More Photos

Manami one of our Japanese students, lives in Tokoyo came to visit












At a Japanese restaurant - Oko nomiyaki cooked on hot plate on table










Bruce - Oko nomiyaki - pancake with cabbage and meat












Quaint Cooking school venue in French area in Kobe called Okomoto











Typical Japanese bonsai that you see around Japan

So you see we are finding new places and tasting new foods most weekends or on our day off which is Fridays. We are finding it fairly easy to find our way around - either by using our van or local trains - transport is extremely expensive in Japan - Our visit to Sannomiya Kitano area cost about $20NZ by train. When we can we bike off the island - lock up the bikes and then travel by train - that saves us about $10NZ each.

We do use the van when it is easy and not costly to park it. There are toll roads here and the toll collection is about every 10kms and cost about $3-$5NZ each time!!

However - this is life in Japan - and this.. we have accepted. Foreigners can get cheap rail passes -so those of you are INTENDING!!!! TO VISIT US!!!! - please don't be put off by this!!!

Now I do remember those of you who have said will visit! - so don't forget to keep saving! HAHA!!

Photos !!

A panoramic view of Kobe City

Jo is trying new fishy foods at the fish market

The other photos are of Kitano - an area in Kobe where there are historical houses that were built in the 1900's. Most are open to the public for viewing.

Click on the photos to enlarge

8 New Interesting Facts : )

1. Fitting room floors in shops are a slightly higher level than the shop floor and you have to take your shoes off before you step in.When you step back out of your fitting cubicle, your shoes are turned around ready for you to step back into them : )




2. Bathrooms are a higher level in Japanese houses - it is important to remove your slippers before entering




3. The entry ways of Japanese houses are a lower level to the rest of the house and it is also important to remove your shoes and put slippers on once on the higher level.




4. The Tatame room, a room which has woven matting on the floor, is a special room in the house for sitting on the floor, or sleeping on futons. Slippers must also be removed before entering.




5. Wild boar are often found in the controlled rivers that flow from the mountains, through the city and down to the sea.




6. Yellow dust blows in from China in the spring, it comes all the way from the Gobe desert. It only lasted about 24 hours but eerie!!




7. At this time of the year you will see the Japanese girls who are graduating, dressed in their Kimonos - think there is another name for their dress.




8. When reversing in your vehicle - people also turn on their hazard lights.

P.S : Remember to click on the photo to enlarge for a better look!

Waiting for my next Update?? Coming Soon!

My Favourite Chef on the Streets of Japan!

Finding freshly cooked Chinese dumplings on the streets of Kobe on a cold day.... simply satisfying

Japanese Menu ?

Here are a couple of dishes I learnt in my Japanese cooking class today.

The one on the right is a fried chicken dish topped with Da con ( a Japanese white radish - not hot) with 1 of the hundreds of yummy sauces they use.

The dish to the left above is a rice dish done in the rice cooker along with Japanese veges and a sauce. Easy and yum. Don't for get to click on the picture for a closer look!

A Toilet with and Aquarium around it??!

Well I am finding a variety of different toilets - but check this one out!!

My friend Casey found this one today!!

Yes there are fish swimming all around in the aquarium!!

Watch this space for the next variety!!

And if you click on the photo - it will enlarge so you can have a better look!

Week 2 and Surviving

We are surviving and finding our way around Kobe AND the supermarkets.

I am finding food ingredients that we have back home - general baking needs are here although I wanted malt vinegar, sugar and cornflour for my pav - the sugar turned out to be salt !( later found the sugar) and cornflour was potato flour/starch, (later found cornflour also) and used white vinegar . What you can't get in Japan, I can get or order through Foriegn Buyers Club or Price Club. These companies have imported things or will import anything you want from your country.

Someone bought an Australian leg of lamb for us and I cooked a Kiwi dinner for 8, including a pav with strawberries on top! Strawberries were about $6 for a small punnett. Yummie lamb -and the guests were great company as well! Kiwi/Australian/Japanese/US friends!

I attended a Japanese cooking class today and learnt how to make 4 or 5 dishes ! We were then taken to the supermarket to find the ingredients for these which was very helpful. I am finding that taking photos of things on my cellphone helps me to find/remember what I want! .. and I can also show this to Japanese supermarket staff and they show me where things are !! Works great.! Sign language helps too!! haha.

Generally we can eat like we do in NZ if we want - I shop around for meat and buy that in bulk an freeze in meal lots. Veges are expensive too but you can find bargains when you know where to look. 1/4 buttercup pumpkin can be anything from $3-$4 but this random place I found the other day had a whole one for that much. I was so pleased to find that as Bruce and I love pumpkin soup.

I loved the Japanese dishes I made - so will probably eat a lot more of these!

We have been to other peoples places for meals or out for meals so are getting a taste of all sorts of dishes! Yum!

1st Week in Japan 'Nesting'

So what have we been up to!
We have been out and about organising the necessary things AND cellphones ( I am lost without my/a cellphone)
Bruce has been at the office a little and I have been 'nesting' (and no - I am not providing free range eggs!) getting supplies in, and our sea freight will be delivered to our home on Monday! Yay!
Poppy, needless to say, HAS settled in nicely, now the noise of the jet engines has dissipated, and is snuggling in on the couch with her summer coat on. I took her for her first WALK (with a harness) around the house tonight, and she coped quite well with me pulling her along! Haha.

The weather has not been too bad - a warm day today -about 12degs - but wait!!!... Sunday is going to be a chiller with a high of 7degs.

We have already spent time sharing together over a meal with friends from KUC and feel so blessed as God has 'bought us this far by His grace', and feel privileged to be serving God here in Kobe Union Church

New Encounters

• Awesome KUC church family!


• Cold weather


• More Japanese here than Kiwis!


• No blondes!


• Electronic sounds from....who knows where and I am not sure when I am required and where, with who!!??


• Practicing Japanese!


• Not understanding Japanese...but hey!.... we're not going hungry and we CAN find our way home again!


• Shop assistants standing at the entry of a store calling out a welcome!


• Bowing more often!?


• Japanese ALWAYS reverse into a car park or garage!


• Overhead power lines


• Fast trains


• Excellent public transport.


• Push bikes are a common form of transport ( and free parking! )

The Journey - NZ to Kobe

A week ago we were at the airport trying to solve our over weight problems before leaving for Japan!!

We did indeed get our problem resolved, in the end not having to pay o/weight charges! A miracle really as we were about 14kgs overweight!

Our flight was great, even managed to sleep for 6 hours! On arrival we encountered an entry problem, again resolved, after 20mins.

We had a group of KUC (Kobe Union Church) church family members waiting for us and one of the Japanese girls helped us with translation for collecting our air freight and 'The Cat!'...4 hours later, after what seemed a mountain of paper work, with very friendly Japanese staff and going back and forth to a number of offices at the airport.... we cleared our cargo and Poppy!

Needless to say our 'new friends of KUC' had had a good amount of quality time catching up!

Kobe is only 45mins from Osaka airport. Lunch together was next on our agenda before arriving at 'The Manse' - our new home on Rokko Island in Kobe.

(Our home is on the right - first 3 sections back to the power pole)