Tag: food

Himeji Shopping and Shabu-Shabu

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Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 6.7649998656528mm, f/1.8, 1/120 sec, ISO100
 “Muji Stationery” Himeji, 2026

Today we headed over to the city of Himeji to do some shopping at Muji, one of my favorite stores. I love everything about that place!

Although they have a respectable sized stationery section, I resisted buying anything. I admit to having a mechanical pencil and notebook in my basket, but I put them back since I don’t really need them. My collection at home is already overflowing! However, I did find a couple of shirts that fit perfectly, so I bought those. They were at a great price too, at around ¥1,200 JPY ($7.50 USD) each. Such a steal!

After shopping, we went to Shabu-yo, an all-you-can-eat shabu-shabu restaurant. It was delicious and we stuffed ourselves! By the time we left the restaurant, it was full of high school kids. We later saw the sign outside that advertised a special price for high school students. No wonder! I’d be eating here all the time if I were still in high school! 😄

Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 6.7649998656528mm, f/1.8, 1/60 sec, ISO200
 “Shabu-shabu” Himeji, 2026

Seaside Oysters at Tsudau-Suisan

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Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 6.7649998656528mm, f/1.8, 1/160 sec, ISO100
 “Kaki Section” Tatsuno, 2026

Today we headed to the seaside for lunch at Tsudau-Suisan, this amazing seafood restaurant perched right on a cliff overlooking the ocean. The views were absolutely spectacular! 🌊 We had reservations and they gave us one of the best tables in the house. I was so excited when they showed us to our spot! ✨

One of the specialties here (and the area in general) are the oysters, so naturally I went a little crazy. 😅 I ordered a whole bucket of oysters to be steamed at the table, some rice with oysters that were also cooked tableside, and oyster roll sushi. It was all delicious! We also got sashimi and gratin, plus I had a nama-biiru to wash it down. Such a memorable meal. Definitely recommended! 🦪

Afterwards we stopped at Road Station Mitsu to do a bit of shopping, and that’s where I saw the largest daikon I have ever laid eyes on. And it was only ¥160 JP ($1 US)! Unbelievable! 🥕

Lastly, I was happy to get my first stamp in my notebook. It’s so funny because it has an oyster and daikon on it! 📓

Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 2.2200000286119mm, f/2.2, 1/1000 sec, ISO50
 “Seaside Beer” Tatsuno, 2026
Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 2.2200000286119mm, f/2.2, 1/280 sec, ISO40
 “Oyster Sushi” Tatsuno, 2026
Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 6.7649998656528mm, f/1.8, 1/120 sec, ISO100
 “Oyster Bucket” Tatsuno, 2026
Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 2.2200000286119mm, f/2.2, 1/200 sec, ISO40
 “Yummy Beer” Tatsuno, 2026
Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 6.7649998656528mm, f/1.8, 1/120 sec, ISO125
 “Oysters on the Half-Shell” Tatsuno, 2026
Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 6.7649998656528mm, f/1.8, 1/670 sec, ISO80
 “Fresh Shellfish” Tatsuno, 2026
Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 6.7649998656528mm, f/1.8, 1/120 sec, ISO200
 “Enormous Daikon” Tatsuno, 2026
Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 2.2200000286119mm, f/2.2, 1/120 sec, ISO64
 “Mitsu Stamp” Tatsuno, 2026
Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 6.7649998656528mm, f/1.8, 1/2800 sec, ISO80
 “Fishing Harbor” Tatsuno, 2026

Lunch at Kura Terrace クラテラスたつの

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Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 6.7649998656528mm, f/1.8, 1/75 sec, ISO200
 “Kura Terrace Lunch” Tatsuno, 2026

Today we had lunch at Kura Terrace (クラテラスたつの), and it was exactly what I needed! The set meal came with a variety of vegetarian dishes – super filling and satisfying. I went with the brown rice topped with raw egg, and wow, it was delicious! 🍚✨

The place gets pretty crowded, so I’m glad we made reservations ahead of time. It felt great to have such a healthy meal while dining out for a change. After lunch, we went for a walk around the area and I felt totally energized. Love finding spots like this! 😊 I’m so happy that it’s only a short walk from our house.

Lunch at Tsukanoma

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Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 6.7649998656528mm, f/1.8, 1/750 sec, ISO80
 “Tsukanoma” Tatsuno, 2026

Today we grabbed lunch at Tsukanoma, a little café tucked into an old building nearby. I ordered their open-faced sandwich and wow, it did not disappoint! Fresh vegetables piled high with meat, everything toasted just right. The kind of meal that makes you want to come back tomorrow. 🥪✨

Honestly, I could eat this every day and be perfectly happy about it. I was really looking forward to eating here! Yokatta.

Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 6.7649998656528mm, f/1.8, 1/60 sec, ISO800
 “Open-Face Sandwich” Tatsuno, 2026

Morning Work and Afternoon Eats

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Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 2.2200000286119mm, f/2.2, 1/60 sec, ISO320
 “Chestnut French Toast” Tatsuno, 2026

While I’m in Japan, my work hours are 5 am to 2 pm, which means I have a nice 3-hour overlap with the team in Austin each day. ⏰ Usually it’s super busy when I start because people have been sending me work during their day. When I log in, it’s 2 pm for the Texas team (they’re a day behind me) and for those couple of hours, I’m responding to emails, Slack messages, and hopping on calls. It’s kind of intense! But from about 8 am onwards, it gets very quiet and I get a ton of work done. I think I like it! 💻✨

This schedule also means I have my afternoons free to do as I please. Today, Mariko and I went to Kurisu Chestunut café to get some dessert. She got a strawberry parfait, while I enjoyed a marron (chestnut) and cream French toast. It was yummy! 🍓🌰

After that we took care of errands before getting dinner at Matsu-ya, a fast-food gyu-don (beef bowl) restaurant. It was just okay. Very salty. 🍚 We probably won’t be returning, but it’s good to try out the options in town!

Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 6.7649998656528mm, f/1.8, 1/120 sec, ISO64
 “Soup and Gyudon” Tatsuno, 2026

Party at the New House

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Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 6.7649998656528mm, f/1.8, 1/120 sec, ISO200
 “Party Food” Tatsuno, 2026

Tonight we hosted our very first party in the new house, and it could not have been a better mix of people. Our new town continues to surprise me in the best way. We had a craft beer brewer, a shrine priest, a landscape artist, a restaurant owner, a university professor, and a café and gallery owner all under one roof. Talk about an interesting dinner table 🍻

I made carnitas tacos, complete with fixings I hauled over from Texas like precious cargo. Totally worth it. Our guests showed up with an incredible spread of sashimi, sushi, okonomiyaki, yakisoba, tamagoyaki, plus plenty of beer and saké. It turned into the most delicious cultural mashup feast you can imagine 🌮🍣

What a beautiful first party in our new home. So happy! 🏡✨

Dry January

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Photo info: Apple iPhone 15 Pro, 6.7649998656528mm, f/1.8, 1/120 sec, ISO200
 “Lonely Saké” Cedar Park, 2026

This year I gave Dry January a try and made it through the entire month without drinking alcohol. Well, almost. On New Year’s Day I had a tiny sip of saké with our traditional Japanese osechi meal, and I also tasted a cocktail my son had made. But those barely count, right?

I’m not a big drinker to begin with, so getting to the end of the month wasn’t difficult. What I was really curious about was whether cutting out alcohol would have any effect on my eczema. The verdict? Hard to say. Maybe it’s a little better, but it’s definitely not gone. Still, it was an interesting experiment.

The best part is that I finished Dry January without any cravings at all, which feels like a small win. And now… that lonely little bottle of saké in the fridge is calling my name.