This is Dagojiru which is a local dish in Kumamoto.
Though I posted about it before, I ate it again at another restaurant, so I will post again.
Dago means dango (dumpling) in Kumamoto dialect.
Inside this soup are flat dumplings, made of flour, and many kinds of vegetables.
The dish in the square box is chicken rice.
Both were very good.
I really like Dagojiru.
There are many onsen in Japan.
Onsens are hot springs.
Recently I went Kurokawa onsen in Kumamoto.
Kurokawa onsen has 24 different bath houses.
Those are ryokan, so you can stay there or you can just take a bath.
I went to two different baths.
One of them was a cave bath which the owner made by himself.
Onsens feel good.
The streets of Kurokawa onsen have a good atmosphere, not only nice baths.
This black bear is Kumamon.
In Japan there are many cute characters to represent local areas.
Kumamon is from Kumamoto.
Everybody knows this character because he has no copyright, so it is used for many products.
I painted Kumamon in front of Mt. Aso.
The area around Mt.Aso was hit hard.
Don’t give up Kumamoto!
Ganbare Kumamon!
©2010 kumamoto pref. kumamon
Nameshi dam is located in the middle of Kunisaki peninsula, in Oita.
There is an area nearby called Green land.
This is a photo of a water wheel there.
This place is also called Kotton- kura because of the sound of the water falling down.
You can rest there and walk on the promenade.
I heard it has Sakura in spring and autumn colors in fall.
People can enjoy nature.
Oita had an earthquake yesterday, and Kumamoto had two serious earthquakes and after shocks are continuing.
I hope things calm down.
These are double cherry blossoms (Yaezakura.)
Yesterday I took this picture.
These bloom a little bit later than typical sakura (Someiyoshino).
The day before yesterday Kumamoto prefecture had a big earthquake.
Here in Fukuoka we felt it, too.
Japan is an earthquake country.
Kumamoto castle was damaged.
Sakura don’t bloom for long–and nothing last forever.
I hope the people in Kumamoto get peace soon.
Japan.etc. 