From Japan with Love

Today I am going to talk about toilets. If you are eating, please read it later. Toilet with a modern bidet, a button to cover the sound of using the toilet with music, a warm toilet seat in winter. It is well known that toilets with a variety of functions are widespread in Japan. Do you know that they are also particular about cleaning? When it comes to the standard of cleanliness of toilets, Japan is definitely the best in the world. Is there a God in the toilet? First of all, please read these lyrics. Reference:ハニーは日本人のバイリンガルブログ トイレの神様(歌詞の翻訳) There are old people who say that God lives in the toilet. In Japan, there is a belief that there is a God in everything, and they say that there is a God in the toilet as well. Not because I believe in it, but I rarely feel uncomfortable in toilets except in inconvenient places or in poorly managed parks. On the contrary, fashionable restaurants and cafes are decorated with cute toilets and, because of that, my friends and I like t...

Those who come from abroad and live in Japan may be surprised at how many commercial songs there are in Japan. A songs playing in each electronics store https://monogram.co.jp/film/column/song-kaden/ Each supermarket, electronics store, and specialty store has its own original song playing in the store. There are also songs about shopping streets, and there are songs about each product. For example, in supermarkets, it is said that playing cheesy songs can make customers think that the products are cheap and increase their willingness to buy. おさかな天国 https://youtu.be/BzPajdslCrE This is a song that is often played in the fresh fish section of supermarkets. It was created by the National Federation of Fisheries Cooperative Associations. It is an attempt to make a song that children can relate to, and to encourage children to eat fish. This song was a hit. The song keeps playing in our head. And most of them are well-paced and easy to remember. If you've ever had trouble w...

Have you ever had chicken noodle soup? The Ghibli movie 「Ponyo on a Cliff by the Sea」 This chicken ramen is the ramen that Sosuke's mother, Lisa, made for Sosuke and Ponyo on a stormy day. It looks so delicious with Ponyo's favorite egg and ham in it. Ghibli works are good at expressing food. This scene makes me want to eat chicken noodle soup. How to make chicken noodle soup This is ramen, but I personally think of it as a snack. They taste different from regular ramen, and what's more, they're easy to make! When I make a regular bag of instant noodles, I add ham or vegetables, but I like to eat my chicken ramen without adding anything to it. A recipe for chicken noodle soup? Just add hot water and wait 3 minutes. That's it. My recipe is too easy.😂 The reason why the middle of it is slightly indented is to prevent the egg from slipping when you put a raw egg in it, and it is called an egg pocket. In Japan, eggs are collected and distributed using good hygiene prac...

Have you ever looked at a character and imagined the personality of the person who wrote it? With the spread of computers and smart phones, we have fewer opportunities to see handwritten characters, but the topic of handwriting and personality does come up once in a while in Japan. When I see the characters with stretchy strokes that protrude from the frame, I hear that they seem to have an open mind. On the other hand, when I see small, evenly spaced letters, I think that the person must be very meticulous. Historical Background This may have something to do with the history of Japan. Let me tell you a story from the Heian period(794-1185). Only the nobility can still read and write. In addition, the Heian period was a time when beautiful things were loved, and intelligence and culture were also signs of wealth for both men and women. Noblewomen do not show their faces in public. In order to meet a woman they are interested in, men first send her a love letter. At this stage, the man ...

In Japan, fireworks are a summer event. When I was thinking that I couldn't see fireworks this year, a neighbor invited me to a sparkls. It's beautiful, I thought as I took a picture and noticed something different. Yes, there was less smoke! I took a picture of the package to let everyone know about it.  I am now a blogger.😂 The package contains It says, "Less smoke, so you can take beautiful pictures with your phone." Amazing.👍🥳 The manufacturer has captured the needs of users. We had a great time while avoiding the dense crowd. We could hear the insects on the way home. It looks like summer is almost over. Click here to read about fireworks. 🔶 Serendipitous fireworks show!

What do you know about her? She was born in 1967 and is nicknamed Rika-chan doll. Her name is Rika Kayama, and she lives with her musician father, fashion designer mother, twin sister, and triplets. The characterization is very detailed, so it's very reliable. タカラトミー公式サイト https://licca.takaratomy.co.jp/profile/index.html Rika-chan has undergone model changes over the years. The boyfriend has also been remodeled. The guy on the right is her current boyfriend. His silky hair is his charm. One of the reasons why Rika-chan dolls have been loved for over 50 years is that they are good at keeping up with trends. The beloved doll reflects the times, and the history of Rika-chan may be said to also be the history of Japan. Ikumen イクメン In Japan, there are still a lot of families where men basically only work and women do all the work, housework and child-rearing, even if they work together. Men who help with childcare while working were rare a...

After we have moved in and set up our lifelines, the first thing we need to do is find out how to take out the garbage. In Japan, the way of separating and disposing of garbage is very complicated and differs from region to region. Today I'd like to show you the pattern for Kyoto City. Buy garbage bags In Kyoto City, there is a fee to dispose of garbage. We buy these garbage bags at convenience stores and supermarkets. This is for burnable trash. This is for recyclable waste Garbage Disposal Etiquette is for Peace Garbage that is not in these bags, or that contains obviously different items, or that is put out on a day other than the designated day, will not be collected. In addition, the garbage left uncollected is often vandalized by crows and looks bad, which can cause problems in the neighborhood, so it is very worrisome.😭 If the garbage collection point has a box with a lid, it is still good, but there are many collection points where only bags are pla...

Cold, slippery foods are popular in summer. Mizumanju 水まんじゅう is a summer Japanese sweet. 水まんじゅうmizu-manju Anko (sweet red bean paste) is wrapped in a jelly made from kudzu powder. It looks very cool, doesn't it? あんこAnko Azuki beans are similar in color to red kidney beans, but they are a different kind. They are about 5 mm in size. There are countless Japanese sweets that use anko (sweet red bean paste) . Not only just for wagashi. Anko is a delicious topping for pancakes! What a guilty pleasure combination of Anko, butter and whipped cream!😋 あずきバー Azuki-bar One of my favorite summer sweets made with anko is an ice cream called "Azuki Bar". Reference: 井村屋 Imuraya https://www.imuraya.co.jp/goods/ice/c-azuki/bazuki/ I like the slightly harder texture and refreshing sweetness compared to regular ice cream. You can have azuki bars in Malaysia! https://www.imuraya-group.com/news/published210617/ What a surprise, Imur...

The other day, I introduced Japanese dumplings (gyouza) available at supermarkets and restaurants. 🔶 We love Japanese dumplings (gyouza). Making gyoza at home is a lot of fun and creates an event-like atmosphere. Furthermore, by being creative with the ingredients you put inside, you can enjoy a variety of flavors. Yesterday I made Japanese dumplings (gyouza), taking pictures to give to the blog. Here are a few examples.😉 If you have trouble wrapping it, you can do it this way.👍 I arranged them neatly in a frying pan. One of the best things about gyoza is that we can change the ingredients to make our own. The other day, my friends and I tried to find new ingredients for gyoza. Seafood and cheese were delicious, and when we added bananas and chocolate, it became a dessert.😉 By the way... I noticed it while writing the article. Recipes are much, much easier to understand in a video than in a blog.😅 Video Recipe Site In Japan, video recipe sites are very popular. It's fun to jus...

Warabi-mochi(わらび餅) is another representative of summer Japanese sweets. A chilled chewy Mochi like desert that has a jelly structure that is made from bracken starch. It is eaten with sweet soybean flour きなこ or dark molasses 黒蜜(くろみつ). Would it look a little cooler if I served it in a glass bowl? I want to practice with my camera, too. I put a little too much soybean flour(きなこ) on it. soybean flour(きなこ) Soybean flour is a powder made from roasted, peeled and ground soybeans. In Japan, it is sold in packages like this. Nutrition of soybean flour Kinako (soybean flour) contains a lot of protein and is rich in dietary fiber. It also contains many minerals such as calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, and iron.  It also increases good bacteria due to soy oligosaccharides. In order for the oligosaccharide to work effectively, health-conscious people often mix it with yogurt.🤗 How to use Kinako, sweetened with sugar, is used to dip rice cakes...

Do you like horror? In the summer, we hear more and more stories about ghosts in Japan. There are scary stories planned on TV programs, and haunted houses are set up in theme parks. I've always wondered why haunted stories take place in the summer, so I looked into it. It seems to have something to do with Obon. In the previous article, I explained that Obon is the day when our ancestors come back. Origin of ghost stories in summer. It was thought that not only the spirits of ancestors, but also those of unrelated Buddhas who had ceased to be worshipped and grudge-holding spirits would return during Obon. 😱😱😱 In order to appease the spirits of these grudges, "Bon Kyogen" was performed in rural areas around this time, which seems to have been the origin of ghost stories in summer. Reference: About Kyogen 能楽への誘い https://www2.ntj.jac.go.jp/unesco/noh/en/stage/performer2.html Ghost 幽霊(ゆうれい)Yuurei  The right side of the illustration is what we call a ghost in Ja...

Karuta is a card game that consists of two types of cards: reading cards and picture cards. This is a traditional Japanese game that can be enjoyed by both children and adults.　It helps children learn to read. It is also a great way for adults to get a little training as it uses their reflexes. If you are tired of practicing hiragana, why not try playing karuta for a change? Rule Arrange the cards so that they do not overlap, and sit around the cards. One person reads the cards. The person who touches the picture card that matches the reading card gets the picture card. The person who touches the wrong picture card gets a break. The person who gets the most picture cards wins.🥳 Free download of Karuta A kind person made a site to download karuta, so I'd like to introduce it to you. The terms of use state that it is for personal use only. Please do not distribute it for a fee. Reference： あいうえおかるた https://print-kids.net/print/kokugo/aiueo-karuta/ Click ...

Usually in the summer, fireworks show are held all over the place in Japan. The largest fireworks displays shoot off 10,000 to 40,000 fireworks. Crowding is inevitable at any fireworks show. To prevent infection, most fireworks shows were cancelled last year. We thought it would be sad not to be able to see fireworks in the summer, but it couldn't be helped. However, a wonderful plan was put in place last year.  ✨The fireworks shows are full of serendipitous surprises.✨ The date, time, and location are not announced in advance. One day, somewhere out of the blue, fireworks will be set off. Everyone was delighted with this nifty idea, even though it was by no means as large as the usual fireworks display. These fireworks were also shot off in places where fireworks shows are not usually held. I could hear the fireworks from my house, and I couldn't help but go outside and look around. Unfortunately, I couldn't see the fireworks, but my family and friends who live far away se...

Wagashi is works of art. I plan to introduce Japanese sweets in this blog from time to time. By researching traditional Japanese sweets, I learn a lot about Japanese events and history, and I also learn a lot about myself. This time, I introduce Japanese summer Wagashi. The right side of the photo is  若鮎(わかあゆ)Waka-ayu and  the left side is  琥珀糖(こはくとう)Kohaku-to. 若鮎 (わかあゆ)Wa-ayu Waka-ayu is made with gyuhi wrapped in an oval sponge cake, shaped into a  semicircle,  and marked with an eye and fins. 求肥(ぎゅうひ)Gyuhi The cross-section looks like this. It is filled with gyuhi. Gyuhi is one of the materials of Japanese confectionery and a kind of rice cake made by kneading. It has a sticky texture. Japanese people love the sticky texture of mochi. Me too, of course.🤗 About ayu fish Ayu fish is called the queen of clear streams and can only be found in beautiful rivers. In Japan, we are allowed to fish from June to July. Ayu fishing involves s...

In Kyoto, a famous event called the Gozan-no-Okuribi (Bonfire of the Five Mountains) is held on the last day of the obon. 送り火(okuri-bi) the Farewell Fire This fire is used to send off the souls of ancestors. This is a spectacular event in which kanji and other symbols appear on the mountains surrounding Kyoto City. Rather than me explaining this, the best way to find out is to visit the official website!😅 It seems that English translation (Google Browser) is also available, so please read the explanation. Reference: 京都観光ナビ https://ja.kyoto.travel/event/major/okuribi/ Looking at it from a distance, we are worried about whether it will cause a forest fire, but we can see that it is a safe structure in this web. And although it has been cancelled this year, we know that carrying the wood to the mountain to be burned is also one of the prayers. My mother once carried a tree, and she said it was not so difficult to climb. Every year, people gather at a place where they can see ...

The days vary from region to region, but August 13 to 15 is お盆 Obon in Japan. Most companies are closed during this period, and many people who live far away from their parents' homes go home. However, it seems that many people have given up on returning home this year due to the coronavirus infection situation. For me, Obon was a day for relatives to gather and for the family to visit the graves. Obon is an event when the souls of ancestors come back and stay for a couple of days.  We clean the graves, decorate them with flowers, and prepare to welcome our ancestors. The supermarkets are lined with flowers to offer to the deceased. Supermarkets also sell these offerings. Cucumbers, eggplants, and hozuki. By the way, have any of you ever seen the anime or manga of "March comes in like a Lion"? In this manga, there is a scene that explains how to spend Obon. We light fires to welcome our ancestors and to see them off. 迎え火(mukae-bi) the  welcoming fi...