The Tokyo Traveler

July 23rd, 2008

Beer Museum Yebisu

The origins of Yebisu Beer date back to 1887, when Nippon Beer Brewery started producing beer in the area then called Mita Village. The name “Yebisu” was adopted later and is a variation of the name of Ebisu, the surrounding town and the station closest to the Beer Museum. Nippon Breweries, Ltd. changed its name to Sapporo Breweries, Ltd. in 1964.

The Beer Museum Yebisu is dedicated to the history, science and culture of the beloved beverage and the century-old tradition of brewing beer. Beer making made its debut in Japan as early as 1876 when Seibei Nakagawa, who had recently returned from Germany where he studied the art of beer making, was chosen as brewmaster and oversaw the construction of a beer factory in Hokkaido, Japan. In 1887, Japan Beer Brewery Company was established in Tokyo by a group of local entrepreneurs and they invited a brewmaster from Germany to create what became Yebisu Beer. Production of Yebisu Beer ceased for a period of 28 years, but was re-launched in December 1971 and was the first German-type 100% barley beer to be sold in post-war Japan.

If you love beer, you will love this museum! Admission is free and you can sample some of the Sapporo products, including Yebisu Beer, for a fee after visiting the museum.

Beer Museum Yebisu is open from 10AM - 6 PM (Entrance until 5 PM), closed Mondays and during New Year’s festivities (when Monday is a holiday, the next day will be closed) and is located near Ebisu Station.

Photo Credit: Flickr, Lucky Yebisu & 200508 sappora beer station

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July 22nd, 2008

5 Cool Summer Eats in Tokyo

It’s getting hot and humid in Tokyo and with the increase in temperature it’s hard to find your appetite. The Japanese use the term natsubate, summer exhaustion or summer lethargy, to describe the effects of the heat and claim that the best cure for it is to eat well. Here are five summer foods that the Japanese love to eat and that you should definitely give a try when you visit.

Any type of cold noodle goes down well on a hot summer day in Tokyo and Zaru soba is one of my favorites. I make it at home when I’m hungry but the thought of anything hot is simply not appetizing. Soba noodles are made by mixing buckwheat and water, the resulting dough is then kneaded and rolled out before being cut into thin strips and dried. The resulting noodles are then boiled and cooled under running water before being placed on a bamboo mat topped with nori (dried seaweed) and serving alongside cold tsuyu (broth) with green onions and wasabi commonly added. It is a light and delicious meal that you can easily make at home.

Another popular cold noodle dish in Japan is Hiyashi Chuuka, cold somen noodles topped with a variety of fresh vegetables and meats like ham or chicken. The salad is dressed with a sweet and sour sauce made from rice wine vinegar, soy sauce and sesame oil and is very refreshing on a hot day.

Traditional green tea, or matcha, as it is know in Japan is not only served hot. If you visit a Tokyo teahouse in the summer you should not miss the opportunity to have tea overlooking a beautiful garden like we did when we visited Mihama-en this past week. Due to the heat we opted to have our tea sumitai, or cold, which was served by a kimono clad woman, with a light cake in an air conditioned tea room, overlooking the garden.

Unagi (eel) has been consumed in Japan since the 17th century and is rich in protein, calcium, vitamin A and E, and is said to give people stamina. It is a popular summer food that usually skewered and grilled over charcoal with sweet basting sauce called kabayaki, similar to teriyaki sauce, and served don style, over rice, in a beautiful lacquered box or bowl.

Hiya-yakko, or raw tofu, is eaten cold and is simply cubed and can be served plain or topped with grated ginger, green onion and soy sauce.

Watermelon is a summer favorite worldwide, but in Japan suika, or watermelon, are quite expensive and warrant honorable mention or the number six spot in this list of 5 Cool Summer Eats in Tokyo. I recently attended a matsuri (festival) where half of a melon sized watermelon was served with a spoon for Y600 (approximately US $6). Despite the cost, the sight of yukata clad young women wandering through the maturi stalls and taking in the entertainment on a humid night while eating their watermelons certainly looked like a great way to cool off!

Did I miss any of your favorite summer foods from Japan on this list?

Photo Credit: Flickr, zaru sboa, Hiyashi Chuuka !!, Unagi, FRF’07-0016.jpg, DSCF2572.JPG & Personal Collection

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July 21st, 2008

Kagurazaka Festival

Mark you calendars for the 37th Annual Kagurazaka Festival. The highlight of the festival is the Awa odori, a local bon dance of Tokushima Prefecture. Fifteen dance troupes will parade down Kagurazaka Dori at 7 & 9PM on July 25th and at 9 PM on July 26th.

In the area around the Bishamonten Zenkokuji Temple you will find a group of yukata clad volunteers who will offer information about the area and festival events from 6:30 - 8:30 PM daily. Refresh yourself at the beer garden that is temporarily established within the temple precincts or pick up a hozuki-ichi (Chinese lantern) plant at one of the festival booths.

Head out Kagurazaka early in the day and Tour the Alleyways of Old Edo before taking in the impressive Awa odori in the evening. Kagurazaka is conveniently located in the center of Yamanote Line and is accessible from the JR Iidabashi station. As you exit the station, turn to your right and a one minute walk will place you at the base of Kagurazaka Dori. Tokyo Metro Iidabashi and Ushigome-Kagurazaka stations also provide access to the area. (area map)

Photo Credit: Flickr, Awa Odori festival

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July 20th, 2008

Nihon on the Net 7/20/08

In my hunt for newsworthy items from Japan to share with you each Sunday I have found a couple of great resources that I think are worthy of a mention. I can’t cover everything in my weekly Nihon on the Net, so if you want to find more Japan specific news from a variety of sources you might want to check out News On Japan and if you want to see what bloggers who write about Japan have to say, check out JapanSoc, a great social networking site that you too can join!

On to this weeks, Nihon on the Net:

Found via JapanSoc:

You Might be in Japan if… written by Jason in the style of Jeff Foxworthy, very cute and mostly true!

Many people have heard about the cruise ship that was detained in New York because of safety violations. The ship, the Clipper Pacific, started it’s voyage in Japan and fellow JapanSoc member Harvey’s wife is on board. He gives some interesting insight into the ship, it’s mission and how the passengers are coping in his article titled Peace Boat Stuck in New York.

From more traditional news sources:

Americans finally getting to taste high-quality ramen. “We are living in a ramen moment,” said Alan Richman, a GQ magazine food critic who wrote a review of the ramen served at Ippudo NY.

In Japan, Buddhism May Be Dying Out, an interesting read from The New York Times.

USA Today reports that Tokyo emerges as global culinary power and lists some of the different types of food available and recommends where to get it.

Japan has more dogs and cats nationwide than children under 15 and they are taking their best friends to dancing classes with them.

Image Credit: Courtesy of JapanSoc & Flickr, Ramen noodles

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July 19th, 2008

The Most Popular Beer in Japan

The Japanese love their beer, the top five breweries in Japan shipped 216.72 million cases of beer, about 7.8 billion 350ml (12 oz) beers, in the first half of 2008. The top four brands, Asahi, Kirin, Suntory & Sapporo hold a combined 99.3% of market share based on the volume shipped.

Asahi Breweries tower over the other brewers with a 37.5% market share. Asahi Super Dry is the beer of choice in my home so it must be good! The Asahi Breweries Headquarters Building, one of the more unusual landmarks on the Tokyo skyline, is well worth seeing and the adjacent Asahi Super Dry Hall is home to a number of bars and restaurants where you can taste this great beer for yourself.

Read about the other great beers on the list after the jump…

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July 18th, 2008

Need some luck? Get a Daruma Doll

Have you been having a string of bad luck lately?  Are you starting a new job, a new business or a new relationship that you want to be successful at?  If so, you should get a Daruma Doll.   Legend says that these dolls are named after Daruma, the Japanese name for Bodhidharma, the founder of Zen Buddhism, who achieved enlightenment by staring at a blank wall for many years and who lost the use of his arms and legs as a result.

The first Daruma Dolls are said to have been made some 300 years ago at a temple in Takasaki City,Gunma Prefecture. The dolls symbolically lack arms and legs and the pupils are left blank. They are considered good luck talismans in Japan and represent the persistence and dedication required to achieve your goals.  When you purchase or receive a Daruma Doll as a gift, make a wish and draw in one of the pupils (usually the right) and when your wish comes true it is time to draw in the other pupil.

Many businesses in Tokyo, and throughout Japan, have a prominently displayed Daruma Doll in their establishments.  The most common color for Daruma Dolls is red, symbolizing good luck, while white Daruma represent purification and new birth and blue Daruma represent the vitality of the spirit. 

If you need some luck, get yourself a Daruma Doll.  The Japanese have had faith in these rotund dolls for over three hundred years so it’s worth a shot!

Photo Credit:  Personal Collection

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July 17th, 2008

The Biggest Antique Event in Japan

Billed as the largest antique event in Japan, the Antique Jamboree welcomes almost 500 unique vendors from all over Japan. A vast variety of items catering to different tastes and styles are brought in and include Japanese, European and western antiques, collectible toys, antique fans, vintage kimonos, wood block prints and netsuke (intricately carved figurines pictured on the right) to name a few.

This is one event that I will not miss! Over 10 years ago I purchased a set of two intricately carved transoms (panels the were traditionally installed above shoji doors), one of which resides above the sofa in my Hawaii home. Unfortunately I don’t have a picture to share with you but it is a three dimensional garden scene with a bridge that is so realistic that when I gaze upon it I can imagine myself wandering through it into a Japanese garden thousands of miles away. It was quite a feat bringing the two of them home but is was well worth the effort!

If you love antiques this is one event that you don’t want to miss. Like me, you may find that one of a kind souvenir that you will enjoy for many years to come.

Dates & Admission:
July 26 & 27, 2008 from 10 AM-6 PM; Admission Y1,000
July 25, 2008 2 PM-6 PM Early Buyer Day; Admission Y3,000
Location:
Tokyo Big Sight East Exhibition Hall 1, a 7 minute walk from Kokusai-Tenjijo Station or a 3 minute walk from Kokusai-Tenjijo-Seimon Station. (venue website & map)

Photo Credit: Flickr, Netsuke favorites

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July 16th, 2008

Hello Kitty - Japan’s Famous Feline

Hello Kitty is a busy feline these days, and at thirty-four she is not showing any signs of slowing down, in fact she is busier than ever. Hello Kitty was recently named Tourism Ambassador to China and Hong Kong and she will be featured on limited edition postage stamps that will go on sale in Japan on July 23rd.

There are three different versions on the postage stamps, a set of Y50 stamps (Y500 for 10 stamps), a set of Y80 stamps (Y800 for 10 stamps), and a deluxe collectors set for Y6,090 that includes both of the above and several plastic netsuke, or tiny carved figures, of the couple wearing flowing “The Tale of Genji” samurai and princess robes.

Hello Kitty is not just on stamps. In the coming months you will find a 5 megaixel digital camera shaped like Hello Kitty’s face, a 512 megabyte USB memory card covered with sparkling rhinestones, and a humidifier in Hello Kitty’s image. Hello Kitty also gets paid for TV commercial appearances and has two cafes in her name in Japan.

If you are a Hello Kitty fan you will find a huge array of goods available in stores and at tourist destinations in Japan. Many items are exclusive to the Japan market so be prepared to pick them up when you see them.

Photo Credit: Flickr, Hello Kitty in Japanese dress #8524

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July 15th, 2008

"Keep" My Bottle (of Sake)

In Tokyo, many bars and restaurants offer a service known as bottle keep to their regular customers. As the name implies, if you order a bottle of liquor and are unable to finish it, the restaurant or bar will label it with the Kanji or Katakana (if you are a foreigner) characters for your name and “keep” it for you until you return. It’s a great way for businesses to ensure a return visit from you as they have your alcohol!

To give you an idea of why this type of service is popular, consider that a typical US beer is 12 ounces (355ml) and a typical bottle of sake in Japan can range from 750ml (a typical bottle of wine) to 1.8 liters. The alcohol content of sake is usually 15%, beer averages 5%, and a typical serving of sake is 180ml which means that you would have to have 10 drinks to finish off a 1.8 liter bottle - that’s the equivalent of over 15 beers! Most people are content after 2-3 servings of sake at one sitting so unless you are with a large group the bottle keep service will come in handy. Here’s the catch, don’t expect your bottle to still be there after a month, if unclaimed after that point the unused portion is poured down the drain.

The next time you are in a bar or restaurant in Tokyo look for the bottle keep area behind the bar or in a refrigerator. You will find that some establishments mark the “kept” bottles with simple tape and others have wooden labels that can be very simple or quite elaborate. The combination of different bottle shapes, sizes and the Kanji on the various labels is an interesting sight to ponder and the system itself is a testament to the trust and faith under which the Japanese operate on a daily basis.

Photo Credit: Sake Bottles

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July 14th, 2008

Old Money at the Banknote and Postage Stamp Museum

Do you love money? At the Banknote and Postage Stamp Museum in Shinjuku you can see a lot of money, and it’s old money!

The National Printing Bureau was founded in 1871 as the Paper Money Office (Shiheishi) under the Ministry of Finance and they have engaged in the manufacture of banknotes and postage stamps since that time.  The Banknote and Postage Stamp Museum was created by the National Printing Bureau to preserve the history of the Japanese currency and offers exhibits of historical and current banknotes, postage stamps and securities along with the equipment and technologies utilized in making these financial instruments and ensuring that they are safe from counterfeiting.

The exhibits in the museum are documented in Japanese but are very visual and self-explanatory in nature. There is hands-on area where you can test your ability to carry 100 million yen (US $1 million) and observe how the luminescent ink on banknotes glow.  This Banknote and Postage Stamp Museum is informative and educational and is something that the whole family can enjoy.

The Banknote and Postage Stamp Museum is a 10-15 minute walk from the Ichigaya, Akebonobashi, or Ushigome Yanagi Stations and is open 9:30 - 4:30, Tuesday through Sunday.  Admission is free. (map)

Photo Credit:  Personal Collection

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