Ichigogari & unagipai (Shizuoka part 1)!!

Miya came in to my room a few minutes before 7 to tell me it was time for breakfast. Ughhh I really didn't want to get up this morning. At least we had toast again! And this time no bacon! Just salad, lol.

Then we left for Shizuoka-ken, where we were doing the ichigogari (strawberry picking).

On the drive there, Ken played the Beatles! Also, we crossed a really pretty blue lake. It had hills on the shore and one of the hills had a Ferris wheel on top! Ah that must be really pretty to ride.

I wish there were as many Ferris wheels in Anerica as there are in Japan.

At one point we were stopped next to this house with a glass sliding door and through it we saw a black cat lounging inside. Yuko and Miya were cooing over how cute it was when a second one that looked just like it came over too! It was so cute!

And then we drove around past the front of the house and saw a third cat through the window that was black and white. It was so funny! Everyone was freaking out saying how cute the cats were.

Then, 2 hours later, we finally got to the strawberry picking place!

We went inside first to buy the tickets and met up with a family who Yuko and Ken are friends with. The family had a daughter who looked about 4 or 5 named Rana.

After we bought the tickets, we walked over to the strawberry greenhouses.

So, like, when I heard ichigogari, I expected something like when you go berry picking in America. You can pick strawberries to take home with you. And maybe (hopefully!) we'd be able to eat them as we picked them.

Yeah, so not the case.

I'm pretty sure ichigogari is actually another way to say strawberry buffet, haha.

We all lined up outside the greenhouse and the guy working there gave each of us a plastic baggie and a cup full of condensed milk (basically like icing) and then we were let loose into the green house and told we could go wherever we wanted as long as we didn't run.

(Guy pouring out the condensed milk)

There were about 10 rows full of strawberries and we could just pick whatever strawberries looked good to us and eat them! Yuko told me she heard that you have to eat at least 30 to get your money's worth. I was like, "cool, I can do that no problem."

Yeah, that was until I saw Japanese strawberries are basically American strawberries on steroids. They were HUGE!! But they were so sweet and delicious that I ended up eating 30+ no problem!

(Me with my first strawberry! Damn - it kind of blends into my coat...)

(Strawberry & condensed milk)

(Ginormo strawberry!)

Ahhh it was like Heaven in there! Surrounded by all these strawberries and being able to eat as many as you wanted! It sucked that we only had 30 minutes. And we couldn't bring any home with us. :(

Actually now that I think of it, they didn't check our bags or pockets, so you technically probably could have!

I was so full when we were done, omg.

My damage:

(Onaka ga ippaiiiiii)

When we walked out, we gave our bags of stems and empty condensed milk cups to the guy working there and then washed off our hands. 

And then we were off! Yuko told me we were going to go see an Unagipai factory because Shizuoka is famous for unagi (eel). Okaaay. I was thinking pie with eel inside? Ew!

So we got back in the car and Rana-chan's family followed us. They had a pink car I was really jealous of. Actually, a lot of people in Japan drive pink cars! America needs to step it up and stop making cars so sexist!

The unagipai factory wasn't too far away at all. When we got there, we met up with the other family and then the first thing we saw were these two trucks.

The first one had a giant unagipai inside. Yuko took a picture of Miyabi and me in front of it. And the second sold things with unagi in them. It had the unagipai mascot on the front.

Then we went inside. The ladies working at the front desk had such cute uniforms!

(Unagipai piano in the entrance area)

When Ken bought our tickets, they gave him four unagipai. It turns out unagipai are like crackers with sweet honey and sugar on them.

First we took a tour of the factory. We got to look down through windows at the factory workers below.

(So big!)

(So many unagipai!)

It was really interesting watching the workers. It must be soooo boring to work in a factory, doing the same thing over and over and over again all day, every day! One girl had the job if watching the unagipai as they traveled along the conveyer belt, making sure none of them were bad. She was sitting there looking down at them intently, not moving a muscle. I would seriously fall asleep doing that!

(Display of unagipai mascot with unagipai)

Then we went into the room next door where a movie was playing. It was aimed towards kids because it started a little girl and a puppet of the unagipai mascot. It was nice because I could actually understand a bit of it! We watched the movie through the end.

Then we took pictures in front of a giant statue of an unagipai. Then on the way back down to the gift shop, we passed a cafe selling things with unagipai in them. I realized many of the bunny shaped parfaits I've seen use  unagipai as the bunny ears!

(Cute display of family eating unagipai)

(Sakura tree on the way back down to the gift shop/entrance)

The last stop was the gift shop. I found samples of unagipai and showed everyone else. One I tried that Ken had bought was really spicy! It was a different type of pai, though. Then I tried two different types of unagipai. One was original and one was made with brandy! We all liked the unagipai made with brandy the best!

Yuko also bought some cookie things.

Entrance to the gift shop:

It was totemo omoshiroi! (Very interesting!)

Then we all hopped back in the car to head to lunch and the doubutsuen!

Part 2 of Shizuoka coming tomorrow (along with tomorrow's post about the vagina festival - get excited everyone!)!! 

:)