If you have been to Japan and tried okonomiyaki you would agree that it is one of the tastiest Japanese dishes. But did you know there is a long-standing battle between Osaka and Hiroshima style okonomiyaki? If you spoke to people of Osaka, they would say Osaka is the real origin of okonomiyaki and Osaka style okonomiyaki is tastier.
Japan has a quite few national holidays in May and one of them is Children’s Day (KODOMONO HI ), celebrated on 5th of May every year. It started as a celebration for boys, to wish them a healthy and happy life. It has now developed into a celebration for not only boys but for all children.
Is Valentine’s Day celebrated in Japan? Valentine’s Day occurs every February 14th around the world and generally people exchange candy, flowers and gifts between loved ones and special friends. Indeed, when the tradition started men gave gifts to ladies they secretly admired.
Hokkaido is the northern end of Japan’s island and the largest prefecture in Japan. The capital city of Hokkaido is Sapporo, and it takes just less than 2 hours to fly from Tokyo’s Haneda Airport. The Sapporo Snow Festival (Yuki Matsuri ) Japan is the biggest and most well-known winter festival in Japan.
The cherry blossoms usually start fully blooming in the southern part of Japan around the end of March and gradually move up to the northern part of Japan. The blooming time is only for a week or two. What makes cherry blossoms even more attractive is that they are so fragile, short-lived and scatter their petals just a few days after they flower.
Tempura must be one of the most well-known Japanese dishes. It feels so special to sit at the counter of a tempura restaurant to watch a skilled chef frying away crisp fresh tempura in front of you. However, it is also surprisingly easy to make it at home. It is delicious and morish. Why not prepare your favourite vegetables and seafood, and have a tempura party with your family and friends!
Chicken karaage is no doubt one of everyone’s favourite Japanese dishes. It is a popular Izakaya item and great street food. It is quite simple to make once you learn a few tricks like the marinade, batter and temperature of your cooking oil.
There is a wide range of choices in the Japanese food scene from yatai* and izakaya style local pubs to Michelin starred restaurants. You will also be amazed by varieties of packed obento boxes, sandwiches and sweets at convenience stores in Japan. If food is one of the top reasons you visit Japan you do not want to miss experiencing street food during your stay.
As the city transitions from autumn into winter, millions of colourful illuminations are displayed everywhere in Japan, turning whole country into a sparkling magical world during the Christmas season!
If you are a fan of Japanese cuisine, I am sure you have heard the word dashi. Dashi is Japanese soup stock fundamental to many traditional Japanese dishes. On this blog, I talk about the different types of dashi and show you a quick and easy Japanese home recipes for dashi-based master sauce.
Journey to the East are proud to announce the latest in our popular series of food tours, the Food Tour of Hokkaido. The island of Hokkaido is the northernmost of Japan’s four main islands and is home to a wide range of agriculture and seafood.
Until recently, UNESCO’s list of Intangible Cultural Heritage included only one traditional cuisine – French. However, there are now two cuisines listed; French and Japanese. The traditional Japanese cuisine known as “washoku” was recently added to this exclusive list.
