Umenohana Tofu Restaurant - Toyota City, Japan

Entrance to Umenohana at Toyota City

This weekend, we were able to visit Umenohana restaurant with our friends Mr. & Mrs. Miyano at the Toyota-City location. Umenohana means 'plum blossom' in Japanese. It is a restaurant famed for the very interesting and super creative ways that tofu and other soy products can be prepared and served.

As we sat in our own private Tatami room, tofu and it's various sub-production products such as Yuba (tofu 'skin') and Okara (soy pulp) were amazingly and deliciously used for what seems a myriad of dishes that kept coming every 10 minutes or so by a lovely kimono clad waitress.

I had been to this restaurant last year and requested that we take Ken there this year as he and I enjoy eating the Chinese dumplings from this restaurant that we can buy at a take-out location in a department store in Tokyo. I knew he would love this place!

It really is very delicious and easy on the palette, as well as pretty healthful dining. If you ever get a chance to visit one of Umenohana's locations, I highly recommend it. The link (above) brings you to their website which has a button for 'English' at the top of the page. However after I clicked on it today it takes you to a page that says in Japanese that the English page is currently under construction. Maybe it will be up in English soon. In the meantime you may still enjoy checking out the cool pictures of some of their dishes and their restaurants on the Japanese pages.

Below are photos of just SOME of the wonderful dishes served in our set-course meal on this visit (there were about 16 things served in all). You can click on the photos to enlarge if you like. Enjoy and try not to get too hungry...aloha!

Our table in the Tatami room

A sushi type roll with the Yuba (tofu skin) used on the outside of the roll. Inside is tuna and Japanese mountain potato (white parts), called Yamaimo. It is actually a yam with a sticky texture. The ceramic dish here sports a type of glazing that is famous in Mie (mee-aye) prefecture in Japan.

This is a cold kind of soup with shrimp. The shrimp is minced almost like a ground meat. It was SO good!

And here is the Tofu steamed dumpling. This is awesome!

This bamboo contraption is used to push out the blocks of Tofu served here. When the tofu is pushed through, it comes out of the bottom in 'noodle' form and is placed into the glass dish with some sauce to eat it with. One block is sitting in the bamboo gadget ready to go. Fun AND yummie!

The tofu 'noodles' after being pushed out of bottom of the bamboo gadget (seen on the right)

There were a 2 types of tofu served, this is a close up of the one that had bits of Shiso leaf in it. Very refreshing and tasty!

Tofu pudding for desert with a caramel type sauce made from toasted Soybeans

Soy/Tofu Ice Cream with soy caramel sauce and Kinako powder on top. Kinako is a kind of soy flour made from toasted Soybeans. It tastes kind of like peanut butter and is often used in the making Japanese candies.

One of the decorative 'relief' areas in the hallways of the restaurant. Each one was so different and had a fresh flower placed in it somewhere. This one had the flower in the moon hanging.

Daisy refines the "touch" command

Some people have been asking me for new videos of Daisy. Daisy is happy so many people like her videos. She really is the cutest Lemon Beagle! Not only that, she amazes me with how smart she is. She very good at listening and waiting.

So finally I have downloaded a cool video converter that shrinks the size of the video down, making it easier for us to upload to YouTube and on this blog (before the file size was way too big). It's called DivX converter. It's super easy to use and really great at condensing and making your videos a better quality. There are Mac and PC versions.

Below are two movies of Daisy as she is fine-tuning her skills of "Touch". She used to just touch with whatever paw was nearby, but now we are working on "1" and "2" which means left or right paw. She is doing pretty good but needs a little bit more work so that she gets it right everytime. We are learning this so she can touch a 'mark', because..........

Daisy now has an agent in Tokyo. She will be doing doggie modeling and acting. So we are working on more commands and fine tuning her responses. She enjoys learning new things alot! She loves attention and treats!

Have fun with these two..more to come

Views of Hawaii - Spring 2009

A "Dalmatian" pigeon we saw at Lani Kai

We've been fortunate to already have gone to Hawaii twice this year so far! Ken had mileage points that got us there in January. Then, since Ken still doesn't have a job, we were able to take advantage of a last minute unheard of cheap package deal in April, just before the busy travel season of Golden Week here in Japan (guess that's how retired folks can get good deals). So, off we went again for just a few days. We got in a bit of golf and good eatin' in during those times. We also enjoyed relaxing with Janet mom, especially the times we spent on Waikiki beach renting lounge chairs and umbrellas and acting like real tourists! That is the first time I have ever gotten in the water at Waikiki, since when you live on Oahu, you avoid going there at all costs.

We had such a wonderful time, everyday, we had good weather and soaked in the ALOHA...it sure goes along way to soothe ones soul!

Here are some pictures from both trips with some details below them. Hope you will find them enjoyable.

Whales off of south Maui coast

More Whales off the south coast of Maui

Ken as we start out a beautiful morning of golf at the Kahili Golf Course (years ago called the "Grand Waikapu") in Wailuku Heights, Maui. In the background is Haleakala, a rare view without too many clouds blocking the top of the mountain!

A view at Elleair Maui Golf Club and the new homes they are stacking in around the course and on the hillside there in upper Kihei that has long been open land.

Me and Mom's toes in the sandy shore at Waikiki

An Oahu firetruck parked in front of the Safeway on Kapahulu (which has a Starbucks), we liked the surfboard on it!

Our newest fun destination on Oahu (new for us) the Lion Coffee factory store/cafe. Ken is posing here in front of their somewhat cheesy display in the entrance.

A view of Windward Oahu (Kaneohe town) from the Ko'olau Golf Course. This course by the way, has some of the most beautiful scenery however is a pretty tough course to play!

Another view at Ko'olau Golf Course, the green colors were just amazing here as the sun broke thru a cloud!

Me getting ready to drive at the Waikele Country Club on Oahu

A mother Goose at the Waikele Country Club

Baby Geese at the Waikele Country club...so cute they were!

These birds were everywhere at Waikele Country Club, I believe this one was young as some of the other ones had more distinctive black on their chests

A bird looking for a handout at the Elleair course on Maui

Ever wondered how to keep some Plumerias you find on the golf course on your cart for decoration? Well I have, they usually blow off but I decided this time to poke a little twig in the center and then push it all into the one of the holes for holding a golf tee. Silly but these are the little things one enjoys when we can't be in Hawaii everyday.

Another shot of a Plumeria in the golf cart tee holder

Ken at the Ted Makalena Municipal Golf Course on Oahu. It's a flat course that we enjoy playing. Don't expect much in the way of facilities if you go, the holes aren't even marked and it can be confusing to follow the golf cart path for a first timer. See, doesn't my Plumeria look nice in the cart?

We finally made it to a Lampert's Ice Cream, Ken with his order

Me at Lampert's, the beginning of eating my way to oblivion

We love Leonard's malasadas and they have graciously placed a wagon where you can get some fresh and hot in Waikele (in the parking lot in front of the Big Kmart) instead of having to drive all the way to their bakery on Kapahulu, YUM!

The pet hotel delivering Daisy to us to the place where we parked our car at the airport. This caregiver let Daisy ride in front and watch for us to come get her. Can you see her face in the windshield, I think at this point she saw that I was approaching.

The second time we came home, the driver had Daisy in the back of the van, there were other dogs up in the front waiting to be reunited with their families. It's a nice service the pet hotel at Narita airport has. They will bring your dog to you as you are picking up your car at the airport parking, very nice for tired travelers!

Cherry Blossoms Tokyo - 2009

The small river near our home, the trees are in full bloom!

Another year gone by, and the beautiful Sakura are everywhere right now as well as gorgeous weather for them! We took Daisy for a walk around a couple places we know that aren't crowded, especially the normal walk we usually take, a small river-side about 4 minutes walk from our house.

Here are the pics from this year.

A coupla posers, riverside near home

Tried to get Daisy to look at the camera, but she was enjoying watching other dogs and the little Sakura petals that were blowing off the trees in the breeze, like a snow shower of petals!

Ken and Daisy, taking in the view, and in Daisy's case, tasting the Sakura petals that have blown to the ground.

Ken pointed out to me this interesting phenomena, flowers sprouting right out from the trunks of trees!

A very close up of the Sakura fully opened.

1. 

Me and Daisy enjoying the view from the river edge

Birds in our Japan Garden - Tokyo

Japanese White Eyed birds are a beautiful color green. They love cherry blossoms but also perform amazing acrobatics in our garden to catch gnats and mosquitoes in flight. They are also quite fond of the blooms of our Rosemary plants and any fruit we put out such as Mikans, Oranges or Apples.

Today I was inspired to share with you some of the many birds we see in our garden in the Tokyo area, especially at this time of the year. At one point today, there were 5 different types of birds in the garden at the same time, all providing a great service of natural bug control for us!

Some of the photos are my own, taken in our garden, but since it's hard to get the birds to pose well for me, I have included some photos from the internet for a closer and prettier look at each type of bird. One person called Ingo Waschkies (click here) I found has fantastic pictures on the internet of some of the common birds seen in Japan (along with a nice gallery of birds from other places besides Japan).

Who would have thought we could enjoy such a parade of birds in our little postage stamp of a garden in Tokyo, right from the sofa! It makes us cherish our little garden even more.

****************

Brown Eared Bulbul (Hiyodori)
This bird loves our little Mikan tree (tangerines). Here is one having an
afternoon snack of fresh Mikan in our garden.

Another more clearer picture of this type of Bulbul, these are very common in Japan.

*********************

Dusky Thrush (Tsugumi)

This bird was busy for about 3 hours today running around in the flower beds and the Dichondra lawn finding and pulling out of the ground, cut-worms and Japanese Beetle grubs. I was thrilled since these worms and grubs often are the cause of damage in my garden.

Another picture of a Dusky Thrush
********************

White Wagtail (Hagusekirei)
This bird is very common around where we live since there are some open spaces, especially around the riverside of the Edo-gawa. Daisy thinks they are fun to chase.
*********************

Daurian Redstart (Jobitaki)
This little bird is awful cute, it flits around the garden and it's tail bounces around after it lands each time. We don't see these everyday but have them visit quite a bit in the late winter.

**********************

Grey Starling (Mukudori)
This bird is pretty shy about getting to close to humans, but today there were two in the garden busily finding things to eat. I was surprised to see them since they normally don't' come down on the ground in our garden. Usually we see them in large groups up on the telephone wires or hundreds of them in one tree making quite a bit of noise, and they can be rather messy for anyone and anything under a tree in such circumstances!

************************

Japanese White Eye (Mejiro)

Another picture of the sweet little Mejiro. Their song is as sweet as they look.

****************************

Azure Winged Magpie (Onaga)
This is quite a beautiful bird and very big! It is related to crows and jackdaws. One day, one of these swooped down into our garden and plucked a large Cicada (Semi) off the trunk of our tree as we sat there watching. We didn't even realize the Cicada was there! These birds must have the best eyesight! We see them flying in small groups around the area where our condo is and around the Edo-gawa. They are a little shy and you don't often get to see them very closely.

*************************

Eastern or Oriental Turtle Dove (Kiji Bato)
Here is a picture of one of the friendlier doves that visit our garden. They love to sit and sun in the lawn and as in this photo, various other places in the garden. Before we got Daisy, if we left the patio door open, they would sometimes wander right into the house! They are such a beautiful Dove and you can see by the pattern on their wings why they are called Turtle Doves.

***************************

Bull-Headed Shrike (Mozu)
One of these was in the garden last summer and caught a baby lizard. I was not real happy since I do like the lizards that dwell in our garden, but a bird's gotta eat right? I'm sure it's not easy for the birds in the Metropolitan Tokyo area! I hear that despite their gentle appearance, these birds are considered almost a bird of prey and will even catch sparrows and small mammals!

***********************

Great Tit (Shijyukara)
Another cute bird we love to see in the garden. We don't see these in the summertime, but usually there are a pair that come around to our garden every year in the winter and spring. We put out a bird house in hopes they would nest here but so far not yet. They love gnats and also nuts that we put out for them. Their song is a delicate melody.