There’s a flurry of activity around me right now. I am at the Asano’s place and everyone is home to help celebrate Senmu’s Kanreki. They are so warm and open-hearted. It really feels like coming home. It’s good timing, too, because I get to see everyone. It’s been awhile since I’ve seen everyone at home.
Last night Kuri and I (and Eileen) were paying a visit to the Iwami no Kaze folks at their facility in Shimane (way out in the countryside, no less). Imafuku-san, like many serious taiko folks in Japan, has a practice facility in a formerly abandoned schoolhouse out in the country. Way, way out in the country. 1.5 hours by car from Shin Iwakuni station (which is sort of the closest) 30 minutes by car to the closest small store and about 45 minutes to the closest supermarket.
We stopped and ate at a Sanzoku (described as “like the mountain pirates of the caribbean” meaning it’s sort of modeled after brigand’s headquarters and the food is like what they would eat) on the way in from the station on the first night. The food was tasty. Fresh and well-seasoned. The following day they took us sightseeing in Tsuwano, which is a cool little former castle town. They also took us to Taikodani-Jinja, one of the few large shrines dedicated to luck in business. Imafuku-san arranged for us all to have a special blessing.Â
I don’t have the head or the energy to keep up on and post about most of what’s going on. Since hearing about my grandfather passing away I have reverted to a numb state of being and I am mostly just getting by. It’s kind of a shame because we’ve been seeing and doing some pretty cool things.
Kuri (Kristy Oshiro) is getting lots of great pictures and vids, and you are likely to find some of those videos up on youtube once she gets a stable connection.
Time for me to get some sleep.