Basement Floor in Japanese Department Store - Like a Food Expo

If you're looking for something delicious and fun, or not sure what you want, I really recommend you to go to basement floor in department stores.

You'll find Japanese deli-like shops with some displays which create the atmosphere of the season. Some of them are from prestigious restaurants, so you'll have a chance to enjoy their box lunches for reasonable price!


Dishes from many countries are also available in the department stores. Italian pizza, Chinese spring rolls, Korean Kimchi, French salad... You might wonder if you're really in Japan.

Not only side dishes, but sweets and drinks(both alcohol and fresh juice) are waiting for you. Sometimes cakes decorated with fresh fruits are sold near the Japanese sake shop. You can have a break with buns at the coffee stand if you're tired.

"Depa-chika", which means the basement of department store in Japanese, will make you satisfied and happy!

Olympics! Forza Giappone!

The Olympic Winter Games is held now!
Even though Japanese result is under our expectation so far, every performance, talk and attitude came from the top athletes all over the world really grips myself.
Hope all athletes do their best!!

Moreover, Olympic Games provides people on the earth opportunities for closs-cultural exchanges as well as of enjoying exciting performance. Volunteers may exchange commemorating pins and mail address each other, for example. Some people go sightseeing and find new friends. This worldwide event gives good chances to deepen the friendship.

I myself really want to help you to know Japan, and promote international exchanges among us now and in future.

Orthodontics - it needs courage!

Few Japanese used to think positive about orthodontics due to following reason;

1. Looks bad or ugly?
Many Japanese thought that braces were conspicuous. Also, the extraction of tooth may be needed in some treatment, so we sometimes were afraid to be looked bad for this.

2. Double tooth regarded as charming.
Japanese had thought that double tooth was cute, so we didn't think about straitening our own teeth.

3. It costs very expensive - about one million yen (about $8330, 7140 Euro) or more.

Recently, however, a number of Japanese has been positive to have orthodontics, and more and more grown-ups with braces are found in my country.
It seems because many Japanese have been concerned for their health. Many kinds of health foods are sold, and the number of going fitness center has been increasing. Orthodontics is the one of choice to be healthier.

Anyway, I wish it were less expensive....

Japanese taste in bakery

There may be many kinds of bread in your country, but bread or bun in Japan is unique - it's like a collaboration between Japanese taste and Western one.

For example, Japanese enjoy 'ann-pan' , sweet red bean paste in a bun. Here is the inside of the bun.
You'll find the pink topping; it's a pickled cherry blossom. Ann-pan is one of the Japanese favorite, so we have different kind of sweet bean paste buns.

Also, we have 'yakisoba-pan', fried noodle with bread roll, sweet potato bread, and sometimes we find a rice ball in a bun!! Each bakery in Japan tries to create new combination, so it's fun to go rounds of them.

Of course familiar rolls like crescent and muffins are available. Why don't you come to a Japanese bakery to find your own treasure?



Right photo: (from back; left is "yakisoba-pan", right is green bean paste bun front; left is "ann-pan", right is custard cream bun)

Setsubun - Spring is coming soon!

According to the lunar calendar, "Setsubun" is the day before the first day of spring.
In this year it falls on February 3rd, the last Friday.

I went to a temple to have a bean throwing ceremony last Friday.
In Japan, bean throwing ceremonies are held in houses, temples, and shrines to drive out bad luck and bring in good fortune.

The priests in this temple scattered lots of roasted soybeans. It was like a shower!
It is said that these soybeans bring happiness when you eat them of the same number as your age. I really concentrated on picking up the beans as much as possible.
(I don't mean I'm old - I wanted to share them with my friends!)

This picture is my happy beans in this year.














It was fun not only to eat beans, but to join the ceremony with friends.
I want to try to throw beans next year!