Among Julia's English students in Kobe are the lunch ladies - three very lovely locals who like to learn the language socially, through informal conversation, once a week at each other's places, over lunch. Luckily for us, they insisted we come along while we were in town.
And so to Masae's apartment, to meet our wonderful hostess, and the equally lovely Masako and Yurie. We were happy to oblige with the conversational English, but as it turned out, Julia's prediction that it would likely be far more fun than the fulfilling of an obligation was very much the case. Masae had laid on a delicious, mouth-watering vegetarian buffet banquet especilly for us (a true rarity in Japan), with additions from Masako and Yurie, and we ended spending several hours shooting the breeze with our new friends.
For us, it was also an invitation to experience an aspect of the 'real' Japan, and as always when one is allowed behind the curtain in a foreign culture, preconceptions and stereotypes are quickly eroded. A uniquely enjoyable afternoon.
Kobe's art gallery is small and something special, as we found out on one afternoon in our host city; unexpectedly attention-keeping and inspiring, with a perfect mix of the traditional and contemporary. Our favourite exhibits are pictured below, and more on Kenji Yanobe's brilliant Ferris Wheel project can be found here.
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