Before heading to Sapporo I went on an organized midweek tour of Atami to see the plum trees which are the first trees to bloom in the spring. The day was perfect for the trip as we had a bright sunny day. My coat was too warm to wear zipped up and I truly felt that spring was starting. We left from Tokyo station and an hour later we were in Atami. We walked to a park that is filled with plum trees. The park was very pretty with a waterfall and stream running through the center. It also had a hot spring area to soak you feet. (This is very appropriate for Atami which is known for its hot springs. There is even a place to soak your feet as you exit the main train station.) The fragrance was wonderful and I enjoyed being in the warm sunshine. We then walked to a small temple with a tree that was more than a thousand years old. The temple was small and was getting ready for the bean throwing festival that evening.
In Japan on Setsubun children throw beans at a person wearing a devil’s mask and chase him and bad luck out of the House so that good fortune can enter. The bean throwing ceremony of Setsubun is celebrated at temples and shrines all over Japan. This is also festival that marks the last day of winter although some folks might say that February 3rd is a bit early for spring.
At the temple I did learn the proper way to purify before entering the temple, wash the left hand, then the right hand, then drink – but not from the ladle. We then walked down a plum tree lined path next to a stream to the beach to have lunch. The town itself has seen better days and mostly shuttered. It felt like a boom-town that had gone bust with a few older charming buildings here and there. We toured a large older house in the afternoon and had some free time to walk around and then returned to Tokyo.
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