Kamakura

Kamakura

On October 14, 2017

Friday we spent the day enjoying many of my favorites in Kamakura. We started with a visit to The Great Buddha. Armed with our umbrellas, we were ready to explore!

When we arrived at The Great Buddha, I explained the importance of the scary warriors outside the Temple to ward off evil. Nina and Noah posed with their scariest faces!

The good part about the rain, it kept the crowds down to a minimum.

No trip to The Great Buddha is complete without going into “Buddha’s Pooper” as coined by Bill Johnson.

As we walked back to Hase Station, we stopped for ice cream. Yes, despite the chill and rainy weather, 3 out of 4 of us wanted Japanese soft cream. I opted for a warm sweet potato hash brown.

I must address the significant temperature variation between Thursday and Friday. Thursday if you recall, we were drenched in sweat after walking around Kannonzaki Park and riding the roller slide. Today, we needed sweaters and scarves. Nina and Noah were so chilly at one point, we stopped at the 100¥ store for a pair of gloves!

We rode the Enoshima Line back to Kamakura around noon. Here we said “mata ne” at Komachi Dori (the main shopping street in Kamakura). Layla, Nina, and Noah explored the street while I went to my English Class. We regrouped at 2:15 by the Torii.

I was excited to hear about their time we were apart. Their first stopped was at the Owl Forest. They loved the experience of seeing and petting the owls.

After enjoying time with their feathered friends, they followed my map to Oxymoron. Oxymoron is a coffee shop. But, not the coffee shop I wanted them to visit! I wanted them to go to “character coffee” which is next door. Since I sent them to the wrong place, I took them back to the correct coffee shop. Nina asked for Daisy Duck, Noah asked for Goofy, and I asked for Cinderella. So KAWAII!

Also, while we were apart, Layla manages a couple cute pictures with the locals. Girls in kimonos and a puppy!

The final part of our cultural tour of Kamakura was a visit to the Hachimangu Shrine. It’s a beautiful Shrine even in the rain.

I also tried a new food. Ginko nuts. They were quite bizarre. They were roasted and reminded me of unopened pistachio nuts at first. Then once I placed my order, the lady cracked them open by hammering them.

After cracking them, she added salt.

Then final product was a salty soft nut. I’m not sure if I was so hungry that my judgment was twisted. But, I thought they were pretty good. I ate the whole bag!

By the end of the day, we were chilly and soggy. We decided to head home and enjoy an American pizza. Kanpie! Happy Friday!

Barchie’s

By wabisabisole

On June 26, 2017

In Beer, Japan, Kamakura

Dave and I made a quick trip to Kamakura on Sunday night for dinner. I’ve had the bar/ restaurant, Barchie’s, on my list of places to take Dave for a few weeks now.

Despite the information on Google, they close after lunch at 1500 and reopen at 1700 for dinner. The service at the restaurant was excellent! For example, when we arrived, the server brought the beer list to our table!

We started with a Heartland Lager (always on tap) and a Coedobeer Session IPA. I love seeing an American pour!

We ordered an appetizer of garlic edamame. They were really delicious!

For dinner, I ordered the seared tuna and avocado rice bowl. Very good tasting and a larger portion than normal.

And Dave ordered the herb sausage platter with salad, grilled vegetables, and rice.

We will definitely return and perhaps modify our orders. The portions were large and we could have easily shared the rice and salad in my bowl. There is always a learning curve in ordering food in Japan.

We tried two new restaurants this weekend and both made it to our favorites list. We classified this as a successful foodie / craft beer weekend for the Dwyer’s in Japan! Kanpie!

Quality Time

By wabisabisole

On June 19, 2017

In Hasedera, Hydrangeas, Japan, Kamakura

The leader of my Friday English class organized a field trip for us today. We went to visit Hasedera Temple to see the hydrangeas and enjoyed lunch at the Kamakura Park Hotel.

This view!

And these hydrangeas!

The hydrangeas were still blooming and very beautiful.

Two of my Friday students were able to attend today and we spent the morning walking around the temple and the town of Hase. Here is a picture of Junko-san and Haruko-san, both are star students!

After visiting the temple, Junko-san drove us to the Kamakura Park Hotel. We enjoyed a four-course lunch! Our appetizers included: snow pea soup, slice of chicken with vegetables, tomato jelly with sashimi, and a half quiche.

Next course was snapper with fresh Kamakura vegetables. The purple piece is Kamakura diakon. The purple is natural!

The third course was Sakura chicken with more fresh Kamakura vegetables. The piece of pumpkin was my favorite.

And finally dessert. Yogurt with cherry topping, pound cake with whipped cream and honey dew sorbet. All of it was delicious!

Before leaving the hotel, I asked to have my picture with Junko-san and Haruko-san. They are so sweet. I enjoyed being able to spend quality time together visiting the temple and viewing the hydrangeas. The added bonus was them teaching me new Japanese phrases.

Today’s Japanese phrases:

“Urikire” – sold out

“Sandaru” – sandal

“Karasu” – crow

“Oishī” – delicious

Ever so slowly, my Japanese is improving. I must stress slowly.

Dina’s Birthday

By wabisabisole

On June 6, 2017

In Hasedera, Hydrangeas, Japan, Kamakura, Temple, Train

Today is Dina’s birthday. To help celebrate the day, Dina, Katie, Andrea, and I decided to visit one of the few temples in Kamakura (Hase) we had not been to yet. Hasedera Temple is very famous for hydrangeas. The temple and surrounding gardens were beautiful. I enjoyed the visit so much that I’m going to add it to my Julia tour of Kamakura. Today, the Temple was especially crowded because it is the beginning of hydrangea season. Even though the hydrangeas weren’t quite in full bloom and despite the crowds, the Temple was beautiful and well worth this visit and many more. There was a steady stream of people on the street to visit the temple.

The hydrangeas were beautiful. So many picture opportunities.

There was a hydrangea route to follow to keep traffic moving in one direction. The route went past several potted hydrangeas and then up the hillside.

The view from the first level was lovely and perfect for a group selfie.

We continued to climb up more steps and the hydrangeas and views only got better!

After reaching the top of the hill, the path went back down the hill. At one point, Dina and Andrea were above Katie and me. Perfect opportunity for another group selfie!

A few close up hydrangea pictures. The different colors were so beautiful.

There were also several kawaii statues.

Another part of the Temple was a cave dedicated to the Goddess Benzaiten. There were many statues and it was definitely a cave. Check out the low ceilings. Dina and I had to walk like a duck to make it through!

The oyster prayer cards were also interesting. According to the temple brochure, the statue appeared floating on the sea and drifting with the guidance of oysters attached to the statue. As a result, the shrine was established.

After our visit at the temple, we went to lunch in Kamakura. To you, my friend! Cheers, to another good beer! Happy Birthday!!

Where are you from?

By wabisabisole

On May 25, 2017

In Japan, Kamakura

Walking around Kamakura today we encountered numerous groups of school children. We had two groups stop to ask us if they could ask us questions. In excellent English, they told us their names. Dina and I told them our names. We exchanged nice to meet you! The students then asked where we were from. They recorded our answers. The final question was to have a picture taken together. Of course!

We continued our journey around Kamakura. I had Genjiyama Park and Kewaizaka Cutting Road on my list of things to see in Kamakura. Turns out, we have already been to both places! Haha

A couple pictures of the park – where you can see Mt. Fuji on a clear day!

And the Kewaizaka Cutting Road with numerous school kids.

The highlight and something new was the statue of Minamoto Yoritomo. Minamoto Yoritomo was the founder and the first shogun of the Kamakura Shogunate of Japan. He ruled from 1192 until 1199.

Lastly, have I mentioned the humidity lately? Today was off the charts muggy. It was fun to think of ways to describe the humidity. Here are a few Dave and I came up with running this morning.

1. Sweaty Spaghetti

2. Muggy-saurus Rex

3. Muggy McMug Face

4. Sweaty McSweat Face

5. Sweat Fest 2017

6. Sweat-asaurus Rex

If you’re thinking about a summer visit, prepare for humidity like no where else. It’s only May 25th and I needed three showers today!

AWkitchen Garden

By wabisabisole

On April 20, 2017

In AWkitchen Garden, Japan, Kamakura, Pizza, Train

One of our favorite restaurants, Farm To You, in Kamakura closed in March. Dina first took me there in November. I’m not officially sure but, I think it might have changed ownership and then the restaurant was given a new name. Regardless, it has reopened as AWkitchen Garden. Dina and I set out to indulge in a deliciously fresh lunch. We were not disappointed!

They are open daily according to the sign.

We arrived at 11:50 and had to wait about 15 minutes for a table. While we waited, we snapped a couple pictures of the Endoshima Line train and the gardens of the restaurant. Everyone LOVES the Endoshima Line train!

Once we were seated, we learned The lunch menu is only offered as a set. The set included: a salad, soup, and a choice of pizza or pasta. We both selected the Margherita pizza.

The table was set with two types of vinegar, strawberry, and kiwi. Also, two types of salt, balsamic dressing, lemon – rosemary water, and our glasses of wine.

First up, an amazingly fresh salad. This would be Dave’s favorite! It was so beautiful, I had to take a couple pictures from different angles.

The soup was a fresh onion gazpacho. It was fresh and oniony.

The Margherita pizza was very good. It was wood-fired with fresh basil, buffalo mozzarella, and a delicious tomato purée sauce.

The wood fired crust was my favorite. Dina snapped a picture of the oven for me. Notice the original FTY (Farm to You) logo.

This remains on my list of favorites in Kamakura. Mainly for the salad and the atmosphere. The pizza wins an honorable mention by U.S. pizza standards and a place winner in Japan. I’m not sure I would recommend we go when you visit. Mainly because I know the pizza will disappoint you. Unless you want an amazing salad after eating so much ramen! Or we need a vegetarian option.

Buddha’s Pooper

By wabisabisole

On April 19, 2017

In Cherry Blossoms, Diabatsu, Japan, Kamakura, Ramen, Sakura, Shrine, Temple, Yokosuka

Bill’s visit was work related and only provided for a small amount of time for me to give him a Julia Tour. Between the jet lag and his work schedule, it was tough to find too much spare time. We did squeeze in a few traditional Japanese experiences. Starting with ramen.

Tuesday night, I met Dave and Bill in Yokosuka after work. After a brief pit stop at the O’Club for an informal Navy happy hour, we went to the “Red Door” ramen shop in Yokosuka. This is actually the first place Dave and I had dinner when we arrived in July. It was just as delicious! Dave ordered the spicy ramen and Bill and I both ordered the salt ramen – mine with extra nori (seaweed sheets) – remember, seaweed is the pickle bite of the burger. I think Bill would have this chopstick thing down if he was here another couple days!

Bill’s flight left Wednesday evening giving us a few hours to explore Kamakura. The first stop was the Great Buddha. My favorite.

There wasn’t a line to go inside Buddha, so, we ventured in for ¥20 (16 cents). The best part, was Bill referring to this opportunity as “going into the Buddha’s pooper.” Haha! I snapped this quick picture of Bill looking in the same direction as the Japanese ladies were pointing. No, he has no idea what they are saying.

As we returned back to Hase Station, I snapped one more picture of the last remaining Sakura and the wisteria starting to bloom. Considering the wisteria photo foreshadowing for next week!

We returned to Kamakura and walked to the Hachiman-gū Shrine.

We walked up behind the main shrine and found this quiet sanctuary and shrine.

It was a beautiful morning and I was happy to share a couple of my favorite spots in Japan with Bill before he headed back to America.

After I dropped Bill off in Yokosuka to catch his shuttle to Narita, I stopped by the post office to pick up a package. The Chick-Fil-A fairy delivered again! This time from Germantown, TN and with a few other essentials to kick off grilling and smoking season! Thank you, Layla, Nick, Nina, and Noah for going to several Chick-Fil-A stores to gather yummy sauce for us. I truly appreciate your friendship, love, and support to help us taste TN in Japan. Watch out for a few Neko Atsume surprises coming your way!

April Showers

By wabisabisole

On April 9, 2017

In Cherry Blossoms, Japan, Kamakura, Sakura

It has been raining off and on since Friday. Along with this rain came humidity. We went from having dry cool air on Tuesday to having muggy wetness on Friday. Friday morning I plugged in our dehumidifiers in an attempt to keep ahead of the mold and moisture.

As the temperatures are starting to warm up, the Sakura trees are at peak bloom. Unfortunately, the rain damped the effect of the beautiful trees. I took a few pictures of the Sakura throughout Zushi on our rainy run this morning.

Dave and I were planning to have Sakura pictures taken in the peony garden of the Hachiman Gu Shrine in Kamakura on Saturday. The rain cancelled those plans. On Sunday, we decided to venture to Kamakura to see the blossoms in the peony garden despite the rain. First, a few pictures from our walk up to the shrine.

In the garden, the trees were stunning and the peonies were a delightful surprise. They were ginormous and they were protected by parasols to keep them intact during the heavy rains.

And now the Sakura trees. Can you imagine how beautiful this would look on a sunny day?

Dave and I decided to have our own photo shoot. Just us being us.

The Sakura blossoms won’t last until next weekend for us to have pictures and so we are working on plan B. Reflecting on the day, I realize it epitomizes wabi-sabi sole. We found beauty despite the imperfect weather conditions. We even completed a long run in the rain not because we were training for anything, just because we wanted to run.

Ahhhhhh… wabi-sabi sole…

Spontaneous Julia Tour

By wabisabisole

On March 30, 2017

In Diabatsu, Japan, Kamakura, Mt. Fuji, Ramen

One of my favorite things about the Navy is how frequently paths will cross with former shipmates. Even in Japan. Eric, who was the Command Master Chief at SWOSU for about a year while Dave was the CO, was here in Yokosuka attending a conference. Dave and I met up with him last night for dinner in Yokosuka.

The conference ended on Wednesday and Eric’s flight didn’t leave until Friday morning. That gave him all of Thursday to explore and experience a short one-day Julia tour around Kamakura.

I decided anyone who visits must see the Diabatsu, the giant Buddha of Kamakura.

I mean the giant Buddha is just so chill and such a Japanese experience. I like to think of the Diabatsu as the Willis Tower of Japan! Except cheaper and not as tall. Haha

I decided I would take Eric to the Diabatsu via a hike. Dina was able to join us for our adventure. I took them on the hike I did a couple months ago, The Trail With 4 Buddhas. On our way to the trail, we made a quick stop at my favorite temple, Jōchi-ji, for a quick visit to see the God of Happiness, Hotei.

It was a lovely early spring day.

When we reached the Kuzuharaoka Shrine, Dina saw this sign.

We decided we all needed to throw a dish at the rock!

And so we did! Be gone malign influences, impurities, and obstacles!!

My throw might have been a little overzealous. Parts of the dish ricocheted at me.

We continued on our hike and eventually made our way to Diabatsu. How could Buddha possibly be spelled wrong!?!

And we made it!

With photos taken as proof of our visit, it was time for lunch! Eric’s request was ramen. Google Maps helped us find a little ramen shop off the beaten path and absolutely delicious.

After lunch, we made our way back to Kamakura. In Kamakura, Dina headed home. Eric and I walked through Komachi Dori and made our way to the Tsurugaoka Hachimangū Shrine.

As always, my first thought is – “so many people!” Second thought, “don’t these people have to work!?”

I was super happy to be able to incorporate a hike into my Julia tour today. Unfortunately, it wasn’t clear enough to see Mt. Fuji. Maybe when you visit and we go hiking, it will be clear enough to see her!

Owls

By wabisabisole

On March 18, 2017

In Japan, Kamakura, Owl, Shrine, Temple

Anticipating the jet lag and culture shock our friends would experience, I planned a very low key and local day. We had an early start, walked a lot, rode several trains and tried to blend in like locals.

One of our goals for the day included finding a temple book and acquiring stamps. We were able to get five stamps in The Cummings’ family temple book. Pretty impressive for our first day! We went to visit:

Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū

Kōtoku-in (Great Buddha)

My favorite picture from the Great Buddha. Dave is worried about the guy walking up the steps into our picture. Little did he know about Sara’s photo bomb!! Haha

Jōchi-ji Temple (Happiness Temple – my favorite)

Shokozantokeiji

Time became a factor at this point and I didn’t take a picture of the family before we left. I did however take a picture of the small Buddha and daffodils.

Engaku-ji (The fifth temple of the day)

It was a fun day sharing my favorite places in Kamakura. Plus, we went to a new place. The Owl Forest! It has been on list and I was so excited to have saved the experience to be able to share it with friends! It did not disappoint! You were permitted to pet the owls with the back of your hand on the back of their head and take pictures. Keep in mind, their heads move… quickly!