Kyoto: Arriving at JEE

Sunday, 6th April, 2014.

 

In Kyoto, Chisa had arranged for us to stay at the office of JEE (Japan Environmental Exchange), an organisation involved in environmental education and international exchanges between people working for the environment.

JEE had an office, kitchen and shower downstairs, and a tatami-floored bedroom upstairs.  We ended up spending quite a few very comfortable days here.

Chisa had driven down to Kyoto that day from her home in Miyama-cho (about 1.5 hours’ drive away) and met us at the local subway station, called Kuramaguchi (another long name to learn how to say, but we made it.)  Chisa then showed us the way to JEE.

 

The main  reason JEE was so comfortable was because of Hosoki, who looked after the office.  Hosoki lived 20 minutes away by bike, but was there to welcome us on our arrival.  As a special treat for us, there was a hibachi charcoal-burning heater warming the main room.  Here is Hosoki adding charcoal to the burner.  Unfortunately, charcoal is now too expensive to be economically viable – charcoal-producing is a trade which is dying out.

 

Hosoki also prepared a special traditional meal for us.  This was the rice.

 

Hosoki called the meal she prepared a “tofu hotpot”.  There was a small gas stove which sat in the middle of the table and the ingredients were added and cooked while we ate.  Here is Chisa helping with the preparations.

Just beside the yellow curtain is a white holland blind.  Hosoki installed that in front of the shower.  The shower room is so tiny that there is hardly room to get dressed in it without dropping your clothes on the floor, so you can step into the kitchen to get dry and dressed behind the blind.  An alternative is that if there are people sitting at the table, they can pull the yellow curtain across which gives the person in the shower some privacy to get dressed in the kitchen.

 

In the foreground are some of the ingredients which were cooked in the hotpot.

 

Here is the tofu hotpot bubbling away.

 

Dinner is served.

Another major advantage of JEE for us was the western size table and chairs, so we didn’t have to sit on the floor to eat.

Poor Frances was sick at this time, so missed out on this special dinner.

It was quite a cold night.  When dinner was over, Chisa drove off to Miyama-cho, about an hour and a half away, and Hosoki put on her warm coat and hat and pedalled off home on her bike, about 20 minutes away.  Next morning she was back, with some stewed fruit for our breakfast.