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:


  1. 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)
  2. Cool down the rice and add rice vinegar (not much - a tea spoon is enough for a small bowl of rice)
  3. Cut carrot and cucumber into thin, long pieces. 
  4. Put nori on the mat (rough side facing down)
  5. 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.
  6. Put the vegetables and mayonnaise on the rice, starting about 2 cm (1 inch)  from the bottom of it. The more filling the better!
  7. Slowly, carefully and tightly roll the sushi. Look out so as not to break the nori.
  8. 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.
  9. Using the mat you can give nice shape to the roll.
  10. When the roll is ready, make sure that the ending is facing down, so it will close under its own weight. 
  11. 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 ;)
Food prices in Japanese supermarket

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!
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I'm Aleksandra, an ordinary student, and this is my blog about Japan. I will write about various things I've experienced in the Country of Cherry Blossoms during my student exchange.


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