Japanese Food Bites: Indulging in the Taste of Summer

At the crack of dawn, we convened for a very brief breakfast at our beautiful hotel in Kurobe. Ready for checkout, we followed the same protocol of cleaning and clearing our spaces from the previous night. The day prior, we were very clearly instructed to save our stomachs for the exciting lecture we were attending, though this one would not be delivered by either Professor Ito or Professor Young. This would come from a lecturer who would not only teach us a new skill, but also help us appreciate the art of life.

Picture during sashimi lesson (Courtesy of Claudia)

In a lesson from one of Kurobe’s finest fish chefs, we learned how to cut and prepare our own sashimi. These fish were caught very early in the morning by local fishermen and were ready for our use in this workshop. Divided into groups of about five, we each got a fish, a knife, a cutting board, and a towel. The demonstration made the process seem easy until the whirlwind of both ethical considerations and the inability to remember the steps began to plague the preparation process. Many of our classmates understandably had a difficult time, and as a result, our class became a formative experience for many. In the end, my sashimi did not look highly convincing, with uneven pieces and what felt like a waste of much of the meat in the fish. However, many of my classmates displayed far better knife skills than I did and produced far better lunch pieces than I did, which I made sure to enjoy at our lunch. To add to the experience, the Kurobe local television network broadcast our entire experiences, which my classmates and I joked would be our next announcement on our LinkedIn profiles.

Picture of Aghapy H. eating sashimi lunch

As we sat on the tatami mats, we were served soups and side dishes prepared by fellow senseis in the sashimi class, which were a great help in producing a delicious lunch. Per protocol in Japanese food culture, we thanked everyone involved in preparing this meal with “Itadakimasu.” From then on, we got into enjoying our hard-earned lunch, laughing and telling stories from our varied experiences in getting to this point.

In waiting for our taxis back to the Kurobe-Unazukionsen stations, we hung out nearby. Some of us got ice cream or checked out the local fish market, while overlooking the dock to the pond and mountains hugging us. It felt like a sincere goodbye to the countryside of Japan.

Group Photo with model fish in Kurobe Fish Market (Courtesy of Matt)

We proceeded to head back to the station for our longest journey yet, from Kurobe to Kyoto. Our itinerary was marked by three tiring transfers from Shinkansen to Shinkansen. Most of us slept or caught up on classwork.

Photo of the Shinkansen train from Kurobe (courtesy of Calvin)

After three transfers on various trains with varied destinations, the one that brought us to western Japan finally pulled into Kyoto Station. The journey had finally ended, and we were greeted with a warm welcome from Laurie (from CIEE Kyoto). We checked in, and a new vibe emerged.

In our tired states, a new craving emerged. Though initially wanting a quick bite, Professor Ito joined us at an all-you-can-eat Korean-style barbecue right across the street from our beautiful hotel. Three tables, thirteen students, and a beautiful dinner that bonded various of us despite our tired journeys. Though I sat with Professor Young, Corinne, and Maddie, there were varied perspectives in each corner of the tall restaurant (Though we found the food highly enjoyable and varied, as well as a fun concept that taught us all a little bit more about the science of cooking).

Top: Professor Young and Corinne at Barbecue

Bottom: Me and Maddie at Barbecue

One of these perspectives came from Claudia. Despite being exhausted beyond belief, she found comfort and joy in attending dinner as a large group. She enjoyed being closely seated to enlarge the conversation among tables and found the price extremely fair for all the meats, vegetables, and sides they put together, which she says made the meal “extremely fulfilling.” Though the service was slow in first delivering the food for barbecue, it did not take away from her experience laughing and living in the moment together.

They spent a lot of time eating, even beyond the initially planned 100 minutes. After getting dessert, they left the restaurant without a single craving for the rest of the night.

Upon returning to the hotel, a nice onsen bath with my roommate and an evening spent catching up on classwork were the norm. I wanted to save my exploring for the next day, after recovering from the previous days. Though, alas, the great switch was finally over, we made it from Tokyo to Kyoto.