Kansai Hamburger Festival - One Day Left!!!

There’s been a hamburger boom going on recently here in Kansai. Two weeks ago a local program did a feature on local hamburger shops, including my favorite Awajishima Burger in Nishinoimya. Now, over this long 5 day weekend weekend on Rokko Island in Kobe there’s the Kansai Hamburger Festival! It’s only on for another day so go tomorrow!

I was able to munch down 4 of these glorious burgers. In order starting with my favorite burger that day.

#1 58 Diner - Bacon burger - From Kyoto

Amazing bacon cheese burger covered in a sweet miso bbq sauce.

#2 T’s Star Diner - Takatsuki Cheese Burger - From Takatsuki

Made with local tomatoes and thick shredded cheese.

#3 Tsuruhashi Burger - Tsuruhashi Burger - From Tsuruhashi, Osaka

Tsuruhashi is the center of the local Korean community in Osaka and they have their own take on the hamburger, this one has grilled steak (yakiniku) and kimchi on a sesame seed bun.

#4 Giocare (ジョガール) - Mini Kitahama Burger - Kitahama, Osaka

They ran out of the normal sized burgers by the time I ordered mine so I got the small one which was so-so. I wish I was able to get their normal avocado topped Kitahama burger.

There also was Shin's Burger who've I've reviewed before. I'm considering going again tomorrow. See you there?!?!

Kansai Hamburger Festival
Going on till Wednesday the 23rd at Rink - Kobe Fashion Plaza on Rokko Island in Kobe. For a map see the poster above. More information on their website [in Japanese]: http://www.kfp.co.jp/square/index.html

Gyoza 603 - Kokura

Hard at work at Gyoza 603

On my trip down to Kyushu last month I really wanted to sample motsu nabe. It's an offal hotpot with white miso, garlic, nira, and hot peppers. After the 10 hour train trip from Kobe I was ready to consume anything in mass quantities. Oh, I also wanted to imbibe some of Kyushu's famous shochu actually in Kyushu. I stumbled upon Gyoza 603 walking around the entertainment district in front of Kokura station. I was able to do both!

Gyoza at Gyoza 603

603 specializes in gyoza and they make those little dumplings of love in a very unique way. While they are frying the chef will pour some sort of oil which will harden and make a crispy film on the bottom of the pan. After they are fully cooked the chef will flip the gyoza onto a plate and serve them upside down. I got the cheese and shiso gyoza. If I had to criticize them I wish they had a bit more shiso flavor, but I liked them never the less.

Motsu nabe at Gyoza 603

The motsu nabe was totally amazing. I'm so addicted to this dish. I haven't had it since coming back to Kansai, and I'm about due to find it up here. Motsu is the Japanese word for offal or intestines in the edible sense. In the states I wasn't the biggest fan of offal when not ground up into hot dogs, but here I've gotten a taste for it--and I love it!

Gyoza 603 in Kokura

Gyoza 603 has other stores throughout Kyushu and if you have the chance I totally recommend popping in for some great gyoza and the amazing motsu nabe.

Gyoza 603: http://www.603gyouza.jp/

Map:

View Larger Map

Goya no Eki.

08.27 Tamba-2, originally uploaded by sleepytako.

Japan has a network of 858 official roadside rest areas that also serve as stores for local goods and produce. These rest areas are called michi no eki, or road stations. Like train stations car and motorcycle enthusiasts enjoy trying to stop at all of them. Some have restaurants serving some special dish, and most have these blue bins. These contain locally grown vegetables and fruits from the farms near the michi no eki. Typically they are sold at extremely low prices. That big goya in front is only 80 yen. Typically the price tag will also have the farmers name on it also. Locally produced foods are typically cheaper, fresher, tastier and, because they are not shipped 1,000s of miles to distribution centers and markets, better for the environment.

My Mother-in-law makes the best goya with pork and egg stir-fry dish. It's the best.

The michi no eki homepage [in Japanese] : http://www.michi-no-eki.net/

The michi no eki where I took this photo [in Japanese] : Tanba Obachan no Sato

Meeting My Family In Tanba

The view from one of the cemeteries

Obon is the traditional week when you go to see your extended family, pray at your grandparent's or parent's graves and just meet everyone and see how everything is going. It's much like Thanksgiving in the USA but it lasts a week. Since I was on my trip to Kyushu during half of that week and because Yuko was bust at work, we didn't have a chance to go see the family until Jizo-bon during the end of August which is the children's version of Obon. My mother-in-law, sister-in-law, Yuko and myself took a trip up to Tamba in the middle of Hyogo pref. where my relatives on Yuko's mom's side of the family lives. The whole family tree stuff is way too confusing, not just for me, but for Yuko also! I learned a few things.

1. Yuko's great-great-great grandmother was married to her cousin. Not too uncommon actually. Cousin marrages are allowed in Japan.
2. Late August is a great time to take photos. Such great colors.
3. Heavy rain storms will really devastate rice fields (see photo below).

I also got to go up to two small cemeteries. I've seen many like them throughout Japan. Little cemeteries seem scattered almost everywhere hidden up on hillsides and in the small valleys. I've always wanted to walk around one, but never had the reason to do so. The city planner in me wonders how these are administrated and who pays for the upkeep.

My relatives have a little vegetable garden and some rice fields of their own. They gave us a 15kg bag of rice and some sweet potatoes when we left. I have to say the rice is great! So yummy! Their house is so big and traditional. I'd love to move out there, but I might go crazy. There are no stores. There son walks 40 minutes each way to get to school.

The relative's house, those are onions in the foreground.


The relative's shed and some lettuce.


A rice field after a torrential rainstorm. This is the view from the front of my relative's house.


Not yet ripened persimmons.


A ranma 欄間 in my relative's house.

CheapSake: Rakuen 100 Yen Wine

This begins my first foray into the one of Japan's hidden worlds. The world of cheap ready to drink booze. I'm going to explore the world of booze in Japan under ¥200 (about $2). America has a rich history of bumwines. Thunderbird, Cisco, and Wild Irish Rose are three examples. Japan also has its own various beverages for the on-the-go drunkard who needs a quick nip. Most of these are types of low quality sake, Japanese ricewine, but shochu, a type of Japanese spirit, and other fruit wines are also floating around the conbini. So with out further blabbering my first CheapSake review...

Rakuen Wine 楽園ウイン

CheapSake #1

I expected my first installment of CheapSake to be, well, sake, but today we got wine.

Tucked in the top corner of the cooler case with the hand written price tag... ¥100. It called out to me. It said, "David, I must taste like crap, drink me." It also said "Look at the sad place I've been put in the shelf, no one will ever buy me." I partially bought this box of red wine out of pity, partially out of curiosity. The pink packaging and the explanation on how to enjoy wine written on the back says this is for the girls here. It didn't stop me--I'm going to drink this in the privacy of my room. This wine is packaged in the same kind of box you'd have for apple juice back in elementary school. It comes with a straw, just in case you don't want to dirty a class. I choose the straw. I want the full effect. The side of the box has a flavor guide, as if it were actual bottle of expensive wine, but it makes me wonder. Are there other varieties of Rakuen Wine? If so, where can I find them? From the guide I learn that the wine is full bodied, is somewhat dry, has a moderate alcohol flavor, is 12% alcohol, and should be drunk between 12-14C. Reading this I actually thought this wine might not be too bad.

So how's the flavor? It full bodied indeed, there's something to it, a bit of a kick, and it's not very sweet at all. I was afraid it was going to be super sweet grape juice, but this actually doesn't taste too bad. It's got a dominant alcohol taste in the beginning, but not harsh at all. I've had worse that came in bottles with corks. As far as it's boozing factor goes, a few boxes of this will get you there, but it won't knock you out.

Rakuen Wine
¥100
Purchased at Sunkus

Beppu Landscape

Beppu is a city in need of renewal.

Two Kyushu Eki-ben

I spent a week earlier this month riding trains, boats, and buses in Kyushu. Here are the two Eki-ben* I had.

Hiroshima Station Eki-ben.

Akatori Bibinba Bento w/ Hiroshima Carp green tea and Hiroshima Carp cup sake.

The bento had rice mixed with ground chicken, kimchi, and sprouts. It also had a half boiled egg and hot sauce that you mixed into the rice. One of the best Eki-ben I've ever had. The tea and sake wasn't that bad either.

Oita Station Eki-ben.

Toriten Nanban Bento.

Fried Chicken in Kyushu is called toriten とり天 instead of karaage からあげ. It's also cooked differently, the batter is more like a tempura batter than a typical karaage. Chicken Nanban, covering chicken with a egg tartar and thickened sweetened vinegar, is also local to Miyazaki prefecture. I got this bento at Oita station, not an official eki-ben, but really good!

More Eki-ben

*Eki-ben are box lunches that are sold in train stations throughout Japan that feature local recipes and specialties.

08.04-KitakyushuMonorail

08.04-KitakyushuMonorail, originally uploaded by sleepytako.

The KitaKyushu Monorail originating from Kokura station.

08.04 Heta-Eki1

08.04 Heta-Eki1, originally uploaded by sleepytako.

Heta Stataion
戸田駅

Weeds have overgrown the unused tracks and platform at this station in rural Yamaguchi Pref.

Ritsurin Park - Kagawa Pref.

Ritsurin Park isn't one of the top three gardens in Japan, but one worth going to. Lonely planet laments on the views of the buildings from the park ruining the experience, but for me I thought it was a nice representation of modern Japan. The mountain behind the park does make a good example of "borrowed scenery" in garden design.

There is ample information about the park in English for and you can read more about the park on their webpage.

The adjacent buildings popping up over trees of the park.


Be sure to feed the hungry carp while there. Most of the little tea houses in the park sell sticks of bread you can give to the fish.

More photos in my Kagawa Udon 09 set on flickr.

Sanuki Udon - Kansai Restaurant Review

A couple of weeks ago for our 1 year anniversary Yuko, her sister, mom and I went to Kagawa Pref. for some udon. The udon in Kagawa is famous nationwide and is called Sanuki udon, the pre-Meiji Restoration name of the Kagawa area. So, we drove 3 hours eachway just to eat some noodles. Yes, they are that good! We went to two shops.

Ueharaya Honten 上原屋本店
高松市栗林町１−１６−６
9:00~16:30
Closed Sundays
Udon from ¥220

Ueharaya is located on an alley near Ritsurin Park, great if you're going to see the park. You go in, line up, order your noodles and take what ever tempura you want. Behind there there's a institutional coffee pot looking thing that has the soup broth in it. You put it in your self. There's also a station where you can cook your noodles some more if you want. Their Korokke is pretty good too!

The cooking station.

My udon and tempura.

Suisha Udon 水車うどん
香川県仲多度郡まんのう町買田５４７−１
9:00~18:00
Closed Wednesdays
Udon from ¥420
Niku udon ¥840

I liked this place the best. The noodles were fresh and meaty. Like you really had to chew into them. I got the Niku udon and it was so good. If you're heading to Konpira-san try stopping off here.

The Niku Udon at Suisha.


Cold Udon at Suisha.

Shimamura the cheaper, more adventurous version of Uniqlo

Shimamura in Kobe's Tarumi ward.

After living in Japan for a while most gaijin eventually will find themselves shopping for clothes in some of Japan’s casual stores like Uniqlo, Muji, or Righton. These shops are somewhat similar to the Old Navy, The Gap, and Tully’s in the USA. One store which recently has gained popularity in Japan, although it’s been around for a long time, is Shimamura. My wife has been shopping there since the family she works for took her to one well before I first met her. It’s so cheap that they will drive an hour across Osaka to go their favorite store.

Shimamura in Tamba, Hyogo

So what do they have? T-shirts with nonsense English, pants with extra pockets and unnecessary chains, normal shirts, dress shirts, dress pants, bras, underwear, socks, towels, bedding, cushions, hats, sunglasses, shoes, slippers a small isle of toys plus some candy and batteries near the register to round it all off.

Chambre and Avail are sister stores in the Shimamura group

The special thing about Shimamura is that everything is different, and finding the same shirt in a different size can be hard. Uniqlo will have 1,000 copies of the same shirt in 5 different colors, Shimamura, on the other hand, will have 1,000 different shirts. When shopping there I first find stuff in my size and then sort out what I want to buy. If you're a 4L or 5L size guy you might be out of luck for pants, but there will be some shirts, socks and underwear that will fit you.

It’s also super cheap and better quality than what you might find in a 100 Yen shop too. Last time I was there I got a nice pair of black dress pants for ¥1,850 and some dress socks 2-pair for ¥200. I buy all my belts and room slippers at Shimamura. As for getting stuff for your apartment Shimamura is great. I get lots of my towels and bedding there. Also, if you’re looking for some cheap Engrish t-shirts to take home for omiyage, this is the place.

Outside Shimamura in Kobe's Tarumi ward

Getting to a store near you might take some work however as many of their stores are best accessed by car. Near Kobe there’s a store in front of Shin-Nagata station on the JR and Kobe Subway lines and a larger store down near the Awajishima bridge in Tarumi-ku. You can find one near you on their homepage (in Japanese).

A store similar to, but not as good as Shimamura in my opinion, is called Itogofuku. I got my mom and sister towels and bedding there when they came to Japan for a few weeks. You can find their stores via their homepage (in Japanese).

Shimamura
Itogofuku

Of course if you can't read Japanese feel free to send me an email or comment to this post and I'll help you find a store near you!

This post was in the August Japan Soc Blog Matsuri. You can see other posts about being frugal in Japan at frugalistajapan.com

07.12-Waiting for Blue

07.12-Waiting for Blue, originally uploaded by sleepytako.

I took this photo sitting in my favorite seat on the bus. It's the one in the front with the full view of the front window. It's a single seat so I don't have to worry about any one else as I daydream and watch the city roll by.

Odd Japanese language note: Don't call green, it's blue. On a stoplight you have red, yellow, and green which is pretty much common the world over. The color is green is still green in Japan, but everyone calls it blue (aoi). Why? I have some theories, but it's one of those unanswerable questions. Maybe another good one for this month's JSoc Matsuri.

Osaka always was and always will be

06.18-Shinsekai_Barrier, originally uploaded by sleepytako.

I can't imagine an alternate reality of Osaka where this barrier new. It's like Osaka has all ways looked this way and always will. Happy smiling flowers panted upon a half broken, rusting sheet of metal.

And this is why I love Osaka

More love for Osaka

07.15 Mukogawa-Mansion-1

07.15 Mukogawa-Mansion-1, originally uploaded by sleepytako.

A mansion (apartment building) on the east bank of the Mukogawa river.

I walked the built up part of the Mukogawa river the other day from Hankyu Takarazuka station to Hanshin Mukogawa Danchi Mae station. About 9km. My goal is to walk along as much of the river as I can which is about 66km long. Since I was walking south the entire time the right side of my body got a sunburn. I got teased about that for a few days.

06.26 Sue-no-Sato-1

06.26 Sue-no-Sato-1, originally uploaded by sleepytako.

Some pottery in front of Sue-no-Sato in Sasayama

What do I find strange about Japan? (Japan Blog Matsuri)

07.24 AimerFeel-FlowerRoad-1, originally uploaded by sleepytako.

What do I find strange about Japan?

All the lingerie models in Japan are white, western women. My wife gets the PeachJohn catalog--all white girls. Look at the mannequins and models in this AimerFeel storefront in Kobe--more white girls. I'm not complaining, just wondering. I can understand the reason behind most things that I might find crazy, strange, or unusual here in Japan--no matter how obtuse or misinformed that reasoning might be. This one, however, leaves me at a loss for words.

7/27 Edit: Here's the link for the matsuri info: http://gakuranman.com/japansoc-blog-matsuri/

10 Hints for the Green Card Application

The mass of papers and junk and forms you have to fill out if you want to bring your spouse to the USA is daunting, but here's a few tips from me.

First!

There's the time line, good to know:

1. Fill out all the application forms and get the needed documents
2. Reserve a date and time (2:00PM or 2:30PM) at the American embassy in Tokyo.
3. File those papers on that date. (Only you need to go, but both of you is better.)
   
4. Receive a package from the American government.
5. Schedule an interview at the American embassy in Tokyo.
6. Get your background and health check done.
7. Go to the interview. (Only your spouse needs to go, but both of you is ok.)
   
8. 2 weeks or so after the interview you'll receive your visa. You have to go to the USA with in 6 months of getting that visa or it will become void.

Second!

What if you're not sure when you want to move to the USA? In my case I'm planning on going back to the USA for grad school sometime in the next 5 years. I haven't even picked a school or applied. So why did I start Yuko's green card process now? Because between step 4 and 5 you can wait for as long as you want. So we can hang on to this packet and sit on it till I figure out when I'll be starting school and when we want to move to the states. We'll schedule the interview sometime 3-4 months before our arrival in the USA.

Third!

Some of those PDF's don't let you save your work half way through so block out an afternoon to sit down with your spouse and fill them in. Make sure to print out 2-3 copies just in case. Also, don't fill them out by hand. You can do it all on the computer, it looks much better.

Fourth!

You might need a someone else to help prove you can provide for your spouse in the USA. Here's the deal. You need to prove that the person you're bringing into the USA won't be a burden to the public welfare and health care systems, so you need to prove that you can make a steady income. I make my living in Japan as a bartender and teacher. I cannot prove that I can make the same amount of money working the same jobs in the USA, so I will need to get a co-sponsor. I think together the sponsors need to prove that they have $18,000 in the bank or as income.

Fitfh!

You'll need to prove you're relationship with pictures and notes. Don't bring in your whole family photo album and actual letters. Copies work. I printed off another copy of our wedding announcement letter, two posts from this blog about Yuko, and I skimmed my photo library for any photos of Yuko and me and printed them out contact sheet style.

Sixth!

The application requires passport style photo of you and your spouse. The form says "most Japanese photo booths take acceptable photos" but they don't say which setting to use. Most Japanese photo booths have 4 photo sizes. Choose the one where you'll get two 50mmX70mm photos. It's commonly the last option. When you get to the embassy there are photo cutters you can use to make the photos 50mm square as per the instructions. Don't forget they have to be in color. There is a photo booth inside the embassy, but it costs ¥1,000 and what happens if it's broken?

Seventh!

Getting into the embassy is like getting on an airplane. There is a full security check. Don't bring your laptop or a bunch of electronics since you can't take them in with you. For the electronics you just normally carry (I had my camera, ipod, cell phone with me) they will keep that for you in the guards booth. You can't bring drinks into the embassy, but there are vending machines on the inside.

Eighth!

A copy of your spouses' family register will work for her birth and marriage records. When you got married s/he got their own. You'll need to translate it however. I made a template you can freely use. There's a so-so version on google docs, but if you email me I'll send you the nicer looking Pages or Word document.

Ninth!

Be organized! It makes this process easier on you and them. I didn't think I did anything special, but the clerk told me my application was the most organized he'd ever seen. That was the greatest complement ever! My Filing Technique is Unstoppable! (P.S. David Rees is great and check out how Jamba Juice totally ripped him off.)

Tenth!

Smile!

Get started on the I-130 Petition Checklist page! Good luck!

I hope this helps. Yuko and I are only on step four and I'll try to keep you updated about the rest of the stuff.

Dono (ドーノ) - Kansai Restaurant Review

The spicy sausage pizza at Dono

A pizza, the right size, the right toppings, an excellent crust, reasonable price... in the middle of nowhere.

I have no clue how my sister-in-law found this place. I don't know how anyone finds this place for that matter. Up in the hills way past the last reaches of Kobe's immense Kita ward in the Konda area of Sasayama hides this little pizza restaurant. No public transportation to this one. You need a car. If you can get out here you'll also need a reservation--it's that good. Oh! and it's only open for lunch on the weekdays. Weekends they do dinner, but only till 8 PM.

Margarita pizza at Dono

What are you coming for? A great hand made pizza cooked in a special oven on the first floor of the owners house. The pizzas range from ¥1,000 to ¥1,300. The set menu adds salads, drinks, appetizers, and desserts to the meal. The simple, yet appetizing, set salad was great. For those who don't like pizza, pasta is also served. The idea here is to come with some friends and everyone orders a different pizza or pasta so you can taste it all.

The appetizer at Dono

I really enjoyed the basic margarita pizza, but the spicy sausage was amazing. The great earthy spice that was generously dusted on top of the cheese and sausage really made it a treat. I was also afraid that the sizes would be too small for me--a problem with many Japanese pizza places. Here it was not the case, each pie was about 10 inches and filling.

The dessert at Dono

Besides it's location, it's hours, and how busy the shop can become, the only downside was the pretty, but simple dessert. If you make it out there, and I think you should, stop by and check out the local pottery at Sue-no-sato 陶の里 just down the road.

Funny side note, my sister in law made the reservation by phone and when we arrived the waitress gave her ¥50 in an envelope to make up for the cost of the phone call to make the reservation. Very Japanese.

Hours:
Tuesday-Friday 11:00-15:00 (14:30 lo)
Saturday and Sunday 11:00-20:00 (19:30 lo)

Phone: 079-597-3716

Address: 兵庫県篠山市今田町釜屋６２９

Map:

より大きな地図で Kansai Restruant Review を表示

06.25 KazaninBench 1

06.25 KazaninBench 1, originally uploaded by sleepytako.

A bench at Kazanin Temple.

Part of my Benches theme.

Kazanin 花山院

The entrance to Kazanin

Kazanin is one of the 3 bangai, or extra temples on the Western Japan 33 temple route, and the last on my Mother-in-law's trip. So now that she's finished with her pilgrimage I guess it's time for Yuko and me start.

The main building

Kazanin is up a steep mountain road in Sanda, Hyogo. Very close to a onsen I've recommended before on Kansai Onsen Review. The name which would normally be read "hanayama" is pronounced "kazan" in this case. It's the same as the Japanese word for volcano.

One of the seven statues

The most interesting thing for me was the seven statues that are in the garden. Each statue stands for a different virtue, or something you are asking for. What you do is approach the statue and touch their hands and pray in front of them. The statues' hands have all become smooth and yellow over the years of people touching them.

This site, in Japanese, has more pictures and a map.