All posts filed under: Culture

one of the oldest shrines in Japan – Izumo Taisha

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an excerpt from our camping car trip in 2018 Our trip to Izumo Taisha Shrine located in Shimane prefecture took place early October 2018, when the longest and hottest summer gradually started to loose force, surrendering itself to the next season, the fall. Izumo Taisha Shrine is considered the oldest shrine in Japan, in existence in the early 700s as revealed by the nation’s oldest chronicles; and has always been my ‘must see places in Japan’. The access is about a 820 kilometers drive from Tokyo, a 9 hours non-stop drive according to the Google Map which we managed to achieve in our first day of our trip. The majority of Japanese endeavor to see Izumo Taisha, as according to our history, Izumo used to be ruled by a powerful clan in pre-historic times, and plays a central role in Japan’s creation mythology. The main deity (kami) enshrined at Izumo Taisha is Okuninushi no Okami and according to the creation myths, Okuninushi was the creator of the land of Japan and the ruler of Izumo. …

New Year’s multi-culture washoku | 2018年に願う「彩り」元旦

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New Years Day, dinner. For us Japanese, New Year’s celebration is a traditional event, most likely THE important day of the year in which we celebrate the day with ‘traditional Japanese osechi’. If anyone of the readers are curious of what ‘osechi is?’, many sites will explain the meaning of some of the osechi dishes. This year I decided to venture out from the tradition to a somewhat non-tradtional ‘washoku cuisine’ to something which I call it ‘multi-cultured washoku’.

Kobako (Barrel) Crab | 香箱ガニ丼

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北陸のキャンピングカー旅を終えて、福井で頂いた香箱ガニのリゾットが美味しかったこと。旅行は11月半ばでまだまだ寒さの始まり。蟹もまっさかりとはいえない時期でした。東京でも香箱ガニに出会えないかなぁ？と旅の思い残しの一つでしたが、つい数日前スーパーの鮮魚売り場で活きた香箱(セイコウ）ガニを手にすることができました。

Hokuriku Camping Car Travelog | 北陸キャンピングカー旅 ②

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The Noto Peninsula (Noto-hanto) is a peninsula which extends out to the ocean (Sea of Japan), Ishikawa prefecture. To us, Noto instantly resonates ‘fresh fish’,’good sake’ ,’salt’ and ‘rice’, basically the main food ingredients our form of Japanese food. It was my first visit to Noto-hanto, although the weather did not welcome us; sunshine-cloudy-mist-rain-gusty wind storm all in one day. According to the locals, the diversity of weather produces good crops, good fish and a flexible lifestyle; a norm in Noto Penisula.

Camping Car Travelog | キャンピングカー旅 ③

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Just about an hour away from the Jellyfish Aquarium, a stop over at the ‘Ken Domon Museum of Photography’, in Sakata City.　He is one of the pioneers of photography in Japan, well know for his snapshots and realism of the historic pre and post war period, the Showa era of Japan.

Camping Car Travelog | キャンピングカー旅 ②

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Day 2 takes us to the Tsuruoka City Kamo Aquarium, known as the ‘Jellyfish Museum’, located at Yamagata Prefecture;  a beautiful clear sky day. 旅の2日目。 山形県の鶴岡市加茂水族館「クラゲ会館」に行ってきました。世界一クラゲの種類が多いと言われている水族館で平日でも観光バスやら観光客で比較的込み合ったいました。

Seasonal Spring Food | 春の食材

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On a cloudless sunny day………we decided to adventure north, about a two hour or so drive up north which will take you to Gunma prefecture – one of the leading producers and suppliers of vegetables in the country and Tokyo district.