Thinking of Japan

I’ve been reading about the earthquakes in Japan and I feel sad, that there is so much damage and lost lives. Since I started learning Japanese months ago, I’ve come into contact with a few Japanese, whom I communicate with on a regular basis. Many of them are ok, but I have not heard from everyone. So, my best wishes to everyone in Japan…

Anyway, this photo was taken in Fukuoka, Japan last year. Food stalls (like this one) were only set-up at night. I regret that I did not eat at the stalls… I’ll just have to go back to Fukuoka :)

Happy Weekend.

Yummy Udon in Kyoto

One of our most memorable meals in Kyoto was an udon (Japanese noodle) lunch, recommended by the proprietor of our hotel.

That’s my husband and I in the first photo.  Like all tourists, we wanted some real Japanese experience and was especially thrilled when we seemed to be the only tourists eating there :).

 

The queue was rather long when we arrived, but we were told to expect that.

When we got closer, there were seats…

Still waiting for a table, we checked out what our people were eating. The little section to the left is the kitchen. See next 2 photos.

 

Lots of activities in the little space.

Sweet little jars for condiments

We had no problem ordering since we were told by the hotel proprietor what was good. Our cold udon came with a special sauce. Some tempura accompanied the udon.

The only problem I had was slurping, which I did not do very well. I need more practice :). The meal was おいしい/oishii/delicious.

Lanterns at Yasaka Shrine in Kyoto

Lanterns at Yasaka Shrine in Kyoto

Hope you  all well. This is a scheduled post. I am camping, and am planning to do lots of drawing while I am away. Do leave a comment so that I can come by and visit you when I get back.

Pachinko

 

When I was in Japan recently, one of the many fascinating things I found was pachinko. Pachinko is described to be like a vertical pinball machine. I saw pachinko parlours in many places and they were quite recognisable by their loud colours and with lots of slot machines. 

I had no idea about the game, but I walked into a parlour to check it out. I didn't get very far because the noise level was high... almost like a million bees buzzing at the same time! Wow, it was undescribable and unbelievable. I stayed inside for less than 10 seconds, and then left quickly.

If you visit Japan, do check them out. They are fascinating :).

Looking up…

In Melbourne, Australia

In Busan, Korea

In Fukuoka, Japan

In Kyoto, Japan

In Kyoto, Japan

In Kyoto, Japan

and finally, looking up at a big blue sky and clumpy clouds in Melbourne, Australia.

Skywatch

Let’s eat sushi

When we were in Kyoto, we went to a sushi restaurant. We left the food selection to the chef… The restaurant was a small one, with only counter seats for less than 10 customers. It was nice to be able to see what the chef was doing.

Seating at the counter also allowed us to chat with the chef… I say “chat” but that’s stretching it a little bit. We knew almost no Japanese. Luckily, he knew enough English to tell us what we were eating :)…

This cabinet in front of us has lots of varieties of seafood.

We started with junsai, a summertime delicacy in Japan. The plant is from the water lily family. The reddish bits are the flowers. It has a transparent jelly covering and a slippery texture. This is a small serve to start with…

I won’t be able to tell you what some of the dishes are…

Sauce in an lovely ceramic bowl

Octopus if I am not mistaken… slightly grilled, with a little bit of wasabi and sesame seeds.

A grilled piece of fish

Ginger if you wish…

 

More fish…

A sneak peak at what other people were eating. I guess the red meat is tuna.

This is tuna. He did explain why he seared the sides but I can’t remember… This is the leanest bit of the 3 types we were tasting that day. Scroll down for more…

More tuna, not so lean and from a different part of the fish

And more tuna. This one is a fatty cut. To me, it was a melt-in-your-mouth delicious.

Another type of fish…

Now we move on to the prawns.

Prawn sushi.

Are you full yet?

I hope you are not full, because there’s more...

We had abalone too. I wonder if this is it…

More food…

This looks like scallops but I am not sure.

Now it’s uni (or sea urchin roe) time!

Doesn’t look very attractive but sure tasted divine

Mmm, and another….

I hope you have had enough… that’s all the photos of the meal that I have.

Happy Thursday!

Fukuoka bakery

This is a bakery in Fukuoka. We went there for breakfast a few times – their chocolate croissant was really good.

Visit James for more Weekend Reflections.

Murin-an, Kyoto

Murin-an is another lovely garden in Kyoto.

It is famous for its “borrowed scenery”. In the above photo, you can see the faraway hills. The garden is not big, but it seems big because of its design.

Stepping stones

Lots of trees…

and thick moss on the ground

There are several buildings.

A waterfall …

a pond, and …

... streams are part of this garden

It was a lovely summer’s day when we were there…. but my photos are all green. Click here to see Murin-an in lots of colours.

Hope you are having a nice week.