All posts by dragonlife

Robert-Gilles Martineau hails from Bourgogne/Burgundy, France and presently resides in Shizuoka/Japan

Shirahige Shrine （白髭神社）in Shizuoka City, Suruga Ku, Shimojima!

July 20, 2014 dragonlife Leave a comment

There are many Shinto shrines called “Shirahige/白髭/White Beard” in Shizuoka City and Prefecture!
I discovered this one through pure luck while cycling along a side street in Shimojima, Suruga Ku, Shizuoka City!

It must be pretty old as the newest of the three torii gates dates back more than 120 years ago!

It is one of those shrines which must have been repaired and rebuilt many a time but are still actively venerated!

It is a bit unusual to discover three stone torii gate in a row!

Looking back at the entrance!

Many stone lanterns!

The last torii gate!

Let’s look at one of the stone lanterns!

A deer and a cloud!

The cloud is a bit different on that lantern!

And the deer is facing the other way!

The lion guarding the left!

And the one guarding the right!

Guarding lions and wild boars under the eaves!

The shrine!

The crested money offerings box!

The proper way to salute!

The inside is properly looked after!

Small offering tables!

The greatest part of the shrine building has been recently restored!

Especially the back part!

Cute pinion!

Beautiful roofing!

Good-bye White Beard!

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So Good Sushi Restaurant in Nice France
Navigating Nagoya by Paige, Shop with Intent by Debbie, BULA KANA in Fiji, Kraemer’s Culinary blog by Frank Kraemer in New York,Tokyo Food File by Robbie Swinnerton, Green Tea Club by Satoshi Nihonyanagi in Shizuoka!, Mind Some by Tina in Taiwan, Le Manger by Camille Oger (French), The Indian Tourist, Masala Herb by Helene Dsouza in Goa, India, Mummy I Can Cook! by Shu Han in London, Pie
rre.Cuisine, Francescannotwrite, My White Kitchen, Foodhoe, Chucks Eats, Things that Fizz & Stuff, Five Euro Food by Charles,Red Shallot Kitchen by Priscilla,With a Glass, Nami | Just One Cookbook, Peach Farm Studio, Clumsyfingers by Xethia, PepperBento, Hapabento, Kitchen Cow, Lunch In A Box, Susan at Arkonlite, Vegan Lunch Box; Tokyo Tom Baker, Daily Food Porn/Osaka, Only Nature Food Porn, Happy Little Bento, J-Mama’s Kitchen, Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat, Bento Lunch Blog (German), Adventures In Bento, Anna The Red’s Bento Factory, Ohayo Bento,

Must-see tasting websites:

-Sake: Ichi For The Michi by Rebekah Wilson-Lye in Tokyo, Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World
-Wine: Palate To Pen, Warren Bobrow, Cellar Tours, Ancient Fire Wines Blog
-Beer: Another Pint, Please!, Beering In Good Mind: All about Craft Beer in Kansai by Nevitt Reagan!
ABRACADABREW, Magical Craftbeer from Japan
-Whisky: Nonjatta: All about whisky in Japan by Stefan Van Eycken
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery

Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents

Kura, Shizuoka City

Kura: Traditional Japanese Warehouse in Shizuoka Prefecture 19: Former Inoue Sake Brewery Kura in Shizuoka City!

July 20, 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.

In kutsunoya Cho, Aoi Ku, Shizuoka City, near the Atago Shinto Shrine Inoue sake Brewery used to stand there.
Unfortunately when hos father died some 13 years ago, his son working for Shizuoka Bank preferred money over culture and sold most of the land to a sushi restaurant destroying centuries-old tress and walls in the process.
Now only a house where his mother still lives and an abandoned kura bear witness of the past.

The kura was not pulled down because that part of the land could not be sold and it would cost too much money as the walls are still very solid.
On the hand the inside has been emptied of all past relics and stands empty and forlorn.

The wooden frame and lintels of the superb windows are going to dust.

The roofing is still in good repair, though!

Even an earthquake has little chance to bring it down!

Tell me, Mr. Inoue, how long will we enjoy its sight?

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Beer, Craft Beer, Shizuoka

Shizuoka Beer tasting: Baird Beer-Red Rose Amber Ale

July 19, 2014 dragonlife Leave a comment

Due to increasing demand, Bryan Baird had to move his brewery from Numazu City to Shuzenji in Izu Peninsula recently, but on the other hand his beers are increasingly available in many stores in Shizuoka City!

“Red Rose Amber Ale” was named so because Bryan wanted to introduce the taste of red roses in this beer dark ale!

Product name: Baird Beer-Red Rose Amber Ale
Unfiltered
Ingredients: barley malt, barley, sugars, hops, yeast
Volume: 360 ml
Alcohol: 5.5%
Process: Unfiltered. Double fermentation for natural bubbles at low temperature. Live yeast

Clarity: Smoky but very clean (natural for unfiltered beer)
Color: Dark orange
Foam: Long head. Fine bubbles. Very light orange color
Aroma: Solid. Fruity. Oranges, citruses, bread
Taste: Dry, deep and fruity attack. Very refreshing.
Dry oranges, bread with hints of persimmon. Late appearance of apricots.
Varies little with food, except for deeper and drier oranges.
Lingers for a while in the palate before leaving with an even drier note.

Overall: Very refreshing, deep, solid, reliable and elegant craft beer.
Enjoyable in any season. Great with food.
Personally I enjoy it most on a hot evening on its own, lightly chilled, and try to savor it as slowly as possible (not easy!)!
Mind you, because of its strong orange taste, might be best enjoyed in winter in Shizuoka!

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Fashion, Heels, Shizuoka

Japanese Ladies fashion in Shizuoka 54: Summer Heels!

July 19, 2014 dragonlife Leave a comment

It does not matter if it is hot or not, Shizuoka ladies have some set minds when it comes to shoes and heels!

Whatever they wear, they tend to wear shoes with heels of varying height and styles!

When ladies are blessed with long legs they want to show as much of them as possible!

And summer does prevent them from overdressing if it can emphasize the perceived beauty of their legs!

When legs are of the average length, ladies will go to any other lengths to increase that very length!

The result is always of the wanted kind!

It is not always easy!

But some ladies are more proficient at the art!

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sake, Sake Brewery, Shizuoka Prefecture

Shizuoka sake Tasting: Eikun Brewery-Junmai Ginjo “Daidai no Eikun”

July 18, 2014 dragonlife Leave a comment

It’s been some time since I tasted a bottle by Eikun Brewery in Yui, Shimizu Ku, Shizuoka City!
But this once I had the opportunity to conduct my tasting away from Home!

A new wine and sake bar opened in Shizuoka City, namely La Sommeliere, and since they serve the sake in wine glasses, the tasting is easy to conduct!

An orange (“daidai”) label is a bit unusual in our region, but this the official color of Shizuoka Prefecture!

Rice: Bizen Omachi (Okayama Prefecture)
Rice milled down to 55%
Dryness: + 5
Acidity: 1.4
Bottled in July 2014

Clarity: Very clear
Color: Very faint golden hue
Aroma: Assertive and fruity. Dry. Pears
Body: Fluid
Tasting: Dry and fruity attack backed with pleasant jumai petillant.
Complex and elegant.
Pears, green apples, hints of apricots.
Lingers for a while with more hints of dry almonds, dark chocolate and milk coffee.

Overall: I drank this particular sake without food. It is just too elegant to let it be influenced by food.
A superb sake for tasting parties, although frankly speaking I will keep my own company when savoring it!
Would make for a splendid aperitif.
Start it chilled and let the sake warm up inside your glass to discover new facets!

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Japan, Photography, Shizuoka City

Romantic Gofuku Street in Shizuoka City?

July 18, 2014 dragonlife Leave a comment

There is little romantic about Gofuku Street in Shizuoka City!
It just shows you can easily transform any dour place into a destination with some appropriate photos!

You don’t even need a professional camera and whatever paraphernalia.
I took all these pictures with my mobile telephone! It is a Sony Ericsson they don’t make anymore, but I use it for all my blogs, although I do not use the flash!

I was in Gofuku Street, walking aimelssly, at around 7:00 pm, just before dog and wolf as we say in French, but it was particularly dark.

The contrast was naturally accentuated by the lamps focused by the camera.

If you know the whims of your camera, or mobile phone for that matter, I’m sure you can come up with some very interesting shots indeed!
And you don’t need to be a pro!

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Shinto Shrines, Shizuoka City

Ikama Shrine (伊河麻神社) in Shizuoka City

July 18, 2014 dragonlife Leave a comment

Ikama Shrine (伊河麻神社) in Inagawa, Suruga Ku, Shizuoka City is a very ancient one dating back to 675 but it was burnt down many a time and certainly had witnessed better days.
It is nonetheless worth visiting!

The entrance torii gate!

The hand-washing stone basin!

Imposing stone lantern!

intricate design for such a shrine feature!

A somewhat decrepit incinerator!

A very ancient tree indeed, but we’ll go back to it later!

A history lesson!

Two ancient small shrines whose torii gates have been restored!

A red torii gate!

The ancient shrine!

An orange torii gate!

Somewhat bigger than its neighbor!

A bit isolated small new stone lantern!

Proofs that the site was destroyed at times!

The main shrine!

The rice straw garland!

Guarding lions!

The crested curtain!

Crested money offerings box!

The interior!

Ceremonial flags!

Japanese sake offerings!

Festival drum!

Back to the front courtyard!

Prayer papers!

Although the roofing is recent, the pinions are much older!

Restored eaves!

Robust roofing!

From another angle!

Back to the venerable tree!

He must have a lot of stories to tell!

Good-bye!

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Bakeries, pastry, Shizuoka City

Bakery Trotix in Shizuoka City!

July 17, 2014 dragonlife Leave a comment

I’m glad to say that bakeries have decidedly a bright future in Shizuoka City after I discovered another little beauty: Trotix in Kita Ando, Aoi Ku, Shizuoka City!
The simple reason of this happy state of affairs is the fact that many restaurants in the same town make good use of their creations for the best PR possible!

Yoshinori Kobayashi/小林義則さん opened his cute bakery in 2009 and has achieved a great reputation for creating bread and pastries for adult taste!

This was my first visit yesterday and I must admit I rue all the time lost!

The main key in Trotix is not the evident great taste and beauty, but the variety and an approach to please a more adult clientele!

Fruit breads!

Superb croissants!

White grapes, grapefruit peels and cream cheese bread and Cuin Aman (French Breton pastry)!

Wiener rolls, Sweet potato and sesame bread, Melon bread, Basil & spinach bread, Cream bread, Choco Croissant, Endive and bacon tart, Bacon epi!

Deep-fried curry bread, Shrimp and broccoli tartines!

Classic breads and Pain de mie!

Very homey atmosphere!

And don’t forget the super fresh mixed sandwiches, fruit tarts and old fashion cheese cakes!

TROTIX

Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Kita Ando, 3-11-1
Tel.: 054-248-7024
Opening hours: 10:30~18:30
Closed on Sundays and sometimes on Mondays

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Shinto Shrines, Shizuoka City

Inomiya Shrine (井宮神社) in Shizuoka City!

July 16, 2014 dragonlife Leave a comment

in spite of its respectable size, Inomiya Shrine in Aoi Ku, Shzuoka City, does not welcome many visitors because of the proximity of the biggest shrine in Shizuoka City, namely Sengen Shrine.

It is nonetheless well advertised although its torii tends to be overlooked along a busy thoroughfare.

it is very very old but it was rebuilt on the present location in 1776!

But quite a few predate the coming of the shrine!

The nearby mountain provides a natural background in the city!

Take your time climb the stairs!

Hydrangeas are plentiful in this season!

The main shrine!

The hand-washing stone basin!

An unusual frog sitting on the lid over the well!

Imposing stone lanterns!

A mountain pattern carving can be guessed on the very old stone!

I’ve seen these patterns of a deer and cloud, as well as of the mountain, in many other shrines!

But the guarding lions do look different!

The left guarding lion!

He rests his paw over the belly of a smaller lion. Unusual!

The lion on the right!

Resting his paw atop a ball!

There is something unusual about his maws!

Try as I may, I couldn’t take out the stone ball out!

The main shrine front!

The money offerings box!

The rice straw garland!

Roofing decoration!

From another angle!

The proper way to salute the shrine!

Inomiya Shrine is actually the combination of three different shrines!

Back to the stairs!

More information!
That is when I noticed another very small shrine at the back!

Almost completely hidden from view!

Beautiful small torii gates!

One of the two foxes guarding it!

The money offerings box!

The other fox over a strange flame!

The oldest tree inside the shrine grounds!

The shrine shed and office!

Overlooking the city!

A last view from the hydrangea-lined stairway!

Back through the main torii gate!

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Bars, sake, Shizuoka City, Wines

Wines & Sake Bar: La Sommeliere in Shizuoka City!

July 16, 2014 dragonlife Leave a comment

Service: Shy but very friendly
Equipment and facilities: Spotless clean. Superb washroom. Entirely non-smoking!
Prices: Reasonable
Strong points: Local sake by the glass. Extensive wine list by the glass. Bottles on sale. Great local bread and pastries. Home-made light food

Mrs. Hiromi Hasegawa/長谷川浩美さん, of the fourth generation owning Hasegawa liquor Shop in Shi Tori, Aoi ku, Shizuoka City, has just opened an exquisite wine & sake bar along Miyuki Street just across from Marui Department Store!

La Sommeliere is the French feminine form of Sommelier as Mrs. Hasegawa is both a recognized wine sommelier and a sake expert!

Wines from many countries are introduced every day by the glass or the bottle.

Food is available on site under the form of light snacks or dishes prepared or cooked by Mrs. Hasegawa!

Check the ever-changing range of wines at reasonable prices!
More expensive bottles are also available for big budgets and connoisseurs!

The bar counter!
Note that the place is entirely non-smoking!

Recommended wine of the day!

Specially ordered bread and pastries from Trotix Bakery in Kita Ando, Aoi Ku, Shzuoka City are also served as a collaboration project but they tend to disappear very quickly!

Succulent nuts and vegetable chips are also on sale!

Top-class wines sold by glasses of 30, 60 and 90 ml at reasonable prices. Great for tasting!

Gevrey Chambertin! WOW!

This was only the first of many visits to come as I also want to taste the light food and more sake!
I actually wrote a future report on a tasting of sake by Eikun Brewery in Yui, Sjhimizu Ku, Shizoka City!

LA SOMMELIERE

420-0857 Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Miyuki Cho, 7-5, Aiseido Bldg, 1F
Tel. & Fax: 054-266-5085
Opening hours: 11:00~22:00
Closed on Sundays & National Holidays
Entirely non-smoking!

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Italian Gastronomy, Italian Restaurants, Shizuoka City

Italian Gastronomy: Dinner at Soloio (July, 2014) in Shizuoka City!

July 13, 2014 dragonlife Leave a comment

Service: Pro and very friendly
Equipment & Facilities: Great overall cleanliness and superb washroom. Entirely non-smoking!
Prices: Reasonable
Strong points: Fresh local ingredients whenever possible. Both traditional and inventive Italian cuisine. Good wine list at moderate prices. Open late!

It had been 3 months since I visited Solio Italian Restaurant for the last time in Shizuoka City last Friday and I was wondering if I could catch up with the new dishes at one of my favorite Italian Restaurants in the Prefecture!

We actually came very early, just before 5:30 p.m. which allowed us a special happy hour glass and antipasti misto set!

I had wanted to start with a beer after the very hot day but this Chardonnay spaprkling wine from the Veneto was just perfect for all its seemingly modesty!

The antipasti misto including small fry escabeche, fritatta, eggplant and lamb meat ball!

Naturally the bread is home-baked!

These exquisite mini tomatoes (from Chef Kato’s garden) in wine jelly were on the house!
Now, what did we have?

Marinated mussles!

Melons are a main product of Shizuoka Prefecture and pruned min melons are extensively used!
Putting a big mussle on a slice and eating them together was the idea!

While we were waiting we tasted some Italian candied fruit!

Beautiful deep-fried morsels: fritto!

Shizuoka grown zucchini flowers filled with ricotta cream!

Zucchini!

Carpaccio with a fish caught in the Suruga Bay!

Madai/Japanese seabream!

The risotto of the day!

Prepared with Shizuoka-grown sweet corn and parmegiani cheese!

The meat dish of the day!

Skillet-fried pork from Kuwahara Farm in Fujinomiya City!

Unfortunately we were too full to take dessert!
That will be for the next time!

SOLOIO

Chef Takehiko Katoh/加藤武彦さん/Sommelier Mieko Osawa/小澤三江子さん

420-0858 Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Tenmacho, 9-7, Kita, 1
Tel./fax: 054-260-4637
Business hours: 16:00~24:00
Closed on Monday
Credit cards OK
Private parties welcome!
Happy hour: 16:00~17:00: 1,000 yen set-3 appetizers plate and 1 glass of house wine!
Entirely non-smoking!

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Japanese warehouses, Kura

Kura: Japanese Traditional Warehouses in Shizuoka Prefecture 18: Old Farm Kura In Shizuoka City!

July 11, 2014 dragonlife Leave a comment

Yesterday, because of the typhoon I decided to walk all the way to a destination I usually reach by biycle and had the opportunity to discover an old, if a bit samall, kura in Chiyo 4 Chome, Aoi Ku, Shizuoka City!

It must have been used for ages considering the shed abutting it!

The end window was in good repair, though.

The “namako” design at the bottom of the wall was flaking away on the other hand!

The roof tiling and the upper wall metal work was also in good enough condition.

The window from another angle.

Pity the derelict shed was blocking the total view!

The roof pinion was also in good repair, so the kura must be used as a shed/shck for farm tools!

The farmhouse looks as old as the kura but might be replaced in the near future!

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Crab, Japanese crabs

Crab Species 2: Red King Crab/Tarabagani/タラバ蟹 (expanded)

July 10, 2014 dragonlife Leave a comment

Wikipedia　Definition:
The red king crab, Paralithodes camtschaticus, is a species of king crab native to the Bering Sea. It grows to a leg span of 1.8 m (5.9 ft), and is heavily targeted by fisheries.
Red king crabs can be very large, sometimes reaching a carapace width of 28 cm (11 in) and a leg span of 1.8 m (6 ft).It was named after the color it turns when it is cooked rather than the color of a living animal, which tends to be more burgundy.

Tarabagani or Red King Crab is caught in Autumn and Winter.
It is the most coveted of the commercially sold king crab species, and is the most expensive per unit weight. It was named after the color it turns when it is cooked rather than the color of a living animal, which tends to be more burgundy.

It is most commonly caught in the Bering Sea and Norton Sound, Alaska, and is particularly difficult to catch, but is nonetheless one of the most preferred crabs for consumption.

The King Crab is native to the Bering Sea, north Pacific Ocean, around the Kamchatka Peninsula and neighbouring Alaskan waters.
In Japan it is caught in the Japan Sea and neighbouring Okhotsk Sea.

In Japan 100 tonnes are caught every year, whereas 40,000 tonnes are imported, mainly from Russia!

There are so many ways to enjoy this great crab!
Here are a few examples:

Boiled as Sushi Nigiri of course!

Even more extravagant, raw as sushi nigiri!

Just plain boiled on a bowl of freshly steamed rice. My favourite for its extravagant simplicity!

As Chirashizushi should please anyone!

And how about a great soup with miso!

Naturally, there are more ways, including grilling!
I will leave it to your imagination! LOL/

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Bakeries, pastry, Shizuoka City

Bakery and Pastry: NICO in Shizuoka City!

July 10, 2014 dragonlife 2 Comments

Being a Frenchman and loving my bread and pastries, I’m truly blessed to be graced wit hone of the very best bakeries in the whole of Shizuoka Prefecture just a few minutes’ walk from my home!

NICO was opened exactly seven years ago in Midori Cho, Aoi Ku, a bit away from the center of Shizuoka City, but people don’t mind, walking, cycling or driving there every day!

Even despite the dire news of the coming typhoon today the tiny bakery was flocked with customers!

Tetsuya Kosugi/小杉哲也さん is looking after the bakery itself which is pretty large behind the small shop where his mother and wife Megumi/めぐみさん are looking after　the customers!
As many are housewives coming with their kids, they even provide toys for kids to play with while their mothers patiently wait for their turn!

Note that the place opens as late as 11:00 am from Tuesday to Saturday, but most of the time everything will be sold by 13:00
They nonetheless accept order reservations on the phone within reasonable quantity (they do have to refuse some orders so as to provide enough for their regular customers, but that is a secret!).

A lot of French (without a single mistake) is written everywhere!

The “batard” baguettes on the right are a favorite of mine, but they tend to disappear quickly!

The vegetables pastries and the beans and curry bread are a favorite for lunches with the nearby office workers!

One can easily imagine who wants these exquisite croissants and fruit pastries!

But today Dragon ordered me to bring the beans and curry bread!
The batard bread will be for the next time!

NICO

Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, Midori Cho, 6-30
Tel.: 054248-5564
Opening hours: 11:00 a.m.~sold out
Closed on Sundays and Mondays

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Fish, Fish Markets, Shizuoka City

Local Shizuoka Fish & Seafood at Parche Fish Market in Shizuoka City: Sushi Chef’s Heaven!

July 9, 2014 dragonlife Leave a comment

Once again due to work I hadn’t ad much time to check what local fish and seafood were available at the Parche Market inside Shizuoka JR Station! Withe the coming typhoon I had doubts, but I discovered quite a few fish at very (comparatively) prices and I’m sure the fish will disappeared as I write about it, and I know some chefs are going to make some big margins!