Unique Japan

After enduring a slew of hot summer nights with sleep so hard to come by, it was refreshing to wake up to a cool autumn breeze this morning. The end of summer is approaching. Kids at the park are enjoying their last week of summer vacation and soaking up the late summer sun.

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Continuing on with the Yaki Yaki business. This time, I would like to introduce some Yaki Yaki sweets from Japan.

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August is a matusri (festival) season in Japan, with numerous Bon-odori festivals and fireworks throughout the country. Though it may seem smarter to stay in an air-conditioned room and avoid the insanely packed crowds, there is something special about being at the festivals. Strolling around, eating shaved ice under the hot summer sun, watching people going by, playing some silly games, and of course sampling the festival food from the street vendors. This is something that I cannot pass up. So I would like to introduce some of the Japanese festival foods you might like to try.

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Paper or Plastic? I bet people are getting sick of being asked this question. I’ve been asked numerous times here in Japan. Every time I was asked, I gave it a good amount of consideration and usually end up with going with plastic. Is plastic better? I don’t know.

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The days are getting longer and everybody seems to be enjoying these summer days and nights. You’ll see salary-men heading off to nearby Beer Gardens after work, where they can enjoy a few cold beers outside with their colleagues. Or you’ll see kids playing with sparklers with their friends（under adults’ supervision, of course) or you might happen to see girls wearing a Yukata. When I see this it makes me really feel like summer is finally here. For those who don’t know what a Yukata is, simply put, it’s a summer Kimono.

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The wet season is usually over by July, leaving us free to enjoy and complain about the hot, steamy weather. But – perhaps due to climate change – weather patterns in Japan, and for that matter all over the world, are out of whack, and lately it’s been raining on and off and on again despite the calendar. Every morning we flip on the TV to see how wet the day is going to be. Almost every day the weather lady has been instructing us to “Remember the umbrella!”

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It’s almost 90 degrees outside. Summer is definitely here, devouring every inch of the concrete jungle we know as Tokyo. Even though it’s scorching hot outside, I still like summer time. It’s a time when we can enjoy long hours of daylight. It’s no secret that we all like the big fireworks. And most of all, we don’t need any excuse to eat more ice-cream or shaved ice. Summer brings back a lot of good memories for me. One in particular is the radio exercise.

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I just finished listening to a podcast about the most livable cities in the world. Tokyo made #3 on the list. We got beat out by Zurich (The Beverly Hills of Europe) and Copenhagen. According to Monocle’s Global Quality of Life Survey 2009, Tokyo’s plans to plant 1 million trees and its transit system that runs like clockwork, gave it the number 3 slot this year.  Tokyo is bustling yet safe, futuristic yet culturally attentive, and its 18+ train lines stretch to every corner of the city.

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There are many unique customs that are etched into Japanese culture, and one is the giving of summer gifts called Ochu-gen. If you go to any department store or grocery store around this time, you’ll see numerous displays of boxed gifts for Ochu-gen.

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It’s quite a recent occurrence to see people briskly walking about with a cup of morning Joe in their hands. Starbucks started its Japanese operations a little over a decade ago, and since then numerous Seattle style cafés opened up everywhere in Japan. Their signature style of comfortable sofas, open spaces, friendly staff, and endless combinable drink menus became an instant hit. You often see students, young professionals, dressed-up OLs (office ladies), design-minded people, and executive types in these spacious cafés. But where are the good ol’ salarymen? Well, they have their own favorite caffeine fix.

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