April 1966: Rita Clark Trip Days 4-7

The following is a reprinting of the content taken directly from Rita Clark's Travelogue seen in the picture link below.

4th Day - Sun Apr. 17, 1966 - At 8:00 A.M. we left by private motor coach to Asakusa Station with our Fuji Tour Guide "Toshi". At 9:00 A.M. we boarded the Tobu Railway's Dream Train known as the Romance Car for Nikko.  We saw cherry blossoms along the way - about 85 miles - the Express Train took exactly 105 minutes from Tokyo to Nikko.  Here we saw the vermillion painted Sacred Bridge, hand carved Yomeiman Gate and the Inner Shrine of Toshogu.  After lunch at the Kanaya Hotel where we had trout from the waters of Lake Chuzenji 4194 ft. above sea level we visited Kegon Waterfall.  Returned to Tokyo by the Limited Express train after a very cold but pleasant day - Had Cherry Jubilee in Hilton dining room with Jeanne.

5th Day - Mon. April 18 - After breakfast at the Hilton Tokyo we checked out and by private motor coach drove to Fuji Hakone National Park via Yokohama and Kamakura.  Passed Tokyo's residential district, stopped to see the image of Buddha (Daibutsu) and towns & villages along the Pacific Ocean.  Lunch at the Kasiero Chinese Restaurant all of us sitting on tatami's in real oriental fashion for a true Chinese meal.  Arrived at the Fujiya Hotel in Miyanoshita, Hakone late afternoon to stay overnight in this large tourist hotel half Japanese and half Western.  After a trout dinner I had a massage at 9:00 P.M. 500 yen ($1.40) for 45 min.

6th Day Tues. 4/19 - Had the morning at leisure, then at 2:30 P.M. transferred by motor coach to Atami.  Largest hot spring resort, enjoying view of Lake Hakone, Ten Province Pass and Mt. Fuji on the way.  Dinner and accommodation at the New Fujiya Hotel where we donned Kimonas provided by the hotel and wore them to dinner as well as outdoors - both men and women in our party.

7th Day Wed 4/20 - Breakfast at the New Fujiya Hotel then we transferred by motor coach to Atami Station.  At 9:31 A.M. we took the "bullet" train for Kyoto which travels 130 miles per hour.  Arrived at Kyoto Sta. at 12:17 and were transferred to the Miyako Hotel - welcomed remainder of hotel afternoon to do some mending, washing, etc.  Lunch and dinner at the Miyako Hotel.

Well one of the amazing things to me about this post is that my Great Aunt Rita went to Nikko as have I and was mentioned in a previous post in this blog.  She also went to the Daibutsu in Kamakura which I also did during one of my early trips to the country (I will blog about that one day!).  She made it to Hakone which is still on my list of things to do.  I would also like to visit Atami one day as it looked cool when I saw it from the window of my Shinkansen on a past trip to Kyoto.  The most amazing thing though about this journal page?  The 500 yen equals $1.40 exchange rate!  Upon further research I learned that the yen was fixed at 360 to the dollar not long after the war.  It stayed at this rate until it was changed to 308 to the dollar in 1971 due to market pressures.  Finally it was allowed to float in 1973 with other major currencies of the world.  Wish I could get that 360 rate today!  I might move!!!

Yen to Dollar Exchange Rate

Also of interesting note, apparently the Fujiya Hotel is quite a beautiful and famous place.  It originated in 1878, and is a very popular place to this day for those heading to see Hakone's beautiful sites.  Here is an old picture of it from their web-site:

Here is a more modern look at this wonderful, historic property:

The New Fujiya hotel is still in Atami.  Lastly I would like to comment on the Shinkansen.  Japan's modern day Shinkansen was completed in 1964 in time for the Tokyo summer Olympics.  So when Rita took it in 1966, it was still a relatively new service.  There was only one line running at that time - the Tokaido Shinkansen from Tokyo to Shin-Osaka which operated the original "O Series" trains seen in this picture.

This original Shinkansen train was finally removed from service in 2008.  What a long run of incredible safety and service for this engineering marvel.  As Rita states, it traveled at 130 mph when it was introduced.  Today, there are a number of Shinkansen lines running all over Japan.  The current Tokaido Shinkansen train runs at a top speed of 186 mph.

April 1966: Rita Clark Trip Days 1-3

The following is a reprinting of the content taken directly from Rita Clark's Travelogue seen in the picture link below.  Please note the map at the top of this picture is different and incorrect from the one on the original post of this trip.

TRAVEL WORLD - 67 DAY ESCORTED AROUND-WORLD-TOUR APRIL 14, 1966

1st Day Thurs. Apr. 14, 1966 - Left Los Angeles by Japan Airlines DC-8 Jet for Tokyo via Honolulu.  At Hawaii we crossed the International Date Line and lost a day for we arrived in Japan at Tokyo the same afternoon tho it was
2nd Day Fri Apr. 15 - We were taken to the Tokyo Hilton Hotel - a beautiful hotel!  This capital city of Japan has a population of over 10 million.
3rd Day Sat Apr. 16 - Breakfast in room - then lunch with the group at the Gardens of Chinzan-so restaurant famous for its barbecue meats.  In the afternoon we visited the Imperial Palace Plaza, Asakusa Amusement Center, Ueno Park and Picture Gallery, Meiji Shrine Outer Garden and the Ginza famous shopping area.  At 7:00 P.M. we had a cocktail party for our group of 16 and here I met Dr. & Mrs. Laurence White and Mrs. Swanson of Canoga Park, Cathy Smith of Culver City, Bill Nordhoff of Santa Monica, Gertrude Bernhard of Seattle, Jeanne Eddy from Chicago, Mr. & Mrs. Ward Sumpter of Kentucky, Mr. & Mrs. Max Baele of Fla., Capt. & Mrs. Bert White from S.F.  Bob Davis of No. Hollywood joined us from Korea, and Ken Dunne, Australian Conductor.

My Observations:  First of all, I came across the following beautiful color picture on the internet (it was not in Rita's Travelogue) of a JAL DC-8 parked at San Francisco airport in 1968.  Just thought you might want to see what this plane looked like!

Upon further research, I have come to find out that the original Hilton Hotel in Tokyo, which was the first global chain hotel in Japan, was built in 1963 not too much before Rita's arrival.  It was probably considered "new" at the time.  In 1984 the Tokyu Hotel Chain, Ltd. bought this property and renamed it the Capital Tokyu Hotel.  It ceased operation in 2006, due to the area redevelopment project of Nagata-cho 2-chome.  It reopened in October 2010 as "The Capital Hotel Tokyu".  Today the main Tokyo Hilton is over in Shinjuku.  Lastly, the Gardens of Chinzan-so, which were created in 1877, are still alive and well in the Bunkyo area of Tokyo.  While I have never been there, there appears to be seven restaurants on the grounds also known as "Camilia Mountain", and a Four Seasons hotel sits on a corner of the extensive 66,000 square meter site.

More Random but Related Trivia:  Just a short month and a half after Rita touched down at Tokyo International Airport (Haneda), a famous group of people did the same.  Can you guess who they were?  If you said The Beatles, you would be correct!!!  They were there to play concerts at the Nippon Budokan Hall in Tokyo on June 30th, July 1st and 2nd.  And where did the Beatles stay during their only trip to Japan?  Why the Tokyo Hilton of course!!!!

The Beatles Haneda Arrival - June 29th, 1966

As long as we are talking about the Beatles trip to Japan, here is a little taste of their first concert on the evening of June 30th.


Interestingly the Beatles only played 30 minute sets in these concerts. I guess when your songs average only a couple of minutes that works out. They had an afternoon and evening show.  Notice how simple the stage is set up.  Quite different from today's major productions!  Shows you that if your music is so beautiful you don't need anything else.  Sadly just a short two months after these shows the Beatles would play their final concert at San Francisco's Candlestick Park on August 29th.  Why couldn't those screaming girls just be quiet so everyone could hear the music?

My Great Aunt - Rita Clark

Ok I am going to add a few posts that are slightly off the regular path of this Blog, but they stay true to the main topic - Japan.  This is the story of my Great Aunt Rita Clark, who is the sister of my Grandfather Samuel Joseph Clark (on my fathers side).  Why a story on Great Aunt Rita?  Well, because she was a very interesting individual, who devoted a huge portion of her life to traveling all over the world.  Her travel exploits cover a massive span starting in the 1920's and going all the way up to the early 1970's.

So why or maybe the better question is "how" would I be able to transfer over to you the details of her various travels?  Well the answer is because she kept a diary of incredible detail of almost all of her adventures.  She called it her "Travelogue".  I asked for and received four of these massive books recently from my parents, who had come into possession of them from my Grandparents who had them after Great Aunt Rita's passing during the 1970's.  There is a fifth book that my parents are still holding onto.  These books are a fascinating look into a world of long ago.  Rita, whose own marriage to her only husband (Hamilton V.B. Riggs) lasted but a brief year or so, was really married to the world.  She was a fearless traveler, who utilized many different methods (air, boat - often freighters!, rail, car, etc.) and often ventured out either in organized tours or even on her own.  She also was an amazing reader, and had a thirst for knowledge about the world that she satisfied via her travels and her book reading.  Today as I look through her journals, I marvel at this woman I can only vaguely remember.

Of her many adventures, Rita did of course make it over to Japan!  The year was 1966 (which was later in her life and one of her last major trips).  It was part of what any ordinary person would call the trip of a lifetime, but for Rita, I suspect it was just another normal adventure.  The trip duration was 67 days, and it was basically an around the world (via air) excursion with a very small group of 16 people organized by "Travel World Tours".  Rita joined this tour on her own.

So I plan to dedicate a number of posts to the Japan portion of this trip, but let me start by showing you a picture of Rita , taken at the American Consulate General in Cape Town, South Africa when she renewed her passport there on March 15th, 1956.  As I said, she was VERY detail oriented!!!

Now, let me show you the scope of her full itinerary on this specific trip.  It started in Los Angeles, where she lived, and made it's way from east to west around the world.  The first international stop as you can see is Japan.

Does that look at little ambitious to you?  It is quite staggering to me.  Once you see the pages on her days in Japan, and then realize that there is this level of detail or more for each stop on the rest of the itinerary, then you will begin to understand the time she put into this Travelogue, and the size and extent of the books that are currently in my possession.  Ideally I would like to share them with others via some on-line method (perhaps a new Blog?), but at the moment I am struggling to find out who would be interested in reading them.  If you are reading this and have any ideas, perhaps you can help me?

So please enjoy the following posts about Rita's adventures, during a time not so long ago when travel was much more romantic than it is today.

Nov. 2010 Japan Trip - Post #12: Furosato Dinner and Cha-Cha's

After a day of sightseeing around Matsushima, my friend Sam had arranged a nice dinner for us at one of our mutually favorite spots - Furosato (Country Home) in Tagajo.  I have posted about this small, unique and friendly place before here.

Sam invited some of our co-workers to come over, and it was a very nice group of welcoming people.

Looking back, this was a very special dinner.  It would be the last time I ever set foot into the beautiful Furosato, as it was destroyed by the Tsunami four months later.

It makes these pictures extra special as they are my last reminder of what used to be.

The Mama-san can be seen in the photo above behind Sam.  Get a good look at this place as I will be posting in the future about a dinner at the "new" Furosato.  Yes thankfully they have re-opened a new restaurant just down the street from the old one.  They are quite opposites in terms of style though, but more on that later.

As for this meal, it was very enjoyable.  Mary stayed away from the house specialties - "guts", and opted for cuts of regular meat and chicken.  Good beer and good conversation flowed.  Little did I know that it would be my final meal in this tiny, beautiful, character filled box.  After our dinner, we all headed over to Cha-Cha's for some more drinks and a few songs.  While Cha-Cha's did indeed also feel the power of the destructive Tsunami, thankfully it would not be the last time I set foot in that building.  I do regret though only having one picture from that party at Cha-Cha's - the following group shot taken at the end of the night.

This is my last reminder of Cha-Cha's before the Tsunami.  Mary and I really appreciated everyone who came that night to make this evening a great time.

Don't Worry! Japanese Curry!!!

Ok.  Ok.  It has been a while now I know.  Happy New Year to all of you as this represents my first post of 2012.  Don't worry.  Don't worry.  I have not forgotten about this blog, nor about Japan.  In fact, I think about it all the time.  Just busy doin' other stuff during and after the holidays.  I hope you enjoyed the end of your year and are off on good footing in this year of the Dragon!

So the purpose of this post is to talk about Curry.  I remember the first time I tried a Curry.  It was in the mid 1980's at a small restaurant/bar on Wilshire Boulevard in Santa Monica, California called the Calcutta Cricket Club.  It was part of a bar they shared a wall with next door called McGinty's.  Sadly both of these places are long gone today.  Anyway, as you can image from the name of the establishment, it was an Indian Curry.  I ordered their chicken dish, and I had my choices of different degrees of hotness for the spices.  Since I was a big fan of spicy foods, and thought I had a strong ability to handle heat, I ordered it with an "extra hot" spice level.

To make a long story short, I could only eat half the dish.  The heat was far too intense.  My forehead was sweating like I was in an oven.  As I drove home I felt like my face was beginning to melt.  Wow!!!  Unfortunately due to the intense heat I really couldn't taste the flavor of the Curry.  I also never forgot from that point forward to be more careful with how hot I would order any spicy dish.

So fast forward to the mid '90's during my early trips to Japan.  I was fairly ignorant at the time about Japanese food.  I did not care for sushi as I had not developed my palette for it yet.  While I was over on those early trips I experimented with different foods.  One thing that caught my eye was the fact that a lot of Japanese really liked Curry.  That was cool I thought, so I decided to try the Japanese version as I was certain I would like it as long as I had the heat index in the right spot.  Early on I found a small restaurant called Sher Curry that was located inside of the Takanawa Tennis complex in the Shinagawa area of Tokyo.  It obviously catered to the tennis and golf crowd that used their sports facility.  It was never very crowded.  I ordered many of their different Curry plates, starting with a mild degree of heat.  The food was always very fresh, tasty and delivered to your table quickly.  The price was also reasonable.

Through the years, I have had many nice, relaxing and enjoyable meals at Sher Curry Restaurant.  A lot of times I have even gone there by myself (sometimes on a flight arrival night if it was still open it gave me the perfect convenience).  Of course I came to really appreciate the taste of Japanese Curry, which is different from the Indian version.  I do appreciate both, although I find the Japanese style more to my liking.  It is smoother and a little darker that the Indian Curries I have had.

The photos above are from 2001 and 2002 respectively by the way.  When I returned home from those early trips to Japan, I found a great restaurant called (appropriately) Curry House, right down the street from my office.  Me and my coworkers used to eat there regularly while we still worked in that office.  Their Curry was fantastic, just like it tasted in Japan.  It is still there, and is part of a larger parent company called House Foods.  I am sure my Japanese friends have heard of it.  Here is their U.S. web-site:  http://www.house-foods.com/CurryHouse/default.aspx.  What a great place.  I need to go back!!!

Anyway finding out that I really liked Japanese Curry allowed me to add another popular type of Japanese food to my preferred list.  This was comforting, and while unfortunately I have not been back to Sher Curry in many years, I am grateful for the memories and good food they provided me.  One day I may return again.

Japan Loves Festivals!!!

I have found it interesting that the Japanese people seem to really love festivals.  They love anything related to showing the spirit of a festival or a holiday.  So much so that they have seemed to embrace Christmas, not for it's religious meaning of course, but rather for the holiday decorations and festive spirit that are associated with it.  In fact in early November when I visited, I saw Christmas decorations already up close to my hotel in Tokyo.  Amazing.

Back in May of 2004 during a visit up in Sendai, our group just happened to come across a festival parade in full swing going through the downtown.  Many different groups were dressed up in different colored outfits.

It was a very impressive sight.  Incredible organization. Incredible participation.  Incredible spirit!

Spaced in between many of the various groups were these really cool looking floats (or that is what we would call them in America).  That is probably not the right word.  They were quite large, and obviously built with much care and color.

All of the people seemed to be having a very fun time.  We watched for around 30 minutes as they passed in front of us down the main street of downtown Sendai.  Many thanks to my friend Ken who took some of these great pictures with his at the time very new, cool camera.

Yes, it seems that everyone in Japan loves a festival.  And what is wrong with that?  Nothing!!!

Then and Now

I am not sure why, but I have always been fascinated by pictures taken from the same spot and with the same view from long ago and then present.  You can see what has stayed the same, and what has changed with the passage of time.  In that regard I submit to you two photos.  The first, which is one of my favorites and was mentioned here, was taken in December of 1994.

I tried to take a very similar picture from around the same spot on my recent trip in November of 2011.  Here is what it looks like today.

I was a little bit off on my spot and angle, but I think it is still effective, and an amazing example of change.

Nov. 2010 Japan Trip - Post #11: Matsushima Bay

It seems a bit more difficult to recount stories from my trip to Japan in November of 2010 now that I have returned from my recent visit.  There are so many new stories to tell.  However I am determined to fully chronicle my special 2010 trip with my wife, and thus this effort will continue.  I will mix some new in with the old, as the beauty of this blog is that there is no natural order of things by time, but rather just by what happens to be in my head at the moment.

With that in mind, I would like to share with you a wonderful afternoon we had out on Matsushima Bay in Nov. of 2010 with my good friend Sam.  Sam met Mary and I at our hotel (the Century) for a planned boat cruise through the bay and then lunch over at Shiogama before heading back for the return trip.  Sam knew a decent Italian restaurant over at Shiogama, and with Mary's culinary range being a bit narrow, I was eager to get her some food she would feel more comfortable with.  Matsushima has a number of different boat companies that operate various trips around the beautiful islands that dot the bay.  We chose one and off we went!

It is about a 30 to 45 minute ride from Matsushima town over to Shiogama.  It is a winding traverse, through the famous Matsushima oyster beds as well as the pine tree covered islands.

There seems to be a tradition of feeding the birds (seagulls) from these boats.  They even sell food at the docks to make it easy for you.  For some reason, I do not see the beauty in this tradition, as I think it is unnatural for birds to be fed by humans.

The resulting flock of hungry participants crowd the skies off the back end of all of the boats and to me slightly detracts from the amazing beauty of the scenery all around you.  A minor detail, but hey, I am a purist.

Once at Shiogama, we took in a nice lunch which included salad and very good thin crusted pizzas.

The lunch was perfect.  A nice place with a view of the harbor.  Very good Italian food, and the beer was refreshing.  Sad to note that this place, which was right in front of where the cruise boats dock was wiped out by the tsunami just four months later.  I doubt they are going to be able to rebuild it, but we shall see.

The ride back to Matsushima was not as smooth as the first leg of the journey.  Regrettably the waves splashed water over the windows which rendered some of the pictures we took useless.  Once back in Matsushima, we took a walk along the main road through town.  While we did just take a lunch not too long ago, we decided to stop in at one of the waterfront restaurants because I said that while here I wanted to try Matsushima's famous oysters.  We found this great little place on the second floor of a small building right around the corner from our hotel.  It was a traditional style place where we sat on the floor.  We ordered a small plate of oysters, half of them raw, and the other half baked.  They were the best tasting oysters I have ever had.  I just wished I had taken a picture of these beauties before I swallowed them down.  They were so good, I could not decide which one's I liked better!!  All in all, another great day in Japan.  Thank you Sam!!!!

My Friend Matsuzaki-san

So after my recent trip to Japan, I think it would be most appropriate for my next post to talk about a former co-worker friend of mine Matsuzaki-san.  I have known Matsuzaki-san for a number of years, as his work and mine brought us together while he was stationed at our factory up in Tagajo.  Then a few years ago he transferred assignments and worked out of our Tokyo HQ.  During that time, our business was not related, but I still kept in loose touch.  Here is a picture of Matsuzaki-san from a "meeting" in Tokyo in 2006.

So why do I have this post to profile this man?  Well a couple of years ago (maybe a little less), Matsuzaki-san retired from the company.  He moved back to Sendai, and pondered life after the company, and what direction he should go in.  Then fate stepped in and guided him.  The disaster of March 11th, 2011 as everyone knows caused much heartache and suffering in the Tohoku region.  Matsuzaki-san felt compelled to act.  He joined the "Save the Children Japan" organization, and since then has been assisting with all of their activities related to the recovery efforts up north.  On my recent trip, Matsuzaki-san was kind enough to join a group of coworkers for an after hours party up in Tagajo.  He asked me if I knew of the group Linkin Park and that they had just visited Japan.  Coincidentally, I had just watched the video below BEFORE I went to Japan, so I said yes and that I heard they went up to Ishinomaki City.  He was surprised that I knew, and said he was a part of the Save the Children group that went with them.  When I returned to the U.S., I watched the video again, and if you look closely, there he was, Matsuzaki-san.  I hope you can watch this video all the way to the end.  It is really good stuff.

It really made me feel good to see Matsuzaki-san again, and to hear of his recent job and efforts.  How fulfilling it must be for him to help the children up in Tohoku recover from such devastation.  If any readers feel so inclined, feel free to make a donation to this worthy cause.  The website can be found by clicking on this link:  http://www.savechildren.or.jp/jpnem/eng/index.html.  At our recent party in Miyagi, I had a chance to sing one of my favorite karaoke songs with Matsuzaki-san, who is quite a good singer - Louis Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World".  Here is a shot of it, before Matsuzaki-san had to leave for the night.

Despite such sadness and despair, there can be found happiness and hope.  I plan to keep in touch with Matsuzaki-san in the future, and will make a strong effort for our paths to cross again.  I am proud of him and what he is doing, and am happy to call him my friend.

My eyes have seen, my hands have touched, my heart has felt . . .

Well I finally made it back to Japan.  It took twelve months, but circumstances made it feel like twelve years.  The most anticipated trip in my 17 years of engagement with Nippon ended recently, and it was without question, the most moving trip I have ever made.  It is very difficult to accurately describe it in full.  Of course the highlight was visiting our factories in Miyagi prefecture.  Seeing the damage caused by the earthquake and tsunami first hand is of course much more powerful than seeing pictures or watching the television.  Eight months after the beginning of this disaster, and there are still plenty of reminders around to let you know full recovery is still quite a ways away.  This picture shows a freighter at the Port of Sendai.  The back end of this ship is actually hanging out over the water.

Here is a picture of a house in Tagajo.  It is so strange that such a house is so obviously out of place, swept off it foundations and moved by the powerful tsunami, yet the other surrounding structures show no apparent outside damage.

Such is the case in Tohoku.  Devastating damage, and right next to it, signs of a strong recovery under way.  Much has been written about the strength and resolve of the Japanese people.  However to me, there is no way to put into writing just how strong, and how resilient these people actually are.  I have seen this incredible strength and resilience first hand - at our factories, as well as at neighboring businesses that I have frequented throughout the years of my travels.  I have physcially touched these places with my own hands.  My heart has felt the great spirit that resides up in Tohoku.  I feel a great sense of honor to know many of these people who have sacrificed so much.  My life has been enriched by this experience, and I will make a strong effort to remain inspired in the future by what I have seen, what I have touched, and what I have felt.

Yebisu Beer Museum

Back in 2004, I had a chance to visit the Yebisu Beer Museum, which is located in/near the Sapporo Beer headquarters building a short walk from the JR Ebisu station in Tokyo.  Being a beer drinker with a discriminating palate :-) , I have always liked Sapporo, and more specifically the Yebisu brand.  While not impossible, it is a bit difficult to procure here in the United States.  The museum is located on the grounds of the original brewery, which was established in the late 1800's.  Nothing remains from that original plant, but the museum informs us of it through a very nice set of exhibits.

After you run through the various artifacts and brewing processes which are laid out in detail, there is a very nice and modern tasting room where you can sample many of the Sapporo family brands, including Yebisu!

We of course had to try them all, and my good friend Federico, was an eager participant.

It was in December, and I remember it being cold outside.  Due to my unquenchable thirst I made a go at this can, without success.

I think there are some other cool places around here, and someday if I have more time I might plan on a return visit.

Good Ramen in OC? Hai!!!!

I am going to stray off the main topic of being inside of Japan to once again give some kudos to a wonderful Japanese restaurant in Orange County.

On the occasion when I use LAX for a domestic business trip, I usually find myself making the one hour plus drive home late at night after the return flight.  This allows me the chance to stop at my favorite Orange County Ramen shop - Shinsengumi in Fountain Valley for a nice dinner.  Yes, we have some great Japanese Ramen shops in Orange County.

For some of you who have visited me in Orange County, you may wonder why I am not saying Santoka in the Mitsuwa food court in Costa Mesa is not my favorite.  Well, it is a very close call.  Actually, it might be a tie.  But what breaks the tie is that this Hakata Ramen shop has a side dish that I have fallen in love with - Takana Fried Rice.

Takana Fried Rice is a fabulous combination of rice, some kind of meat I think (I suspect pork), egg, a pickled, green leafy vegetable (mustard greens???) and the final touch of thick strands of ginger.  It is really, really good to my taste.  While it may seem a little over the top to have the starch of rice in addition to the starch of noodles, for me it is the perfect combination.  Here is a picture of this meal, one of my favorites in Orange County!

The regular bowl of this Kyushu style ramen does not include the egg.  I put it in there anyway, because I like it.  Here is a picture of the Takana rice being fried in the hot wok.

There are a few of these Shinsengumi restaurants around the greater Los Angeles area.  Their main component is a Robata - Yakitori style grill.  There are many, many items on their menu and all of the ones I have tried are very tasty!.  It is a really popular place.  Immediately next door to the Fountain Valley Robata - Yakitori restaurant is the Ramen shop.  They share a passageway between them.


This shop also serves up some very good gyoza. An all around great place. Only problem is there is always a line out front (see the first picture). The wait is worth it. Trust me.

Oh one last thing. For all you competitive eaters out there, like Ken and Hank K., why don't you stop by for some of this?

Nov. 2010 Japan Trip - Post #10: Matsushima ah!

When Mary and I planned to stay in the Tohoku region for a couple of nights, it was really a fairly easy decision on where we would stay - Matsushima!  Yes that's right, just swallow deeply when it comes to paying the bill for it is not cheap, but it is definitely worth it.  We decided to stay at the Matsushima Century Hotel, which was a little bit less expensive than some of the other behemoth properties that cater to the swells of Japanese (and foreign) tourists that this city is dependent on for it's main commerce.

The Century is perfectly located right on the edge of Matsushima Bay, and the views out our window are the same views that have fascinated visitors to this amazing area for centuries.  We had wonderful weather while we were there, but one of the great thrills of this hotel stay was Mary and I sleeping on futons for the very first time.  And we LIKED IT!!!!

Yes you may laugh and think the hot spring bath and views should be the best.  Well I did try the bath, and it was interesting (a bit too hot for me actually, but still refreshing), but the futon was a really wonderful experience.  Please pardon our messy room below, but unless I showed you, you may not believe me!  And look at the door.  Mary even took her shoes off.  How polite!!!

Strolling around this small town is wonderful.  There is a big temple there (Zuigan-ji), but we did not get a chance to visit it (next time).

I will have a couple of more posts on this Matsushima visit before we leave this amazing town.

This will not be the last time I visit this place (hopefully).