Cafe Del Mar A Place to Rave About!

Scrumptious "Torotoro omelette"

To say I don't often get to rave about a place without taking a long train or bus ride would be a major understatement. Recently while on a bicycle ride in the Hojo Beach area of Tateyama I noticed a new cafe. The veranda and proximity to Tokyo Bay pulled me back one day to try lunch. The cafe was a little busy, but I really wanted to enjoy the deck and the fresh spring air. I ordered a "green curry", pictured below, hoping that it might be like Thai "gang guy" spicy curry. My expectations were exceeded when I tasted the wonderfully spicy dish which I was presented with white rice and a small carrot salad. Not for those who avoid spicy dishes, I warn you, but absolutely perfect for my overjoyed taste buds! I decided that my curry loving son should try it at the first opportunity which was today.

Spicy Green Curry!

He ordered the curry and I decided to try the "Torotoro" omelette, pictured at the top of the page. I often enjoy 'omurice' which is an omelette wrapped around a mound of rice-a Japanese creation that my son is quite good at making for the family. This, my friends, was no ordinary omelette! As spicy and delicious as the curry was, this dish was rich and flavorful. It is now going to be difficult to decide what to order for lunch. They also have individual size pizzas which I'm looking forward to trying late one Saturday afternoon. They close at 6 PM

Japanese are not like Europeans when it comes to eating outside. Cafes and restaurants with "al fresco" dining are difficult to find. In rural areas it's often difficult to find an eatery with an unobstructed view of street or scenery. It's a "privacy" issue. Just ask Google Earth about that problem.

This is not the case at "Cafe Del Mar",  even though you can't see Tokyo Bay, the veranda is spacious and  provides a view of Tateyama's spanish style train station, just a 3 minute walk away.

Finally, I must not forget the service which is charming and bilingual. The young lady who served us spoke English quite well. This led to my eventual question. "You are not from around here are you?"

By all means, if in the area of Tateyama station, visit Cafe Del Mar for a touch of class and great food.

Life will never be the same.

Imagine you've got it made from birth. Your family owns agriculturally rich land and has for generations. It has provided enough money for you to educate your children who have moved off to urban centers for work that is not dirty or tough. Life isn't bad and your eldest son, now in his 50s, has stayed home to continue the tradition. You've modernized harvesting with the latest equipment to make up for the shortage of labor. Life is good.
Then it happens, before spring planting begins a massive earthquake spews a tsunami across your fields, destroying everything in it's path including your eldest son working there. Fate has spared you and your grandchildren who were safe at a school, but everything you had is gone. For good measure, to complete the destruction, much of the sea water lingers in your fields with no way to pump it back to the ocean.
As you read this, imagining yourself in this man's shoes, picture yourself living in a gymnasium with scores of others, including your grandchildren who cry for their parents and have nightmares.
This is not fiction. This is reality for thousands of victims of the March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami. What are they to do? The hopelessness of their plight has driven several to suicide and more can be expected in a country with a tradition of suicide.
Much of the western media have moved on, covering the nuclear plant disaster in Fukushima, badly, or muckraking elsewhere distorting reality to sell advertising. I don't miss the celebrity journalists at all, but the world has an image of Japan being "rich" and able to spring back as it did after Kobe. This is a different story. An urban center is much more resilient than a rural area populated with senior citizens. They are going to need much more than a fighting spirit to embark on a new way of life.
Don't stop imagining what it would be like if it were you in this man's shoes.

After the deluge.

If you look closely at the date of my last post you will see it was March 10th, the last normal day that Japan will experience for many days to come. We were in Tokyo the day before when the Tohoku area had a strong pre-shock to the massive quake that came on the 11th. We didn't notice it as we were probably on a train or in the metro at the time.
Needless to say, I haven't been in much of a mood to blog for the last 3 weeks. We live at the mouth of Tokyo Bay on the end of the Chiba peninsula and have been spared this time. Except for the major hit this area is suffering due to the loss of domestic tourism, life goes on at it's normal tedious pace.  The frustration  I feel living in such rustic surroundings is compounded by sadness for what happened and the inability to take physical action to contribute to recovery. I also have a nagging sensation that like the upstairs neighbor taking off his shoes, the second one is about to drop.
So, I have found myself getting more into the Japanese things that comfort me and give me assurance that an earthquake and tsunami will not keep my people down. I enjoy listening to traditional Japanese music and reading the haiku of my favorite poet, Santoka Taneda. Since spring and cherry blossoms are upon us now I thought I would share a haiku that seems appropriate for the season and recent events.


weeds that may die
any time
blooming and seeding




Peace be with you.