Nutz: Chasing a Noodle

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Japan Day 7 (Part 1) - Ninjas Wielding Tissues

I have once again separated my daily blog off into two parts. So, lets get the half-sensible bit over with first before I go into my mode of silliness and stupidity (otherwise known as "Alastair's normality time") in part 2 (below this).

Today we visited Togakushi, up in the mountains of Nagano. This involved a 45 minute journey up the mountain roads, including one particular bit of road that I likened to driving through a greenhouse (photograph 1), but without the opportunity to stick your arm out of the window to grab a handful of tasty tomatoes. That particular roof structure was built to stop the snow settling on the road, which would make the road implausible… err, no, sorry, I mean impassable.

Once we arrived at Togakushi, we queued up to have lunch at the Togakushi Soba Restaurant - "the home of soba in Japan". Soba is a type of thin Japanese noodle made from buckwheat flour. To quote from the menu, "it is said that soba was first brought to Togakushi by apprentice monks at the close of the Heian Era about 800 years ago". Photograph 2 shows Mark and Sayaka keeping warm infront of the heater at the front of the restaurant. Photograph 3 shows the food that we ordered - soba noodles, together with broth. Their instructions for eating say that you should "pick up four or five noodles, dip the bottom 1/3 of the noodles in the broth and then eat them with a hearty slurp". Yes, that's right, you have to make a slurping sound in order to eat them properly (whooohooo!). To go with this dish, we also had a plate of tempura (what I would describe as "battered stuff" - see photograph 4). This included shrimps, sweet potato, mushrooms, asparagus and runner bean - all battered.

After devouring our soba lunch, we had a little walk around the nearby area. The first thing we came across was a little well, where I was able to 'cleanse' my hands (photograph 5). We then climbed the steps up to the Togakushi Shrine (photograph 6) where Mark and I engaged in what can only be described as a "very small and pathetic snowball fight" (there wasn't much snow and we both missed each other). Opposite the temple was a 700 year old tree (photograph 7).

After walking back down the steep steps, we got back into the car and headed further up the road towards a little Ninja Village - it was surprisingly easy to spot!! Within this little village area was an old ninja temple, which housed original historical items from the era of the ninjas. There was also a little workshop to the side, with all sorts of useful items brilliantly carved and constructed out of wood. It really made me think about how everything is given to us on a plate these days.

After looking around this area, Mark and I headed towards the Ninja House, taking a photograph of ourselves as Ninjas on the way (photograph 8). The Ninja Fun House is a building that is essentially a maze, with hidden walls, compartments, passageways, stairs, etc - all very nicely and cleverly built. A few of the hidden doors were especially difficult to find. Photograph 9 is of my backside as I tried to clamber up the sloped floor to the door at the top, in a 'sneaky ninja way' (that failed badly). Damn, I've got a great bottom though, haven't I!

Photograph 10 shows the Ninja Fun House on the right, with a weird tower building on the left (you go into it and it starts shaking as if you're in an earthquake). Having enjoyed the delights of the ninja village, we headed back down the mountain roads.

That's it for part 1 of today's blog. Read on (below the photographs) for part 2… Let the stupidity begin...

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Comments (1)

Nov 06, 2009
Barbar said...
Brilliant, the Brothers Ninja

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