tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7583865771537611302024-03-13T07:51:17.215-07:00Meibutsu and OmiyageDiscovering the famous foods and local specialties of JapanMeibutsuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03880063999432978745noreply@blogger.comBlogger25125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758386577153761130.post-54029372487186083812013-02-08T02:04:00.000-08:002013-02-08T02:04:30.974-08:00Sakuma dropsIkebukuro meibutsu<br />
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We're experiencing "haru ichiban" today - the super strong, cold wind that whips through before spring. With a dry throat, I went in search of throat lozenges at the local drug store and found these lovely, retro fruit drops.<br />
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If you've seen the very beautiful, very sad Ghibli movie "Grave of the Fireflies", set during WWII, you'll recognise the tin: these are the hard fruit candies that the little girl Setsuko loves. Later, the tin plays a very significant part in the movie. I highly recommend the film, but you'll need a lot of tissues!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One side features Setsuko from Hotaru no Haka</td></tr>
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The company, Sakuma Seika, sometimes releases commemorative tins like this one. They've been making Sakuma Drops in Ikebukuro since 1908 so I think at just ¥100, it's an excellent souvenir of Tokyo!<br />
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The company's website (<a href="http://www.sakumaseika.co.jp/">here</a>) has some nice images of the history of the packaging design. The product itself has remained pretty much the same and it seems to be the only product Sakuma Seika makes. They're not so popular these days - with so many chocolate options and crazy flavours - but the sound of the candies rattling around in the tin must be very nostalgic for many people. I hope they continue to make them.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The graphics have changed a little over the years, but they still come in a tin.<br /></td></tr>
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<br />Meibutsuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03880063999432978745noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758386577153761130.post-81312621807223960442013-02-06T19:55:00.000-08:002013-02-06T19:55:59.897-08:00Aussie OmiyageHey, long time no see.<br />
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I went back to my 'hometown' over Christmas and New Year. No matter how long you live in Japan, you'll always be asked where your hometown is. It's better than being asked "where you from?" by drunken businessmen (I once said "Saitama", which really confused the guy, then he said, "Oh, I'm from Fukuoka!" and maybe, he got the point that it's kind of rude to stand too close to random non-Japanese folks in elevators and yell questions at them. But he probably didn't.)<br />
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Anyway, we had a wonderful few weeks of sunshine and good food, and I did a lot of baking - something I can't do at home, as we have no oven. But at the end of the trip, the issue of omiyage came up. We usually spend our last day in Sydney running around the city, looking for the obligatory omiyage for family and co-workers.<br />
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Tim Tams are out, as you can easily buy them here at places like Plaza, Seijo Ishii and Kaldi. Vegemite is out as people think your playing a cruel trick on them (I buy it just for me. I have found it at Kinokuniya supermarket too, in case I run out).<br />
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We usually end up getting the usual chocolate-covered macadamias in nice boxes with koala pictures. The only problem is convincing people that macadamias are indeed native to Australia. Hawaii has done such a good job of marketing them as their own. A few years ago, we found delicious chocolates flavoured with native lemon myrtle, but they seem to have disappeared.<br />
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That leaves us with the cheap lollies of my childhood, which would be called "dagashi" in Japan. And so, we stock up on Wagon Wheels, Fry's Turkish Delight, Golden Roughs, Peppermint Patties, Pineapple Lumps, Cherry Ripes and Caramello Koalas. Some of these sweets actually come from New Zealand. Shhh! We often claim Kiwi products as our own. They can have Russell Crowe back, though.<br />
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But none of these sweets are "nice" enough to give as special gifts. I went to Haigh's Chocolates, in hopes of finding something "Australian" and beautifully packaged. I was a bit disappointed. They've become so expensive recently, and their packaging has gone very fashionable, but it doesn't reflect its heritage. For a company that started in 1915 in Adelaide, I would have hoped for some slightly Victorian Australiana, or at least some native animal shapes - didn't they once make chocolate bilbys? You can get the frogs, but they don't really register with Japanese friends as an Australian icon. Actually, looking at their website, they apparently have bilbys and murray cod, but when we went to their store in Sydney's QVB, we didn't find anything beyond very 'corporate' striped packaging.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Murray Cod</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Bilby from Haigh's - which we couldn't find in the store.</td></tr>
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I was actually keen to take tinned beetroot back, but after hubby tried it on a burger and then gave it all to me, I nixed that idea. I would have thought, given its similarity in taste to kabu and daikon, and the sweet, slightly pickled flavour, that it would be a good choice for Japanese friends, but apparently not. Meat pies would be a bit hard to transport... We tried kangaroo jerky once, but it didn't taste very good. I guess the 'problem' in a way, is that Australia has such a diverse culture, that when Japanese friends, who come from such a mono culture ask about "famous Australian food", after 'fish and chips' and 'meat pies', I'm kind of stumped. I always want to go to my favourite Vietnamese restaurant in Sydney, do yum cha with friends on a Sunday morning, or go out for a great pizza. I love that we have such a diverse food heritage, but it's impossible reduce it to a neat answer.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sorry for the half-eaten hamburger, but you can see the beetroot that makes it a proper Aussie burger.</td></tr>
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Not needing yet another stuffed koala and not wanting any faux 'Aboriginal' dot-painted ashtrays, we went to a Japanese Australian souvenir shop, where they had the kinds of omiyage that would be well-received: home-made macadamia cookies, local jams with indigenous fruits, King Island products, tea tree soaps, tote bags and hand towels with Ken Done designs, etc. The foods were packaged individually - something I always thought wasteful, but I can see that it makes handing them out at work much easier. The products were all made in Australia (even the plush animals), mostly by smaller companies with some kind of interesting back-story or unique product. I'm not saying these products were any better than what we could find elsewhere, but they understood what their customers wanted.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We did try a lot of local beers, but they were too heavy to carry back, so we had to drink them!</td></tr>
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So I'm interested to know, if you're not from Japan, what are the omiyage of your home town?Meibutsuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03880063999432978745noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758386577153761130.post-32871814409980337962012-12-18T19:49:00.002-08:002012-12-18T19:49:59.313-08:00Shiose ManjyuI'm heading back to Australia today for a little Christmas sunshine! But first, I bring you a very Japanese (and in fact Chinese) sweet, the manjyu. My husband buys these for his friends and clients, but he also brought a box home, as he loves them.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They're about 800 yen for a box of 9.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZsLrtdw_maeBd3yj_NKOyaWKUlljTidcnhrAhb3SoFwpZZ8XvvHT_WJPASZnJqX28rIdTpogxqxaPNCSUSqjgAxwMSCyHhMsqPDzuLFZdy1h621v5Nfx-7HA5L97yTqrZ0ZwxU85ORck3/s1600/shiose.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZsLrtdw_maeBd3yj_NKOyaWKUlljTidcnhrAhb3SoFwpZZ8XvvHT_WJPASZnJqX28rIdTpogxqxaPNCSUSqjgAxwMSCyHhMsqPDzuLFZdy1h621v5Nfx-7HA5L97yTqrZ0ZwxU85ORck3/s320/shiose.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">dense with bean paste.</td></tr>
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It's a small, steamed bun, slightly chewy, thanks to the addition of grated yam paste in the dough. Inside is densely packed red bean paste. Not my favourite, I confess. These are from Shiose, which is apparently the first place in Japan to make manjyu after they were brought over from China in 1349. Apparently, they were first eaten in Nara, where they became popular with the monks, who couldn't eat meat. The thick bean paste and chewy texture must have been very satisfying. <br />
The main store is at 7-14 Akashichou, not far from Tsukiji fish markets.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoi6L9bbKfCYtkW-K9JUyd1vtvdouhVmY9iYrzIGrGjnRkAZcPjo8COUfJt1xf3qWTdfIwyY_Ij0yQUg-RB9F78CVZzbeLtL0hZsiY304Wy7IvBk34iWru6R1Dl-lkFNfufaQfX9I0dlrd/s1600/e76bb0fc.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoi6L9bbKfCYtkW-K9JUyd1vtvdouhVmY9iYrzIGrGjnRkAZcPjo8COUfJt1xf3qWTdfIwyY_Ij0yQUg-RB9F78CVZzbeLtL0hZsiY304Wy7IvBk34iWru6R1Dl-lkFNfufaQfX9I0dlrd/s320/e76bb0fc.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Obviously, the original shop from the 1350s didn't survive earthquakes and wars.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXYP0IdYcHVifnUAAq25Gt8PWKGYf_rPKIIf6FlscVoIBShc-KPpW6wDA1I6eI3-GM4l3yybLd-oWlf9Dity6dZaxKEz9Y8RDITXh0tJcI62FbVsm2lbeqjSKz3JwAHct-utoD-mpZ6Ikp/s1600/kanban.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXYP0IdYcHVifnUAAq25Gt8PWKGYf_rPKIIf6FlscVoIBShc-KPpW6wDA1I6eI3-GM4l3yybLd-oWlf9Dity6dZaxKEz9Y8RDITXh0tJcI62FbVsm2lbeqjSKz3JwAHct-utoD-mpZ6Ikp/s1600/kanban.jpeg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The store's traditional sign.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
If you like bean paste, you should try them! But if not, well, never mind.<br />
<br />
Akashichou is a nice place for a stroll - in fact Chuo-ku has a lot of interesting and historical places, and likes to claim a lot of 'firsts' in Japan - birthplace of tonkatsu, oyakodon and uni sushi. There's an interesting guide and map that you can download <a href="http://www.chuo-kanko.or.jp/publish/images/pdf/hajimete_en.pdf">here</a>.Meibutsuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03880063999432978745noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758386577153761130.post-20643918969094340812012-12-12T04:11:00.000-08:002012-12-12T04:11:20.755-08:00Time to come cleanPelican Soap<br />
<br />
<br />
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I love soap. It’s one of the easiest souvenirs: it’s
relatively cheap, small and always useful. But more than that, the fragrance triggers
strong memories. It’s getting cold here, but I recently opened a soap we had
‘souvenired’ from the Moana Surfrider hotel in Waikiki. Shaped like a leaf,
it’s a pale green sliver of ‘green tea’ scented loveliness. As soon as I used
it, I remembered our honeymoon and the sound of the sea. See? Your next holiday
is just a shower away! <o:p></o:p></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbmzYaygt6IFeDdugF83ndv4wPD4Hqg7A_UiE9Wc7ueCmz2OERSszuFDVtPukCxuZNrVj2y7ouScDpA078w2bJvUddZoAW4HScpLEv7qyke4sur_oDe5ZrUE8wDQEKtqxF7OBpmCwPzL78/s1600/pelican.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbmzYaygt6IFeDdugF83ndv4wPD4Hqg7A_UiE9Wc7ueCmz2OERSszuFDVtPukCxuZNrVj2y7ouScDpA078w2bJvUddZoAW4HScpLEv7qyke4sur_oDe5ZrUE8wDQEKtqxF7OBpmCwPzL78/s400/pelican.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's called Mutenka Sekken - additive free soap. It also says something like "Always healthy and lively!"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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But when I’m not trying to re-live carefree holidays, I’m
rather partial to this very ordinary soap. It’s just called “mutenka” or
“additive free”, by Pelican Soap. It’s made in a factory in northern Saitama, so I'm going to count it as a 'hometown' meibutsu.
It barely has any smell – just a slight ‘soapy’ scent, like clean skin. The bar
itself has no branding; it’s just like a smooth, ivory pebble. The packaging is quite retro, with a Showa era typeface and a rosy-cheeked boy and
girl; the boy has an old-school military-style cap in keeping with the times.
If you want to enjoy a little of that “Showa” charm, I recommend the Ghibli
animation, Kokuriko Zaka Kara – From Up on Poppy Hill, set 1960s Yokohama. It came out last year, but apparently, the English version won't be released till March 2013.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihq9iKhZQk8xn7kJ-VOZYnG80Van1sk1fSeKS9Ew0sg_b0tsMv120DOGPiApffO-y81TOf14xEyG_baduc12G3yaLNgmEPa25h54WIIai8XgZ3Dr208SmHMBI93-WvDuDW957goO1rOe4_/s1600/photo-La-Colline-aux-coquelicots-Kokuriko-zaka-kara-2011-7.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihq9iKhZQk8xn7kJ-VOZYnG80Van1sk1fSeKS9Ew0sg_b0tsMv120DOGPiApffO-y81TOf14xEyG_baduc12G3yaLNgmEPa25h54WIIai8XgZ3Dr208SmHMBI93-WvDuDW957goO1rOe4_/s400/photo-La-Colline-aux-coquelicots-Kokuriko-zaka-kara-2011-7.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A scene from Kokuriko Zaka Kara</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Pelican Soap has been around since 1947. The “Mutenka” soap
costs about Y200, a little pricey for basic soap, but it lathers nicely and
doesn’t crack, and I can find it at my local supermarket. Isn’t that the
perfect souvenir of a moment? <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1CDhwGhvwn6r65uEiBOihCIhUcFKTKt_VKsFNZRWzBhPiN27RZboNwS4inpvMt7By6eFQyiIYJb21U9_S0g6BnmhG1vV6TWQIM7e_xYPUjWZsUw3__fih33N9wkFDgTJsNf0WvRw4jRFA/s1600/imgres-2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1CDhwGhvwn6r65uEiBOihCIhUcFKTKt_VKsFNZRWzBhPiN27RZboNwS4inpvMt7By6eFQyiIYJb21U9_S0g6BnmhG1vV6TWQIM7e_xYPUjWZsUw3__fih33N9wkFDgTJsNf0WvRw4jRFA/s1600/imgres-2.jpeg" /></a></div>
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<!--EndFragment-->Meibutsuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03880063999432978745noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758386577153761130.post-16896356432079746242012-11-29T05:14:00.000-08:002012-11-29T05:14:24.570-08:00Houtou ほうとう<br />
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Autumn and winter are the perfect seasons to visit Yamanashi
prefecture, just over an hour from Shinjuku station. Its famous vineyards
aren’t so pretty at the moment, but thanks to the clear, cold air, you can see
Mt Fuji, looming majestically, almost every time you look up. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdIw3YODvwd8UJxDN2wJrYGTRjo08SAPXIbH9N_L_BkHMM8yiGlFi8cysmNQxGytiNaoFJY7pZahEY3VebTqbBoWGzjIwMZYoVjTZp7O8jigVuY9E8jC2ErWtu94-Hh0wcv_SiNR7fiI8B/s1600/20956_245810441875_4000477_n.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdIw3YODvwd8UJxDN2wJrYGTRjo08SAPXIbH9N_L_BkHMM8yiGlFi8cysmNQxGytiNaoFJY7pZahEY3VebTqbBoWGzjIwMZYoVjTZp7O8jigVuY9E8jC2ErWtu94-Hh0wcv_SiNR7fiI8B/s400/20956_245810441875_4000477_n.jpeg" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mt Fuji pops up when you least expect it.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPV4OjLGN3ZcKR0vsuWz0IOr76BITldw2l8KE-x5gx86dx1rbmMHVL1MIcVEoj6Bo-IwMhRlZRZDNyMKCA1-rIfW2dbdI0oDAUvQU68x3BsbFxaBQQveAzTE6BBlU3maIBJ2jvoosOve2c/s1600/zenkoujishrine.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPV4OjLGN3ZcKR0vsuWz0IOr76BITldw2l8KE-x5gx86dx1rbmMHVL1MIcVEoj6Bo-IwMhRlZRZDNyMKCA1-rIfW2dbdI0oDAUvQU68x3BsbFxaBQQveAzTE6BBlU3maIBJ2jvoosOve2c/s400/zenkoujishrine.jpeg" width="325" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zenkouji near Kofu city is very beautiful and peaceful.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtWZoBI_Kbk9xou6P53mcD1I1gu913Bl8D3mbaS_y16dIWv1pN0llpb_mDbDjk5Qk4_YHUhynbKdOUsGs2t5IefYLLBfb9DELejMIPnztTpCcwL9F_rnCGHKysFDFt0Q1xEhA2B6akdG2t/s1600/20956_245810511875_7385882_n.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtWZoBI_Kbk9xou6P53mcD1I1gu913Bl8D3mbaS_y16dIWv1pN0llpb_mDbDjk5Qk4_YHUhynbKdOUsGs2t5IefYLLBfb9DELejMIPnztTpCcwL9F_rnCGHKysFDFt0Q1xEhA2B6akdG2t/s400/20956_245810511875_7385882_n.jpeg" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There's a vending machine for everything - even incense. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Yamanashi is very active in promoting its fruits and wines. I have to confess, I tried some Yamanashi wine and wasn’t impressed.
Perhaps there are some progressive vineyards doing great things, but at the
ryokan we stayed at, I was given something that tasted like the overly sweet whites that gave German Riesling a bad name in the 80’s –
but with a slightly vinegary
aftertaste. Blech. Like I said, there might be some excellent wines
there, but I haven’t found them yet! My SIL has been to Yamanashi a few times,
and often brings back delicious fruit liquors and juices. In fact, the grape
JUICE is excellent. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
But wait! There is something else in Yamanashi, which is absolutely delicious and just perfect for this cold weather: houtou.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieRk9zo82fuNJlF0QH1r__ZaQSQYvW67oe0XGgSHkJxNwIyRwWVoNCF3wi4-6gBf6B58pk9AG1Wlg03LJJ_2ijHtmJa-xezxksaJjgr2LPCwH4DcArBtaFmKbwqLRfKYZezf5zs66OF_El/s1600/20956_245810451875_4473846_n.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieRk9zo82fuNJlF0QH1r__ZaQSQYvW67oe0XGgSHkJxNwIyRwWVoNCF3wi4-6gBf6B58pk9AG1Wlg03LJJ_2ijHtmJa-xezxksaJjgr2LPCwH4DcArBtaFmKbwqLRfKYZezf5zs66OF_El/s400/20956_245810451875_4473846_n.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Houtou in a cast iron bowl to add to its "hearty" appeal.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdHaN1-ol54TeFzvdVYudQ3Jx-r47_wZwH-lpassKWTLD9OnL9sPQPteZKg7MrPVuIpAhbW-s32oZySVvtAAcGurM73uVtME7L-H7waPI9xuqIWGbGq1nUw2vH_l8SQiirpSqS56z_Kll-/s1600/20956_245810476875_6734843_n.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdHaN1-ol54TeFzvdVYudQ3Jx-r47_wZwH-lpassKWTLD9OnL9sPQPteZKg7MrPVuIpAhbW-s32oZySVvtAAcGurM73uVtME7L-H7waPI9xuqIWGbGq1nUw2vH_l8SQiirpSqS56z_Kll-/s400/20956_245810476875_6734843_n.jpeg" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The restaurant was a bit gourdy.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Essentially a chunky miso soup, houtou is distinguished by
its thick, flat noodles (they’re a
bit like thick tagliatelle); and pumpkin. As long as you have those ingredients
and the local miso paste, you can pretty much put anything you like in there.
Common ingredients include pork, shiitake mushrooms, potato and sansai
(mountain vegetables, like fiddlehead fern, butterbur etc). Kofu city has a
heap of Houtou restaurants – just walk 10 minutes from the station in any
direction. We just picked the most ‘rustic’ looking one, which was decked out with gourds. The legend is that
local hero Takeda Shingen, invented the dish. Apart from being a fearsome
samurai, he was apparently an enthusiastic promoter of local products. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg49IJfekF38Xi-qJhsqmk3lgDfIYRNI9Tpvw706zv4UQ_NMcTeq0l0hgv76aKytnyXt6tRqF43T2Tqvf5Ee_UsYQRS-7y0n2WC702m7rv0_uXu7DavHQty_m5GRS585b4YlxwFqGuWwEPc/s1600/File%253ATakeda_Shingen.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg49IJfekF38Xi-qJhsqmk3lgDfIYRNI9Tpvw706zv4UQ_NMcTeq0l0hgv76aKytnyXt6tRqF43T2Tqvf5Ee_UsYQRS-7y0n2WC702m7rv0_uXu7DavHQty_m5GRS585b4YlxwFqGuWwEPc/s400/File%253ATakeda_Shingen.jpeg" width="270" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mr Takeda, houtou PR manager.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv9nLa-Xp55zpXvZeHmJMEsVSYJax3xEsqM9dFCl1-MZ4PfdMsDuFCW4WDn0ndOVTRi5xLODIMorKeHZpHstrC4yEurEA_j_1kvOuA2N2RTeTCR89m_szDUJuTEalT6brWaXDdYIvfj81j/s1600/houtou1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv9nLa-Xp55zpXvZeHmJMEsVSYJax3xEsqM9dFCl1-MZ4PfdMsDuFCW4WDn0ndOVTRi5xLODIMorKeHZpHstrC4yEurEA_j_1kvOuA2N2RTeTCR89m_szDUJuTEalT6brWaXDdYIvfj81j/s400/houtou1.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just add vegetables</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghai83WwpxY3aCaCWKmqE59mAxJF4IUrtPXxsOSbPBIRwMRhvyAGikEeg5S1-BDw1rjJ93PKjzE4YWImLADoFRxOy8xDLI3Fk2q8MbsgmiLqnFzTj2XFyy9lMcCi5uECv0szrP2Xhb9OxJ/s1600/houtou2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghai83WwpxY3aCaCWKmqE59mAxJF4IUrtPXxsOSbPBIRwMRhvyAGikEeg5S1-BDw1rjJ93PKjzE4YWImLADoFRxOy8xDLI3Fk2q8MbsgmiLqnFzTj2XFyy9lMcCi5uECv0szrP2Xhb9OxJ/s400/houtou2.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Add the miso right at the end - dissolve it gradually into the soup.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0WhdxKcIXG2mPaPzBWa9yHQvSaj3j4UTh-N-dTqykXW5BjDLLfiqYt1PtDfN1QrDRVmk9yqb1Yio26LUXr3wT4SHO8rM1Wgg41ZBd9lhYuKNiOWgZMKuT0_Qwg1njzuoimf3B40750K-O/s1600/houtou3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0WhdxKcIXG2mPaPzBWa9yHQvSaj3j4UTh-N-dTqykXW5BjDLLfiqYt1PtDfN1QrDRVmk9yqb1Yio26LUXr3wT4SHO8rM1Wgg41ZBd9lhYuKNiOWgZMKuT0_Qwg1njzuoimf3B40750K-O/s320/houtou3.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finished! Chunky & satisfying. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: 12pt;">Houtou
is easy to make at home – and I guess if you can’t get the proper noodles, then
udon would do in a pinch, but houtou noodles are actually made in a slightly
different way: more like dumpling dough, and they have a nice chewy consistency
(you could use sanuki udon, I guess). Because the noodles are quite
robust, there’s no need to boil them separately – just throw them in the pot
with everything else. I got a
little souvenir kit, which had the noodles and miso. You still need to add
dashi to simmer the vegetables and noodles in. Niboshi – dashi made from dried
sardines – is typical. Healthy, delicious and filling - what more do you want? Well, maybe a decent glass of wine...</span><!--EndFragment-->Meibutsuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03880063999432978745noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758386577153761130.post-66456349187993214582012-10-28T22:57:00.001-07:002012-10-28T22:57:26.968-07:00Yatsuhashi Halloween<br />
Where did the month go? Suddenly it's almost Halloween, which seems to be getting more popular in Japan, every year.<br />
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I've been thinking about a Kyoto post for a while - but Kyoto is overwhelming. I mean, there are so many fabulous specialties and there's a photo op around every corner. I will get to it soon! But in the meantime, I thought this Kyoto specialty was perfect for Halloween.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Soft and powdery deliciousness.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside is black sesame paste</td></tr>
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Kurogoma Yatsuhashi, or black sesame yatsuhashi is a kind of fashionable twist on the traditional Kyoto sweet. Like a lot of Japanese sweets, yatsuhashi is made with mochi rice flour. This type is "nama" or raw/ fresh yatsuhashi. You can also get a crunchy, cookie type versions.<br />
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The name means eight bridges and from what I can work out, it's based on the traditional eight plank bridges that lead viewers slowly through an iris garden. Baked yatsuhashi look just like little planks and perhaps herringbone pattern of the bridges also inspired the distinctive triangular sweets. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Irises at Yatsuhashi by Kourin Ogata which you can find at the Met Museum, NY.</td></tr>
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The mochi is usually flavoured with cinnamon ("nikki" in Japanese) and the filling is bean paste. But recently, a whole raft of other flavours have hit the market, to entice a younger customer. You can also get chocolate, matcha tea, sakura in spring and even choco banana for the many school kids who flock to Kyoto. But my favourite is black sesame, which is sweet but nutty (and I heard it achieves its strong colour from the addition of bamboo charcoal).<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The very simple, elegant packaging</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">When you remove the outer paper, you find the store name embossed on the box.</td></tr>
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You can buy yatsuhashi all over Kyoto, but my favourite shop (which you'll also find all over Kyoto and at Kyoto station), is Otabe. They've been making these little treats for over 200 years. At the branch near Nishiki koji market (another must-visit in Kyoto), you can also make your own sweets in a little workshop above the shop. At Y600, it's about the same price as a box of yatsuhashi, but you have the satisfaction of making it yourself.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Make your own.</td></tr>
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Here's the link to Otabe: http://www.otabe.co.jp/map/shop.htmlMeibutsuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03880063999432978745noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758386577153761130.post-85708068510655870022012-10-08T08:29:00.000-07:002012-10-08T08:29:11.916-07:00Pretty thingsI am such a sucker for a pretty package.<br />
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At least, when it comes to omiyage, what's inside is usually pretty good, too. I've noticed quite a lot of omiyage packaging has gone kind of Taisho-era recently. I remember years ago in Sydney, I saw an exhibition called "Taisho Chic" or something. It was all about the Moga - Modern Girls - with Louise Brooks style bobs, who smoked cigarettes, went to cafes and listened to Jazz. Yes, Japan had flappers too. Like England's Edwardian era, Taisho was quite short (1912 - 1926), but it was a time of creativity and democracy, which unfortunately got taken over by militarism and... well, a lot of big problems that are still festering today.<br />
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Anyway, what's important here, is that it inspired some lovely Deco style design. Sometimes, you can still find examples Taisho-era architecture, though they're rare. Kawagoe has a nice mix of Meiji-style, Taisho and early Showa buildings. Tokyo's Imperial Hotel, by Frank Lloyd Wright, even survived (but was damaged in) the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 and WWII. Part of it has now been reassembled in Meiji Mura near Nagoya. I hope I can see it there one day. The Old Imperial Bar in Tokyo, while not original, is in the style of the time. I'm always on the lookout for Taisho-era or at least Taisho-style places.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Tipsy" by Kobayakawa Kiyoshi</td></tr>
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Ok, so on to the food! First up, Shiseido Parlour. Originally a soda fountain attached to the Shiseido Pharmacy in 1902, it became a cafe and purveyor of sweets and oddly, one of the first places to serve western-style dishes like croquettes (korroke). So it's 110 years old this year - as good an excuse as any to visit. The famous cinnabar red building in Ginza houses the sweets on the ground floor, and a cafe, restaurant and function spaces upstairs.<br />
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This is a limited edition for Autumn: chestnut flavoured cheese cake. The package is really lovely; a mix of gloss and matte black, and though you can't really see it in the photo, the chestnuts are printed in bronze. The use of the branches to frame the name reminds me of those Arts & Crafts style houses in California. Then inside, you get three miniature cheese cakes, which are really light and 'cakey'. Inside, you'll find smooth, sweet chestnut paste. The flavours work well together. They smell amazing, too - surprisingly 'home made'. They demand strong coffee. About 650Yen for 3 (you can get bigger boxes, but there's that temptation to eat them all and not share!)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Must have been a very expensive printing job - you can't really see here, but it's a mix of matte and gloss black, plus metallic.<br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Three little boxes inside and three exquisite cheese cakes.</td></tr>
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Next, the beautiful simplicity of Higashiya. If you've been to the Higashiya cafe in Ginza (in the Pola Building), you'll know they make an art form of simplicity.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the entrance</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside the cafe</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Very simple - the most delicious shiomusubi (all I could afford that day, actually!) and some yuzu green tea.<br /><br /></td></tr>
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If you can't get to their cafe, try "Higashiyaman" in Aoyama - just around the corner from Issey Miyake - and you can get fresh sweets to take away. This tin, in black and white, mirrors the brand's logo. Inside, you'll find delicate, crispy rice treats called okoshi. These ones are flavoured with ginger.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's the kind of tin you'll keep for a long time after the sweets are finished.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig_oqZ64ty_u3BiyKmxVWOhGh7a7qo3PIXFr0BRQHjaRgvySD8kn6fdY-xV-lwQUFmkvGuTlYjfP28PyEgeGBN_AB9J1ePc-XEe2Zxb00H6LYLEYtEBHDu0wq6aKuo07oJWOLsgYKGBBqE/s1600/402726_10150451282581876_937210510_n.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig_oqZ64ty_u3BiyKmxVWOhGh7a7qo3PIXFr0BRQHjaRgvySD8kn6fdY-xV-lwQUFmkvGuTlYjfP28PyEgeGBN_AB9J1ePc-XEe2Zxb00H6LYLEYtEBHDu0wq6aKuo07oJWOLsgYKGBBqE/s400/402726_10150451282581876_937210510_n.jpeg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The shopping bag.<br /><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Next, we detour to Hokkaido on our packaging tour, and a little earlier - to the Meiji era. I had heard of the Sapporo Agricultural College before - apparently in the 1880s they had one of the most successful English programs, using language immersion. It became Hokkaido University in 1918, but the Agricultural part still functions as a faculty. And they make amazing cookies! These are light, crispy, buttery shortbread cookies. Well, actually, they don't make the cookies themselves. A Sapporo sweets company called Kinotoya make these "just like grandma's but fancier" cookies, for the university. They started making them in 2005, and inside the box, you'll find the phrase "Boys be ambitious" (nearly typed ambiguous, which might be more appropriate these days). It's the famous catch phrase of 1880s Hokkaido University professor Dr William Clark. It's nice to know that some of the profits from the cookies will go to the university's greenery program.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtYr7JAcGGn-iMta0PwLErYWUExuMn3i5L17LGtN_pzydIUy40JDU_pogpDTlpxb3jW_PedurP_aTVPQtAzSnoj3YLYIV66Zbztw0sgP8bkG8-cxtytSZxidYmGi34QbAa47X_w5AQ7Lu8/s1600/image_3.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtYr7JAcGGn-iMta0PwLErYWUExuMn3i5L17LGtN_pzydIUy40JDU_pogpDTlpxb3jW_PedurP_aTVPQtAzSnoj3YLYIV66Zbztw0sgP8bkG8-cxtytSZxidYmGi34QbAa47X_w5AQ7Lu8/s400/image_3.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Retro design, based on the original logo of the University.<br /><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
And finally, something quite new, but in the spirit of the era. This is another limited seasonal design, using a motif of ginko leaves. Wa.bi.sa is an offshoot of confectioner Yoku Moku (you have to visit their amazing "Blue Brick Lounge" in Aoyama - not just sweets! It's very ladies-who-lunch). Anyway, the company is famous for its light, European-style chocolates and biscuits. But what's interesting in a random way, is the name Yoku Moku comes from the Swedish town of Jokkmokk in northern Sweden. Wa.bi.sa (from wabisabi meaning refinement and simplicity in that very zen Japanese way), is their younger, funkier brand, combining traditional Japanese flavours with modern design. I like the transitions of colours on this package, with stylised ginko leaves. Inside, the cookies - a kind of 'karinto' or fried cookie - are green tea flavour and shaped like sakura flowers.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioalil27FrK2aWTRctPmzfmv2Q0ZFfIfmXTnGpOtErHOcWy9e9vkGQTdoi_gfy3SOjv1RzYntmTq6Ei007OBeyodvIW5QnCtkr9UNPOevsYhuJ_uLxUIY3rnqjpQmeWG-38OAz7jco24Wn/s1600/ming_shikisai.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioalil27FrK2aWTRctPmzfmv2Q0ZFfIfmXTnGpOtErHOcWy9e9vkGQTdoi_gfy3SOjv1RzYntmTq6Ei007OBeyodvIW5QnCtkr9UNPOevsYhuJ_uLxUIY3rnqjpQmeWG-38OAz7jco24Wn/s400/ming_shikisai.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is what the cookies inside look like - minus the ribbons.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />Meibutsuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03880063999432978745noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758386577153761130.post-6163458811125562242012-09-07T23:07:00.001-07:002012-09-07T23:13:54.125-07:00Wakayama 和歌山Get out of town<br />
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Last week, we took a late summer holiday in Katsuura,
Wakayama prefecture. It’s near the border with Mie and close to Nara and
the whole area is rich with history – you’ve got Ise Jingu shrine in Mie, where
the sun goddess Amaterasu, the legendary ancestor of the Japanese royal family
is enshrined. Then there’s the city of Nara, which was the capital of Japan
from 710AD and then you have Nachi no Taki, or Nachi waterfall, which predates Shinto as a place of worship. Then if you head west into Wakayama, you reach
Koyasan, one of the most sacred places for Japanese Buddhism. Basically, the
whole Kii pensinsular is one big World Heritage site!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Aside from the history, the area is really
beautiful. The densely forested mountains run down towards the sea and the bays
are dotted with little islands. In forests full of huge cedar
and camphor trees, I felt like I was in the forests of the Ghibli movie,
“Mononoke Hime” (although the movie’s forests were apparently inspired by Yakushima,
in Kyushu). Katsuura is also famous for hot springs; a perfect place for a
short break!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5INzZ7L6VTLMC66cWwqY4_PUlS1QEuWlIL0DIucmHtzlZmQZta9-0njRKUUHoJZ2vVNfPxYan91xE2TvnUIydoavMJzCvEZIjENJv9FbzN4uT2P8O8hV8wkzhh7eixUP0vUoPEf_MvkXW/s1600/DSC07883.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5INzZ7L6VTLMC66cWwqY4_PUlS1QEuWlIL0DIucmHtzlZmQZta9-0njRKUUHoJZ2vVNfPxYan91xE2TvnUIydoavMJzCvEZIjENJv9FbzN4uT2P8O8hV8wkzhh7eixUP0vUoPEf_MvkXW/s400/DSC07883.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nachi no Taki</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9YOnTwdO9ddrfy3E40YNVElFBGlXKkKU1siYAVr52Oqx9hWiUUPSLvrXdC2BFR21a-jbWOjElL-7Jl7oVWifaDPAfTm6clE_jVFtrYJ6pXYEuI7lbJmQNYARHyLDZwZ-9BkbezgrZ116w/s1600/DSC07911.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9YOnTwdO9ddrfy3E40YNVElFBGlXKkKU1siYAVr52Oqx9hWiUUPSLvrXdC2BFR21a-jbWOjElL-7Jl7oVWifaDPAfTm6clE_jVFtrYJ6pXYEuI7lbJmQNYARHyLDZwZ-9BkbezgrZ116w/s400/DSC07911.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kumano Nachi</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxas9hc0pLVCRmyG4HZejLcSNYuTU4a-FYxQRA5kX2fiqEY5RkCnR4srUE9qcXa93-M2OfdsKAKwEjpSyRDfD-jihm7JL8pGW2im4vXrbJa_vZQB40tMG1CPv5eaGiqoNPtZTTMbbflJn_/s1600/DSC07896.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxas9hc0pLVCRmyG4HZejLcSNYuTU4a-FYxQRA5kX2fiqEY5RkCnR4srUE9qcXa93-M2OfdsKAKwEjpSyRDfD-jihm7JL8pGW2im4vXrbJa_vZQB40tMG1CPv5eaGiqoNPtZTTMbbflJn_/s400/DSC07896.jpg" width="387" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can dress up like a Heian era pilgrim</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFAb4FnESJOZsJc3K4Yf6PIYivOigI9LdrE78XXw5mV81nMgcztkJMB7FDJ-ctqV1LGTaeI-dNBQijOMyyYHOVGFww6Dz3wn8f5V3jQwYS3x7tOTPsUuXfa240HrZ8qtpnFrn9_5CElDa9/s1600/DSC07936.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFAb4FnESJOZsJc3K4Yf6PIYivOigI9LdrE78XXw5mV81nMgcztkJMB7FDJ-ctqV1LGTaeI-dNBQijOMyyYHOVGFww6Dz3wn8f5V3jQwYS3x7tOTPsUuXfa240HrZ8qtpnFrn9_5CElDa9/s400/DSC07936.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kumano Nachi Taisha</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZEr-itTvoGIh569sNvjxXBXbJimj0y6PvGlWaimIcxC3yxNY4eVBwnGnZcpraybshd4wZAyRKt1TvImJxDCEBFhM61ieQ9QQAtEjudBctQ3dz1jGyPtZtjRtX58DZMy8of2YuaZDddBmK/s1600/DSC07947.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZEr-itTvoGIh569sNvjxXBXbJimj0y6PvGlWaimIcxC3yxNY4eVBwnGnZcpraybshd4wZAyRKt1TvImJxDCEBFhM61ieQ9QQAtEjudBctQ3dz1jGyPtZtjRtX58DZMy8of2YuaZDddBmK/s400/DSC07947.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The stone toro make handy frames for the waterfall</td></tr>
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But we’re here for meibutsu and omiyage. And there’s plenty!
The great thing about staying in a Japanese style hotel, is the kaiseki ryouri,
composed of local specialties. Course after course is served up in the comfort
of your room. We had local tuna sashimi; Matsusaka wagyu beef from nearby Mie – one of the three “top
brands” of Japanese beef; and wakayama plums – both pickled as umeboshi and made
into umeshu wine. One night, dessert was a simple chilled mikan (mandarin),
another Wakayama specialty, and sweets made of kinkan (kumquat).</div>
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The restaurants around Kii-katsuura station offer a crazy variety of different tuna dishes. I tried maguro katsu, essentially a crumbed and fried tuna
steak, which was delicious and meaty, but I wished it had been left a little
pink in the middle. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_q3vfBCRByg6xPP_P4rrL1D-OiA9OD2d_5OaqI7MzrNF691tWAbdXlbEPujCYmlKzsmo0SSRCDAocVayQkpR3KifcwHBTAoFvzawv8Cr1xe_iNoV0HZjtxXd1lLtFkRyKsKSnTZvDNyTw/s1600/DSC07819.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_q3vfBCRByg6xPP_P4rrL1D-OiA9OD2d_5OaqI7MzrNF691tWAbdXlbEPujCYmlKzsmo0SSRCDAocVayQkpR3KifcwHBTAoFvzawv8Cr1xe_iNoV0HZjtxXd1lLtFkRyKsKSnTZvDNyTw/s400/DSC07819.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maguro katsu</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVJWeg4uUhUCZu6oJTGLVauYJzniG_6_BgJKrkaV4itMpKN-a8fzS86C8blOZdxmh3WrVyCbojdZd8VtVs0zPLbCjew4zDr4O-dH4j6VtF9Jf6L7pzQ6LIPhlT-ZgPryf4QvTEoFsA_r4R/s1600/DSC08002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVJWeg4uUhUCZu6oJTGLVauYJzniG_6_BgJKrkaV4itMpKN-a8fzS86C8blOZdxmh3WrVyCbojdZd8VtVs0zPLbCjew4zDr4O-dH4j6VtF9Jf6L7pzQ6LIPhlT-ZgPryf4QvTEoFsA_r4R/s400/DSC08002.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sanma sushi</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibpr7lhLSCCZcD5orQLZw3nahx0JZdOOoxqVVkE0p63mJZZ2eDOGcBdRnDuNUwjKRiNkr6txXmTgbplGM_u0bHoj_daLuGIFYoCGwPE4nX0qIJx6WUJnEzAXdObl-p7kjvIqk7P9cIIUSF/s1600/DSC08001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibpr7lhLSCCZcD5orQLZw3nahx0JZdOOoxqVVkE0p63mJZZ2eDOGcBdRnDuNUwjKRiNkr6txXmTgbplGM_u0bHoj_daLuGIFYoCGwPE4nX0qIJx6WUJnEzAXdObl-p7kjvIqk7P9cIIUSF/s400/DSC08001.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mehari sushi</td></tr>
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The best meibutsu we tried was also the simplest: sanma
sushi and mehari sushi. Sanma (pacific saury), is lightly pickled with salt and
vinegar; a little similar to saba sushi, but the taste is lighter. I think there was a little yuzu in the pickling vinegar – there was a
slight citrus tang. The other specialty, mehari sushi, looks deceptively
simple. It’s a big rice ball, wrapped in salted mustard greens. The name
“mehari” apparently comes from the way you have to open your eyes wide when you
cram one in your mouth. My husband said hopefully, “oh, maybe you could try
making these at home!” so I asked the lady selling mehari sushi bento what kind
of leaves she used. She told me it was takana, a kind of mustard leaf. But the hard
part is in preparing the leaves – they’re sun-dried and salted, then washed and
squeezed and the tough stalk cut out. The stalk can be diced, mixed with a
little soy sauce and mixed with the rice if you want. The leaves are also
dipped in soy sauce, then wrapped around the rice. Leave them for a few hours
to let the flavour soak into the rice. Delicious! I think I need to make a trip
to the Wakayama store near Yurakucho station to look for pre-prepared takana
leaves. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxgRjUHiefmyVP7M9aURX0ZlCctM0QaRWiYMaJxv2OvzUfGqQiUW0QXtMEvNbUCZpU_8ykFB1LqyjJFpOJUUUTDPkYtJUogGz40flkL4lkEbkMcsccEcU1roqIC5Zddm_8VJrh-23GEBPu/s1600/DSC07895.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxgRjUHiefmyVP7M9aURX0ZlCctM0QaRWiYMaJxv2OvzUfGqQiUW0QXtMEvNbUCZpU_8ykFB1LqyjJFpOJUUUTDPkYtJUogGz40flkL4lkEbkMcsccEcU1roqIC5Zddm_8VJrh-23GEBPu/s400/DSC07895.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ume icecream</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIzLAvlviqM1XWVYtHo-hqyE97ZWf0mteroljlsgtK02VsaqkkAGHeQhaO8ehIONGaLl52U5LmqmrlPvE2l-dnFnhlSnXJcQ0GLAk8pMOf5D61RFsKi_WFgXpciG7yj7HJmErl60gxgpug/s1600/DSC07816.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIzLAvlviqM1XWVYtHo-hqyE97ZWf0mteroljlsgtK02VsaqkkAGHeQhaO8ehIONGaLl52U5LmqmrlPvE2l-dnFnhlSnXJcQ0GLAk8pMOf5D61RFsKi_WFgXpciG7yj7HJmErl60gxgpug/s400/DSC07816.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Around Kii-Katsuura. Maguro udon looks interesting!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQKOBQifBjnJ3z2dBsPYMi_VhUXFH7jVkE_eDIXU4tNxXfgENfgRJW2wzeV1wiBjBedgliNyKctWiy3rYI1F5tZ1bKTqwJRLl_CvrhEpoMz4DYxrB40Q0wKxtDgOPlC3GTyS5JYQZomYIs/s1600/DSC08043.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQKOBQifBjnJ3z2dBsPYMi_VhUXFH7jVkE_eDIXU4tNxXfgENfgRJW2wzeV1wiBjBedgliNyKctWiy3rYI1F5tZ1bKTqwJRLl_CvrhEpoMz4DYxrB40Q0wKxtDgOPlC3GTyS5JYQZomYIs/s400/DSC08043.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The very busy roundabout!</td></tr>
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If you like sweets, try the local kuro ame – black sugar candy and kuromitsu – brown sugar
syrup (kuromitsu icecream is delicious! I also recommend the ume, plum soft
serve icecream near Nachi Falls – it’s just slightly sour like umeboshi: really
refreshing!). Citrus fruits are a specialty of Wakayama – not just mikan, but
dekopon, yuzu, kinkan, hassaku and jabara. We found a little fruit shop near
the station offering “sherbet” made from various citrus fruits.
Perched at the plastic picnic table out the front, eating dekopon sorbet while
watching the passing parade (no cars, one old lady with a dog, one fisherman in
rubber boots) on the very sleepy Showa street, was a very relaxing way to kill
time before our train home. <o:p></o:p></div>
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You’ll find a lot of things carved out of black stone around
the Nachi area, and almost every home and hotel has a huge chunk of black stone
in the garden or entrance. It turns gorgeously glossy in the rain. We have one at home too, a gift from a relative from
years ago. Now I know where it came from! I bought a little daruma made of the stone, but I was really looking
for a good three legged crow, called “Yatagarasu”. You see the crow motif all over the
area – from the Shinto shrines to the local bus station. Apparently, the crow
was a messenger of the gods, and a good navigator. No one seems to know why he
has three legs.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMWa915kgqaL-DKQc9XjfXEtknBxzs0CqYYJqh8uE66pHmNXPS2tf-GGOOAOyXF9NNLZgpvllOlMsYsHO35UEJ_D2NTEpEhkfxr6o3w6e1xd9ImqvGvt5cNNgRLHGx9zf4f0NzVJ7Gnd9d/s1600/DSC08045.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMWa915kgqaL-DKQc9XjfXEtknBxzs0CqYYJqh8uE66pHmNXPS2tf-GGOOAOyXF9NNLZgpvllOlMsYsHO35UEJ_D2NTEpEhkfxr6o3w6e1xd9ImqvGvt5cNNgRLHGx9zf4f0NzVJ7Gnd9d/s640/DSC08045.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Had to buy these Kumano Sanzan black rusk sweets made with kuro ame, just for the stylised crow wrapping!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSmhbY-wlyrNWX5s4CsXSZRgi4m-QofGZETZ3985TcwMaL1R1M4vM-bQkrsufUKI95n_ZHu33VW3Pu91W0hgzO-8lT2MEkPihULnKdX1lih-eSBo-1fZyufOSFwvnY6AxFe4CNcxCMH6Tf/s1600/dscn0590.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSmhbY-wlyrNWX5s4CsXSZRgi4m-QofGZETZ3985TcwMaL1R1M4vM-bQkrsufUKI95n_ZHu33VW3Pu91W0hgzO-8lT2MEkPihULnKdX1lih-eSBo-1fZyufOSFwvnY6AxFe4CNcxCMH6Tf/s400/dscn0590.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kumano Sanzan Black Rusk was launched this year - it's made by celebrity confectioner Hironobu Tsujiguchi. Here he is with a black stone, three legged crow.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhReC9vZ1Vxqyp1u1ECbLoijvQMjuEYxU2xsBzxFoxQInFXO_CRUo2RranS2VCl2rp1vDAWYPBFNE2GNA5Iaku0SyS_9mzhKEnJy4-Q3gCHrzaugHqx76bMHDOkNedS7Vr8C6vwlO7oodSN/s1600/img58207515.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhReC9vZ1Vxqyp1u1ECbLoijvQMjuEYxU2xsBzxFoxQInFXO_CRUo2RranS2VCl2rp1vDAWYPBFNE2GNA5Iaku0SyS_9mzhKEnJy4-Q3gCHrzaugHqx76bMHDOkNedS7Vr8C6vwlO7oodSN/s320/img58207515.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside, they look terribly burnt, but they're tasty and very crunchy.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf2p_hLlFfalj_hr7HeeUsi9T2E4ec5-wbhvJJhXNGZrf27uyjtDF00bRq8lQ_sSLa5rpbeyTGdbZLDESl1lZLu95YCEgfbClP6tlu4K7CTUIMH8e1UCOfEteZ29mbUUpW96IYSaGM_fX_/s1600/DSC07788.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf2p_hLlFfalj_hr7HeeUsi9T2E4ec5-wbhvJJhXNGZrf27uyjtDF00bRq8lQ_sSLa5rpbeyTGdbZLDESl1lZLu95YCEgfbClP6tlu4K7CTUIMH8e1UCOfEteZ29mbUUpW96IYSaGM_fX_/s400/DSC07788.jpg" width="243" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A refreshing can of ume & honey drink</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLV0FhyMghMs16BiiLGwDxkbu76tcP8NgkXNRdapQnjI44wx1NrYooimyw-vQlPIVIV-gDtsn6gCOvKWx3pvAC0rGEfqw9W1KteUhR2UFl2IkyMZFEr6itfMD9vP9OOTrej3ISJSBm8mZi/s1600/DSC08050.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLV0FhyMghMs16BiiLGwDxkbu76tcP8NgkXNRdapQnjI44wx1NrYooimyw-vQlPIVIV-gDtsn6gCOvKWx3pvAC0rGEfqw9W1KteUhR2UFl2IkyMZFEr6itfMD9vP9OOTrej3ISJSBm8mZi/s400/DSC08050.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mikan caramels. Yummy!</td></tr>
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Getting there: The trains and major roads wrap around the
coast, so it can take hours to get around Wakayama. We took a train from
Nagoya, the “Wide View Nanki”, an express train which takes almost four hours,
but the scenery was beautiful. It’s a diesel engine train, so it sounds like a
tractor is driving you there! Getting to the shrines is also pretty easy –
there are buses from Kii-Katsuura station up to Nachi falls (you can also get
off halfway up the hill and walk up the historic Daimon Zaka, a beautiful,
paved forest path for pilgrims – takes around 30 mins, but a LOT of stairs). If
you want to visit Hongu shrine, Kamikura shrine (built under a huge rock) and
Doro gorge, you can take buses from Shingu station. If you want to spend most of your time on the
other side of Wakayama and Koyasan, it’s probably better to take a train from
Osaka.<o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Meibutsuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03880063999432978745noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758386577153761130.post-63830896546271578442012-08-30T04:07:00.000-07:002012-08-30T04:08:40.029-07:00Specially selected Kamenoko Tawashi<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3tDSMBtE68pI6iKmglR3JToFhenBORNJQ7C2FbsCFmj90qT-GMABBrk0uTSwGitY1lkdTRbU_tejH7x0OoAkZaNG7h4WAphSYaVEvwxYzZNCQsSp5GtSWs8XYxd3mFqJlH5fna2gUnRbL/s1600/retoro_kanban.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3tDSMBtE68pI6iKmglR3JToFhenBORNJQ7C2FbsCFmj90qT-GMABBrk0uTSwGitY1lkdTRbU_tejH7x0OoAkZaNG7h4WAphSYaVEvwxYzZNCQsSp5GtSWs8XYxd3mFqJlH5fna2gUnRbL/s1600/retoro_kanban.jpeg" /></a></div>
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Getting away from food for the moment, perhaps my earliest encounter with a Japanese "meibutsu", is a very ordinary thing. It's a humble pot scrubber with a tortoise logo. Kamenoko Tawashi - literally "young tortoise scourer" has been around for over 100 years, but I first heard of it through the awesome Osaka band, Shonen Knife. See, I'm a true child of the '90s. Their song "Tortoise brand pot cleaner, specially selected pot cleaner, the best pot cleaner in the world is specially selected tortoise brand..." is so inane, but it stuck in my head. So when I saw the real thing, I had to get it. It's great that such an ordinary item can take me back to those days of Stone's Ginger Wine, The Big Day Out and the old Century Tavern on George & Liverpool Sts in Sydney. And at only 315 yen it would make a very cheap souvenir! It's wonderful in its simplicity - the bristles, made of coconut fibre, are finer and more flexible than cheaper versions, it's bound with rope and finished off with a wire hanger. The packaging hasn't changed much in about 100 years, except it's plastic now. It can't be improved. It just is, the best pot cleaner in the world.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin5ieTD0GH8gFuQf0UTvB8daMxqlqT3n-L2vxEfE1hVVvyiPFBUYGFBJtuBHctHV7teSUbznbu7CdVIVvsxR7dzoT_iQXqQi0T_oRbKHhRu9idl_TUGZjcg-6vwmfg7WggBTfOLAGwNsEn/s1600/kame1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin5ieTD0GH8gFuQf0UTvB8daMxqlqT3n-L2vxEfE1hVVvyiPFBUYGFBJtuBHctHV7teSUbznbu7CdVIVvsxR7dzoT_iQXqQi0T_oRbKHhRu9idl_TUGZjcg-6vwmfg7WggBTfOLAGwNsEn/s400/kame1.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The packaging </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJoVsh6LhSLqIAlzpCbkokLiedBZPwarMcHUWpbG4GAewgdt4vk_qvN_M5up1BXs2l-Kk0RjDuPchBHIHZPqOGV7YmoOGqA8d2HtMltrE5Z20y4-2jys6iakCSxJ3zM7iY_-fMveEKAxOE/s1600/kame2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="335" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJoVsh6LhSLqIAlzpCbkokLiedBZPwarMcHUWpbG4GAewgdt4vk_qvN_M5up1BXs2l-Kk0RjDuPchBHIHZPqOGV7YmoOGqA8d2HtMltrE5Z20y4-2jys6iakCSxJ3zM7iY_-fMveEKAxOE/s400/kame2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It does what it says on the tin.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Here's a link to the company's website: <a href="http://www.kamenoko-tawashi.co.jp/">kamenoko-tawashi</a>. They're based near Itabashi Tokyo, so you could say this is a meibutsu of North Tokyo. If you want to hear the Shonen Knife song (the English version; there's also an original Japanese version on the Burning Farm EP), here it is: <a href="http://youtu.be/D3pXLlOHGJg">Shonen Knife Let's Knife</a><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_RhEVURRJJrQXfNZ44y317oRtlIm1NW9sYwqMhWWKZdPo23n3Fwl4IJdLZeK_asoNUCBRL7YbIkdt2X_bGocTZdBXRgXE9kmI1IoVZU3IMsYYKVhNkS5maqHH3ifAF3TikhTm_kETNLEG/s1600/arekore_image.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="327" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_RhEVURRJJrQXfNZ44y317oRtlIm1NW9sYwqMhWWKZdPo23n3Fwl4IJdLZeK_asoNUCBRL7YbIkdt2X_bGocTZdBXRgXE9kmI1IoVZU3IMsYYKVhNkS5maqHH3ifAF3TikhTm_kETNLEG/s400/arekore_image.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Earlier packaging, from the company website.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL3KJExr5sqRbEBysupMovngcz9MX51opZgXNbAkGXdXx0tg_8gtjFYrad55V1CTs3_iIbiNLCmALnaWIS9iFWj5VbElQ5LKeSY0NLEoYLN_ofhzCYbD22p0gZ7gTTDL1gwWyFHTTPSp6i/s1600/outdoor.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiL3KJExr5sqRbEBysupMovngcz9MX51opZgXNbAkGXdXx0tg_8gtjFYrad55V1CTs3_iIbiNLCmALnaWIS9iFWj5VbElQ5LKeSY0NLEoYLN_ofhzCYbD22p0gZ7gTTDL1gwWyFHTTPSp6i/s400/outdoor.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They now also make a questionable range of 'cute' animals. I think I'll pass.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDzOleCuAA0bSDEWaUzrzxa1Tl4n0T9HeK3ai65ShgXzyNnuq-ik8t9jnKWLm-HxDR1QcnHvnhKkaUJAH-r6w3XF6jI5ntJrYESnsMm1G-LLyTiM0tMsVqCxr5KqllB_vEj3tOBkQIZ8BV/s1600/lets-knife.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDzOleCuAA0bSDEWaUzrzxa1Tl4n0T9HeK3ai65ShgXzyNnuq-ik8t9jnKWLm-HxDR1QcnHvnhKkaUJAH-r6w3XF6jI5ntJrYESnsMm1G-LLyTiM0tMsVqCxr5KqllB_vEj3tOBkQIZ8BV/s320/lets-knife.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The band that started it all.</td></tr>
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<br />Meibutsuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03880063999432978745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758386577153761130.post-64597313807649691482012-08-22T21:57:00.000-07:002012-08-22T21:57:54.696-07:00IkameshiThe full squid<br />
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One of the things I love about train stations in Japan, is they often have promotions by far-flung regions to promote their cuisine and attractions. This week, my local station has a stall from Morimachi, near Hakodate, in Hokkaido. I've always wanted to visit Hakodate, but I had never heard of Morimachi.<br />
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Looking at pictures, it doesn't seem to have a whole lot to offer, but it's on Uchiura Bay, with the twin peaks of Mt Komagatake behind it (come to think of it, the town does look quite a bit like the "Twin Peaks"of David Lynch's imagination. I wonder if they have a Log Lady?).<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYZNh7zbU1lyczFI8HasKDV0t2b2FlIoqS5BHJLYBVRoZEEkuWQ5knUsCmTLQMJqSQzwrdJ6FHYMH7CmIxeKOevZKxOw5sQ7Mb2uiZ4Qb-qkK8cmApRCmI9Cs-NBG94uWplNy35BqZZLjl/s1600/P9060189.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYZNh7zbU1lyczFI8HasKDV0t2b2FlIoqS5BHJLYBVRoZEEkuWQ5knUsCmTLQMJqSQzwrdJ6FHYMH7CmIxeKOevZKxOw5sQ7Mb2uiZ4Qb-qkK8cmApRCmI9Cs-NBG94uWplNy35BqZZLjl/s320/P9060189.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The main street</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPkt1xZQdKviYiQBswGXjOoUsOk0BJeSL9vPMBXCjAWYTJ2g6sNMDZvZRShFjKd8__TJvcExtwwfk_NUjjE3Ml45ZBY3nkUjvQimdaYuuHukODYa7LTrzB3gjTLsWbxfNb8t3QMpFEu3Ni/s1600/icatch4.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPkt1xZQdKviYiQBswGXjOoUsOk0BJeSL9vPMBXCjAWYTJ2g6sNMDZvZRShFjKd8__TJvcExtwwfk_NUjjE3Ml45ZBY3nkUjvQimdaYuuHukODYa7LTrzB3gjTLsWbxfNb8t3QMpFEu3Ni/s320/icatch4.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mt Komagatake</td></tr>
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But wait, it does have one very special claim to fame: Ikameshi; whole squid, stuffed with rice and simmered in a sweet soy sauce. Apparently, it was invented in 1941 and became a popular bento for people passing through Hakodate on the train. <br />
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I had never tried it, but my husband had been waxing nostalgic about ikameshi recently, and asked me if I knew how to make it. In theory, yes... I've made the Italian version, calamari ripieni, with lots of garlic and tomato, but stuffing small squid with mochi rice seemed a bit fiddly and the combination of soy sauce and hot squid flesh makes an overpowering aroma when cooking, which has always put me off. However, if you want an easy guide to making ikameshi, I recommend "Cooking With Dog" - our host dog, Francis, wears a very jaunty green hat in this one! Here's a link to the video: <a href="http://youtu.be/q6OYbrRDd_M">Cooking with Dog Ikameshi</a><br />
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So, if you don't have the patience for cleaning and stuffing squid, just buy them! These ikameshi cost Y500 for two, which was plenty for 2 people with a few side dishes.<br />
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On first inspection, they didn't look very appetising, but after heating (you can put them in the microwave for a minute) and slicing into 1cm thick pieces, they were pretty tasty. I still prefer the Italian version, but I might try making ikameshi some time.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ05SvZ1mfcudEG_nj949EDRxLZFsv33Y76JZqdldi23ETzu3Pf6y5WoQOBul4pDGkzYHh5EL1Zgww59Iv3v77iJkSfjLULlZmt3mcNfloefucwCtEdYKRcbrQm_fZBBs3WD5eb8S6_G5u/s1600/DSC07614.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ05SvZ1mfcudEG_nj949EDRxLZFsv33Y76JZqdldi23ETzu3Pf6y5WoQOBul4pDGkzYHh5EL1Zgww59Iv3v77iJkSfjLULlZmt3mcNfloefucwCtEdYKRcbrQm_fZBBs3WD5eb8S6_G5u/s400/DSC07614.jpg" width="321" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It even says "Morimachi meisan" - Morimachi local specialty; in case you weren't sure.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCDaChIQkp-vVOuUqxYUH1G-_hz-asHjyo9KXdQyR6TSmAenrh-eRjLXeUgiatGEXk5gaqbZQb94q_VaEqInAoAqhmITTk6x7IlhbJRVsOaKudT9cbS5jiU5_Ay6UolbV-6WGNU5hd2c2J/s1600/DSC07615.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCDaChIQkp-vVOuUqxYUH1G-_hz-asHjyo9KXdQyR6TSmAenrh-eRjLXeUgiatGEXk5gaqbZQb94q_VaEqInAoAqhmITTk6x7IlhbJRVsOaKudT9cbS5jiU5_Ay6UolbV-6WGNU5hd2c2J/s400/DSC07615.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They don't look so appetising like this...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtFe7WXvjn7LgW75xp03cKWUVMRf7bfGM92K6oulHnyVVcnSXm3qPNrgpboW8KryQjC6NB2hvlqOWFf-b2Yw3b8-KwGVQEV1HZLGAjnuarBcA2owzTUUyc-rG7J18x22ell-4a2_3iTNL5/s1600/DSC07617.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtFe7WXvjn7LgW75xp03cKWUVMRf7bfGM92K6oulHnyVVcnSXm3qPNrgpboW8KryQjC6NB2hvlqOWFf-b2Yw3b8-KwGVQEV1HZLGAjnuarBcA2owzTUUyc-rG7J18x22ell-4a2_3iTNL5/s400/DSC07617.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sliced up: much better. They were firm, but not chewy; just right.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRzgfGtGKQEhznmthis06EbwCz7mXRLJgb5M2e-NHZMbBrHjRY0s844PMbcv0V3xYGtb-QNT-6J76cywDJtsu9b80yvIMzpcwdtKasqmwqn-LLr6RpRx140NNpIuI6czahhhvzvuPTC2BB/s1600/SG-SK_B1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRzgfGtGKQEhznmthis06EbwCz7mXRLJgb5M2e-NHZMbBrHjRY0s844PMbcv0V3xYGtb-QNT-6J76cywDJtsu9b80yvIMzpcwdtKasqmwqn-LLr6RpRx140NNpIuI6czahhhvzvuPTC2BB/s320/SG-SK_B1.jpeg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the company's website you can buy funky ikameshi key chains. Hope they don't smell like ikameshi!</td></tr>
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<br />Meibutsuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03880063999432978745noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758386577153761130.post-69289197632518544732012-08-01T21:11:00.000-07:002012-08-02T04:01:01.225-07:00Nice package!Osaka<br />
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It's been too hot to travel much recently, so I cheated, and visited the Kotsu Kaikan building in front of Yurakucho station. It has a bunch of shops dedicated to different regions of Japan. The biggest is the Hokkaido shop, which has a very popular Hokkaido Soft Cream stand, but I followed the sweet scent of barbecue sauce and found the Osaka shop, where you can buy freshly made okonomiyaki and takoyaki. I've been to Osaka a few times, and it has a great Showa-era atmosphere, especially in the area around Dotombori. You've probably seen the famous Glico neon sign, Kuidaore Taro-kun (the slightly spooky clown fellow with a drum), and the giant crab, not to mention Osaka's retro Tsutenkaku tower.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV7td10-ePUaAsEaccBMpSR4gaxvHfO0AOPX3v3pTfgWqYT5hvlZVqAkRfc_00ks2s4F_qduXi1OghiXES4p_65ZaZgNP0Iqy6zhSt-9useEwKHkCS6HrbZCOxhioBJBHlXw5hCU-A1zSA/s1600/s.47.8.16tuutenkaku-1.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV7td10-ePUaAsEaccBMpSR4gaxvHfO0AOPX3v3pTfgWqYT5hvlZVqAkRfc_00ks2s4F_qduXi1OghiXES4p_65ZaZgNP0Iqy6zhSt-9useEwKHkCS6HrbZCOxhioBJBHlXw5hCU-A1zSA/s320/s.47.8.16tuutenkaku-1.gif" width="217" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Retro Osaka</td></tr>
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Osaka is famous for its food ("Kuidaore" basically means "live to eat"), but today, it was the packaging that really got my attention. First up, we have Taro-kun starring in his own dessert: "Cui-daore Taro Pudding". The packaging design reminds me of French illustrator Alain Gree's work - very cute, 1960s style. Inside, you'll find 3 rather small puddings (basically creme caramel), packaged with Taro-kun's stripy hat and his face, each with a different expression. You also get a sachet of caramel sauce and a sachet of yummy, crunchy toffee to approximate the experience of eating creme brulee. At Y1,050 it's a bit expensive (the puddings are seriously small!), but they'd make a great gift for a design fan. They're made by Dojima Sweets. Check out the website for a very cute animation of the puddings: <a href="http://www.tarofoods.com/">http://www.tarofoods.com/</a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy1dGeD8XUnEZiabSwSlNZk_LXGxgnRLzohv7m59lSI_Iy4KHtr9DU1p9D5T4At59jcRgeyb37OCgR2aZtNsGQPrakLFiVV8qnhsn1VDS7MEQ5fuqaroMFQWTqh4lXCUGtUBOoPJ1KxK3d/s1600/osaka2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy1dGeD8XUnEZiabSwSlNZk_LXGxgnRLzohv7m59lSI_Iy4KHtr9DU1p9D5T4At59jcRgeyb37OCgR2aZtNsGQPrakLFiVV8qnhsn1VDS7MEQ5fuqaroMFQWTqh4lXCUGtUBOoPJ1KxK3d/s400/osaka2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG_pfVqyO5tcv2NPCqW-YNrdX2UYlnLkTBM6yh5tE2p9h-yBsLqSnVckkM4QQMK9hhVJeoTR5FbWnBYqLe9nG09xPyyfjCY7_7uo9KUKgYnw1egCMW8pD-vxTWODl_HXaQDX4ZX3KeaFL-/s1600/osaka3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG_pfVqyO5tcv2NPCqW-YNrdX2UYlnLkTBM6yh5tE2p9h-yBsLqSnVckkM4QQMK9hhVJeoTR5FbWnBYqLe9nG09xPyyfjCY7_7uo9KUKgYnw1egCMW8pD-vxTWODl_HXaQDX4ZX3KeaFL-/s400/osaka3.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside: the spooky face contains instructions, the sauce and the crunch.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_MJKeuN3d_QdmSeOeEB1hUTPR0tkAQ0mOPUlNNsz5LjKEHq9WZneKlzr5BY4NaqpzV9tM62Dwfpn2qJXv_fZ456AC532MJRubFUW4-n40_RFWjXMAcin5kC4qN4K_cyPvRnY2XuBA6BAy/s1600/osaka4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_MJKeuN3d_QdmSeOeEB1hUTPR0tkAQ0mOPUlNNsz5LjKEHq9WZneKlzr5BY4NaqpzV9tM62Dwfpn2qJXv_fZ456AC532MJRubFUW4-n40_RFWjXMAcin5kC4qN4K_cyPvRnY2XuBA6BAy/s400/osaka4.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I now have 3 very small hats, about the right size to perch on a cat's head.</td></tr>
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The next item is Marufuku Coffee, from Osaka Sennichimae. The coffee shop has been around since 1934, and you can visit the original shop, just near Nambu station. They claim to have a "secret brewing method", but it's basically a nice, rich, drip coffee. I'm not sure why, but the Kansai area seems to be really good for coffee. Kyoto also has great coffee brands like Ogawa and Inoda coffee. If anyone knows about the history of Kansai's coffee culture, I'd love to know! I think I need to do another trip to Kyoto sometime, just to check out all the awesome cafes. Marufuku Coffee has a great logo - like the coffee shop, it seems unchanged since the 1930s. You can find some nice vintage images and a list of all the Marufuku branches on their website: <a href="http://www.marufukucoffeeten.com/">http://www.marufukucoffeeten.com/</a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqK15n3bH8gTxHFx3qGrp0Y8lsDSK49NQ5jm2GhGz1x6RPbVFMjdon7h6_4lKc1FbnPN8aJMmyzdKI_1moR2jWVpHRIJP_V8rqXqdBbwTk6KBghG5PNZPOS46LEZ5jmioJ1vB1mjEzJ6qG/s1600/01.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqK15n3bH8gTxHFx3qGrp0Y8lsDSK49NQ5jm2GhGz1x6RPbVFMjdon7h6_4lKc1FbnPN8aJMmyzdKI_1moR2jWVpHRIJP_V8rqXqdBbwTk6KBghG5PNZPOS46LEZ5jmioJ1vB1mjEzJ6qG/s320/01.jpeg" width="248" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The original staff</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggXytm0gMClq4rBoStUB8gezqCFhDqGrTFAyoBMVa4GHwnL-F1a1rDnQDCujLuGHOhyphenhyphen7dOX0ZUHtzZkhd2rM9xB591ZbD8A2PalDZsUIBCSvpvn3Axkcutgyo-pcxcUC9qDNwsD0d6Ks_h/s1600/02.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggXytm0gMClq4rBoStUB8gezqCFhDqGrTFAyoBMVa4GHwnL-F1a1rDnQDCujLuGHOhyphenhyphen7dOX0ZUHtzZkhd2rM9xB591ZbD8A2PalDZsUIBCSvpvn3Axkcutgyo-pcxcUC9qDNwsD0d6Ks_h/s320/02.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Founder Sadao Ibuki</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAKgFoezE3eDD2YnCUNptsoFY9vzckRE-sem-I_4XGJFsEayaw9mX8uJHUBDwZMg9dX_sccY2t1bBr_sRIvgkNDHqL8G04tvACftfjyfqQXk-eNAKh3aCTqP7q4ryGMk3mSh0vlMxlRRJN/s1600/05.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAKgFoezE3eDD2YnCUNptsoFY9vzckRE-sem-I_4XGJFsEayaw9mX8uJHUBDwZMg9dX_sccY2t1bBr_sRIvgkNDHqL8G04tvACftfjyfqQXk-eNAKh3aCTqP7q4ryGMk3mSh0vlMxlRRJN/s320/05.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The original shop, which hasn't really changed</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDIECEHk-eNlLVhsiTt1PF4nfBdA2jgj10yXvbAIG7sPCWL9JyGnLGGCymv6UTJggmzUpey_kAxadKpduzQ33T5HJBiPjPPzsCuBDbCUEhX-3ifuNX5KmXU36ZQ0Q5xbg2X3wiBhyuRjGI/s1600/osaka6.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDIECEHk-eNlLVhsiTt1PF4nfBdA2jgj10yXvbAIG7sPCWL9JyGnLGGCymv6UTJggmzUpey_kAxadKpduzQ33T5HJBiPjPPzsCuBDbCUEhX-3ifuNX5KmXU36ZQ0Q5xbg2X3wiBhyuRjGI/s320/osaka6.jpg" width="286" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marufuku ground coffee, perfect for filters.</td></tr>
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Finally, I had to pick up a bottle of this "Daikoku Sauce". You can get sauce for okonomiyaki and takoyaki, but I decided on yakisoba sauce. Daikokuya has been making these rich, piquant, typically Osaka style sauces since 1923. According to their website, they're "obsessed" with sauce! It's a popular brand at a lot of local restaurants, too. Yes, it's delicious, and inexpensive (like most things in Osaka), but I couldn't resist the trademark, which is Daikoku, the jolly god of wealth and also god of the kitchen. Osaka folks are renowned for their skills at making money and love of food, so it seems a very appropriate symbol. Here is the Daikokuya website: <a href="http://www.kk-daikokuya.co.jp/h/">http://www.kk-daikokuya.co.jp/h/</a><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv4J9OPGFYpj3ysXs6kdW7aBKNAQnJo4UN2XMNEgTgITvsaiuHpXRI0oC7maz-CdwFJPFWS9JXZp_9ZjijKFc5IU3uo7r_YR8mBrUa4Yz-Ar6TZ2J1mUT6i7ryOS2UtEpIE_hM7LjX7dCB/s1600/osaka7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjv4J9OPGFYpj3ysXs6kdW7aBKNAQnJo4UN2XMNEgTgITvsaiuHpXRI0oC7maz-CdwFJPFWS9JXZp_9ZjijKFc5IU3uo7r_YR8mBrUa4Yz-Ar6TZ2J1mUT6i7ryOS2UtEpIE_hM7LjX7dCB/s400/osaka7.jpg" width="205" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rich, dark, sweet and salty... it's Osaka in a bottle!</td></tr>
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<br />Meibutsuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03880063999432978745noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758386577153761130.post-17140365123110852922012-07-17T18:27:00.001-07:002012-07-17T18:27:37.185-07:00Taiyaki<br />
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If there were ever a typical “meibutsu” of Tokyo, it would
have to be taiyaki. The original taiyaki shop is Naniwaya, in Azabujuban, which
invented taiyaki in 1909. “Tai” or sea bream is a traditionally expensive,
luxurious food – it’s often served at weddings, because the word “tai” is in
“omedetai” or “auspicious”. <o:p></o:p></div>
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But for the average person, tai was too expensive so when
Naniwaya introduced taiyaki, shaped like the expensive fish but at an
affordable price in the Meiji era, it was an instant hit. People could enjoy a
small luxury. Made of sweet batter similar to a waffle and filled with bean
paste, taiyaki is warm, cheap and tasty, so I love it in winter. In summer, you
can buy taiyaki filled with ice cream! I heard they have something very similar
in Korea. <o:p></o:p></div>
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In 1975, a hit children’s song about taiyaki called “Oyoge! Taiyaki kun” or “Swim!
Little taiyaki” was released, mentioning Naniwaya and modelled on the
ever-cheerful owner, Masamori Kobe. The song made the Guiness Book of Records for best selling single ever, in Japan. Sadly, Mr Kobe, “Taiyaki Ojisan”, died two years ago,
but the shop lives on. It now also offers kakigori (shaved ice) in summer and
yakisoba.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp5raBWXtZQtW_ibvnWjYlp1pmYfqETDFVUSs5xehPng2hXA8x77dbROjilwlHnVwobQhUumLpbh_kjVHOKCWUBk7vMhLX-NkZFEjrFwGxM2wjhrT63FNoleC3m-PG3U7Aenep1YnIkgdb/s1600/taiyaki.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp5raBWXtZQtW_ibvnWjYlp1pmYfqETDFVUSs5xehPng2hXA8x77dbROjilwlHnVwobQhUumLpbh_kjVHOKCWUBk7vMhLX-NkZFEjrFwGxM2wjhrT63FNoleC3m-PG3U7Aenep1YnIkgdb/s320/taiyaki.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The original taiyaki from Naniwaya. Crispy and delicious.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmTwMaZ3xEylN7jKhOylGsOYuc3of_qgeTARwGijuIvshkt1Tz0EQqxlYLh6qWetI01rwI9cEve1-H492Vn5W0bHcebgfWkayLUtNA3cWZfASuLEmydpdXzLTEKAYpW1VR-VXi6-T3DJIn/s1600/%25E3%2581%259F%25E3%2581%2584%25E7%2584%25BC%25E3%2581%258D%25E7%2594%259F%25E8%25AA%2595%25EF%25BC%2591%25EF%25BC%2590%25EF%25BC%2590%25E5%25B9%25B4.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmTwMaZ3xEylN7jKhOylGsOYuc3of_qgeTARwGijuIvshkt1Tz0EQqxlYLh6qWetI01rwI9cEve1-H492Vn5W0bHcebgfWkayLUtNA3cWZfASuLEmydpdXzLTEKAYpW1VR-VXi6-T3DJIn/s320/%25E3%2581%259F%25E3%2581%2584%25E7%2584%25BC%25E3%2581%258D%25E7%2594%259F%25E8%25AA%2595%25EF%25BC%2591%25EF%25BC%2590%25EF%25BC%2590%25E5%25B9%25B4.jpeg" width="231" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Making taiyaki at Naniwaya</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxAcAcgJpcyL6LBeWa8R6alMLCkEx0SR-JVsQEFQYPx6lBroXnycgZyutx3icKPwNJoo9peBJPJVqI2j7I_FgAirQzZ9y_9BgDzFhlTxnMRJ1N0Lx-W4en4C8D2Xwh8Fb9CqdtwpDS3W9E/s1600/DSC00742.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxAcAcgJpcyL6LBeWa8R6alMLCkEx0SR-JVsQEFQYPx6lBroXnycgZyutx3icKPwNJoo9peBJPJVqI2j7I_FgAirQzZ9y_9BgDzFhlTxnMRJ1N0Lx-W4en4C8D2Xwh8Fb9CqdtwpDS3W9E/s320/DSC00742.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Naniwaya</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbyszb_gil9pVxxSRC-idNDCWTGmmkpT1tsp41RVAYcKWzeiPj0QIDtOdKILILaW9C8D6ws1K5pN0ndOYTz-YvM3DR21GTmhCGFdZXRnanaZI3TLCpq4VSX2MU5qx3Mwg5ggXGOwYiLxxG/s1600/23027_2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbyszb_gil9pVxxSRC-idNDCWTGmmkpT1tsp41RVAYcKWzeiPj0QIDtOdKILILaW9C8D6ws1K5pN0ndOYTz-YvM3DR21GTmhCGFdZXRnanaZI3TLCpq4VSX2MU5qx3Mwg5ggXGOwYiLxxG/s320/23027_2.jpeg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taiyaki Ojisan</td></tr>
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Naniwaya in Azabujuban: 1-8-14 open 10am – 8pm
http://www.azabujuban.or.jp/shop/food/1403.html<o:p></o:p></div>
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Here's a link to the taiyaki song in a 1970's TV special with cute animations and groovy fashions: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFJp8fLQM4c&feature=fvwrel">oyoge! taiyakikun</a></div>
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The standard fillings are anko (sweet red bean paste) or
shiroan (white bean paste made from butter beans, which isn’t quite as heavy
and “beany”). But you can also get
chocolate, sweet potato and in Shibuya I’ve seen cheese, “german potato” and
bolognaise sauce. If you want a more way-out Taiyaki, you should try “The
Taiyaki”on Center Gai, Shibuya.<o:p></o:p></div>
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My favourite taiyaki shop is Nezu no Taiyaki on the main
street of Nezu, kind of in front of Nezu shrine (exit Nezu station to the left
and follow the sweet, waffly aroma). They’re crisp, fresh, very hot and the
anko filling is a little chunky – perfect in winter. It’s often featured on TV
shows and as each Taiyaki is made individually, there is usually a line on
weekends. And for trivia buffs, apparently, former US VP Walter Mondale went
there once. Big time. <o:p></o:p></div>
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If you want real value for money, head to Kanda Taiyaki
Daruma, where they don’t trim off the edges of the waffle mix, so you get a
yummy, crispy square with a big fish in the middle. They have a second outlet
in Ueno, under the train tracks in Ameyoko. They cost about 140 yen. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0LdEP9cwk9bsXJMWD1OT6p2Knwgvl76qFvPp9aPcCiO8c5EwDFbhrGflxz3f9GWk96UBFs23ty5TLTwqMlOtd0ZhCEg6N7xY9CubFT4ooPXHPL96iXSM1w2Rhb1UrMo4SYuFiNf6VbGFg/s1600/taiyaki1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0LdEP9cwk9bsXJMWD1OT6p2Knwgvl76qFvPp9aPcCiO8c5EwDFbhrGflxz3f9GWk96UBFs23ty5TLTwqMlOtd0ZhCEg6N7xY9CubFT4ooPXHPL96iXSM1w2Rhb1UrMo4SYuFiNf6VbGFg/s400/taiyaki1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kanda Taiyaki Daruma in Ueno</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIQFfgcYGeMZlbUc51cMBipdKRuGaPfqwUk_XUgjPOnxrB-MV2BHPYiRJ1Ka1vIqT_2ZFiQpt3PtFgwwePi-1TDMHfVBZ3itGIHXnOA97FTy2GqSdU_4-H0agV0q-Slsp0VsdrjMdJ2f_e/s1600/taiyaki2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIQFfgcYGeMZlbUc51cMBipdKRuGaPfqwUk_XUgjPOnxrB-MV2BHPYiRJ1Ka1vIqT_2ZFiQpt3PtFgwwePi-1TDMHfVBZ3itGIHXnOA97FTy2GqSdU_4-H0agV0q-Slsp0VsdrjMdJ2f_e/s400/taiyaki2.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The store's daruma logo</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDQTVfzSrhyB8MQxo93cdKdYSXbHDgEEFkVL_QSPP7ZZXPPGqjOezVBm0qJNhLDYCu9AwX_i4q3o_1ubomD3YIyVik-NcTYdM3DBnoxGWZ_GCHmwsmykwmlNWpd1abt0icMeH8yWmXeNY3/s1600/taiyaki3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDQTVfzSrhyB8MQxo93cdKdYSXbHDgEEFkVL_QSPP7ZZXPPGqjOezVBm0qJNhLDYCu9AwX_i4q3o_1ubomD3YIyVik-NcTYdM3DBnoxGWZ_GCHmwsmykwmlNWpd1abt0icMeH8yWmXeNY3/s320/taiyaki3.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yummy. This one from Yokohama Kurikoan had "pariparichoco" - crispy chocolate inside.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4AIWUEcGio4fSmztT2HlMGp_VQSfSl3QxD7fuEHlxNOdRj4GQDXbZl06ndSJI6JNpTSs9bHsZ3Z7pcrhxIxs6UOj4P3Qg03sDA59nkLLaGS8xuvRhOIwctpj_sBHyJcHO1YduGrylaDwm/s1600/taiyaki4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4AIWUEcGio4fSmztT2HlMGp_VQSfSl3QxD7fuEHlxNOdRj4GQDXbZl06ndSJI6JNpTSs9bHsZ3Z7pcrhxIxs6UOj4P3Qg03sDA59nkLLaGS8xuvRhOIwctpj_sBHyJcHO1YduGrylaDwm/s320/taiyaki4.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Taiyaki from Solamachi at Skytree.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgvEG5QNCci1e-EQhbc11stPM9X4Y4pVywUECugjwe8lW5e6F8ZmNCH_dFWeMQLIlrx0IjWvSsaHN9G4OV6LNfmThiaaN6zP5xNtDX1xIjbiZoOxqB69YHkOB9o6R-5Xg0HfVlGRFiX3qa/s1600/taiyaki5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgvEG5QNCci1e-EQhbc11stPM9X4Y4pVywUECugjwe8lW5e6F8ZmNCH_dFWeMQLIlrx0IjWvSsaHN9G4OV6LNfmThiaaN6zP5xNtDX1xIjbiZoOxqB69YHkOB9o6R-5Xg0HfVlGRFiX3qa/s320/taiyaki5.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Giant taiyaki model as a store display in Ginza.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEauj_nQpAumsp78OrrIetpDpA7s8SXWVB320hC_Q5O9WyAbj9xhFBj61NbDE8t21kGz-BeOd5olab0vwAfCswrHSRuzAbXldsUO7iMDN9nnQUZIdC5tzJtcyAniqWm0VFcXLVm-FspGwA/s1600/taiyaki6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEauj_nQpAumsp78OrrIetpDpA7s8SXWVB320hC_Q5O9WyAbj9xhFBj61NbDE8t21kGz-BeOd5olab0vwAfCswrHSRuzAbXldsUO7iMDN9nnQUZIdC5tzJtcyAniqWm0VFcXLVm-FspGwA/s400/taiyaki6.jpg" width="362" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They also made taiyaki mobiles!</td></tr>
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Being a
working folk’s treat, taiyaki shops tend to be in the “downtown” areas or near
universities for all those hungry students. It’s ironic that Azabujuban is now
one of the most expensive areas of Tokyo, thanks to all the international
embassies.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Recently I’ve seen taiyaki molds for making your own at
home – they look like a sandwich press (or jaffle maker) and come with
different shaped metal inserts. I want one! <o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5TbTM-eodq08mdY7DfqyPcv9d3jBbM4ECTF1oElWxODLKkCglCLEL0dtnV_CbyEpMW3-AUvzpLS4Pk2-ldIcly03POl_YbfqeP1XTvSJO6xXxSKS2KQNs4SKSnhaO5fCuobiRV8H3Zd8v/s1600/blog-entry-778.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5TbTM-eodq08mdY7DfqyPcv9d3jBbM4ECTF1oElWxODLKkCglCLEL0dtnV_CbyEpMW3-AUvzpLS4Pk2-ldIcly03POl_YbfqeP1XTvSJO6xXxSKS2KQNs4SKSnhaO5fCuobiRV8H3Zd8v/s320/blog-entry-778.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I saw these at Kitchen 212. The brand is Vitantonio.</td></tr>
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Finally, some taiyaki eating etiquette: it’s better to pull
it open with your hands than just bite the head or tail off. The worst thing you
can do is bite it in the middle – you’ll look like a cat!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTQgnThyphenhyphenpPDWPauggfb9Hayc5gHUi6dixYKtKSyy7OS0XQqrcef1wzsxePUxr3aFecUv0SnR3isARHA-MwsVmFfBPjnGIaiBhX46XW7jHO9BtB7HoWoY-QYAcIrLHsPUJIE2mb4vP25IuL/s1600/Sakaiminato_Mizuki_Shigeru_Road_Nekomusume_Statue_1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTQgnThyphenhyphenpPDWPauggfb9Hayc5gHUi6dixYKtKSyy7OS0XQqrcef1wzsxePUxr3aFecUv0SnR3isARHA-MwsVmFfBPjnGIaiBhX46XW7jHO9BtB7HoWoY-QYAcIrLHsPUJIE2mb4vP25IuL/s320/Sakaiminato_Mizuki_Shigeru_Road_Nekomusume_Statue_1.jpeg" width="213" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is Neko Musume, or Catgirl, from Mizuki Shigeru's awesome manga, Gegege no Kitaro. </td></tr>
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<!--EndFragment-->Meibutsuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03880063999432978745noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758386577153761130.post-85580149526992554052012-06-21T05:52:00.001-07:002012-07-17T20:55:04.489-07:00Omiyage heaven!Tokyo Skytree<br />
<br />
So, I've already told you all about the fabulous, leopard print "Tokyo Banana Tree" omiyage, and there's little chance to go up to the top of Skytree for a while - it's booked out until at least July - but there's a lot more to see than just the tower. And to my friend <a href="http://project-kathryn.blogspot.jp/">Kathryn</a>, I'm sorry I didn't wait to go there with you, but you went gallivanting all over Kochi and Korea! But I'll happily go back, any time!<br />
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The area around Skytree has been designed to attract tourists of course, but it's also in the middle of the old part of Tokyo, which hasn't changed much since the war, so there's a strong local flavour. A lot of local restaurants are now offering "Skytree" themed dishes - think towers of fried shrimp, towers of ice cream... towers of anything, really. There are some great guidebooks in Japanese designed to encourage people to explore the local area, and there are high hopes that people won't just go to the new shopping centre, but patronise the traditional shops as well. You can hire a bike at Solamachi or just walk around.<br />
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These shots are from a charming book called "Tokyo Skytree Sanpo Book" - sanpo meaning stroll.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz8FbqKSMUCQ1q-l8ZzMAXgNrNIY71tyeAOnXiRr7WK35tmBY_E0KX8V8AW1nlso0zAWrDDP00pemIhmSmZf4BUS28OYxr6I0xOgZcaH43_qtYDaL1eLlTUVFTnzZyXV2Sxsq4U-LP3Smu/s1600/sky1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz8FbqKSMUCQ1q-l8ZzMAXgNrNIY71tyeAOnXiRr7WK35tmBY_E0KX8V8AW1nlso0zAWrDDP00pemIhmSmZf4BUS28OYxr6I0xOgZcaH43_qtYDaL1eLlTUVFTnzZyXV2Sxsq4U-LP3Smu/s400/sky1.jpg" width="275" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the nice things about many Skytree souvenirs is the blend of traditional design with the new Skytree image.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUMR4UGpyM7ZSMRXpJ6Ej6Lsi2sVRVv_WQl6ESkOH8cOUmYYYJq8YH20Meswjugdkx0cEeTbTsV89yIl8HSN70hRtwMXbmyWnHbu6mt2cG66d_1UDVDdkubZZrISoFXygkbH4odjow99ag/s1600/sky2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUMR4UGpyM7ZSMRXpJ6Ej6Lsi2sVRVv_WQl6ESkOH8cOUmYYYJq8YH20Meswjugdkx0cEeTbTsV89yIl8HSN70hRtwMXbmyWnHbu6mt2cG66d_1UDVDdkubZZrISoFXygkbH4odjow99ag/s400/sky2.jpg" width="248" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Towering shrimp at Kamimura soba</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7k61W-qr4sLi0QyzLsVjLB__7d_L_1DMVcQr2VGFev2I_I9ZLKVKdHZl8ieWh9ojjQ-UFUzkgFogyGNrHmSW-DK54j6ZUl7jRaCaXjMEicgBDU3f8DXzYBZP5gaOsqfvC-akYiHlqWq0s/s1600/sky3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7k61W-qr4sLi0QyzLsVjLB__7d_L_1DMVcQr2VGFev2I_I9ZLKVKdHZl8ieWh9ojjQ-UFUzkgFogyGNrHmSW-DK54j6ZUl7jRaCaXjMEicgBDU3f8DXzYBZP5gaOsqfvC-akYiHlqWq0s/s400/sky3.jpg" width="287" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Tower Danish - or should that be "Denish" from Narihira Kimuraya bakery</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO0mNpfBZMM953Fg3fEneprKW7DG9brZbdEKvrJo1pzA5eL86qXiHzYi-Fcx-sktRelo6CLfh2koPd-2NRwjKxGSTy5vn1RtIlhyphenhyphenFcyA91_5c3BIXF6aOCDVKh7G3Uhr0uwBqwlm-a9_wn/s1600/sky4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO0mNpfBZMM953Fg3fEneprKW7DG9brZbdEKvrJo1pzA5eL86qXiHzYi-Fcx-sktRelo6CLfh2koPd-2NRwjKxGSTy5vn1RtIlhyphenhyphenFcyA91_5c3BIXF6aOCDVKh7G3Uhr0uwBqwlm-a9_wn/s400/sky4.jpg" width="398" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the locals.</td></tr>
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Getting to the Skytree area is easy - take a train to Oshiage or "Skytree Station"and there are buses from Ueno station, but I really recommend walking from Asakusa and strolling through the back streets.<br />
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The shopping centre below the Skytree is called "Solamachi" or sky town. It has the usual stores like Zara, Diesel, Hello Kitty, Loft and a Disney Store, but the designers have also attempted to capture the local flavour. So you'll find specialties from around Japan, locally grown organic vegetables, local sake and many of the specialised crafts. In fact many of the stores have beautiful light fittings using "Edo Kiriko", the traditional cut glass of the area. I think they've attempted to go a bit deeper into the local history and culture than a lot of tourist traps, so hopefully the centre will have a positive impact on the area. It also means, if you're pressed for time, you can stock up on all the omiyage you need in one shopping trip!<br />
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I leave you with some photos of Solamachi...<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHnMTXHKUC9MUyFvzdudq_H62HHA4zhMjLOvjN8YsaLAjrRGPDOEKDLrfYeivVK2I5Hb4lnR_FJjqpiG3fwFKMPRaUqEC2odAAWjzqoRThXmKSafAZ0VZOInlCq1DfED-xtsJiAJn7o4N-/s1600/sola1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHnMTXHKUC9MUyFvzdudq_H62HHA4zhMjLOvjN8YsaLAjrRGPDOEKDLrfYeivVK2I5Hb4lnR_FJjqpiG3fwFKMPRaUqEC2odAAWjzqoRThXmKSafAZ0VZOInlCq1DfED-xtsJiAJn7o4N-/s400/sola1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The standard toys and boxed omiyage</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwDFYpDpfp6KEYJD-RPKk9zX5iRRtzmhygu9bbVfX79Nu7qiS16n0dxFjjh53YdPhlOLdzD0W4knHc7zy6W-x7qZmtrW0fj3jqYgZW2PYztQtFSmja7Q-5BJNnezcuE_gSoPpsNpRjr1Qk/s1600/sola10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwDFYpDpfp6KEYJD-RPKk9zX5iRRtzmhygu9bbVfX79Nu7qiS16n0dxFjjh53YdPhlOLdzD0W4knHc7zy6W-x7qZmtrW0fj3jqYgZW2PYztQtFSmja7Q-5BJNnezcuE_gSoPpsNpRjr1Qk/s400/sola10.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white;">Solamachi is also a shopping destination for locals to pick up select fresh foods.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5wloPEB3pZRcJ38l1fLmd_i3REYEtDgSF8SpxKL54C39eAfRqvH3r2Eqvtlw5_3HWRABUY8WMqTFbiQe76bS6Ep52LO_vZBq8-UqVu8LImbOfqTUUP6w23AswShBUR2WkpA9NiAVu9Bgd/s1600/sola11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5wloPEB3pZRcJ38l1fLmd_i3REYEtDgSF8SpxKL54C39eAfRqvH3r2Eqvtlw5_3HWRABUY8WMqTFbiQe76bS6Ep52LO_vZBq8-UqVu8LImbOfqTUUP6w23AswShBUR2WkpA9NiAVu9Bgd/s400/sola11.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Skytree looks best at night.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp1XtYahFzvySIJB2GmXGHJe-JqJeLNUYiYEI09C5d6zZPcEPat6Iil_GNsl8SMQWIdFWhCl7VY6oUgz3wetMy-TVU6E6KWTfQDeHgG2vvzYKG38lo4TsPQWjhsoEn96t-rKWlBOk1rvwi/s1600/sola12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp1XtYahFzvySIJB2GmXGHJe-JqJeLNUYiYEI09C5d6zZPcEPat6Iil_GNsl8SMQWIdFWhCl7VY6oUgz3wetMy-TVU6E6KWTfQDeHgG2vvzYKG38lo4TsPQWjhsoEn96t-rKWlBOk1rvwi/s400/sola12.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can get unique "Edo" Be@rbricks and other toys at Medicom Toys</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCGsiXPyeoG3b6noPJFDZJaoAx_agHXUOiB_N4E6-hfKcfltwjKabf1VLW7lMgmVY5_umjV-EFjrdjUGcXB1knNvanU17vAutQXaDiBCkLIRhVTX4mG30KU99aHNg1YFq924Akhu4AeqcP/s1600/sola13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCGsiXPyeoG3b6noPJFDZJaoAx_agHXUOiB_N4E6-hfKcfltwjKabf1VLW7lMgmVY5_umjV-EFjrdjUGcXB1knNvanU17vAutQXaDiBCkLIRhVTX4mG30KU99aHNg1YFq924Akhu4AeqcP/s400/sola13.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This store has famous packaged foods from around Japan</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1P3X8ty43oFNzqFADHbYbWN10p1ADqWQ0NUdv3jjZhSErVfZ_6AgyPGjtxbeKRyB4VvBpov3zcFXGvDxSLuQpRFqZ4YyVloMCtuLJRPv-TfcwtToL8vagSzPMvF-jGGj8W9gq2RcQbNRe/s1600/sola14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="357" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1P3X8ty43oFNzqFADHbYbWN10p1ADqWQ0NUdv3jjZhSErVfZ_6AgyPGjtxbeKRyB4VvBpov3zcFXGvDxSLuQpRFqZ4YyVloMCtuLJRPv-TfcwtToL8vagSzPMvF-jGGj8W9gq2RcQbNRe/s400/sola14.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kabuki themed cookies</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgROjEBIb2IgCC33kcFyDNrPCPOOS9ZC7XPHGcEwCzyboOoIJzgX00WXxKqGg62cozRtN2vMYoM23pQ9w0HMBDAT-QqbeqjBJ8lCe_T6oVVkFtCrbsuLGS8XPpWrvzk0kqys9ddtRcQF4WD/s1600/sola16.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgROjEBIb2IgCC33kcFyDNrPCPOOS9ZC7XPHGcEwCzyboOoIJzgX00WXxKqGg62cozRtN2vMYoM23pQ9w0HMBDAT-QqbeqjBJ8lCe_T6oVVkFtCrbsuLGS8XPpWrvzk0kqys9ddtRcQF4WD/s400/sola16.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A history of your favourite brands</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2elWdgQUG7UhG7qRc7FCPWN3uoQu9LnPzRPUazyylM-G5YDcD5ot1Jz52mxma7xjUtqkcM7zFujM-HhT9zk-5HEnsq9HQwV2SS4ogJlrL8Y-EOzWgfRbkretMDOdJHViczIpa0gKfuaYu/s1600/sola17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2elWdgQUG7UhG7qRc7FCPWN3uoQu9LnPzRPUazyylM-G5YDcD5ot1Jz52mxma7xjUtqkcM7zFujM-HhT9zk-5HEnsq9HQwV2SS4ogJlrL8Y-EOzWgfRbkretMDOdJHViczIpa0gKfuaYu/s320/sola17.jpg" width="228" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Tobu store has some nice smaller gifts and a Shiseido "Skytree" perfume. Apparently, Skytree smells like white flowers.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAqflDQyJ7fETD_UhR_v66LGlcg9XELf5mvwr6ct-TwveLohueojNyY36DZKY9AUEhL51HAzxow7xcWr-is4P_zqtcS2ggTt1IoD1CyjrrrXuOAHGtMVh045DsF4ChLo3aKzriaqVNfhwq/s1600/sola18.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="367" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAqflDQyJ7fETD_UhR_v66LGlcg9XELf5mvwr6ct-TwveLohueojNyY36DZKY9AUEhL51HAzxow7xcWr-is4P_zqtcS2ggTt1IoD1CyjrrrXuOAHGtMVh045DsF4ChLo3aKzriaqVNfhwq/s400/sola18.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I was quite taken with this scarf / large handkerchief, with it's retro design and colours, showing the area and local festivals. </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPDGrkSEs8EEaBa9uUGy0JIGXD-aIMi167IkK2FiFMNSYdEpBtj2fg-BQyvxiNqmiIoambLD2iasEe9S8MhbVecO_wx2b4lgNRe2MhjwgescZc1ecBQ1M-x7Xbg8Ypy3Aaq2re95tN8TBs/s1600/sola19.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPDGrkSEs8EEaBa9uUGy0JIGXD-aIMi167IkK2FiFMNSYdEpBtj2fg-BQyvxiNqmiIoambLD2iasEe9S8MhbVecO_wx2b4lgNRe2MhjwgescZc1ecBQ1M-x7Xbg8Ypy3Aaq2re95tN8TBs/s400/sola19.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a specialty from Kanazawa on the other side of Japan, but the hand painted "bean" paper boxes have special scenes of Skytree and other local attractions.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIzGN6bd2qLZJL_MQDmXFaSYVLxxU2N1zC6XK9dmn0azaM8k-K4XY20HsFtKvh2Dr3MqzO4ulZZ-Ab0wL2zwQiNzLM42Qoz-rCaava0LfWtLH0VwXAomzyFfoRZqM9tyZMYPkO4HXN-gBV/s1600/sola20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIzGN6bd2qLZJL_MQDmXFaSYVLxxU2N1zC6XK9dmn0azaM8k-K4XY20HsFtKvh2Dr3MqzO4ulZZ-Ab0wL2zwQiNzLM42Qoz-rCaava0LfWtLH0VwXAomzyFfoRZqM9tyZMYPkO4HXN-gBV/s400/sola20.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside, you'll find delicious, crunchy soybeans coated in a salty or sugary crust.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt8eEbmFCtutIwQJLLF1N8f4VZxJXdEhxv85c2d-FIDZdaLsqM05yOOnkGUefhLKE5Hz_pHjUUXtFegMnDUlt-tWoofXHF8alqCv7YTrJDt59yQwWX_YyT-jn1ywUKV8g9RRoMPt21ZrwU/s1600/sola3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="375" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt8eEbmFCtutIwQJLLF1N8f4VZxJXdEhxv85c2d-FIDZdaLsqM05yOOnkGUefhLKE5Hz_pHjUUXtFegMnDUlt-tWoofXHF8alqCv7YTrJDt59yQwWX_YyT-jn1ywUKV8g9RRoMPt21ZrwU/s400/sola3.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The H.P. France store Tokyo October has a great selection of surreal items</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7SzZQAOF09JBFi4mSLLnm_e90-vUQZzK1iutqsopgzlBMdKqfyumdux45jSUhZjeIeL9ds6ipKA_F_66irXtpUyiQbMFMyVO4hyphenhyphenp0_8M1tisVPPjRQcIcSAfzMElDKgHVGYiPqk5rTZkd/s1600/sola4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7SzZQAOF09JBFi4mSLLnm_e90-vUQZzK1iutqsopgzlBMdKqfyumdux45jSUhZjeIeL9ds6ipKA_F_66irXtpUyiQbMFMyVO4hyphenhyphenp0_8M1tisVPPjRQcIcSAfzMElDKgHVGYiPqk5rTZkd/s400/sola4.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZq_vO1W3X772q_cYaW8AgTLIrdwAA2m13zsMc7CjuX0gc7yvpQPna9EqWvZus5LbkJNKhwBXM6RihiT3mKCWHMWqHVEfbUgnMGsv8gh8NQPoYhdBdb2YrKMj-1yRHvLw06dhsfTQrQYhE/s1600/sola5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZq_vO1W3X772q_cYaW8AgTLIrdwAA2m13zsMc7CjuX0gc7yvpQPna9EqWvZus5LbkJNKhwBXM6RihiT3mKCWHMWqHVEfbUgnMGsv8gh8NQPoYhdBdb2YrKMj-1yRHvLw06dhsfTQrQYhE/s400/sola5.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fashion brand Beams has a special self-serve yoghurt bar called Lemsons, with a bunch of vending machines so you can buy branded souvenirs without conversing with staff. </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgswbxh3zzvcBt6qtyK7RtoTGnjP8FDDSdvkcBrRz0IVM402ZpFG_w2ufQzRLtDhmOnh53r-xfvDAkLKqj4-lIeYzoyzXeHsJ8HEeLsSQ2tJpOjGpoWOhTs0BRl-TmYngrUmNenQT2Rx9Qn/s1600/lemsons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgswbxh3zzvcBt6qtyK7RtoTGnjP8FDDSdvkcBrRz0IVM402ZpFG_w2ufQzRLtDhmOnh53r-xfvDAkLKqj4-lIeYzoyzXeHsJ8HEeLsSQ2tJpOjGpoWOhTs0BRl-TmYngrUmNenQT2Rx9Qn/s640/lemsons.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beware the self-serve ice cream bar! They charge around 300 yen for 100gms and it's so easy to pile up that cup with different flavours and goodies! This was almost 900 yen. Not a budget choice if you have kids!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqWPQvFYSyTOaY1r5gF5HstPOxeDgxNMkfRk5n74YEWKSfQrW9zOcRhKxksG0hiyvFSRurLoX0zpXTdUbMpRRLUhB3vdYZUEXWeSj8U1cwKcDJykYOGAwgkp0mkHUedoY8eBnlVf5SX_kJ/s1600/sola6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="255" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqWPQvFYSyTOaY1r5gF5HstPOxeDgxNMkfRk5n74YEWKSfQrW9zOcRhKxksG0hiyvFSRurLoX0zpXTdUbMpRRLUhB3vdYZUEXWeSj8U1cwKcDJykYOGAwgkp0mkHUedoY8eBnlVf5SX_kJ/s400/sola6.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not such exciting product - a mix of local jams and cheese cakes with some Italian oils etc, but "Cheese Garden" is really popular and has a nice layout. Good looking cafe, too.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5WkIMBwRFlTYphoPN3dXcB4NGnrvuS-cc8BXDl5E1MKVchQQoRAOAP4C3WyEEbGJ-alvhekfcNCWNw8MYVEl5YKl27gR4QOsrWXe8LL4mUCNnihbQ8W781Y2-axR42u8KTyJcEQcvD3Xz/s1600/sola7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5WkIMBwRFlTYphoPN3dXcB4NGnrvuS-cc8BXDl5E1MKVchQQoRAOAP4C3WyEEbGJ-alvhekfcNCWNw8MYVEl5YKl27gR4QOsrWXe8LL4mUCNnihbQ8W781Y2-axR42u8KTyJcEQcvD3Xz/s400/sola7.jpg" width="341" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These cat shaped treats are from nearby Yanaka, which has become famous for its local cats.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4lxkvxrHeBWRRWGNLIjWY4N0zahqORWLh7R3ipYJPEJg-VQKRvjqO6JcIu0fBggYjLgsahppFNlSZlBRU7KoxCYHlAigkInccjSXoUE5ZoBXXGV_fl7oPO-usoXwlBVZhS7lxHKuy1iQS/s1600/sola8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4lxkvxrHeBWRRWGNLIjWY4N0zahqORWLh7R3ipYJPEJg-VQKRvjqO6JcIu0fBggYjLgsahppFNlSZlBRU7KoxCYHlAigkInccjSXoUE5ZoBXXGV_fl7oPO-usoXwlBVZhS7lxHKuy1iQS/s400/sola8.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cube shapes profiteroles and towering cones.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBVegpv_7WV4t4xvIHyhtRiLiXeFYi5AYs61VvEqKry_PcrxBGT5EFX50NfndDgkQ6ORF8YCGeSsUayLHgLw6pgwh_Lt8lUoLr6XPE1DB2nfpBBSmdw9FdkhOD1z6mIuLwPS_v92Sm0EDq/s1600/sola9.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBVegpv_7WV4t4xvIHyhtRiLiXeFYi5AYs61VvEqKry_PcrxBGT5EFX50NfndDgkQ6ORF8YCGeSsUayLHgLw6pgwh_Lt8lUoLr6XPE1DB2nfpBBSmdw9FdkhOD1z6mIuLwPS_v92Sm0EDq/s400/sola9.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Croquettes from Kobe - hopefully containing Kobe beef.</td></tr>
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<br />Meibutsuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03880063999432978745noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758386577153761130.post-9085963376315389072012-06-02T23:20:00.002-07:002012-09-28T01:30:38.050-07:00This town is bananas!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Tokyo Banana<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I’ve been looking for an excuse to eat and write about
“Tokyo Banana”, for some time. It’s a really popular omiyage, but most of my
friends in Tokyo have never tried it because it’s just that: something you buy
for other people, not for yourself.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">But the opening of Tokyo Skytree and its surrounding
shopping mall “Solamachi”, proved irresistible. There’s a new, “only at
Skytree” choco-banana flavour of the snack, and when I saw that it came in a
leopard print, I had to try it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">So what is Tokyo Banana? It’s a small sponge cake, filled
with banana custard. It was “born” in November 1991. As a souvenir I guess it’s
popular because it says “Tokyo” on the box, bananas are a cute shape, the
banana custard is actually nice and not fake-tasting and they’re super fresh –
each box lasts for about a week. They’re also individually packaged, so they’re
easy to share.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEAbJi47sTJb0Z2esBTWggYvrK6713OnA40dNN31NDnpdGqq2oCty4nyp24DzQ7y2NyYEZypgJqukD7g7kPeGgl1OFv7q3JZgnkU5FB557Q3AUeLhQNvI0A0vs_87Ze2HTM6IfSiooX5PE/s1600/banana_main.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEAbJi47sTJb0Z2esBTWggYvrK6713OnA40dNN31NDnpdGqq2oCty4nyp24DzQ7y2NyYEZypgJqukD7g7kPeGgl1OFv7q3JZgnkU5FB557Q3AUeLhQNvI0A0vs_87Ze2HTM6IfSiooX5PE/s400/banana_main.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The original Tokyo Banana</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJQ20vbK-8rE0wW67n1bXJzSFmG3XVCw6vijS0ZsKpXk2IXME-whgGvIucEt7T-XLwmEX5uqZu5KCvaPdQXSQrzU9Zd7cKnDmAHJuRPlyJ8BEQM35Lym31IyTJA-sXsdMfntZWq3_Wc24N/s1600/banana_spec.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJQ20vbK-8rE0wW67n1bXJzSFmG3XVCw6vijS0ZsKpXk2IXME-whgGvIucEt7T-XLwmEX5uqZu5KCvaPdQXSQrzU9Zd7cKnDmAHJuRPlyJ8BEQM35Lym31IyTJA-sXsdMfntZWq3_Wc24N/s400/banana_spec.png" width="386" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Classic packaging. I like the spotted "bow ties" - gives the bananas a distinguished look.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I don’t really see the connection between “Tokyo” and
“banana”, though I guess bananas have a slightly exotic connotation and perhaps
if you came from a small town to see all the excitement of the big city,
bananas might sum up the experience somehow. Bananas as a graphic device make
me think of the Memphis design movement of the late 1980s, and the packaging
for Tokyo Banana shares a certain ‘post modern’ spirit. </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg83byiU1L6tBDxh8ZasfDwzNm1zCQuLF7zMco_cDImxUMNV81biV34pzbFYnPej8Tc4LCeQnTjIRnbtJ5DcvcuVLFw0w3DL3xVB6uic0aPOXzlyBK8te26RZE5K_OSKRWrEoULjX1Wm0_S/s1600/aisachi.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg83byiU1L6tBDxh8ZasfDwzNm1zCQuLF7zMco_cDImxUMNV81biV34pzbFYnPej8Tc4LCeQnTjIRnbtJ5DcvcuVLFw0w3DL3xVB6uic0aPOXzlyBK8te26RZE5K_OSKRWrEoULjX1Wm0_S/s320/aisachi.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A post modern design aesthetic</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Last November, a
caramel banana version was released to celebrate the 20<sup>th</sup>
anniversary, but the new leopard print, “Tokyo Banana Tree,” is the one. I
visited Solamachi just after Skytree opened on May 22, and even on a wet Monday
night, it was teeming with people. It took a while to buy my precious leopard
bananas, thanks to all the school kids on excursion, lining up to buy 4 or 5
boxes each. </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6ijLWspOLHPKoMOAWqWg46S44NFCDMkYGRl-LPj_1HGjcEOACvBPaRfPDcLqwFf2u26P4gDjaLqc8KQwaEQRmwtOMZIq8F5itTdlDldvqMD01PZy3BFQaFEVox8_r9Jqk0iMHHvivG0Q6/s1600/image_2-1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6ijLWspOLHPKoMOAWqWg46S44NFCDMkYGRl-LPj_1HGjcEOACvBPaRfPDcLqwFf2u26P4gDjaLqc8KQwaEQRmwtOMZIq8F5itTdlDldvqMD01PZy3BFQaFEVox8_r9Jqk0iMHHvivG0Q6/s320/image_2-1.jpeg" width="285" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New packaging</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhORs42sTWeHsYAzBz1D4FMXrTseAW-DlNtfwdycNkclPQF3EV5cHlEgiBo8aQAVF6sYuEOvmKQ9ux9WP3W4hcJamCD4xvODsYNV_5O_jxdSM87eDYvYNcYSZurYd7Oln7CK9z-fC_lWRZy/s1600/image_1-1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhORs42sTWeHsYAzBz1D4FMXrTseAW-DlNtfwdycNkclPQF3EV5cHlEgiBo8aQAVF6sYuEOvmKQ9ux9WP3W4hcJamCD4xvODsYNV_5O_jxdSM87eDYvYNcYSZurYd7Oln7CK9z-fC_lWRZy/s400/image_1-1.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leopardy!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Well, I’m relieved to report it was worth the wait. The
banana cakes are soft and springy, filled with choco-banana custard. The taste
isn’t too sweet and cloying. The “leopard print” is actually a pattern of
chocolate cake pressed into the pale yellow sponge. My husband thought the
pattern was a little “kimochi warui” – creepy – as it made him think of mouldy
bananas. But the taste was extremely fresh.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjltIknR5J90hSEpXoalUdtCqc5ZbuYslMPhGA-YRh1r6ALuVXhsGTSLofNm4EtclAv8ew4nUaT5yo2ZYkWWhZ2G7feNOf_E_vHhoCLAm6vt-OOMTksMZ6RzIsc-NcMoYnUc285BJJCR087/s1600/image_1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjltIknR5J90hSEpXoalUdtCqc5ZbuYslMPhGA-YRh1r6ALuVXhsGTSLofNm4EtclAv8ew4nUaT5yo2ZYkWWhZ2G7feNOf_E_vHhoCLAm6vt-OOMTksMZ6RzIsc-NcMoYnUc285BJJCR087/s320/image_1.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfLdVdCgznOcrYY2leGiteg7hBirILPBISYBxke7hDuOloBOKCyeJPg7-YaCS-JIOMNeHQnXXIBaQ9qBjtwaZ-XS048AaqV2sE0j94D3GguFtXrAI8D2CTLokdxtNXAIVG_zloNQ3sQGCF/s1600/image_2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfLdVdCgznOcrYY2leGiteg7hBirILPBISYBxke7hDuOloBOKCyeJPg7-YaCS-JIOMNeHQnXXIBaQ9qBjtwaZ-XS048AaqV2sE0j94D3GguFtXrAI8D2CTLokdxtNXAIVG_zloNQ3sQGCF/s320/image_2.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside: fresh choco banana cream!</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The full name of this omiyage is “Tokyo Banana (mitsuketa)”
or “I found Tokyo Banana!” Actually, it’s not so hard to find – major train
stations like Tokyo, Ueno, Omiya and Shinjuku have stores, along with the
airports, Tokyo Tower, Odaiba and now, Skytree. Prices start at 500 yen for a
pack of 4 (but if you want the fancy box, you’ll need to buy a pack of 8 for
1,050 yen). The classic bananas are 50 yen cheaper.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Two years ago, real bananas were crazy expensive (or just
plain impossible to find) in Tokyo, thanks to the Banana Diet, which was got a
lot of coverage on TV. The idea was that you had a banana and a glass of
lukewarm water for breakfast and then ate normally and you were supposed to
lose weight. Well, bananas are back to100yen a bunch where I live, so I guess
it didn’t work. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">
Somehow I think a Tokyo Banana diet wouldn’t work, either. Shame. </span>Meibutsuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03880063999432978745noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758386577153761130.post-89119357644241352632012-05-27T01:04:00.000-07:002012-05-27T01:05:56.556-07:00UtsunomiyaGyoza a go go<br />
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If you’ve had gyoza in Japan, you might know why my
friend and I decided to take a lazy day to travel up to Utsunomiya. The biggest
city in Tochigi, on the way to Nikko, is famous above all, for these
deliciously garlicky pork dumplings.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMs4cS89jRneD3RUbIc_m8kjHEL7LZoAV8qJklStK5SwTF-qaEsrG6LkEYu5wml37Rwikp12_IsJCW8RGpVV55z4OpRZwCjTZVwvFWBX6C12Uw5Q1MHRNXhlTAya0dQxnZtVRKXkXKyKjL/s1600/utunomiya+poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMs4cS89jRneD3RUbIc_m8kjHEL7LZoAV8qJklStK5SwTF-qaEsrG6LkEYu5wml37Rwikp12_IsJCW8RGpVV55z4OpRZwCjTZVwvFWBX6C12Uw5Q1MHRNXhlTAya0dQxnZtVRKXkXKyKjL/s400/utunomiya+poster.jpg" width="297" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tobu railways are promoting Utsunomiya at the moment</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS9L_z4UfUsPoaNqmwj71-Bt4MX-2mr50W81e8Z36oB16CCS1ySGwvRYh4L1mn8bAQ-m5vYIU_8pfbDmvdWakRWhXbYTq8519BV2TqIZKzTTPrqkgy2b1z2bQxzGEwXb_5RewcC071pl80/s1600/utsu+gyoza+close.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS9L_z4UfUsPoaNqmwj71-Bt4MX-2mr50W81e8Z36oB16CCS1ySGwvRYh4L1mn8bAQ-m5vYIU_8pfbDmvdWakRWhXbYTq8519BV2TqIZKzTTPrqkgy2b1z2bQxzGEwXb_5RewcC071pl80/s400/utsu+gyoza+close.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Close up of some of the many varieties</td></tr>
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It takes about an hour and a half by train from Tokyo, on
the Shonan Shinjuku line or the Utsunomiya line. However, if you’re pressed for
time (and feeling flush), there’s also a Shinkansen from Ueno. The city centre
is compact, and you can walk to most interesting areas within 10 – 15 minutes.
There aren’t any spectacular sights – a bit of a ruined castle, a park that’s a
popular cherry blossom spot, and Futarasan shrine. The real pleasures are the
narrow back streets beyond the
shrine around the Kame river, crowded with jazz bars, kooky little shops, and
of course, gyoza.</div>
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The story is that back in the 1930s, many soldiers from
Utsunomiya were stationed in Manchuria, where they developed a taste for the
local version of Chinese dumplings (potstickers). After WWII, they returned to
their hometown, they brought the recipes with them, and many of the soldiers
opened gyoza shops. </div>
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Since Utsunomiya lacks the spectacular attractions of nearby
Nikko, the city’s tourist officials seized on the fact that locals consumed
more gyoza than anyone else in Japan, and promptly promoted Utsunomiya as
“gyoza city”. Anyway, all you need to know is, they are delicious! What makes
them so special? Perhaps the extra thin, crispy skins, and the generous amount
of fillings – these ain’t your typical supermarket gyoza!</div>
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We headed first to Utsunomiya Gyoza Kan, just off to the
left, if you take the West exit of the station (but they have several
restaurants – just look out for the “gyoza boy” statue!). You can get a mixed
dozen – a great way to figure out your favourites. I liked the garlicky nira
gyoza, the spicy kimchee and the shiso ones the best, but I wish they put
little flags in them or something – we had to play “guess which one you’re
eating”. Other recommended restaurants are Kirasse, near Tobu Utsunomiya
station, Ming Ming and also Iki Iki Gyoza, which has odd fillings including uni
(sea urchin roe) and chocolate (not together, thankfully!)</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMeuZxvTIpP26IAUd6JikIVcziplK8RY-oX96axZsaNYuuCRL6k1WzldV3OlJcEkdhfyTN0bC1rfdnQ9WofHOtKuJpm6IQrE4IfEZ558JPGlbXhTbms2zJekUdj5QLl2U_hgjui1zWylkk/s1600/252039_10150243610006876_546331875_7839068_1847160_n.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMeuZxvTIpP26IAUd6JikIVcziplK8RY-oX96axZsaNYuuCRL6k1WzldV3OlJcEkdhfyTN0bC1rfdnQ9WofHOtKuJpm6IQrE4IfEZ558JPGlbXhTbms2zJekUdj5QLl2U_hgjui1zWylkk/s400/252039_10150243610006876_546331875_7839068_1847160_n.jpeg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We dubbed him "gyoza boy"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIVa7luaXUMDqVHl0De-Q3QfHSxG1Knjg4EDDqyVV1JAlMACyYHpIsjLdntor5KqIeNrH71SR_6Q5ceXvbhdhw1fR-XEN7WDjN1rri4DgKmDrtKOxx9jIfXa9kzLLaIum0KluSGL5yl-XR/s1600/224569_10150243610066876_3332033_n.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIVa7luaXUMDqVHl0De-Q3QfHSxG1Knjg4EDDqyVV1JAlMACyYHpIsjLdntor5KqIeNrH71SR_6Q5ceXvbhdhw1fR-XEN7WDjN1rri4DgKmDrtKOxx9jIfXa9kzLLaIum0KluSGL5yl-XR/s400/224569_10150243610066876_3332033_n.jpeg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What goes best with gyoza? Beer, of course.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
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We wanted to visit the Oya stone museum, where the local
volcanic stone (it looks a lot like pumice), comes from. However, it was closed
due to safety concerns after the earthquake (it might be open again now). We
contented ourselves with finding the odd statues carved from the stone that are
dotted around the city. Of course, you can’t miss the “Venus”, wrapped in a
Gyoza.</div>
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<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhyJhN8AkMMPec6aJxP1LDqQYKXWSIwChY8pfphTKq4WW_S8TkcSfpBiErgB5MAgLgDoVgpxgQLU6jNNmwzT9aieL7lb5vREjFFqO_0lbwBKu27cKQg8HQ4iYM2QWle7qsFCpthBlRLz1i/s1600/utsunomi+machi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhyJhN8AkMMPec6aJxP1LDqQYKXWSIwChY8pfphTKq4WW_S8TkcSfpBiErgB5MAgLgDoVgpxgQLU6jNNmwzT9aieL7lb5vREjFFqO_0lbwBKu27cKQg8HQ4iYM2QWle7qsFCpthBlRLz1i/s320/utsunomi+machi.jpg" width="236" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Restaurant sign</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT02SbGzkHH3HrtSYF6W-0pxh9UxmegprvSHGTGpTwS52WFI4ryX9gYw7EY2OxewdY9eXJAxWCXPZPE_qi2TMK0-wUhJ0ri233uN4Bg5lxAMnUp9rvLNrfUhz-lNm-NFI0ZRU1mEnAe8Yq/s1600/utsunomi+machi1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT02SbGzkHH3HrtSYF6W-0pxh9UxmegprvSHGTGpTwS52WFI4ryX9gYw7EY2OxewdY9eXJAxWCXPZPE_qi2TMK0-wUhJ0ri233uN4Bg5lxAMnUp9rvLNrfUhz-lNm-NFI0ZRU1mEnAe8Yq/s320/utsunomi+machi1.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More hand-painted signs</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinOf1Ezp41R7h5xsZFn4kl1wBB1ttpk9gd1KfTjiZYk2ceDbNrIWf6LB4TjnzLWVYylSUl_9s3hmzehCCGa5PbPZuNNF1IE5KfIp51eNB6DQbyiG9LQ1xRkVWaYujRKB9QbzlTVveVD7Dn/s1600/utsunomimonkey.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinOf1Ezp41R7h5xsZFn4kl1wBB1ttpk9gd1KfTjiZYk2ceDbNrIWf6LB4TjnzLWVYylSUl_9s3hmzehCCGa5PbPZuNNF1IE5KfIp51eNB6DQbyiG9LQ1xRkVWaYujRKB9QbzlTVveVD7Dn/s320/utsunomimonkey.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In a traditional medicine shop. I don't want to know!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiEgjExySXSkr405QlGPwGQKkQJMEsrEVXPfDcGi3Jd0LKDeqXg6CNT14l3qMvxfNpl1VK5IkFIjs338Euke268fkjYBHwLklAWjf45409gAVvPuPoKeqO8avgANltiayxGJG6ydEvuHlg/s1600/224579_10150243610316876_546331875_7839076_1186421_n.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiEgjExySXSkr405QlGPwGQKkQJMEsrEVXPfDcGi3Jd0LKDeqXg6CNT14l3qMvxfNpl1VK5IkFIjs338Euke268fkjYBHwLklAWjf45409gAVvPuPoKeqO8avgANltiayxGJG6ydEvuHlg/s320/224579_10150243610316876_546331875_7839076_1186421_n.jpeg" width="236" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pandas are multiplying</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-AuEoFzhnSdKb_9bdyhUojYr6hh7zA-s7Lcs25NYZ0pPlH97nXw6BSi1BSjLiw7Pd_naK4Nxbxwz0NhSbjGwUwfj_Yu0hyphenhyphenyprioXhEeRh1JnoQY7osdYRa_0JyFtndtbxexDNZH7uSGuX/s1600/189286_10150243610781876_546331875_7839089_4011740_n.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-AuEoFzhnSdKb_9bdyhUojYr6hh7zA-s7Lcs25NYZ0pPlH97nXw6BSi1BSjLiw7Pd_naK4Nxbxwz0NhSbjGwUwfj_Yu0hyphenhyphenyprioXhEeRh1JnoQY7osdYRa_0JyFtndtbxexDNZH7uSGuX/s320/189286_10150243610781876_546331875_7839089_4011740_n.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You'd feel pretty special having coffee here</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9aVwAZGUfahjAb9w6hte1XWVm8Gc7WTNkHKrMeqvB_G3kr7JHPrMlTkkh51igSb8qYcd5U2iBe9hDWB4KF_WQWNXUX91W2bb4vTzFjyaLbN1ByKUZbh9ddEAudfcYZ60JsaspcwiZ6L0p/s1600/252078_10150243610761876_670594_n.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9aVwAZGUfahjAb9w6hte1XWVm8Gc7WTNkHKrMeqvB_G3kr7JHPrMlTkkh51igSb8qYcd5U2iBe9hDWB4KF_WQWNXUX91W2bb4vTzFjyaLbN1ByKUZbh9ddEAudfcYZ60JsaspcwiZ6L0p/s320/252078_10150243610761876_670594_n.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pretty back street canal</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf-DQhPEWeTEqrirsWENQaGiMJXRbBMvj1_GcYpVO6LXSUeuDXFYJF5lI7SM8gwRNzk15h3Cfj6AJXdqORcn7LdC6cw67ph_zoMRFGCs9YC0teZQ5gBzRkpaLwa6T7Vz6WMJKWl-8j70gJ/s1600/268616_10150243610201876_546331875_7839073_4377541_n.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf-DQhPEWeTEqrirsWENQaGiMJXRbBMvj1_GcYpVO6LXSUeuDXFYJF5lI7SM8gwRNzk15h3Cfj6AJXdqORcn7LdC6cw67ph_zoMRFGCs9YC0teZQ5gBzRkpaLwa6T7Vz6WMJKWl-8j70gJ/s320/268616_10150243610201876_546331875_7839073_4377541_n.jpeg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boy with a toothache? One of the many local sculptures</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRcJrwQdCtnVt60N93iaG4j1ywFExhyrZA6tMA3y3_pM6f4IDvd5dzVqKYpBFVHPOoZ0N440lAD8Tfnq3OUyKV4g34AchGJlphUD7P5hO4cPZgwpfMhrRZhOlESxpZvP-e0Kjrn_jbqB_q/s1600/284768_10150243610116876_546331875_7839071_1701533_n.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRcJrwQdCtnVt60N93iaG4j1ywFExhyrZA6tMA3y3_pM6f4IDvd5dzVqKYpBFVHPOoZ0N440lAD8Tfnq3OUyKV4g34AchGJlphUD7P5hO4cPZgwpfMhrRZhOlESxpZvP-e0Kjrn_jbqB_q/s400/284768_10150243610116876_546331875_7839071_1701533_n.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Before we left, we had a few “last gyoza for the road”
inside the station. I think the best were the “kurobuta” (black Berkshire pig)
gyoza – very juicy, without too much garlic to kill the delicate flavour.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPkVkFSZr1qtjG-bnOT4OrBQHJxGf4Hri2wQLSrZ8DM6qFuJAz1LVjq_bHBacCX7XER6bvW0MYHrw4Rm8BorPMJhXvMnJZHpBRTKhtlkLm4EuV1TJb8BbI5_VDi4eSYwZ7ADHtz6iWQ6lV/s1600/gyoza+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPkVkFSZr1qtjG-bnOT4OrBQHJxGf4Hri2wQLSrZ8DM6qFuJAz1LVjq_bHBacCX7XER6bvW0MYHrw4Rm8BorPMJhXvMnJZHpBRTKhtlkLm4EuV1TJb8BbI5_VDi4eSYwZ7ADHtz6iWQ6lV/s400/gyoza+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A few for the road.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj30fwTvKwz5xJ_OI7VzU3V8OEWBf9IVOSCiQyjPsf3T7uv3WJGTCsi5S2Oi9fHRFeWyLd82bBHAN2Zw_rs6LQoWsiDdq6jl6F7k_XlGfx4b2iFAqPSyt_VSRcPcUwI_ogqdfMVFcnslOrq/s1600/gyoza+deepfry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj30fwTvKwz5xJ_OI7VzU3V8OEWBf9IVOSCiQyjPsf3T7uv3WJGTCsi5S2Oi9fHRFeWyLd82bBHAN2Zw_rs6LQoWsiDdq6jl6F7k_XlGfx4b2iFAqPSyt_VSRcPcUwI_ogqdfMVFcnslOrq/s400/gyoza+deepfry.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We tried deep fried gyoza, but they didn't taste as good as the regular pan fried type.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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In case you’re not a fan of gyoza, fear not: Tochigi
prefecture is also famous for strawberries, so you’ll find the shops in the
station full of strawberry-cream
pastries, freeze-dried strawberries, jams, candies – and if you’re there
in season, you might actually find fresh ones.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguphc6epMMi8unGZlCMoWS-VmOhuuacrMOuwYKekRlAqxjhNXQa5cG7yw_eLf1xi7Q-fx0qUhjspsvA9w_zK_uDMzpWdVauQ1iQtnqMunxAB0nXhzFFHqot_gCgspUThjhGDaS9bZ48kZo/s1600/283923_10150243609886876_546331875_7839066_6347848_n.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguphc6epMMi8unGZlCMoWS-VmOhuuacrMOuwYKekRlAqxjhNXQa5cG7yw_eLf1xi7Q-fx0qUhjspsvA9w_zK_uDMzpWdVauQ1iQtnqMunxAB0nXhzFFHqot_gCgspUThjhGDaS9bZ48kZo/s400/283923_10150243609886876_546331875_7839066_6347848_n.jpeg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Venus emerging from a gyoza</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>Meibutsuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03880063999432978745noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758386577153761130.post-25823955307725634782012-05-13T21:56:00.001-07:002012-05-13T21:58:04.998-07:00Kameido 亀戸<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Flowers and Miso and Enka, oh my!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Sorry for the long delay in posting - this is the best time of year to get out and see stuff, before the rainy season and then the oppressive heat of summer - so I've been busy looking and snapping and shopping!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I went to Kameido for the first time, just after Golden
Week. There were two reasons: I hoped to see the last of the wisteria (fuji) at
Kameido Tenjin Shrine, which, with its unusual drum-shaped bridge and wisteria,
has been immortalised by countless Ukiyo-e artists like Hiroshige, and in one
of my favourite images by Toshi Yoshida in the 1940s.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil2E7n_pEqmPX77vC5bZR83mjaz_lVPyrtlNaqHKqSafyUpKqEckvGLyR0lLTXCgQrRa3nVF_EFdxszYpZLNjWNL0LBrEoePD5JVOpnLvmWCLRn1S3RWEZHlYLOQTbGRpLMcobcYASSEfE/s1600/984_Hiroshige_Komeido.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil2E7n_pEqmPX77vC5bZR83mjaz_lVPyrtlNaqHKqSafyUpKqEckvGLyR0lLTXCgQrRa3nVF_EFdxszYpZLNjWNL0LBrEoePD5JVOpnLvmWCLRn1S3RWEZHlYLOQTbGRpLMcobcYASSEfE/s400/984_Hiroshige_Komeido.jpeg" width="271" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kameido Tenjin Taiko bashi by Hiroshige</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJNeAR7ZL_DdBFPWfSmihRJBdeDabbuwR5Urv2W5XA8coLYrpEj0iQRs63d5wMX-yn8k8WtTMg-Nq1NivtueezhoW91N5CvvH4b737p0oo1g0JW87FJIlaqgfbBnwNKVt1INBWqaMRECtC/s1600/js1389b.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJNeAR7ZL_DdBFPWfSmihRJBdeDabbuwR5Urv2W5XA8coLYrpEj0iQRs63d5wMX-yn8k8WtTMg-Nq1NivtueezhoW91N5CvvH4b737p0oo1g0JW87FJIlaqgfbBnwNKVt1INBWqaMRECtC/s400/js1389b.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The wisteria as seen by Toshi Yoshida</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitdIjCjipVhY6_54pDbW8l7HVD6Q0ZuKvnG049MaFZFA8gP8WnmwWndfOmpT3D0bHkMeJtyHfuW4S3KsgGoNBy_nme9WCQ5-FMrzlqZjyQh2ySB_K0UnzJaSXzwUNy7g5vVYH7vKyebrgQ/s1600/kameido.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitdIjCjipVhY6_54pDbW8l7HVD6Q0ZuKvnG049MaFZFA8gP8WnmwWndfOmpT3D0bHkMeJtyHfuW4S3KsgGoNBy_nme9WCQ5-FMrzlqZjyQh2ySB_K0UnzJaSXzwUNy7g5vVYH7vKyebrgQ/s400/kameido.jpg" width="291" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Today, you can see wisteria with Skytree</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxw7Nk0fIgmDbgdhySPHWh7h1Ek49SbuRj3Bmad_o5o9CMZ2TVFBDL3owN6g9jLu8PQON158Fz9glXXRP5e0I_Oxz5iDcKwk6neMqb1B-s-4FSSVI7g29mctJc6pIfMOYbXcpo-R19HBEk/s1600/kameido2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxw7Nk0fIgmDbgdhySPHWh7h1Ek49SbuRj3Bmad_o5o9CMZ2TVFBDL3owN6g9jLu8PQON158Fz9glXXRP5e0I_Oxz5iDcKwk6neMqb1B-s-4FSSVI7g29mctJc6pIfMOYbXcpo-R19HBEk/s400/kameido2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The famous bridge, with the last of the wisteria.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The other reason was I’d read about an amazing miso shop
just near Kameido station, and I really wanted to check it out. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Kameido
is real “shitamachi” or downtown Tokyo. Across the river from Asakusa, it has a
unique atmosphere – it’s not too crowded, the shop keepers are all up for a
chat, there are Taisho-era buildings and Enka songs blaring, and there are lots
of specialties to buy! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">One of the symbols of Kameido is a unique daikon. I’ve
always been a fan of daikon, that versatile Japanese radish. It’s so
irrepressible: you sometimes find daikon growing through roads and pavements.
Kameido’s daikon is smaller and delicately flavoured. </span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8HOJKLtd22xTcIQAmHmFa67kQf6n211-XfJZzLqEkNcenTdRG6s79I3HwJ_rmBCuiYwhQbRZwjym2LiPe2WEoLZmn7kjZ08RwpJKWembUNY28kW9eX5C_LAk_xFBinXpkLaP5FWE34w2P/s1600/b066a17f-00a7-2b48-1570-4adf211f85d4.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8HOJKLtd22xTcIQAmHmFa67kQf6n211-XfJZzLqEkNcenTdRG6s79I3HwJ_rmBCuiYwhQbRZwjym2LiPe2WEoLZmn7kjZ08RwpJKWembUNY28kW9eX5C_LAk_xFBinXpkLaP5FWE34w2P/s320/b066a17f-00a7-2b48-1570-4adf211f85d4.jpeg" width="231" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kameido daikon</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">There’s an excellent bento shop
on the way to the shrine, called Masumoto. They’ve been making lunch boxes
since the 1860s so they probably know what they’re doing! Pick up a lunch box
made with organic vegetables and the famous daikon to eat in the shrine
grounds, or you can eat-in at the shop.
</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFTkIConZWHqM8TMc_GkYDNJWheskYAKJOIudVCRrcE0L04tlRQtZ-ASy5w6sQn4miewJlPXzeYbo3FrN_WvyHJZh57P-9fBLFSQmoiYYTCBaJ1DZhgW_SKIlgIGNLTO4iPqRECbvfsOd3/s1600/kameidobento.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFTkIConZWHqM8TMc_GkYDNJWheskYAKJOIudVCRrcE0L04tlRQtZ-ASy5w6sQn4miewJlPXzeYbo3FrN_WvyHJZh57P-9fBLFSQmoiYYTCBaJ1DZhgW_SKIlgIGNLTO4iPqRECbvfsOd3/s320/kameidobento.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Masumoto - just look for the daikon sign!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLhE6U0oOd9RsB0iM9GRFyUzgx79e_lhdTMDWvPeKqlXY0O4UGb8ZdbO9fCv5_3yXbS7nbkP3DEIic4zxHV_eg4ct7Uw943IUA9qkj3NoEfowGeSEhL_yfs9e0BlPrgBGdmJAy5qcY_I2l/s1600/shop.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLhE6U0oOd9RsB0iM9GRFyUzgx79e_lhdTMDWvPeKqlXY0O4UGb8ZdbO9fCv5_3yXbS7nbkP3DEIic4zxHV_eg4ct7Uw943IUA9qkj3NoEfowGeSEhL_yfs9e0BlPrgBGdmJAy5qcY_I2l/s200/shop.jpeg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Spring lunch box</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">A must-see is Funabashiya, a sweet shop which apparently
invented kudzu mochi (arrowroot mochi) around 200 years ago. The store opened
in 1805 to cater for visitors to the next door Kameido Tenjin shrine. They also
have all the classic Japanese sweets like anmitsu and tokoroten. As they’re
made without dairy products, Japanese sweets are actually fairly low in
calories, though the textures (cubes of firm jelly, soft, chewy mochi, thick,
cloying beanpaste) may not be to everyone’s taste.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh31B__eDlf8cPKkWvb4Q_jLOvShFEQg3fNxk7tUwCMnxiYOMAmWtC0hD_-gOCHyftct126yy-dj9hXZ-lxKibrL0uS5kJDc9JPZxsndlLcwaS7tU_txsYmmzUCdqz09YBCN12yLNyAmN1/s1600/ko0021.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh31B__eDlf8cPKkWvb4Q_jLOvShFEQg3fNxk7tUwCMnxiYOMAmWtC0hD_-gOCHyftct126yy-dj9hXZ-lxKibrL0uS5kJDc9JPZxsndlLcwaS7tU_txsYmmzUCdqz09YBCN12yLNyAmN1/s1600/ko0021.jpeg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kudzu mochi with kinako powder and kuromitsu</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEZxisBLseAnpQf4RsS5fAMHQucPZopfJbr_4Kh3p9lsaSpGy9rRvQFUdTWEqdO4bTuSnBE-wgN2dEgHYeipIjbz7i01Erv4AGnOkJLwpPDDl0EmsTzT_h1U3z4HWnr2MvpT2FPExeAVXT/s1600/ko024.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEZxisBLseAnpQf4RsS5fAMHQucPZopfJbr_4Kh3p9lsaSpGy9rRvQFUdTWEqdO4bTuSnBE-wgN2dEgHYeipIjbz7i01Erv4AGnOkJLwpPDDl0EmsTzT_h1U3z4HWnr2MvpT2FPExeAVXT/s1600/ko024.jpeg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The milky, jelly-like kudzu mochi has little taste, but it’s
a good vehicle for kinako – soybean powder, and kuromitsu – brown sugar syrup.
It’s one of the classic omiyage to buy in Kameido, but if you miss the store,
there’s a booth selling them at the station, too. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><b>Funabashiya
is at Kameido 3-2-14, just in front of Kameido Tenjin Shrine. </b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Walking back towards the station, you’ll come across
an amazing little street approaching Katori shrine, which looks straight out of
the Taisho-era. Kachi-un shotengai has a charming old atmosphere, was actually
re-built last year. Some of the stores have bronze cladding – a technique
developed after the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake to both modernize and
fire-proof the old wooden buildings. There’s a miso shop, a great pickle shop,
a sembei shop and lots of little eateries. The stores themselves have been
around since the 1950s at least, but the retro-remodelling is an attempt to
bring in more visitors who might come to the area thanks to Skytree nearby. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUc_icdQH63NjZgTQC8bL2v2UJ9hBA10CewmviZVTLQjg_M_Xxr2bTnNplOZss6WQ2WxulbhAjKCQ8UGMpehqQd4I08KXjeDOZDG9iFZ4B58GG2Jjk8Bsgu4KtcUxDshY3JrACfzT_pIjY/s1600/taisho1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUc_icdQH63NjZgTQC8bL2v2UJ9hBA10CewmviZVTLQjg_M_Xxr2bTnNplOZss6WQ2WxulbhAjKCQ8UGMpehqQd4I08KXjeDOZDG9iFZ4B58GG2Jjk8Bsgu4KtcUxDshY3JrACfzT_pIjY/s400/taisho1.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The entrance of Kachi-un, leading to Katori shrine</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtPWznRBfMNxqRT1VKyk8aFL1V9f_DjVKPEotLS1-DefReqae64xIKbdfAFiyJVWuBZ3sqxJAYfF1jOg7rMAvTfWqwOZQ7SmsnQ_Y5I53KNr7wmM2rrieNbIYdHPl45y_dWm36kNepyguH/s1600/taisho2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtPWznRBfMNxqRT1VKyk8aFL1V9f_DjVKPEotLS1-DefReqae64xIKbdfAFiyJVWuBZ3sqxJAYfF1jOg7rMAvTfWqwOZQ7SmsnQ_Y5I53KNr7wmM2rrieNbIYdHPl45y_dWm36kNepyguH/s400/taisho2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yamacho sweet shop is on the corner. It feels like a movie set.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8BaZqd4e1L7kCzZfbpDWgaFldgXkBEdMnl-TyZlZxRgfVOBRGLhcj5JLwy9NoNsSWfe2eTAkdBFvAb4rz5Ebe20D2gE2tWBRmUiSD48oQdxiG0kVvxvHTGoq5quhdcuhx9wtPLgVzJWsg/s1600/taisho3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="326" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8BaZqd4e1L7kCzZfbpDWgaFldgXkBEdMnl-TyZlZxRgfVOBRGLhcj5JLwy9NoNsSWfe2eTAkdBFvAb4rz5Ebe20D2gE2tWBRmUiSD48oQdxiG0kVvxvHTGoq5quhdcuhx9wtPLgVzJWsg/s400/taisho3.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The pickles and umeboshi are guarded by a very dour daruma figure.<br />
<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The other “must see” is Sano Miso on the other side of
Kameido station. There are dozens of wooden tubs, filled of miso pastes from
all over Japan. The rich, salty-sweet aroma is amazing. You can sniff, sample
and ask questions to help you choose the best miso for your needs. They also
have many kinds of dashi, pickles, dried fish and snacks. Whether you’re a
novice or a professional cook, you’ll love this shop!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipd3kjlcL4byy0bw3GSKLFX6NOhYsXQzxQaAYO1VoFrvz7W2hePjyUEU5IETsKgG7yAZvF9CkVDN5Q8ly-qBaUCT1tHuxs3VAA5ZYQZs62ZurN-XuDbp47FxOKAsACPb3TI2n1ImV9_uXl/s1600/sano+miso.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipd3kjlcL4byy0bw3GSKLFX6NOhYsXQzxQaAYO1VoFrvz7W2hePjyUEU5IETsKgG7yAZvF9CkVDN5Q8ly-qBaUCT1tHuxs3VAA5ZYQZs62ZurN-XuDbp47FxOKAsACPb3TI2n1ImV9_uXl/s320/sano+miso.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sano Miso</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMcXE3D_JmhnzeMh-8jii4p5MQp0muiTkqYBgOrrdR5k03tKHHbQCUEFBcGd4VBfoZ8Fy7smXdi-AKgN34rcBDy2tvblaETpiW9qQvHiYtmBDa92ZEBpcuHtTujhemqPuH11jCN2CYLD8w/s1600/sano+miso2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMcXE3D_JmhnzeMh-8jii4p5MQp0muiTkqYBgOrrdR5k03tKHHbQCUEFBcGd4VBfoZ8Fy7smXdi-AKgN34rcBDy2tvblaETpiW9qQvHiYtmBDa92ZEBpcuHtTujhemqPuH11jCN2CYLD8w/s400/sano+miso2.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Miso, miso everywhere</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Sano
Miso is on Kananna dori at 1-35-8 Kameido, about 3 mins walk from the station.</b></span></span>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD49GOnGhU0jGNj8nciko4In3KpXZi8776bE8SZ3ZhfOT4zYi82FizXvYoajNSPAEEjAPG4NfgRSoPLFDltb5rJ_SGDfJl2DP5amSLx2dVVXGjVcoabZS8nSYydIgjKcr82MtcYUsAi-5s/s1600/sano+ochazuke.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD49GOnGhU0jGNj8nciko4In3KpXZi8776bE8SZ3ZhfOT4zYi82FizXvYoajNSPAEEjAPG4NfgRSoPLFDltb5rJ_SGDfJl2DP5amSLx2dVVXGjVcoabZS8nSYydIgjKcr82MtcYUsAi-5s/s320/sano+ochazuke.jpg" width="218" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is ochazuke mix, ready to add to rice, with freeze-dried sea bream</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV14O-FRffVD4BAzWs2riu-DrAoiqAoca5mJuBH8RgIUSU_AS7wEPncq0lutQvlAb9kNe4qyYYle0raDw1T8G8Y3WeMDNmilf7nD_jFxVs0crlpcDbBG2B3wqhtIcM3tAubMRkchpCz2ft/s1600/sanomiso.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV14O-FRffVD4BAzWs2riu-DrAoiqAoca5mJuBH8RgIUSU_AS7wEPncq0lutQvlAb9kNe4qyYYle0raDw1T8G8Y3WeMDNmilf7nD_jFxVs0crlpcDbBG2B3wqhtIcM3tAubMRkchpCz2ft/s400/sanomiso.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can buy small tubs of Miso - around 200gm, starting at about 450 yen, so you can sample different kinds. Red and white mixed together make good miso soup.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span>Meibutsuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03880063999432978745noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758386577153761130.post-26853803134103059232012-04-29T00:24:00.000-07:002012-04-29T00:24:24.916-07:00Don't get crabby<br />
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A trip to Sapporo<o:p></o:p></div>
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I recommend a trip to Hokkaido at any time, but especially
during the Sapporo Snow Festival. While Sapporo is a fairly big city, it feels
far more laid-back than Tokyo, the streets are wide, and the subway isn’t crowded.
Even during the snow festival, it was easy to get around, and the restaurants
weren’t full. Hokkaido is famous for skiing in winter and in summer it’s a
welcome escape from the humidity of mainland Japan. But most of all, it’s
famous for food! Sapporo is omiyage heaven!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjqOP9ultLkBFPiYOA47yeKF-qKzIRVhCHvbD7ndKazXaiMrW9MWq4ZrI8f1dgpU5qHrG-yCbGsV2kQxe_xeIMRVvKpQkbZYAk0oDtJaRjKIpuFfzMxs3ZBoJ9NJEVaVczfQe5sMV2XlD3/s1600/sapporo+clock+tower.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjqOP9ultLkBFPiYOA47yeKF-qKzIRVhCHvbD7ndKazXaiMrW9MWq4ZrI8f1dgpU5qHrG-yCbGsV2kQxe_xeIMRVvKpQkbZYAk0oDtJaRjKIpuFfzMxs3ZBoJ9NJEVaVczfQe5sMV2XlD3/s320/sapporo+clock+tower.jpg" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sapporo Tokeidai, a clock tower built in the 1870s</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0VKooCkGRTItzBc7QT3U9C0x_F-9-TdwvqHapxvakThC1mS_aavft3d-DUy-yqm4DuTftA7iWAFaiynpCm5yZPhKHksZ8ZLEAse2Db_lmsGOl8cENTvH3BkKrd16e95nnKbPslDXYSyVA/s1600/sapporo+ice.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0VKooCkGRTItzBc7QT3U9C0x_F-9-TdwvqHapxvakThC1mS_aavft3d-DUy-yqm4DuTftA7iWAFaiynpCm5yZPhKHksZ8ZLEAse2Db_lmsGOl8cENTvH3BkKrd16e95nnKbPslDXYSyVA/s320/sapporo+ice.jpg" width="292" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Down in Susukino, frozen fish display</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHyUqfm9tRmLCMYF0_8yggPA55nEHaVG02GECpN7PzuQKwH9yiS0cNkUYXJvD9Lm3nhy8quMoCqEO1FG3_RKFXHGKribE2dQX19_caw3e4DC9BB0QNhYTE0ta4uClZNhkNqpjgO8ZJtUkl/s1600/sapporo+chirashi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHyUqfm9tRmLCMYF0_8yggPA55nEHaVG02GECpN7PzuQKwH9yiS0cNkUYXJvD9Lm3nhy8quMoCqEO1FG3_RKFXHGKribE2dQX19_caw3e4DC9BB0QNhYTE0ta4uClZNhkNqpjgO8ZJtUkl/s400/sapporo+chirashi.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A sushi cake! Chirashi sushi full of Hokkaido specialties</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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So what are the meibutsu? Seafood, of course, especially
salmon, sea urchin and crab. All over
Susukino – the downtown part of Sapporo – you’ll find restaurants dedicated to
crab, with giant crab sculptures to advertise their wares. The “tegani” (a
hairy crab) signs are especially creepy. </div>
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Curry is popular all over Japan and in Hokkaido, the specialty is "soup curry", a great way to keep
warm. Rice is served separately, so you take a spoonful of rice and dip it into
the curry ‘soup’. It’s not unlike Mulligatawny.
Lamb is also popular in Hokkaido, but it has a bad image in Japan – perhaps
people expect a strong, “mutton” flavour, so it tends to be disguised with lots
of garlic, served Mongolian style as “Genghis Khan”.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7zB-0iYwmwyjXWfFWav11eDAN34MnWjFKdZVkpLRDiRa6s5sHxi8m7QGjZzTXQQws0y0e5srq9wUcara_aiRWMAmnsA3y4AQpvk2n7jwVUnNFObHigAdipzxXwMRGjgx1qT6osBnIqq4Z/s1600/sapporo+soupcurry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7zB-0iYwmwyjXWfFWav11eDAN34MnWjFKdZVkpLRDiRa6s5sHxi8m7QGjZzTXQQws0y0e5srq9wUcara_aiRWMAmnsA3y4AQpvk2n7jwVUnNFObHigAdipzxXwMRGjgx1qT6osBnIqq4Z/s320/sapporo+soupcurry.jpg" width="254" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Great packaging for Rakkyo Soup Curry</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTYRav5YKCN_rjJMB2kc5xlrdt0iy_vRHLTXeFfC46SBk_WQLDHy-xdyLusfbjiaCUsJIgprBXXXA0NbmRRBKfqEerNfgbVh1C3zrkdoHaP3T7W-D8lzT2Y7NiM6AiNNVPg-TNFp24IbMP/s1600/sapporo+saibara.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTYRav5YKCN_rjJMB2kc5xlrdt0iy_vRHLTXeFfC46SBk_WQLDHy-xdyLusfbjiaCUsJIgprBXXXA0NbmRRBKfqEerNfgbVh1C3zrkdoHaP3T7W-D8lzT2Y7NiM6AiNNVPg-TNFp24IbMP/s320/sapporo+saibara.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A famous supplier of crab and other seafood</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZik-fLyplA2XIKFujpvUVOMsQRLX3LtgpYUtOQDAB6TH63Gp_8X1C175322vK55dxNThWVDCQXt2PaTeeacg1bp79YjPwk2WpcbaAM6cxB_6yJaUjjhKWOZK4FNc4PtqxvOP0yCEnrwkq/s1600/sapporo+tegani.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="335" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZik-fLyplA2XIKFujpvUVOMsQRLX3LtgpYUtOQDAB6TH63Gp_8X1C175322vK55dxNThWVDCQXt2PaTeeacg1bp79YjPwk2WpcbaAM6cxB_6yJaUjjhKWOZK4FNc4PtqxvOP0yCEnrwkq/s400/sapporo+tegani.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Creepily realistic</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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I found this delicious salmon, wrapped in wakame seaweed and
steamed, layered to look like sushi, from Rebun Island, one of the
northern-most parts of Japan. It looks like a beautiful place, and I’d love to
visit in summer. In winter, I imagine it’s bitterly cold. You can learn more
about the place and their delicious seafood here: <a href="http://www.rebun.jp/">http://www.rebun.jp/</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnZUoxtmR1NuHEONyOa5F77gUacCWjQNisT57MGyUJesBARJRxIHA7zNM4tJYVZzsYrTrDbtDji8LuQfhO_lfqqF0FPVEDN86dC0y1N8dBTJa1XEdkY6zRauGwuQDOtrh_kIbVE5hRewRG/s1600/sapporo+rebun.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="373" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnZUoxtmR1NuHEONyOa5F77gUacCWjQNisT57MGyUJesBARJRxIHA7zNM4tJYVZzsYrTrDbtDji8LuQfhO_lfqqF0FPVEDN86dC0y1N8dBTJa1XEdkY6zRauGwuQDOtrh_kIbVE5hRewRG/s400/sapporo+rebun.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rebun Island salmon</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Corn, potatoes, asparagus, melons, and butter, cream and
chocolate are also famous products of Hokkaido, often combined! So you have
miso flavour ramen with corn and butter, butter-flavour caramels, chocolate
potato chips, chocolate-dipped corn crisps and chocolate beer (of course,
Sapporo Beer is one of THE famous products!) <o:p></o:p></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijSJCTRY9BHhmaA25WCaDb2Hpa7SCZexfhimFmO-TGdmxcQX_2dlfFjb2NUzdUj-bQid5mwEzBUErmljEkFKtDK4K6lZcIVwIDCmaacOqBImPMS_26yIztDZi2ratC5vUO0rMJ0Fit492f/s1600/sapporo+caramel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijSJCTRY9BHhmaA25WCaDb2Hpa7SCZexfhimFmO-TGdmxcQX_2dlfFjb2NUzdUj-bQid5mwEzBUErmljEkFKtDK4K6lZcIVwIDCmaacOqBImPMS_26yIztDZi2ratC5vUO0rMJ0Fit492f/s320/sapporo+caramel.jpg" width="242" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Milk caramel and butter caramel</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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One famous sweets companies is Royce, home of the most
decadent hot chocolate, perfect for warming up on a cold day. But it's most famous product is chocolate potato chips. The combination of slightly crisp and salty with rich
chocolate actually works. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjovQfgBcxgZkU0A-v7nJikPtijQRN8GKFTg3toiTRM_rXDPhL79xDMNvJcal-MTH3cV-n4ryLVJQnzSUZOUmpOihAx-JjPWlZr8J3Gib0QMtKEREZaM2Rkpbdyc9wK9wHFvND7uZQg6zGU/s1600/sapporo+royce.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjovQfgBcxgZkU0A-v7nJikPtijQRN8GKFTg3toiTRM_rXDPhL79xDMNvJcal-MTH3cV-n4ryLVJQnzSUZOUmpOihAx-JjPWlZr8J3Gib0QMtKEREZaM2Rkpbdyc9wK9wHFvND7uZQg6zGU/s320/sapporo+royce.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Chocolate and potato chips - perfect</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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As I mentioned before, Marusei Butter Sand by Rokkatei is
also a very popular take-home gift: rich rum and raisin butter cream,
sandwiched between buttery cookies. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSgvXOo38klHXIh5k-A5oQ0nZW3Hjqa1R9f4vf5Q4x0vIp3zwx9YuAPBfp82bhDB_gXT6QAP_eZCPjkvkngyxrj5s_kTk5CkEQkqsKQ2R9-f5Jv324dz2U_MJDEOVL3opyMDstUDd0-9bg/s1600/sapporo+butter+cookie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSgvXOo38klHXIh5k-A5oQ0nZW3Hjqa1R9f4vf5Q4x0vIp3zwx9YuAPBfp82bhDB_gXT6QAP_eZCPjkvkngyxrj5s_kTk5CkEQkqsKQ2R9-f5Jv324dz2U_MJDEOVL3opyMDstUDd0-9bg/s320/sapporo+butter+cookie.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The logo, incorporating the Marusei kanji and butter in katakana, is beautiful.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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A trip to Otaru, about 30 mins by train, is
really worth it. In winter, the view as the train speeds along the coast through the snow, is gorgeous. Make sure you stick around after sunset, when the canals and
streets are lit with icy lanterns and candles. The town has an unusual,
European feel, with historic buildings and warehouses. In Marchen Square you’ll
find a big Rokkatei store (home of those delicious Butter Sand cookies and a
whole lot of other sweets including freeze-dried strawberries coated in
chocolate), also Kitakaro for cakes and LeTao for cheese cake (anyone who
watches Saturday morning TV in Tokyo will know those commercials, “LeTao,
tabetai!”). LeTao has a nice café upstairs – a good place to kill time and keep
warm waiting for the sun to set.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_VO3As_SryLfGo58MxVp-Hh3UkEleaOs79mxJwE3ZFcE0QgQVwzwfRtAZSSLgzap4T8LnSw6AmwaevLx4F5J2s6mpGap4uhGiyPPtZ81Xhmvb4weK_vdXgqueSs03gh3_m3-fh4avhqho/s1600/sapporo+otaru.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_VO3As_SryLfGo58MxVp-Hh3UkEleaOs79mxJwE3ZFcE0QgQVwzwfRtAZSSLgzap4T8LnSw6AmwaevLx4F5J2s6mpGap4uhGiyPPtZ81Xhmvb4weK_vdXgqueSs03gh3_m3-fh4avhqho/s640/sapporo+otaru.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Otaru Canal at night</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbiJg__83NuKORTO6Hsdv-5hoD8ErwNzPi6J2B5VHNQv1PypB_IA27ou9F_1LMT9cA23fk2njg8HT6iGXyH08TNreCKo1zUP2FL2vlBfeV273Nt09oTLYctJUbF9Wx9F2_N0F0pKTXFrxd/s1600/sapporo+le+tao.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbiJg__83NuKORTO6Hsdv-5hoD8ErwNzPi6J2B5VHNQv1PypB_IA27ou9F_1LMT9cA23fk2njg8HT6iGXyH08TNreCKo1zUP2FL2vlBfeV273Nt09oTLYctJUbF9Wx9F2_N0F0pKTXFrxd/s640/sapporo+le+tao.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The sign, slightly melted, outside LeTao</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Finally, you can’t visit Sapporo without a trip to the
Ishiya factory, home of Shiroi Koibito, made since 1976. “Shiroi Koibito Park”
is set in a kitschy faux Tudor mansion, with an English garden, various
eccentric collections of toys and paraphernalia, and of course, the factory,
which smells amazing. You can watch those perfectly crisp sable biscuits meet
white chocolate, though some crucial processes are hidden. Shiroi Koibito means
“white lover”, a reference, I guess to the perfect ‘marriage’ of white
chocolate and biscuit. Ishiya wasn’t happy when comedy company Yoshimoto Kogyo
released Omoshiroi Koibito – “funny lover” – cookies in 2010. While it’s a
funny idea, I can see why Ishiya complained – the packaging is remarkably
similar. <a href="http://www.shiroikoibitopark.jp/english/">http://www.shiroikoibitopark.jp/english/</a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEwsrkuL6slwZwPaa2N2rv85jBWSmq8lgGZIl8g7GZ995Yj5-aM9_0EmJANpq30HRPpddvOvhHELGyKkLbh1_2nLw7VCNQAO1otExZW5l3aRIbSPJ3craLoOP-JQ2-ejwrrd9o2nCFgmoN/s1600/shiroikoibito.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEwsrkuL6slwZwPaa2N2rv85jBWSmq8lgGZIl8g7GZ995Yj5-aM9_0EmJANpq30HRPpddvOvhHELGyKkLbh1_2nLw7VCNQAO1otExZW5l3aRIbSPJ3craLoOP-JQ2-ejwrrd9o2nCFgmoN/s640/shiroikoibito.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside the factory</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVJC59Wmo7KoPOfrzpHMYuYcgwd1E3oM7u9x0K2u0owJquL0-r6-I_4PqqmoLBUB-G7ApfizG-4-8a1dTI1IgJLUhHgOjfRs18rEjEHU2jnNSnRZ8U6N7leES8eMBdQBfQU-vK9WcaOa7l/s1600/shiroi.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVJC59Wmo7KoPOfrzpHMYuYcgwd1E3oM7u9x0K2u0owJquL0-r6-I_4PqqmoLBUB-G7ApfizG-4-8a1dTI1IgJLUhHgOjfRs18rEjEHU2jnNSnRZ8U6N7leES8eMBdQBfQU-vK9WcaOa7l/s400/shiroi.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shiroi Koibito - you can buy them at Narita Airport, too.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhshO_0IHe1fwUmVky7PHOC5ZH40DswloEdVLapwI5IPnFxUO318KK3zbrne37C1-6PQMIglXr76qUuhdl1NQvEH628YdGt3Slg3xCxxkuTWTR-jRKd4CIkPvinrC3LPtKqzlaAC0XyYUFs/s1600/omoshiroi+koibito+Kyodo.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhshO_0IHe1fwUmVky7PHOC5ZH40DswloEdVLapwI5IPnFxUO318KK3zbrne37C1-6PQMIglXr76qUuhdl1NQvEH628YdGt3Slg3xCxxkuTWTR-jRKd4CIkPvinrC3LPtKqzlaAC0XyYUFs/s400/omoshiroi+koibito+Kyodo.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Left: original Shiroi Koibito. Right: "Omoshiroi Koibito"</td></tr>
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<!--EndFragment-->Meibutsuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03880063999432978745noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758386577153761130.post-88119095838782787062012-04-16T19:02:00.000-07:002012-04-16T19:02:12.848-07:00Porky goodness<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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Pork cutlet sandwiches - a kind of meibutsu? Well, delicious, anyway!<o:p></o:p></div>
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One of the best things about travelling by train in Japan is
getting a special bento lunch to eat on the journey. But for my money, the best
lunch is katsu sando! A delicious fried pork cutlet (similar to schnitzel),
with a thin layer of katsu sauce (basically barbecue sauce), sandwiched between
soft, crust-less white bread.<o:p></o:p></div>
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And when you’re after katsu, there’s one place to go:
Maisen! It’s tucked in the back streets near Omotesando hills, in a converted
bath house. Maisen was founded in 1965 in Yurakucho and moved to the
distinctive bathhouse building in 1978. The décor is still very Showa-cool.
Although the restaurant is one of chef Nobu Matsuhisa’s favourites when he
visits Tokyo, it’s definitely not posh! Tonkatsu is working class food: fried,
filling and great with beer. You can make it easily at home – just dip your
pork cutlet in egg and some panko before frying. And yet, at Maisen it’s
perfectly crispy on the outside, not at all oily, and soft and juicy inside.
They use “kurobuta”, black pig (a kind of Berkshire) from Kagoshima, hand
raised by one Mr Okita. Shredded cabbage and rice is all you need to go with –
and at Maisen you get unlimited refills of both (no free refills of the
cutlets, unfortunately). <o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPOZ6xy4rbRGqi5rA7AuxQ8BRYTPv66wdU3H9hWIcRoPzkkc840UBLDE4K_YFFPndWJgjRmj4DPhBaNpmXXcgF_rxTh0aL0uAbfEGy2bh5DXFNzRQi0_5t9EgvTHYSyttRnO5daU0DK4Wf/s1600/maisen+shop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPOZ6xy4rbRGqi5rA7AuxQ8BRYTPv66wdU3H9hWIcRoPzkkc840UBLDE4K_YFFPndWJgjRmj4DPhBaNpmXXcgF_rxTh0aL0uAbfEGy2bh5DXFNzRQi0_5t9EgvTHYSyttRnO5daU0DK4Wf/s400/maisen+shop.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The restaurant sits on a corner</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXLKRNJGDbj_eStQOacSnGeNEDwVAg9PEmhROGhUCdMmTXFexPkwekbpQDmdoFcjL0nvlJvH3NmK7sXZBnrH1nZWolG3rVhZGeOlqqskiv39i5wuLIgcpVljLhGiNhAQwO5_7n4tOOQ3pl/s1600/maisenshop2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXLKRNJGDbj_eStQOacSnGeNEDwVAg9PEmhROGhUCdMmTXFexPkwekbpQDmdoFcjL0nvlJvH3NmK7sXZBnrH1nZWolG3rVhZGeOlqqskiv39i5wuLIgcpVljLhGiNhAQwO5_7n4tOOQ3pl/s320/maisenshop2.jpg" width="250" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cool display case</td></tr>
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The restaurant is at 4-8-5 Jingumae. The easiest way to get
there is to take the A2 exit from Omotesando station, walk down the hill a few
steps and turn right at the big building site (you’ll see a sign for Gold’s
Gym). Go along the street, past Royal Harvest and Gold’s Gym and turn left then
first right. There’s a nice second hand kimono shop on your right. Walk a few
more blocks and you’ll see the restaurant on your left<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(incidentally, in the block behind
Maisen, you’ll find Omotesando Koffee, which is set in an old house; the coffee
is excellent).<o:p></o:p></div>
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So, the food is delicious, but don’t forget the graphic
design! The Maisen logo is so simple and distinctive: They’ve combined the
traditional Edo style mon – a family emblem – with funky 70’s mustard and brown
shades and strong Helvetica type for the perfect retro packaging.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJk9CPJaz84n2cXWw5HLa3BquoDMO3zI4YIYsGpf552B_qHflXkGINpMYyIkPGb5-ukeOCF2jEXTK7Ho7sr0aNwDBjxrxzIzFV7eFzYlp0QXiRvLAqB2xudl_q0CSIyJ-JaQRapicwH4LJ/s1600/maisen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJk9CPJaz84n2cXWw5HLa3BquoDMO3zI4YIYsGpf552B_qHflXkGINpMYyIkPGb5-ukeOCF2jEXTK7Ho7sr0aNwDBjxrxzIzFV7eFzYlp0QXiRvLAqB2xudl_q0CSIyJ-JaQRapicwH4LJ/s400/maisen.jpg" width="336" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The distinctive packaging</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja1Lae_J4hazAfM-WkqH_ViqYTAk063YX83mxxPoEFfyYYeUP79HG7B3-SAKEmJfLFs5kKX7JTApJ89vqwUO4BuDzVEooQy4YSPW6_mWzYaXR_jPpqQAXKHSw4sTk-AEDOlnmwkqf7lVmJ/s1600/maison+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja1Lae_J4hazAfM-WkqH_ViqYTAk063YX83mxxPoEFfyYYeUP79HG7B3-SAKEmJfLFs5kKX7JTApJ89vqwUO4BuDzVEooQy4YSPW6_mWzYaXR_jPpqQAXKHSw4sTk-AEDOlnmwkqf7lVmJ/s400/maison+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Inside, a wet towel and the precious sandwiches...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlCUA1nA8xPBc4Th6hEWWlj_VkktjPnDf5OoSYGaSaUyfuudgV3Y89XO8Cc21ECanGRa1X4xWJSZkzywL1tLDWl_PxRteebKrLnDYd5nNkIlHxXdTXklUkQbtYGLppBOIbCT5b5xyOt8Ix/s1600/maisen3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlCUA1nA8xPBc4Th6hEWWlj_VkktjPnDf5OoSYGaSaUyfuudgV3Y89XO8Cc21ECanGRa1X4xWJSZkzywL1tLDWl_PxRteebKrLnDYd5nNkIlHxXdTXklUkQbtYGLppBOIbCT5b5xyOt8Ix/s640/maisen3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Delicious!</td></tr>
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There’s a little take-out booth at the restaurant, but you
can also pick up Maisen’s delicious katsu sando at a lot of department stores
and train stations. Prices start around 360 yen for a pack of 3 little
sandwiches. <o:p></o:p></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Meibutsuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03880063999432978745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758386577153761130.post-79202754792694940242012-04-12T20:28:00.001-07:002012-04-12T20:28:11.036-07:00Raisin' hellHow do Japanese women stay so slim? If I ask my Japanese girl friends about their hobbies, most will say "sweets" (if you ask the average guy, he'll probably say 'drinking' or 'sleeping'). Luckily, Ogawaken Raisinwich cookies are not so easy to get, so those stylish girls can stay svelte.<br />
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I was first introduced to this style of snack - juicy, rum-soaked raisins in cream, sandwiched between buttery cookies - when my friend Makoto would bring back boxes of Hokkaido's famous Marusei Butter Sando by Rokkatei, on his regular trips to Hakodate. Sadly, he changed jobs and the omiyage supply dried up.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwbHDK10asv_rPZpTLgEgMyj00pb1DdK74BonsnBQdhyP7d9Ncr41uXxNBqUco0MSBctZjM7giJfNux3SAbGrFinetSf0kxbxUlg4EBdfmJhPmZGFhTNE3qY_Fes__Yz1Lr7IWSx9uWYyw/s1600/marusei_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwbHDK10asv_rPZpTLgEgMyj00pb1DdK74BonsnBQdhyP7d9Ncr41uXxNBqUco0MSBctZjM7giJfNux3SAbGrFinetSf0kxbxUlg4EBdfmJhPmZGFhTNE3qY_Fes__Yz1Lr7IWSx9uWYyw/s200/marusei_1.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marusei Butter Sando</td></tr>
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But then, thanks to an acquaintance, I discovered Ogawaken Raisinwich last year. I think the Marusei Butter Sando is a little richer and more buttery... but I haven't been able to get them both at the same time to do a taste-test! According to the Japanese version of Wikipedia, Rokkatei's version was developed in 1977, when the Ogawaken Raisinwich was already very popular, but expensive. Rokkatei incorporated butter and white chocolate into the filling, which explains the heavier, richer taste.<br />
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Ogawaken started in 1905 as a western-style restaurant in Shimbashi. It's now a very popular patisserie, with another branch in Meguro. The Raisinwich was apparently invented about 40 years ago. They're very popular and only available at their two shops, so they often sell out by the late afternoon. The Shimbashi store is also a bit tricky to find, being hidden around the back of the Shimbashi Ekimae building. However, they recently updated their website in English with good maps!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifwtZDDdRYOWHzJKQsoS1q7sqnidKMvUUj9bZH4Eyp2BuXAg6tlRNcfz37DOKWE6tmlrRWm7M_wOds0Nkn3oji5whc43qR-5GWct8LYNQ3TNH8veyDZtr3nMQenR9Ws2gBc25CsLhN5EKB/s1600/photo_00.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifwtZDDdRYOWHzJKQsoS1q7sqnidKMvUUj9bZH4Eyp2BuXAg6tlRNcfz37DOKWE6tmlrRWm7M_wOds0Nkn3oji5whc43qR-5GWct8LYNQ3TNH8veyDZtr3nMQenR9Ws2gBc25CsLhN5EKB/s320/photo_00.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj25ABPZDFvQyzM87n8aXGON4HvRfxGDb6QNfSQRN8hiLWizmt6mJvd_XZwALfkA-ZxjN_Q4REtIc18AvduMd9EquqZ5AR4PIURX9Zbvorv44GVDD3Vy1xWiRPtnPAqO9pktZf10EW2Fo5n/s1600/photo_shinbashi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj25ABPZDFvQyzM87n8aXGON4HvRfxGDb6QNfSQRN8hiLWizmt6mJvd_XZwALfkA-ZxjN_Q4REtIc18AvduMd9EquqZ5AR4PIURX9Zbvorv44GVDD3Vy1xWiRPtnPAqO9pktZf10EW2Fo5n/s320/photo_shinbashi.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Shimbashi store</td></tr>
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The cookies are crunchy and light, topped with flaked almonds. The raisins are very juicy and have a nice little rum kick. Apparently the raisins are from California and the butter is from Hokkaido. Because they're made with fresh cream and butter, they only keep for a week or less, but you'll have no trouble eating them quickly! I love the simple, graphic packaging, and of course, the taste.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmkAB6mFwWefxseFZ0j3zNr1wOlIkwrvQAAMiBjLibUt8xvWKgDg3Ty4KXXu7zH1bgJNtfDXJeJ4u2w7IX34JaWt8TdHP6mB0NJa5qMoMlv17DM0yJEpQGPUz7BY3iKuhhvPGuqIaRNkls/s1600/raisinwich.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmkAB6mFwWefxseFZ0j3zNr1wOlIkwrvQAAMiBjLibUt8xvWKgDg3Ty4KXXu7zH1bgJNtfDXJeJ4u2w7IX34JaWt8TdHP6mB0NJa5qMoMlv17DM0yJEpQGPUz7BY3iKuhhvPGuqIaRNkls/s320/raisinwich.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Here's the website. Now I really want to do a taste comparison!<br />
http://www.ogawaken.co.jp/en/index.htmlMeibutsuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03880063999432978745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758386577153761130.post-88383145852661781872012-04-11T19:58:00.003-07:002012-04-11T20:12:42.302-07:00OMG delicious chicken!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I don't know if this is strictly a meibutsu, but it was definitely omiyage. A very kind visitor brought us Hinepon chicken from Kobe. Hinepon is a restaurant in Kobe's Nishi-ku, specialising in the MOST delicious charcoal chicken.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUMUjVy0W-G_q0jcLAm1lQ6S3QJWwU4Cbj1LDaDLkLfGaTzPghA1BVMvGQesdXYvblAvqGaT2lFNXqvAKyWMqeMnmugCgdtk0kWCB92GUDAbBjQ73Ja1yK1A3k27pguk0fMMtRJ8fETd79/s1600/info_photo09.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUMUjVy0W-G_q0jcLAm1lQ6S3QJWwU4Cbj1LDaDLkLfGaTzPghA1BVMvGQesdXYvblAvqGaT2lFNXqvAKyWMqeMnmugCgdtk0kWCB92GUDAbBjQ73Ja1yK1A3k27pguk0fMMtRJ8fETd79/s1600/info_photo09.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">They use hinedori, which is an older, free-range chicken - too old to lay eggs, but full of wonderful flavour. As I'm almost an old chook myself, it's nice to know we have some value. The chicken is barbecued over high grade charcoal, then sliced paper thin. You can buy it in 200g vacuum packs for 630 yen, but one pack will NOT be enough! </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhheaMGcqdSck0uas7Nf2OH7Uq3M0O_fS4lURuvifOmMglQjfJafTYE622RZ7U1wzwTm-iuJEGJxm4vbXOFtZbstbAtzEyGDhMXWtVHYI31NyEM009ijQkcqJ8XdITiD7ornmIUHoMUbVtj/s1600/CMDID0001_0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhheaMGcqdSck0uas7Nf2OH7Uq3M0O_fS4lURuvifOmMglQjfJafTYE622RZ7U1wzwTm-iuJEGJxm4vbXOFtZbstbAtzEyGDhMXWtVHYI31NyEM009ijQkcqJ8XdITiD7ornmIUHoMUbVtj/s320/CMDID0001_0.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">All you need to so is arrange it on a plate with chopped schallots and add a drizzle of ponzu if you want. Heaven.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF542gzykxsbceMs001RKV6J5f2lq6szaSrZiYDGhaXIUGQV9iwmfoOcCBf_iLm7pVnZOG1rGsmrctVjS2zDjzdFRQiqWvDlKa4hJ3i8zbZxmzl-dbyeMmy92gRuu8Va5Eskz_jfT4lsrS/s1600/hinapon+chicken.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF542gzykxsbceMs001RKV6J5f2lq6szaSrZiYDGhaXIUGQV9iwmfoOcCBf_iLm7pVnZOG1rGsmrctVjS2zDjzdFRQiqWvDlKa4hJ3i8zbZxmzl-dbyeMmy92gRuu8Va5Eskz_jfT4lsrS/s640/hinapon+chicken.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The restaurant looks great, if a little out-of-the way. You can also order the chicken online. Here's the website: www.hinepon.co.jp</span><br />
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<br />Meibutsuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03880063999432978745noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758386577153761130.post-32285926736515353002012-04-09T18:14:00.000-07:002012-04-12T05:49:59.282-07:00Enoshima<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Just down the coast from Kamakura is Enoshima. An island
accessed by a long bridge, it’s dedicated to Benzaiten, the goddess of music
and entertainment. You can climb a lot of stairs to the top, or you can cheat
and take the escalators (350 yen). You still have to walk back down, though. In
winter, you can see Mt Fuji easily and it looks striking at sunset. It’s a
lovely placed to stroll and a popular date spot for Tokyo-ites, but we are here
for food! The meibutsu of Enoshima is Shirasu.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It was my first time to try shirasu, a tiny white fish, like
whitebait. So I chickened out and got the boiled version on rice. I’m told
they’re better raw, served separate to the rice, with a variety of condiments.
I was pretty happy with my boiled version, which was mild and tasty, with a
topping of nori, shiso and pickled ginger. Pour a little soy sauce on and
enjoy. I’m definitely no shirasu connoisseur, but my husband swears the
Enoshima versions are a bit disappointing, and the best is found in a small
restaurant near Tsujido station, on the opposite side to Terrace Mall. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Don’t
confuse shirasu with shirako. Shirako (literally “white children”) is fish
milt; ie, sperm. I don’t know why it doesn’t bother me to eat fish eggs, but
the idea of fish sperm makes me shudder. Shirako looks like a mass of white
brains or intestines. Enough said.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Update:</b> that small restaurant near Tsujido is called Iseya. They have a website with very cute English. Apparently, the dishes are "politely burnt" and the handmade dishes are "made by much effort". And it's cheap - the shirasu or "raw young sardines" are only 600yen. I can't wait to go! Here's the website: http://www.nagateku.co.jp/navi-kb/000044/01/2/</span></span>Meibutsuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03880063999432978745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758386577153761130.post-60572395612114826702012-04-08T22:23:00.000-07:002012-04-09T17:51:11.606-07:00HAM<br />
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How did I get through a whole post on Kamakura without
mentioning ham? Kamakura, being a favourite vacation spot for expats, got into
the ham industry quite early. The Tomioka company has been making ham products
since 1874. Kamakura ham was on the menu at the Imperial Hotel Tokyo on the
occasion of the Graf Zeppelin cruising over Tokyo in 1929, thanks to their
refrigeration surviving the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923. There’s also Kamakura
Ham, which started in 1887. Kamakura is quite the place for ham! <o:p></o:p></div>
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Unfortunately, I forgot to buy any of these famed ham
products, which my husband thought terribly remiss (should I mention that these
hams are expensive? Around 2,500 yen for 400g. You can get the slices and
sausages in a lot of supermarkets across Japan though). He had to make do with
the Hato Sable biscuits, which he happily said reminded him of his childhood.
Phew!<o:p></o:p></div>
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I leave you with some nostalgic images of ham:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>Meibutsuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03880063999432978745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758386577153761130.post-78616714278647085842012-04-08T21:34:00.002-07:002012-08-31T01:23:41.728-07:00A day in Kamakura<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">A little long, bear with me... there's a lot to see! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">One of the pleasures of
living near Tokyo is the ease of escape. Take the Yokosuka line from Tokyo
Station or the Shonan Shinjuku line from Shinjuku station and within an hour
you can experience the laid-back, beachy atmosphere. As a former capital of
Japan, Kamakura has its share of historic temples and sights, but it’s also
famous for food! A stroll (necessarily slow thanks to the constant crowds)
along Komachi street is essential for sampling sembei and sweets.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">First stop: Hase station
to visit Hase Dera and the Daibutsu. The 3 car Enoden electric train has a nice
nostalgic atmosphere as it rockets along a single line. Hase Dera has a
beautiful garden all year round. We saw cherry blossoms this time, but in June
/ July, it has a spectacular display of iris flowers. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">As soon as you finish at
Hase Dera, you should go back to the main street, cross over and turn left
towards the Daibutsu (that’s “Big Budda”). Look for the oversized purple ice
cream models. The popular flavour here is Murasaki imo, or purple potato.
Slightly bland and sweet, it’s a nice refreshment for a hot day, but the real
news here is the “Murasaki imo korokke” or purple potato fritter. Now, I don’t
know that Kamakura can really claim the purple potato as a unique local
specialty, but these fritters – so crisp on the outside, and soft and hot inside, are
worth a trip. They cost about 150 yen each and sell out in the afternoon.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12pt;">Visiting the Daibutsu, you find that Japanese
Buddhists aren’t too precious about their deities. You can get Budda shaped
wasanbon sweets (along with other local shapes like flowers and the Enoden
train). Wasanbon is a super-fine powdered sugar that can be pressed into
shapes. To be honest the basic flavour is just…sweet. But they look so pretty
and they literally melt in the mouth.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia; font-size: 12pt;">You can even get a Daibutsu lollipop!</span>
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I think Kamakura is most beautiful in rainy season, around the middle of June, before the summer heat sets in. It's famous for Hydrangeas, called Ajisai in Japanese. You can buy these little bouquets of candies everywhere around Kamakura, shaped and coloured to evoke these popular flowers:</div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Back in Kamakura proper,
you can’t miss the packaging for Hato Sable biscuits. It seems like everyone is
carrying a distinctive bright yellow bag with a graphic dove. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieV_GYXM8cOsb8ZbbenGxXtOliiszbJkBK2xN_CVmAHZoJDzN342IP5zBV14dbea1tKh7MQKwNRoJgPToZL2fuetBs78CGpYJhmXmIWk-nSkjfw9AWJitPkXIZeu9UcVr3HJNNcmZihypV/s1600/hato1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieV_GYXM8cOsb8ZbbenGxXtOliiszbJkBK2xN_CVmAHZoJDzN342IP5zBV14dbea1tKh7MQKwNRoJgPToZL2fuetBs78CGpYJhmXmIWk-nSkjfw9AWJitPkXIZeu9UcVr3HJNNcmZihypV/s320/hato1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Produced by
Toshimaya company, the Hato Sable (or Sabure, as it’s written in katakana) has
a long history. The store opened around Meiji 30 (1897) and it’s a good example
of how Japan was opening up to the world. At that time, according to the
company’s website, a foreign visitor gave the founder, Hisajiro, a biscuit as big as his hand, with an image of Joan of Arc. The founder didn’t
want to imitate the biscuit but decided to somehow evoke the taste, which after
some research and experimenting, he realised was down to the butter content. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">He
experimented with the balance of ingredients and one day tried out a prototype
on a friend who had just returned from Europe. The friend remarked that it
tasted just like a sable biscuit he had tried in France. The word “sable” sounded
like the Japanese name Saburo, which is a twist on the name Hisajiro (by
re-ordering the kanji). And the Japanese love nothing more than a clever play
on words. The store was very close to Tsurugaoka Hachimangu shrine, where
Hisajiro often went. He noticed that kids were delighted by the many pigeons
around the shrine and he was inspired to shape the biscuits like the birds
(doves and pigeons are the same in Japanese – just different colours of the
same bird). And so, the Hato Sabure was born, and it’s been a hugely popular
souvenir ever since. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia;">Prices start at 450 yen
for a pack of 5. They are BIG – about the size of an adult hand – and crunchy
and buttery. The main store is on the road leading to Hachimangu shrine and
there’s a shop right in front of Kamakura station. You can also buy them in
major department stores in Yokohama and Tokyo I've seen them in Sogo Yokohama, at Tokyo Station (Daimaru, I think) and the ever-crowded Food Stage of Tokyu Dept Store at Shibuya Station. If you can’t get enough of the
“Hato” experience, they have a café with a huge variety of sweets called
“Hatokoji” or literally “80 Lane” just off Komachi street to the right.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Sorry, I warned you it was a long post! Thanks for hanging on till the end.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Next up: Enoshima.</span></div>
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<br />Meibutsuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03880063999432978745noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758386577153761130.post-60038595447247642852012-04-06T05:34:00.000-07:002012-04-09T17:51:45.513-07:00OkonomiyakiMy husband had a business trip to Osaka. As a joke, I asked him to bring back some okonomiyaki, the famous local 'savoury pancake'. And he did. At Shin-Osaka station, he bought an okonomiyaki kit from Chibo, a popular okonomiyaki restaurant near Nambu. Inside, there were 2 vac-packed okonomiyaki, plus the sauce, mayo, nori and katsuoboushi, ready to go. The instructions said you could microwave them, but I think a minute in the microwave then a quick go in the non-stick frypan gave a slightly crisper, more authentic result. It was delicious! But not quite the same as making one fresh on a hotplate in some smoky little restaurant with a nama beer or two.<br />
Here's the pack:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-9hEofbqC-ba4u9esn-5JxFw2ypOSJRyC25j-hYVR4m4i-vUA0-myf9layzcw3GhVarnOzyoYfB33Ya2qMd9qAYnqriQRsKc9_MFjoBIq7oSrE3rAjZnlOojgGLb-gct1JjP9onNJLYE5/s1600/oko1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-9hEofbqC-ba4u9esn-5JxFw2ypOSJRyC25j-hYVR4m4i-vUA0-myf9layzcw3GhVarnOzyoYfB33Ya2qMd9qAYnqriQRsKc9_MFjoBIq7oSrE3rAjZnlOojgGLb-gct1JjP9onNJLYE5/s320/oko1.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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The inside contents, and the finished product:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQzovyEAKY0hCWiODiNr6QUl_vFMDmwmXBnEn348cevw58seitFXlt-4riO_wbOfdtk4kcZKYOLCsHCuVO3oKBBRi_XnmFyXUqOSdCWvVPf3tq7SwpZtguONqjqv1QWjsyOppNY-U36veo/s1600/oko2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQzovyEAKY0hCWiODiNr6QUl_vFMDmwmXBnEn348cevw58seitFXlt-4riO_wbOfdtk4kcZKYOLCsHCuVO3oKBBRi_XnmFyXUqOSdCWvVPf3tq7SwpZtguONqjqv1QWjsyOppNY-U36veo/s320/oko2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxEbie9e31fAz4PTkYSZHtX_DoGiHYe5cQy1kFTc3nWHQNBkntca8Yw0G5AYz-mdg-9LME4dgCUBenMBic3IY3fzvVoUHbxtrtx24YSvHWa2tcNITyzsUu0BHIk2O0jtxs1G5FC2LV0Kj4/s1600/oka3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxEbie9e31fAz4PTkYSZHtX_DoGiHYe5cQy1kFTc3nWHQNBkntca8Yw0G5AYz-mdg-9LME4dgCUBenMBic3IY3fzvVoUHbxtrtx24YSvHWa2tcNITyzsUu0BHIk2O0jtxs1G5FC2LV0Kj4/s320/oka3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha5Jr_NnaLdV_eb7JoB9YpOiXirYJWPvaEZpO1yLiKEvkfnn-lnsa7lZHy1nRwqlZxhcAEa05PckTvK42gsmrE5UciudU5ZjXjo_lRzfDrInt0Nd9fwWpMAS-qVzkiE3tJTvRpzNj_ZUr8/s1600/oka4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha5Jr_NnaLdV_eb7JoB9YpOiXirYJWPvaEZpO1yLiKEvkfnn-lnsa7lZHy1nRwqlZxhcAEa05PckTvK42gsmrE5UciudU5ZjXjo_lRzfDrInt0Nd9fwWpMAS-qVzkiE3tJTvRpzNj_ZUr8/s320/oka4.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Meibutsuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03880063999432978745noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758386577153761130.post-23508238395932945452012-04-05T18:22:00.000-07:002012-04-09T17:51:58.809-07:00what are meibutsu?<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Meibutsu are local specialties. Most cities have their own special foods and crafts, but Japan has raised this to an art form. While some, like elaborate carvings from Kamakura and Pawlonia furniture from Saitama can be very expensive, I'm focussing on what are basically "omiyage": the gifts you bring back from a trip for co-workers and family members. But real meibutsu are more than just souvenirs. They should be locally grown or made - something unique to that place, with a sense of history and a story. Well, that's how I define them. New tourist spots like Skytree near Oshiage are inventing new souvenirs, but whether they become "meibutsu" will depend on time. Stamping a picture of a tower on a cookie does not make it special! </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">So, this blog is an excuse for me to try lots of yummy things and photograph them on my travels, but it's also very much about the packaging and design and the stories behind them. Why Tokyo Banana snacks? What are yatsuhashi? Let's find out. What's your favourite meibutsu? </span>Meibutsuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03880063999432978745noreply@blogger.com0