If you’ve ever wanted your very own tearoom, read on. Tearooms are essential for practicing the Way of Tea, called Chado or Sado in Japanese. The oldest tearoom was built in Jisho-ji, a Zen temple, in 1486. It provides the inspiration for current tearooms. Tearooms are not meant to be big. About 7 square meters (or 75 square feet) is sufficient. The materials are...
Karesansui gardens were known as Zen temple gardens when they were first created in the 14th century.The gardens eliminate anything ornate and portray natural scenery using only sand, stones, and moss. These gardens don’t even use water. Hamon, a characteristic feature of a Karesansui garden, is a technique using white sand to depict the flow of water. Rocks and moss are deliberately, sometimes randomly,...
Back in 1984 when Casio Databank made its debut, most watches were analog. Casio made a splash with its multifunctional digital watch, which had an alarm clock, stored up to 10 phone numbers, had a keypad, and had a unique, futuristic look. Casio Databank soon became a megaseller. But PCs and cellphones caught up with and surpassed the pioneer wristwatch, and it seemed like...
Kokuryu Muni is the most expensive Japanese sake on the market. Here is the appraisal from Adrienne Saulnier-Blache, a renowned Japanese sake sommelier in France: “Transparent hue with a touch of gold. It is creamy and buttery (rich and viscous) and has a scent of bread, white peaches, fresh pepper and ginger, and a hint of salt. The balance is brilliant and has great...
RAMEN JIRO Ramen Jiro has a cult-like status in Japan, and yet it is also known as restaurant most regular Japanese will avoid. Why is that? We will look at a report on Ramen Jiro by Fallindebu Hassy (https://lineblog.me/fallindebu/) Japan’s most popular gourmet-food blogger who gets more than 2 million views a month. Pork Ramen (700JPY including free toppings) The menu offers two sizes,...
SAKANA BEIBE (Shake it up, baby) This robata izakaya sits in the middle of Kyoto. The owners are brothers Atsu and Yasu, who trained at an Izakaya in Vancouver, BC. They opened this establishment in April. Yasu is a colleague of Makoto Kimoto, owner of Suika and Tamari Bar, both well-known izakayas in Seattle. At the center of the restaurant is a counter that...
SAWAYAKA RESTAURANT Touted as the best restaurant in Japan, Sawayaka Hamburg Steaks is a chain of 28 restaurants in Shizuoka Prefecture. Not a single chain exists out of Shizuoka, so if you want to experience their food, you have to go to Shizuoka. They chose not to leave Shizuoka to preserve quality. The steaks served there are prepared at the main kitchen and delivered...
Casually sharpen your Flower Pencil and watch their reaction as the shavings drop from the pencil in the shape of flower petals! The brightly colored pencils, designed by Toshihiro Otomo in Japan, come in different shapes that create beautiful little petals when sharpened. The eco-friendly pencils are made mostly from recycled paper and are easy to sharpen. A set of five pencils includes a...
When the last class of the day is over, students get up from their seats and put their chairs on their desks. Then, the students break into small groups, boisterously grab dust cloths and brooms, and proceed to clean the whole school. They clean the bathrooms and the hallways too. This scene is ingrained in the Japanese psyche. This daily ritual is called tokuiku...
Cats like you’ve never seen before A new book by Zack Davisson, Kaibyo: The Supernatural Cats of Japan, explores the history of magical cats in Japan. The book, co-published by Mercuria Press of Portland and Chin Music Press of Seattle, is lushly illustrated in full color with dozens of ukiyo-e and drawings. Inside, you’ll meet the Bakeneko, a fluid shapeshifter; the Nekomata, or split-tailed...
