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Lifestyle blog featuring thoughts, musings and a personal point of view about Japanese style, interiors, culture and travel.
Japan, with its rich cultural tapestry, is known for many things and one of the gems in its cultural crown is the national drink: Sake.
As well as being a relaxing drink with a complex flavour profile, this traditional Japanese rice wine has ceremonial and cultural importance as well as playing a strong role in Japanese cuisine.
Wood carving and wood turning in Japan has a rich history stretching back to ancient times. Combining fine aesthetics and practical function, the art continues to thrive today.
Autumn in Japan is a magical time when the summer heat mellows into cooler, crisper days and nature transforms into a vivid display of red, orange and yellow. This season is cherished by both locals and visitors for its breathtaking foliage, cultural festivals and delectable foods.
As we approach autumn and get a feel for the cooler months ahead, one timeless and heart-warming trend is coming to the fore once again: vintage-inspired tableware. This trend, characterized by its homely and cosy look, has become an increasingly popular way to decorate homes and is a style that is often seen in Japanese homeware and tableware.
Making Japanese food at home can seem difficult and a lot of bother, which it is if you want to do it well! Many recipes require a lot of typically Japanese ingredients and sometimes specialist kitchen equipment that are hard to find, especially if you live in a rural area.
If you are new to Japanese food then some of the ingredients or even the terms that are used to describe it can seem very strange and may even put you off trying them.
In Japan, drinking tea is a cherished activity which is surrounded by tradition and ceremony. It’s a moment to conjure feelings of harmony and tranquility and to savour the delicate taste and aroma of Japanese tea.
Chopsticks have been around since at least 1200 BCE and the oldest ones we know of originated in China. Nowadays you will find chopsticks used in China, North and South Korea, Vietnam, Malaysia and, of course, Japan.
Japanese cuisine includes many delicious side dishes, condiments and dips that are served as part of the main meal.
They’re often not easy to find in UK supermarkets, especially if you don’t live in a big city, but some are quite easy to make yourself with just a few ingredients. They really add that extra authenticity to your meal and bring out the delicious umami flavour of your Japanese cooking!
Originally a celebration date in the Christian calendar, St Valentine’s Day has become rather commercial in the West but nonetheless a time when we celebrate love, romance, friendship and affection.
When I worked for a large Japanese company, anyone who had traveled from Japan, usually managers and directors, nearly always brought back gifts for their co-workers and subordinates.
What’s the deal with a suribachi? Isn’t it just the same as a pestle and mortar? Well not quite…
The suribachi is a traditional cooking implement used in Japan. The word literally means ‘grinding bowl’ and it’s similar in function and shape to a pestle and mortar. There are, however, some notable differences and many cooks and chefs prefer the Japanese version.
Colour is important in many aspects of our lives and the colours we surround ourselves with can have an impact on our mood, how we feel and our well being.
Fugu, known as pufferfish or blowfish in English, is the notorious deadly fish eaten in Japan as a specially prepared delicacy.
The takifugu fish itself is quite a cute looking creature with the distinctive round pufferfish shape. But, if you happened to hook one on a fishing trip, I would think twice before sticking it on the grill or slicing it for sashimi!
Furoshiki, traditional Japanese fabric wrapping cloths, have an interesting origin dating back many hundreds of years.
And yet they're still common in Japan today and finding popularity in the West too because of its use as a replacement for single use wrapping paper.
Matcha is a type of green tea made from the leaves of the tea bush just the same as other types of tea. But matcha is quite different in a number of ways.
Miso is a staple of Japanese cooking used to flavour soup, meat, fish, tofu and vegetables alike. The salty ‘umami’ taste is a favourite and definitely a distinctive flavour of Japanese cuisine.
But how much do you know about miso?
If you have ever eaten cake in Japan you will know how extraordinarily delicious they are, so much so that it’s difficult to describe to someone who hasn’t experienced it!
Whether you are dining at a fashionable Ginza café or grabbed a slice of roll cake from Lawson, the presentation, texture and taste will be gorgeous.
For most of my adult life time, sending and receiving goods to and from the EU has been as easy as using our domestic postal system, and not that much more expensive. No customs forms and no duty. However that came to an abrupt end.
Japanese kawaii culture is, in most Western people’s minds, reserved for kids and teenage girls. It’s literally the culture of ‘cute’ – anything that is sweet, adorable and charming can be described as ‘kawaii’.
So as a, shall we say, more mature person, how can I get away with a cute look, either for myself or my home?
To people in the West, Christmas is usually a time for family festivities but in Japan New Year is the time that families get together to celebrate.
