Kappa-tei ～ 河童亭

Yet another fantastic night with incredibly welcoming friends.  Absurdly lucky--that's me.  Minamimagari-sensei's wife Shunko invited me to a gathering of her side of the family in Kanoya that were back in town from all over Japan, from the islands in the south to Hiroshima.  The get-together was held at a restaurant run by Shunko-san's brother (he's the guy singing below).

The restaurant is right on the Kimotsuki River that runs through Kanoya and so it's named 河童亭, Kappa-tei, or River Imp Tavern (it sounds better in Japanese).  Kappas are mischievous, but can occasionally be helpful if they're in the mood (for example, did you know that they taught the art of bonesetting to mankind?).  Their favorite food, incidentally, is cucumbers, which is why cucumber rolled sushi is called kappa-maki.  Anyway, the night was really fun--filled to the brim with karaoke, sashimi, and little kids with spoons.

舞踊を教える南曲がり先生。

La fille du bon docteur, Izumi (泉), ce qui signifie "fontaine."

Kid with spoon!

And, a sample of the perennial delights of karaoke.  The song is 海雪, Umiyuki, or "Snow On the Water."

The part I got on video means:

On this lonesome Cape Izumo

I have no umbrella as I wait for tomorrow

My drenched hair is frozen through

And words of mourning disappear over the sea

As though they were snow on the water