Storybook of Japan

GET TO KNOW THE REAL-LIFE JAPANESE MERMAIDS

For nearly two thousand years, Japanese women living in coastal fishing villages made a remarkable livelihood hunting the ocean for oysters and abalone, a sea snail that produces pearls. They are known as Ama, and there remain a number of ladies left in Japan who still make their living (well into their 90s) by filling their lungs with air and diving for long periods of time deep into the Pacific ocean with nothing more than a mask and flippers.

In the mid 20th century, the young women, some just girls, would dive in often freezing waters for 2 minutes at a time and come up to breathe for just barely a few seconds. They would do this up to 60 times in a single diving session, up to three times a day. As women, they were believed to be better suited for the task because of an extra insulating layer of fat on the female body that allows them to hold their breath for longer than men. With this advantage the could also make more money in a single diving season than most of the me in their village would make in a year.

Most Ama took to diving in nothing more than a tiny loincloth and mask. But after the Second World War, as tourism in Japan grew, outsiders began to comment on their nakedness and Ama divers were eventually forced to cover-up in a white diving costume. Faced with the opportunity of motherhood and legal issues around fishing licenses stating that fishing must stay within particular communities, the Ama women are having to decide whether to keep working or to start a family. Modern life poses a predicament for the rare number of Ama women left, and soon we will only be able to tell the story of
these women and their admirable capabilities and courage. If you’d like to get to know the last Ama divers, the Mie Prefecture is the place to be, but you can give them a visit in numerous other coastal spots in Japan too.

TRACK DOWN THE FAMOUS FRUIT-SHAPED BUS STOPS

Dotted along the coast are the cutest bus stops of Konagai (there are 14 of them to track down), which you’ll find in the forms of watermelons, apples, oranges, and more. Search for “Konagai” on Google maps and follow route 207, along the coast. Find the complete road map here to track down your favourite fruits.

SATISFY YOUR FLOWER FETISH

Urashima flower park is one of the most scenic flower fields in Japan. Planted by local school children, the park is filled with different coloured marguerites and marigolds, with a backdrop of the Sento sea and the neighbouring islands. Photographers flock to catch pictures of the sunrise. (528-1 Takumachotsumu, Mitoyo, Kagawa, 769-1104)

Covering 350 hectares, Hitachi Seaside Park is lauded for its glorious flower fields which overlook the ocean. In spring, the Miharashi Hill becomes an uncomparable blanket of blue, covered in millions of nemophila, while in autumn, it’s home to the rusty kochia bushes. Whatever season you stop by,
there’s always a cornucopia of flowers, including daffodils, roses, tulips, sunflowers, and more. The park can be explored via walking trails, by bike (which can be hired for around 450 yen per 3 hour stretch), or even by a train which can drop you off at different points. There’s also a ferris wheel and a barbeque
area to stop at which is perfect for picnics. (〒312-0012 Ibaraki, Hitachinaka, Mawatari, 字大沼605-4; about a 2 hour drive from Tokyo)

FAKE FAIRYTALE VILLAGES

The concept is as old as revolutionary France, when Marie Antoinette created her own mock peasant’s village at Versailles, but replica European villages have become a bit of a phenomenon in Japan today. In the spirit of kawaii, they are cute and charming, and intriguing places worth visiting.

A curious melange of quaint Cotswold style cottages, Harry Potter, and Studio Ghibli cartoons, with a sprinkle of a far away Swiss ski town, Yufuin Floral Village was opened by a businessman on a mission in 2012. Don’t take it too seriously – here you can indulge in kitsch souvenirs, anime memorabilia,
and kawaii toys while fuelling up on rose ice cream, sponge cakes and tea. (1503-3 Yufuincho Kawakami, Yufu, Oita, 879-5102)

In the realm of faux-English countryside meets Studio Ghibli (the Japanese animation studio best known for cartoons including Spirited Away and My Neighbor Totoro) is Nukumori no Mori (aka “The Forest of Warmth”). The faux European hamlet is essentially an elaborately twee theme park and shopping centre for adults and children alike. (2949 Wajicho, Nishi Ward, Hamamatsu, Shizuoka 431-1115; a suitable day trip from Kyoto or Tokyo which are both about 2 hours away)

TRAIN TRIPPING

If you want to explore Japan by train on a budget, it’s definitely worth getting a JR pass rail card. Made especially for those who live outside of Japan, it will get you a seat on all of the JR national trains including the super speedy shinkansen bullet trains. It’s best to order your pass before you get to Japan because it can take a while, and you can also get it delivered to your hotel.

The Kyo-Train Garaku is a train with interiors designed like a traditional Kyoto house, which takes you from Osaka to Kyoto on the Hankyu Kyoto Line in less than 45 minutes. A full fare is 400 yen (about $3.60)

Take a once-in-a-lifetime ride on the Train Suite Shiki-shima aka the most luxurious train in the world, which will take you on a tour of some of Japan’s most beautiful sights. Getting a spot is highly competitive, so to tick this one off your bucket list, make sure to fill out the application form in advance for your chance to stay in a maisonette deluxe suite while whizzing through the dreamy Matsushima peninsula. Prices are usually within the range of $2,860 to $10,000.