Baird Beer, Bars, Beer, Beer Brewery, 美食, Drinks, 酒, 静岡県, 静岡美食, 観光, 農業, Japan, Japanese Beer, Japanese Gastronomy, Numazu City, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Beer, Shizuoka Prefecture, Tourism

09): Winter Seasonal Release: Dark Sky Imperial Stout

January 9, 2014 dragonlife Leave a comment

Baird Beer & Taproom Events Bulletin

Winter Seasonal Release: Dark Sky Imperial Stout

Dear Taproom Friend & Baird Beer Enthusiast:

Happy New Year! 2014 promises to be an eventful year at Baird Brewing as we move into our new brewery home in Shuzenji later this spring. We also are undertaking major redesigns of our website, e-shop and newsletter. These changes will be unveiled also in the spring. One thing that won’t be changing is our classic winter seasonal ale: Dark Sky Imperial Stout.

New Baird Beer Seasonal Release:
*Dark Sky Imperial Stout (9%):

This foreboding stout is a beer lover’s winter dream. It is pitch-black in color, unctuous in body, elusively complex in flavor, warming in alcohol and piquantly hoppy. If you want to take the nip out of winter, this is your brew!

Dark Sky Imperial Stout is available for immediate release both in kegs and bottles (360 ml) and is now pouring from the taps at each of our Baird Taproom pubs.

Cheers!

Bryan Baird

Baird Brewing Company
Numazu, Japan
HOMEPAGE

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“Running Amok” in Kanazawa City!

January 9, 2014 dragonlife 2 Comments

I was walking around the hotel on the last evening spent in Kanazawa City while the Dragon was going through her girlie shopping when I noticed those legs running on grassy slope!

I certainly felt a lot humor and artistry in this artistic creation!
I wnodered if the artist meant speed, escape or plain human running!

Looking at it at the back you can ascertain it is made of a single “loop”!
Very clever!
It must be an inspiration to the local kids!
Who said the Japanese didn’t have a sense of humor?

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Weird Japan (43): Have already eaten it ? or, Have you already been eaten?

January 8, 2014 dragonlife 2 Comments

Found this in the famous Oumichiou Market in central Kanazawa City!

I must say to the benefit of Kanazawa City that a lot of information is also available in good English!

But this one was too funny to ignore!

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Manhole Covers in Kanazawa City!

January 8, 2014 dragonlife Leave a comment

A splendid fire hydrant manhole cover with the symbol of Kanazawa City, the stone lantern in Kanazawa castle park!

I’ve just come back for a 2-night, 3-day trip to Kanazawa City in Ishikawa Prefecture, so you can expect quite a few reports in the days to come!
I start with what I could see ta my feet, namely manhole covers!

A brand new style of sewer manhole cover!

A large water access manhole cover with central motif “金” for “金沢/Kanazawa City”!

A large, probably private manhole cover although there were quite a few around!

A large rectangular manhole cover seen here and there.

The same as the brand new above but obviously a lot older and used above a fire hydrant!

The same a s above. Fire hydrant are immediately recognizable as they are painted in yellow or the pavement around them also painted in yellow!

A beautiful double manhole cover in the middle of the street!

A fairly old big manhole cover!

Interesting police manhole cover over access to traffic lights control machinery produced by Fukunishi Foundry!

A manhole cover with the city emblem motif blending into its pavement environment!

An old type of manhole cover over access to electricity machinery produced by Ohtake Foundry!

Gas valve pit manhole cover. Green seems to be the universal indicator for gas!

A medium-sized valve pit manhole cover!

A newly made intricate manhole cover!

Beautiful sewer cover (not manhole) found along the Higashi Chaya Resort Street!

Another round manhole cover with a different central indication!

Another manhole cover blending into is surrounding pavement along the street to the Ishikawa Prefecture Museum!

This type of fire hydrant manhole cover is found all over the country but each city, as shown here again, has a distinctive symbol!

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French Gastronomy: New Year Dinner at Pissenlit (2014) in Shizuoka City!

January 5, 2014 dragonlife Leave a comment

Service: Excellent and very friendly.
Facilities: Great cleanliness overall. Superb washroom (mouthwash and toothpicks provided!)!
Prices: Reasonable to slightly expensive, very good value.
Strong points: Interesting wine list. Great use of local products, especially organic vegetables and Shizuoka-bred meat and caught fish. Very inventive French gastronomy.

Due to a double cold and flu we could have our New Year Dinner only last night at Pissenlit French Restaurant in Pissenlit, but it certainly was worth it!

As the first starter we were served an organic Okura Daikon/大蔵大根 (all vegetables last night were organic and grown by Mr. Hiragaki at Kitayama Farm in Fujinomiya City) and marinated herring!

From a different angle!

Satoimo/taro root terrine!

Seasoned with fresh cream and olive oil!

The Missus’ first seafood dish with a marriage of the land and the sea!

Kogamo Duck Ham and Poireau/French leek!

Poele Ako Oyster and Kadaif/Angel hair and caviar!

The kadaif imported from France!

My own first seafood dish was another marriage of the land and the sea!

Okura Daikon mounted with shirako/cod milt poele in meuniere style and decorated with rainbow trout caviar from Fujinomiya City!

The second fish dish!

The whole vegetable, stem, leaves and flowers, is called “Mibuna” in Japanese!

The fish is madai/true seabream from the Suruga Bay, and poele on its skin.
The sauce is Homard lobster bisque!

The Missus’ meat dish!

Yusui To Pork Fillet and organic vegetables, all from Fujinomiya City!

My meat dish!

Ezo venison from Hokkaido and organic vegetables!

Earl

Grey and Darjheeling Tea jelly before the dessert!

Our dessert!

Chilled Akihime Strawberry soup and its sorbet!

And balsamico sauce!

The mignardises served with the coffee are home-made chocolat almonds and Daigakuimo/Sweet potato!

PISSENLIT
420-0839 Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Takajo, 2-3-4
Tel.: 054-270-8768
Fax: 054-627-3868
Business hours: 11:30~14:30; 17:00~22:00
Closed on Tuesdays and Sunday evening
HOMEPAGE (Japanese)
Credit Cards OK
Entirely non-smoking!

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Manhole Covers in Shizuoka Prefecture 19: Eastern Shizuoka Prefecture 1

January 5, 2014 dragonlife Leave a comment

A beautiful mint water access manhole cover in Susono City!

This time I will take you the eastern part of Shizuoka Prefecture, but since I have quite a few I had to write it in two parts!

The same as above but without the colors!

A small and colorful valve pit cover in Susono City!

A flowery manhole cover in Mishima City with the motif in relief!

The same type of manhole cover in Mishima City with some colors left but with the flower motif carved in!

An ancient sewer manhole cover in Mishima City!
Note the central motif!

Another old sewer manhole type in Mishima City with the same central motif!

Another sewer type manhole cover in Mishima City with a different central motif!

Another colorful flowery water access manhole cover in Hirokoji District in Mishima City!

A splendid mint water access manhole cover in Nirayama, now part of Mishima City with Mount Fuji, Strawberries and Hansharo Foundry Towers!

here is another water access manhole cover in Nirayama!
Nirayama is famous all over the country for its strawberry farms!

A beautiful mint water access manhole cover for Numazu City!

An old sewer manhole cover in Numazu City!
Note the central motif!

An intriguing manhole cover in Heda, now merged into Numaz City!

The same as above in Heda but inside a larger manhole cover!

See you in part 2 next!

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Pavement “Regulations” Signs on Pavements in Shizuoka Prefecture!

January 5, 2014 dragonlife 2 Comments

This sign against illegal bicycle parking was commissioned to a primary school by the City of Shizuoka!

If you look at pavements in any city in Japan, especially near stations and in crowded neighborhoods, you will discover all kinds of notices/signs directly printed onto pavements to remind citizens of regulations, be they friendly or prohibitive!
Some ar definitely welcome, while some are a bit useless, to say the least!
let me show you some examples I have have taken recently!

Non smoking street signs found in many spots in Shizuoka City. Note that the bird is a kingfisher, symbol bird of Shizuoka City!

A faded non smoking street sign near Yaizu City JR Station!

Do not litter the streets with cigarette butts in Fujieda Cty!
A bit of a half measure…

Illegal bicycle parking in Shizuoka City!

Although Shizuoka City and Prefecture respectively hold the record for the largest numbers of bicycles citis have declared war, albeit a losing one, against illegal bicycle parking, a totally un-ecological measure when you know that Shizuoka is also suffering from one of the highest ration of car exhaust fume pollution!

Illegal bicycle parking taken at night in Shimada City!

Two-hour limit bicycle parking zoen in front of Shizuoka City main post office!

Another type of illegal bicycle parking sign in Yaizu City!

Some sign manufacturer must make a fortune with all those different types being ordered by cities!

Another type of illegal bicycle parking sign in Shizuoka City!

Illegal Parking in Fujieda City!

A somewhat confusing sign!
Pavement area reserved to pedestrians and bicycles!
Bear in mind that bicycles are allowed on pavements in Japan!

Within short distance from the sign foreamentioned you will find this sign in front of Shizuoka JR Station requesting people to get off their bicycles and push them along!

Signs in front of Shizuoka City main post office requesting pedestrians and cyclist to use their own half of the pavement! Unfeasible in practice unfortunately!

Cycle on this side of the pavement! (Shizuoka City)

Red-colored sign indicating pedestrians zone on the pavement!

Orange color instead of red color used for pedestrians!

Some streets in Shizuoka City have a blue lane area for bicycles along streets.
In that case cyclists are asked not to use the pavements along them!

Although no strictly on the pavement, the city felt obliged to warn cyclists using the blue area zone on the streets of bus stops!

In Umeya Cho, Shizuoka City, I was a bit flabbergasted to notice this sign asking bicycles to run along the houses and the pedestrians to walk along the street half of the pavement!

Sign asking bicycles to stop at the crossroads in front of the zebra crossing in Yaizu City!

Sign reminding school kids to stop, look left and right before crossing the street!

The same with a different design!

This sign was sponsored by by the Shizuoka Prefecture Government to signify that the part of the parking in front of Yaizu Hospital next to Yaizu City Hall is reserved to physically impaired visitors>
Apparently pregnant women are also called physically impaired visitors…..

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Shizuoka Sake Tasting: Fuji Takasago Brewery-Junmai Ginjo

January 4, 2014 dragonlife 2 Comments

For all simple name, “Junmai Ginjo, this premium sake just released by Fuji Takasago Brewery in Fujinomiya City is a limited brand!

It was the last bottle in Matsuzakaya Department Store and the Brewer who happened to be there had to ask the staff to fetch it inside the store room!

Rice: Yamada Nishiki 100%
Rice milled down to 50%
Dryness: + 3
Alcohol: 15~16 degrees
Bottled in July 2013

Clarity: Very clear
Color: Faint golden hue
Aroma: Fruity and dry. Discreet and elegant. Apricots
Body: Fluid
Taste: Well-rounded soft attack with puissant junmai petillanmt.
Fruity. Starts on a sweetish note to end up on a very dry turn. Apricots, almonds.
Elegant, easy to drink.
Disappears quickly with hints of dark chocolate, vanilla and coffee beans.
Turns somewhat sweeter with food but chnages little.

Overall: A superb sake to be enjoyed on its own at room temperature.
Could be used as an extravagant aperitif.
Marries well with food though.
A rare and sure value!

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Japanese Festival: O Taiko Festival at Toyotsumi Shrine in Yui, Shizuoka City!

January 3, 2014 dragonlife 3 Comments

Yesterday I spent the whole day in Yui to have a look at the Toyotsumi Shrine and the O Taiko/Japanese Drums Festival in Yui, Shimizu Ku, Shizuoka City!
Although it is a small, if not tiny festival, it is nonetheless important as it might be the oldest living Festival in Shizuoka Prefecture since it has been held since 977!

For all its small size the district (formerly a city of its own!) is still very proud of it!

Most participants these days belong to families tied with Yui fishing harbor and the sakura ebi/cherry shrimps and shirasu/sardine whiting trading!

Such families hang a paper lantern ourside their homes as the festival is held until late at night!
Unfortunately I had to back to to Shizuoka City by 6 p.m.
Next year I certainly plan to attend the last part of the festival held between midnight and half past midnight even if it means I have to sleep in the station until the first train in the morning!

The entrance to the Toyotsumi Shrine!

Big Drum Festival!

Thanks to the pictures you can’t miss it!

The “torii/鳥居/Shrine sacred bird gate (you will not find them at temples)!

Note the stone lanterns!

Old style stone plaque with the name of the shrines!

A monument marking the 1200th Anniversary of the Festival erected quite a few years ago!

I arrived there at 12:00, still 2 hours before the kids’ procession, which gave ample time to talk with the locals!

This kid actually volunteered for the picture!

The well of the shrine!

For the history buffs!
This shrine was erected by a local nobleman to thank the gods for a battle victory in 971 and the first festival was held in 977!

The shrine main building!

The “mon/文” of the shrine!

This mon representing a fan was the mon of the nobleman who erected this shrine!

The main drum used for the festival!

Japanese sake is an important feature at shrines at is originally meant “Food of the Gods”!
This particular sake “Shosetsu/正雪” is produced by Kanzawagawa Brewery in Yui!

More information for the history buffs!

The fountain you will find in any shrine to wash your hands before praying for good fortune!

One of the two lion guards!

Some of the trees there are truly enormous and ancient! I wonder how many generations they have witnessed passing by!
I truly wish some of them could talk!

After the visit to the shrine I had lunch with a friend to sample the local sakura ebi kakiage.
When I came back the kids procession had already started under tight supervision as the main road is narrow and cars are a certain risk!

The kids certainly didn’t mind being hemmed in!

Cute little girls!

Adults taking part in the second procession were giving a hand!

The kids said hello to me in English! One of them even said, “this is Japanese samba!”!

Kids took turns to lustily hit the drum!

A volunteer warden!

While the kids were holding thier procession the adults had a drink or two inside the shrine!

The kids finally arriving back at the shrine after a two-hour procession!

These two young adults carried the drum for them all the time!

Some kids were still willing to hit the drum!

A fire was waiting for those sensitive to the cold!

At around 4:30 the participants got ready for the adults evening procession!

Some practice for the photographers!

The evening procession finally taking off!

The procession moving on to the encouraging chants of the older participants!

A great way to keep yourselves warm!

Coming out of the shrine street!
The procession turned into the street to greet the houses of the participatat and sponsors!

Taking turns at the drum!

Food and drinks being prepare at the abode of one of the sponsors!

Waiting for the procession!

Japanese soul food!

Greetings!

Great concept for a party!

See at midnight same day next year!

Toyotsumi Shrine/豊積神社

The exact address is 静岡県静岡市清水区由比町町屋原185/Shizuoka Prefecture, Shimizu Ku, Yui Machi, Machiharaya, 185.
Get down at Yui JR Station and walk down the road on your right hand side. Walk past the harbor, turn left after Ando Dental Clinic and walk up all the way.

Held from January 1st at noon to the 3rd at 00:30 a.m.!

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Kura: Japanese Traditional Warehouses in Shizuoka Prefecture 7

January 3, 2014 dragonlife Leave a comment

“Kura” (in japanese 蔵 or 倉) means “warehouse” or “Storehouse”.
In traditional Japan, especially during the Edo Era, as most of buildings and urba/village structures were made of wood, fires were the bane of society by and large.
However well-protected a fire would consume a house or buildings and all its properties within minutes.
Hence a special building or warehouse was needed to protect goods and properties against such a catastrophe.
But erecting a storehouse solely made of concrete, stones and some metal cost a vast amount of silver and gold and only rich merchants and nobility could afford them. Even castles could not be built entirely of stone then.

I was reporting on a local festival in Yui, Shimizu Ku, Shizuoka City, when I discovered two more kuras!
Actually there are many of them in Yui, especially along and the Old Tokaido Road where they were the first refuge against typhoons and tsunamis.
But most of them have now been transformed into hangars, shops and abodes with their second floors shaved off and using only the solid first floor as a base.
Therefore there only a very few with their roof intact!

I noticed this one by pure chance as it was completely surrounded by buildings of all kinds!

It was obviously used either as an abode or as a storeroom, and I managed to a peek at this window as the inhabitants seemed to be away during the New Year Holidays!

I found this old one along the same street. As it was surrounded by a car park I had an easier access to it!

The entrance was being repaired but the whole building, although small, seemed very till very solid!

The window and the roof were in good repair!

These iron supports are found in most kuras. They are there to keep the roof securely onto the walls in case of stong winds. Typhoons can easily send the tiles flying!

For all the lack of color and decoration it was very well-preserved!

Now, that window lock really looks ancient!

Now some of these kuras can very small indeed!
I found this one near my home!

Small but very old as shown by all the rust on the window!

At first I didn’t think that this long building was a kura!

I nonetheless decided to investigate!

For all the imposing solidity the large steel windows were old!

No openings at the back!

They had reformed the entrance, though!

It is effectively used as a kura by the local fire station!

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レシピ, Crab, Crustaceans, 美食, 花咲蟹, 魚海の幸, Food, Gastronomes, Gastronomic Photography, Gastronomy, Hansaki Crab, Japan, Japanese crabs, Japanese Gastronomy, Recipes, sushi

Sushi: Hanasaki Crab Chirashi Zushi for the New Year!

January 1, 2014 dragonlife 4 Comments

Chirashi zushi/散らし寿司 means “decoration sushi” in Japanese!
It is a free form of sushi very popular at homes!

We received this magnificent crab directly from Hokkaido!

Its name, Hanasakgani/花咲蟹 means “Flower Blooming Crab”!
This is probably due tp its many spikes!

We received pre-boiled although the original color is almost the same!
The Dragon had a hard time to prepare it as the shell is hard. I did propose to help her but she refused!

This crab can be found only in the North Pacicific around Hokkaido, The Behring Sea and the Sakhalin.
It does not have a specila English name and goes by the Latin name of Paralithodes brevipes.

It is considered as one of the top three crabs (at least in Hokkaido) with the Kegani/Horsehair Crab and the Tarabagani/Red King CRab! It is expensive but we recived it as an End of the Year present!

The meat out of its shell!

The Dragon prepared a chirashi sushi served in the traditional round wood bowl for 4 of us, but we couldn’t finish and had more for the next breakfast!

The Dragon first prepare the sushi rice inside the wooden bowl.

She had mixed the rice with some golden sesame seeds before adding roughly shredded hanaski crab meat and chopped fresh mizuna herbs.

As this is the New Year, she also added plenty of ikura/salmon re!

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Soul Food: Pork & Winter Vegetables Pot au Feu at BLUE BOOKS cafe in Shizuoka City!

January 1, 2014 dragonlife Leave a comment

Service: Very friendly, smiling and attentive
Equipment & Facilities: Great overall cleanliness. Superb washroom in same building separated from the cafe.
Prices: Reasonable for such big servings!
Strong points: Very generous cafe/bistro multi-genred gastronomy. Great variety. Great products. Entirely non-smoking in very modern atmosphere. Great books!

The days have sensibly gotten colder, even here in mild Shizuoka City, and that is when you really a body and heart-comforting hot food!

Not accounting for the weird grammar and the mixture of French and American this pot au feu was really tempting!

Another very good value lunch set!

As usual plenty of Caesar salad with local leaf vegetables for good balance!

And what I had called carrot bread all the time is succulent corn bread! mea culpa! mea culpa!

All the contents practically bred and grown in Shizuoka Prefecture!

All stewed in expensive French Staub iron-wrought ware!

The pork belly must have been stewed in two stages as it was as soft as “kakuni”!
Note the burdock root for a typical Japanese touch!

Vegetables included cabbage, broccoli, carrot, onion, burdock root to form a succulent soup!

When simple food becomes gastronomic soul food!
I’ll have it again anytime this winter!

BLUE BOOKS cafe
420-0857 Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Miyuki-Cho, 4-6, Den Bldg 1F (5~10 minutes walk straight ahead from Shizuoka JR Station North Exit, around the corner at the large crossroads)
Tel.: 054-280-7644
Opening hours: 11:00~14:30 (lunch), 14:30^17:30 (cafe), 17:30~23:00 (dinner)
Entirely non-smoking!

Credit Cards OK
HOMEPAGE
FACEBOOK
Twitter: @BlueBooksCafe

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Manhole Covers in Shizuoka Prefecture 18: Iwata City

January 1, 2014 dragonlife 2 Comments

A beautiful mint water manhole cover with a dragonfly in Iwata City!

Iwata City, already an important city both for its industries and agriculture in Western Shizuoka Prefecture has considerably increased in side with the recent merger to quite a fewtowns and villages, making its manhole covers a slightly complicated study!

The same a s above on a pavement!

The same again without the colors!

An unusual pattern in Shizuoka Prefecture, probably a sewer manhole cover!

Another unusual and ancient water access manhole cover!

A magnificent mint water access manhole cover in Ryuhou which has since been merged into Iwata City!

The same without the colors!

Another interesting and flowery mint manhole cover for Toyooka Village merged into Iwata City since!

The same without the colors!

Beautiful wisteria mint manhole cover for Toyoda Town merged into Iwata City since!

Another wisteria Manhole cover, but more intricate, in Toyoda Town!

A mint water access manhole cover for Fukuda Town merged into Iwata City since!

The same without the colors!

Another mint manhole cover for Fukuda Town, but with a different pattern!

The same without the colors!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Must-see tasting websites:

Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents

HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City

Culture, 静岡県, 静岡市, 観光, History, Japan, Japanese Culture, Photography, Shizuoka, Shizuoka City, Shizuoka Prefecture, Tourism, Yui

Koike Village Chief House in Yui!

January 1, 2014 dragonlife Leave a comment

Because Shizuoka City and Prefecture were more an area of intense travelling than Kyoto or Tokyo where people gathered and built according to the size of their population (and money), it seems that our region lacks in historical and cultural assets.
Actually, until Tokugawa Ieyasu made his retreat at the beginning of the 17th Century in Sumpu (Shizuoka City) travelers had still to stay there overnight and eat and drink. Accordingly, many old houses and lodgings can still be discovered along the Old Tokaido Route.
Tourists should not overlook them as their smaller size, easier access and cheap/free entrances provide them with a rare glimpse of life of past times. Sometimes such sightseeing off the beaten tracks is more rewarding than grandiose but crowded monuments!
One house worthy of a visit lies along the Old Tokaido Route in Yui, Shimizu Ku, Shizuoka City, only a few minutes away on foot from Yui JR Station: Koike Village House which was incidentally registered as a National Important Cultural Asset in October 1998.

The entrance!

Note the “namako/seaslug wall”!

Time to study Japanese! Don’t worry most of what is written on the board is mentioned in this article! LOL

The entrance and the noren/暖簾/entrance curtain!
Such a village house would also serve as a registar house in Edo Times hence another historical source of importance!

A small room has been refurbished into a small museum you will get into through another noren!

Take time to look at old pictures of Yui Village!

Through the bay window of the small museum you will discover a tiny but adorable Japanese garden!

Important documents are still preserved there!

Life articles of a time past!

The modest size of the very well preserved living quarters will give you a chance for great photogtraphy of a true Japanese abode of yore.

You actually may walk inside if you take your shoes off! That will permit you to not only take great photographs but experience a real feel under the soles of your feet!

Contrary to the interminable lodgings of ancient nobles, it has the merit to introduce you to a real size living house!

If you are am antique buff you will be surprised to find this very heavy antique shave ice machine worth a fortune at auctions!

Take all your time to admire the small exquisite garden full of surprises!

I have never seen that lantern-supporting sumo wrestler anywhere before!

Every season will offer you a different glimpse!

Very unusual moss!

An ancient well!

Having a second look before departing…
Irori/firplace!

Mobile partition!

Old hanging scroll!

I would advise you to take a good camera along as the place is dark inside, but you must have also a look at the raftings, the ceiling and theattic!

KOIKE VILLAGE CHIEF HOUSE/小池邸

421-3112 Shizuoka Prefecture, Shizuoka City, Shimizu Ku, Yui, Terao, 464-9 (10 minutes on foot from Yui JR Station. Proceed left of the Station exit!)
Tel.: 054-376-0611
Opening hours: 09:30~16:30 (March~October), 09:30~16:00 (November~February)
Closed on Mondays and National Holidays (except if happening on week-ends), December 26th~January 5th
Entrance: free
Parking for 6 cars

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