Japan Day 7: Gifu

   We had a rare free morning which was wonderful and gave me a more time to talk to my friends and family given the 13 hour time difference.
    The camera crew came back which wasn't fun, luckily we split into two groups and they went with the other one.
    My groups first visit was to a wagashi (traditional sweet) shop. Since I work part time in a bakery I was really interested in the history and techniques of making such gorgeous things, the shop we visited had been around for about 150 years though not in the same location. We got to try our hand at making three sweets and then ate one of them with tea while learning a bit about the tea ceremony which was really interesting. The sweets we made had a red bean paste filling which I like but some of my classmates weren't used to it.

This was the best one I made

   After that we went to Zenko-ji to learn about Zazen meditation. While I had learned about the history of Buddhism in Japan I hadn't learned anything about how meditation was practiced (just that it was). The first round was really peaceful and nice. It was harder to concentrate the second time with people talking loudly outside.

   The last stop was to Fujii Butsudan, a company that makes Buddhist altars. They can be very complex, take a long time to make and can be incredibly expensive but they are a family heirloom that can be passed down. They come in a variety of different sizes and range from plain to flashy since each sect has their own specifications.