Hiroko's Hitokoto

Received a text message on my mobile from my mother. She had emoji (pictogram) at the end of the message. It was a heart. Made me feel I was having a reverse generation gap with her.

Went to Hagi in Yamaguchi Pref. over the weekend. This town is famous for the pottery called Hagi Yaki. Everywhere you go, you see pottery stores. We bought some cups at a small store, Ikkei Gama, while we're walking toward the down town of old Hagi city. While we were chatting woman at the store, we found out her son made those potteries. She told us that she bought a tea set of Hagi Yaki about 10 years ago, but it's now for sale, as she doesn't use nothing but her son's pottery. She was a lovely woman and I saw her enthusiasm for her son's pottery. It was yearning that she works for what she loves. If you'll have chance to visit Hagi, please stop by their store. http://www.ikkeigama.com/

It looks like the long-term trend of train stations and airports recruiting more restaurants and stores to bring in a larger crowd of visitors is starting to pay off. Shinagawa station opened its ecute location this month, Tokyo station's restaurant mall just celebrated its first anniversary, Haneda airport was the site of the latest upmarket Kihachi restaurant, etc. The stores in greatest demand are those offering something unique. For example, some stores are offering specialties at your local station that you used to have to travel far to obtain. Thanks to the media, such information of "what's good" and "what's famous" is being lapped up by willing consumers. The counterpoint to this story is that while it's very convenient to have such a large range of options when when I travel, in being made available everywhere those same brands and products are starting to lose their appeal. Now I'm starting to wish for the old days, when eating cheap...