Day 9 - Arita and Imari (8 April 2019)

Today was another fantastic day!  This trip has been so enjoyable as we have created wonderful memories with our parents. All of the experiences have been so varied and interesting!

I wanted to visit a Daiso, which is comparable to a dollar store. Each Daiso has different products that they sell for 100¥ (less than $1 per item). We thought the Daiso opened at 9, but it actually opened at 10. However, we happened upon the start of a small parade!  We took a few pictures, and then then set out on an adventure!







We drove to Arita to visit Momo’s Antiques. We walked in to hear 1950’s music playing in the background. There were a few rooms where you could see a lot of items to peruse. 









Although we didn’t buy anything, we had a lot of fun looking at all of the merchandise. 

From there, we drove to China on the Park.  The Fukugawa Porecelin is the purveyor to the Imperial Household.  It’s the only porcelain company that is allowed to use Mount Fugi and the river as their mark. The porcelain was beautiful! 















I really wanted to buy a tea cup, but decided on a different one after the one I wanted cost 10500¥. (Around $100)



So, I bought a pretty tea cup with cherry blossoms on it. So gorgeous!  It’s wrapped up, and I neglected to take a picture, but I love it. 

We walked up to their museum to appreciate beautiful pieces I will never be able to afford in my lifetime. We also had a picnic on the smallest picnic bench I’ve ever had the privilege to sit upon. 





After lunch, we made our way over to Imari.  Driving through the small towns gives you a sense of how one lives their life in these areas. The blue skies helped enhance the beauty of the landscape, with the green rice fields too. 













Although Imari claims the Okawachiyama Village is in their city limits, it’s just outside of it. It is called the Village of the Secret Kilns. There were Korean potters who came over (were taken prisoner and not allowed to leave) and perfected the art of making porcelain. 



















They figured out a water system that helped crush the clay into powder to start the process of making porcelain. 





We then walked down the path to where the Korean workers were buried in the cemetery next to the stream. 



















We walked through a lot of little shops in the town. Some of them had their own kilns!  















The village sells a lot of what they call ‘wind bells,’ which make a tinkling sound every time the wind picks up. Did I mean to buy one but bought seven?  Yes, yes I did. 



For the first time in my life, when I walked in to a store, I was asked to remove my shoes. It was an interesting experience to shop barefoot. The ceilings were also fairly low.  It was a great cultural experience!





Walking through the small streets almost felt like we were in a small European village. I’m not sure the people here appreciate the tourists, but these tourists sure appreciated the village!













We climbed up some stairs in the town and found a whole porcelain park!  The village is just so beautiful. 















We made our way slowly back down towards the shops, appreciating the beauty of the mountains, flowers, traditional houses, porcelain items, and blue skies the whole time.













After a bit more shopping, we hopped in the car to see how far up we could drive the car. We even found some Torii Gates!  My mom and I walked back down, while Shelley climbed to the very top. 













We walked around for a few minutes, then decided to drive up to the top of the town. It was so peaceful. 



















After exploring the village, we drove through several small towns on our way back to Sasebo. The view just never gets old. 















I really wanted to experience the Daiso (dollar store), so we went to two!  It was interesting to see the sorts of things that were being sold in the store. 











And what better way to end a shopping trip but by finding a product named after yourself!  I figured since I can’t get a kid named after me, a product line will just have to suffice. 



It really has been an amazing trip. The fact that we were able to experience it with our parents, while on their mission, made it even more special.

I don’t think I realized how much I would enjoy this part of Japan.  It is an incredible feeling when you know you want to freeze the moment to be able to recall the experiences during some of the tough times of life. What an amazing country, full of polite, helpful people. I am so grateful to be able to share these memories with some of my loved ones. 💕

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