{"id":2630,"date":"2015-10-09T21:59:01","date_gmt":"2015-10-09T12:59:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/2015-10-09\/2630"},"modified":"2015-10-09T21:59:01","modified_gmt":"2015-10-09T12:59:01","slug":"yuba-lunch-in-kyoto-with-jim-breen","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/2015-10-09\/2630","title":{"rendered":"Yuba Lunch in Kyoto with Jim Breen"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Nikkor 14-24mm f\/2.8 @ 14mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>250 sec, f<\/span>\/20, ISO 6400 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nYuba Feast with Jim Breen<\/span>\nat Kiyomizu Junsei Okabeya (\u6e05\u6c34\u9806\u6b63<\/span> \u304a\u304b\u3079\u5bb6)\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

I started helping out Australian professor Jim Breen<\/a> with his “<\/span>edict”<\/span> online Japanese-English\ndictionary<\/a> in about 1989 when it had less than 3,000 entries. It has more<\/span> than 230,000 now. In all the<\/span> intervening years we'd met in real life\nonly once, about 15 years ago, so I was<\/span> very happy to meet him for lunch\ntoday as he finishes up a long<\/span> hiking vacation in Japan.<\/p>\n\n\n

He mentioned an interest in Yuba, so I knew<\/span> the perfect spot,\nJunsei Okabeya (\u6e05\u6c34\u9806\u6b63<\/span> \u304a\u304b\u3079\u5bb6)<\/a>,\nwhich I wrote<\/span> about several years ago here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n

It's near the Kiyomizu Temple, so I went<\/span> there to meet him...<\/p>\n\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Sigma 35mm F1.4 DG HSM — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>3200 sec, f<\/span>\/1.4, ISO 100 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nApproach to the Kiyomizu Temple<\/span>\ncrazy crowded as always\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Sigma 35mm F1.4 DG HSM — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>3200 sec, f<\/span>\/1.4, ISO 100 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nQuiet Spot Out of the Way<\/span>\nKiyomizu Temple (\u6e05\u6c34\u5bfa)\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Sigma 35mm F1.4 DG HSM — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>8000 sec, f<\/span>\/1.4, ISO 100 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nMeeting Spot<\/span>\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Sigma 35mm F1.4 DG HSM — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>400 sec, f<\/span>\/3.2, ISO 280 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nKosuke Fukui and Jim Breen<\/span>\nI've known both about the same time\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

Kosuke Fukui, whom I've known for about 25 years, fills some of his\nretirement time by helping out with the business operations at the\nrestaurant, which also produces fresh tofu for other upscale restaurants\nand supermarkets. That's how I found<\/span> out about the restaurant in the first\nplace. Anyway, he'd seen my name on the reservation list, so popped over to\nsay high, looking dapper as always. He also appeared<\/span> on my blog eight years\nago<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n

The Yuba lunch is wonderful, with a rich<\/span> variety of tofu-based dishes that\nleaves one a bit<\/span> overwhelmed as to where to start...<\/p>\n\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Nikkor 14-24mm f\/2.8 @ 14mm — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>250 sec, f<\/span>\/20, ISO 6400 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\n“<\/span>Yuba Sakura”<\/span> Course<\/span>\n\u3086\u3070\u685c\u30b3\u30fc\u30b9<\/a>\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Sigma 35mm F1.4 DG HSM — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>400 sec, f<\/span>\/3.5, ISO 200 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nYuba Factory In Operation<\/span>\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

Yuba is very simple... slowly heat soy milk (real soy milk, not the\nhorrible almond-flavored stuff one often finds in The States) until the top\nforms a thin<\/span> skin. The thin skin<\/span> is yuba<\/a>, and can be skimmed\noff and eaten directly.<\/p>\n\n

Some patience is required, though with so many other dishes in front of you,\nyou're not at a loss<\/span> for something to eat.<\/p>\n\n

In our case, six minutes passed between the photo above and Jim taking his first bit of yuba...<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Sigma 35mm F1.4 DG HSM — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>400 sec, f<\/span>\/3.5, ISO 220 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Sigma 35mm F1.4 DG HSM — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>400 sec, f<\/span>\/3.5, ISO 250 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nThat's It<\/span>\nread to eat\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

After stuffing ourselves silly and thanking Kosuke for a fine<\/span> meal, I thought<\/span> to pop over to a relatively<\/span>-unknown cemetery nearby to show Jim its amazing\nview<\/a>. I figured<\/span> it must have had a side<\/span> entrance near where we were.<\/p>\n\n

Unfortunately, I instead spent 15 minutes demonstrating my\ninept knowledge of the area's small side streets, and we ended up all\nthe way at the main street at the bottom of the hill.<\/p>\n\n

Oh well, we'll just head in the front entrance to the cemetery, and pass\nall the way through it to exit near the entrance to the Kiyomizu Temple,\nwhich Jim wanted to visit as well.<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Sigma 35mm F1.4 DG HSM — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>1600 sec, f<\/span>\/2, ISO 100 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nAt the Entrance<\/span>\nto the Ootani Honbyo Temple (\u5927\u8c37\u672c\u5edf)<\/span>\n(also known as the Nishi Otani Temple, \u897f\u5927\u8c37)<\/span>\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

(Jim had come by bicycle, so was dressed accordingly, with pantlegs tucked into his socks.)<\/p>\n\n

Inside it was as interesting as always, with a lunar<\/span> landscape of gravestones....<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Sigma 35mm F1.4 DG HSM — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>3200 sec, f<\/span>\/1.8, ISO 100 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Sigma 35mm F1.4 DG HSM — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>2500 sec, f<\/span>\/1.8, ISO 100 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nUnique<\/span>\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Sigma 35mm F1.4 DG HSM — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>500 sec, f<\/span>\/2.8, ISO 100 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n
<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Sigma 35mm F1.4 DG HSM — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>400 sec, f<\/span>\/5, ISO 140 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nWalk-Through Maze<\/span>\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

We got all the way up to the exit at the top of the hill to find it locked, so it turns out that\nthe “<\/span>no passage to the Kiyomizu Temple”<\/span> signs we'd seen at the entrance weren't just trying to keep the\nriffraff from passing through... there really was no<\/i> passage.<\/p>\n\n

Part of one hillside had given way during a typhoon<\/span> at one time or the other, so they closed the area to through traffic.<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\nNikon D4 + Sigma 35mm F1.4 DG HSM — 1<\/sup>\/<\/big>500 sec, f<\/span>\/5, ISO 100 —\nmap & image data<\/a> — nearby photos<\/a><\/span>\nOops<\/span>\nno through traffic\n\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n

We had to head all the way back down the hill, then back up again to the Kiyomizu Temple. All in all<\/span> my short little\nside trip ended up being\n3.6 hilly<\/span>\nkilometers (2¼ miles). Sorry Jim! At least<\/span> you were well prepared for it having hiked so much in the mountains\nthe past couple of weeks.<\/p>\n\n

<\/a>\n\nimage data<\/a><\/span>\nOur “<\/span>Short”<\/span> Side Excursion<\/span>\nThe restaurant is at the hook in the upper-center-right, and the Kiyomizu Temple at far right.\nEverything else is my mistake.\nThere's a 50m elevation rise between the left and right sides.\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I started helping out Australian professor Jim Breen with his \"edict\" online Japanese-English dictionary in about 1989 when it had less than 3,000 entries. It has more than 230,000 now. In all the intervening years we'd met in real life only once, about 15 years ago, so I was very happy to meet him for lunch today as he finishes up a long hiking vacation in Japan.<\/p>

He mentioned an interest in Yuba, so I knew the perfect spot, Junsei Okabeya (\u6e05\u6c34\u9806\u6b63 \u304a\u304b\u3079\u5bb6), which I wrote about several years ago here.<\/p>

It's near the Kiyomizu Temple, so I went there [...]","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,2,10],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2630"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2630"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2630\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2630"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2630"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/regex.info\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2630"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}