Archive for the ‘Japanese culture’ Category
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.
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)
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.
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).”
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.
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.
無印良品［無印良品の家］ (MUJI HOUSING)
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)
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”.
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.
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.
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.
These machines are selling snacks & sweets, food supplements, paperbacks,
of course hot & cold drinks, and newspapers!
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
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.
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!)”
“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”.
“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”
I know eating burnt bits is rather wired and shocking way of eating, but it is tasty.
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?
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”.
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.
Happy Hello Kitty Omamori (Strapya World!)
There are some books (in Japanese) introducing the lucky charms form shrines and temples in Kyoto.
Omamori - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Omamori (about.com)
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.
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.
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.
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 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
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?
Hatsumōde - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Japanese New Year - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
