A Day Trip To Hita (Part One)

 I thought about writing one post on this day trip, but I have so many photos to share that doing it in parts is better; otherwise, I'm going to be here for hours!

Hannah and I planned this trip many months ago. The first idea was to go at the end of September, but after Hannah had another seizure, we ended up using her holiday from university to go to the hospital. 

The first idea was to take the train, but Mikey offered to drive us! I'm glad he did, as I'm exhausted from all the walking we did!

The weather was perfect for walking around, not too hot but not cold!

The drive is just over an hour. Through the countryside and mountain roads.

Part of the drive is along a river. I really liked this bridge.

I love the colour and how it seems to disappear into the trees.

This is on the way home.

 

The first place we visited was Kangien, a school that was founded in 1817 by Hirose  Tanso. He was a Confucian scholar, poet and educator. The school operated until 1893, spanning over 80 years and attracting around 5,000 students from more than 60 provinces across Japan. This made it one of the most influential private schools of the Edo period. One thing that made this school stand out was that it admitted students regardless of class or social status. Whether you were a samurai, peasant, artisan or merchant, you could enter this school. This was revolutionary for a society that was rigidly divided by hierarchy!

The ruins are preserved as a national historical site.

The site isn't large. There are a few of the original buildings or the foundations where the building stood, and a museum, which was free! 

Walking around with Hannah was nice as she could translate things, also she has a lot of knowledge of the history of education in Japan.

Hannah on the path to the museum

Information about the site

The museum

One of the original buildings

A well outside the original building

The well again

Part of the kitchen

The pot on the left is to cook rice, fire was built underneath the stones. It must have been hard work!

Across Japan, 3 other sites belong to the "Educational Heritage of Early-Modern Japan"; it would be nice to see all of them!

That was the first hour or so of our trip. 

I'll write the next part tomorrow!

Also, I think Hannah has more photos, so I'll do a post of more photos later this week!

Japanese Comfort Food

 As I said in a previous post, I was feeling a bit under the weather earlier this week. 

While I was lying around, feeling sorry for myself, I got to thinking about comfort food. Those dishes that you crave that not only fill your stomach but does something to your soul!

I was thinking of the dishes my Mom would make for us when we were under the weather. Her bread and butter pudding was a favourite when I was in elementary school. Anything with mashed potatoes was always a winner! Soft-boiled eggs with toast cut into strips to dip, these were called "soldiers", I have no idea why!

What about Japanese comfort food?

Here are a few dishes that my kids like and ask for when they are looking for a bit of home comfort and love.

Oyakodon (Parent and Child Rice Bowl

This is real comfort food, chicken and soft omelette simmered in a savoury-sweet dashi broth.

This is for one serving. 

I boneless, skinless chicken thigh, cut into bite-sized pieces

1/2 onion, thinly sliced

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 cup dashi

2tbsp soy sauce

2tbsp mirin, sweet rice wine

1tbsp sugar

Cooked rice for serving

Instructions

In a small skillet, combine dashi, soy sauce, mirin and sugar. Bring to a simmer over medium heat.

Add sliced onion and chicken. Simmer until the chicken is cooked through, about 5 to 7 minutes.

At this point, I always taste the broth and adjust it if necessary. I prefer a slightly sweeter taste, so I add more mirin. When one of the kids makes it, they prefer a more savoury flavour and add more soy sauce.

Pour the beaten eggs over the chicken and onions and let them set, like an omelette on top.

Slide the contents of the pan over a bowl of hot, cooked rice!

Enjoy!

This is how I usually serve Oyakodon. I make miso soup and add some salad to balance things out!

Nikujaga (Meat and Potato Stew)

This dish was first introduced to Japan during the Meiji period, 1868-1912. It was created by Navy chefs, inspired by Western stews that Admiral Togo Heihachiro enjoyed when he was in England.

For 4 servings

1lb beef or pork, thinly sliced (sirloin or pork belly is the best)

2 large potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks

1 large onion, cut into wedges

1 large carrot, peeled and cut into chunks

2 cuts of dashi

4 tbsp soy sauce (I usually use a bit less, then after tasting, add more, if needed)

3tbsp mirin

2tbsp sugar

1 tbsp vegetable oil

Instuctions

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced meat and cook until brown.

Add the onion, potatoes, and carrot. Sauté for a few minutes until slightly softened.

Pour in dashi, soy sauce, mirin and sugar. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes or until the potatoes are tender.

Serve hot with a side of rice.

Karaage

This is David's go-to dish. Sometimes he will make up a big bowl of the marinade and leave the chicken in it overnight! This really helps when everyone is busy, we just fry off what we want to use!

1.5lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces

2tbsp soy sauce

1tbsp sake (or dry sherry)

1tbsp grated fresh ginger

1 clove of garlic, crushed

1tsp sugar

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/2 cup potato starch or cornstarch

Vegetable oil for deep frying

Instructions

In a bowl, combine chicken pieces with soy sauce, sake, ginger, garlic, sugar and black pepper. Mix well and marinate for at least 30 minutes in the fridge; the longer the better.

When ready to fry, dredge with potato starch, shake off any excess. Fry for about 5 minutes until golden brown and cooked through.

Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on a wire rack or kitchen paper. 

Serve hot.

I have more recipes. If you would like me to post them, let me know in the comments.

Today's lunch was a roast!

I have made a roast for a couple of years, actually, I can't remember the last time I made one!

I was able to buy these really thick pork chops, which are for tonkatsu, breaded, deep-fried pork chops. But I've found roasted slowly with a bit of rosemary on them, they are really nice! 

Todays lunch

It was nice because everyone was at home, even Hannah.

Japanese Home Remedies For A Cold

 My overdoing it the other day wasn't me overdoing it. It was me coming down with a cold.

Fortunately, I didn't get too sick but felt bad enough to stay in bed for a day!

When I was a kid, in the 1970s, getting a cold was normal, as was having the flu and ear infections! I remember my Mom rubbing my chest and back with Vicks Vapour Rub, or having my head over a bowl of boiling water with Vicks in it to ease congestion! (Has the name changed? My computer keeps changing it to Vicksvapo rub).

Another thing my Mom insisted on was vitamin C tablets and eating at least one mekan a day (Satsuma in England). Also, these seasonal illnesses were seen as an inconvenience, not anything really bad!

Japan also has a few home remedies for colds!

Japanese remedies often combine food-based treatments with preventive habits. Wearing masks at this time of year is normal. Even before COVID, wearing a mask when out and about was an everyday thing! David and Christopher have to wear masks at work as they are dealing with members of the public.

Some common remedies are Umeboshi, the pickled plums that are common here. It's believed to have alkalizing effects that aid digestion and fight fatigue.

A natural cough and throat syrup is made by soaking daikon (Japanese radish) cubes in honey. 

Shoga-Yu, hot ginger tea, really warms the body! Christopher makes this for me when I feel cold or catch a cold.

Okayu is a rice porridge that is easy to digest and provides hydration when appetite is low.

Tamago-zake is hot sake with egg. This is a traditional drink made by heating the sake and mixing an egg into it! I had it once, but couldn't keep it down. I've never tried it again.

The only one of these home remedies I try is the hot ginger tea. I also drink a lot of tea, both black tea and green tea!

Does your country have any good home remedies for colds? Drop them in the comments!

Yesterday I was at a different community centre, doing a volunteer class with Mikey. I noticed these planters, they look so colourful, even in November, the flowers are still blooming.

Lovely flowers

Today, when I was out, I saw some autumn leaves. The leaves are changing very late again!

I love the bright red leaves!

I Over Did It Again

 Why do I keep doing this to myself? I know my health isn't great and that I should really be careful, but I get so wrapped up in what I'm doing, I ignore the slight twinge in my back and legs, and then pay for it the next day!

Friday and Saturday, I spent time in the garden, not hours, maybe 30 to 40 minutes each day. I feel overwhelmed if I look at the whole garden, but I've found that if I focus on one small area, I can do a lot!

On Friday, I chose a spot near the driveway.  I want to plant some bulbs there. But the weeds were growing on the driveway, and the soil was all over, not just on the flower beds. I pulled out weeds, swept up the fallen leaves and scraped as much of the soil up as possible. It looks a lot better.

Before

Where the red line is is the end of the flower bed!

All the weeds that are growing in front of the line are growing in soil that has been made from rotting leaves.

After

I managed to uncover yet another decorative stone. There are so many in this garden, at the moment they are a dangerous as you can't see them. I've smashed my toes against a lot of them.

I also found these flowers, they are very cheerful and bring a nice bit of colour to the autumn garden!

Aren't they pretty!

Once I came in yesterday, I decided to find a book to read. 

I have some bookshelves on wheels that slide into the bottom of my closet. I pulled out one bookshelf and it fell to pieces!

My poor bookshelf

I shouldn't be surprised. It was rather flimsy, and I've had it for about 15 years! 

So instead of resting and having a nice read, I spent a good hour moving books around.

After all that, I didn't find what I was looking for!

Today I've just rested. I feel a bit better. I really hope I can get a few things done this week. 

I have a nice weekend planned with Hannah next week.  We are going to spend a day in Hita! If I have energy, I might go to a place near here that has a lot of temples. I've been wanting to go for a few months, but had to wait until the weather cooled down!

Here's hoping that this week will be good!

Cookbooks

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Does anyone else read cookbooks?

I don't mean just finding recipes, but actually reading the book like a novel.

I love to cook and bake.  I like to experiment with new recipes, finding new twists on traditional recipes.

One Japanese book that I really like is Japanese Farm Food by Nancy Singleton Hachisu.

https://amzn.to/4i3D1AH

Sorry about the photo, this is my copy!

I love this book because it isn't just a collection of recipes but her story.  She tells her story of coming to Japan, meeting her husband and moving to his farm. A real Japanese farm.  She goes into detail about the different ingredients used in Japanese cooking. 

The book has a lot of lovely photos, not just of the food but the people and places where she lives. 

One of my favourite recipes from this book is Country Soup With Vegetables (Kenchinjiru). It's a lovely, warming soup full of root vegetables, including burdock roots (gobo) and Japanese radish (daikon).  This is one of my go-to recipes when it gets really cold. I make a big pot for lunch, then leftovers for dinner.

I've had this book for many years, over 10 years at least and still find recipes that are interesting to try!

I highly recommend this book; not only are the recipes great, but the author's story is also interesting!

The Garden

 BIG SIGH!

It's just not getting done.

At the moment, I'm the only one who has time to do anything in the garden. That would be alright if I wasn't trying to deep clean the house, declutter and if my health was a lot better.

My back is still painful, not as bad as before. I can walk longer without pain, about 15 to 20 minutes. Standing is still a challenge, but I can cook and wash dishes without feeling as if I'm going to pass out from the pain! A lot better than a few weeks ago, I was at the point that after standing for 5 minutes, I felt faint and was sweating because of the intensity of the pain!

But I don't have the energy or strength to make a big difference in the garden. 

I try, every other day I go out and pull weeds, sweep up leaves and pick up any trash lying around! There always seems to be trash. I think a lot of it falls out of the cars. Also, sometimes animals get into the plastic trash bags and throw trash around. We have a net over the bags, but somehow the animals still get in!

At least the weather is good, actually rather warm today, 22C at the moment. It's warmer outside than inside!

After my little attempt today, I took a video.

The machine that rumbles past really surprised me. I hear that going past two or three times a day. I always thought it was a big, heavy machine because of the noise it made, but it was rather small and cute!

The other thing that I found surprising was the little bee on the flower toward the end of the video. It's November, but still warm enough that some insects haven't started to hibernate.

Teaching

 I only have a few classes each week at the moment.

Yesterday, as I was teaching a 5th-grade kid, I realised that I was actually enjoying myself.

I think the last few years of teaching, I got burnt out! Every class felt like a chore, and I was just going through the motions. All the joy of teaching had been sucked out of me! 

My schedule was usually very full. Most days I would start at 4 o'clock and go on to 9 or 10 o'clock, with just a couple of minutes break in between. This would be Monday to Friday, Saturday would be all day! It was good, physically easy, but mentally and emotionally draining. When I was younger, it was doable, but as I've gotten older, it felt more difficult to get the enthusiasm that I needed!

Having just a few classes has given me a break, a chance to reflect, to recharge. I'm hoping in the next few months to get more students, but I don't want to go back to full-time teaching. 

I don't have any pension or savings, so retiring is out of the question. I could just sponge off my kids, but I feel bad taking their money for my own things. I want to travel, buy nice things, and have money for emergencies. So back to teaching!

In the other city, we use a local community centre. When we went yesterday, there were these beautiful flowers in the entrance.

Aren't they lovely

I also took a video of Mikey teaching a couple of little kids. These kids are so sweet, but it takes a lot of energy to teach them!

I did ask permission to take the video, also, I panned away as the kids turned round, I need to practice taking videos!