Rainbow and hot spring in Niseko!

 by Kazu

Can you see the rainbow in this photo?
We saw a large rainbow from the hillside of Niseko Annupuri on November 3(Sat.). It was a pity that it was fading at the moment I turn on the switch of my camera.
But actually,  we saw a huge rainbow in Niseko area on the day. It was raining in the area but at that moment, sunshine made this rainbow in the direction of west. 

We headed to the pass near the Mt. Iwao Nupri and Mt. Chise Nupuri but the road was closed in winter albeit I did recognized it is still in autumn. An officer to maintain the road recommended us to detour and we could see this fading dream.

Going back to Kutchan Town, we started to go around the mountain to reach the hot spring bath onnthe opposite side of the mountain. The hotel to stay was not in this area but we dropped by Niseko Yumoto Onsen(hot spring spa.). It was raining but soaking in the hot spring bath with the strong smell of sulfur gave us the second wing to fly.    

 Not so many tourists were around the pond of hot spring. This pond is not for bathing.  The hotel next to this pond has the same width of outside bath partly roofed, partly no roofed.

I did not planned to drop by this hotel named Yukichichibu that has 11 kinds of hot spring bath tub totally but the hot water really works out to heal the body tired from office and house chores, and exercise.

This area is called Yumoto Onsen area and listed as a national park that has even camping site. No lighting was set in the camping site, so when we set our tent at the center of the site, we had to go to the center of the darkness to find our tent before.

It is prohibited to take photos in the bath.  This is the reception of the hotel Yukichichibu.
Please check the details of the hot spring spa at http://www7.ocn.ne.jp/~yusenkak/yukichichibu/contents2.htm
but it is described only in Japanese.

Za hotcake shop in Kutchan Town!

 by Kazu

I was so impressed by the delicious pancakes baked in this hole-in-the-wall specialized in hotcakes and pancakes arranged in various way. Of course, the plain pancakes and hotcakes are superb and it may be the first time for me to experience the hotcakes better than that made by my wife.
  The name of the hole does not begin with "the" but "Za" followed by "hotcake shop". It has three tables for four persons and a table for two. The counter table can be used in case the tables are full of people but it may be too narrow to set dishes on it. I am not sure if the shop (cafe?) has the popularity to make a line of people waiting for a table in front of itself or not. But despite my low expectation before being taken to this cafe by my wife, I was so impressed by the art of flour.
Frequent users of this cafe were at the table facing the window. White wall is made of boards of wood chips.
 It might have foolish of my wife to ask the chef what was the difference between pancake and hotcake. "Have you had real pancakes in some specialty shop or cafe?" the chef replied to my wife. "It may be difficult to explain the difference. It is like vin rouge and vin blanc!" 
I was a little bit upset  but when I politely asked him a permission to take photos of the cafe except for the customers inside, "You might as well take photo of this beautiful female!", pointing out to my wife and flattered.

It may be impolite to ask about the difference between hotcakes and pancakes without homework. My wife regretted what she had asked to the chef but flattered by him, she hanged her mind and felt more comfortable in the cafe.
This is what we ordered. Pancakes with yogurt and ice cream vanilla-flavoured. The chef kindly asked if we were starved to death or hungry, and recommended just one order considering our answer. In fact, this dish was enough for us two. With smoked
maple syrup and honey, we really enjoy and remember the Canadian taste.

I heard that my wife had found this cafe surfing on the web. The cafe was real game changer in Kutchan Town. Is it right use of the words, Kathleen and Alan? Norm, where are you now? Please check my English as you did before!

It seemed that my wife was also satisfied with the taste of pancake dish but could not recognized the difference between pancakes and hotcakes. I hope the articles and photos sell like pancakes to call the attention of the world to Hokkaido in Japan!

Japan Railway station in Niseko Town !

 by Kazu

This is not the chapel for newly weds.
It is the railway station in Niseko Town, Shiribeshi sub-prefectural area. The small cafe in this building is very popular and so difficult to have a seat at lunch or dinner time. Many railway and train maniacs visit here to take photos of classical locomotives that connect Sapporo City and this town.
this building was built in 1965.

Adjacent building for tourism has the same Tirolean taste as the station does.  
This photo was not taken at Niseko Station but at Kutchan Station. A classical locomotive drew the train and enter the platform area.
A steam locomotive drew the train and entered the platform area, exhaling clouds of steam from the engine. It was like gasping after the long hard work.
  After dropping off the passengers, the steam locomotive was separated from the train and get the necessities for next hard work.
   Not so many maniac people craving for the real steam locomotives and trains were there on the day but sometimes a hectic amount of people visit this area to take photo of steam locomotives.
  Such kind of maniacs for locomotives and trains exist only in Japan? It may stimulate nostalgic mentality of the people born in Showa Era of Japan?

Chrysanthemum Festival in Sapporo but my home town also is famous for beautiful ones!

by Kazu

It seems that something interesting will happen in Sapporo City. This stage has been set beside the underground aisle that connect Sapporo station of Japan Railway and Ohdohri area. Some kinds of attraction will be done on this stage.I was on the road and found this red stage on November 1(Thu.).  
It is a kind of competition to decide the best flower that is what the efforts of the specialists crystallized to.

Is this the result of genetic modification or hybridization ?  Considering the allergy of Japanese people against GMO, these flowers were born in the generations of hybridization, I think.

I can not believe these kinds of flowers bloom naturally. How can the white colour be realized? How can the shape like a dream come true? I really appreciate the skill of the specialists who developed and grew these flowers.

These flowers with like-glass-fibers need the support to show them excellently. Very curious shape of flowers make the passengers on the prowl around themselves.

It is very similar to a kind of insect-eating plant but it does not catch the insects.

I thought this competition needed the vote of the passengers but i could not find the bill for voting.
Each flower arrangement may cost  a small fortune but no guard and security staff were there.

Can you recognize the ring of wire to support the flowers from below?

In my hometown Kitami City,the figures decorated with daisy and Chrysanthemum of such kinds are exhibited in the annual festival and draw many citizens and visitors from other cities and towns.

Nowadays many local festivals are on the rope because of aging population and lack of next generation. I hope the specialists can keep the technology and hand down to next generation. Please visit the underground aisle of Sapporo City!

Quiz of the month for November !

by Kazu

It may be difficult to reply the right answer
Where is this ?

I've not asked to do a favor for the expatriates in my area but at this moment , it is the merit for Hokkaido Government and the expatriates in my area.

Reading recent posting make you easier to get the right answer to this question, I think.

Because I exerted extreme effort to ・・・・・.

As I've informed on this blog everymonth, the winner of the quiz of of the month will get the coupon or the product sourced in Sorachi sub-prefectural area worth 3,000 Japanese yen.  

.
I am now in Niseko hot spring area but it's a pity that it is raining. Enjoy even on the rainy day in hot spring spa in Hokkaido !

I will do binge drinking with my wife in the BBQ restaurant near the hotel I am staying in Niseko.

Hot spring spa is so nice to soak in !

Would you come with us next time, Ms.Lee?

I am staying in another Hotel in Niseko, Norm.
 Where are you now, can I ask ?

Pumpkin, pumpkin, pumpkin in Mikasa City!

by Travel Report of Sorachi sub-prefectural area
Autumn is the season of harvest.
Various kinds of culinary delicacies colours our dinner tables.
Rice farmers are enjoying its bumper crop and the quality and quantity of pumpkins are also so good this year that the moms of the farms says "each kind of the pumpkins can be the protagonist with excellent taste on the table.
That makes it difficult for me to decide which kind of pumpkin I should buy.


Besides, do you know the kind of pumpkin called "butternuts" ? It contains plenty of water inside. I felt the pumpkin boiled or steamed was so creamy or sticky in my mouth that I recognized the clear difference from normal pumpkins that I had ever.
Sauteed pumpkin and paste of the pumpkin were so nice to eat and particularly the pumpkin pie was superb !
I could not find the pumpkin of this kind for a long time but I found the ones in the farmer's market at the roadside station named "Sun Farm Mikasa" along Route 12 in Mikasa City.  
These are "noodle pumpkins" sold in the same market of Mikasa City.
The pulp of the pumpkin becomes like noodle after boiled.
The farmers in the city carried in the pumpkins to the market but as each farmer priced based on the total cost to grow them, the prices were different from each other albeit the sizes lookedd same such as 150 yen, 200 yen, 250 yen or 300 yen. After considering which pumpkin to buy for a while, as a result, I bought the cheapest one.

 After coming home, I made potage with the butternut pumpkin this time.
I sauteed the minced onion with butter, I threw in the peeled and cut butternut pumpkin in the pot. And I poured comparatively dense consomme in the pot and boiled to the extent the pieces of pumpkin got soft. Then I added milk and warmed up again. After straining the pieces of pumpkin and onion, I adjusted the taste with salt and pepper.
I poured the potage into the warmed-up dish and put a little bit fresh cream and crouton on the surface. The pulp of the butternut pumpkin has the vivid colour of orange and is the best material to make potage. What a nice taste it is!

It is easier to make use of mixer to extract the cream of the pumpkin but I left the feeling of eating pumpkin this time. It sounds great to add the paste of potato or soybean to the potage.
  Next time I can spare a longer time for cooking, I would like to make pumpkin gnocchi etc. I am convinced that I will be able to make it getting the excellent taste and vivid colour.
Other kinds of pumpkins were sold in the market at the competitive prices.

I chose the pumpkin called "Roron" that is said the best material for making sweets. This time, I simply steamed up it with salt. The taste was so nice but the shape of Roron was curious!
 have a great weekend!

Newly-harvested rice, buckwheat and Japanese sake Festival in Naganuma Town!

by Travel Report 2 of Sorachi sub-prefectural area

 Long and hot summer has gone and it is like winter is outstripping autumn to reach us in hurry these days.
In such days of melancholy,  the citizens of Naganuma Town kindly threw a party to enjoy with us newly-harvested rice and buckwheat as well as wine and Japanese sake directly from the barrels with culinary delights sourced locally on October 24(Wed.) under the name of "The festival of newly-harvested rice, buckwheat and Japanese sake from the barrel".
The host was the association for promoting green-tourism of Naganuma Town and it was the fourth festival.

The president of the association is the mayor of the town Mr.Masamitsu Naganuma and it was announced in his welcome speech that
the town happily received 4,000 students for study travel from other area of Japan including Hokkaido and that means totally over 30,000students had visited in this 8 years since their efforts for promoting green tourism had been started. According to his speech, the citizens enjoy the bumper crop this year in both of its quality and quantity. The top grade rice accounted for 99% of total rice harvest in the town. Other agricultural produce was also pretty good in their quality and quantity.
Some of the culinary delicacy served in the party was the same as what was served to the guest who had visited the town in green tour. Yami yami yami!

These rice balls were made of the top grade rice named "YUMEPIRIKA" provided by the agricultural association of Naganuma Town and looked so delicious.

Japanese style pickled veggies made by "Miracle Food Processing Group",  "Hometown of Dreams" and "Kitanaga Hand-made Pickled Veggies Village" looked and taste so nice! The combination of rice balls and pickled veggies were something like addictive! I really appreciate to had been born as Japanese!

Occidental-style pickled veggies served by "Ajisai Koubou" were so healthy and the arrangement of the colour was excellent.

Other than that,  characteristic dishes such as boiled soybeans flavoured with various kinds of food, sweet pumpkin cakes, soybeans curds and Shinoda roll were served on the tables.

Bottles of wine were provided by Mr. and Mr. Mukai who ran MAOI Winery that has many silent fans for its sour taste wine made of wild mountain grapes.

Red beans cakes called "Karintou Manju", chocolate pudding and ice cream sourced locally were also served in the party.So nice, so good!
Special thanks to the citizens of Naganuma Town for giving us such occasion to appreciate the grace of the earth!