Walking through Yutagawa Onsen

Upon my arrival, tile-roofed wooden buildings surrounded by vast plains, bamboo forest and mountains—a visual reminiscent of Japan’s yesterday—are etched in my mind. Here you will not find a modern hot spring inn. Here is where one seeks intimacy and peace, as have some of Japan’s famous writers and artists have before us. Located in the outskirts of Tsuruoka, Yutagawa Onsen is one of many quaint hot spring villages that are among the treasures of Yamagata prefecture.

Where the first bus stop is located, you can find the post office across the road. This is a convenient stop for those needing cash for their lodging and eventual gift buying. Walking down the main road gives you access to a handful of onsen lodges (ryokan), with a couple more located around the southwest end of the village. May and June are the peak months for ryokan business with guests coming for their specialties—dadachamame and bamboo shoot soup.

Heading up to Yuzusame Shrine

Due to coming without reservations, I missed out on lodging and indulging in the local dishes. However while asking around, a local offered me a suggestion on some alternative activities. The public bath sectors were still open to the public and so I continued on my path for some steam. I managed to find the kind owner of the local Yamazaki Shop who happened to run a public bathhouse located right across the street. Turned out to be very affordable at 200 yen for a hot bath. Feeling refreshed, I was ready to head uphill to Yuzusame Shrine. The alignment of massive ginkgo trees side-by-side up the steps is like a visual of entering a deep forest. Monuments inscribed with poems and sayings by famous writers that once visited can be found around the shrine.

The path around the shrine leads to a brief hike through the forest offering a bird’s eye view of Yutagawa. On the way back down to the roads is where ancient Japanese graveyards reside. Twenty residents of Yutagawa have been laid to rest at the site. Among them were nine Shinchougumi—the brother group of the Shinsengumi and samurai of Edo (Tokyo) during its last days before the Meiji restoration—and some of their family.

Final Stop: The Mythical Lotus Pond

Finally, I headed to the south end of the village where you can find the fabled reservoir and local gift shop, Parosu Yutagawa. Once upon a time, the reservoir was a pond known as “Hachisu no Ike (Lotus Pond)” because it was, in fact, surrounded by lotus. These days, its use is for fire prevention and as a home for a school of colorful koi swimming along inside the pool.

Parosu Yutagawa is the main shop for stocking up on omiyage. The inside reminded me of a charming old-fashioned country store with minimal sunlight drawn in due to the wooden construction. Naturally, it was befitting given its surroundings. Kamaboko (fish cake), sake, local wine and various souvenirs are among the available goods that you can buy in the store. The shopkeeper was very helpful in recommending me various local wines within their collection. I ended up buying the 720ml bottle of Tatenokawa pear liqueur for 1300 yen much to the shopkeeper’s approval.

Before leaving, I was left with this legend. Sometime in the eighth century, an egret flew here to make use of the water and cure its wounds. Legend or not, the water’s acidity is said to be effective against palsy, high blood pressure and kidney diseases. In addition, drinking the water is good for relieving constipation. Well, it sure beats tasting cod liver oil.

GETTING THERE

Yutagawa Onsen is a 25-minute trip southwest from Tsuruoka Station by bus, which run every couple hours during the day. Tsuruoka Station can be reached by bullet train via JR Uetsu Line, which travels through the Niigata, Yamagata and Akita prefectures. For more information about Yutagawa Onsen, please visit www.yutagawaonsen.com (Japanese).

Just so you know, the Roaming Hunger is a website that tracks cities’ events on the gathering of several food trucks where attendees are sent to foodie heaven.

For the past few years, the City of Angels has been thriving on the rise of the restaurant on wheels, adequately known as the food truck—the answer to street food stands found worldwide.

Lineup of San Diego's Food Trucks

You will find a variety of food trucks making their routine stops out in areas like Venice Beach, the San Fernando Valley and Orange County. By variety, I mean a full multi-cultural experience. Got a late night sweet tooth? No problem as Buttermilk Truck’s mini-stack of red velvet hot cakes should fulfill your cavity inducing needs. Are you in the mood for Asian? There are trucks for sushi, Korean tacos, Chinese bowls and even pho (yes pho) at your hunger disposal. My personal favorite among the Los Angeles food trucks would be Frysmith. Their Rajas Fries topped with sharwarma-marinated steak, caramelized onions and fire-roasted chiles is a concoction of deliciousness any French fry lover must try once.

Since relocating to San Diego, I resigned myself into believing that I would have to make special trips up for a food truck run; that is, until now.

The truck craze has finally made its way down south with several festival gatherings as of recent. I had the chance to partake in one of the festivities on June 17 set on the parking lot of 57 Degrees in Mission Hills. The goal was to sample a dish from as many food trucks as possible—a goal nearly accomplished.

While not having as many cultural options on the Asian side, barbecue and beef lovers could rejoice. We are talking about selections like gastro-busting brisket sandwiches and perogis here. The briskets were surprisingly tender considering San Diego’s reputation, or significant lack thereof, of decent barbecue. The Korean beef tacos from Tabe BBQ were standard fare, but lacked the flavor kick. Honestly, if you’ve had Kogi’s in Los Angeles, then every other Korean beef tacos are either on par or subpar.

In Los Angeles, there is the Lobsta Truck where their specialty is the Lobster Roll. Well, San Diego had their answer to that coming from a truck with the tagline, “Food so good it’s bad!” The name of the truck is Devilicious. Having their version of the lobster roll, the fondest memory I have from every bite was lobster and lots of butter.  We are talking at a level where I felt like I was taking bites out of a stick of deep fried butter from a fair. Never actually had deep-fried butter, but it sounds like it would be just as evil.

57 Degrees plans to host these events every third Friday of the month, which should further aid the growth of the food truck industry in San Diego. Hopefully through its growth, the variety will expand with the kinds of food to attract all comers.

I am really sad reminiscing about it, like man-tears and everything.

A sweet tooth fix

Psycho Donuts is the playground of your inner child. It is not a place to go if you are on a diet, carb conscious, or simply have no sense of humor. However, if you are willing to let loose and have fun for a little bit, this is the place for you.

There are two locations, one is in Campbell and the other in Downtown San Jose. The exterior of the Campbell location is unassuming, but the Downtown San Jose location is the last thing you would expect to see in stuffy Silicon Valley. It is incredibly easy to find though, just look for the airbrushed zombie nurse on the supporting column outside the store. The inside is just as amazing, the staff are dressed as “psycho nurses,” the light fixtures are painted to look like eyeballs, and the staff gives you bubble wrap to pop while you are in line (to drive your fellow patrons…psycho).

You’re probably wondering how they are able to get away with it. My guess is that the Downtown location doubles as a box office for the indie theatre next door, which also happens to be a Rocky Horror joint. Actually, I don’t even know how that works; the rest of the surrounding area is pretty upscale.

Now let’s talk about the doughnuts. Psycho Donuts specializes in cake-based doughnuts, an instant jolt of nostalgia for this writer who grew up on the East Coast eating Dunkin Donuts. Most of their concoctions are the kind of thing you thought were awesome as a kid. We’re talking doughnut toppings consisting of sugary cereal, candy bars, and even stacking doughnuts on top of. You as a kid thought this was genius, and Psycho Donuts has the talent to execute on it.

My favorite was “Crunch Hunch”, a chocolate-frosted, chocolate-cake doughnut with huge chunks of a Nestle Crunch bar on top. I devoured it in thirty seconds flat. Other favorites include The Michael Jackson, Crazy Face, and Salty Ballz (SNL fans rejoice!).

That’s not to say that all they have are wacky donuts, they actually have quite a few great, sober gourmet doughnuts. I was particularly sad that I did not have the time to try the Key Lime Pie or Bananarama.

If you do not partake in the meat, or the breast milk, or the ovum, of any creature with a face, two words: orange creamsikiller. (Vegan dreamsicle doughnut!) Their vegan selection is actually quite good and they have a new “featured vegan” each month, so anyone can become a doughnut fan.

Psycho Psushi Bento Box

As for the reason I went, the sushi doughnuts (“Psycho Psushi”) were a set of four doughnuts shaped and frosted to look like nigiri, served in a take-out sushi tray, with strawberry pocky chopsticks. The flavors for each piece of nigiri were orange (salmon), strawberry (tuna), green tea (salmon roe), and rocky road—your guess is as good as mine. Altogether, it was probably the equivalent of two full doughnuts, but it was worth it for the novelty alone, and it was a great sampler.

The doughnuts will set you back $1.50 to $2.50 each, but when you compare them to cupcakes, which can easily run up to $4 each, it’s not a bad deal. When you compare the quality to what you would get at the supermarket or Krispy Kreme, again, it is an easy sell. The Psycho Psushi was $4, but I believe they only make them on a limited basis.

The only caveat with this place is that they have a tendency to sell out later in the day (a great problem to have), so you are more likely to find what you want at their Campbell location, which also houses their bakery. Unlike Dunkin Donuts, their doughnuts still taste great at the end of the day. You will not be disappointed if the only trip you can make is a late-night doughnut run.

I went out of my way to make three trips to this place over the course of my five-day vacation in the Bay Area, and I wish I could have went more. My sadness from the beginning of the article comes from the one-two punch of great doughnut memories and them not delivering outside of Santa Clara County. However, I am already scheming to find a reason to make another trip up to the Bay Area as I have that crazy look in my eyes.

Herd of Elephant Seals Chillin'

Usually that drive is four hours, but sightseers and inexperienced mountain drivers made sure of delays. No problem though; I still have sea animals and waves to check out. My intention was to look for sea lions, but would have to settle for its much larger and lazier marine mammal cousin, the elephant seal. Plenty were to be seen around this time, which I can only guess that they were recovering from their skin molting period. It looked more like they were out napping and sunbathing to me, but what do I know? Surely, lugging those three-tons of weight around in their bodies has to be tiring.

You can usually find them at a few secluded beach spots from Cambria to a park seven miles north of San Simeon called Piedras Blancas. Considering they were almost on the verge of extinction, I would say it’s worth one’s while to at least at one of the designated sites.

Due to the aforementioned delays in traffic, I only had time for one more stop at Garrapata State Park. Garrapata is sort of a hidden gem along the coast where finding it requires keeping track of these tiny little signs labeled “MON.” Once you find it, you will be treated to some undeveloped beauty. The undeveloped comes from the rough, but fair hiking trails where you can wade through iceplants and wildflowers.  The beauty, however, comes from the beach. This beauty can be appreciated by simply standing about one-fourths distance towards the shoreline and between the mountains. To your left while facing the ocean is a grand view of a ledge and then a lighthouse beyond that. From what I saw, both looked like good marriage proposal spots.

Finally, in front of you is a view of nothing but shades of clear blue with the sea and hazy air. The sea separates itself once the snapshot-friendly waves break into the rocks. These are waves solid enough that backpedaling may be futile against getting soaked, or you might be so awed by the waves that you won’t even recognize how drenched your soles have become.

My two stops are just a speck of what Big Sur has to offer. Other spots I would recommend checking out are the redwood groves within Julia Pfeiffer State Park and the coastal wildlife from Point Lobos as you near Monterey. Whatever I missed out on mentioning, you’d be hard-pressed to not find photo-worthy landscapes throughout that central California coast region.

However, the primary pastime for these residents still remains and perhaps will always be baseball and their beloved Red Sox. After all, Boston isn’t just called “Red Sox nation” for nothing. Five years ago, they finally got their chance to sing “Sweet Caroline” in unison. Boston is a New England town enriched with the kind of old Americana that’s apparent throughout the brownstone constructions seen from Back Bay to Fenway. While there was much to wander about and random bar chums to ‘sling bull’ with, I did actually have a few plans in mind for this trip.

Lobster and Fries: A Boston Staple

Aside from attending a concert, on my itinerary was to partake in the dining culture and feast on their seafood staples, ‘lobstah and clam chowdah.’ There’s one problem; being an admirer of multi-cultural fine dining—I found myself baffled over Boston’s deficiencies in that department. For example, I had a fairly inexpensive lobster meal at Whiskey’s which I found to be decent. Unfortunately, it’s graded as a bottom-tier spot amongst natives.

It seems to move up in tiers, you have to be willing to drop at the very least 40 dollars on an entree. And yet, that’s not guaranteeing that you’re actually eating your money’s worth. An old article from the Boston Globe focused on the lack of food culture and price gouging. In the article, author, chef and food connoisseur, Anthony Bourdain offered his insights on this matter: “I think what’s going on in Boston is a classic example of chefs working in a place that’s not yet a national restaurant city, not by a stretch. It’s a period of insecurity. And I can really understand why the chefs are charging so much: If prices come down, they lose their mystique as chefs. They’re reluctant to abandon their pomposity, expense, and pretense.”

Blunt, yet I couldn’t agree more. It’s disappointing to have your options limited to finding a good meal at mid-level price (~$20). After actually finding a spot in the land of higher education, Cambridge, all I got for it was lukewarm clam chowder… That’s not to say all is lost for Boston in the dining department. They do have a sizable West Indies population, so it wasn’t too hard to find some Caribbean grub at this counter spot called Pepper Pot right in the heart of downtown at Dudley Square. The jerk food is not flavored to the point of taking away the tenderness of the meat. The portions are more than enough to cover two meals and don’t miss out on the side of plantains. It’s definitely worth your while if you’re on a budget.

The greatness that is J.P. Licks

On the dessert front, J.P. Licks ice cream is a winner. There’s not one particular thing that makes it stand out over the competition. It’s just a classic homemade, not too creamy, yet not too stiff, hand-scooped piece of nostalgia. It’s not from the Dairy Queen / Cold Stone mold—unless you opt to get their soft-serve brand—and more in the Blue Bell area of taste and texture (for all you Southern folk). If given the chance, they should seriously consider expansion.

Despite their dining dilemma, knowing that one can walk through the heart of Boston and you’re guaranteed to see a pub or two from block-to-block is a pubcrawler’s paradise. Samuel Adams and Guinness seem to be the choice brews to relax and watch the daily Sox game on the flat screen. Fancy a White Russian? Ha. Put that away man. Asking for drinks of that sort will bring forth looks of jeers amongst the locals. It certainly seemed that way when my traveling comrade ordered a margarita on the rocks with amaretto only to leave our Rajon Rondo jersey clad bartender with a smirk and “eww!?” response. “I had her approval and reassurance with my order” is what I would like to say. Nonetheless, she gave a similar reaction to my six-dollar liquid coke on the rocks. For that low price, she can treat me like a Yankees fan.

Move over cocktails; there’s no room for you in the drinking land of ale. To truly feel at home in Boston’s bar scene, you must chug with pride and hear some soft-rock ballad playing through the loudspeakers. One man can only take so much of Survivor’s “The Search is Over” before enough is enough. The lines have to be drawn somewhere, which brings us back to Boston restaurants. Great food can be bought at a premium; bad food can be bought when all else fails [financially], but where’s the good food for everyone else? You know… that quality meal you can get at a still affordable 15 per dish. Maybe one day, Bostonians and fellow tourists will be able to find that more often than not.

Kalafina performing @ Anime Boston 2009

Among my list of reasons for visiting Boston was a concert that was held over the Memorial Day weekend. The performance from the hometown-based Video Game Orchestra proved to be as charismatic in reflection of its founder, Shota Nakama.

However, that was only the “appetizer” to set up the main course. Kalafina was the headlining act; all three young women—singing with a harmonious flair and possessing a fairy tale elegance—captured the audience. It was quite impressive considering they made a go of it without the backing of live instruments. That is, until the encore surprise of a two-song acoustic piano collaboration with their producer, mentor, renowned Japanese pop-culture composer, and the cause of my shelling out 9000 yen on those limited edition NOIR OSTs, Yuki Kajiura.

The day following the concert, I had the opportunity to sit down and chat with the Japanese songstress trio, and their composer about their blog, busy schedule and the mother of Kajiura’s interest in a guitar? I hope that inquiring minds and Kajiuran fans will be satiated, so on with the interview.

Interview with Kalafina and Yuki Kajiura @ Anime Boston 2009

First off, I’d like to say that it was an enjoyable concert and good surprise at the end once I saw the Roland keyboard show up.

Thank you.

— For Kalafina —

What were your impressions of the American audience at the concert?

Keiko: It was really fun. You get really direct feedback from the audience here [in the US].

Wakana: Amazing! I was very happy that so many came to see our concert. The audience was very warm and welcoming.

How has your visit to Boston been so far?

Keiko: I really like this town. It’s really beautiful! There are so many trees and lot of a “green” atmosphere [to see].

Wakana: The buildings here are amazing and wonderful. The hotel that we are staying in is really nice; we can see a great view of the city from our room. How should I say…it’s like a scene from a movie?

I remember reading from Wakana’s blog that she decided to switch from iced latte to water to keep hydrated for your performances. I am curious what other methods do you all use to keep your voices strong?

Hikaru: I try to avoid carbonated drinks or even anything with milk in it.

Keiko: I try not to have too much ice [with my drink].

What are some of your favorite artists and bands that you listen to?

Keiko: Pink

Hikaru: Beyonce

Wakana: Deniece Williams

As in the singer from “Footloose?”

Wakana: Yeah, the R&B, gospel singer.

Ryu (SME publicist): How about Yuki?

Well, I pretty much know so many of her favorites from her bio. I know that she’s quite the Beatles fan.

Yuki Kajiura: (laughs) Ah! That is true.

How has it been like to work with each other?

Wakana: Being an artist, we get to spend a lot of time together and know each other personally. Through a year and a half, we’ve been able to understand each other even more and feel more comfortable [with our styles].

Hikaru: For me it’s been a really calm experience to be a part of this. The fact that there are three of us, we get to motivate each other, and reach higher levels as artists.

— For Yuki Kajiura —

From an old interview, you mentioned that your mother bought a guitar. How has she been doing with learning?

She’s still learning and practicing, but not getting much better. (laughs) It’s really fun though that she’s learning.

Are there any authors’ books that you’ve been reading lately that are inspiring your compositions?

Yoko Ogawa, a famous Japanese author. I am very impressed by her and inspired by the novels that she writes.

With Mashimo (Beetrain) you’re given a theme and with that, you had free reign to create whatever music you felt worked with the theme. Was it similar with the Kara no Kyoukai (Garden of Sinners) directors?

With Mashimo, he would direct the TV series, so I would write music in advance which the director would pick from. That would be the process [with Mashimo], but with Garden of Sinners [directors], since they are films, it was vice-versa. I would get to see those films at first and then specifically write music for them. So the process is totally different in comparison.

You once said, “The secret to your continuing is your inability to stop.” Was there a person or moment that you realized that about yourself, or would you say that motivation was always in you?

I think that it’s actually difficult to continue, but I believe [the secret is] if you can keep yourself motivated each day, being your best 24/7, being professional at your work, and also just hoping and striving to be your best.

From left to right: Yuki Kajiura, Hikaru, Keiko, Wakana

— For Kajiura & Kalafina —

So I hear you all will have another set of live sessions throughout Japan this summer such as Animelo, kalafina’s live and Kajiura having a few live sessions. Do you guys ever have time for a break?

We’ve been very busy lately, but we feel very happy about being able to perform and practice. It’s not so much that we need a break either. We try to do that as well, but we are just happy to be here and be able to perform.

What do you do on your spare time?

Keiko: Playing tennis.

Hikaru: Trying to sleep (laughs).

Wakana: Also sleeping, but also taking a bath.

Yuki: Sleeping also. It’s a coincidence isn’t it? (everyone laughs)

— For Yuki Kajiura —

In one of your blog posts, I read that you were playing Chrono Trigger.

Yes, I was playing. (laughs)

Ah ok, I think I read that it was frustrating you and you asked about other DS games that you could play.

Actually, it because it’s a game I’ve played often, so I know it inside out. I remembered everything in the storyline so it was not fun as before.

Ah, I see. Then I’d like to recommend Monster Hunter?

Thank you.

— For Kajiura & Kalafina —

What other plans are in store for everyone?

Hikaru: We have a new release single [Storia for NHK show, “Rekishi Hiwa Historia”] coming in July.

Wakana: The rest of the year we’re going to really focus on performing and various stages. Also, start writing more on our blog and keeping current on that.

I’ll make sure to keep up with your blog updates and best wishes to all your future endeavors.

Thank you!

_____

Thanks to Yuki Kajiura, Wakana, Keiko and Hikaru for their time to do this interview and Ryu from Sony Music Entertainment for making this interview happen. You can check out kalafina’s latest album, “Seventh Heaven” digitally on iTunes and other online music stores.