About food in Japan

Accommodations close to the sites mentioned on this post

兼六城下町　ホテル兼六

http://aboutfoodinjapan.weblogs.jp/blog/2011/04/about-kanazawa-city-where-food-lovers-should-not-miss-on-travel-in-japan.html

Posted on 08 April 2011 at 12:15 in Region Hokuriku (北陸), Kanazawa | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

07 April 2011

Fight Tohoku! supermarkets start products on sale

A major Japanese supermarket chain, Ito-Yokado conducts special promotion called "Gambaro Tohoku" (がんばろう東北, difficult to translate exactly,,,, in my way, Fight Tohoku!) until this Saturday 10th April 2011. At Ito-Yokado 140 units, to support food producers in Tohoku, special fair is taken place to introduce about 60 products in Tohoku, in some cases at special promotion price.

Food products to be offered at the promotion are different store by store and day by day. For example, their units in Tokyo and surrounding area, consumers will/do/did find apples and scallops from Aomori (青森), beef from three prefectures got the most serious damage, Iwate (岩手), Miyagi (宮城) and Fukushima (福島), yoghurt drink from Iwate, rice from Fukushima. In addition, at some units yesterday, Ito-Yokado offered at special price lettuce made in Ibaraki, where farmers saw serious sales drop after the nuclear power plant problem.

The major supermarket chain headquater examined and reconfirmed with a private sectore research center that these products are proved safe from radioactive health problem.

Other supermarket chains are intending to follow the promotionn by Ito-Yokado. Such as Aeon, Tokyu store are planning to start offering argricultural products from Tohoku at some of their units.

Posted on 07 April 2011 at 16:56 in News, Save Tohoku and Japan | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

06 April 2011

Authentic Ryotei (料亭)! Tsubajin (つば甚) – Kanazawa (金沢)

As the main event of my journey in Kanazawa, I visited Tsubajin (つば甚) for lunch. With its history of over 250 years long since 1752, Tsubajin is one of the most established Ryotei (料亭) in Kanazawa. Out of Nishi Chaya Machi (にし茶屋街), the traditional Japanese house build in early 20 century stands on a bank of Sai river (犀川). From the upper floor, Kanazawa city view is available.

Approaching to the restaurant entrance, a lady in Kimono opened the entrance door and welcomed me with smile. I already recognized that this kind of hospitality prooves the restauran as a place where royal family, politicians and other celeblities have been welcomed for long years. We were taken to a room on the ground floor, where we can find a small but nice Japanese garden outside while inside seasonal decoration of Hina ningyo (雛人形, Girls festival dolls), kakejiku (掛け軸, traditional painting scroll) and a flower base. They are modest but creats elegant tast collectively.

The staind glass partion on the left stand implies Taisho period (大正時代) when this house was built.

It is a place where we can be fully relaxed even before lunch...

Sake (日本酒) sevred is original brand of Tsubajin (つば甚), blended specially for the restaurant. Dry but fruity, modest and good quality exactly like the restaurant!

The least expensive lunch is box meal style, because I have to keep my stomach space for dinner and sweets on afternoon. If you would, Kaiseki style meal is also available depending on your budget.

Grilled Takenoko (筍, bamboo shoot) is icon of Spring. Behindit, masu (鱒, trout) also grilled and wrapped by a dark green leaf and decorated with a small piece of cherry flower.

Sasimi (刺身, raw fish) plate is essential for Japanese course meal.Here it includes very fresh seasonal local product.

Jibuni (じぶ煮), well-known local speciality (郷土料理, Kyodo Ryori) of Kanazawa, ordered with supplement cost. Duck meat, local speciality product “fu”(麩, wheat gluten cake) and vegetables including local spiecies of spinach Kinjiso (金時草).

The excellent lunch was ended with a small bowl of dessert

I left the restaurant with great satisfaction. It was a perfect moment of fine traditional and fresh cuisine, interior decoration and Japanese hospitality.

About Ryotei (料亭)

No clear difinition of Ryotei but it is considered as the most luxurious category of traditional Japanese restaurants with established business in long history, appreciated by local magnates and VIPs, capacity and ability to arrange entertainment by Geisha. Many are located in Kyoto, Tokyo and Kanazawa. Because of nature of their clientels, dinig space is most likely to be “private room” style where you would never find and hear other diners. To have meals in Ryotei, advance reservation is required and in most case chef’s recommendation course is provided according to your budget given upon reservation. (It means they rarely allow you to visit without reservation and to select plates from a list on the spot.) Please be ready enough earlier to take advantage of fantastic experiences feeling Japanese traditional culture!

Tsubajin (つば甚)

Address: 5-1-8 Teramachi, Kanazawa-city, Ishikawa prefecture

Website: http://www.tsubajin.co.jp

*The place is in Kanazawa, Hokuriku region. (not in Tokyo) For general information about Kanazawa and how to get there, please visit below link.

Accommodations close to the sites mentioned on this post

兼六城下町　ホテル兼六

Posted on 06 April 2011 at 14:02 in Glossary about food in Japan, Japanese restaurants - Upscale, Region Hokuriku (北陸), Kanazawa | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

05 April 2011

Support farmers in Fukushima and Ibaraki, Marche at Kotsukaikan, Tokyo

While launching current "my journey serise Kanazawa" this week, I cannot miss an opportunity to introduce this event in Tokyo.

A month long campaign has been started by Marche (named after "market" in French) Kotsukaikan (交通会館) organizer, in order to support farmers based in Fukushima and Ibaraki prefecutures, where they have gotten the most serious damage in sales shrink cased by the nuclear power plant problems.

The market organizer aims at enlighten consumers with correct information of food safety level directly from farm producers in Fukushima and Ibaraki. The market is held from 1st April through to 8th May 2011 at Marche Kotsuskaikan (交通会館). (It is just in front of JR Yurakucho station and the market is on the ground floor outside terrace.) Farmers and members of local agriculture associations from Fukushima and Ibaraki appear with their products such as rice (harvested in last fall obviously), beef and vegetables. They offer tasting, sell their producted proved safe and occasionally show numerical value of radiation level on a "Geiger counter" in front of visitors.

The promotional event has been featured by Japanese media widely. As per the market organizer official site, the market is successfull everyday with many supporter-consumers coming to support these farmers and purchasing their arricultural products.

Of course I will visit there to get some products within a month, especially because my rice stock is soon run out...

Marche at Kotsukaikan (交通会館マルシェ), Yurakucho, Tokyo

Opening hours:

Monday to Friday - 12h00 - 18h00 (around 5 sellers appear)

Saturday, Sunday and Holidays - 11h00 - 17h00 (operated much bigger scale, 20-25 sellers)

Address: 2-10-1 Yurakucho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo

*In front of JR Yurakucho station, from Kyobashi Exit (Ginza side), between JR station and ITOCIA shopping complex.

http://aboutfoodinjapan.weblogs.jp/blog/2011/04/about-kanazawa-city-where-food-lovers-should-not-miss-on-travel-in-japan.html

Posted on 05 April 2011 at 11:27 in News, Save Tohoku and Japan | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

04 April 2011

Higashi Chaya district (ひがし茶屋街), Kaikaro (懐華樓) – Kanazawa (金沢)

Higashi Chaya district (ひがし茶屋街) is one of the must-see points for tourists visit Kanazawa. The two-story houses in traditional style, made with wooden flames, some of them painted in dark red, stretch in a row along the main street made of stone blocks and over a hundred meters long. If you are enough luck to be there in quiet time without tourists in modern looks, you must feel as if you were traveling to the past, in Edo period.

Some of buildings in Higashi Chaya district are still used for the original purpose, which was set up in 1820, Chaya (茶屋) where feasts and entertainment are taken place with Geisha (芸者) on the upper floors of the buildings on evening. Others are restored and transformed to restaurants, café or souvenir shops and so on. So you may have a chance to go inside of these buildings in Higashi Chaya district. During day time, the small historic town is normally filled with tourists. But when I visited, it was rather calm and less crowded, even on school holiday season, after less than three weeks from the natural disaster in Tohoku region.

Right: Rice store in very traditional styleIt is just off from the main street.

I visited Kaikaro (懐華樓) to look how Chaya is like inside and to enjoy tea time in the traditional building. It is the biggest Chaya in Kanazawa and is situated around the middle of the main street. On evening, Kaikaro accepts “referral clients only” for feast and entertainment by Geisha, as others in same business do. As its policy, Kaikaro welcomes only one client group for evening per day. During daytime, the house is open to tourists for viewing inside with entrance fee. It is a good opportunity to know how the Geisha world is…

Imagine? Climing up the steps what we will see….

On the upper floor, it has two dining halls, dressing room for Geisha, reheasal room etc. It is interesting to imagine how they are used on evening…

After visiting the upper floor, we can take a break at the café on the ground floor. Please do not miss it as the space is also worth visiting and spending some time with Japanese tea.

Maybe this is the first time even for me to find “active” Irori (囲炉裏, Japanese style fireplace).

The widow side is decorated with folk arts, antiques, fans with name of Geisha hang on the upper side of wall.

I had Japanese traditional sweets, Kudzu (葛, made from a kind of beans) jelly in noodle shape and sweet black syrup to dip Kudzu. Kinpaku (金箔, gold leaf) float in the syrup !! (No worry it is safe to eat.)

Kaikaro offers combination plans of Chaya entrance fee with Japanese sweets or Maccha (Japanese tea) or softdrinks.

Kaikaro (懐華樓)

Address: 1-14-8 Higashiyama, Kanazawa-city, Ishikawa prefecture

Website: http://www.kaikaro.jp

*The place is in Kanazawa, Hokuriku region. (not in Tokyo) For general information about Kanazawa and how to get there, please visit below link.

Accommodations close to the sites mentioned on this post

兼六城下町　ホテル兼六

http://www.kanazawa21.jp/

Posted on 04 April 2011 at 12:44 in Region Hokuriku (北陸), Kanazawa | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

03 April 2011

About Kanazawa city - where food lovers should not miss on travel in Japan

Kanazawa is known for the rich cultural heritages emerged and bloomed in Edo period 17th to 19th centuries. The city’s glory got the fourth place as the largest city in Japan after Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto at the era and it had been along with Maeda family who governed the region (called Kaga 加賀 at that time) for 300 years since the end of 15th century. The cultures nutured in Kanazawa include traditional handiclaft arts; gold leaf (金箔, kinpaku), Kaga Yuzen (加賀友禅 Kimono dyeing technology), Urushi (漆Japan lacuqerware), Kutani Porcelain (九谷焼), as well as food culture, Kaga Ryori (加賀料理, its local cuisine) supported by advantage of geographical accessibility to fresh seafood and specialties from mountains, traditional sweets (Wagashi, 和菓子) developped with the tea ceremony culture which was appreciated by Maeda family.

Major tourist attractions (other than food)

Nowaday, in the 21^st century, we can find clues of the golden era as tourist attractions as well as the newest wave of art.

* Kenrokuen Garden and Kanazawa Castel Park (兼六園と金沢城公園)

The beautiful Japanese garden, Kenrokuen, is the most popular tourist spot in Kanazawa.

*21^st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa (金沢２１世紀美術館)

It is a "must-see" spot in Kanazawa, if you are interested in modern art museums.

21st Century Museum (3)

* Naga-machi Buke Yashiki District and Nomura Samurai Family residence

(長町武家屋敷跡と武家屋敷跡野村家)

Where top and middle class samurais’ residences were located. In the district, Nomura Family’s residence has chaming Japanese garden, highly appreciated by French Michelin Guidbook.

* Chaya Districts (茶屋街)

Chaya (茶屋) is a house of feasts and entertainment in traditional style from Edo era, as mostly known by Geisha in Kimono playing music and dancing. Three Chaya districts are now preserved in Kanazawa central area; Higashi (East), Nishi (West) and Kazue. Some of Chaya houses are open to public during day time as museum, café, souvenir boutiques etc.

I believe now you understand why I traveled to Kanazawa and why I am writing up about the city on this blog. I will report furthre about the aspect of “food culture” and what we can have there.

How to get to Kanazawa

By train

From Tokyo – about 4hours journey by Shinkansen and Express trains (required to train transfer at Echigo Yuzawa (for Joetsu Shinkansen) or Maibara (for Tokaido Shinkansen)

From Osaka, Kyoto – 2.5hours by Express train without transfer

By Air

Accessible via two nearest airpots.

Komatsu Airport – 45 minutes by bus to Kanazawa

Domestic routes to/from Tokyo (both Haneda and Narita airports), Sapporo, Fukuoka, Naha (Okinawa)

*The route for Sendai is suspended so far because of the damage by the earthquake at Sendai Airport

International routes - Seoul, Shanghai and Taipei

Official site: http://www.komatsuairport.jp

Noto Airport – available between Noto and Haneda, Tokyo International Airport, then 2hours by bus to Kanazawa

Official site (Japanese only): http://www.noto-airport.jp

Useful links:

Kanazawa City Tourism Association http://www.kanazawa-tourism.com

Ishikawa Prefecture Tourism Guide http://hot-ishikawa.jp/f-lang/english/

Eye on Kanazawa (English free pare in Kanazawa) http://www.eyeon.jp/

Accommodations close to the sites mentioned on this post