It wouldn’t be New Years in Japan without pounding down a stomach-full of mochi, and who better to bludgeon the rice into sticky submission than a cadre of sumo wrestlers? Today I watched as six mighty sumo-sans took turns wielding the mallet and flipping the doughy mass so no grain escaped the hammer of doom. ThisContinueContinue reading “I Would Not Want To Be That Rice”
Monthly Archives: December 2011
Tuna Messenger
So…how DO you get a 300 pound frozen tuna back to your shop on the other side of Tokyo if you don’t have a truck? I guess you can’t really take it on the subway… •
The Virtual Cemetery
The Eternal Use Virtual Grave fits a peculiar need in Japan. With fewer people marrying and having children, the number of people who are the last in their family lines is increasing. In Japan, this is especially sad, because not only does this leave you without anyone to organize your periodic death anniversary parties, nobody shows upContinueContinue reading “The Virtual Cemetery”
Gateway to Kitty Nirvana
This cat café is in the Decks entertainment complex in Odaiba In a country where many people live in places too small for pets, cat cafés are a booming business. For about $10 an hour, anyone (over the age of 12) can sip a latte and pet herds of cats for as long as theirContinueContinue reading “Gateway to Kitty Nirvana”
I’ll Have the Eel Sundae with a Cherry on Top
Yep, it’s actually eel-flavored ice cream. With a handy packet of sanshō pepper on top for your take-out dining pleasure! At the Cup Ice Store you can buy individual servings of this and many other flavors that at best might be described as…interesting. Like this India Curry Ice Cream. Does it come in a naan cone?ContinueContinue reading “I’ll Have the Eel Sundae with a Cherry on Top”
Fake Fur Santa Miniskirts
It’s the time of year when young Japanese women are shopping for their Christmas Eve outfits, and nothing says “romantic holiday” more eloquently than a bright red, fake fur miniskirt. Nobody wants to look like every other Sexy Santa on the block, though, so it pays to consider the sequined, strapless, and lace-up models beforeContinueContinue reading “Fake Fur Santa Miniskirts”
Make Your Own Plastic Food!
Last week I jumped at the chance to visit a place that makes fake food models for Japanese restaurants and learn the secrets of making tempura and lettuce! Making fake lettuce is so much easier than making real lettuce. No need to acquire the superpower to create life, no need to construct a carefully balancedContinueContinue reading “Make Your Own Plastic Food!”
Deck the Halls with Blue Poinsettias
In the land where Christmas isn’t a religious or family holiday – it’s actually second only to Valentine’s Day as an opportunity for romantic dates and marriage proposals – “traditions” are viewed more as “suggestions.” This year, apparently red and green are a little Last Millennium when it comes to festive seasonal decorations. •
Pizza of December
I didn’t think Shakey’s could top the red bean, marshmallow and squash dessert pizza, but their winter specials just might surpass that creation for sheer originality. When the most ordinary offering among them is called “Roast Chicken & Pineapple,” you know you’re in for some culinary surprises. This creation features burdock root and seaweed. IfContinueContinue reading “Pizza of December”
Thong Santa
This green-haired, sixpack-flaunting, thong-wearing Santa outside an Asakusa pachinko parlor is the most boggling take on the jolly old elf I’ve seen so far this year. •
Streets Paved with Gyoza
Inside Namco Namja Town in Ikebukuro is a crooked little street lined with stands featuring the best potsticker dumplings from all over Japan. It looks like an old shitamachi lane, and the choices are dizzying. Regional specialties served with a squeeze of sudachi lime or mixed with shiso leaves are joined by more, hmm, experimentalContinueContinue reading “Streets Paved with Gyoza”
There’s a Fish Fin in My Drink
Finally it’s cold and rainy out, just the season for a swig of hot saké with a smoked, dried blowfish fin floating in it! Hirezake is such a wintertime favorite here in Japan that they sell these single-serving cans in vending machines. But nobody wants to encounter a nasty, soggy fish fin that’s been stewing in theContinueContinue reading “There’s a Fish Fin in My Drink”
Squid Ink Popcorn
Watching celebs dressed in puffy animal costumes battle it out on TV can give you a powerful craving for just the right snack, but it’s near-impossible to whip up a plate of squid ink pasta before the commercials are over. With this handy kit, you can satisfy all your snack cravings (including some you didn’tContinueContinue reading “Squid Ink Popcorn”
Christmas Hats from Hell
In the true spirit of the season, here are a couple of jolly Christmas hats that say, “Ho, ho, ho, fork over your wallet, buddy!” and “I’m having such a bad hair day that even a pile of chartreuse fake fur with fuzzy pompoms looked better!” • “I don’t know when I’ve been more caught upContinueContinue reading “Christmas Hats from Hell”
Little Blobs of Heaven on a Stick
On the last night that the fall leaves were illuminated at Rikugi-en, we stumbled across the mitarashi dango stand. In a little hut beneath the maple trees, this man and his wife were dishing up skewers of rice cakes, roasted over charcoal and slathered with miso sauce. Sometimes mitarashi dango – the traditional balls madeContinueContinue reading “Little Blobs of Heaven on a Stick”
The Godzilla of Toast
This “Maple Monbranc” Honey Toast is just what it looks like: a solid half loaf of white bread topped with ice cream, maple syrup, prolific extrusions of sweetened chestnut paste, whipped cream, half a candied chestnut and two sprigs of parsley. This is just one variety – you can order your slab of goodness toppedContinueContinue reading “The Godzilla of Toast”
Only In Japan 