A Wonderful Saturday Drive

Fukushima! There is nothing like hopping in the car for a nice Saturday drive. Michelle and I were invited on a day trip to Fukushima (the next prefecture over) from two Japanese sisters. With not a cloud in the sky, we started our drive through the green, beautiful countryside. Niigata is truly gorgeous this time of year with the vibrant green rice fields and speckled colored mountains sides. Through the curvy country roads, we came upon a lake that glistened in the sunshine. Perhaps the most beautiful place I have seen in all of Japan; it was simply picturesque with the teal, blue water and the surrounding mountains. Besides the fact that my stomach was turning due to the ridiculous curvy roads, I was in heaven. My southern Missouri stomach is just out of practice and both Michelle and I were feeling car sick! We stopped for a quick rest at a popular lookout point in Fukushima. Of course, like any natural focal point in Japan, there were a million tour buses filled with picture taking Japanese. The small hill was lined with merchants selling natural herbs, pickled vegetables and seafood, and sweets filled with bean paste. I must say that all of the above are oyshi (delicious) and will miss the random, questionable looking food when I leave. After many pictures of the four of us, we ventured on to the tourist location we were in route for. It was a street lined the traditional Japanese straw roofed homes that were now converted into shops and restaurants. It was a beautiful sunny day and had a nice stroll up and down the street. This area is famous for its local soba (buckwheat noodles) so we had to sample the cuisine! We had a bowl full of wonderful soba which is quite a common dish during the summer months however, to add a twist we ate it with a tamanegi (leek)! We used the big green onion as a spoon to slurp up the noodles. It was so fun! We did a walk about and think the four of us sampled every food that was for sale. They love putting samples out and of course we love eating them! Especially the delicious rice crackers…senbei! A BIT ABOUT THESE CRACKERS!!!! WHAT IS SENBEI(Sen-bay). IT IS RICE CRACKERS. These are the most popular Japanese confectionery. They are made from glutinous rice and wheat flour. The dough is stretched thinly into circles or squares of about seven to eight centimeters, or put into molds, then baked; taste is supplied by baking it with soy sauce applied or by mixing it with sesame and salt. Senbei were perfected in the Edo Period(1603-1867) and there are various kinds throughout Japan. Anyway, enough about food….after doing the loop we started our drive back to Tochio. Of course, we were packing in the excitement with a birthday celebration planned that night. It was our friends, Kondo’s, 31st birthday and we had a huge celebration at our favorite beach bar. It was a tight schedule but we made it to sing Happy Birthday and deliver the cake. Overall, another great day in Japan!!!!!!!!!!!