Kyoto Foodie: Where and what to eat in Kyoto

Wagashi: More Kawaii, Father’s Day Wagashi (お父さん ありがとう)

Father’s Day, ‘Kyoto’ style. Yummy wagashi on the theme of work, fishing and love. Thanks Dad!

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Thoughts on Kawaii: Cute and Delightful Summer Kyoto Sake Bottle Design with Goldfish (夏の戯れ)

‘Cute’ (kawaii) in Japan is all pervasive … and it sells. The other day I ran across this lovely and whimsically designed sake bottle from a brewery in Fushimi. It got me thinking…

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Taue (Rice Planting): Planting Yamada Nishiki in Rural Kyoto Prefecture for Next Year’s Sake

Taue (田植) means rice planting, or properly, rice transplanting as seedlings are first grown in a protected area such as a greenhouse and then transplanted to the rice paddy. Kitagawa Honke Sake Brewery (Learning to Make Sake series) contracts with rice farmers [...]

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Wagashi: Suetomi Kodomo-no-hi (Children’s Day) Mochi

May 5th is Children’s Day in Japan. Two important icons for this day are the Koi-no-bori (flying carp banner) and the kabuto, or armored battle helmet worn by samurai. At Suetomi, we found some delightful and unique koi-no-bori and kabuto themed wagashi, traditional Japanese confections.

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Hanami Sake: Sake and Sakura Blossoms (花見酒)

Sake flavored with cherry blossoms is a wonderful spring treat in Japan. The sakura bloom only last a few days, so this fleeting pleasure of life must be sought out and enjoyed!

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Train Food and Seasonal Everything in Japan: Sakura Onigiri, Nanohana Tempura Onigiri (さくらおにぎり・菜の花天婦羅おにぎり)

Just before catching a bullet back to Kyoto, I ducked into the omiyage/gourmet food court at Shinagawa Shinkansen Station (in Tokyo) to get some omiyage for Paku and some ‘bento’ for my two and a half hour train ride back to ‘old’ Japan.

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Setsubun: The Day Before Spring, Demons, How to Eat Eho-Maki and Throw Your Beans (節分: 立春、恵方巻、炒り豆、豆撒き)

On February 3rd, people in Japan celebrate Setsubun, the coming of spring. Special sushi rolls called Eho-maki (恵方巻) and eaten while facing the auspicious direction for that year. After dinner, roasted soy beans, or iri-mame are thrown out the front [...]

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(Japanese New Year’s Celebration) Hatsumode: The First Visit to a Shrine of the New Year (初詣)

Hatsumode is usually thought of as January 1st, although it can be a few days later. People visit a shrine or sometimes temple and pray for comfort and health in the new year. It is very common to see women [...]

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