There are about 250,000 sushi restaurants in Japan, but if you count the number of izakaya and other restaurants that have sushi on their menus, the buy is much, much higher. For its first century or so, sushi was a Tokyo-centric dish. Edomae sushi was focused on the fish in Edo (now Tokyo) Bay. Then the devastation of the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake sparked...
In 1865, Seishichi Fujiya opened a Japanese sweets shop on Shichijo-dori in Kyoto. More than 150 years later, the confectioner is still there selling traditional. Despite its long history, Shichijo-Kansyundo is not bogged down by tradition. The current president has created a unique line of Kyogashi, or Kyoto- style sweets. Shichijo-Kansyundo has three stores in Kyoto. The main store has a café right next...
The first mentions of rice date back to the fifth century BC. But in the early days, it was a luxury food meant only for aristocracy and later the samurai class. The rest of Japan ate barley or millet. About 100 years ago, around the same time that Zojirushi was founded, rice became a staple food for everyone in Japan. The company’s first product...
JAPANESE LACQUERWARE has long fascinated the West. When Christian missionaries first came across urushi lacquerware in Japan during the 16th century, they were so impressed with it, they brought pieces back to Europe and called the unique products “Japan.” Centuries later, more than 70 pieces were discovered in churches and monasteries in Spain. In the 18th century, urushi products were in vogue among European...
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...
