March 2010 Archives

I went to Hiroshima again.

Japan is spring vacation season now.

Most of foreign country seems new semester start from September,

But we start from April.

School and workplace's new season starts from April too.

Before the new semester start, we came to see grand parents.

By the way, last topic of Hiroshima provokated big response from yours.

Just as I thought, Hiroshima is very famous place for worldwide, I actually felt.

There are some world heritage, Atomic Bomb Dome, Miya island and so on in Hiroshima.

I'll introduce famous food in Hiroshima in this time.

It called "Okonomiyaki".

The first picture is Okonomiyaki restaurant which I always go.

After World War Ⅱ, lots of Okonomiyaki restaurant were built in Hiroshima.

Originally, Okonomiyaki came from Kansai region(west side of Japan)

which include Osaka, you know.

There are still many Okonomiyaki restaurants in Osaka.

However, Hiroshima's Okonomiyaki is very different from Osaka's one.

Either way, when we suffered from hunger after World War Ⅱ, people made up

Okonomiyaki at first time to use cheap materials which is easy to get at that time.

Of course, we pursued goot taste and then materials getting better.

From these back ground, you should know Okonomiyaki is a symbol of Japan's

post war rehabilitation.

(Okonomiyaki is.... a thin, flat cake of unsweetened batter fried with various ingredients.)

Most of Okonomiyaki restaurant is like this picture.

There is a huge iron plate on top of the table,

A lady cooks Okonomiyaki for customers at here.

Let's see how to cook Hiroshima style Okonomiyaki!

This is also very rare scene for Japanese people except for citizens of Hiroshima!

At first, put a dogh with round form, very thin like crepe.

Depend on the restaurant, the ingredient of a dogh is different.

The recipe is secret of course!  At this restaurant, she uses 7 kinds of spices for

making dogh.

Put other ingredients on top of a dogh one after another.

At first, she put boiled soba(buck wheat noodles) or udon(wheat-flour noodles).

There are large size and small size. We called double about large size, the amount is

double as small size.

Generally speaking, big eater guy tend to order double.

Put a cabbage and beans sprouts on a noodles.

Especially, her Okonomiyaki is gigantic!

She is very particular about the preparation of Okonomiyaki.

She uses huge amount of materials which she chose very carefully by herself.

Put "Tenkasu" or "Ikaten".

"Tenkasu" is extra part of "Tempura". When we fried Tempura, there is some dregs

made by flour. This dregs called "Tenkasu". ( Ten meaning is "Fried", Kasu meaning is

"Dregs".) Tempura restaurant give us this "Tenkasu" with free.

(By the way, "Tenkasu" from good restaurant is yummy! Because of they uses good oil

and flour.) But, most of Okonomiyaki restaurant uses "Tenkasu" for business use now.

"Ikaten" is fried squid. "Ika" meaning is squid.

Put boned rib of pork, and then pour a dogh on top of pork.

An iron plate is so hot now.

Down side of Okonomiyaki has been alredy cooked,

so, flip a Okonomiyaki to cook the other side.

She has special skills to flipping!!

She uses only this big spatula for cook Okonomiyaki.

When we chatted, vesitable got soft, Okonomiyaki bacame small like in

this picture.

At last, break an egg on the plate, and put Okonomiyaki on the egg.

She cooks 6 Okonomiyaki which are for my family and another customer.

Most of customer is neighbors.

In this day, she refused few customers because of she already used up all materials

which she prepared for today.

Too many customers for less materials!

To my surprise, that customer said " I will buy materials by myself!!".

And he went to grocery store!

 Again flip Okonomiyaki the side which has pork and egg puts as at upside.

Poured "Otafuku source" a lots which is very famous source in Hiroshima.

Can you smell the burned source and sweet smell of the cabbage??

They made me so hugry!

Neighbor's ladies eats fresh Okonomiyaki at the corner of this big table.

You can eat on the dish too, but this way ↑is better to keep hot!

Oops! I forgot!! We put a green laver, sesame seed and plenty of leek, dried bonito

on top of Okonomiyaki. If you like mayonnaise, you can put as much as you want.

We uses only small spatula when we eat Okonomiyaki in Hiroshima.

No chopsticks and fork!

People who live in other prefecture says, this is difficult to eat.

I'm not a natural-born Hiroshima citizen same as my parents,

so I uses chopsticks somtimes.

In this case, my friend seems look down on me. She might be think like,

"What does she doing!?" 

 Now she finished cook for us!

I think it is dangerous for kids to eat beside on iron plate. ( Am I too protective mother?)

Therefore, I always bring my hot plate and then I will put Okonomiyaki into hot plate

in order to bring it back to home.

My way is so special isn't it??

Every customer will bring their own plate from home for to go.

But she said to me,

"You are the first person who bring hot plate for to go"

This is my mother's idea. She doesn't like to eat cold Okonomiyaki at all.

How was today's article?

There are many similar restaurant in Hiroshima.

It pay possibly on guide book?

Let's try to eat Okonomiyaki when you come to Hiroshima someday!

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 I went to Garden plant market at North part of Hamamatsu which place is

Hamakita last Sunday.

 I'll introduce you to market from last week on.

This picture is Japanese garden in the ground of of market.

Usually, temples prohibit the people from go into Japanese garden.

However, here is no rule at all.

Children was excited in here, climb a garden stone, run down a slop and so on,

It was like playland!!

By the way, the day when we went to, it was the festival day

 of Garden plant festival Coincidentally.

They held the festival once a year.

They held various kind of program too.

One of the program was "Bonsai Exhibition".

They exhibited "Bonsai" which are grown up by neighbors who are middle aged men.

( Around in this age for men, "Bonsai" is very popular as a hobby!)

I "ll introduce some of them which are very fascineted to me in person.

( Besides, with my personal explanation.)

This is the most popular Bonsai made by pine tree.

It's makes good scenery that was like exposed to the weather.

It's made in very small, but I think owner took long time to make.

On the one hand branches are old and tasteful,

on the other hand, young leaves grown up very well,,,

This unbalanced atmosphere seems symbolizes eternal time it has never change.

  I don't know what is this tree.

30cm high, small Bonsai.

However, trunk is thick, so it must be get old.

Can you imagine there is a huge tree like same one with this small Bonsai somewhere

in the deep forest.

Don't you feel kind of mystique from this tree. It seems close to exsitance of God.

Reproduce of this feeling into small tree, this is the big meaning of "Bonsai".

Human being make life by himself instead of nature.

We charenged to nature to do this.

But when people reproducing the mystique, perhaps people feel how the nature

is huge and how we are weak compare to nature.

And then, finally they learn respect nature.

I think this is the spiritual world of "Bonsai".

It is important to do Bonsai that face to face with tree with quiet, calm and alone.

This tree is a deciduous tree not an evergreen tree like pine tree.

(A deciduous tree lose it leaves in winter.)

The time a deciduous tree lose all of leaves is one of the highlight of Bonsai.

The feeling of owner come to me when I saw simple line's tree without decoration.

Tree says to me, see my simple, sensitive branches!!

In really, they are made up very beautiful from bottom to top of branch.

This is moss plant not tree, on 50cm wide stone.

This is like real mountain isn't it??

It looks old at first sight, but I can feel strong life from center of stone.

Quiet, but a tense atmosphere could be felt everywhere in the stone.

I think this kind of tense atmosphere must be special feeling with Japanese people.

Well, well well,

let's start talk next topic from now on.

I could hear sound of drum somewhere.

Let's go to see it!

They paraded  through the market because of festival.

The people marched with wearing old style Kimono. ↑

I asked old lady beside on me, "What are they doing?"

She said people who related to Gardener in Hamakita pay a visit to a shinto shrine

to say thank you.

They dedicate this camellia tree to the god of a shrine.↓

Shinto priest (male) and shrine maiden (female). ↑

We called "Kannushi" and "Miko-san".

A parade band. ↓

Especially there are many people loves festival in Hamakita.

You can see a band everywhere in Hamakita when something event happen!

My parents place, Hiroshima donesn't have these band customs. I swear......

They are family of Gardeners.

We called "Chigo" about children wears these kimono from long time ago.

They make up in special way, and wear vivid color's kimono.

they made up very light in this time, but make up has special meaning,

it will protect you from evil.

Everybody was so so cute!!

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I went to Garden plant market in Saturday morning at Hamakita.

Hamakita is located north side of Hamamatsu,

Here is popular as a planted garden plants from long time ago.

Many familiy works as a landscape gradener.

When I drive in Hamakita,

I can see lots of pine tree and podcoaps field in anywhere.

Hamakita has a market which is these gardener sell young plant to general people.

You know, our hobby is gardening, so,

we sometimes go this market for find beautiful and new plant. 

In coincidentally, last week's market was " Garden plant festival" which held once a year!

There are many people rather than normal market.

I will introduce about this festival in this week and next week.

At first, Let's walk around in market place with miko!

The best time to see,  this is Japanese andromeda. ↑

This one has a pink flower, but they have white one too.

Most of time,  we plant andromeda Japanese garden and temple.

Special ume tree and pine tree are grown up for only garden. ↑

It is important old texture ( Not new, it is like the texture spent time.)

in Japanese graden, Therefore the gardener design plants perfectly good for

Japanese garden. It is a superb balance.

On the other hand, this is " thicket style garden". ↑

Gardener plants the deciduous tree that

devided their branch from the base very natural style. Like you are in the real forest.

You can enjoy every seasons, and this is fit with western houses too.

It's looks casual technic to make this natural garden, but they pay attention into detail,

what kind of tree they choose, about form of the each branch and pattern of trnk.

This is Bonsai place. ↑

We buy half grown up bonsai, and then we grown them up perfect form.

I don't have any experience grow up Bonsai, it is became popular again among

the young people.

Bonsai is very popular in foreign country too.

However they are hardly understand the spiritual world when Japanese people face to bonsai,

I seems.

I will talk about Bonsai on next week more and more!

This is place for sell orange and other citrus fruits. ↑

His back is so cool!! I think he wears typical Japanese gardener uniform.

He sells pine tree for garden.

Eacn by each, grown up very carefully.

Maybe, He thinks every tree is like his child.↑

This is also pine tree.

But, it became less than before plant this tree at new house's garden in these days.

If we made a typical Japanese garedn, It is very hard to keep it perfect.

We have to order gardener every time. And it has to be high cost.

That's why, Bonsai became popular now in order to enjoy Japanese garden

 in minimum world.

There are many big stones. ↑

This is one of necessity factor for Japanese garden.

Old style Japanese garden uses these stones for express natural beauty.

The texture of stone is deffernt from depend on their home.

Gardener put the stone with trees in the garden like stones are there from hundred years ago.

If the gardener has talented to make garden, you can see "AJI" ( taste, feeling or texture)

in these stones which is they changed their form very slowly by rain and wind.

For the people who doesn't know Japanese garden......

This is very very famous garden, Kinkaku-ji. ↓↓↓

By the way, we bought few trees.

2 box trees made their form very round.

1 daphne which has white flower.

3 mystery roses plants.

Garden plant market has a green house, they sell a foliage plant.

I found mystery roses at here! ↓↓↓

Poulsen Roser A/S developed this rosese in Denmark.

The name is Long decorative roses. They blooms with long time.

I asked the stuff who works at here, one flower has been bloom during 2 months!!

Besides, this is strong species, it is hard to get sick, well bloomed.

I can't delieve it......But, I bought 3 plants.

This species is not known very well in Japan,

Maybe, is this popular in foreign country?

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I went to library to return books on rainy sunday.

I always go to "Hamayu Library" in Hamamatsu city.

This is the latest library had been buit 4 years ago.

Library is definitely open on the weekend and holiday in Hamamatsu.

I don't know they have same schedule in all library in Japan.....

How about in a foreign country?

Is library open on sunday?

I love books in really, and also picture books.

Therefore, I continue read picture books to my children.

So, 5 years and 2 years children became love books.

They are looking forward to go to library very much!

Go throught the entrance door, Immediately there is a gate.

Every library's book has a security tip. If you tried to go out without official procedures,

the buzzer will sounds rings.

To be sadness, it is problem that some people act very bad for books. It is like,

 takes away library book, gets book duty and destory some pages of books and so on.

This library has only 1 floor, but looks so large and has lots of bookshelf  into a room.

End of the room there are DVD shelf,CD shelf and study room, cafeteria. 

I wish I could look around every bookshelf  to say "Yahoo!"....

However, I always go to picture book place direclty,

which is opposite side from this phot.

And then, I couldn't do any othre shelf like always.

                                        Here is children book place.

Wide space, well-lighted, easy to select books.

There are much book as a children book.

I told you before that I love picture book from long time ago.

I think it is art expressed by short sentence and beautiful picture.

Besides, it has to inspired children's pure mind and rich imagination, and

keep their mind to book.

Excellent book is really fantastic I swear!!

There are many famous picture book writer in Japan,

I love Shinta Cyo san !!

He was born in Tokyo, and passed away 2005.

He wrote a lots of awesome books!

Don't you think his picture is unusual?

Story is also very strange, it seems not made by adult....How can I say,

But when I read his books to my children, they always laugh out loud.

Some picture books are just has surface story and thin content.

Shinta Cyo san's books are not that kind boring book at all.

His pure soul spread out before us.

One more my favorite writer is Koji Suzuki san.

He was born in Shizuoka prefecture. ( This is the prefecture which has Hamamatsu.)

His picture is different from others at all, story is also funny too.

When I read his book, it makes me that I am in kind of wonder place.

This one is my chidren loves too.

How about picture book made by France?

To my dissapointment, library has only few of them.

This is Franch old books isn't it? ↑↑

Ｍｏst of Ｊａｐａｎｅｓｅ ｌｉｂｒａｒｙ ｏｗｎｓ ｐｉｃｔｕｒｅ book written by Françoise.

In Hamamatsu, you have to make card in this phot in order to use library.↑

Each person can rent 12 books during 15 days.

In my family, we are 4 members, so we have 4 cards. 4x12=.....48!

I can rent 48 books at once!

It is impossible to read all 48 books in really, too heavy to bring them back to home.

I deeply feel how am I happy with lots of books in my life!

When you rent book, the person in charge of rent and back books who will

proceed the order in the service counter.

On the other hand, you can rent books to use this machine by yourself.

When you put all books on the bottom of rack,

machine read code whole books at once.

( back side of book, there is a special seal has a code)

 And then, put your card into machine, you can get a receipt for rent.

This is the all order to use machine.

Very easy! Quick!

How about library near by your home?

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This is Miso soup. ↑

Miso soup is necessary for daily meal in Japan.

Kelp and dried small sardines puts into water, then make it boiled.

It became like fish stock soup. Add ingredients,

Add a seasoning it called Miso in the end.

Japanese people uses Miso everyday same as soy sauce.

I tried to make this Miso in this time.

It was first time in my life.

One of neighbor gave me Miso before, It was of course great taste.

So I asked her that can I join in to make miso when you make next time.

Miso's main ingredient is soybeans.

It is possible to eat without cooking, or It became to source

of Tofu, Soy milk and Soy sauce, Miso.

We can't miss Miso definitely!

When we make Miso, We have to put this soybeans to water during a night for

their form should be back to normal size.

When their size became to double size as before,

We cook them with lots of boiled water until get very soft.

So big amount, how hard job it was!

Bu the way, another most necessity ingredient for making Miso is ,

"KOJI". ( melted rice)

We make a "KOJI" with breeding from microbe like a mold.

We uses this "KOJI" for making Japanese sake, Miso and pickled vesitable

Which is fermented foods.

I don't know very well, But maybe there are many kind of these bacterium in

all over the world like the bacterium of yogurt.

I went to "KOJI"shop at first time.

Well,,, from now on, I did't know this shop is exist in somewhere in Japan.

I think many Japanese dose't know about this shop.

"KOJI" shop has a special technique of put "KOJI" bacteria to rice or wheat.

We have to bring our rice before a week when we start make Miso.

And then, their breeding finished, they make a phone call for pick it up.

We brign back our rice with "KOJI", start to make Miso at neighbor's house.

At first, loosen the block of "KOJI" by hand, mixt with salt, put on the floor be flat.

It is fantastic such a small life is in here!

I look it very carefully, there is a white spots like a mold.

We leave "KOJI" with flat for all night.

And next day,,,,,,

We smashed cooked soybeans by food mixier.

Long time ago, people should had to this order by their hand, but now

it is very fast. How useful it is.

Add water which uses cooked soybeans to mixier.

We make very very soft in this time.

We mix smashed soybeans and "KOJI".

This is the all order for making Miso. Don't you think so easy??

I was surprise becasue of it was too fast to make!

I seems I can make MIso every year

But one of the reason was.... the neighbor prepared everythig in advance for me.

Thank you so much!!

At last, We put Miso to an airtight container.

My daughter and her friend came back from kindergarden.

They are interested in well maded Miso so much.

They had never seen this condition of Miso before.

"What is this"

We have to make them sleep more than a year in order to make work "KOJI" bacteria.

Put a lots of salt on safeces prevent from get moldy.

6 months later, the color should be cange to brown color like Miso.

I will introduce when it done in this blog!

I made 10kg Miso in this time.

This is almost same amount which

my family use during whole year.

I hope it became yummy~

I desplayed girls dolls before on March 3, celebrate the Girls festival.

We called "Momono sekku".

"Momono sekku" is only for girls, We displayed dolls. ( But this is for family who has a girl.)

From long time ago, when you still coutinue displayed this dolls after on March 3,

we said daughter can't marry at certain age.

Therefore, prevent from this bad things,( I don't know this is really bad or not at nowadays.)

most of familiy put this dolls before the day and put them back before on March 4.

( Our culuture has a typical idea about the age of marridge. Especially for women.

It was like from 22 to 29 before.

However the age became changeing to older and older. So, This way seems dosen't make

sence anymore. Just for cutoms, we still continuing.)

Does somebody noticed already?

I mentioned about "Momono sekku" at last year in this blog,

At that time, the dolls were smaller than this size.

I have 2 kinds of  dolls  which have 7 stages. This is the one of it.

When I and my sister was child, our grandmother bought this for us.

At every year we displayed this big one because of we loved.

However when I get adult I perfer to display simple type rather than gorgeous one.

And then I started use simple one that my mother bought when I was born.

It is only prince and princess.

But, my parents said " You sould keep big one in your house, we don't have enough

storage room for 7stages dools."

Then, They send lots of boxes to me!

Threfore, I display this gorgeous dolls in my house after 25 years absence.

I think my dolls feel so so happy that they are introduced in this blog to all over the people

now!

I will introduce a member of this dolls in this great chance.

At first she is the main character, princess. ↑

Her kimono called "Jyu ni hitoe" related to 1000years ago's kimono for women.

There are 12 layers inside!

Behind of her head, there is a light we called " Bonbori".

There is a real candle inside in old time, but now it's just an electric light.

And next, He is prince. We called "Odairi sama" in this festival.

People made this dolls images like, princess come to his place for marry.

She is a lady-in-waiting for princess. We have 3 of them. ↑

We called " San nin kanjyo".

They play music, read Japanese poem, protect princess and teacher for princess.

They could everything, kind of perfect women.

This is "Gonin bayashi". ↑

They are boys. Their hair style is different from adult.

1 of them play big drum, 2 of them plays small drum and 1 play plute, 1 sing a song.

This is young noble, right minister, we called " Udaijin".

He protects prince, and we have one more left minister, called" Sadaijinn" who is very old

man.

They were always together with prince, sometimes they helped prince 's love romance.

There are some tools for princess, which is chest, mirror and cage for carry princess.

In this picture, there are Japanese heating appliance , "Hibach", tools for tea ceremony, and

cow car.

Girls doll had started in the Heian period in Japan. In that time girls played with this dolls.

When the Edo priod came, people started to display this dolls,

tools and dolls chenged to gorgeous more than Heian period.

In spring season, we have a some antique dolls exhibition at old castle or old house in Japan.

These dolls were only for noble person's daughter before.

We have more simple dolls too. When you start reseach about simple one,

It also has so interesting history.

For example, This is "Nagashi bina" it oldest girls doll version.↓

They made by paper or straw, people throw it into a river.

We have also "Turushi bina" in East side of Shizuoka prefecture. The name of city is Inatori.

People make a small dolls, and they put it string one by one.

Inatori is near by Izu. Izu is famous place as a hot spring and fishing port.

People wait tourist with hanging down "Turushi bina" at entrance of Ryokan( Japanese style

hotel). It's so beautiful!

By the way, cold wave come to Japan, it not only Hamamatsu, we are still get so cold

everyday. But when I see girls doll, I can feel the spring will come soon.

I walk outside, the plum and peach flowers are blooming now.

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I went to post office today.

In a while, I didn't go post office because of most of time I spend for internet.

I always visit post office only few times. I definetely buy a commemorative stamp everytime.

I just love put these stamps on envelope, collecting in not my hobby.

By the way, today's stamps are motiveted by "Keroro captain" on above.

I don't know about this animation,

but somehow it looks cute..

Most of commemorative stamp is sheet

type like in this picture in these years.

I bought bitter taste's one  too.

Miyagi prefecture version from "scenery of journey" series.

↓ Maybe, there are same stamps in all over the world like this.

We are now the season of strawberry.

I remember the difference taste when I ate strawberry in France before.

It seems the season of strawberry was early summer in France.

There are various kind of strawberry at vesitable counter in grocery stores.

The grocery store which I always go, collected a well known strawberries from Japan.

The famous species are "AMAOH",

"TOYONOKA", "AKIHIME" and so on.

There are some kind of species

"MOMOICHIGO", "ASUKA ruby"

which I never heard.

Each by each isn't same form, taste.

Sour of not so sour, or how sweet it is.

Please eat and compare!

That's why they call "Strawberry festival".

Good Business!

All of their flesh is so soft, it like melting in

my mouth.

I wrote donw before, when I introduce Japanese peach in summer, Japanese people loves

 soft, sweet and sentistive stuffs so much.

Perhaps.

So, Japanese strawberry get more and more soft, seach size evolve into perfect as a sweet.

They grown up each strawberry to bigger and better tast. And then sell it with wrapping like a

snacks.

I'm not sure it exist at abroad??

Speaking of sweets, We have a typical Japanese cake " Strawberry shortcake".

I swear, definitely this is special Japanese cake.

There is a whipped cream and strawberries between sponge cake,

wrapped by pure white whipped cream.

Put a strawberry on it.

It seems can hear the voices "My country has a same one", However, Japanese shortcake

is extremely soft and lightly.

When you eat it, you can feel sensitive sweet, like you eating air or snow.

100% Japanese are familiar with shortcake. You can see most of cake shop.

Please try this also!

                                                  ↓Strawberry shortcake

Japanese strawberry is not only fruits, but also close to sweets snacks as I said.

Farmer plants them at hothouse.

( That's why the best season is earlier than normal condition.)

We have a kind of event, it called " hunting strawberry".

People pay entrance fee to farmers for go inside, and they can eat it as much as they want.

There are many strawberry hot house in Hamamatsu. They start announcement about this

event from now every year.

This is the scenery of strawberry hunting.

This is for almost kids, not only for adults. It's like a leisur industry.

You can see various kind of hutnig event in Japan not only for strawberry.

For example, "grape hunting", " pear hunting", " apple hunting", "orange hunting",

and so on....

Every system is same as strawberry's.

But nowadays, these events are getting donw rather than my childhood time.

"AKIHIME" in my garden.

The flowers are in bloom!

I expect that we can eat tons of

strawberry!

I can't wait!!

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