Japan - Day Ten and Eleven (where our protagonist eats more than he should and spends the day on a movie set)

Esashi Fujiwara-no-sato is a recreation of a historical village..something like Colonial Williamsburg perhaps. The Fujiwara clan (3 brothers) ruled most of northern Japan from 1089 to 1189 until they became so rich, the head of the clan Fujiwara Yasuhira incured the wrath of Minamoto Yoritomo, the ruler of Japan at the time, and he ordered the annihilation of the Fujiwara clan and the destruction of Hiraizumi.

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The head of Yasuhira was taken to Kyoto to prove his death, then interred back with his body (and the body of his family) in their mummified form in Hiraizumi. Now, all of this is important in order to point out the amazing recreation of the Fujiwara time period in this..well, the best way to describe it is a theme park. So here we were early with Chika's family. They know I'm a Japan history buff so we wandered around the beautiful village (built by Shinto architecture experts) and posed for pictures, saw recreations of life at the time, and learned that a few famous Japanese movies were filmed here (due to it's authenticity). It was a great time but after my time in Kyoto, it was like visiting a re-creation of St. Augustine City instead of actually going to St. Augustine, Florida.

Afterwards, we all decided to have lunch at a wanko soba restaurant. Some of you have experienced this but to summarize, its a local custom of eating soba in a unique way. You sit at the table, have an assortment of condiments placed in front of you, and a lady stands above you with a tray of bowls. One-by-one, she literally throws the contents of each bowl into your bowl and you eat it. It's soba, a delicious buckwheat noodle, and you are given only a few noodles to contend with. However, as soon as you finish eating it, she throws another bowl of noodles into your bowl. this goes on as long as it can until you are able to cover the bowl with a lid. However, with your bowl in one hand, your chopsticks in the other, and a VERY SKILLED SOBA THROWER standing above you, it becomes an entertaining game. You are laughing because, god help you, you cannot eat anymore. But yet she manages to get another couple noodles in your bowl. And you HAVE to eat it (rules and all that). A great way to spend time with your friends too...all competing to see who can eat the most noodles. The idea is that 10 bowls of wanko soba equals one real bowl of soba noodles (that you would eat in many restaurants). I came in third on this day with 50 bowls (and a nearly bursting stomach). The most were 68 but I've seen people eat 100 bowls before and its celebrated with a plaque. We all had a good laugh and a good time.

Since then (that was yesterday as I type this), I haven't done much. Relaxed, some computer work, spending time with Chika and her family, and even went to a French restaurant owned by her friend (which had, hands down, the GREATEST Minestrone soup ever made in history. Believe me, I about died it was so delicious.). I sit here now, waiting to see if the local Gaijin (foreigners) want to go drinking or not. Chika is out with her friends and I have, for the first time in Japan, real time alone tonight.