hijiki

Finally got around to making the hijiki we bought in Mie

The expiry date was a couple years past, whoops

Anyway…

Soak the whole thing in water for about an hour, to bring it back to “life”

The hijiki in Mie is different from the type I usually see because their version is l-o-n-g and a little thick

After it is reconstituted, rinse several times to make sure there is no sand, set aside

Prepare the other “stuff”

Pour over hot water over the aburaage to take off some of the oil, then cut into bite sized pieces

I had thought to grate carrots but ended up slicing them thin then into sticks because my grater seemed to make the carrots a little too thin

Heat a pan with a tablespoon of oil and sauté the hijiki, aburaage and carrots

Add 2.5 cups of dashi (stock), bring to a boil and boil for 10 minutes

Turn down heat to medium then add

4.5 tablespoons sugar

3.75 tablespoons shoyu

2.5 tablespoons mirin

Put an oshibuta (drop lid) on and cook for at least 20 minutes

NOTES: the directions didn’t really say how long it should be cooked, just until tender

I noticed other recipes online that said to cook until all the liquid evaporates, but decided to just cook everything for at least 20 minutes so that the mirin could burn off

we ate this (twice) over rice...I hope to use the last of it to top tamagoyaki (rolled omelette)

overall it was pretty easy to make...I want to use up the simmering liquid and am thinking to make nikujaga with it.

oboro towel

Been wanting to change our towels for some time now.

Finally bought these from Oboro Towel, a company from Mie that has been in business since 1908!

These are so soft!

These two (left) were smaller (33 cm x 100 cm) than US sized bath towels and smaller than Japan sized bath towels.

I then ordered two more Japan sized bath towels (60 cm x 120 cm) and two face towels (32 cm x 85 cm).

I like that they are made from cotton and made in Japan.

I want to order two more bath, but will do that at another time.

suehiro

Been wanting to try Suehiro's ice manju after seeing it on several television shows

This shop is teeny and these ice manju are made by a couple

Most of the locals in Mie prefecture know of these and when it was shown on a television show they had to try to keep up with orders

There was even talk about closing up shop because they just couldn't keep up with the orders

These are made from scratch, the azuki is boiled and sweetened 

Then they make the milk layer and put these together to freeze

Since 1950 they've been making this version...unique shape too!

Nowadays they have other flavors...matcha, dainagon (a type of premium azuki), ichigo (strawberry) and kokuto (black sugar)

The set I purchased had 4 of the 5 flavors x 2...1800 yen (tax included) plus shipping

The website said that the earliest I would be able to receive my order was September 1st.

Knowing that we wouldn't be home on Friday and Saturday, I thought it would be okay to order this...

Well, guess when the delivery guy showed up?! on Friday (August 29) and tried again on Saturday (August 30)

There was even a phone call from the shop saying that he had sent out my order...and a phone call from the delivery people 

When we got back late Saturday night, I scheduled re-delivery for Sunday

Take them out 10 minutes before eating and enjoy!

The original is delicious, not too sweet and that whole milk layer has azuki in it!

I'm glad we tried this and look forward to trying the other flavors.

toba-nagoya-tokyo

Breakfast the next morning was buffet style.

I tried to take local dishes.

Love okayu! (rice porridge)

Not pictured: round 2 (coffee, yogurt with granola and mini croissants)

Unfortunately, the weather was rainy

Still, Satoshi wanted to go to check out the Yokoyama Lookout near Ugata

To get up to the lookout, you need to go by taxi.

On weekdays, the taxis charge only 500 yen, what the Japanese like to call "one coin", but on weekends it costs 4 times the amount!eep

The first thing the taxi driver said when we told him where to take us was, "you probably won't be able to see anything"

Satoshi explained that he might have a tour group to bring here, the taxi driver was kind enough to explain where the bus parking for big buses was as he drove us up to the lookout area. 

Big buses would need to drop off their passengers at the bottom (no room to turn around at the top) and the passengers would need to walk up to the lookout.

Mini buses/vans would be allowed up to the lookout parking.

Luckily, the pouring rain stopped for us.

We had aosa (green laver) donuts and coffees...270 yen (tax included) each for the donuts and 400 yen (tax included) each for the coffee

Then Satoshi went to look at the lookout area.

Luckily there is a wheelchair ramp from the parking for cars & mini vans to the lookout area.

But, to go back to the parking for big buses, everyone needs to go down these stairs!

Not nicely paved either!

Bursts of color from the kawazuzakura on this rainy day.

along the road back to the station

We caught the express train from Ugata to Nagoya

Grabbed some items for a late lunch at Nagoya station and made our way back to Tokyo

Miso katsu sandwich!

Satoshi had this miso katsu bento

Furaibo...my favorite Nagoya style chicken for dinner...

I hope you enjoyed our adventure as much as we did

Yokoyama Lookout

Mirador Cafe

875-20 Agocho Ugata

Shima, Mie

ise jingu

Breakfast was huge the next morning
 

After checking out we made our way to Ise Jingu to meet up with a tour guide

It was my first time to Ise Jingu, Satoshi’s last time here was in elementary school!

We found another Pokemon manhole cover

I loved how they decorated the shops with these flower arrangements along the Ise Geku Sando (walkway to Outer Shrine)

This was our tour guide for the next 80 minutes at Ise Jingu Geku (Outer Shrine) area, Ms Otsu

She was super patient with all the questions Satoshi had, BUT she also spoke super fast!

Trees are wrapped to protect them against people's hand oils not to protect them against the cold

For this area, you are asked to walk on the left side.

If they tell you "no photos" please abide by the rules, there were some adults not "adulting"

I was kind of annoyed by how loud and unruly some people were here

And amazed by the huge trees

From the Geku (Outer Shrine) to the Naiku (Inner Shrine) you can take a bus or taxi

I think they said it is 6 kilos (3.7 miles)?!

We didn't have much time before our next tour to take the bus, so we took a taxi...2000 yen (one way!)

After checking in with our tour, we had a little over an hour to eat something

We stood in line for Akafuku

We’ve had these before in Osaka.

These mochi are made fresh and covered with smooth sweet bean paste by hand.

They are so soft! delicious!

Perfect with hojicha...300 yen (tax included) for one serving

Then at 13:30 we met up with our next guide Mr Takeda (we think) for a 60 minute tour of the Naiku (inner shrine)

This guy spoke so fast, walked fast, and just "threw" all his info about this place at us!

For the inner shrine they ask you to walk on the right

Do not throw coins into the rivers!

The coins dirty the water and kills all the “natural” stuff in the water

By the end of the tour our brains were fried...

We were kinda starving at this point, so we had Ise Udon at Nikodo Ichirakutei

If you like pull and chew for your udon, this is not for you.

The noodles are soft soft soft, the story behind this is that people who made the pilgrimage to Ise Jingu were usually tired, these soft noodles are supposedly better for digestion after a long journey.

I had the Asama, which was lighter than the Isuzu

Satoshi had the Isuzu, his had a thick tamari sauce on them..550 yen (tax included) each

Change up the flavors with ginger and or chili

It was my first time trying this type of udon, I enjoyed it

We made our way to the hotel we would be staying at, Senpokaku, which we stayed at in 2007

They must've really renovated over the years, because we didn't really remember too much of the place.

Dinner was kaiseki.

Lots of walking, lots of info to soak in.

Satoshi said he was able to learn quite a bit today.

Akafuku Honten

26 Ujinakanokiricho

Ise, Mie

Open daily: 5:00-17:00

Nikodo Ichirakutei

19 Ujimazaikecho

Ise, Mie

Closed: Wednesdays & Thursdays

Hours: 11:00-15:00

*cash only

Senpokaku

2-12-24 Toba

Toba, Mie

tokyo-nagoya-mie

Satoshi has another potential tour, so we went to check out areas in Mie prefecture.

First stop was Matsusaka.

It was our first time here.

But first lunch...

The more expensive way to try Matsusaka beef is at Gyugin, where they serve sukiyaki and steak, but since our dinner was going to be French, we decided to try Matsusaka beef in a more "reasonable" way, as udon at Gyugin’s sister shop, Aoyagi.

Buy your lunch ticket at the machine and give it to the wait staff, then find a seat 

I chose the half size udon with musubi filled with beef shigure-ni (beef simmered in soy sauce and other seasonings)

This was just the right amount for me, I loved the beefiness of the broth and the tenderness of the meat...1180 yen (tax included)

Satoshi had the Matsusaka beef donburi and beef udon.

He said he enjoyed it...1980 yen (tax included)

I'm glad we tried this.

From Aoyagi it is only about 5 minutes walking to the Matsusaka Castle Ruins.

You can see the preserved samurai homes from the ruins.

There are actual families still living in most of them too!

So many ume (plum) trees in bloom

At the Harada residence, a merchant in the Matsusaka area, there was also one in bloom

Up to Matsusaka Shrine

I purchased some wagashi (Japanese sweets) for us to try

From Tatsumido, suzu monaka, tsuru no tama and mo-chan manju...430 yen (tax included)

the most interesting of these three was the mo-chan manju which had beef shigure-ni mixed in with the sweet bean paste.

It had a savory flavor to it, I'm glad we got to try these.

Kirinohayama and oinotomo from Yanagiya Houzen, which has been in business since 1575! 

The kinohayama was savory too with aonori (green laver) mixed in to the white bean paste...280 yen (tax included)

oinotomo was a monaka (wafer) filled with sweet bean paste gelee...185 yen (tax included)

And we also tried these hachimitsu (honey) manju from Tenrinyaki...95 yen (tax included))

From Matsusaka we caught the train to Toba.

The last time we were in Toba was in 2007!

The area has some new places, like the Toba Marche.

A place that sells locally grown veggies and locally made foods.

We found a Pokemon manhole cover here.

From the marche, I bought some hoshiimo (dried sweet potato) for us to try called Kinko...1000 yen (tax included)

We then went to Mikimoto Island.

Where Kokichi Mikimoto invented cultured pearls.

You can also watch Ama (sea women) dive for seafood/pearls.

On this day it was blustery and fahreezing...I give those women credit for jumping in to show us this!

We checked in late so our dinner time was 19:45!

French dinner : everything was delicious!

A long day, but Satoshi got to see everything he needed to.

Aoyagi

1657 Uomachi

Matsusaka, Mie

Open daily: 11:00-17:00

*cash only

Tatsumido

2172 Honmachi

Matsusaka, Mie

Open daily 8:00-19:00

Yanagiya Houzen

1877 Nakamachi

Matsusaka, Mie

Closed: Tuesdays & Wednesdays

Hours: 9:00-18:00

Tenrinyaki

650 Hinomachi

Matsusaka, Mie

Open daily 10:00-18:30

Altia Toba

1061-9 Arashima-cho

Toba, Mie

ps more photos/videos, here (I haven't labeled everything yet, but will do so soon!)