Kyoto trip 2

At a bar in Ponto street

Playing with the camera while waiting for our meals

Wagyu (Japanese beef)

Dengaku (food called fu, which is made of wheat gluten, topped with miso sauce)

We recommend this place---although we forgot the name...

On the way to Kodaiji-temple. We heard that there was a special exhibition of yokai---Japanese monsters---paintings at this temple.

At Kodaiji temple---When you look at this picture, you may be paying more attention to Chris's T-shirt rather than to the garden...

Kyoto trip 1

Going to Kyoto by two story bus !

We decided to take the second-floor seats as we thought that would be more fun than staying in the lower level. On the way to Kyoto, Chris went over his presentation materials while I enjoyed the pretty view, eating some onigiri (rice balls).

Great greentea&milk-flavored snowcone at a cafe in Nishiki-ichiba (Nishiki market)

We were supposed to meet our friends for lunch on that day but missed each other. So Chris and I cheated a little bit and went ahead eating this very tasty snow cone at a small cafe in Nishiki-ichiba (Nishiki market).

Finished !---really fast.

No matter how full we are, Chris and I (especially Chris) can eat ice cream and snow cone. We were really hungry at that time so you can imagine how quickly we emptied the cup.

With Yurie san and Sano san

It was very nice to meet Yurie san and Sano san ! Yurie san took us to a very neat place (A traditional house turned into a cafe). I had a ume soda (sour plum soda) there—tasted very good.

Ready,

and go.

Chicken wing staffed with salted cod roe and a hungry woman behind

An empty beer bottle and a hungry woman behind

A very nice camera work

難波 Nanba City

Mario Kart! Chris is evil…

… and Erumi is good ^_^
Incidentally, evil won this time. —Chris

Tasty Ramen

鶴橋 (tsuruhashi) ramen – the specialty of this restaurant. Full of kim chi and spicy goodness.

例の鶴橋ラーメン

あの…文化は文化やし、別に批判などしようとも思わないけど、このようなサービスはやっぱり . . . （でもやってもらいたいかな）
↑だめです。ひざ枕耳かきその他同種のサービス一切禁止。
クソ。

Translation of sign: “Don’t piss here!”
For some reason, there is a little shrine gate at the top; a warning of dire consequences from the gods should some foolhardy salaryman ignore the prohibition?

Random stuff in Japan!

三蛇酒：”Three snake liquor”.

Chris ordered a glass of this stuff at a restaurant in Kobe’s Chinatown. There are three quite poisonous snakes in there, and drinking it is supposed to make men vigorous. Well, Chris couldn’t drink more than a few sips of it, so Erumi finished it for him. At first she felt pretty great (vigorous?), but then the poison seemed to kick in, and she got really hot and felt sick. Erumi does not recommend three snake liquor

A cicada (Japanese semi) — symbol of summer (and ephemerality) in Japan

Kobe (Hyogo prefecture)

Chris and dad eating yakiniku

Eating yakiniku (grilled meat) at the Korean town with my parents. We had tongue, stomach, beef, kim chi, and more.

Chris and I began learning the sanshin (a type of stringed instrument) this summer. Getting together at our sanshin teacher’s house after Sunday practice

Osaka Night

Eating takoyaki with ponzu sauce and leeks in Amerika-mura (American village)
Cultural note: In Japan, you can drink beer on the street, while walking around. Oh, and you can get it in vending machines. Yes, Japan is truly a land of liberty. —Chris

Going on a boat tour !

Dotonbori Street

Dotonbori Street

Dotonbori street

Famous blowfish (fugu) restaurant

Takoyaki is a famous Osakan food. It’s octopus inside of a fried ball of dough, topped with mayonnaise, tonkatsu sauce, dried bonito flakes, and seaweed. Yum!

Eating Takoyaki We took a boat tour on the river in the night.

Guriko (Glico)

Chris+Meat

Osaka Castle

Chris excited—In front of my parents’ apartment

After having nice lemon-flavored snow cone, we went to explore the castle.

Sakura Gate

Chris’s amazing self-photo skill 1 (Taken by holding the camera in his right hand)

Chris’s amazing self-photo skill 2

View from Tenshu-kaku

Chris with Shachihoko

Getting stamps! In Japan, many places (especially historical sites such as castles and also other local places like train stations) have their own stamps. You can create your own collection of these stamps

Chris having fun in front of the castle 1

Chris having fun in front of the castle 2

Day 3: Naruto Straits

阿波踊り

Vertigo inducing.

Day 2: Strawberry-tasting-night

We took a walk in the surrounding mountains before visiting my brother.

My brother building a very big greenhouse

Sisters

Farmer pianist

The farm cafe

The front of my brother’s farm

My grandpa

Strawberry tasting night

Chris playing the cajon

Day 1: Trip to my brother’s farm

Dinner with my brother and sister-in-law

We found a huge spider in our room!

We woke up at 5 a.m. and began to explore the neighbourhood. This is the house of the family who owns the log cabin. They also raise cows and other vegetables there. When we woke up, everybody (including cows) were already working.

We stayed in this log cabin

Good Mooning !

Freshly picked corn ! Yum !

Breakfast after morning walk