Go to kissaten, Japanese coffee shops!

I'm always wondering why my foreign students (I'm a Japanese teacher) loves Starbucks Coffee so much. They hang out there very often, which is not bad at all, but Starbucks is everywhere in the world. As many of them will leave Japan in a couple of years, I'd like to say to them: "You are living abroad. Take advantage of this precious opportunity. Do something new or different!" 

I'm not saying they should learn karate or climb Mt. Fuji, which may be too tough, but they can have coffee at some Japanese kissaten (coffee shops) instead of the Seattle-style cafe once in a while, right?

My recommendation is Komeda's Coffee  (コメダ珈琲店, pronounced Komeda Kohi-ten), a Nagoya-based coffee chain with nearly 500 franchise stores around the country, mainly in the suburbs where they can secure a big parking space. All the stores feature comfortable high-back sofa seats and "interesting" Nagoya-style menu items.

Look at the photo below, for example. This is "misokatsu sand (=sandwich)" that I had the other day at Komeda's. Misokatsu, or a tonkatsu (deap-fried breaded pork) with miso-based sweet sauce, is one of the typical Nagoyan local dishes. The misokatsu, shredded cabbage and fluffy bread surprisingly go well.

But the most popular food at Komeda's is not misokatsu but  "shiro-noir," a warm brioche bread with cold soft serve ice cream on the top. I don't know why it is called Shiro-noir. Shiro means white in Japanese and noir is black in French. It does not mean anything. Strange name, but definitely  worth tasting. The warm bread melts the cream very quickly like the photo below, but this hot-cold combination is interesting and addictive.  

 

Oh, I have to say this: Komeda's Coffee is one of the best places to have breakfast. If you happen to find one of the chain shops before 11 a.m. and you are hungry, don't hesitate to go in and ask for "Morning sevice." Why? Because, like many other kissaten (Japanese-style coffee shops) in Nagoya, Komeda would offer you a slice of toast and a boiled egg for free if you order a drink. If you want, you can have a mini salad if you pay 200 yen extra.

To check the menu, please click here. It is all written in Japanese, but photos would help you to understand what it is like.

****************
From here I'm writing in Japanese for someone learning Japanese!

わたしの生徒さんたちは、みんなスターバックスが大好き。どうしてかな。スターバックスも悪くないけど、世界中どこでもあるよね。

生徒： せいと　students
悪い：　わるい　bad
世界中：　せかいじゅう　all over the world
どこでも：　anywhere

せっかく日本にいるのだから、何か新しいことをしてほしいな。シアトルスタイルのカフェに行くんじゃなくて、日本の喫茶店に行くとか。

新しい：　あたらしい　new
喫茶店：　きっさてん　coffee shops

私のおすすめは、コメダ珈琲店。名古屋に本店があって全国に約５００もフランチャイズ店があります。背の高い座り心地がいいソファと名古屋独特のメニューが特徴です。

おすすめ：　recommendation
珈琲：　コーヒー　
名古屋：　なごや　name of the city
全国：　ぜんこく　the whole country
約：　やく　about
背が高い：　せがたかい　tall
座り心地がいい：　すわりごこち　be comfortable to sit on
独特：　どくとく　peculiar
特徴： とくちょう　features, characteristics

下の写真は私がこの前食べた「みそカツサンド」です。みそカツというのは、甘い味噌のたれをつけて食べる名古屋のとんかつです。みそカツと、千切りのキャベツと柔らかいパンがよく合うんですよ。

写真：しゃしん　photo
この前：　このまえ　the other day
甘い：　あまい　sweet
味噌：　みそ　soy bean paste
たれ：　sauce
千切りの：　せんぎりの　shredded
柔らかい：　やわらかい　soft

でも一番人気のメニューは「みそカツサンド」じゃなくて、「シロノアール」なんです。シロノアールというのは温かいブリオッシュに冷たいソフトクリームを乗せたものです。温かいものと冷たいものの組み合わせがおもしろくて、くせになります。

人気：にんき　popular
温かい：　あたたかい　warm
冷たい：つめたい　cold
乗せる：　のせる　to put
組み合わせ：　くみあわせ　combination
くせになる：　addictive

そうそう、コメダはモーニング・サービスがとてもお得なんですよ。１１時前なら、飲み物を注文すると無料でトーストとゆで卵がついてきます。２００円でミニサラダも頼めます。

そうそう：　by the way
お得：　おとく　bargain
注文する：　ちゅうもんする　　to order
無料：　むりょう　free of charge
ゆで卵：　ゆでたまご　a boiled egg
頼む：　たのむ　to ask

Edamame beans are the best nibbles to go with beer!

Hi everyone! Sorry I haven't posted for weeks. Are there still someone interested in my blog?

From now on I'll write this blog both in English (probably full of mistakes though) and my native language Japanese. As you can see in my profile, I'm a Japanese teacher and I suddenly felt like doing something a little more beneficial for those studying Japanese.

The Japanese text probably intermediate and advanced level. 

これから日本語を勉強している人のために、日本語でも書きますよ。私、日本語の先生なので。レベルは中級から上級なので、ちょっと難しいかも。

Today's topic is "edamame," young green soybeans usually served in the pod.　It is the ever-popular appetizer that goes very well with beer. When we sit at a the table of an "izakaya,"  a type of Japanese eating establishment that serves a great variety of foods as well as alcohol (and non-alcohol) beverages, many of us half-unconsciously order a jug of beer and edamame.
 

I suppose that edamame is now eaten not only in East Asia but also in some Western countries where Japanese foods are accepted. For example, when I was living in Paris, I often bought edamame at Picard, French frozen food store chain, and I found their made-in-Thailand edamame very delicious, probably even better than average Japanese edamame beans.

Frozen edamame is available all year around, but you should buy fresh ones in summer, found at any supermarkets and vegetable stores. This time I bought the ones still attached to the branches. It was 390 yen at a nearby store, a bit more expensive than the average price for edamame.  

This is how it looks when you remove the plastic bag. I can tell it is still very fresh from the look of the leaves. Not bad at all.
  

Cut off the pods from the branch with scissors. It would be better to cut off one or both ends of the pods, so that the salted water comes in the pods when boiling them.
Like this...oops! Sorry the photo is blurry (again). I cannot blame for these bad photos on my camera, because it is new..

Wash edamame beans with running water, and then rub the pods with about 10 grams of salt to remove fine hair covering the surface. Don't rinse after that.

Boil 1 liter of water and add 40 grams of salt. Put edamame in it and cook 5-7 minutes. Be careful not to overcook to keep the texture.
 

Drain edamame in a colander and cool it as quickly as possible to keep the green vivid color. In this photo, I'm fanning edamame with a ”sensu” (folding fan). Looks strange, but I don't have ”uchiwa” (round flat paper fan). Taste one and if it is not salty enough, sprinkle salt over edamame.

Edamame is not only tasty but rich in dietary fiber, protein, iron, magnesium, vitamin K, etc. In short, it is good for your health.

Pods are not edible. Push the beans out of the pod with your fingers and pop them into your month. Enjoy!!


Today's useful expression or tourists. At izakaya,
「とりえず、なま（ビール）の　ちゅうジョッキ　と　えだまめ　ください。」
"Toriaezu nama no chujokki to edamame kudasai."
= First of all, one draft beer in middle-sized jug and edamae, please."
chu-jokki (middle size) is most common here for some reason. Beer is a beverage
**********************************
From here, I'll write in Japanese. ここからは日本語で。

今日のトピックは枝豆です。枝豆は未成熟の大豆で、日本ではビールのおつまみの定番です。居酒屋では多くの日本人が枝豆をたのみます。生ビールもね。

枝豆：えだまめ
未成熟：みせいじゅく　immature
大豆： だいず　soybeans
定番：　ていばん　must-have items
居酒屋： いざかや


多分今は日本だけでなく、他の国でも枝豆を食べていると思います。フランスの冷凍食品店のピカールでも冷凍の枝豆が売っていて、私はパリに住んでいるときによく食べていました。タイ産でしたが、とてもおいしかったですよ。日本のよりもおいしいかも。

多分：たぶん
冷凍食品：れいとうしょくひん　frozen food

日本にも冷凍枝豆はありますが、夏は八百屋やスーパーに新鮮なものが出ますから、それを買いましょう。　今回私は枝付きのものを買ってみました。 近くの店で３９０円。

八百屋：　やおや　
新鮮：　しんせん　fresh
今回：　こんかい　this time
枝付き：　えだつき　with branches

ビニール袋を取ると・・・こんな感じ。葉の感じを見ると、新しそう。よかった。

ビニール袋：　ビニールぶくろ　a plastic bag
葉：　は　leaves
　
はさみで豆を枝から切り離します。このとき、鞘の端を少し切ると、塩茹でしたときに味が良くしみます。写真がぼけていて、すみません。

離す：　はなす　to detach
鞘：　さや　pod
端：　はし　end
塩茹で：　しおゆで　to boil in salted water
ぼける：　out of focus, blurry

枝豆を洗ったら、塩を振って、もみます。枝豆の表面の細い毛を取るためです。この後、水で洗い流さないほうがいいです。

塩：しお　salt
振る：　ふる　sprinkle
もむ：　to rub
表面：　ひょうめん　surface
細い：　ほそい　fine
洗い流す：　あらいながす　to rinse

湯を沸かして、塩を加え、5-７分枝豆を茹でます。茹ですぎると歯ごたえがなくなから、注意して！

湯：　ゆ　hot water
沸かす：　わかす　to boil
加える：　くわえる　to add
茹でる：　ゆでる　to cook in boiled water
歯ごたえ：　はごたえ　texture
注意：　ちゅうい　attention


茹でたら、すばやく冷やします。 私は、「うちわ」がないので、扇子であおいでいます。
すばやく：　quickly
扇子：　せんす　folding fan

枝豆はおいしいだけじゃなくて、食物繊維、たんぱく質、鉄、マグネシウム、ビタミンKが豊富です。要するに体に良いってこと。

食物繊維：しょくもつせんい　dietary fiber
たんぱく質：　たんぱくしつ　protein
鉄：てつ　iron
豊富：　ほうふ　rich

食べるときは指で鞘を押して、豆を口の中に放り込みます。鞘は食べられませんよ！
指：ゆび　fingers
押す：　おす　to push
豆：　まめ　beans
放り込む：　ほうりこむ　to pop something into～

Some advice to prevent heatstroke in Japan

Hi everyone!

I don't know if I can call it a good news or bad news. Well, 梅雨 (pronounced "tsuyu"), or the rainy season for this year ended in most part of Japan. It was an unexpectedly early end. Normally tsuyu continues till around July 20. 

Having rain everyday is annoying, but the end of the rainy season means that hot, sweaty uncomfortable summer has come!!! I hate summer of this country!

Yesterday the temperature topped 35℃ in more than 50 locations around the country, and in Koshu City in Yamanashi Prefecture it rose as high as 38.6℃, higher than body temperature!!

Every summer we hear sad news of the people who die from heatstroke during their sleep, as well as outdoor activities, such as sports and gardening.


When I was a child, summer was not that bad. We had several steamy hot days, but we could somehow manage without air-conditioners. At least it was cool in the evening and early morning and nice breeze came in from the open windows.

These years, however, it is almost impossible to sleep without running your air-conditioner all night long. When the outdoor temperature does not drop below 25℃ at night, many people find it difficult to sleep well. We call such an evening a "tropical night" here. It might sound a little romantic but it really is just a muggy uncomfortable evening, and the problem is, we have this tropical nights much frequently than before. 

Many people believe using an air-conditioner during sleep is not good for their health; however, not using it can risk their lives. Japanese summer is not only hot but also humid, and when the humidity is too high, perspiration does not evaporate and the heat is not taken from the body. When your body cannot keep itself cool, your temperature rises and you become ill. That's how heatstroke occurs. 


If you plan to visit Japan this summer, you really have to be careful of heatstroke. Yesterday (July 7) only, 1,183 people showing the symptoms of heatstroke were taken to hospital across Japan, of which four were in very serious condition.

Here's some advice to prevent heatstroke.


1: Don't move around during the day too energetically.

2: Drink a lot of water. Take some salt too, because when you sweat, sodium (salt) is lost with moisture. Eating a 塩飴（shio-ame), candies containing salt, has been popular since some time ago as one of the ways to prevent heatstroke.  You can find a great variety of shio-ame with different flavors especially in summer.

 "Mineral Salt Milky" 

new version of the long-selling milk candy Milky

 "Sekai no Kitchen kara" (from the kitchens of all over the world) 

This is not a movie title but the name of salt candy. 

 
3. Don't think of sleeping in a tent in cities. In big cities where almost all the road surface is paved with asphalt and green space is scarce, the roads and buildings heated by the sun during the day often emit the heat in the evening; therefore, the temperature often remains high.

4. When you feel ill, take refuge in a cool place. In Japan convenience store is everywhere and always air-conditioned. If your friend falls unconscious, ask someone to call an ambulance, saying "Kyukyusha o yonde kudasai" (=Please call an ambulance).

Unagi (freshwater eel) is endangered! Eat it now!!

I wrote about a conger eel bowl (穴子丼　anago-don) some time ago. As I already mentioned there, there is another snake-like animal that looks very similar to anago. Yes, it is うなぎ　（unagi, freshwater Japanese eel)! Look at the photo below that I found in the website of Shzuoka Unagi Fishermen's Cooperative.

If you have ophidiophobia, this photo might make you feel like vomiting. Well, I admit that these slimy creatures look grotesque, but they taste very good once cooked. Rich in vitamin A and E and omega-3 fatty acids, unagi has been traditionally eaten especially in summer when people feel tired and need to gain stamina.

Unlike other types of fish, unagi is very hard to prepare at home. It is almost impossible for non-professionals to split down the back or the belly (depending where you live) of this long slimy fish, which requires special techniques. So we usually eat unagi at restaurants or buy already-cooked one at fish shops or supermarkets.

This is うな重　(unaju) that I had recently, for the first time in a year. The one served in lacquered bento-box like this is called unaju, and the one served in a bowl is called うな丼　(unadon), both of which are basically the same -- broiled unagi fillets on top of steamed white rice.

Eels are most commonly eaten in 蒲焼（kabayaki,) style like this photo, where the fish is grilled or broiled after being dipping in soy-based sweet sauce called たれ（tare). When it is cooked without this sauce, it is called 白焼き（shirayaki), which is also very delicious

I really love unagi, but unfortunately I have not had it much since last year, because the price of unagi is now rocket high. Catches of Japanese eel fry (しらすうなぎ　shirasu unagi) have been increasingly poor these last couple of years due to overfishing and climate changes. Last year the Ministry of Environment designated Japanese eel as the species at the risk of extinction. If this situation continues, we will not be able to eat eels in the near future. 

It is known that Japanese eels spawn in the Pacific Ocean, somewhere near Guam, and the young eels migrate to Japanese rivers. Unagi fishermen catch them at the mouth of the rivers and make them grow big at the farms. The problem is, hatching of fertilized eggs at laboratories is quite difficult, and growing the newly-hatched eels bigger is even more difficult and pricey.  

Eels are not the type of fish we eat every week, yet I'd like to have it at least once a year. I would be really sad if eel fishing is completely banned. If you have a chance to come to Japan soon, try to eat eels before they become extinct!

Today's useful expressions: 今日のお昼は、うなぎを食べようよ。Kyo no ohiru wa unagi o tabeyoyo. = Why don't we eat eels for today's lunch?

Try "Japanese" hamburger steak at restaurnats or at home!

One of the favorite foods for Japanese children is definitely ハンバーグ (pronounced hambagu), usually translated as hamburger steak, but "our" hamburger steak is a bit different from "Western" counterparts. Ours is normally thicker and softer than an ordinary hamburger patty or a steak haché.

Some people say Japanese hambagu is similar to Salisbury steak, which I've never had. The ingredients are pretty much the same -- ground meat (often the blend of beef and pork), extender such as bread crumbs and flour, vegetables (most typically onions), eggs as binder, seasonings, and sometimes some liquid such as water, milk and cream -- but according to the Wikipedia, the taste is quite different because we have "Japanized" this dish of western origin,  like many other 洋食　(Yoshoku, or Japanese-style Western food).

The photo below is the hambagu I recently had for lunch at a restaurant called Bonbori in Shibuya, Tokyo. Doesn't it look delicious?? Yes, it was super yummy! This is probably one of the best hamburger steaks I have ever had. Their hambagu lunch set, including a small bowl of salad, steamed white rice (you can ask as much as you want) and a mini dessert, is 1,000 yen, and  I asked for a slice of cheddar cheese on top of my hambagu for extra 100 yen.

The sizzling hamburger steak using 100% beef (whether they use only beef or the blend with pork for their hambgabu depends on the place) is served on the lava stone grill plate, which is believed to make the meat soft due to the effects of extreme infrared radiation. Personally I don't trust this infrared radiation logic, but I have to admit that the meat was very tender and juicy but not greasy at all. My stomach often feels heavy after eating meat dishes, but I had no problem this time.

This is how it looks inside. Sorry it is not a very nice photo. I had almost finished when I took this photo.

My husband ordered a hamburger steak with a grilled chicken (plus 200 yen). He says the chicken was nothing special. I don't blame them because they clearly said their recommendation for lunch was hambagu, not chicken. 

The restaurant is a little hard to find. Located in the basement of a building, it is dark inside and looks like a bar rather than a grill restaurant. Don't miss the small entrance (see the photo below)!  

Restaurant info:
Bonbori 

Address:  Hiroi Bldg. B1, 1-21-1 Dogenzaka, Shibuya, Tokyo
Near the Nanpeidai Crossing, about 6 minutes from Shibuya station 

Tel: 03-5784-1417

Open daily, 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m. for lunch, 5-11:30 p.m. for dinner.

They have English menu as well. 

By the way, according to the survey conducted last year by a web magazine, 5 family restaurants (famiresu for short) chains popular for their hambagu are: 

No.1 Bikkuri Donky （びっくりドンキー）

No. 2 Gusto　（ガスト）

No. 3. Big Boy　（ビッグボーイ）

No. 4  Coco's　（ココス）

No. 5 Royal Host （ロイヤルホスト）

I don't know if these diners have English menus. I doubt it, but you can ask them 英語のメニューはありますか（Eigo no menu wa arimasuka? = Do you have an English menu?), and even if they have no English menus, don't worry, their menus are full of photos. 

Ah, one more thing. You can easily make Japanese hamburger steak at home. It is very simple and tasty. If interested, check a Youtube video here. A Japanese lady (it is not me!) is showing how to make it. I don't understand the presence of a dog, but her recipe is very basic and looks delicious. Instead of the gravy sauce shown in this video, you can pour the mixture of Worcester sauce and ketchup over the hamburger, like many Japanese do at home. (I don't know why but this sauce is rarely seen at restaurants. Maybe is it too homely??)

Flower viewing in the rainy seasons (Tokyo area)

To be honest, when I was younger I was not interested in viewing flowers at all. I didn't understand why older people traveled far only to see flowers, but I learned to appreciate the ephemeral beauty of flowers before I knew it. Very strange. I'm wondering if the same thing happens to any aging people?

Anyway, last weekend my husband and I went to 生田緑地、or Ikuta Park, Kawasaki City, about 30-minutes by car from my place, to see see あじさい　(ajisai, hydrangeas).

Although we can usually enjoy hydrangeas about this time of the year -- in June and July, they haven't been in full bloom yet, maybe because we haven't had much rain this year despite that the rainy season started very early.

In Kanto area including Tokyo, it has been raining these last few days due to the typhoon that turned into a low atmospheric pressure, but in other areas we have already started worrying about possible water shortage.

Very typical type of hydrangea. When the soil is alkaline, the hydrangea flowers become blue like this one.

 

Different type hydrangea. I don't know the exact name. 

Seems like we'll need to wait a little longer to see this small hill covered with hydrangeas.

Instead, 菖蒲　（しょうぶ、shobu), or blue flag iris, were at their best in the same park.

Aren't they beautiful? Shobu flowers can be enjoyed till the end of this month. 

This lage park, having an art museum, a planetarium and old folk houses moved from other locations, is definitely worth visiting, but there's one problem. It is not very easily accessible if you don't have a car. For information, click here (English). 

If you are looking for somewhere easier to go, how about these following two places? 

堀切菖蒲園　Horikiri Shobu-en: 2-19-1 Horkiri, Katsushika-ku, Tokyo. Open 9 a.m.- 5 p.m. (till 6 p.m. in June). Admission free. 15-min. walk from Horkiri Shobu-en station on the Keisei Line. 

明治神宮御苑　Meiji Jingu Gyoen, a part of the famous Meiji Shrine in Harajuku.  1-1 Yoyogi Kamizono-cho, Shibuya-ku Tokyo. Very close to JR Harajuku Station. Open 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

To see hydrangea, I recommend: 

白山神社　Hakusan Shrine, Bunkyo Ward: 5-31-26 Hakusan, Bunkyo Ward, Tokyo, 3-min. walk from Hakusan station on the subway Mita Line, or 5-min. walk from Honkomagome station on the subway Nanboku Line.

飛鳥山公園　Asukayama Park, 1-1-3 Oji Honcho,Kita-ku Tokyo, 1-min. walk from Oji station on the JR Keihin Tohoku Line.

高幡不動尊　Takahata Fudoson shrine, 733 Takahata, Hino City, Tokyo, 5-min. walk from Takahata Fudo station on the Keio Line.

Today's useful expression: あじさいが　とても　きれいです。　Ajisai ga totemo kirei desu. These hydrangeas are very pretty. 

My favorite desserts available at コンビニ(convenience stores) in Japan

A convenience store is a small store that sells various everyday items, ranging from foods to toiletries. I'm sure similar stores are everywhere in the world, but for many Japanese, コンビニ, pronounced konbini, is not a substitute for a supermarket.

First of all, konbini is truly convenient. No exaggeration. Other than getting foods and drinks, we can pay utility bills, withdraw money from ATMs, make photocopies, send fax, receive concert tickets, ship parcels, etc. at konbini of all over the country.

Konbini is sometimes more useful than big supermarkets dealing with a great variety of items, especially when you buy only a few things, such as onigiri (rice balls) and a bottled tea. As people usually buy only a few things at a time, you don't have to wait long in a queue for payment.

Above all, we love  convenience stores. Many of us feel like stopping at a konbini for no special reasons on the way back home. We go inside and browse magazines for a while and get some drinks, desserts or hot snacks before leaving. This little ritual helps us relax and change our mood.

They constantly change the selection of goods, and develop their "original" products, so that we can find something new whenever we drop in. It is so much fun!

I often go to a 7-Eleven to buy desserts, not because I prefer this chain to others, but because it is the closest to my place. The photos below are the ones I get pretty often these days.

This is the a cake roll called "Shifuku no Roll Cake (Ultimate Roll Cake)" using super-soft whipped fresh cream from Hokkaido. 150 yen.  

A cream puff filled with very smooth custard. 105 yen. Very reasonable price and always delicious! One thing you should remember: a cream puff is called シュークリーム (shu kurimu) in Japanese, the same pronunciation as shoe cream. Shu kurimu comes from a French word chou à la crème. When you are looking for "shoe cream,"  you have to ask "くつずみ　は　どこですか？（Kutsuzumi wa doko desuka?)," not "Shu kurumu wa doko desuka"?

This is my favorite Creamy Mont Blanc topped with pureed Italian chestnut. Very tasty. 250 yen.

If you remove the plastic dome lid... 

See? Isn't it beautiful? Very creamy whipped cream inside. You can buy small happiness for only 250 yen! 

At 7-Eleven, new items developed by the special teams of the headquarters come out every Tuesday. They include onigiri (rice ball)  with new fillings, bento boxes, sandwiches, desserts, bread and more.

If you have a chance to visit Japan, try to check out Japanese konbini!