Funaya

Location: Ine-cho, Kyoto-fu

I thought about writing a series blog of Japan, but where should I begin with? Then I recalled funaya, an architecture style in Ine-tyo of Japan Sea coast. It's very special and leaves me many beautiful unique memory.

"Funa" means boat, and "ya" means house, so funaya is a boat house. Maybe it doesn't make sense to you. Let me take an instance. You must have seen a house with parking spot -- the ground floor is the space for parking and the second floor is for living. So does funaya, however, not a car but a boat. 

Residents in Ine-cho live closing to the sea, as close-sea fishery is the main industry there. They build house on the edge of the water along a little bay. Their boats was parked in the first floor that they can drive them out at any time.

Ine-cho is a small fish village and really remote, only bus can get there. I went there in a late March's afternoon. It rained now and then, and I also heard thunder sound. The local people said thunder meant snow's coming in March or April, for it's the cold Japan Sea side, not like the other side faces to the Pacific Ocean. However, not snow coming, but a heavy rain just for a while.

The sky after a heavy rain was clean, likely could be seen through. A large numbers of sea gulls were flying low or staying on the jetty. The village was quite, no one on the road. I just walked along the coast, took pictures, and breathed fresh air. It was a shangri-la.

I had dinner in a local restaurant, one of the few opening shops. The middle-age chef was curious about me -- a single, Chinese, female, traveler. He said there was nothing but scenery. I had heard the youths in the village almost worked in big cities, probably because "there is nothing". I said scenery was enough. Then I tried to assume I was a young woman living there from I was born. What should I do? Go out? Or became a fish woman? There, one point of travel came out -- to see, feel and think about different life styles, and try to understand them.

I stayed in a funaya alone. The whole funaya belonged to me that night. I lied under the window. The moon was bright, and so was the water. I got to sleep with the sound of waves. I've never heard a silent sound like that before. It seemed I was sleeping on the sea.

I woke up early in the next morning. The sun didn't rise up,and some stars were twinkling. Sea gulls got up earlier than me, and sang their morning song. I took the 7:30's bus to leave Ine. I loved there, but I can't image what should I do if I stay for an extra day. There's just scenery there.