We will spend a few more days here in Kagoshima before we take the ferry to Okinawa. Here are some photos of our time riding and walking the streets of Kagoshima.
The trikes get a much needed rest while we explore some of the covered pedestrian shopping areas. The Rolex is in good company with our trikes.
Pedestrian areas like this are very common in Japan. There is a network of blocks that intersect so you can walk forever. It feels very social and festive to stroll through here. It is also a given that there will be coffee shops with yummy desserts and ice cream shops. Japanese soft serve is the best. How do Japanese people maintain slim figures with such temptations which they happily consume?
These items are an important part of decorating your home for the New Year period. New Year is an auspicious day in the Japanese calendar. People travel home to their roots, stay with family or get an hotel and visit the local shrine etc. This will be our second trip to spend time in Japan over the New Year. We have learned that we need to secure accomodation in advance. The problem is two fold…finding vacancies and finding an affordable place.
This food stall is preparing two treats, dango - a Japanese dumpling covered in a sugar syrup (sometimes compared to a Mochi) and a round shaped confection called Imagawayaki, grilled and filled with sweetened red or white bean mixture.
We love these Imagawayaki and chose 2 filled with red bean….hot off the grill. The other filling option is white bean paste. It consists of a thick egg based batter that is poured into the special pans, allowing the cake to retain its traditional round form and crispy shell. Kagishima is also home to a beloved, long standing shop on another street that always has long lines ups of patrons waiting for this treat. Unfortunately, it was closed while we were here.
A favourite pastime for us in Japanese cities is to visit the food floor of a department store. It is wild…crazy busy and extraordinary. Aisles of beautiful fresh fish, luxury and “regular” fruit, food stalls, bento boxes to go…anything you can imagine will be here. It is fun to just people watch, especially the older ladies who are incredible shoppers and know what they want.
We bought some croquettes to have in our room later for a snack…beef and potato.
Barry chose their bento box. It was kind of,charming…they had their own eating area and the woman who rang in our purchases looked ancient and we figure she has worked here most of her life.
We are on a quest to get Barry a cover for his reader. We struck out once again….will wait to get one in Canada. But, it was not a wasted journey as these electronic stores in Japan are incredible with several floors of cutting edge kitchen and home products. It gives us an insight how locals live in their homes. Shown here is a small appliance which can cook a turkey.
Japanese girls and young women have bags that are laden with an assortment of cute stuffed animals. We are no different, as we each have a rubber duck (Betty and Bob) on our trikes and Canadian bears on our panniers.
This ice dessert was created by a restaurant in Kagoshima. They combine shaved ice and sweetened condensed milk with a variety of fruits. We happened to be riding and passed by the shop where it was created.
We “met” these two mascots, Mangeon and his sidekick the Mountain fairy, at the lookout and here they are, immortalized on this manhole with a streetcar on the streets of Kagoshima.
These three fellows represent the Namamuji Incident which resulted in British casualties for which the UK in 1863, dispatched a fleet of 7 warships to Kagoshima Bay to negotiate a settlement. This is known as the Anglo Satsuma battle. Here, having heard the news, 3 young samurai rush to the port.
The middle fellow is the esteemed samurai, Saigo. The young fellow at the rear is Yamamoto Gonbee who later became an admiral in the Imperial Japanese Army and twice, Prime Minister of Japan.
This fellow is touring and is from South Korea. He stopped to chat and he was pleased to hear that we had enjoyed our time cycling in South Korea. We shared our dismay at the imposition of martial law shortly after we left.
Our endless fascination with Japan is spurred on by the interesting things we see, wherever we ride. Ordinary side streets can reveal something new to us. At the very least, the wiring and signage interest us.
Another statue of Saigo Takimori outside a restaurant. The likeness of Saigo, the last Samurai and leader of the Satsuma Rebellion which was the last civil war in Japan. He is the model for Katsumoto, the main character played by Ken Watanabe in the Tom Cruise movie, The Last Samurai. Saigo is a beloved figure and a common sight on the streets of Kagoshima.
Astronomer Lord Shimadzu Shigehide in 1770 established the astronomical observstory and created the Satsuma calendar. Here he is discussing astronomy with his retainer.
When they saw gaigjins at the counter, they rushed over with smiles and paper aprons for us. Barry had the house special, miso based and everything including the kitchen sink.
Mary Ellen opted for the smaller version…equally delicious! The proper ramen etiquette is to taste the broth first and then dig in. There is nothing like the atmosphere of a ramen shop. Patrons bent over their steaming bowl of ramen, the sound of slurping noodles and the chefs greeting customers as they come and go.
