This weekend I went to Hagi in Yamaguchi.  I was going to post pictures I had taken but…I didn’t really take any!  You can see the problem, I’m sure.  I didn’t take any because we weren’t actually there to sightsee, we went for a family ritual that needed to be carried out.  This involved sitting on the floor for a very long time and then having to stagger over to the alter which is no easy thing when you can’t feel your feet, I can tell you!  It was very hard going seeing family friends (note, not my friends) who insisted asking questions about me to my husband rather than asking me – I was stood right next to him.  This also happened in the restaurant we all went to, where the waitress insisted on explaining my food to my husband.  It’s such fun living in Japan sometimes, it really is.  Not that I’m moaning.  Oh wait, yes, that’s exactly what I’m doing!

Anyway, I have decided to share with you pictures of Ube in Yamaguchi instead, which is where we were a couple of years ago around April.

(The one at the top of this post is from a coffee shop in Hagi – mine was the evil looking cat.  I think I was given it because I ignored him when he tried to shove an English menu in my face – I wasn’t in a good mood this weekend.  Gomen!)

A park for hanami

Our delicious selection and the mandatory alcohol

The ‘theme’ park

We went on the big wheel and a few other things – I don’t remember very well but I think it was quite cheap

I’ve never seen this before…

Cactus ice cream!  It tasted like that aloe-vera drink you can get, if you’ve had that?

The lake in the park and the beautiful poppies and sakura blooming

More ice cream

We got the sakura

Japanese bakery – the best

The beach, which is nice and had no one on it.  Perfect!

The question everyone is dying to ask, would I recommend going to Ube and/or Hagi?  Well, if you’re asking, I’m telling and I’m going to tell you, not really.  Once you’ve seen one inaka place, you’ve seen them all as far as I’m concerned and there is nothing special in Ube that should take you there.  Hagi has got quite a lot of history, so if you’re interested in that, maybe it’s worth it.  If you like being stared and pointed at for being foreign, then again, you might enjoy both places.  Fear not though, you can pretty much experience that anywhere in Japan, so no need to feel left out. Truly though, the countryside is beautiful in Japan so do try to see it if you can.