2022 has started with new experiences from making dashi or Japanese broth from scratch (if you missed it, please read the previous week's blog about how to make dashi). Within a week, I turned 180 degrees and revisited the past; where I visited 鹿児島 (Kagoshima) where my dad is from. My sister and I often … Continue reading Coming home to Kagoshima
I hope everyone is having a good start to 2022 so far. As mentioned in my last week's blog, we celebrated New Years back in Tokyo. To make the most of staying at home, we decided to go back to basic and made Japanese broth, 出汁 (dashi) for the first time. Here are the ingredients … Continue reading Back to basic: how to make Japanese broth, dashi
Depending where you are, when you read this, the new year may be upon you and if so, happy 2022! If you're reading this post as it comes out on 2022 New Years Day, my husband and I maybe preparing 出汁 (Dashi or broth) from scratch for the first time as our first meal of … Continue reading Nozawa Onsen Part2: Onsen, Food and Ski
Merry White Christmas from Nozawa Onsen! 🎄🎄I was dreaming of spending Christmas with my family who lives in Australia and Germany but it wasn't much of an option to be together, again.Nevertheless, my husband and I decided to make the most of spending the holiday season in this beautiful (and so far relatively Covid-19 safe) … Continue reading White Christmas in Nozawa Onsen
お歳暮 (Oseibo) is the end of the year gift that you send to people you do business with, family, and those who you want to thank for the help and support they provided throughout the year. We send 御中元(ochugen) during summer and Oseibo during winter. Fun fact: Oseibo means "toward the end of the year" … Continue reading What is Oseibo?
Winter illuminations are brightening up the nights in Tokyo now that the days are shorter and nights are cold! I've been warming up with 鍋 (nabe or hotpot) with Kagoshima black pork slices that I received from furusato nozei (unique tax system in Japan that lets you transfer your tax to other domestic regions in … Continue reading Aomori garlic galore
After a relaxing onsen trip in Wakayama prefecture to celebrate my husband's birthday, we wanted another onsen trip quick. Luckily, Tokyo's got onsen covered too! Quality outdoor onsen within Tokyo: Sayano Yudokoro Under an hour from our place on Mita train line, we arrived at 前野原温泉 さやの湯処 (Maenohara Onsen Sayano Yudokoro) in Itabashi ward. Sayano … Continue reading Onsen experience in Tokyo
November 23rd is a labor thanksgiving day in Japan which is the last public holiday of the year. As the following day is my husband's birthday, we ventured out on a birthday celebration trip to 三重 (Mie) and to 和歌山 (Wakayama) prefectures in Kinki region in Japan.The main reason I decided to visit these two … Continue reading Getaway to Wakayama and Mie coastline
The autumn chill has started to stick this week and the leaves' colours are changing in Tokyo. It looks like autumn and it sure taste like autumn in Japan. In the last post, I mentioned that the sound and taste of Japanese autumn is sweet potato🍠.Japanese's autumn is known as「食欲の秋」(appetite in Autumn), the appetite cannot … Continue reading Eating my way through autumn – Japanese autumn sweets
The sound of Japanese autumn is when you hear "石焼き芋、おいも〜” (stone cooked sweet potato, potato" melody with generally an old guy in a small van with smoke streaming out to cook hot, fluffy and wholesome sweet potatoes ready to warm up the passers-by 🍠. As soon as we stop being reliant on A/C to cool … Continue reading The taste of Japanese autumn: sweet potatoes
Native Expat 