Enoshima 江の島　is a tiny island that is part of Fujisawa City in Kanagawa.  From Tokyo it’s around a 2 hour drive.  We had a nice little day trip there with the kids.  They managed to climb up all the steps that lead to a small cave on the further end of the island.  For a small fee, there is an escalator that goes up to the top of a hill, where there is a lighthouse observatory deck. Otherwise, you can walk up to the temple (in honor of the goddess of music and the atrs) and continue up through a pretty garden and to the observatory. From that point, you can walk balk down towards the small cave. Entering the cave was a bit scary for the kids as it was rather dark. We learned that the waters surrounding Enoshima was believed to be the home of a giant dragon that ravaged the island, until the the goddess known as Benten married him.

Just be warned that if you take the kids down this way all the way to the cave, they will have to walk back up as there is no alternative way out. We had a few complaints going back up, but nothing that couldn’t be resolved with a frosty popsicle break at one of the many cafes overlooking the water.

Lunch was shirasu (teeny tiny white fish that you eat whole), which is popular there. Here is the large okosama lunch set (お子様ランチセト) kids plate with shirasu over rice and topped with a bit of ikura, ebi fry, french fries, sweet egg, yakult and jelly for dessert.

It was a bit crowded since it was a rainy Sunday.  Weekend rates are by time. Each child costs 600 yen for the first 30 minutes and 100 yen every 10 minutes after that.  Adults pay 300 yen each, regardless of time. On weekdays there is a day plan for 1500 yen which covers one child and one adult for the whole day.  It was a fun time.

I’m sure you couldn’t imagine needing this huge bag….but look at all the practical uses for it!  Here are some of my favorite uses for it…

In the Kitchen:

Clean your produce
Wash fruits and vegetables in a pot of cold water with 2-3 table-spoons baking soda; the baking soda will remove some of the impurities tap water leaves behind. Or put a small amount of baking soda on a wet sponge or vegetable brush and scrub your produce. Give everything a thorough rinsing before serving. 
Tenderize meat
Soften it up by giving it a rubdown in baking soda. Let it sit (in the refrigerator, of course) for three to five hours, then rinse it off well before cooking.
Soak out fish smells
Get rid of that fishy smell from your store-bought flounder filets and fish steaks by soaking the raw fish for about an hour (inside your refrigerator) in 1 quart (1 liter) water with 2 tablespoons baking soda. Rinse the fish well and pat dry before cooking.
Fluff up your omelets
For every three eggs used, add 1/2 teaspoon baking soda.
Rid hands of food odors
Get food smells off your hands by simply wetting them and vigorously rubbing with about 2 teaspoons baking soda instead of soap. The smell should wash off with the soda.
Clean baby bottles and accessories
Keep all your baby bottles, nipples, caps, and brushes “baby fresh” by soaking them overnight in a container filled with hot water and half a box of baking soda. Be sure to give everything a good rinsing afterward, and to dry thoroughly before using. Baby bottles can also be boiled in a full pot of water and 3 tablespoons baking soda for three minutes.
Clean a cutting board
Keep your wooden or plastic cutting board clean by occasionally scrubbing it with a paste made from 1 tablespoon each baking soda, salt, and water. Rinse thoroughly with hot water.
Clean your refrigerator
To get rid of smells and dried-up spills inside your refrigerator, remove the contents, then sprinkle some baking soda on a damp sponge and scrub the sides, shelves, and compartments. Rinse with a clean, wet sponge. Don’t forget to place a fresh box of soda inside when you’re done.
Clean your microwave
To clean those splatters off the inside of your microwave, put a solution of 2 tablespoons baking soda in 1 cup water in a microwave-safe container and cook on High for 2-3 minutes. Remove the container, then wipe down the microwave’s moist interior with a damp paper towel.
Remove coffee and tea stains from china
Remove coffee and tea stains by dip-ping a moist cloth in baking soda to form a stiff paste and gently rubbing your cups and saucers. Rinse clean and dry, then set your table with pride.
Clean a thermos
To remove residue on the inside of a thermos, mix 1/4 cup baking soda in 1 quart (1 liter) water. Fill the thermos with the solution — if necessary, give it a going-over with a bottle brush to loosen things up — and let it soak overnight. Rinse clean before using.
Freshen a sponge or towel
When a kitchen sponge or dish towel gets that distinctly sour smell, soak it overnight in 2 tablespoons baking soda and a couple of drops of antibacterial dish soap dissolved in 1 pint (450 milliliters) warm water. The following morning, squeeze out the remaining solution and rinse with cold water. It should smell as good as new.
Shine up stainless steel and chrome trim
To put the shine back in your stainless steel sink, sprinkle it with baking soda, then give it a rubdown — moving in the direction of the grain — with a moist cloth. To polish dull chrome trim on your appliances, pour a little baking soda onto a damp sponge and rub over the chrome. Let it dry for an hour or so, then wipe down with warm water and dry with a clean cloth.
Clean burned or scorched pots and pans
Boil a few cups of water (enough to get the pan about 1/4 full) and add 5 tablespoons baking soda. Turn off the heat, and let the soda settle in for a few hours or overnight.
Deodorize your garbage pail
Clean kitchen garbage pail with a wet paper towel dipped in baking soda. Rinse it out with a damp sponge, and let it dry before inserting a new bag. You can also ward off stinky surprises by sprinkling a little baking soda into the bottom of your pail before inserting the bag.

Remove crayon marks from walls
Has Junior redecorated your walls or wallpaper with some original artworks in crayon? Don’t lose your cool. Just grab a damp rag, dip it in some baking soda, and lightly scrub the marks. They should come off with a minimal amount of effort.
Polish silver and gold jewelry
To remove built-up tarnish from your silver, make a thick paste with 1/4 cup baking soda and 2 tablespoons water. Apply with a damp sponge and gently rub, rinse, and buff dry. To polish gold jewelry, cover with a light coating of baking soda, pour a bit of vinegar over it, and rinse clean. Note: Do not use this technique with jewelry containing pearls or gem-stones, as it could damage their finish and loosen the glue.

Bathtubs and sinks
Get the gunk off old enameled bathtubs and sinks by applying a paste of 2 parts baking soda and 1 part hydrogen peroxide. Let the paste set for about half an hour. Then give it a good scrubbing and rinse well; the paste will also sweeten your drain as it washes down.
Bathroom odors
Keep your bathroom smelling fresh and clean by placing a decorative dish filled with 1/2 cup baking soda either on top of the toilet tank or on the floor behind the bowl. You can also make your own bathroom deodorizers by setting out dishes containing equal parts baking soda and your favorite scented bath salts. 
Toilet bowl
You don’t need all those chemicals to get your toilet bowl clean. Just pour half a box of baking soda into your toilet tank once a month. Let it stand overnight, then give it a few flushes in the morning. This actually cleans both the tank and the bowl. You can also pour several tablespoons of baking soda directly into your toilet bowl and scrub it on any stains. Wait a few minutes, then flush away the stains.

Laundry
Adding 1/2 cup baking soda to your usual amount of liquid laundry detergent really will give you “whiter whites” and brighter colors. The baking soda also softens the water, so you can actually use less detergent. Adding 1/2 cup baking soda in top-loading machines (1/4 cup for front-loaders) also increases the potency of bleach, so you need only half the usual amount of bleach.

Use as plant food
Give your flowering, alkaline-loving plants, such as clematis, delphiniums, and dianthus, an occasional shower in a mild solution of 1 tablespoon baking soda in 2 quarts (2 liters) water. They’ll show their appreciation with fuller, healthier blooms.
Scour barbecue grills
Keep your barbecue grill in top condition by making a soft paste of 1/4 cup baking soda and 1/4 cup water. Apply the paste with a wire brush and let dry for 15 minutes. Then wipe it down with a dry cloth and place the grill over the hot coals for at least 15 minutes to burn off any residue before placing any food on top

We woke up Tuesday morning and decided it would be a nice day to finally check out Tokyo Disney Sea Resort. We haven’t been there before since we heard that it’s more fun for adults than younger kids. But since grandma is in town, the kids are older now and we can actually travel stroller-free (wooohooo!), we figured it could be a nice change from Tokyo Disney to see recreated 1920’s New York City, Venice canals and Arabian night scenery… and Arisa would still get to see Mickey and Minnie.

For last-minute planning the day went quite well. My friend was kind enough to give me a coupon that she found in the newspaper, making the tickets 4,800 yen for adults and 2,900 yen for children ages 4 – 11. There are usually special discounts coupons lurking about- so it’s good to check the convenience stores or newspapers ads or just ask friends if they know of any.

What made it extra lucky that day was the lack of crowds! We managed to go on a lot of rides, even the usually long-wait-time rides like Indiana Jones, without waiting at all.  The longest wait that day was probably 10 minutes. Even the line to wait for a photo with Minnie was not half as long as the typical wait time to pose with Mickey in his house. We attributed it to the fact that it was a Tuesday and a couple of weeks after Golden Week, so most people were are taking any days of f on the weekday or traveling much after GW.

It was quite an enjoyable day! The kids had fun and there were enough rides for them to go on. Arisa especially enjoyed the Mermaid Lagoon area, where they rode the jelly fish ride which goes up and down. To my surprise, they even rode Flounder’s Fish Coaster, which looked pretty fast. Keiji enjoyed the Aquatopia ride, which look like mini hovercrafts that spin around the water. Although they did say they like Disneyland more at the end of the night as we walked out into the empty parking lot, it seemed that they had a pretty good time.  The one drawback of the day – strong winds. So the evening show and fireworks were cancelled.  Other than that, it was a lovely day indeed.

The cherry blossoms add a happy hue to the concrete grey backdrop of Tokyo’s buildings. I miss seeing the rust colored brick walls found on most New York buildings, even when they are crumbling or splattered with graffiti. The short time cherry blossoms are in bloom make it all the more special. This year the weather was very fickle, going from wintery cold to summery hot in just a week.  Not to mention some torrential rains in between.  Here are some cherry blossoms we walk by each day~

]]> http://liezl.modkid.com/blog/2010/04/11/haginakapark/feed/ 0 http://liezl.modkid.com/blog/2010/04/03/visiting-kitty-chan/ http://liezl.modkid.com/blog/2010/04/03/visiting-kitty-chan/#comments Sat, 03 Apr 2010 23:17:35 +0000 liezl http://liezl.modkid.com/blog/?p=832

In the States we know her as Hello Kitty, but here in Japan she is Kitty-chan and she can be found at Sanrio Puroland (pronounced pyuroland, but I’m not sure what this means).  It’s an indoor little “theme park”  but there is really only one ride, which is similar to Disneyland’s Its a Small World. Puroland mostly has different shows. There are 3 or 4 different mini theaters in there with performances of about 20 – 30 minutes long. The most impressive one was a show with Kitty-chan performing as Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz. It was a collaboration with the Takarazuka Theater Group, which is famous in Japan as an all-women’s theater group and at each of their performances they do a very elaborate revue of Rockettes-style dancing and grandiose costumes – think feathers, sparkles and plenty of headgear. And yes, Kitty-chan was dressed in all this Vegas splendor. There is also a small parade twice a day and Kitty-chan’s house, where you can have a photo taken with her. The crowd is mostly parents (or mothers) with their young daughters, but Yuki and Keiji managed to enjoy themselves enough as well!