Category Archives: Japan Tourism

Japan Tourism, Japanese Gastronomy, Shimada City, Shizuoka Prefecture

Shizuoka Cycling Gourmet Ride 1: Shimada JR Station North Exit Area

June 5, 2018 dragonlife 4 Comments

Cycling has many advantages when searching nice places both on and off the beaten tracks!
You can stop anywhere, any time while moving at an easy pace faster than on foot and with much less strain. Moreover it is a very healthy way to eliminate the extra calories you have been enjoying on the way!
Moreover, cycling is a joy in Shizuoka Prefecture thanks to its mild climate allowing for long sorties any time of the year!
Shimada City is a location rapidly gaining recognition, what with the nearby international airport and the ever increasing influx of tourists, so shall we start by getting off or meeting at the north exit of Shimada JR Station!

B Cafe is a nice little cafe cum bar very close to the station but along a side street away from the traffic.
The cakes there are all made on site and although food generally is yummy this is my favorite spot for a quiet drip coffee and one of those succulent cheese cakes!

427–0022 Shimada City, Hontori, 1-9-10
Tel.: 0547-35-6538
Opening hours: 10:00 am~~
Closed on Wednesdays, 1st & 3rd Sundays
Entirely non-smoking!
Check the opening hours and other offerings on AYANO ASAOKA on FACEBOOK!

Tonbo/とんぼ is a real find when it comes to takoyaki/octopus dumplings, a favorite among tourists and Japanese alike!
This is the genuine article in Osaka-style fashion cooked in front of your very eyes!
And don’t forget the succulent hot plate cooked okonmiyaki, soba Modan and pork egg roll, the whole accompanied by a local Oomuraya Brewery sake!

427-0029 Shimada City, Hinode-Cho, 1-1 ( few minutes’ walk straight from Shimada JR Station North exit)
Tel.: 0547-35-7635
Opening hours: 17:00~22:00
Closed on Sundays and national Holidays.
Orders on the phone and take-out OK!

SETSUGEKKA/雪月花 is not only a way above average soba/buckwheat noodles restaurant but an establishment specializing in exquisite tempura, all at reasonable prices, served with rare sake from the neighboring oomuraya sake Brewery!
Come early as it tends to be full quickly!

Shimada City, Hontouri, 2-3-4
Tel.: 0547-35-5241
Opening hours: 11:30~14:30, 17:00~22:00
Closed on Monday and third Tuesday
HOMEPAGE (Japanese)
Entirely non-smoking for lunch!

HIZUKI/ひづき for such a “country city” is just extravagant while very reasonably priced. A French/Japanese style Izakaya, it offers all the classic in a modern manner from juicy chicken karaage to butter-fried scallops and shrimps!
A place to take your “special one” to!

Chef/owner: Akimasa Ooishi/大石明昌さん
Shizuoka Prefecture, Shimada City, Hon Toori, 1 Chome, 9-19
Tel.: 0547-54-5860
Opening hours:17:30~23:30
Closed on Wednesdays

OKONOMIYAKI SAKURAI/お好み焼桜井 is also another favorite both with locals and visitors for serving authentic Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki and this in enormous and reasonbly-priced portions! Take-outs ok!
Satisfaction guaranteed!

Shimada City, Ougi Cho, 11-14
Tel.: 0547-37-6777
Opening hours: 11:30~13:30, 16:30~20:30. 11:30~20:00 on Sundays
Closed on Wednesdays
Take-outs can be ordered on the phone
Parties welcome!

din/g.place is another cafe tucked away from the main street but definitely worth a visit, especially in the afternoon if you have a sweet tooth! Enormous dessert plates and fine coffee!

Shimada City, Hon Toori, 1-1-10, Miyanokomichi Passage
Tel.: 0547-35-5005
Opening hours: 11:00~18:00, 08:30~18:00 on week ends. 17:00~21:00 on reservation only (from 5 guests~)
Closed on Mondays
HOMEPAGE (Japanese)
FACEBOOK

And don’t forget OOMURAYA BREWERY
Sakes internationally recognized and be always on the lookout for extravagant and rare nectars!

Oomuraya Brewery (Wakatake, Onigoroshi, Onna Nakase)
Shimada City, Hontoori, 1-1-8
tel.: 0547-37-3058

Now, this is only a fraction of a discovery, but I am sure you will a special pleasure adding to it!
Until then, good cycling and appetite!

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Gifu Prefecture, Japan, Japan Gastronomy, Japan Tourism, sushi, Sushi restaurants., Takayama City

Gastronomic Destinations: Matsuki Sushi In Takayama City, Gifu Prefecture!

June 2, 2016 dragonlife Leave a comment

Service: Shy but smiling and attentive.
Equipment & facilities: Traditional but very clean. Excellent and modernized washroom
Prices: Reasonable considering that Gifu Prefecture has no direct access to the sea.
Strong points: Sushi of course, but also all kinds of traditional side Japanese dishes. Good selection of sake including many local. All kinds of drinks available

Matsuki Sushi/松喜すしis a bit far from Takayama City JR station but still in the night entertainment part of the town and is certainly worth the search.
When they saw entering us entering they immediately asked us if we needed any help and advice on what foreigners would enjoy. They had not needed to worry with my staying 40 years in the country but I did appreciate the concern.
There is a good drink menu, bu apart of the sushi prices being advertised (in Japanese) on small wooden slats above the long counter there is o food menu. You need to talk about it with the staff who are very patient and smiling indeed!

They have some good local sake indeed and we chose one by Watanabe Brewery (Takayama City). The sake made in the north mountains of Gifu prefecture tend to be on the sweet side but without being cloying.

We asked the chef to bring us his own selection of sashimi first.
All the seafood came directly from the Japan Sea, that Toyama and Ishikawa Prefectures!

Aji/鯵/Horse mackerel, Maguro chu toro/鮪中トロ/semi fat part of tuna, and amaebi/甘海老/sweet shrimps!

Hirame/平目/Sole or flat fish, and ankimo/アンキモ/sake seamed frogsih liver. Also called Japanese foie gras!

Grilled hotategai/帆立貝/scallops wrapped in dry seaweed!

We then agreed on a six-piece sushi set for each of us!
Once again all seafood from the Japan Sea and a special local morsel!

Baigai/バイ貝/Japanese ivory shell or Japanese babylon!

Lightly seared Hda Beef from Takayama City!

Shiroebi/白エビ/white shrimps in gunkan fashion!

Anago/穴子/Broiled conger eel!

Hirame/平目/sole!

Maguro Chutoro/鮪中トロ/semi-fat tuna!

Afer a long day spent walking all over the place we were still hungry and asked for a couple of side dishes: Chawanmushi/ 茶碗蒸し/steamed salty Japanese pudding!

Geso karaage/ゲソ唐揚げ/deep-fried squid tentacles!

Recommended!

We were kindly served a parting present upon asking for the bill: home-made azuki ice cream!

Definitely highly recommended, especially if you don’t have the time to vist the prefectures nort of Gifu Prefecture!

MATSUKI SUSHI/松喜すし
Owner: Kazuhiko Nakasai/中才一彦さん

506-0007 Gifu Prefeture, Takayama City, Sowa Cho, 1-40
Tel. 0577-34-4766
Opening hours: 11:30~14:00, 17:30~23:00
Open all year round
Credit Cards OK
HOOEPAGE

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Kinomiya Shrine (木宮神社) in Atami City!

April 22, 2016 dragonlife Leave a comment

Kinomiya Shrine/木宮神社 i Atami City is a bit of a long but pleasant walk from the JR station, but it is certainly worthwhile the effort as it includes a first in the whole of Japan!

The torii/sacred entrance is actually the entrance to a main and many small shrines due to the size and the age of the site!

Large and fairly new ishidourou/stone lantern!

Its companion!

The first hand-washing stone basin with its dragon water spout!

It is actually a roofed basin leading to the first shrine on the left just past the main entrance!

Walk under a series of torii donated by local worshipers!

The lead to a small shrine dedicated to Inari, the Goddess of Agriculture1

Inari shrine are easily identifiable for their fox guardians!

These two foxes are quite ancient and unusual in the fact that they copy some lion guardians with a paw either resting n a sphere or a younger animal!

The shrine with its rice straw garland and money offerings box!

You can see the drum and other festival paraphernalia locked onside!

Proceeding to the main shrine!

Donated stone lanterns!

An ancient hand-washing stone basin!

The main shrine!

Imposing closed-maw lion guard wit a paw resting on the back of a lion cub!

Its open-maw companion with a paw resting on a sphere!!

The “haiden”/worshiper hall!

Double roof pinion!

A very rich shrine considering the great repair!

The festival drum!

Intricate architecture!

The board announcing Kinomiya Shrine’s main attraction!

Now, what’s that enormous tree?

It has its own shrine/altar!

Now, how old can it be?

The oldest Camphor tree in Japan!
No less than 2,000 years of age!
Incidentally “camphor tree” is “Kusu no ki/楠” in Japanese!
As for this particular tree Japan has given it the titlle of “Oo kusu/大楠/Great Camphor Tree”!
Actually tis “cavity” is venerated as a symbol of fertility!

Majestic!

A fully grown man can stand inside the cavity!

Water running down from nearby mountains!

How people could join hands around it?

Take your time as there is still plenty more to discover!

Walking away from the camphor tree you will its lion guardians!

The other “komainu/狛犬?lion guard”!

The torii leading to a smaller but far older shrine!

“Benzaiten shrine/弁財天神社”!

A highly venerated stone!

Even a pond with Japanese carps!

A comparatively small but very important “O Mikoshi/御神輿/Portable Shrine”!

Its name is “Gohouren/御鳳/”Great Phoenix”!
It is carried into the nearby sea every year on the 16th of July!

Check this Japanese Gohouren Website for some great pictures!

Good-bye, Kinomiya shrine!

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Green Tea and Wagashi Cakes at Momijiyama Japanese Garden in Sumpu Park in Shizuoka City!

April 18, 2016 dragonlife 1 Comment

Service: Very friendly and attentive
Equipment & Facilities: Impeccable cleanliness. Washroom outside the Garden inside Sumpu Park (equipped for physically-impaired visitors)
Prices: very reasonable
Strong points: top-class local tea. Beautiful wagashi. Splendid Japanese park.English pamphlet available. English-speaking staff.
Entirely non-smoking

If you visit Sumpu Park in the center of Shizuoka City you ought to visit one place secluded inside for a true Japanese experience: Momijiyama Japanese Garden and its tearoom!

If you come to the right time of the year you will be welcomed by flowering cherry trees!

Once past the entrance where you can book tea and wagashi cake at the tea room walk along the wooden platform to reach the inner Japanese garden.

The general view of the park, an ever-changing landscapes according to the seasons!

Beautiful pond with Japanese carps!

Take your time and walk around!

Plenty of flowering trees along the seasons!

This part of the garden was design to represent Mount Fuji looming over green tea fields!

The tea room!

Water well!

A look at the “engawa/surrounding hall” on the right of the tea room!

Inside view!
You are invited inside as soon as a seat is available and upon producing your ticket you will be served either sencha tea or macha tea with a wagashi Japanese cake.

You can put your bag under the table!

I personally asked macha tea!

My Wagashi Japanese cake represented a rape flower and plant!

Good news for vegans and vegetarians!

The macha was served in beautiful bowls!
Mine was decorated with wisteria!

Some of my friends had ordered sencha sets!

With a different type of wagashi Japanese cake!

We were all served houji cha before leaving!

A peaceful corner!

Check the tea selection on sale!

Take your time to enjoy the park before leaving!

MOMIJIYAMA JAPANESE GARDEN IN SUMPU PARK, SHIZUOKA CITY

Access (inside Sumpu Park):
5 minutes on foot from Shin-Shizuoka Station on the Shizutetsu Railway Line
10 minutes on foot from JR Shizuoka Station
15 minutes by car from Shizuoka Interchange on the Tomei expressway
Shizuoka City is one hour by Shinkansen Bullet Train from Tokyo and two hours from Kyoto

Opening hours: 09:00~16:30
Closed on Mondays (if Monday is a National Holiday, open on Monday and closed on Tuesday).
Closed from December 29th to January 3rd
Check admission fees at entrance
Interpretation services by citizen volunteers are available on reservation in several languages. For further details contact the Parks and Green Areas Division of City Hall at (054) 221-1121 or the Tea Room Office at (054) 251-0016

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Manhole Covers in Shizuoka Prefecture 40: New Commemorative Fire Hydrant Manhole Cover 2nd Type in Shizuoka City!

April 15, 2016 dragonlife Leave a comment

On February 5th in 2015 I had reported on a new Commemorative Fire Hydrant Manhole Cover being installed in Various locations in Shizuoka City to mark the 400th Anniversary of Lord Tokugawa Ieyasu’ss Death.

Read more about the above manhole cover HERE

Now, yesterday I noticed apparently the same cover because it seemed brand new!

It is located along the Shichiken Cho Street at an intersection not far from Isetan Department Store!
I soon found why I was intrigued: it was a different cover!

The new cover!

In the upper left quarter a falcon (Tokugawa Ieyasu was passionate about falconry!) had replaced the Kanji character “水”for “water”!
The shape of the clouds has also been amended.

The text inside the scrolls had been written black on white (instead of white on black) with a different sentence meaning “Shizuoka City which was loved by Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu”. Actually the city was called “Fuchu” before he retired there in 1607 when he changed its name to “Sumpu”. It became “Shizuoka City” only during the beginning of the Meiji Era!

In the lower right quarter the date “2017” has been replaced with two eggplants!
Shizuoka City, more precisely Shimizu City before it was merged as Shimizu Ku, is famous for a local eggplant called “折戸なす/orito nasu” taht Lord Tokugawa Ieyasu was very fond of!
Moreover five pine trees have been lft out the six original ones!

As for the bottom left quarter it has basically been left untouched!

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Festivals, Japan, Japan Fesivals, Japan Tourism, Kanaya Tea Festival, Shizuoka Prefecture, Tourism

Kanaya Tea Festival 2016!

April 14, 2016 dragonlife Leave a comment

At last, after a two-year interval, I could enjoy the Tea Festival in Kanaya, Shimada City, although my visit was definitely too short to my taste. In 2018, I will definitely stay there at least a full day and a full night!

Ladies’ power!

This year I almost reached Kanaya too early, but it gave me time to appreciate that the city and its inhabitants are trying their best every two years!
Let me at least introduce their event in pictures!

THE GROUPS & THE CLANS!

Taking pictures is an embarrassment of choices, especially considering the universal goodwill and fun-loving spirit!
The rick is probably to sort your pictures according to themes!

An orange chariot rider team!

The city is basically divided into 6 traditional precincts dating back to Edo Era and each has its own festival chariots manned and introduced by teams residing in their respective areas!

The third precinct “guard”!

A white and violet chariot rider team!

A motley chariot handler team!

The 6th Precinct “Guard”!

The younger generation “Guard”!

THE CHARIOTS!

The Chariots, called “Yatai”, is the main event and performed twice, once at noon and another time after dark!

Each chariot carried its own drummers and flutists encouraging the handlers and riders!

Each chariot was ridden by comparatively light men whose role was toe encourage the handlers!

Naturally the same vocal and whistling encouragements amplified when two chariots got near to each other!

And all the while the drummers keep drumming, drumming and drumming!

All chariots seem to barely be able to pass under the telephone cables!

Actually they had more trouble avoiding the traffic lights than each other!

Handlers kept smiling all the time!
For all their fierce faces, fights are extremely rare between handlers of different chariots.
Even when it happens especially at night when everyone tends to imbibe as well, older organizers are very quick to handle any troublemakers without the help of policemen who are practically unseen!

There was still a long day to come and participants were obviously saving some energy!

Actually most were looking forward to the night when their hand lanterns would be lit!

Move, move!

The wheels are actually heavy wood logs that turn slowly and handlers need to push the chariots forward or sideways with long poles while more handlers were pulling the vehicles with heavy ropes!

All in good humor!

THE FACES!

All participants have two years to prepare themselves and some @faces@ are really worth photographing!
I actually know the gentleman above who is a truck driver!

These two are actually senior cadres in the festival!

Flaming guy!

Mother and son!

Always extremely happy to pose, especially with cute foreign ladies!

The beauties and the beasts?

THE “TEA LADIES/CHA MUSUME”!

But the Kanaya Tea Festival is known all over Japan for all the ladies of whatever age parading as the “Cha Musume/Tea Ladies”!

All the members of the so-called “weak gender” are local!

No age limit!

Some of them are even carried along!

No less than a thousand of them!

See you again in 2018, but at night!

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Niihashi Sengen Shrine (新橋神社) in Gotemba City!

April 7, 2016 dragonlife 1 Comment

The other day I had the occasion to spend a day in Gotemba City and took the opportunity to visit its main Shinto Shrine, namely Niihashi Sengen Shrine/新橋浅間神社!

It is a big shrine indeed with the full regalia, including these ancient stone lanterns at the very entrance marked by the first torii gate!

A long (by Shizuoka standards) stone-paved lane leads to the shrine!

The second toriii gate!

The first pair of komainu/lion guards is pretty ancient!

It has its forepaw settled atop a young lion, a bit unusual although I have found a few such in Shizuoka Prefecture!

What is unusual is that his companion also has a paw rested atop a younger lion guard!

I wonder why someone has put a shell on both pedestals?

The place even has a small pond with sacred carps!

The roofed hand washing stone basin!

Complete with a dragon water spout!

Another small shrine behind the stone basin!

Quite a few cherry trees were stating blooming inside the shrine grounds!

The haiden/shrine for the worshipers!

Usually this type of building is used either as a stage for the shrine festival or as a storeroom for portable shrines!

The closed-mouth lion guard!

With its forepaw atop a young lion guard!

Its open-mouthed companion!

But with its paw resting upon a sphere!
I’ve already noticed that same lion guards combination at an old shrine in Shizuoka City, but it a bit unusual!

Another view!

I actually found these two lions are very new!
The design of their tails is certainly modern!

More cherry blossoms!

The water from this sacred source comes directly from nearby Mount Fuji!

The honden/worshipers’ hall!

With its shimenawa/rice straw garland!

The pinion!

The money-offerings box!

Moving to the haiden/deity abode behind the honden!

The haiden with its roofed corridor!

Regularly repainted!

Overlooked by ancient cedar trees!

Made a point to taste the water f the sacred source before leaving! Beautiful water, actually! No wonder people gather to collect a lot of it!

Good-bye Niihashi sengen Shrine!

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Manhole Covers in Shizuoka Prefecture 39): Gotemba City!

April 3, 2016 dragonlife Leave a comment

A fire hydrant manhole cover type found in the whole prefecture but with the emblem of Gotemba City!

The other day I had the occasion to visit again again Gotemba City in the Eastern part of Shizuoka Prefecture for the first time in many years and could at last manage to check all the manhole covers in town.
They are quite easy to discover as they all within walking distance for the station north exit!

This the main manhole cover symbolizing Gotemba City and remiding visitors that once a D 52-type steam locomotive used to stop there!

The same manhole cover in color (only a few of them!) with Mount Fuji and cherry blossoms!

This smaller valve cover is fairly new and comes into two different types!

The second type!
I wonder what the birds are?

Small white covers with the original design can be found in many places!
Otherwise many other types, both neutral and colored common to the whole Prefecture can be found along your steps!
Good hunting!

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Kura: Traditional Warehouses in Shizuoka Prefecture 40: Edo Era Village Kura in Nakajima Primary School, Suruga Ku, Shizuoka City!

March 4, 2016 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.

Yesterday I was cycling in Nakajima District in Suruga Ku, that the part of of Shizuoka City south of Shizuoka JR Station, an area I still have a lot to learn about in spite of my living in Shizuoka City for 40 years!

Veering into of the straight streets going south I found myself cycling past Nakajima Elementary School.

That is when I espied a rare site beyond the School Disaster Evacuation sign!

A small and very old, but splendidly preserved with little or no repairs standing on the grounds of an elementary school!
I had to investigate!

Simple but stolid enough!

Thanks to this welcome sign I learned it had been built in Edo Era to serve as a warehouse for Nakajima Village as the area was called then. It served mainly as a warehouse for all important documents concerning the Village.
The Elementary School was built by it only many years later.
Apparently it is the only one of its kind in Shizuoka City!

It was wholly built with uncut or cut stones!

It was also located so as toe let the prevailing winds provide needed draft through the two windows opened at each extremity!

I should come back to take a picture of it with cherry tree in blooms!

Do you notice the opening at its base?

This is to make sure that any water accumulated between the high foundation and the kura can be expelled quickly and to insure the same area stays dry!

With the modern elementary school buildings in the background!

The roofing is in good repair!

The pinion with “水/mizu/water” carved in!

Tiled roof details!

How old are the wooden eaves?

How many schoolchildren has this window seen walk past under it?

The door, although repainted, seems original enough!

Only one of the alignment “pegs” was missing!

it was too late in the day to talk with the staff, but I certainly intend to interview the schoolmaster someday!

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Quaint Okina Inari Daimyoujin Shrine (翁稲荷大明神) in Suruga Ku, Shizuoka City

March 2, 2016 dragonlife Leave a comment

If you take the first street right of Shizuoka JR Station that runs past the Post Office and under the railway tracks you will enter the south side of Shizuoka City, that is Suruga Ku. keep walking straight ahead and 5 minutes later you will find these red pennants along the left hand side of the pavement!

For all their garish grandiloquence they only announce the presence of a small Shinto Shrine called Okina Inari Daimyoujin Shrine (翁稲荷大明神). The reason I decided to have a look at it is that my good friend, Atsuko Kurata who is always on the lookout for unusual sites signaled to me through Facebook!

The red torii/鳥居/Shrine Entrance Portal!

An unusual way to advertise a Shinto Shrine the way they used to do for private shops in Japan of yore!

All kinds of invitations written on the paper flying in the wind!

Inari Shinto Shrines are always guarded by foxes. Herds of them in this particular case!

On both sides!
Note the metal braziers used as supports for the votive messages!

I wouldn’t criticize you for taking this shrine for a local shop!

The roof pinion could be used either in a Buddhist Temple or a Shinto Shrine!

Now, this antique komainu/狛犬/lion guard came from under the roof of another shrine or temple!

A real bric a brac on the west hand side of the shrine!

Now, this is an exceedingly unusual stone hand washing basin!

Why all these traditional Japanese water tubs?

A tiny inari shrine!

The prayer bell and its rope and the money-offerings box!

It looks like an antique than anything else!

Actually the lady owning and looking after the whole place kindly let me take pictures of the inside!

All kinds of offerings from neighboring followers among a jumble that still looks like an antique dealer’s dream!
Actually traditional Japanese dancing plays are also held inside!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

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Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents

HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City

Chinese Restaurant, Japan, Japan Tourism, Tourism, Yokohama City

Gastronomic Destinations: Yokohama City-SAIKOH Shinkan Chinese Restaurant

February 27, 2016 dragonlife Leave a comment

Service: pro and very kind
Equipment & Facilities: Very clean overall. Superb washroom
Prices: Reasonable~slightly expensive
Strong points: Traditional Imperial Chinese Cuisine. Great Dim Sum

SAIKOH Shinkan is The main establishment of a group accounting for 3 restaurants in Yokohama City.
SAIKOH Shinkan (SAIKOH New Building) is comparatively of a higher class among the innumerable Chinese restaurants found in China Town < Yokohama City. The prices are nit high though, and the cuisine deserves its fame!

It is big, new, spacious and very clean.
The staff is more agreeable than in most other Chinese restaurants but bear in mind it closes comparatively early in the evening.
We went there again for a quick dinner barely in time before last orders but the staff did their best to accommodate us within the limited time.

Their dim sum are definitely a must such as the steamed shrimp dim sum above!

Great pork dumplings soup!

Elegant fried gyoza!

Juicy pork dumplings!

Exquisite steamed shrimp crepes!

Superb crab and tofu soup!

And steamed daikon rice cakes to finish!

Definitely recommended!

SAIKOH Shinkan

Yokohama City, Naka Ku, Yamashita Machi, 192, China Town Shanghai Street
Tel.: 045-664-3155
Opening hours: 11:30~21:30 (LO 20:45), open from 11:00 on week ends and National Holidays
Closed on 2nd Tuesday (except on National Holidays and August~December)
HOMEPAGE

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Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents

HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City

Italian Gastronomy, Italian Restaurant, Japan Tourism, Tourism, Yokohama City

Gastronomic Destinations: Yokohama City-Piatto Bianco In Minato Mirai

February 25, 2016 dragonlife Leave a comment

Service: Smiling and kind
Equipment & Facilities: very clean overall. Shared washroom, superb.
Prices: Reasonable
Strong points: Oysters and seafood. Parties

Piatto Bianco is not that easy to find on the 2nd Basement Floor of Landmark Plaza Dockyard Garden Building in Minato Mirai in Yokohama Harbor, but it worth the search if you want to get away from the crowds and still enjoy a laid-back meal and drink.

The outside is a bit typical of a garish American-Style Italian Tratorria but the smiling service is definitely Japanese!

The staff was certainly extremely accommodating when we requested to change seats to get as far away as possible from some smokers.
It opens late by the building standards and their oysters make for a great snack with a good bottle of Italian wine.

And the big jar of olives you can eat as much as you want provided with the drinks is a great bonus!

We visited the place only for a quick fix, but we ended up staying longer for a full meal started with a very tasty smoked oysters salad!

Now, I must admit that the grilled oysters were very good, and I should know, being a Frenchman! LOL

We had quite some wine and we decided to sample one of their seafood dishes.
This plate of deep-fried prawns on a bed pf potato mousseline and tomato sauce wa a superb ide that the Dragon decided to emulate!

All in all very good value!
One of the very rare “chain” restaurant I would recommend!

PIATTO BIANCO

Yokohama City, Nishi Ku, Minatomirai, 2-2-1, Landmark Plaza Dockyard Garden Building, B 2F
Tel.: 045-227-8577
Opening hours: Monday~Friday: 11:00~15:00, 17:00~23:00, Saturday, Sunday & National Holidays: 11:00~23:00
Credit cards OK
Parties welcome
HOMEPAGE

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Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents

HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City

Chinese Gastronomy, Chinese Restaurant, Japan, Japan Tourism, Tourism, Yokohama City

Gastronomic Destinations: Yokohama City-Bairan Shinkan Chinese Restaurant

February 23, 2016 dragonlife Leave a comment

Service: Kind and attentive
Equipment & facilities: Ancient but very clean. Clean washroom.!
Prices: Reasonable
Strong points: Traditional Hong Kong-Chinese gastronomy

Bairan Shinkan/梅蘭新館, more precisely Bairan Shinkan Yakisoba is located in one of those side streets of China Town in Yokohama City.
It has 15 other “branches” Kanagawa Prefecture, Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto and Okayama, but this is the “Annex/Bekkan” of the original place.

The best time for a beginner to visit this place is definitely lunch time where you can benefit from very reasonable lunch sets which will give you a good idea of their cuisine!

My lunch set!

Seen form the other side!

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Negi soba/Leek noodles soup!

Buta Kakuni Ankake Gohan/Simered pork with rice and vegetables in sweet and sour sauce!

Harumaki/Deep-fried Imperial rolls!

The Dragon’s lunch featured the fried noodles, the trademark which made bairan Restaurant Company famous all over Japan!

Wantan Soup!

Pirikara ebi: prawns in piquant tomato sauce!

The Bairan-style yakisoba/fried noodles!

The noodles are first fried in the classical style, then left to cook to a crispy surface over tender noodles!
A treat!

BAIRAN SHINKAN

231-0023 Yokohama City, Naka Ku, Yamashita Machi, 138 (Yokohama China Town)
Tel.: 045-211-0943
Opening hours: 11;30~22:00
Credit cards OK
HOMEPAGE (Japanese)

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Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents

HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City

Japan, Japan Tourism, Shimada City, Shizuoka Prefecture, Tourism

Fudou No Taki Waterfalls in Kawane Hon Cho, Shimada City!

February 19, 2016 dragonlife Leave a comment

The other day, in a frigid morning my good friend Mr. Osamu Kurosawa, 黒澤脩さん, A true historian of Shizuoka prefecture took to another site of note in the back country of Shimada City, more precisely to a Waterfalls called “Fudou no Taki/不動の滝” located in a natural park called “Fudo No Taki Waterfalls Natural Park Auto Camp/不動の滝自然広場オートキャンプ場”!
As it was winter, we were interfering with anybody!

This very camp is in the center of a natural park forest where many bird watchers gather all year round!

The park is well-equipped and even has a washroom for wheel chair users!

The City of Shimada looks after the site and is very strict about its cleanliness and safety!

They are particularly touchy about bush fires!

The entrance to the way leading to the waterfalls!

The lane is following a stream among the rocks. In summer it could easily become a torrent!

On the way there is sight typical of noted waterfalls in Japan. Can you guess?

Okay, you might not be able to read the Japanese!
It the location of a small Shinto Shrine!

“Fudou Shinto Shrine”!

Clap your hands twice to wake up the sleepy deity!

Going back to the mountain trail through the torii/shinto shrine sacred portal!

Good exercise after the revelries of the night before!

Stopping on the way for a look at the stream!

Still in winter as shown by the ice!

C’mon, guys!

Icicles!

It was still a few degrees below zero, but this a great place to cool down in Shimada stifling summers!

The last bridge before the waterfalls!

Looking back down the stream!

The Fudou Waterfalls!

There is not so much water running down in winter, but it can become a wet experience in summer!

Great possibilities for photographers!

Fudo No Taki Waterfalls Natural Park Auto Camp
428-0304 Shizuoka Prefecture, Shimada City, Kawane Hon Cho, Shimoizumi, 1122
Tel: 0547-56-1600

不動の滝自然広場オートキャンプ場
住所：〒428-0304 静岡県榛原郡川根本町下泉 1122
電話:0547-56-1600

HOMEPAGE (Japanese + some English)
FACEBOOK (Japanese)

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Japan, Japan Tourism, Japanese architecture, Japanese Traditional Warehouses, Kura, Shimada City, Shizuoka Prefecture

Kura: Traditional Japanese Warehouses in Shizuoka Prefecture 39: Katsuyama Family Home in Kawane Cho, Shimada City!

February 18, 2016 dragonlife 2 Comments

The other my good friend Mr. Osamu Kurosawa/黒澤脩さん, a respected historian in our Prefecture took me to a house hidden in Kawane-Cho, not far from Ieyama, in Shimada City, to show me a splendid kura!

Actually, the kura is only one building inside a vast property owned by the same family for hundred of years.
You must remember that in Edo Era, Shimada City was one of the most important cities in the whole Central Japan because it was a border City by the Ooi River controlling all traffic between Edo/Tokyo and Osaka!

the name of the family owning the vast property is Katsuyama/勝山!

Any rich landowner or person of great importance lived in a large house with servants quarters and a kura to store and protect rice and valuables in particular against fires and natural disasters!
The lady we met inside the house first kindly agree to let me take photographs of the warehouse under the gentle request of my friend, Osamu!

Actually the kura has just been restored by its owner as you can see with the perfectly working windows!

It actually took him more than a year to complete the job!

The “pegs” are still properly aligned, meaning that the walls haven’t been affected by the depredations of time!

The whole property ought to be used as a locale for historical movies or TV programs!

Actually it should designated as a cultural asset and it should be the government’s task and duty to look after it!

The pegs and metal links with the upper roof are still in great repair, meaning the uper roof is stable!

This is the first time I see such a big “oni gara/goblin pinion tile”! That only should become a cultural asset!

A closer view at the upstairs window!

The roofing must be hard to maintain in good repair!

A “rear” view!

The other “oni gara”!

The door and lock dating back from the Edo period!

Heavy door panels had to be pulled in to close the door!

Taken back to another era!

I marveled at how it can have been preserved!

The ancient “namako” design also is a good enough reason to designate it as a cultural asset as very recently even the Government was heard moaning about their disappearance! In fact, it is the first time I saw a pillar decorated in “namako” design!