"What is Hip?" in Japan from Japanese frontdesk manager

I got a present from Leali-san for Cheese spread.

We Japanese cannot understand it.

Cheese is salty taste in Japan, but I really

impressed with this mariage!!

I also tried with the bread and butter with it,

it is also good!! Rich wine flavor comes through

the nose, and feel so nice with the wonderful

taste!!

If you have any chance to go to Italy, please find

this bottle, and try the taste!!

Thank you Leali-san!!

Takahiko Saito

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We did the event for Kumamoto prefecture party with

the great help from Ginza Kumamoto-kan.

http://www.kumamotokan.or.jp/

Nasu-san, Ueda-san, Douzen-san, and Naito-san, they

created like Kumamoto world very well.

Nasu-san and Ueda-san and Dozen-san cooked several

dishes, and these are so nice!!

I really surprised that Kumamoto was the southern limit to

make Sake, but now changed to Miyazaki prefecture.

At first, I started to our party at Apartments33,

I thought Japanese food is little bit difficult for the western

people, but they said wonderful and so healthy now!!

They served also horse meat, not sashimi, every our residence

cleaned them in several minutes.

But I like Basashi “horse meat sashimi” I very good with sweeten

shouyu soy sauce!

It is so interesting to see the history of Shouchu in Kumamoto.

Kumamoto south area’s shouchu is called Kuma Shouchu.

Their area’s Kuma shouchu is made by rice, and their typical taste

has the sweetness of the flavor too! Kuma is the name of the area.

They already had good taste of Sake in old times, but their area’s leader

distilled it to get the goodness of the taste, so they created the best

taste of rice shouchu. They have the similar history to Scotland, they

were told not to make the shouchu by the government called

BAKUFU at that time, but they produced it illegally.

So they kept their beautiful quality of shouchu until now.

It is very interesting story I think.

Everybody addicted with their hospitality so much.

And enjoyed the presentation of Kumamoto prefecture by

Naito-san very well.

I hope some of our residences will go to Kumamoto in future!

Thank you very much Nasu-san, Ueda-san, Douzen-san, and

Naito-san!!

Takahiko Saito

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I could get a chance to be Namahage with Sasaki-san

from Akita pref, Tokyo office.

I really wanted to be again, after our Akita party in June.

31st July, it was so hot outside, and so much humidity,

but my heart is beating fast with the great oppotunity

to be Namahage at Akita Bisai-kan.

They also did the event for Yokote area's watermelon

festival too!

It is so interesting custom in Akita area, and they normally

do on 31st Dec.

They visit to every houses for their area Oga.

They scream "Where is crying kids?!" and

"Do you have any bad kids?!"

For the children, Namahage's face is so creepy look.

At first I tried to close to one of the kid, he immediately

started to cry out and shaking his body too.

My friend Marquez-san came to see and take some photos

for me too. He came from Mexico.

He told me they have similar custom and festival in Mexico

too. His wife Jaqueline-san also took some photos with us.

It is a tradition by way of caution for the kids to be good

person. Many of mother said to me, "He is not good boy!,

Mr. Namahage, please say him listen to your mum!".

Her son was so much scared and said to me, "I will

listen to my mun!!!".

This is the good point, if he said like this,

Namahage pat a child's head and say "Good boy!".

It was so good day to touch the real Japanese culture!

But I could not be so much as Namahage, I always

feel bad to see the kid's crying.

Takahiko SAITO

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