タグ: Japan

I’m back in my Hometown

I got off an airplane in the Narita International Airport.

Having finished the formalities for entry, now I am in the land of Japan.

My funny habit is to get on a train of Keisei Line every time I go to and back from Narita Airport. If I got on a JR train, just one ticket should have brought me to my hometown with cheaper fare. But this time, too, I got on a Keisei train for Ueno.

It was a short walk from Keisei Ueno station to JR Ueno.

Bullet train (Shin-kansen) platform is in deep underground.

A view from Shin-kansen window of Niigata plain. This is a place for paddy fields.

Now the local train is approaching to my little hometown.

Big Letters on Smoking Booth

Smoking Booth near JR Niigata Station

There is a Smoking Booth near Bandaiguchi-Exit on JR Niigata station. Oh, but let me tell you, I am not a smoking person. I have never ever smoked even a single cigarette through my life of more than a half century. Passive smoking was terrible when I was a young company man, but I have already retired from company work. Now I am free from smoke of others.

Anyway, I took the photo above, and then I walked to the other side of this smoking booth. What I found there was…

Smoking Booth with Warning Written in Big Letters

It reads;
BAN on Smoking Outside This Facility;
A lot of complaints are coming (to the City Office) due to part of users with bad manner. If this situation continues, this smoking booth would need to be demolished. We ask you to smoke only inside of the facility.

As if these big letters indicate how the Niigata municipal government is angry with bad smoking people.
And I thought that, if there are a lot of complaints, it would not be “part of users” but it might be “many of users”.

Fried Horse Mackerel in Sweet Vinegar Sauce

This time, I bought Small Horse Mackerels. They costed only 138 JPY (approx. 1 USD)
I wouldn’t show you the most cruel process of the cooking. Opened Horse Mackerels were wrapped with Potato Starch.
They were fried in Iron Skillet; I don’t like to use Teflon Skillet. Price hike does affect cooking oil also in Japan. So I tried using less oil as possible.
It took more than 10 minutes to make them fried well.
Sweet Vinegar with Soy Sauce was poured onto Them. Then They were kept in Refrigerator for several hours so that the Sauce could go into the Fries. By doing so, vinegar would make fish bones soft.
There you go.

Thank you for taking a look at this post until the end. Good day,

Fried Horse Mackerel for my Supper Tonight

A Horse Mackerel that I bought from nearby supermarket today. It was 398 JPY
Slices of Horse Mackerel are coated with mixture of wheat and egg.
So this is the main dish of today’s my supper. The white things are Tofu.

It took more than one and a half hour for me to cook tonight’s supper.

Thick and Strong Bones in Sea Bream

A small size sea bream; I bought this one in a supermarket by 498JPY.
I wrapped the fish in aluminum foil, and baked by gas

Actually, it was a little stinky with fish smell. I should have poured some olive oil before wrapping it. I regretted not doing so.

Sunday Afternoon Walk to a Small Shito Shrine by a River Bank

A River; It’s rare fine day amid rainy season, so the mountain top is covered with cloud
A Small Shinto Shrine near my House, in Northern JAPAN
The Same Shrine from different angle towards the river bank
Two boards are put on the wall of a barn in the Shrine Area

The left board says that droppings from a dog shall be disposed properly by the dog’s owner.

The right board says that, when you play in this shrine area, do not break anything, do not make anything dirty, and put in your mind that we all have to keep the shrine clean.

But I can tell you that there is no longer any single kid playing in the shrine area. There are no kids around there because Japan’s society has already aged very much.

Cherry Flowers “SAKURA” in Full Bloom in Northern JAPAN

A River, Sakura, and Gozu Ridges
Cherry Trees and Mountain Behind that is Ninoji-Dake
Cherry Trees on a River Bank
Cherry Trees on a River Bank
Sakura Flowers in Close Look
Behind the Rice Field is Gozu Mountains

I have been busy for so long. That is all for today.

Bird Feeding in Winter

This morning I found there was a lot of Snow in my garden.
I removed snow to get to the Bird Feeding Place.
They are very careful against Human Kind. If I get closer to take a photo, they will immediately fly away.

I hope they can survive this winter.

A Rare Fine Day in Northern Japan, Niigata

Mountains of Eburisashi, Ninoji, and Iide (left to right)
Part of Iide Mountain
A Couple of Ducks on Koagano River
Just Behind the River is Pear Orchard
I have just found that Narcissus Flowers are Blooming at the Edge of my Garden.

That’s it for yesterdays’ photos.