Nothing like Homemade Chili and an Art Show on a cold wet day. - Utsunomiyia Museum

Yuji Kashawamuri is the director of the Tochigi Prefecture Museum.  It's great to be staying there as he knows many people and we get to see what goes on behind the scenes at a museum.

There is an Art Show at the museum today, featuring things that are made in Tochigi Prefecture.  I enjoyed looking at everything.  

 Click the link to see the short video of this guy making bamboo fishing poles.

https://youtu.be/Ec52Y1nbVYk

Click this link to see this guy make bamboo rings that hold together a scarf.  I totally love it.  I also was taught how to make one.  

https://youtu.be/23JML0sHpNk

 

This is the bamboo ring I made for my scarves.

 I bought a necklace from this gentleman who made the wood ring on my necklace as well as the wooden items in the pics. 

Yuji had to do a speech at the school for history of Utsunomiyia.  We are now headed to school early so we can look around at all the exhibits.  Marlon and I were chosen to be dressed in a kimono for me and Kimono for men for Marlon.  We felt very honored.  After we were dressed we were to walk around the school for others to see how people used to dress in Japan on a daily basis. 

Made chili tonight for the host family.  We shopped with Keiko so she could read the cans to make sure I was getting the correct supplies for chili.  I started by browning the pork and beef mixture and while that was cooking I cut green pepper and onion to add to the meat mixture.  Keiko is paying close attention to what I'm doing and writing down instructions.

 Keiko noticed I didn't have an apron on and went and got me one and put it on me. :-)

 It's about 40 degrees F outside so Yuji made a fire.  Nothing better on a cold wet day than a fire in the fireplace and some homemade chili.

 Dipping out the soup and garnishing it with sour cream, cheese, and onion.

I also made some peanut butter sandwiches to eat with the soup.  They loved it!!  Keiko is going to make some for a small dinner group that is coming to her house next Saturday.   I hope they enjoy it as much as we did!

Happy 75th Birthday Yuji

Yuji & Keiko Adventure -Oya- Pension Mountain-Tsuru Country Club

We are so thankful for a homestay with Yuji and Keiko Kasiwamura.  It has been a wonderful experience which Marlon and I feel so lucky to have such amazing friends to open their home to us.  Today, they are taking us on a road trip and we don't know where we are going!  We don't even care because we know it will be a good time and a great experience. The first stop was at a friend's house whose last name was Watanabe-ke.  We toured around the property which was very beautiful with lots of fall colors surrounding their very old home.  Older homes are being torn down to construct newer ones but they are dedicated to preserving the history of this home.  We enter by walking through a garden of tea plants.

Check out how many layers of straw is on their roof.   

Yuji has many connections in Tochigi Prefecture.  We stopped at an OYA Company that quarries pay stone for use in construction and other unique items.  His friend Keiko Takahashi has invited us into the office.

After sitting and chatting a while we were given hot coffee and some cookies that had chocolate in the center of them.   Mmmmmm

Keiko Takahashi of the Oya Stone Company leads us to the Oya quarry where she guided us on a tour.  She was a wonderful person to do this for us.  

There is a store that has all kinds of things made of OYA stone.  I loved the pizza oven and a hibachi grill.

After our tour, it was lunchtime and we went to this fabulous restaurant.  We shared an order of stuffed eggplant.

Marlon and Keiko !

We returned to the Oya company where a gift was presented to us.  We now have a solar-powered light made of OYA, I just love it.  Another surprise is we all are going to make something made of OYA.  I painted flowers on a piece of Oya.  Marlon put his engineering skills to work and Yuji painted a picture of Keiko the love of his life.

We are off to the next destination, Kogashi Yama, also known as Pension Mountain.  This is a famous mountain in this part of Japan.  When people retire they try to climb this mountain, as they now have leisure time to enjoy the beauty around them.  This mountain is also known for best rock climbing in Utsunomiya. At the base of the mountain is the Akagawa dam which provided a beautiful setting from which to view the mountain.

One of the pensioners that has finished his climb.

Here come some more!

Yuji has climbed the mountain and in his younger days did rock climbing here.

What a beautiful view on a beautiful fall day.

The next stop is Tsuru (means crane) country club and golf course.

The golf course is very beautiful. Maybe next trip Marlon will play a game of golf here.  Is that John Daly?

Hotel at the country club.