Tazawako

Yesterday I went to Tazawako with Sumiko, Nagoya Yukie who used to teach Japanese as a second language at Konoura Jr. High, and Yukie's friend from Tokyo. It rained pretty much the whole day. We went to see the Tatsuko Hime statue on the lake shore. Apparently Tatsuko Hime is a character from a folk tale popular in the area. Then we went to eat smorgasbord lunch at a herb centre. After that we went shopping at a honey shop. It was seriously a shop that sold mostly honey. Then we went to an onsen. It was rather nice to sit outside in a milky sulphur-smelling pool of water with rain falling on my head and shoulders. On the way back to Nikaho City we stopped at a huge shop that sold mostly expensive soy sauce, miso and a few pickles. I stayed at Sumiko's house again last night. It is much easier to sleep in her guest room than in Atsuko's living room.