As with many words in Japanese, the word “onsen” (温泉) has different meanings. The two main meanings are either a hot spring, or a group of traditional inns and hotels that have been developed around a hot spring. For the purpose of this blog, we will use the latter meaning. Since it is a geothermally-active...Read More
Whether you call the foods eaten everyday soul food, comfort food or “Mom’s Home Cooking”, Omu Rice (オムライス-omuraisu in Japanese) is certainly one of the most popular foods of that category in Japan. There is not one area where it is popular. Instead it is popular everywhere in Japan. It is common at “shukudo” (low...Read More
The Kii-Katsuura port boasts the largest tuna catch in Japan. There are several reasons for this. The port is close to the Kuroshio ocean current. Because the port is deep and can easily accommodate the larger boats needed for tuna fishing, Kii-Katsuura is only one of two ports in Japan that receive tuna all-year. And...Read More
Sanuki udon is a specialty of Takamatsu city and Kagawa Prefecture on the northern shore of the island of Shikoku. It is so popular all over Japan, that Kagawa prefecture is also called “Udon Prefecture”. This area of Japan was known as Sanuki during the Edo Period (1603 to 1868), hence the name. Sanuki Udon...Read More
Kushikatsu, also known as kushiage, are deep-fried skewers of meat, fish and vegetables. In Japanese “kushi” means skewer, and “katsu” refers to a deep fried meat cutlet. Kushikatsu is popular all over Japan. But it originated in the Shinsekai district of Osaka in 1929. A restaurant there started serving the skewers of fried food, which...Read More
Snow Crab – A Taste of the Sea of Japan For more than a thousand years, pilgrimages have been important in the Japanese culture. In today’s modern Japan, a “snow crab pilgrimage” occurs during the winter months. The goal of these pilgrims is the Sea of Japan coast on the northern side of Japan. The...Read More
Miso Katsu – A Taste of Nagoya The people of Nagoya make one of their local specialties (Miso Katsu) by starting with a typical tonkatsu dish (a deep fried pork cutlet normally served with shredded cabbage). They pour a thick, miso-based sauce on top instead of the traditional soy sauce-based tonkatsu sauce. To make the miso...Read More
Valentine’s Day, a day for women to express their love to their boyfriends Written by Takako “Tammy” Ota, Kyoto Staff Women are supposed to be graceful and shy in Japan. Valentine’s Day is a great opportunity for these women to express their feelings to their boyfriends. Women typically give chocolates to men on that day. There...Read More
Rakugo is a form of traditional Japanese verbal entertainment. The lone storyteller dressed in traditional Japanese clothing kneels on the stage while telling a long and complicated comical (or sometimes sentimental) story. The story always involves the dialogue between two or more characters. The different characters are depicted only through a change in pitch, tone,...Read More
Studio Ghibli is an animation studio located in Tokyo. Often referred as “the Disney of Japan”, Ghibli is an National icon in Japan. This studio’s work is visionary and deserves its own recognition. Studio Ghibli offers a number of unique and whimsical stories. Their films draw you into a fantasy world that delicately balances...Read More
