About food in Japan

Castle Town Odawara (小田原)

Odawara (小田原) is a castle town in Kanagawa prefecture, situating between Tokyo or Yokohama and Hakone Hot spring resort (箱根温泉地). It takes only 35 minutes by Shinkansen or about 70 minutes journey even by JR local express trains (Tokaido Line) from Tokyo. It must be the most closest castle town from Tokyo, apart from Edo castle or Imperial Palace in central Tokyo.

 

Odawara Castle is 10 mintes walk from Odawara train station, following the town's main street to the castle gate. 

 

Top floors of Odawara Castle is accessible as exhibition halls and observation deck. So going through to the castle garden, climbing up to the top!!

 

At the garden surrounding Odawara Castle, on February, you will find plum (Ume, 梅) blossoms which is one of the most popular tourist attractions of Odawara Castle for local people. The weather is still cold on the month but it is a sign of coming Spring.  

Enjoying the nature plants and looking at the castle from different sides, don't give up going up to the castle top!! 

 

We also found monkeies at the castle park just before the castle main tower... 

 

 

 

 

It will be a good half-day exercise to climb up to the castle top and walk around the castel park.

 

The reward of climing up exercise is

the VIEW from the TOP of Odawara Castel

 

 Odawara town, Pacific Ocean and mountains

You will find Odawara town's unique location

in narrow area between Ocean and mountains.

It was strategically choosen by former Samurai governors.

 

The exhibition halls inside the castle main tower is also recommendable to spend around 20- 30minutes to watch the interesting collections from Edo period. Cultural works, folk objects at the exhibition will tell you tradition and life of Japanese in Edo era. 

After enjoying the beautiful shape of historical castle, let's find FOOD or Sweets in Odawara.

Japanese traditional sweets have been often cultivated by local governors as a part of rich local culture.

Here we introduce two most interesting sweets souvenir in Odawara.

 

Firstly from the souvenir shop on the top floor of Odawara Castle,

Buke Yokan (武家ようかん, Samurai family sweet beans cake)

  

Each different family emblem with name of Samurai

is attached to each box of Yokan.

As it has tens choices of Samurai name and emblems,

even if you don't know each of them,

it must be fun to look around the variaties of emblems and colors.

 

Next our finding is from a small local sweet boutique, called Fugetsudo (風月堂).

It is less than 5 minutes walk from Odawara Castle and along one of the town's main street.

Fugetsudo is a popular name for Japanese traditional sweet shops. You could find a shop with same name in other towns. The most famous one is in Kobe and sells "Gaufre" cookies. Each of them is different and not a chain affiliate. Just for your information.

 

 

 

Castle Monaka(城下町もなか, Joka machi monaka)

by Fugetsudo Odawara

Amazing small piece of Monaka (sweet beans cake with shells)

in shape of CASTLE!!!

It's a great Japanese art work,

which you can bring back to your country.

(have to keep in a box, so as not to be broken though)

 

It will be an interesting full-day excursion to go out from Tokyo by Shinkansen or local JR train and to walk around Odawara Castle as well as the old town surrounding the castle, discovering traditional products like above.

 

Odawara Castle  

Nearest station: Odawara (JR and Odakyu lines)

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Shop name: Fugetsudo Odawara (風月堂)

Address: 1-10-20 Honcho, Odawara-city, Kanagawa

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Origami x Sushi

One day we were very excited with a product sold at a major stationery shop, ITOYA, in Haneda International airport. That is not edible but related to the most famous Japanese food, SUSHI.

 

Origami (Japanese traditional folding paper toy) set for SUSHI

We had no way but to buy and bring it to our home. 

Opening the Origami pack, we found several different types of origami papers and an intruction guide in Japanese for each different origami.

 

    

 

Can you imagine? this paper will become a piece of TUNA!!

 

Seeing many straight and diagonal lines drawn on Origami papers, we felt it difficult to make Sushi pieces by our own hands. But it was not right. It was not so hard as we imagined. 

 

 

Finally we made several pieces of SUSHI with Origami!!!

  
Look yummy?!

We wish so...

 

Origami Sushi set is available at a branch of ITOYA (a stationery store) in International flight terminal, Haneda International Airport and at its flagship store in Ginza.

 

Shop name: ITOYA (Haneda Airport)

Location: 4th floor Edo Market,  International flight terminal of Haneda Airport

Website: http://www.haneda-airport.jp/inter/en/premises/tenant/5200100012600000/index.html

 

Shop name: ITOYA (Main store, temporary location)

Address: 3-7-1 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo (just behind Matsuya Department store)

*Until 2015, the flagship store has been under renovation and it is currently operated in temporary location.

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Restaurant Pachon (Michelin *), French, Daikanyama Tokyo

Restaurant Pachon is situated in Daikanyama (代官山) which is just one stop from Shibuya. The town Daikanyama may be not well known among international tourists, while it is known for independent fashion boutiques visited by young people who would like to catch up with the latest trends.

The Montpellier-born chef, Monsieur Andre Pachon, has run the upscale French restaurant Restaurant Pachon  as its owner chef at Daikanyama, Tokyo for almost 30 years since 1984. We could say that he is one of the pioneers who introduced authentic French cuisine in Japan. As Restaurant Pachon maintains Michelin star (*), his fine French cuisine is appreciated by local people even this modern day when so many Japanese cook have leant in France and a plenty of French restaurants from casual bistro to luxury exist in Tokyo.

Let us tell you the experience at such established French restaurant by French owner-chef.

After we were welcomed by the receptionists, beautiful antique-taste plates were waiting for us on a table. The interior decoration is quite classic as if we were invited to a traditional "manor-house" in Europe. If your visit is in Winter, a "real" fireplace will also welcome you. It is rare to be found in Japan. 

We ordered a lunch course with starter, soup, main dish and dessert and some wine...

 

Starter, carpaccio of mackerel

It's interesting to try fish Aji(鯵, mackerel) which is often used in Japanese cuisine but not so often in French. As same with green beans served as amuse-bouche, the plate remind us Spring season.  

Main dish, Cassoulet in Aude Pays Cathare (for 2 people)

It is a specialty of Restauran Pachon as well as traditional cuisine of Languedoc region in South France. It is cooked meat and beans in a traditional earth pot. All ingredients are well cooked in the traditional cooking tool and it has very soft texture. It is a good choice especially in Winter, as it keeps our body warm.

 

After such traditional and authentic French plate, we were also delighted by beautiful spring colors. 

Seasonal Dessert,

roll cake with yuzu (Japanese citron) cream and mango flavor ice cream

 

After the joy of citrus flavour, we also enjoyed a few pieces of petite fleure. 

 

In addition to historic French dish like Cassoulet, as the proof of his long experience in Japan, the chef is good at taking Japanese ingredients in his work at the Michelin-awarded French restaurant. What we tasted and visually what we saw all surely has the value for the restaurant guide's evaluation.

 

Restaurant name: Restaurant Pachon

Address: Hillside Terrace B, 29-18 Sarugaku-cho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo

Website: http://www.pachon.co.jp

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