitedly for the result. Zero yen. Not exactly what I was expecting.
It was already 3pm, so the money should have been in there. *Sigh*. I am starting to place my expectations of Yoggy lower and lower. Luckily, Eri could lend me a little bit of yen to hold me over until (hopefully) I receive my money tomorrow.
I went to Falafel Garden, and contacted Sawako in NY to let her know of this latest snafu, and to send Eri’s parents a thank you email. I had a delightful surprise in the form of a conversation with my friend Noelle. She had moved from SF to Seattle a while ago, and we keep emailing sporadically, but haven’t had a proper conversation in a long time. She hit me up on my gmail chat, and we had a lovely e-conversation. I’m looking forward to her and her guy visiting sometime early next year.
After FG, I met Eri at Meidi-Ya, which is a market specializing in foreign pre-packaged foods, as well as local seafood and vegetables. We picked up a few things, then stopped by one of the stands in Nishiki, the open market that fills one long corridor of downtown Kyoto. Eri picked out pre-packaged dinners of a mix of sweet potatoes, carrots, porcini, tofu, chikuwa (whitefish compressed in a tube-like shape), negi, and a large packet of a sweet sauce, all packed in an aluminum foil dish to heat it up in. Then, we headed to what is now my favorite boulangerie, Au Grenier D’or. By then it was around 6pm, so most of what they had put out was gone. However, there were still some lovely treats left. Eri bought two slices of a pastachio infused cake, with a whipped filling of the tasty nuts, called sicille.
At the Kyoto studio, there was a folder from Tim awaiting me. In it were a couple pieces of mail and another letter from him. Eri had her bike with her, so after class we met up at the Fresco to get a few things. I arrived first, and decided to read Tim’s letter as I waited for her to arrive. What a wonderful gift! Tim expressed his gratitude for my letter to him, and not only was I forgiven for my mistakes, but he had some nice compliments to offer me as well. To quote his letter, we are now moving back into “the sunny uplands of friendship once again.” Hotto shita! (I am so relieved!) I am looking forward to seeing him again soon, and taking him and Maya out to dinner when they are available. I shared the news with Eri, and she was also greatly relieved. We had a wonderful meal together at home, and I enjoyed it even more because of the feeling of expansion and joy in my heart.

Wednesday
I checked the ATM before traveling to Shinsaibashi, but still no money in my account. There was, however, an email from Sawako. Apparently Yoggy has a different spelling for my last name in katakana (the other phonetic symbols used specifically for words adopted from other languages) than the bank. Egads. I then checked what the bank had, and they had a different spelling than I had given them. I have yet to experience first hand the efficient Japanese business model that supposedly is the backbone of this culture. In fact, it has been quite the opposite experience so far.
Once I arrived home from my Osaka class, Eri kindly contacted the LOHAS home office, and found out the check had been re-re-deposited, and this time it had gone through. Even though the accountant reassured Eri the money was in my account, I called the bank to check before I went to the ATM. Finally, my own money! What a delight it was to go to the ATM, and be able to withdraw what I needed. I paid Eri back, and made a transfer of funds to Tim too. Then I went to buy food for Eri and I for the first time in weeks with my own money. Food shopping never felt so empowering!

When Worlds Collide

Eri left for Yokohama Friday, so she could pack up what she wants to send to our new home. I left that day for Uehonmachi via a Limited Express train, which usually takes about 45 minutes to reach Umeda. This morning, however, it kept stopping on bridges for anywhere from 5-7 minutes. It was over an hour before we pulled into Umeda, and during that time I realized I had forgotten the other two gifts I needed to drop off at Yoggy Osaka. When I finally arrived at the Uehonmachi studio, I found I had forgotten my shorts. An interesting start to the day. However, later that afternoon, I received a call from Eri with fantastic news. Yamaguchi-san from Choei had called her to say I would be receiving all of the money I had paid them, every last yen, by the end of the month. Yatta! (Yippee!)

I spent most of my afternoon at Shinsaibashi on the internet, sending emails to friends and trying to finalize my travel plans. After all was said and done I am still a long way off.

Saturday I had a meeting with Tomoko at 2:30pm. Miho came to translate. It was an interesting conversation. Apparently, Yoggy is worried about a few things. One is that I have asked students to sometimes translate for me during class to clarify specific alignment points, or extrapolate on the tantric philosophy. The staff, never having this occur in the class before, are supposedly anxious about what could possibly happen because of this. Their concern is that the students are paying customers, and this is an abuse of their payment. I asked if any students had complained. No. I asked if any of the people who had translated for me had complained. No. Another issue is that my class numbers have dropped since my initial first two weeks*. I made the point that of course the first two weeks many would try my classes, but that not all would be interested. They feel that my use of people as translators may have had an affect on this, because it is the only variable recently introduced. 

So, I have agreed not to ask anyone to interpret for me in class anymore. I feel that here at Yoggy it is all about me making concessions. There is no reciprocity. I am not asking to be given anything. All I would like to see is that some effort is made in trying to understand me for who I am. I was brought into Yoggy because of what I, as a unique individual, can bring to the students. Tomoko tells me though, that LOHAS wants everyone here to be the same in classes. I am the only male teacher for these three studios, and the only foreigner. I am going to be different. This is not better or worse, it just is. I have no problem with trying to make concessions that seem fairly reasonable, but if no one wants to step towards me, I am not being respected as a fellow being, let alone as a teacher who has come to Japan to offer all that I have to the students here.

There are so many things I could go on about, but I came to a decision today to actively walk the middle path between wanting to completely integrate into this culture and completely ignoring its emotional infrastructure. When I initially came here, I really wanted to do the former, but I now see that that is an impossibility. I am not, nor will I ever be Japanese. This is not better or worse, it just is. I need to be seen for who I am. I will try to honor some of the parameters set here, but I will not become a cookie-cutter teacher just to keep everyone happy. I would really like to come to an amicable middle ground with the Yoggy staff, and hope this can happen. 

As I said to Miho, if two different cultures in a yoga studio can’t meet each other half way, then what hope is there for the world to do this as a whole?

*I decided to check this out for myself, since I keep a running tab of class attendance for my own information. Looking at the numbers, there has not been a steady decrease. There have been classes that have dipped from the previous one, classes that have risen in attendance, and classes that stayed exactly the same. There were also two weekends in a row that my classes at Shinsaibashi were consigned to the smaller studio, which meant an automatic drop in attendance, because I can only fit 10-11 people. I will bring this up at the meeting I am hoping to have soon with the entire Yoggy staff.

A Hazy Shade Of Winter

Wednesday was the first truly freezing day in Kyoto. It reminded me of winter in Pennsylvania; crisp air, strong gusts of wind, and low temperatures. Today, Eri helped me run a bunch of crucial errands. We first went to the Sakyo-ku ward office to get my gaikokujin tourokushou (foreigner registration certification). This was needed for our next stop, Shinsei Bank, to open an account. I need to send the bank info to LOHAS by the 21st so I actually get a paycheck deposited on the 25th. I then wrote up two of my thank you’s for the four women who assisted me in finding an apartment, and delivered the notes and small gifts to Yoggy in Kyoto. After that, it was a trip to Tim’s to drop off an apology letter. Then I met Eri after her belly dance lesson at Flying Karasuma. Home for dinner and a much deserved rest.

Thursday was another very cold day, and more errands, but we didn’t get out of the apartment until around 2pm. Thursdays are one of two days in which I can sleep in, so I took full advantage of it. After a lovely breakfast, we headed to Kyoto station to purchase shinkansen (bullet train) tickets for our journey to Eri’s parent’s cabin this coming New Year’s. After that it was off to Falafel Garden for some emails. I am still finalizing my flight plans for my return to California this January, and because we haven’t any internet at our place, it is a slow process. After completing that work, it was off to meet Eri’s friend Keiko at a cultural festival being held at one of Kyoto’s prestigious universities. It was outdoors, and very cold. After sampling some food there, we decided to head indoors at an izakaya. Izakayas are places that serve small dishes, which allows one to sample a few things. We began with hot sake, then had kaki (oyster) soup, which had two varieties of mushrooms and mizuna (a yummy salad green) in it. Next came umaki, which is a dashimaki (Japanese-style omelette in a roll) filled with unagi (eel). The eel was a fantastic addition to one of my favorite Japanese dishes. After, as Eri and I were waiting for the bus, I still felt hungry, and Eri produced our half-eaten bag of purple sweet potato fries from her bag. Perfect emergency snack! I find I have been eating more here. I think a lot of what I eat gets burned up in my attempts to comprehend and speak Japanese.

A Rainbow In The Dark

On Tuesday Eri took me around to a few new places. One was Rokkaku, a fantastic stationary store located just north of Shijo-dori. I was very impressed by the place, and will most likely have my meishi (business cards) printed up there. The second new place was a French patisserie just around the corner from Rokkaku. It is called Au Grenier D’or, and what a magnificent place it is! The entrance hall is very modest, with three tables for two neatly arranged to one side of it. However, the hallway leads into a very spectacular main room, with a large ornate couch to the right, and displays of desserts everywhere else. To the left was a large display of little individually wrapped cakes, including framboise, a delicious pine nut and butter crunch bar, and the classic madeleines, with a bowl of pieces of another nut infused cake to sample. Next to that was a table displaying more individually wrapped goodies, along with a bowl of sweetened almonds and a jar of jam to try. The main counter at the back is a huge display case of eye-catching desserts, including slices of raspberry linzer tart, a cake that was literally packed to bursting with a variety of nuts, and some delicate looking chocolate cakes. There were several other delectables, as well as a lot of empty platters, since it was around 5pm already. I was also drawn to the creative display of raw pistachio nuts, colorful veggies, huge chunks of chocolate, and dried fruits that were seamlessly woven through out the displays.

While we were walking across the Kamogawa, Eri pointed out a Rainbow to the north. We stopped to take it in, then noticed there were two more rainbows, one to either side of the first one. It was breath-taking. The light of the sky was cloudy, but the colors of the first rainbow were vibrant. We could make out every color individually, even as the edges seamlessly flowed into one another. I was inspired, and told Eri if I could speak fluent Japanese, I would weave the rainbow into my class theme that evening. She said she could translate an intro for me before class if I would like. 

As the universe would have it, we never did get the chance, and I arrived at the class about a half hour before it began. As I warmed up my body, I thought about that rainbow, and was determined to bring it into the class to the best of my ability. I couldn’t let such an auspicious sign be ignored. So I began class by asking if anyone had seen the rainbow, except I briefly misspoke, and said hiji (elbow) instead of niji (rainbow), which gave everyone a good laugh. I let them know there were three, then said that rainbows are signs of grace. Eri was in the front row, beaming her happiness and support at my Japanese improvisation. I continued with my scripted intro, giving a nod to the “Rainbow Connection” at one other point after we had closed our eyes and were harmonizing the breath. My theme was listening deeply. I taught my sequence, allowing the Shakti to guide my words so I could be receptive to the right place to bring in the rainbow again, and the opportunity blossomed with ease. I taught a partner version of virabhadrasana III, where everyone opened their arms in a ‘T’, and held on to one another, then closed their eyes. I asked them to feel one another’s presence and breath. After releasing back to tadasana, I asked them to observe that they were like the rainbow, each a unique “color”, seamlessly joining together to form a vibrant display. On the second side, I asked them to feel that rainbow, then feel that they were each not just an individual color, but the entire rainbow itself. It was the most free-flowing class I have taught since coming to Japan.