The Emperor of Japan celebrated his 63rd birthday on February 23, 2023 and here in Houston, the Japanese community celebrated with him! Thank you to the Consul General of Japan in Houston, Mr. Hirofumi Murabayashi, for hosting a beautiful reception at the Hyatt Regency last Wednesday. It was nice to hear the speeches from representatives of the City of Houston, Governor Greg Abbott, and various Texas Senators like Senator Ted Cruz. It was also nice to see leaders of the Japanese community come together for a social event, especially since we have had so few chances to see each other since COVID. Happy 63rd Birthday again to His Majesty the Emperor of Japan!
Every year before before the rodeo, there is a 3 day BBQ Contest. There are three categories to enter: brisket, ribs, and chicken. Starting two years ago, there is also an “open” category where contestants can submit anything of their choice! There is also a new category for KIDS where kids can compete for the best cooked steak! Starting 7 years ago, the Wordl’s Championship BBQ Contest went global and started an “International Village”. In the cohort group was Japan and two teams from England. Over the years, the International Village has grown and grown and this year, there were 8 teams: two from Canada, two from Australia, and one team from Mexico, Brazil, UK, and Japan. As the interpreters for the Japan team, Susan and Koh were at the competition everyday to help support and Mariko was also there to take part in the action. On Thursday February 23, BBQ Shogun from Japan had a Japanese party and invited Consul General Murabayashi along with several leaders of the Japanese community. It was so fun to show everyone the BBQ Cookoff concept and for everyone to be able to walk around and meet other some of the other 250 teams. BBQ Shogun, otsukaresamadeshita! Thanks for coming and good luck in Austin (their next competition place)!
One of rodeo’s biggest culinary events is a one evening event called the Rodeo Uncorked Roundup & Best Bites Competition. It took place at NRG Center on February 19 and Annoura Realty was honored to be invited by our friends at Amcap Mortgage and Independent Title. They hired a pink hummer limousine to bring up a fun group of realtors to enjoy stressfree the unlimited award winning wines of the Champion Wine Garden and the unlimited food from some of Houston’s top restaurants. Mariko and Mik met us there and we enjoyed going from booth to booth sampling everything from Bang Bang Shrimp to prime rib bite sized sandwiches to smoked ice cream! If you are looking for some good restaurants to visit and dishes to order, here are the winners of the Best Bites contest and what they served:
Outstanding Showmanship:
1st Place: Eculent
2nd Place: Brother’s Produce
People’s Choice Award:
1st Place: Cotton Culinary: The Cotton Pearl (Duck fat crostini with Wagyu beef and lemon verblanc pearl)
2nd Place: Patra Lee’s Kitchen (Caramel stracciatella ice cream with praline ethiopie and whiskey caramel swirl)
In our last newsletter, we announced our next Rodeo Giveaway. It is a $50 Carnival Pack that is valued at $159.50! This special pass contains 150 carnival tickets and SEVERAL buy one get one free games, funhouses, and ferris wheel rides. You’ll also get food and drink specials like Buy 2 slices of pizza and get a free lemonade! If you would like to go to the rodeo’s carnival, and would like this $50 Carnival Pack, RESPOND to this article below and enter the drawing! We will notify the winner directly on March 1. If you want FREE CARNIVAL TICKETS, respond to this article and we will put you in for the drawing!! Annoura Realty Group REALLY wants you to go check out the Houston Rodeo because it is SO MUCH FUN!
The Houston Rodeo is one of my favorite events in Houston. It’s like a huge festival for the whole city and it continues for 3 whole weeks. If you have never been to the rodeo, you must go check it out at least once! Beware that weekday and weekends, the rodeo starts at different times. Weekday rodeos start at 6:45pm. The entertainer takes the stage at approximately 8:45 p.m. NRG Stadium gates open at 6 p.m. Weekend rodeos start at 3:45 p.m. The entertainer takes the stage at approximately 5:45 p.m. NRG Stadium gates open at 3 p.m. But, you can get onto the grounds much earlier and I recommend that you do! On the grounds is a huge carnival where the parking lot normally is, and inside Reliant Center (next to Reliant Stadium) has lots of shopping and many kinds of animals. There is also a Champions Wine Garden with several live music stages. One of my favorite things to do is to buy a bottle of wine on a beautiful day, sit with friends, and listen to the live music!
This year, the rodeo will begin on Feb 28 and will go until March 19. If you have never been please go!! If you go, please text Susan. She will be there everyday February 28-March 8) volunteering on the second floor of the NRG Center. If you are a newcomer to Houston and have a foreign passport with a recent Entry stamp, you can get a special international guest badge. This badge will allow you access into a special VIP international guest lounge with free food, drinks, and entertainment. Look for all the flags of the world lining the hallway on the SECOND FLOOR OF THE NRG CENTER (below is where all the animals and shopping are). Where you see all the world flags is where international registration takes place. They will ask to see your passport and your RECENT entry stamp in the passport. Recent might mean, within the past 2 weeks! We hope to see you there!
We are officially into February and getting into one of our busiest seasons! Most Japanese companies start their fiscal year April 1, so expats move to Houston around that time. Before then, they reach out for information and to schedule tours and many come one time to visit and search around this time. Susan helped a newcomer from Kobelco last week and Joe Annoura helped one of Susan’s past clients find a unit in Montrose. We have four Daikin expats that Susan, Mariko, and Mik are helping, one Nippon Chemical expat coming in March, a new Mitsubishi Corporation expat, and a newcomer from a company we are happy to start helping called Daiichi Jitsugyo. Coming in March and searching 100% virtually now, is a new doctor who will be working at MD Anderson. With the availability constantly changing, we are updating him frequently of which rooms are still left. If you know someone moving to Houston from Japan, please refer them to us so we can help! We specialize in finding apartments and houses for expats, helping them apply and get approved, then help with their contract, setting up utilities, paying deposits, and getting their keys! We are always ready to help people lease. On the sale side of things, Mik Ebisu teamed up with Susan to co-list two houses in north Houston. Both are investment properties with tenants inside and both hit the market on Feb 11: www.har.com/10829449 and www.har.com/95697391. The owner is in California and says, SELL! Down in Clear Lake, we have a beautifully remodeled home that we brought to market last week that also has a tenant inside: www.har.com/34470549 . The owner is in Japan and it is a house that we manage and carry inside our portfolio. Coming up as early as next week, we will have a home coming to the market inside 77024, zoned to Bunker Hill Elementary. It is now in the make ready phase and we are targeting the Feb 25 weekend to have it ready. If you know anyone that wants to buy a home or sell a home, please refer them to Annoura Realty Group! Our team is always ready to help!
