After leaving the supercity of Tokyo, it is time to go into the countryside and see another aspect of Japan.
The next stop is in the region of Chubu, which is the central region of Honshu. I’ll spend several weeks here, starting with the Nagano prefecture.
Matsumoto
Matsumoto is famous for its beautiful dark castle ( you can see the painting I did in my portfolio) but it was also a good starting point to visit the Kiso Valley.
Indeed a long time ago, one of the main road to go from Kyoto to Edo (actual Tokyo) was to go through the mountains by foot.
Several cities flourished along this path, called the Nakasendo.
These cities are a glimpse of the past, and I could visit one of them, Narai. The village is very long, and has preserved several old buildings of the time.
It was like taking a time travel machine.
Narai street
Since I mostly draw individuals buildings, I’m still struggling to draw full streets but I won’t get discouraged!
Takayama
Then it was time to go deeper in the mountains, in the Gifu prefecture, to visit the incredible city of Takayama.
The city has a preserved center with ancient buildings and numerous temples.
The city is famous for its festivals, where huge Yatai (festivals floats) are displayed.
Yatai exhibition
It was also the time to pick up gouache again, and finally take the time to improve my techniques.
It is still a challenge to control the colors, especially when depending of the weather, it can dry almost immediately or stay wet several minutes on the paper.
Takayama lantern
But after seeing the beautiful art in the Ghibli museum, I’m more motivated than ever.
Temples & Celebrations
The part of Japan that still amaze me is to walk in a random direction and stumble into a temple, sometimes huge and majestic, sometimes intimate and hidden.
It invite to make a pause in the day, to stay silent and listen to the sounds around.
Shimenawa, a ritual rope to protect from evil spirits
Most surprisingly is when a festival is held and I can have a glimpse of traditions and rituals.
In Takayama, I got the chance to see a procession. I couldn’t draw at the time but I took several pictures, hoping to use them as future references.
Procession
That’s all for this week, next will be one of the most exciting part of my journey, the Japanese Alps with the stunning village of Shirakawago.
