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cruising girls combing for something sparkle in Tokyo

Archive for the ‘Japanese culture’ Category

Board candy : Ameya Eitaro

8t_ameya_03

Eitaro is a long-established candy shop. 2007, last year was the 150th anniversary!

Their Isetan-only limited candy chop is unique ;)
Many kind of beautiful candies are there… liquid candies, board candies, alphabet candies, etc.

8t_ameya_02

I’ve got strawberry & almond board candies.
crunchy but melt like cotton candies!
Please try them when you come to Shinjuku Isetan!

Ameya Eitaro (in Japanese)
about Ameya Eitaro (in Japanese)

Happy Valentine’s day!! (in Japan)

Happy Valentine’s day!!,

On Valentine’s Day, Japanese women who give presents (mainly chocolates) to men. Men are supposed to return gifts to women on a day called “White Day” (March 14th), a Japanese creation.

salon du chocolat, Isetan

Women give chocolates not only to their loved ones. The chocolate given to men such as bosses, colleagues or male friends that women have no romantic interest in, just for friendship or gratitude which is called “Giri-choko (obligation chocolate).”

salon du chocolat, Isetan

MUJI ventures various businesses in Japan

muji store
by shrimpcrackerz

muji

After MUJI New York store was opened in 2007, “MUJI” has been known internationally as much as “UNIQULO”.

In Japan, they have started as a private brand of the supermarket giant “SEIYU” in 1980’s. (Now it has become independent and been managed by“Ryohin Keikaku CO., Ltd.” )

Their first shop was opened in Aoyama, Tokyo in 1983. It is not a luxurious upmarket brand, but the fairly priced ultra simple & minimal products of theirs must have appealed to the taste of Japanese people.

MUJI OUTDOOR WEB

muji camp site

Flower MUJI
muji flower

In Japan, they also venture various other businesses not operated overseas, including three camping sites, floral shop “Hanayoshi”, cafe & delicatessen “Cafe&Meal MUJI”, as well as a housing business.

Café&Meal MUJI
cafe meal muji

無印良品[無印良品の家] (MUJI HOUSING)
muji house

They are a company that proposes customers the entire life-style and offers products for all aspects of individual lives.
But you know, people who are so dependant on MUJI are somehow looked down and called “Mujirer”.

MUJI U.S.A. Limited
MUJI OUTDOOR WEB (in Japanese)
Flower MUJI (in Japanese)
Cafe&Meal MUJI (in Japanese)
Ryohin Keikaku CO., Ltd. (MUJI Head office)

Haruki Murakami is a running novelist

haruki murakami

The new book by Haruki Murakami has been published in 2007. It is an essay about his “running”.

It seems that for Murakami, “running” is closely tied with his novels within him. I think that he is a novelist who is very conscious about the relationship between “being physical” and “expressing with words”.

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He has tried many marathons such as the Boston Marathon or Lake Saroma Ultra Marathon, which course goes on for 100km.

He is also a triathlon athlete. He says that he jogs daily and trains himself quite seriously and he listens to his favoarites music of Beach Boys’s, Red Hot Chilli Pepper’s or Beck’s while he runs.

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Sounds like his never-falling-off novels are partly supported by his run.

But he does not run for writing. That, I think, makes him a true runner.

Tokyo wonder?! vending machines in the railroad station

I went back to my parents home on holidays.
Waiting for the train, I noticed toooo many vending machines in the station.
Yes, the station is on the outskirts of Tokyo. But not so small one, not so much wait time.

vending machines

These machines are selling snacks & sweets, food supplements, paperbacks,
of course hot & cold drinks, and newspapers!

news paper vending machine

You can see a convenience store behind the newspapers vending machine. A lot of foods and goods in there. Moreover, there’s coffee shop & juice bar in the back of the store.

I could not understand why & who sets so many vending machines…(?_?)

Japanese vending machines - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Happy time in “izakaya” !

izakaya 01

Many kinds of izakaya are open near my house, because huge universities are around here. Students enjoy drink with friends or someone steady (-_^)*

To tell the truth, I don’t touch alcohol beverages (T_T) but I love izakaya!
Delicious foods and non-alcohol drinks in there.

izakaya 03

Follow to the custom, a staff gave us hot wet towels in big smile, then an otoshi were served. Next what we did is you know… “Kanpai! (cheers!)”

izakaya 02

Izakaya - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

What Japanese food “Monjayaki” ?

monjayaki 01
“monojyayaki”

Do you know “monjayaki”? It’s similar to “okonomiyaki”, but “monjayaki” is known as a snack food of Kanto area including Tokyo, while “okonomiyaki” is its counter-food in West Japan such as Hiroshima or Osaka.

This is “okonomiyaki”.
monjayaki03
“okonomiyaki” by laughlin

“monjayaki” is made like this: Firstly mix the ingredients like cabbages and sea food with water and flour, then place the mixture on a heated plate. As you turn and mind the mixtures with scraper tool, the liquids is evaporated. Once the mixture is partially sort of burnt it is ready. Now you’d take the individual smaller scraper and help yourself a small portion by scraping the cooked (burnt) mixture directly from the plate.

The way of cooking and eating “monjayaki”
You need to a flashplayer enabled browser to view this YouTube video

I know eating burnt bits is rather wired and shocking way of eating, but it is tasty.

monjayaki 03
eating “monjayaki”

There is a “monjayaki” restaurant that had celebrities including Brad Pitt visited in Tukishima, a downtown area of Tokyo. I reckon trying ”monjayaki” is becoming a part of Tokyo tourism for foreigners?

Monjayaki - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

“Omamori” ; Japanese lucky charm (amulets)

omamori
by Kanko*

When the New Year has arrived, I’d always visit a shrine for Hatumode, and consult an oracle or get a lucky charm (amulets) each year. Of course I did so this year, too.

The lucky charms usually categorized by the area of your wish such as “prosperous business”, “successful study”, “well-being of family” and “fulfillment of love or wish for finding a partner”.

omamori
by Kanko*

Nowadays, they have more fun sort of luck charms featuring the popular characters such as Mickey Mouse, Hello Kitty or Snoopy and they are all cute. But I think that those traditional lucky charms with delicate fabrics are still very pretty.

omamori
Happy Hello Kitty Omamori (Strapya World!)

There are some books (in Japanese) introducing the lucky charms form shrines and temples in Kyoto.

omamori kyoto

Omamori - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Omamori (about.com)

Kagami mochi ; Japanese traditional new year decoration

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Kagami mochi,literally mirror rice cake, is a traditional Japanese New Year decoration. It usually consists of two round mochi (rice cakes), the smaller placed a top the larger, and a mikan (a Japanese bitter orange) with an attached leaf on top.

Further to this, it may have a sheet of konbu and a skewer of dried persimmons under the mochi.

kagamimochi
by midorisyu

It is traditionally broken and eaten in a Shinto ritual called kagami biraki (mirror opening) on the second Saturday or Sunday of January.

Kagami mochi - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Hatsumode ; the first shrine visiting of the New Year

kanda myojin 1

For Japanese people, “Oshogatsu”, the New Year’s holiday time is a more important festivity than Christmas. Many of us‘d go to shrines and pray for a happy life in the new year.

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Taga Taisha

I have been to two shrines, one is Taga Taisha in Taga-cho, Siga Prefecture & the other is Kanda Myojin in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo.

Ise bridge
Ise bridge by Mr. Mark

The most famous shrine in Japan is the Ise Jingu in Ise-shi, Mie Prefecture. The Japanese Prime Minister goes there, too. Above all, this is the shrine where the Imperial ancestors are enshrined.

kanda myojin 2
Kanda Myojin

Kanda Myojin is known as the God of Business. And many companies from all over Tokyo, - form the largest business enterprise to the business owners of small & medium sized companies visit there and pray for a good business for the year. Well, well what will this year be like?

kanda myojin 3

Hatsumōde - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Japanese New Year - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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