Fire Festivals and Doriyaki

One of the sadder moments of living abroad is when you realise that Guy Fawkes Night is pretty much an exclusively British event. I'd been complaining about the lack of fireworks when I heard of the Taimatsu Akashi, or the Sukagawa Fire Festival, which takes place a mere week after Bonfire Night.

In 1589, the castle of Sukagawa was burnt to the ground by Date Masamune. Now every year the people of Sukagawa commemorate the loss of life by building 7 feet tall pillars and setting them on fire. It's an amazing sight- the fires look incredible and frightening, but the locals seem fairly relaxed about the huge fire they start every year in the town centre.

This year, the weather was not kind. It was completely bucketing it down. Although we got completely soaked to the bone (as part of our grim determination to not put up an umbrella and block the view of the people behind us), the Samegawans cheerfully informed us that the rain was a good thing as it causes the fires to burn more slowly and the show to last longer. To be fair, there's nothing like standing next to a towering inferno to keep you warm on a drizzly night. And, as my friend so rightly pointed out, it feels more like Bonfire Night back home if it's tipping it down.

The festival stalls

However, when it was time to leave, I was glad of all the hot festival food that I could nibble on to warm up. So I picked up one of my favourites- doriyaki. These pancake sandwiches are common place in Japan, and I grabbed one traditional red bean filling and one custard filling. Red Bean is unbelievably popular here, making even the most simple snacks a little more interesting.

It may not have been Guy Fawkes Night, but it was a pretty incredible alternative.

Comments

Tea with a ghost? | Tiny Tim's Tearoom | Canterbury

Canterbury is such a historic city so I was looking for a traditional place for afternoon tea. Tiny Tim's Tearoom was the perfect place. Housed in a gorgeous 17th century building, this tearoom is particularly inviting with its baked goods displayed in the shop windows. Inside, Glen Miller was playing softly in the background, giving the place a nostalgic, vintage feel. Many British favourites were on offer, such as, crumpets, scones and hearty sponge cakes. I had an excellent coffee and walnut cake which had a wonderfully potent coffee flavour unlike many shop-bought ones. Served with a dollop of cream, ice cream or custard, these cakes are the ultimate comfort food. Tea is also in abundance. I tried Keemun Orchid which was a black tea that had notes of plum, orchid, sesame and pine. There are also more traditional blends for those who prefer more conventional tea. I attended this tearoom alone after a pleasant morning visiting Canterbury Cathedral. However, was I t

The Apple Pie Map | Hirosaki, Aomori

Are you a fan of apple pie? If you are, then Hirosaki might just be the place for you! Hirosaki is in Aomori, a prefecture in the Tohoku region in the north of Japan. Aomori is famous for its delicious apples, and nowhere is this fruit more greatly celebrated than in the city of Hirosaki. There are over 50 shops in the town selling different types of apple pie. With so many options, it can seem overwhelming. How can you possibly find the perfect pie for you?! Well, the answer is simple. All you need is the Apple pie map ! Not only does the map tell you all the different locations for pie shops and bakeries, it also rates each pie on its sweetness, sourness and amount of cinnamon. My personal favourite is スリーブリッヂ or Three Bridge, a cute little bakery near Hirosaki station. Their pie is rated 3/5 for sweetness and sourness. But don't take my word for it, head to Hirosaki and do your own research! There's plenty of pies to enjoy and beautiful sites in Hirosaki. Why

Fried Chicken Parfait? | Karafuneya Coffee, Kyoto

We've been around the world and tried many strange ice creams, from the tomato flavoured ice cream of Nice to the salt ice cream of Dublin . However, nothing quite matches the crazy ice creams available at Karafuneya Coffee in Kyoto. As soon as you enter this lovely cafe in the Sanjo area of Kyoto, you are greeted by an enormous number of plastic models representing the amazing desserts. The best thing about Karafuneya is the sheer range of sundaes. We were equally thrilled by the classic chocolate and strawberry parfaits and the slightly more unusual Japanese flavours, such as macha and black sesame. There were even enormous sundaes (about 2 feet tall) that you can share with all your friends. However, the real eye catchers are the more outlandish ice cream combinations. We spotted a model for a French fries parfait, a deep fried chicken parfait and an American hot dog parfait. The models actually looked surprisingly delicious, but we weren't feeling too adventurous. So

Crumbs to Crunch

Search This Blog