Snacks

Things We Eat: Hiroshima Edition

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Vegetarian okonomiyaki at Nagata-ya in Hiroshima. Nagata-ya is one of the most popular shops in town and offers several vegetarian-friendly options—a rarity in Japan. The highlight was slivers of fried garlic sprinkled on top.

“I’m not sure I can eat any more okonomiyaki.”

If you spend more than a few days visiting Hiroshima, this phrase might come out of your mouth as well. Every street has at least one shop featuring the city’s popular version of this quintessential Japanese food.

In case you’re not familiar, okonomiyaki is a savory pancake, made with a combination of batter, eggs, cabbage and other fillings, then topped with a sweet and salty sauce. Every region does it a little differently. In Osaka, all of the ingredients are mixed together, creating a solid slab of tastiness. In Tokyo, monjayaki is king, combining the ingredients with a runny, cheesy batter that is fried directly onto the griddle, then peeled off with a spatula.

Click any photo in the gallery to see a larger version and start a slideshow view

In Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki, the batter is poured into a thin crepe, then the filling is placed on top. An egg is cracked onto the griddle, its yolk broken and cooked thin to create another “crepe” that goes on top. It’s more like a big sandwich than the Osaka version.

The kicker is the soba or udon noodles that are added to the filling, creating a carb-loaded meal that will keep you going for hours. While the original version was more of a snack, the modern version evolved in the post-World War II era as a way to combine cheap ingredients into a nutritionally-dense meal.

Momiji-manju

While the maple leaf-shaped cake known as momiji-manju can be found all over Japan, its origins are in Hiroshima, specifically the southern island of Miyajima. The cakes were created in the early-1900s in honor of the island’s famous maple leaf viewing festivals.

Click any photo in the gallery to see a larger version and start a slideshow view

We hadn’t even left Hiroshima Station when we came across our first momiji-manju. A shop inside the station sold a breaded, deep-fried version that was sinful and delicious. While they were originally made by hand, they’re now abundant throughout the city thanks to the complex automated baking and wrapping machines, many of which are on display in the Miyajama shops.

Hiroshima Sweets, Treats and Eats

There’s more to Hiroshima’s food scene than just okonomiyaki and momiji. Check out the gallery below for some of the other awesome sweets, treats and eats from the week.

Sunday Surprise

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A mysterious sign appeared in our neighborhood trash collection area around New Year. In addition to being the receptacle for our weekly waste, the concrete bunker also serves as the neighborhood bulletin board. Usually the messages are related to trash pickup, but I could read enough of this sign that I knew it wasn’t about garbage.

South American Music Concert Sign
This mysterious sign appeared in our trash bunker…

I snapped a photo and, after a few minutes with Google Translate, I discovered the local community center was hosting a South American music performance. I slapped it on our calendar and we made plans to attend.

Shoes
A row of shoes greeted us at the community center

On the day of the performance, we climbed to the second floor of the community center, greeted by a row of shoes placed on newspaper. A basket of slippers sat nearby and we dutifully replaced our shoes with the public slippers. Many brought their own slippers, so we’ll know for next time.

South America Music Band
South America Music Band

The band was made up of nine very skilled Japanese musicians. A couple of them played the zampoña (pan flute), two others played the charango (lute) and an energetic drummer pounded away on the bombo legüero, all the while urging the crowd to clap along. They reminded us of a less-authentic—yet equally talented—version of an Ecuadorian group we sought out at the Oregon State Fair every summer.

We were handed a couple sheets of paper when we came in. One was a schedule and the other a lyric sheet. Over the course of an hour, the audience was encouraged to sing along with about half of the songs. I couldn’t read fast enough to sing along, but I was surprised at how well I was able to follow along while our fellow listeners harmonized with the band.

After the show, people shuffled into a room across the hall for snacks. We tried to slip out quietly, but were stopped by one of the organizers who spoke just enough English to get his point across—it’s very important that you stay and celebrate. OK… shoes off, slippers back on.

Snack time
Our neighbors gather around the great feast celebrating the new year

We were glad we did. We told the man our address and he attempted to find our neighborhood table. In the end, I think we were just added to a table with some empty space as we didn’t recognize anyone at the table. Immediately, our new neighbors poured us green tea and began asking questions. One man spoke excellent English while another couple had a daughter living in the U.S. and learned a little bit of English each day on the internet.

Each table had the same spread: pizza from the recently-opened Domino’s, assorted hosomaki (thin sushi rolls), sandwiches, fruit and desserts. We waited and watched how they handled the food (some ate the pizza with their hands, others with chopsticks!) and followed suit (pizza with hands… our chopstick skills are good, but this was some next level stuff!).

Oshiruko
A bowl of oshiruko with flower-shaped cakes floating in it

At the end of the meal, the best English speaker asked if we wanted some New Year dessert soup. Oshiruko is a cold, sweet bean soup often served with mochi cakes. Ours came with small, multicolored, flower-shaped cakes that resembled the marshmallows in Lucky Charms cereal.

After lunch, a man named Naka, who participated in the local English Club, came over to talk with us. Shortly after, he brought over another member—Kuni—who works as an investment banker and spent five years in the 1980s working in the World Trade Center in New York City. They asked the usual questions (where are you from, why are you here, etc.) and we talked about how difficult it is to learn each other’s languages.

Rock, Paper, Scissors
The finalists in the Rock, Paper, Scissors contest gather at the front of the crowd to accept their prizes

While we talked, the organizers passed out rubber bands to everyone in the room. We were about to play the biggest game of Rock, Paper, Scissors (janken/じゃんけん) that I’ve ever participated in.

We paired off and began to battle. In the one-and-done format, if you win, you get the other person’s rubber band and move on to the next opponent. I beat Kuni in the first match, but then lost to a man from the next table who slow-rolled my scissors (choki/ちょき) with his rock (guu/ぐう).

A lady from our table made it all the way to the final group. Although she didn’t win it all, she did return with some sort of coffee-related prize.

We helped cleanup the table as best as possible. As we picked up, each of the ladies nearby placed a handful of the leftover Lindt truffles in front of us. We must have taken six or so with us.

We walked home and I couldn’t help but shake my head. It seems like every time we venture out into our neighborhood, something special happens. We’re still a bit of a spectacle, but people accept us into their communities so readily that the novelty wears off quickly and, before long, we’re just another neighbor.

What Doesn’t Kill You…

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Ginkgo nuts

Every season brings a new mystery food to our local grocery stores. Today, while browsing the local produce section, I saw a bag of mystery nuts.

Turns out they’re raw ginkgo nuts (ginnan/ぎんなん in Japanese). In addition to the well-known benefits of mental superpowers, the gingko nut also helps the respiratory and circulatory systems and attacks free radicals.

They’re also toxic.

Luckily, I didn’t know what I’d bought, so I did some googling and learned all this before tossing one down my gullet. When cooked, they’re considered a delicacy in many Asian cuisines, but they’re still to be eaten in small quantities as the toxin is heat-resistant.

I cracked one open, just to see what was inside (because I’m a male and that’s what we do). The nut is soft, bright green and smells like stinky cheese. I’d include a picture, but because I’m male and didn’t have the proper opening tool, I smashed it real good, so there’s not much left of the poor test nut.

In Japanese drinking establishments, they’re a popular snack, roasted and served on a stick. They’re also a popular addition in a traditional New Year’s dish called chawanmushi (steamed egg custard).

I’ll probably go the roasting route, although I may also try the “leave them in the fridge until they start to smell like stinky feet” method.

“Isn’t Japan Expensive?”

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Cascadian Abroad Question and Answer

A few weeks back, I asked for your burning questions to be answered in future posts. Here’s a question from Cascadian Deni:

We’re really enjoying your blog. You asked for questions a few postings ago. Here’s mine: We understand that Japan is very expensive vis-a-vis food. lodging, etc. Are you finding it so?

We’d heard the same thing before coming to Japan. After nearly nine months on the ground, my answer is “It depends.”

Food

Standard grocery items are similar in price. Here’s prices from last week in Tillamook, OR (thanks Mom!) for some staple items compared with current prices in Kawagoe (converted to USD and comparable measurements).

Item U.S. Japan
Eggs $2.19/12 pk $1.75/10 pk
Bread (premium) $2.19/18 slices $1.92/8 slices
Bread (store) $1.67/20 slices $0.82/8 slices
Milk $0.99/pint (473 ml) $0.88/500 ml
Apples $0.88/lb $0.95/lb
Bananas $0.79/lb $1.60/lb
Red bell pepper $1.79/ea $1.08/ea
Potatoes $0.59/lb $0.64/lb
Yogurt $0.59/cup $0.71/cup

*Prices compared on 12/12/2014 (exchange rate $1 = ¥119.03)

Pretty comparable. One thing that’s a little unique is that many items are sold in packs. For example, you can’t buy a single banana in our local grocery stores. They’re pre-wrapped at a standard weight (usually four or five to a pack). Because apples are in season, we can currently buy them individually, but they’re still priced per apple, not by weight.

Buying bread is probably the trickiest thing. The loaves are packaged in five, six or eight slices with different thicknesses. The most common is called shokupan—a soft, white, chewy milk bread. The thicker slices are kind of like “Texas Toast” while the thin slices are more like Wonder Bread. As with most things, the preference for slice thickness differs by region. We occasionally find whole-wheat bread but usually buy sesame bread (goma no pan/胡麻のパン) or brown rice bread (genmai pan/玄米パン) from the local bakery.

There are some exceptions on both sides. Some fruit—especially melons—is much more expensive in Japan. During the past summer, a whole cantaloupe cost around 1,000 yen ($8.42 USD). One with Hello Kitty’s face carved in the rind went for 5,000 yen (about $42).

Eating out seems to be similar to the U.S…. some places are more expensive than others. When we eat out in Tokyo, we’re usually picking cafe-style vegetarian restaurants where we pay about 1,000 yen for an entree. Japanese fast-food restaurants offer the lunch crowds big bowls of udon or soba for under 500 yen ($4.21 USD). In my opinion, Tokyo is no more expensive than any other large city in the world when it comes to dining out. In fact, I thought prices in Melbourne and Sydney were far higher than anything we’ve experienced in Tokyo.

The one area I’ll concede is more expensive on average is Tokyo’s craft beer bars. It’s common to pay 900-1200 yen ($7.58-10.11) for a pint of craft beer. Even the big brewery beers are 500 yen for a large glass.

Shelter and Transportation

Living expenses are where “it depends” really comes into my answer. Our lifestyle in Japan is significantly different than it was in the U.S.

Our two-bedroom apartment in Japan is about 1,400 square feet smaller than our house in Oregon. Our rent is much less than our mortgage and it’s less expensive to heat. The garbage bill is covered by the rental company. However, we pay less for rent than I paid in Salem, OR in 2005 for a place roughly the same size.

Utilities are reasonable as well. Our fiber-based internet is fast and less than we paid for Comcast high-speed service. Electricity and gas is also less, which only seems fair with the difference in home size.

Japan also suffered a housing bubble burst in 2008-09 as the U.S., but the market in the metropolitan areas has rebounded in recent years. New construction in our area also seems to be booming. Since we arrived in March 2014, four very large homes have been built on our street. Watching them being built from the ground up, I’d guess they’re about 2,200 square feet, which probably puts them in the $300,000 price range.

As I mentioned before, our lifestyle here is significantly different than it was in the U.S., which makes comparing some things difficult. We chose not to have cell phones while in Japan, which average more than $100 a month in the U.S.

We used to commute 45 minutes each way and, even with our gas-friendly Toyota Prius, we were still paying $40 a week for gas. Viktoria commutes to work through the courtesy of her own two feet, so we’re not paying for gas, vehicle maintenance or insurance. We regularly use trains and local buses, which can be as much as 1,500 yen each if we’re gallivanting around Tokyo, but usually 1,000 yen will last a couple weeks for trips around Kawagoe.

We have three large grocery stores, a giant home goods store and a 100 yen shop (like a Dollar Store in the U.S., although with the current exchange rate, it’s more like the 84 Cent Store) within a few blocks of our apartment, so we’re not paying jacked-up prices as a result of shopping local.

Health

Fortunately, we haven’t had to exercise our Japanese national health care plan yet. Upon becoming residents in Japan, we received our national health care cards. I’d rather not have to write the experiential post about how the health care system works. I’ve heard second-hand stories about how it seems more inconvenient than U.S. health care (requiring doctor visits for every prescription refill, preventative dental care isn’t as common), but I can’t validate those myself.

In the U.S., we were both public employees and had access to affordable, quality health care through our employers. In the last couple years, we had to start making small monthly pre-tax contributions, but it was still far better than what most private-sector employees contribute.

Travel

Traveling in country can be expensive, but it all depends on your lodging and transportation choices. For example, we found an excellent deal (less than $100/night) at the Hilton overlooking Hakata Bay and Fukuoka Tower when we went to Fukuoka in June. We used Airbnb (affiliate link) to find apartments on our recent trip to Osaka and Kyoto. We loved Airbnb when we traveled at home and usually found it to be far more affordable, convenient and comfortable than staying in hotels.

Transportation is usually the most expensive part of any trip and that’s no different in Japan. We flew from Tokyo to Fukuoka (548 miles) for about the same price as a flight from Portland to San Francisco (536 miles). The Shinkansen (bullet train) to Osaka was about 300 miles and was more expensive than flying, but that’s without considering the cost of the Shinkansen from Tokyo to the airport and back again. In the end, it was probably still more expensive to take the train, but also much more comfortable.

“Isn’t Japan Expensive?”

In our experience, I’d say the answer is “For some things, yes, but generally it’s no worse than the U.S.” Our personal cost of living is much less in Japan than in the U.S. For tourists, I don’t think it’d be much worse than our experiences in San Francisco, Chicago or Washington D.C. as far as dining out or lodging goes.

Thanks to Deni for the great question!

Thanksgiving in Japan

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Thanksgiving Dinner

Thanksgiving is the first big family holiday to roll around since we’ve been in Japan. For the past few years, we’d hosted family at our house. We’d make too much food and everyone would bring their favorite treats. We’d squeeze ourselves around the dinner table and share what we were thankful for during the year. I figured this would be the first time I’d really miss home.

Fortunately, there weren’t a lot of in-your-face reminders that Thanksgiving was coming. The day sort of snuck up on us and, since we’re a day ahead of Cascadia, social media hadn’t quite lit up with family photos and sweet potato casserole selfies yet.

Japan celebrates Labor Thanksgiving Day (勤労感謝の日 / Kinrō Kansha no Hi) a few days before American Thanksgiving, but it’s a different beast. In the 5th century, it was a way to celebrate the hard work leading to the harvest of grains. After World War II ended, the current holiday was established to mark changes in the post-war constitution related to workers rights.

Blackboard
The day’s lesson on the blackboard along with a list of Thanksgiving-related vocabulary, from Pilgrims to Black Friday. And a ghost?

Still, Thanksgiving Day is an important American tradition and we celebrated as best we could. On the day of, Viktoria invited me to visit her classroom for their Thanksgiving party. The first half of the period was a regular class and it was cool to see her in action. The students were engaged and really connected with her. They didn’t know much about American Thanksgiving, but I didn’t know much about Japan’s Thanksgiving until I Wikipedia’d it five minutes ago.

Group Photo
Two of the classes came together to celebrate Thanksgiving

The second half of the period was dedicated to partying! The class sizes are fairly small and groups of students move between teachers, so two of the classes shared by Viktoria and another teacher, Ramon, joined together for the party. Behind the group, you can see a sneak peek of the spread. It was very non-traditional Thanksgiving food, for sure! A lot of Japanese convenience treats mixed with the items brought by the Americans (apple cobbler, cheese, dinner rolls, macaroni salad…).

The students really seemed to enjoy themselves though. We brought a can of whipped cream for the cobbler, which ended up in nostrils, on the floor, in a dinner roll….

That evening, we had a slightly more traditional Thanksgiving. Vegetarian Thanksgiving doesn’t include turkey. In the past, we’d ask family to bring turkey or ham for everyone else and we’d slice into a Tofurky loaf. It’d become our own little tradition. Alas, those frozen vegetarian comfort foods aren’t readily available in Japan, but I think a new tradition may have been established this year.

Seitan roast
Behold… the Seitan Roast!

The above photo is why I can’t be a food blogger. Staging be darned! It’s time to eat! I made the famous seitan roast from Post Punk Kitchen’s recipe blog. It’s texture comes from vital wheat gluten (the protein from wheat) and a shiitake mushroom and leek stuffing is a little surprise waiting inside. It turned out awesome and was even better the second day.

This year’s dinner was a far more scaled down version than years past, but still included Thanksgiving staples like mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie, all made mostly from scratch. A little taste of home for the holidays.

It Takes A Village

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Cascadian Love

The support of our family and friends during our journey has been so appreciated. And when that support includes chocolate, it’s just that much more appreciated!

Eight months in and with autumn in full swing, the recent round of care packages from home came at a perfect time. So, without further ado, let’s get to unboxing!

Care Package from Mom
At the end of October, a fall-themed care package arrived from Cascadian Mama Val

Shortly before we headed out for our trip to Osaka and Kyoto, a package arrived from Viktoria’s mom. It included some pantry staples like split green peas, lentils and quinoa; dark chocolate from Oregon’s Dagoba Organic Chocolates; Trader Joe’s Pumpkin Bar mix; and a host of goodies from Costco and “The Russian Store” as we all refer to the European-goods store back home. More than a few of these things made it into the backpack for our trip and more than a few of these things have already been eaten.

KronWeld Care Package
The first of two packages from Cascadian KronWeld arrived in mid-November

After we returned from our trip, the first of two boxes from Cascadian KronWeld showed up at our door. I only managed a picture of one, but the second box was full of spices that we’ve had a hard time finding. Among the treats were Costco-sized bags of pistachios and walnuts, Sriracha hot sauce, caramels, pumpkin-spice tea and a giant bag of tortillas. Extra-large containers of smoked salts, cayenne pepper and pumpkin pie spice followed shortly. A special thanks to Cascadian Brian for carrying that smoked salt in your car for a couple hundred miles.

A special treat worth it’s own paragraph: Pumpkin Pie Almonds (I’m assuming from Costco). These only lasted a little over a week despite the giant bag. Almonds with a pumpkin pie flavored candy coating. Holy $&@^ these things were amazing!

Care Package Vera
Today’s arrival from Cascadian Mama Vera. In other news, Justin’s Peanut Butter stock is through the roof.

Today, I heard a faint ringing while washing the dishes. Fortunately, I investigated as it was the mailman delivering a package from my mama. This one had some odd specific requests (which I chose not to include in the photo, but Thank You Mom!) as well as some creature comforts from home, such as Frank’s Red Hot Sauce, every package of Justin’s Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Cups on the Oregon Coast, fresh cranberries (which were still cold after a week in transit), Starbucks instant lattes and some static-cling mustaches, which I’m certain will end up in some interesting places.

Thanks again to everyone for your support during our adventure!

On Top of the World

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Room With a View

It’s been around 90 degrees for about a month now. The humidity sits on you like a wet rag. Finding ways to beat the heat can be tough. Going up seems to be the best remedy so far.

A few weeks ago, we went on our first hiking trip since arriving in Japan and were itching to get out again. This time, we ventured deeper into the Okuchichibu Mountains for Mitsumineyama. Wikitravel called it a “fairly tame” hike to the peak. In hindsight, “fairly tame” may be in the eye of the beholder.

From Kawagoe, it was about a 90 minute train ride to Seibuchichibu Station in Chichibu. Upon arriving, we boarded a local bus that would take us to the Mitsumineyama trailhead. The bus was an adventure in its own right. Billing itself as the “Express” bus to Mitsumine Shrine, it only had a few stops. However, the first stop was 20 minutes away and the second stop, the trailhead at Oowa, was about 45 minutes.

Bus to Oowa
The bus to Oowa drops you right at the torii for Mitsumine Shrine at the base of the mountain

The owner of a small restaurant stopped us on our way to the trail. With a lot of Japanese and many useful hand gestures, she explained that a footbridge had collapsed due to heavy snow and there were ropes blocking the path, but that we could climb through the ropes and hike the mountain. Our adventure has begun!

Hilly Path
The first part of the trail was paved in stones and lined with stone tablets and wolf statues… and it was the first hill of the day, but far from the last

The ropes and accompanying signage was just a short walk up a steep stone path. A handy picture showed the collapsed bridge and the treacherous conditions that lay ahead. Shortly past this sign was another, this one warning of bears. Fortunately, I learned from nature shows that bears like peanut butter and our pic-a-nic basket had an ample supply. The Yogi Bear Show counts as a nature show, right?

Bridge Sign
Yup, that bridge looks to be in bad shape… but what’s the yellow sign?

We shimmied under the ropes and headed up the hill. The trail was buried deep in the trees, providing shade and taming the hot summer sun. It was almost pleasant. About a klick up the path, we came to the troubled bridge.

Collapsed Bridge
It was even worse in person

It was fairly easily navigated around, stepping over the small stream that ran beneath it. It looked like Mitsumineyama had seen a hard winter as many of the path guide ropes had slid down the hill in addition to the crushing snow that bested the bridge. Onward and upward!

Waterfall
Several small torii and hokora (miniature shrines) sat in an opening near this small waterfall

It was obvious why the mountain would be considered a spiritual place. Before long, we came into an opening with a small waterfall, maybe 15-20 feet high, surrounded by several torii and hokora (miniature shrines). Many stone tablets lined the path near the waterfall. It was clear this was a special place. We rested for a few minutes and took it in before continuing our climb, taking in the natural beauty of the area as well as the manmade additions.

Statue with knitted cap
The knitted caps are a common offering to the statues in shrines, protecting them from the cold and rain

The path never leveled out as it climbed to the top. We finally reached the summit at 1,102 meters (about 3,615 feet) above sea level. We covered about 3.2 km (about 2 miles) in just under two hours. So much for “fairly tame.” But the experience at the top was well worth it. While the bus also goes directly to the front gate, the reward at the top of the mountain made us pity those who took the easy way up. A worship area overlooked the mountainous range and the valley below. After a short rest, we headed down the stone lantern-lined path toward Yōhaiden, the shrine’s worship hall.

Yōhaiden worship hall
The first structure in Mitsumine Shrine is Yōhaiden worship hall

As with most Shinto shrines, Mitsumine is made up of several shrines. The 2,000 year old buildings were renovated around 2003 and were in immaculate condition. The detail of the wood carving was amazing and popped with the refreshed colors.

Main Hall
Mitsumine Shrine’s main hall
Detail on the Main Hall
Detail on the carvings adorning the main hall

In the center of the shrine is Mitsuminejinja Kounkaku (興雲閣). A cafeteria reminiscent of a senior living dining hall served up hot soba with tempura gobou and all-you-can-drink tea. We fueled up and then paid the low price of 600 yen (plus 200 yen for towel rental) and took advantage of the sentō.

Slippers
You have your inside slippers and your potty slippers

This was our first sentō experience. The “observe and imitate” approach required a little more stealthiness than usual since we’re talking about public baths that don’t allow swimsuits, if you catch my drift. Upon entering the building, we deposited our shoes in the cubby by the door and slipped on the plastic-y brown slippers provided. If you need to use the restroom, you trade these for plastic-y green slippers that say “Toilet” on them with a picture of, what appears to be, a newlywed couple.

Sorry to disappoint, but there are no photos of the sentō itself (didn’t want to be THAT GUY). It could be best described as the locker room hot tub in the gym, but way better. Upon entering, there’s a large showering facility where you are expected to cleanse before entering the bath. The bath water contains minerals that are believed to have healing properties. After a long, sweaty hike up a mountain, I’d say this is spot on.

Leaving Mitsumine
View of the Okuchichibu Mountains from the front of the shrine

Alas, our time at Mitsumine had to come to an end. We’d originally planned to hike to the peak of Mitakeyama, but the “fairly tame” hike up Mitsumineyama was enough, so we took the bus back to the station. 70 minutes later, we were back on the train for a 90 minute trip home. It was a long day, but a rewarding day.

Farmers Markets

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Taiyou no Marche

One of my favorite weekend activities back home was walking around weekend markets. There was no shortage of options in our neck of the woods and we frequented several. It’s fun to snack on unique homemade treats and see local craftspeople selling their goods. Music is everywhere, from full bands to middle school violinists. It’s a great way to spend a Saturday.

With all the gardens in our new neighborhood, the lack of farmers markets strikes me as odd. I’m guessing most of the gardeners must sell their veggies to local restaurants and stores. Some have unmanned stands set up. But no farmers markets.

Leave it to the world’s largest city to save the day. Every weekend, farmers markets spring up throughout Tokyo. A couple weeks ago, we hit a pair of them: Taiyou no Marche (Market of the Sun) in the Chūō ward and the United Nations University farmers market in the Omotesando district.

Tofu Tofu Food Truck
The Tofu Tofu food truck offered three varieties of tofu burgers

Taiyou no Marche was the larger market of the two and we stepped off the train around lunchtime. Food trucks lined the path from the train station offering a variety of good eats. We checked out all of our options, but decided on Tofu Burgers from the TofuTofu truck—or more accurately, Volkswagen Bus. The lady taking orders gave me a half-hug when we approached. Food made with love… literally. No joke… layered in salsa and cheddar with an awesome fresh bun, I could have eaten this thing all day long.

Tofu Burger
The Addictive Masterpiece Tofu Burger (絶品 やみつきとうふ バーガー)

Fueled up, we wandered up and down the aisles of the market. Fresh veggies and Japanese wine (with copious samples) around every corner. One booth was milling freshly-roasted sesame seeds into oil right at the market.

Beets
These beets went into an awesome borsch a couple days later

The find of the market, however, was beets! I know, right? Beets! Maybe they’ll show up in the stores later in the year, but this was the first beet sighting in Japan so far. The man at the booth spoke decent English and asked how we prepare them. My amazing wife turned into Bubba from Forrest Gump, listing multiple ways to prepare them. The man said his favorite method was to grill them, but we put them into an awesome borsch.

Most of the booths offered samples, but one was more memorable than others. The Natural Meal Lab had samples of their granola. As we were tasting, a Japanese TV crew walked up. I think I’d dropped an oishī (delicious) to compliment the granola lady and the TV guys seemed to like that. It took three takes to get a shot of them panning from the granola display to me tasting it and saying “Mmmm…. oishī!”

TV Tokyo Bit
Me being filmed by Japanese TV. Can’t wait to see the treatment if they actually air it because Japanese TV is hilarious!

After ensuring our fame on Japanese television, we hopped back on the train and headed for Omotesando. The United Nations University hosts a farmers market every weekend. It was a little smaller than Taiyou no Marche, but had some great food options.

Anadomikan
Anadomikan are Japanese oranges and taste like a cross between an orange and a grapefruit

One booth sold anadomikan, Japanese oranges that are big like a grapefruit and have a slightly more bitter flavor than a regular orange, but pack the awesomeness of both fruits. The lady kindly explained this as she doled out samples.

Snacks
Falafel and deep-fried soy nuggets… my, oh, my!

Like the last market, several food trucks circled the booths. We had a couple snacks, including deep-fried soy nuggets (holy smokes, these were naughty!) and a falafel sandwich with chili sauce.

Almond kid
This kid was taking advantage of the free samples

Japan is well-known for its kawaii culture, but there was actual cuteness all over this market. Little kids took part in the free samples and the dog-friendly market made it feel like a day in Portland. What appeared to be a dog adoption clinic was being held in the back of the market, which was a nice contrast to the puppies for sale (at $5,000 USD each) in the pet store next to the market.

Puppies
Puppies everywhere!

On any given weekend, there’s at least a dozen farmers markets around Tokyo. The access to farm-fresh vegetables filled another gap in our Japan life and I’m sure these market trips will continue throughout the summer.

Hiking Hiwada

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Part of the Mt. Hiwada trail

Before leaving the U.S., we’d started to get into hiking. With the beautiful natural areas in Oregon, it’s not hard to find a hiking trail to fit your mood. Japan offers many hiking opportunities, but our area is so citified that greenspace is mostly limited to parks with walking paths.

However, just a short train ride to the west lies the Okuchichibu Mountainous Region (奥秩父山地). The area is full of wooded hiking trails and reminiscent of the Cascade and Coast ranges back home. Hidaka City is the gateway to the Okuchichibu region, with three great peaks and just a 15 minute train ride from our station. We headed for Hidaka, choosing to brave the 90-plus degree temperatures following a few days of Typhoon Neoguri leftovers. Luckily, although just a few miles west, the temperatures were pleasant and a light breeze made for a comfortable day.

Bus Stop Bingo
Playing Bus Stop Bingo, matching the kanji on the display board for the Kinchakuda stop

We’d been to Hidaka recently for lunch, so we knew that we needed to plan slightly better for the bus ride. In reading the few reviews I could find for the hike, I also knew we wouldn’t see much rōmaji, so I carefully wrote out the kanji for each mountain we’d be hiking and the bus stop we’d need. Since the bus only stops when people need to get on or off, we played some Bus Stop Bingo trying to match my scribbles to the reader board on the bus.

Hiwadayama Street Sign
The sign from the road pointing to the Hiwadayama trail head.

After successfully departing the bus at Kinchakuda, we headed up the road to the Mt. Hiwada (日和田山) trail head. The trail had a couple options. You could walk the gentle slope of the switchbacks up to the start of the main trail or follow the makeshift stairs straight up the side of the mountain. We opted for the challenge of the stairs and worked our way up to the trail’s first torii.

Men's Course
Choose your own adventure: Men’s course or women’s course?

At the top of the initial climb, the trail splits into two paths to Hiwada’s summit. The politically-incorrect options: to the left, the “Men’s Course” (男坂経由) and to the right, the “Women’s Course” (女坂経由). In true Cascadian fashion, we opted for the more difficult Men’s Course, a rocky and hilly climb to the peak.

Panorama
Part of the gorgeous panoramic view near the top of Mt. Hiwada

The trees opened up along the way to offer views of Tokyo to the east and the Okuchichibu region to the west. Eventually, the summit comes into view as a large torii frames Kotahira Shrine.

View from Kotahira Shrine
The view from Kotahira Shrine

From the shrine, it’s a short, rocky climb to the peak. From the trail head to the summit, it was about 1,000 ft of elevation gain over a half-mile distance. The straight-up climb plugged our ears, but the benches at the summit offered a chance to adjust to the elevation.

Hiwada summit
This statue marked the summit of Mt. Hiwada

From here, it was about a one-third mile walk to the Mt. Takasasu (高指山) summit. The short path felt like exploring the jungle in Lost. Oddly-placed, dilapidated structures rose from the trees around every corner. The summit itself was marked by a radio tower surrounded by a rusted, broken-down building. We quickly moved on before the Smoke Monster decided to make an appearance.

Takasasu summit
The summit of Mt. Takasasu, otherwise known as Dharma Initiative Station 11, The Tower.

The last peak was Mt. Monomi (物見山). Along the way, a beautiful view emerged with a house perched over a valley with views of nothing but trees and mountains. A small rest house offered respite from the sun as well as vending machines and restrooms. We stopped briefly to refill the water bottle and buy a couple sports drinks before moving on.

Rest House
The rest house leading to the Mt. Monomi trail head

The Monomi trail was some of the day’s more challenging terrain. The recent rain left some muddy spots and steep, rocky trails interrupted the smoother paths up to the summit. At the top, any potential view was blocked by pesky trees, but some comfy benches allowed for another short rest and a snack.

Say Chīzu!
“Say Chīzu!” A hiking group stopped to take a picture at the Mt. Monomi summit.

A large hiking group came in from another trail and stopped to take a picture. In a funny moment of cross-culturalism, the photographer urges the group to “Say Chīzu!” While the shape of the word “cheese” naturally creates a smile, the Japanese equivalent of “chīzu” creates more of a, um, dumb face! After saying “chīzu,” they adjust their mouths into smiles and the photo is snapped.

We briefly followed the group down the hill, but took the first opportunity to pass the slow-moving herd (on the muddiest part of the trail, of course) to head back down Monomi. The path down winds through some interesting terrain. At times, the path is rocky and muddy, while in other places, you find yourself walking through someone’s orange orchard. Eventually you reach a road and follow it down for about a mile where you end up at Musashi Yokote Station (武蔵横手駅).

Summit Markers
The summit markers for Hiwada, Takasasu and Monomi

By the end of the day, we’d hiked roughly five miles and ascended/descended 1,200 feet over three-plus hours. The hike itself was very convenient with well-placed facilities that don’t interrupt the natural experience. The views were unbelievable in places and the trails were challenging, but doable with any level of fitness. I’m sure we’ll venture further into the Okuchichibu region for our next hike, but with the proximity and access of the Hiwada-Takasasu-Monomi trail, we’ll be back here sooner rather than later.

Fukuoka

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Momochi Seaside Park

While in Japan, we’re hoping to take advantage of our ability to see some different parts of the world. Places like Beijing and Seoul are just puddle-jumpers now and Sydney is about 10 hours away. But Japan itself offers a lot of travel opportunities as well.

We took advantage of a university conference in Fukuoka Prefecture this weekend to see a different part of Japan. Fukuoka is on the north coast of Kyushu (one of the four large islands of Japan) and is Japan’s sixth-largest city. It’s also ranked 12th on Monocle Magazine’s 2013 list of the world’s most livable cities. We could definitely see why. More on that later.

Shinkansen
The Shinkansen from Tokyo to Narita Airport

Narita Airport is east of Tokyo and it took two-and-a-half hours by bus to get to Kawagoe when we first came to Japan. We took the train this time, which requires a trip on a Shinkansen—a Japanese bullet train. The trip to the airport only took an hour and 40 minutes. No more bus for us!

The airport process was a breeze as well. Being a domestic flight, there wasn’t a lot of hubbub to get to the gate. The train station is in the airport, so you make your way through the terminal. Japanese television reporters stop you to ask about Japanese pop stars (yes, this really happened… I doubt they’ll air it as we weren’t very impressive). Security consists of the standard carry-on X-Ray, but we didn’t have to remove shoes, belts, etc. or even empty change from our pockets. We could bring liquid through as well, but the security officer required us to remove the lid so they could smell the contents.

Jetstar
Our plane boarding from the tarmac.

After a short wait, we were directed to the Friendly Airport Limo (a bus with standing-room only) which took us from the gate to the plane on the tarmac. We waited while they finished the inspection, but it was 20 minutes from the time they opened the door until we were airborne. Very efficient and pleasant flying experience.

Kebabooz
Falafel set at Kebabooz Sudanese restaurant

The two-hour flight arrived around dinner time, and despite some travel snacks, first priority was finding food. We had a few places mapped out in advance and chose a Sudanese falafel and kebab restaurant called Kebabooz in the trendy Daimyo neighborhood. The small restaurant (five tables total) was down an alley, which was in another alley, which meant it HAD to be good. The chefs/servers were listening to ’90s American gangster rap at an appropriate volume. A warugaki (bratty child) amused the other diners with her antics.

The food was amazing… easily a top-5 Japan meal. You could watch the hummus being handmade-to-order in the kitchen. The best thing on my plate was the salata aswad, a Sudanese eggplant salad. Basically it was eggplant potato chips covered in a spiced yogurt. I could have eaten it all day.

Clock Fountain
Is it a clock? Is it a fountain? Yes.

We headed back to the train station so we could get checked into our hotel before dark. We were highly amused by the fountain/clock on the main street by the station. Whether it was the fact that the fountain was an accurate digital clock or that two traditional Manneken Pis-style statues were making sure the fountain stayed full, we’ll never know.

Fukuoka Tower at Night
The view from our room at the Hilton. Fukuoka Tower is in the center and Hakata Bay is at the right.

We stayed at the Fukuoka Hilton, which was actually the cheapest hotel in town thanks to a summer special rate. We had an unbelievable view from our 8th-floor window of Fukuoka Tower, Momochi Seaside Park and Hakata Bay. The tower glows at night thanks to 8,000 half-mirrors attached to its outside walls.

Saturday was the conference, so I was left to my own devices for the better part of the day. I stopped at a couple different stations to see what was happening in other parts of Fukuoka, but eventually ended up back at the area by our hotel. I walked down the main street and worked my way down to Fukuoka Tower. For 800 yen, you can ride the elevator up to the observation tower, but I opted for the free selfie. An oversized novelty camera with a small shelf offers instruction on how to get an up-the-nose shot of yourself in front of the tower. Mission…. ACCOMPLISHED!

Selfie
Up-the-nose selfie in front of the tower? Check.

Just past the tower is Momochi Seaside Park. The beach stretches along Hakata Bay and seemed to be a hotspot for Fukuoka’s young folk. Sunbathers dodged beach soccer and volleyball games while fisherman wandered past the barricade on the pier to catch a few of the jumping fish in the bay.

Beach
Beach soccer and volleyball at Momochi Seaside Park.

Our hotel was attached to the Fukuoka Yafuoka! Dome, home of the SoftBank Hawks baseball team. I bought a ticket for the right field bleachers and a vintage Hawks t-shirt and made my way to the ballpark.

Hawks Mascots
The Hawks plethora of mascots join the Baystars mascot for some funky, funky dancing.

The hometown Hawks were hosting the Yokohama DeNA Baystars. The hour before the game was mostly the Hawks seven (count ’em, seven!) mascots joining the Baystars’ overstuffed bear mascot in dancing to the latest American pop songs. An acrobatic cheerleading group flipped and tossed each other about to the amusement of the crowd. Some ceremonies that seemed to move the crowd were performed. I clapped along at the appropriate time despite not understanding a word of it. The ceremonial first pitch was thrown, which in Japan includes a batter from the opposing team taking a ceremonial weak cut at the pitch.

By the time 2 p.m. rolled around, I’d forgotten why I was in this big dome with all these people. Oh yeah… a baseball game! It was an exciting one, with a dominating pitching performance by Hawks starter Kenichi Nakata and each team trading a big inning at the plate. The Hawks came out on top, winning 4-2 and sending the crowd into a balloon-blowing frenzy.

Hawks Win
Hawks Win! Hawks Win! Hawks Win!

We were able to share the sightseeing activities on Sunday. We started with breakfast at Bakery Kitchen Raggruppi, a small bakery down—you guessed it—a side alley. Google Maps totally missed the mark on this one, but a nice lady who was heading out for a refill on her water bottle walked us several blocks out of her way to the restaurant.

The restaurant offered all-you-can-eat homemade bread with some seasonal treats and an omelet in its upstairs cafe. My plate included a cold kabocha (Japanese pumpkin) soup while the Mrs. had a light potato salad. Some tuna and several large slices of prosciutto had to be navigated, but  it was a small price to pay for a great breakfast. We grabbed a few treats in the bakery downstairs on our way out.

Maizuru Koen
Taking a nap among the lilypads at Maizuru Koen

Directly across the street is Maizuru Koen and Ohori Koen. The parks butt up against each other, but apparently are distinct parks. Along the main street, Maizuru Koen greets you with a pond full of lily pads. Large cranes perch in the trees and willow trees fall over the dirt path. Literally steps from a busy street, it was like being in a different world.

Turret
A restored turret in the Fukuoka Castle ruins complex

The ruins of Fukuoka Castle are also part of the park. Centuries-old stone walls are visible throughout the complex and a few of the old buildings have been restored. It’s an active restoration site, so new pieces of the old buildings are being unearthed and are open to the public.

A long path leads into Ohori Koen. A large pond is circled by a walking path. Visitors can rent rowboats or swan-shaped pedal boats or just sit along the edge of the pond and enjoy the view. In true Japan fashion, there’s a Starbucks on site, so you can also enjoy a dark chocolate Frappuccino along with the view.

Ohori Koen
Boaters enjoy Ohori Koen on a perfect Sunday morning.

I mentioned Fukuoka’s ranking as one of the world’s most livable cities. Tokyo is actually ranked higher on Monocle‘s list, but I preferred Fukoka’s vibe. The city’s layout is much more of a western-style than Tokyo, which made finding things a lot easier. There was a ton to do without the mass of humanity that comes with a day-trip to Tokyo. Parks and public spaces are numerous and the city has made great use of its bay front with shopping, restaurants and recreational opportunities. The area around Fukuoka Tower is the city’s cultural center, with a large public library, park space, the city museum and sports fields all leading from the main street to the bay front. The transportation system is straight-forward and convenient.

Granted, it was a small sample size, but Fukuoka is definitely one of my new favorite Japanese cities. I’m hoping we’ll get a chance to compare it to Osaka, Kyoto and Sapporo before we leave.