Satoshi Nihonyanagi
Welcome to my blog, Green Tea Club !
I'll show you all the beauties and goodies in Shizuoka through this blog.
If you have any inquiry, please feel free to post your messages on it.
Hope to see you around in Shizuoka !
Main content starts here.
08/03/2012 [Fri]
Fujinomiya Yakisoba & [Fujinomiya]
Yesterday, I visited a gourmet street called “Omiya Yokocho” right in front of Fujisan Hongu Sengen Taisha shrine for lunch on my way to a high school for the meeting of the international school exchange that is to be scheduled in November.
I might have reported about Fujinomiya Yakisoba fried noodle before but again, let me introduce one of the best B-class gourmet today !
This street stands in front of Sengen Taisha shrine, 10 minute walk away from JR Fujinomiya Station. You never tell Fujinomiya without having Fujinomiya Yakisoba because it won the best B-class food award of B-1 grand prix twice ! Chewier than ordinary Yakisoba fried noodle and powdered sardine gives you rich flavor.
What interested me more was a fountain. I ordered an Fujinomiya Yakisoba and the lady said “ Please wait for a while over a glass of water there”. She pointed a barreled fountain at the center of the square. “ Water from Mt. Fuji”. I grabbed a glass and scooped water with a ladle. Awesome ＾＾
In 5 minutes or so, my Yakisoba was ready. I took a table in the sun of summer and finished adorable yakisoba in a few minutes with my face and body running with sweat.
You all, have a good day !
“Shizuoka Guide” is our official English blog website for events & sightseeing. Always with you ! ＾＾
Posted by Satoshi Nihonyanagi at 16:14 Permanent Link Trackback ( 0 ) Comments ( 0 )
03/22/2012 [Thu]
Asagiri Food Park [Fujinomiya]
A new commercial facility is going to get started from April 1, 2012 in Asagiri Highland, Fujinomiya city at the foot of Mt. Fuji, Shizuoka Prefecture. “Asagiri Food Park” is a theme park ( or a small town ? ) standing right beside the Asagiri Kogen roadside station, which will offer you the opportunity to touch the real local products such as Sake, Milk, Green tea and more. I joined the preview tour the other day to show you what it’s like. See the map anyway. Overwhelming Mt. Fuji is right behind the park !
One of the stores, “Fujimasa Shuzo” sake brewery is not only where you can taste and buy local sake but where you can learn how sake is produced because the sake factory is open to the public and you can study it through the window. Sounds fun ?＾＾ They also sell some cosmetic products including sake. Especially, the hand cream was really popular among tour participants.
The green tea shop is also my recommendation because you can there taste one of the most unique ice creams as in the picture ( this is only for tasting. You can ask for regular soft ice cream for ¥300 ). See ? Green tea powder on the crème. Believe it or not, fragrant flavor of green tea goes very well with sweet ice cream ! Other tea set menu with sweets is also available. By the way, they sell 3 hundred thousand yen／1kg tea ! Amazing, isn’t it ?
Lunch menu was really something to me. Buffet style, mostly consisting of local specialties such as vegetables, Yogurton Pork ( a brand name of pork in Fujinomiya ), trout, and other stuff ! I might be too greedy then. It should look more decent like Japanese Kaiseki Cuisine but no sense of beauty. Perfect lunch though !＾＾ I, needless to say, went for another plate of meat, vegetable and rice. For big eaters like me, nothing is better than buffet anyway ♪
Other than things above, you can study sweet potato confectionery factory, milk plant and Japanese confectionery making and buy these products. Lots of authentic local gourmet of Fujinomiya can be discovered in Asagiri Food Park. Please be sure to stop by when you drive around Mt. Fuji.＾＾
Please see the website for reference.
Asagiri Food Park
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“Shizuoka Guide” is our official English blog website for events & sightseeing. Always with you ! ＾＾
Posted by Satoshi Nihonyanagi at 10:54 Permanent Link Trackback ( 0 ) Comments ( 2 )
08/25/2011 [Thu]
Hike around Mt. Fuji − To Mt. Hoei Crater – 2 [Fujinomiya]
Now, I took the direction to Mt. Hoei from the 6th station. The trail was easy to follow. A mass of fog came toward us and soon we got shrouded in it. In ten minutes or so, I stood right in front of the crater ! I took a video to tell you how foggy it was. Please play it anyway.＾＾
Now, I walked in it along the trail to reach Mt. Hoei and it was the very sort of ordeal or vicissitude to me because, descending was fine though, the trail is rather sandy and my climbing shoes were mired in it every time I stepped to ascend. And what is more, physical power wouldn’t be restored enough due to insufficient oxygen. My walking was like this； 10 steps and 30 second rest and 30 steps and 5 minute rest. No wonder I took almost 1.5 hours to the top of Mt. Hoei from the bottom of the crater ( climbers would make it in an hour ). ＾＾；
Still, the fog was flowing when I reached on the top. No views. All I could see was a white air. I found a monument ( maybe a sun-clock ) at the edge of the site. Snack time. Salty rice cracker was so good as though the saline soaked into my body. Twitter for the “Enjoy Shizuoka” again. Then, suddenly, believe it or not, a miracle occurred. The fog cleared away and the thick cloud broke up, and the blue sky showed up right over my head just as the god opened the door to say hello to me. The sky looked more blue than “blue”. The clouds were like cotton candies. Mountain lines were literally beyond description.
I attach a video below to tell you all the beauty of the miracle moment. You would think it’s definitely a world of gods and goddesses !
Blue sky & fields of cloud
There, I took one of the most unusual pictures in my life ! Can you see what it is ? I found a figure on the place where human ought not to be, which tuned out soon to be myself. Yes, it was my shadow reflected in the haze far in the distance. Maybe Mt. Fuji is such a mountain wrapped in mysteries and miracles.
The blue sky got out of my sight after only 10 minutes or so. I stepped down the trails and when I got to the 5th, another miraculous blue sky came out. Impressive ! Please visit Mt. Fuji where all kinds of nature sprits play around, and you will see how blue the sky is supposed to be.
Mt. Fuji 5th station at Fujinomiya Trail
Access ： By Mt. Fuji Climbing Bus from JR Mishima Sta., Shin-Fuji Sta., Fuji Sta., Fujinomiya Sta.
Bus Fare ： ¥3000／adult ( for round-trip )
Time table ： Please open the PDF.
Mt. Hoei Hiking Trails are available until around mid-Nov
※Mt. Fuji Climbing Trails are supposed to be closed at the end of Aug.
Join us in Twitter φ(・ω・ )
“Shizuoka Guide” is our official English blog website for events & sightseeing. Always with you ! ＾＾
Posted by Satoshi Nihonyanagi at 11:12 Permanent Link Trackback ( 0 ) Comments ( 0 )
08/23/2011 [Tue]
Hike around Mt. Fuji − To Mt. Hoei Crater – 1 [Fujinomiya]
It was by no means a good weather for hiking when I left JR Fuji Station by “Mt. Fuji Climbing Bus” for Mt. Fuji 5th station of Fujinomiya Trail. Actually, it rained a bit on my way. Still, the wonder of Mt. Fuji is that the weather in the city is not always the same as one at the 5th. I expected the blue sky. Maybe everyone on the bus did. We passed Fujinomiya and finally got in on the “Fujisan Sky-like” mountain road, proceeding into the clouds. Clouds, clouds, and clouds again until finally we reached the 5th station. Gosh……But lots of climbers were there on the fifth.
At the fifth, you can overlook cities, or fields of cloud. There I took the early lunch. It means much because you should take time at the 5th at least more than an hour to make your body accustomed to the air pressure. Or, you may have a mountain sickness that causes serious headache and dizziness. Anyway, I was there for 1.5 hours and got myself prepared for climbing. As a matter of fact, we had been very concerned about the drastic drop-off in number of climbers due to the earthquake but it seemed nothing. I saw not only Japanese but lots of visitors from abroad.
Now, this is the footstep I walked. To reach Mt. Hoei and its crater, you first get to the 6th which will take 20 – 30 minutes from the 5th. I took more than that maybe because you know……I am a down-only specialist.＾＾； There were so many climbers at the 6th. Some were on their way up to the top and others were down to the 5th. I took a short rest again there to control my breath and to send my message to our new website “Enjoy Shizuoka” from my cell-phone using Twitter. It’s very simple to use and all necessary information about Shizuoka is there, or you can post your message and even ask us ( or somebody ) about what you are going to do. By the way, you can have the Fujinomiy Trail guide-map in the picture at the information office on the fifth. English, Chinese and Korean adscripted.
At the sixth, you will find a direction board saying one to the summit and the other to Mt. Hoei. I stood at the gateway to the summit which looked to me very close from where I was, but trust me, it is nothing of the kind. I could tell the trails because climbers were making lines along it. The 7th can be seen just right over there, which actually would take about 1 hour to reach. What is most important about climbing is that you don’t do more than what you can do. Keep your own pace.
Anyway, I took the way to Mt. Hoei. I’ll report the rest next time.
Have a good day !
Mt. Fuji 5th station at Fujinomiya Trail
Access ： By Mt. Fuji Climbing Bus from JR Mishima Sta., Shin-Fuji Sta., Fuji Sta., Fujinomiya Sta.
Bus Fare ： ¥3000／adult ( for round-trip )
Time table ： Please open this Page.
Mt. Hoei Hiking Trails are available until around mid-Nov
※Mt. Fuji Climbing Trails are supposed to be closed at the end of Aug.
Join us in Twitter φ(・ω・ )
“Shizuoka Guide” is our official English blog website for events & sightseeing. Always with you ! ＾＾
Posted by Satoshi Nihonyanagi at 11:33 Permanent Link Trackback ( 0 ) Comments ( 0 )
08/03/2011 [Wed]
Coming of Summer holidays ! ― Trout Hatchery in Fujinomiya City [Fujinomiya]
Fujinomiya usually makes us think of “Fujinomiya Yakisoba” fried noodle but they have something “No 1” besides Mt. Fuji. The picture tells something about it. Can you tell that ?＾＾ It’s trout. Rainbow Trout, actually. They have the largest share of trout hatchery and farming in Fujinomiya. Telling the truth, I had not known the fact either until I was told by my company of Fujinomiya Tourist Association that day.＾＾； That is why I was taken to the “Fuji Trout Hatchery & Farming Center” next. There,they raise around 10 species of fish including rainbow trout, mountain trout and silver salmon in the blessing of Mt. Fuji. I saw hundreds of thousands of fish in the water. I also found “Golden Trout” that I had seen in “Shiraito Falls” and “Sengen Taisha Shrine”.＾＾
“Golden Trout” I mentioned is, to be exact, called “Albino Trout”, mutation for the lack of pigment. They often use the trout for growth observation.
Those who can’t stop yourself from catching them can move on to the river beside the hatchery. You can enjoy trout-fishing for ￥1700 with the fishing rod and bait provided, and as much as 1kg of trout (around 5 trout ) you may catch included. It’s very popular among campers because you can enjoy it without taking fishing equipments. Imagine yourself waiting for trout bite in such a beautiful woods. These fish to go are to be readily prepared for BBQ ! Sounds good ?＾＾
To my surprise, the trout center has, small though, an aquarium, too. Admission free. There, you can observe various fishes raised in the trout center in a tank.＾＾
Now, you know, trout is not a fish only for observation. Farmed fish are mostly for us to eat, right ? ヾ(*｀∀´*)ゞ So I dropped at “Masu-no Ie” to find it out !
Masu-no Ie is a trout-specialized restaurant that is rare even in Japan. Inside there is a pure Japanese-style tatami room. While I was staring at a small garden through the window, dishes began to get served. First came, as appetizers, Sashimi, Arai ( sashimi soaked in iced-water ), Shigure-ni ( meat boiled in soy source ) and other creative cuisines. And a large fried trout and a gratin !
Especially, I loved the fried trout meat coming with tartar sauce ! It was so hot as to scald my tongue but the flavor of the trout spread through my mouth. The dishes individually may seem so decent. Still I was fully satisfied because of the number of it. ＾＾ｖ Check out the menu from here.
So, how do you like my report about attractions of summer in Fujinomya ? The great nature created by the underflow water of Mt. Fuji and living things blessed by that. I was educated once again the greatness of Mt. Fuji. I really wish you come to Fujinomiya this summer to make your day !＾＾
Have a good day !
Fuji Trout Hatchery & Farming Center
Access from JR Fujinomiya：60 minutes by bus
Admission：￥300 for adults／￥100 for children
Open Hours：9:00 - 16:30
※closed only between Dec 29 – Jan 3
Masu-no Ie
Access from JR Fujinomiya：60 minutes by bus
Open Hours：11:00 ― 15:00（closed on Tuesdays） Advanced reservations required
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“Shizuoka Guide” is our official English blog website for events & sightseeing. Always with you ! ＾＾
Posted by Satoshi Nihonyanagi at 13:42 Permanent Link Trackback ( 0 ) Comments ( 0 )
