TEXT: Rest is essential for nursing a tired body, changing pace, or nourishing the creative mind— indeed, for living a fulfill- ing life. Every culture has its own ways of recharging and takes different amounts of time off in a year. Since Japan is sometimes seen as a culture with long work hours, many may imagine that the Japanese are not good at relaxing. The reality, though, may be surprising. The Japanese people have actually devised a number of high-quality, satisfying ways to rejuvenate within a limited amount of downtime.
Real rest is a whole lot more than just lounging idly. The mind and body can actually recharge through activities dif- ferent from the usual routine, or by trying on a new way of thinking. Practicing zazen sitting meditation or exercising outdoors are both excellent ways to refresh the body and soul. Surround yourself with lush greenery to relax the eyes, soak in a hot spring bath to restore tired muscles, or eat a special meal that aids digestion and helps the stomach relax. In Japan, all of these are ways to recharge a tired body and get ready for tomorrow.
Japanese culture encourages taking quick breaks throughout the day. For a change of pace, Japanese people take advantage of many places around the city to unwind on their own, as well as many items for relieving fatigue at the end of the day. Japanese people are, in fact, very good at taking time to rest.
In the search for more prosperous, comfortable lives, it is always good to rethink conventional ideas of work and rest. Japanese ways of taking a little break may just offer helpful hints.
Napping in the Big City
Tokyo may be one of the busiest cities in the world— but did you know there are plenty of places where you can lie down for an afternoon nap or even just to relax? Read on to discover some unexpected locations to get a bit of rest during or after a day of fun and sightseeing.
Lying Under the Stars Indoors
This state-of-the-art optical planetarium is fitted with mats and cushions along with regular seats. It’s a wonderful place to lie back and enjoy the starry skies. Some viewings are even accompanied by music and aromatherapy to relax and refresh the body and soul.
Hot Springs Tour across Japan
Every location has its own unique hot spring resort. Japan- ese onsen always try to make the most of the special char- acteristics of their surroundings. Enjoy some time and space truly relaxing in hot spring baths, embraced by scenic views.
Arima Onsen Taketoritei Maruyama
Arima Onsen is an ancient hot springs with a history so old it is men- tioned in the oldest historical books in Japan. Taketoritei Maruyama offers open-air baths for guests to try out the two types of baths the area is known for. Which do you prefer—the golden brown, iron-rich kinsen waters or the translucent silver ginsen waters containing traces of naturally occurring radium?
Sunamushi Onsen Sayuri
Buried to your neck in hot sand, you gaze at the ocean in front of you and are lulled by the sound of the waves as your entire body warms and releases sweat. Then emerge and wash off the sand feeling totally refreshed. A memorable and totally unique hot spring experience.
Nyuto Onsen Village Tsuru No Yu
These baths are known as bijin no yu (“hot springs of beauty”) for their milky white waters that leaves skin smooth and soft. Located in a hot springs village deep in the mountains, Tsuru No Yu is a tradi- tional Japanese row house with thatched roof offering views of old Japan from its outdoor baths.
Kurokawa Onsen Shinmeikan
The Kurokawa hot spring resort is popular for its Bath Pass, which lets visitors soak in outdoor baths at any 3 of its 28 inns. Shinmeikan is one of these and known for its 30m-long cave bath hand-carved by the innkeeper, who spent 10 years digging it with chisel and hammer. Feel like an explorer and soak in a hot spring bath. It’s the best of both worlds.
Koganezaki Furoufushi Onsen
Inviting guests to bathe at the edge of the Sea of Japan, this outdoor bath is constantly refilled with fresh hot water drawn from under- ground sources. The name “Furofushi” translates to “never grow old or weak,” and as it suggests, the reddish-brown, iron- and salt-rich waters offer heat-retaining and antibacterial effects to warm the body from its core.
Fujigoko Shojikohan Yamadaya Hotel
Immerse yourself in an open-air onsen with bathtubs made of fragrant cypress and views of sacred Mt. Fuji. Reserve a private bath in advance for a bit of luxury time all to yourselves. If the skies are clear, you might get the chance to witness Mt. Fuji reflected upside-down in Lake Shoji.
Sakunami Onsen Yosenkaku Iwamatsu Ryokan
50 minutes by car from Sendai, the largest city in the Tohoku region. Nestled in the mountains on the banks of the Hirosegawa river, this long-established hot springs first opened 200 years ago. Soak in a rock bath surrounded by wildlife as you take in the babbling mountain stream and the beauty of the season—cherry blossoms, spring greenery, autumnal leaves, or a snowy landscape.
Jigokudani Monkey Park
Humans are not the only ones that love the hot springs. Wild Japanese macaques living in this 850m-high valley have long used the open-air baths to keep warm during the harsh winter months. The only place to see monkeys taking a hot spring soak, the park attracts tourists and researchers from all over the world.
Kanmidokoro
Savor a Quick Break with a Retro Vibe
In cities across Japan, you can find kanmidokoro (literally meaning “sweet taste place”) which, as the name sug- gests, are cafes specializing in sweet treats. Thought to have emerged in the late Edo period, around the start of the 19th century, these cafes boast a longer history than Japan’s kiss- aten tearooms that double as coffee shops. In contrast to kissaten menus, which mainly feature coffee, cakes, sandwiches and other items from the West, kanmidokoro are devoted to serving traditional Japanese confec- tions. Some even offer light savory snacks, as well. Decorated inside and out with wood and bamboo, these shops take you back in time to the streets of old Japan.
The essential ingredient for many of the choices offered on the kanmi- dokoro menu is adzuki bean paste. This sweet bean jam, made by boil- ing adzuki beans in water and sugar, comes in two varieties: koshi-an, which is strained to remove the skins, and tsubu-an, which is made with the skins left in.
Sweet shiruko soup is made from
adzuki paste and served with grilled mochi rice cake, filling enough for a meal. Diners looking for a light, re- freshing dessert opt for mitsumame, a combination of red peas and agar made from a type of seaweed called tengusa, topped with plenty of white or brown sugar syrup. In 1930, a kan- midokoro in Ginza topped mitsumame with a scoop of adzuki paste in a sun- dae-like confection that it called an- mitsu. To this day, anmitsu continues to be one of the most popular items served at kanmidokoro.
Most of these sweet confections are difficult to prepare in advance. Shiratama, small white balls of glu- tinous rice flour dough, lose their firm texture if left soaking for too long after being boiled. Agar gets soggy soon after it is cut into cubes. To serve with just the right texture, shiratama and agar are made after the customer orders. It is the chewy, smooth shi- ratama and agar paired with sugary syrup and richly sweet adzuki paste that delights the senses. Relaxing with one of these special dishes is simply the best!
Hatsune, established in 1837, is a kanmidokoro in Tokyo’s Ningyo-cho neighborhood. According to eighth- generation owner Ishiyama Miyuki, most of the oldest kanmidokoro are located in monzen-machi towns that grew up around influential temples or shrines.
“Long ago in Japan, restaurants in town were frequented only by men. At that time, kanmidokoro were re- ally the only place where women and children could sit down to enjoy a comfortable time having a bite to eat. After a visit to a shrine or temple, women and children loved stopping by these sweet shops.”
Kanmidokoro are precious spots for enjoying traditional handmade sweets and a nostalgic atmosphere. Today they welcome everyone, men and women, young and old— anyone with a sweet tooth.
Traditional traveler’s rest spot with hot springs and historic sites
Hakone
Nestled in a majestic landscape dotted with bubbling hot springs, Hakone has long been a haven for weary travelers.
One of Japan’s leading resort areas, located not far from Tokyo, Hakone is an ideal spot to unwind and reset.
Hakone has developed over the centuries as a staging post and inn town along the Old Tokaido Road, a major route which connected Edo (modern-day Tokyo) and Kyoto. The steep mountain passes near Hakone were considered the most difficult section of the roadway, but this very same geological feature also offers abundant access to hot spring waters, making the area one of the most popular tourist destinations in Japan to this day.
The last stop on the limited express from Tokyo’s Shin- juku Station, is Hakone-Yumoto Station. From here, a num- ber of trains and buses are available to take passengers further, but you might prefer to experience the Hakone Tozan Railway as it zigzags its way up the mountain slopes.
A great place to begin a Hakone visit is the area around Lake Ashinoko. Among the many historic sites here are Hakone Shrine, which has been a destination for Shinto
worshipers since the 8th century, and Hakone Sekisho, a faithful reproduction of a 17th century inspection station set up to monitor travelers along the road. On a clear day, a lake cruise also offers great views of Mt. Fuji in the dis- tance. Lake Ashinoko also marks the halfway point in the Tokyo-Hakone Round-Trip College Ekiden Race, a New Year’s tradition in Japan.
Another of Hakone’s charms is its many museums. Ja- pan’s first outdoor museum, the Hakone Open-Air Museum, is located here. At the museum, visitors are free to roam among sculptures out in the fresh air or play with interac- tive exhibits, making a great day of fun for children and adults alike!
If you are a lover of Eastern art, Okada Museum of Art, established in 2013 is the place to go. The museum boasts a collection of some 450 works, mostly early modern and modern Japanese paintings and East Asian ceramics made around the 17-20th century. Many of the beautiful works on display here have been designated National Treasures of Japan. The massive mural, Fujin Raijin-zu (“Wind God and Thunder God”), 12m high and 30m wide, is particularly awe-inspiring in both size and grandeur.
Yosegi-zaiku wooden mosaics are a traditional Hakone artisanal craft with a 200-year history. Geometric patterns of exceptional beauty are formed with elaborate combi- nations of woods of different species and color. Hakone souvenir shops offer a dizzying array of boxes, vases, and accessories crafted in this style.
After a stroll through town, a traditional chaya teahouse offers a welcome break. Amasake Chaya is named after its signature amazake, a sweet low-alcohol drink made from rice and other ingredients. Made today by the same method as in the Edo period (1603–1867), this sweet sake has a mild, mellow taste and is said to relieve fatigue. Weary travelers can also savor Hakone’s famous hot spring baths. At traditional ryokan inns, guests can soak away all their cares— for as long as it takes— while other onsen facilities cater to shorter daytime bathers.
Come full circle, and the shopping streets outside Ha- kone-Yumoto Station are lively and bustling. Visitors try the area’s famous soba noodles or pick up traditional sweets at one of the renowned shops to bring back home. Then, it’s only 90 minutes back to Tokyo on the express train. Visit again and again to discover all the seasonal faces of Hakone.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2022