Hula Hula

Nami started hula lessons a few months ago, and took part in her second public performance last saturday at Hamanako Garden Park, near Hamamatsu city. Nami went with the other dancers in a coach from Shizuoka, I made my own way by Shinkansen, local train and taxi. The taxi driver was the highlight of my morning, a real chatty guy who asked me,

"Where are you from?"

"I'm from England."

"I love English people!"

I asked him about the local town, Bentenjima, and he told me that clams/cockles/muscles (not sure which!) are a local speciality. As we passed over a bridge on the way to the Garden Park we could see hundreds of people cockling in the low tide, reminded me of cockling in England or France as a kid. Didn't see anybody rocking on the wooden boards to tease them to the surface though, the Japanese prefer to dig with the hands it seems!

Hamanako Garden Park was very crowded, hot sunny weather on a Saturday had brought every man and his dog to this place, nice fields of grass, beautiful flowers, fountains for kids to jump in and ice cream (only chocolate unfortunately). The hula (and Tahitian dance, think hula crossed with belly dancing with coconut bikinis) was held on a covered, open air stage. See if you can spot the Nami...