Kyoto, mochi and Northern Irish traybakes

Climbing the steps to Nanzen-ji Temple, Kyoto in the rain.

Dear all,
We have just returned from a wonderful weekend in Kyoto but unfortunately all but three of our pictures got erased from the camera so we have hardly any to post. Nevertheless, there was so much to see that it really was a feast for all the senses. The cherry blossom was in full bloom and looked magnificent dangling over all the little canals and narrow alleyways that weave their way around the city. We spotted a number of meikos (trainee geisha) who looked as if they had just arrived from another time, they wear fabulous kimonos, heavy white makeup and the most amazing wooden platform shoes I have ever seen, how they negotiate the cobbled streets and steep steps I don't know. Unfortunately we didn't see any geisha, they are very elusive and only really come out at night time when they are on their way to work. The food was delightful, there are hundreds of little cafes and restaurants where you can sit and watch the world go by over a cup of green tea and mochi. We had a splendid lunch on Saturday in Gion (the Geisha district) where I dined on raw chicken, I know it sounds very dangerous but it really was beautiful, so fresh and served in a really tasty marinade - obviously I wont be trying at home with Tesco value chicken or anything. It rained all day Sunday which wasn't so nice but somehow I think it suited the city and created a wonderful atmosphere around the temples (there are almost 3000 temples in Kyoto). There are many excellent craft shops to visit and the pottery was exquisite as was the price but I did buy a traditional red paper umbrella! All in all it was a great weekend and the Ryokan we stayed at was really lovely with all the usual treats - green tea and sweets on arrival, Japanese hot baths, rice pillows and sleeping on the tatami floor. I have just realised that rice pillows and sleeping on the floor may not sound like a treat but it really is and it is one of the few ways to sample a real taste of traditional Japan, I definitely recommend this if you ever come to visit - although the ability to speak some Japanese and eat weird food is essential!

PS. A couple of funny things happened at the weekend.

1. First of all you must understand that toilets in Japan are a little unconventional and not everything is where you expect it. Anyway, after we stepped off the bullet train I really had to use the toilet so I went to one in the station. When I went to flush there were so many buttons and so little knowledge of kanji (one of the THREE alphabets) in my head that I just pressed any old one. Unfortunately for me, this was the emergency alarm button and Martin was standing outside hearing all these sirens go off. In fear that they would break the door down I got out as fast as I could only to see security come running at ninety miles per hour and Martin having a great laugh.

2. On Saturday afternoon, Martin and I were walking along a really busy street behind two women wearing Kimono. It was very crowded and my eyes were closely on these ladies as I admired their kimono. Next thing I knew one of the ladies stopped, let out a little yelp and we all ground to a halt. Somehow, I have no idea how, but she managed to walk on top of a traffic cone - I mean it literally disappeared inside her kimomo. Anyway, between the two of them they managed to untangle her from the traffic cone and away they went giggling like little school girls.

We have been in Japan almost six months now and nearly everyday I still see, hear, taste or experience something that makes me smile!


Mochi - these are Japanese rice cakes often served with green tea. They are made by pounding the rice with wooden mallets and then pressed into shape. Sometimes they are filled with soybean paste or strawberries. Although they might look strange they actually taste pretty good with a cup of green tea. However, as they are so sticky they can be a little tricky to eat and several people die each year from choking on mochi.

I often think that mochi is similar to Northern Irish traybakes. They are both extremely sugary, great with a cup of tea but probably very bad for your teeth. Here are some caramel slices I whipped up yesterday, they are almost like caramel squares but instead of a shortbread base they have a coconut, oatmeal and flour base. My friend Ryoko was so enamoured that she asked for some to take home to her parents and wants to learn how to make them. Isn't it wonderful that traybakes have made it to Japan!! (As has my Limavady First Presbyterian cookbook, a great source of knowledge for all things traybake like and recipies containing condensed milk.)

I saw a man wearing a TV

Yes this is true, I was ambling around town on Saturday when I saw a robot like creature come towards me. The man in question was wearing fluorescent orange shoes, matching orange space suit and on top of his head a silver helmet with a 14 inch flat screen TV attached - and yes the TV was even switched on ! As Murphy's law would have it this was one of the rare moments in Japan that I did not have my camera. So amazed by this vision and aware that it would make a great picture for the blog I went back on Sunday armed with my camera and was determined to track him down. Unfortunately, he was nowhere to be seen but I did spot this little man.



He was really cute and did some nifty little moves - note how small he is, must have been a midget or a very small child.

This was definitely light relief in comparison to how I was feeling on Friday morning. I had a coffee morning in the apartment for 26 people and as they would say in Limavady "I was up to high dough" - in this case mini chocolate muffin mixture (as soon as I put them into the oven they slid to the back and looked more like ski slopes than domed shaped muffins). As you can imagine with 26 women, including Japanese, Chinese, Korean, American, Australian, Greek, South African, Romanian, British and a New Zealander, there was plenty of coffee (about 90 cups drank), eagle eyes surveying my home ( I was offered tips on dusting, even though I had cleaned from top to bottom in anticipation of such remarks) and idle chitter chatter. Nevertheless, it all ran smoothly.

Not much else to report on, only three weeks until we're home!

Here's a random picture to keep you satisfied until next week.



This is the gym I go to and it is every bit as luxurious as it looks. When I go the only thing I have to take is clean underwear as everything else is provided including shorts, socks, tee shirt, swimsuit, towels, trainers, bathrobes, cotton buds, razors, toothbrushes, toothpaste and lots of nice lotions and potions. It is so nice that every session usually takes me about 3 hours and only 45 minutes of that is spent exercising. The relaxation room is so relaxing that I fell asleep there for an hour one day - but then again I always did know how to take it easy!

Love until next week, xo

Plum blossom - not to be confused with cherry blossom

Just a quick blog to say hello. We had some friends for supper last night so we are feeling a little tired today and a little fat due to the huge chocolate fondue that we made (it was sooo good though and I will have to work very hard at the gym tomorrow). This morning I had to get up bright and early, abandon the mammoth amount of dishes to be done and head off to Ikebana, it was a lovely afternoon so afterwards I visited Shukkeien garden to see the plum blossom in full bloom. The garden is really lovely and such a peaceful oasis that you would never believe you were in the middle of the city.



Unfortunately my camera ran out of batteries so I didn't get a chance to take many pictures except for one of my coffee. Even though it came from a vending machine they still put it in a little cup and pretty tray!



I went to the pretty little town of Takehara on Friday and picked up some cute things for the house. The first shop we went into was an antiques shop but in reality it was the tatami room of someone's house, which made it all the more interesting. I don't think the woman had ever seen so many people in her shop at once - there were nine of us rifling through all these wonderful teapots, kimonos, prints and pottery. I managed to pick up a wonderful Obi for about 20 pounds, Obi are the sashes tied around kimonos and they make wonderful wall hangings, the colour and detail are amazing.




Then we went to a Sake brewery, where we tried not to get too drunk on the very strong sake samples. There was a fantastic gift shop attached and I bought a little salad server with tongs and a bamboo bento box.





That's about it for now. It is White Day tomorrow which means that the men buy their women biscuits or cookies (on Valentines Day the women buy the men chocolates). However, Martin knows me better so he bought me chocolates and true to form, I have already started to eat them.



Ps. With all this talk of chocolate and fondue, you probably think I have turned into a big, puffy heffaflump. Fortunately, this is not the case and I have been working up quite a sweat at the gym three times a week.

A lady of leisure

Hi everybody, it's been a while since we've posted anything so there is plenty to catch up on.
At the beginning of February I left Martin on his own for a few days and went to Kyushu, the southern most part of Japan, with some other ladies of leisure from Hiroshima. Kyushu looks really different from Hiroshima, it's sunny, with lots of palm trees and pineapples everywhere. We stayed at a lovely Ryokan hotel and I decided to make the most of it and booked myself in for a massage at the spa. However, I soon relised that this was not going to be the relaxing massage I hoped for but more a form of torture. I had to get naked and lie on top of a table (face up!!) while some woman scrubbed every inch of my body with a loofah. As if that wasn't enough, she then proceeded to rub me viscously with salt - I was beginning to think I would be raw flesh by the end of this ordeal. To add to the embarrassment a few of my friends arrived just in time to see the woman throw a bucket of hot water over my scorched body. I think it is safe to say, "never assume anything in a foreign country".
Even toilets are not the same here, see picture below (click on the image to see a larger version).

I think the flushing sound and powerful deodorizer buttons are genius and let's not forget the wonderful heated seat facility which is very nice on a cold and frosty morning.


Last weekend Martin and I went on a little jaunt to nearby Takehara City. We spent the morning browsing a few local craft shops, sampling Sake at the numerous Sake breweries and stopped off for lunch at a cute little restaurant. We decided to opt for the local specialty which is soba noodle served on top of a steaming hot roof tile. I know it sounds weird but it is actually a really tasty bite to eat.



We also spotted the smallest clothesline in the world, I know the Japanese are small but this really takes the biscuit.

There are plenty more travel expeditions on the horizon for the McCloskeys, as we are going to see U2 in Tokyo - I am just so excited! Every rock concert that I have ever been to I couldn't see a thing but in the land of the small people I will get to see everything. Unfortunately, this will not be the case for those standing behind Martin. Before the concert we are going to spend a couple of days enjoying the cherry blossom season in Kyoto and then head off to see the bright lights and all the crazy fashion in Tokyo.
Best of all we are going home for a month on the 11th of April for Sheena and Rob's wedding and Steve and Louisa's wedding. We are really looking forward to seeing everyone, going shopping for clothes that fit, eating proper sausages, reading the Daily Telegraph and seeing lots and lots of green grass.
I must go now but a big congratulations to Callum Carten, who got an A in his eleven plus. Well done Caks!
Not much else to report, I'm still taking it easy and Martin's still working hard.
See you all in six weeks - not that I'm counting or anything.


Japanese hanging basket!

Deadly fish and the Japanese bathing experience

Hello again everyone,

We realise we haven't been doing a great job of keeping the blog up to date, so here's a monster blog post to catch up.

For the most part it has been back to our regular Hiroshima lifestyle after the Christmas & New Year vacations. Back to work for me, lots of trips on our bikes and more adventures to the supermarket. Although laid up for a week with a bad flu, Therese is back to full fitness now and has been keeping herself busy with Women's Club stuff, Japanese lessons and has even started a course in art history. She has also been teaching her Japanese teacher how to bake scones- a tough life!

This month also brought the 30th anniversary of my entry into the world - scary stuff. Hard to believe that I really am that old, but thankfully I've taken it quite well - no birthday blues or anything like that. In saying that, the first sign of a mid-life crisis arrived when I decided to buy myself a guitar. For those of you familiar with my musical ability, you can stop laughing now.

To celebrate my birthday, I took a couple of days off work and Therese and I headed off to the old samurai town of Hagi, on the north coast of the main island about 2 hours from Hiroshima.



A view of Hagi



A typical street, with the old samurai and merchant houses



Some of the elaborate gates and roofs

Hagi is a historic town, that was the base for many of the wealthy families and their samurai who protected and ran their businesses. Many of the traditional houses remain, which makes it a really interesting place for a stroll, taking in the old buildings.

After exploring the town, Therese and I checked in to Ryokan Tomoe, where we were staying for the night. Ryokan are traditional Japanese inns and our Ryokan was one of the most luxurious in Japan, lots of Japanese Prime Ministers have stayed there and even the Emperor has visited. The rooms have tatami flooring, with simple decoration and your meals, which are included in the price, are served in your room. Every room has a wonderful view of a traditional Japanese garden, it is all very "zen" and feels so calm and relaxing. On arrival guests are advised to enjoy a traditional Japanese bath, this involves sitting on a small wooden stool and using a shower head and wooden bowl to give yourself a good scrub. Only when you are absolutely spotlessly clean are you allowed into the piping hot and very deep Japanese bath. It may sound very odd but it feels really good. Guests are then expected to change into Yukata, a light cotton robe which is very comfortable. The hostesses (who are dressed in traditional Kimono) will then bring dinner to your room and serve it to you - it was definitely a little strange to be sitting on a chair with no legs at such a low table. The whole dinner process takes about 3 hours.


The entrance to Ryokan Tomoe



Therese in her Yukata

We had requested Japanese food, but we had no idea of what we were having. The menu wasn't much help as the only thing we managed to translate was 'melon'.



Our personalised menu

When our first round of courses arrived though we were in for a shock - the large platter in the middle of the table was lots of slices of the famous - and potentially deadly - blowfish, or fugu.



Fugu- tasty but deadly...

Reassured that our Ryokan was fairly reliable, we tried some. It is tasty, but not enough that I would risk my life for it. We had read in the paper that so far this season nine people in Hiroshima prefecture had died from trying to prepare their own fugu. One of Japan's most famous actors dropped dead at a Fugu banquet in 1975 only minutes after eating the fatal fish.

Anyway, after we had finished our selection of sashimi, including the fugu, our next course arrived, then the next, and the next.....in fact we counted 15 courses in all. Even with Japanese portion sizes, we were still stuffed.

By the time dinner was over, we were definitely ready for bed. Our hostesses made up our bed for us - futon mattresses on top of the tatami mats. I'm not sure I could sleep on it every night, but it was pretty comfortable.



Bed on the floor

Breakfast next morning seemed to be just a continuation of the previous night's dinner, with yet more fish (raw and cooked), rice, tofu and miso soup. It was certainly different to be eating that sort of food first thing in the morning, and though it was all tasty, I think I'll stick to cornflakes. By the time Therese got round to tasting the fermented soy bean paste cake it was almost all too much.


Me tucking in to breakfast

After another short stroll around some more of the sights of Hagi, we headed back to Hiroshima via the small town of Tsuwano in the middle of the mountains. Tsuwano, like Hagi, had quite a few traditional Japanese houses, and strangely a Catholic Church that had no pews, only tatami mats on the floor.





Some views of Tsuwano

Tsuwano also has one of the largest Shinto shrines in Japan, so we decided it was worth a look.





All in all we had a wonderful break and enjoyed our Ryokan stay so much that we intend to make Japanese baths a regular feature in our lives - we even bought a small wooden stool and bowl so we can do it in our own apartment!

Will write again next week, take care.

Ps. It has been great to know that all our friends in Kelvedon and Westminster have been keeping up to date with the blog, keep logging on!

Happy 2006

Hello again and a very Happy 2006 to all our blog readers. It been a while since our last post and there's loads to tell. We've been 'down under' for our big holiday of the year, and spent Christmas on the beach in Sydney. Following that our friends Anne & Paul came to visit and spend New Year with us.

Back to the beginning; on 16th of December, Therese and I flew from Osaka to Sydney on our Australian adventure. Neither of us had been before, so we were both very excited. We spent the first half of the holiday in the Blue Mountains a couple of hours outside Sydney. We based ourselves in Katoomba and stayed at the Kurarra Guest House. From there we went bush walking, explored the Jenolan Caves and spent a day on horseback at the Megalong ranch. Check out the photos below.


View of the 'Three Sisters' from our bushwalk trail


Govett's Leap


Some of the scenery near the Jenolan caves


The Three Sisters at dusk


Christmas Day on the Beach


The Harbour Bridge on Christmas evening

From there we headed back into Sydney, for some Christmas shopping and more sightseeing. We stayed in a cosy hotel, the Russell, just minutes from the Harbour Bridge and Opera house. Apart from the obvious sights and shopping, we went to the aquarium which was really impressive (lots of sharks & tropical fish) and took a day trip out to the Hunter Valley, one of Australia's biggest wine regions, and spent a day going round the wineries.

Christmas Day was certainly different - going to Mass in shorts & T-shirt, before heading off to the beach, but it was really enjoyable and very relaxing.

After travelling back to Japan on Boxing Day, Anne & Paul arrived to spend New Year.

Photos of snow & other random stuff

As I mentioned before there was great excitement at the arrival of snow in Hiroshima this week, albeit for a short time. Here's some pictures to give you some idea of what it was like





Therese has been out and about with the camera this week, snapping whatever quirky things catch her eye. This weeks entries are:

Mobile Phone Promotion Girl with Yellow Balloon strapped to her back




Mobile Phone Promotion girls are a common site in and around the centre of Hiroshima. They are invariably dressed in ridiculous costumes, but the huge yellow balloon deserved a photo. They are also always very upbeat and smiley, despite the thankless task of pestering shoppers and as you can see they are quite happy to have their photo taken. Of course once Therese had asked to take her photo, every tourist within 100 yards decided they wanted a photo too, so the poor girl was stood there for 5 mins before she could escape.

Over Priced Food Hampers

It seems to be quite common to give everyday items like food, drink and even washing powder as gifts, just as long as it is nicely packaged. Sticking to our theme of food, here's a fine example of what you might find under your Christmas Tree in Hiroshima - a Melon, 2 Apples & 2 Pears. Price £33.50, bargain!



And just to prove we weren't joking about the washing powder....

Snow !!!

There was great excitement on Monday morning this week, when we were greeted with a fresh covering of snow. Of course it was all gone by lunchtime, but it managed to stir up many stories among the locals of how this was going to be the coldest winter ever. Also on Monday our lease furniture arrived so the flat is looking much more homely and not quite so spartan.

As you might have guessed from the snow, it has turned distinctly colder here, and when the wind comes from the North (i.e. Siberia) it would cut through you. This has put a hold on my cycling to work, as it is just that bit too bracing.

Therese managed to snap some pictures of the snow and other random stuff so those will be added in due course.

Therese goes to the supermarket

Dear friends
For the past week i have been a computer widow. Every night when Martin came home from work he would spend ages at the computer trying to get everything connected, this inevitably led to many angry Martin moments. Although, i have also suffered from the odd lapse of patience, particularly with the excessive amount of wires and computer paraphernelia cluttering up my home. Thankfully things are now back to normal, i have a calm, loving husband ( the computer gear still looks messy though) and life has continued as usual for Therese in Japan. Hopefully, the following snaps will give you a glimpse of everyday grocery shopping in Hiroshima.

Therese gears up for another supermarket adventure

There are many weird and wonderful fish around

...and more soy sauce than you will ever need.

Bento boxes-TV dinners the Japanese way

and the infamous three slice loaf of bread.

a little piece of Essex in Japan!