Living Tokyo

MONTH

2015年4月

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  • 04/29/2015
  • 02/25/2021

Quirky Pics Around Town

A Collection of Quirky Photos Around Tokyo (as only in Tokyo) Number 1: Members of the human statue street performer group named “Tokyo Hack” get shoppers’ attention as they march in Tokyo’s Ginza shopping district Sunday, April 12, 2015. The main street in Ginza shuts the traffic and opens for shoppers during the day on Sundays. They have also been spotted on the subway. ?(Source: AP Photo/Shizuo Kambayashi) Number 2: Residents in Tokyo have recently reported several sightings of possibly the most patient pet-walker in the world: an elderly man who takes his enormous African spurred tortoise (or sulcata) out for walks around town. Photos of the pair have been making the rounds of social media networks. (Source: Straits Times, Rocket News 24, Bored Panda)

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  • 04/27/2015
  • 02/27/2021

All About Ramen

Ramen noodles, one of the main favorites in the Japanese diet, have become one of Japan???s most well known foods abroad. And while it is often thought of as a quick, go-to fast food meal, it can, as highlighted in the world-famous Itami Juzo film, Tampopo, also be savoured slowly by connoisseurs. The key feature about ramen is that it keeps renewing itself and is a cuisine that is often updated, reinvented and modernised. From the traditional chashu (roast pork loin) pork bone soup ramen, we now can find curry ramen, spicy garlic ramen, tomato and basil chicken ramen, and even lemon soup ramen. Ramen are, generally, wheat-based noodles that are served in a meat, fish, soy, or miso-based broth with sliced meats and vegetables. Regional ramen dishes vary in their presentation, preparation, flavor, and ingredients. But in a nutshell, main differences are often the type of soup stock and shape of the noodles. For instance, Sapporo ramen is associated with a rich miso ramen, while Kitakata (northern Honshu) is known for its thick, flat curly noodles. Yokohama ramen called Ie-Kei consists of straight, thick noodles in a soy and pork bone broth similar to tonkotsu (pork bone) soup, while […]

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  • 04/23/2015
  • 02/25/2021

The Fruits of Chiba

By Richenda Elledge Chiba Prefecture is adjacent to Tokyo and runs southeast of the Kanto Plain. It is often thought of as a suburb of the sprawling metropolitan of Tokyo, where many commuters take arduous return trips to and fro work on a daily basis. Besides suburban life, the prefecture has much to offer for Tokyoites, interested in going beyond the confines of Tokyo City. One area of interest would be to sample the agricultural output. The prefecture boasts Japan’s overall second-highest agricultural output for vegetables. Some of the major produce that this prefecture produces are peanuts, carrots, daikon, tomatoes and a variety of fruits. In this article, we explore a variety of fruit-picking and farm excursions. Fruit and vegetable harvests: Strawberry Picking Kawatsura Farm is usually open for strawberry picking between middle of December until early May.The farm has been growing strawberries since 1964. Located in Sammu city, (eastern part of Chiba), visitors will find strawberries grown in a beautiful environment. It takes about 1 hour from Tokyo station by express train to get there. The farm encourages visitors to try their out their strawberries without milk and sugar, and essentially enjoy the natural goodness from the fruit. http://www.kawatsura15.com/e/index.html […]

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  • 04/07/2015
  • 02/27/2021

Dining Halal in Tokyo

By Richenda Elledge The author???s recent need to arrange business dinners at halal restaurants for Muslim visitors on business as well as gatherings for local halal-eating friends has encouraged her to put her findings in writing. With Muslim visitors entering Japan on the rise, Halal cuisine has become a hot topic of late. According to Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), over 176,000 Malaysians (an increase of 65% in one year) and over 136,000 Indonesians, (27% increase) traveled to Japan in 2013. Japan???s relaxation of visa requirements for travelers from Southeast Asia will continue to encourage higher numbers in the long run. As to actual Muslims residing in Japan, there are no official statistics on this per se; however, demographic studies estimate the range to be from 70,000 to 120,000 Muslim residents, with about 10 percent of that number being ethnically Japanese. Japan can appear as a culinary dilemma for people who follow strict dietary requirements set out under sharia (Islamic law). Food must be halal, thus must not contain or come in contact with anything considered forbidden. More commonly, most people think this means no pork and alcohol, but the halal concept also includes procedures for slaughtering animals and handling […]