昇仙峡, Shosenkyo is one of the most beautiful places Mei-Shun recommend you to visit. White, uniquely shaped rocks give wonderful contrast with clean, emerald water especially in winter followed by simmering hoto. It is a miso stew with various vegetables including pumpkin, Japanese white radish, carrot, leak, etc. while meat and hoto noodle. We found it nice in summer as well with egg plant, cucumber, tomato and okra today.
travel
Japanese Culture@holiday
Standard偕楽園 accommodates a lot of old, beautiful trees represented by 梅＝ume, or plum which blooms in early spring. It makes the garden so crowded that Shin and Mei-Shun never approach there, while months except for February and March find them in serenity. On the top of their recommendation list is 吐玉泉, togyoku-sen found below. Water flow from many natural springs are collected into the lowest point, put this marble rock called 寒水石 as a well curb.
Burrata!
StandardHave you ever seen this cute, white creature? Looking like a baby, it is a delicacy of cheese ball filled with strings and cream. An Italian master living in Hokkaido is the only person who has technique to make it in Japan, Shin said. He seems quite right — one of Mei-Shun’s best impressions on that area is amazingly tasty dairy products, followed by potatoes and beer.
Jet Lag?
StandardIt takes only 2 hours and a half to reach Kyoto from Tokyo these days. Sights seen through the window fly away so rapidly that Mei-Shun’s eyes feel it a little hard to recognize mountains, lakes and buildings well put within her memory. It may not be even a trip for those used to such speed — yet this inveterate stay-at-home could do nothing but going out for a haircut today.
We Love Kyoto
StandardKaori-san, please take our gratitude. You gave us another chance to come to this beautiful, ancient capital of Japan. Current rate of yen, however, might make our regular hotel here booked out — that is why we enjoyed a stay at our favorite one in Osaka last night. We took a local train after a slight exercise of walking to the station one more stop away. Clouds in the sky and summer hats nicely protected us from ultraviolet rays.
Our Old Osaka
StandardIt is a decade ago when Shin was transferred to and stayed in Osaka alone for half an year. We discussed over and over whether Mei-Shun would go with him or stay in Ibaraki with mom-in-law. The latter finally won our choice, so Mei-Shun visited his apartment only twice when he moved to and leave that room.
Polish Pottery
StandardThey followed a pair of glasses from Niijima Island, included in Izu-Shichi To=seven islands of Izu where volcanoes are so active that we can enjoy nice hot springs while 抗火石=kouka–seki, meaning the rare lava-rock, is used as one of ingredients to make such beautiful olive green arts.
After 1Y+3Wks
StandardMei-Shun reserved a beauty salon in Shinagawa again, not to avoid a phone call from Dr. A. Shin’s schedule allowed them to meet there only today.
A 加賀(=Kaga, current Ishikawa Prefecture) cuisine restaurant always guides them into a room called 寿椿, meaning celebrated camellia. A wooden “pheasant” welcomes them as usual, yet his blue feather is all different from normal ones. You are a peacock, aren’t you?
… Woops, no message was recorded on our home phone.
Gorgeous Sakura
StandardThey have 3 breeds of 八重桜 at 乙戸沼 Park. One looks like holding a lot of 桜餅=sakura-mochi, a seasonal Japanese sweet with leaf-flower combination of brown-violet pink. Another has less browned-normal pink while the last one green-delicate shade of light pink as follows.
Kyoto Again
StandardKaori-san, an illustrator and good high-school classmate of Mei-Shun, will hold her second exhibition in June at Merry-go-round Kyoto, the same venue as her first one. Congratulations and thanks — November gave us a shock of long queue for taxi last time. Our driver was kind enough to teach how to avoid waiting, which would not have to work for June.
meishunkikunoe 