Yashiro-jima (also known as Suooshima) is located off the coast in Yamaguchi prefecture, known for its mikan みかん (oranges). I have heard there is even such a thing as mikan nabe みかん鍋, which is hotpot with oranges…! I would like to try this one day. It sounds like a refreshing taste to me.
Today we have a winter dish, called kenchou けんちょう. This is another installment of “Island Mama’s homemade cooking” from the news pullout section (refer to here).
This dish is made with Japanese radish called daikon 大根. It was originally vegetarian food, only seasoned with shoyu and sake, with just fried daikon and tofu. But then evolved to adding carrots, shiitake mushrooms, lotus root, gobou (burdock root), konnyaku; and then even ingredients like chicken or other seasonal variety.
Nowadays, it might be made in a dried sardine soup; I choose not to do this and stick to a vegetarian version. Vegetable combinations such as daikon, carrot, konnyaku, gobou (burdock root), fried fish cake (satsuma-age), shiitake, lotus root, etc, can be used, depending on what is available to you.
Kenchou けんちょう: This recipe is courtesy of the island’s school meal program, and is vegetarian, however, it can easily be modified to accommodate your tastes. For instance, simmering in a stock of sardines, sort of like an oden おでん style dish would definitely add some winter flavors to the dish.
Ingredients:
-tofu 1 block (~300g), drained and cut into chunks or slightly crumbled
-daikon, ~600g, cut into slices and quartered
-carrot, ~ 30g, cut into slices (or strips is okay too)
-konnyaku, 1/2 package (120g), cut into strips
-aburaage (fried tofu) (25g), cut into strips **other recipes suggest fried fishcake
-oil for frying, ~3 tablespoons
-Sugar, 2 tsp
-salt, 1 tsp
-shoyu, 4 tablespoons
-sake or cooking mirin, to taste
Heat oil in a pan, and stir-fry well daikon, carrot, konnyaku, and aburaage, mix and add seasoning, simmer about 5-6 minutes. Add tofu, simmer over low heat. Enjoy.
As I mentioned in another post, conbini (Japanese convenience stores) often have campaigns of various types (see Snoopy towel).
Sometimes, campaigns are as simple as a small gift attached to the bottled drinks (pet bottles, ペットボトル, or often just shortened to “petto” ペット), such as teas, coffees, or sodas. Over time I have collected a fair number of these, from pet bottle covers with designs of Rilakkuma and Sailor Moon to cell strap charms of various character, refrigerator magnets, Moomin sticky notes, and even plastic cell phone stands (okay, this one was a bit odd). Sadly, yes this does in fact sway me to purchase certain drinks over others, due to my penchant for ultra-kawaii things clouding my better judgement.
I will work on uploading the whole gallery of random pet bottle gifts… but here are a few to get started.
Karaoke カラオケ is a popular activity in Japan, and there are karaoke boxes all over. In Okinawa, there are several places try this beloved activity.
Karaoke in Japan is different than in the US… you do not sing in front of a crowd of strangers. You (and your party) are assigned a room, so you are singing with just your friends, coworkers… or by yourself!
Hitori-karaoke 一人カラオケ is 1-person karaoke. Maybe this sounds weird to you, but it is incredibly relaxing and a great way to get rid of stress. You can sing as loud and as long as you want, without caring who is around. Plus, you get to pick all the songs. I have done this quite a few times before, and I enjoy much more than I thought I would. I know some people who go to hitori-karaoke just to practice for the real thing!
When you rent a karaoke room, it is usually by the hour and size of the room. Usually places have special pricing plans. For instance it is always cheaper in the mornings and on weekdays, but you if you want to sing a lot, they have all night deals, too. Often times you can get unlimited soft drinks bar with some of these deals. Some places even have fancier sound system upgrades.
Once you settle on your room, you will be given microphones and touchscreen tablets (most places this is multilingual now) to control the video screens and choose songs. You might be seriously surprised at the enormous selection of foreign songs… just use the search function to find artists, songs, genres. There will also be food/drink menus in the room, and a telephone to call the desk for ordering food. Sometimes as a foreigner it is a bit intimidating to use the phone to call in orders, but I usually do not have too much trouble with this.
Some places to try karaoke in Okinawa are:
Utamaru 歌丸
Tomato とまと
Big Echo
Croquette Club コロッケクラブ
Maneki neko まねきねこ
These are chains with a few locations, but there are several more smaller places, too many to list!
Yukata 浴衣 are the light summer robes, and much different than heavy, layered kimono 着物. Many people, men and women, wear yukata or jinbei 甚平 to the summer festivals (matsuri 祭り). You can also wear yukata to beer gardens, parties, or pretty much any casual outdoor “event” during the warmer months. Many people also wear them when staying in onsen towns.
In the Ryukyu kingdom, yukata would actually have much different designs than you see today at the summer matsuri. Today, most yukata in Okinawa are influenced by Japanese designs rather than traditional designs.
I have both a yukata and a jinbei. Jinbei are shorts and a robe top, very comfortable and light. Mine has a design of Hello Kitty x OnePiece. Very adult, indeed. Jinbei are sort of like pajamas and pretty comfortable. Perhaps it is seen as a bit childish or tomboyish for a female to wear jinbei, but it is so easy and comfy. I think they actually look pretty cute.
Yukata are actually fairly easy to put on, with a little practice. My yukata has a green checkered and cat print on it, and the obi 帯 is green on one side and pink on the other. It is very cute. But the obi is not the pre-tied obi like you see in many stores these days– I must tie it myself. I am considered getting one of those fluffy “ribbon” obi that seem to be trendy lately; they look very easy to tie, just a simple bow. Although I must say, I did a pretty good job of tying the bunko-musubi (butterfly knot) for this recent matsuri I attended. I have fan that sort of matches it, that I bought at the 100円 store, and a pair of geta 下駄 (wooden slippers), though many people in Okinawa just wear island slippers. I have a kinchaku (drawstring bag) as well, but it does not match, as it is one that was used as gift-wrapping for a gift I received. I have some flower hair clips from Hawai’i and I bought a set of flower clips at the 100円 store as well. There are all sorts of little bits and bobs you can buy to accessorize a yukata, if you feel so inclined (hair clips, pins, rope ties, handbags, etc). There are special ties and clips and underthings you can get as well to help secure the pieces. These can really add up in price fast though…
The basic pieces you need for a yukata:
the yukata itself
tanktop or thin shirt, shorts to wear underneath (you can also purchase Japanese-style underclothes called hadajuban 肌襦袢)
obi 帯, specifically hanhaba obi 半幅帯 of any style/color
2 pieces of sash to secure yukata before tying obi, called koshi-himo 腰ひも **I actually use a korin-belt コーリンベルト which has clips so it is a bit fancier but more expensive.
The “extras”:
fan! Folded is called sensu 扇子, round is called uchiwa 団扇 (うちわ)
wooden sandals, called geta 下駄 **in Okinawa is probably more common to see just rubber slippers (you could also pair tabi socks 足袋 with this, but usually yukata is without)
handbag, kinchaku (drawstring bag) 巾着 with kago (basket) 籠 (かご)
a fancy cord to tie over obi, called obi-jime 帯締め, with an obi-dome 帯留め (ornament threaded over the obi-jime)
decorative accessory for obi, called obi-kazari 帯飾り
hair ornaments, called kanzashi 簪 (かんざし)
a stiff belt to go underneath the obi and keep shape, called datejime 伊達締め
There are many places in Okinawa during summer and pre-summer months to find yukata. You can buy second-hand and save some money, or you can buy new. Second hand stores such as Manga Souko and Off-House (part of the Book-Off group) usually have a decent variety. Buying new, you can go to SanA, Aeon, Honeys, or UNIQLO for cheaper ones, or specialty yukata/kimono stores for more expensive ones. You can also find many on Amazon.jp! There are so many patterns and colors, it is so hard to choose. I really enjoy seeing all the colorful and beautiful yukata and jinbei when I go to the summer matsuri.
**Note on sizing: Most women’s yukata are just sold as “free size,” and are usually for women of 153-170 cm in height, depending on the maker. Others may be sold as small, medium, large, extra-large, or tall size (the difference is in the length height-wise of the yukata, and the length of the sleeves covering your arm). I am ~168-169 cm, so on the taller end of this. Free size yukata fit me decently enough, though the tall size is a little nicer looking! Most tall sizes will fit someone up to 175cm tall. Any taller and you may need to make a custom order!
Joyfull is a family restaurant chain throughout Japan. It is cheap but reliable, easy to order (even for foreigners), picture menus (sometimes translated into English), and a variety of Japanese-western dishes.
I kinda like it every now and then, even though it is not fine dining or particularly exciting food. Sometimes hitting up the Japanese family chain restaurant is the easiest while travelling somewhere new; sometimes you just need a break from adventure and want something reliable and familiar.
I realize if you are traveling in Japan perhaps these types of restaurants are different and strange compared to most American restaurants; maybe you have never tried the ubiquitous “hamburg” ハンバーグ (different than a hamburger ハンバーガー) that adorns the menus at this type of restaurant. These restaurants are actually a bit interesting to visit as a foreigner, so just because it is a chain, do not necessarily turn it down and give it a try if you have time. Also as a bonus, they are usually 24 hour, which often helps out a traveller who is not all the way time-adjusted, needs a hot meal and a place to sit down for awhile. Keep an eye out for its yellow sign with “Joyfull” in red text
Hint, try to pick up a “drink ticket” coupon before you go– it gives a decent discount on the soft drinks bar. Sometimes magazine coupon books will have them, or if you know someone who has been to Joyfull, the staff gives out the discount tickets (I think it is usually for ~every 500 yen spent) after the bill is paid to encourage people to return another time.
コンビニ conbini are Japanese convenience stores. On the mainland, there are several brands, but here in Okinawa we just have Lawson and FamilyMart (who just took over the local Okinawa Coco brand, so Coco is no more sadly), although 7-11 is poised to arrive in Okinawa in a year or two.
Anyway, each conbini has some sort of point card. FamilyMart is TPoint (which is part of the Tsutaya brand) and Lawson is Ponta. I will not go into a lengthy explanation of each; instead I will talk about some of the “promotions.”
Recently, Lawson has started a Snoopy campaign. I don’t particularly care much about Snoopy, however, one of the promotions was a free towel. Every time you purchase a pet bottle drink you get one stamp, and after 30 stamps, you go to the Loppi Machine (this is a magical machine where you can check points, purchase event tickets, use points towards special promotions, etc) in the store, print out your prize ticket, then redeem said ticket at the cash register. So I guess I drink a lot of tea and PET bottles are fairly convenient, so I just hit 30 stamps the other day. Yay! So I muddle through the machine, print my ticket, and luckily at the register they still had the limited edition summer blue towel. My choice was between this and the regular red towel (which they have more in stock of). I thought the blue was pretty cute, and very summer-y.
A year ago, there was a Rilakkuma campaign; one of the promotions was to collect 40 seals on various packaged products (such as bread, pastries, packaged lunches) and redeem it for a Rilakkuma cute cats reusable tote. For this one, it is not tracked electronically like the PET bottles, so you need a paper that you attach the stickers to; once it is filled up, off to the register/Loppi machine to redeem! It was too cute to pass up, and I ended up completing this promotion as well. Probably this means I go to the conbini too often, but as a student with a Lawson outside the school gate… well, you understand.
FamilyMart also has a variety of campaigns; for instance it is the popular children’s Yokai Watch right now. I do not visit them as often, I guess my loyalty is with Lawson. Probably because they are right by my school… -_-;;
It seems a bit silly I guess, but I really enjoy these promotions sometimes. So if you are in Japan for any length of time, be sure to get a point card with one of the conbini and check out what sort of promotions they have.
If you travel Japan, you will notice many beautiful and artistic designs on manhole covers. Just about every town and city has its own design. Be sure to take the time and look for them.
Below is the one from my town, Nakagusuku. It has a classical Ryukuan poem about the town on it, as well as a full moon, a hibiscus, and ocean waves:
「とよむ中城 吉の浦のお月 みかけ照りわたて さびやねさみ」
In Okinawan the pronunciation would be: トゥユムナカグスィク ユシヌウラヌウツィキ ミカギティリワタティ サビヤネサミ, fairly from the different than standard Japanese reading.
The poem describes peacefully viewing the beautiful and peaceful moon from the castle towards (what is now) Yoshinoura Park, and there seems to be no worries about accidents or sorrow; this area was the place where Lord Gosamaru held moon-viewing feasts (tsukimi 月見) during the Gusuku era.
Here are a few others located in various places of Okinawa and Japan; I can’t upload all my pictures, but maybe one day I will put them in an imgur album:
Nishihara, Okinawa. Sagaribana design.
Nagano. Bathing monkey design.
Okinawa City. Eisa design.
Hakone. Nature design with gingko leaf, lily, and birds.
Mos Burger is a national fast food chain in Japan. And actually pretty good, considering it is fast food. More and more stores are adding English menus (even though there are already pictures on the menu), to make it easier for foreigners to order. Just keep in mind, most employees will not speak English unless you are in a touristy area.
Mos Burger’s concept is to use fresh vegetables (usually local to the prefecture), and it makes a difference in the taste. Their menu has a variety of choices: regular burgers, chicken or fish patties, and even a soy patty (although as warning to vegetarians, many of the sauces still contain animal products). They have regular buns, but also do some other options like rice buns or lettuce buns. And of course, they have limited edition items every few months, like avocado or other special toppings. For the morning people, they also have a small breakfast menu.
Of course, they also have stamp cards, so if you eat there a lot you can get discounts.
Anyway, if you find yourself in Japan needing something quick to eat and want to try something different from McDonald’s, give Mos Burger a shot– I don’t think it will disappoint. In my opinion they are probably one of the top “fast food”choices around.
The last day of our trip, we got up early and enjoyed the hotel onsen one last time. We decided to go the bus route directly to Hakone-yumoto station (rather than cable cars and trains), no transfers and a little less time overall.
At Hakone-yumoto station, we had about 3-4 hours until taking the Odakyu Romance car back to Shinjuku station. Since it was still rather early, we walked to another temple and shrine behind the station, across the river. Between the Fujiya Hotel and the Temple, there is a small “park,” well, more like short hiking path (~15 minutes) that takes you through some woods. It is sort of scenic, so it was fun. This is not in Google Maps, so we sort of found it as we were walking around the temple and saw a large sign behind the cemetery, deciding to check it out. We walked back across the river, and strolled down the main street in front of the train station, where we found the Hakone Folk Craft “Museum,” which is run by the city and free to the public. We saw the sign on the door saying it did not open until 10 am, but peered through the window. The older man on staff saw us, and opened early! We felt so bad, but he enjoyed talking to us, and explained many things about the wood crafts that are a cultural property of Hakone; it is called Yosegi Zaiku 寄木細工, or Hakone marquetry, and it is very intricate. It was really interesting and we ended up to purchase a small decorated wooden puzzle box.
By this time, it was only 10 am, but since we had a long day ahead of us, we decided to go ahead and have one last soba lunch before heading home. We went to Hatsuhana Soba restaurant はつ花新館 across the bridge from the train station; it had a gorgeous view of the river (and it was air conditioned). My husband got the tempura zaru soba set and I got a regular zaru soba set. It was delicious~~ for dessert, we headed back towards the train station and got a coffee soft serve from the little coffee shop on the main street… this was also incredibly delicious since they roasted their own coffee to make the soft serve.
Of course, I had one last onsen manjuu before leaving. I also stopped by the shop inside the station to pick up omiyage for my colleagues. Although due to volcanic activity, they were not making the “black eggs,” I picked up small manjuu with custard filling that were made to look like the famous black eggs. Another perk of the Hakone free pass: a discount at the train station shop!
This was the end, as we boarded the Odakyu Romance car and transferred to the subway back to the airport. Overall, a very fun weekend trip.
On Day 2, we actually got to do some real sightseeing and relaxing. We got up early and took a nice walk to Lake Ashi 芦ノ湖 (Ashinoko) and took the bus down to Lawson for coffee and a snack. While waiting for the bus to return uphill, we walked through the pampas grass field across the way. Since it was still early, I soaked in the hotel onsen (again). By the time we cleaned up, we decided to start heading out to explore. Unfortunately, due to the volcanic activity, they were not selling the famous “black eggs” which are rumored to add seven years to your life. We took the ropeway (gondola) roundtrip, despite the cloud cover and fog. From there we took the cable car down to Gora Park– admission to Gora Park is FREE for Hakone Free Pass holders (another reason this is a good deal!). We walked about and enjoyed the flowers and scenery; at the end of the park is Gora station, where the sightseeing train starts, so we took it a few stations to a popular soba restaurant for lunch. My husband got the Tororo soba (grated nagaimo, Japanese mountain yam known for its somewhat slimy texture and health benefits) and I got the tempura zaru soba set. Of course, there was also a stop for a manjuu snack, and we were given some mushroom tea as well.
From here we made our way back up the mountain to Lake Ashi, where the sightseeing ship departs. We walked to the Hakone shrine (it has a torii at the edge of the lake). It was really quite nice, but very popular. Heading towards the ship’s port, we took the cedar trail which was rather breathtaking. Many beautiful tall trees line the path, which surprisingly was not very crowded considered the crowds other places. It is not a terribly long walk and very flat, so I definitely recommend taking it. Arriving at the ship ticket office, we upgraded to the “first class cabin”– our Hakone Free Pass includes economy tickets on the half hour sightseeing ship ride, but for 400yen you can ride in the less crowded section. WORTH IT. The regular area was crammed with many people (mostly trying to get the best view from outside), but the first class section was fairly empty with both an outside standing area and an inside seating area. We easily walked both inside and outside without worry. It was very nice!
Before we boarded the ship, we had a half hour to burn. We noticed some girls sitting by the concrete dock with a set of 3 beers and some sausages. What was this we wondered? So we set off to find the place where they got these… inside an innocuous looking tourist building is a Hakone craft beer and (mostly fish/seafood) sausage shop. We certainly could not turn down the promise of craft beer, so we split the trio tasting set and went back to the edge of the docks to sit. There was a pilsner, red ale, and a weizen, all of which were pretty good.
On the ship, the loudspeaker announced various historical and cultural facts, but mostly we just enjoyed the views (even if they did not include Mt Fuji due to the clouds). To finish off the day we took a short walk along Lake Ashi at Togendai Port before heading back to the hotel to relax.
Once we arrived back to the hotel, of course one more soaking in the outdoor bath was in order. I donned my yukata again and relaxed Japanese-style. We finished the evening by enjoying some more craft beer (different company, but also located in Hakone).
For Umi-no-hi (Ocean Day, a public holiday in Japan) 海の日, I took a trip to Hakone 箱根, a mountainous area outside of Tokyo (~1.5 hours or so). It is an area, where if the weather were to be clear, you can get beautiful views of Mt Fuji (富士山). Alas, the weather was a bit overcast and there was some fog, so no Mt Fuji viewing for us. At first I was a bit disappointed, but then I realized that the overcast weather was actually perfect for walking around– it was so cool and refreshing in the mountains, but when the sun comes out it gets hot and muggy, the clouds blocking the sun were really nice. So it was a good trip nonetheless.
From Okinawa, I flew into Haneda airport, where I caught the Keikyu line and transferred at Shinagawa station to the Yamamoto line, getting off at Shinjuku station. At Shinjuku, I bought the “Hakone Free Pass,” which basically covers all your transportation for the rest of the trip! It is a great deal (you actually save a lot of money), and makes travel super easy. I saw some tourists paying individual fares at each bus, train, cable car, gondola, etc, but those costs add up fast. The Hakone free pass pays for itself with just one round trip course to, from, and around Hakone, let alone if you wander around more. So, if you decide to take a trip to Hakone yourself, I suggest you check out the free pass.
To get from Shinjuku to Hakone, I took the Odakyu Romance Car, which I reserved a month in advance online. I was able to get a seat at the very back (front?) of the rear observation car so I got a great view out the rear-facing window. I sat next to grandparents and their grandchild, and we chatted a bit, and of course they wanted pictures with me. As soon as the train started moving, all the families started breaking out the bento and beers; the very image of train travel in Japan. The food trolley came by and I got the snack set with iced green tea… the first thing I had to eat all day. The train wound through the city and then the countryside, until we reached Odawara. Many people got off at this stop (including my new friends), so we said our goodbyes. The train continued to Hakone-yumoto station, the last stop.
At Hakone-yumoto station, it was time for lunch so before continuing on the rest of my journey to the hotel I booked by Lake Ashi, I shoved my suitcase in a coin locker and decided to explore for a bit. The town around the station is not very big, and obviously somewhat touristy, but it was cute and nice.
Since one of the things to eat in Hakone is soba, I decided to try the soba shop on the 3rd floor of one of the manjuu buildings; it was very modern and clean looking inside. I decided to make it easy and ordered the fuku-buku set 福福セット which was the recommended number one lunch. How can I go wrong with the recommended set, after all it was zaru soba (cold dipping soba)? It was excellent, so I am glad to have made that choice. Plus it came with momen tofu and azuki jelly, and some other small bits on the side. The shop lady complimented me on my Japanese, as I suppose being in a tourist area, it is not often you see many foreigners speaking much Japanese. After the meal, lunch comes with a free manjuu. Manjuu is another important food for Hakone, especially since it is an onsen area.
After lunch and a bit of looking, I figured it was time to head the rest of the way to my final destination. From here, you can take either the bus or the sightseeing train up the mountain. I chose the sightseeing train, where I would need to later switch to a cablecar and then either a bus or gondola. The sightseeing train was cute, but rather crowded. It takes you through beautiful greenery, and even the hydrangea (あじさい ajisai in Japanese) were still in bloom. It has 2 switchbacks, so the trip is not so short. At Gora station, it was time to change to the cable car tram up the mountain (again, you could take the bus from here). So onto the cable car, again somewhat crowded, although quaint. At the top station, I decided to wait until my husband joined me the next day to take the gondola, and ended up on the bus up towards my hotel. At this point, it had been a rather long day, so I checked in and went up to my room on the 5th floor. There was a gorgeous view of where Mt Fuji would be if the clouds cleared. After settling in a bit, I decided to take a bath in the hotel onsen to relax, so I changed into the yukata in my room. The onsen in the hotel was small but nice after a long day of traveling.
After a refreshing bath, I realized I forgot to stop at a store and buy snacks/drinks for the room, so I decided to walk partway down the mountain to the Lawson ~1.5 km away. It was a healthy walk, but all down hill; I caught the bus coming back up (covered by my free pass!). I noticed later that I was not the only one in my hotel that made a Lawson stop. I was lucky to find craft beers made in Hakone (Pilsner, Pale Ale, and Red Ale varieties); although I discovered the next day that there are a few more craft beer breweries in Hakone (maybe we need to take another trip and visit all of these…). My husband arrived and it was already dark, so we drank and ate instant ramen in the room, ending our first day.
I will continue the trip to Hakone in second post. More soba and manjuu to come!
御中元 ochuugen is the custom of summer gift giving. In my local stores, there is a huge display with aisles of summer gifts. You may also see the something like 夏のギフト (natsu no gifuto summer gift) or even サマーギフト (summer gift spelled in katakana).
This gift-giving season typically corresponds to Obon. In Okinawa, it is traditionally observed when visits to the family home are made during Obon (customarily the second day), but it is okay before or after. Especially in the workplace where you will probably not see them during actual Obon. In Okinawa, it is tradition to deliver the gift in person, rather than use a mail delivery service, though you will see many people in the grocery store filling out the mail delivery forms to send gifts to family in the outer islands or the mainland.
For me, the most interesting part is the types of gifts on display in stores. Popular items are summer fruits (mango in Okinawa), rice, coffee, pork, unagi (eel), jelly sweets, and other goodies. But there are also gift sets such as laundry soap, beer, spam, cans of tunafish… sometimes I find them quite odd, as far as gifts, but it seems so practical that I actually sort of appreciate it. Usually gifts are about 2000 yen to 5000 yen; stores make a lot of money during this time period. It is also typical to ship gifts to family members who live far away… during this time I see many people filling at shipping forms at the store counters for summer gifts.
During this time, I have seen a bunch of ads on tv about sending summer gift. The Hormel one sort of makes me laugh a bit, sending a gift pack of SPAM. The family in the ad seems so happy to be receiving cans of spam and making goya chanpuru.
0.00% alcohol beer is actually more common here than you would imagine. I feel like in the US, this was a bit unheard of. But here in Okinawa, Japan it is rather common.
So what is the point you ask? Well, drinking culture is rather heavily entrenched in the Japanese social environment. Sometimes you need a break in between drinks, or maybe you have to get up early the next day, perhaps you are the DD, or maybe you are just a real lightweight– whatever the case, there is an alternative that allows you to feel included in the party, but not suffer from excess drinking. This alternative is alcohol-free beer. Usually, you hear people just drink soda or juice as the alternative; but that would be no fun, and plus, all your coworkers/boss or social club members would know you are not actually drinking, and this can put a damper on things (remember I mentioned drinking is heavily entrenched in building social connections?).
Anyway, alcohol-free/zero alcohol/non-alcohol beer actually is not so bad; the taste is not quite as refreshing and good as real beer, but it is a decent substitute for when you cannot or should not drink actual alcohol. And the good part is, many are actually calorie-free, so sometimes it is nice just for that. Pretty much every beer label here makes at least one if not multiple alcohol-free beers. Just look for the 酒0.00% which is marked clearly on the label. But be careful– some beers are marked 0/zero or free for things other than alcohol, so make sure to look for some keywords or you will pick up the wrong one:
I often go for the Orion Clear-Free with the blue label, although the regular Asahi dry zero is pretty decent, too.
At every social event, BBQ, and bar/izakaya I always see the alcohol-free options. You will see plenty of people picking up a case at the grocery store, too. Recently, I danced in a luau; before the show many of the members of my group were drinking alcohol-free beer, to set the mood but not be affected by alcohol! Non-alcohol beer is not just for prudes, tee-totalers, religious folk, etc; it is really for everybody.
My preference.
Some other types of non-alcohol beer, all easily found in grocery stores and conbini in Okinawa:
Sapporo+ and Asahi dry zero are good. Healthy style I would not recommend.
Asahi dry zero in the white can was awful. Suntory All-free and Orion Clear Free are good.
七夕 Tanabata is known as the “star festival” in Japan.
In Okinawa, it is observed during the lunar calendar (like many other holidays…) instead of the solar calendar (more typical in mainland Japan). It occurs on July 7th in many parts of mainland Japan, and the 7th day of the 7th lunar month in Okinawa, usually around August, just before Obon begins. It is the precursor to Obon; mostly it is the day to clean the ancestors’ grave, put flowers, beverages and incense in front of the grave to guide the ancestors’ spirits to come to one’s house. It is a time to ask ancestors to come visit during Obon season; it is believed that the ancestors protect their descendants in the real world, so it is important to take of them in their afterlife.
In present day, Tanabata in Japan is typically celebrated as a school event; students decorate bamboo branches with ornaments and hang strips of colorful paper with their wishes written on them, called tanzaku 短冊. Ornaments made of origami paper are made into shapes such as windsock, stars, lanterns and nets. They all have a meaning; for instance, the net-shaped paper represents a river. Several retail stores and community centers will put up Tanabata trees with decorations, and leave blank slips of paper for you to write your wishes on to hang on the tree.
The story of Tanabata, based on a Chinese legend of the “weaver star” (known as Vega in English) and the “cowherd star” (Altair): There once was a young woman named Orihime (Vega), who was good at weaving cloth and worked very hard to the please her father. But, as she worked very hard she became afraid that she would never fall in love and marry. Her father, Tentei (Sky King), who was a god, arranged for her to meet a hard working cattleman Hikoboshi (Altair) who lived across Amanogawa River 天の川 (literally, heavenly river, the Milky way) on the eastern side, while Orihime and her father lived on the western side.
The two fell instantly in love and married, but subsequently she forgot about weaving and he let his cattle wander all over on both sides; this made Tentei angry. He ordered the two to separate and each to live on a separate side of the river. His daughter wept and pleaded, however, so Tentei relented a little, and allowed the two to meet once a year, on the night of the seventh day of the seventh month.
So, if you look up into the evening sky on July 7 and it is clear, you can see the two stars reunited. But if it is rainy or cloudy, know that they will try to meet again next year. Some children will even make teru teru bozu てるてる坊主 to wish for good weather such that the lovers will meet again!
In Okinawa, the Tanabata story is usually a little different, and actually refers to the Celestial Maiden Legend (Hagoromo), which is believed to have occurred at Mori-no-kawa in Ginowan. The Ginowan summer matsuri is themed around the celestial maiden legend; even the city mascot is the celestial maiden! So, to conclude, Japanese tanabata is celebrated quite differently from Okinawa tanabata. While you may see a few wishing trees up at department stores or community centers and cute tanabata-themed packaged snacks, there really is not much public tanabata celebration in Okinawa like there is in mainland Japan. One day I hope to make the Sendai Tanabata festival held August 6-8 (not quite using the lunar calendar, but close…).
Typically in Okinawa, the only 2 places with “events” around July 7th Tanabata are Okinawa city 1st street shopping arcade in Koza, and the Itoman Peace Memorial Park.
In Japan, you will find it common to drink your yogurt… nomu yooguruto 飲むヨーグルト is “drink yogurt.” Yogurt here tends to be thinner than the US, so I guess it makes sense that there are so many yogurt drinks rather than regular yogurt. The Japanese have done a lot of research with lactid acid bacteria and using it in diets. These products are really popular, and supposedly help with gut health. The only downside is that sometimes these drinks contain a decent amount of sugar, but they are okay once in awhile in moderation I think. Occasionally I will pick one up from the conbini; you can usually find flavors such as plain, blueberry, strawberry, grape, banana, citrus, and aloe.
Grand Kirin is a line of “craft” type beers that are produced by Kirin beer company. They come in glass bottles and the labels look classier than the average Kirin beer. Sort of hipster, really. These beers are a bit pricier than the regular beers, but overall I do like the taste better. Luckily, my local FamilyMart carries them, so they are pretty easy to find. Anyway, they have many limited release beers that I have been tracking through the year; I was especially interested in the moon-watching beer that was available in September. Unfortunately, most are limited release and only available for a few months at most, but the good news is that means they release new ones to try. I have probably tried all of them, but keep forgetting to take pictures… I guess this means I need to go out and grab a few more beers. This is an initial sampling:
the first line of Grand Kirin beers were a bit more plain
Saison beer for rainy season
Moon-watching beer
The caricature on the back is sort of funny-looking…
In Okinawa, as summer approaches, the mornings are getting much warmer and the desire for an iced cafe latte grows stronger. Starbucks is too expensive, so where is the best deal for an iced coffee drink? Lawson conbini!
コンビニ conbini (or konbini) means convenience store. Lawson is a major chain of conbini throughout Japan. Conbini in Japan are amazing, and nothing like what you see stateside! But I will not get into all those details now. Right now, I will focus on Lawson’s machi cafe line.
Inside every Lawson, you can order several types of coffee drinks from the counter. My favorite during summer, of course, is an iced cafe latte アイスカフェラテ. I have tried iced cafe lattes all around the island, but I have found that the best priced (and consistently good tasting) one is at Lawson conbini, for a mere 150円. Comparing this to Starbucks which is usually more than 300円, I would say this is much more reasonable. FamilyMart, another large country-wide conbini chain, has iced cafe lattes for 180円, a little bit more than Lawson (but, also pretty darn good). In Okinawa, there is the occasional Tully’s (but they are not very common) and a scant few other chains with only one location about (Saint Marc ChocoCro, Doutor, Key Coffee), but they are so few and far between that I am rarely anywhere near them. There is the Climax Coffee chain, located on the other side of the island from me, similar to a Starbucks (similar price, too). There are several small independent shops which also have cafe lattes, but they tend to be fairly expensive, so while very good quality… simply not an everyday drink.
So when it comes down to affordability, taste and convenience for an iced cafe latte, Lawson wins.
Plus for you those of you who desire less caffeine… they just released a 97% caffeine cut series (basically, decaf) as of May 2017! This is great news for my husband, who can now enjoy an iced latte in the afternoon without worrying about caffeine.
Japanese coffee vocabulary: the best part is that it is almost always katakana!
コーヒー ko-hi coffee
珈琲 ko-hi- coffee (the kanji is based on the sounds not the meaning)
ブレンド burendo blend
アイス aisu iced
フローズン furo-zun frozen
ホット hotto hot
カフェラテ kafe rate cafe latte
カフェモカ kafe moka cafe mocha
抹茶ラテ maccha rate matcha (green tea) latte
ロイヤルミルクティー roiyaru miruku ti- royal milk tea
ココア kokoa cocoa
アールグレイティー a-rugurei ti- Earl Grey tea
砂糖 satou sugar
砂糖なし** satou nashi: without sugar
クリーム kuri-mu cream
シロップ shiroppu sugar in syrup (liquid) form
**なし nashi means "without"-- a very useful word!!
Okay, now this part may seem a little silly, but how do you order a machi cafe at Lawson if you don’t really know any Japanese? Let me help; just keep in mind there are often variations in speech patterns, so depending on your clerk, they may use different phrasing, as well as formal or casual speech.
First, before you approach the register, decide what you want from the menu (okay, maybe that is obvious). I get a latte, so let’s practice using that as an example.
If I want it iced, I used アイス “aisu” instead of ホット “hotto.” Yes, seriously, we use Japanese English in this case.
The clerk will than ask what size if what you are ordering comes in 2 sizes. Sometimes I say the size when I order, but often times they will ask it again to confirm anyway. The shortest and most casual way they say this is as follows. Sometimes they will say it formally, but just listen for keywords.
サイズは？ saizu wa? What size?
In which you reply:
Lサイズです。 eru saizu desu. L size.
or
Mサイズです。 emu saizu desu. M size.
At this point, they are probably ringing up your total. At some locations, the coffee pickup counter is to the side, so they will say something like:
となりのカウンターお待ちください tonari no kauntaa omachi kudasai. Please wait at the next counter.
Keep in mind there are many variations on this. The key word here is “machi” 待ち or “matte” 待って, meaning “waiting” or “to wait.” The other keyword is “kauntaa” which is “counter.”
Some places will ask how many sugars you will want either while they are ringing you up or while you are waiting for the machine to make you coffee. Listen for:
砂糖はいくつ（入れますか）？ satou ha ikutsu (iremasuka)? How many sugars (do you put in)?
Keyword here is “satou” which is “sugar.”
Your response:
なしで。 nashi de. None.
一個。 ikko. One.
二個。niko. Two.
三個。sanko. Three.
Sometimes they do not ask about sugar and it is self-serve. In this case this will point to the little bin with sugars and stirrers and the like as they hand you your coffee (it will be obvious). They will instead say something like:
砂糖、どうぞ。 satou, douzo. Please help yourself to sugar.
When they hand you your coffee they often (but not always) say:
お待たせいたしました。omataseitashimashita. Thank you for waiting.
At this point when you receive your coffee you can respond with a casual “doumo,” or if you feel like “arigatou” or “doumo arigatou,” etc.
Again, keep in mind there are so many variations, and in order to not confuse you, I just put down some basics and keywords to listen for so your transaction can go smoothly! These are the “bite-sized” phrases to simply get you through the process. I like to remind people that in Okinawa, speaking informally is a bit more the norm; besides this, many people appreciate your effort in speaking even just a little Japanese as a foreigner, so worrying about formal/casual language is not nearly so important as many people make it out to be.
担々麺 (tantanmen) or 坦々ラーメン (tantan ramen) is a popular “Chinese-style” noodle dish in Japan. It is typically seen as ramen (but occasionally as tsukemen, aka dipping noodles). It is often found at ramen and Chinese restaurants. A few shops in Okinawa will advertise it as a specialty dish of the shop. I know of quite a few shops with tantanmen not far from my area. I frequently see banners outside of ramen shops advertising tantanmen.
Tantanmen usually has a spicy broth with thick sesame taste, topped with minced pork and green onions. It is supposedly Sichuan-style, although Japan often tones down the spicy levels and focuses more on the rich, sesame qualities of the broth.
Some of the better places in Okinawa to try tantanmen (I will try to add some more restaurants):
*Arashi ramen 嵐, Stripe ramen, and Tenkaipin ramen 天下一品 are very popular with Americans, most likely due to the fact they have English menus and are close to American bases. I do not tend to patronize these places, but many other people seem to enjoy them, so decide for yourself if you want to check them out. My husband says the fried rice at Arashi is pretty good. Both Arashi and Tenkaipin are large restaurant chains from the mainland. I am not sure on the menus, but I am fairly certain they have tantanmen, or some variation.
お好み焼き Okonomiyaki is considered Japanese junk food… but it is delicious! It comes from the phrase “as you like it”; basically it is a simple recipe with cabbage and a pancake-like batter that you add toppings as you desire. There are 2 main styles: Kansai (or Osaka) style and Hiroshima style. I tend to prefer Kansai style, even if it is a bit more simple. In Okinawa, there is something not quite the same, but many people refer to as Okinawan okonomiyaki, called hirayachi.
Kansai style (関西) is a mixed batter, then cooked in a fry pan or on a flat grill top. If adding bacon, it is just added in strips to top side before you flip and cook the top side. When its cooked, it is served with nori (seaweed sprinkles) のり, katsuobushi (shaved bonito flakes) 鰹節, a thick sweet brown sauce (called okonomi sauce) お好みソース, and mayonnaise. Often there is benishouga (pickled ginger) 紅生姜 on the side.
Hiroshima (広島) style is layered instead of mixed, making it a bit more complicated to cook. Usually it includes a fried egg and yakisoba noodles inside as well. It is served in a similar way to Kansai style, with the okonomi sauce, nori, ginger, and mayo.
I enjoy eating at okonomiyaki restaurants, especially the ones where you can grill it at your table. In Okinawa, there are not many okonomiyaki restaurants, but there is a really good one called Heshin 海神 located in Awase that is not too far from me and serves Kansai style. Red Helmet 赤いヘルメット is a Hiroshima style place in Okinawa city. They are really good, for Hiroshima style. I think I may prefer Kansai style for its simplicity, though. But I think everyone should try them and decide for themselves which style they prefer. Heshin and Red Helmet are definitely the top 2 okonomiyaki places in Okinawa. There are some other places you can find it in Okinawa, these 2 places just happen to be some of the best. You can nearly always find okonomiyaki at summer festivals (natsu matsuri 夏祭り), too, as it is a very popular summer festival food.
Simple okonomiyaki is fairly easy to make at home though; all the ingredients are widely available. You can even buy kits that have all but the fresh ingredients inside (just buy your own cabbage, egg, bacon, green onion).
What do I like in my okonomiyaki? Well, definitely benishouga (pickled red ginger) on the side. I go for vegetable-based and skip the bacon. I usually order extra green onion. If I feel a bit different, I might add kimchi, cheese, and/or mochi bits. For those of you that like seafood, there are usually various things like shrimp (海老), scallops (ホタテ), octopus (たこ), or squid (いか) to mix in the batter. Many places will usually offer different types of meats for the batter as well.
When you visit Japan, eating okonomiyaki is a must-do!
**neither of these places have English menus… just be prepared for when you visit!
Here is a list of some other decent Okonomiyaki restaurants in Okinawa. Again, most of these do not have English menus; I think Sanshiro in Ginowan is the only one with an English menu. Other than that, there was an okonomiyaki shop in American Village with an English menu but they were not very good in my opinion (so I have not listed it here).
スタンプラリー Stamp rally. This is probably what it sounds like…
As a visitor, you may notice in some places (especially tourist sites) there are large stamps and ink pads. They sometimes have intricate designs, representative of the town or historic site. Sometimes they are just cartoon characters. But whichever they are, they usually serve a purpose: as a step in a “stamp rally.”
What does a stamp rally mean exactly? Well, typically this is geared towards children. You pick up an official paper grid with blank spaces at a central location, such as the information desk or a ticket office. Then you go around the site and look for the stamp stations, each with different designs. The goal is to find all of them and stamp each piece of your grid with every design. Once you finish, there is sometimes a small “prize.” It is basically a game to keep children entertained while touring places.
These are some examples (I will upload more later):
While I do not normally participate in these, sometimes I still enjoy adding a stamp to one of my travel books as a reminder of my visit. It’s kinda cute. It has even started to get high-tech as some big tourist sites will have an app and you scan QR codes at various locations to “collect stamps.”
All this aside, I have another theory as to why stamp rallies exist, but first some background. Personal stamps/seals, called “hanko” 判子 or “inkan” 印鑑, are important in daily life as an adult… it is necessary for bank accounts, receiving packages, school registration, legal transactions… etc! Even as a foreigner, I have a small hanko that I use for just these purposes. Honestly, these seals really are surprisingly used every day; my graduation certificate and school ID have imprints of the university and president’s seal, many documents need to have my advisor’s or sensei’s seal on them, during the university physical exam I need to “pass” each section to get each individual doctor or nurse’s seals, I even personally have to use my seal to log in my research assistance hours. I have taken to using my seal instead of my signature for whenever the delivery driver drops off packages ordered from the internet. Basically, it is like a personal signature. So… my point is, I believe that stamp rallies are just practice for small children to gather or collect stamps as they will need to in adulthood! Seriously, it is like preparation for life. Get your papers stamped because in order to get through life in Japan, you need people to stamp your papers so you can move forward or gain accomplishments (as an adult, these are our “prizes”).
Next time I get my university physical exam, I will take a photo of my own personal stamp rally I must complete in order to prove my health. It is literally a stamp card that I take to various stations where certain aspects of my health are evaluated. Each section of the card gets filled out with details and each doctor/nurse stamps the section to prove that I “passed.” The first time I had to do this, all I could think about were the children I saw at Shuri-jo racing around and filling out their stamp rally so they could get their sticker prize at the end.
There are a fair number of temples (tera 寺) and shrines (jinja 神社) in Okinawa, however, most of them are maybe not as historic or grand as you might see on the mainland.
成田山福泉寺 Naritasan Fukusenji is the temple in my town. It sits upon the hill facing the ocean. I visit there during important yearly events, such as New Years and Setsubun.
Omamori お守り are amulets or protective charms you can purchase from the temple. They come in many forms, colors, types; some are for safe driving, some for success in school, some are for health, some for love… There are some traditions around these, which some people do not necessarily observe. After a year (usually, but I will not lie, I often keep mine longer than that), you should take back to a temple to have them perform a ritual and burn it, and then obviously purchase a new one. I usually only keep my New Years omamori for a year and then return them during the next New Year; others, especially ones from places I have visited, such as Kyoto, I tend to keep until they look a bit worn.
Wood prayer boards, called ema 絵馬, are often sold as well (more common at shrines, but temples nowadays often sell these as well). You write messages of prayer, such as wishes for happiness, health, success in school, love/marriage, safety, etc, and hang them up by the shrine (so the gods, or “kami” 神, can receive them). The ema have pictures representing the temple, or perhaps the zodiac year, on the back; usually there are a few designs you can choose from. There are no real rules as to what or how to write on an ema, so just have fun.
How to pray at a Shinto Shrine (temples are less rigid, although some of the procedure can be the same):
purify oneself at the water pavilion: using your right hand, take a ladle, and scoop water. Pour a little over you left hand, then switch an pour over your right hand, then in your left hand take some water from the ladle and rinse your mouth, and finally empty the remaining water (on the ground, not back into the water basin). You should only scoop water once. When you finish, use your hand towel to dry you hands. You will notice many people in Japan carry around small personal towels in their bags, and if you visit, I highly recommend also having one for instances such as these.
toss a coin gently into the offering box (preferably with hole in it, 5円 or 50 円)
ring the bell (if there is one)
bow twice
clap twice
pray (silently)
bow once
And done! Pretty easy. All being said, sometimes procedure can switch up depending on where you are, so just follow what locals do when you feel uncertain.
Lastly, let’s cover drawing fortunes, known as omikuji おみくじ. There will be a box or a coin slot machine labeled おみくじ. Some places will have English fortunes, some only Japanese. It is usually 100円, although it can be more if it comes with a small charm of some sort (if it is a small frog charm, put it in your wallet, it is said to “attract” money). Fortunes will have a category, ranging in different types of luck, from very good to very bad:
Great blessing (dai-kichi, 大吉)
Middle blessing (chuu-kichi, 中吉)
Small blessing (shou-kichi, 小吉)
Blessing (kichi, 吉)
Half-blessing (han-kichi, 半吉)
Ending blessing (sue-kichi, 末吉)
Ending small blessing (sue-shou-kichi, 末小吉)
Curse (kyou, 凶)
Small curse (shou-kyou, 小凶)
Half-curse (han-kyou, 半凶)
Ending curse (sue-kyou, 末凶)
Great curse (dai-kyou, 大凶)
On the rest of the paper, it describes your luck or fortune in various aspects of your life. Most of the Japanese used is fairly complicated, so it is good if you can have someone fluent explain it to you. Once you read your fortune, if it is bad, you tie it to a tree branch at the shrine or temple, to stave off the curse; if it is good, you keep it close to you (in your wallet or purse perhaps). That being said, I have also heard if it is good you tie it to a tree branch in order for it to come true! So, I think sometimes, there are no “right” or “wrong” ways. Just have fun.
Setsubun, sakura at Narita-san temple, Nakagusuku village
water basin for cleansing/purifying
torii 鳥居 (gate)
Nagano area
Naminoue Shrine, Naha, Okinawa
New Years, Narita-san temple, Nakagusuku
Guardian lions, Nagano area
tanuki (raccoon statue) at shrine, Nagano area
Ema at daruma temple, in Shuri, Okinawa
While there are many small shrines scattered around, here are the addresses for the “larger” temples and shrines worth visiting in Okinawa:
節分 Setsubun is a “bean scattering” or “bean throwing” holiday that occurs on February 3rd. Setsubun literally means the division of seasons, the change from winter into spring. There are many rituals involved in Setsubun.
One is bean-scattering, called mame-maki 豆撒き, to prevent evil demons from entering your house; it is believed that the ogres are warded off by beans, the beans will purify/cleanse your home, and that good fortune will then come to your home. According to tradition, if you eat the same number of beans as your age (plus one for luck), you will enjoy a year of good health.
Every year, I buy roasted soy beans (daizu 大豆) from the grocery, though some people also use peanuts. This time of year they are labeled 福豆 fukumame, “lucky beans.” Sometimes they come with cute masks of oni 鬼 (demon) or おかめ okame (homely/plain lady).
While scattering beans inside and outside the house, at the designated oni (usually the father, eldest male, or male born in the current year’s zodiac will wear the oni mask), you are supposed to chant (in Japanese):
鬼は外! oni wa soto! demons (evil) outside!
福は内! fuku wa uchi! luck (fortune) inside!
In Okinawan language, the pronunciation is a bit different…
ウネーフカ! unee-fuka 「鬼は外」
フコーウチ! fukoo-uchi 「福は内」
My oldest dog was designated oni this year because he was born in this year’s zodiac. I don’t know how he felt about me throwing beans at him…
Many elementary schools will hold this ritual, the oni terrorizing the small children; I have seen some of the videos on the local news.
Every year, the temple in my village holds a Setsubun festival (it usually held on Feb 11th, the public holiday, since Feb 3rd is only an observed holiday). It is really pretty entertaining… people bring all sorts of bags, boxes and containers to catch the lucky beans tossed by the lucky men and women born with the same zodiac as the current year. It honestly reminded me of the scene from Spirited Away when No-face was throwing gold at the bath house workers.
Another custom, which comes from western Japan (but has now spread), is eating an eho-maki 恵方巻 (translation is “lucky-direction roll”); it is a fat sushi rolled wrapped in nori, while facing the year’s lucky direction (determined by the zodiac, it is supposed to be the direction that the kami/god lives in). You are supposed to stand, facing the lucky direction with your eyes closed, and eat the roll all at once without pausing! Considering the size of some these… it is quite difficult. But since it is not really traditional in Okinawa, lots of different types of “eho-maki” will make an appearance, including sweet ones, like roll cakes or crepes!
Some families also put up small decorations made up of sardine heads and holly leaves, called hiragi iwashi 柊鰯, at the entrance of the house to ward off bad spirits.
my dog
fukumame sets
bean-throwing
Setsubun, sakura at Narita-san temple, Nakagusuku village
回転寿司 Kaiten sushi is conveyer belt (rotator) sushi. By no means is this usually high quality, it is sushi for the masses! Entertaining, low-stress, easy for when you do not remember all the Japanese names for things.
In Okinawa, some of these places will be hundred yen sushi plates. 100円 sushi is definitely good for the wallet, but usually not great quality or variety. Hamazushi, Sushiro, and Kura Sushi are examples of 100円 sushi chains in Okinawa. I like Kura Sushi because they have little game you play for every 5 plates is a chance to win a gachapon (capsule toy). Sushiro has a good seasonal menu, and the quality is a little better than the other 100円 chains. And all of these places tend to have kid-friendly and picky-eater friendly types of foods as well.
Some places are better quality sushi-go-round, and tend to have some better variety. Enraku and Yazaemon are probably the better ones I have been to. Again, it is kaiten sushi so it is not going to be super high quality like you would get from a real sushi chef or anything. But that’s okay– sometimes you just want some cheap, filling sushi, not some fancy “Jiro-dreams-of-sushi” experience. Any time you are in Japan, be sure to visit a kaiten sushi joint to watch as the many plates rotate around and are devoured by the patrons.
Most places have a delivery system where you have a touchscreen at your table; if you do not see what you want on the conveyor belt, simply use the touchscreen to place an order. Some places have little trains or boats on the track that will “deliver” it to your eating station. At your eating station, besides a touchscreen, there is usually green tea, small plates, hashi, shoyu, pickled ginger, wasabi, wet naps, etc. Don’t be intimidated and just watch what other patrons do if it is your first time… it is easy once you get the hang of it. When you are finished, there will be a call button on your touchscreen or at your station, the server will come over and tally up your plates for the bill. Almost all of these touch screens have multi-language options as well.
gachapon sushi charm
sushi-go-round
station
touchscreen ordering in 4 languages
here it comes
Sushi-go-round chains in Okinawa: (just copy&paste into GoogleMaps to find the closest to you!)
Onsen are fairly common throughout Japan, but unfortunately there are no really “true” Japanese onsen experiences in Okinawa like you would get in the mainland of Japan. There are some places that qualify as onsen in Okinawa, but to get the real feel of onsen, one must travel to the mainland since onsen are not as large a part of Ryukyuan culture. In Okinawa, while most of the places that qualify as onsen are fairly nice, they are more like sento, “public baths”; none of them have that true Japanese feeling of onsen. That being said, I will introduce some nice places to try if you visit Okinawa and do not have a chance to visit the mainland. Later maybe I will make part II and introduce my favorite spots on the mainland to visit onsen.
温泉 onsen: hot springs
銭湯 sento: public bath
スパ supa: spa
*Special Note: although many onsen and sento are lightening up rules regarding tattoos, some still have strict no tattoo policies, so it is best to check in advance if this will be an issue. In Okinawa, currently NONE of the onsen or sento I have visited allow tattoo in the public bath, however some will allow you to book the private baths (usually used for couples or families), such as Senaga-jima, AJ Resort, and Yuinchi onsens (address listed at the bottom of the page).
Very recently, I noticed that the EM Wellness Resort has a sign saying if you can cover your tattoo with the tape/seal that they sell (you can also buy these at DonQ, or from Amazon), then you can use the onsen. I am not sure if other onsen on island have the same policy if you don’t have large tattoos if you cover them up before you go they probably won’t complain, but it may be worth asking if this is a possible option for you.
All this being said, I have on occasion seen very small “fashion” tattoo in the onsen… while many people may not say anything if they see you with a small tattoo, I cannot however encourage you to try to enter the onsen with a tattoo even if you try to cover it with a bandage. It is very possible there will be that one person who does complain and management will ask you to leave. Or people may notice, give you stink-eye and say nothing, instead giving “foreigners” 外国人 a bad reputation for lack of manners and ignoring the rules (and seriously, most Japanese are not rule-breakers, it simply is not how things are done here). If you have a lot of tattoo and want to try onsen either try booking the private bath at the aforementioned places or better yet, head up to some of the rural areas in the mainland which may allow tattoo. For instance, I know for certain that the Dogo onsen in Matsuyama (Ehime Prefecture), Arima onsen in Kobe, and some places in Hokkaido and Nagano that do allow tattoo. Plus, these places will quite honestly be a more authentic experience than what you will find in Okinawa. Just something to keep in mind.
My favorite place to visit is in Ginowan behind the DonQ, at the Enagic Natural Onsen Aroma エナジック天然温泉アロマ. This is the closest to a mainland Japanese onsen experience that you can get in Okinawa. It has several baths (including 1 outside that overlooks a Japanese-esque garden, hinoki bath, waterfall bath, and some jetted baths), a dry sauna, a salt sauna, relaxation rooms, and a restaurant. It also has many services such as scrubs, facials, and massages; I highly recommend trying the scrub and massage, you will come out feeling like a new person. The best part for me is that there is a significant student discount; if you are not a student, they have point cards and various specials. For instance couples’ day is a discount day if you bring a friend/husband/significant other. It is open from 6 am -midnight. Adult entrance fee (no discounts) is 1500円, high school/university 1000円, while elementary & middle school children are half price, and younger are free.
There are some more upscale type places, such as Senaga-jima Spa (near the Naha airport, indoor/outdoor onsen overlooking the ocean), Yuinchi Hotel Spa (a.k.a. Bathing Ape or Apeman Spa, in Nanjo with only indoor Ryukyu clay onsen), and EM Wellness Costa Vista Resort (Kitanakagusuku, indoor onsen); I list the exact addresses and additional descriptions for these at the bottom of the post should you decide to check them out. These places are a bit more expensive and the baths are overall nice, but I prefer the atmosphere of Onsen Aroma better. The main reason to visit these places is that they offer some upscale treatments which are fabulous (and the prices reflects that!), just not something I can afford so often. These places also offer tasty lunch buffets in their restaurants. Many of the other resorts/hotels on island also offer an onsen (or some just a sento), but the ones listed are the bigger (and nicer) ones that I am familiar with and have reasonably priced entrance fees.
Loisir Hotelin Naha also offers public onsen access, I recently visited, but don’t particularly recommend due to the very expensive entry fee (they have 2 options available, 1 high end, 1 low end). Most entrance fees are between 1000-1500yen here in Okinawa; the Loisir is 3000-4000yen… yikes. Same with Okinawa Spa Resort EXES; a visitor pass (non-overnight guest) for the spa bathes is 3500yen… and it is technically not an onsen, just public bath (sento). Hotel Orion Motobu Resort & Spa has their Jurassic Onsen Churaumi-no-yu ジュラ紀温泉美ら海の湯; a visitor pass is 2150yen, so while still costly it is not outrageous. The Okuma Private Resort in Kunigami has a free onsen for guests, and only about 900yen for outside visitors. Mahaina Wellness Resort Okinawa in Motobu has a free onsen for guests, 1000yen for outside visitors. Rizzan Sea Park Hotel in Onna has a really nice looking indoor/outdoor “spa bath” (don’t think they can call this one an onsen technically), 1500yen for outside guests (hotel guests have reduced fees).
Rikkarikka-yu りっかりっか湯 in the Naha Central Hotel is really a super-sento but has some more affordable entrance fees of varying combinations; you can try the sauna, the bedrock spa (ganbanyoku), and the baths for a fairly reasonable set fee of 2100yen– a pretty good deal.
A NEW onsen has opened at Aj Resort on Ikei-jima in Uruma! It is not huge, but it is nice, with an indoor and outdoor bath, as well as a family bath! There are also really nice looking private family/couple baths that can be booked for 90 minutes for only 3000yen (they request booking in advance for the private baths since they only have 2 available private baths!). Green tea is added to the Okinawa deep-sea water, and the outdoor bath has jets. **Note: I recently heard from someone that they were allowed to enter with tattoo. Please confirm this with the hotel if you decide to visit, as when I went there was a sign (in Japanese) saying no tattoo allowed… it is possible they decided to lighten up on the policy.
As new resorts are being built, many have “onsen” in their facilities, sometimes only for overnight guests. Okinawa has seen a lot of construction recently due to the influx of visitors.
There is also a place in American Village (Chatan) called Terme Villa Chura-yu ちゅらーゆ (also romanized as “Chula-U”), but I do not particularly recommend it. It allows tattoos if you can fully cover them, but only in the outside mixed swimming section. Indoor onsen area, no tattoos per their posted regulations (though I am sure some people ignore this, again making foreigners look poorly). The onsen area was not very good, nor very clean when I visited. Honestly, I would skip it unless it is truly your only option.
In Onna, the Renaissance hotel has an onsen onsite, but only for hotel guests staying on the premium floor. Sadly I have not been able to try it… maybe I will try staying there one day if I can find a good hotel deal. But again same as all of the others listed, the website explicitly states no tattoo, even though this is an exclusive place where you are paying a lot of $$$! Kind of surprising really.
If you make it out to Miyako-jima, there are also 2 onsen locations; Miyako-jima onsen and Shigira Ougon onsen. I believe they state no tattoo, but I don’t know if they are “flexible” on that. Sometimes the more “rural” places are.
These next 2 are not really onsen– Kanna Thalasso in Ginoza and Bade Haus on Kume-jima use deep-sea water, not hot spring water. The Kanna Thalasso website indicates no tattoo allowed (though I think you may wear swimsuits, they can be covered, or so I have heard); Bade Haus may use the pool only if tattoo are covered completely.
In addition to these few onsen facilities, there are several sento (public bath) around the island, often as part of a gym. I have visited a few here in Okinawa, but they usually are much more simple compared to onsen. Sometimes they have jetted pools or whatnot.
NOTE: they can not call them onsen if they do not use natural hot spring water, as per the “regulations.” And again, most if not all places in Okinawa state “no tattoo allowed.” So I re-iterate… it is important to check the rules for each place if you have any tattoo.
Another interesting option for those interested in Japanese bathing culture is the ganban-yoku 岩盤浴, bedrock bath (sort of like a sauna); click on the link to read more about it, as it is tattoo-friendly since you wear sauna clothes for this experience. Some of these are women-only, but some have options for both genders.
So now that you may have decided to visit an onsen, there is a basic procedure for entering the onsen or a sento. These procedures will be what I most commonly observe in mainland Japan and Okinawa, though it can vary widely by place– some places are much more modern or fancier, while others are much more simple and older.
When you first walk into the building, there will be shoe lockers; remove your shoes and take the key to the front desk. At the desk, you will turn in your shoe key and they will give you a locker key for the bath (segregated baths, men and women) with towels (usually 1 large, 1 small) and often a set of clothes that look a little like pjs called samue 作務衣 (some places may even give you a yukata 浴衣 instead). Now this really depends on the place… some will give you nothing (usually the really cheap places) and charge for towels, either “rent” or buy! You pay the entrance fee up front; sometimes the locker key you receive will have a code that they scan if you want to receive scrub or massage services, or even to purchase drinks, which you then pay for at the end when you check out.
Go to the locker room, to the locker number on your key. Get naked. Yup. No swimsuits. Don’t feel self-conscious cuz it is just old ladies (or men depending on your gender) and they do not really judge. I mean, if you are a foreigner, yeah, they are gonna look simply because you are different, but really, no one cares. Anyway, strip down, neatly fold or hang your clothes in your locker, get your towel (and any toiletries you might have brought, for instance I have a scrubby bath towel from the Daiso/100 yen store) and head to the baths. Just put your key band around your wrist or ankle; if you are a lady you can even use it to tie up you hair in a ponytail or bun. And seriously, just use the smaller towel, leave the big towel in your locker, or at least off to the side, otherwise it will get wet and not dry you off when you actually need it. And do not try to wrap the tiny towel all the way around you, you will look silly; just embrace the naked, draping the small towel length-wise in front of your body if you want to cover any bits.
When you enter the bathing room, grab a stool by one of the shower stations and rinse yourself off; there is usually shampoo, body soap, and conditioner all provided at the stations (depending on how fancy the facility is, for some cheaper onsen/sento you need to bring your own shampoo/conditioner or purchase from the front desk). When you feel appropriately clean and rinsed off, time to soak away in the bath and sweat it out in the sauna (remember to make sure all of the soap if off your body). Repeat. If you go into a sauna, remember to rinse your body before you go back into the tubs. I am sure to dip into every bath, even the cold ones. Yes, there are both hot and cold… 湯 is hot water, 冷 is cold. They always display the temperature somewhere, so look along the walls or sides. Every bath has different healing properties with different minerals, which is also listed somewhere in the onsen, though if you do not read Japanese, it might not help you very much.
Etiquette: for anyone with long hair, tie up your hair so it does not get in the water! You will get stink-eye if you let it drape into the water. I use my small towel to wrap around my head and keep the stray long strands from escaping; you will see this is a common technique. Occasionally people will fold it into a neat little rectangle and rest it on their head, but I do not see this very often in Okinawa. Also, it is considered rude to soak your small towel into the bathwater (although I have seen some obaasans do it anyway). As far as noise, it depends on the place– I have been to some that are practically silent, and others that are alive with chattering gossip. Just use your common sense and do as the locals do.
Whenever you finish, change into the clothes they gave you, grab a drink (milk is popular and sold in small glass bottles), sit in a massage chair, watch tv, etc. The locker rooms have hair dryers, face lotion, hairbrushes (these are separated in a clean bin, usually a UV box, and a used bin), cotton swabs, lotion, etc. You usually do not need to bring much of anything, since most places have some amenities for you. I have a small bag of extra toiletries I bring for aftercare. Again, it depends on the place, some of the cheaper places provide very little in the way of amenities.
At the end, toss your towels into the laundry bin in the locker room, then bring your clothes and key back to the front desk (in some cases there may also be a laundry bin for your sauna clothes). Pay your balance, and they will give you the shoe locker key.
Also, as a fun cultural note, watch the Japanese movie “Thermae Romae” (based on a manga). It is hilarious, and gives me better appreciation of the bathing culture.
Enagic Natural Onsen Aroma, located in Ginowan behind the Don Quijote.
Addresses for top recommended Okinawa onsen:
Enagic Natural Onsen Aroma: 〒901-2223 沖縄県宜野湾市大山7-7-1 ~My favorite– several nice baths, steam sauna, salt sauna, and even an outdoor bath with a cute Japanese-style garden. Several affordable esthe options, including scrubs and massages. Shokudo restaurant on-site. Recommended for a down-to-earth experience that won’t break the bank. https://goo.gl/maps/dMNDCms3RaA2
Yuinchi Hotel and Spa (Bathing Ape): 〒901-1412 沖縄県南城市佐敷字新里1688 ~Interesting baths, all indoor. These baths contain Ryukyu “healing” clay (mud?), which is a little bit of a unique experience. You have a view over the southern valley. The buffet restaurant in the hotel (different than the small restaurant in the onsen building!) is AMAZING and well worth the price (2300yen for lunch). The baths are so-so, but it has special Ryukyu mud properties or something that sounds fancy. *separate blog post: Yuinchi Hotel: Onsen and Buffet
Senaga-jima Hotel and Onsen Spa: 〒901-0233 沖縄県豊見城市字瀬長174-5 ~Tons of delicious restaurants nearby. Admission to bath is reasonable, treatments are expensive but high quality. Indoor AND outdoor baths looking over the ocean (very beautiful). High end type of place, recommended for a luxury experience. *separate blog post: Ryukyu Onsen Senaga-jima Hotel
EM Wellness Resort Costa Vista: 〒901-2311 沖縄県中頭郡北中城村喜舎場1478番地 ~Awesome healthy buffet at the resort restaurant! The baths are decent (all indoor), and the treatments focus on wellness, so you leave feeling fantastic and refreshed. Pricier than Aroma onsen, but not too unreasonable. For an extra fee you can also try their bedrock bath (ganbanyoku). *separate blog post: EM Wellness Resort: Costa Vista and Spa Corazon
Aj Resort Onsen: 〒904‐2421 沖縄県うるま市与那城伊計1286 ~Newly opened on Ikei-jima (connected to Okinawa main island by bridge). Indoor and open-air bath, plus a private family bath. The only downside is it does not look like they offer any extra spa services. It is also quite a ways to get there as you have to cross the bridges from Uruma to Henza, Miyagi, and then finally all the way to the tip of Ikei-jima! It was nice enough when I visited, but pretty far away from everything. *separate blog post: Ikei-jima AJ Resort and Onsen: 伊計島温泉
**When I went to Aj Resort Onsen it was EMPTY! So… I was able to snap a few very quick pics. Normally you cannot take any pictures in the bath areas (for obvious reasons), so I rarely have pictures of these. Some of the “features” you may see at some of the more modern onsen:
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).
手拭 (てぬぐい): Tenugui is the name for these Japanese-style long, thin towels. At first glance, they do not seem like much. But even though these towels seem a bit simple, they can be used for just about anything: to wrap bento or other other lunch boxes to wrap gifts, dish towel, cleaning towel, wrapped around the head or neck (to wipe sweat, particularly popular use among ojiisan), onsen towel, or even just as a hanging decoration. There is no specific one use, you just use it however you like. They dry really fast, too, so they are pretty useful to have around.
In our house, they have become mostly kitchen towels, and we have collected a variety, including ones from the Awamori distillery (free), some bought from the Daiso (100円 store), a Kumamon pattern (Kyushu souvenir), onsen logos (free or cheap), our local village eisa troupe towel, a retro onsen design from Beppu, and even a cute one with monkeys bathing in onsen. I even got one free from the conbini from buying bottled drinks!
A typical Japanese towel
Souvenir shops, 100円 stores, kitchen goods stores will all sell tenugui. The patterns can range from simple to elaborate, and often the price can reflect that. Different regions will print different patterns for souvenirs; in Okinawa, there are some really pretty ones with Ryukuan bingata 紅型 patterns and shisa. I bought this one from the Daiso (100yen) shop, I thought it was cute, if a bit kitschy. I might go back and get another to send to friends in the US since it makes a cute and cheap souvenir.
酒 sake is a general term in Japanese for “alcohol.” Unlike in Western usage, it can include beer, wine, whiskey, chuhai, plum wine, shochu, and of course, various types of rice wine or liquor.
日本酒 nihonshu means “Japanese liquor.” This is what foreigners typically call “sake.” Ask a Japanese person for sake, and they would be confused because it is not very specific. They might even just hand you a beer. Here in Okinawa, they may even assume you just mean the local booze awamori 泡盛.
There are many types of nihonshu; I list a few here, but I will have to add more later.
清酒 seishu means “clear liquor.”
にごり酒 nigori is a cloudy liquor.
生酒 nama-zake is unpasteurized, and difficult to find unless you go directly to the brewery. It must be refrigerated and usually consumed within a week or 2.
The following special designations are specified by the Japanese government and will be shown on the label. Basically they vary the ingredients and brewing technique, etc.
ginjo 吟醸
daiginjo 大吟醸
junmai 純米
junmai ginjo 純米吟醸
junmai daiginjo 純米大吟醸: this is considered the highest quality of nihonshu. Below is a picture of a bottle I received as a gift.This brand is Kubota 久保田 from 新潟県 Niigata prefecture. This particular brand gets a very high rating and is considered excellent quality. After trying it, I agree.
It is hard to know how to pick a good tasting sake/nihonshu when shopping about the store, so whenever you are on the mainland of Japan, visit some breweries and do some tastings! There are many out there. I have visited ones in Fukuoka, Kobe, Tsukuba, Ehime, and Nagano.
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
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!).
