Okuizome : 100th Day Japanese Baby Celebration

Do you know about the old Japanese custom called “Okuizome” ? It’s the custom to make a baby pretend to eat food wishing the baby success on the 100th day after the baby is born. It is said that we’ve been having the custom since Heian era.

The ceremony is usually done at home and a little table is set up for the baby.

The main is tai (sea bream). Other foods may include umeboshi (pickled plum). sekihan (sticky red rice usually eaten during ceremonies), sumashijiru (a kind of clear soup), and nimono ( a dish of stewed vegetables). Sweets may also be included.
 
Sometimes they do the ceremony called ”Hagatame” at same time.  It's supposed to help the baby develop strong teeth by biting a stone.

Welcome to “Rabbit island”

Rabbit island-officially known as Okunoshima, the small island is tucked away in the Inland Sea off the coast of Hiroshima Prefecture.

During the war time , there was a factory to produce chemical weapons in this island. In 1971, 8 rabbits, which a primary school couldn’t keep hold anymore, were freed into the island, increased to 700 rabbits.  

Nowadays, rabbits are so used to people and show their charmingness. Sometimes the rabbits crawl all over the visitors who are lying on the ground.

The rabbit island became one of popular sightseeing spot and it is called “the paradise of rabbits” where over ten thousands holidaymakers visit throughout the year.

World’s most first high-speed train, Shinkansen and cleaners

Japan’s Shinkansen, or bullet train, is one of the world’s most high-speed train. Surprisingly, even with over 120,000 trains running on the same line each year, the average delay time is a mere 36 seconds. Since 2014, shinkansen trains run regularly at speeds up to 320 km/h, placing them alongside the French TGV and German ICE as the fastest trains in the world.

Shinkansen is famous not only the speed but also cleaners. Part of the reason the bullet train system can run as smoothly as it does it thanks to the “hospitality group” working behind the scenes of the sleek,futuristic facades of these famous trains. These cleaning crews are charged with covering every inch of a train’s interior when it arrives at its final stop and preparing it for the next wave of customers- and they have just 7 minuets to to do it!

Bullet trains shuttle in and out of the platforms at Tokyo stations 210 times each day. These cleaning crews so called, TESSEI(service company name) oba san, or grannies are divided into teams and each teams clean around 20 trains per day. Not a glamorous work, but the group has been called Japan’s  strongest team by Nikkei Business magazine.

Beautiful Japanese Alps welcomes you!!

The Japan Alps, the “Chubu Sangaku National Park” which is also called  Central Japan National Park encompasses 4 prefectures, Niigata, Toyama, Nagano and Gifu. Nestled at the bases of the majestic peaks of the Japan Alps are even fascinating cities, each with its own top-class sightseeing spots. Nagano was the host city of 1998 Winter Olympics and liked to Tokyo by a convenient new bullet train route.

World famous ski resort such as Hakuba draw visitors all seasons. There are Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route, quaint Hida Takayama, verdant Kamikochi, scenic Azumino, and historic Matsumoto Castle.

Name, Japan Alps was coined by William Gowland, the “Father of Japanese Archaeology” and later popularized by Revered Walter Weston, an English missionary for whom a memorial plaque is located at Kamikochi, a tourist destination known gor its alpine climate. When Gowlnad coined the phrase, however, he was only referring to the Hida Mountains.

Please visit our Alps in Japan if you like mountains!!!

Japanese Water Flask is pretty useful in any occasion

Japanese water flask is not only keep temperature of inside but also very light to carry around.

One of the popular water flask companies is ZOJIRUSHI which has been selling water flask since around 1948 and the characteristic of the water flask is “thermal”.

Even with thermal function, it is only 220g (7.7oz) for 360ml, it is easy to open with one touch button and easy to clean.

For kids to bring it to schools, it is 490g (17.2oz) for 820ml which is easy to carry and not heavy, also it keeps cold water or tea until they finish school.

Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium, the best one in Japan

Okinawa churaumi Aquarium is located about 90 Km from Naha city in Okinawa main island and is widely considered Japan’s best aquarium. It was the largest aquarium in the world until it was surpassed by the Georgia Aquarium in 2005.

In 1975, the World’s Exposition or World’s Fair was held in Okinawa, Japan at the Ocean Expo Park, afterward, the park began to lose tourism and it was believed that a new aquarium would help revive the area and celebrate Okinawa’s marine tradition.

This Churaumi aquarium was opened on 1^st of November, 2002 and “Chura” means “beautiful in Okinawa dialect and “Umi”means Ocean.

The highlight of a visit of this aquarium is the massive Kuroshio Tank, one of the largest in the world. The tank takes its name from warm Kuroshio current which plays a large part in the variety of Okinawa’s of marine life. The tank contains a wide variety of species, the most striking of which are the giant whale sharks and manta rays.

There are also few outdoor pools near the waterfront where animals show of dolphins, sea turtles and manatees can be viewed free of charge. You won’t miss them, too!

Sukiyaki, one of the most famous dish and song in Japan

Sukiyaki is a popular one-pot meal which is usually cooked at the table as you eat. This is one of the famous dish for foreigner together with Sushi & Tempura. It is cooked with thin sliced beef, tofu, noodles and vegetables.

There are two or more meaning of its name.  It’s said that the name of sukiyaki is from the word “suki”which means SPADE in Japanese and “yaki” means GRILL in Japanese. During Edo period, farmers were too busy to prepare dainty food, so they just used suki to cook things like fish and tofu to eat. Another theory of the name “sukiyaki” is from the word “sukimi” which means “thinly cut meat” in Japanese. However, sukiyaki became a traditional Japanese dish during Meiji era.

A song “Sukiyaki” is a Japanese hit that became widely popular in America despite Japanese lyrics that hardly anyone in US could understand. Mr. Kyu Sakamoto was a star in Japan as both an actor and singer, and this song, known in Japan as “Ue O Muite Aruko” was a #1 hit in Japan in 1961. Sometimes in 1962, a British music executive Louis Benjamin heard this song when he was traveling in japan and he had his group Kenny Ball & his Jazzmen record an instrumental version that made it to #10 on the UK charts. Benjamin renamed the song “sukiyaki” after Japanese food he enjoyed. And later the song made it to America and it went to #1 on the Hot 100 for 3 weeks! Enjoy the meal and song together!