tsubame sanjo-nagaoka-tokyo

Was wondering why our bathroom had blinds...it's because we can also see the people in the large bath area of their hotel across the way! except they didn't have blinds...eep!

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 sandwich

We 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 pretty

And 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!

I chose 1, while the dude at the other table chose the 50...if you finish eating it they take your photo and put it on their wall of fame...they took his photo!

I also added cheese…1040 yen (tax included)

Satoshi wanted to try their demi katsu and ketchup katsu, but also wanted to try their curry...980 yen (tax included)

I gave him some of my curry to taste.

After lunch, Satoshi wanted to check out some historical areas, I wasn't too interested in that, so I walked around 

This is the City Hall Plaza Aore Nagaoka

Loved the benches in front...

Loved how they had walkways above the roads

We 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

Satoshi said the shrimp one was delicious too.

I put the red ginger and octopus kamaboko into the freezer

We also bought some takikomi gohan which used Niigata koshihikari by Kaiho

And a saba bento...both were delicious.

Not many steps as the other days (16851). 

We hope you enjoyed this adventure as much as we did.

Restaurant Nakata

2-3-6 Sakanouemachi

Nagaoka, Niigata

Taketoku & Kaiho

inside Cocolo Nagaoka