This month’s recipe delivers a leftovers transformation that might be even better than the first night! Serve the classic Japanese mom comfort food called niku-jaga (tender beef, potatoes and vegetables simmered in a savory sauce), then add instant curry to the leftovers the next night for Niku-jaga Curry Rice. Savory Beef & Vegetable Simmer Makes 4 servingsContinueContinue reading “Savory Japanese Beef & Vegetables/Curry Rice”
Category Archives: 2020
Tasty Ginger Pork
Serve the classic Japanese mom comfort food called niku-jaga (tender beef, potatoes and vegetables simmered in a savory sauce), then add instant curry to the leftovers the next night for Niku-jaga Curry Rice. This dish is fast, easy, and will make your kitchen smell delicious! Tasty Ginger Pork Serves 4Ingredients:12 oz. (340 g) pork loin or tenderloin2ContinueContinue reading “Tasty Ginger Pork”
How can Oreos be more Japanese than sumo wrestlers?
In last month’s Japanagram, we talked about turning foreign things Japanese, but I bet you never thought that the most extreme example of that might be…sumo. Foreigners have dominated this most sacred of Japanese sports since 1990. This photo, for example, is Asashoryu, the Mongolian who introduced revolutionary – and, for a while, unstoppable – techniques based onContinueContinue reading “How can Oreos be more Japanese than sumo wrestlers?”
Convenience Store Woman
by Sayaka Murata Setting & details: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Setting & details: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Authenticity of Japanese characters & dialogue: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Represents real life in Japan: ⭐⭐⭐⭐Entertainment value: ⭐⭐⭐⭐My recommendation: Well worth reading Convenience Store Woman is the story of middle-aged Keiko Furakura, who has worked in a convenience store all of her adult life, and finally dares to seek a futureContinueContinue reading “Convenience Store Woman”
Thousands of candle-lit igloos turn this village into a winter fairyland
Kamakura Festival in Yokote, Akita The Shiofune Kannon-ji grounds are HUGE. It’s like the Nezu Shrine on steroids. February’s destination is the castle town of Yokote, in the northiest north of Akita prefecture. For two days every year (February 15-16), the town’s children offer toasted rice cakes and sweet sake to visitors inside tiny traditionalContinueContinue reading “Thousands of candle-lit igloos turn this village into a winter fairyland”
Weird Chocolate
When Japan embraces Western holidays, things can go a bit…sideways. And the biggest example of Getting It Wrong is nearly upon us: Valentine’s Day.Why? Because only MEN get chocolate!* That’s right. For Japanese women, Valentine’s Day might as well be called Big Fat Obligation Day, because not only are they on the hook for gifting allContinueContinue reading “Weird Chocolate”
Why the most interesting food you’ll eat in Japan might be…spaghetti
I know. Nobody goes to Japan to eat spaghetti. It’s sushi that’s supposed to deliver the big revelations, right? The exotic fish. The squicky I-dare-you innards. The arcane serving rituals at a restaurant with no menu. But it’s eating spaghetti in Japan that will really make you think. Because although every “Italian” restaurant in Tokyo offers pastaContinueContinue reading “Why the most interesting food you’ll eat in Japan might be…spaghetti”
SEP-OCT 2022
Click on photo or link to read the feature • First of all…say hello to an all-new Japanagram feature! Instead of a book giveaway this month, I’m delving into my personal treasure trove of Japanese collectables for the… Japan Swag Giveaway From hilarious limited edition capsule toys to Japanese new year’s ornaments, each month oneContinueContinue reading “SEP-OCT 2022”
Did you win the Jul-Aug book giveaway?
If you recognize your email, congratulations! You just won a copy of Fish Swimming in Dappled Sunlight by Riku Onda If you think this is you, shoot a message to JapanagramJonelle@gmail.com and tell me if you’d like to read it in ebook or paperback. (If you’d like a paperback, I’ll also need the mailing address you’d likeContinueContinue reading “Did you win the Jul-Aug book giveaway?”
Japan Swag Giveaway
This month’s is a set of six gashapon Attack Cats! Say hello to an all-new Japanagram feature—the Japan Swag Giveaway! From hilarious capsule toys to New Year’s decorations, I’ve collected a vast trove of treasures you can’t buy outside Japan, and instead of giving away a book this month, I’ve decided it’s time to shareContinueContinue reading “Japan Swag Giveaway”
Let’s watch an epic pagoda parade…at night
Oeshiki ikegami at Ikegami Hongan-ji temple What better way to spend a fine fall evening than watching scores of five-tier pagodas parade down the street, all lit up and festooned with garlands of paper flowers? For over seven hundred years, the festival of 10,000 lanterns known as oeshiki ikegami has been happening every October atContinueContinue reading “Let’s watch an epic pagoda parade…at night”
Haiku that capture the small embarrassments and ironies of modern life
Yamada Zenjido (known on Twitter and Instagram as y_haiku) is a Japanese artist who pens haiku-like truisms paired with pitch-perfect drawings, and they are hella funny…if you read Japanese. A few translations, to brighten your day… • Elderly uncle buying sake.Do I really have toCheck his ID? • Why does the dirty rice cooker alwaysContinueContinue reading “Haiku that capture the small embarrassments and ironies of modern life”
Nutty Noodles
This is what the dish looks like when made with whole wheat spaghetti instead of soba noodles These savory noodles are deeply satisfying, even though they are made from only five ingredients. Walnuts give them a deep autumnal flavor that feels just right for the season, and although they’re a very traditional Japanese dish, everybodyContinueContinue reading “Nutty Noodles”
What’s the most Japanese thing you could ever do? Go on a bus tour
I thought going to the holiest shrine in all Japan would be the most ur-cultural experience I could possibly have. I was wrong. It was the bus tour that really redefined “cultural experience,” but not quite in the way I was expecting. Thanks to TokyoCheapo for this fine bus photo Right now, the only wayContinueContinue reading “What’s the most Japanese thing you could ever do? Go on a bus tour”
JUL-AUG 2022
Click on photo or link to read the feature Why, Japan, Why?: Extreme lunchboxing: The what, how & why of Japanese bentō No country has made more of an art of packing a bag lunch and no moms* put more effort into this most resented of daily chores than those in Japan. Here’s why they doContinueContinue reading “JUL-AUG 2022”
MAY-JUN 2022
Click on photo or link to read the feature Why, Japan, Why?: International Food Fails of Japan In a country where only 24% of the population even have a passport (compared to 45% of Americans and 78% of Brits), the closest most Japanese have ever been to “foreign” food is the restaurant down the block.ContinueContinue reading “MAY-JUN 2022”
Did you win the May-Jun book giveaway?
If you recognize your email, congratulations! You just won a copy of The Breakaway Japanese Kitchen by Eric Gower If you think this is you, shoot a message to JapanagramJonelle@gmail.com and give me a mailing address you’d like it sent to (this one is only available in hardcover) and I’ll get it to you soonest. If IContinueContinue reading “Did you win the May-Jun book giveaway?”
Easy Japanese lunchbox supper
Start with a bed of rice, then arrange bits and pieces of leftovers, pantry staples, and/or quick-cooked fresh foods tossed in dressings that you already have in your fridge. The pleasure of this dish is having so many different tastes in one meal It’s summertime, and the last thing you want to do is slaveContinueContinue reading “Easy Japanese lunchbox supper”
Let’s stroll through a forest of perfect miniature trees!
Bonsai Village in Ōmiya The Ōmiya Bonsai Art Museum is a work of art in itself—the trees are displayed in a beautifully-designed landscape that feels like a contemporary Japanese garden. It showcases the trees amid traditional fences and rockscapes Bonsai Village is the neighborhood surrounding the Bonsai Art Museum in Ōmiya, which is home toContinueContinue reading “Let’s stroll through a forest of perfect miniature trees!”
Fish Swimming in Dappled Sunlight
By Riku Onda Setting & details: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Authenticity of Japanese characters & dialogue: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Translation quality: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Entertainment value: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐My recommendation: A masterful “unreliable narrator” mystery in which both characters believe the other to be the killer, alternating their impressions of events in a way that points the finger of guilt first one way, then the other, rightContinueContinue reading “Fish Swimming in Dappled Sunlight”
Extreme lunchboxing
The what, how & why of Japanese bentō boxes To be fair, this King of Tut-boxes was crafted by a stylist at a magazine… No country has made more of an art of packing a bag lunch and no moms* put more effort into this most resented of daily chores than those in Japan. Here’sContinueContinue reading “Extreme lunchboxing”
Floating lanterns on a warm moonlit night
Toro Nagashi at Shinobazu Pond in Asakusa The toro nagashi ceremony has been performed in Asakusa every year since 1946, just after the end of WWII. That year, people began to light lanterns to pray for lasting peace when they sent the spirits of loved ones who died in the war back to the afterlifeContinueContinue reading “Floating lanterns on a warm moonlit night”
MAR-APR 2022
Click on photo or link to read the feature Japanese Home Cooking: Sweet Sesame Spinach As a veteran vegetable hater, I have a special spot in my grinchy heart for leafy greens, but this traditional Japanese way of cooking spinach is so good I can eat a bag of green stuff as big as myContinueContinue reading “MAR-APR 2022”
Did you win the Mar-Apr book giveaway?
If you recognize your email, congratulations! You just won a copy of All I asking for is my body by Milton Murayama If you think this is you, shoot a message to JapanagramJonelle@gmail.com and give me a mailing address you’d like it sent to (this one is only available in paperback) and I’ll get it to youContinueContinue reading “Did you win the Mar-Apr book giveaway?”
A sea of purple, delighting the populace for hundreds of years
Famous iris gardens near Tokyo In every shade, from grape to periwinkle, a Japanese iris garden in bloom is a feast of purple (these are at Meigetsu-in temple, in Kamakura) In the West, it’s rare to see more than a couple of delicate butterfly-like Japanese iris artfully ringing a pond at the local botanical garden,ContinueContinue reading “A sea of purple, delighting the populace for hundreds of years”
Mint-Cilantro Udon & Hamachi with Tomato-Ginger Sauce
Here are two recipes from this month’s book giveaway! Check back in July to see if you won this month’s drawing, but in the meantime please enjoy a delightful summertime supper of Japanese-flavored pesto noodles and seared fresh fish with a piquant tomato-ginger sauce, courtesy of chef and author Eric Gower. The recipes in thisContinueContinue reading “Mint-Cilantro Udon & Hamachi with Tomato-Ginger Sauce”
Why yes, that mold IS a National Living Treasure
Everything you ever wanted to know about making sake This is where the magic happens Japanese sake is surging in popularity as restaurants outside of Japan discover that it makes dishes from all over the world taste even better. My friend Mac—the Kanpai Planet YouTube channel host who delves into All Things Alcoholic in Japan—actuallyContinueContinue reading “Why yes, that mold IS a National Living Treasure”
The Breakaway Japanese Kitchen
The Breakaway Japanese Kitchen By Eric Gower Something different this month: a cookbook! Quality of recipes: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Japanese flavor: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Ease of preparation: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐My recommendation: This cookbook is a great favorite of mine, because the flavors are Japanese-inspired but geared to a Western kitchen and what’s available in Western supermarkets. Everything is a surprise and a delightContinueContinue reading “The Breakaway Japanese Kitchen”
International Food Fails of Japan
How can they get it so wrong? In a country where only 24% of the population even have a passport (compared to 45% of Americans and 78% of Brits), the closest most Japanese have ever been to “foreign” food is the restaurant down the block. Not surprisingly, this black hole of experience plays out inContinueContinue reading “International Food Fails of Japan”
Did you win the Jan-Feb book giveaway?
If you recognize your email, congratulations! You just won a copy of The Tattoo Murder Case by Akimitsu Takagi! If you think this is you, shoot a message to JapanagramJonelle@gmail.com and tell me if you’d like an ebook or paperback (and if paperback, let me know a mailing address you’d like it sent to) and I’ll getContinueContinue reading “Did you win the Jan-Feb book giveaway?”
Japanagram 