[Company system] I took a refreshing vacation and went on a trip

This is Teraoka from the Systems Solutions Department.
I usually post technical articles as an infrastructure engineer, but
this time I'll be writing about my trip, which I took during a refreshing vacation!

Details about the refresh leave system are summarized in the following article!
[Company System] Introducing the Refresh Leave System [Long-Term Leave]

Introduction

This time, my vacation period was from November 3rd to November 19th, including weekends and public holidays.
Before my vacation, I received help from colleagues with handing over tasks and shift changes, and
I also coordinated schedules with clients I work with. Thanks
to everyone's help, I was able to take a break from work and purely enjoy my vacation. I would like
to take this opportunity to express my gratitude; thank you as always!

What I did during my vacation

I went on a domestic trip, a rather spontaneous and whirlwind trip, visiting four prefectures: Wakayama, Shizuoka, Fukuoka, and Saga. I
could have easily gone abroad given the timeframe, but I'd been talking with a friend about wanting to go to Fukuoka for a while, and I'd been
so busy with work that I hadn't had much time to travel, so I decided
to go to places I wanted to visit within Japan without too much thought, just to have fun.
I personally love alcohol and have fallen into the world of sake, so I'd been wanting to go and try some local sake, and
it turned out to be a great gourmet trip where I could enjoy delicious food and drinks!

First, to Wakayama

Wakayama is my hometown. It's famous for its oranges and pickled plums, and it's the kind of prefecture where if you're unsurewhatto buy, you can just buy some Kagerou (a type of Japanese confectionery).
You might say, "You can go back anytime!" and that's true, but when I was back home, I was having dinner and drinks with my dad and two close friends.

My best friend and I have been hanging out and messing around together for over 10 years, ever since our first year of high school. I
've also known his wife for quite some time, as we went to the same kindergarten, so it really makes me realize how small the world is.

I heard they recently built a new house, so this time I went over to their new home and we had some drinks while playing Mario Party on the Switch.
It's a game that was originally released on the Nintendo 64, and although it's a paid game, you can play it on the Switch, so it's really fun to play it again after a long time.

Before that, we went out for okonomiyaki for dinner, but I was drunk and forgot to take pictures, unfortunately.
The next day, they accompanied me to buy souvenirs, which I really appreciate.

After that, I spent time with my dad at my parents' house, catching up on what we'd been up to and going out for drinks.
Whenever I go out drinking when I'm back in Wakayama, I alwaysKurogyudrink a sake called

I wouldn't be who I am today without my father and mother. It's
been seven and a half years since I started working as an adult, and I've gained a little confidence that I've grown a bit, so
I'm happy to finally be able to drink alcohol with them as equals, as they are my parent.
It was a time when I was once again filled with gratitude.

Return to Osaka

I returned to Osaka and, while preparing to head to my next destination, I had dinner and watched a movie.
I had originally planned to eat ganjang gejang (marinated crab), but the restaurant was closed, so I went to a nearby Korean restaurant instead.
I've never been to Korea, so I'd love to go someday!

the movie"Kyrie's SongI went to see
" It was a bit complicated, but I enjoyed it.

Suddenly I decided to go to Shizuoka

Sawayakaatis famous for its Genkotsu Hamburg Steak
I ate that recently, but this time I was craving a wasabi rice bowl so much that I made a day trip there.
which is within walking distance from Shizuoka StationTamaruya Honten,I went to

They were selling wasabi nametake mushrooms as souvenirs, and I could eat them with any bowl of rice

Next up: Fukuoka

I took a flight from Kansai Airport to Fukuoka Airport, which took a little less than an hour.
Changing the subject slightly, flights are pretty boring, aren't they? I spent the whole time watching videos on YouTube's offline mode.
recentlyVspo!discovered a VTuber group called
and have been watching their clips, which really kills the time.
So, I arrived before my friend and had some time to spare, so I took a photo from the observation deck.

I traveled from Fukuoka Airport to Hakata Station and had lunch before going through the ticket gate.
Hakata ramen is a must-try in Fukuoka, and it was delicious!

Afterwards, we headed to Hakata Hankyu to buy some freshly baked Hakata donuts and some local sake for an evening drink

I've only talked about food so far, but since this is a gourmet trip, the rest of the content will be similar.
Oh, butCanal City. (I forgot to take pictures.)

For dinner, we decided to goto.
It's famous for being a motsunabe specialty restaurant, and it was delicious dipped in a vinegar-soy sauce.
We also had mentaiko (spicy cod roe) and basashi (horse sashimi). Basashi is a specialty of Kumamoto, so I'd like to go there again sometime.

that I had found while strolling around before going to Motsukoua sake barI went to

Wakanami, shown in the photo, is a Japanese sake brewed in Fukuoka Prefecture, and it was easy to drink

Well, I thought I could go, so I went to Saga

Before the trip, I was told, "If you're going to Fukuoka, you can also go to Saga, so you should try the squid in Yobuko." So I
rented a car and decided to drive around and eat it.
I was told that the drinkers should sleep, so I gratefully stayed in the passenger seat guard.

I arrived safely after passing through Nijino Matsubara in Karatsu City, Saga Prefecture.
It's all ocean all around, and it was so cold that I realized I had made a mistake with my clothing, as I was wearing a hoodie.

the restaurant where it all beganKawataro, and had fresh squid sashimi from
Yobuko. They served the tentacles later as tempura, and it was delicious.

Afterwards, I asked to be driven because I wanted to go there, andHizenyawe went to
This place is known as a tourist sake brewery and is operated by Mitsutake Sake Brewery, also from Saga Prefecture.

Part of the inside of the sake brewery is open to the public like this

The atmosphere of the Showa era is recreated

You can sample sake under the brand name Mitsutake.
It's also recommended as you can purchase it as a souvenir.

After enjoying some drinks, we returned to Fukuoka for dinner. Fukuoka is famous for mentaiko (spicy cod roe).
The original Hakata mentaiko rice bowland mentaiko tsukemen (dipping noodles) were both delicious.

I wanted to eat and then go to the food stalls, but unfortunately the weather turned bad and it started pouring rain, so
I just took some photos of the scenery.

I also went to the Christmas market in front of Hakata Station, as I really wanted to drink some hot wine

I wanted to go to a nearby authentic bar, but the rain was so heavy I gave up; I'll go next time.
I relaxed at the hotel and woke up the next morning to prepare to go home.
I went to Lalaport in Fukuoka to buy souvenirs and found some strawberry candy; it was Amaou strawberries.

Finally, we ended the trip with Hakata ramen.
The flight was delayed, probably due to yesterday's bad weather, but I'll skip the details as I was just tired of waiting;
I'm glad I was able to get home safely that day.

summary

After returning from my trip, I went straight to a bar near Namba, so overall, I think it was a vacation filled with lots of eating and drinking. I
gained weight, but it was fun, so it all worked out in the end.
I was reminded once again that getting proper rest is just as important as working. That's all.