Takoyaki (and Pizzayaki) Matsuri!

In my last post I mentioned that it was Cherry Blossom time! The island has gone into full-blown Sakura madness! One of the best places for Hanami, literally, “flower viewing”, is Yuzuruha  Dam in Southern Awaji Island. It’s popular with both the locals and tourists, especially in spring!  It’s fun and relaxing to walk the  path encircling the dam because it is lined with hundreds of  beautiful Cherry trees.

After a relaxing Hanami afternoon, we headed to a friend’s apartment for a Takoyaki fest! Takoyaki is a popular food at Japanese festivals, many of which take place in the spring and summer. One girl had brought her super convenient Takoyaki pan so we could make it ourselves! One person who prefers to remain nameless ::face burns with shame:: is not a huge fan of eating octopus, so we had delicious Pizzayaki (pepperoni, cheese, onion, pizza sauce!) as well. I didn’t have a chance to get a photo of the takoyaki, but here is the pizzayaki.