Japan in tiny sketches (part 2)
Sketching people and small scenes in Japan
This post is a continuation of Japan in tiny sketches (part 1). I recommend reading that first to better understand the context of this post :)
Little mochi shop
During our stay in Osaka, we went on a day trip to Nara. It was a very nice and quiet city. I loved how the deer coexist with the urban area and are so accustomed to people. To be honest, I was a little scared at first, given that male deer can get aggressive and tend to follow or bump into you if you have treats. I’m not sure if this is normal deer behavior or if they’ve just learned how to bow for treats—but it’s so cute!
By the end of our peaceful walk in Nara, we stopped by a traditional mochi shop called Nakatanidou. Mochi is a Japanese sweet made from glutinous rice, known for its uniquely stretchy, sticky, and bouncy texture, which is a result of its pounding process and high amylopectin content. It is made and sold year-round, but there is a special mochi-making celebration during New Year.
A not-so-fun fact about mochi is that it causes several cases of suffocation every year, particularly among children and the elderly, due to its sticky texture. Be careful!
Sadly, we missed the mochi hammering show, but we were delighted to try some! We had kusa mochi, a classic treat flavored with mugwort, filled with sweet red bean paste, and coated in kinako powder (roasted soybean flour). It was absolutely delicious!
The shop was located on a lively street, and the view with the lanterns just after sunset gave the little mochi shop a special charm. I took a picture, which I later turned into a quick sketch.
Okinawan soba
From Osaka, we took a flight to Naha, Okinawa. I was so happy to experience the sunny, warm beach weather! There, we visited a soba restaurant called Papaya & Suba, where they served Okinawan soba. This differs from regular soba noodles, as it’s made from wheat instead of buckwheat and has a distinctively chewy texture.
The inside of the shop was quite interesting. Instead of tables, they had individual school seats with desks, and the cutlery was stored in the desk drawers. The decoration felt very cozy, giving me a similar feeling to visiting a relative’s house.
Like many restaurants in Japan, they had vending machines where you place your order and receive a small ticket to give to the staff. Using the ticket machine was a quintessentially Japanese experience during the trip, and the view of the machine in this restaurant was worthy of a tiny sketch.
Zanpa lighthouse
During our stay in Okinawa, we visited the Zanpa Lighthouse, located in the Nakagami District. Visitors are allowed to enter and climb the lighthouse to enjoy the view for a reasonable price. After climbing 99 steps, the view was literally breathtaking.
We spent a good 20 minutes simply enjoying the sight of the East China Sea and experiencing the powerful wind currents 30 meters above the ground. At the base of the lighthouse, there was a small museum documenting its history since it was built in 1974—a nice touch for the curious.
After climbing down from the lighthouse, we took a short walk around the area. There was a fisherman on duty at the edge of a rock, where the sea breeze was clearly strong enough to keep him wet. The wind was getting so strong at times that it carried the sea breeze, along with splashes of water, a couple of hundred meters inland. The first time I noticed it, I was puzzled to suddenly get a random splash of water on my face despite the seemingly non-rainy weather.
My friends were very adventurous by exploring the rocky area but I just stayed seating enjoying the breeze (actually I just didn’t want to twist my very twist-prone ankles without the appropriate footwear).
Part 3 coming up!
I hope the second delivery of Japan in tiny sketches was of your liking. For part 3 (the final part) I will bring a more detailed watercolour painting. See you in the next one!
From one heart to another,
Astromeria
Your sketches capture the essence of each scene so well! There is always something beautiful about imperfections. It feels raw and humane.
the little sketches are so fun!