The Day American Food Died

Before we get into the start of this amazing meal in the mountains, let's talk about how our day started. We woke up for "western style breakfast." Thank goodness it was not quite so. When we got to the dining hall, the waitress was waiting for our arrival and the staff had arranged these cooking stations on our table with eggs, sausage, ham and broccoli, waiting to be cooked in individual portions via sterno.  We got some bread, salad (potato kind and some mixed greens) and beverages and waited for the meal to cook. Too bad we didn't bring our cameras. We just thought it'd be normal! The hospitality in Japan is amazing so far.  We left around 9:30. Noriko, a former colleague of M, picked us up to take us to M's former school where she taught English for 3 years. It was a massive, state-of-the art school that was also constructed to be energy efficient. It was so nice and kids that M used to teach came out to say "hi." Even though it was a Sunday, there was some sort of occasion that required all the staff and students to report. It was great to meet teachers that used to work with M; they all obviously LOVE her. We then met with the former principal in his very traditional Japanese home, where his wife prepared tea, sandwiches and snacks for us. It would have been rude to say no!

Noriko then drove us up the mountains to a hidden treasure of a restaurant called Tenzen. It was amazing. It was owned by the same family as Unajin but the food we had seemed much different. I wish I could post all the pics, but look at the following beauties, including the one up top...

Super oishi! After that filling meal that seemed to be 20 courses, we still did not have cash. We felt so bad but none of the ATM's in the small town took our debit cards and banks were closed on Sunday. We felt like the worst guests ever. 3000 yen per person for a great feast. We were about to wash dishes but our hosts gladly paid and offered us pocket money. We already had our bus tickets reserved for Tokyo so as long as we made it there, we should be able to find an open bank for cash, right?!... Anyway, we said our goodbyes to maruyama and stopped at Minako's farm so that M could say goodbye to her host. It was such a short but memorable time; but after hanging out and eating with local farmers in such a serene setting, we really got to experience and appreciate the pride, centuries of knowledge and artistry in the best food ever, Japanese food.