Taiyou Restaurant (太陽), a.k.a. "Old Ladies' Place"

younger worker (I forgot her name) and the Matsumura sisters

Whenever I would watch TV sitcoms, which I rarely do nowadays, I would think to myself, "That would be awesome to have a diner or restaurant or coffee shop where I could be a regular and be tight with the owners." Somehow, I've been lucky enough to stumble upon this place and become close with the owners.

I first came across this place when I, still clueless at my surroundings from just arriving in Iizuka recently, was looking for an ATM in the Shin-Iizuka Station area. I've received many disgruntled looks from many people with my sonkei-go and kenjyou-go (levels of speaking in Japanese that elevate the listener or humble yourself) lacking Japanese combined with my Japanese face, so I had gotten into the habit of starting every conversation with a stranger with "I'm actually a Japanese American and I know my Japanese isn't very good but..." and then I would begin whatever it was I wanted to say.


I came across an old lady sweeping some leaves outside on the corner and figured I'd ask her. After reciting my little verse, she replied in surprisingly good English, saying that there's an ATM at the station and after chatting a little bit more, offered to watch my uke - I had taken it to school that day - and things while I go.

Am I going to have a story to tell later today of how my ukulele and things were swindled from me by a little old Japanese lady?

But me being the trusting type, I left my things inside, which I later found out was a restaurant, got my money from the ATM, and came back to chat with her and her older sister (they run the restaurant together), play some old school Hawaiian songs, and be fed dessert. Since then, I've been faithfully going there every office day for lunch.


They have a pretty varied menu, but all you need to know really, is that they serve omu-rice (680 yen) and yakimeishi (630 yen). They also bake desserts and have them sold at the local supermarket; if there's any mess-ups, I, or we, if we ALTs go as a group, get some for free.

Yakimeishi (fried rice)

Omu-rice

Purin

Last week, they made meatloaf and gave us a bunch - these weren't leftovers - and it was amazing.



And on one occassion, for the older sister's birthday, they invited me to go with them on a weekend trip to Karatsu with some of their friends who just happen to be more than 30 or 40 years older than me.


To get there, go to Shin-Iizuka Station (新飯塚駅) and take the street that runs perpendicularly into the center of the station. Their restaurant is located on the left corner at the first traffic light. Across from the restaurant on the other 3 corners is a parking lot, a liquor store, and a hair salon. They speak very good English and are very friendly.

Check it out!

Oh, and Aso Taro used to eat here when he lived in Iizuka too.