All posts by dragonlife

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

Flowers, Hamamatsu City, Hamana Lake Flower Garden, Uncategorized

Flower Alleys, Hedges, Squares & Houses in Hamana Lake Flower Garden in Hamamatsu Ciy!

May 24, 2014 dragonlife 2 Comments

We spent no less than 4 hours inside the enormous Flower Garden in Hamamatsu city and took more than 180 picture!
I am not going to complete as this allows me to write a series of articles on different themes!
This fifth one is titled Animal Flower Alleys, Hedges, Squares & Houses!
I will concentrate on flowers on the posts after this one!

Many blue flowers in this alley!

Many white flowers in this alley!

One of the many gardeners working there!

Rose hedge!

Alley corner palette!

English country house?

Square full of squares!

Rose canopy!

Another rose hedge!

A Liliputian house! For kids only!

Italian garden!

A stage garden?

A flowery house!

A bed of succulents!

A water alley!

Hamana Lake Flower Garden
Hamanako Flower garden
浜名湖フラワーガーデン
10th anniversary of the 2004 Pacific Flora Garden Exposition and the 21st Japan Urban Greenery Shizuoka Festival

Open until June 15th

Hamamatsu City, Nishi Ku, Murakoshi Cho, 5348-3
Tel.: 53-488-1811
ENGLISH HOMEPAGE

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

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

Eel, Japanese Gastronomy, Shizuoka City

Eel Gastronomy: Ishibashi Restaurant in Shizuoka City!

May 24, 2014 dragonlife Leave a comment

Service: Kind and smiling
Facilities & Equipment: Ancient but very overall very clan. Pleasant washroom
Prices: Slightly expensive
Strong points: Traditional eel gastronomy. Freshly cooked only, slow food

Can you guess why the noren/暖簾/entrance curtain seems to be inverted?

It is because the restaurant wants its customers to remember its name as they leave!

The other day I was lucky enough to be invited to lunch by a Japanese business whose company I had interviewed!
he took to Ishibashi Restaurant in Suruga Ku south of JRShizuoka Station, definitely the most tradtional establishment of its kind in town!

Many famous customers have left their autographs!

The place is all built of dark old wood, making a very special atmosphere, although it is a bit too dark for photographing!

The kitchen!

Since it is all tatami seating, it might be a good idea for some to choose a seat by the wall to rest your back and knees!

They even have an irori/traditional Japanese fireplace!

Incidentally the side menu is only for side dishes and drinks as they serve two kinds of eel dishes, shiroyaki/without sauce and kabayaki/with sauce, broiled!
We ordered the latter!

The full lunch with steamed rice, soup with eel liver, and pickles!

The broiled eel!
Note that if you do not like the skin, just leave it!

They even served the deep-fried bones!
Crispy and very healthy!
All animals are kept alive until the very last second!

The hot soup with the eel liver!

An extravagant experience!
But do not forget to bring a good camera!

ISHIBASHI/うなぎ専門石橋

422-8053 Shizuoka City, Suruga Ku, Nishi nakahara, 1–6-13
Tel.: 054-281-5432
Opening hours: 11:00~14:30, 17:00~20:30 (11:00^20:30 on week ends and National Holidays)

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Must-see tasting websites:

Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents

HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City

Flowers, Garden, Hamamatsu City, Hamana Lake Flower Garden

Garden Designs at Hamana lake Flower Garden in Hamamatsu City!

May 24, 2014 dragonlife Leave a comment

The flowery entrance!

Flower bed palette!

Combining moss and flowers!

A face all made of succulents!

A rare pine tree variety very popular with spiders as witnessed by their nests!

A forest represented with moss as the background of an arched bridge!

There was also a whole series of miniature landscape gardens with famous buildings and castles from all over Japan!
If I remember well this house can be found in Kobe City!

Tokyo Station!

Osaka Castle!

I think this house can be seen in Hakodate!

Hamana Lake Flower Garden
Hamanako Flower garden
浜名湖フラワーガーデン
10th anniversary of the 2004 Pacific Flora Garden Exposition and the 21st Japan Urban Greenery Shizuoka Festival

Open until June 15th

Hamamatsu City, Nishi Ku, Murakoshi Cho, 5348-3
Tel.: 53-488-1811
ENGLISH HOMEPAGE

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Must-see tasting websites:

Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents

Firefly squid, Japanese Gastronomy, Snacks

Japanese Appetizer (O-toushi/お通し): Firefly Squids & Kimchi!

May 23, 2014 dragonlife Leave a comment

O-toushi/お通しis actually a bit difficult to translate.
In a Japanese (in Japan) izakaya it is an appetizer that is served with the first drink and that you pay for in general in lieu of a cover charge.
I have nothing against such a notion as it gives you a good idea of the chef’s skills!

Firefly squids are called Hotaru ika/蛍烏賊 in Japanese!
They are minuscule and are called so because they are luminescent and brighten the sea along your boats!
Here in Shizuoka they are sold in supermrakets either fresh and raw or boiled.

Dragon found some boiled at the supermarket yesterday.
Their seafood taste is quite strong as compared to raw ones and seasoning is needed indeed!

Dragon had also bought them with plenty of relatively mild kimchi!
She added some to the suids (half and half) and green shiso/perilla leaves torn into small pieces.
To eat with chopsticks!
Perfect with beer!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Must-see tasting websites:

Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents

HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City

Hamamatsu City, Hamana Lake Flower Garden

Sights at Hamana Lake Flower Garden in Hamamatsu City!

May 23, 2014 dragonlife Leave a comment

A chair for a city-dwelling elf?

Or a bench!

A wedding dress made of succulents for an elf queen?

And she will march to the music of no less than three piano made of succulents, too!

The third piano played by an invisible pixie!

And a grand Moa’i will preside the festivities!

And a white Dragon is waiting to take her on her nuptial voyage!

Fare thee well!

Hamana Lake Flower Garden
Hamanako Flower garden
浜名湖フラワーガーデン
10th anniversary of the 2004 Pacific Flora Garden Exposition and the 21st Japan Urban Greenery Shizuoka Festival

Open until June 15th

Hamamatsu City, Nishi Ku, Murakoshi Cho, 5348-3
Tel.: 53-488-1811
ENGLISH HOMEPAGE

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Must-see tasting websites:

Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents

HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City

sake, Sake Brewery

Nagano Sake Tasting: Kooten Brewery-Kooten Tokubetsu Honjozo “Hon Tsukuri” Karakuchi

May 23, 2014 dragonlife Leave a comment

My good friend Atsuko Kurata called me the other day.
Her husband had brought a bottle of sake from the region of Suwa in Nagano Prefecture for me!

Kooten Brewery/髙天酒造
Okaya City, ginza, 2-2-17
Tel.: 0256-22-2027
HOMEPAGE

It’s a tokubetsu hnjozo “Hon Tsukuri” karakuchi!

Rice milled down to 59%
Alcohol: 15 degrees
Bottled in April 2014

Clarity: Very clear
Color: Golden hue
Aroma: Fleeting and discreet. Fruity and a little dry. melons, milk coffee, bananas.
Body: Fluid
Taste: Dry and fruity attack backed up by pleasant alcohol.
Complex. Dry bananas, custard, hints of oranges.
Disappears quickly with hints of nuts, almonds and persimmons.
Takes a ever slightly sweeter turn with food with hints of dark chocolate.

Overall: Very pleasant and easy to drink sake!
Dangerously entices to the next cup.
Surprisingly very elegant for a honjozo.
A sake always seeming to invite to the next cup.
Although eminently enjoyable with food, probably at its best at room temperature on its own.
A great nightcap!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

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HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City

Craft Beer, Shizuoka City

First Brewing Day at Aoi Brewing in Shizuoka City!

May 22, 2014 dragonlife Leave a comment

Thursday, May 22nd, 2014, saw the first day of actual brewing in the newest, and 11th, beer brewery in Shizuoka Prefecture, namely Aoi Brewery in Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, near Sengen Shrine!

Since the brewing has started the brewery had become off limits and the front door was closed to casual visitors.
I had to enter through the side door to an empty space which will become a pub in September before progressing to the brewery room.
Durst malt from Munich, Germany was at the ready!

Barley was already being used!
Before entering the brewing room I had to put on long boots and step in a basin to disinfect the soles.

I found Owner Naoki Mandou/満藤直樹さん having a rest with two his staff onlooking the operations!

A collector’s item: Aoi/Hollyhock in the shape of the crest as worn by Lord Tokugawa Ieyasu in the 16th an 17th Century!

Brew Master Kooichi Taka/髙浩一さん running around!

Checking the boiling of the barley!

With Owner Naoki Mandou keeping an attentive eye on all the operations. He actually has enough knowledge on brewing in case of an emergency!

I was allowed a peek into the boiling barley!

I even tasted it! Sweet!

Taking out more samples!

Checking out more samples of the barley which had already boiled more than 4 hours!

Brew Master Kooichi Taka/髙浩一さん at his art!

And Owner Naoki Mandou/満藤直樹さん never far away!

Photo for posterity:
Nobuko Hasegawa/長谷川暢子さん Staff, Naoki Mando/満藤直樹さん Owner, Kouichi Taka/髙浩一さんBrew Master & Hidenori Fukushima/福島英紀さん Staff!

Expect more reports until the first Aoi Craft beer being put on the market end of June!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

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Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents

HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City

Izakaya, Japanese Gastronomy, Shizuoka City

Izakaya: Nochi in Shizuoka City (first visit)!

May 22, 2014 dragonlife Leave a comment

Service: A bit shy but so friendly
Equipment & Facilities: Overall very clean. Excellent washroom
Prices: Reasonable
Strong points: Great array of Shizuoka Prefecture sake. Izakaya gastronomy

Nochi is a typical and heart-warming traditional izakaya tucked away on the 4th floor of one of those “Drinking buildings” prevalent in Shichiken Cho, Aoi Ku, Shizuoka City!
I had the chance to pay it a belated first visit during the “sake hashigo” event in Shizuoka City last Sunday!

a “heaven/haven” replete with Shizuoka Prefecture sake!

On that particular day they were assigned the introduction of Oomuraya Brewery in Shimada City!

Kinuyo Fukushima/福島絹代さん busy serving while hubby Noriaki/徳昭さん is busy in the kitchen!

All that sake blurred my eyesight! LOL

A proud Kinuyo San with a rare bottle of Oomuraya brewery which is usually sold sold in 4 go/720 ml bottles!

A representative of Oomuraya Brewery was ther on hand to help the staff!

The o-tshi and the sake of the day!

For the connoisseurs!
On that particular day I didn’t have time for a full report but here are at least two dishes Nochi is popular for!

Dashi tamago yaki!

seasonal sashimi!

Look forward to full report soon!

NOCHI
Chefs and Mama: Norikai & Kinuyo Fukushima/福島徳昭・絹代さん

4200-0035 Shzuoka City, Aoi Ku, Shichiken Cho, 8-25, PISA Bldg, 4F
Tel.: 054-253-5556
Business hours: 17:~26:00
Closed on Mondays

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Japanese Gastronomy, Recipes, Snacks

Japanese Appetizer (O-toushi/お通し): Marinated Vegetables and Mussles

May 22, 2014 dragonlife 2 Comments

Last night Dragon treated me to a double marinade!

vegetables marinade consisting of vegetables cut in sticks of the same size:
Ha shooga/fresh leaf ginger, myoga/Myoga ginger, cucumber marinated in olive oil, rice vinegar and what else served with homemade miso umeboshi and sprinkled with black sesame seeds!

as for the mussles she had some boiled and frozen in the refrigerator.
After thawing them she stir-fried them in olive oil, vinegar and chilies and served them sprinlkled with some finely chopped scallions!

Great with sake!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

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Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents

HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City

Hamamatsu City, Tourism

Animal Plant Design at Hamana Lake Flower Garden!

May 21, 2014 dragonlife 3 Comments

A light green grass doggie!

Another doggie in dark green grass!

A peacock tree?

Let’s have a look at those!

Teddy bears having a great time!

More dog trees!

Take your pick!

A llama and a giraffe!

Lord Tokugawa Ieyasu in good company!

My favorite beast: a Dragon!

A turtle made of succulent plants! Not for eating!

Another turtle made of succulents and grass!

Hamana Lake Flower Garden
Hamanako Flower garden
浜名湖フラワーガーデン
10th anniversary of the 2004 Pacific Flora Garden Exposition and the 21st Japan Urban Greenery Shizuoka Festival

Open until June 15th

Hamamatsu City, Nishi Ku, Murakoshi Cho, 5348-3
Tel.: 53-488-1811
ENGLISH HOMEPAGE

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Must-see tasting websites:

Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents

HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City

sake, Sake Brewery, Shizuoka

Shizuoka Sake Tasting: Haginishiki Brewery-Surugayoi Junmai Homare Fuji Nama

May 21, 2014 dragonlife Leave a comment

Haginishiki brewery in Shizuoka is another brewery experimenting with Shizuoka-grown Homare Fuji sake rice!

Surgayoi/駿河酔: “Suruga” stands for the name of the large bay off Shozuoka Prefecture and also for the old name of the eastern half of the Prefecture. “Yoi” means “enjoying your aske/getting drunk”!

Being a junmai nama means no pure rice alcohol was blended into it and that it was left unpasteurized.

Rice: 100% hHomare Fuji
Rice milled down to 60%
Dryness: +3
Acidity: 1.6
Alcohol: 15~16 degrees
Bottled in March 2014

Clarity: Very clear
Color: Golden hue
Aroma: Dryish and fruity. Custard, banana.
Body: Fluid
Taste: Fruity attack backed up with a gentle junmai petillant.
Complex. Hard to catch. Pears, bananas.
Quickly disappears with hints of nuts and dry oranges.
Takes on a slightly drier turn with food but keeps to its original character.

Overall: A sake for all seasons.
Both solid and stolid and eminently reliable.
Obviously conceived for food, especially heavy izakaya fare.
A sake to take to a BBQ!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

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HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City

Bistro, French gastronomy, Hamamatsu City

Bistro Gastronomy: Kuroneko Tei in Hamamatsu City!

May 21, 2014 dragonlife Leave a comment

Service: Easy-going, smiling and always ready for a chat
Equipment and facilities: Very clean overall. Superb washroom. Entirely non-smoking!
Prices: Reasonable
Strong points: Southern France, Italian and Spanish gastronomy. Excellent wines. Great use of local products.

Just trying to find Kuroneko Tei in Hamamatsu city is fun as it is tucked away in a narrow blind alley and it is certainly worth the search.
Locals seem to be very happy with situation as it allows hem some privacy away from this very busy city!

Most regulars prefer to use one of the six seats at the counter on the first floor for a convivial exchange while some prefer to party on the second floor in all privacy!

The team: Chef/owner Akira Fukui/福井章さん and second chef Kazutaka Suzuki/鈴木一隆さん!

Wine lovers will appreciate the ever-changing range of reasonable and also superior wines coming from all the world!
As for the food it is constantly changing with the seasonal vegetables, fish and other ingredients while a basic menu is still available.

Whenever we travel all the way from Shizuoka City to visit the place we always order a big plate of fresh vegetable salad!

Spanish inspiration: oven-baked pig trotters and vegetables!

Italian inspiration: home-leavened dough pizza of a right size!

French and Italian inspiration: sausage, pancetta, ham and goat cheese toasts plate!

French inspiration: Japanese seabream/madai caught off the Shizuoka shore sauteed on its skin!

I will need a few more visits to introduce all the regular dishes!
Don’ forget you can patronize the place as a hidden wine bar, too!

KURONEKO TEI
Owner/Chef: Akira Fukui/福井章さん

Hamamatsu City, Naka ku, Shinmei Cho, 315-8
Tel.: 053-453-0334
Opening hours: 18:00~23:00
Closed on Tuesdays
Call beforehand!
Credit Cards OK
Entirely non-smoking!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

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Hamamatsu City, Objets d'Art

Objets d’Art/Art Objects at Hamana Lake Flower Garden!

May 21, 2014 dragonlife Leave a comment

Bamboo grove hand-held fireworks!

Leaf head!

Farm rabbits!

Hairy scarecrow!

Farming scarecrow!

Smiling water spout!

Happy couple!

Looking after a little pear!

Happy little one!

Leafy head face!

Outdoors beer hall!

Pigeon perch!

Water taps!

Barrel cascade!

Fishy bench!

Piecemeal alligator!

Space fighter!

Witch easy rider!

Heavy metal flowers!

Beware that cat!

Red lovers bench!

Tree cloth fantasy!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

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Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents

HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City

Hollyhock, Tokugawa Ieyasu Family Crest

Aoi/Hollyhock/葵 Family Crests at Tokugawa Ieyasu Museum, Hamana Lake Garden Park

May 20, 2014 dragonlife 2 Comments

If you visit the Hamana Lake Garden Park (not to be confused with Hamamatsu Flower Park!), you will discover a small new building housing the Tokugawa Ieyasu Gardening Hall also called “Tokugawa engeikan/徳川園芸感”!

The reason I was particularly interested in this little gem is becAuse a set of Aoi/葵 crests is also exhibited there!
Aoi is the name of the newest beer Brewery and beers in Shizuoka City, Aoi Brewery!

They even exhibit a live plant frown at a shizuoka City primary school!
This is a registered symbol and Aoi Beer Brewery had to obtain permission to use this crest as a design from the City of Shizuoka and Kunozan shrine in Shizuoka City!

I thought there was only one hollyhock crest in Japan, but there were actually 8!
Let me show them!
Incidentally the last one is the crest adopted by the City of Shizuoka and Aoi Beer Brewery!

Maru Ni Mistu Aoi
丸に三つ葵

Matsuhira Mitsu Aoi
松平三つ葵

Lord Nobyasu’s Aoi
信康公葵

Tokugawa Family Aoi
徳川葵

Oshu Mitsu Aoi
尾州三つ葵

Kishu Mitsu Aoi
紀州三つ葵

Mito Mitsu Aoi
水戸三つ葵

Lord Ieyasu Aoi
家康公葵

Hamana lake Flower Garden
Hamanako Flower garden
浜名湖フラワーガーデン
10th anniversary of the 2004 Pacific Flora Garden Exposition and the 21st Japan Urban Greenery Shizuoka Festival

Open until June 15th

Hamamatsu City, Nishi Ku, Murakoshi Cho, 5348-3
Tel.: 53-488-1811
ENGLISH HOMEPAGE

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Must-see tasting websites:

Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents

HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City

Shizuoka City, Shizuoka-cannes week, Tourism

Shizuoka-Cannes Week in Shizuoka City (2014)!

May 18, 2014 dragonlife Leave a comment

The Cities of Shizuoka City and Cannes city in France have been sister cities for quite some time and the citizens have taken on themselves to organize events to celebrate it when they realized that the city governments were not doing enough to promote such links!

from this year the event has turned into a week-long celebration being staged in Shizuoka City, Aoi Ku, shichiken-Cho on Saturday may 17th and Sunday 18th and again in Shizuoka Ciy, Shimizu Ku on Friday may 23rd thru Sunday 25th!

I took the opportunity yesterday to take some pictures and greet many friends!