August 5, 2010

  • A Day in Morioka (盛岡)

    Just like everyday, we had breakfast before going out.

    Again as always, i had grill fish and rice and miso soup.


    We got whole day and decided to buy 1 day ticket for loop bus. the sales was preparing tickets for us. 1 trip cost 100yen, 1 day ticket 300yen.

    We started riding from the station which is stop number one. and we first took off at stop 4.

    This was the house of a writer, 石川啄木. He used to write poets and for newspapers.

    The living room, bedroom of the writer and his wife.

    This is the poet's parents and sister's room. The light was so low it hit on my head when i walked near it...... be aware, it had already been tided up higher...... If it hadn't been tided up, it could probably hit on my nose.....

    While we were waiting for bus again, Auntie A saw a paper shop and wanted to give it a visit. A small little shop.

    When we were waiting, we were struggling if we should go straight to the shopping area (which we could stay there forever) or make a stop before that and have a walk in the garden of Morioka Jo. (the castle)

    we finally got off at the stop for the castle. The weather was nice, not too sunny, not raining and with some breeze.

    When we walked up to the castle, we saw a resting area. We took a rest there and had some tea.

    Cold tea was free, hot tea was 300yen which also included a piece of mochi.

    Keep walking after that..... the trees, the leaves were beautiful.

    The castle was torn down and all it got now is the defense wall.

    Then we walked towards the shopping area. On our way to the department store, we saw a place for beef...... hence Cousin M, uncle 2 and I dropped aunties at the department store and we went for beef......

    On our way to the restaurant, I finally saw a parked micra. must take a pic of it. And this was where we had beef.

    First we thought it's a BBQ place, but turned out it's a Teppanyaki place. They served local beef (前沢) and beef from 山形.

    My set was totally diff from what others were having, it's a special set for the sansa odori festival. This was my app, and cousin M and  Uncle 2 were having with one with soup. Mine didn't look good but was very tasty actually, was marinated sashimi.

    main dish, with tofu stick and 茄子(なす).

    Almost ready............

    mine is from 山形. no fat, but super tender. The paste on the left is meat paste for tofu.

    Garlic rice......

    With meat bits. Iced coffee was free with the set. Tastes good, good smell of coffee but not bitter at all and wouldn't feel sour after drinking.

    For dessert, mine was mandarin sherbet .  Others were jelly. Mine's alot better. and Mandarin flavor was my most favorite kind of sherbet.

    This is it.  Wakana. a chained restaurant in Morioka. Their BBQ restaurant and shabu shabu restaurant were on next street.

    After eating, Shopping again..................... 1hr later, we need another rest. We settled in a cafe in the department store kawatoku.

    Their cakes were beautiful.

    and we had fruit tea like grape tea, peach tea, mango tea~

    around 5:15, we left for the festival. we took the loop bus to the starting point of the festival parade.

    This was the starting point.

    We stood by the road, marking a spot for watching the parade. We were standing right in front of the preparation hall. Suddenly it got crowded.... Oh.... they were "Miss sansa odori". They could be the most beautiful girls in the festival.

    getting ready for the parade. they were 1st group to go.

    Photographers were no the road, shooting.....

    Some were dancing, some playing drums and some playing flute.

    Next group.....

    they were all singing same song but dancing differently.

    Kids.

    Some kids played just as well as adults. BTW, the one in blue hair, dressed like sailormoon, is a MAN.

    This is the name of the festival.

    Elderly were dancing very well, too.

    While others were dancing, a group were getting ready for their dance. they all got hat like a tomato. That's what i called them. but actually that was lotus.

    this blond was special because........ she was also wearing a pokemon mask.

    Girls wearing different kimono were beautiful.

    She didn't know what she was doing......

    Was getting dark......

    The road was lighted by these lantern.

    parents were dancing carrying their kids..... all the way..........

    Getting dark..... we stayed at our spot until...... 19:01. then we started walking with the parade.

    We almost got to the end..... Waiting to cross the road.

    When 1 group passed, we could cross the road before the next group arrived.

    We didn't finish watching the whole parade as we booked table for dinner at 8.

    That's right, same name as the teppanyaki place, these were from same group.

    they had regular set menu while i had special menu again, again ,specially for the festival.

     
    App was something like quiche with cheese, tomato and broccoli. Let's eat~~~ SUKIYAKI.
     

    Diff kind of meat: mine, with 3 kinds of meat: pork, beef leg and beef; the one with lot of fat was beef. again , 前沢牛.

    each person got a batch of veg, and Auntie A was having pork, the name is 三元豚佐助.

    And dessert.

    We were all super full and tired.

    Review what i got today..... nothing for myself. I bought some beer. YEBISU.
     

    This was a special ed. pack. 3 cans + a bear can liked glass.

    Actually i had a can during the parade..... I didn't leave the can there, i just put it there when i was taking photos.

    View from the hotel window. unlike tokyo, so quite here.

    2nd last day..................... 1 day left......