Monday, February 27, 2023

Sushi Kyotatsu NRT T1

他にも記事に出来るネタがいっぱいあるんですけど、記事内容が飛行機での往復と IHG プロパティに集中しているので、先に復路の成田→SFO の写真を変臭しちゃいました。

2022年12月。成田空港からサンフランシスコへ全日空便で帰りますが…

場所が場所だけに写真は撮れませんでしたが、予定通りに出国審査場で期限切れになっていた『特定登録者カード』を更新してもらえました。入国の時に優しく説明してくれたお姉さんが、約束通りに儂が来たという通報を受けたらしく、ランチを早々に切り上げてやって来てくださいました。大感謝です。

更新カードがちゃんと使えるか試し、無事に出国審査場を通ったら… ちょっと確認。
成田のユナイテッド・クラブは閉鎖中って聞いていたので、見てみたかった。ホントに閉鎖中

そんで、ここに達する前というか、チェックインで荷物預ける時…

「手軽になったから『富田』でラーメン食べていきます♪」
「あそこは閉店中ですよ。一風堂なら開いていますけど」

が~ん… なんか凄いショック。醤油ラーメンをすする準備が整った口のまんまでした。

で… このまま全日空のラウンジへ向かうのもつまんないし。すしランチしました。
Last place to enjoy Good Sushi... 上等な鮨をつまめる最後の場所!! 激しくアグリー

サンマテオに帰ったら、中華なんちゃってスシとか韓流巻きスシばっかりだし…。

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でもアメリカは『性善説』がありえない國なので、廻っているスシは近所にありません。
だから、誰かが舐めたり除菌スプレーかけられたりしたスシを食べる心配はありません。

…これ書いてて、なんだか日本も相当にレベル低くなってきてると思いました。
 もう、お互いの信用を前提にしている社会は崩壊しつつあるようです。
 お会計も、安全で他人を信用しないのが基本な小切手に移行しましょう♪
 ようこそアメリカ式へ♪♪♪

あと、儂は『鮨』と『スシ』と『寿司』を、原則以下のように書き分けています。

  鮨・・・魚介類の死体が酢飯の上に載せてある食品
  スシ・・なんちゃって、アメリカのパチ食品等
  寿司・・晴れの日用の食事、氏んだ魚は載ってない

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 閑話休題 私の好きな言葉です。

幸い空いているので、カウンターで少しいただいていくことにしました。
ちなみに、注文かけて、食品が届くまではマスクしてます。10 日間も滞在したのに、まだ凄い違和感。

この時のメニューを少しお目にかけます… 日替わりアイテムが、こんな感じ。
千葉県富津産 すみいか』・・・儂と産地が同じぢゃ。腹の中が真っ黒なのも同じぢゃな。www

でもせっかく日本に来てるのに、イカなんか食べたくないしぃ。ぼたんえびが美味しそう。でも1貫 920 円に引いた… マグロには千円出せても中サイズの海老ごときにはそこまで出せぬ気分。でも後で考えたら、ぼたんえびは7ドル弱ってことだし。食べれば良かった…。

定番の握り鮨とちらしは、こんなです。
まぐろが単品だと1貫千円以上するけど、セットなら 5,000 円。うん、それにしよう。カリフォルニアじゃツナって頼んだら赤身ばっかりだし、その赤身だって青黒い反射が出るような奴ばっかりだし。

あと、鮨屋の『おまかせ』って、惹かれるものがありますよね…。
おまかせ握り 11 貫で8,800 円というのも、まぐろ食べてまだいけそうなら、頼もうっと。

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 塩の解説で『クリスマス島の塩』を使用、だって。

 クリスマス島って… 何千万匹のカニが道を横断する、あそこだよね?
 そんで、カニを踏んづけないように『カニの歩道橋』がある、あそこだよね??

 塩はカニ臭くないのか?(笑)

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閑話休題 私の好きな言葉です

・・・と、算段つけてから、注文をかけました。

「お飲み物は?」
「コカコーラで♪」

これは鮨屋の大将が引いた。

「アメリカ人なんです。許してください」って哀願したら、ウケた。(笑)
やっぱり、にぎり鮨にはコカコーラだよね♪(毒者の引くさまが手に取るように判る…)

目の前の景色はこんな。マスクしてるけど、確か若い方が店長。(常連の masa さんならきっと判別可能)
でも右の年配の職人さんのほうが、すし職人の雰囲気ありあり。…儂、ふけせんだし。

職人さんと儂は向かい合わせなので、舐められる心配も除菌スプレーも…(くどい?)

始まりました。まぐろづくしです。
最初は、部位の違う赤身が2貫。組織の筋繊維方向が違うので口当たりが違います。

お醤油は塗ってくれてありますから、醤油の小皿が置いてあったけど必要ありません。最近のネットニュースを読んで以来、もう共用のガリも醤油さしも使いたくないので、これは嬉しい。

馬鹿舌なのでクリスマス島の塩は判らんが、酢が違う。まろやかで甘味を感じる、赤酢か何かを使っています。

赤だしの しじみ汁 もお願いしました。後でお会計を見たら、おまかせに組み入れてくれました。
赤だしのしじみ汁、かなり好きです。おみおつけの中では豚汁かしじみ汁が好き♪

名古屋めしは寄食が多いと認識していますが、赤だしとあぶらそばは別です。

次に出てきたのは… 中トロ大トロでした。
脂の乗りの違いは食べると判ります。

マグロの脂肪って口腔内の温度で容易に溶けるみたいで、口いっぱいに香りが拡がります。

白状すると、漁師町の生まれなのに、中学生くらいになるまで生魚は苦手でした。
伊豆とかに旅行して舟盛りが出てくると、鍋で「しゃぶしゃぶ」していました。
その行為を見た父が、とても残念そうに文句タレタレだったのを、今でも忘れません。

「握りはこちらで最後になります。あとは鉄火♪」って、炙ったづけマグロが出てきておしまい。
これ、写真でものすごい赤いけど… 現物もテッカテカに赤いです。そして噛むと滋味があります。

鉄火もすぐ出てきました。
こんなに、ごはんより魚肉のほうがたっぷりした巻物… カリフォルニアじゃ食せません。

あがりをいただいてますが… やっぱり物足りません。(結局小皿の醤油は鉄火巻専用。もったいない…)
「すいませんが『おまかせ握り』もお願いします」

「へい。あと11貫、ネタを調節しても『まぐろづくし』と少し被りますが… 」

「あ、もう全然♪ お願いします」 ←アメリカ人だって、きっとウソだと思われる言い回しw

そんで、おまかせ握りがスタートしました。
最初は白身魚と、中トロです。まずはサッパリ系と脂コッテリ系で対比をつけています。

引き続き、醤油が塗ってあります。もちろんワサビも入ってます。
ちなみに、カリフォルニアの鮨はサビ抜きです。ざんねんな粉山葵をざんねんな金蘭醤油に溶解します。

これ何だっけ? ブリとかハマチとか、脂の乗ってるやつだったはずです。
マグロとは異なる脂の風味を楽しめます。

・・・すいません。これは憶えてないです。
皮がちびっと残ってて、木の芽みたいなのが乗ってるから、カツオみたいに香りの強い魚だと思います。

赤身。
安心のおいしさ。日本に来てて、最後にここに寄って良かったと再確認できます。

やっぱり出てきて嬉しい… ほ・た・て♪
生で安心していただける、貝柱は美味しいですよね~。

子持ち昆布みたいなの。
これは歯ごたえ、テクスチャを楽しめました。

イクラの軍艦も、鉄板のおいしさです。
生の最中が苦手だった時でも、生タラコからスタートして、イクラは早くに食べられるようになった食材でした。

これは… 海老だったか?
見るからに口中でネットリとした舌触りな、時間をかけて噛んでたらうまみの強そうな奴です。

「へい。こちらで『おまかせ』は最後になります」と、甘いタレが塗られた奴でおしまい。
煮た奴じゃないけど、確か穴子だったと思う。

甘いタレっつったらみんな穴子だと思う馬鹿です。
なお、カリフォルニアでは95%以上はウナギです。

あと、今数えたら10貫しか撮影していませんが、撮り忘れがあったと思う。
最近はブログ用の撮影を優先させないので、結構あちこちで撮り逃してます。

大変満足させていただきました。また遠回りになっても寄っていきたいです。
このレベルの鮨が空港でいただけるのは有り難いです。

日本を訪ねる、という友人には「もし T1 出発なら是非寄って」と勧めています。

そのまま45番ゲートあたりの ANA ラウンジへ向かったら… 閉鎖中。
まだ時間もあるし、トンネルを通って第伍サテライトのラウンジへ向かうことにします。

このトンネル使うの、久しぶりかも…。
フランクフルトやシカゴにもトンネルがあるけど、成田のはかなり久しぶりでした。

お次は、復路の NRT→SFO、NH8 便の記録です。

41 comments:

  1. いつもUAにお世話になる時はこの寿司屋の横通ってましたが予想以上に本格的な寿司屋ですね。次回はUAの機内餌我慢せず、ここにトライしてみます。

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    1. m e m o さん、お久しぶりです。

      ここユナイテッド航空の利用するゲートの前ですから、利用頻度が高いです。空港のショバ代のせいか割高感は否めないものの、お勧めできる鮨屋です。ざんねんな機内食に遭遇する前に食しておくと「喰ってて良かった~♪」と思えますから、機会がございましたら是非。

      Delete
  2. It seems that there are plenty of materials for your articles. You are truly a professional photographer by nature and a blogger who always aims to make others happy. When the content of the article is about an IHG property, I tend to focus on leaving comments, so it's also refreshing to change the subject.

    The representative who kindly explained to you during your entry into Japan received a report that you had arrived and rushed over to meet you, cutting her lunch short. Did you give her any treats? (lol) You heard that the United Club at Narita was closed, so you wanted to see it. Did you really doubt that it was closed? Despite selling your soul to United, you are still skeptical (lol).

    There is also an Ippudo Ramen in Okayama, but it seems to have declined somewhat after the pandemic. Due to the backlash from relying on home delivery services such as Uber, fewer customers are returning to dine in the restaurant. If it were me, I would have just gone straight to the ANA lounge and had soba noodles with Kamaboko that had the letters "ANA" on it (I don't know if it still exists now).

    It seems that the United States is a country where the "theory of inherent goodness" cannot exist, but Japan is also becoming a somewhat suspicious country. I have also lost the courage to eat sushi that is circulating in Japan. The day before yesterday, my wife and I went to a Chinese restaurant in the Okayama AEON mall, and immediately the containers of soy sauce, sauce, and chili oil on the table disappeared and were replaced by tasteless individual packs. It's reassuring, but it feels lonely.

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    1. Yamada Denki sensei,

      Thank you for the words. I started taking pictures when I was in kindergarten, photography is always a fun for me… until it’s digitalized. Once photography and computing are merged together, it’s whole different world though some of my knowledge – optical physics or digital imaging are still helpful.

      I wish I could share lunch with those charming ladies at the immigration agency of Japan, but such kind of approach would be strictly prohibited hence it can be quite suspicious. (lol)
      Of course I checked the central building – I walked around the restaurant area, then found all of them are closed… in other words, I didn’t trust the clerk at the counter either.
      All lounges around Satellite #3 and #4 – both United Club and ANA lounges were closed by Covid at that time. So I had to move to Satellite #5 but instead, spending good time at the quality sushi bar was so fruitful for me because barely can’t find this quality in San Mateo. (two exceptions but they are super expensive, can’t find a seat either)

      I am not so keen to tonkotsu ramen except Keika, which is Kumamoto style. Ippudo is also available in ANA flights to US, it’s not Ramen de Sky, but ANA Style ramen which is vegan ramen… sounds horrific to me. I remember that ANA logomarked fishcakes (it’s already gone I think)… that is also horrific to me. “Blue” is not a color for foods!! If the color is in blue, it would be perfect to be served by United!! (lol) and the noodle stand in ANA lounge is not my fun place either… it looks quite similar so many beggars and homeless making a line.

      The “Revolving Sushi” (we call it so because we are the country of handgun) is a great innovation besides sushi itself, but it really relies on the good mannered citizenship. Unfortunately those troublemakers are teenagers. This should be a good evidence their parents didn’t receive good disciplines either… and this way, the society is getting worse and worse, achieving to American Quality!!

      Delete
  3. We also use corporate checks at our clinic, but we don't use them for everyday payments, and the receiving party is not accustomed to such practices either in Japan.

    Here are your definitions for "three kinds of Sushi" :

    鮨 - A food where dead fish or other seafood is placed on top of vinegar rice.
    スシ - A suspicious food that pretends to be Sushi in America.
    寿司 - A meal for special occasions that does not include dead fish.
    In my mind, "鮨 is better than 寿司", but my perspective may be changing a bit.

    You always wear a mask until the food you ordered arrives. It may be due to following the Japanese trend, but it is clear that there are differences between Japan and the United States.

    I also do not eat squid at Sushi restaurants. There was a tragic case of someone who developed intestinal anisakiasis after eating squid salted with the guts, which was published as “a case of the month" in a previous issue of the Gastrointestinal Endoscopy Society's magazine. I also think the Botan shrimp looks delicious, but at 920 yen for one piece, it is certainly expensive. I suddenly recalled paying an outrageous price for Sushi at Amsterdam's airport on the way back from a family trip to Europe, and we were even charged for tea.

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    1. Yamada Denki sensei,

      I know personal checks are no common, or barely seen in Japan because the society is being held with enough trusties. IN America, no one trust each other so we use personal checks and carry minimum cash so that the damage can be minimized whe we git encountered hold-up burglaries. Unfortunately this is serious.

      For the definitions of Sushi, 寿司 represents the foods prepared by grandmas and mothers on certain holidays… like Children’s day, or your favorite Eho-maki on the day of disrespecting Caucasians by soybeans. (lol)
      For me, I always try having quality 鮨 when I visit Japan. We have so many sushi bars in SF Bay Area but vast majority of owners even can’t speak Japanese… and now I am disrespecting people but I don’t want to have sushi from chefs who has tattoos on his hand or chefs who is very suitable for cooking tacos.

      These days, I don’t wear mask at all, and it’s no problem when I visiting Europe either. I only made a mistake when I visited health clinic… I completely forgot the mask mandatory is still ongoing there.

      Nothing wrong with calamari (please note: ‘squid’ sounds inedible. if it’s edible we use ‘calamari.’). But most of cases the texture is tough and chewy which is disappointing. I am already disappointed by my hometown so I don’t wan tto receive extra.
      Salted squid guts… supposedly it’s “ika no shiokara,” correct? I am surprised the parasite is still alive and able to harm human under such salty environment… nature is still filled with wonder!
      Meals at airports are way overpriced, all around the world! Sushi in the Netherlands would be terribly overpriced I can imagine. If I were in Schiphol, actually I’ll be heading there tomorrow, I would rather try having sardine or flounder. Those are the local’s specialties.

      Delete
  4. 去年の6月と10月に成田を利用した際は、まだこちら、Closedだったのですが、12月は再開されていたのですね♪
    開いていて良かった! 次回は私も利用してみます~。

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    1. Campbell(F) さん、

      明日からアテネですが、戻って来た翌週は成田です。また食べてきます♪♪♪
      ただ… そこそこ良いネタを出すせいか、お高いのよね、ここんち。

      Delete
  5. こんな糞記事に誰もコメ入れんやろと思てたら…なんやこの盛況ぶりは!?
    (下品に驚くときは西日本語)

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    1. 今ホテルへ戻ってきたけど、このダムが決壊したような、怒涛のコメに呆然です。
      まだ部屋がハウスキーピングの最中なので、どうしよう。
      iPadを取りにいくのめんどくさいし、かといってビジネスセンターのPCは…ギリシャ語とスペイン語。(サンパウ理恵さんの店が入ってるホテルチェーンに宿泊中)

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  6. I was surprised that you started taking photos since kindergarten. No wonder you have so much experience. Photography has always been fun for you, which is why you graduated from photography school. While digitalization has integrated photography and computing, making it more convenient for us ordinary people, it may be a complicated era for professionals like you.

    Indeed, approaching those charming ladies at the immigration agency of Japan is strictly prohibited by law(?), but I can imagine you might still try (lol).

    Maybe it's because of age, but I'm not so keen on tonkotsu Ramen either. Nowadays, when I want a bowl of ramen after drinking, I prefer a light soy sauce flavor. Come to think of it, the common point between ANA and United is not only that they belong to the same Star Alliance, but they both have blue as their image color. However, I remember a long time ago when United bought Pan Am's Pacific routes on the brink of bankruptcy, in my mind "United = orange" was the image at that time?

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    1. Yamada Denki sensei,

      My father proud of his son (me) because his son could read and write all phonetic characters at 3yr 9 mo, so he bout a half-Brownie sized. Manual camera made by Olympus. Ah! Now I found both of us are using the same optic manufacturer!! (lol)
      When I planned to study beyond the high school, photographic institutes (there were only 2 schools in my generation) but that would be a severe route to be success, and I wished photo must be by hobby and find other profession to work and live… health science and health service (MD’s, RN’s or CT’s at labs) is impossible for this fragile and vulnerable body conditions (you might remember I keep catching high fever before I receive tonsillectomy at age 44), High-school professor even stopped me applying air traffic controller (a 4yr college by Ministry of Transportation but students earn sallies!!) because of my health, though the well polished verbal English and superb eyesight (can read 2.0 from 1m far from the standard position) which is equivalent to Hottentots bushman (lol) are over-quality from the physical requirements… Then, Farmer!! The biochem and bleeding, modifying chromosome studies can be recognized as plant genetics and there must be a bright future for those newtype farmers!! …no, actually not. I totally gave up for those natural sciences, then I finally challenge my ‘hobby side’ interests – such as Photography and Computer.
      The timing pretty matched at those periods. I was lucky some companies hire me and gave me chances for step-up. After all, I finished my skill with mobile technology with video games, but I simultaneously reserved one more field – fine are of grass arts. I really thank everybody whom involved with me to guide me to these paths.

      I do remember ex-PanAm period. My friend’s dad flied to US by that impressive PanAam Jumbo. Then the generation went down to us, my first flight to U.S.A. was 15hr 30m long haul NRT to EWR flight with that Orange/Blue lined paints. (However, they soon changed their paints to grey and navy, military-ish dark colors) That was my first time entering United States. And I thought United Airline feeds passengers quite well. Because there were 3 times of meal service, and mid one was very nice mixed sandwich box with charming red colored Delicious Apple. If UA still keeps that level of quality for passengers, no one complaints about their service!

      Delete
  7. I also think revolving sushi is a great invention. I think the first time I encountered revolving sushi was probably when a new restaurant opened in Sannomiya, Kobe during my medical school days. It successfully bridged the large gap that existed between "sushi restaurants," which had a high-end and difficult-to-approach image, and the general public. At that time, I think most Japanese people were still polite citizens, and there were few young people who would engage in foolish behavior. Of course, there were probably some people who engaged in foolish behavior even then, but there were no tools to spread such behavior boastfully like there are now, so perhaps there wasn't as much motivation to do so. In any case, it is undeniable that Japanese society has become increasingly worse compared to back then.

    In America, where no one trusts each other, it is said that carrying minimal cash and minimizing damage in the event of a hold-up is the normal, but I can only hope that Japan does not follow suit.

    In Japan, I also see young people getting tattoos on their hands as a fashion statement, but I also don't want to eat sushi made by such craftsmen.

    I think Japan will gradually stop wearing masks as well, but we who work in the medical field are struggling with what to do. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, we may continue to be required or advised to wear masks. Even now, occasionally patients who forget to wear masks when they come to the clinic ask nervously, "Is it okay to enter the building like this? Or should I go buy a mask somewhere?" Of course, I warmly accept them and offer them complimentary masks. Perhaps for patients, medical facilities will continue to be special places.

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    1. Yamada Denki sensei,

      My very first time of revolving sushi was in Koenji. I was with my foreigner friends, and they strongly demanded to try sushi on the carousel… me, myself was no experience, so I just helping them as a translator. It wasn’t so great memory because the quality is so-so.
      The next revolving sushi experience was by iSO-san. He took me to “Tokyo Sora Machi” which is the ‘base’ building of Tokyo Sky Tree. There is a revolving sushi shop “Toriton” on 6F and I was surprised the place was so busiy, then followed by the reason – the qualitys were outstanding. You should try there when you visit east Tokyo.

      The society of America is built from the idea “nobody trust anybody” therefore, we use personal checks, we reconfirm planes and hotels before check-in. And the check-in, we show our credit card which is an evidence certain bank trust the guest and issues a card. ;)

      Even in here in California or even in Türkiye or Greece, healthcare service involved people are wearing masks and gloves, with their proud. And yes, free facemasks are always available at the healthcare services.

      Sometimes people are ugly, but most of cases, they still have common sense.

      Delete
  8. I see, it's better to use the word "calamari" rather than "squid" when translating "ika" into English. I am fortunate to receive such detailed guidance from you.

    Yes, I was trying to convey "イカの塩辛" with "squid salted with the guts." The scary thing about anisakis is that it can still live and harm humans in such a salty environment. After all, it can survive for a certain period even in the strong acid environment of the stomach (although it cannot survive as long as Helicobacter pylori).

    Meals at airports, or at places I am familiar with like racetracks, are probably very expensive all over the world. I have memories that the Nordic countries, including the Netherlands, are quite expensive. Although I made a negative comment about Schiphol Airport, the airport itself was clean and the sushi I actually ate was quite delicious. No wonder they probably use local specialties for sushi.

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    1. Yamada Denki sensei,

      Yes, doctor… calamari is quite edible, and squid is typically used something negative.
      The vital of anisakis is outstanding!! In that case, we can’t have fresh Shiokara. All of those cooking must be frozen for st least 24 hrs. Then the texture is unimpressive… whetever it’s already gooey.

      Schiphol is currently under strike and in trouble… I just received a message from KLM. I have enough transit time (2.5hr) but see what happens. After the pandemic, operations at Schiphol is so problematic and chaotic. I reentry heard the shortage of the labor will b fixed by March and the operation will be normal. …no it’s not, now they are striking!
      And because of this strike, I cannot expect good food service available. I will have to rely on KLM lounge or on heart-shaped butter pretzels… If the sushi bar is open near by, let me try tomorrow.

      Delete
  9. You are traveling today on a plane.
    I can see the red tail lights heading for Greek.
    Oh and I can see you waving goodbye.
    God it looks like you, must be the clouds in my eyes.
    (The above lyrics have been partially modified from Elton John's "Daniel")

    You thought no one would bother commenting on such a shitty article, but what's with this overwhelming response?!
    The sentence above seems to be written in a dialect of Japanese commonly spoken in western Japan, esp. in Kansai, which uses some different words and expressions compared to standard Japanese.
    However, why do you choose to use the Kansai dialect when expressing surprise in a vulgar manner? Is it because it makes it easier for readers to feel your fresh surprise? Or is it because it makes you more relatable to your readers? (lol)

    So, you've been using an Olympus manual camera since you were 3 years and 9 months old. That means we are indeed both using the same optical manufacturer, but you have been using their products for much longer than I have.

    It may have been wise of you to decide to pursue photography as a hobby after realizing how challenging it would be to make a living from it after graduating from high school. However, life is unpredictable and if you had chosen a different path, you might have become a successful and renowned photographer by now.

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    1. Yamada Denk’i sensei,
      Now I’m at KLM town Lounge in AMS.

      In regards to the shitty article, that’s because sushi terrorism is a fresh topic right now.
      That’s why I added some keywords such as licking or spraying alcohol, in this article.

      I have started with Olympus pen, but the first SLR camera was Pentax. I kept using that system until I enter Photo institute. Once I tried to be a pro, Nikon camera systems are more professional.
      My favorite professor at the mid school, she found I’m good at fine arts. But hand painting is absolutely insufficient, so I needed a help by machinery which is camera and DPE.
      Nowadays those silver halide technologies are ‘over’ but the knowledge of computers and digital imaging are supporting the missing points. I was a lucky man.

      Delete
  10. (Continued from previous comment)
    Fortunately, or rather, because of your talent, several companies hired you and gave you opportunities for promotion. You not only acquired skills in mobile technology and video games, but also honed your skills in glass art. Of course, as you say, the people around you led you to these paths, but your relentless efforts also bore fruit.

    Yes, I remember that you had a high fever before and after your tonsillectomy. However, that illness was a staggering 20 years ago! This means that you and I have had a connection for more than 20 years now, even though we had no real-world contact to begin with. This is truly the benefit of the information society that is woven by this web.

    Your senior colleagues in Shonan tweeted this: "By the way, my junior colleague and you have been exchanging comments in English on his blog quite a lot. Although I can't read it, the technology these days is amazing and it can almost translate for me. It's amazing that I can understand the meaning of any language in the world." He is a senior who cares about his junior, so he is following your movements properly. But your senior has to pay attention all over the world to keep an eye on your movements. It's quite a difficult job if I think about it (lol).

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    1. The glass crafts are not my profession but I started supporting my better half. And surprisingly, Adobe products worked very well for designing, as well as publishing. When we decided to publish stained glass pattern books, my knowledge of printing and publishing worked well,followed by the advertisements.

      The Internet indeed helped establishing our friendship. And your professional input and suggestions always help me. I honestly appreciate it. Thank you, doctor.

      I also appreciate Shonan Senior-san. He is the main and almost only window to contact T-friends. It’s over 40 yrs from the school age but knowing the updates each other is a kind of refreshment as well as warm the feeling. But these days, tragic stories are also coming in…. That’s because of our age. Life is sometimes tough but sometimes fun.

      Oops, I gotta go. I’m catching the connecting flight to Venizelos airport!
      Talk to you again, soon!!

      Delete
  11. So you also remember the PanAm era. In our childhood, there was a TV program called 'Kaoru Kanetaka: Around the World' that aired around Sunday noon, I believe. I still vividly remember that the sponsor of the program was PanAm. It was probably around 1965, and at that time, overseas travel was still a rare luxury for Japanese people, so PanAm was synonymous with 'dream overseas travel.' I have never flown with PanAm myself, but I saw their aircraft once. In 1991, I went to the United States to present at DDW (Digestive Disease Week) held in New Orleans and flew to Miami after the presentation. PanAm at that time had sold off the routes that used to be their main source of revenue, the Pacific and Atlantic routes, and only the routes to Central and South America remained, with old aircraft like the B727. It was a rather sad sight. After returning to Japan, I heard about the company's bankruptcy news.

    So, you first flew to the United States on United Airlines with the orange/blue lines. I also remember that it later changed to a dark gray and navy military-style color. United Airlines at that time not only offered meals three times on the Japan-US route, but the quality was also high. If they had maintained that level of service, you would probably not be complaining about their service now.

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    1. It is very strange… I can write comments with my account thru Safari, but Chrome doesn’t work.

      Anyway… I loved that TV show by Ms. Kanetaka but I didn’t imagine I would fly around the world like her, and I even developed some friendships here and there. I don’t remember that show is sponsored by Pan American, I only remember that her spoken Japanese was ridiculously strange… like a madam in Yamanote.

      I started overseas trips from later age, about 20, and the first visit to the States was much later. I flew by that gray painted United’s 747 to Newark, NJ for business meetings. After that experience, I mostly flew over Miami to see my better half, by Northwest Airlines. By accumulating miles on NWA, I was envy United because their meal services were better than NWA.
      Those good and old days, United was superb and outstanding amongst US carriers… now it’s degraded, went bankrupt and recovered by Continental. The name remains as United but otherwise are Continental Airlines… sad.

      Delete
  12. We have breaking news. I just received two bottles of 'Shochu Imo Gohyakunen Kura (Kame) 1800ml Direct from the producer' at our clinic. The product description says, “We carefully prepare freshly dug sweet potatoes and distill them at atmospheric pressure, then age them in traditional Japanese ceramic jars that are used over 130 years old, for at least three years. This is a classic gift item that offers the soft and sweet natural flavor unique to long-term storage and a rich, thick texture that you can enjoy. This premium product won the 'Best Award' at the 2002 Kagoshima Prefecture Sweet Potato Food Contest.” Although I was tempted to keep these two treasures to myself, I resisted and decided to share them with Dr. Doi. I will let you know my impressions after trying them. Thank you very much.

    Now, let's get back on track. The description that said 'The next time I had revolving sushi was with ISO-san' was not wrong. ISO-san's keen observation on food and drink is as excellent as yours, and I often make mistakes, so I rely on AmEx's Rep to choose for me based on their preferences. Although the name of the revolving sushi restaurant 'Triton' in Tokyo Solamachi may not sound appealing at first, it's not surprising that gourmet ISO-san took you who are another gourmet, there. When visiting Tokyo, I tend to head to the familiar 'Sushizanmai Tsukiji Honten,' but I'd like to try Triton next time.

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    1. I’m glad you received 500 men guru soju. Please enjoy and let me know why they keeps being awarded at Rakuten. I would like to know whether Rakuten buyers are correctly picking the item or it’s just a scum. Also, any comments from Doi sensei is appreciated.

      Toriton was good when I was escorted by iSO-san, but I don’t know how they are preventing from the sushi terrorists… I can’t attend revolving sushi again until the problems settled.

      Delete
  13. ヤマダ電機先生、
    いまグリーンランドの上だから、アテネでまったり出来るまで待っててね。
    かしこ

    ReplyDelete
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    1. もうどれにコメ返せばええのか、わやや…。

      Delete
  14. In the United States, when checking into a hotel, you need to present a credit card that is issued by a trusted bank as proof. I had a relatively late credit card debut at the age of over 30, as I had always paid cash with a smile until then. However, when I visited Kona and Waikiki in Hawaii for my honeymoon, I was asked to present a credit card at both hotels, and when I replied that I didn't have one, I was asked to make a large deposit. Despite my efforts to continue paying in cash, my boss at the time told me before my trip to New Orleans, 'I have a VISA, so you should get a card from a different brand. How about AmEx?' and ordered me to get one. If he had suggested Diners Club or JCB instead, I might not have had an AmEx card now. Considering the current annual fee of Centurion, maybe that would have been better?

    People involved in medical services wear masks in California, Turkey, and Greece. I'll have to wear one for a while as well.

    I heard that Schiphol Airport is facing a strike. It seems you have enough transfer time, but I hope you arrive safely in Athens. If you can't make it, as an experienced traveler, you could turn all the trouble into material for a blog post. It's turning a crisis into an opportunity, isn't it?

    In the end, I know I'm stating repeatedly, but I'm aware that you're traveling. So please don't worry about replying to my empty comments.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. My father hated the credit card and believed “cash is king.” Therefore, like you, when he checks in the hotel, he deposited several hundred thousand yen upfront. The third one the fourth time when he shown up the reception, I saw the general manager came out, deeeeply bowed and said my father didn’t have to pay in advance any more. I wasn’t amazed by that but somehow hesitated. We looked like a red necked family… an oil-rich family from Texas! (lol)
      My boss, Mr. Okawa of CSK, had Gold Visa card. (I knew it because I had to buy a digital camera when we were staying in Manhattan) I asked him why didn’t he get platinum card or black Amex. His answer was; he only rely on credit cards because he doesn’t want to carry heavy cash in foreign currencies, and he didn’t need anything extra from card services. No wonder he has numbers of secretaries and he was the fifth richest man in Japan…

      There was nothing wrong in Schiphol. Everything was smooth so I even could enter KLM lounge and replied a comment as you seen. But unless otherwise I researched and remembered the structure of Schiphol, I couldn’t find the lounge. It was a large airport!

      Delete
  15. It's amazing that you can read my comments even over Greenland. I had a mischievous thought like, 'Let me write something bad while I can,' but it's a good thing I didn't. In any case, I hope you will arrive safely in Athens.

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    1. KLM is offering a Wi-Fi promo which all of passengers including main caving, received access voucher, so I can see bunch of comments are being posted… but the connection is unstable and I connect iPhone as a primary device, I don’t want to type this tiny screen… sorry.
      Also, I don’t know why but my Google account doesn’t work well in Chrome when I’m outside of America…
      I’ll get back to these comments when I have chance. Tonight might be difficult cos I’ll be staying at first-time hotel in first-time area, and the Attorny of Athens will be with me.

      Delete
  16. KLM is offering a Wi-Fi promotion and many passengers are receiving access vouchers, which is a good thing, but when there is a lot of access, it can be difficult to connect, especially in the unstable environment of 10,000 meters above ground. Like you, I prefer typing on a desktop rather than on the small screen of an iPhone. I imagine that you can use a business desktop from the KLM lounge in AMS, though.

    You can reply to my comments whenever you have time. I understand that you will be staying in a new area and hotel during your visit to Athens, and that an attorney will be joining you, so please don’t mind replying.

    Unlike you, I have never used an Olympus camera. My first experience with their products was, as you might guess, with their gastrointestinal endoscopy equipment. The next product I used from the company was a second-hand microscope that I purchased to examine gastric pathological tissues (of course, I had established a strong connection with the company through their endoscopy equipment and was able to get the microscope at a low price). My first SLR camera was a Nikon that I bought in junior high school... but actually, I couldn't afford it and ended up getting a lower-end Nikomart. However, since I couldn't afford expensive telephoto lenses, I inserted a cheap Kenko gadget between the Nikomart and the lens and settled for enlarging the image to a 3x magnification and taking pictures of trains. However, I was not good at focusing or exposure settings, so I didn't take particularly nice pictures. Well, it's a nostalgic memory.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Apologize for my typos… it’s done by my iPad. The automatic correction works too much.

      At the boarding gate in SFO, every single passenger received the literature of Wi-Fi promotion, even those children around 4 to 7. I really wanted two promo codes so that I could connect my iPhone and iPad, but I was a gentleman enough, I didn’t choke any kid to steel his promo code.
      On the connecting flight, the previous promo code expired and didn’t work. But KLM offered free SNS onboard so I could communicate with the driver of limousine, or the Attorney at Athens.

      In regards to the camera, Nikkormat (the brand name of ‘affordable’ Nikon in overseas) are good enough. They don’t offer blight lenses in Nikomart branded, like 50mm lenses are at f1.8 or so. But the lens performance is good enough if you used f5.6 to 11. These days, the basic scheme remains the same. Full-opened aperture, or f16 or higher, are not good. The opened lens performs considerably problematic image quality - Sidel’s aberrations are not compensated well, and higher numbers of aperture, above 16 usually, creates diffractions.
      For Nikon, I only had Nikon F3t and F3p, with 85mm f1.4 and a wide zoom 25-50mm f4. Otherwise we’re covered by Pentax. After the digital imaging started, I went back to Olympus with four-thirds lenses. My most used lens was micro lens 55mm f2, so I bought Sigma’s semi-teletype lens equipped camera as well. All those worked very well for recording stained glass projects, advertising photos for our products, etc.

      Nowadays, iPhone does ‘‘em all. The software in the smartphone is really smart. This morning I took pictures of baklava (yes I’m in Athens but I ate at Turkish coffee shop) and iPhone’s portrait mode detects the main object then blurs the else. Such small image sensor can’t take care the focal depth optically, but the neural engine adjusts the image as if I used an expensive lens.
      It is impossible, but simultaneously, I do hate those “AI managed” pictures…

      Delete
  17. While the photography techniques you learned in the past may have become "outdated," you have excellent knowledge of computers and digital imaging, so your past skills can now rival the latest technology.

    I actually didn't know why you started getting involved in glass crafts, but it seems that supporting your partner was the reason. Publishing a stained glass pattern book... it's a project that I can't even imagine, but it's clear that your printing and publishing knowledge worked well, and advertising followed, resulting in a wonderful outcome.

    If the internet didn't exist in this day and age, we wouldn't have been able to establish a friendship, let alone meet each other. I'm skeptical about how much my professional advice and suggestions are actually helping you. I'm just a gastroenterologist and I'm not well-versed in other medical fields, especially diabetes, which is your biggest health issue. Even though I joined a university medical department that specializes in diabetes research, I'm still not very knowledgeable about it. From this point alone, I don't think I'm a particularly useful resource for you.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Yamada Denki sensei,

      I was proud of my knowledge and technique of halide silver imaging… and it’s dead.
      Fortunately, the optical imaging technique remains the same, and I also learned about computers as a hobby. So… my hobby helped my life well improved. But the knowledge of farmers doesn’t work well. At least the biochemical issues are helpful when I received a medical treatment. I had to choose zoology or the studies of livestock. It will rather help better.

      The stained glass is the hobby of my better half, and I helped the designing by using computer. After several years helping the business, we could publish 43 books. You might not imagine but if I attend a glass craft expo, I am being asked my sign on my book… it is somehow scary.

      I do appreciate your input, suggestions and help of health issues. I could evenly spoke with my father’s primary doctor… for example, he showed me an X-ray film of my dad’s lever. I replied him the tumor looked malignant and concerned it’s close by the portal vine. We spoke in English to hide those conversations from my dad… the doctor looked he got impressed by my reading of the film, and… later, I was surprised my dad followed our conversations somewhat.
      Oh, by the way. Since I started reasonable amount of PPI and I’m now traveling, my GERD symptoms have been settled. I hope Doi sensei doesn’t find anything around…
      Typ-2 DM is so annoying and probably shortening my life, but I am happy the current situations. If I lost mi sight or my legs were chopped off, then those are different stories… but quality of life is the primary thing for me. (Hence I don’t follow doctors’ suggestions and keep eating…)

      Delete
  18. This is breaking news once again. Just now, we received two bottles of "Kameshizuku" pottery 1800ml from Kyoya Shuzo, with a special label that expresses gratitude. You have given me this excellent product a few times before, but based on my experience, I believe that storing it in a cool, dark place and consuming it early will preserve the aroma and flavor, making it even more delicious. It reminds me of the rich flavor created by the sun and the earth of tropical Miyazaki. When I showed it to Dr. Doi, he said, "Oh, one of those two bottles is mine. Thank you very much!" and snatched it from my arms. I told him it would be best to keep it in the refrigerator or a cool, shady place. I would like to report on it again later, including a comparison with the "Shochu Imo Gohyakunen Kura" we received yesterday. I'm truly grateful. Thank you very much.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. So the second (chronologically first) set of pots have been arrived. Good!

      I think I told you the story, but when I was at T-Gakuen, I had a terrible experience with potato Shochu. In the pilot farm in Kagoshima, one night, professors and students had a good party with having potato Shochu. It was blended with hot water and smelled horrible, but once we got drunk well, we became totally nose blind. Then… the lead prosecutor, the lead of farmers school (Shonan Senior-san knows him well too), got drunk severely, then he started singing “the wind blows from Aegean…”, he pulled of silken curtain, wore it and performed as if he were Judy… that was so hilarious and traumatic, it was a nightmare for a while. (lol)

      So, because of above, I don’t have any positive feelings about potato Shochu but you are the Shochu lovers… please let me know the comparison. I may buy one for my brother-in-law who is a Shochu drinker as well.

      Delete
  19. I am also grateful to Shonan Senior-san (Senior-san, are you reading this comment?). Of course, you are the primary contact for me regarding T School, but he takes over when you are in the US. When we visited Tsukiji T together, including Masa-san, he fulfilled that role. Thanks to him, I was able to have a friendly conversation with the late Mr. T at that time. He also provides various types of update information through his blog, which he persistently continues. Although I am not a graduate of T School, I still have special feelings for the school. I graduated from university, and will soon reach 40 years, but due to the characteristics of my department, I tend to only interact with people in the same profession. Knowing information about T School graduates is refreshing, and it also makes me feel a warm sentiment that I have never felt from my colleagues. Certainly, there have been sad stories recently, but it is a sign that our generation is getting older. As you say, life can be tough at times, but interacting with T School graduates who have various characteristics can make me feel the joy of life.

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    1. For you, the Shonan Senior-san is the right person representing T-Gakuen because Oku-Shana send a family strongly belonging to T.
      I really miss Mr.T of Tsukiji… good people leave early. I already lost three of T-Gakuen friends.
      From a person educated and graduated public schools like you, T is weird and strange for sure. But for us, like sayings “慣れれば美味いくさやの干物”, it’s very unique and distinguished for us, believe or not.

      I also attended to photographic institute but nobody is staying in touch. During the period of the student of photographic school. I had good friends but once graduated, I lost tight contacts. But with the colleagues of T, we are always staying in touch. I’m not a kid from wealthy family like others, but the atmosphere of the school matched very nicely.

      Delete
  20. もういい?(汗)
    次の記事がすぐ公開されるしん。

    ReplyDelete
  21. すごい怒涛のコメント欄w
    また書いたら嫌がらせのようですが、面白いので書きます。

    このお寿司屋さんよく利用していました。UAでNRTからLAXに行くときは機内に乗り込む前に食べ物は没収されたのですが、廃線になったSINやBKKに行くときや、AGでVIEに行くときは、この店の握り寿司を機内に持ち込んで食べていました。

    NHでディレイがあった時にお食事券を渡してくれるのですが、そんな時は真っ先にこのお店に行っていました。だから何だって話です。すみません。

    では次の記事を楽しみにしています!

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    1. Unknown さん、コメントありがとうございます。

      握り鮨の持ち込みは、ホントはリスクが大きいですが… 儂もやることがあります。でも食品安全基準からすると、あんまりお勧めできません。旅行中に中ったら、かなり厳しい思い出になっちゃいますから。

      全日空の汚職事件がいかほどか存じませんが… この鮨屋で使ったらコカコーラ代くらいでは?
      あ、そうか。ユナイテッドよりもバウチャーの金額がたっぷりなんですね。

      この後はANA便の復路で、その後はアテネの記事が4本続いてから… 枯れる予定です。今アテネにいるので、KLMとエアフラの追加記事を、成田へ向かう前に変臭できれば、やります。

      Delete