carol's kitchen: From L.A: Remembering Japan

Masa & the Van

Still dreaming of a misty green mountain, the steep narrow winding road with rain & fog, the unexpected teahouse and wire footbridge, the ryokan floating in the clouds, slippery stone steps down to the hot springs & a 12 course dinner including sashimi of a pink mountain-stream fish, filleted and folded around itself to look like a rose.

In Hiroshima, I ate the best steak I ever tasted (not kobe or anything famous), drank the best cup of coffee in Noshiro City, sipped the most delicious bancha tea on a mountain top, and enjoyed the best scallop sashimi in the world in Goshogawara.

Nor can I forget that Zen moss garden in Kyoto.

Ran around crowded Tokyo for four days on the brilliant subway system thanks to the kindness, patience & good will of the Japanese people. Without speaking or reading the language this is close to impossible, although ticket machines do manifest in English, like ATM’s. Nevertheless, I dare you to try it on your own.

I love Tokyo! Enjoyed the freshest sushi lunch at a stall in the central fish market, checked out the sites in 4 neighborhoods (each one arrived at by train!), bought stationery products at Itoya, shopped for sales at Mitsukoshi Department store – the Neiman Marcus of Tokyo, visited temples and gardens, walked my feet off, watched the Tokyo Sumo wrestling matches on TV, & best of all, met Keiko, Masa’s music producer/manager friend, and her gang of talented musicians, and Mihoko, features editor at Japanese Vogue, who is a friend of another friend, and her mother. The beautiful ladies wined & dined me like I was an Empress.

Next time in Tokyo I hope to have enough energy at the end of the day to check out the famous night life in Roppongi. But I rarely get out for any night life in L.A. either.

last installment & more pictures coming soon.