Katsuura (2)

Hello everyone! (●・ω・)ﾉ

Let’s continue from where we left last week…

After leaving the beach,

Tamaki san finds a place where he has no idea

what is happening inside!

Then he takes a peek inside and a man appears at the entrance.

Tamaki san greets him and asks him what kind of place this is…

The man (Watanabe san) explains that they produce

Sazae and Awabi (species of sea snail).

Tamaki san then asks him if they can take a look inside,

and Watanabe san of course agrees.

As soon as they get in,

Tamaki san notices that the place

is actually pretty warm.

Watanabe san tells him that the temperature of this place

is in relation with the temperature of the sea water!

That’s why it is warm during the winter and

cool during the hot summer days.

As Tamaki san gets closer to the pool

where they keep the sazae…

he asks Watanabe san:

“Of course these are the sazae they catch

around this area, right?”

But he’s wrong…

Watanabe san says that the ones in this pool are

brought from other towns but what they keep in the large water

galons over there are the sazae they catch in Chiba!

Then Tamaki san says: “Certainly, these are pretty big!”

But he’s wrong again XD

Watanabe san tells him

that the Chiba products are much bigger!!

To show him the difference,

Watanabe san brings out the sazae and

holds them in his hand!!

WOW!!

They ARE big!! Compared to other areas!!

After checking out the sazae,

they also visit the pool where the Awabi are being kept in.

In the water,

they put them in baskets like the one in the photo.

The shorter they are in the basket,

the easier it is to pick them up.

But after a few weeks, they stick to the basket and

it becomes hard to separate them from it XD

Tamaki san tries removing one but he can’t!

They do this to help the awabi become strong again and

go back to the condition they had before being caught.

Then they talk about how the water coming from the mountain

gets mixed with the sea water and helps the process with

making the water sea become more refreshed.

Then Tamaki san says that it must be a rare thing

in other cities of the country.

And Watanabe san says that he has traveled all over the country

and he can say that there is no other place with the same condition!!

Now taking the fresh awabi from the baskets in the water,

Watanabe san invites Tamaki san to visit their house

and eat the awabi there.

So they get in the car and drive home XD

Somehow,

Watanabe san’s mother is standing there

to welcome Tamaki san XD

ahahahahaha!!

She asks him where they come from…

and Tamaki san replies Tokyo…

but seems like she doesnt really care where he comes from XD

she opens her hands in the air and says

“Looking lovely!”

ahahahahaha!!

No one can deny that!

Tamaki san gets inside and greets teh family.

Then heading to the kitchen…

He takes off his over coat and gets ready for some cooking!

Actually, this is his first time removing the shell of an Awabi…

It’s not that easy…

So Watanabe san’s wife starts showing him how to do it.

He needs to put the knife in between the meat and the shell

and just keep trying until the shell is removed XD

But it’s very hard. And it needs power.

OK! Now it’s Tamaki san’s turn!! XD

He starts removing the shell.

He’s using too much power

he is now worried about the knife… XD

But he did it!!!

The shell is now removed.

Then he washes the awabi with water in the kitchen sink.

Now it’s time to cut it into thin slices with the knife

and make the sashimi!

But somehow…

The awabi jumps out of his hand!!!

And everyone laughs!!

He picks it up from the floor while laughing and

washes the awabi with the water again XD

hehehehehe!! That naughty awabi!!! XD

Everything is under control…

No need to panic XD Let’s continue!

Tamaki san starts cutting the awabi…

Amazingly, Tamaki san is very good at this!

All the slices are cut in the same size…

carefully and neatly…

Watanabe san’s wife is surprised!

And she phrases him ♡

Then it’s time to cut the liver part.

He needs to cut it into tiny pieces… almost smashing it!

Watanabe san’s wife explains that they mix some miso

with this and then apply it to the awabi and eat as it is!

Tamaki san says that it probably goes well with rice…

ahahahaha!!! This has a meaning… XD

Watanabe san’s wife is a wise woman…

so she says:

“We have a lot of rice prepared, don’t worry!” XD

Tamaki san thanks her with a happy face!!

Finally it’s time to eat!!

Itadakimasu…

But Tamaki san is wondering where he should start from XD

Then he decides to start with the awabi he prepared by himself!

After taking a bite…

Tamaki san says that it’s tasty!!

His eyebrows always jump up

when he actually likes the taste XD

While going for some rice,

Watanabe san’s wife exoplains to him that awabi is

good for people who has been under a surgery

or something like that.

It is said that it helps the injuries get healed faster.

And Watanabe san also says that the people living around here,

bring awabi as a gift for people

who has been under a surgery

or for women who have given birth.

Again with a super happy expression on his face,

Tamaki san goes for the soup!

The fish inside is Kinme… expensive and luxurious!

Tamaki san drinks some soup and closes his eyes…

His face becomes even happier!!

Watanabe san is happy too…

says that it looks like they are watching a commercial!!

ahahahahaha

But Tamaki san insists that it really is tasty!

Another sip of the soup and the happy eyes again XD

Watanabe san says that he’s a real pro in eating deliciously!!

hahahaha!! NO! It really is delicious!! XD

Then going for the huge shrimps…

Taking a bite and he closes his eyes again XD

“It’s really perfect!” he says.

The couple explain that they always eat from

their own company’s products so that they can

be able to introduce it to the customers properly.

^^

After leaving the kind Watanabe family,

Tamaki san goes back to the port again

and stands there in front of the blue ocean!

He says that the port may be small and compact in size…

but it’s a place which has been the target of

many penetrations before…

and it should be under strict protection as well!

It’s very rustic, he says!

The sea water is clear…

It must have taken the nature

thousands of years to create this landscape

as the way it is now…

It is rustic and simple, but nostalgic at the same time.

A place surrounded by the nature,

where you don’t really feel the presence of the human beings.

It kinda makes you feel relaxed!

But thinking about how it’s located

in the the Pacific ocean side,

and not that far away from Tokyo…

makes you think of it as a New Discovery!

This place called the Ubara port,

with all the stories and it’s natural landscapes…

is picked as the

kokoro no hikyo #11

by Tamaki Hiroshi!

☆

It’s already dark outside but the journey has not ended yet!

Next place Tamaki san is heading to,

is a small sake brewing company.

He gets inside and is gauided to where they

do the fermentation process!

Then the staff show him how they should mix it once in a while.

Tamaki san asks if it needs

too much power and the man says yes!

And then asks him if he wants to try it out XD

They both laugh and

Tamaki san holds the stick in his hand and

starts mixing the contents.

He already looks like one of the staff

with his white cap XD

This is how they make the clear and

delicious sake in this area.

Then he is guided to another room

where he can try out the sake!

Best part of the visit XD

As the man opens the bottle,

an unusual sound is heard!

Something like the sound you hear,

when you open a bottle of Soda!

The man says that this sake has a special characteristic…

Tamaki san has noticed as well…

Judging from the sound he heard like we did,

the taste must be a little bit different as well, he says.

Then he gives it a try.

It’s true! It actually bites the tongue a little bit,

but it’s not as strong as a Soda for sure.

Taking another sip of the sake…

Tamaki san says that this will match perfectly with Japanese food.

Drinking while eating himono (Dried fish) XD

ahahaha…

wonder if he’s expecting an offer from them…

a perfect set of Japanese fresh sea food with the sake!!

But no offer like that comes from the man >__<

OK! It didn’t work…

Let’s go to the next place!! XD

☆

A workshop?

Let’s get inside and see what they make here!

This is Suzuki san.

And this is a workshop where they paint the colorful

patterns on kimono by hand.

Tamaki san asks him in what kind of situation

do people wear an outfit like this.

Suzuki san explains to him about the old tradition.

After a big catch in the sea,

this kind of outfit was presented as

some sort of a reward.

Tamaki san is going to try out one of them.

“bakagai” is what’s written on it XD

Tamaki san laughs when he notices the word!

in Japanese,

baka means stupid and kai or gai means shellfish XD

But well, this is just the name of a shellfish

being caught around this area.

Tamaki san tries the kimono on…

But suzuki san laughs and says that he’s too tall…

the kimono looks a little bit short on him XD

It’s different from a normal kimono.

The back is the main part with the most details.

Tamaki san says that he already feels

the “Good Luck” wearing this outfit! XD

In the old days,

when going back home after a big catch in the sea,

they used to have these flags with the same kind of pattern

on their sailing boats as a way of letting everyone know

about their good catch!

A tradition which has almost faded out

and doesn’t exit these days.

Now they mostly consecrate on the outfits.

This tradition was also brought to Shizuoka and Aomori

from this area in Chiba.

Now Tamaki san is going to take the challenge of making a print!

The one teaching him is Suzuki san’s son

who will be taking the business after his father.

First they draw the outlines with a glue made by glutinous rice.

Then they apply the color on top…

and after the painting is done, they remove the glue

and the outlines will be appearing in white color.

The template has already been prepared.

Tamaki san has to apply the colors…

Tamaki san starts working on the painting…

and while doing that, he asks Suzuki san’s son:

“Watching your father working in this field,

what made you decide to follow after him

and do the same job?”

The young Suzuki san explains

that he didn’t really like this job to begin with.

He’s been watching his father since he was a child,

and he knew about the difficulties

they had to face everyday.

So he decided to find a stable job

and started looking for one

after graduating from college.

But it was around the same time when his grandfather

who was the 2nd generation in the shop,

has suddenly passed away.

And that’s when he started to think about who else but him

can run the business after his father…

But he had already found a job and

he didn’t know what to do anymore…

So he decided to get away from everything

and left the country for a trip to America,

all by himself… for 2 months!

During his journey,

there was a time when he visited

a private art gallery in Monterey…

And guess what he found?!!

One of his late Grandfather’s works

was there among the paintings!

“A coincidence?” Tamaki san asks.

Yes! He replies!! Totally by chance!!

He took this as a sign…

He said NO to the job offer

as soon as he came back to japan,

and started working in this field

to run his family business

and do the same job as his grandfather used to do!

Tamaki san smiles and says that his

grandfather should be happy as well…

But the young Suzuki san says that he regrets the fact

that he was not being able to let his grandfather know

about this decision before his death.

What a beautiful story ^^

A tradition being kept preciously for years…

and now passing to the next generation!

Hearing such a wonderful story…

Tamaki san did his best,

trying to finish the painting

with respect for the hard work

they do everyday to keep the tradition alive.

And here’s the finished work!!

a cute and meaningful design!

The dancing tai

(A type of fish being eaten on a celebration)

Hope it brings happiness and good fortune for Tamaki san,

and all the staff members working

on this amazing documentary series!

ヽ(・∀・)ノ

Now  the best shot taken by

Tamaki Hiroshi in katsuura!

And that was all for his journey in Chiba!!

Hope you could enjoy it as much as I did ^^

☆

Next is a journey to Okuchichibu in Saitama perefecture

Challenging Wood-chopping?! XD

Meeting people for the first time…

A lot more to discover with Tamaki Hiorshi ^^

So please stay tuned!

ﾖﾛ───ヽ(○｀･v･)人(･v･´●)ﾉ───ｼｸ♪

Have a great time and see you soon!

bai bai ヾ(｡･v･｡)

☆☆☆

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玉木宏の秘境ふれあい紀行

is being aired on BS Asahi,

Every Thursday at 23:00

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