Japan Lights: 2015

To all my dear readers, I wish you a Merry Christmas, full of love and happiness that you can share with your family, friends and loved ones! I hope this time will be filled with joy for you all :)

Recently I posted two cooking-related posts so maybe third one is not a good idea, but Christmas is coming and those few days before it were always a time I spend mostly in the kitchen - preparing meals and cakes for this special time to share with my family. So in this spirit, for anyone who needs some last-minute help and inspiration, here’s another nice video from Ochikeron Youtube Channel, this time with an easy recipe for quick to make Christmas cake.

Pocky is something I wanted to try long before I came to Japan - it was something easy to spot in manga and anime, where characters were always eating those as snacks and soon it became on top of my "to do" list: "try Pocky". While you can buy them literally everywhere in Tokyo, they are not so easy to get in other countries. Even if they are imported, they do have the "imported" price too. So here's a short movie from Ochikeron Youtube Channel with an easy recipe for homemade Pocky. Sure, it's not the same, but it's a nice taste of popular snack ;)

There are two big problems with making sushi at home outside Japan. The first one: ingredients. Where in Poland can I find fresh yellowtail? Natto? (Not that I’d want to find it, but just in case...) Raw salmon or tuna that I wouldn’t be afraid to eat? Not easy. Second problem is technique. No matter how hard I try, it will never be as good as something prepared by a person who makes it every day (for years). So I gave up a long while ago on making nice looking and delicious sushi. But one day my friend from the dormitory had her birthday and we were throwing a party and the dorm’s manager wife prepared some sushi for us - and taught us how to do this really easy type of sushi that can be made absolutely everywhere and without some super skills. So here it is: the easiest, yet tasty, maki! (Friendly reminder that this is the cooking 101, “I haven’t burned anything, that’s great!” type of recipe)

Ingredients:

sushi rice
rice vinegar (would be great if that was the special type for sushi)
nori
cucumber
carrot
lettuce
mayonnaise

Preparation:

Cook the sushi rice the way it’s described on the product. (most product description make it look quite complicated, but it is also fine to just cook it the normal way, as shown here)
Cool down the rice and add rice vinegar (not much - a tea spoon is enough for a small bowl of rice)
Cut carrot and cucumber into thin, long pieces.
Put nori on the mat (rough side facing down)
Put rice on the nori, covering 3/4 of it. Press it firmly along the edges. Make sure it’s not too thin- you shouldn’t be able to see through it. Making it too thick will make rolling harder though.
Put the vegetables and mayonnaise on the rice, starting about 2 cm (1 inch) from the bottom of it. The more filling the better!
Slowly, carefully and tightly roll the sushi. Look out so as not to break the nori.
By the end of rolling put your fingers in the water and then smooth them over the last bit of nori. Moisture will make it more sticky and it will be easier to close the roll.
Using the mat you can give nice shape to the roll.
When the roll is ready, make sure that the ending is facing down, so it will close under its own weight.
Cut into slices - any size that works for you!

Of course you can change the filling to anything you like. This is just an example of the thing I’ve eaten;)

Why would someone start a trip with going to a shopping complex? There’s so much to see after all! But it's not just an ordinary department store.

Kyoto is a place everyone should see while in Japan, but that’s not the only place worth seeing in Kansai region. That’s why during my stay, just after spring semester was over, I went for a one week “road trip” there. The idea was to see as much as I could in a week and not limit myself to one city. Before I’d start talking about all the things and places worth visiting, the question is: how to get there?

There are things everyone miss after coming back from Japan. Some are obvious things like sushi, ramen, konbini, politeness, friends you made there, 100 yen shops, okonomiyaki and so on. But there are also things that are not so obvious and more personal. So, here's my list:

Japan is a nice place. Same goes for Tokyo. But no place is 100% positive and sometimes even after lots of preparing something surprises you and there are some tiny irritating details that were never mention in any guidebook that make you go all “Arrrrgh! Why?”. Here’s a list of things that I just didn’t like in Japan. Not even a tiniest bit.

Okonomiyaki is on the absolute top of my list of best Japanese meals. Just after I tried one, I knew I have to learn how to do this, because I will miss it terribly after coming back home.

When I came to Tokyo and asked my Japanese friends "Can I cook rice without a rice cooker?" all of them said "impossible". Since I was definitely not buying a cooker for a few months of stay, I was cooking it the same way as I do back home. So, as you can see, it is possible ;)

The most common question I had after coming back from Japan was “are things there expensive?”, “how much bread costs?", “is rice cheaper there?”. I had exactly the same questions before I went there. Now, That I’ve seen it with my own eyes (and made extensive notes) I can share my experience with all of you and answer those questions!

When I went to Japan, I was prepared for a culture shock. I was prepared for people speaking differently and eating different food and I thought that this will be enough. Which was the biggest shock for me? Let me tell you about the tiny ones first- not actual, unpleasant shocks, but small details that mostly just made me smile and realise that it's not normal that I do things that way, it's just my culture. Let’s start with five tiny things that were much more surprising than I could have ever expected.

#1 Humour

The first thing I've noticed was sense of humor. I've already made a post about it, but let me remind you: people in Japan just couldn't get my jokes, while I couldn't understood theirs. While it might seem like no big deal, it's really difficult to spend so much time without joking and laughing at something funny at all.

#2 Menu

Another thing that was surprising, but actually really nice and I got used to it really quickly, was the way Japanese menu was constructed. First of all, in front of every restaurant, bar, pub there was a window full of plastic models of sold food and drinks with prices. The models looked exactly like the dishes- if you see three pieces of meat, that's exactly what you will get. The same thing worked for English menu- it always had a photo, a name (not very useful) and a price. This way it was possible to order food even without any Japanese.

#3 Fruits and vegetables

Sounds really pedestrian, right? First thing first- the prices and usage. in my country we usually buy a kilo or two of fruits and the price is per weight. In Japan it’s per unit and people buy for example one, two or three apples. When fruits and vegetables are served in a restaurant, it’s a few pieces. Forget about salads. Still, I was surprised to discover in how many different ways people I meet were eating. People from Europe were not eating watermelon's seeds while people form America were surprised by it. People from Australia were peeling oranges with a spoon, I used a knife. I even heard once that I eat a Caesar salad in a “funny way”

#4 Pedestrian walk etiquette

In my country we walk on the right side. In Tokyo people walk on the left side. Sounds easy remember right? Just stick to the left. But, that’s not the end. In Kansai people also walk on the left, but stand on the right side of escalator. Also, there's plenty of Subway/ train stations with "please, keep to the right here" signs. In Poland people don’t walk on the bike lane, because it’s for bikes, not for people, right? What if a biker wants to drive and someone walks on is road and becomes an obstacle? In Tokyo people treat bike lanes as a pavement on which they just need to be a little more careful, since sometimes there are bikes in there.

#5 The service

I already mentioned why people love konbini - they have everything: instant dinner, cosmetics, printer, tickets and ATM. But the products are just the beginning. What I really loved and what came to me as a surprise, was how helpful and nice the staff is- everywhere, not only in konbini, but that was the place where I was expecting it the least. They always smile brightly, they always greet clients cheerfully and bow. They count change at least twice while showing it, to make sure there’s no mistake and they pack groceries very carefully, roll the handles of the bag together to make it more comfortable to carry. Japanese staff is the best when it comes to tiny details and making life easier for clients.

This is just the beginning of small things that make Japan so different from my home. Stay tuned for more!

Themed cafes are a “must-see” in Japan. The very first one I went to was a 80’s video game cafe in Shinjuku named 8bit Cafe.

The weather is getting colder, the leaves are less green and the summer is officially over.
Along with autumn comes the end of my summer break- I’m finally back at home, my holidays have ended and now is the time to write here about everything interesting that happened, so stay tuned for more stories from my travels!

Japanese department stores are everywhere in Tokyo- usually each train/subway station is connected to at least one. Surprisingly, it’s a really good place for hungry people since it always have a huge food court. In Japan there is no place for McDonald’s or KFC in food court- it’s one or two floors full of restaurants, usually with long queues of people waiting to enter the best of them.

Okonomiyaki- Japanese pancakes, are something everyone should try while in Japan. There’s many types and kinds, but the main idea is the same- grill all the things you like. Actually, that’s exactly what the name means.

After an amazing journey through the ocean it’s time to take a look at how life looks in rivers around the world. Are you prepared for Waterfront Journey in Sunshine Aquarium?

Would you like to see a shark, penguin, ocean sunfish, giant octopus and dyeing dart frog on the rooftop of a skyscraper in the middle of the city? Just go to Sunshine City Aquarium then! Located in Ikebukuro, Tokyo, it's really a place worth seeing.

Just a short movie, a whole coverage will be posted soon!

Miso soup is probably the most popular dish in Japan (yes I know, you were expecting sushi, but surprise!). It’s added as a side dish to almost every type of lunch meal, it can also be a part of breakfast and supper. Bonus: it may be prepared in around 10 minutes, so try it! Once again this is not an original Japanese recipe, this is a really easy, basic “Cooking 101” recipe.

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons of dashi
3 cups of water (3x 250 ml)
2,5 spoons of miso paste
65g tofu
1 spoon of dried seaweed
slices of green onion

Preparation:

Chop seaweed into small parts and cut tofu into cubes.
Boil water in a pot. Add dashi. Whisk until it dissolve.
Lower the heat and add tofu and seaweed.
Put miso paste into a bowl or ladle. Add a little of the dashi and whisk until it becomes smooth.
Add miso to the soup and boil a short while on lowest heat.
Add slices of green onion and boil a little.
Serve immediately.

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“Almost!” says another person while hitting the machine with irritation, only to put more coins in it just a second later. Welcome to Game Arcades! They are very popular in Japan and not hard to find. Usually there are tall buildings, with at least 5 floors, but it’s possible to find smaller ones inside department stores. Take a look at this fun place, full of people wishing that maybe next time they will be lucky.

Just after arrival university organised a field trip for all exchange students to Chichibu- we were rifting, making rice cakes and had a traditional Japanese barbeque. Oh, and we were strawberry picking!

10 great tips from Lonely Planet can be found in here.

It’s time to start writing about how not to starve and go bankrupt at the same time. The answer is, eat like locals! But remember your roots- no need to force yourself to eat something you hate ;)

[If you are Japanese, stop reading immediately! This is not sushi-master approved recipe. This is my cooking 101, at-least-this-time-I-haven’t-set-the-kitchen-on-fire recipe with “close enough” effect. I like it, it’s my kitchen and so on]

And here comes the tuna roll sushi recipe. It is a really sushi, not some strange discovery- I’ve seen in sushi bars. It is easy to prepare, contains products that are easy to obtain and suit continental tastes. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

tuna in can x1
1/2 of small onion
wasabi
sushi rice
rice vinegar (there’s a special type just for sushi)
nori (the long and thin type
mayonnaise

Preparation:

1. Cook the sushi rice (I cooked it normally, just a pot and water). Remember to add rice vinegar so it will get more sticky and easier to form (one tea spoon for a bowl of rice).

2. Chop the onion in very small pieces (as small as you can). Mix it with tuna and mayonnaise. If you like it spicy you may add pepper. If you like it more mild, you can add boiled egg. Now you have tuna salad!

3. Form 5 cm (2 inch) long rolls of rice.

4. Wrap rice in nori. Put some wasabi on rice if you like.

5. Put tuna salad on the rice, inside the “basket” made of nori. (I’m pretty sure that’s not the right order, sushi masters probably put the nori at the end, but I was afraid that the salad will fall off).
6. Serve with soy sauce and gari.

Version with an egg

SOS tips:

if the nori doesn’t want to stay together, you can use wasabu as a “glue” on the edges or just put a little water on them
if your nori’s shape is not the one you want, remember that kitchen scissors are your friends

Tea ceremony is one of the most known Japanese traditions. The one we were allowed to experience was quite plain and I’m sure it skipped some parts since it was only a few minutes long. Still, it was a very interesting experience.

Japanese people love green tea- this is something you’ll notice after an hour in Japan. Green tea is everywhere- in restaurants, coffee shop, in vending machines, in cakes, biscuits and sweets. Starbucks sells matcha latte, KitKat has a matcha flavour. But it all starts with traditional green tea and tea ceremony. I was lucky enough to see how it’s made and take part in the ceremony.

One of the popular dishes that can be bought almost everywhere in Japan is takoyaki (たこ焼き or 蛸焼). It’s a ball made of wheat-flour based batter with pieces of octopus, tempura scraps and some vegetables. They are fried on special pan (iron griddle with half-spherical moulds) and served on paper boats with special sauce or mayonnaise.

When I came to Japan I was prepared for some communication difficulties to occur. After all, I barely speak Japanese, so what else could I expect? But what surprised me the most was that the very first area I had really huge problem with, was sense of humor. Really. I literally can’t make jokes in here.