Winter!!!
The temperature has dropped dramatically, night time is generally below 10celcius. I had to run off quickly to buy fluffy lined coats and down jackets to keep warm - I can't leave my room without at least four layers on.
During December the weather is supposed to hover around 17 degrees during the day, but last week it was 7 degrees during the day so go figure. Apparently the coldest months are January and February - single digit temperatures T_T Last week it even snowed a bit!!
Fukuoka gets a lot more snow than us - the Japan Sea side is colder than the Pacific Ocean side so I guess that's the reason why.
Thank goodness for Uniqlo I don't know what i'd do without it - they sell cheap and simple but fashionable clothes, really really good quality - perfect for every season. Right now they have a heat technology range - very warm!
Kokura has been transformed. They've set up lights around the river at Nishikokura and in front of Kokura station - dubbed Kokura Illumination. The theme of the lights is <3 It's very couply.
Another thing in winter is nabe!!! Kind of like hotpot... but there tends to be certain ingredients that suit a particular type of nabe better than others. Nabe warms you up and makes veggies taste nicer! Motsu nabe もつ鍋 innards and veggies in miso or soy sauce base - very very yummy!!
I've also been trying my hand at making miso nabe at home... I don't exactly stick to the 'proper' ingredients all the time but who cares. I have a one person nabe pot... and even for me it's too small!!
Although the japanese style is to finish the soup off at the end with rice or udon! I think it's a great idea!
