kawasaki

Sunday we went to check out Kawasaki Marien, a 10 story building where you can see across the ocean to Chiba, parts of Tokyo and a faint Mount Fuji.

From Kawasaki Station it is about a 20 minute bus ride.

Besides the observatory floor, there are also meeting rooms and other facilities.

Google map labels this as a community center.

I think if it weren’t so hot and the air were cleaner?!, we might have been able to see a clearer Mount Fuji.

On the grounds they have tennis courts, a barbecue area and beach volleyball courts.

Apparently the city lights are something to see from this building as well as the surrounding areas, so Satoshi is looking into booking us on a tour.

There are several parks in the area too where a lot of people set up their tents and were enjoying the sun.

It is an industrial area though, so there wasn't much else to see or do, so we headed back.

Lunch was at Naruki.

Satoshi said he saw this shop on Matsuko’s show, and since there wasn’t a line, we got a table right away.

I was kind of surprised he remembered seeing the shop on Matsuko...he usually doesn't remember anything having to do with food.

Satoshi tried their ebi soba…shrimp in a broth with veggies and noodles…I had to stop him from drinking all the soup…ahem!

The gyoza was gyoza snob approved...I seriously think he has no criteria for the gyoza...ha!

In Kanagawa, they eat their gyoza like Kobe with a miso sauce except that Kanagawa mixes their miso sauce with some vinegar and chili oil.

It was blazing, so I ordered hiyashi chuka. I really like when shops serve this dish with a creamy sesame based sauce, but in Kanto (East Japan) it is hard to find…Naruki’s sauce was shoyu based…boo!

Still, it was nice to eat something cool & refreshing.

Since this place is gyoza snob approved, I’m sure we’ll be back.

When we came out of the restaurant the line was down the street!

We haven’t started rainy season and the heat is already pretty brutal.

Naruki

2-11 Ogawacho

Kawasaki, Kanagawa

Phone: 044.244.4888

Closed Tuesdays

Hours: 11:30-14:30 (lunch), 17:00-21:00 (dinner)