Third time’s the charm in Sakai

Sakai City Mayor Osami Takeyama gave more than a hint of recognition at the start of the welcome reception. He stood up from his chair on the dais at one end of the grand ballroom, where consular officials from Cambodia, Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam were also seated in a row. This third-time visitor to his city hastened his steps forward so the Mayor wouldn’t have to go down from the dais. But he still did, meeting me halfway to shake hands, both of us with large smiles. Oh, and we bowed repeatedly, of course.

We had first met two years ago, and spoken through an interpreter for an interview on the whys and wherefores of the annual conduct of Sakai-ASEAN Week, to which I had been invited for the first time to join a media contingent assembled from six ASEAN countries.

We all learned then of how Sakai, contiguous to what has now grown to be the bigger, more industrialized city of Osaka, became the first seaport in Japan to welcome Western trading ships as well as those from neighboring countries in the region. 

The six-day familiarization trip had allowed us glimpses of Sakai’s traditions and heritage, prime of which was the presence of tumulus clusters — complex systems of large royal tombs set in keyhole-shaped mounds bounded by moats and now green with thick forest.

Of these heritage sites revered throughout Japan, the largest and most important is the tumulus of Emperor Nintoku of the 5th century. And pride of place for its location belonged to old Sakai.

We had also visited Daisen Park and the adjoining Japanese Garden, where a fascinating treat apart from the usual manicured foliage and calm lagoon was a gazebo featuring a small canal maze where wine flowed, for poets to dip their cups into during haiku recital evenings.

We were also taken on a river cruise towards the delta where a system of dike locks defended the port city from tsunami. Nearby, looking out to sea, stands the quaint visual symbol of Sakai, the old wooden lighthouse of 1877, which has stopped functioning but provides an appropriately scenic site, especially amid the grid of flyovers nearly above it, bannering modernity. 

Sakai is also fabled for its blades and bicycles, and as the birthplace of the lady haiku poet Yosano Akiko as well as Sen no Rikyu, founder and legendary master of the Sen schools of tea ceremony.

Last year, a repeat invite enhanced all the previous memories, with activities ranging from orange-picking on a farm together with uniformed troops of very young schoolchildren to hiking up a hill with elderly citizens still intent on contributing to Sakai’s environmental graces.

Oh, we were lavished with daily visits to shrines and temples, Buddhist and Shinto, an excerpt of a Noh performance, the full ritual of the classic tea ceremony, and the special treat of a memorable meal at a centuries-old, family-run restaurant, where the elegant aesthetics and intricacy of flavors of Japanese cuisine were at their finest.

Would a three-peat find me jaded, asked cultural coordinator Hisanori Kato a couple of months ago. Certainly not was our instant reply. There would always be more of Sakai to savor.

That certitude was certainly well-rewarded. At the welcome reception on Oct. 10, the Mayor waxed effusive anew as we prepared a toast (with Asahi beer and/or shochu) to the 6th edition of Sakai-ASEAN Week: “As you know, Sakai achieved great development over the centuries through overseas trade. Of particular importance was Sakai’s trade with Southeast Asia, the peoples of which Sakai shares a history with — of more than four hundred years of interaction.

“In March next year, Sakai Plaza of Rikyu and Akiko will open to introduce our history and culture to visitors, especially the chanoyu tea ceremony practice which flourished here in Sakai during the medieval era. The trade we had with Southeast Asian countries gave great influence to the development of the tea ceremony as well.

“With this historical background, in Sakai City, we are pursuing various initiatives aimed at deepening exchange with ASEAN nations, many of which have been experiencing tremendous growth in recent years. While Sakai-ASEAN Week is predominantly based on cultural and educational exchange, I feel very encouraged that important steps are also being taken to advance economic ties.

“I am sure that the minkantaishi students will perform their roles outstandingly in the various activities they are participating in, such as the special exchange program in Sakai elementary schools. I very much hope that they will form a bridge with Sakai for many years to come.

“… I also hope very much that Sakai-ASEAN Week 2014 will serve as an impetus for us to continue to strengthen the personal, cultural, and economic exchanges between Sakai and the nations that make up ASEAN. Thank you very much.”

The minkantaishi the good mayor referred to involves a homestay program for college students, two per ASEAN country. Our delegates have always come from De La Salle University, where Mr. Sato taught a few years back. They are always accompanied by a professor who speaks equally fluent Japanese.

After the three-week stay with foster parents, the farewell scene when it all draws to a close is always characterized with crying jags, much hugging, and tearful promises of a return.

The minkantaishi also experience bonding sessions with their peers in Sakai universities, where they make formal presentations on a topic dwelling on culture or the environment. The departure rites have them delivering weepy recollections of their homestay, and on the final day they perform cultural dances at a plaza where hundreds of Sakai residents are treated to a special Sunday.

Third time’s the charm, indeed, as we of the media crews also experienced bonding time with high school students — the first to observe how they uphold the tea ceremony tradition before engaging in a card game that tested the memory of rival teams listening to a tanka recited by a teacher, then grabbing at a partner tanka card among a hundred laid out on the tatami mat between the teams.

The second was to witness a demonstration of kado — another term for ikebana, or flower arrangement exercise. The girls in turn took the opportunity of practicing their English with us.

Our engagement with senior citizens was at a weekly haiku gathering, where our own haiku on the theme of “wind” were translated before figuring in a selection process for prizes. Allow me to acknowledge that much as my single haiku made it to the top five choices from among those submitted by the visitors, I think I was much better at ikebana, since I had romped off with the only prize, a bunch of long-stemmed pink gladioli.

We also visited a boat-building factory where we were regaled with the step-by-step production of three different designs of orange-colored watercraft, the main prototype called the Life Seeder serving as a rescue vessel in the event of tsunami. These fiberglass boats manufactured by the Shigi Lifeboat Company are also exported. We indulged in a thrilling ride upriver and back on one of the “Lifesavers.”

An electric tram took us to Osaka and back. The craft of wagashi or confectionary making, another popular cottage industry in Sakai, was demonstrated by two different masters, one of them over 80 years old. In Sakai, these colorful sweets made of a special bean paste, usually taken with tea or for dessert, are rendered unique by fashioning them after the season’s fruits or leaves.

Before visiting the Yamaguchi Residence, a traditional town house museum dating from the Edo period or  the 17th century, we were first herded into a nearby clothier’s shop and individually dressed up in formal kimonos, meaning getting bedecked in layer after layer of the complex attire.

In traditional cloven socks and on wooden clogs did we then cross the streets to enter the residence-museum. We had “turned Japanese,” and stayed that way for more than an hour as we admired the vintage wooden beams, various tatami-floor rooms and halls, and clay-stove kitchen of what must have been quite an abode at the time.

In fact, that was a repeat experience for me, as we had also visited the Yamaguchi House last year, albeit sans the kimono for the official group photo op. I really didn’t mind going throwback redux, as I wouldn’t mind yet another visit to Sakai of the all-time charms.

Note to Honorable Mayor Takeyama and Prof. Sato-san: Hai, I would still certainly enjoy a four-peat.