Summer in Japan

Mars Man said:

You hit the nail right smack-dab on the head with your description. Boy/girl, let me tell you, I'm sitting right here, right now in our 4.5 jou tatami living room with the window wide open to my back. The bugs are screaming and singing, and just getting down in their short lives. The warm, slightly moist air (remember, I'm at the foothills of the Alps, so the humidity is less than down near the sea) carrying all the sounds of the man out plowing his field, then three or four house up the hill, someone with their weed-eater out (you'll never hear that in the winter, and seldom in the States, I'd think.) Another thing you'll probably recall, is the summer gift-giving thing; and the postcard sending thing (twice a year in Japan, but the summer 'chugen' card sending thing is much less than the New Year's sending thing).

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Makes me wish I were there with you Mars Man sharing a tall, cold glass of mugi-cha, sitting on the tatami at the small table fanning ourselves with the paper fans, a fan blowing in the corner, the windows wide open, and just the sound of nature behind us. And just a slight breeze blowing. And of course the ever present katori-senko.

Yes, I still follow the gift giving custom in summer by sending gifts of melons and such to family members and friends in Japan through a Japanese company here. Also, cannot ever forget the New Years time also.

Pachipro said:

Makes me wish I were there with you Mars Man sharing a tall, cold glass of mugi-cha, sitting on the tatami at the small table fanning ourselves with the paper fans, a fan blowing in the corner, the windows wide open, and just the sound of nature behind us. And just a slight breeze blowing. And of course the ever present katori-senko.

Yes, I still follow the gift giving custom in summer by sending gifts of melons and such to family members and friends in Japan through a Japanese company here. Also, cannot ever forget the New Years time also.

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Fantastic !! I mean, like, you really, really know the Japanese Summer !! That's great that you carry on with that chugen (summer gift giving, for those who didn't catch it) !! More power to you !! :cracker:

I'll tell you what I'll do. Probably we'll be having another outdoor BBQ here at the house in the up-coming week or so, & not only will I eat and drink in your honor and on your behalf--as though you were right here with us--I'll snap a few pics, and do my darnedest to get them on a post here, or in the gallery or what have you. (If you have any tips on how to do that, I'd appreciate it.) Then, on that night, it'll be good ole Asahi that I'll be a chug-a-lugging !! I can taste it already.

Mars Man said:

I'll tell you what I'll do. Probably we'll be having another outdoor BBQ here at the house in the up-coming week or so, & not only will I eat and drink in your honor and on your behalf--as though you were right here with us--I'll snap a few pics, and do my darnedest to get them on a post here, or in the gallery or what have you. (If you have any tips on how to do that, I'd appreciate it.) Then, on that night, it'll be good ole Asahi that I'll be a chug-a-lugging !! I can taste it already.

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Very kind of you Mars Man. I'll be there with you in spirit, but I hope the Asahi beer is 'Asahi Super Dry' with a side of cold edamame and the BBQ includes some squid, some fried bean sprouts, and maybe some yakisoba along with the meat. Man I miss those BBQ's in Japan. A few Marudai weiners w/stone ground mustard also sounds good. Afterwards, when everyone goes home you and I can knock back a few more cold Asahi's. I'll broil some dried ika, mix some Qpi mayonaise and soy sauce together for dipping the squid in, and maybe slice a few cucumbers with a dash of miso. Of course there will be edamame and maybe some kaki-pi for munching on. Heck we might even switch to "chu-hai" before the night is done.

With the scent of the katori senko filling the air, the windows open, the fan blowing and the breeze causing the wind chimes to clink their familiar chime of summer, we'll say "compai" a few more times before crashing on the tatamis. Then we'll awake to the morning sun, maybe have some miso soup, broiled fish, rice, oshinko, green tea and start a new day again.

Man do I miss summers in Japan.

You can insert a few images in a post by clicking on the 'insert image' icon above or you can just e-mail them to me. I'll be glad to receive them. If you use 'insert image' I think they have to be a certain size which you can re-size in any photo editor.

Oh Pachipro, you're making me regret spending my summer here in Korea, when I could have been a couple of hours away in Japan!
Im hoping that it will still be of considerable suitability for barbecues when I get there... in oh! 23 days Im sure not too much would have changed in that time. But I have taken to carrying around another layer to wear if im out at night.
Anybody want to join me for a BBQ in Fukuoka?

I'm making myself regret it also Kara_Nari after posting that. I shoud visit more often in the summer instead of usually in the winter/spring time.

BBQ's should still be going where it is warm when you get there. I do hope you are meeting some friends or people there and that you enjoy your stay. Will you be staying permanently or is it just a visit?

If I were in Japan at the moment I would definetly invite you to stay at my place for a BBQ and such. In fact even if it were cold outside I would still have one in your honor! Good luck in your visit.

Thanks ! Well this is just going to be a very quick visit, initially it was going to be a long winter visit, but comitments are starting to arise, and I should be here so as not to tarnish any future possiblities.
I think I will just make my visit a quiet one, and stay with a friend who lives in Fukuoka, but she is very busy, so there might be a lonely Gaijin on the streets of Japan drinking an Asahi Super Dry for Pachipro and of course a few more for herself hhahaha. Is drinking outside of the Combini popular here? I have made it one of my hobbies here in Korea, much to my korean friends distaste hahaha.
Its so much cheaper to buy your booze form the Combini and sit outside, order delivery and eat your food. Saves at least 50,000Won AND you get to watch as people pass by! Everynow and then a local will come and chat, share a beer and then wander on their way. Sometimes I get dragged off somewhere to do something else which is also fun. But I will always like sitting outside the trusty dairy to drink Beer.
I think it started in Thailand, because it was so hot, and you could only buy beer from 7 Eleven in some parts, because the bars would close at 1.

BBQ's in Nz are good fun too, but I dont miss them yet, because its too cold there at the moment to enjoy outside dining.
Outside dining is one of my favourite things.
When I have my own place in Korea, you will have to pop over on one of your visits

Pachipro sama, your wish is my command !! Ashai Dry it will be--the edamame will come fresh from the garden, and the sprouts and squid will be the best we can get here. The yakisoba will be mixed with good karubi and vegies. The weiners, well, I cheat a bit there--you see I always buy the ones they have a rather nearby (25 min. by car) Brazilian food shop, nice and spicy and cheap. That miso mix is new to me, but I'll give it a shot, I usually just use the hot miso, and sometimes mix hot pima with it.

Kara Nari sama, have no fear !! Even if you don't have the time to do it right, you can stop by the local Yakinikuya and do your thing--environment is not as good though. I have BBQs up until the end of October or so. After the eating is pretty much done, I throw some fairly large logs on the fire, and get it all warm and romantic-like to finish off the evening. Oh yeah, I always have music going; sometimes when my music friends are here, we do it ourselves.

The Summer has not fizzled out yet, and we're still enjoying every sweaty minute of it !! :atsui:

Makes my mouth water as I read it Mars Man.

The cucumbers and miso is called "moro kyu" in Japanese. It is often served in snacks as a side to whatever you are drinking. It is made by slicing raw cold cucumber lengthwise and dipping it in into a dollop of raw miso. Nice treat on a summer evening.

I like outside bbq's I can inside ones anytime
Mars man, watch out for a strange looking New Zealand girl lurking around your garden stealing your edamame, hahhha, best be sure that the fire is out before going inside too.... otherwise you might have that same somebody sleeping next to your fire mwahahahhahahaah.... you have been warned.

Thanks for the info there Pachiro. I've been eating the treat all this time and never really knew what the mouth-watering mix was called.

O.K. Kara Nari, I'll be sure to put up one of those net fences that we use to keep the racoon dogs out, but I'll put up a sign, in English, pointing to where the edamame plants are located. Oh, and the fireside thing is free and open, if you don't mind the cats we have curling up beside you !! That was a nice one there, Kara Nari !!! See you guys later on !! 'gotta go mow some lawn.