Craggy cliffs, beef and kites …

Leaving Kyoto for a three day wander in our hire car around the Northern Coastline of Kansai, we quickly wished we had equipped ourselves with more than our crappy tourist map. Taking what we are sure was a very long route to the coast, we passed through some gorgeous mountain passes, but you had to strain to see the beauty over miles and miles of garish signage - Japan has obviously no planning control over signage. Pachinkos (Japanese slot machine 'casinos') lined the roads -not the most beautiful of sights.

Arriving at the coast however was a joy and the images we had been driving quite some time for - craggy cliffs, tiny twisty roads and quaint fishing villages met us. Opting to spend a night in one such quaint village, we lost a lot of time trying to decipher signs - was that one a B and B or not? We were definitely out of the big towns where some roman lettering was used! Finally sussing it out, but with no rooms in town we hot-footed it to the next town and found a hotel right on the beach - this was to host our first Japanese 'set-menu'. Well - for a small sum of money we had a right ol'feast. Some items on the menu were too much for our palates however - one in particular being a large crustacean. When cooked slimy animal was removed from the shell Owen exclaimed ' are you eating a serpent'? Any courage mustered to eat the 'serpent' vanished instantly!

Kinosaki, a picture-skew spa town was our next stop. One night at a traditional Ryokan (Guesthouse) with another 'set-menu' (more slimy stuff!). Donning our Japanese robes and clogs, Gerrys head off to our spa the next morning for a clean (No ensuites in spa towns!). Nothing like being naked, surrounded by tiny Japanese folk to make one feel like a whale - no harpoons in this part of the world thank god!)

Squeaky clean Gs then head off to Kobe for a veritable feast of some of the worlds most expensive beef! Sat in a restaurant on the top floor with the crazily-lit Kobe in front of us, occasionally blocked by the movements of our teppanyaki chef, we munched away on fillet and sirloin - fillet well and truly gets the thumbs-up, sirloin however gets the thumbs down. Having paid handsomely for the privilege however, we downed the sirloin - and spent the night with indigestion! All H could think was her Gran saying 'you spent how much on a lump of fat?'

Next stop, Hamamatsu which was one our 'must-sees'. Hosting a three day kite festival, it caught our eye when genning up at home.Before the festivities started, it has to be noted that the G's dined in a sushi restaurant on arrival, where H distinguished herself by ordering a platter of sashimi. When the waiter pointed out this platter was for two, H nodded acceptance, secure in the knowledge that J doesn't eat sashimi and O can't!!!!

It is Golden Week in Japan which means nearly all towns host some kind of festival. This was one of the smaller ones. 175 kites reputedly soar into the sky, culminating in a kite battle on the final day. Each kite is said to represent a community and all members of said community dress in matching attire.Similar to some community contest festivals in Europe (Sienna springs to mind) this one was somehow odder as the setting is not a quaint medieval cobbled town, but a very industrial city.The first kites to fly are those where a family wish to celebrate the birth of a first-born. Sightings of men sat on shoulders holding a baby and a very strong kite rope were gaspworthy!

Each community is egged on by its own trumpeters, drummers, and the essential 'caller' who leads the way in chantings! The sound of all the mixed fanfares, clapping and screams as kites soared and crashed was mammoth. Add to this wonderful Japanese fare - (not hot dogs and burgers) and a beachside location for a bit of interim sandcastle building and the Gs would say they had a fab time!

Our photos of the kites in the air do not do it justice. The kites range from 4 - 10 sqm, made of bamboo canes and paper. They are heavy old things. It takes a team of about 20 to get them off the ground and then the 'menfolk' (it is quite a testosterone charged occasion!) take it in turns to hold the kite in place. The kites are let out for, we think about half a mile so the effort required to pull them back in is stupendous and you run for your life if one of these things makes a sudden descent above you! Seeing tens of them soar into the sky is breathtaking - each one bearing its own design.

Processions then hit the streets in the evenings with odd-looking, elaborate wooden carts, lit by paper lanterns, carrying girls, some chanting, some playing flutes and trumpets and one 'senior' playing a guitar or bashing a huge drum. Followed by the community band and presented to the crowds of Hamamatsu with lots of flag-waving, it is quite a riotous event! The G's munched street vendor food and enjoyed the party.

Day 3 arrived,sunny and hot again, and the kite watching was preceded by a couple of hours on the beach, paddling and castle building ( J and O ) and snoozing ( H ). The kite arena was rammed - we guessed at about half a millon folks and the noise was deafening. Unfortunately something about the rules of engagement must have passed the G's by, cos no fights were spotted! In spite of this blip, we rated Hammamatsu a star.