An Ordinary Life In Yamato City, Kanagawa,Japan

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From Yamato Station, it’s about a 30-minute train ride south to Enoshima.

From there, I strolled along the coast for around 20 minutes, crossed the famous railroad crossing, and hopped on the Enoden at Kamakura High School Station heading to Gokurakuji.

The Enoden is famous for squeezing through unbelievably narrow gaps between houses — it feels like the train is gliding right through people’s backyards.

Gokurakuji itself was pure Ghibli vibes: lush, vibrant green summer scenery straight out of a Studio Ghibli film.

Being so close to the sea, the area has tons of cute California-style cafés and restaurants, which creates a really fun contrast with the traditional Japanese surroundings.

For lunch, I grabbed a delicious set of soba noodles and tempura tendon （1650yen) right by the station — it was excellent💕

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About a 5-minute bus ride from Kawaguchiko Lake Hotel, there’s the Music and Forest Art Museum.🎵

It’s a magical space where you can enjoy a European atmosphere, with Mount Fuji rising in the background!

Musical instruments are placed all around, and you can also enjoy mini-concerts featuring opera and violin performances.

Nearby, there’s also a facility where you can watch monkey shows. Buying a set ticket is a great deal! (2400yen)

The Japanese monkeys are incredibly smart — I was totally amazed! 🐒

Since I had some extra time, I also went to Oishi Park, the final stop on the Red Line bus. The lavender was in full bloom 🪻

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Lately, going to Aeon supermarket just before closing has become my daily routine. Everything is 20〜 30% off, so it’s a great deal.

The sashimi is a little over 600 yen, but just plating it makes it look really luxurious and gorgeous.✨

Chicken wing middles (tebanaka) are always cheap — about 200 yen for 10 pieces.

I slowly cook them in a frying pan, season with salt and pepper, then quickly stir-fry with garlic. That’s all it takes to turn them into a delicious treat.

They have skin, so the outside gets nice and crispy, and they’re easier to eat than wing tips. They’re the perfect snack.

By the way, I mince garlic, put it in a Ziploc bag, and freeze it. There’s also a product called “flavored salt & pepper” that already has the salt and pepper mixed in.

For boiled eggs, I put them in a marinated egg container I bought at the 100-yen shop, pour in some sukiyaki sauce, and let them sit in the fridge. In two days, they’ll go on top of ramen.

I also often buy packs of shredded green onions (shiraga negi) because they’re so convenient. I season them with soy sauce, vinegar, and chili oil. Those will be another topping for the ramen in two days.

I’ve decided to have Chinese-style meatballs and happosai for lunch tomorrow.

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The Lawson convenience store with Mt. Fuji towering in the background is just a 3-minute walk from Kawaguchiko Station.🗻

In the summer afternoons, clouds often block the view, but if you go in the morning, you can see the mountain clearly and beautifully.

From there, it’s another 10-minute walk to Kawaguchiko Lake Hotel, where I stayed overnight (about ¥20,000 per person).

The room had a great lake view, and the service was attentive and thoughtful.

You can enjoy a breakfast buffet while admiring Mt. Fuji. The food was all delicious with a wide variety of options.

The open-air bath was also beautiful and truly relaxing.

I also highly recommend the hotel because you can easily access various tourist spots using the Red Line loop bus that stops right in front of the hotel.🚌

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Kanagawa has come out of the rainy season, and it’s been hot and humid every day, so I went to BAGUS Machida — a place where you can enjoy indoor games like darts, table tennis, and billiards. The store was really spacious and had a luxurious feel.🎯

On weekdays, it’s only 1,800 yen for 3 hours (with one drink included), so we could play to our hearts’ content. Plus, there were only about 2-3 other people besides us.

It opens at noon, but I bet it’s packed with young people at night.

The Hokkaido white miso ramen (980yen😊)I ate after having a few beers was absolutely delicious 🍺

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Japanese lunch prices are completely bugged (in the best way).😆

Since the restaurants also use it to promote their dinner service, lunch is usually about half the price of dinner.

Set meals generally go for around 1,000 to 2,000 yen! Today I went to an all-you-can-eat lunch on the 5th floor of World Porters in Yokohama, and it included all-you-can-drink for just 2,000 yen.

For dinner, I grilled fish. It’s the ultimate Japanese set meal that people coming back from overseas trips crave the most. It would’ve been even better with miso soup!

The fish marinated in Saikyo-zuke — that slightly sweet white miso — goes perfectly with rice.🐟

I also had two of my recent favorite craft beers 🍺

They’re both under 300 yen and taste really good.

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I went to Samoyed café in Machida today.

There were ten fluffy dogs, and it felt like sitting inside a cloud.

If you book online, admission is ¥2,500 per person for 50 minutes. You can also buy dog treats for ¥600, and the moment you have them, you instantly become very popular!

The dogs can do several tricks, such as “shake,” “sit,” and “chin.”

“Chin” is a popular trick in Japan right now. You make a V shape with your thumb and index finger, and the dog rests its chin on your hand. It is ridiculously cute.

They also sell acrylic stands and instant photos of the dogs, as if they were idols. That made me laugh so much. 🤣