Additions 2008

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Additions in 2008


ukiukidango, ukiuki dango うきうきだんご / ウキウキ団子
"dumplings swimming buyoantly"Kuji, Chiba

jamu ジャム jam
maamareedo マーマレード marmalade

omuraisu オムライス omelette with rice filling, omusoba オムソバ omelette with Chinese fried soba noodles

tokoroten 心太, 心天 (ところてん) gelidium jelly

yamanashi、yama-nashi 山梨 (やまなし) "mountain pear" Malus sieboldii

obansai おばんさい / お晩彩 small dishes from Kyoto

Yamato-ni 大和煮 simmering meat of wild animals and whale

Kujria bento くじら弁当 Whale meat bento from Tateyama/Chiba

odorigui 踊り食いeating "dancing"　small life icefish (shirauo)

Kyoto - famous dishes
including Kaiseki Ryori 懐石料理, kappoo ryoori 割烹料理 kappo food, kawadoko ryoori 川床料理, hamo 鱧 (はも) pike conger pike, pike eel and the Gion Festival, hon moroko 本諸子, imoboo 芋棒(いもぼう) , itokojiru いとこ汁, sabazushi 鯖寿司, sasamaki, sasa-maki, chimaki 笹巻き / ちまき; senmaizuke せんまい漬け / 千枚漬 pickled trunips; tochimochi, tochi-mochi 栃もち; yatsuhashi, nama yatsuhashi 生八ｯ橋

Tenzo 典座 the Zen Cook Tenzo kyokun by Dogen Eihei Zenji

funaryoori 船料理 (ふなりょうり) food served on board a ship or boat

tonsho mochi 屯所餅（とんしょもち）"garrison mochi" in memory of the Shinsengumi 新選組 in Kyoto

minazuki 水無月 (みなずき) Kyoto sweets for June

Sea bream (tai 鯛) sakuradai, ma-dai and many more

Gangu 郷土玩具 Folk Toys
manjuu kui ningyo 饅頭食い人形 doll eating a manju bun

うるしコーヒー urushi koohii, "laquer coffee" from the laquer tree fruit

Ubatama 鳥羽玉 /老玉 "Black Lily Seed"

JULY NEWSPAPER

Food and Games 野菜かるた Karuta games and other card games

Amanatto (amanattoo) 甘納豆 sugar-glazed beans and Hamanattoo 浜納豆

Fujisan 富士山 and food specialities

Ichigo bentoo いちご弁当 Lunchbox with uni and awabi, sea urchin eggs and abalone

Hoorensoo ほうれん草 / 菠薐草 spinach

Sweets from the KANTO region

haabu 　ハーブ herbs, Gewürzkräuter

Togarashi,toogarashi 唐辛子 red hot pepper Shichimi Togarashi and more

Western vegetables used in Japan

Robots for Sushi and Okonomiyaki FOOMA (International Food Machinery & Technology Exhibition)

Ningyooyaki, ningyoyaki 人形焼 figure waffles

Daruma Daikon だるま大根　a radish named Daruma

Chokoreeto チョコレート chocolate with many tasts

Oyatsu お八つ . o-cha-uke 御茶請け afternoon snack

moyashi 萌やし、糵, もやし bean sprouts Bohnensprossen
moyashi udo もやし独活（もやしうど）sprouts of spikenard

Kobiru, cobiru, kobilu （こびる） 小昼　 "small lunch", rural lunch
Takachiho, Miyazaki

. 葷酒山門（くんしゅさんもん）kunshu sanmon
Temple Gate, no garlic or liquor beyond this point!

Shookadoo Bentoo 松花堂弁当 Shokado Bento

karee raisu カレーライス curry rice Curryreis

Botamochi Jizo ぼた餅地蔵 Jizo Bosatsu, Botamochi rice cakes

Itoin Senbei, ito-in senbei いといんせんべい. 絲印煎餅 Senbei with a "stamp like a thread" . From Ise, Mie prefecture

gooya ゴーヤ bitter gourd Momordica charantia. Okinawa. karela in Hindi, India.

Cookies だるまクッキー
Daruma cookies sweets

satoimo, sato imo 里芋 taro roots Taro-Kartoffel

. . . . Zuiki matsuri ずいきまつり Taro and Vegetable Festival
and more about the Zen priest Muso Kokushi 夢窓国師 !

JUNE NEWSPAPER

Jagaimo 馬鈴薯 (じゃがいも) potato, potatoes
Kartoffeln

Red Beans, "small beans" , adzuki (azuki 小豆 )

udo 独活 (うど) udo Aralia cordata

Goheimochi 五平餅 and other food from Nagano

Dengaku 田楽 dance and food

Gyuuniku 牛肉 beef wagyuu, wagyu 和牛 Japanese beef

Momofuku Ando Instant Ramen Museum
(インスタントラーメン発明記念館)

Ika Daruma Ika Surume だるまいか / いかだるま Daruma Cuttlefish

Tosa Nikki, Tosa Diary by Kin no Tsurayuki ... and some manju sweets

Vegetables from SPRING ... List

Myoga Ginger (myooga) 茗荷 (みょうが). Zingi-Ingwer

Miyajima Ekiben 宮島駅弁 Miyajima Stationlunch Anagomeshi あなごめし

Miso みそ or 味噌 Miso paste and miso soup and miso culture

Shimonoseki 下関駅 。gansoo fukumeshi 元祖ふくめしthe original puffer fish with rice EKIBEN

hamo 鱧 (はも) pike conger pike, pike eel Muraenesox cinereus. dragontooth

Horegusuri ほれぐすり(惚れ薬, 惚薬) love potion Liebestrunk

Hanakae Matsuri 花換祭 / 花換祭り Flower-exchanging festival at shrine Kanesaki-gu, Fukui prefecture, and the sakura cherry blossom cookies 桜クッキー

Fu, Wheat gluten (fu 麩) and FU products

Soba ryoori そば料理 dishes with soba Buckwheat noodles

Wagashi Sweets from Kanazawa 金沢に和菓子

Salty Sweets (shioaji suiitsu 塩味スイーツ)
sweets with a flavor of salt, Süßigkeiten mit Salz

Hanabatake Bokujoo 花畑牧場 in Hokkaido nama kyarameru ”生キャラメル”fresh caramels, weiche Karamellen

Kaki 柿 Persimmon Persimone. Sharon fruit.

Uiroo 外郎 ( ういろう) jelly sweet Aichi and Odawara

hooba miso, Hoba Miso ほうばみそ miso paste served on a hoba leaf hooba 朴葉 ... Magnolia obovata

Ebisu sama 恵比寿様. Deity of the Fishermen

"Frost Shrine" 霜神社 Shimo Jinja, Shimomiya at Mount Aso, KyushuThe legend of Kihachi 鬼八

Konnyaku plant and food (Amorphophallus konjac) . Elephant jam

Mandala Food Arrangements (hoshamori, hooshamori 放射盛り)

Gotoochi Gurume ご当地グルメ Cheap local specialities
kankoo gurume 観光グルメ, tourism gourmet
bii kyuu gurume B級グルメ B-class gourmet food

mamushi まむし (蝮 ) poisonous snake 日本蝮 (ニホンマムシ)

Morning Market (asa ichi, asa-ichi) Morgenmarkt

Wasabi 山葵 green horseradish . yamawasabi 山わさび white horseradish

Hirome seaweed (hirome (ひろめ) 広布 / ヒロメ) Oita prefecture

Sushi decorations and vocabulary 寿司の盛り方

corbicula from Seta (Seta shijimi) and the Big Bridge at Seta 瀬田の唐橋

Tenmusu 天むす rice balls with tempura

Roadside stations (michi no eki 道の駅) Highway Service Areas

Mottainai もったいない　モッタイナイ Do not waste food !

Garlic (ninniku 蒜 (にんにく（ニンニク）) ) Knoblauch

Gyooza, gyoza 　ギョーザ　/ 餃子 Jiaozi Chinese dumplings

Pan パン bread
toosuto トースト toast

Shark 鮫 (さめ) same Haifisch

Ninaibako 荷担箱 Box to carry sweets to the Shogun Kameyama sweets

Yakuzen, yaku-zen 薬膳 ( やくぜん) "Eating Medicine" medicinal food dishes and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)

Edo Yasai, Edo dentoo yasai 江戸伝統野菜 Traditional vegetables of Edo

Umeboshi 梅干 dried pickled plums Salzpflaumen

Iwashi 鰯 (いわし) sardine Sardinen, Anchovy.
urume small herring

Regional Sashimi ... LIST

Regional and local sushi types ... a LIST only

Yamamori Goboo Festival 山盛りのゴボウ / ごぼう講 at Kuninaka in Echizen, Fukui. Eating lots of Burdock.

TEN GU jiru, tengujiru 十具汁 TENGU soup

Oomi Beef in the Edo period Ii Naosuke and Mito no Nariaki

Osaka Fugu Hakubutsukan ふぐ博物館 Osaka Blowfish Museum Pufferfisch, Kugelfisch

warabimochi 笑来美餅 mochi with bracken powder
Adlerfarn-Mochi

momiji tenpura もみじ天ぷら/ 紅葉の天ぷら sweet tempura from maple leaves from Mino town, Osaka
Tempura von roten Ahornblättern

"Tokyo Taste — the World Summit of Gastronomy 2009"

Ishimatsu manjuu 石松まんじゅう Manju in memory of Ishimatsu From Konpira-San, Kotohira Shrine in Kagawa, Shikoku

iburi いぶり, ibusu　燻す to smoke, smoking, smoked food kunsei 薫製
iburi gakko いぶりがっこ smoked radish pickles from Akita

Day of Meat (niku no hi) Febraruy 9, NI KU

Ehomaki Sushi Roll (ehoomaki) for February 3, Setsubun

Quail and quail eggs (uzura no tamago うずらの卵) Wachteleier

wasanbon 和三盆 Japanese sugar and other sweets from Shikoku

wasanbon 和三盆 Japanischer Zucker . All kinds of brown and black sugar. kurosato 黒砂糖

onimanjuu, oni manjuu 鬼饅頭　おにまんじゅう "devil's cakes" for Setsubun, February 03.

Kanbutsu 乾物 kambutsu dried food items Getrocknete Lebensmittel

Yakumi やくみ (薬味) spices and condiments Gewürze

warigo bentoo わりご弁当 lunchbox for the village kabuki ... Shodoshima, Kagawa

Juken fuuzu　受験フーズ　 Juken Food for the Examination Hell

Shikoku Sweets 四国スイーツ　Sweets from Shikoku

Gifu Prefecture ... Regional Dishes

katsuo no ipponzuri 鰹の一本釣り fishing for skipjack tuna in Kochi, Tosa, Shikoku
and related dishes

Museums, Food Museums and Food Theme Parks

Kyuushoku 給食 School Lunch Schulspeisung, Schulessen

Kyooyasai, kyoyasai, kyosai 京野菜 / 京菜 Vegetables from Kyoto.
Gemüse aus Kyoto, Kyoto-Gemüse

Rural Culture Association 農山漁村文化協会 農文協 The BEST online resources !

Shokuyoo no hana 食用の花 Edible blossoms, edible flowers

kushigaki 串柿 ( くしがき) dried persimmons on a stick
town of Shigo, Katsuragi, Wakayama

Collagen Nabe コラーゲン鍋 Hodgepodge with collagen ... for beautiful skin ?

anpanman アンパンマン Mister Anpan 　

toshikoshi udon 年越しうどん udon noodles, eaten to "pass over into the new year"

Minamoto Kitchoan 源 吉兆庵 Seasonal Sweets and Daruma sweets, Kamakura

Daruma Senbei for the New Year 干支せんべい 2009

Daruma Manju だるま饅頭 (Daruma Manjuu)

Natural Ice for drinks ... declining
December 09, 2008

Samurai Cooking

Tsubaki abura 椿油) camellia oil

cha no hana 茶の花 (ちゃのはな) tea blossoms

Joodoo-E Ceremony 成道会 Daikodaki Cooking Radish Soup to ward off evil
December 8 at Shakado Temple in Kyoto

Yomogi よもぎ　蓬 mugwort Beifuss, Beifuß

Shigure no Matsu 時雨の松 Pine in icy rain, a Haiku Sweet

Ecotarian Food エコタリアン

Waseda Kankyo Juku 早稲田環境塾 Waseda School of Environment

Hachimitsu 蜂蜜　はちみつ Honey, Honig

Red Beans, "small beans" (azuki 小豆 ) and DARUMA

Tanada no Udonya 棚田のうどん屋 . まーちゃんうどん Ohaga no Tanada 大垪和の棚田


nonbee 呑兵衛 (のんべえ) Nonbei, nombei, drinker, alcoholic Trinker, Alkoholiker

yukishio, yuki shio, yukijio 雪塩　snow-salt from Miyakojima Island. Salt (shio)

McDonald's and Mr. James Mr.ジェームスのブログ

Takuan, takuanzuke 沢庵漬 (たくあんづけ) Takuan radish pickles and Priest Takuan Soho

Shiitake, maitake, matsutake, nameko and many other mushrooms Mushroom (ki no ko, kinoko), dobin mushi

Chuukanabe, wok 中華なべ 囲炉裏鍋, irori nabe, donabe earthen pot and more pots and pans

Mogura daikon もぐら大根 "mole radish" and other dishes from Gunma prefecture

Teppanyaki 鉄板焼き fried (or grilled) on an iron plate or pan and other fried or grilled food, yakiniku 焼き肉

oyaki, o-yaki おやき , お焼き, 御焼（き）grilled dumplings with vegetables
mit Gemüse gefüllte Reisküchlein

Italian food イタリアン料理 Spaghetti, Pizza, Pasta, Doria, Pesto

ramune ラムネ lemonade and other Summer Drinks

biiru ビール
beer : Bier and local beer (jibiiru 地ビール)

budooshu ぶどうしゅ、葡萄酒 wine

shinsen 神饌（しんせん） Shinto - Food offerings

shirasu elvers . しらすの釜揚げ boiled shirasu from Shonan

Rakkasei 落花生 (らっかせい) Peanuts from Chiba

FAGI FOODS ファジフーズ Fagiano Okayama ファジアーノ岡山

Miele Guide of Asian Restaurants ミーレガイド
Miele KITCHEN（ミーレ・キッチン）

gekiyasu bentoo　激安弁当 extremely cheap lunchbox

Osaka no kui-daore くいだおれ kuidaore

hamakonabe, hamako nabe 浜子鍋 hodgepodge for the "beach children" Hiroshima

Shoochuu 焼酎 (しょうちゅう) Shochu
strong distilled liquor, Schnaps

Haneki shibori sake 撥ね木搾り（はねぎしぼり）酒

Yakimochi Fudoo Son 焼き餅不動尊in Gunma

"salt road" 塩の道 shio no michi
from Niigata to Matsumoto, Nagano

Firefly squid (hotaruika, hotaru ika ホタルイカ（蛍烏賊）)

Squid, cuttlefish dishes (ika ryoori イカ料理, 烏賊料理) 　

Chinmi and fish roe dishes

Bean curd (tofu, toofu, dofu 豆腐) and haiku

Mamakari ままかり Fish dishes from Okayama

Koohii 黒だるまコーヒー Black Daruma Coffee

kankoro　かんころ　甘古呂 flower from sweet potatoes
kankoro dango かんころ団子
kankoro soba かんころそば

kinpira キンピラ simmered root vegetables

Uni 海胆 (うに) sea urchin and sea urchin roe (uni 雲丹)

Satsumaimo, satsuma imo 薩摩薯（さつまいも）sweet potatoes

Horse meat, baniku (ばにく/ 馬肉)

Kenchinjiru けんちんじる(巻繊汁) vegetable soup from temple Kenchoji, Kamakura

God of Cooking, Iwakamutsukari no Mikoto 磐鹿六雁命

History of Japanese Food Culture

Issunbooshi bentoo 一寸法師弁当 Issun-Boshi Bento for Tom Thumb

Gokuraku Onkei 極楽温鶏 whole steamed chicken from Oita 極楽温鶏

BUTA ... Pig and Pork (buta, ton 豚　ぶた)

Daietto ダイエット Diet and fasting ... the extreme : Sokushinbutsu 即身仏

Manga, Anime and Japanese Food Culture
料理漫画. 料理アニメ. グルメ漫画

Dishes from Tokyo 東京

Wrapping Paper Art / Food Art

Ramen, raamen　ラーメン　Chinese noodle soup

Hakata no shio 伯方の塩 salt from Hakata island

Sweets from Hokkaido 北海道スィーツ Hokkaido Sweets

Ainu Dishes, Hokkaido アイヌ料理

Tosa no Inaka Sushi 土佐の田舎寿司 sushi from the countryside of Tosa

Kagawa dishes 香川 Shikoku Takamatsu, Shodoshima

World Tasty Museum 世界食文化博物館 Imabari, Ehime. Nihon Shokken

Rokuben, Bento for a kabuki performance ろくべん, 大鹿歌舞伎 Nagano.

Famine and Hunger periods during the Edo period . kikin 飢饉

Sweets from Tohoku 東北の甘いもの

Tottori dishes 鳥取

Recycle, Reuse, Re-use Wiederverwendung von Lebensmitteln

Yam 長芋, Taro 里芋 and sweet potatoes 薩摩芋 Dioscorea japonica. Colocasia esculenta. Ipomoea batatas.

Shooyu purin 小豆島醤油プリン Soy Sauce Pudding from Shodoshima

Kani 蟹料理 CRAB dishes

Oiri, yomeiri おいり　嫁入り　sweets for the bride

Kamaboko (蒲鉾, かまぼこ)　Fish paste, fish cake, ground fish on boards

Cooking methods : yaku and ...yaki

Kitaoji Rosanjin (北大路魯山人)
UTSUWA うつわ【器】, vessel or dish
hassunzara, hassun sara 八寸皿 Hassun-plate for kaiseki
hirazara ひらざら【平皿】 flat dish
kakuzara かくざら【角皿】 plate with four corners
kareezara カレー皿 plate for curry rice
sara, ban さら 【皿・盤】 plate, dish, saucer, platter
kozara 小皿 small plate
torizara 取り皿 small plate
ukezara 受け皿 saucer
hachi はち【鉢】 bowls of all kinds
daibachi 大鉢 big bowl
fukabachi 深鉢 deep bowl
kakubachi 角鉢 square bowl
katakuchi bachi 片口鉢 bowl with a spout on one side
kobachi 小鉢 small bowl
mamebachi 豆鉢 very small bowl
meshiwan めしわん【飯椀／飯碗】 bowl for rice
tonsui とんすい small bowl with a handle
cups : kappu カップ cup
sakazuki 杯/ さかずき small cup for hot sake
yunomi 湯のみ（湯呑み) small tea cups.






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WASHOKU ... SEASONAL DISHES SAIJIKI


WASHOKU : Regional Japanese Dishes



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Additions from 2012 and 2011


Sabappuru サバップル　apple pie with saba mackerel meat Aomori

. . Sakana 　魚　toys and amulets with FISH . .

Rice milk ライスミルク

Kamaboko Daruma かまぼこだるま

Sangaria サンガリア a drink for children

akamoku 鎌倉の新名産アカモク akamoku seaweed
new dishes from Kamakura beach

KitKat chocolate キットカット and Kit mail キットメール

Nokisaki Business 軒先.com

Edo - 100 favorite dishes

Asian Food Regulation Information Service

Food Crisis Worldwide

insutanto zooni インスタント雑煮 ready-made zoni soup
for the New Year


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Addidions in 2010


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Addidions in 2009


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Addidions in 2008


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Yoshiko Tatsumi

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Yoshiko Tatsumi

quote
source : Japan Times, November 2012
By TOMOKO OTAKE


Cookery guru serves wisdom with her soups

"Never fight a war with Chinese people, because we would lose," Yoshiko Tatsumi sternly warned, "with absolute certainty," a 40-strong group of mostly middle-aged women gathered recently in her spacious three-story residence set in gardens in Kamakura, Kanagawa Prefecture.

"What we eat today is no match for what they eat. Nobody (in Japan) has vitality in a true sense. We used to get energy from everyday food; we've forgotten how to."

And so continued Tatsumi's sobering lecture at her monthly soup-cooking class that draws attendees from across the nation, all united in their eagerness to feast on the 87-year-old cookery expert's tips, knowledge and all-round wisdom.

The primary subject of the day, of course, was soup. Tatsumi demonstrated preparing two sorts — a beef consomme and a sweet-potato potage. Her tips included stirring vegetables in cooking oil before putting them on a stove, as that coating helps the even absorption of heat.

She then let the soup ingredients simmer slowly on a low heat in a pot with the lid on, stirring only occasionally and "making the vegetables sweat." This is a technique she said helps to best bring out the ingredients' umami (pleasant savory taste) — the so-called fifth basic taste (along with sweet, sour, bitter, salty and metallic) that, chemically speaking, is created by amino acids including glutamic acid, inosinic acid and guanylic acid that are abundantly present in both soups and dashi (a Japanese soup stock made from bonito flakes, konbu [kelp] and/or dried shiitake mushrooms).

But Tatsumi's wisdom-sharing is not limited to soups — as was evident from her remark about China. In the same lesson, she also recalled, for example, her experience of caring for her bedridden father and how she succeeded in feeding him pieces of beef steak, which he loved but had almost given up eating as he had difficulty in swallowing.

Tatsumi would even sprinkle words of advice on living well — often, indeed, waxing philosophical. Example: "You can only have an epiphany if you sincerely think of someone — but to do that, you must seriously put your mind to it on a daily basis. If you don't, you won't have an epiphany. And remember, an epiphany and an idea are worlds apart."

Whatever Tatsumi is talking about, though, it always reflects her long-held belief that food affects every facet of people's lives — and that cooking is an act of love and the most basic human freedom.

She also believes that soups and soup stocks are the most sophisticated foods, since they condense the blessings of nature — whether from the ocean, the mountains or the fields.

It's a philosophy, she says, that was onlpassed down to her by her mother, Hamako, who is widely known in Japan as an early home-cooking expert.

However, Hamako was also the proud "manager" of the Tatsumi family, comprising her husband, Yoshio — an executive with a major construction company before the war — Yoshiko and her two brothers. Whether in Tokyo's Meguro district where the family lived when she was very young, or later after they'd moved to Kamakura, it was her mother who taught Tatsumi how to live her own credo through cooking.

As an example of this, Tatsumi has told of her mother coming up with an ingenious way to send a soup for soba noodles to China when her husband was based there with the Imperial Japanese Army. She also recounts how her mother started spreading her expertise through giving cookery classes at home and later by appearing on television and in magazine articles.

Tatsumi has surely followed in her mother's footsteps, having for years taught a monthly soup-cookery school at home, where she lives with her head apprentice, Chikako Tsushima.

Tatsumi has stayed single since being separated from her husband just three weeks after their wedding, when he was drafted into the wartime armed forces and died off the coast of the Philippines. She occasionally appears on NHK's "Kyo no Ryori" ("Today's Cooking") TV program as an instructor, and also writes books and magazine articles on all things related to food.

What's more, in 2004, at the age of 80, and prompted by her alarm at the nation's low food self-sufficiency (which is only 7 percent for soybeans), she started a group named Daizu Hyakutsubu Undo wo Sasaeru Kai (The Group to Support the Planting of 100 Soybean Seeds). Under the umbrella of that group, Tatsumi launched a campaign to get children in elementary schools to plant 100 soybean seeds each, as well as to grow and harvest them, since they play a vital role in the Japanese diet. The movement has now spread to more than 300 schools across the country.

Tatsumi is bound to get even busier with the Nov. 3 release of "Ten no Shizuku" ("Drops from Heaven"), a 113-minute documentary film themed on her life and philosophy. Shot by Atsunori Kawamura and featuring breathtaking imagery of food and nature as she travels around Japan, the movie's subtext is a rumination on the links between food and its producers, and food and our lives.

Ahead of the film's release, Tatsumi, dressed elegantly in a pink-purple sweater and sporting her signature pompadour hairdo, took time out with The Japan Times to share her thoughts in the comfort of her own home. The following are excerpts from the hour-long interview:

I understand you were born in Meguro, Tokyo, and that your mother was a pioneering ryōri kenkyū-ka (cookery expert). Is that right?

Well, in fact she was extremely offended by that label. She said she didn't cook for that kind of purpose. My mother used to say, "There is no manager more important than a homemaker."

Sitting pretty: Yoshiko Tatsumi (second from left) seen in a posed photograph with her brother Kazuo and their parents, Yoshio and Hamako, in the early 1930s. YOSHIKO TATSUMI

Why was she so offended?

She was immensely proud of being a homemaker. Being a homemaker was her lifelong theme. So she was disgusted by the idea of being labeled a cookery expert. She almost felt insulted by that. I feel the same way. I hate that expression.

Why do you feel disgusted by that?

Well ... it just feels unbalanced. She was called that because there was no other way to describe what she was doing, and then the media got used to using that label.

I guess there was a burgeoning group of people like her, and the media could not find a phrase to categorize these people, so that's why they came up with that phrase to refer to them.

What was your mother like around the house?

How should I describe her ... She was very passionate — three times more passionate than me! And she was extremely good at giving shape to her sincerity for her loved ones.

There are many ways to express love. The way my mother expressed her love to my father is a good example. With the outbreak of the Second Sino-Japanese War (in 1937), my father was drafted and sent to the war. In those days, the men were formed into groups and were given a public send-off. Toward the end of World War II as Japan's defeat became imminent, soldiers began to be sent off quietly and privately.

Anyway, what my mother did for my father's send-off was to somehow have a chrysanthemum flower pinned to the soldiers' uniforms. On the day of departure, all the men in his party wore one of those flowers! I've always been really amazed at how in the world she made that happen. There were all kinds of rules and restrictions in the military and it was inconceivable that members of Party No. 3 would have flowers and not those in Party No. 1 and Party No. 2. I've always wondered how and from whom she got permission to do that.

The flowers were attached to the men's empty cartridge cases. I remember a nice scent of chrysanthemum wafting from my father's party. I know she probably went overboard on that one, but when she had an idea she would work out a plan and realize it.

So she was a natural at showing her compassion.

Yes. My father would write us (from China) what he wanted to eat — in pictures. He missed Japanese food and once drew soba noodles. So my mother wanted him to be able to eat soba there.

All together: Yoshiko Tatsumi (second from right, front row) with a group of family and friends on the day in 1937 when her father, Yoshio (center), was enlisted into the Imperial Army at the age of 41. He was afterward sent to serve in China. YOSHIKO TATSUMI

There were dried noodles, and yakumi spices could also be sent in a dried form; my mother knew he was able to source the same kind of negi (green onions) in China. What about the soup to put noodles in, though? She shaved five pieces of katsuo (dried, fermented and smoked bonito) into flakes (with a tool like a wood plane). I mean, people today would struggle to shave just one bonito off! She crushed the shavings into smaller flakes, let sake, mirin (sweet sake) and soy sauce seep into them, and then roasted them.

In effect, she created what could be considered today an "instant soup stock." I don't know when she came up with the idea, but I remember her toiling at it in the kitchen, shaving and shaving and shaving. She felt hot in the process so took some layers of her clothes off and carried on.

Had nobody else thought about sending soba soup to China back then?

Nobody.

How did having such a woman as a mother impact you?

I grew up taking it for granted, thinking that mothers everywhere were doing what my mother was doing. Then I realized that it wasn't the case. I've never seen any other mother like her.

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***** Washoku - General Information

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Tokuho health label

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Tokuho health label

特定保健用食品

quote
Health: It's in 'tokuho' label
Colas, teas, toothpastes claiming to cut health risks gain accreditation

By MINORU MATSUTANI

Kirin Beverage Co.'s hit beverage Mets Cola has gained Consumer Affairs Agency recognition as "tokuho," which is short for "tokutei hokenyou shokuhin," or foods with special healthy qualities.



Cola drinks are generally not believed to contribute to good health, but consumers have snapped up Mets Cola because of its official distinction.

Following are questions and answers regarding the tokuho status and its bona fides:

What is the origin of the tokuho status?
The health ministry began in 1991 attaching tokuho status to certain foods and drinks to promote their healthy qualities, including ingredients that are high in fiber, good for digestion or help slow tooth decay.

By cluing consumers in to food items that promote health, the government hoped to also mitigate the nation's future health insurance burden, said Akira Yabuki, a director at the Japan Health & Nutrition Food Association, which is run with funds pooled from member companies — mostly food and drink makers.

Since September 2009, when the Consumer Affairs Agency was created under the health ministry, the agency has taken over the role of granting tokuho status.

How has the tokuho product market been growing?
Products given the status have seen a consistent increase, reaching 1,000 in May.

Included among them are Lotte Co.'s Xylitol gum, which boasts the ability to protect teeth from cavities, Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co.'s fiber-rich drink Fibe-Mini, which aids digestive organs, as well as yogurts and many kinds of oolong and green teas.

Tokuho-status product sales amounted to ¥679.8 billion in 2007, but have declined since then and stood at ¥517.5 billion in 2011, according to the association, which compiles data in odd-numbered years.

The sales decline can be attributed in part to the 2008 financial crisis as well as product development that was put on hold because the Consumer Affairs Agency was planning to change the rules on tokuho recognition, Yabuki said.

With new rules in place, the development of tokuho products has gotten back into full swing, he said.

How is tokuho status earned?
To obtain the status, food and drink makers must conduct various experiments to demonstrate the healthy effects of their products. Afterward, the Consumer Affairs Agency must review the results of these tests and issue its judgment accordingly.

If the product experiment documents pass muster, the manufacturers will be authorized to attach the tokuho designation and list the specific health-supporting ingredients on their labels, Yabuki said.

What experiments are required?
The manufacturers have to test their products on individuals.

In the case of Mets Cola, Kirin Beverage divided 82 people with no significant health problems into two groups. One was served Mets Cola, which contains indigestible dextrin — a nutrient that restricts the rise in body fat after a meal — while the other group drank cola that did not contain the substance for a day, Kirin Beverage spokesman Mitsutake Matano said.

A week later the two groups reversed roles for a day.

Afterward, the subjects were tested for the density of fat in their blood, Matano said.

Overconsumption was also gauged for any harmful effects.

For example, manufacturers conducted experiments in which people consumed triple the amounts of food or drinks to determine if such activities posed damage to health, Yabuki said.

"Tokuho products can be useful in maintaining your health, but that may not be the case if one binge eats and drinks," Yabuki said.

The Consumer Affairs Agency reportedly issued Suntory Holdings Ltd. a warning to halt a TV commercial pushing Suntory's black oolong tea because the ad could mislead consumers into believing they did not have to be careful about what they ate as long as they drank the company's product.

What nutrients will the Consumer Affairs Agency let makers boast on their products as promoting health?
Diacylglycerol and other nutrients that make it difficult for fat to be stored in the body can be listed on product labels, according to the website of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government's Bureau of Social Welfare and Public Health.

Other nutrients listed include bifidobacteria, chitosan and L-arabinose, which can lower blood pressure, blood sugar and cholesterol.

The Mets Cola label says its indigestible dextrin restricts absorption of fat and increases the excretion of fat.

The Consumer Affairs Agency does not disclose the specific components, only the products granted tokuho recognition, agency official Noriko Yokota said. She added, however, that the information on the metro government's website is correct.




How popular is Mets Cola?
Between April 24, when Kirin Beverage began selling 480-milliter bottles, and the end of May, 1.5 million cases, or 36 million bottles, were sold, company spokesman Mitsutake Matano said.

This compares with the 30 million cases of Pepsi cola sold last year, of which 20.95 million were the zero-calorie Pepsi Nex, said Midori Takahashi, a spokeswoman at Suntory Holdings Ltd., the parent of Nihon Pepsi Cola Ltd.

A case basically can mean 24 250-ml cans or 6 2-liter bottles.

Kirin Beverage has sold Kirin Cola only in vending machines since June 2010. It sells no other kinds of cola, and the product is nowhere near comparable with Mets Cola, Matano said.

Why is Mets Cola doing so well?
Cola drinks in general are popular worldwide, even if they generally are not associated with the promotion of health.

Throwing in the tokuho component only lends to the boom, Yabuki said.

"People have the impression that cola has lots of sugar, and thus tokuho cola has had a big impact on consumers," he said.

The TV commercial for Mets Cola using characters from the popular boxing "anime" series "Ashita no Jo" also gives the product added punch, he said.

How will future tokuho products evolve?
Tokuho status has been granted to many kinds of tea, which even before such designation attracted health-conscious consumers, Yabuki said.

"I expect diet-related tokuho products will continue to grow. Also, makers will probably take new directions, including foods and drinks that promote healthy skin," he said.

source : Japan Times, July 03, 2012



消費者庁 Consumer Affairs Agency, Government of Japan
http://www.caa.go.jp/


特定保健用食品（トクホ） 許可 tokuho
特定保健用食品許可




. . . CLICK here for Photos of more products!


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snap dish photos

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SnapDish for food photos



Food Camera App
http://snapdi.sh/ja/


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quote
The first bite is with the camera

When Misako Fukuda, 40, went to a cherry-blossom viewing party at Tokyo's Inokashira Park in April, she did not know the other 30 people who had gathered nor their professions. The only thing she knew about them was what they ate or cooked every day —
through SnapDish, a smartphone social-networking app.



Each day, Fukuda, a Tokyo-based freelance Web director, chronicles her dietary life with iPhone snapshots. Before she takes a bite, she takes a photo of the dish and quickly uploads it via SnapDish to share with her friends.

"It's part of my life log," says Fukuda, who has been keeping her photographic food diary since she got an iPhone in 2009.

Fukuda is one of millions of people who are obsessed with food photos and sharing their culinary experiences with virtual and real friends on the Web. In the old days, many shied away from taking pictures of the food at restaurants for fear of being rude, but it has become such an everyday tool for socializing in Japan that people now take photos of anything from rice balls at a convenience store to the culinary arts at three-Michelin-star restaurants.

"In the past, I did feel it wasn't kosher to take such pictures, especially at fine restaurants," says Moto Tomita, a Japanese-American executive for a luxury brand.

"I have a circle of friends who really enjoy sharing such culinary experiences from other countries," says Tomita, who moved to Tokyo from Silicon Valley four years ago. "Some live in rural areas, where they don't have regular access to such cuisine."

As smartphone users become more savvy, apps catering to food bloggers, such as SnapDish, have started to sprout in Japan. Unlike Instagram or other photo-sharing apps, SnapDish is exclusively designed for people wanting to share food photos.

"Some don't want to be labeled as being obsessed with food by their friends on Facebook, where they might be connected with their bosses. I wanted to create a community for those food lovers," says Zen Funada, the CEO of Tokyo-based Vuss Inc., which operates SnapDish.

Just as Instagram's tools can make photos look more artistic, SnapDish makes the food in photos look more appetizing, with color and light correcting functions. The Rare function lightly retouches the photos, Medium makes the color more vivid and Well-done applies the maximum correction and effects to the images.

Since the app's launch in May 2011, users have grown to 250,000. The app is available in English, Japanese and two forms of Chinese. Some 30 percent of its users are overseas, mostly from Asian countries such as China, Taiwan and Singapore.

Willin Low, a Singapore-based SnapDish user who has posted more than 1,000 photos since the launch, says he feels food represents community in Asia.

"I think it is very much an Asian thing," says Low, a Singapore-based lawyer turned chef and restaurateur. "It is traditional here when eating to place all the dishes in the center of the table to be shared by everyone, rather than to be served individual dishes. So I think culturally we like to share our food with others, even if it means virtually via the Internet." Low was named as one of the world's top emerging culinary stars by fellow contemporary chefs in the Phaidon Press book "Coco: 10 World-Leading Masters Choose 100 Contemporary Chefs."

Fukuda says that sharing her food experiences has helped expand her circle of friends.

"Food is such a happy topic for everybody," she says. "By sharing photos, we feel as if we were there to break bread with them."


By AYAKO MIE
source : Japan Times June 29, 2012






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Rolling Stones Bar Suntory

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Rolling Stones Bar Suntory
ストーンズバー サントリー







source : www.suntory.co.jp/stonesbar/


quote
Can Suntory Get ‘Stones Bar’ Satisfaction?
It’s not really beer, in the true sense, and it’s got a lower alcohol content. So just how much of a kick can a young Japanese hipster get from drinking something like the “Rolling Hop?”

According to drinks maker Suntory Liquors Ltd., plenty. And in case drinkers were in any doubt, Suntory has lined up a new ploy to convince them: A “Stones Bar” series of specially themed alcoholic beverages stamped with none other than the iconic Rolling Stones lips and tongue logo on “stylishly designed” bottles and cans.

The use of the brand made famous by Mick, Keef and the “boys” is aimed at customers “in their 20s who are attuned to fashion,” according to Suntory, who want a stylish container that fits with their trendy image “as they go to clubs and darts bars, or karaoke.”

The beverages are designed to appeal to younger consumers, still developing a taste for beer, with a less bitter taste and an alcohol content of between 4% and 5%, noticeably lower than Japan’s mainstay brews. The “Rolling Hop,” for example, has a 4% alcohol content and is more carbonated than normal.

In a 2010 online survey, both men and women in their 20s were less likely to drink “almost every day” than middle-aged respondents. But Suntory’s own research suggests that Japanese in their 20s are now spending more money on alcohol, at least 17.8% reporting that they had increased the amount they spent on booze, as well as more of the sweeter, less alcoholic beverages.

In fact, like a range of similar drinks in Japan, the “Stones Bar” products aren’t regular beers that contain malt, nor low-malt alternatives: Falling into what’s called the “third beer” category, they contain no malt at all, but are designed to taste like beer, and were developed by Japan’s brewers in an attempt to offset a slow decline in the sale of traditional beers. The line also includes ready-to-drink cocktail beverages, which promise gin or whiskey flavors without the high alcohol content.

Of course, it’s tough to keep track of all the gimmickry, including links with rock and pop stars, that has been wheeled out by brewers in Japan and elsewhere in attempts to persuade picky consumers to choose their brand. Just last year, in arguably one of the least likely hookups, the all-but-forgotten mid-90s American pop sensation Hanson resurfaced when the band said it plans to launch its own “Mmmhop” Indian pale ale, named after the “Mmmbop” global smash, according to reports from the U.K.

With a combined age of 272, the four principal members of the Rolling Stones are, of course, well beyond Suntory’s target demographic for the “Stones Bar” line. A Suntory official said that while the band may be aware of the use of the logo, they haven’t made any official comment. But then the lip and tongue image is actually owned by Universal Music, with which Suntory negotiated the rights for the “Stones Bar” label. Suntory declined to comment on the amount paid to use the logo.

In any case, fans of the band and “third beers” alike will have to wait to get some satisfaction: the drinks don’t go on sale until June 19.

source : Sarah Berlow



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Tokyo Sky Tree Senbei

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Tokyo Sky Tree 東京スカイツリー

***** Location: Japan
***** Season: Topic
***** Category: Humanity

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Explanation


東京そらの木煎餅（R）


Tokyo Sky Tree Senbei
from the shop Mirin Do みりん堂
source :　allabout.co.jp

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The people of Edo loved . puns (dajare 駄洒落) .
and the poeple of Tokyo do too, even in our modern times.

Tokyo is situated in the Musashi plain　武蔵平野
MU SA SHI　。。。六三四　－ 6 3 4
So when the tower had to be just a bit higher than the tower in China, they decided to make it

634 meters high.

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World's tallest Tokyo Sky Tree to open

The world's tallest tower, Tokyo's 634-meter Sky Tree, opens on Tuesday.
The tower has two panoramic observation decks, at 350 and 450 meters above ground. On a clear day, it offers a view of Mt. Fuji on the horizon.

After a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10AM, the woman who named the tower will visit the observatory. At noon, the doors will open to the public.
7,500 people won a lottery to ascend the broadcasting tower on its first day.

The tower's operator issued advance tickets for the first 50 days.
It is recommending that visitors use public transportation as the roads around the tower are likely to be congested.

Tokyo Sky Tree opens to the public
Tokyo's latest landmark has opened to an eager public. Standing 634 meters high, the Tokyo Sky Tree is the world's tallest tower.
The broadcasting tower with a modern truss exterior stands in the old quarters of Sumida Ward in Tokyo. It has two observation decks at 350 and 450 meters.

After a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Tuesday morning, a woman who named the structure and her son became the first to ascend.
On the ground, many more were waiting in line from early morning. They were welcomed in at noon, and quickly boarded elevators for the 50-second ride to the first observation deck.
Rain and clouds unfortunately hampered the tower's panoramic view of Tokyo -- and the sight of Mount Fuji in the distance on a very clear day.
But the visitors still appeared to enjoy the climb, the structure's brand new interior, and its displays of maps and other items.

8,000 people are due to visit the tower on the opening day. They are the lucky ones who won lotteries to purchase advance tickets.
The tower's adjoining commercial complex also opened. Together, about 200,000 people are expected to visit the tower and complex on Tuesday.


Skytree may pump over $2 bil into Japan's economy
Local municipal officials estimate that the economic ripple effects of Tokyo Skytree will bring more than 2 billion dollars a year to Japan.
They say the tower and nearby commercial facilities are expected to attract nearly 21 million visitors annually.
Those visitors are forecast to spend about 990 million dollars in admission fees for the tower's observation decks and at restaurants and shops.
The officials say sales of various businesses across the country will also increase by about 1.2 billion dollars.
The actual total economic impact is believed to be even greater as the estimate does not include revenues from the aquarium and the planetarium located in the tower compound.

source : NHK World News - May 21, 2012




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Tokyo Skytree (東京スカイツリー, Tōkyō Sukai Tsurī
is a broadcasting, restaurant, and observation tower in Sumida, Tokyo, Japan. It became the tallest structure in Japan in 2010 and reached its full height of 634.0 metres (2,080 ft) in March 2011, making it the tallest tower in the world, displacing the Canton Tower, and the second tallest structure in the world after Burj Khalifa (829.84 m/2,723 ft).
©　More in the WIKIPEDIA !


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東京スカイツリー

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Worldwide use



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Things found on the way

Daruma and the Sky Tree
山田るまブログ



source : yamadaruma.laff.jp


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solamachi　ソラマチ　　－ the shopping mall

soramachi 空町　 "village in the sky"
Many shops imitate the atmosphere of Edo.


もんじゃ　お好み焼き Monja and Okonomi yaki
One of the many shops in the Sky Tree compound.




source : barbee.exblog.jp


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Skytree has elevator glitch on first day

Despite cold and rainy springtime weather Tuesday, Tokyo Skytree attracted thousands of people to the new landmark as the world's tallest tower opened to the public.
But the first day didn't go off without a hitch. High winds forced two elevators to halt at around 6 p.m., stranding visitors in the No. 2 observatory, 450 meters above the ground.
The elevators soon resumed operations, but at 7:36 p.m. the No. 2 observatory was closed due to the wind.

Skytree Town is a commercial complex combining the 634-meter-tall broadcast tower, an aquarium, a planetarium and the Tokyo Solamachi complex, which boasts 312 shops and restaurants.
source : Japan Times, May 23, 2012


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Tower Donburi タワー丼 tawaa don
sold at a shop in Asakusa



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HAIKU and SENRYU


Tokyo Sky Tree -
a new inspiration
for new heights

Gabi Greve, May 22, 2012


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Silent Night-
the Tokyo Sky Tree
luminescent green

Angelee Deodhar
Winter 2013



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Poetry and Food

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Food and Poetry


. Haiku Sweets (haika ) .


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Waka　和歌　Japanese waka poems

. Cherry blossoms in Kyoto .



Arare cracker devoted to the poetry collection
. Hyakunin Isshu　百人一首 .
Ogurayama shunjuu おぐら山春秋　
Spring and Autumn at Mount Ogura


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Michelin

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Michelin about Japan

Michelin has been active to rate restaurants in Tokyo.




The tour guide Michelin awarded 191 stars to 150 restaurants in the Japanese capital, Tokyo, the most number of stars awarded in any city.
Paris so far had the most stars, 65.

Michelin and Tokyo Food


　List of some Tokyo Restaurants


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quote December 2007

Michelin Tokyo takes Japan by storm
Guide sells out nationwide, but critics question rating system's validity

By REIJI YOSHIDA
Japan Times

A new book released last month has created a sensation and is selling like hotcakes in Japan, with bookstores being picked clean of the initial stock of 120,000 copies in only three days.

Michelin guides Director Jean-Luc Naret speaks about the famous restaurant guide during a recent interview in Tokyo's Iidabashi district. YOSHIAKI MIURA PHOTO

Its publisher printed an additional 150,000 copies and put them on shelves on Dec. 12, but they also quickly disappeared from bookstores up and down the country.
The book in question is the Japanese version of Michelin Tokyo 2008, the first Asian edition of the prestigious gastronomic guidebook.

Kazumi Kawashima, an employee at Yaesu Book Center near Tokyo Station, said the only book she can remember selling like this was the "Harry Potter" series.

"We started selling the book at 8 a.m. (on Nov. 22) outside the store — two hours before the store itself opened. We ran out of our stock before noon the same day," Kawashima said.

..... But what has surprised people the most is perhaps not the book's impressive sales, but the fact that all of the 150 restaurants listed in Michelin Tokyo carry at least one prestigious star.

..... That means Tokyo is now considered the world leader in terms of the sheer number of Michelin stars awarded.

..... Before launching the Tokyo project, Naret visited other Asian cities, including Hong Kong and Singapore. He said he was particularly impressed with Japanese people's passion for food and the quality of restaurants in Japan.

At a reception party to celebrate the publication of the book last month, he kiddingly urged reporters to buy a copy immediately because, he joked, all the copies would soon be gone from bookstores.

　source: Japan Times . Dec. 29, 2007


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Critics dispute Michelin regard for Tokyo food

By ERIC TALMADGE,
Associated Press Writer
Mon Aug 25, 2008

TOKYO - Paris might still be good if you've got a big wad of cash and want the best of the best. But Tokyo is really where it's at food-wise, at least according to the French people who keep track of these things.

When the venerable Michelin guide came out with its first Tokyo edition, it was so full of praise that it almost read like a press release for the Japan Restaurant Association. Its conclusion — Tokyo is the culinary capital of the world.

But is it, really?

Here's a Michelin morsel:

"Tokyo is a shining star in the world of cuisine," Michelin Guides Director Jean-Luc Naret said shortly after its Tokyo edition came out last November. "We found the city's restaurants to be excellent, featuring the best ingredients, culinary talents and a tradition passed on from generation to generation and refined by today's chefs."

Michelin's Tokyo guide awarded a whopping 191 stars to 150 restaurants in the Japanese capital, the most number of stars awarded in any city. Previously, Paris had the most stars, at 65. Eight restaurants in Tokyo — three French, two sushi bars and three traditional Japanese — received Michelin's highest three-star rating.

Paris can still claim to have the most top-rated restaurants — with 10. New York has just three.

The announcement was a godsend for Japan, which has been trying for years to put a shine on a tourist industry muted by the country's notoriously high prices and a powerful lineup of rival attractions just beyond its shores — such as the fabled shopping districts of Hong Kong, the beaches of Thailand, and the rapid rise of Shanghai as one of Asia's most interesting cityscapes.

Treated as front-page news and trumpeted on TV broadcasts, Michelin's glowing review was also seen as confirmation of the value of something that the Japanese have long seen as a source of national pride — their mastery of sushi, raw fish and all the other famously subtle elements of Japan's indigenous cuisine.

The guide sold 120,000 copies in just three days.

It was a hard-won honor for Tokyo.

A team of three undercover European and two Japanese inspectors spent a year and a half visiting 1,500 of Tokyo's estimated 160,000 restaurants to decide on the ratings, according to Michelin. The guidebook series rates restaurants on excellence in cooking, service, decor and upkeep.

But the Michelin hype has met with a great deal of skepticism — especially from other reviewers.

One particularly controversial pick was a sushi bar that — though on just about everybody's list for quality — is located in a basement, is cramped even by Tokyo standards and shares its restroom with other tenants. Ambiance, it would seem, is pretty subjective.

Some of Michelin's competitors say there are bigger problems with Michelin's whole premise. Why, for example, are so many French restaurants at the top of the Tokyo list? Why no Chinese, no Italian, no palaces of tofu?

"There are a lot of great cities in the world," Tim Zagat, founder of the Zagat guides, told The Associated Press. "Tokyo is an exciting place to eat. But Paris is an exciting place to eat. So is Rome."

The question, he says, is whether Tokyo is better.

"I don't think it is helpful to make that kind of statement," Zagat said. "Tokyo has the best Japanese food in the world. But it is nowhere near as diverse as other cities."

There is no doubt Tokyo — the land of the Iron Chef — has an exceptionally well-developed restaurant scene.

Zagat said the reasons are many — not least of which being the fact that the Japanese like good food, they have money to spend on it and their native cuisine is highly refined and places a very strong emphasis on tradition, freshness and the natural balance of ingredients.

Another reason, however, is that dining in is often not an option, especially for business-related meals. Homes continue to be relatively small and cramped, and getting there often involves a long commute for all. Thus, restaurants have thrived, from the neighborhood bar to the whole areas of town that are built around after-hours entertaining.

Yasuo Terui, the editor of "Tokyo Ii Mise, Umai Mise (Tokyo Good Restaurant, Delicious Restaurant)" whose first edition went on sale in 1967, was also critical of Michelin, saying that it only scratched the surface of what there is to be had in Tokyo.

"I don't think Michelin knows anything about Japan," he said.

But he basically agreed with the rating of Tokyo as the world's best place to eat.

"I think we can call it the culinary capital of the world," he said. "If you try any cuisine, it's hard to go wrong in Tokyo."

Terui said part of the secret of Tokyo's success is that many of emerging Japanese chefs have studied Italian, French, Chinese and other international cuisines all over the world, and are trying to be creative by adding to them a fusion of Japanese tradition.

He added, however, that guides have limitations — some good places are bound to be overlooked.

"You can find many places that are not publicized at all but are still good, especially when you are traveling rural Europe," he said. "I'm sure it's similar in Japan, too."

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AP writer Mari Yamaguchi contributed to this report.

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If You Go...

According to the Michelin Guides, Tokyo is the world's capital of good food. Of course, not everybody agrees. But when the lists come out, there are a few places that just seem to please everybody. Here are three that got Michelin's highest ranking, three stars, and also tend to get the nod in other lists as well. Dinner prices can range from $180-$280.

L'OSIER:
7-5-5 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, phone 011-81-3-3571-6050, http://www.shiseido.co.jp/e/losier/htmlver/index.htm
French food in Tokyo's swanky Ginza shopping and nightlife area under French chef Bruno Menard. Claims to be "More French than France." Ambiance is a mix of Japonism, art deco and 20th century French painters.

HAMADAYA:
3-13-5 Ningyo-cho, Nihonbashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, phone 011-81-3-3661-5940, http://www.hamadaya.info/pc/english
Very Japanese. Meals may or may not include the services of geisha, depending on what kind of a dining experience the customer is looking for. Food is elegant classical Japanese cuisine, with a strong emphasis on seasonal elements, the finest ingredients and service on beautiful dishes. Location is an old geisha establishment by the Nihon Bridge, an older Tokyo neighborhood.

SUKIYABASHI JIRO:
4-2-15 Ginza Chuo-ku, Tokyo, near JR Yurakucho Station/Ginza Station, phone 011-81-3-3535-3600.
Located near a subway exit in the basement of an office building, this place is the stuff of sushi legend. Chef Jiro Ono is a national treasure. The restaurant is tiny, seating only about 20 people at its counter and tables. Chefs make their way each day to the huge Tsukiji fish market, a short walk away, to find the best and freshest.

source: news.yahoo.com
By ERIC TALMADGE, Associated Press Writer


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October 2009

Michelin Guide Kyoto, Osaka, Kobe
Keihanshin (京阪神)

October 13, 2009

Michelin Gives 3 Stars to 7 Kyoto, Osaka Restaurants

The Michelin Guide said it gave top billing to six traditional restaurants in Japan’s ancient capital of Kyoto and one French eatery in Osaka in its debut coverage of the cities that pays homage to local cuisine.

The best-possible three-star rating was awarded to Kyoto outlets such as Chihana, a six-decade-old, family-run restaurant in the geisha district of Gion; Osaka’s Hajime, which opened last year and serves French food under owner-chef, Hajime Yoneda, won the title in Japan’s second-biggest business center. Kyoto won a combined 110 stars, shared among 85 restaurants and traditional hotels, known as “ryokans,” while Osaka had 79 stars among 65 restaurants, Michelin said in a statement.

“We are shocked,” said Yoshihiro Murata, owner of Kyoto- based Kikunoi, one of six restaurants awarded three stars. “We didn’t even know the judges had come by and had been focused on serving to satisfy our customers.”

The Kyoto-Osaka guide is Michelin’s second in Japan after the Tokyo edition, first released in November 2007 to media controversy over the French company’s perceived leaning toward foreign cuisines. Michelin has repeatedly denied that bias and defended its understanding of local food.

Kyoto Restaurants With Three Michelin Stars

Chihana (Traditional Japanese):
584 Minamigawa, Gionmachi, Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto, Japan.
Tel：+81-75－561－2741; http://kyotochihana.com/e/

Hyo-tei (Traditional Japanese):
35 Nanzen-ji Kusakawa-cho Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan.
Tel: +81-75-771-4116; http://hyotei.co.jp/

Kikunoi Honten (Traditional Japanese):
459 Shimo Kawaramachi, Yasaka Torii Mae, Shimo Kawara dori,
Higashiyama-ku, Kyoto, Japan.
Tel: +81-75-561-0015; http://kikunoi.jp/store/

Kitcho Arashiyama Honten (Traditional Japanese):
58, Susukinobaba, SagaTenryuji, Ukyo, Kyoto, Japan
Tel: +81-75-881-1101;
http://www.kitcho.com/kyoto/english/about/index.html

Mizai (Traditional Japanese):
Maruyama park Higashiyama-ku Kyoto,Japan
Tel: +81-75-551-3310; http://www.mizai.net/annai.html

Tsuruya (Traditional Japanese):
30, Okazakihigashi-Tennocho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, Japan
Tel: +81-75-761-0171; http://www.kyoto-tsuruya.co.jp/kyoto.html

Osaka Restaurants With Three Michelin Stars

Hajime (French):
1-9-11,Edohori,Nishi-ku, Osaka, Japan
Tel: +81-6-6447-6688; http://www.hajime-artistes.com/

source : www.bloomberg.com


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Friday, April 20, 2012

quote
Hokkaido's diverse cuisine recognized by Michelin

Hiroshi Nakamichi dreamed of becoming a great one-star restaurateur when he went to Lyon, France, with a Michelin guide in his hands, to work at Michelin-starred restaurants. More than 30 years later, his dream came more than true when his "bible" gave three stars to his Sapporo-based French restaurant Molière.

"I never thought three stars was possible," says owner-chef Nakamichi, 60.



The "Michelin Guide Hokkaido 2012,"
which hit store shelves today, brought tears and cheers to 69 restaurants and hotels awarded with the treasured Michelin stars. This is the first time Michelin has put Hokkaido on its reputable gastronomic map; the guide introduces 699 restaurants and hotels in the region.

The highest honor of three Michelin stars went to Japanese restaurants Sushi Tanabe and Nukumi, as well as to Nakamichi's Molière, all in the city of Sapporo. Michel Bras Toya Japon, which offers French cuisine in the town of Toyako, is also listed among the three-starred restaurants, all of which Michelin designates as "worth a special journey."

Nakamichi says Michelin's Hokkaido guide gave credit to restaurants that showcase Hokkaido's rich and diverse harvest.

"I thought Michelin made a bold decision by awarding stars to my restaurant, which serves very authentic French cuisine, leaving not so much room for creativity — even though creativity is something Michelin valued in its Tokyo guide," says Nakamichi.
Nakamichi's observation might be true.

After Michelin's eight famously anonymous food connoisseurs journeyed around Japan's largest chunk of land to wine and dine at 1,500 restaurants and hotels, they decided that Hokkaido offers too wide a variety of culinary experiences to apply their usual tack. In order to the embrace the gastronomic diversity, Michelin's inspectors took unusual steps.

For the first time in a Japanese Michelin restaurants and hotels guide, they added a Bib Gourmands selection, introducing 121 nonstar restaurants that offer reasonable gourmet experiences for under ¥3,500. They also listed 288 restaurants featuring local cuisine such as the mutton barbecue jingisukan, a dish named after Genghis Khan, whose Mongolian soldiers were said to have grilled mutton on their own helmets.

The biggest surprise came when Michelin recognized 19 ramen eateries, its first inclusion of the noodle dish in Michelin's five-year history in Japan.

"I did not even really know what the Michelin Guide was about," says Machimi Terui, 43, the owner-chef of ramen noodle shop Gentle-men in the town of Kyowa. The restaurant's name is a play on words, since men is Japanese for "noodle."

Hokkaido Prefecture has high hopes that the Michelin guide will bolster its already-robust tourism industry, especially in attracting visitors from outside of Japan. But how much the guide will contribute has yet to be tested, as the Hokkaido edition, unlike the guides for the Kanto and Kansai areas, is published in Japanese only. The prefecture says it will put an English translation on its official tourism website by summer.
source : www.japantimes.co.jp


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Related words

***** Restaurants in Japan


***** WASHOKU : General Information and References

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