Entertainment districts in Japan

I guess most of guidebooks about Japan describe Shinjuku, Shibuya, Roppangi, and Odaiba as entertainment districts, but where exactly do Japanese go? Many famous restaurants and nightclubs were already introduced. This time I want to introduce my recommendations in a new light.

Kabuki-cho is well-known in Shinjku. This area has amusement facilities such as movie theaters, bowling alleys, pool bars, and game arcades, and pubs… This is an ordinary information like guidebooks. Why don’t you taste unwashed foods? How about “Omoide-Yokocho”, which is located in an alley between Shinjuku station west exit and Kabuki-cho, makes us feel 1970’s, and many slummy stands are lined both side of the alley. However the taste is amazing!! If you want to eat your fill of the unwashed foods, try once. In addition, “Shinjuku Golden Town” is well-known as a taste of the Shinjuku along with the Omoide-Yokocho. You may hesitate to visit these areas because of its strange atmosphere, but people, who know Shinjuku well, prefer to go.

There is a similar place in Shibuya, called “Nonbei-Yokocho”. Recently Japanese blogger have written this area frequently. It may be easier to enter than Shinjuku areas for you. “Torishige” is the most famous stand in the area and offer us high quality “Yakitori”. You have to make a reservation even though it’s located in a slummy place. Other stands offer reasonable and tasty food as well. Why don’t you go along the way of your sightseeing.

I should introduce better information in addition to niche information. “Rinkai Line” opened on December 1st, 2002 connects Osaki and Shinkiba. Some other lines such as Yamanote Line, Saikyo Line, Shonan-Shinjuku Line, Keiyo Line, and Yurakucho Line, use both Osaki and Shinkiba. These lines were difficult to access just few years ago. It means you can directly access from Omiya and Ikebukuro to Tokyo Disneyland via Shinjuku and Shibuya. Moreover it’s an uncrowded train because most of people are not interested in train information.

A nightclub, “Ageha“, is located in Shinkiba, the final station of the Rinkai Line. This club has a huge floor and multi musical genre. more people than Shibuya or Roppongi rush into this place.

Sightseeing, shopping, and dining in Ikebukuro, Shinjuku, and Shibuya, and to spend night time in Shinkiba. Next day you can spend a whole day in Tokyo Disneyland. This will be one of your choices.

HOME

Kyoto in Japanese eyes

Kyoto is pronoun of Japanese sightseeing spot, but have you ever visited the city? I think that you may want to go to Japan but hesitate, because Japan itself is very unique. Thus I would like to introduce Kyoto in my eyes.

Of fair things its streetscape is noteworthy. Cobblestone lanes and wooden houses, which remind us of traditional Japanese house. The city has a medieval face and a modern face. The Kamo River runs through the city, and you can see many temples and shrines outside of downtown. Mountains with thickly bamboo grove make us calm. Kyoto is the land of Japanese heart, and everything is concentrated there.

I love Kyoto in November and December, because mountains become red with the beautiful colored leaves, and daintiness of Kyoto food is increased. Of course it is hard to find a calm place in this season because of too many tourists

I visited Kyoto last year too. I am impressed everytime I go there. This time my harvestry was “Kyoto Food”. I was vibrated by the delicate taste even though the price was expensive. My particular recommendations were 2 restaurants.

Firstly “Harisei”. The nearest station is “Hankyu-Gojo”, and it is located just behind a post office. An average budget is approximately 10,000 JPY. When I went through a store curtain with a sedate presence, proprietress welcomed me. I was shown up to a private room and tastes locally-brewed sake and 10 dishes of Kyoto food. It was a quality time to me.

Secondly “Kanjin”. The restaurant located near Kodaiji Temple is well-known as a famous Kyoto restaurant just like Harisei, thus you should make a reservation before visiting. I had lunch (in the picture) at this time. The dishes flavored with the use of Kyoto soup was excellent.

Kyoto in autumn is a place you can understand Japan such as architecture, nature, and food. Why don’t you visit Kyoto near future?

HOME

The light

I directed my dreams to the light.

I thought the brightness of fluorescent was the best in my daily life, but the warmth of light arts, which I saw on TVs or magazines made me feel calm and expanse, and I wanted to explore.

Firstly I pulled out a Shigaraki-work lamp shade from my closet, put it on an indigo dyeing rug placed on Japanese-style chest of Iwayado, and plugged in the lamp. The classic light created silence.

The next light is aroma healing. I lighted an orange-flavored candle made from sumac wax in the corner of a room. In the beginning it was dark, but curiously once my eyes were getting more accustomed to the darkness, I felt brightness very much. I love to take a chat and drink my favorite potato-distilled spirit, “Naina” with my friends under the light.

I keep exploring fun everyday, and I wish everyone can be happy.

HOME

The earth mother, Hokkaido

Recently Japanese ski resorts draw the attention of the world. Especially Hokkaido has a good reputation for the quality of snow and courses.

However Hokkaido has not only ski resorts. There are many sightseeing spots such as the world heritage-listed Shiretoko Peninsula, snow festival of Sapporo, seaport Hakodate, and more. Additionally seafood in Hokkaido is much fresher than in Tokyo. I’ve traveled Hokkaido several times, and everytime I was impressed by its taste. Particularly I want to recommend “sea urchin” and “crab”. Its price is almost half of it in Tokyo, but the taste is double. I thought, “what did I eat before in Hokkaido?”.

Hokkaido, its square measure, is larger than any other prefectures in Japan, and it is a trove of specialties, for example Risiri kelp, Mukawa shishamo smelt (you can eat in raw), Yubari melon, potato, corn, mutton barbecue, miso-ramen. It’s uncountable. Whatever you eat, everything is excellent. Are you a gourmet? It deserves for you to travel around Hokkaido only for food.

Hokkaido has a severely cold winter, but you will be able to harvest more than that.

HOME

Does “White Day” exist only in Japan?

St. Valentine’s Day is coming soon. Japanese have “White Day” on 14th of March just 1 month after St. Valentine’s Day.

You may not understand the meaning of the name. In Japan, girls give boys chocolates on St. Valentine, and boys give girls cookies or marshmallows on “White Day” in acknowledgment of chocolates. In Europe and the US, both girls and boys give presents each other on St. Valentin, so you may feel strange with our custom.

The custom on St. Valentine was taken place by a confectionery shop in Kobe in 1936. The store published chocolate ads on St. Valentine. Today 1/4 of annual consumption in Japan is on the day. On the other hand “White Day” was created by the National Candy Association in 1980 as a part of candy sales promotion. It is acknowledgments of chocolates on 14th of March. Nowadays “White Day” has penetrated into our culture, and everybody knows the event.

In this way, events related to St. Valentine’s Day in Japan were promoted by companies seemingly, but both days are attracted widespread popularity as a day of declaration of love for citizens.

HOME

The world’s leading train system

Japan is an island, and the land is much smaller than other countries. However its population is over 127 million, and Tokyo has the largest population in Japan.

The largest transportation facility supporting the citizen is “railroad”. Its number of lines is that JR 170, public subways 34, private subways 13, and uncountable lines of private railroad all over the nation. I believe that a country, which has this size of train system, is only Japan. A more amazing thing is that Japanese train system almost never delays even though it has the huge system. Of course it will be stopped temporarily because of vehicle’s trouble or physical injury, but its recovery is quite fast. Japanese never accept 1-minute delay of railroad.

I’ve visited several countries for business and private. Some countries frequently have 1-hour or more delay of train system although it was not due to accidents. Additionally I was upset because of railroad officials’ bad responses. However once I am accustomed to the delays, I will absorbed into the culture.

This accuracy of Japanese railroad comes from our culture, I guess. Japanese dislike tardiness. Parents educate their children not to be late and to be punctual. Schools educate the same things. I was surprised at the accuracy even though I’m Japanese. It became our culture before long and penetrated through our sensitivity.

You may feel a little tight about this culture, but it’s good once you are accustomed. Our train system is a good example. If trains delay frequently, you cannot reach your destination in time. For business we keep date for contract and due date for payment. This fact might enhance Japanese credibility and make Japan to be a great economic nation.

HOME

Chanko-Nabe

“Chanko” means food for sumo wrestlers in Japanese, and “Chanko-Nabe” means sumo wrestler’s stew.

Originally any kinds of food for sumo wrestlers are called “Chanko”. Thus steak and pasta can be “Chanko” as well if sumo wrestlers eat. As you know they eat a lot everyday to keep their bodies huge. Usually a pan like huge barrel is used for “Chanko-Nabe”, and sumo wrestlers share to eat it. Japanese have a special expression, “relationship to share to eat food in the same kettle”, from ancient days. It means that buddies to share the same food and place are unique. Sumo wrestlers go to fight after this ceremony, which strengthen their bonds.

Sumo wrestlers have preferred to eat “Chanko-Nabe” since old times. The seasoning is different from each sumo stable. Types of basic seasoning are “soy sauce”, “miso”, or “salt”. Personally I prefer “Chanko” with salt seasoning. I often try to cook it, but it’s not so easy.

Recently ex-Ozeki (Ozeki means the second highest rank in sumo) Wakanohana opened his “Chanko-Nabe” restaurants “WAKA” around Tokyo, and it have a good reputation. However the price is expensive. If you pay the price, you will probably be able to find more delicious restaurants. I recommend you to consider deeply. My recommendation is around the Ryogoku Station of Soubu Line JR. Sumo stables are scattered over this area, and a sume holy place, Ryogoku-Kokugikan, is there. You can find many tasty “Chanko-Nabe” restaurants even though it’s outside of downtown.

“Nabe” is an essential of Japanese food culture, but we don’t have frequent opportunities to eat “Chanko-Nabe”. It means “Chanko-Nabe” is special. Why don’t you eat it when you visit Japan?

HOME

Furo-Shiki

What was inside of a treasure box, which “Urashima-Taro” in a Japanese fairy-tale brought back from the Ryugu Castle?

I took a bundle handkerchief, “Furo-Shiki” in Japanese, from my treasure box with Japanese paper upholstery. “Furo” means “bath”, and “Shiki” means “mat”. “Furo-Shiki” is used for the purpose, bath mat, a long time ago. This is the derivation of “Furo-Shiki”.

A bath in the Muromachi era is a steam bath; therefore feudal lords used “Furo-Shiki” to mat or to wrap their cloths so as not to confuse with other cloths when they were invited someone’s steam bath.

Although it’s just a rectangle cloth, there are several perpetuated usages in history. For example to wrap gifts with delicate silk Furo-Shiki and to wrap mattresses with cotton Furo-Shiki in arabesque.

We have seen fashionable Furo-Shiki tailored to contemporary ethos recently. You can put it into your bags or pockets once you fold after using it. I love this convenience. Don’t you think so?

HOME