Manhole Covers in Shizuoka Prefecture 59: Kakegawa City!

Looking for manhole covers is comparatively an easy search as all types an be found in the vicinity of the JR Station near the south and north exits!

The Kakegawa City Castle (replica) colored cover can be found just outside on the right (coming out) of the North Exit!

The uncolored version comes in three sizes: large,…

medium,…

and small!

The small one compared to a valve cover!

small valve cover!

Water cistern cover!

Sewer cover. Note the central Kakegawa City sigil!

Another sewer cover!

Former rectangular fire hydrant cover type 1,…

type 2,…

type 3!

Bear in mind that these are the types for Kakegawa City/central kakegawa City as the city has grown very large indeed at the turn of the millennium when many villages such as Nissaka, Daito and others were merged in!
Expect more, then!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

So Good Sushi Restaurant in Nice France
Navigating Nagoya by Paige, Shop with Intent by Debbie, BULA KANA in Fiji, Kraemer’s Culinary blog by Frank Kraemer in New York,Tokyo Food File by Robbie Swinnerton, Green Tea Club by Satoshi Nihonyanagi in Shizuoka!, Mind Some by Tina in Taiwan, Le Manger by Camille Oger (French), The Indian Tourist, Masala Herb by Helene Dsouza in Goa, India, Mummy I Can Cook! by Shu Han in London, Pie
rre.Cuisine, Francescannotwrite, My White Kitchen, Foodhoe, Chucks Eats, Things that Fizz & Stuff, Five Euro Food by Charles,Red Shallot Kitchen by Priscilla,With a Glass, Nami | Just One Cookbook, Peach Farm Studio, Clumsyfingers by Xethia, PepperBento, Hapabento, Kitchen Cow, Lunch In A Box, Susan at Arkonlite, Vegan Lunch Box; Tokyo Tom Baker, Daily Food Porn/Osaka, Only Nature Food Porn, Happy Little Bento, J-Mama’s Kitchen, Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat, Bento Lunch Blog (German), Adventures In Bento, Anna The Red’s Bento Factory, Ohayo Bento,

Must-see tasting websites:

-Sake: Ichi For The Michi by Rebekah Wilson-Lye in Tokyo, Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World
-Wine: Palate To Pen, Warren Bobrow, Cellar Tours, Ancient Fire Wines Blog
-Beer: Another Pint, Please!, Beering In Good Mind: All about Craft Beer in Kansai by Nevitt Reagan!
ABRACADABREW, Magical Craftbeer from Japan
-Whisky: Nonjatta: All about whisky in Japan by Stefan Van Eycken
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery

Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents

Manhole Covers in Shizuoka Prefecture 58: Nissaka, the Station along the Tokaido Trail in Kakegawa City!

Nissaka/日坂 was the 26th Station along the Tokaido as depicted in the 53 Stations of the tokaido as depicted in the World famous Utagawa Hiroshige’s woodblock prints/Ukiyoe. Actually you v\can find them all at Th the Hiroshige Museum in Yui, Shimizu Ku, Shizuoka City!
For more information on that particular Ukiyoe/Woodblock Print check HERE!

Reaching the place is both complicated and easy.
Complicated when it comes to a tight schedule, but easy in concept!
Get off at Kakegawa Station (tokaido Line or Shinkansen Line), go out at South Exit and walk to the Bus Line Stop No 7 and borad a bus of the Higashiyaa Line/東山線. Keep inmind there are only less than a dozen buses a day which is why it is complicated. It costs only 300 yen as it is a community line. I advise you to get off at Nissaka/日坂！

The manhole covers are everywhere not to be missed!

The colored version!

The plain version!

Taking pictures of those manhole covers will take only a few minutes.
But remember that this was one important station of yore along the Tokaido Line that travelers used to walk around until the last years of Edo Period!

take the time to look at the old houses/inns of old and their names on wooden signs!

many of them are to the public to visit them at ease!

Some great pictures to take there as very few foreign tourists or residents have heard about the place nonetheless full of interest. Actually most Japanese tourists alight a couple of stops before to visit the celebrated local Shinto shrine!

i will definitely come again, not for the covers, beautiful as they might be, but to thoroughly explore the local culture and history!

Since I had about 40 minutes until the bus came back (bear in mind that the next one might have you wait two hours!) I took the opportunity to visit the only liquor shop in the village and sip a beer (directly from the can!) there while enjoying a great talk with the owner! Socialize with the locals and they will be only too happy to tell you more than expected!

No need to walk back to the Nissaka/日坂 bus as the next one, Shimomachi/下町 is right in front of the liquor shop!

Looking forward to the next visit!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

So Good Sushi Restaurant in Nice France
Navigating Nagoya by Paige, Shop with Intent by Debbie, BULA KANA in Fiji, Kraemer’s Culinary blog by Frank Kraemer in New York,Tokyo Food File by Robbie Swinnerton, Green Tea Club by Satoshi Nihonyanagi in Shizuoka!, Mind Some by Tina in Taiwan, Le Manger by Camille Oger (French), The Indian Tourist, Masala Herb by Helene Dsouza in Goa, India, Mummy I Can Cook! by Shu Han in London, Pie
rre.Cuisine, Francescannotwrite, My White Kitchen, Foodhoe, Chucks Eats, Things that Fizz & Stuff, Five Euro Food by Charles,Red Shallot Kitchen by Priscilla,With a Glass, Nami | Just One Cookbook, Peach Farm Studio, Clumsyfingers by Xethia, PepperBento, Hapabento, Kitchen Cow, Lunch In A Box, Susan at Arkonlite, Vegan Lunch Box; Tokyo Tom Baker, Daily Food Porn/Osaka, Only Nature Food Porn, Happy Little Bento, J-Mama’s Kitchen, Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat, Bento Lunch Blog (German), Adventures In Bento, Anna The Red’s Bento Factory, Ohayo Bento,

Must-see tasting websites:

-Sake: Ichi For The Michi by Rebekah Wilson-Lye in Tokyo, Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World
-Wine: Palate To Pen, Warren Bobrow, Cellar Tours, Ancient Fire Wines Blog
-Beer: Another Pint, Please!, Beering In Good Mind: All about Craft Beer in Kansai by Nevitt Reagan!
ABRACADABREW, Magical Craftbeer from Japan
-Whisky: Nonjatta: All about whisky in Japan by Stefan Van Eycken
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery

Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents

Manhole Covers in Shizuoka Prefecture 56: Sagara Cho! Old and new!

Sagara Cho is located in the south part of Makinohara City.
This is a bit confusing for newcomers as only recently Haibara Gun has been renamed Makinohara City while two districts, namely Yoshida Cho (Town) and Sagara Cho (Town) have still kept their names and some autonomy as Makinohara City has a Town Hall in both districts!

Talking of Sagara Town Hall, the staff and civil servants there not only are super friendly bu also proud of their culture and history! It is not big but even though they can provide you with pamphlets in three foreign languages!

Actually if you visit the Tourism Bureau inside the Town Hall the staff there will donate you a metal badge of their newest manhole cover if you can show them a photo of it!

There is actually only one sample of this new manhole cover i town. It is located along the main shopping street right from the bus stop, Sagara Eigyoujyou, the last stop of the Shizutetsu Highway Bus leaving from Shizuoka Cenova Store or Shizuoka Station (about two every hour, 80 minute-trip! Count 1,250 yen)!

You can’t miss it!

It commemorates the 300th Anniversary of the Death of Tanuma Okitsugu, the last Daimyo of the Sagara Domain.
Check his life and achievements on Wikipedia!

At the same time and in the same street you can discover real antiques!
This fire hydrant was installed in 1991!
I heard it is kept for the sake of culture but it is actually functioning!

Since it would not be easy to find for fire trucks especially at night the City had the word “水?Water” painted on the road!

An older common type fire hydrant cover but with the sigil of Sagara Cho!

Another one found everywhere with only “水/Water” sigil!

A large sewer manhole cover with the Shizuoka Prefecture map sigil!

A small valve cover with the Sagara Cho sigil!

Another one with the same sigil!

Time to say good by and take the bus back to Shizuoka City!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

So Good Sushi Restaurant in Nice France
Navigating Nagoya by Paige, Shop with Intent by Debbie, BULA KANA in Fiji, Kraemer’s Culinary blog by Frank Kraemer in New York,Tokyo Food File by Robbie Swinnerton, Green Tea Club by Satoshi Nihonyanagi in Shizuoka!, Mind Some by Tina in Taiwan, Le Manger by Camille Oger (French), The Indian Tourist, Masala Herb by Helene Dsouza in Goa, India, Mummy I Can Cook! by Shu Han in London, Pie
rre.Cuisine, Francescannotwrite, My White Kitchen, Foodhoe, Chucks Eats, Things that Fizz & Stuff, Five Euro Food by Charles,Red Shallot Kitchen by Priscilla,With a Glass, Nami | Just One Cookbook, Peach Farm Studio, Clumsyfingers by Xethia, PepperBento, Hapabento, Kitchen Cow, Lunch In A Box, Susan at Arkonlite, Vegan Lunch Box; Tokyo Tom Baker, Daily Food Porn/Osaka, Only Nature Food Porn, Happy Little Bento, J-Mama’s Kitchen, Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat, Bento Lunch Blog (German), Adventures In Bento, Anna The Red’s Bento Factory, Ohayo Bento,

Must-see tasting websites:

-Sake: Ichi For The Michi by Rebekah Wilson-Lye in Tokyo, Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World
-Wine: Palate To Pen, Warren Bobrow, Cellar Tours, Ancient Fire Wines Blog
-Beer: Another Pint, Please!, Beering In Good Mind: All about Craft Beer in Kansai by Nevitt Reagan!
ABRACADABREW, Magical Craftbeer from Japan
-Whisky: Nonjatta: All about whisky in Japan by Stefan Van Eycken
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery

Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents

Manhole Covers in Shizuoka Prefecture 53: Love Line! Sunshine!! Manga Covers in Numazu City! (Complete!)ture

Love Line! Sunshine! manga on buses in Numazu City!

The nationally and internationally popular Love Line! Sunshine! happens to take place in Numazu City as it is a harbour city in Shizuoka Prefecture,Japan!
The city has naturally made it its emblem and the number of Japanese and foreign visitors for the sole purpose of visiting and acquiring memorabilia is ever increasing!

Love Line! Sunshine! Manga on bus stop billboard!

Some time ago the city through crowd funding decided to create color manhole covers depicting the nine heroines of the Manga series.
But not is all rosy under the sky even in Japan. A disgruntled or jealous, but definitely deranged, student decided to destroy all the covers by painting them with highly corrosive liquid. The bad news were of course aired all over the world. The city first took all the covers away to be replaced with plain ones at first.

Love Line! Sunshine! Manga on rental bicycles!

After some reflection the city, through crowd funding again, decided to create new manhole covers with the manga theme. But this time only three characters, the whole group and a Japanese language name graphics were made in colors. These colored covers are unique whereas the black ones are most unique with some exceptions. No need to say that they are protected by the citizens and hidden cameras!

Here is the full collection, which I must admit took some doing at times! LOL

For reference here is photo of the nine original covers!

The whole group facing the sea in color.

The same in black, which cannot be seen on pavements but is sometimes exhibited at local events!

Its mint character makes it a bit difficult to discern the details!

The colored “Harbour Girl” Japanese character cover!

The black version!
Now, this is one is a bit tough to find as it is unique!
First you must either go by car or take a 40-mimute bus trip. Board the bus going to “Enashi/江梨” from the number 8 bus stop in front of Numazu station. Get down at “Nagahama Shiro Ato/長浜城跡). Luckily enough the cover is just a few steps away!

Chika cover, exists only in black!

Harumaru cover, colored!

Harumaru cover, in black!

Dia cover, exists only in black.
Another tough one to discover as it is unique and located among pine trees inside “Senbon Hama Park/千本浜公園”. You need some  luck there!

Kanan cover, exists only in black!

Mari cover, exists only in black!

Riko cover, exists only in black!

Ruby cover, colored version!

Ruby cover, black version!

Yoshiko cover, colored version!

Yoshiko cover, black version!

Good hunting and don’t forget to start very early as it will take you at least a full day with good preparations. Moreover you had better do it all on foot except for the 40-minute bus trip!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

So Good Sushi Restaurant in Nice France
Navigating Nagoya by Paige, Shop with Intent by Debbie, BULA KANA in Fiji, Kraemer’s Culinary blog by Frank Kraemer in New York,Tokyo Food File by Robbie Swinnerton, Green Tea Club by Satoshi Nihonyanagi in Shizuoka!, Mind Some by Tina in Taiwan, Le Manger by Camille Oger (French), The Indian Tourist, Masala Herb by Helene Dsouza in Goa, India, Mummy I Can Cook! by Shu Han in London, Pie
rre.Cuisine, Francescannotwrite, My White Kitchen, Foodhoe, Chucks Eats, Things that Fizz & Stuff, Five Euro Food by Charles,Red Shallot Kitchen by Priscilla,With a Glass, Nami | Just One Cookbook, Peach Farm Studio, Clumsyfingers by Xethia, PepperBento, Hapabento, Kitchen Cow, Lunch In A Box, Susan at Arkonlite, Vegan Lunch Box; Tokyo Tom Baker, Daily Food Porn/Osaka, Only Nature Food Porn, Happy Little Bento, J-Mama’s Kitchen, Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat, Bento Lunch Blog (German), Adventures In Bento, Anna The Red’s Bento Factory, Ohayo Bento,

Must-see tasting websites:

-Sake: Ichi For The Michi by Rebekah Wilson-Lye in Tokyo, Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World
-Wine: Palate To Pen, Warren Bobrow, Cellar Tours, Ancient Fire Wines Blog
-Beer: Another Pint, Please!, Beering In Good Mind: All about Craft Beer in Kansai by Nevitt Reagan!
ABRACADABREW, Magical Craftbeer from Japan
-Whisky: Nonjatta: All about whisky in Japan by Stefan Van Eycken
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery

Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents

HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City

Manhole Covers in Shizuoka Prefecture 52: Numazu City (except Love Line! Sunshine!! Manga Covers)

The large and medium-sized Numazu Mount Fuji Covers together!

This is a roundup of manhole covers in Numazu City although it does not include the Love Lin! Sunshine!! Manga Covers and places like Heda which were merged into the City. They will appear in future articles!

This is the beautiful color manhole covers they call “Mount Fuji” Cover in Numazu City! hard to find as there is only one to be discovered in the harbor vicinity!

The large sized Mount Fuji cover to be found everywhere in town!

The same, medium-sized!

The brand new one, in black and white!

An older one with the Numazu City sigil in the middle!

An even older one with the same sigil in the middle! It is also diagonally divided!

The same, round and undivided!

This type with the same sigil in the middle can be seen in various colors to follow the patterns on the pavement!

A municipal electricity manhole cover!

Not a manhole cover, but a brand new pavement plaque!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

So Good Sushi Restaurant in Nice France
Navigating Nagoya by Paige, Shop with Intent by Debbie, BULA KANA in Fiji, Kraemer’s Culinary blog by Frank Kraemer in New York,Tokyo Food File by Robbie Swinnerton, Green Tea Club by Satoshi Nihonyanagi in Shizuoka!, Mind Some by Tina in Taiwan, Le Manger by Camille Oger (French), The Indian Tourist, Masala Herb by Helene Dsouza in Goa, India, Mummy I Can Cook! by Shu Han in London, Pie
rre.Cuisine, Francescannotwrite, My White Kitchen, Foodhoe, Chucks Eats, Things that Fizz & Stuff, Five Euro Food by Charles,Red Shallot Kitchen by Priscilla,With a Glass, Nami | Just One Cookbook, Peach Farm Studio, Clumsyfingers by Xethia, PepperBento, Hapabento, Kitchen Cow, Lunch In A Box, Susan at Arkonlite, Vegan Lunch Box; Tokyo Tom Baker, Daily Food Porn/Osaka, Only Nature Food Porn, Happy Little Bento, J-Mama’s Kitchen, Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat, Bento Lunch Blog (German), Adventures In Bento, Anna The Red’s Bento Factory, Ohayo Bento,

Must-see tasting websites:

-Sake: Ichi For The Michi by Rebekah Wilson-Lye in Tokyo, Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World
-Wine: Palate To Pen, Warren Bobrow, Cellar Tours, Ancient Fire Wines Blog
-Beer: Another Pint, Please!, Beering In Good Mind: All about Craft Beer in Kansai by Nevitt Reagan!
ABRACADABREW, Magical Craftbeer from Japan
-Whisky: Nonjatta: All about whisky in Japan by Stefan Van Eycken
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery

Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents

HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City

Manhole Covers in Shizuoka Prefecture 51: Oyama Ashigara!

Fire Hydrant cover common to many places. You have to check the “logo/sigil”!

This particular search turned into a real adventure! I started with a mistake getting off at Suruga-Oyama Station where I found out that the local Tourism Information had been closed for good for more than a year! I had to take a bus and walk for quite a while to find my target at the Fujinomiya Rest Area!

The circle logo/sigil means it belongs to Oyama Ashigara area!

My target! The only color Oyama manhole cover exhibited inside the information office at the Fujinomiya Rest Area! Great staff there incidentally!

Cute, aren’t they?

Pressurized air valve cover with Oyama Ashigara sigil!

I had found out previously that none of Oyama Ashigara covers could be found around Suruga Oyama Station so I asked the staff where I could find them. They replied theris was the only one to be seen. But I had seen photographs of uncolored ones near a station. So It could be only Ashigara Statio, the one station before!
I ignored the advice and decided to walk all the way to Ahigara Station!

On the way I found this different typeof fire hydrant cover!

The kanji for “water” inside the sigil meant it was a common cver used in many parts of Japan!

After a full hour walk my stubborness was rewrded!

Ashigara (unmanned) Station along the Gootemba Railway Line!

There were not one but half a dozen of them!

I also discovered this old fashioned rectangular fire hydrant cover with the Oyama Ashigara sigil!

Never give up! LOL

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

So Good Sushi Restaurant in Nice France
Navigating Nagoya by Paige, Shop with Intent by Debbie, BULA KANA in Fiji, Kraemer’s Culinary blog by Frank Kraemer in New York,Tokyo Food File by Robbie Swinnerton, Green Tea Club by Satoshi Nihonyanagi in Shizuoka!, Mind Some by Tina in Taiwan, Le Manger by Camille Oger (French), The Indian Tourist, Masala Herb by Helene Dsouza in Goa, India, Mummy I Can Cook! by Shu Han in London, Pie
rre.Cuisine, Francescannotwrite, My White Kitchen, Foodhoe, Chucks Eats, Things that Fizz & Stuff, Five Euro Food by Charles,Red Shallot Kitchen by Priscilla,With a Glass, Nami | Just One Cookbook, Peach Farm Studio, Clumsyfingers by Xethia, PepperBento, Hapabento, Kitchen Cow, Lunch In A Box, Susan at Arkonlite, Vegan Lunch Box; Tokyo Tom Baker, Daily Food Porn/Osaka, Only Nature Food Porn, Happy Little Bento, J-Mama’s Kitchen, Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat, Bento Lunch Blog (German), Adventures In Bento, Anna The Red’s Bento Factory, Ohayo Bento,

Must-see tasting websites:

-Sake: Ichi For The Michi by Rebekah Wilson-Lye in Tokyo, Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World
-Wine: Palate To Pen, Warren Bobrow, Cellar Tours, Ancient Fire Wines Blog
-Beer: Another Pint, Please!, Beering In Good Mind: All about Craft Beer in Kansai by Nevitt Reagan!
ABRACADABREW, Magical Craftbeer from Japan
-Whisky: Nonjatta: All about whisky in Japan by Stefan Van Eycken
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery

Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents

HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City

Manhole Covers in Shizuoka Prefecture 8 bis: New Covers in Atami City!

Atami City at the entrance of the Izu Peninsula has always been borring of the the fame of the Peninsula, especially stories from the Nbel Prize writer Yoshinori Kawabata, famous for the Izu Odoriko as featured in Atami Yacht harbor by a statue of the famous scene representing a man kicking his lover with his geta/Japanese clog!

Along the pavement opposite on the far side of the street opposite of the city you will find interesting covers!

All right, you will find this tyoe all over Japan! LOL

Now, this the is the one you will be looking for!
But there is another one…

You will have to walk a bit, though, befor you will find it in front (there is only one of its kind!) of the first station of the railway line leading to Ito City!

Beautifui, isn’t it?

You will find them in their mint forms at the Atami Waterwoks Office!

Walking down from the station you will discover this sall sized one found only in a few cities in Japan commerating Natiojnal Land Survey!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

So Good Sushi Restaurant in Nice France
Navigating Nagoya by Paige, Shop with Intent by Debbie, BULA KANA in Fiji, Kraemer’s Culinary blog by Frank Kraemer in New York,Tokyo Food File by Robbie Swinnerton, Green Tea Club by Satoshi Nihonyanagi in Shizuoka!, Mind Some by Tina in Taiwan, Le Manger by Camille Oger (French), The Indian Tourist, Masala Herb by Helene Dsouza in Goa, India, Mummy I Can Cook! by Shu Han in London, Pie
rre.Cuisine, Francescannotwrite, My White Kitchen, Foodhoe, Chucks Eats, Things that Fizz & Stuff, Five Euro Food by Charles,Red Shallot Kitchen by Priscilla,With a Glass, Nami | Just One Cookbook, Peach Farm Studio, Clumsyfingers by Xethia, PepperBento, Hapabento, Kitchen Cow, Lunch In A Box, Susan at Arkonlite, Vegan Lunch Box; Tokyo Tom Baker, Daily Food Porn/Osaka, Only Nature Food Porn, Happy Little Bento, J-Mama’s Kitchen, Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat, Bento Lunch Blog (German), Adventures In Bento, Anna The Red’s Bento Factory, Ohayo Bento,

Must-see tasting websites:

-Sake: Ichi For The Michi by Rebekah Wilson-Lye in Tokyo, Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World
-Wine: Palate To Pen, Warren Bobrow, Cellar Tours, Ancient Fire Wines Blog
-Beer: Another Pint, Please!, Beering In Good Mind: All about Craft Beer in Kansai by Nevitt Reagan!
ABRACADABREW, Magical Craftbeer from Japan
-Whisky: Nonjatta: All about whisky in Japan by Stefan Van Eycken
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery

Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents

HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City

Manhole Covers in Shizuoka Prefecture 23 bis: Old and New Manhole Covers Roundup in Fujieda City!

I heard tehre have been some additions to manhole covers in Fujieda City and I decided to investigate!
If you get down the south exit of Fujieda JR Station you will notice a new one on your right abot 50 meters away on the pavement!

Here it is !

Fujieda City is arguably the City where the first game of football/soccer was played in Japan, hence the soccer ball!
The gentleman is a famous TV talent and the lady a local TV announcer!

The wisteria (fuji/藤　in Japanese) is the emblem flower of Fujieda City which incidentally means “wisteria branch”!

This manhole cover was obviously sponsored by a TV Company!

Here and there you will find this cover representing both Mount Fuji (“Fuji” is being used as pictorial pun as it both means Mount Fuji and wisteria). This kind i getting a bit old and it has become difficult to distinguish the slight differences in color of the two original ones. the bird featured there is the city emblem bird, the “mejiro/Japanese White-eye!

Now if you go to the beautiful Rengeiji Flower Park you will find a new cover ust before the entrance!

Different materials used!

Of course you willfind the same design without he colors and in two different sizes in many locations!

This is a far older type with the Fujieda City logo in the middle!

Another old one with the same central logo!

And still another one with the same logo but in rectangular shape!

And to finish one with a cute mejiro among flowers!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

So Good Sushi Restaurant in Nice France
Navigating Nagoya by Paige, Shop with Intent by Debbie, BULA KANA in Fiji, Kraemer’s Culinary blog by Frank Kraemer in New York,Tokyo Food File by Robbie Swinnerton, Green Tea Club by Satoshi Nihonyanagi in Shizuoka!, Mind Some by Tina in Taiwan, Le Manger by Camille Oger (French), The Indian Tourist, Masala Herb by Helene Dsouza in Goa, India, Mummy I Can Cook! by Shu Han in London, Pie
rre.Cuisine, Francescannotwrite, My White Kitchen, Foodhoe, Chucks Eats, Things that Fizz & Stuff, Five Euro Food by Charles,Red Shallot Kitchen by Priscilla,With a Glass, Nami | Just One Cookbook, Peach Farm Studio, Clumsyfingers by Xethia, PepperBento, Hapabento, Kitchen Cow, Lunch In A Box, Susan at Arkonlite, Vegan Lunch Box; Tokyo Tom Baker, Daily Food Porn/Osaka, Only Nature Food Porn, Happy Little Bento, J-Mama’s Kitchen, Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat, Bento Lunch Blog (German), Adventures In Bento, Anna The Red’s Bento Factory, Ohayo Bento,

Must-see tasting websites:

-Sake: Ichi For The Michi by Rebekah Wilson-Lye in Tokyo, Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World
-Wine: Palate To Pen, Warren Bobrow, Cellar Tours, Ancient Fire Wines Blog
-Beer: Another Pint, Please!, Beering In Good Mind: All about Craft Beer in Kansai by Nevitt Reagan!
ABRACADABREW, Magical Craftbeer from Japan
-Whisky: Nonjatta: All about whisky in Japan by Stefan Van Eycken
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery

Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents

HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City

Gion Festival in Yoshiwara, Fuji City (2016) 6): The O-Mikoshi/Portable Shrines!

Every year on the second week-end of June a very old Japanese Festival is held in Yoshiwara/吉原 in Fuji City/富士市 called Yoshiwara Gion Festival/吉原祇園祭り.
Although it is a well-known festival in Our Prefecture, it seems they welcome more visitors from Tokyo than from Shizuoka City!
A great pity indeed!
I was able at last to witness it, that is part of it as I had to unfortunately come back early in the evening missing the floats parade.
I still manage quite a few pictures to give a good idea of what to enjoy next year!
As there are too many photos for a single report I divided them according to their genre or subject.
This sixth one is about the O-Mikoshi!

Small O-Mikoshi, probably for children to carry along!

O-Mikoshi/御神輿 is an integral part of Japanese Festivals as the latter are usually related to the Shinto religion. They can be roughly translated as portable shrines and they are usually stored inside Shinto Shrines all year long to be taken out on the day of the Shrine Festivals or on other Festivals.

These can be relatively small or near enormous.
The one used during the Yoshiwara Gion Festival needs at least 20 strong men to carry along the streets of Yoshiwara!

In other Festivals you will sometimes notice ladies helping with carrying, but in Yoshiwara only men are allowed to!

The reason to carry and shake an O-Mikoshi around is to wake up the deity inside and make him/her happy enough to dispense his/her benevolence onto worshipers!

The carrying around of the O-Mikoshi will take all afternoon as all the 21 Districts will take care of it in turns!

The worshipers bowing in love and respect before carrying their deity around!

The men may do the carrying but the ladies are always near wit water and sake!

Smiling under the stress!

Starting to feel the strain!

But certainly not giving up!

The next District team bow to the O-Mikoshi while the Kannushi/神主/Shinto priest goes through his rituals to bless the portable shrine and his bearers!

Each district will contribute its own gifts and sake! Bear in mind that “sake”‘s original meaning is “Food of the Gods”!

Very serious about it!

Sake is then poured onto the shrine!
The “sasa/笹/a kind of bamboo tied to the shrine in the Yoshiwara fashion will be taken off branch by branch by the carriers to stay in their home until the next Festival for luck and prosperity!

Of late foreigners take part in such festivals and Yoshiwara Gion Festival is no exception. There no less than three of them for this particular district!

But all the shouting was done in Japanese!

The bare-chested carriers belong to the local judo club. Others wear shirts mimicking the tattoos of bearers of old!

Another expat sweating along!

Grimacing under the effort!

The last spurt!

See you again next year!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

So Good Sushi Restaurant in Nice France
Navigating Nagoya by Paige, Shop with Intent by Debbie, BULA KANA in Fiji, Kraemer’s Culinary blog by Frank Kraemer in New York,Tokyo Food File by Robbie Swinnerton, Green Tea Club by Satoshi Nihonyanagi in Shizuoka!, Mind Some by Tina in Taiwan, Le Manger by Camille Oger (French), The Indian Tourist, Masala Herb by Helene Dsouza in Goa, India, Mummy I Can Cook! by Shu Han in London, Pie
rre.Cuisine, Francescannotwrite, My White Kitchen, Foodhoe, Chucks Eats, Things that Fizz & Stuff, Five Euro Food by Charles,Red Shallot Kitchen by Priscilla,With a Glass, Nami | Just One Cookbook, Peach Farm Studio, Clumsyfingers by Xethia, PepperBento, Hapabento, Kitchen Cow, Lunch In A Box, Susan at Arkonlite, Vegan Lunch Box; Tokyo Tom Baker, Daily Food Porn/Osaka, Only Nature Food Porn, Happy Little Bento, J-Mama’s Kitchen, Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat, Bento Lunch Blog (German), Adventures In Bento, Anna The Red’s Bento Factory, Ohayo Bento,

Must-see tasting websites:

-Sake: Ichi For The Michi by Rebekah Wilson-Lye in Tokyo, Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World
-Wine: Palate To Pen, Warren Bobrow, Cellar Tours, Ancient Fire Wines Blog
-Beer: Another Pint, Please!, Beering In Good Mind: All about Craft Beer in Kansai by Nevitt Reagan!
ABRACADABREW, Magical Craftbeer from Japan
-Whisky: Nonjatta: All about whisky in Japan by Stefan Van Eycken
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery

Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents

HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City

Gion Festival in Yoshiwara, Fuji City (2016) 5): The Floats!

Every year on the second week-end of June a very old Japanese Festival is held in Yoshiwara/吉原 in Fuji City/富士市 called Yoshiwara Gion Festival/吉原祇園祭り.
Although it is a well-known festival in Our Prefecture, it seems they welcome more visitors from Tokyo than from Shizuoka City!
A great pity indeed!
I was able at last to witness it, that is part of it as I had to unfortunately come back early in the evening missing the floats parade.
I still manage quite a few pictures to give a good idea of what to enjoy next year!
As there are too many photos for a single report I divided them according to their genre or subject.
This fifth one is about the floats!

It was a bit unfortunate I had to leave before the festival floats were due to go out on the streets just before the night set with all the lanterns alight and drummers and revelers riding them.
Well, that will be my goal next year!
At least I walked around to gather some information.
My steps brought me into the Minami/South District where one of them was standing in its hangar.

I noticed the sake barrel and bottle and I was told that each of the 21 districts parading its float had its own barrel and bottles markd with the name of their district. All sake is honjozo brewed by Makino Brewery in Fujinomiya City (there hasn’t been a sake brewery in the City of Fuji for quite a long time!).

The Minami District float inside its shelter/hangar!

Carved Dragon!

The float from the Moku District San Chome!

What is that fierce deity?

The float from the Rokken District!

Kintaroo, the legendary hero!

Looking after Mount Fuji!

Lion guards!

Next year I will concentrate on these floats at night!
Promise!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

So Good Sushi Restaurant in Nice France
Navigating Nagoya by Paige, Shop with Intent by Debbie, BULA KANA in Fiji, Kraemer’s Culinary blog by Frank Kraemer in New York,Tokyo Food File by Robbie Swinnerton, Green Tea Club by Satoshi Nihonyanagi in Shizuoka!, Mind Some by Tina in Taiwan, Le Manger by Camille Oger (French), The Indian Tourist, Masala Herb by Helene Dsouza in Goa, India, Mummy I Can Cook! by Shu Han in London, Pie
rre.Cuisine, Francescannotwrite, My White Kitchen, Foodhoe, Chucks Eats, Things that Fizz & Stuff, Five Euro Food by Charles,Red Shallot Kitchen by Priscilla,With a Glass, Nami | Just One Cookbook, Peach Farm Studio, Clumsyfingers by Xethia, PepperBento, Hapabento, Kitchen Cow, Lunch In A Box, Susan at Arkonlite, Vegan Lunch Box; Tokyo Tom Baker, Daily Food Porn/Osaka, Only Nature Food Porn, Happy Little Bento, J-Mama’s Kitchen, Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat, Bento Lunch Blog (German), Adventures In Bento, Anna The Red’s Bento Factory, Ohayo Bento,

Must-see tasting websites:

-Sake: Ichi For The Michi by Rebekah Wilson-Lye in Tokyo, Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World
-Wine: Palate To Pen, Warren Bobrow, Cellar Tours, Ancient Fire Wines Blog
-Beer: Another Pint, Please!, Beering In Good Mind: All about Craft Beer in Kansai by Nevitt Reagan!
ABRACADABREW, Magical Craftbeer from Japan
-Whisky: Nonjatta: All about whisky in Japan by Stefan Van Eycken
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery

Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents

HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City