Author Archives: learnjapanesehl

Poison Blowfish: A Deadly Dinner in Japan Puts 11 in the Hospital

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Sushi is a delicacy in Japan, and probably the most famous Japanese food in America. Whenever anyone hears sushi, they think of raw fish, and how adventurous (and healthy) it must be to eat fish uncooked. No one ever thinks it might be dangerous.

The one exception to this is blowfish. To anyone who’s ever lived in Japan or thought about going there, blowfish is famous for its borderline poisonous properties. All restaurants that carry blowfish need special chefs to prepare the fish just right, and if it’s not prepared correctly it can potentially be poisonous. Everyone tries blowfish because of the potential danger and of course unique taste, but no expects to actually get poisoned.

Both the Yomiuri and the Asahi reported on the Blowfish (fugu in Japanese) poisoning incident:

Asahi: “Toyama: poisoned while eating blowfish nabe, 2 people in critical condition” On the evening of the 23rd, 11 people were eating blowfish nabe at Kozushi, a sushi restaurant in Toyama Prefecture. 9 of those people exhibited symptoms of poison and were rushed to the hospital, and 2 people were rendered unconscious.

According to the Asahi, there were about 21 people eating blowfish nabe that night. 11 people were admitted to a nearby medical facility, with symptoms such as having trouble breathing. The cause of people’s sickness was that the part of the blowfish that is poisonous was not completely removed, according to the poison control center at the facility. The sushi chef who prepared the blowfish did have his sushi license.

Yomiuri: “Toyama: 2 people rendered unconscious by poisonous blowfish nabe” Compared with the Asahi, the Yomiuri dramatized the incident of the poisoning blowfish. They said the 11 people emitting symptoms of poison were rushed to 3 nearby hospitals. The symptoms of poison were not only shortness of breath, but also people’s mouths and faces going numb.

The Yomiuri also mentioned that the blowfish prepared that morning was from a different fish market than what is usually purchased. The Yomiuri, along with the Asahi, pointed out that the sushi chef who prepared the blowfish did have his license.

Nikkei: Swine Flu’s dismal statistics The Nikkei did not report on the poison blowfish incident this morning but instead ran a headline about the swine flu in Japan and its dismal statistics. According to the Nikkei, when looking at the ministry of Health and Human Welfare’s website, “1 in 14 people in Japan have been infected with the swine flu.” In regards to deaths, they said “1 in 14,000 will be killed by the swine flu.”

Japanese News and Culture Blog Roundup: 10/22/09-10/28/09

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An Englishman in Osaka

Kurama Fire Festival 10/24/09: Kurama in flames
Coverage of the Kurama Fire Festival (Kurama no hi matsuri – 鞍馬の火祭り) which was held on 10/22. People with huge lit torches parade through the streets on the way to the Yuki-jinja Shrine. More pictures and information can be found here.

GaijinSmash.net

10/28/09: Cultural differences, again
Humorous article on the differences between how celebrity gossip is covered/prosecuted in Japan and in the US. Answers the all-important question: “What’s wrong with being naked?” (quite a lot, apparently). Written by a former JET teacher who is now married and living in Japan.

Japan Probe

Japanese Mascots 10/25/09: Japanese mascots hold summit in Hikone
Many towns and cities in Japan have their own mascots used to promote tourism. What do you think New York’s mascot would be? I can think of a few unsettling examples, but a big apple would probably be the most kid-friendly.

Japanese Pod 101

Soba Package 10/26/09: Learn Japanese Kanji – Everyday Kanji (Food Packaging)
Another very useful post from Japanese Pod 101. Venture into Japanese grocery stores without fear!

Néojaponisme

Japan Peace Sign 10/26/09: Contributing factors to the popularity of the “Peace” sign in Japanese photography
This is something I’ve often wondered myself. The best explanation I got while in Japan was, “It’s just something you do in pictures.” This post gives some much more detailed theories as to the origins of the practice.

Pink Tentacle

stereoview_19 10/28/09: Animated stereoviews of old Japan
Really cool colorized 3-D images from Meiji-era Japan. The animation makes me a little dizzy, though…

10/26/09: ‘Tele Scouter’ retinal-display translation glasses
The concept is awesome: glasses that display translations for foreign languages as you hear them (via a built-in microphone). However the reality is not quite up to par since machine translation technology is simply not advanced enough. However the glasses, which are set to go on the market in 2010, could still be used in other situations to display text for workers.

Japanese Fall/Winter Stew: Nabemono

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Sukiyaki

Nabe (or nabemono 鍋物, なべ物), is a type of Japanese one-pot dish where a big pot is heated in the middle of the table, and the diners cook the food themselves. Nabe is usually served during the colder fall and winter months when families and friends gather together and share a big stew.

There are several different varieties depending on the ingredients added, and where in Japan the recipe originated. One of the most well-known types in the US is sukiyaki (すき焼き), which consists of thinly sliced beef along with many vegetables and tofu and is boiled in a teriyaki-like sauce of soy sauce, sugar, and mirin. The ingredients are then dipped in beaten raw eggs before being eaten. At the end, udon or soba noodles can be added to soak up the flavorful broth.

Shabu-shabu (しゃぶしゃぶ, literally meaning “swish swish”) is very similar to sukiyaki, though the broth is more savory than sweet. The broth may just be water, or else lightly flavored with konbu (seaweed). Ingredients are then dipped in ponzu (see below) or sesame sauce.

Oden (おでん) is another variety where food can be added at any time instead of only at the beginning. Ingredients in addition to the ones below may include boiled eggs, carrots, potatoes, green onions, and more.

Common Nabemono Ingredients:

Daikon Daikon (ダイコン)
A large, mild radish native to East Asia. It can be eaten raw, cooked, pickled, or grated.
Ponzu Ponzu (ポン酢)
A tart, citrus-based sauce used for dipping ingredients in shabu-shabu or other dishes. It is made with mirin, rice vinegar, katsuobushi, konbu, and citrus juice (such as yuzu [like a grapefruit], sudachi, daidai [a bitter orange], kabosu, or lemon).
Katsuobushi Katsuobushi (かつおぶし)
Dried, fermented, and smoked flakes of skipjack tuna, also known as bonito. It’s often used to make dashi (fish stock), and as a topping for many Japanese foods.
Konbu Konbu (昆布)
Edible kelp seaweed often used to make dashi soup stock in Japan. It can be pickled, dried, and even made into tea (which tastes like the ocean to me).
Tsukune Tsukune (つくね)
Fish or meat balls (if meat, usually chicken). The fish balls I’ve had have been gray and sometimes disturbingly crunchy (bones, fins, and eyes are all included). They are often featured in some miso soups as well.
Tofu Tofu (豆腐)
Often seared or grilled, but sometimes just boiled raw in the pot.
Hakusai Hakusai (白菜)
Chinese cabbage.
Shungiku Shungiku (春菊)
Edible crysanthemum greens. It’s often used in Cantonese cuisine, but is popular in Japan as well.
Shiitake Shiitake (椎茸)
Common Japanese mushroom used in many dishes. Can be dried, sauteed, or boiled. Usually only the caps are used.
Enokitake Enokitake (エノキタケ)
Also known as enoki, these are available fresh or canned.
Soba Soba (そば)
A type of thin buckwheat-flour noodle. They are often served chilled in summer and hot in winter. Can be made into many different kinds of soup.
Udon Udon (うどん)
A type of thick wheat-flour noodle. Like soba, these are often served cold in summer and hot in winter. Can be a part of many kinds of soup dishes, depending on the toppings.
Kamaboko Kamaboko (蒲鉾)
Processed fish cakes made from varieties of whitefish and additives like MSG. Spiral-shaped loaves are often called “naruto” after the Japanese city which has a well-known whirlpool. The white fish paste is called surimi (擂り身), and is also present in fake crab in the US.
Chikuwa Chikuwa (竹輪)
Another surimi product made with salt, sugar, starch, and egg whites along with the fish.
Konnyaku Konnyaku (こんにゃく)
A mottled gray, firm gelatin-like substance which is mostly flavorless. The blocks can be cut into thin noodles and used in oden or sukiyaki. The gel itself is made from plants.

Japanese News and Culture Blog Roundup: 10/15/09-10/21/09

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Tokyo Times

takurazuka 10/21/09: Takarazuka in Tokyo
The Takarazuka Revue is an all-female musical theater group in Japan that puts on popular adaptations of shows like Guys and Dolls and The Sound of Music. It has appeared in the press again lately since the current first lady of Japan, Miyuku Hatoyama, was once a performing member in the 1960s. I personally heard about it lately since my host mom in Japan saw a performance last week. All male roles are also played by females, often done up like David Bowie-esque makeup. Pictured here is one of their “Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney” shows. Yes, Phoenix Wright has come to stage! My host mom said the show she saw was extremely over-the-top, but still fun. For more information on this group, check out this link.

Pink Tentacle

saya_in_takashimaya 10/21/09: Video: Sick robot exhibits symptoms of H1N1
A robot that shows symptoms of H1N1 was recently displayed at an expo in Tokyo as a training aid for emergency workers. Without treatment, the patient will eventually “die” and stop breathing. Also featured this week was a female humanoid robot named Saya who worked reception at a Takashimaya department store in Tokyo. Pictures of her are slightly creepy (uncanny valley, anyone?), though she was apparently a hit with shoppers and tourists. At least her appearance isn’t as upsetting as this little guy from two years ago. CB2 will haunt my dreams forever, though all these advances in robotics are still certainly impressive!

Japan Probe

antler_ceremony_nara 10/16/09: Nara’s deer lose their antlers
I guess I should have realized this earlier, but it was still a little shocking to think of the famous deer of Nara having their antlers sawed off on a yearly basis. However, the deer have no feeling in their antlers by the time of the ceremony, and they are usually naturally shed each year after mating season anyway. The 300-year-old ceremony is performed for the safety of both the deer and the tourists who flock to Nara to feed them “shika sembei” biscuits.

Ozawa “Buddies Up” with the American Ambassador

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Ichiro Ozawa was the main candidate for The Democratic Party of Japan, leading up to the election in September. Then leading up the summer he was rocked by a scandal that put his secretary potentially embezzling funds that he shouldn’t have been embezzling. He resigned, and the now current Prime Minister, Hatoyama, took over the Democratic Party of Japan, and ended up winning the prize of Prime Minister. The election was historic for Japan, in its 50 year history since WWII this was the first time the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) had taken the reigns of power from the Liberal Democratic Party, or (LDP).

Nevertheless, Ozawa-san has managed to hold onto power, both behind the scenes and as now the Secretary General of the Democratic Party of Japan. Each newspaper had a different take on Ozawa-san this morning and his meeting with the American ambassador to Japan, John Roos.

Asahi “We should be frank with each other.” The Asahi painted the meeting with the American Ambassador, John Roos, as a tough yet honest discussion. Sources within the DPJ, according to the Asahi, claimed that Ozawa exchanged opinions with the Ambassador about trade frictions during the LDP era. Ozawa-san said to the ambassador, “If America has an issues, I want you to clearly state them. Japan should also frankly state their opinions in return.”

Yomiuri “Over a drink, let’s talk about the past election.” The Yomiuri’s interpretation of the meeting between Ozawa and Roos was one of friendship, not one of frank speaking. They also had a different take on what Ozawa-san said to John Roos when he asked “If America has an issues, I would appreciate if you could you say them.” The Yomuri used “言ってもらいたい instead of the more direct form,　言ってほしい.

In the Yomiuri not just the language was different, but also what they talked about was apparently friendlier. Ozawa said “Even when I meet the American Ambassador, I can’t really say political things.” Ozawa then went on to say “I commend the majority the Democratic Party in the US has obtained. I also have experience with running a campaign, let’s grab a drink sometime and discuss it.”

Nikkei “A new strand of the virus hospitalizes 445 people.” The Nikkei actually didn’t report on the meeting between the American Ambassador and Ozawa. This could partly be reflective of their lack of support for the new administration…

They instead talked about the Swine Flu, and the surprising impact it has had in the past week. 445 people were hospitalized, and a staggering 8,534 schools were closed due to the threat of flu. Over 50% of those schools were elementary, where as about 25% were middle schools.

Ryouri o tsukurimashou! Roast Chinjao

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(Note: Please check out the recipes for Yellowtail Teriyaki and Cashew Chicken for more useful Japanese cooking vocabulary!)

More Nintendo cooking, and once again we have a rather Chinese dish, but it’s very well-known in Japan. Next time I will feature something more traditionally Japanese. Any requests? We’ve gotten through a lot of cooking words with the past two recipes, so if you see words here you don’t recognize, check back in the links posted above. With that said, let’s get cooking!

chinjao

チンジャオロース – Roast Chinjao

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

English Japanese
200 g thinly sliced beef 牛肉（網焼き用）　２００ｇ
2 tsp + 1 Tbsp soy sauce しょうゆ　小さじ２＋大さじ１
1 tsp + 1 Tbsp sake 酒　小さじ１＋大さじ１
2 tsp potato starch (corn starch is fine) 片栗粉　小さじ２
1 tsp + 1/2 tsp sesame oil ゴマ油　小さじ１＋小さじ１/２
4 green bell peppers ピーマン　４個
4 cm green onion 白ねぎ　４ｃｍ長さ
1 1/3 cm fresh ginger しょうが　２/３片
2 cloves garlic にんにく　２片
1 Tbsp oyster sauce オイスターソース　大さじ１/４
1/2 Tbsp sugar 砂糖　大さじ１/２
Dash of pepper こしょう　少々
1 Tbsp water 水　大さじ１
4 tsp salad oil サラダ油　小さじ４

Preparation:

De-seed and core the bell pepper, then slice lengthwise into thin strips. Mince the 4 cm green onion finely. Peel the 1 1/3 cm fresh ginger, then mince finely. Peel the 2 cloves of garlic, then mince finely. Set aside.

Cut the 200 g thinly sliced beef into narrow strips. Place the beef in a bowl, then cover with 2 tsp soy sauce, 1 tsp sake, and 2 tsp potato starch. Mix well. Pour 1 tsp sesame oil into the center of the meat, then set aside.

In a small bowl, mix together 1 Tbsp sake, 1 Tbsp oyster sauce, 1 Tbsp soy sauce, 1/2 Tbsp sugar, dash of pepper, 1/2 tsp sesame oil, and 1 Tbsp water. Set aside.

Add 2 tsp salad oil to a frying pan and set on high heat. Add the beef and stir until it’s color changes to brown. Place on a plate and set aside.

Add 2 tsp salad oil to a frying pan and set on medium heat. Add the green onion, ginger, and garlic, then cook until they begin to smell strongly. Add the bell pepper and stir, then add the beef again. Add the soy sauce mixture from before, then turn the heat to high. Stir until most of the sauce is gone, then transfer to a plate and enjoy.

Vocabulary:

Japanese Romaji Meaning
牛肉 gyuuniku Beef
片栗粉 katakuriko Potato starch (very much like corn starch)
ゴマ goma Sesame seeds
油 abura Oil
白ねぎ shironegi Green onion (though literally “white onion” in Japanese)
にんにく nin-niku Garlic
こしょう koshou Pepper (can refer to black or white, but is usually black)
種 tane Seeds; kernels
みじん切りにする mijin kiri ni suru To cut finely; mince
皿 sara Plate; dish
さいばし saibashi Long chopsticks for cooking and serving food
手早くほぐす tebayaku hogusu To quickly loosen or separate (here, used to decribe quickly stirring the meat in the pan)
香り kaori Smell; scent; aroma; fragrance

Fall Foods in Japan

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America has some favorite fall foods like pumpkins and candy apples, and Japan is no different with certain dishes and ingredients strongly associated with autumn. How many have you tried?

satsuma-imo Satsuma-imo (薩摩芋): Sweet potato
These are very similar to yams, though the flesh is softer and the inside is more yellow than orange. The outside is often purplish in color, and satsuma-imo are often used in tempura or candied as a dessert (pictured). In Kyoto, I often heard the loud, broadcasted voice of the yaki-imo (焼芋 – baked sweet potato) man as his truck passed down the street during the fall evenings. A recipe for a sweet potato dessert can be found here.
kuri Kuri (栗): Chestnuts
Though more associated with winter in the US, in Japan chestnuts are very much an autumn food. They can be roasted, boiled, or cooked with rice to make kuri-gohan. The related maron (マロン) chestnuts are mostly used in desserts.
matsutake Matsutake (松茸): Matsutake mushrooms
Matsutake are a type of very expensive pine mushroom in Japan. They usually grow under the fallen leaves of certain varieties of pine tree, which makes harvesting a very painstaking process. As such, these mushrooms, like truffles, are quite pricey. The cost has gone up even more due to a pine nematode decimating the population of the necessary domestic trees in the past 50 years or so. High-grade matsutake grown in Japan can be up to $909/lb, though imported mushrooms average at $41/lb. In comparison, black truffles are usually $127-383/lb and white truffles are $2200-1000/lb (according to Wikipedia). Matsutake can be cooked with rice, put in soup, steamed, fried in tempura, and much more.
kaki Kaki (柿): Persimmon
Japanese kaki are most widely cultivated persimmons in the world. The sweet fruit can be eaten raw once ripe, or dried for later.

Japanese Holidays: Taiiku no hi

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This year, Taiiku no hi (体育の日) falls on Monday, October 12th. Known in English as “Health and Sports Day,” this day commemorates the anniversary of the opening of the Olympic games in Tokyo in 1964. The summer games were held late that year in an effort to avoid Japan’s rainy season, and began on October 10th. The national holiday was moved to the 2nd Monday in October in 2000 so as to give students and workers a long weekend.

Undoukai

Many schools celebrate with an undoukai (運動会), or field/sports day with mini-Olympic events such as races and relays, but also with group events like tug-of-war that can involve teachers and other members of the community acting as a team. At the end of the day, awards are given to groups rather than individuals, and are extremely practical in nature! I remember some of the most coveted prizes at the sports day I attended in Japan were dish cloths and trash bags. I came away with some plastic wrap and tissues, even though my team lost our event. The awards are meant to make sure that everyone is happy and feels like a winner at the end of the day, no matter what the results.

One odd thing any foreigner is bound to notice at an undoukai is the synchronized group calisthenics set to music performed at the beginning and end of the day’s activities. I saw this frequently during gym class at the school where I taught, but some companies in Japan still stretch together in the mornings, and again at 3:00 pm when everyone starts getting sleepy. It turns out that this is the “Rajio Taisou” (ラジオ体操 – Radio Exercise) which has been aired almost daily in Japan since 1928! The current version you can hear today features slow counting set to piano music and was recorded in 1951 by the Japanese government. It airs each morning on NHK at 6:30 am, and according to this article, about 20% of the population still does it each day, along with 76.4% of elementary schools in Japan. Below is a video of Rajio Taisou at a sports day in Japan.

Japanese Grocery Stores in New York

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How can you make Japanese or other Asian recipes without the right ingredients? Large US grocery chains often have an “international” aisle, but the pickings are usually slim. But there are many small Japanese grocery stores in Manhattan and the other boroughs, as well as several online resources available for those who don’t feel like traveling to a brick-and-mortar store. Many Chinese or Korean markets also have a lot of common Japanese ingredients for cheaper prices, so it’s probably best to go to a Japan-specific store when you’re looking for a more obscure ingredient. Blue markers are Japan-centric stores, and red markers are for primarily Chinese or Korean groceries. Just zoom on the map for more details!


View Larger Map

Online grocery stores:

Japan Super
California-based grocery that ships to the contiguous 48 states. A sample order gave me a flat shipping rate of $15 to Manhattan.

eFoodDepot
Lots of different products here with a $4.99 flat shipping rate and free shipping with an order over $75.

Asian Food Grocer
California-based store that ships by FedEx (not a flat rate).

Koa Mart
California-based Korean grocery that also has a fair amount of Japanese foods. Ships by UPS or USPS (not a flat rate).

I have never ordered from any of these online stores, but I have seen Japan Super recommended quite a few times on forums and blogs. The NYC Google map is far from exhaustive, so please let me know if you have any other stores to recommend (especially ones outside of Manhattan)!

Ryouri o tsukurimashou! Yellowtail Teriyaki

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In addition to hitting the books, a fun way to learn new Japanese vocabulary is by making a Japanese dish. While I lived in Japan, it was tempting to resort to Cup Noodle or instant curry every night, but I eventually bought a video game called しゃべる！ＤＳお料理ナビ (Shaberu! DS o-ryouri nabi) for my Nintendo DS when it was released in 2006. This game—which will work on Japanese and American systems alike—is a portable, interactive cookbook with 200 common Japanese recipes. Sadly, an English translation of the game was never released, though an American version with mostly Western recipes called Personal Trainer: Cooking can be bought on Amazon.

A little animated chef walks you through each recipe, timing steps as needed and providing helpful videos regarding cooking techniques. As such, it’s perfect for beginner chefs, and all the often-repeated cooking vocabulary makes for great language study!

Some of my favorite recipes are some of the easiest such as teriyaki fish/beef or sukiyaki (a one-pot meal where almost anything can work as an ingredient). Though cooking authentic Japanese food in the states can be difficult because of a lack of ingredients, NYC has ample resources for international chefs, which I’ll soon cover in a future article. In my opinion, one of the biggest differences between Japanese and American cooking is the relative subtlety of flavors in Japanese dishes. Flavors tend to be balanced, but understated compared to some American classics like spicy BBQ or hamburgers with spices folded into the meat. That and traditionally, much Japanese food is cooked using very long chopsticks instead of a wooden spoon for sautéing. I cheated and used a spoon most of the time because I was tired of clumsily dropping and ruining my food.

Anyway, here is a simple recipe translated from the DS game that you can make yourself! Most of these ingredients can be easily found in most US grocery stores, but there are a few such as pickled ginger and mirin that might be a little more difficult to locate. I’ve included the ingredients list in English and Japanese, and more useful cooking vocabulary is listed below. Enjoy!

ぶりの照り焼き – Yellowtail Teriyaki

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients:

English Japanese
4 yellowtail fillets ぶり（切り身）　４切れ
Flour (as needed) 小麦粉　適量
2 Tbsp salad oil サラダ油　大さじ２
40 g pickled ginger しょうがの甘酢漬け　４０ｇ
4 Tbsp mirin みりん　大さじ４
4 Tbsp soy sauce しょうゆ　大さじ４
1 Tbsp sugar 砂糖　大さじ１

teriyaki04_sm

Preparation:

In a small bowl, mix together 1 Tbsp sugar, 4 Tbsp mirin, and 4 Tbsp soy sauce. Set aside.

In another bowl or plate, add some flour. Coat each side of the fish evenly.

teriyaki05_sm

Add 2 Tbsp salad oil to a frying pan and set on medium heat. Place the fish in the pan skin side down. Cook until you see a nice brownish golden color and flip over (a few minutes per side). Turn the heat to low. Soak up the excess oil with some paper towels.

Add the soy sauce mixture to the pan. Cook until the fish looks nice and coated.

Put the fish on a plate and add the ginger on the side for garnish. (I also cooked up some rice to make this more of a meal.)

teriyaki06_sm

Vocabulary:

Japanese Romaji Meaning
ぶり buri Yellowtail
小麦粉 komugiko Wheat flour
適量 tekiryou As needed
しょうが shouga Ginger
しょうがの甘酢漬け shouga no amazutzuke Pickled ginger
しょうゆ shouyu Soy sauce
砂糖 satou Sugar
タレ tare Sauce
計量カップ keiryou kappu Measuring cup
計量スプーン keiryou supuun Measuring spoon
入れる ireru To put in (an ingredient)
混ぜ合わせる mazeawaseru To mix
まぶす mabusu To cover (smear, sprinkle) (with)
熱する nessuru To heat
中火 chuubi Medium heat
弱火 yowabi Low heat
焼く yaku To bake or grill