So - yeah - that brown, slimy thing ... I ate that. And it was definitely alive and pulsing on the plate ... I just want to say that I had NO intention of putting that anywhere near my mouth. But, well, I did, and let`s just say this has been my most intense culinary feat thus far.
(older, middle-aged Japanese women, by the way, are a fiesty age group!)
The juxtaposition of a Geisha at a Starbucks ... globalization at its best.
Noto-hanto peninsula. Talk about a scenic drive ... this main thoroughfare is actually right on the beach! You can see the traffic sign to the right.
A friend of mine is actually a Kimono teacher - she has gone to a Kimono school for three years, but still has hundreds of knots still to learn ... In any case, she asked that I model one of her Kimonos for her class. Lucky me!
The Masta! This is the owner of the restaurant where I work.
A port in Kanazawa - an eastern city. Depending on the catch and the season, fishermen will take their boats out in the early morning or the middle of the night. To the left you can see a warehouse where you can pick up fish fresh from that night`s catch ...
The Japanese LOVE their toe socks! The fashion trend actually stems from the traditional socks worn with a Kimono. To stay warm in their sandles, women wore (and still do) socks with a camel-toe. (Ironically a huge fashion no-no in Western culture) In any case, this style has become very popular among Japanese designers catering to the funky, youth styles and formal, business attire. (In fact, the owner of the Miso plant I toured was even sporting toe socks!)
The Japanese are an interesting folk. As they come into the restaurant, I can tell they are all a little curious. After all, there aren`t too many foreigners working, especially with the economy as it is. As soon as they go through the first pitcher of beer, however, not only do their faces light up (literally) but their true personalities quickly surface. While this group is a younger crowd, the big groups of business men are just as extroverted. It just takes a shot of Sake until they start reciting cliché English phrases, taking pictures, and raving about my Japanese (I always find this compliment the most hilarious considering my Japanese is obviously not good at this point).
This pose on the right was incited by a diner`s indignation after I asked him if he goes to the gym - Of course not! How could I even ask - he is a Kendo fighter! A gym is out of the question.
While the Japanese smoke quite a bit, you will never see a smoke butt on the sidewalk or lying in the grass. Not only do men and women alike stop to smoke at the many designating areas in town, but smokers actually carrry aluminum-lined, cigarrette pouches designed to safely store used butts .. One of the thousands of reasons that Japan is one of the cleanest countries in the world ...
Which reminds me ...
You know how you lick your fingers before leafing through a wad of bills or a stack of papers? Not the Japanese; at the grocery store check-out they have a finger-wetter pad. A quick swipe will leave the cashier`s finger just moist enough to quickly count your money.
One of my first dinners at my apartment. In fact, this was a language exchange dinner that I did with two Japanese friends of mine that speak English. I speak in Japanese while they speak respond in English. (Instead of taking Japanese courses, I am studying from textbooks and organizing language exchanges.) In any case, it develops into quite an interesting experience. Actually, it`s surprising how many people have asked me to help them with their French ... the French culture is highly esteemed here.
I`m here to learn the language - that`s really why I chose to work on my thesis here in Japan. I literally spend hours every day going over vocabulary, reading grammar rules, and copying notes. People must think I am crazy because I carry a notebook with me wherever I go and have no shame in taking a quick break from the conversation to write down a word that I didn`t know ... (I think this means I am a true dork ...)
These Soba noodles are a traditional food of the straw-roof town, Hida Shirakawago. In Japan not only is it socially acceptable to lean over your noodles and slurp them into your mouth, but it is actually expected that you do so. While the family that I was with offered me personal training on the technique, I was quickly deemed a ` slurping faliure.`
These homes are part of the UNESCO world heritage sites, but people actually still inhabit the town, living in the centuries-old homes. The wooden cabins are famous for their thatched room and three-level lay-out. The first level was used for ther horses and general living - the tea room, kitchen, and work space were all on the first floor. I was surprised that the horses shared the living space with the family, but it is so cold in the region that the heat from the animals played an integral part in generating warmth. In any case, the family slept on the 2nd floor while, in the attic, silk worms were kept. When we climbed up to the third floor, all of the wooden beams were charred black, stained by the fire that was kept going below. This is an important detail because it was the smoke that kept insects away from the silk production ...
Hanami! The Hanami, or Cherry Blossom festivals, is a huge national celebration in Japan. Couples, groups of friends, and business associates all gather together under the blooming Cherry trees to drink O-sake (sake) and various Japanese dishes ...
The Noto -hanto peninsula on the east coast of Japan ...
The owner of a Miso factory invited me and a professor on a tour of the plant - not only did it smell delicious (a mix between French cheeses and sea salt) but it was really intriguing process. Miso is a simple, but time-consuming art (and yes, it`s quite the art) that sustains the base of the Japanese diet. Just soy bean, mold-covered rice, and salt - the trio of ingredients is kept in huge barrels for months before its ready. If you have taste it before that, the salt will overwhelm any other flavors. I didn`t realize how involved the politics and pricing behind Miso is, however. Some companies get their soyboeans from the States while others prefer locally-grown. And in addition to sourcing, the value of the Miso fluctuates in respect to the amount of time the soybeans are allowed to ferment. Then of course, there is the actual fermentation that continues once you buy a jar - with new molds constantly deepening the color as it sits in the refrigerator.
Working at Rakutei, an incredibly quaint, traditional Japanese restaurant.
Yes - it`s true - in Japan you can eat raw chicken without risking salmonella poisoning! I imagined a slimy, chewy texture- but I couldn`t have been more pleasantly surprised. It is delicious - with a much smoother finish than cooked chicken. In fact, it had a much smokier, cooked flavor than i expected, although, that could just be how they prepared the outside of the cut.
This is a Kimono of my friend, Namiko. Her grandmother sewed it by hand, and since then it was passed from mother to daughter ... The floral belt that I am wearing was actually a gift from a Geisha, a close friend and neighbor of Namiko`s family.
Namiko and I are getting ready to pass an afternoon in the Geisha district. We went to a traditional Geisha house (where Geisha still today enterntain their guests) for tea and `anko`pastries, a red-bean delicacy. Red bean paste is one of my favorite parts about Asian cuisine. The macha, however, is a close rival. This is traditional green tea that is made from a powder. It is always accompagnied by pastries to compliment its bitter flavor. Besides the fact that the green powder base creates a swampy allure, it has a smooth, delicious finish. Plus, you feel like a million bucks afterwards - Macha has more caffeine than coffee.
This is Namiko and `Tattoo`- two good friends that I met here. While men wear Kimonos as well, it is a much simpler version. (And while women have to wear these strange toe-socks with glorified flip-flops, they get to slip on vintage clogs!)
It took an hour to put on the Kimono - the knots, the folds, the layers - can be pretty overhwelming ... Even though Namiko went to school to learn the art of Kimono wearing, she still had a tough time dressing me.
The Japanese are crazy about the French, insomuch that not only are there dozens of refined, French boutiques and restaurants, but there is even a restaurant that albeit their traditional Japanese menu, prints their menu and signage in French! I coiuldn`t help taking a picture ... It would be just as crazy if Chez Panisse started writing their menus in Italian ...
