UDON

I mentioned SOBA and RAMEN in my blog a few times. There is one more famous Japanese noodle, which is UDON. It has 3 major brands nationally such as INANIWA, MIZUSAWA, and SANUKI. Today I wanna introduce SANUKI.

I have a friend in SANUKI, Kagawa Prefecture, which is the place of origin of the UDON. Several years ago I visited him by chance. Of course my purpose was to eat SANUKI. I think we should go to places of origin if we wanna eat something special. SANUKI has stronger bouncy than any other noodles. When you bite it, your jaw will be tired, but the taste is amazing. I’ve not ever seen such bouncy in other countries.

There are many ways to eat. SANUKI with hot soup, raw eggs, tempura, and more. My recommendation is “pure soy”. The taste is very simple but deep. I stayed his home for 3 days, and I ate twice a day. Do you think I’m crazy? Yeah… maybe I am, but people in KANUKI are more. They eat SANUKI almost everyday 365. SANUKI is like rice or snacks for them. I can understand their feeling, because it’s more than tasty.

I guess Kagawa Prefecture is an unknown place for foreigners, but you’ll like it because of SANUKI. Restaurants are everywhere.

HOME

My favorite gym in Tokyo

Recently I’ve been up to my neck in work and eaten a lot. It means I’m getting fat… Now I need to exercise. I used to go to a gym a few months ago, but I have broken for a while because of work. Today I gonna start again.

How much do you pay for? Usually we pay aboud 15,000 yen per month in Japan. How many times do you use per month? The answer will be “DEPEND”, so I don’t wanna pay at once. I guess the ideal way to pay is each time. My favorite gym has this system without annual membership fees. It costs 450 yen. I think it’s reasonable. What do you think?

Tokyo Gymnasium is located in Sendagaya, which is two stations from Shinjuku. JR Sobu Line & Oedo Line are available to reach there. Its facilities are fine such as machines, swimming pools, yoga studio, massage rooms, and bathroom. A problem is too many people sometimes, but it’s OK. If you wanna shape up in Tokyo during your travel, go there!

HOME

Kagurazaka

This is one of my favorite ares in Tokyo. You can access by Tozai Line or Oedo Line.

This place is quite historical. As you may know Tokyo had the Great Kanto Earthquake in 1923 and bomb attacks during World War II, then almost everything was destroyed even its landscape, thus you can hardly find original landscape in Tokyo. However Kagurazaka still has. A few years ago I had an opportunity to check an old map created in Edo era and compared with a current map. Surprisingly its landscape was close to the same. Of course many houses and buildings didn’t exist at the moment, but rivers, inequalities of the ground, and shape were there.

I feel something that seems familiar. A slope reaches from top of the hill to the station. Many shops and restaurants are crammed side by side. All houses and buildings are low due to city plans I guess. I can walk around in 1 hour or so. Comfy, neat, bueatiful. I was not born there, but I am confused that I was born there.

Restaurants are better than other areas. Some streets looks like KYOTO. Indeed you can see Geisha or Maiko around. Even some of Japanese think that Geisha and Maiko are only in KYOTO. This area is very funny and interesting, but if you wanna play with them, prepare much money, because those kinds of thing is pretty expensive!!

HOME

Food Comlpex

This word is a Japanglish, but you can imagine what I mean.

Recently several restaurants get together into one building and generate a synergistic effect for new customers. We call it FOOD COMPLEX. There is one FOOD COMPLEX at my home station, and another is close to my office. The latter has 8 restaurants. I think this implies how much we eat.

There was a Japanese restaurant (izakaya) in this building from the first basement to 3rd floor, and they always keep fresh fish in its preserve. Especially mackerel was very tasty. If I paid 900 yen for lunch, I could eat hearty SASHIMI special, so the restaurant was my favorite, but it was tough to attract 4-floor customers.

The current FOOD COMPLEX instead of my favorite restaurant divides the space into 8, thus their seats are always occupied. I like this concept, because it’s fun to choose 1 restaurant from several alternatives. Additionally everything is into one building. I can say, “the first place is here and next is there”.

Yesterday I had lunch at one of them. Saute pork with miso source and sesame on the top and SOBA. The taste was not as good as the previous restaurant, but it’s OK. Its atmosphere and seats are comfy. I stayed longer.

HOME

Chegoya

I was late last Friday because of work and couldn’t afford to cook, so I ate dinner at a Korean cuisine restaurant, “Chegoya”. The head store is located in Gotanda, and my local store is in Yoyogi, which I mentioned previously. The restaurant is now getting bigger, becuase they provide cheap & tasty dishes with fine services.

I went there with 2 other colleagues, and we ordered Maccori, which was like Japanese sake, and some dishes such as Kimuchi, Chijimi, and more. There are many Korean cuisine restaurants in Shinjuku area called “Korean Town”, but those restaurants are quite expensive. Chegoya is much cheaper and delicious, Our check was less than 10,000 JPY for all. thus I frequently go there.

Of course I’ll be able to find better restaurants in Korea, but Chegoya is in Japan. I’m a Korean foon geek. If you miss Korean food, you shold definitely choose the restaurant.

HOME

Washlet

What’s this? This is a high-tech toilet made by Japanese company TOTO in 1980.

Nowaday we can see other counries sometimes, but it’s still unique. My friends from overseas are always suprised at this invention. What’s funny? There are more than 30 buttons on my toilet. What’s for? The purpose is that we don’t need to do anything when we sit on toilet. You’ll be able to notice its convenience when you sit, because it’s warm in winter, washes your ass automatically, and dries your ass. Everything you need is to push buttons next to you.

In the beginning you will hesitate which button you should push. Usually everything is written in Japanese, but don’t worry you can reognize its pictures. Calm down and do carefully.

I heard that an American popular personality brought back “washlet” to his home in US. One day he held a party and invited more than 30 people. One guy went to pee. Of course he didn’t know which button he should push, and he appeared all wet after the toilet. People asked him, “what’s happened on you!?”. He said, “I just pushed a botton, and suddenly water came up to my face.” It was funny.

The popular personality explained enough and instructed to all. Now all his friends bought “washlet”, and everybody says, “feel so nice”. It’s hard to explain the feeling, but I promise you can understand once you use.

HOME

Houbouzu

I went to drink in Shinjuku with college friends the day before yesterday. I’ve not been to an izakaya (pub), and it made me fun to drink alcohol.

The name of the izakaya is “Hobouzu”. Please don’t ask to the meaning. It’s located next to BARNEYS NEW YORK in Shinjuku east exit. We ordred appetizer sampler, salad, rolled egg, silver cod cooked in soy sauce, and more as usual, and I drank beer, shochu, and sake.

“Silver cod cooked in soy sauce” was the most remarkable dish among those. It was plump and macerated in the sauce. This was tasty and a good match with sake. Our conversation was gingered up, and we had a good time thanks to the izakaya.

I barely go to izakaya or nightclubs everyday compared with my school days, but why do I feel fulfilled more than my school days? Simply do I get older…

HOME

Hay fever

I know that hay fever is everywhere, but it’s one of Japanese cultures now. At least 20% of Japanese are infected, and I’m one of them. From the beginning of February to end of April, cedar pollen has been circulating in the air. During this term we can’t live without tissues and tridimensional maks. Fortunately we have an amazing business custom that companies distribute tissues on the streets as a part of promotional activities. I think this business custom is quite unique compared with other countries. Sometimes they distribute a can of beer and snacks. We can hold a party outside…

Let’s go back to “hay fever” story. This is the most annoying symptom at this season. Whenever I go outside, I have a runny nose. Someone says, “improve your physical condition, sleep enough, and eat healthy foods”. I tried several times, but it doesn’t work. If you know the solution, please tell me…

Interestingly poeple living in metropolitan area are infected with hay fever rather than poeple living in countryside even though cedar trees don’t exist a lot in metropolitan area. This is strange and my eternal issue.

HOME

Kokoro-Mai

Today I wanna introduce one of my favorite restaurant in Tokyo. The name of restaurant is “Kokoro-Mai”. “Kokoro” means heart, and “Mai” means rice. This is totally coined terms, so I guess the restaurant serves meals with heart or farmers cultivate rice with heart. Anyway it tastes amazing. Whatever you order, everything is fantastic. The exact location is “6-18-7 Shirogane Minato-ku, Tokyo”. Shirogane is very modern and sophisticated area. You can find nice and cozy restaurants everywhere, but Kokoro-Mai is outstanding.

Of course you should order rice. We usually use rice cookers at home, but here they use iron pots, which our gramma used in the past. Rice cooked with iron pots is plump, beautiful, and sweent although it takes a lot of times. You don’t need to eat other accompanying dishs. The rice itself is delicious. Please eat only rice at first. I have one more recommendation for you. It’s “potage of rice”. It sounds fantastic, doesn’t it? This is the most famous dish at this restaurant. Almost everybody orders this. I’ve not ever seen “potage of rice” since I was born except here.

Food is tasty, Drink is great, and the atmosphere is cozy. This restaurant is close to PERFECT to me.

HOME

Rice ball

I wanna introduce my today’s lunch and talk about “rice ball”.

In the beginning you can see my lunch on the below picture. How do you think? It looks weird or delicious? In the bowl next to race balls is SOBA, which I described a little in a previous column “Japanese ski resort, Oze-Iwakura“. Race balls are my favorite food. I suppose to eat twice a week at least, because it’s handy to bring, and rice is Japanese main food like pasta for Italian. Am I right?

To cook rice balls is very easy, and my first cook was also rice balls. I tell you the instruction.
1. Take some rice on your hands.
2. Make it flat, and put your favorite ingredients such as beef, fish, and more in the center.
3. Wrap the ingredients with rice tightly.
4. Wrap the rice ball up in dried laver seaweed.

It sounds easy, don’t it? I guess you usually eat sandwiches. This is a quite simillar concept, but rice is much heavier than bread, thus rice balls may satisfy your stomach. There are many rica ball shops in Japan, and poeple rush into the shops at lunch time. Do you have rice ball shops in your country? Maybe not. Please try to cook by yourself.

HOME