Me, Myself and I Head East.....: so to continue...from on the train to Kanazawa and Matsumoto!

The ninja museum was very much done for the public, but I enjoyed seeing all the secret places. There were 5 things important to a budding ninja, one of which was maintaining a slight physique. Not surprising as they needed to crawl about in tiny spaces or conceal themselves in places we would think were too small. Demonstrations of finding and hiding weaponry of all sorts took place, with lots of humour. I had been directed to tag on to a group of other tourist but these turned out to be a multi national group on a ninja convention. I watched them trying to throw the four pointed ninja States....mostly they didn't hit the target!

After the museum there was a show which I really enjoyed. Almost all in Japanese but I got the gist of it. Sketches performed by the small team showed many different weapons and their uses.....all with very good humoured. One chap was always playing the victim and got murdered several times. The last one of which saw him stabbed in the rear after having been trapped by a girl ninja (they have a special name but I have forgotten it!) - she had first trapped him and tied him up with just the use of a long strong braid! So for all you out there who wonder what to do with your braids, you have been told of one use you might not have expected! The only unfortunate thing as far as you are concerned, dear reader, is that photos were not permitted!

After the show, I continued the route around to the castle. This was most impressive from the outside as it has very steep walls. The outside was decorated with dolphins and very impressive patterns on all the round bits on the roof. You will see what I mean from the pictures. The inside was good in that you couldn't help but be impressed by the construction and it was beautiful too! The stairs were incredibly steep, more like the angle of a ladder than a staircase. This was sort of OK going up but filled me with horror coming down! As some of you will know I have no head for heights!! When my little recky of the castle wsa complete, it was time to return to the outside where now the sun was shining brightly and the foliage all around was showing itself at its best. Getting that in a photograph however proved to be more difficult as I dont want lots of wires/posts/people in the way. They should have given me exclusive entrance!!

Now the next excitement was to try and work the route in reverse so as to be able to get home. My first problem was that I needed to find a different station as and as I didn't know what it lookd like, it wasn't that easy. A schoolboy of about 15 was passing so I accosted him and asked directions. Obviously well brought up, he had no hesitation in taking me the couple of hundred yards or so to the platform - and explained when the train would come.
The worry I had was that the arrival time of this next train and the departure of the first of my two main trains home was about 90 seconds apart! Again lady luck was on my side and I managed to be in place in line for the train which pulled in just as I took up position - phew!! The next train wasn't for another hour so it was important to have the mad dash. I do sometimes wonder what the world sees as it looks at me careering about Japan!

The remainder of the journey was unproblematic (apart from a bit of a dither at a huge cross junction back in Nagoya, I remembered that I had to cross a road and then walk 3 blocks to my hotel, but it took a bit of checking to gt the orientation correct!.) I arrived back at Nagoya after 8.30 and still needed to eat. I had bought some provisions from the station area - there is a huge Takashimaya department store at the station and the foodhall is amazing but terribly busy at this time of night. You wouldn't believe the noise! By the time I had got back to th hotel, got the kettle on, reheated the food and scoffed it the time was getting on. I was aiming to have enough to eat so that with the addition of the complimentary noodles, I would be satisfied for the night. Noodles are from 9.30 to 11 p.m. - as I said before - very strange timing by our standards! The spa beckoned but I decided common sense must prevail. Along with all the other things I have to do in the evening, like contacting Paul, planning what to do the following day and sorting out when to get up and so on, I also have to recharge batteries for cameras, kindles, phone and mobile wifi. Then I have to back up the photos of the day and only then can I sit down to write the blog. Last night it was approaching 11 before I got to the blog bit - oh - I forgot to mention that getting some sleep is also a good idea....I am currently operating on less than 6 hours per night which is ok for a night or two but I will need a catchup soon! It isn't going to be for a day or two though as need to be at reception every morning by 7 for the free shuttle to Nagoya station. This is the most efficient and cheapest way to get there ready for each day's exploits!

It is now Saturday and I am on the train to Kanazawa. It is 9.01 as I look at the clock. We have just pulled in to one of the nine stops along the way. Oops - off again! I should arrive at 10.05. I know where I plan to go, but as yet have no idea where it is!! More about that in future posts, no doubt!

Now I am going to give you some flavours of the day - people, scenery etc - all being well, so here goes. Photos are in reverse order.... just to keep you on your toes! The best way would be to scroll down to the end and then work upwards, but it is your choice!

The station at the little raiway in Iga Ueno - a few miles from the main station.

The castle in its own space!

The ceiling inside the castle (above), followed by part of someone's costume!

The castle! Note the famous steep walls....inside the staircases were as bad!

Leaving the museum and wandering through the grounds to the castle I wondered about modern day spy training and how similar it should be to ninjas!

In the castle there was the usual amount of historic artefacts - some more interesting than others!

Ninja have 5 tenants of every day life (is that the right spelling??) - anyway 5 things to enable them to be good ninja.
1. Be strong mentally so that the enemy can't defeat them by harming their morale, but also being cunning when required.
2. Sound in th sense of their body. How to care for themselves should thy be wounded. This includes knowldge of herbs for healing etc.
3. Clean in themselves to protect against infection but also so the enemy doesn't smell them coming!
4. Lithe by maintaining a slight frame and eating a vegetarian diet.
5. Skilled - a ninja has a duty to continue developing - skills and fitness.

Ninja have many weapons at their disposal, the most known being the shurinen or something like that! This is the 4 pointed throwing star which weighs 200gms. They are thrown singally, in pairs or even in threes. All stars then land in a row....killing one, two or three at a time. The stars are dipped in aconite so even a scratch will kill th enemy.

Other weapons used are small darts used with a blowpipe (this could be disguised as a flute!) throwing darts - and then with a bow arrows somw of which have fireworks tied to thm. These make a fearful noise which would terrify and confuse the enemy and then explode on target. Knives would be hidden all over the body especially tied around the shins and forearm but also in things they carry. This could be under the coolie style straw hat or inside the supports of a parasol. Although there are many others, the final one I will mention is the braid - this was twirlled with such force it was staggering to see - and when used near an object it would ensnare it before you could blink. The poor victim would then be dispatched quicker than you would think possible.

I wonder if you know what these are? Ninja can need to escape across swampy ground so these mud shoes would be employed!

This is an explanation of how ninja conceal themselves....can you spot the hiding place?

They look quite convincing to me!

Ninja star throwing practice.

This group wre mixed nationalities but English speaking so I was put with them for the guided tour of the ninja musem.

This is the first notable building I came across - wooden in the main. The way ahead was up this street so not doing to badly at this point!

Hooray - Ninja country even got them on the manhole covers and below that the statue outside the station.

and there is the ninja statue just outsid the station.

Yes this is the track, but what do you make of the sign? You wouldn't be trying to cycle along it would you??

You can tell I was a trifle fed up as I even found the edge of the track and environs interesting....for a moment anyway. That is a little shed and a picnic table/bench set!

This is the station near to the braiding centre - not what you woud call high tech!

The view from the edge of the track.

This blue net is to keep the birdies away from the healthy crop of persimmons.

This is proof of washing being dried the cheap and healthy way!

Ninja escaping into the floor void. All houses had tunnels which interconnected making it easy for a ninja warrior to escape his enemies. As this is not where I intnded it to go, it just sows that ninja will go wherethey want!!