On Japanese Appliances and Fruit Parfaits: Two More Reasons to Visit Kamiooka

Japanese kitchen appliances fascinate me.

My American friends here say drawer-style dishwashers are now available in the US but I will be sure to verify that and do some price checking before I return home empty-handed. My standard dishwasher in Virginia can accommodate twice as many dishes as Shinagawa-san's (pictured) but what's the point of an enormous appliance for only two people?

The refrigerators are tall and narrow, much like Beanpole who jumped at the opportunity to channel Vanna White when I pulled out my camera. Shinagawa-san's model has a freezer drawer in the middle and crisper drawer at the bottom. Some models have a separate drawer for ice.

"Beanpole, while you are in the kitchen, please grab the soy sauce."

"Now, please put the soy sauce back in the refrigerator from the other side."

See what I mean about Vanna White?

The Ancient Mariner and I priced Japanese refrigerators at Yamada Denki Labi in Kamiooka two days before he deployed.  We did not see a model that opens on both sides and I'm not willing to settle for less.

We also checked out irons - the cordless ones delight me - and computers with all the working parts built into the monitor.  Then we wandered back to the train station and sampled the fruit parfaits at the highly-touted Takano restaurant.  Those fruit parfaits alone are worth a trip to Kamiooka.  I am indebted to all my Japanese friends who recommended Takano.