Nagoya: Train, Meat, and Booze!

I've now been to Nagoya four times, and I will be going back again soon. This often-ignored city has a good bit to offer for tourists, and even more for me with several amusement parks (including my favorite amusement park in Japan) and baseball card stores.

But I'm not making the journey to central Japan just to get flipped upside down a few times and go on a shopping spree. Every trip adds several new places to my experiences. My latest trip was an overnighter in early July that saw me visit five small amusement parks in one day.

 The second day started in Inuyama (literally, "Dog Mountain") to return to Meiji Mura, a village packed with historic houses, and certainly the best historical village in Japan. Inuyama is served by Meitetsu Railways, and this single-car train hit the local stations.

 This is miso katsu, battered and fried pork covered in a miso sauce. It's quite delicious, pretty much just like all the other fried food in Japan! I made sure I got some on this trip, since it had been a while.

 I picked up two beers at Meiji Mura, starting with this darker Meiji Mura Roman Beer. It was very smooth but not mild; it had plenty of flavor and really, it's a quality beer! At least, in my opinion.

The Mitsoboshi Beer Pilsner is lighter, but not as good. It's somewhat bitter without much else. Would I drink it again if someone put a glass in front of me? Certainly! But it doesn't match my palate. Both beers probably come from the same brewer.

Expect a flood of Nagoya posts over the next week as I recount my weekend trip! Until next time...

Booze in Japan: Chu-Hi

This stuff is dangerous.

With a fairly potent alcohol content - it's right there on the can - and sweet flavors, chu-hi is a drink that comes pretty cheap and lets those who want their fruity beverages get tipsy at the same time.

This is the very first can I ever tried, a couple weeks ago. I haven't had it since, though I haven't exactly sworn it off. Chu-hi is basically a wine cooler, though Japan has those too. Zima is on the shelves of my local convenience stores. But being a locally-made product, it's cheaper.

If you've ever had a wine cooler, you basically know what this tastes like and how the experience will go. I've found that wine coolers taste okay, but soon after I don't feel so good. This had the same effect. I am sure part of the issue is how fast I could drink this compared to beer, plus possibly having an empty stomach.

I know a few friends in Japan who are essentially addicted to chu-hi, and at a price that's comparable to or cheaper than beer, I'm not surprised!

Personally, when I do drink in Japan it's usually beer. I finally bought a bottle of Jack Daniels to make some Jack and Cokes from time to time. What's your poison of choice?

Beer in a Vending Machine!

This would never work in America. Not for one day. But in Japan, beer isn't that tough to find in vending machines. It's not in every vending machine, but there are plenty with at least a few cans of alcohol. There are no restrictions on this machine, either, so kids could just buy beer if nobody was watching. That's how good Japanese kids are, I suppose. But the cigarette machines require a special ID tag card to activate the sale.

The Oldest Japanese Booze: Touring the Sapporo Beer Museum

Founded in 1876, Sapporo is the oldest brewery in Japan. By 1906, it held a major monopoly in the country, after buying up a couple competitors. One of those purchased competitors, Yebisu, was located in Tokyo and is where Sapporo Beer is headquartered today.

The original brewery building remains intact in the city of Sapporo, now open for tasting and tours of sorts.

There isn't a lot to see here, though what's on display is interesting for beer fans. And the old building mixed with modern-design displays is attractive.

You can see old bottles and brewing equipment. Note that there isn't that much English signage here, but the displays speak for themselves.

On the upper floor, in addition to the old bottles, some brewing-process displays, and the history lesson, you can view a collection of Sapporo beer signs mixed with photos.

To get from the upper level to the lower, visitors walk down a ramp that goes around an old kettle.

Once you get downstairs, you can view a modern-style bar. Unfortunately it doesn't seem that beer is served here... at least not on slower days.

Across from the bar, the long wall has dozens of old advertisements. They are very similar to US beer advertisements, and many of them have attractive women. After you finish seeing the fake bar, you head into the shop and the real bar. (More on this later.)

In another building known as the Sapporo Bier Garten, you can have all-you-can-eat barbecue, known as Genghis Khan (pronounced jin-gi-su-kan). The Bier Garten serves lamb and vegetables (onions and bean sprouts) that you cook at your table on a helmet-shaped plate plus plenty of beer to wash it down. Most (Japanese) tourists consider this a must-visit experience.

I have a strong desire to return to Sapporo, even if only for a couple days, and I plan to return for dinner one night. I have heard that the smell of grilled meat will soak into your clothes, which isn't so pleasant as it gets stale, so plan on doing laundry after eating here. (Yes. There's an old train to see behind the Garten.)

So, as I mentioned, after touring the museum, you can try some fresh beer. You can order individual beers, or a set of three different styles with some beer crackers. You can see what I bought. The three-pack includes Black Label, Classic, and Kaitakushi (Pioneer) Beer. The kaitakushi beer is the "original recipe" for Sapporo Beer and uses local ingredients. It has a stronger flavor but was still pretty good, though my favorite has become Black Label. Also, there's a store selling all kinds of gifts and foods - Hokkaido and Sapporo specialties in addition to Sapporo Beer souvenirs.

The Beer Museum is located a 25-minute walk from Sapporo Station, or you can take a bus (Loop 88 Factory Line) directly from the train station right to the front door. Admission is free, and the museum is open from 9:00 AM until 6:00 PM; the Bier Garten is open 11:30 AM to 10 PM. All-you-can-eat/drink lamb and beer is under 4000 yen; alternately you can order smaller plates or dine at the Garden Grill.

Museum of Yebisu Beer: Tokyo's Only Beer Museum

 Japanese beer may be fairly standard and mild-flavored, but that doesn't mean it's bad. Beer brwery tours and museums can be found throughout Japan, Tokyo itself has only one museum, located in Ebisu. Just go through this door... through the department store...

 And keep following the signs into the museum itself, with two giant beer cans on either side of the doors. Yebisu beer brought about the name of the town of Ebisu. The museum and Ebisu Garden Place is built on the site of the old brewery. Yebisu is now owned by Sapporo.

 The entry is one floor above the museum itself. The balcony has a picture of the God Yebisu; don't step on the image as that is disrespectful.

 The museum has a gallery full of old bottles and images. Here's a very old beer bottle.

 Here's another one.

 The katakana says Yebisu Beer. Actually, the "Ye" sound as disappeared from most of the Japanese language, which is why the area is now known as Ebisu. The y sound in "yen" (Japanese currency) isn't pronounced either. So you will be told your purchase totals in "en".

 Lots of historic beer signs are on the walls.

 I love old advertising artwork of this style, just like American businesses used in the past.

Little trinkets and paraphernalia are on display.

There is a tour (500 yen) of the brewing process given in Japanese. I didn't take the tour, though I might try in the future with a Japanese friend. A store is located across from the gallery as well as a tasting bar - beers can be purchased with Yebisu coins - one coin (400 yen) gives you one beer; food costs one or two coins.

The museum is open Tuesdays through Sundays 11AM-7PM. The museum itself is free and is located in Ebisu Garden Place, about five minutes walk from Ebisu Station on the JR and Hibiya lines.

A Taste of Hokkaido

Every small town, city, prefecture, and area in Japan has its own food specialties. Maybe it's a form of noodles, or sake, or type of produce or meat grown or raised in the area. If I tell my students I'm going somewhere, they almost always recommend a certain local delicacy that I have to try.

Hokkaido takes this to the extreme. It has the "best" of almost everything. Here's a rundown of many of the foods and drinks I tried while I was in town.

 Hokkaido is home to many breweries. I'll get to the most famous one in a minute, but the island is scattered with small "craft" breweries all over the place. I counted 15 different beers from probably 8 different breweries on sale in the Hokkaido goods shop in Sapporo Station. While I was in Abashiri I tried one of those, a blue-colored beer called Okhotsk Blue. At first taste it was fairly good, extremely light but with a nice flavor. However, it had a sort of syrupy aftertaste. Abashiri Brewery has other brews including a fairly normal-appearing blend but unfortunately money and time prohibited me from trying more.

 The number one gift to bring back from Sapporo are small wafer-like cookies with white chocolate sandwiched in between. Those cookies are pretty good though they are kind of mild, and they certainly don't remind me at all of Japan. But Ishiya, the manufacturer of the aforementioned cookies, also sells a chocolate drink in small coffee-like cans. It's a very thick, rich flavor - a perfect chocolate drink hot or cold. They don't come cheap, though, at about 200 yen for a small can. I had two cans on my trip, but I probably could have drank two cans every day and still craved more!

 Also seen around Hokkaido were these Bear sodas - there are Brown Bear and White Bear drinks. This is a guarana soda and was pretty good.

 Okay, what about food? Hokkaido ramen is miso-based with pork and a few other simple ingredients. I also asked for a hard-boiled egg. My coworker was mad that I didn't order it with "everything" although I ordered what she recommended - the traditional Hokkaido-style ramen. It was good, though my favorites still remain Kitakata and Kyushu style ramens. On a side note, I would really like to try the buttered corn ramen.

 Sapporo has an autumn festival with several food stands set up near Sapporo Station and in the park along Odori. The food is expensive but delicious (appearing) - I only tried two things. Above you see a food stand version of Genghis Khan, which is grilled meat. I'll have to try actual Genghis Khan somewhere else on a future trip.

 And yes, that is a beer behind the food. I found these two Fighters cans in the Hokkaido store at normal beer prices. They're both Sapporo brand beer; I believe one was Sapporo Classic and the other was Sapporo Black Label. After visiting the Sapporo Beer Museum, I've decided that Black Label is my favorite Japanese mainstream beer.

  These aren't just ordinary french fried potatoes. These are Hokkaido potatoes. Do they taste any different? Not really. They were good, though.

 I'm not sure if this is a Hokkaido exclusive or just a limited edition, but this was the first time I saw these "panda" Pocky sticks. I bought this box at Hokkaido Greenland and took the picture in a flower bed before giving them a shot. If you like Oreos then you'll like these!

 Again, this might not exactly be a "Hokkaido" thing but these are the Japanese equivalent of Cheetos. Yes, Cheetos already exist in Japan. These taste more authentically "cheesy" and don't stain your fingers like Cheetos.

 This is definitely from Hokkaido. Much of Japan's milk comes from Hokkaido and a handful of companies sell single-serve glass bottles in some stores. It might be the freshest, most delicious milk I've had... ever. And yes, I kept the bottle as a souvenir.

 I needed lunch at Sapporo Dome on Saturday, so I wandered around the stadium for a while before settling on something somewhat unique. I noticed they had a Subway franchise, typical sushi bento boxes, and usual ballpark food (burgers, dogs, chicken tenders, etc). But out in right field I came across a stand selling beer and somewhat different food items. This fried chicken (is it actually chicken?) was pretty good - it might have been skin only. Regardless, it was like the best of KFC.

And in the wrapper behind it was rice wrapped in what I think was bacon, coated in a soy based sauce. That, too, was very delicious and I'm glad I bought it.

I didn't get a picture of it, but Hokkaido is known for its corn. You can get it in your ramen, or find grilled corn on the cob at tourist destinations around the island. I got a very tasty ear in Toya that served as my lunch.

Hokkaido's other agricultural product that must be tried is the melon. They're very sweet and full of flavor, and are almost creamy. Usually you have to buy an entire melon (about 1200-1500 yen) but you might find a slice for about 300 yen.

And while milk might be the easiest dairy product to find and sample inexpensively around Hokkaido, cheese and butter are also very popular and tasty.

If and when I can return to Hokkaido, I hope to sample a bit more of the local flavor. First, I need to try more ramen. Plus, I have to have a go with Genghis Khan. A good deal that I found but wasn't able to take advantage of was Ginza Lion's all-you-can-eat offer in Susukino. If price is not as much of a concern, I would love to try the local hairy crab, which can be seen in tanks outside or just inside restaurants similar to lobster tanks in America.

An Empty Day in Hokkaido

Yesterday was basically a bust. I got up early and got to the station in plenty of time to catch a train that wasn't coming - it was canceled due to the typhoon. 

So I caught a bus out toward Shiretoko. I could still make my sightseeing cruise that way. 

Well by the time I got to the bus transfer point I found out my cruise was cancelled due to rough waters, again thanks to the hurricane. So I caught the return bus back to Abashiri. 

I ended up spending about half the day putzing around in Abashiri, but while I was there I tried a blue beer. 

Like most Japanese beers it was very light, though this had a strange aftertaste. For that reason I didn't really care for it. I was hoping it would have a unique flavor like the blueberry beer I tried a few years ago. If I have the chance I'll try some of the other Hokkaido brands. 

I took the afternoon train back and wandered around Sapporo a little bit. I had already done my sightseeing in the area but I found myself passing the clock tower at night. 

And even late at night people were waiting to pose in front of it. 

And of course, near the clock tower is the TV tower. 

I think it looks much better at night. 

I had KFC for dinner (spicy chicken which was pretty good and really juicy) and enjoyed the spa at my hotel. I'm staying in a capsule hotel though this one is nicer than the one I went to before. 

Today's adventure is already over but I'll have to bring you that later. This post is getting too long!

Location: Lion Beer Hall, Ginza, Tokyo

Got beer?

 On paper and in person, Ginza is a neighborhood of high-class shops and world class dinners. It isn't hard to find some of the most expensive designer stores and Tokyo's most exclusive restaurants when you're strolling down Chuo Dori, the main shopping street. But, mixed in with and tucked behind the shops that Julia Robert's character in Pretty Woman would be kicked out of is a collection of stores and eateries for those with a more normal income. One of those locations is Lion Beer Hall. Just look for the Lion name out front!

 Hm. The plastic food looks good. Let's head inside!

 Hm. The actual food looks good, too! I had the fish and chips (the chips are hiding under the fish, I think). For the price the serving size wasn't too big, but you don't come here to eat.

 You come to a beer hall to drink, and they have a decent selection of beers. I saw a Yebisu black and tan on the menu - a good mix of dark and light beers that has an interesting taste without being too bitter from excessive hops. So I got it! Delicious.

 The inside is designed to look like a German beer hall.

As you can see, it has great ceilings and wall murals. The place was fairly busy but there wasn't a big line (I didn't have to wait) late on a nice Sunday afternoon. It's a lively place and for those looking for beer in Ginza, this would be my number one recommendation. I've only been once but I really enjoyed it! I've only been in Ginza once or twice, anyway.

Lion Beer Hall is located on the east side of Chuo Dori, on the corner. If you're coming from Ginza Station, it'll be on the left. It's open daily from 11:30 AM til 10:30 or 11 PM, they have an English menu, and they take credit cards! Plan to spend about 700 yen for a beer - dinner with a couple drinks will run you about 2000-2500 yen.