Mt. Miurafuji and Mt. Takeyama

Mt. Miurafuji and Mt. Takeyama

On March 8, 2017

The Miura Peninsula has several great hiking trails that provide magnificent views. Here is a picture of The Miura peninsula, we are the blue dot near Zushi. The naval base is in Yokosuka. My journey today took me to the bottom middle, where I have placed a gold star and green marker.

Today, I invited my new friend, Sonia, to join me on a hike through the Miura Hills. We took the train to the Tsukuihama train station and then walked to the trail head marked with the green marker. There are two distinct peaks in the Miura Hills – Mt. Miurafuji and Mt. Takeyama. These two peaks are connected by a network of trails and on a clear day, from Mt. Miurafuji you can see Mt. Fuji.

My research told me the trail head was located behind the elementary school and marked with a Tori gate. Bingo! We began our upward climb.

The view from Mt. Miurafuji didn’t disappoint. We were so happy to have a clear enough day to see Mt. Fuji!

No matter when I see Mt. Fuji, it makes me super happy! There was a shrine at the summit and we took a few pictures before continuing on our hike.

The trail took us down and then back up to Mt. Takeyama.

Along the trail we passed an old gun turret.

We also passed a map and signs giving us updated directions.

I took a picture of this sign for my mom. I hope it makes her chuckle. She would tell us a story when we traveled on road trips about “Falling Rocks” – it was a ploy to keep the three of us quiet for a little bit…

We continued up and down.

Finally, we made it to Mt. Takeyama and enjoyed more beautiful views.

We also discovered a hidden away temple.

We finished our hiking loop and made our way back to the train station. What a great day! This will definitely be on our list when you visit!

One more thing, I took a couple of close up pictures of the map. The characters are hilarious.

And my favorite sign from the day!!

Hahahahaha

Taura Plum Grove

By wabisabisole

On March 7, 2017

In Japan, Plum Blossoms

I have been hearing a lot about the Taura Plum Grove over the past couple of weeks. Several people have told me how beautiful the trees were last year when they were in full bloom. Others who have been this year, reported the trees weren’t in full bloom yet. Simultaneously, someone else who went last week was told by the locals that most of the blooms were damaged from the cold weather or maybe they were told the trees had a disease. As always, a little bit is lost in translation. Regardless, I wanted to get out and about on the sunny early spring day. So, off I went. The route was a bit round about because the closet station to the Taura Plum Grove is Taura station. Taura station is a JR train line. The closest train station to our house is Jimmuji Station, on the Keikyu line. To get to the Grove, I went from Jimmuji station to the Kanazawa-Hakkei station, switched trains and went down to the Anjinzuka station. From the Anjinzuka station I had about a 30 minute walk to the grove. Coming home, I walked to the Taura station (20 minutes from the park) and took the JR line to Zushi and switched to the Keikyu line and came back to Jimmuji.

The walk to the park was pretty easy. There were flags marking the route as well as signs.

The park is on a hill. Which means there were a lot of stairs to climb. There were six long flights of stairs all similar to the two pictured here.

The view from the top was lovely. And as I had been warned, the Plum trees were not spectacular. As I walked further to the top, some of the trees offered more blooms.

You can imagine how beautiful this would be during the full bloom season.

I was able to take a few close up pictures.

There were several daffodils still blooming as well.

From the very top, the view was magnificent.

Interestingly, this sign is one we see when we take the toll road home from Main Base. I had some what of an “I know where I am moment” when I recognized the sign!

I took a different route down the hill to get out of the park. Still just as many stairs!!

Despite the lack of blooms on the trees, I enjoyed the afternoon exploring an area right in our backyard, so to speak. Imagine if all the trees looked like this one!

Popin’ Cookin’

By wabisabisole

On March 6, 2017

In Japan, Popin' Cookin'

Popin’ Cookin’ is a unique Japanese Candy creating experience. Today I purchased my first Popin’ Cookin’ kit at the Yorkmarto when I went to get Japanese groceries.

Popin’ Cookin’ is an edible candy kit. The kit I selected was a relatively simple one where I would create miniature ice cream cones, a wafer dessert, and a cupcake.

It is a rainy Monday and I thought putting together a candy creation would bring a little happiness to the dreary day.

Notice the directions are in Japanese. Google translate was of little help. I relied mostly on the pictures to make my candy art.

Here is what comes with the kit.

Two mini sugar cones, two sugar wafers, and a sugar dish. Two types of icing, plain and strawberry. A mixing stick and icing bag. And sprinkles for the topping. Time to get to work. First I cut out the dishes from the bag and wrapped the cones and set the cupcake holder on it.

Then, I chopped the sugar wafers into the suggested pieces using the included shovel. I feel like that was a messy attempt.

It was now time to mix the water with the icing packs.

And then place the icing into the icing bag. I did my best to keep the two icing colors separated. By the time I squeezed them out, it didn’t quite have the swirl look.

My finished candy creations.

Kawaii! Right!?!

And yes, that is how I spent about 10 minutes of my Monday. I hope your day was just as sweet!

Shin-Yokohama Ramen Museum

By wabisabisole

On March 5, 2017

In Japan, Ramen

Dave and I rode the train up to Shin-Yokohama to visit the Shin-Yokohama Ramen Museum. The trip took less than an hour and only two trains. The museum opened at 10:30 and we arrived by 11:00. We have learned, when in Japan, always be early!

The entrance to the museum is at ground level. The museum is marked by a giant bowl of ramen, of course!

The two floors of the actual museum are in the basement. At the museum, there are a variety of ramen from different regions in Japan. There are a total of nine different ramen restaurants. Does the numbering of this sign bother you? Haha

The museum is decorated to create the feeling of Japan of yesterday.

We were given an English pamphlet to help us learn about the different types. Notice there is no order to how the numbers are assigned to the ramen.

We selected the number 9 ramen restaurant. Here is the description.

And pictures. Dave picked the salt based ramen.

And I selected the soy sauce based ramen.

Nom nom nom…

Happiness is a giant bowl of ramen.

Apparently, there was an option to buy a smaller quantity just for tasting. We were ordering using a machine and a lot was lost in translation. In the end, it was just as well because, the lines were ridiculously long by the time we finished eating. This was the line for where we just finished eating!

I took this picture from the balcony of the second floor (B1) looking down to the first basement floor (B2). So many people standing in orderly lines!

It was a fun experience. We went on a Sunday and expected crowds. Honestly, it wasn’t “the best ramen” I’ve had since living here. However, it would be a good opportunity to taste ramen from another region. When you visit and want to go, I will suggest we try the Okinawa ramen (#5). Another positive, we can return later on the same day because re-entry is allowed!

I Japaned Like a Local Today

By wabisabisole

On March 4, 2017

In Google Map, Japan, Nissan Cube, Sushiro

Dave and I both had to work this morning. He had legitimate work to do for the U.S. Navy and I had a conversational English (EngRish) lesson. Haha.

After my EngRish lesson, I drove to base to pick up Dave and we made a quick stop at the Commissary and Exchange. By the time we were finished with our errands it was 12:30 and we were ready for lunch.

One thing we can always agree upon to eat is Sushi. The tricky part was where and how do we get there. Sushiro (conveyor belt Sushi) is my favorite.

However, it is not convenient by train to our house. It involves a 15-20 minute walk. Here’s the dilemma. The drive home would take 23 minutes and then to catch the train and walk to the restaurant would take 25 minutes. That’s about an hour and we were already hungry. The better solution, drive to Sushiro (21 minutes). Yep, that’s right. Drive where we haven’t driven before! Fortunately, Dina and I went last week and so I kind of knew my way. Here was our Google Maps route.

We made it to lunch and home without issue or incident. Our route home.

Simultaneously, we didn’t eat other people’s Sushi orders!

I consider today a huge success at Japaning. I taught English, drove around in the Hoopty, and followed the etiquette rules for eating sushi at Sushiro.

The only bad part was that I couldn’t have a beer with my Sushi because I was driving!

My Favorite Patio

By wabisabisole

On March 3, 2017

In Japan

One of my neighbors moved back to the U.S. this week. Before leaving, she passed along a variety of outdoor decorations and pieces of furniture.

She gave me four hanging trellises and several potted plants. Yesterday, Dina and I went to D2 and Homes to purchase hanging containers and plants. After a little TLC and gardening this morning, I was able to put together a welcoming entrance to our house!

I love the trellises. The two potted evergreens, table and chairs were all gifts from my neighbor.

I love all my plants. They make me so happy and gave me so much joy potting them and arranging them. I didn’t realize how much I was as missing being able to garden until I had a conversation with my girlfriend, Jennifer. During one of our weekly chats, she told me she spent most of her weekend working in her yard during the beautiful weather the East Coast has been experiencing. I felt a little tug and realized I missed having plants and flowerbeds to nurture. Working in my garden yesterday and today helped – a lot! I find gardening very therapeutic.

After all my hard work, I enjoyed a beer on my new favorite patio. The one right outside our kitchen slider.

It can’t compare to our kitchen view of Lake Michigan in NSGL. But, it’s home. And it’s beer. I hope when you’re in the neighborhood you will stop by and enjoy a pint or glass of wine. Or better yet, One or three of Julia’s margaritas!

Happy Friday! Kanpie!

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I need a little help from my gardening friends to identify this plant. It has a beautiful fragrance and just started blooming.

It is very compact and has flowers blooming in clusters. It didn’t lose it’s leaves during winter. I thought it might be a rhododendron?

Sakura is the Japanese Pumpkin

By wabisabisole

On March 1, 2017

In Japan, Sakura

Dina, Miki, and I went up to Yokohama for lunch. We are at an American style pizza buffet restaurant called Shakey’s. It was ok. After eating at Pizza da Michele on Saturday, I should probably avoid any pizza for a while to avoid disappointment.

After lunch we walked around Yokohama station and explored the shopping area. Sakura season is quickly approaching. As a result, Japan has turned everything Sakura flavored. From Sakura lattes at Starbucks to Sakura Rosé. The bottle of Sakura wine was so cute, I couldn’t resist purchasing it! It has actual Sakura flowers in the wine!

A unique Sakura product I found was Sakura tea. The product has the consistency of soft jelly. To prepare the tea, place a teaspoon into a tea cup and add hot water. Stir until the jelly dissolves. We were able to sample the tea at the store. It was delicious and relaxing as advertised!

Miki also shared with us her favorite desserts from Baum Kuchen. Here the desserts are being baked. As each layer is added, it is dipped and then baked. Creating the ring effect of the layers.

I purchased a sample of the regular flavor and the Sakura flavor.

They look flakey and delicious.

Check out the delicious layers.

Dave and I agreed our favorite part was the outside edge with the icing. I can’t promise I tasted the Sakura. It was sweet and yummy. Honestly, that is all that matters!

Sole Adventures-Tokyo Marathon

By wabisabisole

On February 26, 2017

In 2017, Hello Kitty, Japan, Mt. Fuji, Running, Tangerine, Tokyo, Tokyo Marathon

Tokyo Marathon 2017 set the bar high with respect to race amenities and organization.

Before I get into how amazing it was, let’s start with a picture of Dave and me in our corral G waiting for the start.

We had about an hour to kill, so we took a couple other pictures. A selfie of us and one of Hello Kitty.

I couldn’t pass up a picture of Hello Kitty with Mt. Fuji. Kawaii!

Now onto the details of the race. Going through security was painless. We could see the start line from our hotel room and also Mt. Fuji if you look closely into the haze.

Security opened at 7am. There were approximately 36,000 runners and I knew it would be best to be ahead of the crowds. We left our room at 7:15. I expected it would take us about an hour to get out of the hotel (slow elevators from the 28th floor), walk to our Gate, pass through security, use the restroom and then finally make our way to our start corral. Actually it only took us about 45 minutes. Being early and ahead of the crowd helped.

The race started promptly at 9:10. We were passing the start line about 8 minutes later. Again, I expected 9:20ish.

After we started, I put my phone away. Sorry, no more pictures. I took off the case and was worried I would drop it and there were so many people I was worried I would trip fooling around with it.

Here are some highlights. Being dressed at Hello Kitty made the race a blast. Running on the outside, near the spectators, drew lots of “kawaii” and “Hello Kitty” comments. I would wave and smile. I felt like a celebrity. Simultaneously, by mile six, I was getting tired of waving. Haha. I made Dave move us over to the middle!

The amount of spectators was unreal. They were literally lining the streets the entire way! They were cheering and had a variety of different noise makers. Surprisingly, we never heard any cowbell!

The aid stations were every 2-3km. Yes, the entire race was measured in kilometers. Pathetically, we enjoyed doing the math to convert the kilometers to miles to help pass the time. ? Every aid station had water and every other station had Pocari Sweat, the Japanese equivalent to Gatorade. After the halfway point, certain aid stations had bananas, tangerines, tomatoes, and a bread with something in it. I thought it was bean paste. Dave tried the bread and said no, it was chocolate! He also enjoyed several free candies and chocolates from spectators. I stuck with my three honey stingers and a half of tangerine around 32km or mile 20. The last thing I thought my intestines would tolerate was chocolate. I was a little bit disappointed there were no rice balls. I had heard through the grapevine that rice balls were offered. Nope. Let me just squelch that rumor!

That pretty much covers everything. As I mentioned, the experience was wonderful. So wonderful in fact, we both agreed that was our LAST full marathon. We don’t need to do another. Ever. Half marathons from here on out. As we were enjoying our Sushi celebration dinner I asked Dave if he would rather climb Mt. Fuji or run another marathon. His response, “I’ve done both in 6 months, I’m good.” Simultaneously, he said, he was ready to run Key West Half Marathon anytime!! I couldn’t agree more!

Thank you for all of the FB cheers, messages, and blog comments. Your support and love was felt by us both halfway around the world.

To finish lines! Kanpie!

Keio Plaza Hotel

By wabisabisole

On February 24, 2017

In 2017, Japan, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Tokyo Marathon, Train

For marathon weekend, we are staying at a luxury hotel adjacent to the start of the marathon. The Keio Plaza Hotel. Let me start with, the hotel offers a 34th floor lounge with FREE beer, wine and snacks. The view from the 34th floor.

Plus snacks.

The room is BIG compared to our “business hotel” last weekend. Simultaneously, the price tripled. “Ahhh, it’s whatever.” We are here for Tokyo Marathon weekend. Bucket list. Once in a lifetime. I want to experience everything.

This luxury hotel is very spacious. A couple pictures for perspective.

One more for perspective. Those long American legs. From mid calf down, my legs are not supported by the couch.

Besides space, free drinks, and snacks, the luxury hotel provides a step up to with respect to toiletries.

You need it – they’ve provided.

PS. If the hotel goes out of business after we leave… its Dwyer’s fault. He drank too much free beer… or maybe it was my bottle of wine or three. Kanpie!

Pizzeria da Michele

By wabisabisole

On February 24, 2017

In Google Map, Japan, Pizza, Train

One of my top five favorite books is “Eat Pray Love” by Elizabeth Gilbert. If you are familiar with the book or movie, you might remember the part when she is in Italy and takes a trip to Naples. The Tandem Exchange twins she met in Rome, are from Naples and tell her she must go and eat pizza at Pizzeria da Michele.

Here is a quote from her description of the pizza from page 80 of the paperback edition.
“There’s not a menu. They have only two varieties of pizza here – regular and extra cheese. None of this new age southern California olives-and-sundried-tomato wannabe pizza twaddle. The dough, it takes me half my meal to figure out, tastes more like Indian nan than like any pizza dough I every tried. It’s soft and chewy and yielding, but incredibly thin. I always thought we only had two choices in our lives when it came to pizza crust – thin and crispy, or thick and doughy. How was I to have known there could be a crust in this world that was thin and doughy? Holy of holies! Thin, doughy, strong, gummy, yummy, chewy, salty pizza paradise. On top, there is a sweet tomato sauce that foams up all bubbly and creamy when it melts the fresh buffalo mozzarella, and the one sprig of basil in the middle of the whole deal somehow infuses the entire pizza with herbal radiance, much the same way one shimmering movie star in the middle of a party brings a contact high of glamour to everyone around her. It’s technically impossible to eat this thing, of course. You try to take a bite off your slice and the gummy crust folds, and the hot cheese runs away like a topsoil in a landslide, makes a mess of you and your surroundings, but just deal with it.”

I remember the first time I read that passage in 2008. Dave and I were driving home to Germantown, TN from our spring break trip to St. Pete’s Beach, FL. I was reading as he drove and read the passage aloud to him saying something like, listen to how good this pizza sounds. Much to my surprise and to my delight, there is also a Pizzeria da Michele in Tokyo. Both are owned by the same franchise. A friend told me about it and I marked it in Google Maps. When I was looking at Google Maps to see what was around our hotel, I saw the star I had placed last week. Seemed like the perfect Saturday pre-marathon carbo load lunch! We are the gray dot next to Shinjuku station and Pizzeria da Michele is the gold star by Ebisu station. Only 5 train stops away on the Yamanote line.

We arrived at 11:21 am. The restaurant opens at 11:30. We were first in line. By the time they opened the doors, there were 2 groups behind us. When we left an hour later, the restaurant was full and several groups were waiting for a table.

This menu was on the wall outside the restaurant.

We were seated at a table for two and we were given a menu. The menu included several appetizers and only two kinds of pizza. With or without cheese.

While we waited for our food, we watched them preparing pizzas. The pizza maker is behind the glass partition. He hand rolls the dough and adds the toppings. The pizza baker is standing in front of the oven. One person makes the pizza, one person bakes the pizza.

The oven was HUGE.

We started our meal with a green salad. The lettuce was so fresh and tender.

We finished our meal with the double mozzarella pizza.

It was just as delicious as Elizabeth Gilbert described. The first bite!

The pizza doesn’t come cut. On the table are knives and forks so you can cut your slice.

I found it easiest to fold and roll the slice and then bite. None the less, I had grease all over my hands and pants by the time I was finished.

It was an expensive pizza experience. The double mozzarella pizza costs ¥2000 about $18.50. Every bite was worth it and it was cheaper than flying to Italy!

I boldly stated to Dave, the pizza made it on my list of top 5 pizzas ever and it was by far the best pizza we have had in Japan. I did make it clear it wasn’t better than Piece in Chicago. He said it was good and would go back. He thought the mozzarella and sauce were a little too liquidity. Maybe, but that crust!

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A short follow-up to yesterday’s post about our hotel. Here is a picture of the view from the room this morning. Mt. Fuji!

Also, I learned the hotel has Hello Kitty themed rooms. How did I miss this!?! I looked up the price of the room. A one night stay with breakfast included is ¥74,056 or about $660. Seems like I should be staying in one of those rooms for free considering my running outfit for tomorrow!!

Finding Beauty with Imperfection

Author: wabisabisole Page 36 of 54