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“Hina-arare” - Grilled bits of rice cake for the Girls' Festival images

“Hina-arare” - Grilled bits of rice cake for the Girls' Festival

“Hina-arare” are sweet rice cakes eaten for the Girls’ Festival on March 3. There are mainly two kinds depending on what they are made of; glutinous rice and ordinary rice. Kanto people are more familiar with the one made of ordinary rice while Kansai people are more familiar with glutinous rice on…(76 words)

OKAKI-sun image

OKAKI-sun

Mochi (Rice cake) Kansai Kanto Cake Okaki Arare
Do not stick your chopsticks upright in your rice! images

Do not stick your chopsticks upright in your rice!

Do not stick your chopsticks upright in your rice. This is considered as a very bad manner and it makes people cringe. Because it’s the way a bowl of rice is offered to a dead person, at their deathbed or in front of their photograph on the household Buddhist altar. Also, do not spear your foo…(107 words)

EmiOnishi image

EmiOnishi

Etiquette Chopstick
What is Okaki? images

What is Okaki?

Okaki is one of Japanese traditional snacks made of rice (glutinous rice). In order to make okaki, rice is first polished, cleaned and steamed to make into mochi. When mochi is hardened, it will be cut into smaller pieces for drying. This drying process is the most difficult step for professional o…(83 words)

OKAKI-sun image

OKAKI-sun

Wagashi Mochi (Rice cake) Okaki Rice cracker
The allergy of TEMPURA Japanese-style food is taught to you. images

The allergy of TEMPURA Japanese-style food is taught to you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yGVaVlms3G8&feature=share&list=PLkckVuTIJ6_ceUqknqbwWg9aIxRJ9LlkD&index=5I introduce information of food allergy.This time is tempura.The nice restaurant I ate gluten-free tempura was "Tofuya Ukai" in Kanagawa.1-18-4 Saginuma Miyamae-ku Kawasaki Kanagawa…(66 words)

Eddie image

Eddie

Tempura Kanagawa food allergy
The Best Butter in the world! images

The Best Butter in the world!

Calpis is OK to me, but Culpis Butter is the best butter by far!!! It is so smooth, so rich, just so tasty.There are many good bread in Japan. If you really want a good toast, you have to have a good butter too. Try Calpis Butter. It is about twice as expensive as regular butter, but more tha…(109 words)

Hitomi image

Hitomi

Toast Natto (Fermented soy beans) Bread
How to be Polite in a Restaurant in Japan? images

How to be Polite in a Restaurant in Japan?

These are not just little finger towels placed neatly next to your plate for conveniently wiping stray food off of hands and fingers...these Oshibori are almost like an appetizer to the meal itself. You go into a restaurant, settle in with some water or tea and an Oshibori wet towel. Some places wi…(139 words)

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Etiquette Japan Restaurant Tea Tera (Temple) Oshibori Summer Food
Hanami Dango (Three-color dumpling) images

Hanami Dango (Three-color dumpling)

Sanshoku Dango (dango of three colors)is a skewered dango formed of one pink dumpling, one non-colored white dumpling and one green dumpling. Each color has a meaning : cherry blossom in spring, snow in winter and grass in summer. Wagashi (Japanese sweets) is one of the wonderful Japanese culture d…(67 words)

OKAKI-sun image

OKAKI-sun

Bento (box meal) Summer Spring Winter Cherry blossom Cherry Hanami (Cherry Blossom Viewing) Snow Sweets Dango (Sweet dumplings)
Winter Fruit: Strawberries! images

Winter Fruit: Strawberries!

Best Winter Fruit: Strawberries!The strawberries that are grown in Japan are different varieties than those grown in my home country (U.S.A) and are super large and super sweet! Whereas American strawberries are grown in fields, Japanese strawberries are grown in elevated beds in vinyl greenhou…(221 words)

Andrea Miyata image

Andrea Miyata

Winter Tokyo Fruits Strawberry Okayama
Nomihoudai: All you can drink (but not too much) images

Nomihoudai: All you can drink (but not too much)

Nomihoudai - all you can drink - is a very customary service in a Japanese pub. The service usually includes all of the drinks in one part of the menu, usually beer and some mixed drinks, and sometimes wine. Nomihoudai usually has a time limitation, such as 2 or 3 hours. But as is common in Japa…(195 words)

mikekato image

mikekato

Drink Nomihoudai (All you can drink) Beer Izakaya Wine
Hot Vending Machines images

Hot Vending Machines

Any visitor to Japan will immediately see that there are vending machines of all kinds everywhere. Not just sodas, but beer, cigarettes, batteries, condoms, and, especially, coffee. Canned coffees are everywhere.But a visitor who travels on the highway is certain to find among the Coca Cola, …(282 words)

mikekato image

mikekato

Vending Machines Beer Coffee
Heart Shape Tangerine Treasures on Shikoku Island, Japan images

Heart Shape Tangerine Treasures on Shikoku Island, Japan

As my train lumbered through the towering mountains of Shikoku and I caught a quick glimpse of glistening sea beyond, I realized exactly why the Mikan (tangerines) of this area are so delicious. Makes perfect sense to me as I watch the mountainside drinking in the salt-tinged air and the bright Set…(236 words)

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Shikoku Mandarin orange Train Visit Sea Movie Salt Technology Ehime
Have you Heard of Water Shield? It's a Vegetable and No, I haven’t Heard of it Either. images

Have you Heard of Water Shield? It's a Vegetable and No, I haven’t Heard of it Either.

In Japan, this vegetable is called “Junsai” and I remember seeing it in my local supermarket, wondering what it was, and then moving on to the more familiar Nori or seaweed area as usual. This is something I do often, and learn to regret when a new menu translation comes down the pipeline to my des…(541 words)

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Tokyo Japan Restaurant Food Summer Ginza Japanese Cuisine Chinese Restaurant Tokyo Crab
Otsukemono, Oshinko, Shiba-zuke and Fukujin-zuke ... etc. images

Otsukemono, Oshinko, Shiba-zuke and Fukujin-zuke ... etc.

When you talk about pickled veggies, there are many kinds like the ones on the title. Basicly they're called "o-tsuke-mono" and are pickled by salt, vinegar, Sake lees, or Miso. When on menu for snack w/ alcohol, they are often called "o-tsuke-mono" or "o-shin-ko". Most of them will contain "…(125 words)

junebug image

junebug

Miso Sake (Rice wine) Salt Vinegar
Kara-age is the king of fried food images

Kara-age is the king of fried food

Kara-age is for the most part Japanese fried chicken, or perhaps Japanese chicken nuggets. Kara-age however in Japanese peoples' minds is separate from "fried chicken". Fried chicken in Japan always has the bone in, whereas kara-age is cut chunks of chicken thigh, seasoned in soy sauce, ginger and …(168 words)

KurtisW image

KurtisW

Restaurant Convenience store Soy sauce Karaage (Fried chicken)
The Food of Kusatsu Onsen images

The Food of Kusatsu Onsen

One the best ways to experience a town is through its food. When I travel, I love finding the diners, pubs, restaurants and cafés the locals choose to frequent, because that’s where I know I’ll get to experience the most authentic cuisine. But there is an interesting factor to be considered when lo…(545 words)

Petra image

Petra

Food Onsen Kusatsu Onsen Travel Dining
Don't pass food using chopsticks! images

Don't pass food using chopsticks!

Although chopsticks are probably one of the most useful utensils you will every use, there are some manners that you should learn about them prior to using them. The most important rule is to never pass food using chopsticks. This is done in funerals to pass the bones of the dead. Therefore, if you…(93 words)

RieS image

RieS

Etiquette
Argentine Restaurants in Tokyo images

Argentine Restaurants in Tokyo

Tokyo features culinary delights from all over the world, but one country that is vastly under-represented is Argentina. Originally colonized by Spain and then having a vast influx of immigrants from Italy, Argentina cuisine is a mix of the two old world styles with a new-world twist. Empanadas (or…(380 words)

Nico image

Nico

Tokyo Argentina Restaurant
Let’s get it Straight. Kelp “Kombucha” is a Must-Try During Your Time in Japan. images

Let’s get it Straight. Kelp “Kombucha” is a Must-Try During Your Time in Japan.

Walking around Denver and Colorado Springs on my recent trip, I was flabbergasted to see little cafes and shops listing “Kombucha” as one of their special offerings. Well, after a bit of research, I have come to understand that the “Kombucha” enjoying great popularity in the US is actually a bl…(690 words)

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Japan Train Restaurant Sea Tea Japanese cuisine Japanese inn Visit
Menu Translation in Japan, What a Great Job! images

Menu Translation in Japan, What a Great Job!

I feel very lucky that part of my job is Japanese to English menu translation. Do you know how many little jewels lie silent on that Japanese menu in front of you every time you enter a soba, tempura or tonkatsu restaurant in Japan? Ahhh! Yes, that is right, most people visiting Japan have heard of…(969 words)

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Japan Tokyo Restaurant Food Summer Sushi Ginza Tempura Soba noodles Chinese Restaurant Tokyo
Setsubun - Ehomaki culture images

Setsubun - Ehomaki culture

"Setsubun" is the day before the beginning of Spring in Japan and it's on February 3rd every year. A long sushi roll is eaten on the night of Setsubun while facing toward the year's "lucky" direction. This custom originally started in the Kansai area. With your eyes closed, we wish for perfect …(184 words)

EmiOnishi image

EmiOnishi

Setsubun Sushi ehomaki Convenience store Event Winter Kansai Eel
The smell of YUZU images

The smell of YUZU

Yuzu is a fruit I have never found anywhere else. It is a kind of hybrid between a mandarine and a lemon, and has a very small dimensions. It smells great, just in the middle of a mandarine, a lemon and oregano.You can use yuzu in many ways, all of them for its aroma:- as a juice in a…(110 words)

Claire image

Claire

Tempura Juice Yuzu
Izakaya: An Insider's Perspective images

Izakaya: An Insider's Perspective

It can be a little difficult to explain the concept of an “izakaya” in English. They are likened to pubs or bars, essentially being establishments focused on serving alcoholic drinks. However, that’s not all there is to an izakaya. As a former izakaya waitress, I'd like to debunk a few common misco…(591 words)

Sakura image

Sakura

Izakaya Drink Food English Children May Business Karaoke School Work
Self-Pouring Beer Machines images

Self-Pouring Beer Machines

You may have noticed in your local ramen shop or corner eatery the little automated machine in the back that is pouring beer into mugs like soda gets filled into different cup sizes in a McDonalds. One stark difference in these custom machines is that these machines actually tilt back and forth as …(266 words)

Alex image

Alex

Beer Harajuku Kyushu Jangara Ramen noodles Shop custom Technology machines May
Japan's Special Soft Drink Flavors images

Japan's Special Soft Drink Flavors

Ever since coming to Japan I've visited convenience stores regularly, not only cause its convenient of course, but because of all the seasonal special drinks they offer. I've had Fanta plenty of times in America, but the flavors were always orange or grape. As soon as I got off the plane here I was…(314 words)

Alex Kobayashi /Subtokyo image

Alex Kobayashi /Subtokyo

Drink Convenience store Strawberry Apple Seasonal Fanta Soft Drinks Tokyo Milk
Ordering Tips At A Yakitori Shop 101 images

Ordering Tips At A Yakitori Shop 101

Yakitori is a popular food both in and outside of Japan. Grilled Chicken on skewers are just the perfect comfort food or snack epecially after a good hard day of work. Back in America there were plenty of Japanese restaurants that have “Yakitori” on the menu, and it’s a popular menu item.Come t…(375 words)

Japanista image

Japanista

Yakitori Shop Restaurant Food Spring Izakaya Japanese Japan
Enjoy the unique recipe for bikkuri donkey in Minami Gyotoku Tokyo, Japan. A certain hit for your travel cuisine! images

Enjoy the unique recipe for bikkuri donkey in Minami Gyotoku Tokyo, Japan. A certain hit for your travel cuisine!

This restaurant has a look of something out of the Old West from the outside - old rusty metal and weathered wood patched together awkwardly, however it is done purposely and artfully. The look, is something you might expect at Disneyland. Don't let the looks fool you, it is one of the better and…(234 words)

Kevin image

Kevin

Beer Hamburger steak Mayonnaise Restaurant Soy sauce Spaghetti Tokyo
"Matsutake" Mushrooms images

"Matsutake" Mushrooms

Autumn is "Shokuyoku no aki" (time of hearty appetites). As the heat goes away, the Japanese enjoy seasonal foods such as chestnuts, mashrooms, sweet potatos and Pacific saury to name a few. Sometimes, we enjoy culinary treats such as maple leaves in tempura.One of the more notable smells of au…(235 words)

EmiOnishi image

EmiOnishi

Autumn Seasonal matsutake Sushi Tempura green Yuzu Sudachi Chawan mushi (Steamed egg custard)
High Quality Fruits in Japan images

High Quality Fruits in Japan

The other day, I found giant "New Pione" grapes at a local supermarket and I could help buying one even though the price was rather high compared to other grapes (750 yen per pack while regular grapes are sold at 350 yen per pack). They are seedless and each grape has a diameter of 4cm or more. The…(599 words)

EmiOnishi image

EmiOnishi

fruit picking Fruits Eat Hotel Okayama Yamanashi Peach
My favorite Japanese scent images

My favorite Japanese scent

When I first arrived in Japan many years ago, there happened to be a certain shrub in bloom. I didn't know what it was, but it smelled so outrageously great! I later found out that it is called "Kinmokusei" (金木犀). The latin name for this shrub is "Osmanthus fragrans var. aurantiacus", but we do…(114 words)

Andrea Miyata image

Andrea Miyata

 
Nombe Yokocho - Drunkard's Alley images

Nombe Yokocho - Drunkard's Alley

That is exactly what the sign says, "Nombe Yokocho" - Drunkard's Alley. It is located about a minute from Shibuya Station - almost directly across the street from a police box. It is a small section next to the JR tracks that is filled with bars. Sorry, this photo is taken during the day, when n…(188 words)

mikekato image

mikekato

Train Shibuya Harajuku Only in Japan bars
Beware of a hangover images

Beware of a hangover

Happoshu, for all intents and purposes, is cheaper beer; or more specifically, "beer flavored malt beverage". Taxes on beer are somewhat high in Japan, and many are not willing to pay around 3$ U.S for a pint of beer even in a can. The solution is Happoshu, imitation beers that have as many varieti…(146 words)

KurtisW image

KurtisW

Drink Beer Dietary supplement
Adorable Animal Donuts Shop! images

Adorable Animal Donuts Shop!

Looking for some adorable sweets from the land of Kawaii?If you're in the Tokyo/Kanagawa area, there is an Animal donuts shopthat sells delicious adorable animal themed donuts.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NjP4ZcNrRo&list=UU9c5cDukEo1WcDbiedl4rdA&feature=shareLocated in Motosumiyoshi,…(131 words)

Alex Kobayashi /Subtokyo image

Alex Kobayashi /Subtokyo

Shop Donuts Tokyo Shopping Visit Kanagawa Sweets Arcade Walk Kawaii
Valentine's Day in Japan images

Valentine's Day in Japan

Japan is well-known for putting its unique spin on western holidays. Christmas, Halloween, even St. Patrick's Day - so why not Valentine's Day?The chocolatier Morozoff Ltd. introduced Japan to Valentine's Day back in 1936. By the mid 1950s, after it had marketed a hugely successful campaign of …(288 words)

Former Deep Japan Writer image

Former Deep Japan Writer

Yokohama Event Holidays City Department store Christmas chocolate tradition custom Sogo
Maple Leaf Tempura in Osaka images

Maple Leaf Tempura in Osaka

Tempura, the Japanese style of batter-fried food the is perhaps one of the most well-known exports the country has to offer. Crunchy tempura vegetables, shrimp, and chicken are beloved by citizens not only in Japan, but across the world.However, one shop in Osaka has a seasonal autumn twist on …(222 words)

Japanista image

Japanista

Tempura momiji Osaka Maple Leaf
A steamed Japanese cake images

A steamed Japanese cake

In onsen areas with shops, you often see "Manjuu", a steamed Japanese cake with a doughy outside, and sweet red beans on the inside.At one time, they would use actual onsen water for the dough, and the steam from the onsen to cook the manjuu, but these days, just selling them at onsen is enough f…(119 words)

Eddie image

Eddie

Cake Onsen Gunma Manjuu
Children’s Day images

Children’s Day

Kodomo-no-hi falls on May 5, called "Tango-no-sekku", Boys' festival. In Japan, we have various customs on the day. We hang out carp streamers (Koinobori) or decorate the Boys' May Festival dolls to pray that boys in the house will live their lives strongly as well as to drive out an evil spirit. O…(87 words)

OKAKI-sun image

OKAKI-sun

Children Mochi (Rice cake) Dolls Live Children's Day (Japan)
I opened a wine bar in Tokyo images

I opened a wine bar in Tokyo

I recently opened a wine bar in the Omotesando area of Tokyo, a very stylish area of the city. I'd like to post a brief outline of the process I went through in establishing the bar below. The property I sourced the property through a friend. It is a two storey building, built in the late…(833 words)

Adstev73 image

Adstev73

Tokyo Wine Business City Drink Food Building Beer Winter view
Good for the teeth, wallet, and diet images

Good for the teeth, wallet, and diet

Japan certainly has some interesting snacks, some that may seem a bit outlandish and wild; mostly of the seafood variety. It may take a bit of courage and a bit of time to stomach some the stranger ones, but once you get used to the smell, texture, or flavor of some of the more "unique" snacks, the…(172 words)

KurtisW image

KurtisW

Convenience store Sea
Just a tad to remember images

Just a tad to remember

Soy sauce, or shoyu, is one of Japan's most important condiments. It is used more in Kanto (around Tokyo) than in Kansai (around Osaka), but it is used throughout Japan. it is usually on the table in most restaurants and in every home. The most important thing to remember when using soy sauce is…(108 words)

mikekato image

mikekato

Tokyo Soy sauce Osaka Salt Kansai Kanto
“Tamago-kake Gohan” images

“Tamago-kake Gohan”

Soy sauce is indispensable ingredient for Japanese cuisine. Although there are a lot of use in everyday life, one of the most popular use is “Tamago-kake Gohan”. We put raw egg on top of hot cooked rice, add soy sauce and mix them up well to eat. This is a favorite dish for many Japanese people.(56 words)

OKAKI-sun image

OKAKI-sun

Soy sauce Cuisine Japanese cuisine