Hand-Grilled Rice Crackers From Komiya Senbei, A Long-Established Rice Cracker Shop in Soka, Saitama This video, titled "Japanese Rice Cracker, SENBEI Making ASMR," was released by "Ante." It introduces hand-grilled Soka Senbei. Soka Senbei are a type of Japanese rice cracker and are a specialty product made in Soka, Saitama. In the year 2000, they were selected as one of the "Top 100 Local Specialties in Saitama to Pass on to the 21st Century." The video introduces the long-established Soka Senbei rice cracker shop which is very particular about hand-grilling their product, the "Komiya Senbei," and shows it being grilled from start to finish. The rhythmic beat as they flip over and add flavor to the rice crackers makes quite a catchy ASMR tune. Soka Senbei - A Popular Snack in Japan Photo：Soka Senbei from Soka, Saitama Soka Senbei are characterized by being made from 100% glutinous rice. It is said that Soka Senbei originated in the Edo period (1603-1868) when soy sauce was added to "Shio Katamochi" (a type of hardened, salted rice cake), which was then grilled and turned into salt flavored rice crackers. This was eaten as a non-perishable food. Soka Senbei, which have a hard and crisp texture and do not contain additives such as coloring agents, are loved by many people, from both children to adults. This is why many people buy assorted rice crackers for celebrations, gifts, presents, souvenirs, etc., and they can also be purchased online. Genuine Soka Senbei have a regional collective trademark on them as a symbol of authenticity to preserve the traditional flavor. Also, in the year 2000, this rice cracker boarded the Space Shuttle Endeavor with Koichi Wakata as he took to the stars. Making Soka senbei, A Specialty of Saitama Prefecture Photo：Rice Here, we'll introduce how Soka senbei are made alongside the video. 1. Milling Polish the rice and grind it with a stone mill. 2. Kneading Stir and knead while adding boiling water into the oval mixing tub. 3. Steaming Rice is made into ball-shape dumplings and steamed in a bamboo steamer. 4. Pound Pound the rice, cool it down and repeat pounding it. 5. Knead again Knead further 6. Smooth and Flatten Spread to an even thickness 7. Cut according to a mold Cutting out in the shape of a round mold 8. Dry Line the rice crackers up and dry them in the sun. Source :YouTube screenshot 9. Grilling (0:35~] Turn the rice cracker over and over again over a charcoal grill, pressing it with a push tile many times to shape it and grill it. 10. Finishing (6:26~] Carefully apply soy sauce to the grilled rice crackers one by one with a brush. The video shows the grilling and finishing steps of 9 and 10. As you can see in the video, the hand-grilling is done by a skilled craftsman while watching and adjusting the moisture and cooking that each rice cracker receives. Because the process is so strict, only about 1,500 to 2,000 rice crackers can be roasted in a day. Summary of Soka Senbei Rice Crackers Photo：Soka Senbei, Saitama Prefecture In this article and video, you can see the charm of Soka Senbei as they're carefully grilled one by one. Soka Senbei rice crackers cost more than mass-produced rice crackers because of the particularities regarding ingredients and because the amount that can be made in a day is limited, but we highly recommend trying Soka Senbei, a simple, yet delicious treat. In the video, you can see the rice crackers being turned over and grilled one after another with a rhythmic beat. You can smell the great grilled scent just by looking at the picture. 【Yelp】Komiya Senbei Honpo https://www.yelp.com/biz/%E5%B0%8F%E5%AE%AE%E3%81%9B%E3%82%93%E3%81%B9%E3%81%84%E6%9C%AC%E8%88%97-%E8%8D%89%E5%8A%A0%E5%B8%82?osq=%E5%B0%8F%E5%AE%AE%E3%81%9B%E3%82%93%E3%81%B9%E3%81%84

A Look at a Fusuma Paper Factory This video, titled "Nippon Handiwork Field Guide x Kikuchi Fusuma Manufacturing" (ニッポン手仕事図鑑 × 菊池襖紙工場), features interviews with craftsmen who create traditional Japanese fusuma. Kikuchi Fusuma Manufacturing, featured in the video, is located in Sumida city, Tokyo (東京都墨田区, toukyou-to sumida-ku), and has been producing fusuma paper the traditional way for many years. Craftsmen Masaaki Yasukawa, seen at 1:25 in the video, and Kazuhisa Yamamoto (5:24), explain how fusuma paper is manufactured. This article will explain the history of fusuma and its manufacturing process. Be sure to watch the video as you read along. More About the History of Fusuma and Its Production Process Source :YouTube screenshot In any traditional Japanese home there is a Japanese-style room. A Japanese-style room typically has tatami mat flooring along with other traditional items, such as Japanese paper screens (障子, Shoji) and Fusuma. There are many kinds of paper used in shoji making and fusuma vary by the skill and expertise of the craftsmen who made them. The beautiful design of fusuma paper made from gold leaf is especially popular overseas. The Origins of Kikuchi Fusuma Manufacturing and How Fusuma Paper Is Made Source :YouTube screenshot In this video we introduce Kikuchi Fusuma Manufacturing: a long-running fusuma manufacturing company established in 1924. They began as a company that solely focused on the application of patterns and designs for fusuma paper. As you can see from 0:12 in the video, the printing process has evolved, along with the development of new techniques and technology, and both original printing methods and inkjet printers are used to apply patterns and designs to the fusuma paper. At Kikuchi Fusuma Manfucaturing, the top-seller of fusuma paper in Japan, they use computers to design unique and intricate patterns for their fusuma paper. Kikuchi Fusuma Manufacturing Is Creating Some New and Interesting Products! Source :YouTube screenshot From 5:09 in the video, you can see how gold and silver dust (a traditional Japanese decorating method) is used in the production of fusuma paper at Kikuchi Fusuma Manufacturing. During the interview, Kazuhisa Yamamoto explains how the use of gold and silver dust in their designs is one of the ideas they began utilizing to bring more of a traditional feel to their modern fusuma designs. Other paper items currently being produced at Kikuchi Fusuma Manufacturing include iron-on fusuma paper, peel and stick wallpaper, and mending wallpaper used to fix damage. Other interesting items you may be interested in purchasing include glass window design paper, silhouette guard paper, insulating sheets, and cute wrapping paper. Summary of Kikuchi Fusuma Manufacturing Source :YouTube screenshot In this article we introduced Kikuchi Fusuma Manufacturing, a company that continues to produce fusuma paper with traditional methods. Companies, including Kikuchi Fusuma Manufacturing, continue to produce traditional Japanese fusuma paper relying on the techniques of highly skilled craftsmen. We hope you enjoyed watching this video and that you learned something new about fusuma and Japanese traditional culture. 【Official Website】Fusuma paper and wallpaper production and sales | Kikuchi Fusuma Manufacturing https://fusuma.co.jp/