It's high summer in Japan and I'm in Itako City, looking out at a vast expanse of irises in bloom - blue, purple, mauve, pink and white - like a sea of flags or, more appropriate to this occasion, like a dazzling scattering of confetti. Appropriate, for soon we shall see a bride, in a traditional white wedding kimono, moving ever so slowly through the flowers, along a pathway towards the river. She nods, smiles, bows, acknowledging the crowd that has waited for her and the ripples of applause that greet her. She passes me and moves, with her parents, towards a waiting boat.The solitary boatman, with a long oar, pushes out onto the grey-green water, to more applause. And, within minutes, boat and bride are out of sight. I think: can it be possible, this serene scene, just thirty minutes from the roar of take-offs and landings at Narita,Tokyo's international airport?
Itako is one of three linked towns northwest of Tokyo, bordering the Pacific Ocean. Japan is hot and humid in summer but the ocean's proximity often brings cooling breezes inland to the Three Waterfront Cities. I'm here to see what many Japanese are familiar with but which are, to Western visitors, undiscovered secrets. Itako is famed for its Ayame (Iris) Matsuri festival, which I am now admiring. Neighbouring Kashima attracts visitors to its ancient Jingu shrine and a sacred forest a'twitter with nightingale song and Sawara, not far away, where willow reflections dance and quiver on the surface of its meandering canal, offers what is, for me, the quintessential Japanese waterscape.
So here I am in Itako, enjoying the festivities. There are many iris gardens in the region but the ones
I see are the most accessible. Approximately one million irises - 500 different species - luxuriate here,
Costumed boatlady in Itako will take you for a ride down the river and back
nourished by river water. The festival is held each year when the iris bloom - from the end of May to mid July, and entrance to the festival is free.The wedding walk I see dates back to the Edo era, when the river and canal system was essential not just for commerce but to help the locals get around - to go shopping or to get married. What was once a necessity became, in time, a tradition and now a tourist attraction. If you are in Tokyo at the right time of year, try to get here Saturday or Sunday, at 11am or 1pm. Join the waiting crowds, munch a snack from one of the many food stalls and help send the bride on her way.
There's more to do and see here in Itako. I enjoy the 12 Bridge Boat Tour; a local boatwoman, in colourful costume and straw hat, happily (and energetically) rows me downstream past more irises. It's a relaxing ride. Later, I decide to take a close look at the Choshoji Temple, established in the 12th century by Samurai warlord Minamoto-no-Yoritomo. After years of neglect, the temple was reconstructed and today it nestles in the centre of a leafy garden, enhanced by a bell-tower whose bronze bell is both ancient and
The priest in charge of this Shinto treasure greets visitors
culturally important. The shrine's resident Shinto priest is most welcoming, offering me not just the shrine's history but a steaming cup of green tea and a home-made sweet shaped like an hydrangea.
On now to Kashima - the local train will get you there in about ten minutes. Kashima Jingu Shrine is a five minute walk from the railway station. I get there about midday and I'm hungry. I spy a restaurant alongside the entrance to the shrine and I'm soon munching soba noodles with chicken. Then, through the huge granite torii (a traditional Japanese gate, usually wood, found at the entrance to a Shinto shrine) and up an avenue of gigantic red cedars to the bright vermilion gate through which I finally access the shrine complex.
Kashima Jingu itself, handsomely decorated with golden motifs and shaded by redwoods hundreds of years old, was established in 660BC and ranks as one of the country's oldest and most important Shinto shrines - a cultural and religious treasure in a land filled with treasures.
Kashima Jingu's decorative facade
I'm invited to take part in a Shinto ceremony. I kneel behind two priests wearing white and aqua robes, listening to them chant. I hear the deep throb of the drum at the end of the short service. I wonder if the spirits in the forest are listening. I hope so.
Later, close by, I chat with a group of charming Japanese ladies who have volunteered to serve complimentary tea to visitors under a shady marquee. I visit the museum next to the chattering ladies to see a collection of weapons, including Japan's oldest chokuto or straight sword. Then it's time to walk into the surrounding woods, past a group of tame deer. Kashima Jingu's sacred forest is immense and dense, filled with cedar, oak, maple and fir. I wander along cleared walkways, stopping often to listen to birdsong - the musical chirrup of nightingales interrupted by the deep cackle of crows. This is, for me, a time of quiet enchantment.
Visitors enter Kashima Jingu's forest and (below) dumplings for sale at Mitarashi Pond
Not far away, down a steep slope, is Mitarashi Pond, considered holy and therefore used as a purification (misogi) site. I drink the cool water of the "spirit spring" and follow this up with a skewer of hot dumplings. Made from mochiko (rice flour), they are enjoyed year-round.Three charcoal-grilled dumplings on a single skewer - one red (red beans), another yellow (eggs) and the third green (green tea). A favourite nibble all over Japan.
Back now, to the station, for the short ride to Sawara, located in Chiba prefecture and, since 1951, an integral part of Katori City. Like Itako, Sawara dates back to the Edo Period (1603-1867) when it was a prosperous port town trading daily via its river systems with the growing capital of Edo (present-day Tokyo) to the south. Handsome old warehouses still line the picturesque canal and you can take a boat ride to see the sights if you have time.
I walk along the canal, pausing to admire the reflections of willows in the water and looking for the worn stone steps which tell me that goods were once loaded and unloaded here - soy sauce, perhaps, and most certainly sake, for there is a brewery here that still makes this famous rice-based liquor. I later go to see it, but this year's rice harvest is still growing in the surrounding fields, so the brewery is silent. Today, these stone steps by the canal serve as seats, not just for me, as I pause and reflect, but also for weekend artists.This is such a peaceful place, with its distinctive architecture and tranquil water.
I decide to stay overnight in Sawara, and a local ryokan makes me comfortable with its tatami, futon and sliding paper panels that offer a water view. Dinner that night at Kittei is a surprise and a delight. This restaurant, in a beautifully converted 120-year-old house set in manicured gardens, offers Japanese-French cuisine that brings, I'm told, diners all the way from Tokyo. Owner/chef Yoshizuka Yoshio trained in Lyons with legendary chef Paul Bocuse, one of the fathers of Nouvelle Cuisine, and after returning to Japan opened Kittei in 2001. Next day, just before I return to Narita, I discover another restaurant, Mujian, that serves classic French food prepared by a friendly and knowledgable chef. I am astounded and reminded that 5-star dining is not limited to great cities; here in Sawara, off the beaten track and almost unknown to English-speaking travellers, are dining experiences to savour long after your visit ends.
I walk slowly back to the station after visiting the museum dedicated to local hero, Inoh Tadataka (1745-1821) who surveyed and mapped the whole of Japan on foot. Long before GPS technology, he measured distances by the length of his stride, putting the nation, quite literally, on the map. I just wish I have more time - and that I'm here during a summer or autumn festival, when huge floats (and crowds) take to the streets. So I do the next best thing - visit Sawara's Float Museum, where the magic is stored and dreams put away for another day.
IF YOU GO Transit passengers: an alternative to Tokyo
Is your bag checked through to its final destination? Take a small overnight bag as carry-on luggage, enter Japan via immigration at Narita Airport, take a day trip/overnight trip to the waterfront cities close by, return to Narita Airport, check-in to onward flight, go through immigration and board flight. Easy.
TWO RECOMMENDED ITINERARIES
Itako - Kashima and/or Sawara Morning arrivals - One night visit Day 1 Take the Rose Liner bus service from Narita Airport to Itako. (30 minutes) (Nine departures daily between 7:30am and 8:45pm) Arrive in Itako mid-late morning and spend the day sightseeing. Overnight in Itako. Day 2 Take the train from Itako to Kashima Jingu (10 minutes, 200 yen). Spend the morning at Kashima Jingu and sacred forest. Return to Itako by train. Take Rose Liner bus to Narita Airport for evening departure.
Itako - Kashima Evening arrivals (arrival before 7:30pm) Two night visit Day 1 Take the Rose Liner bus service from Narita Airport to Itako. (30 minutes) Arrive in Itako late night. Overnight in Itako. Day 2 Spend the day in Itako. Overnight in Itako Day 3 Take the train from Itako to Kashima Jingu (10 minutes, 200 yen). Spend the morning at Kashima Jingu and sacred forest. Return to Itako by train. Take Rose Liner bus to Narita Airport for evening departure.
For information about festivals dates, accommodation and the latest timetable and fare information, check with JNTO at travelinfo@jnto.org.au
