Chasing the Perfect Fuji shot.

[drron29]

 

 

This is the last of the flowering plums which come earlier than the cherries.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[drron29]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Then I came to the food stalls.

 

I had a stick of scallops (the middle stick). They were very tasty.

 

But then I came to this.

 

 

Looks messy but probably the best takoyaki I have ever had. Nice big tender pieces of octopus and a delicious sauce,

 

I now set off back to Kanazawa station. first walking through the castle grounds.

 

 

 

 

[drron29]

The blossoms in the upper gardens were stunning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[drron29]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Black kites were circling in numbers. A fellow was feeding them something.

 

 

 

 

[drron29]

I had walked the grounds on top of the hill of Kanazawa castle and walked down to Hirosaka park and the Museum of Contemporary art before but never the lower gardens on this side of the castle. A pretty picture at this time of year.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was coming back the next day and would visit the Omicho market so walked straight back to the station and the shuttle bus.

 

 

 

 

 

I had about a 20 minute wait for the shuttle bus. In That time there were 3 shuttles for the Diamond Princess. All full to the max. Staff going back had to stand. Lots of complaints from them that there were no signs up although 3 people had signs up saying Diamond Princess shuttle. Queuing was a foreign concept to most of the passengers and they had to have a ticket to get on the shuttle. several tried to get on our shuttle when it arrived. Sorry but I am not going on a Princess cruise.

 

 

[drron29]

Back to the Muse.

 

 

The Diamond Princess is leaving.

 

Dinner again in Atlantide. I had the Octopus and the filet. Enjoyable.

 

 

And Rojaan had a different desert. A chocolate brownie.

 

The next morning I took a ship's excursion for Japanese sweet making, Kenrokuen gardens and the Omicho markets. I did my own thing at the gardens and the market. One interesting view on the way.

 

Some liked the sweet making but there were over 80 there. I found it just average though maybe because my sweets were probably the worst. The set up.

 

Our ingredients.

 

And what it should look like.

 

As far as I am aware all evidence of my efforts have been destroyed.

I took off to the gardens early as I didn't need time to shop for souvenirs. Today I walked up the road between the Gardens and the castle. A great display.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[drron29]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[drron29]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These weren't Takoyaki as I had had my fill when entering the gardens.

 

These were Number 7 from one of the older restaurants in the garden

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A bit of the garden I didn't go to the day before.

 

 

 

 

 

[drron29]

 

 

The second mound closed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[drron29]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[drron29]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Much less crowded today and the restaurants have seats available.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[drron29]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[drron29]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I now went back to the bus pick up point and off to the Omicho market where again I took off by myself.

[drron29]

The Omicho market.

 

 

 

Fresh wasabi.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I found myself at a noodle restaurant upstairs. Seemed to only have older Japanese men as customers so I fitted in.

 

 

I had the tendon zen. Enjoyable.'

 

Then back to the bus. It was due back at the ship just in time for last boarding so didn't want to miss it. In fact 5 busses all got back at the same time about 15 minutes late.

[drron29]

As we were lining up to board it was obvious we were going to have a send off.

 

Just beautiful.

 

 

 

 

 

Then we were off. A black kite tailed us for a while.

 

But gave up after 25 minutes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And we said goodbye to Kanazawa.

 

 

[drron29]

Again we sailed close to the coast on our way to Akita.

 

 

Quite often with an escort of seagulls.

 

 

 

Dinner in Atlantide.

 

 

Rojaan had the scallops to start and I educated a new waiter -it was his first contract and he only boarded 9 days previously. I ordered the tomato soup to start and he said that isn't on the menu. But I said we can order anything that is on the in suite dining menu so just ask the kitchen staff when you give them my order. Result-

 

Rojaan had the ponzu salmon which she said was excellent. I had the weiner schnitzel as I felt like a little comfort food. Pity it didn't come with some spaetzle or spargel.

 

 

[FlyerTalker]

Well, on the original topic of photo shots of Fuji:

 

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/japan-town-building-big-screen-blocking-view-mount-fuji-tourism-rcna150155

[drron29]

55 minutes ago, FlyerTalker said:

Well, on the original topic of photo shots of Fuji:

 

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/japan-town-building-big-screen-blocking-view-mount-fuji-tourism-rcna150155

And having stayed 4 nights in Kawaguchiko last month and driving past that Lawsons a few times and going into it once I fully agree with what the locals propose to do. There are way too many feral tourists there.

Edited May 4 by drron29

[drron29]

Saturday and we arrive in Akita.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A nice welcome.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They had organised a market inside the terminal.

 

 

It had rained heavily the day before and there was still an occasional shower. Fortunately when on the excursion they occurred only when we were on the bus. I went on the Exploring the Oga Peninsula tour.

The cherry blossoms appearance was the sign to prepare rice fields. Obviously ploughing had begun but the rain then made a mess.

 

 

And even out into the country large box stores.

 

[drron29]

A lot of the tour was about the Namahage. Ogres that come out at New Year to make sure children and new wives are being good. The first stop was seeing the "big" Namahages.

 

 

 

We stayed too long so I looked around their little general store which was also a coffee shop.

 

 

Winter is very cold with lots of snow so crafts are obviously popular.

 

In the store lots of Namahage souvenirs.

 

 

Next to the store a grove of camellias plus one of the numerous solar arrays.

 

The road ran beside the sea for some time.

 

 

 

We gradually started climbing into the mountains.

 

 

 

 

 

[drron29]

We then reached the Namahage Cultural Centre.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We were then taken in to a replica of a namahage home.

 

 

 

 

 

A play was put on telling the story of the Namahage visiting on New Years Eve. All in Japanese of course but they gave us some outlines. reading the first part I wasn't sure if I should take any photos.

 

Now we had to sit on the floor with your legs underneath. mine don't do that any more so I made sure I was in the front row with my legs outstretched. Then the Narrator came out.

 

Next was the head of the house telling of the family.

 

 

[drron29]

Then meeting the arranger of the Namahage visit.

 

The Namahage enter.

 

 

And are given food and sake.

 

 

 

Now I managed to make eye contact with the one in black. I nodded and smiled appropriately - easy as I smiled when the Japanese guests laughed. He looked straight at me a lot.

 

 

 

 

They are now reading from the Children's naughty book.

 

 

 

 

The Namahage now stomped around the house looking for the Children. A Japanese couple had bought their toddler who was screaming in fear. The parents were laughing.
Any way my ruse worked. At the end of the performance the black Namahage came over and patted me on the back. He only did this with one other fellow who was Japanese.
So now off to the Museum.

 

Edited May 4 by drron29

[drron29]

 

 

 

 

 

 

And this fellow is the last one on the Peninsula who makes the namahage masks.

 

A couple of women were trying to find out how long it took him to make a mask. They weren't having any success so Ron and Google translate came to the rescue. It takes him a month to make one mask.
Unfortunately the women now regarded me as the translator for the rest of the excursion.

 

 

A display of some other masks from around the world.

 

 

 

 

 

[drron29]

Then a whole room of the different Namahage styles.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So just a couple of shots before we head off to the Mt. Kanpu Revolving lookout.

 

 

 

 

 

[drron29]

But on the way to the lookout the road was closed as the fire brigade was doing a burn off. The bus stopped just as my window was level with a clump of wild daffodils.

 

Never fear there was another road going up to the lookout. A few shots from the bus as we go up.

 

 

 

 

Good all round views but not spectacular and too many environmental eyesores.

 

 

 

The burn off site.