Sam in Japan

This weekend, we actually got out and did something! During the week, Yellie took me to the restaurant at the giant water wheel in Honjo, about a half hour west of Saiki station. I was absolutely blown away by their hand-made soba, including a tea soba made from a type of local green tea. Since it was summer, we had the cold soba, and I knew I had to drag Chris back that weekend for lunch and (hopefully) swimming.

The restaurant, Nanohana Teahouse, is all hand-made noodles, and it shows. The taste is so different from what you get in the store. I’ve never been a “must go out of my way to eat soba” fan, but this one changed that.

Cold soba is called “zaru soba,” and is a common summer lunch. The noodles are still made from buckwheat, but instead of being in a soup, they’re laid out on a bamboo tray after being cooked, drained, and set in cold water. You eat them by dipping them into the sauce, usually a type of ponzu, or light, citrus soy sauce. You can mix in the different things, too, to adjust the taste to your liking, including sesame seeds, green onion, and wasabi. And, as all Japanese meals, it’s served with a side of pickled-something-or-other that’s in season (called a “tsukemono,” which literally means “pickled things.”) This was pickled eggplant.

You can even make your own soba, if you make reservations ahead of time. Something for another day, I think!

The highlight of the area is the giant water wheel (大水車). For a while, it was the largest wooden structure in Japan, but I don’t think it is any more. The typhoon in 2016 damaged it, and it’s been slowly being repaired over time. I hope they get it back up to it’s former glory someday.

The restaurant overlooks the waterwheel and river, nestled in between verdant mountains. On it’s own, it’s a stunning view.

You can see how the water becomes this blue-green. It’s how many of the clear rivers here are, since the water is mineral rich. They’re the same minerals that make the onsen (hot springs) in Oita so famous. The rivers all take on this amazing color, and are clear all the way to the bottom – in that photo, the darkest blue parts are probably 3 meters (9-10 feet) deep, but you can still see the bottom!

Because I adore water, when Yellie took me here originally, I just knew I had to jump in there sometime soon, or it would haunt me! And I’m so glad we did!

A few shots stolen from Chris’s camera of the day, before he (finally!) joined me in the cool water. It was a hot day, maybe low 90ºF, but it didn’t feel like it in the cool water.

Also, I should note, I love that in Japan, it’s totally normal to go swimming in full suits like this – because the sun is so intense, there is a huge concern about skin cancers, so most women cover up completely, and a lot of men do, too, at least with a t-shirt, if not full arm covers as well. It’s not weird or anything, and I appreciate it, because I burn like a white person in even a bit of sun here. So I just slather on the sunblock on my face and hands and feet, and I’m good to go!

Before the summer is through, I think I need to come back a few more times and swim, and maybe bring the good camera, too, to take some pictures. But mostly to swim!