Otaru This & That

They say that there used to be over 40 micro-brewed sake breweries in Otaru. Tanaka Sake Brewery is one of those few sake breweries that remains and has been in business for over 100 years. They produce a variety of sake throughout the year, and their products are popular among not only the Japanese but overseas tourists, especially from Asian countries.

I found a lovely sake at the shop of this Brewery.
Sake is usually clear and almost colorless but this sake is translucent pink.

I asked a sales clerk how they could make it.

At last, butterbur sprouts known as a symbol of early spring in Japan have made an appearance in Otaru!

It's the beginning of flower season in Hokkaido. I am looking forward to seeing varieties of spring ephemerals will bloom one after another soon.

Mt. Tengu is a wonderful place to visit in any season.
It was a sunny Sunday on the 4th. There was a lot of snow left, and some people were enjoying final skiing of the season in the skiing ground. I wonder if there is any other skiing ground in the world other than Mt. Tengu from where you can enjoy a magnificent panoramic view of the sea over the built-up areas.

The night view from Mt. Tengu is also spectacular. It is counted among Hokkaido’s three prestigious night views. Living in Otaru, I seldom go up Mt.

Yakisoba noodle is a popular Japanese snack originating from chow mein or fried Chinese noodles.

A variety of instant noodles including yakisoba are sold at the supermarkets in Japan. I hardly ever eat instant noodles, but I could not resist the curiosity to try it when I found the name of the noodles.

“Arabian Yakisoba”, I wonder if they ever have a habit of eating fried noodles in Arabic countries? Does the image on the package look like an Indian wearing turban?

However, we have “Hong Kong Yakisoba”, another instant chow mein exclusively sold in Hokkaido.

It is still cold and snowy in Otaru while cherry blossoms are coming out in other areas in Japan.Here in Otaru, we have to wait for another month to enjoy the cherry blossoms.

The least I can do is to eat “sakura ampan” (a bean paste bun topped with cherry flower) while viewing cherry blossoms in the vase to get a hint of spring that seems a long way off in Hokkaido.

This lovely bun is made at Bakery KAMEJU, a long-established bakery in Otaru.

The snow is disappearing little by little, and the sunshine is getting brighter day by day, but winter still lingers around.

It snowed last night, and the highest temperature today is predicted -2℃.

Spring seems to be a long way off.

I went to Sapporo last weekend for that I had something to do.
I took an intercity bus at JR Sapporo station to go back to Otaru as usual.

There are two bus companies, Chuo Bus and JR Bus, operating the route between Sapporo and Otaru. It was a JR bus I took then.

This looks just an ordinary clear soda pop in appearance, but once you taste it, you will find it absolutely chocolate! “CHOCOLATE SPARKLING” by Suntory, a major Japanese beverage company, is an unprecedented soft drink. Contrary to the perfect flavor of chocolate, the nutrition facts written on the bottle reads “No chocolate is used as ingredient”. Interesting taste, I admit, but I wonder CHOCOLATE SPARKLING can catch on with people.

It was Hina Doll Festival yesterday(March 3).
A friend of mine invited me to dinner at her home to celebrate the festival.

Masa Harada, the husband of my friend and proprietor of a backpackers’ "Morinoki" did all the cooking for five ladies came along last evening.

He is really a good cook, and I am always impressed with his ability of composing the menu with varied dishes whenever I j

Prolonged economic slump compels people to cut down on expenses in all things.
From around last year, super low-price “bento” or ready-made boxed lunch started to appear at the deli counter of supermarkets in Japan.

The packed lunch in the photo costs only ¥298 (approximately $3)! The average price of a boxed lunch of this kind is ¥450-¥500. I wonder how they make a profit out of this low cost bento, but it certainly is helpful for someone like me who cannot afford much money for everyday lunch.