Uniqlo

Uniqlo is high quality and low price casual wear maker and shop.
It is popular among wide generation.



In the other hand, It is pointed out that casual wear of uniqlo is no indivisuality.
So uniqlo is trying to make fashionably casual wear.

Thoes photos are uniqlo shop in funabashi city.

Matcha Latte in Doutor Coffee shop

"Matcha" is a kind of powdered Green tea.
I thougt those were strange combination "green tea and coffee" and "green tea and milk".

The other day, I drop in Doutor coffee shop
in funabashi to take a picuture of it.
I confess I didn't expect it had good taste for me.
But I was suprised to drink it.
It has a pleasant aroma!!
It is little bitter, and milk is mildly sweet.
It is good for me.
Especially it has a nice finish taste!!

Funabashi Shinsui Park

This park is along the water way to Tokyo bay.
It is close to large shopping center "lalaport funabashi".
It is good to rest in the park after shopping.

That boat is going back to the fishing port.

I took this photo from the edge of the park.
Tokyo bay is over there.

Funabashi fishing port

Funabashi fishing port is only one fishing port which work full-scale in the deep inside of Tokyo bay.

Long ago Southern part of funabashi prospered as fishermen's town.
But lot of fishermen got off their fishing boat for the development of the bay, in the rapid economy groth of nation after world war 2.

Fishermen remained are still taking fish and clam, and caluture raising Nori(sea weeds).
Especialy "Funabashi-Nori" has execllent quallity.
Because it is caluture raised by the traditional technique in the precious shallow remained in tokyo bay.


Funabashi fishing port is close to large shopping centers, bay side hotels, and two high ways.


Those fishing boats are go to waterway to the bay through the water gate.


In the photo above you can ses nets with long wooden bar.
Thoes are net for catch clam( short-neck clam).

Next time, I will introduce you out side of water gate.

Fishing boat on the river

It takes around 15 minute there from funabashi railroad station.
The senery might be suprizing for the people who think funabashi city as bed town of Tokyo.

I think that is a boat which catch clam(small-neck clam).
Maybe, the owner lives by the river.

You can see high way over the boat.
It is close to bay side hotels and large shopping center.
It is near mouth of the river.


Those banners standing along the river are banner of fisherman.
When I see it, I feel the pride of the fisherman who inherit traditional style of fishery in the deep inside of Tokyo bay.

Clam shop in funabashi

This shop sells short-neck clam("asari") and clam("hamaguri ") which are fresh from sea.
This clam shop is on the road side of rout 14.
It takes around 15 minute there to funabashi railroad station by walking.
And it is also near to funabashi fishing port.


In the photo above, shell in red net is clam and in blue net is short-neck clam.
Shoal of funabashi is good place for such as sea shell and sea weeds.

This week I will introduce you bay area of funabashi.

Canna

I think canna is a beautiful flower in summer.
I like also those large leaves.
When I see this flower , I can be in the mood of tropical.
They say that canna came in Japan in Edo period ( 1603 - 1867 ).

Funny Manekineko

Traditional manekineko is raising right paw or left paw.
But they are raising both paw.
In a sence, I think it is bad manner.
Oh, time is changing.

But they are funny.
I took this photo on the way to ebigawa-bride.

Doutor coffee shop in the railroad station

I have alredy post about Doutor coffee shop.
In these days doutor coffee shop appear in various place, such as railroad station, shopping mall, service area of high way.
Photo above is doutor coffee shop in Tobu-line funabshi railroad station.



It is narrow, but convenient.

Ebigawabashi (ebigawa-bridge)

Ebigawa-bridge is over ebigawa(ebi-river) which flows in funabashi city.
The bridge is on one of main street in central funabashi.
We pass through the bridge when we go to Funabashi shrine from funabashi railroad station.

Ebigawa-bridge has design of ship at both side.
The ship is Godairikibune that had sailing in tokyo bay since edo period to early modern times.


Godairikibune is one of symbol of funabashi city.
Please check my article Man hole cover I wrote in this blog before.

By the way, "funabashi" is "船橋" in kanji symbol.
"船 (fune)" means ship or boat.
"橋 (hashi)" means bridge.

Long, long ago, the river was aorund three times wider than the present time.
They connected small boats insted of bridge.
They say that it is origin of the name of funabashi.

Large brown cicada

We call them "Abura Zemi".
"abura" means oil.
Thier voice is similar to the sound that we hear when we are deep-frying some food in oil.
They sing even at night.

Funabashi is a habitable place for them.
There are many sand pear(nashi pear) farm here, and they love fruit tree.

Sakana-kun

He is a well known TV personality "Sakana-kun".
Sakana-kun has huge amount of knowledge of fish.
He is an expert of fish, and loves fish so much.
He always wear fish shaped big hat, and talks about fish in shrill voice.

"Sakana" means fish.
I took this photo at the fresh fish counter in the supermarket.

Chirimen cat doll

These cat dolls are Chirimen craft.
Chirimen is Japanese crepe.
Originally, Chirimen craft was made of small pieces of Chirimen fabric which were remained when they had made Kimono.
Chirimen craft is one of traditional Japanese craft.
But I think the design of these cat dolls is modern.
I took this photo in front of funabashi raile way station.

There are various kind of Chirimen craft in Japan, I will show you those pretty craft in this blog!!

Sanma fish (Pacific Sauly)

"Sanma" means pacific sauly.
Photo above is Sanma on fresh fish counter in the supermarket.
Sanma is a typical fish in fall in Japan.
It is slender. and just looks like Japanese sword.
We usually grill it with salt.
It is oily and delicious.
And sanma is rich in DHA and EPA.

Sportio (Japanese cell phone)

It was put on the market this summer by Toshiba.
It is small and light, and good for the people who enjoy walking or running.
It display route and average speed you walked or run by using GPS.
And it also display carorie you burn.

Tarobashi (Taro-bridge)

Taro-bridge is a brige which is over ebigawa (ebi-river) flowing in the funabashi city.
"Taro" is a common Japanese boy's name.

There are four statue of Japanese old folk tale heroes on the railings of the bridge.
I introduce you the four heroes.


"Momotaro"

One day, a old woman found a huge peach floating in the river. (it was not ebi-river)
She took it to her home to eat.
When she and her husband opened the peach, they found a baby boy in the peach.
They decided to raise the baby as child of them.
And gave the name "Momotaro" to the baby boy.
(momo means peach)

When Momotaro grew up, he heard that Orgres often tomented people.
He decided to conquer the ogres.
He left his home for Onigashima that is island ogres liveing.
On the way, he took a dog, a pheasant, and a monkey as follower.
In Onigashima, they beated ogres.
And ogres surrendered to Momotaro.

Photo above is the statue which Momotaro and his followers are on the ship for Onigashima.


"Kintaro"

Kintaro was super strong child.
Kintaro played in the steep mountain as his garden.
He always carried big ax on his shoulder.
His friends were animals of the mountain.
He smo wrestled with bear, and he always won.
Kintaro was not only strong but also had a gentle heart.

He grew up to be a great Samurai.

Photob above is the statue which Kintaro riding on the bear for the exercise of horse riding.


"Urashima Taro"

Urashima Taro was young fisherman.
One day, Taro found a tartle being tomented by some children in the beach.
He saved the tartle and he was invited to the palace in the sea as reward.
He went to the palace in the sea, and he was received heartly by the beautiful princess.

After few days, he ask the princess to return to home.
She didn't like him to go back.
But she gave up.
The princess gave a small box to Taro, and tell him never open it.

Taro went back to the beach riding the tartle.
But he was not able to see his house.
Every thing had changed.
He opened the box the princess gave him, and then white smoke came out from the box.
Suddenly he became to be an old man.
So he stayed the palace for few days, but 300 years passed on the ground.

Photo above is the statue which Urashima Taro is riding on the tartle with fishing rod and a small box.


"Monogusa Taro"

Monogusa Taro was a very lazy young man.
Taro lay down on the street evry day.
Only thing he did was composing poem.

But one day, he went to the capital to work.
Because he need to pay tribute for the lord.
In the capital, he found a beautiful lady, and he love her.
But she didn't accept him, becaouse of his shabbily dressed.

Taro didn't give up.
He told her a poem he composed.
And then, she was moved.

Later he become famous for his excellent poem.
And he was given feudul estate.

Photo above is the statue Monogusa Taro lay down on the street.