Kinwashi Tour Japan Thread

• kinwashi

  7 Sep 15, 18:35

  Japanese Rice: A Source of National Pride

          posted by John Spacey, January 21, 2014

  
  Rice is more than a food in Japan. It's a cultural product that invokes much emotion. 
  
   
  
   
  
  
  

  Cost of Japanese Rice

  Japanese rice is expensive. It's rarely exported. 
  
  Japan is far from self sufficient in food production. However, the vast majority of rice consumed in Japan is domestic. Around 85% of Japanese farms produce rice. Japanese rice farmers are protected by tariffs and quotas. 
  
   
  
  Japanese consumers tend to strongly prefer Japanese rice. As a result, most restaurants serve exclusively domestic varieties. Even cheap food such as convenience store onigiri (rice balls) tend to use domestic rice. It's impossible to fool consumers with cheaper imports. Japanese rice has a unique taste, texture and appearance. 
  
  
  

  What's the Difference?

  Japanese rice varieties are all short grains that become slightly sticky when cooked. This allows the rice to be easily consumed with chopsticks. It bunches together easily. 
  
   
  (Indica vs Japonica rice) 
  
  
  

  Mochigome

  Mochigome is a glutinous variety of Japanese rice that's particularly sticky. It's primarily used to produce mochi (rice cakes). 
  
   
  
  
  

  Rice Landscape

  Rice has transformed the Japanese landscape. Drive 10 minutes in any direction in the countryside and you're sure to find a green rice field or terrace. 
  
   
  
   
  
   
  
   
  
  
  

  Rice Traditions

  Rice farming was traditionally a grueling, labor intensive activity. 
  
   
  
   
  
   
  
   
  
  Today, Japanese farms have mechanized. Various festivals and events throughout Japan give participants the chance to experience traditional methods of rice planting and harvesting. This is considered a important cultural experience for young people in many areas of Japan. 
  
   
  
  Representative promoting rice from Miyagi prefecture. 
  
   
  
  
  

  Rice Vending Machines

  Polished rice is typically sold in 5,10 and 20 kilogram bags in Japan. Unpolished (brown) rice may be sold in 30 kilogram bags. 
  
  Rice can also be purchased from (increasingly rare) rice vending machines. You purchase the rice brown and pay separately to have it polished. 
  
   
• kinwashi

  14 Sep 15, 18:44

  

• kinwashi

  14 Sep 15, 18:45

  

• kinwashi

  14 Sep 15, 18:50

  101 Things To Try In Japan

          posted by John Spacey, September 11, 2015

  
  
  People visit Japan for many reasons including adventure, cultural experience, visiting friends, business, shopping, hobbies, nightlife, intellectual curiosity, entertainment and enlightenment. 
  
  Whatever your mission, the following activities may play a part. They represent Japan's many possibilities. 
  
  

  1. Temples & Shrines

  Japan has around 85,000 temples and 95,000 shrines. Many are wonders of architecture, nature and culture. You may find that they put you in a strangely pleasant frame of mind. Every Japanese city has at least a few temples and shrines. Kyoto has thousands of them. 
  
  
  
  

  2. Festivals

  Festivals are Japan at its best — the fun side of Japanese culture. With approximately 100,000 festivals going on each year it's usually possible to find something that matches your travel schedule. 
  
  
  
  

  3. Urban Exploring

  Most visitors spend much of their time exploring Japan's fascinating urban environment. Tokyo alone has 50 or more neighborhoods that are worth exploring. Tokyo's architecture, people and culture are worth a look — go for a walk. Other cities such as Osaka, Sapporo, Yokohama and Nagoya are also colossal urban environments. 
  
  
  
  

  4. Hot Springs

  When the Japanese travel in Japan they head straight for hot springs. It's the country's most popular travel activity by far. Hot springs are considered a way to renew and connect with nature. There are thousands of hot springs at hotels, ryokan, resorts and spas all over the country. Be sure to familiarize yourself with onsen manners before your trip. Otherwise, something embarrassing might happen. 
  
  
  
  

  5. Nightlife

  Japanese cities offer an impressive array of nightlife options. Tokyo's restaurants, bars, pubs, izakaya and clubs are busy every night of the week.Nightlife in Osaka, Nagoya, Sapporo, Kyoto, Kobe and Fukuoka is also worth checking out. 
  
  
  
  

  6. Shopping

  Japan's luxury shopping neighborhoods such as Ginza in Tokyo are lively districts filled with the flagship buildings of fashion brands, department stores, and fine restaurants. Even if you don't end up buying anything, these can be interesting places for a walk. Beyond luxury, Japanese cities offer interestingniche shopping areas such as streets filled with used book shops. 
  
  
  
  

  7. Ryokan

  Ryokan are traditional Japanese Inns that have many charming features such as Japanese style buildings and rooms. Staff at ryokan may wear kimono and guests wear yukata. Many old ryokan haven't changed much since the Edo-eraand feel a bit like time travel. 
  
  
  
  

  8. Kaiseki

  Kaiseki are traditional Japanese multi-course meals that are considered fine cuisine. Kaiseki restaurants are the types of places that might offer private rooms with a view of a garden. It's also possible to find budget versions ofKaiseki such as kaiseki bento. Some ryokan will include kaiseki dinners with your stay. In some cases, they include up to 14 small, aesthetically pleasingcourses. 
  
  
  
  

  9. Karaoke

  Karaoke is a fun experience for couples, friends or large groups. They are ubiquitous in Japan and offer private rooms, food and in many casesnomihoudai. 
  
  
  
  

  10. Small Towns

  Japan is larger than most visitors expect, with a total area that exceeds Germany. Most of the country is mountaineous with farms and communities dotting any flat spots such as valleys and plains. Amongst this great expanse of countryside, Japan has dozens of interesting small towns filled with castles, temples, ryokan, onsen, beaches and other attractions. 
  
  
  
  

  11. Sushi

  There's a big difference between western and Japanese sushi. Experiencing quality Japanese sushi is highly recommended. Keep in mind that there's a huge difference between cheap and expensive sushi. Once you try the good stuff you'll never want to go back. 
  
  
  
  

  12. Sake

  It's possible to sample traditional Japanese sake at virtually any restaurant and bar in Japan. It's even available in vending machines. As with sushi, there's a huge difference between the good stuff and cheaper varieties. 
  
  
  
  

  13. Game Arcades

  Japanese arcades often double as minor gambling spots with casino-like games that offer prizes. They are also filled with video games. Japanese arcades are often large with multiple floors. Some are charmingly stuck in the 1990s or earlier while others have newer technology. 
  
  
  
  

  14. Harajuku on a Sunday

  Harajuku attracts plenty of interesting people on Sunday afternoons. The most interesting characters hang out near the entrance to Yoyogi Park. It's a good place to see Japanese subcultures and street fashions. 
  
  
  
  

  15. Kabuki

  Kabuki is traditional Japanese theatre that incorporates dance into performances. It's known for its elaborate costumes and makeup. All roles both male and female are played by male actors. It's unlikely you'll understand the performance completely but most people end up enjoying the show. 
  
  
  
  

  16. Sumo

  Sumo is a uniquely Japanese sport that's a world onto itself. 
  
  
  
  

  17. Japanese Castles

  Japan once had around 5000 castles. Today, more than 100 remain in one state or another including surviving castles, reconstructions and ruins. ManyJapanese Castles have an interesting history that includes samurai battles and ghost stories. Others are visually stunning structures that still rival modern architecture in their grandeur. 
  
  
  
  

  18. Izakaya

  Izakaya are Japanese pubs that offer food and drink in a social atmosphere. They range from posh to cheap, quiet to wild. Izakaya food is worth a try even if you don't drink. Izakaya are almost always lively. 
  
  
  
  

  19. Purikura

  Purikura are Japanese photo booths that use computer algorithms to make your skin "beautiful". It's also possible to give yourself huge eyes or surround yourself in cute stuff. Purikura are entertaining and offer interesting mementos of your trip. 
  
  
  
  

  20. Japanese Gardens

  Japan has been on a garden building spree for the past 400 years that shows no signs of slowing down. The country is a wonderful place to discover numerous styles of Japanese garden, classic Chinese gardens and Western gardens.Interesting gardens can be found at temples, parks, ryokan and restaurants. They are often integrated into the design of buildings both historical and modern. 
  
  
• kinwashi

  14 Sep 15, 18:57

  Latest News.

   

  Japan’s largest volcano Mt. Aso erupts, forces evacuation of tourists (PHOTOS, VIDEO)

  Published time: 14 Sep, 2015 03:04Edited time: 14 Sep, 2015 04:41

  Get short URL

  

  A video grab from the Japan Meteorological Agency's live camera image shows an eruption of Mount Aso in Aso, Kumamoto prefecture, southwestern Japan, September 14, 2015. © Japan Meteorological Agency / Reuters

  Mount Aso, Japan’s largest active volcano, erupted on Monday, sending plumes of smoke 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) into the air and prompting tourist evacuations, Japan’s Meteorological Agency said.

  Dramatic footage of the massive eruption was streamed live, with volcanic ash visibly filling a large area.
  
  There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries, but local authorities have pushed up the danger level to three out of five.

  The 1,592-meter (5,222-feet) Mount Aso is located on Japan’s southernmost main island, Kyushu, and is considered a popular hiking destination for tourists. It is also the second largest mountain in Japan and is one of the biggest calderas in the world, encompassing an area 25 kilometers (15.5 miles) north to south and 18 kilometers (11.2 miles) east to west. 
  
  Officials said that around 30 people were parked near the peak when the volcano erupted, but that they had been evacuated. Overall, about 100 tourists were transported to safety. 
  
  There had been no indication that an eruption was coming, according to meteorologists. 

  A second eruption has not been ruled out, according to Sadayuki Kitagawa, senior coordinator for volcanic affairs at Japan’s Meteorological Agency. Kitagawa told people to be careful of falling rocks due to a “possibility of volcanic rocks landing in an area over a 1-kilometer radius.”

  Video footage shows black smoke billowing 2,000 meters (6,561 feet) into the sky and ash raining down, NHK national television reported. 
  
  No nuclear plants have been affected by the eruption, Kyushu Electric Power Co stated, including the Sendai nuclear plant, which was restarted in August and is located about 160 kilometers (100 miles) south of Mount Aso.

  Arrivals and departures have become “irregular” at the Kumamoto Airport because of the eruption, Japan Air Lines said, adding that several flights have already been canceled and more cancellations are expected.

  Japan is located in a region known as the “Ring of Fire,” which consists of a horseshoe-shaped band of fault lines and volcanoes running around the edges of the Pacific Ocean. There are over 100 active volcanoes in the area. 
  
  Volcanic activity in Japan has intensified in the last year. Japan’s biggest volcanic disaster in nearly 90 years killed 63 last year when Mount Ontake erupted in central Japan. Authorities also had to evacuate a remote island south of Kyushu in May due to another eruption.

  
• kinwashi

  14 Sep 15, 19:00

  Japan's Mt Aso volcano erupts, emitting huge plumes of smoke and causing flight cancellations

  Updated about an hour ago

  VIDEO: Japan's Aso volcano erupts (YouTube: Japan Meteorological Agency)

  PHOTO: The Japan Meteorological Agency's live camera captured this image of the eruption of Mount Aso.(Reuters/Japan Meteorological Agency)

  RELATED STORY: Evacuations ordered after volcano erupts on remote Japanese island

  RELATED STORY: Three more bodies found on Japan volcano

  MAP: Japan

  A volcano located on Japan's southern-most main island of Kyushu has erupted, sending up huge plumes of grey ash and smoke, Japan's Meteorological Agency said.

  The 1,592-metre Mount Aso is one of the most active peaks in Japan but is also a popular hiking spot.

  Authorities issued their third-highest alert and cancelled more than a dozen flights after the huge volcano shot a column of ash several thousand metres into the clear sky.

  There were a handful of people at a parking lot near the peak but they were evacuated safely, officials said.

  They said the eruption had come without warning.

  Kyushu Electric Power Co said the eruption would have no impact on its nuclear plants, one of which — the Sendai nuclear plant, roughly 160 kilometres south of Mount Aso — was restarted in August.

  Television footage showed black smoke boiling into the sky and ash was falling as far as 4km away, NHK national television said.

  Local authorities have set up a four-kilometre no-go zone around the crater.

  Japan lies on the "Ring of Fire" — a horseshoe-shaped band of fault lines and volcanoes around the edges of the Pacific Ocean — and is home to more than 100 active volcanoes.

  Mount Ontake in central Japan erupted unexpectedly last year, killing 63 people, the worst volcanic disaster for nearly 90 years. In May, a remote island south of Kyushu was evacuated due to another eruption.

  Reuters

• kinwashi

  17 Sep 15, 21:51

  

• kinwashi

  17 Sep 15, 21:56

  Everyone Loves Yukata         posted by John Spacey, July 29, 2014 If you attend a Japanese summer festival, you'll find yourself in a sea of people wearing yukata. You may feel left out if you don't give it a try.    Yukata are casual summer kimono made of cotton. They're inexpensive andeasy to wear.  Yukata are worn by both men and women. Men's designs tend to be simple dark colors. Young women usually wear brightly colored yukata with eye-catching patterns. Older women may wear reserved, elegant patterns.        Yukata Occasions Yukata are informal, festive clothing that are worn to matsuri, fireworks,hanami and other spring or summer events. Unlike kimono, they're not warn in cold weather.  Yukata are extremely popular in Japan. It's common for the majority of spectators and participants at summer events to wear some form of traditional clothing.  People in Japan tend to be nostalgic about yukata. They remind everyone of summers past.            Yukata Layers Yukata are simple compared to kimono.  A yukata is a robe with a wide sash known as an obi. A robe-shaped undergarment known as a nagajuban is worn underneath. If you don't have a nagajuban, the next best thing is a plain t-shirt and shorts.  People generally wear more than underwear under yukata because they can be very thin. It's a bad idea to wear anything with a pattern underneath because it will show through.  It's important to wrap the yukata so that the left side (from your perspective) is on top.  This is because the dead are buried in kimono with the right side on top. It's embarrassing to get this wrong. You'll look like a ghost.  Your yukata should be worn tightly. It shouldn't be allowed to hang loose over your shoulders.  Your obi is used to secure your yukata. The bow of the obi goes on your back. In old Japan, ladies of the pleasure district wore their bow in the front to indicate their occupation.  Yukata don't have any pockets. You can stick items such as a fan in your obi but this no place for a wallet. Women typically purchase a traditional purse to match their yukata.      Yukata Shoes Yukata are worn with geta or zori sandals. The primary difference is that geta are platform sandals and zori are lower.  It's common to wear yukata without socks. Some people choose to wear tabi socks. This looks a little more formal.    Hotel Yukata Yukata are often provided in Japanese hotel rooms and ryokan.  At a ryokan, it's usually okay to wear the yukata in public areas. Hotels may discourage guests from wearing yukata to dinner or in the lobby. It's usually okay to wear yukata to the hotel's onsen. Check the rules before wearing hotel yukata outside your room.  Hotel yukata are tied with a simple belt rather than an obi. They often come with a robe-like jacket known as a haori for additional warmth.      Purchasing Yukata Yukata don't need to be fitted like kimono so it's easy enough to purchase them online. They're also available at Japanese department stores and discount shops such as Don Quixote.  Yukata are ranked  #1 of 9 Things To Wear To A Japanese Festival #4 of 16 Traditional Japanese Fashions #5 of 18 Reasons To Stay At Ryokan #18 of 30 Japanese Traditions #40 of 99 Things You'll Miss About Life in Japan #52 of 101 Things To Try In Japan If you enjoyed this article, please share it 28 Shares       Japan Guide   101 Things To Try In Japan  Japan's many possibilities.   104 Things To Do In Kyoto  Kyoto is a magical city. It sounds sugarcoated but it's true. With 400 shrines and 1,600 Buddhist temples it's difficult to choose your activities. This list will help you make the most of your trip.   81 Interesting Cities In Japan  A comprehensive guide to Japanese cities.   67 Reasons You Won't Like Japan  A look at the dangers, challenges and culture shock you may encounter in Japan.   30 Things To Do In Japan At Night  Japan's many nightlife opportunities.   127 Things To Do In Japan  A few interesting spots to visit in Japan. more » Most Popular Articles This Month How To Explain Japan in 7 Words Or Less These words go a long way to explain Japanese culture: the way Japanese people think. 47 Tokyo Neighborhoods Greater Tokyo has over 1000 neighborhoods, these are ones that are good to know.  101 Things To Try In Japan (part 4) Japan's many possibilities. Tokyo's 5 Hipster Neighborhoods Hipsters from around the globe are attracted to Tokyo — all because of neighborhoods like these. more » Recently on Japan Talk   Shinnyodo Temple Guide posted by John Spacey A temple slightly off the beaten path that has a three-story pagoda, several gardens and artworks.   17 Japanese Gardens posted by John Spacey A list of gardens in Japan.   39 Temples and Shrines in Japan posted by John Spacey A few temples and shrines in Japan that are worth a visit.   127 Things To Do In Japan posted by John Spacey A few interesting spots to visit in Japan. more » Japan Event Guide   Japan Calendar (2015 & 2016) A calendar of Japan's many festivals, events, public holidays and seasonal attractions.   Japan By Month Weather and events by month.   109 Best Japanese Festivals Each year there are 200,000 festivals in Japan. Festivals range from quiet to wild and dangerous. These are the best.   Tokyo Calendar (2015 & 2016) A calendar of major festivals, annual rituals, trade shows, sports events and seasonal attractions in the city.  more » © 2002-2015 Japan Talk. All Rights Reserved.  View credits & copyrights for this page. We are always working to improve Japan Talk. If you find an error, please report it. Distances and walking times are approximate. Prices and schedules reflect our best information at the time of publishing and are prone to change. If you have an update, please let us know.

  Sitemap

  ---

  
  

  Japan Travel Things To Do Activities Problems When To Visit Event Calendar Japan By Month Weather Japanese Seasons Rainy Season Typhoon Season Where To Go Tokyo Kyoto City List Small Towns Prefectures Of Japan Regions of Japan Things To Do Japan Tokyo Kyoto Osaka Yokohama Sapporo Fukuoka Guides Japan With Kids Shopping Nightlife Festivals Temples & Shrines

  Japanese Culture Architecture Art Fashion Geisha History Japanese Aesthetics Japanese Thinking Kawaii Culture Luck in Japan Martial Arts Traditions Japanese Food Food List Vegetarian Foods Japanese Ingredients Sushi

• kinwashi

  17 Sep 15, 22:01

  September 15, 2015

  Facebook Tweet Google+

  What does this phrase mean to you? I visualize three monkeys acting out this saying, ironically being called “wise”. I have always associated this saying with ignorance – the lack of acknowledgement of wrongdoings. I’ve seen it on non-profit organization T-shirts for social justice, and even historical war posters using propaganda to lure people into action.

  When I heard that the original depiction of these “Three Wise Monkeys” was in Nikko, the righteous side of me stirred to go see it, maybe to snap a photo and upload it on Facebook with a deep, profound quote.

  Alas, after a long train ride from Tokyo, I reached my destination, the Toshogu Shrine, and was amazed by this vast, vibrant group of artistic structures. Nikko boasts the most lavishly decorated Shrines in all of Japan. My eyes transfixed on the stunning 5-story Pagoda, and my feet became anxious to cover all of the grounds. Now, where were these monkeys?

  Photo by Daniel Incandela

  I passed through colorful gates and admired the intricately detailed work on all of the structures. In the Honjido Hall, I gawked at the amazing “Crying Dragon” portrait that commanded the whole ceiling. I squealed at the cute Nemurineko or “Sleeping Cat” on the Sakashitanou Gate. I gave reverence to the dignified burial grounds that Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Shogunate responsible for Nikko’s thriving years.

  After an hour on the grounds, I had to stop and ask someone about the monkeys. It turned out that I had missed them near the entrance… on one of the storage houses. What an odd place of origin, especially considering the monkeys’ popularity. I had expected that they would be more significantly showcased. The work isn’t even its own entity; it’s part of an 8-panel story. I quickly learned that out of context, the meaning of the “Three Wise Monkeys” that I have come to know is actually misinterpreted.

  Photo by Denys Zlobin

  To clarify, the story represents the cycle of human experience, which includes childhood to the trials and tribulations of adulthood, and then back to giving birth. The “Three Wise Monkeys” can be found on the second panel, and actually represent innocence rather than ignorance. Children should see no evil, hear no evil, or speak no evil because, as the panels that follow show, they will encounter struggles as they grow up anyway. Childhood is a precious, fleeting time and once innocence is lost, it is lost forever.

  The way I’m describing the above depiction is still probably more philosophical than it needs to be. Or perhaps, every artwork in this Shrine has profound meaning that has been overlooked by the public. I still wonder how these monkeys became so well-known to enter the general psyche. Nevertheless, the “Three Wise Monkeys” artwork is just the tip of the iceberg at the Toshogu Shrine’s incredible tribute to its beloved leader.

  Access:

  Toshogu Shrine, 1300 yen entrance fee, open everyday 8:00-17:00 (closes at 16:00 from November-March)

  Use JR Nikko Line or Tobu Nikko Line. From Nikko Station, several buses head to Toshogu Shrine and other places of interest.

  Topics:  GP Travel

  

  LISA HONG

  Traveling, eating, writing through Nihon.
• kinwashi

  21 Sep 15, 21:00

  So you got Golden Week.

  You do got Silver Week in Japan.

   

  The end of April through around May 5th is called "Golden Week" in Japan since there are many national holidays during this period. Many Japanese offices close for about a week to 10 days, depending on the calender. People take a vacation and travel around the country or abroad, so tourist attractions in Japan are crowded during this time. Also, airports and train stations in Japan are crowded with people. It is hard to get reservations for accommodations and transportation during Golden Week.

  The first national holiday during Golden Week is April 29, which was the birthday of Shouwa Emperor. Now, this day is called showa-no-hi (Showa Day). The second holiday is kenpou-kinen-bi (Constitution Memorial Day), May 3.

  CONTINUE READING BELOW OUR VIDEO 

  America's Best Foodie Cities

  0:25

  /

  3:00

  Then, May 4 is called midori-no-hi (Greenery Day).

  The last holiday during Golden Week is kodomono-hi (Children's Day) on May 5. It's also Japanese Boy's Festival called tango-no-sekku and is a day to pray for healthy growth of boys. It's a Japanese tradition for families of boys to hang up carp streamers (koinobori) outside their houses around this holiday. Carps are believed to symbolize successes in children's lives. Also, samurai dolls called gogatsu ningyo (May Dolls) are displayed in their houses.

  May is usually a pleasant season to travel in Japan. Try to plan a trip to Japan after Golden Week. It is much better.

  Golden Week - Japanese National Holidays

  • April 29: Showa-no-hi (Showa Day)
  • May 3 : Kenpou-kinen-bi (Constitution Memorial Day)
  • May 4 : Midori-no-hi (Greenery Day)
  • May 5 : Kodomo-no-hi (Children's Day)
• kinwashi

  21 Sep 15, 21:02

  Silver Week in Japan

  SEPTEMBER 19, 2015 BLOGSONJAPAN

  SOURCE: JAPAN AUSTRALIA Silver Week is a new term used in Japan to describe a string of consecutive national holidays that occur in September. Silver Week or (シルãƒ�ーウィーク) in Japanese is called ‘Silver Week’ because it is a close second to that other famous collection of national holidays in late April and early May which is called ‘Golden Week‘. Silver is also a commonly used word that is used to describe the older generation in Japan. Respect for the Aged Day is one of the national holidays that falls in the Silver Week period, so it can be said to have a double meaning. The three national holidays that make up the five-day break of Silver Week are: Respect for the Aged Day (Keiro no Hi) – third Monday of September Autumn Equinox Day (Shubun no Hi) – usually around September 23 Citizens’ Holiday (Kokumin no KyÅ«jitsu) – the day between the two other holidays Japan’s Holiday Laws Japanese law stipulates that any workday sandwiched between two national holidays should become an additional holiday. Nice, right? This special national holiday is given the general term Kokumin no KyÅ«jitsu. Japan also has the Happy Monday system, whereby any national holiday that falls on a Saturday or Sunday is shifted to the Monday. Got to love Japan, right? The land of national holidays! The Next Silver Week Unfortunately Silver Week is a rare occurrence that only happens when the stars perfectly align and Japan’s national holiday laws kick-in. The next Silver Week will occur again in September 2020 (September 19 -23), so make sure you make the most of this fantastic opportunity if you are in Japan. Silver Week is a popular time to travel in Japan and to get outdoors to enjoy the beautiful Autumn weather. We have a Sports Day (é�‹å‹•ä¼š) to attend today in Gifu.

• kinwashi

  21 Sep 15, 21:09

  Silver Week holiday exodus gets under way

  NATIONAL SEP. 19, 2015 - 06:03PM JST ( 22 )

  TOKYO —

  Japan’s Silver Week holiday exodus got under way on Saturday with trains and planes reporting full loads.

  Silver Week occurs about once every six years when three national holidays in September run consecutively. This Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday are holidays, allowing many people to take a five-day break.

  JR East said its Tokaido Shinkansen trains were running at 170% capacity on Saturday morning, while Tohoku Shinkansen trains were at 150%, Fuji TV reported.

  Meanwhile, according to the Japan Road Traffic Information Center, at 2 p.m., traffic was backed up for 29 kilometers on the Tomei Expressway at the Atsugi Interchange, and 18 kilometers on the Chuo Expressway at Sagamiko in Kanagawa Prefecture, and 17 kilometers on the Kanetsu expressway in Saitama Prefecture.

  Airlines reported that domestic flights from Haneda and Osaka airports were full on Saturday.

  The return rush is expected to peak on Wednesday afternoon.

   

  Japan Today

• kinwashi

  23 Sep 15, 21:36

  Shubun no Hi

  SEPTEMBER 23, 2015 BLOGSONJAPAN

  SOURCE: JAPAN AUSTRALIA Autumn Equinox Day or “Shubun no Hi” (秋分ã�®æ—¥) in Japanese is an annual Japanese National Holiday that usually occurs on September 22 or 23. This year Shubun no Hi will be on September 23. Shubun no Hi marks the changing of the seasons in Japan and commemorates the autumnal equinox, which is a 24-hour period when day and night are the same length. From this day on, days begin getting shorter than nights in the Northern Hemisphere. It can be seen as the official start of autumn in Japan and a sign that cooler days are to come. It is part of the ‘Silver Week‘ holiday period in Japan and follows on from Keiro no Hi which is held on the third Monday of September. History of Shubun no Hi Shubun no Hi first started as a national holiday in 1948. It is a day to mark the changing of the seasons in Japan as well as a day to pay our respects to our deceased ancestors. In the past, the autumnal equinox was called Shuki-koureisai (the autumn festival of the Emperor’s spirits), and was a day where the emperor worshipped his deceased ancestors. How is Shubun no Hi Celebrated? Many memorial services take place at temples around Japan. People also visit the graves of their ancestors to offer rice cakes called ohagi, clean the tombstone, and offer incense and flowers. It is a time to pray to our deceased ancestors to comfort their spirits. Image Source …CONTINUE READING

• kinwashi

  23 Sep 15, 22:03

  

  David Corbin
  5:24 pm on Jan 6, 2015

  Line Taxi launches, gives Uber first major challenger in Japan

    10 Comments

  

  Finally, Japan gets a taxi war of its own. China has Didi Dache versus Kuadi Dache. India has Ola and TaxiForSure. GrabTaxi and EasyTaxi are duking it out across Southeast Asia. Even Vietnam has a Tolkien-esque battle of five armies. But Japan? It was enjoying a serene peace under the benevolent (and rarely surge-priced) Uber with only a distant challenger in the Osaka-based Hailo to be considered. Today, Line changed the game by adding a new wrinkle to its messenging app – Line Taxi.

  Line Taxi is not available as a separate download. Like the recently unveiledLine Pay, it is accessible via the main messaging app. Payment is carried out via a credit card registered to Line Pay, so much of the user experience is essentially identical to Uber. Use GPS to identify your position, request a cab, and pay without needing to reach for your wallet.

  

  Entering the app within an app

  Line has partnered with Nihon Kotsu, the nation’s largest taxi company. Japanese taxis are already well-known for their discrete, white-glove wearing drivers, satin covered back seats, and automatically opening doors, so the ride itself should not be a big step down from a black car service. That said, Nihon Kotsu does not have fleets of leather-trimmed BMW 7 Series sedans and Mercedes C-classes like Uber.

  The service will first only be available in Tokyo and neighboring Mitaka and Musashino cities. The company says that it will announce shortly expansion to other cities.

  That expansion is what could be the biggest differentiator for Line in its fight against Uber. 3,340 Nihon Kotsu taxis in the Tokyo region will be equipped to pick up customers using Line Taxi. In total, Nihon Kotsu has about 23,000 cars covering Japan. It remains to be seen how many of those drivers, a good number of whom are excellent at their jobs but less fluent in GPS technology, will actually be using the app proactively. Uber also has a deal with a local cab company for its fleet of Uber Taxis but, speaking from personal experience, there are rarely more than a handful available around the city at any given time.

  Early use of both apps shows Line Taxi with better coverage and shorter wait times than Uber. At Shinjuku Station, one of Tokyo’s most trafficked areas, Uber had no taxis (or taxi luxes) available. It had one black car with a 21-minute wait time. Line Taxi had five taxis in the area and only a five minute wait. Similar comparisons at Tokyo Station, and farther out spots like Kichioji and Shimokitazawa also showed Line Taxi to be better prepared. It must be noted, however, that Uber’s lack of cars might be indicating high demand for a known service. It is unlikely that the average consumer knows Line Taxi launched an hour ago.

  

  On its first day, Line Taxi was showing better taxi coverage than Uber Taxi

  Unlike Uber, Line Taxi is, for now, a decidedly domestic product. Line Pay requires the user to have a Japanese driver’s license or insurance card, as well as a Japanese credit card. If the service does not become more foreigner friendly, it will be unable to completely drive Uber out of Japan. Delivering directions via GPS and paying wirelessly will always be a major boon for foreign travelers – 20 million of whom are expected to visit Japan yearly by 2020. That’s a big chunk of the pie considering Japan’s population is at 127 million and falling.

  However, when Line Taxi was first previewed in October, the company said that it will take the service global, so an English interface is likely to be offered in the future. Though it might have a good shot at gaining traction in Japan, international advancement seems far less certain. Barring some very skillful dealmaking, Line will not have a major advantage in car numbers. Its biggest strength will be its brand recognition, but even that might not be enough. Uber’s epitaph is unlikely to be written in stickers and emoji.

   

  See: 10 taxi apps you can use across Asia

   

  Editing by J.T. Quigley and Steven Millward

  (And yes, we're serious about ethics and transparency. More information here.)

  
  
• kinwashi

  23 Sep 15, 22:07

  ine Launches A Taxi Booking Service In Japan Because Chat Apps Have Become Platforms

  Posted Jan 8, 2015 by Jon Russell (@jonrussell)

  • 786

    
    SHARES

  Next Story

  UPDATE: There Is A Media Sponsored Fund And A Crowdfunding Campaign To Support Charlie Hebdo

  

  Messaging is no longer just about messaging. Last year saw the West wake up to the potential of messaging apps — largely thanks to Facebook’s acquisition of WhatsApp — and 2015 is the year that U.S. apps will become platforms. Few places is that trend illustrated best than Japan, where top chat app Line has just launched its own taxi service.

  Line Taxi is built into the existing Line app, just like its recently introduced payments service, and its launch pits the company against dominant player Uber and British rival Hailo.

  The Line service is starting off slowly. The company partnered with Nihon Kotsu, Japan’s top private car firm, to offer an initial 3,300 plus cars in selected parts of Tokyo, but it plans to ramp up to 23,000 nationwide over time.

  An initial report from Tech In Asia suggests Line offered more options and shorter wait times when compared to Uber, which leads the on-demand cab space in Japan, but time will tell how it goes.

  A messaging app integrating a taxi app might sound an odd pairing, but it has been done before. China’s top chat app WeChat tied up with taxi on-demand service Didi Dache last year and there’s been talk of Facebook Messenger integrating with Uber — a chat app launching its own taxi service is something unique, however.

  

  Line has 170 million monthly active users (and over 500 million registered users) worldwide but Japan is its largest market. It has over 50 million registered users on its home turf, and the kind of dominance that it believes supports a wide selection of offline and on-demand services that tie into the messaging experience.

  Line Japan has introduced taxi booking this week, but it also has plans for on-demand food delivery, it has its own maps app which could support online-to-offline commerce for retailers, and it is dabbling in social commerce too. There are also plans for a music streaming service — which will be global thanks to Line’s acquisition of MixRadio from Microsoft — and more than 30 apps and games are tied into its core chat service.

  Line isn’t alone in building out its messaging experience. WeChat is doing the same in China. This week parent company Tencent launched an online bank — WeBank — which is likely to become a focus of its messaging platform, alongside existing pushes into retail, payments, taxi-hailing and more.

  Line Taxi won’t be global, but you’d imagine that the company will consider implementing it (and similar on-demand services) in countries where its network is strong enough. That’s not likely to include the U.S., but today’s news gives those in the West an idea of what is possible when a mobile app becomes a daily necessity for tens of millions of people.

• ArcForce

  24 Sep 15, 12:00

  Originally posted by Poolman:

  Strong SGD also not doing us any favour .

  That caused :

  1.Manufacture sector to slow down .

  2.Tourism also slow down .

  3.Import & export slow down .

  4.Financial Sector slow down .

  5.Cost of living goes up .

  6.Less business people flying in .

  7.Share market turned bearish ...... this is all i can think of .

  etc.......

   

  Ohhhhh

• kinwashi

  25 Sep 15, 20:52

  Another 10 tips for travel in Japan

  Posted on September 11, 2015 by Violet Cloutman

  

  One of our groups in Hakone on our 'Classic Japan' tour!

       

  A while back, we quizzed our staff about their top tips for first-time travellers to Japan, and gave you our top ten. We found, however, that there were enough handy hints and tips to create a whole, brand-new top 10 tips – so here they are!

   

  1) Visit a 100 yen shop

  Keep an eye out for “Daiso”, one of the most popular 100 yen shop chains in Japan.

  100 yen shops are like pound shops in the UK or dollar stores in the US – but better. So much better. They sell everything, from sewing supplies to hair clips, Tupperware to garden pots, fancy dress costumes to make-up, and from food and kitchenware to stationery. There is no better place to pick up cute trinkets and souvenirs – and nobody at home will know how little they cost!

  One of the best-known 100 yen chains is Daiso, and you’ll find multi-storey outlets in every major city in Japan. If you visit Harajuku, look out for one on your left-hand side as you walk down Takeshita Street, away from the direction.

  (FYI, 100 yen = approx. 53p / $0.84 at the time of writing).

  2) Make the most of guides and tour leaders

  One of our groups in Hakone, enjoying the excellent leadership of tour leader David Lovejoy

  A lot of travellers shy away from using tour guides – for pretty good reason. Nobody likes to become part of a lumbering herd of tourists, shuffling along after a guide armed with flag and megaphone as he or she recites a pre-determined script in broken English. But there are tour guides and there are tour guides.

  Japan is a place where you can get so much more out of your time when accompanied by somebody who knows their stuff – so banish your preconceptions and just go for it. At InsideJapan, for instance, we have a number of superb tour leaders and guides who run a variety of really excellent day tours. These include a video game tour of Tokyo, a tour of Kyoto’s secret gardens, and a tour of Tokyo’s architectural highlights – to name just a few.

  And if you want reassurance as to the calibre of our tour leaders – just check out this glowing article in the Independent!

  3) Get lost

  Getting lost is a common fear for potential travellers, but there’s nothing to be afraid of in Japan. In fact, we recommend it.

  Japan is one of the safest countries in the known universe, for starters, so there’s no need to be nervous on that score. What’s more, if you blindly follow your Lonely Planet and never look up from Google maps, you’ll never discover those hidden spots and have those chance encounters that so often form the highlights of your trip.

  Japanese people are incredibly helpful and (more often than not) very keen to chat to foreigners, so asking for directions gives you a great excuse to strike up a conversation. You never know where it’ll take you!

  4) Eat everything

  Octopi at Tsukiji Fish Market

  When asked what they miss most about Japan, InsideJapan staff invariably cited “food” as amongst their top three (alongside onsen bathing and the friendliness of Japanese people). Japanese food is, in my opinion, the best food in the world. And it’s not just sushi and noodles – oh golly, no – Japan boasts a spectacularly diverse array of cuisines, from elaborate kaiseki to slap-up okonomiyaki.

  Many of these foods can be scary. If you thought raw fish was daunting – how about raw chicken? Or raw horse? Would you eat fermented beans? And what about wasabi-flavoured ice cream? We can’t guarantee you’ll like everything, but you will never know until you try.

  And lastly, on the subject of food, if you’ve tried something at home and didn’t like it – dried-out supermarket sushi, perhaps, or a substandard restaurant ramen – try it again in Japan. It. Will. Be. AWESOME.

  5) Recognise the value of the convenience store

  Convenience store sushi – a cheap and delicious snack!

  All hail the convenience store – or “konbini”, as they are called in Japan. You may think you know convenience stores, but konbini are gods amongst convenience stores.

  Why? I’ll tell you why.

  There’s one on every corner. They’re open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. They serve alcohol and hot food all night long. They have free, clean, well-stocked loos. They have dustbins. (Nowhere in Japan has dustbins). They sell everything from food and drink to umbrellas, toiletries – they even sell underwear. Underwear!

  6) Look up!

  Looking for somewhere to eat can be tricky in Japan, as bars and restaurants are often hidden away behind closed doors, in underground shopping complexes, or in tall buildings. It is rare to be able to peer in through the windows to gauge the atmosphere – as is the case nearly everywhere else in the world.

  One good way to spot restaurants is to look up, as many of them are located on the upper floors of tall buildings. Major station buildings may not seem like a good place to look, but they are often packed with really good restaurants too.

  7) Watch some films before your trip

  There’s no better way to get yourself in the mood for travel than by watching a few interesting documentaries and films before you leave. Documentaries are a great way to learn about aspects of Japanese culture that you never considered before (Jiro Dreams of Sushi is my particular favourite, but there are many more) – while feature films build atmosphere and excitement ahead of your trip. Depending on your cinematic preferences, you might like to delve into the world of Studio Ghibli, enjoy a bit of Akira Kurosawa, or perhaps get Lost in Translation with Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson.

  Watching anime (like Hayao Miyazaki’s Spirited Away) is a great way to get kids excited about going to Japan.

  8) Don’t fall into the “gaijin trap”

  In Japan, there is often an uncovered trench between the road and the pavement, affectionately termed the “gaijin trap” (or “foreigner trap”) by expats. Don’t fall in!

  9) Visit the countryside, not just the city
  

  Japan is best known as a land of towering skyscrapers, neon lights, hyper-modern robotics and shiny shiny bullet trains – but in fact, Japan is over 70% mountainous and undeveloped. With spectacular mountains, deep primeval rainforest, volcanic hot springs, wide open plains, beautiful beaches and even subtropical mangrove swamps in the southern climes of Okinawa – Japan’s countryside deserves far more credit than it receives.

  Beautiful Kamikochi: “Land of the Gods”

  10) Leave your lace-ups at home

  As mentioned in our previous etiquette post as point #1, If you plan to do a bit of temple-hopping while in Japan (in Kyoto, for instance), be sure to bring a pair of shoes that’s easy to slip on and off. Japanese temples (and some castles, museums, restaurants and bars) require that visitors remove their footwear before entering, so you’ll thank us for this tip!

  - See more at: https://www.insidejapantours.com/blog/2015/09/11/another-10-tips-for-travel-in-japan/#sthash.tvmZmyiF.dpuf

• kinwashi

  25 Sep 15, 21:00

  Whisky At The Suntory Yamazaki Distillery

  Paul /  16 September, 2014 /  1

  

  240

  20

  5

  0

  Japanese whisky has been increasing in international popularity in recent years, however the country has been producing whisky since 1923, when Suntory founder Shinjiro Torii founded Japan’s first whisky distillery in Yamazaki. The Suntory Yamazaki Distillery is still operating in the same location today, in a picturesque valley with access to clean, soft mineral water and a climate that’s well suited to the aging process.

  I discovered Japanese whisky a few years ago, when I was introduced to the Yamazaki 12 and was an instant convert. About a year later I tried the Hibiki 12, which became my favourite whisky. The Suntory Yamazaki Distillery is only a 15 minute train ride from Kyoto’s main train station so when I was planning my trip to Japan, a visit to the distillery was a must.

  

  The tour is free and includes tastings at the end. It’s quite popular, so make sure you book online or by phone before you visit. The tour is run in Japanese, however audio guides in English, Chinese and French are provided.

  

  

  After meeting outside, we were taken to a room where mash tuns convert the starches in the crushed grain into sugars for fermentation.

  

  Once the mash tuns have done their work, the resultant product, wort, is drained into the washback vessels below and has yeast added to it, which allows fermentation to begin. Different yeasts result in different flavours.

  

  After about 3 days of fermentation, the “wash” is distilled in one of several bronze stills. The shape of the still and the temperature and heating methods used can all have an effect on flavour.

  

  

  We then had a walk through the aging warehouse which contains tens of thousands of casks at various stages of aging. The unpleasant smell of the fermenting grain from the earlier rooms gave way to the smell of actual whisky. The whisky is aged in casks made from a variety of types of wood, with different wood imparting different flavours to the whisky. For example Japanese oak (Mizunara) from Hokkaido is used for some blends and gives the whisky floral undertones particular to that part of Japan.

  

  

  

  

  The first ever cask (now empty) of Yamazaki single malt from 1924.

  

   

   

  With the main part of the tour over, the group was taken to the tasting room, via some Japanese gardens.

  

  

  

  Included in the tour are tastings of the Hakushu 10 and 12 and the Yamazaki 10 and 12. While the Yamazaki single malts are smooth and light with floral aromas, the Hakushu (distilled in a facility located in the forest on the slopes of Mount Kaikoma) uses snow melt as its water source and has a peatier, smoky taste. The Hibiki blends combine elements of both of the single malts.

  

  Once tasting was over, we found ourselves where we began, in the main room which contains both the tasting counter and the whisky library on the ground floor and the gift shop upstairs.

  

  The whisky library is impressive, housing a collection of over 7,000 types of whisky from around the world.

  

  

  

  

  My wife and I decided to try the Hibiki 17, 21 and 30, as well as the Yamazaki 18 and 25. Samples at the tasting counter are not free.

  

  We enjoyed all 5 of the whiskies we tried, however my wife and I both agreed that the Hibiki 21 was the standout of the lot. This was not too surprising as it’s one of the most awarded whiskies in the world, including World’s Best Blended Whisky at the 2013 World Whiskies Awards and with a “Trophy”, which is the highest award at the International Spirits Challenge 2014. It’s currently my favourite whisky. From Suntory:

  • Color : bronze amber
  • Nose : cooked fruit, blackberry, ripe banana, caramel
  • Palate : sandalwood, honeycomb, dried apricot and Mizunara (Japanese oak)
  • Finish : long, rich and incense

  

  I was very happy with the Suntory Yamazaki Distillery tour. The setting is beautiful and makes a nice change from the city. Given that the tour is free and you get samples at the end, visiting is a no-brainer for anyone with a passing interest in whisky. One word of advice though, if you want to purchase one of the standard range whiskies, you’re better off not purchasing from the girt shop but from a liquor store/the airport instead as prices are inflated.

  If you do visit and are looking for a feed, I strongly recommend this place. The distillery is about a 5 minute walk from Yamazaki train station and right near the train station, on the first side street across the road, is this place which serves some brilliant food. I was surprised that there weren’t more people from the tour eating here – as far as I could tell my wife and I were the only non-Japanese people here.

  

  

  

  

  

  

  …sorry, but I couldn’t resist.

   

   

  
  

   

  Subscribe to The City Lane's weekly newsletter, containing a wrap-up of the week's new content, and never miss a post again.

  
  

   

• kinwashi

  28 Sep 15, 20:44

  Mega Japanese food emporium opens in Singapore

  Emporium Shokuhin's fresh produce includes a wide range of vegetables, fruits and condiments. PHOTOS: ALICIA CHAN, EMPORIUM SHOKUHIN

  PUBLISHED

  SEP 27, 2015, 5:00 AM SGT

  96.5K 60 13 

  The 34,000 sq ft Emporium Shokuhin boasts live seafood tanks and aged beef as well as eight dining concepts

  Eunice Quek

  Singaporeans' love affair with Japanese cuisine continues to grow as more purveyors bring in the freshest produce from the country.

  Add one more shopping and dining place to the list - the $10-million Emporium Shokuhin at level one of Marina Square's new wing.

  The 34,000 sq ft space - about the size of 28 five-room Housing Board flats - features an 11,000 sq ft gourmet grocer section. It includes tanks filled with live seafood from Japan and Europe; a customised temperature- and humidity-controlled facility for aged beef; and a wide range of vegetables, fruits and condiments.

   

  A small section is dedicated to air-flown produce from Ehime prefecture in north-western Shikoku, Japan, which Emporium Shokuhin's chief executive officer, Mr Lim Li-Wei, 40, is working closely with. This is the first time produce from the prefecture is being exported.

  • What to buy

  • FROM EHIME PREFECTURE

    ---

    Yuzu and iyokan yokan

    

    What: Yokan is a thick jelly dessert that comes in blocks. These (above) are made with Japanese citrus fruits yuzu and iyokan, which is similar to the Mandarin orange. Each slice bursts with flavour.

    Price: $8.45 each

    ---

    Iwagi Island lemon and tamami marmalade

    What: Iwagi Island in the Ehime prefecture is known for its juicy lemons, which are harvested when they are still green. The tamami citrus is similar to the Mandarin orange in size and flavour.

    Price: $9 each

    ---

    Ume and iyokan somen

    

    What: Instead of the usual ramen or soba, try these flavoured somen, which is a type of very thin Japanese noodles. These noodles are flavoured with ume (Japanese plum, above, right) and iyokan (above, left).

    Price: $6.65 each

    ---

    Ainan gold ponzu

    What: Use it as a dip or jazz up salads with this ponzu from the Ainan town in Ehime prefecture. The area is known for its fishing and agriculture.

    Price: $13.30

    ---

    Ehime blood orange juice and unshu orange juice

    What: These juices are also drinking vinegar, as apple vinegar is one of the ingredients. The blood orange and unshu orange from the Ehime prefecture are known to be sweet and juicy.

    Price: $12.20 each

    ---

    OTHERS

    ---

    Konnyaku

    What: This is not the fruit jelly, but a selection of ready-to-eat packaged konnyaku (made from starch of a yam species). They can be used in soups, as garnish or eaten straight from the packet.

    Price: From $2.50

    ---

    Frozen foods

    What: The wide selection includes gyozas, salmon and pasta, which just require reheating in the microwave.

    Price: From $7.40 for microwaveable salmon

    ---

    Alaskan King Crab

    What: Each Alaskan King Crab weighs at least 3.5kg and is also served at in-house restaurants Takujo, Tsukeru and Gyuu+.

    Price: $12.80 for 100g (at the live seafood market)

    ---

    Turbot

    What: This sandy-coloured flatfish is prized for its firm white flesh and flown in from Japan.

    Price: $7.80 for 100g

    ---

    Live oysters

    What: At least 10 kinds of live oysters are available in the live seafood area. They are from France, such as the popular Gillardeau and Mont Saint- Michel, and lesser-known Utah Beach and Veules-les-Roses.

    Price: $5 each, $28 for half a dozen, $56 for a dozen

  The rest of the emporium houses eight dining concepts, from a Japanese-style bakery to a seafood wine bar.

  • Where to eat

  • SENMI SUSHI

    What: Sashimi and sushi lovers can head to this 102-seat sushi bar for its variety of offerings. Highlights include Giant Chirashi ($34), which has eight kinds of seafood such as salmon and maguro, and California-style maki. Shipments of 50kg of sustainable bluefin tuna from Nagasaki arrive on Mondays and Fridays.

    Open: 11.30am to 10pm daily

    ---

    BUROSU HONTEN

    What: The 60-seat restaurant's signature item is its Ultimate Ramen ($17.80), where the soup is a blend of tonkotsu pork bone broth and broth made from simmering crab and prawn shells for hours. Noodles used are the straight Hakata-style ramen. Gyozas made in-house are also available. For those dining alone, sit at the counter where ramen is served from behind a screen, like ramen shops in Japan.

    Open: 11.30am to 10pm daily

    ---

    

    UMI + VINO

    What: Pair wines or sake with freshly shucked oysters or seafood platters at this 70-seat seafood and wine bar. The signature Umi premium seafood platter (for two to three people, above) costs $118 and includes Boston lobster, dungeness crab, oysters, mussels, prawns and clams. The seafood can also be cooked a la plancha - on a hot grill.

    Open: 11.30am to 10pm daily

    ---

    TSUKERU

    What: Diners get individual hotpots at this 108-seat shabu shabu outlet. Choose from local-style soup bases such as tom yum, bak kut teh and tomato, or Japanese ones such as konbu shoyu, miso and tonkotsu. Average spending a person is $50.

    Open: 11.30am to 3pm, 6 to 10pm daily

    ---

    

    GYUU+

    What: One for the carnivores.

    This 106-seat grill-restaurant specialises in premium meats and dry-aged beef. Do not miss the premium Miyazaki A5 beef slices (above), priced between $18 and $38 for 100g, depending on the cut.

    Open: 11.30am to 3pm, 6 to 10pm daily

    ---

    TAKUJO

    What: The 98-seat restaurant serves a range of premium sashimi, as well as omakase meals (from $138 a person). Their Sashimi Tairyo (for six people) is priced at $360 and includes tuna belly, amberjack (kanpachi), prawn and flounder. Diners can also pick seafood from the seafood trolley, which will showcase the freshest catch such as Alaskan King Crab and oysters.

    Open: 11.30am to 3pm, 6 to 10pm daily

    ---

    KOHI-KOJI

    What: For a coffee break, head to the Japanese bakery-cafe, which serves pastries as well as coffee (from $4 for a double espresso) made from Brazil and Panama beans. A small selection of salads (from $5.80) and sandwiches (from $8.80) is available for takeaway.

    Open: 8.30am to 8.30pm daily

    ---

    READY-TO-EAT

    What: For those who want a quick meal, the ready-to-eat section has takeaway meals such as bentos, salads and sushi platters - priced between $5 and $10.

    Open: 11.30am to 9pm daily

    ---

    • Emporium Shokuhin's live seafood market opens from 8.30am to 9pm daily, while the gourmet grocer opens from 11.30am to 9pm daily. It is located at 01-18 Marina Square, 6 Raffles Boulevard. For more information, call 6224-3433 or go towww.facebook.com/ EmporiumShokuhin

  On the project which was conceptualised in September last year, Mr Lim says: "I didn't want to do another restaurant. I wanted to sell quality produce at reasonable prices. What sets us apart is our live seafood and aged meat options. We are different from Meidi-Ya and Isetan supermarkets... with household items. We specialise in food."

  His experience in the industry comes from his former position as chief executive of Shin Group, which runs Japanese restaurants Shin Kushiya and Kiraku, and Cafe Crema and Asian bistro Verandah. He remains a stakeholder in the firm.

  Prices at Emporium Shokuhin's gourmet grocer are 10 to 20 per cent cheaper than those in supermarkets, he says. Produce is flown in three times a week, mainly from Japan and Europe.

  After considering more far-flung options in Sembawang and Jurong, Mr Lim chose to open at Marina Square as he notes that the area is "experiencing a revival".

  As for the mall's rodent problems, he calls the issue "unfortunate" and is prepared with traps for the pests.

  This is likely to be the only store here and he is eyeing markets overseas such as Shanghai and Jakarta.

  By the end of next month, he is also looking to supply live seafood to businesses and launch an e-commerce platform for consumers.

  Emporium Shokuhin's opening adds to the competition in the Japanese food scene. Existing players include Isetan and Meidi-Ya supermarkets, RE&S Group's Kuriya Japanese Market retail spaces, as well as gourmet grocers such as Zairyo and Ethan's Gourmet.

  They note that unique items are key to attracting consumers, who are willing to pay for quality Japanese ingredients.

  Over at Ethan's Gourmet in Tagore Lane, co-founder Elaine Yee, 34, notes that average spending per customer is $100 to $150.

  Unique items at the 10-month-old grocer include Marusho tomatoes (rainbow tomatoes) and Tajima beef. Ms Yee says: "Singapore's market is too small and does not have so much demand, unless the products are special."

  For Ms Amanda Tan, 26, co-owner of online grocer Zairyo, business has picked up since it opened in November last year, specialising in Japanese produce.

  Like Emporium Shokuhin, she imports and distributes the products directly, so prices are 15 to 50 per cent lower than those in supermarkets. She gets an average of 150 orders a month, with spending at $200 a customer.

  To stand out from the competition, items for Zairyo are carefully curated, such as its range of uni (sea urchin) and seasonal fruits from Tokyo's Tsukiji fish market.

  Ms Tan says: "We're always on the lookout for food trends in Japan before deciding to bring in new items. It is pointless selling the same stuff as everyone else, unless the quality is better or if the product can't be found here."

  She adds that while Japanese suppliers are open to exporting their produce, they are likely to stick to one distributor in each country.

  Agreeing with Ms Tan, RE&S Group's marketing communications manager Yeo Ai Lin adds that customers request for items such as kegani (hairy crab), Hokkaido uni, sekogani (snow crab with roe) and Aomori apple. Average spending for each customer can exceed $300 for these premium products.

  She says: "Consumers are increasingly well-travelled and appreciative of quality foods. Japanese produce is known for its superior quality and excellent taste. This creates a strong demand."

  The brand serves more than 100,000 customers every month, with total sales of more than $1 million across its six Kuriya outlets in locations including Great World City, Causeway Point and Jem. A seventh outlet will open at Tampines One next month.

  Kuriya's products are also sold online on Rakuten and Qoo10 and it is working on building its own Web store.

  A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Sunday Times on September 27, 2015, with the headline 'Mega Japanese food emporium'. Print Edition | Subscribe
• kinwashi

  28 Sep 15, 20:52

  ASIA/EASTERN ASIA/FOOD/KYOTO FOOD & DRINK REVIEWS/TRAVEL

  Kyoto Food Guide

  Paul /  30 September, 2014 /  9

  

  1.6k

  21

  11

  106

  Kyoto, just like every other city I visited in Japan was full of great food. In Osaka, I realised that what I knew about Japanese food barely scratched the surface of the intricacies and depth of this unique cuisine and in Kyoto, the journey of discovery continued.

  Japanese food is very regional. While there are common dishes and ingredients across the country, each region has its own speciality dishes, ingredients and techniques – be it using chicken instead of pork, thin noodles instead of thick, mustard instead of wasabi, frying instead of steaming etc. Some of the food that I ate in Kyoto simply couldn’t be found when I visited Osaka and Tokyo.

  Many of the food places in Kyoto are small, and seat no more than a handful of people and they are found everywhere. On main streets, down alleyways, in basements, and several stories up in the high rise buildings that are all over the city somebody is cooking something. Sometimes these places are easy to spot and sometimes they are not – the phrase “follow your nose” is apt. Indeed, by the end of my time in the city I’d barely visited any of the recommendations that were on my list – my wife and I kept on stumbling across places that looked and smelled amazing, and were full of locals – always a good sign.

  If I have one piece of advice to impart to you for when you visit Kyoto it would be to bring a list of places to visit, make sure you check out a few of the places that really interest you but don’t let the list restrict what you try. Often you’ll find yourself in a part of town that’s not near any recommendations on your list. Additionally it can be hard to find certain places as streets are more often than not not in English (both physical street signs and in Google Maps), the venues don’t have English names and aren’t always on the main street level. Use the guide as exactly that – a guide. Follow your nose and don’t be afraid to make your own discoveries. I ate more things in Kyoto by way of on-the-go discovery than I did by referring to my list.

  Food standards in Kyoto are high, from the quality of the food and its presentation to the customer service that patrons receive. I’ve never been anywhere in the world where standards are so high on such a consistent basis. Perhaps because of this, Japan has a reputation as being an expensive place but I was surprised at how affordable the food and drinks were in the country – not as cheap as that in other Asian countries such as Vietnam and Thailand of course but when compared against similar highly developed, global centres, it fares well.

  I’m going to try and keep any repetition between my Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto food guides to a minimum and will be cross-referencing to the other guides in here as I put them up. Rather than listing the places that I ate at, I think a better way of setting things out is by the type of food – a brief introduction to the dish, followed by some recommendations based on my experiences followed by recommendations that were on my list that I never got around to visiting.

   

  Tonkatsu

  One of my favourite comfort foods back home is chicken katsu, which is a crumbed and deep fried chicken cutlet, generally served with rice and cabbage. In Japan, chicken katsu is rare, with pork katsu (tonkatsu) being much more widespread and popular. Either a pork fillet (hire) or loin (r�su) is crumbed with panko (Japanese breadcrumbs which have a greater surface area and result in a crunchier, lighter coating than western style breadcrumbs) and deep fried. It is served with rice and cabbage and tonkatsu sauce, which is similar to Worcestershire sauce.

  Yamankana

  My wife and I stumbled across Yamankana while walking through a relatively quiet part of the city on our way to the Imperial Palace. I’d be lying if I said that all of the pig related paraphernalia at the front didn’t get my attention. I was craving some Tonkatsu, and my wife and I were both very hungry so we decided to go in and give it a go.

  

  The pig paraphernalia didn’t abate inside. There was pig stuff everywhere. We were greeted and seated by an old man who turned out to be the owner who, while not speaking much English, notified us that the golden pig outside was called “Miss Lucky”. Normally all of these things would be a sign of tackiness and a bad meal ahead however being a few days into my trip, I knew that the usual rules didn’t really apply in Japan.

  

  Sure enough, when my Tonkatsu set arrived and I bit into that first perfectly crumbed, succulent piece of pork fillet I knew that I had nothing to worry about. The owner assumed that we hadn’t eaten Tonkatsu and kindly showed us which sauces to use on which dishes and how to mix/eat everything. I think it was a novelty for him to have foreigners in the restaurant, as he kept on proudly showing off various pig related trinkets.

  

  
  The Tonkatsu wasn’t at the same level as the one I had at Katsukura below or Maisen in Tokyo, but no Tonkatsu I have ever had before or since has been. What Yamankana offers is a very tasty, good quality Tonkatsu in a quirky, charming spot.

  Yamankana
  337 Sashimonoch�
  Nakagy�-ku, Ky�to-shi

  Katsukura

  Katsukura is considered by many to serve some the best Tonkatsu in Kyoto, despite being a nationwide chain now. I went to the main branch and was really impressed with the food. There was a choice between 2 different breeds of pork, the fatty or lean cuts, in a variety of sizes.

  

  I had the main set which came with the tonkatsu (which had perfectly light, crispy crumbs and succulent pork) as well as rice and unlimited cabbage and miso. I liked that there were a few things that made Katsukura unique compared to most tonkatsu places. Their sauce was not the usual tonkatsu sauce but rather the choice between sweet and chilli sauces which, while very similar to tonkatsu sauce, were a bit different. The salad dressing was also a really punchy yuzu sauce.

  The sesame seeds were to crush and combine with the sauce before dipping the pork into it. All up, a really satisfying meal. I was so impressed with the salad dressing the I bought a bottle to take home.

  

  

  

  Katsukura
  674 Bant�yach�
  Nakagy�-ku, Ky�to-shi

  Also

  312 Higashidaimonjich�
  Nakagy�-ku, Ky�to-shi

  TheCUBE 11F
  Kyoto Station
  901 Higashishiok�jich�
  Shimogy�-ku, Ky�to-shi

   

  Izakaya

  An Izakaya is a casual venue that serves food and drinks. Similar in style to Spanish Tapas venues, there are a range of small dishes on the menu and you can either order as the night progresses or in one hit at the start. The food comes out as it’s cooked and the whole thing very informal. Generally there’s an open kitchen with seating at the bar/kitchen as well as standard tables.

  Yakitori Hitomi

  Yakitori refers to grilled chicken (generally over binchÅ�-tan, or “white charcoal”) and this place specialised in yakitori. Yakitori was something that I was quite ignorant about before visiting Japan. I’d been to so-called Izakayas and eaten yakitori outside of Japan but the real deal is a different proposition. The binchÅ�-tan provides the meal with a wonderfully subtle smoke flavour and the fact that every part of the chicken is used across the various menu options was a new discovery.

  I had one of my best meal experiences in Japan at Yakitori Hitomi. My wife and I decided, on our first night in Kyoto, to walk around the streets near our hotel which were a mixture of residential, commercial and food related places. Walking down one street, we saw this place with its lights on and the hum of conversation and other noises common when one walks past a popular bar or restaurant. We walked in and asked if there was a spot for 2 however the place was full. The staff didn’t speak English, however we managed to arrange a booking for the following night at 8pm.

  When we arrived the following night, we were seated at the bar, which was great as I love sitting at the bar when at an Izakaya – it’s the best spot to see all of the action in the kitchen and on the grill. One of the staff brought out a menu for us which was completely in Japanese with no pictures but had rough English translations pencilled in for most of the items (a few just had “?”). This was completely unexpected and one of many examples of the amazing customer service that we experienced in Japan.

  The food itself was amazing, with dish after dish continually impressing. A while into the night, a couple sat down next to us and asked us how we had found the place. We told them that we’d stumbled across it and that we made the reservation. He was surprised, and told us that the place has a very good reputation in Kyoto and, due to its popularity and demand, doesn’t normally take bookings.

  To being with we had slices of chicken breast with cheese. Before visiting Japan I wouldn’t have considered chicken with cheese to be Japanese food and while I suppose it’s not traditionally Japanese, it’s certainly popular and was on the menu at every yakitori venue I visited.

  

  

  For the entire night, the chef didn’t stop cooking meats on the grill. It was fascinating to watch him do several things at once for such a long time and never let up.

  

  A side of cabbage.

  

  Seseri (chicken neck)

  

  Pickled vegetables.

  

  Tare Tsukune (chicken meatballs with sauce & mustard). This mustard is more common than wasabi in the Kansai region of Japan. I saw it used constantly in Osaka and Kyoto and found it to be hotter than real wasabi (as opposed to the horseradish based faux-wasabi that’s found outside of Japan).

  

  Fried chicken thighs with mayonnaise – another very common yakitori dish.

  

  Duck with an orange sauce.

  

  Kawa (chicken skin)

  

  Kimo (chicken liver)

  

  Grilled rice ball.

  

  

  Toriwasa (seared, raw chicken) with a sour plum paste and ginger. When I first saw raw chicken on the menu in Japan I was unsure as to whether or not I should eat it but the uncertainty didn’t last wrong. It’s on all the yakitori menus, it’s a popular dish so clearly there’s something good going on here. Sure enough, it was as good as everything else we ate during the night.

  

  

  

  When it was time to leave, the staff apologised about not being able to seat us the previous night (this wasn’t the first time they had apologised) which of course was not an issue at all. As a token of gratitude, they even gave us a small bottle of sake to take home for free.

  Excellent food, excellent service and highly recommended.

  Yakitori Hitomi
  96 Ōkikuch�
  Saky�-ku, Ky�to-shi

  Sumibi Torito

  This place was another great yakitori spot. It was very popular and the food was very good. Not quite as good as Yakitori Hitomi but still well worth a visit.

  

  

  Par-boiled chicken breast strips, mixed vegetables and 3 sauces – soy, sour plum, mayonnaise.

  

  Kokoro (chicken heart) ended up being one of my favourite yakitori items in Japan. Such great texture and flavour.

  

  Chicken breast with melted cheese.

  

  Fried Kappa Nankotsu (chicken breast cartilage) with Kewpie mayonnaise.

  

  Grilled rice balls wrapped in seaweek. One with sour plum and the other with bonito flakes.

  

  Chicken wings with boiled quail eggs.

  

  Mature kawa (chicken skin). The Japanese don’t mess about when it comes to chicken and quite often a menu item will specify the breed of chicken and whether it’s young or mature as this has an effect on flavour.

  

  Tsukune (chicken meatballs) with raw egg. Raw is is a common item at yakitori restaurants and is used to dip the main items into.

  

  

  Sumibi Torito
  1F Kamihara Building
  9 Higashimarutach�
  Saky�-ku, Ky�to-shi

  Teppan Dai

  Teppan Dai was another chance discovery that resulted in a great night. It was located on a residential backstreet near our hotel and was very simple with a few locals inside. Daisuke, the owner and chef spoke (despite his insistence that his English wasn’t very good) excellent English and cooked up some really tasty food.

  Daiskue was a really nice guy and we ate too much, drunk too much and had a very long conversation with him, learning a lot about Japan’s food culture and current trends amongst other things. It felt like a real local’s kind of spot and I’m very glad that we found it.

  A word of advice if you visit though, Teppan Dai is quite an unassuming building but you can tell that it’s a restaurant from the outside. That place just up from Teppan Dai with the neon sign and entrance that looks like it’s a restaurant? That’s a bath house that may or may not have naked people walking around when you nervously slide open the door wondering “is this a restaurant?”

  To start we had squid tentacles.

  

  

  Chicken sashimi. Generally the raw chicken is either served completely raw of par boiled.

  

  Grilled pork with spring onions and ponzu.

  

  Chicken wing tips.

  

  Rice ball in sour soup with konbu.

  

  

  Teppan Dai
  36-3 H�rinji Monzench�
  Saky�-ku, Ky�to-shi

  Rokkaku

  Yet another chance discovery on this trip was Rokkaku, named after the nearby Rokkaku temple. It’s not a fancy spot by any means and there’s nothing that caters to English speakers in the slightest, not even pictures.
  My wife and I were hungry, and had been walking around for a while and were keen to eat. “Why not?” we thought as we decided to stay and order by pointing at various lines of Kanji on the menu. “Number 8? Why not?” “Shall we order the middle characters under number 4? Sure!”.

  The risk paid off, as it turns out Rokkaku specialises in wagyu beef, and we were treated to various cuts and grades of simple, tasty wagyu beef that we cooked ourselves on our table’s inbuilt grill. Simple and tasty.

  The highest grade of wagyu beef on the menu. It was full of flavour and melted in my mouth. Divine.

  

  

  Steak tartare with raw egg.

  

  

  A different, lower grade wagyu. Not as good as the highest grade but still excellent.

  

  Finally, something that I wasn’t a big fan of during my trip – beef stomach which had an excellent flavour due to the sauce but a far too chewy texture.

  

  

  Rokkaku
  608 Manjūyach�
  Nakagy�-ku, Ky�to-shi

  Nishiki Market

  Nishiki Market opened in 1615 as a wholesale fish market and has expanded considerably over the years. Today, it’s home to over 130 retailers selling a wide variety of food and food related objects. The focus of the market is retail rather than wholesale.

  

  

  Most of the retailers have a particular speciality that they focus on and it’s one of the best places in the city to find regional foods and seasonal foods that can’t be found outside of Kyoto. The shop in the photo below for example, only sells matcha warabimochi – jelly-like cubes of bracken starch covered in matcha powder.

  

  

  This place sold Japanese herbs and chilli powder. I bought some perilla which is kind of like a cross between basil and Szechwan pepper. I’d never heard of it before visiting Japan but it’s very popular and has a distinctive taste.

  

  

  

  This shop specialised in pickled and fermented items. There was no shortage of samples to try at this, and several other stores in the market.

  

  

  This shop was all about unagi (freshwater eel), which was barbecued and served with kabayaki sauce and anago (saltwater eel) which is cooked as tempura.

  

  My wife and I got some to try and it was really good. It was great to be able to stand in this little side section of the store and watch the staff go about their jobs – preparing and cooking the eel. We also tried the anago tempura but we ate it before realising I hadn’t taken a photo!

  

  

  For lunch, this sushi place was excellent and the plate we ordered really hit the spot.

  

  We ordered the Kansai style “special” sushi. Clam, white fish, tuna, squid, salmon, prawn, uni, eel.

  

  Some miso soup which, it turns out, also varies quite a bit by region.

  

  

  

  These tako tomago might look freaky but if you visit Nishiki Market I highly recommend them. They are simply baby octopus stuffed with a medium boiled quail egg, cooked in a sweet red sauce. Delicious.

  

  

  Nishiki Market
  Nishikikoji Dori (between Teramachi & Takakura)
  Nakagy�-ku, Ky�to-shi

   

  Desserts

  Nakamura Tokichi

  Nakamura Tokichi has been around since 1854, and in that time has built up a cult following for its high quality matcha powder and exquisite green teas. In more recent years, it has become even more popular with Japanese people of all ages due to the wide variety of matcha sweets it sells. I visited the branch at Kyoto JR station and found myself walking towards the end of a line which was snaking around to the side of the store. About half an hour later I was seated inside and faced with a tough choice – everything on the menu looked amazing.

  When I returned in autumn I made sure I was there when it opened at 10am to avoid the queue!

• kinwashi

  28 Sep 15, 20:58

  Sweet Memories – “Sofuto Kuriimu”

  Posted on August 7, 2015 by Mark Fujishige

  

  Bitter Orange Soft Cream

       

  As I write this, it is 37°C (98.6°F) outside, a negligibly cooler 35°C (95°F) within my apartment, and humidity hovering at about 60%.

  Welcome to Summer in Japan.

  But in keeping with the spirit of “mind over mater,” let us think cool thoughts: cool places, cool people, or cool foods, like… sofuto kuriimu! Whether you call it “soft serve,” “softee,” “Mr. Whippy,” or what have you, I think you know what I’m talking about: heaven in a cone.

  The introduction of sofuto to Japan dates back to an American Independence Day celebration held by the occupying forces on July 3, 1951. The event took place on the outer grounds of the Meiji Shrine, and gave the locals their first taste of the frozen treat. By September of that same year, the extremely popular treat could be found in many department stores.

  Over my years of living in Japan, there are some encounters (with softo kuriimu) that I simply cannot forget. Here are a few of my favorites:

  Natsumikan (Chinese citron or bitter summer orange); Hagi, Shimane Prefecture.

  Bitter Summer Orange Flavoured Soft Cream

  Along with pottery and blowfish, Hagi also boasts of this beloved citrus. However, even a ripe natsumikan is fairly sour. Thankfully, that translates beautifully into “tart and refreshing” when in softo form.

   

  Nashi (Asian pear); Sakaiminato, Tottori Prefecture.

  Asian Pear Flavoured Soft Cream

  Blessed with more than just natural beauty and genial population, Tottori is also famous for its high-quality Asian pears. Here you can find anything and everything containing nashi, including softo.

   

  Kiichigo (raspberry); Nagano, Nagano Prefecture.

  Raspberry Flavoured Soft Cream

  After visiting the famous Zenkoji Temple, you’ve probably earned yourself a little treat. If you’ve attended the morning service at dawn, you’ve definitely earned this and maybe even a cone of the apple variety as well.

   

  Imo youkan (sweet potato paste); Sensoji Temple Nakamise, Tokyo.

  Sweet Potato Paste Flavoured Soft Cream

  Established in 1902, Funawa has been making imo youkan for over a century. As the times have changed, the product line has branched out to include softo as well! If you’re a fan of sweet potatoes, you’ve got to try this one.

   

  Jizake (local sake); Takayama, Gifu Prefecture.

  Sake Flavoured Soft Cream

  In addition to the biannual Takayama Festival, locally produced sake is one of the things this city is famous for. This sweet treat contains sake from Takayama’s Funasaka brewery. While it is does contain alcohol, its a very small amount, and I was assured by the staff that its completely safe for children. Now the whole family can enjoy this local specialty!

  Ah, sweet memories! Alas, I have doubts as to how effective my “mind over matter” thinking has been, as I’m still feeling as hot as ever and now hungry, to boot. I think it’s time for some softo.

  - See more at: https://www.insidejapantours.com/blog/2015/08/07/sweet-memories-sofuto-kuriimu/#sthash.57omutvg.dpuf

• kinwashi

  29 Sep 15, 20:01

  Japanese scientist creates neon udon: “This is the worst thing I’ve ever seen on the internet!”

  • Scott WilsonAug 25, 2015
  • 3

  We’ve seen some pretty crazy and colorful food here before on RocketNews24. We’ve witnessed flaming-red burger buns and ocean-blue curry, but never before have we seen something that’s basically the equivalent of eating a neon sign.

  Until now. One Japanese Twitter user/mad cooking scientist created “electrical udon” and uploaded pictures for the world to recoil at the sight of. Why did he create this beautiful monstrosity? And most importantly, what does it taste like?

   

  Japanese Twitter user @reraku, a self-proclaimed “bad scientist,” invented what he calls “electrical udon.” Here’s the Tweet he posted with pictures of his horrifying-yet-tantalizing creation: (Click to enlarge.)

  â–¼ “These are bright! My ‘electrical udon’ for an event at the end of the month. (Tastes like normal kitsune udon.)”

  Even though the cook himself claims they taste like normal udon, as we’ve seen before it’s hard to imagine that your brain or tongue wouldn’t be influenced by the rainbow of colors making their way into your mouth. If the noodles even make it that far in the first place, of course.

  Still, if you’ve suddenly found yourself with an insatiable urge for some udon that looks like it’s glowing in the dark, and you happen to live in the Osaka area, then head over to the “Unbelievable Science” festival on August 30 where this unusual dish will be featured. There will be other strange dishes served there too, like purple curry and fried food “pumped up with flavor steroids.” Uh, maybe watch out for that last one.

  â–¼ Here’s the poster for the event. We can only assume giant mushroom staffs are on the menu too and they will be brought to you by a zombie maid.

  Loft Plus One West

  Of course Japanese netizens had a few things to see about this neon sign-inspired udon:

  “I wonder if I would actually be able to eat it….”
  “Just looking at it is making me a little sick.”
  “Oh! Ew! No! This is the worst thing I’ve ever seen on the internet!”
  “I feel like I’d start glowing if I ate it.”
  “They should serve this at clubs so it’d glow under the blacklight.”

  So what do you think? Would you eat neon-colored udon? Or, if you’re even more adventurous, what’s the weirdest-looking thing you’ve ever eaten? Let us know in the comments!

  Source: Twitter (@reraku) via KAI-YOU, Loft Plus One West
  Featured/top image: Twitter (@reraku)

• kinwashi

  29 Sep 15, 20:13

  Are you ready forneon pink udon?

  Friday August 28, 2015
  01:21 PM GMT+8

  ICYMI

  
  

  Advertisement

    

  ‘Mad scientist’ Kurare says his ‘electrical’ udon creations might look wacky but they actually taste like normal traditional wheat noodles. — Screen grab from Twitter.com/rerakuTOKYO, Aug 28 — Food writer and self-proclaimed “mad scientist” Kurare has added his own psychedelic touch to one of Japan’s most popular and beloved dishes: udon noodles.

  Last week, Kurare posted to Twitter photos of neon pink udon noodles swimming in an equally neon green broth, topped with two slabs of blue tofu, as well as a similar purple and blue variation.

  Needless to say, the tweets, which describe “electrical noodles”, went viral.

  Kurare told food website Munchies that the inspiration for his noodle dishes came from the game Splatoon and Disneyland.

  He was quoted as saying, “The game uses many fluorescent colours, I love that game! … It looks like the Electrical Parade from Disneyland!”

  He added that he used basic “fluorescence chemicals” like new coccine and riboflavin to colour the noodles, which is a technique that he has employed with numerous other dishes, including fluorescent-coloured cream, curry, and Japanese sake.

  And while the colours might be wacky, Kurare says his udon noodle creations taste rather run-of-the-mill: “It’s normal Japanese traditional wheat noodle.”

• kinwashi

  30 Sep 15, 22:03

  

• kinwashi

  30 Sep 15, 22:11

  December Seasonal Japanese Seafood １２月旬�魚

  

  
  I love seafood this time of year. I think part of it has to do with the fact that I met Shinji around New Year's and one of the first days we spent together he took me on a tour of Tsukiji Market (he was working as a buyer at Tsukiji then).
  
  Some of our favorite seafood for sashimi include kinmedai (splendid alfonsino), hirame (olive flounder), kawahagi(thread-sail filefish), and kanburi (winter Japanese amberjack). Shinji loves kanburi so much that part of our honeymoon was spent trekking to one of the ports famous for harvesting winter buri and having it for breakfast. And, if the kawahagi is fresh, you can eat the liver raw - a real treat.
  
  Wakasagi (Japanese smelt) is lovely when simply dredged in some flour and fried up. Eat it whole and serve it with some sake. We love to use ankou (monkfish) for nabe and to steam the ankimo (monkfish liver) in sake. Some say it is better than foie gras. Having studied at the French Culinary Institute and having a soft spot in my heart for French cuisine, I would have to say that I prefer foie gras, but that ankimo is a close second - and excellent with some sake orshochu.
  
  Shijimi (corbicula clams) are best enjoyed in miso soup. Asari (littleneck clams) over pasta with simply extra virgin olive oil just can not be beat.
  
  Shinji loves to grill hata hata (sailfin sandfish), especially if they are komochi (full of eggs). I have tried to come to like the hard eggs but it's an acquired taste. I love fish eggs of all kinds, but these are very hard and crunchy and surprisingly big in size.
  
  Crab is in season this time of year - perhaps best enjoyed simply steamed. I love uni - as sashimi, sushi, or when I am craving some Western preparation I love to make uni pasta.
  
  Finally, the photo above is of kinki (thornhead). This is an amazing fish when simply simmered (nitsuke). Tender, delicate, and sweet flesh that falls off the bone.
  
  * If you click on the name of the fish in Japanese you will be able to see a photo of the fish.
  
  
  

  December Japanese Seasonal Seafood

  
  

  Akagarei – èµ¤é°ˆ flathead flounder (Hippoglossoides dubius)

  Amadai – èµ¤ç”˜é¯› tilefish (Branchiostegus japonicus)

  Ankou – é®Ÿé±‡ monkfish (Lophiomus setigerus)

  Asari – æµ…利 littleneck clams (Ruditapes philippinarum)

  Bora – é¯” flathead gray mullet (Mugil cephalus cephalus)

  Buri – é°¤ Japanese amberjack (Seriola quinqueradiata)

  Fugu – æ²³è±š blowfish or puffer fish (Takifugu porphyreus)

  Hata Hata – é°° sailfin sandfish (Arctoscopus japonicus)

  Hirame – é®ƒ  olive flounder (Paralichthys olivaceus)

  Honmaguro – æœ¬é®ª bluefin tuna (Thunus thynnus)

  Houbou – é­´ gurnard (Chelidonichthys spinosus)

  Hoya – æµ·éž˜ sea squirt (Halocynthia roretzi)

  Inada –  ã‚¤ãƒŠãƒ€ young Japanese amberjack (Seriola quinqueradiata)

  Kaki – ç‰¡è £ oyster (Crassostrea gigas)

  Kanburi – å¯’é°¤ Japanese amberjack (Seriola quinqueradiata)

  Kawahagi – çš®å‰¥ thread-sail filefish (Stephanolepis cirrhifer)

  Kinki – å–œçŸ¥æ¬¡ thornhead (Sebastolobus macrochir)

  Kinme – é‡‘ç›® splendid alfonsino (Beryx splendens)

  Kurumaebi – è»Šæµ·è€� Japanese tiger prawn (Penaeus (Melicertus) japonicus)

  Madara – çœŸé±ˆ Pacific cod (Gadus macrocephalus)

  Makarei – çœŸé°ˆ littlemouth flounder (Pleuronectes yokohamae)

  Managatsuo – çœŸå��é°¹ silver pomfret (Pampus punctatissimus)

  Madara shirako – ç™½å­� milt from Pacific cod

  Mebaru – ç›®å¼µ rockfish (Sebastes inermis)

  Meji maguro – young maguro  

  Mizudako – æ°´è›¸ North Pacific giant octopus (Octopus dofleini)

  Mutsu – ã‚€ã�¤ gnomefish (Scombrops boops)

  Namako – ç”Ÿå­� sea cucumber (Stichopus japonica)

  Nametagarei – å©†é°ˆ slime flounder (MIicrostomus achne)

  Saba – é¯–  Pacific mackerel (Scomber japonicus)

  Sakuraebi – æ¡œè�¦  sakura shrimp (Sergia lucens)

  Sawara – é°†  Japanese Spanish mackerel (Scomberomorus niphonius)

  Sazae – æ „螺 horned turban shell (Turbo cornutus)

  Shijimi – å¤§å’Œèœ† corbicula clams (Corbicula japonica)

  Sukesoutara – ä»‹å…šé±ˆ   Alaska pollack (Theragra chalcogramma)

  Suzuki – é±¸  Japanese sea perch (Lateolabrax japonicus)

  Uni –  sea urchin

  Wakasagi – è‹¥ç´°é­š  Japanese smelt (Hypomesus nipponensis)

  Warasa – é°¤ Japanese amberjack (Seriola quinqueradiata)

  Zuwaigani – é ­çŸ®èŸ¹ snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio)

  Posted 2nd December 2011 by Yukari Sakamoto