A year crossing noodles!

  Today, I had a year crossing noodles, Toshikoshi Soba in Japanese. It is Japanese culture to eat Soba in New Year eve and this custom means lore that people can live a long life, “Long” is that Japanese noodle is long. Thus Japanese eat soba for wishing that they have a health next year. Okinawan usually has Okinawan Soba, is made with wheat flour, not Japanese soba, is made with buckwheat flour. And then Okinawan Soba is longer than Japanese, so they live long. lol
  I went to Shinzan syokudo, sell Okinawan soba. This restaurant is old firm, have been in business more than 100 years. In my childhood, I used to go to see the factory, make noodles, is used by Shinzan syokudo. Therefore this restaurant’s noodles is a food of memories. But other restaurant’s Soba is better than this Soba, so today, the one customer who I don’t know said me in lip synchronization “O I Shi Ku Na I” means it is not good, but not bad. Don’t care! Even so, why I sometime go to there is tourist spot for me.
  What people go to restaurant that taste is good is nice, also it is good to go to an indicating place.

Yamada Syoten

  ‘’Syoten’’ is a Japanese local store. It is decreasing in Japan. Because a major grocery store and convenience store catch a lot of customers and it is hard to continue to operate business for Syoten.  I went to study about Yamada Syoten in Onna village. There are old people; they have a problem that can’t go shopping far away why they don’t drive. So they hope to be store in the near distance and Yamada Syoten keeps operating business. You will think that a major grocery store and convenience store may target Yamada’s customers in Onna village. But they never do it. The reason is that there is a thinly populated. Yamada is local place and young people usually are not in Yamada, Onna village. Of course, Yamada Syoten is confused by a thinly populated too. However Yamada Syoten stays why provide more user- friendly housing for the Yamada’s elderly.  The aged one said ‘’ Yamada Syoten is the place where old people can have a community, so there is very good place for us and I appreciate that Syoten in Yamada, Onna village.  If you go to back hometown in a happy new year, try to go to Yamada Syoten! Maybe, you can find something. HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Do you like Okinawa?

''Nakuyo uguisu Heiankyo'' I studied Japanese history in such a manner that I say it over and over again. Because it is supposed to be on the test. My history textbook is a memorization-only study, however I don't know whether people like place they live in by this studying or not and they want to it is developed or not. Lately, I went to Yomitan village to study Yomitan history with various of students, abroad study students, Japanese school students and Waseda university students. I met an ex-mayor of this village. His name is Mr. Yamaguchi. He was a high school history teacher and like various of history, Okinawan, Japanese and foreign. He said ''you become to like various of people, Japanese, foreign countries and of course Okinawan if you try to know history. And then, you want to do something for place you birth'' So he decided to be a mayor of a village he birth. He told us about Yomitan village history. After I heard his story, I thought I like Okinawa in a real sense. Yes, yes! I like Okinawa until now. But it is a new line of like Okinawa. If I liken that people like Okinawa why beach is beautiful to that they like somebody why looks is good, I liken that people like Okinawa why Okinawan history is interesting to that they like somebody why their character is good. What people know their history is to like distillate, so I like Okinawa in a real sense. It is very important, because a place is developed by it.