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Geiko and Maiko. Experiencing traditional Japansese dancing, "Geisha" dancing, its live music show and games with Geico

2015.12.08

Places to visit

 

We visited “Awara Dento Geinou Kaikan” (Awara Traditional Entertainment Center) in Awara city, Fukui prefecture.  We enjoyed watching traditional Japanese dancing, “Geisha” dancing and its live music show and played games with Geico (traditional Japanese entertainers).  Cost was 3000yen per person.

 

The games were not as difficult as they looked.  Through out the games, there was a gorgeous Geico on the stage playing the three-stringed Japanese guitar, Shamisen. 

 

Although we did not apply today, but there is another plan that anyone can apply for.  It is “Experiencing Maiko and/or Geico dress and Maiko and/or Geico styles”.  Cost is about 10000yen per person for 2 and a half hours (including all make-up and materials and rental dress).  Reservations are needed.

 

One of the Geico we saw today, when she was a Maiko ( ones are called Maiko until about 20 years, and then they can become Geico. I will talk more about this another time.) she used to fall asleep with her hair held up on her vertically placed pillow.  She said that it was very hard to do.

 

Now she unties her hair at night so she can sleep comfortably.  In every morning, she takes about 30 minutes to prepare her hair and make up, and takes another 30 minutes to wear a dress (Kimono).

 

Seeing her from the front, she is beautiful.  And seeing her from behind is graceful as well.  The name of how she tied her belt is called "Yanagi Obi" (Yanagi is willow tree and Obi is belt for Kimono in Japanese.  The part of her belt hanging looks like willow.tree).

 

 

＊Experiencing traditional Japanese dancing, ”Geisha” dancing, music, and games with Geico.

＊“Experiencing Maiko and/or Geico dress and Maiko and/or Geico styles”.

For Further information, please contact Awara city sight seeing organization.

phone 0776-78-6767 (weekdays 8:30~17:15)

 

T.F

Foster parents of two kittens have been decided!!

2015.12.07

Cats

 

On November 29th, 2015, at the dogs and cats adoption charity held by Fukui saving dogs and cats team, two kittens which are siblings, a male and a female were adopted by foster parents who seem like kind ones.

 

Not everyone can become foster parents. Ages, family structures and so on must be qualified to be ones. They do not move the cats from their original cages to the ones which foster parents brought with them.  This is to avoid the situation that the cats run away and become lost, so they bring the cats to their foster parents’ cars and move them to their new homes inside the cars.  It is their consideration for the cats not to be in horrible situations ever again.

 

The staff who had been taking care of the cats seems to be happy, but at the same time she looks like she misses them. I am sure that the kittens which seem to be interested in everything will be getting comfortable soon.

 

T.S

”The voice of the sea"

2015.12.06

Music, theater and dance

The song ranks top on websites for download music now.
It is a commercial song and modeled on Urashima Taro
who is the main character of a famous Japanese fairy tale
about Dragon Palace Legend at the bottom of the sea.
The singer Kenta Kiritani, actually he is an actor as well,
whose voice matches the lyrics and the music.
Listening to this song reminds me of THE BOOM's song "Shimauta".
He also plays sanshin with singing and played live in a popular TV music show
and at an open-air music festival in Ishigaki Island with BEGIN who composed the song. (H.S)

Gion in Kyoto, at a Japanese restaurant “Yuuki”

2015.12.03

Kyoto and Nara

A friend of mine who is originally from Kyoto took me to a Japanese restaurant “Yuuki” in Gion, Kyoto.

 

Gion is as known as “the best and expensive” area for restaurants, bars, and everything. I never imagined that I could have a glass of sake for about 200yen in this area!!

 

This restaurant is under direct management of the sake brewery in Shiga prefecture, “Okamura Honke”.  One of this brewery’s leading products is “Kinkame(gold turtle)".  There are several “Kinkame”s lined up on their menu there.  And by just looking at the menu, it is interesting and enjoyable.  They are Junmai (pure rice sake) ones, all of them are very delicious with rich smell and strong taste. 

 

Moreover, the cook who trained in one of the best restaurants in Japan, “Yuuki Tei”, he and other young cooks served Sashimi (sliced raw fish), Tempura (deep-fried fish and vegetables in a light batter), fried food, meat dishes and so on.  Everyone would be pleased with the good quality.  I had so much food and few glasses of sake, and I paid about only 3000yen!! (remember I am talking about having dinner and drinks in Gion!)

 

This is one of those great days that I realized it is always good to spend time with friends.  And I also thought that it is important to talk to local folks for the local information because I would not be able to experience all of this without a friend of mine who is from this town.

 

T.F

 

 

Malted Rice

2015.12.02

Sake

Unrefined sake in the tanks is being bubbled up.

 

Before one of the busiest times at sake breweries come, we visited “Funaki sake brewery” in Fukui prefecture to tour making sake.

 

Luckily, we got to see one of the most important steps of making sake, “Moyashi zukuri” (making “Moyashi”).  “Moyashi” is malted rice and it became well known and a jargon from after the word was used in Manga.

 

The role of the malted rice in making sake is to change rice starch to sugar as the base material for alcoholic fermentation.

 

This original way of making Japanese sake in which saccharification and alcoholic fermentaion are allowed to proceed at the same time.  This multiple parallel fermentation that is a complicated process is the difference from making wine.

 

The room in which it is being kept hot and humid, they spread the sake rice there and the chief brewer at the sake brewery sprinkles malted rice powder (spores of Aspergillus oryzae)over the sake rice.

 

In addition, Bacillus subtilis natto causes major damages for this process, therefore, if anyone ate natto for one’s breakfast, one must not enter the room.

 

If you are thinking about taking a tour in sake brewery, please remember this.  

 

T.S

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