Anti-Ninja Floor/Nightingale Floor

Japanese nightingale floors (Uguisubari - 鴬張り ) are wooden floors that squeak when someone walks on them. Primarily used in the Edo period (early 17th to mid-19th century) by royalty, and in some temples, the signature squeaking/chirping sound (similar to a nightingale, hence the name) served as an alarm.

It is unclear if they were initially designed with the intention of making noise or if the value of their making noise was recognized later, and then used intentionally as an intruder alarm.

This old-school security system made it almost impossible for assassins or thieves to move quietly through the residence. Guards would immediately be alerted by the sound and know there was an intruder.

You can just imagine guards and samurai strategically positioned near the nightingale floors, hiding in a shadow or behind a door, ready to protect their lord at a moment’s notice.

Apparently, to tell the difference between house staff and intruders, the staff, residents, and guards were all instructed to walk in a specific, recognizable way. The rhythmic pattern this created would be normal, while any deviation would alert the samurai to potential danger.

If you want to experience them for yourself, you can still walk on the nightingale floors at the Ninomaru Palace inside Nijo Castle (in Kyoto).

To hear what they sound like, watch this short video of someone walking across a nightingale floor.

Photography Not Allowed

Recently, I came across an itinerary-planning tip. I don’t remember it exactly, but it was something like, “Would you go to x place if photography were not allowed?” 

While I do like to take photographs of places I go, I’m generally uninterested in getting photos of the top 5 landmarks/attractions/most Instagrammable foods. And in small non-touristy places, I often prefer to keep my phone/camera tucked away and just enjoy the moment.

There are certainly exceptions, like going on a photo adventure in the moody alleyways of the various yokochos in Japan, choosing a theme to photograph (windows, street art, bicycles, doorways, cats, dogs, whatever tickles your fancy), or just taking photos of cool things you wouldn’t normally see. Those work quite well. 

Some people like to take photos of themselves at every place they go. You may be one of them. Enjoy. But when you’re creating your travel itinerary, if you find yourself adding things you really have no interest in but have been told you “must see” or “must visit,” try this thought experiment:

Ask yourself, “Would I keep this location on my itinerary if I couldn’t take photos?” In other words, is it the experience you’re going for? Or the box-ticking obligation? Sometimes it’s both. I would recommend visiting the places you are going to enjoy the most, with or without photos.

Sometimes you don’t have a choice, as some of the best places, including The Ghibli Museum, and my favorite coffee shop, Bear Pond Espresso, have strict no photo policies.

In Japan, anytime you want to photograph a specific person or you’re in a small cafe, izakaya, shop, or any other place where it feels like it may be intrusive and you want to take a photo inside, it’s polite to ask, “shashin o totte mo ii desu ka?” (Is it okay to take a photo?).

Washoku

I’ve written about how much I enjoy teishoku (which often, but not always, falls under the category of washoku) and youshoku (Japanese western food), now I must mention washoku. Washoku is a traditional type of cuisine in Japan that is so culturally significant that it’s been recognized as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Wa means harmony or Japan, and Shoku is food or eating, the combination is a “social practice based on a set of skills, knowledge, practice, and traditions related to the production, processing, and preparation and consumption of food. It is associated with an essential spirit of respect for nature that is closely related to the sustainable use of natural resources.”

This quote is from the UNESCO Heritage website.

What that means in practice is that washoku meals consist of fresh, local, and seasonal ingredients, which are balanced flavor-wise, presented aesthetically, and are healthy to eat. Some of the foods that fall into the washoku category include sashimi, sushi, grilled fish (yakizakana), miso soup, wagashi (traditional sweets), dashi (a soup stock base), tempura, noodles, yakitori, and tofu. This is not a complete list, there are many, many more.

A very fancy, refined type of washoku is kaiseki or kaiseki ryouri. It is comparable to Western haute cuisine and consists of multiple courses. It can be quite elaborate. Kyoto is well-known for its outstanding kaiseki ryouri.

It is customary to serve washoku for dinner and breakfast at ryokans. It’s part of what makes staying at a ryokan a unique cultural experience. Warning, if you’re picky about food, a washoku course may be challenging, as you don’t get to choose anything, and there are likely to be things that are quite unfamiliar or just intimidating for some, like an entire grilled fish for example (usually a small fish, but I’m talking the entire fish is there).

If you want to try cooking washoku, this cookbook is a good place to start. The author, Elizabeth Andoh delves deep into various ingredients, cooking techniques, and the philosophy behind washoku.

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