Shuro (Chusan Palm)

I rarely saw this tree when I was boy.
It comes to be able to grow this tree easily in funabashi city.
I actually feel that global warming is advancing, when I see this tree.
I suppose Japan has alredy become the subtropical climate.

Edamame

The season of Edamame has come.
Edamame is green soybeans.
And also means boiled green soybeans.
It is a good dish for summer.

Tableware for Soba dish in 100yen shop

The other day, I went to "Daiso giga funabashi" that is a big 100yen shop in central funabashi.
I found tableware for Soba dish there.
Small bowl for broth, Soba plate, bamboo plate, and so on. I was suprised, because there are so various item.

I bought a Soba plate. Ofcourse it is 100 yen. ( 105yen tax included).

Dragon Ball Z

"Dragon ball z" is still popular among children.

There are some supposition about meaning of the "Z".
Some say that oridinal writter wanted to end of the series early, and the other say that they used the chalactor to mean "ultimate".

I took this photo at a McDonald.

Coin parking lot

The number of such parking lot has increased in Japan.
It is because illegal parking manegiment becomes severe because of the revision of the road traffic law.
But other cause seems to exist.
According to article of the Nikkei news paper, the use of the rent car has increased.
Because Japanese companys have decresed the number of possession of the car.
therefore the demand for the parking lot of the time charge has increeaed.

By the way, I have started two new blogs.
One is about Japanese food.
Japanese Oishii Food

And another is about Japanese traditional brush paint and classic poetry.
Ogura Hyakunin isshu

I hope you to drop by them !

Thanks.

Funabashi hoten station

This is a railway station of Musashino-line.
It looks like just a local station, but it is a famous as the closest station of Nakayama horse race course.
This station and Nakayama race course are connected underpass only for spectator.

Nakayama horse race course is one of the big race course in Japan.
It accommodate 177,779 spectator on that day "Arima Kinen"race on December 23, 1990.
About this horse race course, I will write more some day.

Bamboo thicket

I took this phto at western part of funabashi city.
We call bamboo "Take" in Japan.
Bamboo grow up very fast.
It is traditional material used for various things.
And bamboo shoot is a food of Japanese dishes.
We have a clean image in bamboo.
Because young bamboo is fine green coulor and it grows up straight.
In the Japanese folk tale "Taketori monogatari", Princess Kaguya was born in bamboo.

Broiled eel in the supermarket

The other day, when I went to the super market, I found a sample selling of broiled eel.
I tried it. It was a good tast.
But I didn't buy it after all.
The price of eel has rise every year.

Yoshinoya

This is a Yoshinoya in central funabashi.
Yoshinoya is a pioneer of gyudon(beef bowl)restaurant chain.
And it is also a pioneer of fast food restaurant chain in Japan.
The catch phrase of Yoshinoya is "cheap, yummy, quick".

Gyudon is a bowl rice topped with thinly sliced beef and onion,simmerd in mildly sweet flavored soy sauce based broth.

From the pedestrian deck

I took this photo on the pedestrian deck in fron of funabashi railway station.
This street is crowded with people who goes to funabashi station every morning.
I remenber that street venders were selling fish and clam there in the past.

Tatami shop

Tatami is a Japanese floor covering.
Originally, Inside the tatami is made from packed rice straw.
But, nowaday, It's popular, that industrial material is used insted of rice straw.
The surface of the tatami is covered with woven rush grass.
And at edge of tatami, cloth is sewn to fix the cover, but aloso for decoration.

Clown

Today,I went to central funabashi.
And I saw clowns infront of funabashi railway station.
Then I thought it was a advertising of the Pachinko parlor.
But it wasn't.
They were making wire art.

Alley in central funabashi

The scenery of central funabashi has been changing.
But sight in the past remains in such a ally.
This alley is calld "Inari dori".
I take this pfhoto near funabashi railway station.

Aji (japanese horse mackerel)

The month of June and July is the good season to eat this fish in Japan.
Duaring this month Aji is very rich and fat which found to be more delicious to eat.
Aji is one of blue backed fish. and It is very helty food.
Especially, it is abundantly contains DHA and EPA.
We usually eat this fisf, grilled,deep fried, or as a dried fish formed.
But the Aji in this photo are selling for Sashimi
So this is good season for Aji.

Yukata selling

The selling of Yukata for this summer have started in department store.
Yukata is informal cotton Kimono.
It is for summer.
I took those photos at Tobu department store and Seibu department store.
Both of them are close to Funabashi railway station.
The market battle of Yukata will be intense for summer.

Taspo Card

Taspo card is for age verfication to buy cigarette in the vending machine.
We can't buy cigarette in the vending machine without the IC card from this comming July.
It is doubtful that Taspo card is really usefull for minor's (under 20) smoking prevention.

And it is annoying to do the application of this card.

But it is a good opportunity for me.
So I decide to quit smoking!!

Doutor coffee shop

Doutor coffee shop is a pioneer of self service coffee shop in Japan.
It has been doing business since 1980.
One of factory of Doutor is in Funabashi city.
I take this photo near Funabashi station.

Ajisai

This is hydrangea flower, We call it "Ajisai".
The Ajisai blooms from Jun to middle of july.
It is nearly same time of rainy season in japan.
This flower blooms in drizzly is beautiful.

DAISO GIGA FUNABASHI

It's a big 100 yen shop.
Almost 100 yen shop use only one floor, while this 100yen shop use all floor of the building. (7 floor)
There are really various goods!
But over 100 yen goods are also included.
This 100 yen shop is close to Keisei-Funabashi station.

Doraemon

Doraemon is a Japanese manga.
Doraemon is a robot came from the 22nd century.
He takes wonder tool from his pocket, and helps his friend,"Nobi Nobita".

I sometime find Doraemon figure in the street.

Self servise vegetable shop

This is a shop farmer runs.
We buy and take the vegetables and put the amount coins into the box.
those vagetables are taken fresh from the farm every morrning , and cheaper than these of the supermarket.
I think there is not such shop in central Tokyo.