We had a really interesting morning in Morioka today, even though we didn't visit a special place mentioned in a brochure. It is called Koiwai Farm and is apparently the largest ranch in Japan. Our brochure says "enjoy some quality time with the sheep and cows". Very tempting, but our bicycles were calling. We checked out of the hotel but left our baggage for later collection and made our way to the bicycle hire shop. All we had to do was write our name and address in the book and the dear old guy running the shop let us ride off on two of his bicycles. I did a little bit of showing off by writing my name in Japanese! The arrangement was 'ride now, pay later'. I don't 
suppose we would have got far if we'd decided to do a runner with his bikes. John's bike had the Batman symbol on the wheel hub and the frame, so I felt like Robin tagging along after the Caped Crusader. We had a recommended route map to follow, which we varied a little by adding a few places that sounded interesting. We started with a ride down a little street of shops which was typical of one of the smaller Morioka streets. John filmed the street as he rode which was a bit hair-raising for me as I could see the car that came up behind him while he was riding down the middle of the road. We then strolled through the grounds of the former castle. The castle was 
burnt down in the conflicts of the 1800s, but the gardens remain as a park with walking tracks. We then went to the Rock-Splitting Cherry Tree. This tree is approximately 400 years old and is growing through the middle of a huge granite rock. Sadly for us, the cherry blossom front hasn't reached Morioka yet as we could see that the tree would be stunning when in full bloom. We then rode to the Morihisa Iron Studio. The Nambu Ironworks was established in the 1600s and the art of iron casting has been passed down through the generations. The studio sells exquisite iron teapots, cooking pots and knick knacks. They were really beautiful, with a variety of patterns including cherry blossoms, animals and swirly markings. I would love to have brought something home, but the price was way beyond budget, not to mention the weight!
suppose we would have got far if we'd decided to do a runner with his bikes. John's bike had the Batman symbol on the wheel hub and the frame, so I felt like Robin tagging along after the Caped Crusader. We had a recommended route map to follow, which we varied a little by adding a few places that sounded interesting. We started with a ride down a little street of shops which was typical of one of the smaller Morioka streets. John filmed the street as he rode which was a bit hair-raising for me as I could see the car that came up behind him while he was riding down the middle of the road. We then strolled through the grounds of the former castle. The castle was 
burnt down in the conflicts of the 1800s, but the gardens remain as a park with walking tracks. We then went to the Rock-Splitting Cherry Tree. This tree is approximately 400 years old and is growing through the middle of a huge granite rock. Sadly for us, the cherry blossom front hasn't reached Morioka yet as we could see that the tree would be stunning when in full bloom. We then rode to the Morihisa Iron Studio. The Nambu Ironworks was established in the 1600s and the art of iron casting has been passed down through the generations. The studio sells exquisite iron teapots, cooking pots and knick knacks. They were really beautiful, with a variety of patterns including cherry blossoms, animals and swirly markings. I would love to have brought something home, but the price was way beyond budget, not to mention the weight!Our next visit was to the Gromwell and Madder Dyecrafts. Although Gromwell and Madder sounds like a old British firm, they are actually plants which were traditionally used for dyeing cloth. The Dyecrafts shop displays and sells beautiful items made from fabrics dyed with purple (made from the gromwell plant) and red (from the madder plant). Before dyeing, the fabrics are l
ightly printed with a pattern and then tied into tiny little 'knobs' by a team of skilled workers. It takes about a year to tie one bolt of cloth which is then dipped into the red or purple dye. The resulting patterns are very beautiful. The traditional fabrics are now used for making contemporary items such as handbags, table runners, purses etc., and rolls of cloth can also be purchased. We have forgotten the price of the rolls of cloth, but it was thousands of dollars. We invested in a little book mark which was more suited to our budget.
ightly printed with a pattern and then tied into tiny little 'knobs' by a team of skilled workers. It takes about a year to tie one bolt of cloth which is then dipped into the red or purple dye. The resulting patterns are very beautiful. The traditional fabrics are now used for making contemporary items such as handbags, table runners, purses etc., and rolls of cloth can also be purchased. We have forgotten the price of the rolls of cloth, but it was thousands of dollars. We invested in a little book mark which was more suited to our budget.We then wound our way back through the streets, including a ride along the edge of the river. We passed a park with trees that were covered in pretty blossoms and discovered that 
they were 'ume' (if you've been following the blog all along, you may remember that this is that dreaded plum that John ate). The trees were actually ornamental plums and were very beautiful. They bloom earlier than the cherries, providing a bit of colour while the city awaits the arrival of the cherry front.
they were 'ume' (if you've been following the blog all along, you may remember that this is that dreaded plum that John ate). The trees were actually ornamental plums and were very beautiful. They bloom earlier than the cherries, providing a bit of colour while the city awaits the arrival of the cherry front.We returned the bicycles to their rightful owner and paid about $12.oo for the two bikes.
We walked to the railway station and had a nice lunch in the bakery and then filled in the remaining time by browsing in the shops. I found a nice handbag which I had to have. Although it was made in China, it will still be 'the bag I 
bought in Japan'. We were intrigued by the display for a band which has a new release. The band's name is 'Bump of Chicken'. Must be another of those 'lost in translation' things! We then collected our bags from the hotel and made our way on to the shinkansen bound for Tokyo.
bought in Japan'. We were intrigued by the display for a band which has a new release. The band's name is 'Bump of Chicken'. Must be another of those 'lost in translation' things! We then collected our bags from the hotel and made our way on to the shinkansen bound for Tokyo.The journey back brought an unexpected sight. After leaving Morioka, we dozed for a while. I woke up when we stopped at Sendai (about a third of the way to Tokyo) and saw that the ground was covered in fresh snow! This should not be happening!! The forecast for today predicted rain, but no mention of snow, so I think 
it took everyone by surprise. Still, it was a beautiful sight, especially the 'Christmas tree' look on the pine trees. The area of snow overlapped the cherry front, so we were seeing snow-covered cherry trees. Very strange indeed! The cherries would probably not have bloomed if someone had told them they were going to be snowed upon.
it took everyone by surprise. Still, it was a beautiful sight, especially the 'Christmas tree' look on the pine trees. The area of snow overlapped the cherry front, so we were seeing snow-covered cherry trees. Very strange indeed! The cherries would probably not have bloomed if someone had told them they were going to be snowed upon.After reaching Tokyo Station, we changed on to the JR train bound for Ikebukero, where we will be based for the next three nights. Once we were settled in to the hotel, we went out on our nightly search for dinner and found another surprise. We noticed that there were rather a lot of places offering massages and places that said 'Japanese only' and only then did we realise that I'd managed to book a hotel right next to the red-light district! Most surprising for me was the group of GORGEOUS young men who appeared to be for hire, all accumulated around one particular intersection. I wanted to bring one home, but John wouldn't let me. As we gawked at them, one of them got a message on his mobile phone and off he went to do his duty. Anyway, we did find a nice noodle shop for dinner and had a meal of soup with various toppings to add in, and a bowl of noodles, followed by a 'creme caramel' type of dessert - all for a total cost of about $22.00 for the two of us.
That finished off another busy day. Tomorrow we're off to Studio Ghibli.
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