Yosakoi 2009 – Numazu, Shizuoka

Hey gang sorry for the late post but I had a little trouble with Youtube and Mpeg2. Here is a little taster for tomorrow. Please enjoy and sorry for the sung intro in advance. Sorry I can’t quite work out how to run YouTube as a consecutive playlist on WordPress so please watch these in order until I do.

Riviere Lounge and Bar – Numazu Tokyu Hotel

In Japanese culture a person’s identity can be traditionally referred to in two forms; Honne, inner truth, and Tatemae, outer display. This can often be frustrating for a foreigner with a western upbringing that encourages the physical display of your true inner emotions. Conversly, a Japanese person may have inner desires and feelings about a person or subject but will display an air of indifference if they feel that their desires and feeling are not socially accepted. But occasionally when trust has developed in a relationship with a Japanese person you are can be honored with a glimpse of Honne.

In Japan, as in the West, restaurants, cafes and bars are a medium for expression; a place where the diner can explore a slice of the inner mind of the proprietor, honne. It seems to me, that in Japan restaurants shyly protect their honne from the outer world in the same way the people do. Allow me to explain; most restaurants in Japan show very little of them selves to the outside world of the bustling street. More often than not the outside, tatemae, of their establishments are very sober in appearance and give away little of what is truly inside. Once entering a restaurant I am often surprised by the level of detail and personality in both the food and decor. To me this is a great bearing of the soul as if as a reward for taking that inquisitive step beyond the outer walls and into the hear of the place. It’s all or nothing.

To carry the metaphor further, restaurants, cafes and bars in Japan rarely position themselves with little thought for the view from the windows of their establishment, often preferring to black out the windows on busy streets to prevent the casual pedestrian from peering into the inner truth of the establishment.

However, like some Japanese people, there are exceptions to the rule. Quite often when honne merges into the open display of tatemae something quite extraordinary can emerge. Riviere – Lounge and Bar in the Tokyu Hotel on Numazu’s south side is one of these beautiful and inspiring exceptions to the rule.

Riviere is a display of 20 century decadence, and it is on show to the world. I approached Riviere from the high ceiling Hotel foyer, supported by elegant pillars. Potted stands of greenery make a bikini’s attempt at modest privacy. I stumble down the few steps to the sunken level of the lounge bar. On first entering all I can do is make the briefest glimpse at the lounge bar before being captivated by the lazy flow of the Kano River and luscious green peeks of the Numazu Alps just beyond the outskirts of town. The massive floor to ceiling bay windows expose the full length of Riviere to the world beyond and in turn the world beyond becomes part of Riviere and you.

A noble looking waiter, with black vest and elegant long black skirt, escorts me to a window seat. Piano sounds playing in a distant hall sooths my ears as I crumple into creamy couch chairs.  Chilled water, hand towel and a menu arrive with barely a notice. I feel exposed with my immediate proximity to the bay windows on my right and the occasional bobbing of heads from guests in the lobby above and to my left. However, this exposure is cathartic in its beauty and rewards you with an atmosphere of honesty and trust.

Drinks and food are not cheap, but nor would you expect them to be in such an establishment. With a cappuccino coming in at around 800yen, a trip to Riviere is a treat, a splurge for your senses.

I order a cappuccino and my wife orders a pot of Earl Grey tea.  We talk quietly as if we are in a library, sharing smiles and recounting old stories. It is as if the openness of Riviere compels you to recount your inner thoughts, your honne.

My chocolate dusted cappuccino arrives, a creamy foam bobs on top. One taste and I am content. I pour my wife’s tea. She adds her sugars and milk, stirs her cup and sips. I see that she has closed her eyes, her shoulders have visibly relaxed and a small moan of pleasure emanates from her. Perhaps for the tenth time we have been to Riviere she tells me this is the best tea she has ever had. I can smell the rich oil of bergamot in her tea. I steal a taste and am pleasantly surprised with the mild orange flavor; a testament of a good Earl Grey.

My wife and I chat for a little longer before two of our friends arrive. They barely see us, captivated as they are by the view beyond the windows. I smile at my wife. She returns a knowing smile. Our friends will be in for a treat and we will be fortunate enough to share it with them.

Locaton: From the south side of the station head directly south along the main road for about 500meters on your right you will see the Tokyu Hotel. Enter the foyer and head up the stairs it will be straight in front of you. For a map check out the link here

Stlye: Cafe and Lounge Bar

English menu: sure did

Picture menu: There are some pictures.

Gaijin friendly: Yes. The hotel is part of an international chain that often receives international guests. English, in varying levels, is spoken by staff.

Phone: 55 952 2411

Address: 100-1, Agetsuchi-cho, Numazu-shi, Shizuoka  410-0802

Link: Tokyu Hotel Numazu

Cost: Cost of a cup of tea came in at 750yen and a cappuccino was 850yen.

31 December Shizuoka Daidogei, get your Zombie on! -circus arts festival

I know it’s a bit late for a shout out and this is a little away from the Numazu scene, but there is a big circus arts festival being held on the weekend of 31 October, and just so happens to be Halloween. It is a massive event with dozens of street performances running concurrently through the streets of Shizuoka.

The plan – This year our little community of expats in the Shizuoka area have decided to come as a Zombie horde. But we need your help to boost numbers and put our support behind the circus arts festival.

Fun and games start at 10am. All you need to do is come dressed as a zombie, or something else if that’s your day job, and wander the streets of Shizouka. We will be filming on the day so we can make a montage of the event and get it out there on Youtube. We will probably end up finishing things up by 3pm.

Daidogei circus arts perfomances are held everywhere on the north side of the Shizuoka station just grab a map from out side the station and have a rock good time.

I have also made a shout out to the Tokyo Improv Everywhere Groups to boost our numbers. Everyone is invited.

You can find out more information about Daidogei here:
www.daidogei.com/english/

I will see you there.

Cheers,

Yagisan Atode.

Numazu Port Festival and Kaijinsai

Numazu’s Port Festival…what can I say…sometimes festivals begin to roll into one big blur of familiarity. The endless stalls of over priced snacks; the mobile shrines atop shoulders as they bounce down the street to the tin and drum of traditional musical instruments; this is the norm for festivals in Japan. I find that after some time this monotony either sends you off to a pub for a beer or sharpens your eye in order to find something new.

The Numazu Port Festival and Kaijinsai was bursting with the same old, same old. However it was also splitting at the seams with a little something else – Seafood. Well not in the sense that people perused stalls of rotting fish, swollen and ready to erupt their putrid juices. What I mean is that when you have a festival to celebrate fish and the folk who provide them then there is bound to be a little something different.

As I was thanking Mr Beret, my wife had already grabbed me by the arm and dragged me towards a craft stall. The idea of doing craft at a festival, or anywhere in public for that matter, used to send me into a cold sweat. I used to justify this with my indignation that these sorts of things were only for kids (kids who probably have their lunch money stolen from them at school). How demeaning and humiliating would it be for me to publicly show my ignorance with a bunch of kids who would no doubt upstage me at every step while we make something I don’t really want.

Meanwhile, my wife fearlessly jumps at these activities, elbowing children out of the way and launching herself at her task with delight and laughter. I timidly follow suit self conscious of the onlookers and my, often, short stature competition． However， I have learnt to go with it because most of the time these activities turn out to be fun. If it wasn’t for my wife I would not have dipped my toes back into my childhood and rediscovered these delights.

This time I was being taken towards some tables with a colourful array of seaweed, a blank post card and a small tub of water. According to our friendly Numazu Port Festival guide, we were about to embark on the not too ancient art of seaweed arranging. It was only the night before that I had watched an Anthony Bourdain No Reservations TV episode where he was in Japan and participating in the art of ikebana, Japanese flower arranging. I was primed and ready to make a masterpiece． I cut and carefully arranged different pieces of seaweed onto my postcard, imagining myself in Bourdain’s shoes, albeit a smellier and slimier Bourdain. When I had finished I looked around at my competition and I felt I could really kick all the other kids butts with my artistic endeavor. No only were they going to get their lunch money stolen but they were getting it handed to them in the craft stall too. Take that, small humans.

With a spring in my step I wandered through the stalls. Slow boiled salmon heads sat on their ends, their delicious cheek flesh tempting passers by. Octopus curled up and rusty red cresting boxes. Dried bonito was being shaved into smokey little flakes packed with flavour and waiting to be taken home and accompany a dish. Giant slabs of fresh tuna look ready to be sliced into and eaten raw off the bone. And then there was the Karaoke competition.

Right in the heart of fabulous seafood was a stage, atop which, was a man droning on while some other gentlemen decided if his was the best drone of the day. The karaoke competition didn’t make sense with the rest of the festival but that just made it all the more an amusing reprieve from the activities of the day.

A twin mast yacht was sailing into port with pirate flag flapping a challenge. Eager passengers were waiting by the dock to be swashbuckled by the silver bearded captain. Other displays were also taking place on the water in the port． One I did manage to glimpse was a sea rescue demonstration that was very efficient and realistic (well my Japanese is not good enough to confirm that this was just a demonstration, but there was a crowd of eager relaxed onlookers so I gather it was.)

In the new fish market sheds, my wife had found a new activity. This time the goal was to stick your hand through a hole in a wooden box and try and fish out as many mini sachets of bonito flakes as you can. From what I could see, old ladies had managed to grow an extra finger just to get another dozen sachets for their hundred yen. After my wife got her fist full of bonito she was already of to see how many fresh baby clams (we call them pippies) she could grab from the nearby stall. The problem of how we were going to get these home before they went bad was solved a little later with the thanks of the chef from the Fishmarket Taproom.

After watching the seal from the local marine centre finish it billionth lap of the day in its tiny portable wading pool, I managed to fight my way through the crowd gathered around the marine display.

Warning. What I am about to explain to you is going to be a little different to what we are used to in the West. If you have strong feelings about the animals of the sea and don’t thing you can get beyond this with an appreciation of cultural differences then it might be best for you to come back in on the next bold type.

The marine display was particularly amazing. Resting on a beach of icecubes was a display of every imaginable sea animal that you accidentally scooped up in your drag net the night before. Coming from Australia it is a little disturbing to see all these dead sea creatures on ice purely for your viewing pleasure. However, for Japanese, where the sea is the most important and accessible forms of protein for their country, this is a respectful and important display reminding them of the origin of their seafood.

From tuna to shark to deep sea crab to sea cucumber, everything is eaten and generally done so from top to tail. If you contrast this to Australia’s consumer diet of choice cuts and excessive food waste, then perhaps we should be the ones recalibrating where our moral high ground should lie.

The port festival was different. It was the seafood that made it so, though it was also something else. Traditionally seafood was the lifeblood of Numazu and continues to strongly influence the city. Perhaps, on some level, it is the respect that the locals have of this industry that made this festival different. Maybe it is because this festival celebrates something tangible. Something people can see, smell, touch and taste. Is it about an education that is blended into activities and performances. I’m not sure． I know I had a good time and I know I came out of the festival feeling a stronger connection with my adopted city. Come along next year and find out for yourself

Junes issue of City Hall’s  Numazu Newsletter has more details on the port area and its history. You can check it out here.

Spazz if you want to! Numazu Dance and Electronica

If you are up for a night of rock’n dance and electronica may I suggest that you get yourself over to the SpeakEZ.

Local Numazu group, The Aun Crew are performing, “Spazz if you want to” for their ninth run at SpeakEZ. Their funky house, techno and, drum and bass will have you on the hitting the floor in no time. Entry is free and the drinks flowing.

Event: Spazz if you want to!
“Aun Crew Presents: Spazz if you want to! A monthly dance/ electronic music night at Speak EZ”
What: Club Party
Host: Speak EZ
Start Time: Saturday, May 2 at 9:00pm
End Time: Sunday, May 3 at 5:00am
Where: Speak EZ To find out how to get there check out the map here

To see more details and RSVP, follow the link below:
http://www.facebook.com/n/?event.php&eid=170295170653&mid=5f7d39G3d9d45a4G73e1c6G7

WorldSkills – Numazu

There it is just 6 more days until the start of the WorldSkills competition, held in Numazu. This event will pit country against country in test of Trade skills.

The four day event will commence on the 14th November with an opening ceromony. Competitions will follow from the 15th November, running over 4 days.

The competition starts at 9:00am and closes to the public at 4:00pm over the 4 days. All events run over the entire time of the competition. There is no chance you will miss out on seeing your favourite skill in action. Events are open to the public and are absolutely free.

A shuttle bus service will run from the station to the competition site by Kadoike Pond during the competition.

 For more information on the event check out the below links.

 www.worldskills.org

http://www.skillsfestival2007.or.jp/en/index.html

Press Release: http://www.skillsfestival2007.or.jp/en/news/pressrelease0827.pdf

http://www.gokigen-numazu.com/

Cheers

Scott Garbie.

November Events – Numazu

There is a lot going on this month. Apart from the usual celebrations, this year Numazu is coming out in high form to show the WorldSkill Competitors and Visitors are good time. For the rest of us this makes for a prime time to visit Numazu.

From the 14th of November to the 21st you can visit the WorldSkills competitions around Kadoike pond. Competetors from all around the road pit their trade skills against each other in such things as computer skills, metal work, cooking and even hair dressing. This has been pitted as a big event for Numazu and certainly worth a visit.

Numazu’s famous street dancing, Yosakoi Tokaido 2007, will also be held this weekend in downtown Numazu (South side). This event was big last year, with many people coming down from all over Japan. I remember sipping a beer and enjoying the dancing and music from my window sill. Yep lording over the masses.

Winter Stage will also be held this month on the 17 November. From what I understand, this event will be held on the Kano River, south Numazu. This looks to be a great night of fireworks, music and fun.

There is a lot more going on this month, but I don’t want to steal too much of the glory from the Numazu Newsletter-English Edition. You will just have to click here and see for yourself.

Check out my map link for locations.

A spot of Calm – Numazu

Nobody knows what’s going on. One minute I’m riding and the next I’m being picked up. Timings from two different sources are conflicting. And I’m hungry. But somehow everything always works out perfectly. There is a lot to be said of the ways seemingly chaotic fractals form complex well maintained structures. Perhaps our little groups organizational skills have adapted in the same fashion. In any result, the stresses of the preparation were immediately soothed by Calm (pats himself on the back for excellent corny segue).

Situated about 15 minutes drive south east from the heart of Numazu city, Calm proved to be a side of Numazu’s dining experience I hadn’t seen before. Calm rests right by the waters of Enoura Bay, a child of the greater Suruga Bay. While Calm’s frontage features little more than a car park and a modest sign, the interior of the restaurant and the open air seating by the rocky shore depicted a sleek combination of Japanese and Mediterranean seaside style.

My friends and I move around the back to the out door dining area to enjoy the fresh sea air and, it seems, to allow the ladies of our little group a good view of the diving class next door as their healthy members peeled their wet suits on and off.

Tearing my gaze away from the postcard bay, I perused the menu. Although in Japanese, the majority of the Menu was is Katakana and Hiragana making it easy enough to read and the little extra help from my Japanese friend who introduced us to this place, took the dreariness out of the translating.

The wine menu featured a reasonable array of whites and reds with a standard of beers and spirits. The food menu began with a range of Italian style starters followed by a choice of cream, tomato or cream tomato pastas with various choices of meats. Next were the mouth watering gratin’s and finally the curries with rice. While the menu didn’t feature anything that seemed cutting edge, it seemed the smell coming from the kitchen and our neighboring diners plates were a testament of simple food done well. Something I later found to be true in the taste.

Drifting off into conversation with my friends and gazing at the sea I was surprised to find the hull of a pearly white ocean liner approaching me from the hands of a struggling waiter. The ships hull was filled with steaming rice and chocolate brown curry. If this was an indication of what was to come, I was in for a very filling treat.

Although I didn’t get to have a taste of the curry, even after claiming it was my job as an amateur food and leisure blogger, the groans of delight coming from the two who ordered it were enough to give it a thumbs up. My wife would not get away so easily. Quickly calling “halvesies” I dug into my plate of baby clams in tomato and cream sauce with spaghetti.

One of the problems I have found in my own cooking is getting just the right amount of flavor from the sauce without hiding the taste of the meat. This is particularly important with most seafood. In the case of my meal this was done perfectly. Though, I would have like the sauce to be a little thicker.

After finishing my half of the clam pasta, I waited impatiently for my wife’s creamy salmon pasta with parmesan. It is no wonder I was getting some reluctant glances from my wife as she was handing this one over. The salmons flaky rich saltiness melted into the delicate cream sauce with each bite. The added texture of the pasta and richness of the parmesan was the final cap to an excellent dish. When I think of Calm, the memories of the taste of this meal are the first thing that comes to mind. Simple, delicious pasta, done well.

The combination of the beautiful bay, tasty meals and wonderful company made the day well worth the disorganization.

Location: Follow the south eastern coastal road towards Heda. Its about a 15 minute drive from Numazu Station and 25 minutes easy riding. Check out the map for further details.

Style: Pasta, Gratin and Curry in big portion by the bay. Perfect for a weekend lunch.

English menu: No, but if most of it is in Katakana and some Hiragana.

Picture menu: No sorry.

Gaijin Friendly: Sure is.

Phone:055 933 4481

Hours: Weekdays; 11:30 am-3:00pm and 5:30pm – 10:00pm. Weekends 11:30am-4:00pm and 5:00pm-10:00pm

Cost: From about 800yen to 1000yen for mains.

The Hara-Ashitaka circuit – Part 1

Welcome to Part 1 of a two part series on sites in the greater Numazu area. Part 2 will be along soon. Enjoy.  

It seems that September is the time that I hear the call of the mountains and I clean my mountain bike and prepare for a big ride. Well it could be that or the fact that after returning from an expensive summer vacation the only thing I had left to spend was time.

After locating one of my many Numauz Tourist Guide Books: English (Engrish), I set to planning an expedition. However, after ten minutes I was yet again lost in the priceless text. For example “The left side of the river is provided with walking road for pedestrians…” or “The Kano River has stairs.” While not the most amusing text of Japanese English I have read, the Numazu Tourist Guide Book certainly lightens your mood. I really don’t understand why so many English speaking expats and tourists get so worked up over these grammar mistakes. Really little things like this are an essential part of enjoying another country. We also seem to forget that our attempts at Japanese may be equally amusing for our indigenous friends. When it comes to my attempts at Japanese I am almost certain of it. But I digress.

The guidebook suggested that there are a great many sights in the Hara and Mt Ashitaka areas to the west and north of Numazu city, respectively. It seemed like a good enough plan for me so I set off on my mountain bike and guide in my back pocket to find out.

I first set off for Hara loosely following the route Tokaido Road once took. In the Edo Period, the Tokaido Road was a famous road connecting the old capitals in the Nara, Osaka, Kyoto triangle and the newly formed capital Edo; modern day Tokyo. Later the route was travelled artist Utagawa Hiroshige who crafted the 53 stations of Tokaido (Wikipedia 2007)

The trip to Hara was somewhat uneventful. I chose to take the inland route following the railway line rather than the far more picturesque Senbon Beach path. Most of this area is a combination of low level industrial and housing. It is interesting to find see how the locals blend their hand toiled community and private vegetable gardens with their modern homes. The lack of land in the area means that everything is right on top of each other. Very different to the towns in Australia I have lived in.

My first stop was a quick ride around Syoinji Temple before a even quicker look in. This temple has been tastefully modernized, though there is really not very much to see here. I managed to lose my way searching for the Tourist Guide’s recommendation and stumbled across some funky little hand powered water pumps in a small park near Syoinji Temple. These were very cool and I had to play with them. Well, until some old ladies started to stare at me like I was the town idiot (very intuitive old ladies).

After a few more minutes I found my Tourist Guide checkpoint, Hakuin Zenji. Apparently an anonymous poem, by a possible member of this particular temple, declaired this temple and Mt Fuji are the two most excellent points of this area. Well, Hakuin Zenji wasn’t too bad. That is of course, depending on whether or not I had found said grounds and not some anonymous temple. The picture in the guide made it look a lot bigger than what it was so I am not too certain. Anyway, this proud little grounds featured below had some excellent example of stone work dragons and the gardens tall trees created a cool and mysterous mood to this place.

Stay tuned for part two of “The Hara-Ashitaka circuit.” Meanwhile check out my maps for some directions from my journey.  

References

Hiroshige. (2007, October 17). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 12:04, October 31, 2007, from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hiroshige&oldid=165124153

Numazu Tourist Association (publish date unknown) Numazu Tourist Gide Book; English; Numazu Tourist Association.

Niie Restaurant – Numazu

I’m on a mission. I’m in search of a place that I can just wander in, find a cozy corner with a deep couch and loose myself in a book while sipping on my favourite beverage.

Really, it does seem like an ideal concept but how hard is it to find a cafe, bar or restaurant like that these days. Particularly in a country that offers shoe box accommodation so small that it almost squeezes you back out into the world in order to relax and socialize.

However, apart from the comfort gleaned from Japan’s Internet ‘hostels’, finding a decent comfy spot to have a cuppa, glass of wine or beer are nigh on impossible.

Sheltering in a nuclear bunker before saying this; Starbucks does have the right idea. Soft earthy colours, deep couches and no pressure for you get back on the consumer conveyor belt.

It was these thoughts that I was hurled under the pressure of the confines of my apartment out into the street to search for such a wondrous place.

I have had my eye on a new place on the Numazu south side for a while. Its strange shuttered frontage and non nondescript entrance had me reluctant to potentially jiggle at a door that may or may not be open. But this was the time to bite the bullet and see if Niie was in fact open for business.

Thankfully it was. The white mat interior was subdued by the warm yellow lighting and contrasted well with the black tableware. As you enter Niie you are greeted with a bar and a full range of assortment that would have tempted me had I not been in the mood for just a simple sit down, coffee and a read.

I ventured past the bar (and tried not to look into the kitchen) and up a stair level to a cozy dinning area with, yep you guessed it, couches. Eureka! I do love dumb luck sometimes.

I snuggled into a two seater under a stairwell and ordered a coffee. My host presented me with a glass of water and offered me the lunch menu. Unfortunately this time I had to decline a meal. Though, after smelling and glimpsing what other customers were getting I was cursing myself for eating earlier.

My coffee came out brusquely and in a clear coffee cup. This sparked some recognition from a previous trip to Gotemba Premium Outlet. the cutlery was Bodum. Stylish.

After taking a few picture of Niie it was time to really give it a road test. I got out my book and settled in for a comfy read.

Niie is certainly a stylish retro bar-restaruant with its acid jazz flowing out of speakers and funky decor. While the floor plan is a little odd, not taking full advantage of the windowed frontage, it certainly does create a relaxing mood for a good read.

Niie is well worth another visit.

Location: South side of Numazu station near go straight south about 100 meters from the western underpass. For more details check out the map here;

Style: Jazzy retro style bar and restaurant.

Contact: 055-951-0330, email; info@niie.jp, website; www.niie.jp