A nice green tea for your hungover

I have a terrible headache now.
Maybe I drunk too much yesterday.

This pain reminds me of a legend at the Kamakura period.
According to the legend, the last regent of Kamakura shogunate, Hojo Takatoki was suffering for terrible headache which came from hungover.
One day, Eisai, the founder of Rinzai sect of Japanese Buddhism served a cup of green tea for Takatoki.
The tea eased the headache of Takatoki.
In addition, Eisai dedicated "Kissa yojo-ki"a book about green tea to Takatoki.

From this legend, we can learn that the green tea was drunk as also a medicine not only a refreshment at that times.
A custom of drinking tea seems to be introduced at the Nara period to Japan.
Only noblemen and monks had enjoyed the custom long time, but since the Edo period, even common people came to drink green tea.
Green tea works for both refreshment and easing headache in your hungover.

I want to drink a green tea now, but I can't find any of them around me.
I hope I have a nice monk like Eisai who serves a tasty drink tea every morning for me.

You can enjoy the local food Kishimen at the platform in Nagoya station

I went to Nagoya, the capital of Aichi prefecture to meet a friend who lives in Nagoya.
We met at the Nagoya station.
It is a big station and also Shinkansen (the bullet train) stops there.
It was noon, and we were hungry.
The friend suggested me to eat Kishimen at the small restaurant which was located at the platform of the bullet train.

Kishimen is famous as an local food in Aichi.
It is a kind of noodles, and it is made in flat strips.
We see it as like an udon, but it's unique shape makes the taste quite different to ordinary udon.
The friend told me there are less Kishimen restaurants in Nagoya nowadays, besides Kishimen in those restaurants are a bit expensive as first food.

We bought an entrance ticket to the platform of the bullet train for 140 yen, and entered to the platform.
The friend explained Kishimen which served by the restaurant is very good in the history of Kishimen.
Also he said the Kishimen is cheaper than other foods in restaurants around Nagoya station even though we have to pay entrance ticket to eat the Kishimen.
The name of the restaurant is Sumiyoshi.
I guess the name come from the great Sumiyoshi shrine in Osaka.
Anyways, before entering the restaurant, we needed to buy food ticket from vending machine outside of the restaurant.
I bought a ticket for "Kakiage tamago-iri Kishimen (Kishimen with a raw egg and a mixed tempura of vegetables and sea food)" for 570 yen.
It was recommended by my friend.
My friend bought a ticket for "Nagoya Kochin Kishimen (Kishimen with the local chicken in Aichi)" for 870 yen.
We entered the restaurant.
There was a very limited space inside.
Also there were no stools.
Usually such type of small noodle restaurants at platform of train station serve noodles as a stand-up meal.
In the restaurant, customers faced to a counter and were slurping their Kishimen in hurry.
They were passengers of the bullet train or customers like us, who entered the platform for only the Kishimen.
We put our tickets on the counter and waited a bit.
Soon a worker inside the counter set our Kishimen front of us.

The Kishimen was beautiful.
In a bowl, there were that flat shaped noodles, a raw egg, a pile of minced green onions and a big Kakiage in soup.
Over them sliced dried bonitos were sprinkled.
Me and my friend ate our meal in hurry.
For there was only a limited space for customer, we had to finish our meal quick.
Even though that, the Kishimen was very nice as my friend told me, and I enjoyed a lot.

If you have a chance to get off the bullet train at Nagoya station, don't forget the nice small Kishimen restaurant at the platform.

Suna-mushi onsen, the sand bath in Ibusuki

Suna-mushi onsen (natural sand bath) is a very unique style of onsen in Ibusuki, Kagoshima.
Along the coast of Surigahama in Ibusuki city, there are hotels or onsen facilities which serve suna-mushi onsen style bath.

When you take the bath, you will take the procedure below.
At first, you change your cloth into a yukata (Japanese bathrobe) in a building.
Then you go outside, and walk to the suna-mushi onsen place on beach side.
They set a roof over the onsen place.
You enter under the roof, cover your head with a towel and lie down on the sand bed following instructions of onsen workers there.
Then, the workers put plenty of sand on your body by spade.
You are buried in the sand bath except your face.
Onsen is go through under the sand bed, so you will feel a heat on your back soon.
You begin to sweat all over youｒ body.

When I went to the onsen place and tried the suna-mushi onsen, an onsen worker told me 10 minutes is enough to get the effect of the onsen.
Also he told me some customers didn't follow the instructions of the workers and stayed far more than 10 minutes.
According to the worker, finally the customers got burned by heat of the onsen.

Actually the suna-mushi onsen is very comfortable and good for your health, but it is not good to spend too much time on the hot sand bed.
When you go to there, please follow the instruction by the onsen workers and enjoy safely.

The Fujishiro shrine, the place relates to the name Suzuki and Minakata Kumagusu

The Fujishiro shrine is located in Kainan city, Wakayama.
It is very old shrine and on the route of the pilgrimage to the holy place Kumano.
It is one of the Kujuku (99) Ouji shrines (which founded on route of the pilgrimage to Kumano by mountain priests), and it is a high ranked one among the Kujuku Ouji.
Many Emperors and noblemen have visited the shrine on the pilgrimage to Kumano.

There is an another place that made the shrine popular today.
The Suzuki Yashiki (the residence of Suzuki) is it.
The place is in the precincts of Fujishiro shrine.
According to legend, the place was the origin of the family name Suzuki, which scattered all over Japan.
You can meet people who have name Suzuki everywhere in Japan.
The residence was for Fujishiro-Suzuki clan, the clan of the priest of Fujishiro shrine.
Since ancient times, priests from Fujishiro-Suzuki clan spread their belief of the holy place Kumano, and as their belief spread to all over Japan, people who influenced by them started using the name Suzuki for themselves.
That's why there are so many Suzuki san in Japan.
Today Suzuki Yashiki is deteriorated and no one is living there.
However still many Suzuki san come to visit the place of their origin from all over Japan.

Also a big old kusunoki (camphor) tree have been enshrined in precincts of Fujishiro shrine.
There was a famous naturalist from Wakayama, Minakata Kumagusu (1867-1941), and his name "Kumagusu" came from the tree.
Kuma means bear, and Gusu means kusunoki.
Kusunoki trees have been worshiped in Japan, and there was a custom to name baby the name which relating kusunoki tree.
Kusunoki trees live long and prosper, so I guess you see why people have named their babies kusunoki.

I am not a particular fan of Suzuki san, but a fan of Minakata Kumagusu.
So when I visited the shrine and saw the big old kusunoki tree, I was deeply affected.

My lighthearted daily life with Haiku in English

Recently I have learnt to compose Haiku (Japanese traditional short poem) in English.
In Japan, students learn about Haiku in Koten (studies of Japanese traditional literature and language) class at junior high school and high school.
I forget about how the classes like in my school days, but I guess at least I have studied about the famous Haiku poets, Matsuo Basho or Kobayashi Issa.

Including the school days, I had not been interested enough to Haiku and other traditional literature until recently, so I didn't know about them so much.
So, naturally I haven't composed any Haiku in my life before.
But since I saw the Haiku in English which composed by western people, all of a sudden I wanted to compose Haiku myself.
Because the Haiku by foreign language looked new and very attractive to me.

Haiku consists of 17 syllables.
Basically we have to compose it in 5-7-5 syllabic form.
Besides that, Kigo (the seasonal words) is required in Haiku.
However in English Haiku, it seems the rules are less strict than Japanese ones.

Each Kigo are defined by things from the four seasons in Japan, so if you would be strict to original Haiku rules, you have to have Saijiki (a catalog of seasonal words).
However I decided to start my Haiku life with easy way (or lazy way) at first.
I didn't get any Saijiki, and I won't be so strict to rules of Haiku.
I only pay attention to syllables and seasonal wards as I can.
With this way, I can enjoy my Haiku life without much difficulty.

Sometimes I suffer for my lack of the knowledge of seasonal words to compose Haiku, so maybe I will learn more of the words or get Saijiki.
Until that time, I would go on my Haiku life lightheartedly.

Your lightheartedness
Nobody judges you until
the end of our summer

B.M.

Yamashita Kiyoshi, the genius artist on wandering

Yamashita Kiyoshi (1922-1971) was a famous collage artist.
He left various great collage works to our society.
Also his travel to all over Japan have been a legend.

Kiyoshi was born at Asakusa, Tokyo.
He had a mild intellectual disability and was bullied in public schools.
Also his family background was not good.
His mother had trouble with his father in law (his biological father had died while he was very young.), and tried suicide with her kids.
Fortunately the suicide was prevented.
Soon he enrolled Yawata gakuen (Yawata institution) in Chiba prefecture which has supported disabled students.
At the school, they had an attempt to teach the art of collage to disabled children.
Kiyoshi resisted to his school life and caused troubles at first, but since he learnt the art of collage from teachers, he changed a bit.
He got a gentle attitude more than before.

However he escaped from his school life when he was 18 years old and started his life of wondering.
He hoped to see various interesting places in Japan.
He traveled to the places with begging foods to local people and working jobs in very short terms.
Most of time he got foods or money by begging.
Sometimes he performed something unusual (as an example, public nudity) to other people's eyes and even have been sent to police stations or mental hospitals.
But he didn't stop his wandering.
Always he tried to stay nights in station buildings and be scolded by local police officers.
Even though that, he continued his hard travels with his own way.

He had various obstacles to travel, but since he got a fame for his collage art once, his travel became going smooth.
Wherever he went, local merchants or rich people offered him a place for nights and asked him to make his art of collage for them.
So Kiyoshi no longer suffered to find places to sleep.
Also people offered him to buy his works, so he could got his own money.
He could enjoy his travel more than before at his later years.
Also he has traveled to Europe with doctors and teachers from Yawata gakuen.

Sadly, he died in 1974 at age of 49.
It was too early to die, but he left huge influence to our society in his short life.
We can see his delicate and gentle works of collage art today.

The unique Chinese style temple and Buddhist cuisine, Manpuku-ji

The Manpuku-ji temple in Uji, Kyoto, is the head temple of Japanese Buddhism Oubaku sect.
The temple built in 1661 at the Edo period.
Oubaku sect is not so old as a Japanese Buddhist Zen sect.
However it has unique temples for it's Chinese style of architecture.
The buildings in the precincts of Manpuku-ji look like ones from Chinese temple.

Oubaku sect was founded by the Chinese monk Ingen.
Ingen came to Nagasaki with his disciples for the invitation by monks in Nagasaki, and later he moved to Settsu province (the part of current Osaka).
At first he had a plan to go back China after 3 years, however his followers in Japan asked him to stay longer.
Besides that, Tokugawa shogunate apportioned him a land in Uji, and also Manpuku-ji was built for Ingen.
Finally Ingen abandoned the first plan and decided to stay in Japan forever.
At Manpuku-ji they had called their sect Rinzai first, however they changed the name Oubaku later.
"Oubaku" came from the mountain in China where Ingen had had his first "Manpuku-ji" temple before.

Ingen was respected by many people, and even former Emperor, Tokugawa shogun, high ranking governors and noblemen became believers of him.
Intellectuals in Japan gathered to meet him.
Ingen gave them Zen teachings and new knowledge which China culture had.

As an example, according to legend Ingen brought a sort of bean with him to Japan.
The bean is called "Ingen-mame (the bean of Ingen)".
Even today you can see Ingen-mame in super markets or vegetable stores in Japan.

In addition, we can have a Fucha-ryori (Chinese Style vegetarian gourmet) in Manpuku-ji and restaurants around the temple.
It is a sort of Shojin-ryori (Buddhist cuisine which served in Japanese Buddhism temples), but it has unique Chinese style.
It's origin was the Buddhist cuisine in China which Ingen introduced to Japan.
Manpuku-ji have served it to entertain people by tasty and novel vegetarian foods.
Still we can have it around the temple today.
However if you want to Fucha-ryori in a complete meal, usually you need a reservation to the temple or other restaurants.
Please keep it in your mind.

The first official Buddhist temple in Japan, Shitenno-ji

Shitenno-ji temple is located in Tennoji ward, Osaka city.
The temple founded in 593 by the founder of Japanese Buddhism Prince Shotoku, as the first official Buddhist temple in Japan.
"Shitenno" means the Four Heavenly Kings who support Buddhism.

According to legend, while Prince Shotoku had conflicts with Mononobe clan, he wished to win and promised to found a temple of Shitenno for salvation of people in all over Japan if he could win.
After the victory over the conflicts, he founded Shitenno-ji temple as he had promised before.

As first temple of the kind, Shitenno-ji is a very unique one among Japanese temples.

The style of layout of the temple called "Shitenno-ji garan haichi (the Shitenno-ji building layout)" and it is oldest one of styles of Japanese temple layout.
Nowadays you rarely see the style in Japanese temples except Shitenno-ji.
Also the temple ground of Shitenno-ji is huge, so you can see interesting Buddhist buildings there.

In addition, they have a religious ceremony of Bugaku (the traditional dance with music came from Western Asia in ancient times) in April 23 (the death anniversary of Prince Shotoku).
Still we can see the traditional culture of ancient times in it.
The ceremony shows us how Prince Shotoku have been connected strongly to foreign cultures.

There are many sightseeing spots around Shitenno-ji such us the Tennoji park, Namba city or Tsuruhashi town.
You can visit all of them at one day, so I recommend you to tour around Shitenno-ji.

Hochoshiki, the beautiful demonstration of the traditional kitchen knife style

Hocho, the Japanese kitchen knife has a long history.
Hocho was introduced from China first, and it had developed in its own way in Japan.
With the history, also some traditional styles to treat these knives have founded.

At the Heian period, a kugyou (court noble), Fujiwara Yamakage (824-888) founded the Sijo-ryu　kitchen knife style.
The style is the original of the all traditional knife styles in Japan.
Later, Ikama-ryu style, Yamakage-ryu style and other following styles appeared.
They have know-how to cut seafood and flesh of birds properly.

Sometimes hochonin (master of the hocho styles) have a demonstration of their knife skill for Shinto rituals or other events.
It is called Hochoshiki or Shikibocho.
For the hochoshiki, hochonin wear a traditional Eboshi hat and dress and sit down before a chopping board on floor.
Then they start cutting particular fish (mostly a carp or sea bream) on the chopping board with using a knife and special long chopsticks.
They don't touch the fish with their hands.
They use the chopsticks to move or fix the fish on the board.
Hochonin don't only cut the fish but also show audiences beautiful movement of the knife and chopsticks.
The demonstration also meaning a ritual for Shintoism, so their each movements has meaning.

Even today, we can see the hochoshiki on special occasions.
Once I have been to Souji-ji temple in Ibaraki, Osaka, to see a ritual of hochoshiki.
Souji-ji temple is famous for its hochoshiki ceremony in April, so it was crowded when I went to there.
As a result, I couldn't see any movement by hochonin because of crowds.

We can see the demonstration on YouTube, too.
However if you want to see real ones, visit particular temples or shrines on the early time of the day the ritual held, before there will be crowded.

Katori Senkou is what we need during the summer

Summer has come.
I like this season the most.
Traveling to seaside towns is a big fun for summer.
However, there is a thing that irritates us in this season.

It is mosquito.
They suck our blood.
In addition, sometimes mosquitoes carry viruses to us.
Even if they don't have any viruses, they are really irritating.
At around pond, thicket or grove, there are swarms of mosquitoes.
Everywhere we go to in summer, there they are!

Also mosquitoes invade into our house daily.
So, we have to do something to prevent their attack.

For preventing mosquitoes, there is Katori Senkou (mosquito coil).
Katori Senkou is a spiral shaped incense and used as a mosquito repellent.
It was invented by Ueyama Eiichiro in Japan in 1895.
It contains Jochugiku (pyrethrum) so it can kill mosquitoes.

In summer, the smoke from Katori Senkou are in the air in many houses.
While we smoke the incense, we can be safe from that irritating mosquitoes.
I have a nostalgia when I smell the perfume of Katori Senkou in every summer.
That reminds me of the summer in my childhood.

Henpongan, it may be a traditional medicine...or something very tasty

Have you heard the word "henpongan" in Japanese?
Henpongan is a traditional medicine which invented in the Edo period.
It is made of miso marinated beef.
Hanaki Denemon, a samurai in the Hikone domain invented it with the knowledge from a Chinese book "Honzou Koumoku (the Compendium of Materia Medica)".

The Hikone domain was located in the north part of Oumi province (Oumi was the same area as current Shiga prefecture).
In the Edo period, generally both slaughter and eating cattle was inhibited by the Tokugawa shogunate under the influence of Buddhism.
However only Hikone domain had the right to kill cattle to take their skin for making leather goods.
After they took the skin from cattle, beef remained.
So as the name of medicine henpongan, they could use the beef and people could eat the medicine.

Also Ii family, the daimyo of Hikone domain, had sent henpongan to other daimyo in all over Japan as a gift.
Henpongan from Hikone domain was a very popular gift among daimyo.
Even some people say "Sakuradamongai no Hen (the Sakuradamon incident in 1860, the assassination of Ii Naosuke, daimyo of Hikone and tairou, the chief minister in Tokugawa shogunate)" was caused by henpongan.

Once Ii Naosuke have refused to send henpongan to Tokugawa Nariaki, daimyo of the Mito domain and father of last shogun Tokugawa Yoshinobu.
Tokugawa Nariaki was a henpongan lover and had asked Ii family it many times before.
However Ii Naosuke refused to send henpongan to him.
After that, samurais from Mito domain attacked and assassinated him in front of the Sakuradamon gate.

Actually, Ii Naosuke and Tokugawa Nariaki had some troubles in politics besides that henpongan business, so we can't conclude henpongan was a reason of the assassination.
But there are a proverb in Japan, "Kuimono no urami wa osoroshii (a grudges about foods is very frightening)".
How do you think about it?

Nowadays henpongan is sold just as "gyuniku misoduke (miso marinated beef)" in Hikone or other cities in Shiga prefecture.
They use a brand beef Oumi gyu for it, so henpongan must be tasty even today.
So if we are asked henpongan by someone, maybe we better send them it quickly before our assassination will happen.

Bou no Te, the traditional performance like a martial art

Bou no Te is a traditional performance art inherited in Aichi prefecture.

It is performed as a part of "Omanto (means "tower of horse")", the ceremony dedicating a sacred horse to shrines.
The performance have two performers in traditional costume.
One of them hold a "bou (long straight stick of wood)", and other hold a imitation sword.
They face each other, then start the performance.

The performance looks like an exhibition of fighting.
Two performers avoid opponent's weapon or strike each others weapons.
Sometimes they yell with a voice that sounds like monkey.
Their movement is smooth, rhythmical and quick, so audience unable to take their eyes off of that.

There are various theories about the origin of the performance.
However it likely came from a custom of training of martial arts among local farmers in medieval times.
In wartime, farmers were required to join an army of Sengoku daimyo or warlords, therefore they needed to train their weapon skill.
Probably the martial art in medieval times inherited to peaceful times as a performance.

Even nowadays we can see the performance at the Omanto ceremony or other events.
In addition, Bou no Te has various styles on many areas of Aichi prefecture (but mostly the western half of there).
The local people in the areas practice the performance to transmit a tradition to posterity.

Maybe you can see a remain of medieval times in performance of Bou no Te.

Oden with Shizuoka style, Shizooka oden

Oden is one of popular dishes in Japan.
People eat it in their home, izakaya or at oden stand.
Also convenience stores sell oden in winter.

As a oden we cook ingredients with broth.
"Oden dane (ingredients for oden)" have variations depending each region but there are common ones.
They are boiled eggs, meats of sinew, atsuage (deep fried thick tofu), konnyaku (paste made from devil's tongue), daikon (a sort of radish), chikuwa (a fish paste cooked in a tube shape like bamboo), and kombu seaweed (also we use it for making broth).
We mostly eat it with mustard paste.

In addition, Oden in each regions have their specialty.
This time, I like to tell you about famous "Shizooka oden", the style of oden in Shizuoka prefecture.

For Shizooka oden (Shizooka comes from Shizuoka with Shizuoka dialect), chicken or beef meat is used for broth.
All ingredients are skewered with bamboo skewer.
Special ingredient of Shizooka oden is "kuro hanpen (a pounded fish cake with black color)".
The black color comes from meat of sardine or mackerel.
Shizuoka prefecture faces to the Pacific Ocean, so kuro hanpen or other ingredients of seafood are abundant in the oden.
Finally we add dried fish powder or green dried seaweed on the oden and eat it.

In Shizuoka city there is famous Shizooka oden spot "Shizuoka oden yokochou (Shizuoka oden street)".
Oden izakayas line along the street, and each izakaya are filled with local customers or tourists at night.
Also you can eat Shizooka oden in small local oden restaurants or even candy shops for children.
In summer, children in Shizuoka enjoy eating the oden with kakigouri (shaved ice with various syrup on it) or ice cream.

Besides there, you can find Shizooka oden in many places in Shizuoka prefecture.
How about a trip to Shizuoka for searching Shizooka oden?

Strict samurai etiquette and the Ogasawara-ryu reihou style

Have you seen how samurai people behave in historical samurai dramas on TV?
You can see how it is like in the scenes of inside of castle or samurai residence.
Watch how warlords sit down around their daimyo boss at hall in castle.
Watch how samurais on diplomatic missions talk with an enemy warlord.
You will see the particular way of manner in them.
Always they had to behave with etiquette depending on each situations.
They had a strict rule of etiquette.

The samurai etiquette style is called "reihou".
Every samurais had to know about the reihou, because if they take wrong manner to other samurais, it will be fatal mistake for them.
When you read samurai stories in between from the Kamakura period to the Edo periods, you can see many examples.

Here is an example I can remember now.
At Kamakura area in Muromachi period, a warlord Narita Nagayasu was insulted by his temporary boss Uesugi Kenshin in public.
It was caused by their different understanding about reihou.
Fortunately Narita wasn't killed, but soon after the affair he left from the army corps of Uesugi.

Samurais were killed or scolded harshly when they couldn't share same understanding about reihou with their boss.
Shogun or daimyo could kill their warlords or soldiers for "the lack of right manner".
So, samurais on lower position always had to be careful with their etiquette for not to be killed or scolded.
Also they kept their etiquette to other samurais to avoid fights or quarrels.

In medieval times, two style of reihou "Ise-ryu" and "Ogasawara-ryu" were popular.
But since the Edo period, the Ogasawara-ryu have been the mainstream.
Even nowadays we can learn the Ogasawara-ryu style.

The time of samurai is old now, but still we have to take care of the right way.
If we behave with wrong manner, someone may be upset and he or she will be our future enemy.
We can make better relationship with friends, colleagues and bosses by the reihou style.
The descendants of Ogasawara family have lectures or classes of the samurai etiquette in Tokyo or other cities.
If you have an interest, come to learn the reihou.
Maybe you can be well-mannered like a samurai.

How to take a rest in the Japanese town for free?

The title may sounds a bit strange, however at the downtown of Japan, you can hardly take a rest without spending money.

You can't sit on the side of the pavement nor the center.
People are coming and going through on the road busily.
If you try to sit on the part of road, surely they watch at you like you are a strange creature or something incomprehensible.

So you have to find somewhere suitable place to take a rest.
In case of you don't mind to spend money, you can stay anywhere because there are cafes, fast food restaurants or "family restaurants (cheap restaurants)" in every town.
But at least they cost you some money.

Let's keep searching the place to rest for free.
If there are parks or public gardens, that's good.
Maybe you will find some benches in the parks.
Also benches are sometimes set on the space inside temples or shrines.
Where people live, there are always temples and shrines around there.
Keep good manner as a visitor to sacred spaces, then they don't make any complaint to you.

There is one more place I can recommend.
Yes, public library is the one.
They are completely free, besides you can read books in Japanese.
In my case, I am always looking forward to visit local libraries on my travel.
If you can understand Japanese language, there will be another fun place.

In these places, you can take a little rest.
But even if you can feel comfortable there, please don't sleep in public!

Gozu-Tenno, the enshrined deity of Yasaka jinja shrine

Yasaka jinja shrine is one of popular sightseeing places of Kyoto.
At June, we can see "Gion matsuri" festival at the shrine and area around.
That season, the area becomes bustling and crowded with local people and tourists.

The enshrined deity of the shrine is to be thought Gozu-Tenno or Susanoo no Mikoto.
Gozu-Tenno's origin is not sure, but it seems the deity had a connection to Korean peninsula.
The deity's figure is descrived as a male person with a huge body and a bull's head.

Gozu-Tenno has many interesting anecdotes, however we hardly understand how the deity really is like.
According to a legend, when a plague come to Heian-kyo (ancient name of the central of Kyoto), people thought the plague was caused by a curse of some terrible deities.
People prayed to Gozu-Tenno, then the plague stopped.
After that, people started to worship the deity as a guardian deity for health.

It seems the religious faith of Gozu-Tenno have brought to Heian-kyo by foreign people like merchants or technical experts from Korea or China.
They have brought new technology, culture and even faith of deities to Japan.
In other words, Japanese culture is consists of both native and foreign customs and traditions.
This is the way our unique culture have made.

Kombu is indispensable for traditional foods of Osaka

"Kombu" is an edible seaweed.

In Osaka, kombu is used for many traditional foods.
Mostly we use it to make stock.
It is used for udon noodles, nimono (stewed foods), soups or other various traditional foods.
Furthermore, We eat kombu as a ingredient.
Also "troro kombu (or oboro kombu)", tangle flakes made of kombu, is used for rice balls or udon.
Even there is a candy made of kombu.

In Osaka, Japanese people have started daily using of kombu since the Edo period.
"Kitamaebune", the ship on "Nishimawari kouro (the shipping route between Osaka and Hokkaido)" brought kombu to people in Osaka.
Kitamaebune came and went on the route through the Seto inland sea and Kammon straits.
Before the route developed by merchant Kawamura Zuiken in Edo period, people in Osaka hardly got kombu, so kombu was precious.

Since kitamaebune stared to come, kombu have rooted deeply into Osaka's food tradition.
Thanks to Kawamura Zuiken, we can enjoy the nice traditional foods nowadays.
I would appreciate him.

Eat Curry Rice on weekends

Most of Japanese people like "curry rice (steamed rice with hot curry sauce and ingredients)".

There are various kinds of curry rice.

However standard curry rice consists of meat of chicken or pork, potato, onion and carrot.

We can eat curry rice at many kinds of restaurants.

The nice restaurants serving western gourmets serve curry rice, cheap restaurants in downtown serve curry rice, beef bowl shops which serve cheap foods also serve curry rice...etc.

In addition, of course, curry rice shops are exist.

They focus on serving only curry rice, so we can expect nice quality to their curry rice.

That type of shops are especially popular among business people and college or high school students.

Therefore we can see many curry rice shops at business districts or students' quarters.

Also we cook curry rice at home.

How to cook the food is simple.

We cut each ingredients to pieces and simmer them and add some curry roux or curry powder.

As a dinner curry rice is eaten everyday, however some people prefer eat that particularly in weekends.

In old custom of the Japanese navy, curry rice is eaten in Saturday.

On board, seamen expect curry rice as a symbol of weekends.

To sum up, some people likely obey the navy's tradition.

It is funny, isn't it?

By the way, I cook curry rice often on weekends.

I am easily influenced by interesting custom!

Butaman or Nikuman?

In Japan there is a popular Chinese food called "butaman" or "nikuman".

They are kinds of pork buns.

You can buy them from Chinese restaurants, street vendors or even convenience stores nowadays.

Actually, butaman and nikuman are same stuff.

In eastern Japan (for example , Tokyo, Kanagawa), usually the word "niku (meat)" means pork meat for the people of the region, so they call the pork buns nikuman.

In contrast to east, people in western Japan (Osaka, Hyogo, etc.) use the word niku for beef meat.

Japanese word for pork is buta, so in Osaka, Hyogo or other prefectures, people call the pork buns butaman.

See?

Even their names are different depending on the region, you can enjoy them without worry.

In the end, let me tell you some brands of our pork buns.

In Osaka city, "551's butaman" is popular as a daily snack or a souvenir of Osaka.

The pork bun is soft, springy and containing tasty gravy inside.

I myself eat it often.

Besides, a pork bun from the restaurant "Roushouki" in Kobe city is famous too.

As the inventor of butaman, the restaurant has a longer history than 551 restaurant.

The pork bun served by them is smaller than 551's but tasty as well.

I want to tell you about famous nikuman brands too, but unfortunately I haven't eaten any nikuman at the eastern region yet.

I hope you will tell me about them near future.