This particular Udon-ya had a twist to the ordering process. First, we had to select among several basic types of udon (hot or cold) and sauce/soup bases. Then, we went along the side with silver hanging lamps that kept various side dishes warm for our choosing. Most of the side dishes were of the deep-fried variety, but one could also get things like chopped fresh green onions.
Considering how hot it was, we opted for cold udon that we would dip into a bowl with a special cold sauce/soup. The lid of the soup bowl (left upper corner of the tray) served as a plate with sesame seeds (left) and ground ginger (right). The small white bowl contained deep-fried batter and the rectangular plate had deep-fried squid (left) and deep-fried shrimp (left). The side dishes are also usually dipped into the soup. Naturally, there were many other choices for side dishes, like meat and veggies, but seafood is typically my choice. If we were eating hot udon, the noodles would already be in the big bowl with the soup, with side dishes there as well.
Right outside Udon-ya, past the parking lot behind the restaurant, we were with a view of several small rice fields that someone still grows here. However, do not let yourself think that this is a rural place. Since my wife's place is located about 20 minutes by train away from the main Osaka center, it is more spacious and has certain "rural" aspects, but otherwise it is a typical urban city with numerous shopping malls, stores, restaurants, and etc.
After our delicious lunch, we stopped by the library for some reading materials. Alas, my Japanese level still limits me to the youth section. The library itself is not much different from American libraries. However, one interesting deviation is a section devoted specifically for haiku. Here is an example of a haiku from the famous Basho, Matsuo:
A monk sips morning tea,
it's quiet,
the chrysanthemum's flowering.
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