Hyogo Goodwill Envoy Newsletter

 Annyeong haseyo, Hyogo Goodwill Envoys! Another humid summer is well under way. To improve my health and overcome the hot and humid summer in Japan under the severe setsuden (energy saving) policies, as well as to prepare for the summer dress season, I joined a gym near my office and promised myself that I would go to the gym (preferably) every day. However, due to the cool winds that invite me to drop in different places after work, this promise to myself is being broken all the time. In this issue, I will talk about a great day for me and my stomach after I pledged again that I would refrain from overeating and do some exercise. Two events related to food were held on that day in June in Kobe.

By a series of accidents I learned about “Kobe Oktoberfest 2012” from the posters in Hankyu stations during my commuting hours, and was looking forward to the event. Then coincidentally, a colleague of mine asked me if I wanted to go to the event with them, so we decided to go there as a group on Sunday. I was also informed by my friend’s friend that another event called “Kobe Fiesta” would be held on the same day at a park just across from the site of the Oktoberfest. How could I miss this opportunity, where I could eat to the point of passing out in a single day? We changed the schedule – first, go to Kobe Fiesta to eat something, then walk to the Oktoberfest to quench our thirst. I couldn’t wait!!

 

Kobe Fiesta 

In a light rain, we headed to the Minato-no-mori Park, the venue of Kobe Fiesta. At the entrance, we bought a 500 yen wristband which is required to buy stuff there. We also received a paper tray for the food and an official guidebook. OK, let’s start eating! But with so much delicious-looking food, it was difficult to choose which stand to visit first. About the event Kobe Fiesta was started in 2008 by people from the food industry. It is an annual “gourmet & bazaar” event to introduce food and goods made in Kobe to help hand them down to the next generation. There are many other events that feature food stalls, but this particular event with its cool atmosphere is only possible in the stylish town of Kobe! Thank God I’m living in Kobe! Salad bouquet from the kitchen garden/Black wagyu en papillote with roasted onion Confit de canard from France with whole-grain mustard/Homard poele with Ako shio-negi sauce Pudding/Crepe Suzette with strawberry parfait (mango & framboise sauce) Oktoberfest

After having a snack, we moved to “Kobe Oktoberfest 2012 in Sannomiya,” held in Higashi Yuenchi park just across the road. The Oktoberfest is an annual beer festival held in Munich, which is the biggest of its kind in the world, attracting over six million visitors singing and dancing together. As a cultural exchange event to enjoy German music and food, it has also been taking place in various places in Japan. Kobe, in particular, developed as a center for Japan-Germany exchange in Kansai. Visitors to Kobe can take in historical sites like Kyu-kyoryuchi (old foreign settlement) and Ijinkan (old foreign residences).

Enjoying Oktoberfest


 When you choose a beer, you pay for the beer itself, together with a deposit for the glass (1,000 yen). This is an eco-friendly system to stop using plastic cups and prevent damage to glasses. The deposit is reimbursed when you return the empty glass. The shops served beer in each brand’s beautiful glass, so some people just took them home without getting a refund. During the 10-day event, stage performances were put on every day. A band from Germany played folk music, and we sang and danced to the music, hand in hand, and shouted “Prost! (=cheers)” Are my photos conveying the festivities? Thanks to these two events, I had a great early-summer day. I’m sorry the next chance will be a year from now (still a long way to go!). I believe this is the best opportunity to enjoy delicious and cool Kobe, so I hope you'll get a chance to take a look at these events next year!

☆　Hyogo Event Info　★



 　

 Flower viewing (hanami) parties are not only for spring. How about doing hanami in summer? Vibrantly-colored flowers are waiting for you under the strong sunshine of summer.

Sunflower festival at Himawari Yuyu Noen (farm) Date: July 29, 2012 (The farm is open from Jul. 22 through Aug. 5) Place: Himawari Yuyu Noen (Yuzu, Kasuga-cho, Tamba City) Access: 15 min. by car from JR Fukuchiyama Line Kuroi Station, or 7 min. by car from Kasuga IC on Maizuru-Wakasa Expressway This is a large farm with an area of over five hectares, located in the Yuzu area, known for Tamba matsutake mushrooms. Here visitors can enjoy a huge maze of sunflowers, local sweet corn (freshly picked and boiled), spray sunflowers, lotus park and rural scenery.

 For more event information, please refer to: http://www.hyogo-tourism.jp