Obasaan English Club

A few times a month I teach an English for Obasaans club around my area. I get the greatest amount of enjoyment teaching these women, they are so fun. Once a month we have a pot luck and they each bring their own homemade specialties. This week was natural foods week, and boy, did they bring some very unique dishes. The way it works is that I eat while they explain to me how they made their own dishes in English. Most of them just sit there taking notes and eating a little here and there.

(N.B. These are students only!)

The rice dish you see on the left is full of fava beans and garlic with bacon. Very delicious. And then there’s the pudding like dish which is plain yogurt and dried mangos. Next to that is a tofu cake full of rum raisins and vanilla extract. Yum!

From the noon position is a cinnamon and walnut apple cake made with all organic ingredients. At one o'clock there’s a lemon cake with lemon peels on top – Fabulous. The bottom half was made with oranges and at nine o'clock there's the mango cake with coconuts sprinkled at the top.

All of these cakes were made by using a rice cooker! Yes, I know what you are thinking….But really, there’s a technique that these mothers employ to produce delicious cakes using a standard rice cooker machine, no ovens.

In ancient China, there was a garden once called “ The Garden of the Forgotten Greats,” which was basically a retirement home for the Emperor’s concubines once they had reached a certain age. That’s what I think about at times when I’m with these women, that at one point in their lives they were ‘greats’ and that they had meant something to someone and now that they have lived passed their prime are forgotten to the point that they longer even cast a shadow in society. Left to fate.

When I think about who’s working tirelessly behind the scenes to make Japan a reality, I think of them, the unsung heroes who work in the kitchens and in the crèches. Learning English gives them a chance to be free and to escape from the mundane routines of their everyday ordinary lives. For me, they are a part of the true beauty of Japan too. They are quintessentially the backbone of the nation, especially at a time when the young see no future here in their own country who lack talent and common sense, stupid and without a clue. It’s the Japanese mother who represents Japan for me, in the broader sense.

Gikyo

It’s time for me to shift from winter mode to spring mode. I know it’s a bit late for that. It’s also time for me to introduce yet another sake, a food item, and a lovely Jukujo too. Leading into spring mode I want my readers to understand from my own perspective what I consider the most beautiful elements in Japan, but let me not get ahead of myself either, let me take this post one step at a time.


First of all, Japan without Shinto, the indigenous religion of this country, isn’t Japan. And with that in mind I’d like to introduce one of my favorites goddesses. Her name is Ame-no-Uzume-no-mikoto. She is known in Shinto lore as the goddess of dawn and revelry. She is worshiped today as the Great Persuader, and The Heavenly Alarming Female. She’s also a woman who revels in her sensuality. This is a beautiful Kami, by the way. Nihonshu and Shinto go hand in hand. You can’t have Shinto without the nihonshu, and vise versa


The nihonshu listed below is called Oze no Shimizu. It’s a rare jizake from northern Gunma.
This is by far not a famous brand, but a modest and worthy sake best enjoyed while sitting in a hot spring on a snowy day with a Jukujo goddess. It’s not the featured sake for tonight though, just a lead up from winter to spring, so farewell winter and thank you for the warm and fond memories. I thank the goddesses for Sami and such other wonderful experiences.
Tonight’s featured sake is called Gikyo!

And she hails from Aichi Prefecture, home of the Samurai Spirit and birth place of Oda Nobunaga, Toyotomi Hideyoshi, Tokugawa Ieyasu, and the final resting place of Hideki Tojo.




The Brewery is called Yamachu Honke 山忠本家
The Brand is called Gikyo 義侠
Product: Jyunmai Nama Genshu. 純米生原酒
Varietal: Gohyakumangoku (五百万石）Grown and harvested in Toyama prefecture.
Year: 21BY Harvested 2009
Polished Ratio 60%


When it comes to flavor profiles, in order to keep things simple, remember, those who like a sake with strong rice flavor characteristics generally go for Jyunmai. This sake “Gikyo” hits the nail right on the head. It has one of the best rice notes of all the sake I have tried in recent memory. Mellow, sexy, and round. Full taste, well matured to the max! And you know what’s coming next….Yes. You guessed it baby. A Jukujo pic! But before that, let me leave you with this. 90% of all of my sake choices were carefully researched and backed by other experts. Some were award winning picks while others were just personal favorites. Gikyo one such sake that is receiving big attention some parts of Japan.
Hailing from Okayama Prefecture another beauty to behold, Shimura Reiko and she’s 38 years old. I chose her, like this sake, because they both come from West Japan.

From personal experience I have been to Okayama, and have met both young and old people. Even some of my clients are from this prefecture and many of them have told me that women from West Japan tend to wear heavier make up than other prefectures. This is fine with me as long as its done well. It’s done well on these women, and then some.

She notices the smallest detail, like with the pink cherry blossom in her hands. Spring starts like that, small, unassuming, delicate, and gently stoking the flames of passion. Could she be Ame-no-Uzume in the flesh? Her perspiration is sake. Happy rock which she sits upon. That hard object.
The final element or the fourth beautiful essence is food, but not just anything. It’s called Izumibashi’s Daiginjyo Miso! Yes, a sake brewery made this miso.

The dragonfly mark on the package symbolizes the brewers efforts towards growing farm products with reduced amounts of agricultural chemicals. By reducing the use of agricultural chemicals the natural environment can be restored to its natural balance which in turn will restore the population of the dragonfly that had once inhabited the rice fields there.


The soybeans used for this miso are called Tsukui Zairai soybeans. Zairai meaning” the native variety,” this soybean is a local breed of Tsukui, Kanagawa. The other ingredient: Yamadanishi, is the premium sake rice varietal used for the koji( a kind of mold on boiled rice); a starter for the fermentation of sake, soy sauce, and miso. What distinguishes this miso from others is that no other producer makes the koji in such a careful manner, especially with adherence to sanitary conditions. This miso was made with the utmost care and attention to detail which explains why it’s so delicate and natural tasting.
Gods and Goddesses eat, drink, and be merry. Humans, on the other hand, still struggle to find the connect with this. It could be a human flaw. For me it’s got to be Shinto, Jukujo, Nihonshu, good Japanese food and onsen. These are the five greatest elements of Japan.

ど

This is called a 冬季限定 （tokigentei)or, in other words, winter time reserve, 賞味期限（shoumikigen) expiry 30 day nigori Junmai from Akita prefecture. The brewery is called Shirataki.

Sake meter value is at 65%. Nihonshu-do, which is the sake's density to water is -13. Most ordinary sake would be around plus 3 to 5,which would indicate a degree of dryness whereas minus would indicate sweetness. Some sake are plus 8( very dry), or like in the case of this featured sake minus 13! SWEET. Acidity is +1.5. Alc. is 15～16度. This is good though, as this is a milky colored sake. Most all nigori(unfiltered) type sake will share this intense sweetness. This sake is also a bit gassy too.

The reason for choosing this particular sake is because it will be featured in the March 2010 Edition of Dancyu, a very popular gourmet food & sake magazine here in Japan. Another reason is because there’s only a limited supply left and this is the best time of year for nice creamy milky colored sake. Like I’ve said in previous posts, this is the pino colada of the sake world and around spring time you get some of the best, especially from Akita.

Okay, so I ordered it, received it, tasted it, and fell in love with it. It was everything I would’ve expect from Akita prefecture, plus more. It had a creamy thick soupy consistency and yet, it didn’t over power your mouth with strong pungent flavors. Delicate and full bodied, nice aroma and clean after-taste.

Almost like drinking her smooth and creaminess. Her name’s Nozomi and she was born and raised in Akita.

From My Train Window

I love riding the Tokaido Line. “Tokaido” literally means East Sea Route in Japanese and it’s one of the oldest and most frequently used routes in Japan, which also include a vast network of rail lines , too. These photos below were taken from the train window.

Via Takasaki Station, I rode the Tokaido line up a winding stretch of track through sparsely populated pockets of small rural towns dotted along the outer fringes of nowhere. Places that hardly even exist in the minds of most people. A person was born here, lived, and died never once seeing anything other then his own little country hamlet grow empty and desolate and laying barren and wasted. These headstones are what’s left.( top pic)

Someone lives here. I’m sure it makes a comfortable home for someone who lives here. These ramshackle homes are so interesting to me. I just want to go inside one and look around. These are the types of structures you begin to see the farther you ride up into the countryside.

Ice cold and half frozen riverbeds and barren fields.

From the train conductor’s window I was able to finally see snow along the rails. It’s trips like this one that makes me never want to ride on a shinkansen; you miss out on so much scenery. Everything from a shinkansen window is a blur. I don’t mind capturing the local scenery from a local commuter line like this.

And then the snow really began to fall which is really cool if you have an appreciation for this type of weather and travel. The train ride is as much a part of the trip as the actually trip itself. I focus on the train ride.

This train continued on to Minakami Onsen.

King Crab Part III:極太

All good things shouldn’t be enjoyed just once.  They should be enjoyed as often as possible, like another shipment of king crab legs I ordered last week, 3kg!  And these were not just your ordinary king crab legs, these are called in Japanese 極太 or Gokubuto which is a generic term used to describe something extra thick, especially in the legs of an object or thing.

And so I ordered, all 11,000 yen worth through my favorite online shop Rakuten.  

Leggggzzzzz….

And the sake for tonight; one that came highly recommended was called “ Wataya “ of Kanenoi Brewery in Kurihara city, Miyagi Prefecture.   It’s  a Junmai Ginjo Nakatori(sake taken from the middle layer) Namagenshu.  The rice used is called Akaiwa Omachi at 50%( An Okayama varietal).

I used a light vinegar when dipping the crab meat which went excellent with the light fruity texture of this deliciously nihonshu.  

Winter Wonderland: Onsen

I always look for this sign when researching about the hotels I plan to stay in. The sign says “天然温泉” Tenen Onsen, and in English it means “natural hot spring.” Having this sign posted in an onsen ryoukan hotel means that their onsen is registered as a real onsen and not something out of a tap that’s treated. A mineral rich hot spring comes out of the earth as it is and at varying degrees in temperature and mineral richness. This post is best enjoyed over a tokkuri of hot sake and a nice soft track, I recommend Kenny “G’s” Esther – studio version. Not live.

Night shot of the annex bath

Day time view. Nothing compares to having a hot bath on a snowy day. The bitter chill, steamy hot mineral water, and nature all fused into one.

Below is a new installment called onsen theater. Enjoy.

Press Play.

The thing I love most about Oigami’s water is it’s softness on the skin. Very mild calcium/sodium rich onsen that soothes tired muscles and works wonders for fatigue. What many don’t realize is that constant soaking in any onsen for a prolonged period of time aides in digestion. For me, usually, after 12 hours of bathing off and on, the next day I feel as if my whole body is completely detoxicated. Soon after, I nap for about five ours, get up, eat, drink more sake, go back to sleep, wake up and then start my onsen ritual all over again. Sounds like an old person, ehh? So what…I paid to stay in an onsen hotel, why go out?

This onsen is called Gorokaku(伍楼閣) and is one of the top favorite spots in Oigami. Be forewarned, this is a mixed bath( men & women).

i was starting to get the shakes from the cold air on the top picture.

Magic hours are usually in the morning thus no people.

The smell of a steamy hot onsen is hard to describe, especially against the bitter cold air of winter. Sweet, warm, and earthy. Sometimes a pungent pine or cypress smell. Just the smell itself is healing the soul.

This is Oigami

To be continued….

2010 Winter Wonderland II

In Japan there are many popular places that the Japanese flock to during the cold snowy months, namely, places like Kusatsu, Karuizawa, and Niseko in Hokkaido.    Surprisingly enough though is that the  Japanese have ignorantly squandered away a gold mine of a ski resort town ( Niseko ) by allowing Australian developers to move  in and develop condos and  property that they market very heavily in Australia as the Mecca of ski resort towns in Japan.     As a result thousands of foreign nationals flood into this town annually painting the town red in revelry which  has unfortunately scared away many of the locals  from going to Niseko.

 

 

Of course the money generated is recycled back into the city -- back into foreign pockets in reality not the community, that is.   The reason for mentioning this is because Niseko is blessed with some amazing hot springs and silky snow.  Other places like Tomamu, another ski resort town attracting mainly Japanese, have no onsen sources, none, so I couldn’t include that in my list of must – see- places.  It’s a real pity. 

 

 

 

Though Karuizawa and Kusatsu boast some excellent onsen too, and also because they’re conveniently located near Tokyo, they’re  are overrun with celebs and their T.V. camera crews, Tokyoites and, so on.   I stay away from these areas because they’ve become too touristy, much like Niseko has for Westerners.   There are still few last bastions of hope where a person can enjoy all of the great winter pastimes but without the masses.   Oigami Onsen town is not popular, yet it has some of the best water in Japan and it snows heavily there.  The skiing may not be world-class but you can still  ski and enjoy yourself still without the long lines and without the hefty price tag.

 

Oigami, in Numata city is a very sparsely populated onsen town and  has been an old timers favorites for centuries.   Most of the hotels in this area use well water and serve it upon request.  It’s my second time here.  The first time I stayed here was at an excellent onsen hotel called Awashima which commands some pretty amazing views of the Tonemachi River covered in ice and snow.    It’s a ghost town still.  Nothing and nobody is here, just the great onsen(s) and charming little foot baths.

 

 

 

I wasn’t about to get into this.  Just thought it was nice to be able to literally  walk out of my room and see this foot bath there near the main entrance

 

 

Continuing my walk I came to a familiar spot I once discovered the first time I visited  Oigami three years ago.

The much needed exercise I was getting coupled with the morning breeze was invigorating.   I continued my walk and came across dozens of old wooden houses.

I saw lots of corn hanging from windows and sheds.

More corn.

And these icicles caught my eye.  I love icicles, especially when they are not pointing at me.  Below is a bell hanging from some sort of bamboo.

These were so pleasant on my ears when they were ringing.  Snowy breeze was a bit gentle and very nippy.

 

And then this Oigami god was neat.

Then just behind it I found a small Shinto shrine.  I love shrines.  There is just something so natural and pure about them.   Some may argue that modern Shinto is monotheistic whereas most main stream views see Shinto as having many gods(kami) or polytheistic.  This argument stems from the Emperor of Japan as he was the living god of the Japanese race up until 1945, now he’s merely a symbol of the State.    I washed my hands in this ice cold water before going up to offer  up  a prayer.

The mirror is the symbol of Amaterasu the god of Shinto.

"The mirror hides nothing. It shines without a selfish mind. Everything good and bad, right and wrong, is reflected without fail. The mirror is the source of honesty because it has the virtue of responding to the shape of object. It points out the fairness and impartiality of the divine will." —Jinno Shotoki

For more information on Shinto, go to www.uri.org/Shinto_Portrait.html.

And then the guardian dogs covered in snow.

Shishi lion dogs.

To be continued…

Winter Wonderland

( Nervous anticipation for my snow trip up north. My train)
If you miss a Japan winter what a real pity as this is an excellent year for some of the heaviest snowfall on record. This year, the snow came unseasonably early and fell hard then stopped in some parts of Hokuriku and Tohoku. Last year the snowfall was nowhere near as heavy as it was this year though, and I made it just in time. Northern Gunma prefecture is a fail safe part of Japan that always snows every single year without fail and on time. By the time I post this entry the heaviest snowfall will have probably finished. From now on, expect light snowfall from this time until March, if any at all. The brunt of winter is over.
I did good for myself on this recent trip. I completely narrowed down the three most important things of my trip: onsen, food, and sake. This was another solo trip where I had to literally brave through cold and snow near the Oigami, Tonemachi Interchange on foot for 2km; buses don’t run here.

Trudging through the snow I saw the sign! Oigami Onsen. 500 meters to go and both my hands were becoming numb from the bitter coldness of having to tote a big camera bag and a duffle bag without any gloves on for two km through ankle deep patches of snow and ice. I even got pelted a few times across the face by chunks of snow.

I don’t even know where to begin, or how to properly start this blog entry. There is so much I want to blog about. As I type this entry I am packing up readying my return home to Yokohama.
In summary, I stayed for two nights in Oigami in Northern Gunma in a very nice onsen hotel called the Sunraku, which offered me a a large twin with a nice view, breakfast and dinner buffets; dinner had an all-you-can-drink sake/beer bar at no additional charge! I must’ve refilled on hot sake and beer about five or six times. I was literally carrying trays of beers and hot sake back to my own table which was situated by a very large window with a spectacular view of Tonemachi River and huge snow clad pines.

The room was 6800 yen; dinner/buffet included.

The buffet was great. Mounds of delicious and juicy chicken karaage(fried chicken) were on the table, along with tempura and soba. They even had sirloin tips and mini burgers covered in onions soaked in demigras(sp?). The whole spread was heaven.
From start to finish the whole trip was nice. Even the train ride up was nice. Check in went smoothly, my room was great. Of course before I get situated I always take a nice dip in an onsen before dinner.

Onsen paradise. I took dozens of pictures which I’ll post up on another post. On a final note, I never know why people only stay for one night….I always book for two nights. You really need time to unwind and really soak in the water and the atmosphere.