American Atmosphere

Would you like to feel American atmosphere?

If yes, I recommend “Early 357” in Kanoya.

“Early” comes from “Early American style” and “357” from owner’s lucky number.

It established in Kagoshima City in 1999 first and moved to owner’s home town Kanoya.

It is located at Shinkawa-cho, Kanoya.


The restaurant building is at a remove of about 30m from the street. And the country style building has its back turned to the street. This stemmed from owner's intention to make the customers feel more American country like atmosphere.

I ordered curry and rice with spiced chicken.

Slowly stewed curry sauce and crispy barbecued chicken was really good!

English language radio programs on the internet were pleasing to the customers' ears.

The restaurant holds live-music events there occasionally.

Why don’t you stop by the restaurant in order to feel American country like atmosphere and enjoy delicious cuisine after cycling?

565 Cyclists Pedal around Osumi Peninsula!

On November 27^th 2011, 565 cyclists from Saitama in the north to Okinawa in the south pedaled through autumn streets of the Osumi peninsula at Tour de Osumi 2011.

on the starting line 

Tour de Osumi 2011 has three courses. “A” course is 110km long with more than 1600m vertical climb. It’s for the experienced cyclists, but it has very beautiful views!

They started at 8:40 from Kirishimagaoka of Kanoya and were supposed to come back by 16:00.

Three Japanese top-level pro cyclists joined the cycle event. In a way, I, a hobby cyclist, had a great feeling to get passed by them.

I tried to chase one of them during an uphill section. But I was distanced after chasing him for about 300m.

The participants enjoyed delicious local foods at every aid stations.

at the Hanaze Aid Station

lunchtime

lunch

What was the most wonderful was the cheer from spectators and the hospitality provided by staff members!

Chirimen Zan-mai Don ~S-1 Grand Prix Winner, WAKA, Shibushi City~

In recent years, Japanese people look forward to seeing what local dish wins B-1 Grand Prix. B-1 Grand Prix is a nationwide contest to find the best “cheap but delicious local dish (B Class Local Dish)” every year. It is said that this came from the fact that we can see the movement to boost local economic development through the promotion of B Class Local Dishes in various regions these days.
 

In Kagoshima, to have the same effect, S-1 Grand Prix was held last February. “S” of S-1 came from “SHO-TEN-GAI (local shopping avenue)” and S-1 means the best local easy-to-eat dish like which is served at “SHO-TEN-GAI”.

Sejiro Chirimen Zan-mai Don (a bowl of rice topped with boiled young sardine, young sardine fritters and fried burdock root and young sardine) won the first S-1 Gran Prix.

 Sejiro Chirimen Zan-mai Don

It was really delicious!

 

This bowl of rice is supposed to participate in the All Japan Local Bowl of Rice Championship which will take place at Tokyo Dome early January in 2012.

You can enjoy it at 1000 yen at the ”Restaurant WAKA” in Shibushi City.

Please be advised that the restaurant closes between lunch and dinner. Please get there by 14:00.

Why don't you stop by the restaurant when you go for cycling toward Shibushi?

Mt. Ontake

Mt. Ontake (1182m) is one of the mountains in the Takakuma mountain range.
 

It is the highest point in the Kimotsuki watershed.

Aournd the Peak of Mt. Ontake

As I said before, the Takakuma mountain range has the southern limit of Buna’s distribution.
 

What’s more, now I am aware that it also has southern limit of each distribution of a lot of other plants.

 

MIZUNARA, Japanese oak, is one of the plants.

 

If you take “TV Tower Route” to the peak of Mt. Ontake, you may find MIZANARA trees along the ridge around the 9^th station, although I could not find BUNA (Japanese beech). In general, BUNA makes forests with MIZUNARA. So, BUNA must be around there…

(I hear that BUNA can be seen behind the peak of Mt. Ontake, Mt. Onogara side .)

MIZUNARA

When you climb Mt. Ontake, you can go to the Tozanguchi, starting point, by bicycle or car. Tozanguchi is equivalent to the 5^th station.

It’s a 1 and 1/2-hour climb to the peak.

View from Peak (Meinoo Ranch)

I found a falcon flying around the peak.


This is the route to Tozanguchi.

KOYAMA YABUSAME Festival

KOYAMA YABUSAME Festival took place today, October 16^th 2011, in the KIMOTSUKI town.

 A archer shoots an arrow.

YABUSAME is a Japanese traditional horse back archery (the shooting of arrows by samurai while riding a horse). It’s a shrine ritual for the peace and security of a nation, the productiveness of grain and the secure protection from plagues.

*FYI: KOYAMA is the name of a district of KIMOTSUKI town.

YABUSAME is carried out at some shrines nationwide in Japan. Here in KIMOTSUKI town, it is carried out at SHIJYUKUSYO Shrine, which was established during HEIAN era (794-1192), in October every year.

 SHIJYUKUSYO Shrine

The grand festival including YABUSAME ritual of SHIJYUKUSYO shrine used to take place on October 19^th, but recently it has been taking place on the third Sunday of October in order that as many visitors as possible could come to see the festival.

According to the homepage of KIMOTSUKI town, YABUSAME originally began in 1096 and the ritual at SHIJYUKUSYO shrine began in the first half of the 1100s. This means that YABUSAME here in KIMOTSUKI town amazingly has about 900-year history.

YABUSAME has been being handed down over the generations by the “YABUSAME Preservation Society”.

A main archer is picked out of the second grade school boy of a local junior high every year. The former archer who played the main archer in the previous year is supposed to play a sub-archer.

 Main Archer

In most cases, the archer has no experience to ride a horse when he is picked out. So he has to start by horse riding to play the YABUSAME archer.

The training begins at around one month ahead of the festival.

It is believed that the archer must have been struggling with a sense of responsibility for the success in the ritual and a fear of fall from the horse.

The archer is supposed to go for the ritual bathe to the KASHIWABARU seashore near the river mouth of the Kimotsuki River for purification two days ahead of the festival and to isolate himself from his family.

On the day of the festival, after blessed by the Shinto priests in a traditional ritual at the shrine, the main archer and sub-archer perform YABUSAM.

YABUSAME is performed at about 330m long riding road along the approach to the shrine.

There are three targets along the riding road.

After one test run, the archer is supposed to perform three runs to shoot three arrows each run.

The archer’s father is supposed to sprinkle the salt to purify the riding road ahead of each run.

Purification of Riding Road

Sub-archer is supposed to heel the horse in order to shoot arrows as a substitute if the main archer falls from his horse.

As the ritual, it is better that as many arrows as possible meet targets.

However, it is said that the archer does not make all nine arrows meet targets. Why? It is believe that the following year must be worse if all arrows meet their targets, like the full moon is sure to wane on the next night.

This year, six arrows of the nine met the targets.

I believe the following year would be better than this year!

Buried Torii Gate, SAKURAJIMA 1

This is “Buried Torii Gate” at the Kurokami district in Sakurajima.

Buried Torii Gate at Kurokami District

The Torii gate about 3 meters high was filled almost totally with a large amount of volcanic ash from Mt. Sakurajima Volcano when Mt. Sakurajima had a large eruption in 1914.

Mt. Sakurajima is one of most active volcano in the world.

Last year, 896 explosive eruptions were observed by Kagoshima Local Meteorological Observatory.

This year, 758 explosive eruptions have been already counted as of October 10^th.

A caution zone is designated by Kagoshima city within 2km from the center of the craters to ban the access to the craters.

Volcanic alert level is the 3^rd place, level 3, in Japanese five-level rating system.

It is said that a volume of magma equivalent to 90% of the volume of 1914 eruption has already filled a magma chamber just below the Kinko bay and the magma chamber will be filled in 10 or 20 years.

However, according to Kagoshima Local Meteorological Observatory, there seemed to be no immediate sign that the volcanic activities was going up.

And remember, the most advanced monitoring system in the world has been installed around the volcano and it is monitored 24/7.

Be careful for ash fall when you go to Sakurajima!

Dream-like Bar-B-Q Restaurant

Would you like to eat A4 level (the 2^nd place of 15-level rating system for beef quality) beef of Japanese black as much as you want for 90 minutes for 3,150 yen.

What’s more, if you want to plus all-you-can-drink (beer & shochu), the charge will be only 3,950 yen.

People who want to go to the dream-like Bar-B-Q restaurant to enjoy wonderful beef straight from the ranch run by the owner, please visit “SHINMURA CHIKUSAN YAKINIKU HONPO” in Kimotsuki town!

Be sure to make a reservation before visiting there, because it is always crowded!