Kushikatsu, also known as kushiage, are deep-fried skewers of meat, fish and vegetables. In Japanese “kushi” means skewer, and “katsu” refers to a deep fried meat cutlet. Kushikatsu is popular all over Japan. But it originated in the Shinsekai district of Osaka in 1929. A restaurant there started serving the skewers of fried food, which...Read More
Snow Crab – A Taste of the Sea of Japan For more than a thousand years, pilgrimages have been important in the Japanese culture. In today’s modern Japan, a “snow crab pilgrimage” occurs during the winter months. The goal of these pilgrims is the Sea of Japan coast on the northern side of Japan. The...Read More
Miso Katsu – A Taste of Nagoya The people of Nagoya make one of their local specialties (Miso Katsu) by starting with a typical tonkatsu dish (a deep fried pork cutlet normally served with shredded cabbage). They pour a thick, miso-based sauce on top instead of the traditional soy sauce-based tonkatsu sauce. To make the miso...Read More
Valentine’s Day, a day for women to express their love to their boyfriends Written by Takako “Tammy” Ota, Kyoto Staff Women are supposed to be graceful and shy in Japan. Valentine’s Day is a great opportunity for these women to express their feelings to their boyfriends. Women typically give chocolates to men on that day. There...Read More
Rakugo is a form of traditional Japanese verbal entertainment. The lone storyteller dressed in traditional Japanese clothing kneels on the stage while telling a long and complicated comical (or sometimes sentimental) story. The story always involves the dialogue between two or more characters. The different characters are depicted only through a change in pitch, tone,...Read More
Studio Ghibli is an animation studio located in Tokyo. Often referred as “the Disney of Japan”, Ghibli is an National icon in Japan. This studio’s work is visionary and deserves its own recognition. Studio Ghibli offers a number of unique and whimsical stories. Their films draw you into a fantasy world that delicately balances...Read More
Takachiho, located in the northern central area of Miyazaki Prefecture on the southern island, is steeped in Japanese mythology. It is known as a “power spot”, a place of profound religious importance and natural beauty, which radiates spiritual energy. It is the disputed landing place of the gods who were sent down from heaven to establish the lineage of...Read More
I am writing again about one of my favorite subjects: Japanese movies. One of my favorite Japanese movie series is Zatoichi, The Blind Swordsman. A total of 26 movies were made between 1962 and 1989, and 105 television shows were made between 1974 to 1979 making it the longest-running action series in Japanese history. Oddly...Read More
The literal translation of Kaizen (改善) is good change, but the connotation and idea behind Kaizen is continual improvement . In business, kaizen refers to activities that continuously improve all functions and involve all employees from the CEO to the assembly line workers. It also applies to processes, such as purchasing and logistics, that cross...Read More
The Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage is meant to honor Kobo Daishi. Kobo Daishi, even to this day, still maintains a very high level of respect in Japan even though he died almost 1,200 years ago. (If you have visited Okunoin at Koyasan, you know he has not died, but is instead in a state of...Read More
