October 26 - Matsue

Arrived in Matsue located on the South West coast of Japan.
It was a rainy day.


Taiko drummers were performing.


They beat their drums with such force that my lungs could hear their beatings.


The rain stopped during their performance.
Maybe they cleared the rain clouds.


Came across this unusual truck.




It's for bridge inspection.
Japan has so many bridges that no wonder they came up with this thing.


This pink building has a bakery at the bottom, a restaurant in the middle and maybe apartments at the top.


More cute vehicles.














That's Matsue castle.


Those pine trees are quite old.
Maybe as old as the city.
Instead of chopping them down, they supported their branches like that.
Also, they placed bamboo skirts around their trunks.
Maybe to proctect against scratches.


Japanese tea houses and restaurants.












I ordered lunch that had 3 types of Zaru soba.


3 types of Zaru soba: soba with grated turnip, soba with quail's egg, and soba with grated mountain yam.
The 4th bowl (bottom-right) is the condiment bowl consisting of chopped scallions, sliced gingers, seaweed slivers and fish shavings.
It's also serves as the dipping bowl which you eat the soba with some sauce poured from the little container.


The 4th bowl shown here with the soba dipped in the sauce and condiments.
Sounds complicated but it's actually quite easy.






A Japanese restaurant.


Lake Shinji.
It's quite windy here.


I think that sign is to frighten kids and maybe some adults.
I think it says "Danger! Beware of turtle monster which could snatch you into the water."
I heeded the warning and stayed far away from the shore.
Who knows, we have the Ogopogo. So, they may actually have the turtle monster.