Finale to a fabulous 5.

Kind of unintentionally - but this post will be the final entry of this blog. As I write this, I've completed an incredible, unforgettable 5 years working and living in Chiba Prefecture - and I've returned to my home country of the U.S.

I just wanted to share shots from my hectic last few weeks in Chiba (and Japan) - but the little joys within them that make me want to go visit again as soon as I can.

Boxes, boxes, and more boxes.

Yep. This is my car trunk (with the rear seats folded down) loaded up with stuff to ship back home. Thankfully, the people at the post office in Chibaminato were incredibly helpful - not to mention it's one of only three post offices in the prefecture were you can send out books, etc. for a slightly discounted rate! (The other two locations are in Narashino and Narita Airport.)

I wound up spending over $700 on shipping...yikes, moving really is no joke.

Love these handwritten messages at Starbucks! So sweet.

Towards the end of my time in Japan, busyness escalated so much that between moving, work, and catching up with friends - the only free "times" I had was early morning. This photo is from when I met up with a friend at 6:30am because that was the only time our schedules were open (she was moving back to the US too, and running a schedule probably even worse than mine).

More early morning pick-ups.

For the last 2 months, I was probably averaging 2-3 hours of sleep per night. Towards the end, I was terrified I might get into a car accident or something - like this morning, when I had to leave Kamogawa at 6am to get back to Chiba City for more appointments. This taco meat sandwich was absolutely epic...and the 10 minutes of shut-eye I got really helped!

Dinner in Kamogawa - one of my all-time favorites: kinmedai no nitsuke (golden eye snapper boiled in Japanese seasonings)

When will I see you again...? Kamogawa's lovely Maebara Beach.

In between all the running around too though, I got to spend some quality time with friends - and even managed to actually do a lot of those plans we'd talked about but never gotten around to doing.

Seriously one of the coolest hotels ever...and for such a steal!

One such instance was going to Tokyo Disney Sea with a bunch of friends from work...and then staying at the Brighton Hotel in Shinurayasu, just one station away from Maihama (where the Tokyo Disney Resort is located).

There were 5 of us - so we stayed in the loft room - gorgeous, with a fantastic view, right next to the station...and super spacious! Ugh I wish I could live there.

Best of all, it was only 5,000 yen per person for the night...including breakfast! This is unthinkable considering the class of the hotel. You'll pay a minimum 7,000 yen per night for a cramped room in a business hotel around this area - and perhaps more if you try to add breakfast. On a final note - their breakfast had a huge variety of food and drink to choose from - we definitely got a great deal on this one.

I will definitely want to stay at the Brighton again.

Happy 30th anniversary!

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the opening of the Tokyo Disney Resort! So just two days after I went to Disney Sea, I also went to Disney Land...the day ended in crazy rain, but we had a fantastic time nonethelss :)

But perhaps no place is better than a place you can call "home."

But I must say...one of the most touching experiences was a friend allowing me to stay with her for my last week in Japan. Not only have I never done a proper homestay lasting for more than 1 night - it was so kind of her to let me into her home and stay with her family. Pictured above is from our temaki (hand-wrapped sushi) party on my last night...unbelievable to many, but my first time doing such a thing! (Just realized I took the photo before the main fillings and seaweed actually were added to the table though, whoops.) I'd love to try it over here in the States.

I know this is a super jumbled post - but my 5 years in Chiba were such a hodgepodge of experiences, I don't think I can possibly present it in an organized way while giving it due justice.

So to try to sum things up...

...thank you for an incredible five years!!

Romantic pigs and other fun with food (and drink).

Today I'd like to present a jumble of photos representing my food adventures in Chiba. Without further ado:

Entry #1: "Romantic pig lab" roast ham. Okay, so I made up a translation for the "koisuru" part on my own. This brand name floored me when I first saw it. A colleague in a different department gave this to me as thanks for helping out with some translation work. The meat was incredibly high quality, and apparently really expensive too (somewhere around $1.50-2.00 per slice of ham?). Apparently it's still an up-and-coming brand, but there may come a day when you spot it in the store!

Entry #2: Onion ice cream. I kid you not. Shirako, a little town on the eastern coast of Chiba, is a huge producer of onions...so in typical Japanese branding fashion, I suppose they decided to make this outrageously flavored ice cream. It did not betray...it tasted like sour cream and onion flavoring mixed with vanilla ice cream. Not for the weak of heart.

Entry #3: Soy sauce-flavored cider. The "BO-SO TV" logo signifies that it was created for the local variety show of the same name. A friend gave me a heads-up about it, and then I found it being sold at the convenience store at my work. Not too bad, not that great either - I suppose it tasted like a weak caramel-flavored soda?

Entry #4: Hijiki ice cream. Previously shown in the post here, this is hijiki (brownish-blackish colored seaweed) flavored ice cream. I love hijiki and I love ice cream, but we just weren't meant to be...

Perhaps the oddest combination I've encountered aside from onion...and natto (although that was of course in the neighboring prefecture of Ibaraki).

Entry #5: Sweet potato ice cream. Certainly not as strange as the previous entries, I thought sweet potato was a unique flavor for ice cream nonetheless. Good stuff. Apparently Chiba is the largest national producer of sweet potato in Japan - it produces even more thank Kagoshima, the present-day Satsuma region (and sweet potato in Japanese is satsumaimo)!

Entry #6: Bamboo shoot wine. Although it sounds crazy, it tastes just as it appears - like good ol' white wine! Or perhaps I am not enough of a wine connoisseur to tell the difference? This was again in exchange for some translation work - brought back from the Chiba's little mountain town of Otaki.

Entry #7: I hail from the world's capital of hamburgers...but that did not prepare me for this monster - a 6 full-size burger menace. You can experience "leaning tower of burgers" (my personal pet name for this) at Village Vanguard in Chiba City, previously reviewed here.

Entry #8: Sky Anpan. Anpan is Japanese sweet bread, most commonly filled with red bean paste. This product was developed by Narita (home to the international airport of the same name) - I believe it's mainly sold at stores within the city itself. I have yet to actually find it at the airport, but I bought this particular one at the Lawson convenience store near my work. This anpan is filled with sweet potato paste (again with Chiba sweet potatoes!)...and was quite tasty.

Entry #9: Tasty local products. Last but not least...these examples are tamest of the entire post, but I just wanted to remind myself of all the yummy snacks I got at work - usually complements of visitors, or colleagues who brought something back from business trips around the prefecture. Inside the white paper bag is biwa - or a fruit named loquat that I didn't even know existed until I moved to Japan. It tastes like nothing else I've had - but generally it has very low-key sweetness with perhaps a texture a bit firmer than a peach? And pictured in the cup to the upper left is none other than Chiba-grown peanuts! They were covered with some sort of sweet coating - can't remember anything but that they were delicious, because they were gone in no time.

What do you think? Have you run into any interesting foods in Chiba before?

One week in Chiba (revisited).

The final installment of my adventures with my dear mum (one month later! sorry) in a photo summary. (Almost all of the photos I've used were her photos, so that's why they've got time stamps on them...and the camera was set to San Francisco time.) But hopefully this offers a little more insight into all the different stuff we got to do.

Part 1: Dinner at Syu's Garden Deli (Chiba City)

The appetizer plate...for one person. At least 4 other full plates of food (again per person!)

Super intense BBQ plate of meat, fish, and fresh veggies!

Oh man. This place is just...epic. I have so much praise for this place I donno where to start. We had the "Garden BBQ" course menu - initially, I thought it was a bit pricey at (I think?) 3000 yen/person, but I knew my mom would appreciate the healthy-ish (ish beacause of the sheer amount of food), veggie-centered menu.

Considering that it was all-you-can-drink (including alcoholic drinks) and an eye-popping amount of amazing food, the price was totally worth it! The restaurant staff was also incredibly nice (very accommodating to our rowdy (but in a friendly way?!) group. I'd love to go back again if I get the chance. It's about a 5 minute walk from Parco in Chiba.

Syu's Garden Deli website: http://www.syuplanning.com/

Part 2: Mitsui Outlet Park (MOP) Kisarazu 

Being silly with the random statue/objects placed around the outlet.

My previous post about MOP Kisarazu: http://ikosa.blogspot.jp/2012/04/grand-opening-of-mop-kisarazu.html.

We went on a weekday afternoon after I got off from work - if you're not a big fan of crowds, this is definitely the perfect time to hit up these outlets. There aren't many other shoppers so you can look around as you please.

Part 3: Sea Festa 2013 in Kamogawa

Rain cleared up just as we arrived in Kamogawa...absolutely gorgeous!

The last day of my mom's visit was the only day we didn't have any reservations or appointments...so I gave my mom the choice between Tokyo and Kamogawa (the two places we hadn't been able to fit into the trip). To my surprise and pleasure, she chose Kamogawa of her own free will, because it was noce and relaxing, and she wanted to see people she'd met during her previous visit.

To male things even better, my mom was visiting just in time for Sea Festa, one of my annual traditions! It's a huge, city-wide event, so I knew we had an incredibly high chance of running into everyone we wanted to.

...and we pretty much did exactly that.

This lovely lady took good care of me when I was in Kamogawa!
She's a part of the women's group within the local Chamber of Commerce...they were selling all sorts of fun Kamogawa t-shirts (and of course, I am a proud owner of a number of them!)

Kamogawa Coffee! This coffee here is seriously epic. I don't actually know where they normally do business...their truck just appears at various local events!

Kamogawa grins all over!

We ran into a ton of people and got tons of delicious food and drink!!! My only regret was that I was duped by the cool weather (and morning clouds!) - found myself pretty well roasted and burnt the next day. I suppose it is a smaller price to pay for a rejuvenating day with friends on the beach though!

Also, found these lovelies at Ichihara Service Area on our way back to Chiba City:

Chiba pride!

To the left - peanut flavored cafe au lait. The peanut flavor was really light - rather, it was the intense smell of...peanut shells? That really caught me off guard. Other than that, I suppose the drink was pretty normal. The packaging was really cute!

To the right - the service area carried a huge variety of I love...Chiba-related place names, so I picked up one for Kamogawa and another for Chiba in general, in honor of my two employers. These'll go on that new suitcase I am overdue to purchase for my trip home. Anyway, the stick come in rectangular and circular shapes, there's one for pretty much every city/town in Chiba...in addition to general "Chiba" ones in hiragana, katakana, romaji...and perhaps others?!

CD debut.

(top) Master CD and lyric sheets with notes from the sound engineer
(bottom left) Entrance to the recording studio
(bottom right) View of Funabashi from the studio building

I love singing and karaoke. This is one of the first things people learn about me. I sing everywhere and anywhere. Even to the point where I go to karaoke on my own for hours on end!

During a conference I attended earlier this year, one of the speakers said to thank you and goodbye to all the people who have supported me throughout these years in a meaningful way. Thoughtful and significant.

A number of people I've met here have told me they would totally go for my CD if I ever made one. Figuring that it would make the perfect thank you gift, I decided to make it happen!

Recording booth...just seeing this photo makes me want to go again!

That said, I had no idea how to go about doing so. After doing all sorts of research on the Internets, I knew I wanted to try recording in an actual studio...and eventually came across the establishment I wound up choosing, RBC's! Not only was it reasonable despite including sound adjustments and direction, but it was super close. The studio is just about a 20 minute ride by train, and located pretty much right next JR Tsudanuma Station. Perfect.

It's a small, homemade studio tucked into what seems like an apartment building (but all the other rooms on the same floor also seem to be occupied by various businesses). It was fantastic though - and I am really happy with the end product!

The spectacular sound engineer, Tamaki-san, hard at work!

I had no idea what I was going into when I walk through the door, but Tamaki-san, the guy who runs the place, was incredibly helpful and great about walking me through the process. I recorded 3 songs over 5 hours (you can rent out the studio on an hourly basis).

If you're recording vocals like I did, you bring in the instrumentals for your songs, as well as copies of your lyrics. Tamaki-san will even provide a little advice on singing/expression - I was just a breath off in my timing for one of my songs, so he pointed that out to me and we fixed it. :)

Anyway, we record one song at a time - usually singing 2-3 "full cuts." Then Tamaki-san will put together the best parts of the cuts, and we can record individual parts if necessary.

After all the songs are complete, there's a little adjustment here and there...and voila! We actually got done earlier than the 5 hour mark, so we spent awhile chatting about random stuff - like how Tamaki-san is from Okinawa (in addition to his sound engineer job, he also does Okinawan music performances here and there!).

He's very professional and thorough, but Tamaki-san is also incredibly easy to work with so that you can relax and create your music just as you imagined it.

And just as he told me - "レコーディングは癖になる,"  or "Recording's addicting"! I think he's right. I wish I'd known about his place sooner - but perhaps the next time I come to Japan, I'll drop by for fun (and maybe record another song while I'm at it?!).

RBC's Funabashi studio official site: http://homepage3.nifty.com/rbc/

Home sweet home.

I just returned from a lovely weekend in my beloved, wonderful Kamogawa. Basically, I was there to help out my old employer welcome a music delegation from Kamogawa's sister city, Manitowoc, WI, USA! Not only do I love work like this, but it was also great to see so many Kamogawa friends. I am feeling a bit weary physically, but mentally/emotionally recharged!

Anyway, a quick peek into my weekend through photos:

The cute frog/heart thing was engraved into all the clothes hangers! Looks like it's the inn's logo.

I've reviewed the fantastic Hidamari Inn before, so I won't delve too far into it, but I just wanna say that they finished adding an additional building, so now they've gone from just 4 rooms to 12! Still nice and cozy, but now a bit easier to book. (Although all the rooms were filled over this weekend! :D)

Rehearsal at Kamogawa Civic Hall.

The music delegation is 35 members from Manitowoc's Lakeshore Wind Ensemble! During their one week stay in Kamogawa, they performed at Nanso Bunka Hall in Tateyama and Kamogawa Civic Hall over the weekend, and they'll be playing at Tokyo Disney Land on Tuesday (wish I could go)!
Watching their performances made me remember how nice live music is.

Food hunting, and my haul!

(starting from top right, clockwise):

(1) Awajiya, a cozy little Japanese restaurant right near Maebara beach in Kamogawa. It's run by a husband and wife. The wife, who usually handles taking orders and bringing the food, can seem a little...cold? At times, but I think it actually makes you like her for some reason.

(2) Maebara Beach. Gorgeous even during the rainy season!

(3) Kamogawa Energy. It was originally a fictional item from Lagrange no Rinne, an anime that takes place in Kamogawa. They made it real, and apparently it's surprisingly good?! These guys are currently chilling in the fridge, but I'll let you know how it goes.

(4) Su-namero! SO GOOD. I walked all the way down to Awajiya during my lunch break because I've been craving namero for aaaaaaages. I've previously posted about what namero (and su-namero!) is here.

(5) Summer veggies. I make a point to pick up locally grown produce whenever I'm back in town! Today I scored zucchini (80 yen...and it even included recipes!) and cucumbers (88 yen for 4). The supermarket I went to only sells produce from local farmers who bring in the veggies themselves every 1-3 days! The labels are marked with the name of the farmers too. It is oddly reassuring to have those names on there! Anyway, I'll be sauteing the zucchini, and the cucumbers are already pickling.

Many more adventures to come - stay tuned!

Enjoying the small things in life.

Quick update today - not just to (hopefully) get back into the swing of consistent updates, but also an official announcement that as of yesterday, June 8, I only 2 months until I leave Japan.

It has been an incredible, epic 5 years on the JET Programme, but it's time for me to head back stateside! I've got dreams and goals I am gonna make happen, and I think I'd be in better position to do so in the U.S. I'm not feeling particularly sad about my upcoming departure, because I feel quite satisfied with how much I've been able to accomplish - both professionally and individually - and also because I'm pretty sure I'll be back soon, for some reason or another!

But my departure does mean putting closure on this chapter of my life - so before that, I am trying to get as much of my bucket list done as possible, but also simply enjoy spending time with the many fantastic people I've met! So hopefully I can manage to record as much of that as possible in between all the running around :)

So today, I'd like to share just a few shots of fun with friends. I chose this post's title because I think it's all the little moments and random conversations that have really made my time here incredible:

One of my most favorite couples EVER.

Bottom left is the barbecue space at Inage Seaside Park (稲毛海浜公園), located just about 15-20 minutes from where I live! The wondrous lady pictured at the bottom right is a dear friend of mine - we worked together for a bit over a year, but I think she will be a close friend for the rest of my life. She and her husband invited me and a friend to join them for a summer-kickoff barbecue. Supposedly it was their first time holding a barbecue, but I wouldn't have known if they didn't tell me - they were totally prepared, with all the tools, meats, veggies, appetizers, snacks...even dessert! All while my friend's fantastic hubby grilled the barbecue foods for us (she is so lucky! haha).

And everything was incredibly delicious, as usual :) I've gone over to their place for dinner a few times too, and whole courses of various masterpieces like the pear-shaped croquettes (top left) are served. I always feel so spoiled with them!

おしゃれ aka cool chopstick rests!

Also, one time I went over to their place, I received these fancy chopstick rests they had made out of wine bottle corks (both of them absolutely love wine - they had a huge bag filled with corks from all the wine bottles they'd finished)!

Chicago deep dish pizza at good ol' Costco in Makuhari, Chiba City.

Last but not least, a quick snap from a trip to Costco with a fellow expat friend! I'm not from Chicago area, and I have never understood deep dish pizza. But my friend was unbelievably excited when he found these - well, I supposed I'd feel the same if I found Maryland crab cakes out here. In just a couple of months though, I can enjoy all the home goodies I want (although not necessarily crab cakes) - so I need to stuff my face with lots of yummy Japanese food while I still can!

Nature at its finest.

Living in Japan has taught me a lot of things - a couple of things I've learned and want to continue no matter where I go from here on out is: 「手間を惜しまない」and「旬を大事にする」- stuff like this always sound terribly tacky when you try to translate them, so the general ideas are "not trying to take shortcuts" and "valuing the seasons (many times by eating fruits/veggies in season)."

I must admit, it does look pretty grotesque.

So one day, I suddenly received a call from a dear friend saying that she was nearby my place, and had something she wanted to give me. It turned out to be this...takenoko, or a bamboo shoot. She'd gone bamboo shoot hunting around her hometown of Katsuura, and brought back one for me because we'd recently discussed how awesome takenoko taste.

And I really appreciated the gesture - I mean, I do love just about anything with takenoko in it, but I'd only gotten it in it's original, fresh-out-the-ground form once before, and it had been a disaster when I tried to cook with it (what I wound up with was something that tasted like stewed newspaper.)

But it was in my possession...and I couldn't let it go to waste, so armed with the power of Google search, I decided to try again.

Pre-cooking the bamboo shoot!

The basics of pre-cooking takenoko, clockwise from left to right. You cut it up, boil it in...I used the water left over from washing rice in order to help remove the bitterness of the takenoko...and voila! Store it in a container filled with water for up to 3 days, until you're ready to cook with it.

Products of labor = yumminess! (Also, this is my fancy lunch container that keeps my lunch warm for up to 5 hours)

One of my coworkers suggested maybe I had previously failed cooking takenoko before I chose a rather unique recipe - basically I think it was takenoko cooked in gochujang. Soooo I decided to take the more traditional route, and used the takenoko to make two more common dishes - 炊き込みご飯 (rice steamed together with takenoko and carrots) and 若竹煮 (wakame and takenoko boiled in dashi, soy sauce, and a couple of other things).

End result = awesome! It wasn't disastrous at all...in fact it was really, really good. I lived off of the takenoko for that entire week - because honestly one of that size is a pretty good amount for someone living alone.

I wonder if they sell fresh takenoko back in the States too...?

Lunch Adventures: Rokuro Cafe & Gallery.

Today I'm here to share a recent favorite lunch spot: the lovely Rokuro Cafe & Gallery!

Tucked in amongst the row of shops. You'll find it right next to the Windsor Tennis Shop.

I'd tried to come here before, but my first attempt ended in failure because the cafe was totally full. Because my area is chock full of government offices, there aren't so many places to eat until you go closer to Chiba Station...which would cut down on precious lunch time. So for popular places like Rokuro, the key is to...run, and try to secure your seats ASAP.

Mmmmmm. Happiness = beef stew.

So my first "real" (as in successful) visit to Rokuro was during the winter season. Somehow some of the ladies and I got onto the topic of beef stew - maybe because it was freezing and we were discussing foods that help warm you up?

In any case, one of the ladies suggested two nearby restaurants that had great beef stew. One of course was Rokuro, the other one I can't remember at all - perhaps because Rokuro was that much better. :)

Cheese curry toast lunch set!

Since then, I've been to Rokuro quite a few times. One day I was in a curry-ish mood, so I ordered this! Think soup bread bowls...except an entire half of a loaf of bread. Seriously. I am sorry that the photo doesn't do it justice. (Perhaps that's a sign I should go back for another round so I can take a better photo...)

When I first tried to dig in, I was really confused because they had only given me a fork to eat with. I asked for a spoon, and then the waitress kindly explained that the inside of the bread "bowl" (cube?) was still quite in tact, so you just stab your fork in, and you'll pull out a delightful combination of fluffy bread and curry. It was like fondue without the dipping part?!

In the words of Arnold Schwarzenegger... I'll be back.

Apparently, Rokuro has recently started to serve dinner! So I've got a new mission...checking out Rokuro in the evening/at night. 

On a final random note...Rokuro is also a "gallery" because the cafe is located on the 1st floor, and I think there may be a gallery space on the 3rd floor. But handmade pottery is displayed all over the cafe area, and all of the dishes they serve with are unique and adorable. I was particularly attracted to this ashtray (pictured at the top of the above photo). It's almost a waste to use it as an ashtray!

Too good to be kept a secret.

Diamond in the rough.

Last summer, a friend and I were wandering the streets of Chiba, looking for somewhere to go for dinner. It must have been fate when we came across Borracho, quite potentially my favorite restaurant here in Chiba City. (The photos for this post are from my 4th or 5th visit though...cause this place is awesome!)

This lovely Spanish tapa and wine bar is hidden along one of the side roads behind the Parco parking garage (right next to Yoshikawa Koen station on the Chiba Urban Monorail).

Cozy interior. I love this place!

For the record, the wall...to what would be the right side of this photo is really cool too, because it's made of wooden wine boxes.

Anyway, Borracho is a pretty small place - only fits about 20 people (and only has table seating for 14). I'd say it's perfect for a gathering with 1-3 other friends. Anymore than that...well, I suppose it's alright if you don't mind getting cozy. That and I would highly recommend that you make reservations in advance!

Sangria and otooshi (mini appetizer that's often served when you order an alcoholic drink)

Of course, it's not just all about looks though! But hands down no worries here. This place had me before our food orders came out. The sangria here - both red and white - is absolutely genius.

My friend decided our meal would look more appealing if her hand was positioned in front of it.

I think we had (from top left, clockwise) fish carpaccio, some kind of quiche, and French fries. Sounds simple...til you eat it. AMAZING. Also not pictured (because they were devoured before I got the chance to take a photo): Spanish omelette, paella, prosciutto ham, and then crema catalana for dessert! NOMNOMS.

More lovely interior. Perhaps I'm that much more biased because my favorite color is red...

Doesn't look like the bar has a website of it's own, so here's a link to reviews, etc. of Borracho on the Japanese website Tabelog: http://tabelog.com/chiba/A1201/A120101/12019767/

I must admit that this place is on the pricier side - especially if you consider the chain izakaya concentrated in this area. And I don't know what lunch is like here. But I think the food, drink, and service here totally makes it justifiable. Or maybe I'm that much more of a sucker for these quaint, cozy places.

Feeling a little Yamato Nadeshiko.

Just wanna share a couple of "Japanese-y" things I've been up to recently:

Homemade amazake FTW! Nothing hits the spot like this after a brutally cold day out.

A former coworker and dear friend of mine once spoke to me about the wonders of amazake. She makes a point of making and drinking a cup every night, because it offers a number of benefits: for instance, apparently it contains a lot of nutrients (vitamins, protein, etc.), lowers cholesterol,  and is supposed to be really good for your skin?!

I am not sure how correct all of her information was, but if anything my friend (who I believe is in her mid-40s) looks fantastic, healthy - and her complexion is really nice. Plus, amazake really does  warm you up - with the weather as cold as it is, she had me sold.

Later, I happened to run across sakekasu (pictured in the bottom left of the photo above) when I visited a sake brewery awhile back. There are various ways to make your own amazake, but the way my friend does it - and how I do it - is basically to mix the sakekasu with water and sugar in a pot, and voila! All done.

Since I live alone and my sad excuse for a kitchen only has a single electric stove, which takes forever to heat up - and when it does, the settings are only OFF or VERY HIGH (heat), so making amazake on my own took way more effort than it needed to. But! I've discovered a recipe where you make it with the microwave - which might wind up being my new thing. Perhaps this time I'll be able to make amazake into a habit like my friend.

Simple recipe for making amazake:

1) Put sakekasu and ~50cc water (ratio of 1:4) in a microwavable cup, and heat for about 30 seconds.

2) Using a spoon or chopsticks, mix the sakekasu until no lumps remain.

3) Add enough water to fill the cup, as well as sugar to taste. Microwave for 1-2 minutes, or until hot...and you're done!

Onto a completely different topic...

Free tickets to the Kimono Beauty exhibit!

Another recent happening - I was typing furiously at work, focusing on some translation when one of my department's bosses - the Bucho, or Executive Director for Public Relations! came and sat next to me. I rarely see her even though we work on the same floor, perhaps because she's so high on the ladder that she has her own private office.

Anyway, while I was scrambling to collect my thoughts, she asked me if I'd been to the Kimono Beauty exhibit, being held at the Chiba City Museum of Art at that time. I said no - and then she pushed these tickets into my hands, and went on her way before I could even say thanks.

I had actually already been planning to go, but this incident just ensured that I would go - especially since my bucho had gone out of her way to give me these! So I went with some friends - on the very last day of the exhibit...but it was absolutely fantastic. It was even cooler because a lot of the other visitors that day were dressed in kimono, perhaps because they were all taking lessons in how to wear kimono and they came with their class, and/or because people in kimono got discounts on admission. In any case, many of them were just as wonderful to behold, and it took a lot of self-control NOT to ogle them.

Of course, photography wasn't allowed in the museum so I don't have any other photos to share - aside from this one below! These kimono were on display at entrance to the Taisho/Showa era kimono section of the exhibit, along with a sign that basically read "please take photos"...so of course, I had to oblige!

Viva Yamato Nadeshiko!

Earth Tree Cafe.

It's been almost four months since my last post, and I only have six months left here in Chiba - only time will tell where I'll end up next. But before my time's up, I need to make the most of my remaining time here. Or so went a recent conversation with a close friend.

Earthy, natural, and gorgeous.

It took place here, at the magical Earth Tree Cafe.

A couple weeks back, I took a day trip to the lovely Kamogawa, my previous home of 3 years, to join a seminar. Before I went back to home, my friend and I played catch up at this fabulous cafe, which opened up along the road last summer, right between Kamogawa Sea World and Kamogawa Grand Hotel.

With my handsome friend~.

I failed at properly taking photos of the interior, which has a very natural feel to it and was extremely charming. It's hard to tell, but there's a little loft on the second floor - there was a table up there, so I think guests can eat up there too.

Other photos of the cafe can be found here (which I found randomly through Google search):
http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/d_toshizou_b/29778419.html

Also, while this might be really awkward to say - their restroom was particularly gorgeous. You can tell a lot of thought was put into the interior detailing. For one, apparently the flooring is made up of beach glass that the owners' daughter collected: http://halekaira.cocolog-nifty.com/blog/2012/04/post-ebef.html

They have a stock of books and magazines, as well as... FREE WI-FI! Yes, you read that correctly. It's a freaking miracle, considering that the concept of free wi-fi is practically nonexistent in Japan, even in the middle of Tokyo. To encounter it in the inaka...woah.

If I still lived in Kamogawa, I'd be here everyday, warming up with my iPad and eating delicious foods (apparently that's what my friend does).  Speaking of delicious foods....

Here we go again with my fetish for signs (especially chalkboard ones)

Full of natural, organic goodness!

Most unfortunately, they ran out of the daily special zakkoku (grain) plate meal - or rather, they ran out of rice, which knocked out any items with rice. Sad face.

Nomnoms.

So instead, I opted for the grilled veggie burger, which comes with a side of salad and curry...as well as some kind of tea I can't recall - all super yummy! We also had chai tea, a mutual favorite.


The cafe is open from 11:00-20:00, Wednesday to Sunday. If you're ever in Kamogawa and looking for a nice place to chill - look no further!

Earth tree cafe, I'll be back!