Kiyosato

We spent our summer holiday in the mountains. It was 15-20 degrees cooler, and was chilly in the evenings. I loved it and they had to drag me back to Tokyo.

Saturday's BBQ party

Birdseye of Miyakoda-san preparing the Yaki-niku

Fukui-san assists

The shrimp and squid add interesting color to the grill

Compai!

Left to right: Watanabe-san, his son Hajime, Miyakoda-san, Yoshiko-san, Aya, and Fukui-san

someone likes meat!

I think he doubled his weight at this one meal

Round 2

Hajime and Aya's mom enjoy discussing the Yomiuri Giants. Everyone else is a fan of the Hanshin Tigers, including both of Hajime's parents. He enjoyed discussing the team with a fellow fan, and I think Aya's mom enjoyed it as well.

Breakfast on Sunday after a game of tennis. I am always impressed with how colorful meals are. I guess that is largely due to all of the fresh fruits and vegetables we eat in the mountains.

Preparing for a round of putter golf

Just like real golf, only it is only greens. All of the roughs are OB and a 2 stroke penalty. Lots of fun.

Longest putt of the day goes to Aya

Aya tees off

Miyakoda-sans second shot from the rough

Fukui putting for birdie

Aya's mom steering her putt

nananananananananana

zazazazazazazazazazaza

(caddy shack)

Aya is prepared for a flood should it occur

To the victors go the spoils. The top 2 finishers won icecream from the bottom 2, and had to rub it in. Not quite sure how this pose came about, but sometimes you just have to go with it.

Reference for the photos below...

One our return from Putter Golf, the bridge over the deepest valley was closed and there was a rescue helicopter.

Apparently someone jumped off of the bridge, so they were lowering paramedics into the valley

A pretty blurry picture, but you don't have much time to react when someone is taping another's mouth shut.

Miyakoda-san demonstrating how he was able to break free of the tape

Fukui-san and Miyakoda-san dancing. I was lucky enough to be a wallflower this time.

Miyakoda-san's art wall at the mountain house

after dinner discussion

Hiking on tuesday

I think a free bowl of soup came with Aya's hat

(another Caddy Shack)

Andrew & Judy visit Tokyo

Andrew and Judy came to visit Tokyo from South Korea where they are both teaching. We got to spend friday night and saturday with them mostly eating, drinking, and generally trying to stay out of the heat as much as possible.

Friday: All of our culinary tours of Tokyo begin at Toriki

After Toriki we got a bit off track from where we intended to go, but did find a place to cool down and get a few beers. This place attracted us with their beer special in english. However, the part that said it was tomorrow was in Japanese. But everything happens for a reason...

The woman on the right is the "owner" (turns out her sister is the actual owner). She was about the meanest, funniest, strangest person I have ever met. She was very much taken by Andrew and I, and kept grabbing our butts and flirting with us - in Japanese - and then getting mad when we didn't respond to her advances and even madder that we couldn't speak Japanese. Made for a VERY entertaining evening, and a few bruises on the backside the next morning.

Saturday: Togoshi-Ginza. Posing in front of a government test of 'mist fans.' The theory is that these devices will cool prominent shopping streets during the heat of summer - GENIUS! We found them very effective, but wonder how many it would take to cover an entire street.

Stopping for a beer and a bit of AC. Cabbage is always a nice snack.

Powering up on a few Tai okonomi-yaki, and Tai-yaki. Basically, fish shaped (tai = red snapper) pancake with various fillings. Tai-yaki is custard or red bean filled. Tai okonomi-yaki has mayo, ham, ginger, cabbage, & vegetable sauce. Double Good! They also had a new curry flavored one, so each couple had to share one of each.

Bon Odori festival in Kugahara that night

Stopped for a drink and some light food at this really cool local sake bar. Aya and I have walked by here many times and I have always been intrigued by the pirate behind the bar. He more than lived up to expectations. He only serves 3 kinds of Sake, and chips chunks of ice from huge blocks for each drink. This place is not about quick service, but is about quality and tradition.

It is like a Japanese 'Cheers.' Everyone in the bar (all 8 of the other people that could fit) knew each other, and have been customers of "The Master" for over 20 years. This is the 3rd location of his bar, yet these people still come from across town 2-3 times a week to have a drink and see him. Great experience.

One last midnight snack of curry chicken on a skillet. In Japan there is no such thing as just grabbing a few drinks.