good-ness

shiso onigiri. one of my favorite japanese things. last week we were on vacation on the west coast and the island and we found some shiso at my favorite japanese grocery store. whoohoo. and some tsukemono (pickles), too. this is one of the easiest meals to make. onigiri. miso soup. and a little salad. i really hope our baby girl (whoohoo!) loves japanese food. i am banking on it. since she will be half japanese.

culture 12.

i can't believe i wasn't in japan this year. to experience the ume and sakura blossoms. after five years there they almost started to feel normal. almost. but not quite. the plan is to head back there next year in prime blooming season. for a nice long visit.

these photos were from a festival that we went to in april. a couple of years ago. and i just found this unpublished post. and what a nice surprise that was.

oh, japan, i miss you.

my japan. [r].

[r] renkon

renkon. lotus root. a vegetable i never ate in canada. but will start when i go back. if i can find it. unfortunately my favorite way to eat it is the least healthiest. renkon chips. with a little salt. nice and crispy. dang it. luckily i don't make that at home so i don't eat the often. but i will still miss them. 

my japan. [p].

[p] pan-ya

the bread shops over here. are quite good. and a bit overwhelming at first. all these perfect looking little pastries. for good prices. nicely lined up on the shelves. just waiting for me to put them on my tray. dang it. i will miss them. pan-ya. but that is a totally okay thing. 

[p] piazza pizza

this is the non-japanese restaurant that i will miss the most. that we will miss the most. it's a small italian restaurant within walking distance of our place. the perfect size. the perfect ambiance. a one man show. and he lived in italy forever. and makes his own pasta. that is the best in the world. wow. we usually visit on a weekly basis. because it's that good. and we can't get enough. 

my japan. [o].

[o] obachan

 

there is something about obachan (little old japanese ladies). that i love. and h-kun's obaachan (grandma) is no exception. look at her. eighty seven years old and still going strong. and full of so many stories. and traditional ways. and her eyes light up when we unexpectedly stop by to say hello. i will miss her. sweet obaachan.

[o] okashi

 

snacks. oh, i love japanese okashi. one of the most traditional snacks is senbei. rice crackers. they come in all shapes, sizes. and flavours. a new favorite of mine is ume senbei. oishii. but that's not the only snack i love. i could make a very long list. chocolate mushrooms. the little panda cookies. garbo. pretz. in many flavors. those muji almond cookies. a little pocky. the little strawberry chocolates. oishii. okay. i'll stop now. before i convince myself to go and buy some more. dang it.

my japan. [what i'll miss most.]

 

on wednesday night. we went to a going away party for us. hosted by one of my best friends over here. who often has these kinds of parties. but tonight was extra special. because it was the last one i will be at for awhile.

 

the evening was perfect. amazing food. thanks to the four of the guests being professional chefs. we had a mix of japanese, italian and french food. and a perfect variety of wine. thanks to another guest being a sommelier. and hours and hours of talking. laughing. and a few tears. thanks to the fourteen of us there.

 

this is what i will miss most from japan.

my japan. [m].

[m] matsuri

matsuri. are one of my favorite things about summers in japan. festivals. most cities have one. and folks of all ages show up. to enjoy the festivities. relax with friends and family. and enjoy all the matsuri food stalls.

 

the matsuri are often steeped in tradition. and sometimes involve parading old, wooden floats around town. pushing and pulling. while the lanterns sway back and forth. it's quite the experience.

[m] muji

 

 

oh, muji. i love you. and most things you sell. muji is a shop over here in japan. that is well known for it's simple style. basic colours. and okay prices. i will miss it a lot. the stationery is probably my favorite thing they sell. but i do love their kitchen things. and other household items. and my favorite scarf. and favorite tank top are from there. as well as my favorite almond cookies. and white chocolate covered almonds. my gosh. the list could go on. and on. and on.

 

 

 

awhile ago muji was selling some things focused on various major cities from around the world. the little wooden sets were perfect. and i have a collection of them. i also have some of these cloths. new york. paris. and barcelona, too. i am saving them for something special. a little sewing project. maybe.

 

i am going to give away those two cloths above. tokyo. and london. along with some of my favorite muji stationery. just leave me a comment. and let me know what country you live in. and something you would miss if you had to move. h-kun will choose two random numbers on thursday night. japanese time.

**edit: keep those comments coming. please. i am really enjoying reading about where you are from. and what you would miss: bagels, the smell of the ocean, carboot sales, the mountains,my grandmother,  the midnight sun,  my language, microbrew beer, big trees, my sense of complete belonging. and the list goes on. it's kind of comforting. in a way. thank you. 

my japan. [l].

[l] love hotel

i am totally fascinated with these places. love hotels. not that i have ever been in one. seriously. but part of me wants to go. and the other part of me screams. no. no. no. love hotels. there are a lot of them. and are quite easy to find. they usually have funny names. hotel jazz. hotel teddy bear. hotel autobahn. just crazy names. and there is quite a bit of secrecy involved. no windows. covered parking garages. there is an area near here. near a big highway interchange. that has about thirty love hotels. so much neon is there. i think it must be the capitol of love hotels. the main reason for love hotels is for those guys and gals who still live at home. and they need somewhere to. you know. have sex. it's not uncommon for kids to live at home well into their twenties. and sometimes their thirties. and they just don't have any privacy. so some smart guy came up with the whole love hotel concept. where you can rent a room by the hour. or the night. whatever you fancy. and some people are making a lot of money. a friend once told me that love hotels are the number 1 industry in japan. i don't believe that. but i do think they are a big industry. and am so curious about it. and thought it would be a great thing to study. for a thesis. seriously.

my japan. [j].

[j] janken

rocks. scissors. paper. it's called janken here. the kids love it. and the bigger kids have all these fancy ways of playing it. all too confusing for me. while teaching university i always found it interesting how often the students would use it to decide things. seriously. i just don't remember doing this back home at that age. and i wouldn't be surprised if some top officials of companies or the government use janken. behind closed doors. every once in awhile. it is definitely a quick and simple way of decision making. and. yes. h-kun and i even sometimes use it. but mostly for fun. 

[j] jitensha

bicycles. they are everywhere. everywhere. and most of them look the same. basic. no gears. and a front basket. they are definitely one of the main modes of transportation in japan. especially for school kids. but many other ride them, too. moms with kids. business men. girls with really short skirts. grandpas. little people. grandmas. and me. though not as much as i used to. and not as much as i should. bikes are definitely a convenient way of getting places. as long as it's not raining. and the exercise is a good thing, too. i will be bringing my bike home to canada with me. and i hope to use it. often.  

my japan. [h].

[h] hanabi

fireworks. fireworks. fireworks. are amazing over here. in the summer you can always find some city hosting a two hour display of fireworks. this is definitely one of my favorite things about japan. hanabi. i will never grow tired of them. never. 

[h] hashi

i am in love with chopsticks. and prefer them over a fork and knife. and have been known to beat japanese folks in chopstick relays. my favorite ones are from a lacquer shop in kyoto.  a very lacquer is a traditional art over here. h-kun broke his pair a couple of months ago. so i got him some new ones this last week while i was in kyoto. lucky guy. you can see that his (the black ones) are longer than mine (the red ones). and that's typical. 

[h] h-kun

hisashi. that's his name. -kun is something you add to the end of a boy's name. or a guy's name. to turn it into an endearing nickname. instead of hisashi-kun. or hi-kun. i call him h-kun. you pronounce his name like this: he-saw-she. hisashi. and it is only one kanji character. that is used often in weddings. it means happiness. or something similar. i love it. and i love him. and without him i would not be able to experience as much of this culture as i do. nor would i be able to understand things as easily. nor appreciate things as fully. nor would i have japanese relatives. i am so thankful that japan and japanese culture is part of my life. forever. thanks to this fella. h-kun. who is the most untraditional japanese guy you will ever meet. lucky me.