I am glad the weather has improved. Today's top temperature is 25C and most sunny and comfortable. Still waiting for our car to arrive without which we can't do much sightseeing, shopping etc.
The warmest day will be Tuesday when the temperature will hit 28C. Sunday may be a day of clouds and rain but still with a high of 24c, it won't be too bad.

Udon lunch and miserable spring weather

Visited a popular udon restaurant in Fukuoka for lunch. The udon as well as the oden were delightfully oishi. We went there at about 3pm so the place is quiet and void of people. After lunch, we had the above desserts at Mini Stop, a konbini....super delicious!

Today's weather is still cold and windy. It is supposed to be springtime and the weather should be warmer and better. It is also cloudy and the night temperature may go down to 13C (last night was cold and had to use the heater)

It is refreshing soaking yourself in the hot bath (temp 42C) after a nice home cooked dinner. The temperature is about 17C in the house. It is still too cold for me and I dread the cold wet weather. Come winter, I will head for Singapore where the weather is hot and nice!

Clean and tidy toilets in Japan

The above is a toilet at a konbini. It is very clean and well kept. More often than not, most public toilets are tidy.
Below is a toilet at a supermarket. Impressively tidy it does not have a toilet attendant to frequently clean the toilet like in Singapore.

The weather hasn't been that good since yesterday. It is springtime but it is raining cats and dogs. Besides, it is cold averaging about 18C during the day and 16C in the night. The rain interrupts our itinerary.
According to the weather forecast, it may be slightly better tomorrow but there will still be some rain.

A visit to the supermarket in Japan is a refreshing experience. There is an abundant supply of sushi, sashimi, fishes,vegetables, fruits etc etc. If you look at the fish, you will noticed the eyes are glassy and clear.  The 2 signs show the fish is absolutely fresh. Unlike where I come from (Singapore) our supermarkets sell fish that are usually stale and smelly. I suppose we can't help it because the fishes in SG are imported.

Went to another park which is bigger than the previous one we visited. There are all kinds of trees but the bamboo trees are the ones that attracted my attention. I have not seen a bamboo tree since I was a kid. The weather wasn't so kind to us and we had to hurriedly leave the park. I promised myself that I will be back here when the weather is nicer.
The 2 top pictures are car parking lots. There are ample lots and parking is free of charge. However, vehicles are not allowed to park here after 5pm as the operating hours are from 9am till 5pm.

Breakfast was a cup of coffee and meat sandwiches at a konbini. Did not tour Japan yet because we do not have a car. We are waiting for my in-laws' new car to arrive so we would drive around (arriving in 3 weeks time).

A park in Kitakyushu, Southern Japan

Sushi for lunch

We bought the sushi from a supermarket for lunch in Kitakyushu. They tasted fresh and good. We do not mind going to the sushi restaurant for sashimi and sushi but they are much more expensive. One of these days we will visit the famous Karato Fish Market for sushi and sashimi.
Eating at home is more comfortable and relaxing. The cost of the above sushi and potato salad is about 1,200 Japanese Yen or S$15.

Got up around 4:40am this morning and took the above shots. The house temperature as shown on the clock was 20C which was comfortable (outside temp about 17C).
The place is very quiet and peaceful. It is a good getaway from the hustle and bustle of Singapore.

A small garden at my in-law's old house

Before my in-laws sell off their 40+ year old house, I took a video of their small garden. There are plum trees, chives plant and others. They intend to either demolish the house and build another one or sell it off. Currently, they are living in the new house in which we are "camping".

Japanese convenience stores or konbini and sushi dinner

Mini Stop is a konbini or convenient store in Japan. Besides MS, Japan has other
konbini like 7-11, Lawson and Family Mart. They sell hot and cold beverages, sandwiches, onigiri (rice balls), instant noodles including ramen etc.
Konbinis also offer services like banking services through their ATMs, fax machines, copiers, postal services, ticket reservations for concerts, theme parks, baseball game, tickets for highway bus services etc etc.
This morning, my wife and I took a 10 minute walk to the above konbini and had our coffee (100 Yen or S$1.25c) and sandwiches. The sandwiches ( 250 Yen or S$3.10) were one of the best we ever had. The bread for the sandwiches were soft and the fillings were absolutely tasty.
Konbini offers free wi-fi but we particularly like Mini Stop because it provides seats besides free wi-fi. Most Lawson and 7-11 do not provide seats for their customers. Most konbini operate 24/7. As usual,car parking is free of charge.

                                                                                Dinner@ home

We had the bamboo rice which was prepared by my mother-in-law, sushi and potato salad which we bought from the supermarket. They are scrumptious and fresh as well as reasonably priced !