Shibata Rice Harvesting Tour: EP 2
[Music] Nigata, the land of pristine rice patties, worldclass sake, and the believe it or not, a colossal airborne aerial kite flying dog fighting festival. Welcome to the Shiron Kite Museum, a shrine to a 300-year-old tradition known as the Shiron Otaku Gasen or the Shiron Great Kite Battle. Each summer, teams of neighboring warriors gather along the Nakonokuchi River, launching gigantic battalion-sized war banneresque kites, some stretching well over 20 ft tall into the sky. The goal? Collide midair, tangle lines, and engage in a highstakes aerial tugofwar until one team’s kite is ripped from the sky and plummets straight to the waters below. The origins of the Shiron great kite battle are steeped in legend, tracing back to Japan’s Samurai Edeto period over 300 years ago. As the story goes, the residents of Shidon launched their kite high above the waters of the Nakonoguchi River, only for it to come crashing down into the fields on the opposite bank, flattening crops and ruffling more than just a few feathers. Not to be outdone, or perhaps just seeking pure revenge, the villagers on the other side sent up their own kite with a singular mission. Crashlanded right back onto Shidon soil. What began as a tit fortat exchange of rope tethered air gliding skirmishes soon evolved into a grand tradition. What began as a tit fortat exchange of rope tethered airgliding skirmishes soon evolved into a grand tradition woven into the fabric of local culture. Today the shiron grey kite battle is a high-flying spectacle with participants of all ages which is a testament to the region’s competitive spirit, ingenuity and a touch of goodnatured mischief. Neighboring associations from the east and west sides of the Nakonukuchi River spend a year building these monolithic sized kites. There are normally five to six teams on each side with anywhere from 30 to 50 members per team. Inside the museum, you’ll find these massive battle scarred relics of past skirmishes. Their bold calligraphy and vibrant color designs telling tales of victorious flights and crushing defeats. There are also hands-on exhibits where you can try controlling a scaledown version of these skyward behemoths. And the best part is where you can make your own kite. [Music] Our 808 entourage picked the print we wanted to fly and got to work. The room here was buzzing with inspiration while receiving instruction from several of the museum’s volunteers. Theories of aerodynamic design, stealth flight properties, lift, thrust, physics, and drag coefficient were not discussed here. Instead, we were taught the simplicity of interlocking a few sticks, the kite’s main structure, minimal yet vital and strategic glue application, and attachment to a virtually translucent thin traditional Japanese washi paper. Each of our tour members was able to take to the skies for some aerial acrobatics. With a little help from one of the volunteers here, Paula’s kite soared the highest. Dennis was given the reigns to one of the museum’s flagship flyers. Non-stop travel the Hogati tour veteran and Hokkaido expert Gary also achieved aerial excellence. However, if I didn’t know better, I could have sworn it looks like he was aiming for Melissa with his dive bomb assault. While I had some glue technical difficulties during assembly, I too was able to achieve a little airborne success. Top Gun Maverick action here in Nigata. Yep. I’m actually surprised this thing actually flew. Oh. Oh. Kite down. How far do I have to run? Oh my god. [Music] As our inaugural Shibata City tour unfolded, our non-stop travel TV group was granted a rare and intimate welcome. A blessing ceremony at the city’s Sua Shrine. Nestled within Nigata Prefecture, this hidden gem is a world away from the bustling tourist throng temples of Kyoto or Tokyo. So beautiful gate of the main gate of Busua shrine. This is a like a guardian of the city. And as we come in, you can see the red gate. This is called Tori gate and it’s a boundary of our world to the sacred world. And whenever you see this paper hanging uh this is something related to Shinto, something sacred. And before we go in usually we purify ourselves. We have a beautiful dragon giving a water to us and take some water from the dragon. And the first you wash your left in the second you wash your right and take some water to your left palm and then rinse your mouth. And uh you supposed to have some some water left here that is used to wash the handle nicely for the next person who’s going to use the washing the hand means uh purification of the body. Rinsing the mouth is a purification of the soul. So inside and outside we are very clean and purified to go into the holy place which is a boundary of the Tori gate. This is our world and the holy world. The shrine grounds exuded almost cinematic serenity. The guardian kainu or traditional lion dogs line the path here warning off evil as silent stone sentinels. Japan’s national religion of Shintoism is less a religion with a strict doctrine and more of a way of moving through the world with an awareness of the divine in everything. The trees, the wind, all things and all forces of nature that were represented and personified by all the surroundings of this beautiful sewer shrine. Upon entering the hunden or main shrine building, we were greeted by the priest here who moves with a kind of deliberate grace that only comes from a lifetime of ritual. His steps soundless on the wooden floor. On one hand, he held a branch of saki, a sacred tree ancient of belief, revered for its deep spiritual significance. As an evergreen, it symbolizes purity, longevity, and prosperity, embodying the unbroken connection between the human and divine realms. Saki serves as a conduit between the physical and spiritual worlds, reinforcing the harmony between nature and the sacred. Its enduring presence in rituals and shrines highlights its role as a bridge linking humanity to the gods in a timeless exchange of reverence and blessings. There was something about the rhythm of the droning sounds of the priest’s chants. It was measured precise. A low murmur synced with the slight breeze and stillness of the air around us. As the blessing ceremony continued, the priest offered each of us a small collection of omorei or Shinto amulets wrapped in a delicate fabric, each imbued with a prayer for protection and good fortune. With a measured grace, he offered each of our non-stop travel group members the omorei. As I turned mine over, I noticed the embroidered image of an iris, the symbol of Shibata city itself. In Japanese tradition, the iris or zoo represents purity, strength, and the ability to ward off evil, making it a fitting emblem for protective charm. The priest explained in hushed reverence that this, as the iris thrives at the meeting point of land and water, it also serves as a bridge between worlds. While Shibata City’s Soua Shrine may not command the global renown of its counterparts, with a lack in visitor foot traffic, it makes up for an undeniable presence, serenity, and spirituality that each member of our 80 group got to witness firsthand and very much so appreciated. [Music] [Applause] for all of you. You guys are pioneers. It’s the first time we’re doing Ship the City. Uh so I really appreciate all of you to come by Cora. [Laughter] Okay, everyone got something? So all of you uh have a wonderful evening tonight and for the rest of this day. Thank you all for being here. How you refer this? Here we go. Thank you. [Applause] Melissa Chang, Melissa, welcome. Oh my god. Welcome, welcome, welcome, welcome to Bon Noyato. This is uh in the Nagago area. There is onen monkey here which was amazing. Yeah. Oh my god. I have very wonderful memories of this place because I came here with Jamyaki Masab Travel Colleen and a very amazing group of people here as we celebrated New Year’s. Oh yeah. So got here in December of 2019 and then it became 2020. So this was uh you know if there was any tour to end 3 years of travel on. Yeah. Yeah. This was it. This was a good one. And I remember this this is one of their signature dishes. So, we need to actually take the stock, the mushroom, pop it on here to let it grill. So, I always start by letting it cook. That is the cutest thing. I can’t believe I’m harvesting my own mushroom, right? It’s like 4 years ago. Yep. Pop it on here. This is so cute and so interactive, right? I mean, how come we don’t have this at home? We’ve had numerous ki dinners together. Of course, for those delicious. All delicious. For those that don’t know, it’s a Japanese traditional course menu. So, we have all of these little samplings of wonderful dishes here and of course ingredients are all fresh from this area. So, a little bit of a salt. Yeah, this this mix they have here. It looks like a herb salt or something. Yeah. Wow. You hear that crunchiness in there? It’s really good. You’re doing like a champ there, Melissa. Good job. See the top. Excellent. [Music] Nothing like fresh mushroom or it’s a little bit burnt. Mhm. I love that. Just the right amount of burntness. Yeah. And now we’re going to go to the tofu with peanut, sweet pickles, noana oyaki, and grilled red herring shell. Wow. And it’s perfect little bites. Yes. I’m go for the tofu. Okay. Tofu with peanut butter is a wonderful thing, right? Look at this. And kind of healthy actually. Wonderful gelatinous cube of flavor that’s going to be had. That’s a must. M peanut butter. Oh my god. Right. Peanut butter. And it’s light. Yeah. For those that don’t like tofu, add peanut butter. Wow. Amazing. Delicious. This is the wasyaki. You can see inside. Oh, so good. So, where would you like to go next? Oh, okay. Do you want to do the sashimi? Oh, yes. Salmon and is that hamachi or hamachi? Yeah. And a scallop. Potate in there. Kaisiki is like Christmas. The presentation is just always so wonderful with kiiki. Even the showyu is special here. The show is special here. Yep. M m fantastic. Wow. Approval. Yeah. So moist and buttery. They got the of course right next to the Yonkai Japan Sea. So you know in addition with the rice which was amazing. Their fish their seafood is absolutely off the hook. So dinner is just always great. Wonderful. And I’m so happy that you’re here with me. The mosa 808 or I’m happy that I’m here with you too. another adventure here in Japan. And we’re with um you know a group of pioneers. I call them pioneers because they’re doing this very first non-stop travel dov tour cuz we’re going to Shimata City, right? Which we got to go to in May. Yes. Love it. Rice harvesting this time. We got to actually try our hand at planting rice. So, are we going to be harvesting the actual rice that we planted? Yes, I believe so. Yes. This is the timing. Yeah. Cuz May and then you you harvest right here on September. So, yeah. I love it. So, I think our sukiyaki will be ready in a little bit. We should stir it a little bit. How do you know when it’s ready? Well, the candle will blow out when they light these things, but sometimes the timing is not 100%, but I’m a medium rare kind of guy, so I don’t mind having it on the softer side. So, I’m lucky most of my friends are medium rare people. I have one friend who does it well done. I have one friend who likes it well done, too. So, what I do is rather than ruin the whole experience, just order my own. Or I’ll order that one for her if she likes it well done. Yeah. You enjoy yours, we’ll enjoy ours. So, why don’t we go here to the soba? Oh, look at that. Okay. We’re just going to show off in our our first slurp attempt. So light. Mhm. The u the dashi. Just the right amount of saltiness to it. I really like the vegetables in here cuz it adds a little bit of um texture to a little bit of crunch. Yeah. I dare say that our sukiyaki is ready to be had. Do you do raw egg with that? I do. Good. I love the raw egg. Oh, look at that. The yolk is so orange. Yeah, that’s what I love about the eggs here. I’ve seen a few places try it back home. I’m not willing to chance it. Are you ready, Melissa Chang? I’m so ready. Oh. Oh, that looks like good steamy piece. Drop it in our egg here. We’re going to do a synchronized sukiyaki. Ready? Let’s eat. M. The richness. That meat just disappears. It’s so rich and so light at the same time. Yeah. Exactly. Exactly. I mean, that’s what you find by eating good Japanese kaise dinners. Like the balance is amazing. M we did so much in one day. This is going to seem like Yeah, we have another night here at Bonoy and making our way to Shabbata. Lot more adventure, a lot more fun, a lot more great food. As always, mahalo for watching the brand new non-stop travel doa TV adventure. Aloha. [Music] After an amazingly delightful and dectable kiaseki dinner, Bionoyad Rioan arranged a very special performance by one incredible Nagono resident. Akanosan performed for our New Year’s non-stop travel doa TV tour in 2019 and he was back again. He hasn’t aged the day and his skills in Taiko Shamisen and the oneman lion dance were as captivating and awe inspiring as ever. As if Nakanosan’s skills in Wagaki or Japanese traditional instrumentation weren’t impressive enough, he was also a celebrated martial artist and cultural practitioner. [Music] Nakanos’s intimate performance for us started with a deep inhale and then the rise and initial strike with his bachi or wooden drumsticks. Each hit was deliberate, a rhythmic conversation between him and the Tao drum, oscillating between rolling crescendos and near silent pauses. [Music] His movements were like a dance, controlled yet primal, steeped in centuries of tradition, echoing through the mountains of Nagono like an ancient heartbeat. After a stirring and truly chicken skin performance, he invited several volunteers to try their hand out at Tao. So, it’s very difficult to pray like this by yourself. But, you know, since you are here, I want you to try. And I understand we have a special guest. They have a wedding anniversary. [Music] Noel and Linda. [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] to introduce another Cody. Happy retirement uh and Deborah. Oh, [Music] heat, heat. [Music] [Applause] Wow. [Applause] [Music] Wow. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Yeah. Heat. [Music] [Music] [Applause] Nakaro son’s finale was a shishimai lion dance. This traditional dance is performed for good fortune and to ward off evil spirits and normally done during New Year’s or during special celebrations. As this was our first Shibata city tour for non-stop travel and Dohoga TV and in celebration of our return to Nagano’s bio noyad in 5 years, I couldn’t think of a better way of wrapping up our amazing night here. [Music]
We’re back with Episode 2 of the Doko Ga TV Shibata Rice Harvest Tour Video Diary Series! 🎥 This time, we soar into culture and creativity at the Shirone Kite Museum, visit the sacred Suwa Shrine, and unwind in true Niigata style at Biyu no Yado hot spring inn. After a delicious group kaiseki dinner, the night concludes with a heartfelt live music performance by Nagano local Nakano-san.
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