Friday, March 31, 2023

The New Sanno

今回の帰省では、南麻布のニュー山王ホテルを、ランチで2回に渡って訪問してきました。

ここはアメリカ合衆国の進駐軍と国務省に関係している者だけが利用できる施設です。
1階のエントランス・ロビーには、季節柄かサクラの花が中心に飾られていました。

最初に訪れたのは、家族と箱根湯本へ出かけた帰り道。甥が運転するクルマで習志野へ帰る途中、駐車場に困らず簡単に食事ができる場所を考えた結果、母と甥がまだ未体験のニュー山王ホテルでランチする事にしました。

ランチタイムはメインダイニングも鉄板焼レストランも開いていないので、ファミレスな『エンポリウム』で。
内装はこんな感じで、宿泊者向けの朝食を出したり、ランチや晩餐も摂れます。

席を自由に選ばせてもらえて、さっそくのお飲み物は… コーク・ゼロシュガーで。
ここはさすがアメリカ。カラフェからエンドレスにコーラを注いでくれました。

最後には、担当ウエイターさんが「私はここで定時なので」って、カラフェを丸ごと置いていってくれました。つごう2リッターくらいのコーラが飲み放題… ポンポン壊さなかったからいいけど、嬉しい悲鳴でした。

妹は温かい飲み物がいいといって、カプチーノを所望。そしたら、こっちもオーバーサイズ。
このスタバのマグって、見たことのない巨大さ。30オンスくらい入りそう。
妹は「カプチーノだけでおなかいっぱいになっちゃう…」と焦り気味でした。

お食事のほうですが、母は和風のお食事から選択。
こんな「熱いから気をつけて」というプレゼンテーションで届きました。

蓋を開けたら、鍋焼きうどんです。
胃腸の弱い母でも食せる、いい塩梅に出来上がっていたそうです。
薬味の他に、茄子の揚げ浸しみたいなのまで添付されてきました。

残る3名はみんな、ハンバーガーです。
「ステーキいかないの?」って聞いたけど、これがアメリカっぽいから…って。
ただし、バーガーパテは1枚半ポンド、約 225 グラムある大型バーガーです。
妹は全部入りの、チェダーチーズ載せで。

甥はダブルスタック、1ポンド(約450グラム)の肉と格闘して、しっかり完食。
こちらもチェダーチーズ載せで、全部入り。

儂はトマトとオニオン抜きで「プロボロン・チーズってある?」って聞いたら「あります」って。
見かけはこんなです。オープンサンドイッチなので、自分で組み立てます。

ケチャップやマスタードを盛って閉じたら、こんな見かけに…。
かなり大型のハンバーガーなので、具が少なくてもおなかいっぱい。

焼き加減をミディアムレア指定したので、カットしてみました。
写真では彩度が上がっていて赤すぎる写り方ですが、ちゃんと火は通っています。

脂身が少なくて肉質が柔らかなので、甥も妹も、大きさだけでなく風味の豊かさに感心していました。このハンバーガーはコスパも質も上等で、予想以上の満足度でした。是非また食べたいです。

そして、2回目は… まず最初に訪れたのは青山墓地。
ちょうど東京には染井吉野の満開宣言が出された日でした。

先輩のあつさんと奥しゃまと一緒に、つきぢ田村の三代目が眠るお墓、奥しゃまの妹君が眠るお墓にお参りして…。儂が以前の旅で足を捻っているのをご存じの優しいあつさんがクルマで来てくださったので、駐車場に困らずにランチできる近所 = ニュー山王ホテルへ行くことにしました。

しかしこの日はワールドベースボールクラシックの決勝、時はまさに7~8イニングあたり。日本が1点リード中。

「いま米軍の施設に入るのって… いくらなんでもやばくね?」と、恐れるあつ先輩。
「日本が勝っても我々が軍法会議にかけられる事はないでしょ」と、無理強いしました。

「オータニさんが投げてトラウトが打ってたら…」とか楽しく邪推して、ホントにトラウトが最後の打者だったなんて予想だにできませんでした。超B級ハリウッド映画の安い脚本みたいです。…勝者が逆だけど。www

そして入口で身分証明の検査を受けて『入国』してから、指定された地下の駐車場へ。
指定された場所に駐車したら… 地下の入口はこんなです。

この日もランチだったので、手頃なレストランはエンポリウムしか開いていません…。
他にはタコスつまんでビールを飲る場所もあるけど、WBC決勝の最中は無理ゼッタイ。

入店したら、前週に世話をしてくれたウェイターさんがわざわざ出てきて挨拶してくれました。
おかげであつさんご夫妻に「常連なのね~」って感心されてしまいました。
で、入場したら、隣の席にいらしたお客様が… ハワイアンのサンタクロースみたい。
しかも独特なハスキーボイスで、なんだか見覚え聞き覚えのあるお姿です…。

「隣の方、なんだかジェシー高見山さんみたいですね」ってあつさん夫妻に伝えたら…後ろから、
「本物の高見山さんですよ♪」って、ウエイトレスさんがニコニコ教えてくれました。

隣席に聞こえる声量だったので少し焦りましたが、きっと高見山さんはそゆのに慣れていることでしょう。

本物の高見山さん!? すごい! サイン欲しい! とは言わないけど… ハグして欲しい!!
でも今年メディケアに加入する爺にハグをせがまれてもイヤだろうから、我慢しました。
それでも隙あらば目で犯していた私…(ぉぃぉぃ)

そんで…着席してすぐ、あちこちから Japan WINS!! という声が…。(汗)

WBCで日本が米国に勝つ、というタイミングでニュー山王にいるのは、アレだったかも。
でも米系日本人の高見山さんもいるし、日系米国人の儂がいてもいいよね。って思った。

さて、お食事のほうは… みんなで8オンスのフィレステーキにしました。
これは奥しゃまの。マッシュポテトとマッシュルームソテー添えです。ポテトが白薔薇みたいでカッコイイ!
添え物が凄く美味しそう。儂もこれにするか迷ったアイテムばっかり。

あつさんは、アメリカンを意識した組み立てでしょうか…。
コーン・コムにオニオンリング添えです。KFC のコーンと違って焼き目が付いてます。

で… あつ先輩がナイフを入れたら… 若干渋い顔に。

火が入りすぎていたみたい。米國人は圧倒的にミディアムレア指定が多いので、ミディアムって頼まれるとシェフさんは…中心にピンクをギリギリ残すのに慣れていなかったんだと推測されます。

ウェイトレスさんに速攻で表情を読まれました

「焼き直しましょうか?5分いただければ焼き直してまいります」

焼き直す!? 
焼き加減が足りないんじゃなくて、通り過ぎちゃってるから、新しくもう一枚焼くわけ?

「いや… そこまでしてもらわなくても…」

凄い、あつさん、大人の対応!…というか、日本人の対応?
アメリカ人って自己中が多いから、そういうオファー受けたら十中八九焼き直させます。
でもさすがにそのことを伝えるのも、ややアレかと思いました。
てか、あつさんの肉が遅れたら我々も待つことになるし。←やっぱり自己中なアメリカ人

儂もオニオンリングを選択しましたが、少しだけヘルシーに、ブロッコリ添えで。
もちろんブロッコリから先にたいらげました。血糖値を意識した食事なのかは激しく疑問ですが。(笑)

レアで焼いていただいて、カットして中の様子を見てみました…。
綺麗なレアの焼け具合で、しかも赤身なのに予想以上に柔らかく、サッパリとしたままいただけました。

この赤身のステーキは、肉マイスターのシンタロウさん & iSOさんと一緒に是非再体験したいと思います。

それにしても赤身で半ポンドのステーキは、ランチとしてはなかなか重い食事です。

それでも、デザートはしっかりオーダー。

奥しゃまは「デザート」とか「チーズケーキが美味い」とか聞いた途端、カトラリをパタリと置きました(爆)
こちらは奥しゃまのチーズケーキ。ホイップクリームがずっこけているのはご愛敬。

ここのチーズケーキは、うちの妹もハマってしまう美味で、なおかつ巨大な逸品です。

あつさんは… おなかいっぱいすぎて、レモンソルベに逃避しました。
隣の焦げ茶色の氷菓は、チョコレート・シャーベットです。

アイスクリームとシャーベットのバラエティに、チョコアイスとチョコソルベの両方がありました。

「チョコレートのシャーベットぉ!?」って儂が派手に驚くので、気配りの行き届いたウエイトレスさんが「これ、お味見です♪」って持ってきてくれました。

これ…文字通り、ホントにチョコレート味のシャーベットでした…。

一番判り易い形容は『ハーシーのチョコレートソースを凍らせた』でしょうか?
風味がチョコレートでテクスチャがシャーベットというのは珍しい体験でした。

そして儂がお願いしたのは、季節限定の『桜のチーズケーキ』です。
サクラを主張するのは… 底の方に梅干しみたいな物体が潜んでいるのが、サクランボのプリザーブ?らしく、あとは表層部にマーブリングしてあるアイシングが桜の風味になっていました。

奥しゃまと少し取り替えっこしたけど… 普通のチーズケーキのほうが正解みたい。

お飲み物はレギュラーのコーヒーです。普通のコーヒーですが、場所柄ややアメリカンぎみです。
クリームを所望したら、アメリカの大手製品がでてきました。
植物系油脂ですがネスレ製品で、フレッシュと呼んでいいかどうか不明。(フレッシュの定義が判らん)

ちなみに、コーヒーの御代はチャージされませんでした。
料金を勉強してくれる基地施設というのも、珍しいかも。

お食事後、もっと高見山さん見たさに後ろ髪を引かれる思いのまま、上階へ…。
階段を上がると、菊屋の入口です。このフレスコ画がステキ!
岡山のセンセイ御夫妻を、次回はこちらへ御案内したいものです。
…安くあがるからエンポリウムでもいいけど。

免税ショッピングが楽しめる Navy Exchange で軽くお買い物をして…

和風みやげ売り場に、いろんなタヌキの置物を発見。特にこれが珍しかった。
「ねぇねぇ奥しゃま~、メスのタヌキさんのビーチクが立ってる♪」
「…その台詞、obaKobaくんじゃなかったら、あたしキレると思う」

共に青春を過ごした者同士とはいえ、儂の下品な発言はさすがにヤバかったようです…。(汗)
もし奥しゃまがマヂギレしたら、暫くはあつ先輩にお目にかかれなくなる事でしょう。(激汗)

かように、ニュー山王ホテルでのお食事&免税店ショッピングは楽しいです。
帰省したら毎回一度は訪れたい場所です。

19 comments:

  1. Although it's a new article, let's start with something unrelated to the article content, sorry. But then again, maybe it's not completely unrelated since you and I are the same age? Ah, but maybe it is unrelated since we live in different countries. Anyway, I'll write about it without worrying too much.
    I wrote about it in a comment on a senior's blog, but I, who am going to be 65 soon recently, received a large set of an envelope from the Elderly Support Division in Okayama City. Inside was something called a Silver Card, which said it would allow free admission to some facilities such as the municipal art museum. It reminded me of when I used to live in Kobe. Back then, the elderly were well taken care of and could ride the city buses for free just by showing their "Kotobuki Pass." I don't know how it is now, but there seems to be quite a difference in the services available to residents depending on the city they live in, with some cities like Kobe, Osaka, and Kyoto having municipal buses and subways while most other cities do not. Cities with many public facilities may have higher taxes imposed on residents, but it still feels somewhat unfair to me who is a resident living in a city without municipal buses or subways.

    Now, you visited The New Sanno twice for lunch. I see, this facility can only be used by members of the U.S. military and State Department personnel, and simply being a U.S. citizen is not enough to use it. In other words, even American tourists who come to Japan cannot use it if they have no relation to the military, can they?. Nevertheless, the first-floor entrance lobby is decorated with cherry blossom flowers at its center, showing consideration for Japanese culture.

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    1. Yamada Denki sensei,
      For you, it’s okay whether it’s off or on topic. You are anyway unstoppable, I know.
      Currently I’m in a Club InterContinental lounge in Istanbul. They are renovating the original lounge in a lobby level so the lounge is allocated on the top floor with magnificent view of Bosphorus channel. The sunny daytime view is only expected today, so I came back to the hotel early, visited the lounge and having a cup of cappuccino. Life is good, sometimes.

      The definitions of ‘senior’ remains the same even in 21st century, so I will be eligible to use senior passes soon. Here, we have ‘Clipper Cards’, which is similar to Suica or PASMO, and the senior version of Clipper is colored in white, called a White Clipper.
      Besides, for me, turning in to 65 is the biggest deal for the healthcare. I can now join Medicare, but so many options and so many purchase traps. I am now learning the “Medicare 101.”
      If I shop properly, I will be able to keep similar quality of healthcare with paying tenth of money, only $300 per month!

      Generally speaking, due to my knowledge, nobody is eligible to enter and use the service at New Sanno except military personnel and state department employees. Being US citizens are not enough to be enter this facility.
      The decorations are for entertaining the visitors, who are not Japanese but coming from the USA basically, so welcoming them with seasonal topics is the best way for omotenassyi, I think.

      Delete
  2. 個々のコメ入れは米国語?じゃなきゃダメ?ってなことは無いと・・・?
    記事に登場した「あつ」です、まずは食事ばかりかお土産まで貰っちゃって、本当に楽しい時間を有難うございました。山王ホテルは自分の生誕地の近く(と言うか住所的にはほぼ同じ・・・)に在りながらその存在すら知りませんでした。いまでは、時折ご招待いただける身近な施設に・・・
    今回は本気でやばいなあ・・・と思ってました。実際に日本が勝っちゃったし・・・でも、静かな物でしたね・・・
    お肉の件は・・私の板の写真だと(綺麗な画像ではありませんが)確かに焼き具合が全然違いますねえ・・・でも、美味しかったですよ。
    車は正解でした、つきぢも気になってたし、他の昼飯を選んでも直ぐに動けたし・・・もし次回も有ったら自動車にしましょうね。さて、次回は来月から再来月に掛けて再来日とか、yamada dennkiさんと再会・・・ですよね。その後にまた会えればい嬉しいです。

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    1. あつ先輩、
      日本語には日本語で返させていただきます。トルコ語で返したこともあります。w

      ボスポラス海峡を眺めつつ、午後ティーを嗜んでおります。実に学園OBっぽいです。w
      先日はお車を出してくださり、本当に助かりました。重ねてありがとうございます。
      今日は午前中にトルコ風呂で揉まれまくったので、両足ともほぼ復旧しました。

      あつさんが御幼少のみぎりには、ニュー山王はまだ「ニュー」ではなく、マヂで赤坂山王にあったかも…。でも最近では、真空地帯とか言われていた付近には都営線も営団も駅が出来ていますよね。儂にはちんぷんかんですが。

      WBCですが、アメリカ本国では「何それ?美味しいもの?」みたいに認知されていません。あんなに盛り上がっていたのは、やはり日本にある基地だからでしょう。
      それよりも、ビフテキが焼きすぎ気味だったのは残念です。是非リベンジに参りましょう。6月にiSOさんとビフテキナイトの予定がありますが、もしお時間が許しますなら御一緒に、でなければもう一度行ってもいいです。(笑)
      またあらためてご連絡差し上げます♪

      Delete
  3. Ah, so on the way back from your family trip to Hakone Yumoto, you decided to have lunch at this New Sanno Hotel in a car driven by your nephew. I suppose the main dining room and teppanyaki restaurant are also open during dinner time, but this "Emporium" is more than enough.

    By the way, have you ever stayed at this hotel before? If you have the chance, I would love to see their breakfast and dinner.

    Hmm, I agree with your opinion that "this is truly America." Endless refills of cola...for Americans, is cola their soul beverage? (lol) As for me, I sometimes drink cola, but only up to 500ml, and I have no desire to drink 2 liters of cola. It seems like it would upset my stomach. And the cappuccino is oversized, or should I say American-sized. Well, this is an American hotel, so I guess it can't be helped? However, this Starbucks mug is huge, I've never seen anything like it at Starbucks in Japan. I can understand why your sister is feeling anxious saying "I'm already full with just the cappuccino..."

    I'm glad your mother was able to enjoy a Japanese-style meal. The pot-cooked udon looks delicious, but if it had chewy Sanuki noodles, it would be perfect. Ah, but considering your mother's underlying medical condition, maybe noodles with too much chewiness are not good for her?

    Except for your mother, the remaining three had hamburgers. Indeed, if the burger patty is 1.5 pounds, about 225 grams, then it is truly American-sized.

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    1. Yamada Denki sensei, again…
      The New Sanno is a great choice for family lunch. There is a parking lot in the basement so we can go to the restaurants without being exposed to rainstorms or radioactive matters. Only the issue we had was having an ID’s but fortunately, mom had healthcare ID and my sister carried Myna-card.

      I cannot stay at New Sanno because my rank is insufficient to use there as an accommodation. If I rejoin the army then I will be, but it’s too late. So, enjoy their restaurants and shopping at Navy Exchange is good enough. Also, if I report the accommodation, who can appreciate it? Even this report is not so productive if someone served US military or hired by state department.

      Coke Zero is my everyday resource for quenching. If there is no Coca-Cola, such developing countries are not my destinations. Here in Turkey, I could buy several cans of Coke Zero so I am a happy camper. But I had to pick the can carefully here, because there are strange cokes such as Coke with stevia (almost-zero), or Coke with coffee…

      We asked service person to make my mom’s udon to be overcooked because of her UC. Yet, mom complained that the udon was a bit chewy. So we recommended her to wait several seconds, then she looked happy. Oh, she forwarded two pieces of Kamaboko to me, by the way. (lol)

      Even in the States, half pound of burger patties are rare, only from good and high-end restaurants. Here at New Sanno, The Emporium is a great restaurant with great amounts of protein. They say that’s because they are wishing to make their soldiers tougher and stronger, I heard.

      Delete
  4. I see, so I am unstoppable, but I actually want to transform into someone who is more stoppable, though it might still be cool like a mole or a runaway taxi?

    Just a month ago, you were lounging at a Club InterContinental in Athens, admiring the World Heritage sites. Recently, you enjoyed two lovely lunches at a hotel with extraterritoriality in Japan. And now, you are at the Club InterContinental lounge in Istanbul, sipping on a cappuccino while gazing at the magnificent view of the Bosphorus channel. We readers need to keep up with your quick movements.

    I am also traveling to Tokyo and Sapporo this month, but compared to your range of activities, mine are almost negligible, or even still.

    So, there is also a senior pass in the United States called "Clipper Cards." It's actually refreshing to hear a name that reminds me of the now-defunct PanAm. Even as a doctor, I am completely ignorant about American health insurance. "Medicare 101," huh? If it's possible to maintain the same quality of healthcare for just $300 a month, it sounds like a good deal, but as you fear, there may be hidden traps. Regardless, I hope you make a good choice.

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    1. Yamada Denki sensei,
      I can follow what wack-the-mole is, but where’s “runaway taxi” come from?? The Crazy Taxi which is Sega’s archaeology game? Or Anko (Anne Hirakawa)of Come Come Everybody was running around Okayama? That story by NHK was a fun to watch. Old lady Anko runs in the city center of Okayama like a Kemuru-Jin. (lol)

      Before the lounging time in Athens, I was also enjoyed the Club InterContinental in Yokohama. I am trying to maximize my annual benefit by IHG. And by changing the destination in July, originally planned to visit Asian side of Turkey, I have now booked Crowne Plaza Istanbul instead. I have to discuss with Brutus-kun but if I can make it, I’ll achieve over 40 nights at IHG hotels again to be extending the club lounge membership. Thank you, Sensei for keeping me at Crowne Plaza Okayama.

      If you trip to Tokyo easily, why don’t you join the “steak night” at here New Sanno? Then we can celebrate your birthday together as well, right? Shonan Senior-Dan must be showing up for sure if you join. It’s a weekday, but please consider it. I can rebook the main dining room Wellington.

      Delete
  5. It's time for breaking news. Two sets of "Gohyakunengura" sweet potato shochu, one with 36% alcohol and the other with 25%, have arrived at the clinic! Actually, I haven't told Dr. Doi about this yet. Please pray that I can share it with him and not hog it all for myself. If I end up selfishly keeping both sets to myself... well, I'll do my best to share (lol). If I share the exquisite items that I received from you with Dr. Doi, I'm sure he will send you a thank-you email. If any emails don’t arrive... Amen.

    The "Gohyakunengura" and "Kame Shizuku" that were already sent have, of course, disappeared into my body in no time. As for the taste, both are quite similar. I think this is typical of high-end sweet potato shochu, as they both have a slightly more "common" taste than Moriizo's, but still have a refined aroma without being too potato-scented. If I were to try them blindfolded, I might not be able to tell the difference between "Gohyakunengura" and "Kame Shizuku." Well, it's only a judge from my tongue, so I can't express it more than this, but they are delicious, so isn't that enough? (lol)

    Senior, the comments section here is limited to English only (just kidding). Not only did you have your junior treat you to a meal, but you also received a souvenir. Does your junior feel indebted to you in any way? (joking) Anyway, it sounds like you had a really enjoyable time.

    Despite being near your birthplace, you didn't even know the existence of the Sanno Hotel, which was probably a facility that was difficult for the average Japanese person to approach. But now, thanks to your junior's guidance, it has become a more familiar place. After my meeting with your junior in Okayama, please enjoy your reunion with your junior as well.

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    1. Thank you for the update of the arrivals of “The Comparison Set.” Hope BOTH of you like them.
      If there is no significant difference between Kame and Gohyakunen, then I will be gifting you the Gohyakunen from now on because it’s much easier for arrange sending.

      That is quite sad you appreciate Morizo a lot. That particular bottles are only available on JAL first class, not by ANA. All Nippon has something similar but it won’t beat Morizo… even Kikkoro either. So I will stick with Gohyakunen. They have other choices if I don’t follow the porcelain package but glass bottles. Anyway, thank you for telling me your preferences. This is very helpful to know what kind of ingredients you prefer.

      The rest of this comment is for Atu-san so I will be quiet. :))

      Delete
  6. I see, your sprained foot was almost healed after being massaged at the Turkish bath. It's like going all the way from California to Istanbul just for treatment, but if it results in recovery like this, it was worth it.

    I also see, the New Sanno Hotel wasn't actually "New" when senior was a child, it was located in Akasaka Sanno as the Sanno Hotel. So it was in a different location from the current one. Oh, even though it was in Akasaka, it used to be called a "vacuum zone" and there were not many subways running nearby, which is a bit surprising.

    Recently, there was a post on a net bulletin board for doctors. It said that during a discussion among resident doctors about WBC, their supervising professor suddenly appeared and scolded them, saying "You guys shouldn't be just thinking about baseball instead of focusing on your training!" And the resident doctors tried to cover it up by saying "No, we were actually discussing the cause of a patient's sudden increase in white blood cells."

    In the United States, WBC is not recognized. In baseball, the World Series is supreme.

    I see again, senior’s beef steak was a bit overcooked. I also prefer my steak cooked medium-rare in Azabu, but if I have the opportunity to taste steak at this hotel next time, I'll go with rare.

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    1. Yamada Denki sensei,

      My feet are even better today by the series of massages I received, and walking with a new friend also gave forgetting from the remaining dull pains. I didn’t take Loxisonin this morning but I was able to walk without any discomfort.

      The name Sanno is pointing in Akasaka area. Maybe you know the name Tameike Sanno station by Tokyo Metro. That Sanno is pointing the original place and there used to be a facility of Japanese military.

      This is from Wikipedia.
      > In 1969, the property owners demanded the end of the leasing agreement and the return of the land and facility. After a prolonged legal battle, the Japanese government acquiesced with a promise to the U.S. military of providing an alternative location for a lodging facility in central Tokyo. The new location was in Minami-Azabu, Minato, Tokyo.
      >
      > The old Sanno Hotel was closed in October 1983 and demolished. The site remained vacant until 2000 as various redevelopment plans failed to materialize. The site was ultimately used for a new 44-story office tower, the Sanno Park Tower, which opened on January 1, 2000 and currently houses the headquarters of NTT DoCoMo.

      So, the New Sanno has been built between 1969 to 1983, therefore Senior-san is definitely somewhere around mid-school to T-Gakuen student periods.
      There is a very famous Taiyaki shop in Azabu Joban but that place is barely accessible by public transportation. So the friends of T were driving to the venue for enjoying a piece of Taiyaki. What a luxurious school life we spent…

      WBC stands for white blood cells… I learned one thing. Thank you. For me, I am more concerned about the result of PRP and HIV rather…(lol)

      Again, please consider coming over to The New Sanno for celebration of your birthday with rare cooked American (probably Angus and hopefully dry aged, or butter aged) beef.

      Delete
  7. "A runaway taxi" simply means a taxi driven by a reckless driver who cannot be controlled, and has nothing to do with the classic game "Crazy Taxi" from the wonderful company you used to work for. Did Anko (Anna Hirakawa) from "Come Come Everybody" run around Okayama? Oh, now that you mention it, my wife once saw a program on NHK and was surprised by it. Anko was running around the center of Okayama like a Kemuru-jin... that really ruins the image of Okayama, or Kemuru-jin might actually enhance the image of Okayama more than Momotaro, don't you think?

    Oh, and before your lounging time in Athens, you also enjoyed the Club InterContinental in Yokohama, right? I can't keep up with you traveling from North America to various places in Asia and Europe.

    Oh, you were planning a trip to the Asian side of Turkey in July? Isn't the earthquake damage still significant in that area? Changing your plans might have been the right decision. If you stay at IHG hotels for more than 40 nights, you can renew your club lounge membership, right? I have a question though: does your stay at Crowne Plaza Okayama count towards that total?

    Are you suggesting that you'll come to Okayama in May and we'll go to Tokyo together on the way back? Then I'll be working during the day until noon on Saturday, May 27th, and then we'll both board the Green Car of the Nozomi Shinkansen and eat ice cream while it's frozen solid. And for dinner that day, we'll join Shonan Senior-san and his wife at New Sanno's "Steak Night," right? Hmm, it's a very tempting offer, but I can't give you an answer right away considering that I have to go to Toyama next week and my dog's health isn't good. Oh, are you planning to go with Senior-san on a weekday? If it's a weekday, I'll definitely force a hard time to Doi-sensei. In any case, please give me some time to consider it.

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    1. Yamada Denki sensei,

      Catching up your comments is a tough job…

      The Crazy Taxi was primarily distributed on arcade machines. When SEU (Sega Enterprises USA, amusement hand of American Sega and a sister company to Sega of America) imported one and setup for testing US market. The immediate reaction of the players was; it’s a very difficult game to play. Players misunderstood how to play. They didn’t pick-up the customer and giving the ride. Instead, the players simply tried to run over the customers… Americans are surely born to kill. (lol)

      Ms. Annie Hirakawa of Come Come was truly amazing. Due to Okayamans NHK watchers, she ran from Kaikosha, keep running thru Omote-machi Shotengai to Oakayama-jo. It’s about 5 kilometers and she ran this route in 3 minutes, they say. Momotaro can’t run that fast. I think Annie must be Kemuru-jin if she has such running capability at her age 78.

      Due to some difficulties, I cancelled a trip to Sivas today. But I plan to stay IHG property instead so I can achieve over 40 nights this year.

      After my Okayama visit, I will spend a night in Atami with my mother and sister. Then, I am currently securing a table at Wellington’s on weekday because iSO-san and Comet-san are the primary guests I invited. Also, Shonan Senior-san might be more difficult to make them off on weekends because of the care schedules. See what we can do if possible.

      Delete
  8. In my opinion, "The Comparison Set" you sent appears to be a luxury version of the pottery-type. The container, though not quite like Bizen ware upon closer inspection, exudes a sense of luxury and creates high expectations even before drinking. Of course, I'm sure I will like both of 36% alcohol and the other with 25%. While I don't believe there is a significant difference between Kame-Shizuku and Gohyakunengura, please don't feel obliged to send us the latter. As I mentioned before, it's much more important to us that you come all the way to our clinic in this remote corner of Okayama from California to receive an endoscopy.

    Although Moriizou is an exceptional shochu, I usually drink shochu that costs around 1,000 yen for 750ml, and Dr. Doi drinks a 1.8L paper-pack of Akakirishima obtained through hometown tax donation all year round. So for us, Gohyakunengura is a premium drink that we only indulge in occasionally. While I've had Moriizou in the past, only in JAL's first class, the best perk is still being able to enjoy Salon to the fullest. Even when compared to regular prices of champagne in first-class cabins of airlines worldwide, Salon is in a class of its own. I believe ANA serves Krug in first class, which is certainly more than adequate.

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    1. Yamada Denki sensei,

      Well… I tried to find Morizo or Kiccoro on the market but only the possibility is take a first class flight by JAL and purchase one, which is totally, totally ridiculous and impossible for me. ANA sells ‘Masaki’ by Chiran-Jozou imo-shochu on board but I am not sure this is sufficient for you guys…

      And I hope those glass-bottled ones by Goyakunen were sufficient enough for you… As I told you previously, I only have very negative but funny memory for imo-shochu when I spent night in T-Gakuen’s pilot farm in Minami Satsuma, so I have no idea how you can evaluate those stinky (sorry, but it is for me) alcohol beverages…

      From 22nd of April I can preorder Masaki on my first class trip to NRT so please let me know if you are interested in those bottles.

      Delete
  9. If the series of massages you received have reduced the pain in your feet and allowed you to walk comfortably with a new friend, then those massages are not only enjoyable but also medically beneficial. In fact, you were able to walk without discomfort even without taking loxoprofen, so the massages have certainly had a positive effect.

    I am also familiar with Tameike Sanno station on the Tokyo Metro. Although it no longer exists, there used to be a prestigious nationwide invitation-only conference called the GERD Research Association, and the annual venue was always the ANA InterContinental Hotel Tokyo, which was accessed by getting on and off at that subway station (although we had taxi tickets in advance, we never used them for some reason).

    I see, when we were in elementary school, the owners of the Sanno Hotel were able to reclaim their property after the Japanese government promised to provide an alternative location for a lodging facility in central Tokyo for the U.S. military. It's surprising that the site of the Sanno Hotel remained vacant until 2000, given that it was prime real estate in the heart of Tokyo. It's now a building that houses the headquarters of NTT DoCoMo. In any case, Senior-san was born and raised in such a historic place, and you and your friends from T-Gakuen used to drive to the famous Taiyaki shop there, so it seems that there is a world of difference between your university days and mine (lol).

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    1. Yamada Denki sensei,

      The pain still remains if I walk more than 2km in 20 minutes or less. So, if I walk slower and take some breaks in between (there are numbers of benches in San Mateo downtown), I can go to Chase bank to Japanese supermarket, even stopping by Japanese garden in SM Central Park without any difficulties.
      Currently I take bath with jet (Jacuzzi) function to give some vibrations to my feet. This artificial massaging plus sauna makes my muscles more relaxed, and I can sleep very well with s-zopiclone. (lol)

      T-Galuen is a very unique school. I went to the institute of photography after T, I immediately found the photographic school is ‘normal’ – means, I didn’t feel anything abnormal at the photo school if I compare to high school experiences. Only T has certain ‘taste’ of school life. By the way. I just read fresh news regarding the teachers for elementary schools; it says T is sending out the 5th largest number of teachers for elementary schools. Isn’t that scary? (lol)

      Delete
  10. You have a bath with a jet (Jacuzzi) function at your home to provide vibrations to your feet. It seems you might still remember, but our home bath also has a similar feature (although it doesn't have a sauna). I personally rarely use that function, but Midori-san uses it every time she takes a bath. Indeed, with this artificial massage, sauna and sleeping pills, one would sleep very well (lol).

    After graduating from T-Galuen, you enrolled in a photography school. It's very interesting that you found the photography school to be "normal" and didn't feel anything abnormal compared to your high school experiences. Could it be because T-Galuen had a certain unique "flavor" that you felt, perhaps because you were considered an outsider?
    Furthermore, I was a little surprised to hear that T-Galuen is sending out a large number of teachers to elementary schools. You expressed concerns with the statement, "Isn't that scary?" However, I actually see it as a positive trend.
    During my elementary school days, corporal punishment by teachers was a common occurrence. I still remember being hit by my homeroom teacher in front of everyone. Back then, it was accepted as the norm, but since then, the perception has shifted, and violence is no longer tolerated.
    Considering that many T-Galuen graduates come from respected families and are unlikely to have experienced violence from their own parents, I believe they would not resort to corporal punishment upon their precious students.

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