Takenoko, 竹の子 or たけのこ, are bamboo shoots in Japanese. Recently, whenever I look at takenoko, I think about the Ghibli film about Kaguya-hime かぐや姫の物語.
Today, there was fresh takenoko at the farmers market (and it was fairly cheap), so impulsively bought some…! This is a new experience for me, as I have only ever bought them packaged.
I boiled and prepared it, according to some directions online. I think it worked, although I think more experimenting is needed to actually understand the process.
I made takenoko and shiso gyoza with tofu instead of pork. I added in Okinawa garlic, green onions, cabbage, and seasoned. Maybe I will even include a recipe later. Homemade gyoza (mandu, potstickers, dumplings) are the best and so easy to freeze the extra for quick meals or snacks later!
Izakaya are Japanese-style bars. But these are really nothing like American-style bars.
Often there will be an all-you-can-eat (食べ放題 tabehoudai) and all-you-can-drink (飲み放題 nomihoudai) option, which has a time interval, 90 minutes, 2 hours, or even up to 3 hours. Sometimes this is a bit risky, and you encounter some cheap, watered down beer… usually it depends on the pricing and the place. Most dishes are meant to be shared and are more appetizer style then full meals.
Izakaya are a great place to hold an informal gathering of coworkers, friends, classmates, etc. I have found Japanese people get much louder and outspoken at these gatherings, it is a good place to learn about people. For instance, I participate in a hula dance class once a week and we held a 忘年会 bonenkai (end of the year party) at a local izakaya to celebrate the success of our Christmas show. After months of nervously struggling to express myself in Japanese, I found out one of the members speaks somewhat decent English and studied at a US university for 3 years. Sigh. So, maybe I will use English when I am stuck on Japanese now.
A word of warning: some places have a “sitting” fee, which basically ensures that you spend some minimum amount. They will bring out a small appetizer dish that is “required” to purchase. Usually it is cheap, ~300円; this is done in lieu of an entrance fee. This is called “otoshi” お通し.
A tip: if you want draft beer, just order “nama” 生 (and how many you want). Draft beer is nama bi-ru 生ビール, and for short, just nama will do.
Another thing to remember: the drinking and driving BAC is very low 0.03, so always take advantage of public transport, taxi, or DAIKO services! DAIKO is a service in Japan, where someone will drive your car home for you (teamed up with a taxi). It is very convenient and fairly cheap, just a little more than a regular taxi one-way. And much cheaper than a DUI.
In Okinawa, one of the izakaya I like is called Paikaji ぱいかじ and it has a location near to the university. It is more local food and has Ryukuan entertainment on weekends. You and your party get a private room (with a bing-bong so you can ring for the staff when you want to order something), unlike in a western bar. It also has cheap beer specials.
Next time you are in Japan or Okinawa, be sure to stop by a local izakaya (the more salary men, the better).
Edamame are soybeans still in the shell. You boil them for a few minutes, drain, grind some salt on top to serve. You can serve them warm or chilled, although I tend to prefer chilled. Also, always serve with an extra bowl for the empty shells.
You can buy them frozen all year round, but right now, they are in season here in Okinawa (and will be gone soon, as the season here is always too short). So now is the time I can enjoy them fresh, and to take maximum advantage of this, I recommend a cold beer and enjoying them outside.
Previously, I wrote about Fukuoka’s yatai restaurants. Okinawa does not really have any yatai quite like this, however, a few years ago, a “yatai mura” (street for yatai stalls) was established in Naha nearby Kokusai-dori. It is sort of touristy, but fun. There are a few small restaurants set up, similar to a yatai-style street. You sit at counters surrounding the chef’s cooking area with other patrons and so it is easy to have the feeling of yatai-dining. There is also an entertainment stage where they hold performances and events. It is a unique nightlife that you can find here in Okinawa, so if you have never visited yatai before, it is a good opportunity to discover the atmosphere of yatai.
The chef-san at the fried skewer (kushikatsu 串カツ) restaurant posed with us:
桜 or さくら sakura are cherry blossoms. Here in Okinawa, sakura are a bit different. For one, they start at the end of January (the rest of Japan starts in mid-March, April or even May usually). Second, they are usually a different species of sakura, called kanhi zakura 寒緋桜 (also known as hikan-zakura), which actually from Taiwan and southern China– instead of the cute fluffy pink, they tend to be a darker shade of pink. Still pretty, but not quite as voluminous and dramatic as sakura on the Japan mainland. Third, our sakura blooms start NORTH to SOUTH! On mainland Japan, the sakura wave starts in the south (warmer weather) and slowly makes it way to up north (Hokkaido has blooms in May!). But here in Okinawa it is reverse, our trees actually start blooming up in the northern part of the island and gradually spreads to the south. A bit strange.
So sakura season tends to be a bit of a different feeling here. That being said, my first spring here, the blossoms on my university street were towards the end of their blooming period and along came a gust of wind, showering me with petals as I walked along. Seriously, I thought that only happened in anime and drama?!
People here still eat some sakura sweets, like sakura mochi and sakura ice cream, and the stores will be inundated with sakura related products and foods during this time of year.
Sadly I have not had a chance to visit the Japan mainland during sakura season. Yet. Hopefully next year I will have some time.
sakura mochi and hishimochi
Keep in mind sakura trees are all over and you do not necessarily have to go to a crowded place to enjoy them. Really, I like to simply enjoy some on my campus during lunch hours! You may even spot several hills or small parks with a few trees– pull over and enjoy them without the crowds. You can even enjoy sakura at night!
However, there are some larger festivals in Okinawa for sakura-viewing (Hanami 花見, literally “flower watching”); here are some places to check out:
North: usually in bloom end of January, early February.
Nakijin Castle Ruins: Very pretty with the castle ruins as a backdrop. Everyone should try and see this site at least once. Traffic is still not great up here since it is a popular site, and also wear decent shoes. Usually there is a stand with sakura ice cream. 沖縄県国頭郡今帰仁村今泊5101 https://goo.gl/maps/1McvvaonwGt
Mount Yaedake: Probably the best location in my opinion– natural scenery, mountain-scape. There will be traffic but if you go early you will not deal with as much. 沖縄県本部町並里921 https://goo.gl/maps/GMFbfT13Rnt
South:
Naha Yogi Park: Early-late Feb. parking in the area is not so easy, so you may have to find a pay lot and walk. 沖縄県那覇市与儀1-1 https://goo.gl/maps/GAFEfWKJwSk
Yaese Park: Very late January to mid-February. Another nice park and a light-up in the evenings. 沖縄県八重瀬町富盛1637 https://goo.gl/maps/9YJQkpR83H42
**Missed sakura the first time around in Okinawa? Here is your second opportunity to see a special type of sakura located in Motobu (North) during mid-March into early April: Kume-no-Sakura: クメノサクラ
Tsuki-mi means “moon-watching,” tsuki= moon and mi= to watch/see. You will also hear moon-viewing festivals referred to as uchichiumachii ウチチウマチー（お月お祭り) in Okinawa language.
There are 2x you are supposed to view the full moon in Japanese culture. The first is Jugoya 十五夜 (also romanized Juugoya, translation “15th night”), held on August 15 of the lunar calendar; in Okinawan it is called Juuguya じゅーぐや. You may also often see it referred to as 中秋の名月 chuushuu no meigetsu, Mid-autumn moon festival or harvest festival. The second is Jusanya 十三夜 (also romanized Juusanya, translation “13th night”), September 13 of the lunar calendar. Jusanya is also referred to as 後の月 nochi no tsuki (later moon). It is often thought to bring bad luck to celebrate only Jugoya, since the 2 moon-viewing days are related.
In Okinawa, there are some special types of “mooncakes” called fuchagi ふちゃぎ, that are eaten. It is mochi, a.k.a. “rice cakes” (possibly flavored with brown sugar, yomogi/mugwort, beniimo, or just plain) covered in azuki beans. I will add more posts about beans in the future, but basically beans are known to drive out or keep away demons (oni 鬼). I have no real good idea as to why beans hold such mystical powers, but almost every holiday or celebration involves beans in some way.
For my celebration, I mixed in a little Chinese mooncakes, as well as Okinawan fuchagi, and Japanese dango 団子. Very multi-cultural. I also drank some wine, set up some pampas (susuki ススキ) grass, but did not write any poetry (haiku 俳句)… sorry Moon.
There is also a children’s song; Japanese people believe you can see a rabbit pounding mochi in the moon. The song and translation is something like this:
うさぎ うさぎ Rabbit, rabbit
うさぎ うさぎ Rabbit, rabbit
何見て はねる What are you watching while hopping/leaping around?
十五夜お月さま The Juugoya moon
見てはねる is what I watch while hopping/leaping around!
In Itoman, a large Tug-of-War (tsunahiki) is held on Juugoya; many places will have lion dances 獅子舞 (shishimai) or other festive events, such as hounen-matsuri 豊年祭 (Harvest festivals), during this time of year, to celebrate the moon, the changing of seasons, and harvest time.
Shuri-jo holds a Mid-Autumn banquet (Chuushuu no utage 中秋の宴) festival around Juugoya and Autumn Equinox. During the era of the Ryukyu Kingdom, a banquet was held to entertain the Chinese emperor envoys, and today a moon-viewing party reenacts the “Mid-Autumn Banquet” in the present day. There is a parade, and a King and Queen contest is held. At this festival, you can see kumiodori (traditional Ryukyuan dance), beautiful costumes, and traditional music, as the castle is lit up at night.
In Okinawa, Juugoya is also falls on one of the days for taking care of the family hinukan (read more on the link).
屋台 yatai are small street stalls typically only open at night. It is a small wooden structure with curtains, and inside is a counter for customers to sit around while the owner(s) cook and prepare dishes. And as with most things Japanese, alcohol is often involved.
These are not common in Okinawa, unfortunately (there is one small “yatai mura” 屋台村 where there are about a dozen clustered together on a street in Naha, here). However, in Fukuoka (the site of my most recent adventure) they line the streets around train stations and canals in the evening.
We saw the most famous Kokin-chan 小金ちゃん, but the line was very long so we searched around and came to Yosaku 与作. It had a Japanese-only menu, and while still in the touristy area, a bit removed from the ones aimed solely at gaijin. My very tall husband and I took an awkward seat. I read the menu, and noticed this sort of savory pancake looking item on another customer’s plate. It looked oishii, so I asked “sumimasen, nandesu ka?” while pointing. She pointed at 山芋ネギ焼き on the menu, assuming I would not understand the answer. So I read it, turned to the owners and ordered (in Japanese) 1 regular ramen ラーメン, 1 yaki-ramen 焼きラーメン, 1 yama-imo negi yaki 山芋ネギ焼き and 2 bottles of beer ビール. The other Japanese folks decided to clap, I guess they were surprised. I feel like plenty of gaijin can speak Japanese, and mine is barely passable, but it is pretty much always a shock to 日本人 Japanese people. Anyway, when we got our beers, everyone kampai’d us and we spent an enjoyable time eating and drinking with the customers next to us.
If you find yourself in Fukuoka past 6pm, be sure to wander the streets near the train station and pop into one of these small stalls (avoid the canal area, it is mostly geared towards foreign tourists). Each one has different specialities, although Hakata ramen is available at pretty much all of them. Order a drink and some food, then slowly soak in the evening with the other patrons. It is a sort of quaint and unique experience that shows the real feeling of Japan.
Fukuoka also has some nice gardens where you can have tea during the day: here.
スーパー “suupaa” is the Japanese-English name for grocery store.
In Okinawa, there are a few different grocery store chains, as well as a wealth of farmers markets. This is a list of the grocery stores you can find here in Okinawa.
*Many use romaji in their name instead of kana! Later I will try to add in their logos for quick recognition. If you copy and paste the Japanese name of the store into GoogleMaps it will show you the closest location to you.
SanA サンエー: This is a local chain; some are malls (with grocery) and some are just grocery stores. They are distinctive with the yellow sign with 3 red triangles. There is a point card that you can get at the information desk; for every 200円 you spend, you earn 1 point and after some obscene number of points you earn 1000円 discount certificate. You can only earn points when you pay cash (not credit card).
Kanehide かねひで: This chain has a green sign with 2 little orange birds. They are also part of a DIY store called Cainz.
Union ユニオン: This store has “UNION” in red lettering on front. Union often has low prices for many things, but perhaps lacks a bit in variety.
Gyomu Super 業務スーパー: This is an interesting store, with some imports and “bulk” items, even some halal items. I say “bulk” as this is Japanese bulk, not really Costco or anything. They usually do small restaurant supply type items.
Marudai 丸大: This chain has 3 birds on the logo. There are not very close to me, but they have good variety. There are quite a few near Naha, and one in Yomitan.
Ryubo リウボウ: Ryubo has recently been remodeling a few of the stores into more upscale versions… a lot of import items, rare items… expensive items. But some really nice variety when you want to find something special. I think some of the un-renovated stores still exist and are not quite as nice, but luckily I live near the newly redone versions.
APrice A-プライス: Another “bulk” store. The logo has a little red chef on it. Sometimes they have some import items, and interesting variety. I don’t go here on a regular basis, or with a list of needs… I usually just browse to see what they have that I want to cook with.
ACoop: This store is associated with JA (Japan Agriculture). I have a small branch within walking distance of my house. Despite being small, I can often find essentials here, but nothing fancy.
CO-OP: Not be confused with ACoop, this store has a red apple logo on it. I do not have any close to me, so it is a rare occasion that I go here. There are some organic items here, however. The workers often go to anti-military base protests, in case that bothers you. It does not bother me particularly, so if there was one close it probably would not stop me from shopping there.
Aeon イオン: Major mainland chain, malls and grocery stores. You can buy a Waon card and load it up with yen. Then if you use it to pay at check out, you earn points. Points earned turned into yen reloaded on your card. Plus it makes a cute barking sound when you pay. Overall, more expensive than some of the other chain groceries.
Aeon Big Express ザビッグエクスプレス: related to above, a more discount version. Usually nothing fancy, but it has the essentials.
MaxValueマックスバリュ: also related to above, another “discount” version, but usually a little nicer than the BigExpress.
Next time, perhaps a look at some of the farmers markets where the best prices on produce can be found.
Wagashi are Japanese sweets. For now, I will digress from Okinawa related topics and focus on Japan.
和 wa is used for “Japanese” and 菓子 kashi means “sweets” or “confections,” but it can also sort of just mean candy or snacks. So 和菓子 wagashi are Japanese style sweets. 洋菓子 yougashi means Western style confections.
I am lucky that here in Okinawa there are a few very nice wagashi shops. One of my favorites is called Usagi-ya うさぎや on Route 34 in Ginowan, not too far from my university. By the way “usagi” is such a cute name, it means “rabbit” in Japanese. The や ya after it just means “shop” or “store.”
Wagashi overall encompasses many types of sweet, but below are some examples of my favorites, called Nama-gashi 生菓子 which are “fresh sweets.” So delicate, fragrant, artistic. I posted here about some of the different types of wagashi.
Some have anko あんこ (sweet azuki bean paste), some have other seasonal flavors (such as chestnut, sakura) or maybe just a white bean paste. The shapes are always so beautiful and usually related to the time of year; this is year of the monkey, so during the new year I purchased a monkey, a bamboo, and plum blossoms. Other times there will be matsutake mushroom shape, maple leaf, ginkgo leaf, sakura… always amazing.
I hope everyone can enjoy a taste of Japan.
Address for Usagi-ya: 1 Chome-6-2 Ganeko, Ginowan, Okinawa Prefecture 901-2214
茶道 Cha-dou: The way of Tea. My most recent adventure in Fukuoka included an afternoon break at a small Japanese garden tucked away from the hustle of the city. Within the tranquil garden was a cha-shitsu 茶室, meaning tea room. We were served matcha 抹茶 and delicate Japanese confections. While we soaked in the atmosphere and drank tea, a crane (tsuru 鶴) came to visit the garden. What a nice atmosphere.
串 kushi: skewer. The kanji even looks like a skewer, so easy to remember!
串屋: kushi-ya, the place where you will find grilled or fried skewered food. Kushi-yaki 串焼き is grilled, kushi-katsu 串カツ is fried. Similarly, there is 焼き鳥 yakitori which is grilled chicken and 炭火焼き sumibi-yaki which is charcoal grilled foods. All of these tend to mean skewered food in different variations.
In my opinion, these tend to be great drinking establishments; you can order individual sticks and small dishes over the course of the night.
Even though I do not eat meats, there are often times many other types of skewers and side dishes I can eat. Commonly you will find shiitake mushrooms, onions, shishitou peppers, garlic, potato, corn, tofu, ginkgo nuts, eggplant, lotus root… I also like edamame to snack on, and most establishments will serve you raw cabbage with tare (たれ sauce) for free. My husband likes the spicy cucumber pickles, too.
The kushi-katsu are fried, so this can be a little bit heavy while drinking. But fried foods and beer do seem to go well together. One of my favorites is 紅生姜 benishouga (pickled ginger). It sounds a little odd, deep-fried pickled ginger, but give it a try! Something about the flavor is really good to me. I always order it when we go to fried skewer restaurants.
There are even some chains that do all-you-can-eat kushi-katsu where you fry at your table! You get a plate and pick up the foods you want (meats, fish, vegetables, etc) and bring it back to you table, slather in batter and go. I warn you, you will smell like a fry pit when you leave; luckily they have storage underneath you seats for any jackets, purses, etc to protect them from the smell. It is a unique and fun experience, though, so try it out when you are in Japan.
There are two types of “soba” here in Okinawa: Japanese mainland-style soba 蕎麦, made from buckwheat, and Okinawa soba, made from regular flour (and are also thicker noodles). Okinawa soba is typically served hot in a broth derived from pork, and typically topped with some sort of pork meats (there are various types which is for a later post). Also in Okinawa language, it is pronounced すば “suba” (not soba).
Mainland-style soba is what most foreigners are familiar with when they hear the term soba. A few places here in Okinawa do in fact serve up some pretty delicious homemade soba noodles; zaru soba or mori soba (or sometimes seiro soba) served chilled with a tsuyu つゆ dipping sauce (dashi and shoyu* base) or kake soba served warm in a tsuyu soup.
*shoyu 醤油: in Hawai’i everyone calls “soy sauce” by the Japanese name, shoyu.
One of my favorite places is near the university. It has a really nice name: 美波 “Minami,” which in this case translates to “beautiful (美) wave (波).” I suspect it may also be a pun, because “minami” can also be written as the kanji 南 which means “south,” and Okinawa is the “southern islands.” I usually order up their monthly special, which last month was a real treat– wild mountain vegetable tempura 山菜天ぷら蕎麦:
kake soba かけ蕎麦, perfect for chilly days:
Mushroom tempura soba きのこ天ぷら蕎麦：
In the picture, on the top, what is in the little cup? When you order cold soba, after you finish dipping and eating your noodles, the waitress will come by with a cup of そば湯 soba-yu, hot water that the noodles were cooked in! You add this to your leftover tsuyu to make a broth, and drink it. Delicious.
Here in Okinawa, we also have some variations on traditional mainland soba. For instance “sannin” soba. Sannin is the Okinawan word for shell ginger; in Japanese it is “gettou” 月桃. There is a famous little soba shop in Naha called Minosaku that makes this type of soba. I highly recommend visiting some day. The gentle fragrance of the shell ginger really went well. Next time, I hope to try their tumeric noodles (ウコン ukon in Japanese, うっちん ucchin in Okinawan).
Gettou soba 月桃蕎麦 served with a side tempura 天ぷら, look at that lovely green color:
Addresses of soba places I have visited in Okinawa (and would recommend!), all noodles are made in house:
*This is a located in what looks like a family home in a back neighborhood. Lunch sets also come with soba maki (cut soba wrapped in nori like sushi!).
Yakisoba 焼きそば is Japanese fried noodles. Okinawa yakisoba is a little different then regular mainland Japanese yakisoba, though. 「沖縄風」= Okinawa-style
Typically the thicker noodles are used (the same ones used for suba すば), and depending on the place it will be either salt style 「塩」 or sauce style 「ソース」. There is also a ketchup-based style ケチャップ (gross!!) which is luckily less common (I absolutely abhor ketchup).
Another difference is in the meats: usually spam スパム is a popular choice, although often it will be a mix of spam and the same kind of pork they use in regular Okinawan soba. I do not eat meats so I either give them to my husband or order without. It is commonly served with benishouga 紅生姜 (red pickled ginger), which I love. Sometimes they even have the benishouga on the table so I can add as much as I like.
It is definitely a junk food, and not so great for you, but with an ice cold Orion, it hits the spot! It is a popular choice with foreigners at the local shokudo 食堂 in Okinawa… after all what is not to like about fried noodles?
Mainland Japanese yakisoba is often topped with nori のり (dried seaweed flakes), mayonnaise マヨ, and/or katsuobushi 鰹節 (shaved bonito flakes) in addition to the pickled red ginger… but this is much less common in Okinawa-styles.
Omiyage: souvenirs. Typically, this means food-related “souvenirs” of a recent journey, away from the family, coworkers, social club… seriously though, for every trip I take away from Okinawa, I have to budget quite a bit of yen for omiyage. That being said, when others return, I get to try a variety of little nibbles from all over. Yeah, omiyage is serious business. Do not return from a trip without some.
Especially after holidays, these show up in abundance. Social custom dictates that you eat whatever it is that your colleagues, friends, family, or whoever bought. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose. Below are only some of the types of omiyage I have received– there are many kinds out there.
Sakura pie cookie. Shaped like a cherry blossom petal, flaky biscuit sprinkled with sakura sugar. WIN!
Konbu (seaweed) candy from Hokkaido. Um, yeah. Not bad per se… but LOSE. Sometimes I wonder if my colleagues are just playing pranks on me (“hmm, what can we get the gaijin to eat next??”).
Matcha and chocolate mini cakes. OISHII~~~! WIN!
Almond chocolate sandwich cookie and matcha/azuki bean biscuit. WIN.
White bean paste and matcha bean paste cakes. WIN.
Sable cookie shaped like Dove… meh. Not a win, but not a lose.
Famous Amaou Strawberry roll. WIN!
Hokkaido rare cheese: win.
Awa cookie: not a win, not a loss. It is pretty though.
Buttery crispy sandwich cookie. Win.
Not pictured: Ebi (shrimp) “cracker” and Mentaiko (fish roe) “cracker” (Japanese: senbei せんべい). I get more of these type of senbei than I care for; I am not really a fan of these fishy crackers, but they are cheap so I think I lot of people buy these to bring back.
Obviously there are many, many more not shown… I only recently started snapping a picture so I could remember some of my favorites (and least favorites). All of these were picked out by Japanese and Okinawan friends/colleagues.
Oh, and if you every need to bring back omiyage from Tokyo, I suggest picking up the famous “Tokyo Banana” (sold in the airport!). Honestly, I think they are gross, but Japanese people love them! I cannot explain it. Out of all the omiyage I have brought back to my lab colleagues, those are gone in seconds. Chocolates of almost any variety are almost universally disliked or at best vaguely tolerated (okay, I also work with ALL males, I am sure this is different if you have females). Otherwise, omiyage selection is still a bit of a mystery to me, no matter how often I buy it.
If you want to see what sort of omiyage to pick up while in Okinawa, visit this next post: Okinawa Omiyage: お土産.
