Arriving back in Australia: January 29, 2007

Craig's Mum, Cathie, in her kitchen

Jock and Craig

We left the cold winters of the Northern Hemisphere and all the travelling and moving we had done, to reunite with the hot Australian summer and settle indefinately back in Melbourne. It had been 4 years since we lived in Melbourne. It is great to be back. It really is a special city. It has changed a little in the last 4 years; more stylish, people seem wealthier. But more important than the city is being back with family and friends, many of whom have also changed: many more little ones running around compared with 4 years ago.

Our first week was spent staying with Craig's mum, Cathie and her wonderful two dogs, Jessie (mama dog) and Jock the pup. Cathie lives just a few blocks from the beach, so we swam a bit and enjoyed the expansiveness of Australia and summer. After living in Japan and travelling aroudn Europe and the US, we forgot just how good Australian beaches are. Aside from enjoying the local beach, we spent most of the week crouched over the computer researching a hundred things we needed to buy to build up our new home and lives. It was a bit overwhelming. In that first week we made decisions about phones and internet providers, what kind of energy/gas/water to get (who knew there were so many choices), as well as getting a new bed, fridge, washing machine, car, computer, couches, sound system....

Cathie was a sensational host and we were at our lowest as guests, she cooked many tasty meals for us while we slowly came out of our shells, gradually integrating with our new surroundings. It was so odd, after all this time incessantly on the move, to arrive somewhere without the clear limits of imminent departure.

On February 4th, Cathie hosted a combination welcome back & engagement party. Catered by a Japanese acquaintance in full traditional dress, about 40 people came and celebrated with us in the warm sunshine.

Bridget with Mark, Jennie with Emma

Steve Kwok with Craig's brother Neil and his partner Stacey


Meeting a new family, Dan, Emma and wee Elias who
doesn't like it when you laugh too big or loud like Craig did.


Keeping to the shady spots were Rita and Adrian, Jo and Shawn

Thanks to everyone who came to the engagement/welcoming party!!

Beloved Friends, Families and New Babies in Japan, Jan. 2007

Catching up with all the wonderful people we've come to know in Japan was a very important part of our trip back and our farewell too. Thank you everyone for being your lovely selves and for making time to see us in January!

Natsuki, Craig, Osamu and Lisa

Yoko (with a yet unnamed being in the belly), Zoe and Natsuki round the old bonfire.

Takumi made some delicious food as usual

A Winter Nabe party at Hisane's, food prepared with LOVE and YOUTH 愛と青春ね
by Motai, Miwa, Macchan, Jamie, Hisane and us

Seeing past students, Hiiragi and Kazuyo

We did the rounds of old host-families from the Rotary year in 1995. It had been about 3 years since we'd made it out to Honjo & Kodama, Craig's old stomping grounds out in the bush.

Under the kotastu with Kiyomi, Sayaka and Hagiwara Okaasan

Abe-san looking rather enlightened

Ihayazaka Okaasan

Ihayazaka Otoosan

Zoe's family, the Sanos

As we come into our third decade, more and more reunions with friends are popultaed with short people. Some of these short people can't even talk or hold their heads up. It was great to meet all the new babies, though I don't know how I'll remember everyone's names and ages in years to come as the short people slowly take over the planet.

Sai-chan, Himari, Satoshi, Makkun and Craig

Our hilarious neighbors from Urawa, Miyo and Kenji,
borrowed this baby Neo to pose for their next album cover.

Even old classmates from high school in Japan like Naoko
are so excited about babies that she needs to have two, Soya and Sakura.

Washi Season, Kozo Fiber Preparation 2007

Winter is the best season for washi (Japanese papermaking) and January in particular is the best time to prepare Kozo fiber. Fortunately, our trip back coincided with the fiber prep. at both the Washi Taiken Center and up at Richard's, two places I've been learning and exploring washi the past few years.

First, I spent one day with everyone at the Center stripping the bark off. The one year shoots from the kozo tree are cut and bundled (pictured above) and then steamed. The bark seperates a bit from the inner core and usually with some cold water thrown on the bark starts to shrink. You can see the white ends of the branches more now as they come out of the steam pot below.

The outer bark is then peeled off the kozo and seperated according to size etc. The bark is dried, washed and the process is far from over as the black bark must also be scraped off to reveal the pale green inner bark which forms the heart of washi.



I had fun working with everyone and chatting with Hisane (above). And still more fun was to be had at Richard's annual bark-off party the following weekend. A big crew gathered to help peel the bark off and then scrape the next layer, the black bark off too. The day ended with a feast and great party.

Food prepared by Richard's wife, Ryoko, a fabulous cook as well as amazing textile artist. The above photo is lunch, which Craig and I arrived just in time for.

One of the steamers for the kozo at Richard's. This year was the first time the bark-off has been held at Richard's new studio and was hence a little experimental, leaving lots of lessons for next year and years to come.

Everyone hard at work.


Motai loves these events, his good energy always creates the best celebrations afterwards too. After dinner, we started up some good fun. All of us quite spontaneously formed a human chain, massaging the person in front of you and dancing around in a circle. Then we decided to start a game of catch with qi/chi/ki, a ball of energy was tossed about the room, each person reacted so differently, I'd say many people had never done this kind of thing before and didn't quite know what to make of it!

One older man turned up to this event who we all did not know (pictured below in center, next to Richard). He worked and ate and laughed with the rest of us, but we never did figure out how he knew about the bark-off party deep in the mountains, nor did we learn anything about him, including his name. When we went around the group giving self-introductions he just introduced himself as the President. Each time the ball of qi came round to him, he carefully placed it on the back of his palm and passed it to Richard. It was so intriguing. Later, Craig (a lover of food/water/ice fights) turned the energy to ice which we passed around, which is what you can see in the picture below.


After everyone went home, the three couples Richard & Ryoko, Paul & Maki, and Craig & I stayed and had our own dance party. We did some crazy dancing with a scarf, tried some Scottish and celtic dancing and Paul started the washi dance, shifting and shaking as when you form paper. It may have been that last jiggling mixed with lots of sho-chu and sake that caused Paul to have a few spews just before bed.


We stayed up there a few days, Richard continued with the rest of the fiber preparation and I set about trying to make paper for the wedding invitations. Below is some images of me making my favorite washi, cloud paper.

Homage to the Takahashis, our family in Japan

Left to Right: Otoosan/Dad, Craig, Haruka, Zoe, Satoshi, Hiromi, Okaasan/Mom, Momoko, Yukie

We never seem to take enough photos of our most wonderful host family in Japan but any comments on our time in Japan is simply not complete without a mention of the Takahashis.

Originally Zoe's second host family from the Rotary year in Japan in 1995, they've adopted Craig as well now. We stayed with them for a couple of months in 2003 and have been at the receiving end of their generosity many many times. They all seem to have terribly huge hearts, spending time slowly with us, sharing meals as well as their home, their car, their apt. in Kusatsu...This time round, we stayed with the Takahashis again and below are a few images for those wondering what such generous humans could possibly look like.

高橋の皆さん、いつもお世話になって本当にありがとうございましたね！いつまでも仲良く幸せに暮らしましょう。

Onsen Madness, Takaragawa and Kusatsu: Jan. 14-17, 2007

Everyone always asks us what we miss most about Japan when we leave it. Years of coming and going and consequently practising the answer to this question have enabled us to hone it down to three simple things.
1. Food
2. People
3. Onsen (hot springs) and Japanese Baths
(not necessarily in that order)

It was a pleasure to eat our favorite cuisine on the planet again. To taste the yuzu, myoga, real sashimi and heavenly tofu. It was also fantastic to see so many of our dear friends again. It was even better when we got to tantalize our palattes in the company of great friends at the magical land of onsen in winter!



The five of us: Jamie, Macchan, Hisane and C & Z, trekked about 2 1/2 hours North-West of Tokyo to Takaragawa Onsen, which does, as the name entails, contain a river of treasures. Once you arrive at Takaragawa, you drink some special "welcome tea" of plum and chilli pepper, then you choose your apparel for the whole stay from a range of yukata. All there remains to do is to linger in the baths, eat lavishly, relax deeply, maybe nap or read and enjoy the company of those around you. I think we did a pretty good job too. Especially considering how Zoe fell sick the day before we left, and with a high fever the morning we set out, was forced to resort to crazy Japanese medicines and use a suppository to bring the fever down. This trip had been too long in the planning and was too treasured to be passed up.

Snow was piled up high at Takaragawa, and it poured out of the sky the next morning, transforming the already magical landscape to one even more wonderful.



Thanks Hisane, Macchan and Jamie for joining us for one of our most precious experiences!

After Takaragawa, we caught the train over to Kusatsu to meet Justin and spend two nights at the apartment which our host-family, the Takahashis, own as a time-share. When at Takaragawa, each minute feels valuable, somewhere behind you the clock is ticking down, and you never want to leave. Arriving at Kusatsu, I could really settle in to a deeper relaxation and stillness.

Kusatsu town is overflowing with magical water. There are about 12 free municipal hot springs
peppered throughout the town, several more famous or fancy ones that charge a bit, and even a 24 hr. free one in the lobby of our apartment building. So, we wandered through another snowscape, checking out town and sauntering from bath to bath.



At home, we chatted and laughed with Justin (who is hilarious, thanks Justin!), played cards, read and really took some time out. It was one of Justin's first onsen experiences so it was kind of a privelage to introduce him to a whole world to immerse yourself in while in Japan and pine for once you have left the country.