TERUO NAKAMURA RUNS a small family printer in Kita Ward, Tokyo. When his friend’s bindery business ran out of work, he took him in and gave him a part-time job. Nakamura was in his 70s and his part-time partner, also named Nakamura, was 80. The two soon became obsessed with making one last great product to help the family business. Their goal: to make...
Izakaya come in all shapes and sizes. They can be upscale or downright rowdy. Ten or 15 years ago, there were very few in Seattle. Today, just about every neighborhood with a little nightlife has one or two. They’re not bars — most of them welcome families — but they have extensive drink menus. And they’re not sit-down restaurants where you order an appetizer,...
Ever wonder what your child’s name would look like in Chinese characters, or kanji? We pick one baby photo and render the baby’s name in kanji. James in Seattle Here is his name in Kanji: 慈栄夢寿 The meanings behind the brushstrokes: 慈 This character means “love,” especially a pure love between true friends. 栄 This character means “succeed,” specifically a process that makes...
Cooked Rice with Oyster 2 rice-measuring cups rice 7 ounces oysters 1 cup dashi broth 2 ½ tablespoon usukuchi soy sauce (light color soy sauce) 2 ½ tablespoon sake green onions, chopped Rinse and drain the rice. Rinse well the oysters with salt water and drain. Heat dashi broth, usukuchi soy sauce and sake in a saucepan and bring to boil. Add the oysters...
BENTOS ARE GOOD FOR YOU ( AND HERE ARE THE REASONS WHY ) 1. Calories are easy to gauge It’s said that the average adult should take in about 2,000 to 2,500 calories a day. That includes 600 – 800 calories for lunch. A traditional bento includes a staple, a main dish and a side dish in a 3:1:2 ratio. The bento box helps...
Bento&co is a unique store specializing in bento boxes and accessories, located in the heart of downtown Kyoto. Owned by Thomas Bertrand, a French native, the store is popular among foreign visitors. Thomas fell in love with the Japanese bento boxes and started the online store in 2008. In 2012, he opened the first Bento&co boutique in the downtown Kyoto. Bento&co offers a wide...
Osechi-ryori is a traditional Japanese food for the New Year. In Japan, many people take the first three days of the New Year off and spend time with their families and relatives. Each family prepares the Osechi before the New Year so the family members are free from cooking and can enjoy the foods together during the holidays. Osechi-ryori is beautifully arranged in an...
Second floor seating area A unique Starbucks opened in Kyoto on June 30, 2017. This is the first Starbucks in the world that has a noren curtain at the entrance and a tatami-mat seating area. It is located on Nineizaka, near one of the world heritage sites, Kiyomizudera. The opening of the café was international news. One and a half months later, the café...
This ballpoint pen, called FriXion, was a huge hit five years ago in Japan. Today it’s still a steady seller because of one special attribute: it can erase mistakes. It took the venerable pen maker Pilot 30 years to come up with a pen that erases with ease and leaves no marks behind. The little rubber eraser at the end of the pen works...
For 13 beautiful minutes, filmmaker Hirokazu Kishida takes us into the world of Sakurada, a kaiseki restaurant in Kyoto that is about to close its doors forever. The short film Sakurada: Zen Chef focuses on the last two days of this two Michelin star restaurant, and in the process, gives us a hint of the Zenlike life of restaurant owner and chef Isuzu Sakurada....
