Momotaro
Momotaro is a boy who was born out of a peach and left his mother and father to go defeat the demons who were tormenting his town and stealing food and other-mono. Apparently, he is actually from Okayama. I didn't know this until I got there and saw all the man-hole-covers, each of which depicts different scenes from Momotaro's adventure. Along the way, he picks up a dog, a bird, and a monkey who help him fight the demons. Demons are big here. But they are easily conquered by children and friendly animals.
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| This is a typical Japanese scene. If you have ever watched any anime, you have seen this picture. If you have even scene an anime poster somewhere, you have had psychic visions of this view. It is just typical Japan. A river, an overpass, and under the overpass, junior highers, shooting the breeze. |
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| A very serene little river with house in the royal garden. I want one in my house. I have rarely felt more relaxed. |
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| Off, to the castle! I kept saying this, and NO ONE got it... |
My friends and I wandered around the garden and subsequently the city, trying to find a sushi restaurant that served the city-famous Bara-bara sushi. We didn't find any, but we did find a sushi-conveyor belt restaurant, which was about the most fabulous thing I have ever encountered in my life. It is so amazing, I have no pictures of it. But it was ridiculously delicious. Just so you know.
It is funny the things you find yourself doing in a foreign country that you really wouldn't do at home. I've already mentioned to everyone I talk to how I eat fried chicken here because it is everywhere. I NEVER eat fried chicken at home. I also eat a fair amount of ice cream here, which I tried not to do at home. I don't even ride my bike that much right now!
So. A gratuitous picture of ice cream.
So. A gratuitous picture of ice cream.
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| You're right BR. It would be profitable to sell it Regular Double |
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| And a cute pic of me and melania |
Okayama is quite a nice town. My friends kept trying to tell me it seemed more internationalized and cleaner than their city back on Shikoku, but I kind of felt like it was less internationalized and much more Japanese. I can't say about cleaner. It could be, I guess.
3 comments:
How wonderful! The story of the boy from the peach and the sushi conveyor belt!! And thinking about children and friendly animals being able to defeat evil makes me really happy. So do the ice cream pictures. :)
And I wish our manhole covers told stories here--what a great idea. I love a culture that values stories...
And wait, there's fried chicken everywhere there? How weird! I wonder if it tastes pretty much the same as fried chicken here... I mean, I'm sure the chicken part does, but the fried part could be quite different.
Well, it is like fried chicken and giblets, skin, and fat. It is amazingly delicious and succulent. I have never encountered an unpleasant piece (even though the description might sound like it would lend itself to that sort of thing...). But yes. It is everywhere. My supermarket makes it rather well and one of the guys in my office makes it so well you would literally cut off one of your limbs and trade him for it. I think he puts crack in it.
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