Category Archives: 静岡県

レシピ, 美食, 静岡県, 観光, 農業, Food, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Hotels, Hots Springs Spa Hotels, Izu Peninsula, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Recipes, Restaurants, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Cuisine, Shizuoka Prefecture, Tourism

Hot Springs Spa Resorts in Shizuoka Prefecture: Yoshiharu Hotel in Izu Peninsula! 2: Dinner

November 5, 2013 dragonlife Leave a comment

Service: Smiling and attentive
Facilities & Equipment: Traditional and ancient, partly renovated, but extremely clean. Great washrooms. Spacious lobby with free coffee et al.
Prices: Appropriate to expensive. Cheaper on weekdays and in low seasons.
Strong points: Great baths overall. Private outdoors bath in rooms. Local gastronomy with local products.

Right from the beginning of a very pleasant dinner one understands that Yoshiharu Hotel does make an effort to use local products as much as possible!
Mind you, it is not too difficult when you know the wealth of the land and the nearby seashores!

No, this is not the main dish, but the main appetizers!

Salmon, salmon roe and grated Japanese yam.

Marinated scabbard fish.

White-flesh fish sashimi, sweet shrimp and raw cuttle fish.

A general view also featuring a small cup of umeshu/Japanese plum wine, and portable hot pot.

Local Fuji no Kuni Pork!

Scallops balls!

Umeshu!

Stewed persimmon, gingko nuts, deep-fried kabocha, shrimp caviar, yam, fried rice talks and vegetable tofu!

Deep-fried scabbard fish.

Oyster rice!

Shark fin and egg soup.

Pork cooking in its pot!

Home-made pickles.

Red miso soup with scallops balls.

The stewed pork with vegetables and red miso is ready!

Home-made sorbet!

See you at breakfast next!

YOSHIHARU HOTEL
Izu No Kuni City, Nagaoka, 989-10
Get down at Izu Nagaoka Station along the Izu Hakone Railway Line (leaving form Mishima City). Take a taxi (under 1,000 yen)
Tel.: 055-948-1212
Credit Cards OK
HOMEPAGE (Japanese)

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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, Pierre.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: 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

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静岡県, 観光, Humor, Japan, Japanese Culture, Mishima City, Museums, Photography, Tourism

“Man Looking Over The Wall” by Bruno Maroni in Mishima City!

November 5, 2013 dragonlife 2 Comments

If you have the chance to visit Mishima City in the eastern part of Shizuoka Prefecture I would recommend you to visit the Clematis Gardens, the more for it that they offfer a free limousine service from and to Mishima JR Station!

The Gardens include a large museum showing the works of Bruno Maroni but his most remarkable creations are exhibited all year round in the very large park either on the luscious lawns or in front of other buildings!

I had a good laugh at this particular statue as the Japanese are a very voyeuristic people!

And the laugh continued when looking at the man from the back!

Is he surprised, worried or perplexed?

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静岡県, 観光, Hot Springs, Hotels, Hots Springs Spa Hotels, Izu Peninsula, Japan, Japanese Culture, Onsen, Shizuoka, Shizuoka Prefecture, Tourism

Hot Springs Spa Resorts in Shizuoka Prefecture: Yoshiharu Hotel in Izu Peninsula! 1: The Baths

November 5, 2013 dragonlife Leave a comment

Complimentary glass of white wine!

Izu Peninsula is known all over Japan and beyond for its innumerable hot springs and hot springs spas/hotels.
It is for the more pleasurable that most serve excellent gastronomy thanks to the many local products be they from the land or the sea.

The Dragon and I, taking advantage of a cheaper fee in mid week during the off season traveled to Mishima before boarding the Izu Hakone Railway Line and get off at izu Nagaoka Station.

There we stayed overnight at a renown spa hotel called Yoshiharu/古春 (meaning “Old Spring”).
It is a venerable establishment although it has been greatly reformed 2 years ago.

The overnight stay included dinner and breakfast, the usual deal in such hotels, so I will have to divide this report into 3 parts, otherwise you will miss all the good points!

Beautifully renewed lobby!

You will discover a hot spring foot bath on the way to your room!
As the hot water runs away all the time you can rest your feet in clean water!

Inner garden!

These fish are made of leather!

The dining room overlooks another small garden with pond and minuscule waterfalls!

Rock garden!

Our own traditional Japanese room!

Our own private outdoors hot spring bath and patio!

Fences and edges keep off any unwanted eyes except those of many wild birds!

Pastoral atmosphere?

Easy chairs!

Always clean yourself before entering your bath!

The bath!

Fresh water constantly moving in and out of the bath!

The bath is deep enough for the water to reach your neck when you sit on the tiled bottom!

Now, there are other outdoors baths of two different kinds:
-Private baths whose door you can lock for total privacy provided they are vacant.
-Public baths where you can either bathe inside or outside!

Let’s have a peek at all of them!

Italian-style bathtub!

Japanese-style double bath!

A grand bath made all of wood!
Probably my favorite!

Jacuzzi bath!

Another Japanese-style bath all made of carved stone!

Now to the public bath!
This is entry for ladies!
Remember the Kanji!

And remember the kanji for gentlemen, too!

The indoors public bath!

And finally the public outdoors bath!

See you at dinner next!

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静岡県, 観光, Japan, Japanese Culture, Museums, Shizuoka, Tourism

“Invisible Barrier” by Bruno Maroni in Mishima City!

November 5, 2013 dragonlife 2 Comments

This statue is standing abutting a glass pane figuring the invisible barrier which had stopped the man!

Very important detail!

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

Kura: Japanese Traditional Warehouses in Shizuoka Prefecture 2

November 4, 2013 dragonlife Leave a comment

“Kura” (in japanese 蔵 or 倉) means “warehouse” or “Storehouse”.
In traditonal 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.

Today I decided to investigate Shimizu Ku in Shizuoka City on the advice of a friend who told me to look around Jirochoo Street in the oldest part of the former City of Shimizu which was absorbed by Shizuoka City some time ago.

Although the attaining house is really old, I’m pretty sure that both buildings are inhabited!

A suggestion for old traditional Japan photography buffs?o

This small kura was standing almost next to the above one!

it has obviously been refurbished. I wonder if it is used as a living quarter, a warehouse or an atelier…..

I almost missed this very old one on the other side of the street!

The roof is still in a good state, so it must still be somehow useed.
Unfortunately I couldn’t investigate much further as it was completely surrounded by private houses although I suspect it belongs to a nearby Buddhist Temple!

Still makes for an interesting photograph!

Still looking around as this is a big prefecture with a lot of history.
If you find any in your neighboring I’ll treat you to coffee or beer!

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静岡県, 静岡市, 観光, Japan, Manholes, Shizuoka, Shizuoka City, Tourism

Manholes in Shizuoka Prefecture 2

November 4, 2013 dragonlife 2 Comments

Taken in Shimizu Ku, Shizuoka City, the home of Shimizu S Pulse pro Soccer Team!

I already know of many blogging friends in Japan taking pictures of manhole covers all over this country.
The reason is simple enough: as there is little chance of them being stolen (I can’t say the same thing back in our countries!) the local/municipal government often use them as touristic advertisements !

I continued looking around Aoi Ku and Shimizu Ku in Shizuoka City and in other cities.
As I’m sure there are quite a few around there should quite a few more articles about the subject in the offing!
I might even close this series with another “Ten Best”!

I found this one in Numazu City representing its harbor and Mount Fuji!

I found this manhole cover in Kikugawa City over a pressured air duct!

I found this one In Aoi Ku, Shizuoka City over a water hydrant reserved to local firemen!

This design exists in different colors in Aoi Ku, Shziuoka City!

The same as above, but without the enameled colors!

This one in Shimizu Ku, Shizuoka City, both exists with and without colors!

Soccer in Shimizu Ku, Shizuoka City, over a fire hydrant!

This one over a gas duct of the notorious Shizuoka Gas Co. in Shimizu Ku, Shizuoka City!

No colors but an intricate flower pattern in Shimizu Ku, Shizuoka City!

An older intricate motif in Shizmizu Ku, Shizuoka City!

Soccer again on this tiny water duct manhole cover in Shimizu Ku, Shizuoka City!

An old one in Shimizu Ku, Shizuoka City, unless the near sea sat winds accelerated its rusting!
It still makes for a beautiful color!

Care to join the search?

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Sushi Bus in Shizuoka City!

November 4, 2013 dragonlife Leave a comment

Took this picture today in front of Shizuoka JR Station!

Actually a couple of years ago Shizutetsu Line (private) had photographs of real sushi on this bus, but they switched to drawings instead. Someone must have complained about picture rights……………

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Drinks, 酒, 静岡県, 農業, Fujinomiya City, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, sake, Sake Brewery, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Cuisine, Shizuoka Sake, Tourism

Shizuoka Sake Tasting: Fujinishiki Brewery-Izu Yama Yama Nama Honjozo

November 4, 2013 dragonlife Leave a comment

I found this limited edition at the station of Izu Nagaoka along the Izu Hakane Railway Line runnning from Mishima City to Shuzenji.
The same brand is sold all over the Izu Peninsula as a regional private brand.
Izu Yama Yama means the Mountains of Izu!

I actually conducted this tatsing session by the side of an open hot spring bath in our room at the Yoshiharu Sap Resort Hotel!

Rice nilled down to 65%
Alcohol: 15~16 degrees
Nama/Unpasteurized
Bottled in October 2013

Clarity: Very clear
Color: Transparent
Aroma: Assertive and fruity. Dry almonds
Body: Fluid, slightly sirupy
Taste: Well-rounded fruity attack.
Complex. Lots of nuts, macadamia nuts.
Disappears quickly with fruity nuts, hints of custard and notes of apples and chestnuts.
Drier and drier almonds appear on back of the pl\alate with every sip.
Very easy to drink.
I especially enjoyed it a good hour after dinner as a solid and eminently elegant night cap.

Comments: Very pleasurable sake.
Unpretentious but still elegant and so satisfying.
Will please beginners and veterans, ladies and gentlemen alike.
Best appreciated chilled.
Would make for a beautiful and lighter digestif.
You must try it with cheese!
Will surprise many a person with its ever-changing facets!
Since it is sold in small bottles only, it would make a nice present to be enjoyed after a great meal!

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静岡県, Japan, Japanese Culture, Mishima City, Photography, Shizuoka, Tourism

“Dismembered Man” by Bruno Maroni in Mishima City!

November 4, 2013 dragonlife Leave a comment

It is when you look at this statue from other angles that you realize why I called it a “Dismembered Man”!

And from that angle it is difficult to realize what it represents!

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美食, Drinks, 酒, 静岡県, 静岡市, 観光, 農業, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, sake, Sake Brewery, Shizuoka, Shizuoka City, Shizuoka Prefecture, Shizuoka Sake, Tourism

Shizuoka Sake Tasting: Kumpai Brewery-Kosha No Mori Tokubetsu Honjozo

November 4, 2013 dragonlife Leave a comment

Kosha No Mori is another regular brand that Kumpai produces every year!
Kosha no Mori/木柘の森 means “Japanese Box Forest” as for the tree called Japanese Box!

Rice milled down to 60%
Alcohol: 16 degrees
Bottled in August 2013

Clarity: Very clear
Color: Faint golden hue
Aroma: Dry and fruity. Alcohol. Custard, macadamia nuts, persimmon.
Body: Fluid
Taste: Very dry attack backed up by pleasant alcohol.
Complex.
Very dry fruits. Almonds, custard, with hints of banana and dark chocolate.
Disappears quickly.
Changes little with food except for an accentuated alcohol and a new surge of almonds.
Actually marries well with food, especially izakaya fare.

Overall: A sake obviously conceived to accompany food.
Very dry but fruity and complex making it eminently enjoyable on its own.
A sure value!
Most recommended for BBQ’s!

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Clematis Garden, 静岡県, 観光, Japan, Japanese Culture, Mishima City, Shizuoka, Statues, Tourism

“Flying Death” by Bruno Maroni in Mishima City!

November 4, 2013 dragonlife Leave a comment

I called this particular statue “Flying Death”!

The fear of an approaching end!

Fast flying Death!

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美食, Drinks, 酒, 静岡県, 静岡市, 観光, 農業, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, sake, Sake Brewery, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Cuisine, Shizuoka Sake, Tourism

Shizuoka Sake Tasting: Kumpai Brewery-Tenryou no Taki Junmai

November 3, 2013 dragonlife Leave a comment

Tenryou no Taki is one of the regular brand names brewed every year by Kumpai Brewery in Shizuoka City.
Tenryou no Taki/天領の瀧 means “Heavens World’s Waterfall”!

Rice: Biyama Nishiki (Shiga Prefecture)
Rice milled down to 55%
Dryness: 0
Alcohol: 15 degrees
Bptt;ed in July 2013

Clarity: Very clear
Color: Very faint golden hue
Aroma: Dry and fruity. Discreet, difficult to catch. Faint pears and custard
Body: Fluid
Taste: Well-rounded attack with puissant junmai petillant warming up back of the palate .
Very pleasant alcohol.
Very fruity and slightly sweetish.
Complex and rich.
Custard, macadamia nuts, pears, chestnuts.
Disappears fairly quickly on a very pleasant and smooth note with plenty of nuts.
Changes little with food but for a drier and almost spicy note.
Calls for the next cup in spite of its sweetness by Shizuoka standards.
At its best slightly chilled.
Actually takes on a much drier tone with sweet food.

Overall: Elegant and “kind” sake, typical of Kumpai brewery.
Extremely pleasant, especially chilled.
Beautiful on its own, although it marries lovingly with any food, even spicy.
Could be either enjoyed as a magnificent chilled aperitif or digestif!
Pefect with cheese!

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“The Three Ages of Man” by Bruno Maroni in Mishima City!

November 3, 2013 dragonlife Leave a comment

Back view.

I call this work “The Tree Ages of Man” although I heard that Bruno Maroni called it “Infinity”.

The Man himself seems apprehensive or sad?

He is apparently looking at his past…..

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レシピ, 美食, 野菜, 静岡県, 観光, 農業, Food, Food Health, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Mishima City

Italian Gastronomy: Lunch at Cafe Akko in Mishima City!

November 3, 2013 dragonlife Leave a comment

Service: Shy but friendly and attentive
Equipment & Facilities: Extremely clean overall. Beautiful washroom.
Prices: Reasonable
Strong points: Slow and healthy Italian gastronomy created mostly with local products!

The people in Mishima City are very lucky as they are surrounded with fielads and gardens that supply them with fresh (many organic) vegetables (and meat) all year round!
Cafe Akko is one of the many great little places in town that offer very healthy, reasonable and slow food.

It has been conceived in an unusual all length and narrowness to take advatntage of whatever space available. And it is so clean!

Lunch is particularly interesting as you can choose from no less than 7 set lunches. although you may choose a single item from the carte if available for lunch!

Dragon who planned to share hers and especially my order, chose a single item: “Kimagure salad/Chef’s salad of the Day”!

Enormous as you can see from the other side!
So many vegetables and pieces of fine meat, practically all local!
A full meal by itself, I can assure you!

As for me I chose (and shared!) the seafood lasagna lunch set!

Apart of a complimentary coffee it is served with home-made focaccia,

potage,

And a cute salad!

An artistic and so tasty lasagna!

The lasagna was prepare as a large round one before being cut into quarters.
Each quarter is then baked upon order and serve with a tasty but light tomato sauce.

It is also brought to you with grated parmesan cheese and home-made basil paste.
The lasagna itself is not only so tasty but a lot lighter than expected!

Cute little home-made biscuits served with coffee!

Cafe Akko!
Can’t wait to come back to Mishima City!

CAFE AKKO
411-0036, Mishima City, Ichi ban Cho, 17-49, BT Bldg., 1F
Tel.: 055-943-5598
Opening Hours: 11:00~22:00
Closed on Sundays, national Holidays and Wednesday evenings (except when fully reserved or for events)

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Scarab by Bernard Buffet in Mishima City!

November 2, 2013 dragonlife Leave a comment

If you visit Mishima City in the Eastern part of Shizuoka Prefecture you ought to visit The Clematis Garden and the Bernard Buffet Museum in one single trip as they are very near each other.
You will be surprised at the amount of art on show!

It was brought to japan all the way to Mishima as it had been created in 1975 some time before Bernard Buffet came to establish himself in Mishima City!

You will see this enormous scarab statue by Bernard Buffet who also painted the same on a big canvas on show inside the Museum (no pictures allowed there unfortunately but definitely worth a grand visit!