12 Things related to Japanese Lifestyle you shouldn’t miss

If you visit the land of the rising sun, you are in for a treat. A visit to Japan is an experience of a lifetime. People generally think that Japan is all about culture, heritage and tradition. However, there is so much more to Japan than just that. Japan is an amalgamation of the old and the new. When you visit Japan, there are certain places you must visit and certain things you must do. Here is a list of experiences you must try out while you are in the country.

Spot Geishas in Kyoto

If you want to see real life Geishas, then a visit to the Gion region of Kyoto is a must. If you are in luck then you will catch a glimpse a real life Geisha all decked up in their finery and dolled up with extravagant make-up. However, you must be extremely alert if you want to spot them.

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The Bullet Train

The Japanese bullets train or shinkansen in Japan is a very popular and much loved mode of transportation in Japan. The bullet train has now become a part of the lifestyle in Japan. These trains practically fly from one centre to another. The trains hit the speed of 300 kmph and this makes commuting really convenient for people who travel long distances. As centres are well connected, and the service is frequent, the bullet train is every travellers delight. If you are in Japan, you must take a ride on it.

The Shibuya Crossing

This crossing is one of the world’s busiest crossings. Made famous by the movie ‘Tokyo Drift’, this crossing is a must see during rush hour. You can actually see a gigantic ‘flood’ of people at this crossing.

Try Teppanyaki Cooking

This type of cuisine is cooked on a hot grill right in front of you. At diners, you get to sit at a common table with other diners as the chef rustles up your food right in front of you.

UNESCO World Heritage Sites

You will find around 17 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Japan and each one of them is worth a visit. Don’t miss them for anything.

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Vending Machine Meal

Eat a hot Japanese lunch from a vending machine. Vending machines are a huge part of the lifestyle in Japan and it’s something you won’t get elsewhere.

Capsule Hotel

A capsule hotel is worth checking into. These zero frill hotels put you up in a capsule each. Again, this is something that is novel.

Tokyo Pushers

‘People Pushers’ help people get onto a train during rush hour so that they don’t miss it in the crowd. They wear blazers and gloves, another unique experience.

Picnic under Cherry Blossoms

Cherry blossoms are something that native to Japan and during the cherry blossom season, it would be criminal if you don’t picnic under one.

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Play Pachinko

Gaming is huge in Japan. You must try out a game of Pachinko at a gaming parlour. It’s pretty much like pinball.

Robots at Work

Watching robots work in an assembly line is something that we have seen on in movies but if you go to Nagoya and take a visit to the Toyota Kaikan Museum and Plant, then you can actually see this sight.

Black Eggs

At Hakone, you can catch a wonderful sight of Mount Fuji, take a relaxing bath at an Onsen and taste delicious and world renowned black eggs.

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If you go to Japan, you must give these 12 things a try. They are fun and will help you soak in the essence of the real Japan.

Japanese Style Mushroom and Tuna Pasta is Very Popular in Japan

Japanese style pasta dishes are not only popular in Japan but also in other parts of the world. However, many people do not have any idea about what the Japanese pasta is. It is not Udon, no Soba, not Ramen, but simple Italian pasta prepared with Japanese ingredients and flavours. Italian food is quite popular in Japan and some people even think that Japan has the best Italian food outside of Italy.

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When Italian food got introduced in Japan during the post war era, Italian style pasta was the main dish to be served. During the 70s, Japanese people started experimenting by adding home grown ingredients and flavours. These days, Japanese style pasta also called as Wafuu Pasta has grown in popularity around the country. In Japan, several people like to eat this pasta at their homes or restaurants.

Mushroom and Tuna Pasta is one of the widely consumed Japanese style pastas that you can order at the restaurants or prepare in your own kitchen. Here is the recipe of this pasta dish.

Ingredients

• Spaghetti, 2 to 3 servings
• Rinsed and the bottom discarded Bunashimeji (brown beech mushroom), 1
• Rinsed and sliced shiitake mushrooms, 2
• Rinsed and sliced mushrooms, 4
• Rinsed and bottom discarded Enoki, 1 package
• Olive oil, 1 tbsp
• Sake, 2 tbsp
• Tuna, drained in oil or water, 1 can
• Konbucha, 1 tsp
• Mentsuyu, Japanese noodle soup base for soba and udon noodles, 4 tbsp
• Butter, 1 tbsp
• Leaves of shiso, 3
• Kizami Nori

How to Prepare Mushroom and Tuna Pasta?

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At first, you need to take a large pot and add water into it. Bring water to a boil and cook spaghetti as per the instructions given on the package. Cook for 1 minute less, as you will again have to cook spaghetti later. Now, take a large skillet and heat oil on medium high heat and also cook mushrooms. Once the mushrooms are cooked, mix in sake and allow it to evaporate while stirring it with wooden spoon. Now, you should add tuna from the can and mix. After that, add Mentsuyu, Konbucha, and butter and mix them all together. Now, one ladle of cooking water of pasta should be scooped and added as per the needs. Then, shake the pan well and mix in the drained pasta in the pan.

It is time to serve the pasta with shiso leaves and Kizami Nori.

So, if you are travelling to Japan, do not forget to taste the Japanese pasta delicacies.

Japanese Cuisine: Delicious & Versatile

Japanese cuisine is extremely varied and consists of a variety of food items. So, if you think that Japanese food is only about Sushi and bowls of cooked rice, you should definitely reconsider. Japanese cuisine is extremely versatile and if you are a foodie, you will surely love the wonderful array of food items that Japan has to offer.

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Food served in Japan is inherently Japanese but world cuisine is also making its presence felt in the cities. However, the people of Japan are still extremely fond of and attached to Japanese cuisine and are also proud of it. Japanese cuisine is spreading across the world and people are accepting it with open arms.

If you want to try out Japanese cuisine and are keen on savouring some of the delicacies, then here are some Japanese food names that are extremely famous for their deliciousness.

As rice is the main staple in Japan, here are a few rice dishes you must sample:

Hayashi Rice: This is cooked rice topped with thick and tasty beef stew.

Onigiri: These are rice balls that are wrapped with seaweed and have a little stuffing in the middle.

Omurice: This is basically an omelette stuffed with fried rice, a delicacy.

Gyudon: This is a type of donburi. It is basically steamed rice with a topping of seasoned beef.

Katsudon: This is also a type of donburi. It comprises steamed rice with a topping of bread-crumbed pork cutlets.

There are various other kinds of rice dishes available; here are the Japanese food names of deep fried dishes:

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Tempura: This is a dish that is loved by all. It consists of prawns and vegetables, dipped in a batter and deep-fried.

Karaage: This dish comprises bite-size portions of fish, chicken, octopus, or different kinds of meat, which are floured and deep-fried.

Tonkatsu: Deep-fried pork cutlets that are breaded

Noodle dishes are also famous in Japan; here are the names of a few:

Udon: This is basically wheat noodles that are white and thick and served with various types of toppings like curry soup (Japanese style), etc.

Ramen: This type of noodle is light yellow and thin and is served in a hot broth of pork or chicken. This is extremely popular in Japan.

Soba: This is basically buckwheat noodles and is brown in colour. Soba is either served hot or cold.

Japanese food is extremely tasty and if you visit Japan or want to taste different sort of cuisine, then you must try out these dishes.

Travel Reservations in Japan Experience a Rise

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Japan’s tourism sector is booming and the evidence is clear. According to the trains of Japan Railways Group and some of the country’s major airlines, seat reservations for the festive season have increased since last year. The data of the companies, which was presented on Friday, showed these results visibly.

According to six JR group firms, till Thursday, the seats reserved on express train and on Shinkansen trains from the dates 27 December till 5 January, 2013 has grown by six percent to a staggering 3.43 million. Seats reserved for domestic flights were also seen to go up by 17 percent to a colossal 4.13 million and reservations on international flights were seen to go up by seven percent to 790,000 for the time between 20 December and 8 January. The calendar dates have affected these figures as both 28 December and 5 January are weekends. This will allow workers to take a long break which will include the three day New Year holiday from 1 January.

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According to an official of Japan Railway Co. The train reservations have increased because of the rise in tourism and the fact that people are usually go back to their hometowns during this time of the year. The official also mentioned that the number of tourists going skiing has increased over the year. The Company have also claimed that reservations of seats have increased in bullet and other trains going to the Nagano Prefecture and Tohoku region. 

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However, Hokkaido Railway Co. have suffered a drop in seat reservation as the company, that was already targeted for shoddy rail checks, has reduced its number of restricted express trains, losing out on customers to a variety of buses.

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Flights to Chinese destinations have drawn more customers after the Senkaku Islands issue lessened the demands earlier this year. All Nippon Airways returned to their 2011 figures with the rise in reservations and Japan Airlines enjoyed a fabulous six percent growth. Comparatively, flight reservations to South Korea dropped 12 percent at JAL because of the decline of the South Korean pop culture that was growing in popularity in Japan.

Therefore, Japan has experienced a massive growth in holiday travel reservations this year due to locals and tourists.

Serve your Guests a Japanese Christmas Cake this Year

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Believe it or not, a Christmas cake is a typically Japanese concept. In fact, it is necessary to have a Christmas cake, on the day of Christmas, in Japan. The Christmas cake was said to become popular in Japan during the 1970’s.

It is believed that the first Christmas cake in Japan was made way back in 1910. However, back then, it was just a simple plum cake decorated with silver balls and fondant. Later, in 1922, a short cake was introduced instead of a plum cake. After that, the Christmas cake in Japan was associated with a short cake.

From 1965, Christmas was a largely celebrated event or festival in Japan and a Christmas cake became an essential item on the dining table of every family during the event. However, the trend became more popular after 1970. At first, the Christmas cake type was sponge covered with butter cream but as time passed people use fresh cream, chocolate cream and even ice cream on the cakes. If you want to know how to bake a Japanese Christmas cake, here’s how:

Ingredients (Sponge Cake)

• 1 Cup All-purpose Flour
• 1 teaspoon of Baking Powder
• 2 eggs
• ½ Cup of Milk
• 2 Tablespoon of Butter
• 1 Cup of Sugar

Method

First, take two eggs; they must be at room temperature. Then, grease a round nine inch cake tin. After this, mix the flour and baking powder in a bowl and keep it aside. Pre-heat the oven at around 350°. Take an electric mixer and at high speed, beat the eggs for around four minutes. Use a timer for this as this sets the texture of the cake.

After this, pour in the sugar little by little as you beat the eggs, this time keep the mixer on medium speed. Beat this mixture for five minutes, again, use a timer. After this time, the mixture will become frothy and light. Then, take the butter and milk in a pan and heat it till the butter melts, add this mixture to the eggs and add the flour and baking powder mixture as well.

Combine everything together properly till smooth and pour it into the cake tin. (You can also add a few drops of vanilla essence or extract in the if you think the egg smell is too much to handle)

Place the tin in the middle of the oven and bake for around 20 to 25 minutes. After this, to check if the cake is done, put a tooth pick or knife into the centre, to see if it comes out clean. Then, let it cool.

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For the cream icing, whip together, three or four tablespoons of powdered sugar, two cups of heavy cream and half a teaspoon of vanilla extract. Whip till it becomes stiff. As soon as it is done cover loosely with plastic and refrigerate till used. Ice the cake only once it cools otherwise the icing w ill melt.

Slice the cake in half but if you are using two cakes then this won’t be necessary. Place one layer and cover the top with whipped cream and smooth it out. Arrange some fresh strawberries on it. Place the top layer carefully on it and cover it with cream. Cover the entire cake, top and sides, with cream and smooth it out. On top you can place some fresh strawberries or marzipan or chocolate, and it will be ready to serve.

Try this Japanese Christmas cake this year and see your family enjoy their Christmas meal. You can also serve it on Christmas Eve.

Lifestyle in Japan is Unusual yet Wonderful

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Japan is a wonderful experience for people who visit it. If you are a tourist or are going to shift to Japan, then you must do a little bit of reading up on the country. The country is an amalgamation of the new and the old. It could be the technological capital of the world but it is also the epitome of culture, art, history, tradition, customs and heritage. To adjust well in Japan, one has to know about the people of Japan and their lifestyle in depth. If they know how the country functions, then getting around won’t be difficult. Here are a few aspects you can learn about life in Japan.

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Japanese convenience stores

Japanese convenience stores or Konbini, are completely different from the ones in London or any other place. These stores are extremely important to the people there as they sell modern and essential goods to the people of Japan to make life easier for them. These stores are also a blessing to the tourists who visit Japan and the people who have shifted to the country and are new to its culture.

These stores are open 24 hours a day and seven days a week. You can get almost anything in these stores and they also provide various services that are essential to day-to-day life. One can buy theatre or concert tickets at these stores; one can pay bills here, avail courier services and even withdraw money from the ATM. These convenience stores are a part of the lifestyle in Japan. The lives of the citizens are easy because of the conveniences the stores provide.

But That’s not All

These stores also sell unique food items and drinks. The beverages sold are either from popular beverage companies or made by them. Every single store has individual menus and secret recipes. The stores not just sell food and drink products but also cosmetics, household goods and magazines. These stores always have something new to offer. So if you are new to Japan, these stores are absolute life savers.

For Relaxation

If you want to relax in Japan, then you can take off to an Onsen. Onsens are hot springs in Japan and are best during winter. You can take a dip in the warm waters of the springs and unwind. You can stay at ryokans and avail of their private baths. People of Japan also visit hot springs as they believe that these waters are therapeutic.

You can find out a lot more about Japan and its people by visiting blogs on the internet. These blogs have authentic information as they are written by citizens of Japan or tourists.

Tokyo Presenting Smarter Mobility, while Toyota is ready to Steal the Show!

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Rewarded with a smile by exceeding your expectations – says the signature statement of Toyota’s Global Vision. This clearly declares that Toyota’s sole ambition is to deliver better customer satisfaction by exploiting the creative potentials of technological advancement. It endeavours to inspire smart Transport Systems (ITS) that needs combined methodologies for vehicles, traffic environment and people.

Humane Approach is in Demand

The world around us is changing rapidly. Revolving perspective of developed societies, increasing populations, urbanization of developing countries and various energy sources provoke more innovations in technological sectors. Automobiles these days are merely commuting devices but are important to people in search of progressive lifestyle. So, expectations regarding new ideas in automobile industry are raising; people want car, want blended innovations combining technology with sensibility. Creating better cars, therefore, has always been their prime intention as an automaker. To reach the goal the company keeps experimenting with various mobile vehicle technologies with a purpose to offer a safer, comfier, and more ecological mobility to the customers.

Toyota in Smart Mobility Show, 2013

Since inception, Toyota has always struggled to discover the safest and the most responsible methods of transportation, and enrich the lives of the people all over the world. Their honest efforts to meet those increasing expectations and stay ahead have been appreciated by the customers time and again.

According to a recent announcement, Toyota Motor Corp. will be having a stall in the “Smart Mobility City 2013” section; it is the 43rd year of Tokyo Motor Show that has been making a big buzz in the automobile industry over the years. Their intention is to show how vehicles in everyday lives can play bigger roles and how users and the society will benefit from it. Toyota aims to present a glance of future, where transportation blends societal and lifestyle interests.

The Company Gears Up with its Latest Editions:

To carry on with their mission of introducing more environmental vehicles to the society Toyota is planning to present five fresh concepts at the Tokyo Motor Show this year. The list of debutant vehicles also includes FCV, Fuel Cell Vehicle their latest concept of transport. Comprising a number of exciting offers for the car riders, Toyota’s booth in Smart Mobility show is already under wide speculation. And the options on display are:

• Toyota i-Road, a personal mobility vehicle offering a unique riding experience. According to the company it will be making its debut in the Ha:mo urban traffic system.

• Toyota in Motor Show this year will be unveiling “T•COM”, a two-seater developed by the company.

• The “Winglet” is one more attraction of the event to focus on. It is a robot offering ultra-compact personal conveyance assistance to the riders.

The development in information and communication technology has been commendable. The creators’ effort to introduce more comfortable, environmental and hi-tech products are helping human race to move faster than ever. Thanks to the companies like Toyota, who are working hard toward the success of this mission; including vehicles with some superbly advanced technologies like Big Data Traffic Information Service, Voice Recognition Agent, and Smart G-Book,the event will showcase some amazing results of their genuine effort. Some other important exhibits will cover technologies like IPA – Intelligent Parking Assist and ICS – Intelligent Clearance Sonar.

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Savour Japanese Cuisine to find Out its Specialty

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One of the aspects that are most fascinating about Japan is its food. Japanese food is varied in flavour and preparation. Japanese cuisine is nothing like any of the occidental cuisines. Japanese food consists of oriental flavours, a lot of seafood and an array of different spices and herbs exclusive to Asia.

After taking a look at the entries at the Asian Food Fest, you can easily make out that Japanese food is truly one of a kind and purely Asian in form, texture and taste. Japanese cuisine consists of a variety of staples from different kinds of rice preps to a wide range of noodle. Rice and noodles is used in a various number of dishes that are incredibly delicious.

Some of the dishes that consist of rice, noodles, and different sorts of protein are:

• Gyudon

• Nabeyaki Udon

• Yakisoba

• Tonkotsu Ramen

• Matcha soba noodle salad

• Unadon

• Soboro Donburi

• Open Sushi

• Onigiri

• Omurice

• Hosomaki

• Katsudon

• Onsen Tamago Tofu

• Chicken Katsu

• Tempura (Vegetable, seafood, etc.)

• Tebasaki

• Chicken Karaage

• Daikon no Soboroni

• Buta Kakuni

• Supearibu no Nikomi

• Miso Soup

• Bacon Enoki Rolls with Teriyaki Sauce, etc.

These are some of the dishes that you must try out if you visit Japan. Various Japanese food items are available easily at restaurants and street side stalls. Japanese food can also be savoured in other countries but if you want the authentic taste, you will only get it if you eat Japanese food in Japan or made by chefs who have received training from Japan. The dishes that were presented in the Asian Food Fest are reflections of how important food is in Japanese society. You can also read up about Japanese cuisine if you are interested in knowing more about it.

The Hokkaido Course to Enjoy in Japanese Restaurants

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Japanese dishes are known worldwide for the great taste and sumptuousness. People around the world devour different kinds of Japanese dishes. The world know Japanese people as great foodies but you will be surprised to look at their fitness levels, in spite of the fact that they have a big appetite.

A lot of culinary Japanese dishes are popular among the people from every nook and cranny in the world. Though culinary dishes taste the best, foods at the restaurants are no less extravagant. There are several restaurants around the Japan and other parts of the world where you could taste the exclusive Japanese delicacies.

These restaurants keep changing their menu in order to introduce new dishes. The chefs in these restaurants use fresh quality ingredients and produces incomparable dishes with their skilful technique and creative flair.

Hokkaido Course in Japanese Restaurants

One of the most delicious Japanese dish courses being made available to you at the Japanese restaurants is Hokkaido Course that includes appetisers, sashimi, Hokkaido Ginkarei Shioyaki, Char-grill Ohmi, Hata Tempura and signature prawn, Miso soup and Bara Chirashi Sushi bowl.

The seasonal appetiser with this meal course consists of handmade noodles with foie gras, pumpkin tofu and vegetables with sesame sauce. The wild prawns used in the signature prawn and hata tempura give it a lovely sweetness. With crispy texture and savoury nature, the airy and tight tempura is a complete pleasure to devour at the Japanese restaurants.

• The Halibut is a type of fish with versatile qualities and different flavours. Hokkaido Ginkarei Shioyaki is quite tender and goes well the teriyaki sauce.

• The Char-Grill Ohmi is exceptionally tender and succulent and being served in cubes. The supple and tender fat cubes are slight crunchy and melts down in your mouth. It may look small in size but only a few cubes are enough to satisfy your beef craving.

• The thick slices of salmon on Bara Chirashi Sushi bowl will make you fall in love with it.

• The sushi lovers can go for Otoro set where you are served 6 pieces of sushi (2 pcs otoro aburi, 2 pcs otoro and 2 pcs Tai). All the fish pieces are fresh and cover the rice generously.

• The Tai Nyumen Mushi is mainly a wild snapper fish. It is cooked in bonito broth with fish noodles. MSG is not required and noodles are crunchy.

• You can also take a bowl of green tea.

So, if you are visiting any Japanese restaurant in your neighbourhood, you will have plenty of dishes on your plate.

The Food and View at Izu Peninsula in Simple Breathtaking

Japan is a very interesting place to visit if you like travelling the world. Japan is a mixture of the old and the new. On one hand you can see how technologically advanced it is and on the other hand, you will still find it deeply rooted in tradition, customs and history. The Japanese are a proud race and they take pride in their country. Therefore, when you visit Japan, make sure you soak in the true essence of the country.

If you are wondering, where to go in Japan, where you can take some time off, eat Japanese food and behold the beauties of the country, then you must take a trip to the Izu peninsula. The Izu peninsula is just an hour away from Tokyo, so if you are staying in the capital city, a trip to this place will be quick.

You can go to Ajiro and stay at a ryokan there but on your way to Ajiro, try and stop at Atami. This town is by the sea and it is very popular, especially with tourists. You can take a walk around town and behold Japanese buildings that have aged with time. The walking paths in the city are gorgeous and therefore you will have a fun time taking a stroll. The town is extremely charming.

If you visit Atami, and love Japanese food, then you absolutely must visit a few restaurants that sell exquisite food items. A restaurant called Kamatsuru sells excellent dried fish that you must taste. It is around 150 years old and now the fifth generation runs it. Apart from the dried fish, you must try out the bottled anchovy in this place. Near Kamatsuru there is this wonderful sushi restaurant and another tempura restaurant. If you are in the Izu peninsula, you must try the red snapper.

Another restaurant called Unamasa is a specialist restaurant that has only eight seats and the delicacy they specialise in is baked eel. As the restaurant uses eels that are domestic, the produce is highly restricted. Therefore, if you want a taste of the lovely delicacy, go there during lunchtime.

The third restaurant that must make it to every foodie’s list is Tokiwagi, there specialty is sweet bean jelly. This jelly is a sweet native to Japan and is called Yokan. It is prepared with simple ingredients such as sugar, azuki beans and water, and the taste is delicate and subtle. They have various types of traditional sweets along with sweets with a modern twist.

The ryokan in Ajiro is beautiful and complements the picturesque view of the town. The rooms have open-air baths that are splendid indeed and view of the ocean from the rooms is simply breathtaking. You can eat dinner that is served Kaiseki style and there are around eight to ten dishes as each dish is rather small. Every single dish is scrumptious and will have you asking for more. So if you don’t want to visit the Izu peninsula for the view, do visit it for the amazing food that is served.