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 imperial system in Japan can be traced back almost 2,000 years and is very different from any other king-and-queen system anywhere else in the world. The first-born son of the current emperor is always the next-in-line to the throne. Among the many duties of the emperor, the most important is to set an example...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
In Japan, we are so in love with cherry blossom flowers that we have used scientific technology to accurately determine what exact day these flowers will blossom in what area and what exact their petals will fall in what area. We are crazy about cherry blossoms! There are researchers and meteorologists who monitor the temperature...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
