Our Adventures in Japan
Kat & Satoshi's eating and traveling adventures around Japan (and sometimes Hawaii)
Saturday, April 27, 2024
this and that
Tokyo People: this furry one looked up and smiled when they went past
Botan (peony) near Ikegami Honmonji
Wisteria near Ikegami Honmonji
Tokyo People: learning how to plant a tree
Last of the freesia
Shakuyaku (chinese peony)
Wisteria near Umeyashiki
Tokyo People: so warm
Wisteria at Myodenji, Umeyashiki (this wisteria was in front of the priest's house)
Friday, April 26, 2024
tsubame sanjo-nagaoka-tokyo
It was a rare time we didn't have a meal plan with our booking, and nearby breakfast choices were also slim.
Luckily, there was a 7-eleven across the street.
I had a Yasuda yogurt drink, pineapple and teri chicken egg salad sandwichWe also bought some coffee too
While eating we decided to check the time for the local trains, only to discover that there weren't any for the next hour...BUT if we paid an extra 800 yen each, we could take the Shinkansen from Tsubame Sanjo to Nagaoka
How is this huge sakura tree? we could see it from across the JR Tsubame Sanjo parking lot..so prettyAnd this huge knife and fork?! made by the blacksmiths of the area.
Nagaoka...known for their firework makers, they have firework shows during the summer, I remember back when they had a show at Pearl Harbor, we could see it from where my parents house used to be (thought I wrote about it here but only uploaded a video to IG).
Satoshi wanted to check out Yukyuzan Park, which was about 15 minutes away by bus
On the property is Aoshi Shrine
Niigata people (I think), enjoying the cherry blossoms
There is a picnic area as well as this area with double cherry blossom trees
And weeping cherry trees
So pretty
Lunch was at Restaurant Nakata, near the JR Nagaoka station, which Satoshi had wanted to try
Their pork curry is popular, you can choose the spiciness from 1 to 50!
Satoshi wanted to try their demi katsu and ketchup katsu, but also wanted to try their curry...980 yen (tax included)
After lunch, Satoshi wanted to check out some historical areas, I wasn't too interested in that, so I walked around
Loved the benches in front...
Loved how they had walkways above the roadsWe picked up some kamaboko from Taketoku, their nitama (seasoned egg), shrimp, red ginger and tako negi (octopus onion)…1578 yen (tax included)
The nitama was wrapped with kamaboko and was still jammy...delicious
We also bought some takikomi gohan which used Niigata koshihikari by Kaiho
And a saba bento...both were delicious.
Thursday, April 25, 2024
niigata-kamo-higashi sanjo-yahiko-tsubame sanjo
It was after this photo that I "gracefully" fell while crossing the street, luckily I was wearing long sleeves...why is it that whenever I fall it is in slow motion?!
I surprised myself, Satoshi and the probably the people sitting in their car waiting for the light to change...luckily, it didn't seem like anything was broken. (just my ego...ha!)
The reason for stopping in Kamo was to see this...500 koinoboriAnd the squirrel area...man, those guys run fast!
Across the street is Marudai Arimoto Shoten, which has been in business since 1919, they sell varieties of local sake and we picked up some souvenirs here.
Chocoman by Magara Kashiten, white bean paste filled manju is covered with chocolate...800 yen (tax included)
Kanegi Fruits has been in business since 1903!
At Tsubame Sanjo, we caught a train to Yahiko, so that we could visit Yahiko Shrine. (the train connections are sparse so be careful of the times)
What a long day...lots of walking (31759) but we got to see, do and eat everything we intended to.