One of my friends will change his job successfully. His salary must increse a little. In order to celebrate his success, some old friends gathered to Gifu prefecture last weekend.
Japanese postal code is from 000 to 999. Gifu's postal codes are on 500th. As you can easily understand, Gifu prefecture is almost at the center of Japan. It's an important area to dominate this country.
We stayed in the hotel near Gifu castle.
Look at this photo. Gifu castle is great and beautiful. One of the most popular general in Japanese history, Nobunaga Oda, lived there. He could understand the importance of the governance of Gifu.
The castle's location is also good. It stands on the top of a mountain which is near Nagaragawa river. The river is famous for "Ugai", which is the fishing methods to use a bird "U". In summer season, we can watch "U" catching fish on the river.
After the staying near the castle, I and the successful friend moved to Hida Takayama, the city on mountain area in Gifu. The city is far from the center of Gifu. I think it was hard to go there before. But, even though its location was not good for human's living, Hida Takayama was prosperous in medieval times because of natural resources; silver, copper and so on.
I visited Takayama Jinya, which is the only one now existing reginal office in Edo era. The office rooms and living rooms used by samurais are preserved well now. We can watch such things in the classical Japanese dramas on TV, but, of course, they are the imitations. Takayama Jinya's one are real.
Before visiting there, I didn't know its exsitence, so I was excited with watching it.
Hida Takayama is famous for beef, but I will write about it on another post. The taste is very good for Japanese tongue.
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
VS Windy Enoshima
I went to Enoshima beach to surf last weekend. The day was very windy. It's a bad condition for surifing.
But the weather was good. I couldn't miss going to the beach. I am lazy recently, so I don't go to surf so often, though,
I like this season's Enoshima. Because the air is becoming clean after humid summer. Now we can look at Mt.Fuji very clear. In summer season, it is immpossible for us to see it.
It is also good that there are less people on the sea. (But, compared with ohter beach, many people are still there, though.)
Windy day's wave is bad. The shape of the wave is random. So, it's difficult to stand on my board. But, thanks to the existence of Enoshima island, we can escape from the effect of the wind on the some areas on the sea. The isiland becomes a natural brock against the wind.
That's why I could enjoy surfing the day.
The water temparature? No, problem. I haven't used the wet suits for winter yet. The water on the sea is still warm. Sometimes I thought it was warmer on the sea than on the beach.
Many people looking at me from the beach don't know the secret, so they must think I am a strong man. But the reality is opposite. Funny.
But the weather was good. I couldn't miss going to the beach. I am lazy recently, so I don't go to surf so often, though,
I like this season's Enoshima. Because the air is becoming clean after humid summer. Now we can look at Mt.Fuji very clear. In summer season, it is immpossible for us to see it.
It is also good that there are less people on the sea. (But, compared with ohter beach, many people are still there, though.)
Windy day's wave is bad. The shape of the wave is random. So, it's difficult to stand on my board. But, thanks to the existence of Enoshima island, we can escape from the effect of the wind on the some areas on the sea. The isiland becomes a natural brock against the wind.
That's why I could enjoy surfing the day.
The water temparature? No, problem. I haven't used the wet suits for winter yet. The water on the sea is still warm. Sometimes I thought it was warmer on the sea than on the beach.
Many people looking at me from the beach don't know the secret, so they must think I am a strong man. But the reality is opposite. Funny.
Saturday, November 14, 2009
VS Sauce Fried Noodles
I am happy for working in Japanese publishing world. Because I can sometimes meet great books to show Japanese publications are rich.
Recently a book to focus on sauce fried noodles is published in Japan.
The ad for the book says it is the first book only for sauce fried noodles in the world.
Yes! Certainly I have never met such a book. Even though it is a popular food and we can eat it on any places in Japan, and there are many books for noodles; spagetti, soba, ramen, udon and so on, AND sauce fried noodles are a very original noodle food born in modern Japan, nobody haven't published the book for it.
From the book, we can know there are may types of sauce frried noodles in Japan. The simplest one is noodles with meat and cabbage. Another one is with egg. In the northern Kanto area, potato is used! It's very surprising for the pople in other area.
For the pople bron in the western Japan like me, sauce fried noodles are like a daily food. In a house and a school, I ate it. In coffee shops, it is always on the menu as a light food, in the western Japan. In festivals, sauce fried noodles shops are one of the most popular shops.
One of my memorial things was that I had BBQ on the beach in Austlaria. I ate sauce fried noodles there. For Japanese, it's not special. But for Australian, what I ate there must have been strange.
I can't stop writing about my memory about sauce fried noodles, but the book is useful to understand Japanese food culture. I recommend it.
Recently a book to focus on sauce fried noodles is published in Japan.
The ad for the book says it is the first book only for sauce fried noodles in the world.
Yes! Certainly I have never met such a book. Even though it is a popular food and we can eat it on any places in Japan, and there are many books for noodles; spagetti, soba, ramen, udon and so on, AND sauce fried noodles are a very original noodle food born in modern Japan, nobody haven't published the book for it.
From the book, we can know there are may types of sauce frried noodles in Japan. The simplest one is noodles with meat and cabbage. Another one is with egg. In the northern Kanto area, potato is used! It's very surprising for the pople in other area.
For the pople bron in the western Japan like me, sauce fried noodles are like a daily food. In a house and a school, I ate it. In coffee shops, it is always on the menu as a light food, in the western Japan. In festivals, sauce fried noodles shops are one of the most popular shops.
One of my memorial things was that I had BBQ on the beach in Austlaria. I ate sauce fried noodles there. For Japanese, it's not special. But for Australian, what I ate there must have been strange.
I can't stop writing about my memory about sauce fried noodles, but the book is useful to understand Japanese food culture. I recommend it.
Sunday, November 08, 2009
VS Performance
The 2nd International Street Performance Festival in Atsugi is held this weekend. This kind of festival in Yokohama is popular. Atsugi has followed it since last year.
I was not sure whether Atsugi's one would become popular, but I am now surprised at the success. Many people come to Atsugi to watch street performance now.
Last year, the guide book for the festival was free. This year, it is sold in bookstores. Thanks to the gathering of many people, the restaurants and shops in Atsugi are running very well. This festival's economical impact on Atusgi must be great.
Now we can watch the performance at many places near Hon-Atsugi station. Because Atsugi is a compact city, we can move easily from one place to oter place. Atsugi's compactness might be a good advantage for this kind of festival. It can be more popular in the future than a large city Yokohama's one.
I was not sure whether Atsugi's one would become popular, but I am now surprised at the success. Many people come to Atsugi to watch street performance now.
Last year, the guide book for the festival was free. This year, it is sold in bookstores. Thanks to the gathering of many people, the restaurants and shops in Atsugi are running very well. This festival's economical impact on Atusgi must be great.
Now we can watch the performance at many places near Hon-Atsugi station. Because Atsugi is a compact city, we can move easily from one place to oter place. Atsugi's compactness might be a good advantage for this kind of festival. It can be more popular in the future than a large city Yokohama's one.
Tuesday, November 03, 2009
VS Journal Business
It's cold in Japan. The wind from the north is blewing today. I felt the early winter has come at last. I also knew the news of the first snow in Sapporo city in Hokkaido. But, this cold seems to be temporary. This week, it will become warm again.
Last month was a big month for my business. I finished some contracts of annual subscription of academic journals with my customers, mainly Japanese universities.
This business is becoming difficult for the decreasing budgets of the universities, and the digitalization of journals. Some digitalized journals can be read free on internet, and many digitalized journals can be bought directly from publishers by my customers; it means they don't need distributers, book-sales men.
Of course, the situation is not so simple. Even though many journals are digitalized now, many publishers and customers still want to use distributers. However, the rate of profit for this business is garadually decreasing. That's why some competers of mine are giving up the business.
I think I made a success of the business this year. Under the bad conditions, my sales grew up, and even the rate of profit raised too. The negotiation with my customers were taugh, and there were tha holidays that I couldn't enjoy other things because business didn't move from my brain. But, now I am satisfied with the sales result.
This month, I will consciously release my mind from business to many funs. Balance is important. I will beat tension to be relaxed.
That's why, last week's Halloween party was good for changing my mental mood. We enjoyed the party very much and after the first stage we stayed until fifth stages(it was the early morning.)the day. It was along night, but I didn't get tired.
And, I have some plans more; the travel with my friends to some old villages in Japan, Sushi dinner event with friends, joining Sepack Takrow tournament in Saitama, Karaoke party in a bar, etc. It might not be good to make many plans for relaxing, but my brain is familler with busy schadule. So, it's Ok.
Last month was a big month for my business. I finished some contracts of annual subscription of academic journals with my customers, mainly Japanese universities.
This business is becoming difficult for the decreasing budgets of the universities, and the digitalization of journals. Some digitalized journals can be read free on internet, and many digitalized journals can be bought directly from publishers by my customers; it means they don't need distributers, book-sales men.
Of course, the situation is not so simple. Even though many journals are digitalized now, many publishers and customers still want to use distributers. However, the rate of profit for this business is garadually decreasing. That's why some competers of mine are giving up the business.
I think I made a success of the business this year. Under the bad conditions, my sales grew up, and even the rate of profit raised too. The negotiation with my customers were taugh, and there were tha holidays that I couldn't enjoy other things because business didn't move from my brain. But, now I am satisfied with the sales result.
This month, I will consciously release my mind from business to many funs. Balance is important. I will beat tension to be relaxed.
That's why, last week's Halloween party was good for changing my mental mood. We enjoyed the party very much and after the first stage we stayed until fifth stages(it was the early morning.)the day. It was along night, but I didn't get tired.
And, I have some plans more; the travel with my friends to some old villages in Japan, Sushi dinner event with friends, joining Sepack Takrow tournament in Saitama, Karaoke party in a bar, etc. It might not be good to make many plans for relaxing, but my brain is familler with busy schadule. So, it's Ok.
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