Yuki

Yuki is a town east of Oyama.  It was a sunny day on Monday so we rode our bikes over to the area.  The town was far less happening than Oyama and reminded us of Iizuka, where we had lived before.  Let's just say I'm glad to be living in Oyama this time around.  Even so, Yuki was a cute little town that seemed to have a shrine or temple around every corner.  We're thinking it could be a good place to come during New Year's celebrations.

The rest of the day we lazed about and Drew took a trip to the onsen.  I've had an experience in an onsen once before, the last time we lived in Japan.  I just wasn't ready to have another one.  An onsen is a hot spring.  When you go to one you shower yourself off and then get in the hot spring, naked, with other people of your same gender.  Unless you live out in the boonies where they have mixed gender onsens.  I find the whole experience quite unpleasant.  People already have more of a tendency to stare at me because I'm a foreigner and I really don't want to be stared at while completely exposed.  Drew, of course, ends up making friends and chatting it up with the old guys every time he goes.  Not surprised...

Yakiniku

New restaurant alert!  We went out to eat at Seiji over the weekend which is a yakiniku place.  It literally means grilled meat and is a Korean style barbecue.  You order the type of meat you want and then cook it yourself on the table grill.  My favorite part is that the set always comes with little dishes of salad, vegetables, soup, rice, etc.  Usually items I would never know to order but end up enjoying.

Serious grill face

Drew has found his favorite park in town. Of course I find it to be one of the most impractical parks because it is just one giant hill.  He does have a good point that it would be nice for a picnic or some star gazing.  I guess we'll give it a try.

Utsunomiya

Utsunomiya claims to be THE place for gyoza.  In case you're unfamiliar, gyoza is a pot sticker and is fantastic just about anywhere you have it.  We weren't convinced that it would be that much better in Utsunomiya.  We went to one of the many gyoza sampling shops in town to try it out.

Gyoza grilled in a skillet

Boiled gyoza

Boiled gyoza in sesame sauce

They weren't lying!  This gyoza was fantastic.  Drew loved the grilled gyoza and I loved the fancy boiled gyoza with bean sprouts and a sesame sauce.  The side sauce to dip the gyoza contains soy sauce, vinegar, and rayu (chili oil).  It was sooooo good.

There is also a reconstruction of the Utsunomiya castle in town that we walked to.  We were pounced on right away by the castle museum employees who were probably bored out of their minds because it was a rainy day and they didn't have many visitors.   Our guide was very friendly and, lucky for me, spoke a good amount of English.

This Romanesque cathedral was a strange sight to see in Japan. It was built in 1932 with Ohya stone, a special product from the Utsunomiya quarries. 

Our trip to Utsunomiya was originally planned to see a horseback archery contest taking place in front of Futarasan Shrine.  It was cancelled due to the rain but we made a stop by the shrine anyways.  No rain will ruin our day.

Weekend Eats

We had some good finds this weekend.  On Sunday Drew was craving pizza but I wanted to get out of the apartment and go to a restaurant.  Our compromise was to try a place called Coco's, which was a sit down restaurant with a wide variety on their menu, including pizza and quesadillas.  That is a rare find!

Drew and I decided to split a quesadilla and each get a pizza.  Don't judge, remember that portion sides here are much smaller than back home.  The quesadilla was amazing and was gone before I even thought to get a picture.  The same almost happened with my pizza.  This was by far the best pizza crust I've ever had in Japan.  And if you know me, you'll know it's all about the crust.

Monday night we took a walk to an Okinawan restaurant that is near our train station.  Neither of us had ever tried Okinawan food before and we were up for an adventure.

I was surprised by the awesome glass floor peeking down onto sand and seashells.

I ordered the papaya chanpuru, which was sort of a vegetable stir-fry, and Drew ordered a pork rice bowl that seemed to have chunks of spam in it.  Either way, both dishes got a thumbs up.  Next time we will be coming back to try the taco rice.

Udon Festival

We got word that Oyama was having a Udon festival on Sunday so we went to check it out.  Udon noodles are big, thick wheat noodles that I think everyone would love.  Food stalls had been set up all over the city, there was music, samurai performances, and even some hula dancers.  A beautiful day!

Got some Udon!

Samurai taking a lunch break

  

Me and My Kimono

One of these things is not like the other....

Yup, that's me and I am definitely not Japanese.  I really thought after the dress, wig, and makeup that maybe I would be able to blend in a bit better.  Nope, not at all!  You should have seen the amount of eyeliner that was put on the other girls to try to make their eyes bigger.  They barely put any on me and my eyes still look huge.  Oh well, I guess there's no hope of fitting in.

Okay, here's the story.  There is a kimono parade in Tochigi to commemorate the artist, Utamaro Kitagawa, who had a connection with the city.  He is well known for his works of bijinga, a term for pictures of beautiful women in art.  These women were always depicted in the traditional kimono dress.  Drew's boss happened to be friends with some of the people involved in planning the parade and was asked if their English speaking employee would participate.  Since Drew is not a "beautiful woman", the task was handed down to me.  How could I pass this up?!  Apparently, I just made the cut because 160 cm is the maximum height you can be and that is exactly how tall I am.  Imagine that, I was almost too tall!

Unfortunately, Drew had to work that day and was not able to witness this spectacle so I was sent off with Drew's boss's wife.  I would later be handed off to their daughter, Anna, that afternoon, leaving me with a two hour window without a translator.  I'll admit that I was a little anxious about the whole event.  It's one thing to go to the grocery store without being able to communicate, but it's another thing to try to be in a coordinated show when I won't be able to understand commands.

We arrived in Tochigi around 9:00 am and it was time for makeup.  First I was given a bald head, then a nice white face.  We were instructed not to put on any makeup or lotion before arrival, which I completely obeyed.  For some reason the makeup lady did not believe me.  She asked, through my translator, if I had anything on my face.  I responded with no and she proceeded to ask me to wash my face again anyways.  For my own sake, I've decided to believe that meant I looked so great that she really thought I had makeup on.  Otherwise, it might just mean I looked greasy...

Next up was my kimono dressing.  I might as well have been wearing a corset!  As they were first wrapping me up in towels, the little, energetic lady in charge of the whole operation kept making exclamations and hand gestures towards me.  The kind that would indicate someone is shapely.  I wasn't sure I was understanding.  Is this lady trying to say that I am voluptuous?  Really, me??  Turns out that is exactly what she had been saying.  I was later told that the lady was going on about how she was having to strap me down because my chest was too large.  Ha!  Now that is a first!  So not only was I almost too tall to participate, but I am also too curvy.  I think I might like this place.

A light lunch, due to the lack of room for stomach growth, was next on my agenda.  During lunch I discovered that the girl walking behind me in the parade, Saeko, could speak a decent amount of English.  Thank goodness!  The time that I was going to be without a translator was when they were going to explain what we all needed to do in the parade.  Saeko really saved me.  

After lunch we got our lipstick and wigs.  The wig was insanely heavy!

Even my hands are painted white.

At this point I have been left on my own with my two new friends.  Our part in the parade was briefly explained and we were shuttled into a van a little before 2:00 pm.  There is no proof of the first parade because Anna was still in school and not there to document.  I smuggled my camera down in the large orange thing attached to the front of my body but I had no way to use it while being watched.  As we got out of the van we were bombarded by a slew of cameras.  It felt like we were celebrities.  Note to self, never become famous.  There were only about a dozen people in the parade so I could not blend in as I hoped.  Being the center of attention has never been something I've enjoyed. As I walked past the crowds staring at me, I wondered how in the world did I end up here, in Japan, wearing a kimono, in a full historical get up, making my way down the street, trying not to trip in my crazy tall shoes.  This is not something I ever would have guessed I'd be doing in a million years.

I hardly ever wear heels, much less these puppies

You'll be glad to know that I did not trip.  The main character in the parade had shoes about three times that high, which caused the parade to move very slowly.  Half of the first parade was spent in a boat that was rowed back and forth while music played and people on each side of the river took millions of pictures of us.  I started to get extremely hot.  It was a cool, sunny day but the ten layers of my kimono were stifling.  Then my head got heavier and heavier with that five pound wig.  My neck felt like it was about to break off.  I thought about bailing out one side of the boat but I didn't want to leave Saeko, who was getting hungry, alone with the torture.  During the boat trip we even were announced by name.  I, of course, was Breanna from America.  How exotic!  They had to nudge me to make sure I waved at the crowd.  

We eventually escaped the first parade and were put in a tiny store off the street for a quick rest before the second parade.  People were still trying to get pictures and videos of us through the window.  Overwhelming!  This is when Anna showed up and I handed off my camera.  The second parade began around 4:00 pm, which is where the picture at the top of this post was taken.  This one was much shorter than the first but we had to pose for quite a few pictures beforehand.  Here is the whole team.

Check out her shoes!

And we're off...

The best part is when I could hear in the crowd people refer to me as "The American", or whisper "foreigner" while snapping a picture.  One of the ladies involved in the parade said to me, "you're very popular!"  I guess I have to use my exoticism to my advantage.

It was finally over around 5:00 pm and we walked back to the hotel to return to normal.  Taking it all off was one of the best feelings in the world.  Get out of here wig!

We felt so free.

Your turn kimono.

I'm still fighting to get all of that white makeup off of me.  Did I mention that I had to give permission for my picture to be used on the front of the festival's flier for next year?  Yup, these pictures will be around for awhile.  There's even a video...

 

Restaurant Reviews

Oh how I would love for my job to be reviewing restaurants.  Everyday go to a new restaurant, eat lots of food, and give my opinion.  Sounds like fun to me.  However, due to my prejudices against mayonnaise, mustard, raw meat/fish, tomatoes, and anything too chewy, I don't think I'm qualified for the position.  But maybe it's about time those picky eaters out there had a representative.

Anyways...here are my thoughts on the restaurants we've tried so far in Oyama.

Mos Burger

Type: Fast food burger

Price: $

This is our source for hamburgers.  I personally like the Teriyaki burger (without the mayo) and fries.  Due to the small burger size, Drew usually gets two and is still hungry.  Having wax paper napkins is most annoying here because the burgers are a bit messy.  They are served wrapped in paper so that you never have to touch your food (a Japanese thing).  I can't help it, I always feel like I'm about to eat the paper so I ditch it.  It's good to have this as an option when we are craving more American style food.  

Tantanmen Restaurant

Type: Chinese Ramen

Price: $$

Here is where I first discovered Tantanmen.  I've since made it myself, which you can see on my Food page.  It is a bowl of spicy noodles with ground pork and seems to be the only item on their menu.  It looked like you could get different sizes and spice levels.  We've only been once but I'm dying to go back to compare it to my homemade version.  Definitely in my top 3 picks.  

Okonomiyaki Restaurant

Type: Okonomiyaki

Price: $$

I posted about this place previously.  Here you sit in front of a large grill and make your own savory pancake.  This is a restaurant genre that you can find throughout Japan.  It makes for a fun experience and is also included in my top 3.

Natty Pub

Type: Bar

Price: $$$

We found tacos and buffalo wings on the menu here.  It is a reggae bar with an English menu and more familiar food options.  The inside is very dark, the bartender/waiter has dreads, and the music is exactly what you would expect.  Maybe we didn't really fit in, but our dinner was fantastic.  However, it is a bit pricey for our taste.  At least I've been able to make my own tacos at home.

 Michinoku Izakaya

Type: Izakaya (similar to a pub)

Price: $$$

Drew became a regular here before I even arrived.  It is a small place with only 3 tables and bar seating.  The owners are incredibly nice and will chat with you all evening.  Here you can get fried chicken, french fries, and pizza, or Japanese dishes such as yakitori and yakisoba.  It can be expensive to eat a full meal here but it's a great place to come and have appetizers.

La Frontera

Type: Peruvian

Price: $$$

I posted pictures of the Peruvian food we ordered earlier in the week.  La Frontera is definitely a hole-in-the-wall place that looks like it would be horrible from the outside but is actually a fantastic restaurant.  The decor and Spanish music created a great atmosphere.  Plus, the menu was in Spanish which was much easier for me to comprehend than Japanese.  I wish it wasn't expensive because there are so many items on the menu that I would love to try.

Sushi Restaurant

Type: Conveyor belt sushi

Price: $

We love our 100 yen sushi shop and have been frequenting it often.  How can you beat 100 yen? That's all that needs to be said.

Tonkatsu Restaurant

Type: Japanese style tonkatsu

Price: $$$$

The Japanese on the sign translates literally to "Tasty Thing House" but I doubt it sounds that funny in Japanese.  Drew's boss and his family brought us here to try the tonkatsu (breaded pork cutlet).  This was the first traditional Japanese style restaurant that we've been to in Oyama.  You sit in a tatami mat room and your meal comes with a bunch of little dishes (salad, rice, pickled this, pickled that, etc).  The food was delicious, of course, but these style restaurants are too expensive to visit often.

Udon Restaurant

Type: Noodles

Price: $

Drew brought me here the first day I arrived, meaning I barely remember it.  It was set up a little like a buffet where you grab a tray and pick from a variety of tempura (fried) items.  Then you get to the window and order your udon (noodle soup).  You can eat your fried item separately or put it into your soup.  This is a very quick and easy meal.  I can't imagine anyone not liking udon.

Halal Food

Type: Indian

Price: $$

Hooray!  A wonderful Indian place that serves naan as big as the one we found in Tokyo.  I should mention that the owner is actually from Pakistan, not India, and his butter chicken is amazing.   He has been very friendly and has given us free sodas both times we've been.  The naan alone makes this the last of my top 3 picks.

Joyful

Type: Family style

Price: $$

Joyful was one of our favorite chains from the last time we were in Japan. It has a fifties dinner feel to it.  Normally I get the pizza and corn soup, while Drew gets the cut steak.  Maybe it's a regional thing, but the the pizza and steak is not the same as it was when we lived in southern Japan.  Unfortunately, this has moved Joyful out of my top picks.

Saizeriya

Type: Italian

Price: $

The reason I don't have a nice picture for Saizeriya is because my bike is out of commission with a big flat tire!  This restaurant is a little too far for me to walk.  Actually, I could walk there just fine but it was on the other side of town from Mos Burger and I just wasn't feeling it.   So here is a link instead.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Saizeriya_%EF%BC%8801%EF%BC%89.jpg

Drew's boss and his family also took us out to eat here one night.  I had a super tasty shrimp risotto and a slice of someone's pizza.  The pizza was great!  Definitely a good place to go for cheap Italian food.

Mister Donut

Type: Bakery

Price: $

Also a little far away for me to get a picture without my bike.  Mister Donut is the closest thing we have to American sweets.  I've attached a link to my favorite doughnut.  For some reason the Mister Donut nearby does not have this variety.  Why?!  

http://www.misterdonut.jp/m_menu/donut/dch02.html

I have to admit that these doughnuts are nothing like the ones back home.  You can tell that they are much healthier, therefore not as delectable.   

Well, that's it.  I'm surprised we haven't been more places after being here for over a month.  I hope that means my cooking is keeping us satisfied.  There are a several other places in town that I am looking forward to trying in the future.  

Nikko

One of the top tourist areas in Japan is Nikko.  As it is only a little over an hour away from our home, we made the trip on Sunday.  Nikko's attraction is the elaborately decorated shrines and temples in the town that are uncommon in other areas of Japan.  As always, the highlights...

Shinkyo Bridge

This bridge marks the entrance into Nikko's shrines and temples.  The beautiful environment is one of the reasons we enjoyed Nikko.  I see some hiking excursions in our future.

Toshogu Shrine

This shrine is a mausoleum for the founder of the Tokugawa shogunate, which ruled Japan until 1868.  There are several famous carvings in the shrine complex including the "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil" monkeys.  It was this carving that made the wise monkeys popular.

There is also a carving of an elephant that was made by an artist that had never actually seen an elephant but had one described to him.  The ears are all wrong, it has funky toes, and the hide has fur.  Not sure I would have done any better.

Shoyoen Garden

Everyone says that fall is the best time to visit Nikko due to the changing of the leaves.  We seemed to be a week or two early so we have plans to return.  Drew took a ton of pictures trying to get ideas for creating his own small garden when we move home.  If it turns out anything like this place, I'll approve.

Taiyuinbyo

This is a mausoleum for the third Tokugawa shogun.  There were a variety of really interesting statues in the entryways.

Unfortunately, there is a lot of construction going on in Nikko so some of the other sites were covered.  We've already scoped out a botanical garden, gorge, and an imperial villa that are must sees for next time.