April 22, 2013

My Son's Birthday/息子の誕生日

My son's birthday is in April. Last night, to celebrate his birthday, we went to the local kaiten zushi (conveyor-belt sushi restaurant) here in the Shiozawa area of Minami Uonuma city.
息子の誕生日は4月です。昨晩は、誕生日祝いに、南魚沼市の塩沢地域にある回転寿司に行きました。

We sat at a table in the zashiki (Japanese-style room with tatami mats). My son ordered sushi a la carte. So did my daughter.
座敷に座りました。息子と娘は寿司を一品づつ注文しました。 
I ordered the day's recommendations.
私は、その日のお薦めを注文しました。
My daughter also ordered a mini ikura don set, and gave the ramen to my wife,
娘はミニイクラ丼セットも頼んで、ラーメンを妻にあげて、
and had the mini ikura don.
ミニイクラ丼は自分で食べました。
At my suggestion, my son ordered engawa and kohada. (I forgot to take a photo of the engawa.)
私の勧めで、息子はエンガワ(縁側、えんがわ)とコハダ(こはだ)も頼みました(エンガワの写真を撮るのを忘れました)。
He said he liked the engawa for its unique texture.
エンガワの独特の食感が気に入ったそうです。

We ordered some other sushi, but I didn't bother to take photos of them. I wanted to go back home soon because I wanted to have some sake at home.
他にも寿司を幾つか注文しましたが、わざわざ写真に撮りませんでした。私は早く家に帰って、家でお酒を飲みたかったです。

I had this sake, Funaguchi Kikusui Ichiban Shibori, the first genshu (unprocessed sake) commercialized in Japan.
このお酒、ふなぐち菊水一番しぼりを飲みました。日本で始めて商品化された原酒(げんしゅ)です。




For an appetizer, I selected sardines in miso sauce, previously bought at the 100-yen shop..
酒の肴には、100円ショップで買っておいた、いわしの味噌煮を選びました。
Edited to add these photos, which I took yesterday (April 21):
昨日(4月21日)に撮った写真を追加:

We had snow yesterday!
昨日は雪が降りました!


The snow has melted today, but it's still cold.
雪は今日は消えていますが、まだ寒いです。

11 comments:

Sissi said...

I have no words to say how good the sushi looks... Your sardine appetiser reminded me to update my shopping list for my next trip to Tokyo (where I will certainly spend hours in 100-yen shops again...). Sardine in miso sounds as exotic and attractive to me as probably mackerel (canned) in white wine to the Japanese :-)
It looks really cold!

Hiroyuki said...

Sissi: Yes, this particular kaiten zushi serves good sushi, although they are a little bit more expensive than others, and they use Koshihikari rice produced here in Niigata.

I also had canned anchovies in the storage space, but as I am on a diet, I opted for the sardines.

No mention of sake (laugh)? That particular brand is a favorite of mine. I has body, is kind of fruity, and I like it a lot.

Stacy said...

I think it's the first time I've seen a photo of your house as a whole from the front?! hah! I don't know why such simple things get me excited.

Of course it's midnight here and I'm craving sushi now.. I would love to return to Japan someday..

Hiroyuki said...

Stacy:
>house as a whole from the front

I'm not sure, but maybe you are right...

This post has many photos of my house, but not my house as a whole...
http://hiro-shio.blogspot.jp/2012/02/fighting-with-snow.html

Sissi said...

Hiroyuki, I still feel too ignorant about sake to ask too many questions... I must come to Niigata and ask you for classes ;-)
Seriously, I must write down the brand then! have you bought it in a particular shop?

Hiroyuki said...

Sissi: No, the supermarket I frequent. Around here, every supermarket carries this brand, I suppose. (The brewery is located in Niigata.) The brand (Funaguchi from Kikusui) is well known throughout Japan, so I think you can get it in Tokyo relatively easily.

Sissi said...

Thank you! I laos hope to visit at least one other region of Japan next time, but Tokyo is so big and so many things to do...

Hiroyuki said...

Sissi: I know how you feel. I was born and bred in Tokyo, and I was there until 30. Tokyo is like tens of cities combined into one.

Sissi said...

Haha! It's like ten countries rather (such as Switzerland!). I come from a big city, I have travelled to big cities, but when I was in Tokyo at a certain point in Shibuya I thought I have never been among such a number of people in so few square meters. Very impressive. I loved it!

履歴書の封筒 said...

とても魅力的な記事でした。
また遊びに来ます!!

Hiroyuki said...

履歴書の封筒さん: コメントありがとうございます。魅力的?原酒のことですか?(笑)