A day like no other

Takayama, Japan We just couldn’t believe it. Today, the sun was shining, the sky was a radiant blue, and the temperature was just perfect light-sweater weather. This is truly the first nice day we have had in three weeks, in other words, since we got to Japan.

The festival is still going on, and we bumped into it several times today, but our focus was on some of Takayama’s historical buildings.

We started with the Hida Folk Village, an open-air museum of old thatched and shingled farmhouses, sheds and farm buildings brought here from other parts of this region.

All the buildings are 100 to 150 years old and are nestled in a lovely setting, made even prettier by today’s weather.

The farm houses were quite simple and showed that farming of that era was a hardscrabble life, made harsher here by extremely tough winters.

What was most remarkable were the thatched roofs of some of the houses. The thatching here was at least twice at thick as any we have seen in England, and consequently longer lasting – up to about 60 years.

A charming setting and collection of momentos of Japanese history, including the silkworm industry and straw art.

We went back into the city to see an very different type of dwelling. The Yoshijima-ke Heritage House was built in 1907 by a very wealthy sake brewer. It has a current owner, who uses it as an art gallery, and is passionate about jazz, which is playing softly throughout the house. The current owner also has a favorite artist. I would take any of her lithographs, which just seem to blend the modern with the age of this immense and gorgeous house so perfectly. (Look out for works by Shinoda Toko.)

And then we wandered the streets, which were not so crowded as yesterday. In fact, some floats were standing idle, not surrounded by jostling crowds. But a procession started up and the sidewalks got crowded again.

That’s all for me tonight, folks. Sleep tight.

Yours, Scheherazade

Don’s Food Corner

The food highlight of the day was some street food at some of the many temporary food stands set up for the festival. First, yesterday was a candied apple that was cut up and served in a cup. What a great idea. Much less of a mess than trying to eat the apple on a stick. Second, candied grapes. They had the glossy coating of a candied apple but when you bit into it the grape burst in your mouth as a delightful surprise. Third, was a local specialty of sorts. Soba noodles stir-fried on a griddle along with some bacon and cabbage. I’m not sure what the sauce was, but it had a nice smoky flavor to it.

Our main meal, however, wasn’t that successful. I had wanted to try some more great Hida beef. But by the time we got on the street every restaurant was filled and we were turned away. I didn’t think of making reservations. So, there we were, adrift.

We finally found a place, but it was only middling. We ordered some grilled beef that was purported to be Hida beef. But having had the real thing a couple of days ago, I don’t think the things we were served had ever been near Hida.

I had a platter of sushi, which was “merely fine.” It included some mystery items. But I ate it all.

Then, we had some of that deep-fried chicken that is served everywhere in Japan. It’s good. The coating has a very nice crispy, but light texture. (Thank you, corn starch.)

The only thing troubling about this dish is that is not really thoroughly cooked. A little pink throughout. It’s juicy, but what are the potential health considerations? Since everything in Japan is clean, clean, clean, I’m sure the chickens are raised and processed in conditions far more sanitary than the best Mr. Perdue can offer. But it’s still a little disconcerting to see chicken served so undercooked. But I suspect we’ll live.