An Ordinary Life In Yamato City, Kanagawa,Japan

Today’s lazy lunch in Japan.

A spinach tortilla, seasoned ground meat, melted cheese, fresh lettuce and Caesar dressing mixed with ketchup.

I just flipped the tortilla over and cook the ground meat until it is browned

Crispy outside, juicy inside.

From Yamato station, I took the Odakyu Line to Fujisawa, then changed to the charming Enoden train. It took about an hour to reach Inamuragasaki.

The area has a relaxed, beach-town atmosphere that reminds me of California. 🌴

There are lots of stylish cafés with ocean views, and many people enjoy surfing, walking, or simply watching the waves.

I spent the afternoon looking at the sea, taking photos, and enjoying the slow pace of life. It was the perfect little getaway.

Sometimes, the best memories come from simply sitting by the ocean with no plans at all.

Itako isn’t the easiest place to get to, so I ended up arriving late — but I just barely made the dinner cutoff at 9 p.m.

Kamenoi has hotels all over the place, so next I want to try the one in Atami. I’ve heard it’s been developing really fast lately.

Huge retired sumo wrestlers…

but their voices are dubbed by little children. 🤣

They say things like:

“Look! HARIBO Goldbears!”

“I got the green apple! 🍏”

“HARIBO is sooo squishy!”

“Let’s mix all the flavors!”

One Russian former sumo wrestler proudly says:

“Juicy desu…✨”

It’s impossible not to smile.

The concept is beautiful:😍

Every adult still has a five-year-old child inside.

It’s the sounds.

Not just animal sounds like wan wan (woof) or nyan nyan (meow). Lots of languages have those.

Japanese gives sounds to things that don’t even make a sound.

✨ Sparkling?

kirakira

😰 Nervous?

dokidoki

😶 Complete silence?

shiin

Wait… silence has a sound?

Yes.

Then it gets even stranger.

Change just one consonant, and the whole image changes.

Korokoro⚪️

A small, light object rolling around.

Gorogoro🪨

A big, heavy object rolling…

Or someone lazily lying on the couch all day.

Or even the sound of thunder.

Same basic idea.

Completely different feeling.

Another fun pair:

Kirakira ✨

Sparkling beautifully.

Giragira ☀️

Blazing intensely.

The scorching summer sun.

Or someone’s burning ambition.

Just one voiced consonant changes everything.

Here’s another one Japanese people feel instinctively:

Patapata👡

Someone busily moving around in a light, cute way.

You can almost hear slippers tapping across the floor.

Batabata💦

Someone rushing around in chaos.

Busy. Stressful. Everything is happening at once.

The meaning is similar.

The emotion isn’t.

Japanese has hundreds of these words.

* sarasara (smooth, silky)

* zarazara (rough)

* gatugatsu (devouring food greedily)

* katsukatsu (barely getting by, financially or on time)

They’re not just vocabulary.

They’re tiny sound effects for everyday life.

That’s what fascinates me.

Japanese doesn’t only describe the world.

It sounds like the world.

Sometimes, changing a single letter changes the picture in your head.

And somehow…

every Japanese speaker understands the difference without anyone ever explaining it.

I also had a hearty Japanese simmered dish packed with lots of different ingredients, plus some Delaware grapes for dessert.

I had soba noodles and hot pot for lunch.

Among dry soba, Kisoji Mitake soba is my absolute favorite. I love how each strand has a slightly different thickness — it really gives off that handmade feel.

I boil it for about 5 minutes, drain it in a colander, and rinse with cold water. Then I top it with tenkasu (tempura crumbs) and shredded nori.

For the mentsuyu (noodle soup base), buying the straight/undiluted kind is much easier than the 3x concentrate. Add some chopped green onions and wasabi, and it’s perfect!

I also highly recommend these hot pot cubes. Just dissolve 3 cubes in 540 ml of water, then throw in some supermarket chicken meatballs, a pack of cabbage, and tofu, and let it simmer. So easy!

The IH pot I bought the other day is already getting plenty of use.

And when it comes to Obon, you can’t forget about the spirit horses (shōryō-uma)!

These are little vehicles made for returning ancestors, crafted from vegetables like cucumbers and eggplants.

The spirits are said to arrive on the night of August 13 and depart at dawn on the 16th, so the horses are displayed during that time.🥒

While most are kept simple, some creative Japanese people go all out every year, turning it into a full artistic event.🍆

You’ll see everything from cars and ox carts to motorcycles, dragons, and even No-Face!

I can’t wait to see what amazing creations people will come up with this year🤣

I picked up a cup of veggie sticks with a delicious Miso-Koji Mayonnaise dip and items from the popular “Kin no” (Gold Label) series.

I stir-fried the gomoku vegetable mix in a frying pan and added udon dashi broth and black pepper — it turned out incredibly delicious.

The “Kin no” beef curry only needs to be heated in microwave. Pouch is microwavable.

The Sagamiya fluffy agedashi tofu is super easy: just heat it in the microwave, pour on the included sauce, and top it with the chopped green onions I bought. Done!

I also boiled some fresh edamame — it’s in season right now in summer🌻

Just add some salt to boiling water and cook them for about 4.5 minutes. Then sprinkle generously with more salt at the end.

It’s been getting hotter lately, so I’ve been enjoying a light lager — Asahi Super Dry — paired with Otoko Ume plum chuhai.

The first one is “Lupin the Third”.

It has been arranged and performed by various artists, including Tokyo Ska Paradise Orchestra.

The second one is “GeGeGe no Kitaro”.

This song features a mysterious chord progression that’s very characteristic of yokai anime, and it’s often arranged in jazz styles.

I also really like the Tokyo GeGeGei version.

From there, I strolled along the coast for around 20 minutes, crossed the famous railroad crossing, and hopped on the Enoden at Kamakura High School Station heading to Gokurakuji.

The Enoden is famous for squeezing through unbelievably narrow gaps between houses — it feels like the train is gliding right through people’s backyards.

Gokurakuji itself was pure Ghibli vibes: lush, vibrant green summer scenery straight out of a Studio Ghibli film.

Being so close to the sea, the area has tons of cute California-style cafés and restaurants, which creates a really fun contrast with the traditional Japanese surroundings.

For lunch, I grabbed a delicious set of soba noodles and tempura tendon （1650yen) right by the station — it was excellent💕

It’s a magical space where you can enjoy a European atmosphere, with Mount Fuji rising in the background!

Musical instruments are placed all around, and you can also enjoy mini-concerts featuring opera and violin performances.

Nearby, there’s also a facility where you can watch monkey shows. Buying a set ticket is a great deal! (2400yen)

The Japanese monkeys are incredibly smart — I was totally amazed! 🐒

Since I had some extra time, I also went to Oishi Park, the final stop on the Red Line bus. The lavender was in full bloom 🪻

The sashimi is a little over 600 yen, but just plating it makes it look really luxurious and gorgeous.✨

Chicken wing middles (tebanaka) are always cheap — about 200 yen for 10 pieces.

I slowly cook them in a frying pan, season with salt and pepper, then quickly stir-fry with garlic. That’s all it takes to turn them into a delicious treat.

They have skin, so the outside gets nice and crispy, and they’re easier to eat than wing tips. They’re the perfect snack.

By the way, I mince garlic, put it in a Ziploc bag, and freeze it. There’s also a product called “flavored salt & pepper” that already has the salt and pepper mixed in.

For boiled eggs, I put them in a marinated egg container I bought at the 100-yen shop, pour in some sukiyaki sauce, and let them sit in the fridge. In two days, they’ll go on top of ramen.

I also often buy packs of shredded green onions (shiraga negi) because they’re so convenient. I season them with soy sauce, vinegar, and chili oil. Those will be another topping for the ramen in two days.

I’ve decided to have Chinese-style meatballs and happosai for lunch tomorrow.

In the summer afternoons, clouds often block the view, but if you go in the morning, you can see the mountain clearly and beautifully.

From there, it’s another 10-minute walk to Kawaguchiko Lake Hotel, where I stayed overnight (about ¥20,000 per person).

The room had a great lake view, and the service was attentive and thoughtful.

You can enjoy a breakfast buffet while admiring Mt. Fuji. The food was all delicious with a wide variety of options.

The open-air bath was also beautiful and truly relaxing.

On weekdays, it’s only 1,800 yen for 3 hours (with one drink included), so we could play to our hearts’ content. Plus, there were only about 2-3 other people besides us.

It opens at noon, but I bet it’s packed with young people at night.

Since the restaurants also use it to promote their dinner service, lunch is usually about half the price of dinner.

Set meals generally go for around 1,000 to 2,000 yen! Today I went to an all-you-can-eat lunch on the 5th floor of World Porters in Yokohama, and it included all-you-can-drink for just 2,000 yen.

For dinner, I grilled fish. It’s the ultimate Japanese set meal that people coming back from overseas trips crave the most. It would’ve been even better with miso soup!

The fish marinated in Saikyo-zuke — that slightly sweet white miso — goes perfectly with rice.🐟

I also had two of my recent favorite craft beers 🍺

They’re both under 300 yen and taste really good.