Went to a soba restaurant in Ueno called Rengyoku-an 蓮玉庵 over the weekend and ordered same really tasty tempura and soba. I ordered the Tempura Seiro Soba 天せいろそば and it was a bit pricey at 1750 yen but it tasted great. What I really liked about the restaurant though besides the food, was the atmosphere of the place. It had a bunch of really awesome art hanging on the walls that was reminiscent of Edo Period art and I'm a pretty big fan of that so it was really enjoyable. The inside of the building was grey but it was very stylish. I'm not sure what the walls were made of, but it seemed to be some sort of granite and the coloring of the seats was also in a similar fashion but very tasteful. I definitely want to go back here again and try some more of their dishes! It's pretty close to Okachimachi Station so it's pretty easy to drop in for lunch.

[English/Japanese] In this issue, I would like to introduce you to some of the things that you should not do in Japan. There are things that you may have done without knowing it, but that even foreigners are not allowed to do. How many of Japan's unique cultures do you know? Gift Giving Etiquette There are two numbers that are frowned upon in Japan: 4 and 9. 4 is pronounced "shi" and 9 is pronounced "ku" in Japanese. "Shi" means "death" and "9" means "suffering", so anything with "ku" and "shi" in it is frowned upon in many situations. For example, "comb" is not allowed to be sent as a gift because it has a bad meaning. In addition to this, there are a few other gifts that should not be sent. For example, a plant in a pot should not be sent to a person in the hospital. A plant in a pot has roots. This is because it can be taken to mean that the plant will have roots in the hospital, meaning that the illness will last longer. If you want to give flowers to someone who is in the hospital, use cut flowers instead of potted plants. However, even cut flowers such as chrysanthemums, which are used for funerals, are considered rude, so be careful. Also, do not send a handkerchief as a wedding gift. Why is this? Because handkerchiefs are associated with tears. Other items that can be broken, such as china and mirrors, are also considered bad luck. Similarly, for housewarming gifts, lighters and ashtrays should not be sent because they remind people of fire. These are just a few examples. If you are going to give a gift to a Japanese person, you need to find out beforehand if it would be a rude gift. Dining Manners Your country also has various manners for eating. I have heard manners such as never using your left hand when eating curry from Nepalese students at our school. So, what kind of manners do we have in Japan for eating? In Japan, we use chopsticks when we eat. Chopsticks are difficult to use, but their manners are also complicated. For example, the worst thing you can do is to use two chopsticks to hold your food. The reason why this is not allowed is because it is the same act as placing the bones of a deceased person in an urn at a Buddhist funeral. *Not talking about chopsticks, but putting the right collar of the kimono on top of the left collar is the same as wearing the kimono of the deceased, so you have to be careful. ） There are many other manners of chopsticks that should not be practiced, such as "stabbing chopsticks" and "yose-chopsticks". In addition to chopsticks, it is also bad manners to eat rice without holding the bowl, or to put your elbows on the table. However, if you think about it too much, it will be difficult to eat a good meal. I recommend that you learn at least the minimum manners for eating, and then gradually get used to them. Superstitions How many superstitions do you know about in Japan? The first one is the "north pillow". The first one is "north pillow", which means that you should not sleep with your pillow in the north, because it is related to Buddhism and there is a theory that putting your pillow in the north means death. Second, don't cut your nails at night. There is a superstition that if you cut your nails at night, you will die before your parents do. One reason is that nails are the place where a person's "soul" is located, so they must be taken care of. Another reason is that in the days when there was little light, cutting nails at night would cause injury. The third is "don't whistle at night." In Japan, there is a saying that whistling attracts spiritual things. This spirituality includes not only good things, but also bad things, so there is a theory that it is dangerous to whistle at night, when spirituality is more active. The three I've mentioned so far are all things you shouldn't do, but I'll end with a superstition that has a good meaning. The last superstition that has a good meaning is "If a pillar of tea stands, good luck will come. A pillar of tea means that the stems of the tea in the teacup stand up like a pillar when the tea is made. For Japanese people, a "pillar" has a powerful impression as something that supports a house. A recent popular manga often features a "pillar [Hahira]” For this reason, the tea pillar is known as a good omen. Incidentally, I have heard from Mongolian students that there is a superstition that if a pillar of tea stands, relatives will come to your house. In different countries, superstitions have completely different meanings, don't they? I hope you now have a better understanding of manners. In the next article, I will introduce manners at leisure facilities. This time, I will introduce "what not to do in Japan". Even if you don't know it, there are things that you can't forgive because you're a foreigner. How many unique cultures do you know of Japan? Gift etiquette There are figures that are hated in Japan. 4 and 9. 4 is pronounced as Japanese, "shi" and 9 as "ku". Since "shi" means "death" and "9" means "suffering", things with "ku" and "shi" in the words are disliked in various situations. For example, "comb" is a gift that has a bad meaning, so it is not allowed to be sent. There are a few other gifts you shouldn't send. For example, plants in pots should not be sent to people who are in the hospital. The plant in the pot has roots. This is because it is taken as the meaning of being rooted in a hospital, that is, the meaning of prolonged illness. If you want to give flowers to someone who is in the hospital, cut flowers instead of potted plants. However, be careful not to use cut flowers such as "chrysanthemums" used for funerals, as they will be rude. Also, if it is a wedding gift, do not send a handkerchief. Why? Because handkerchiefs are associated with tears. In addition, crackable objects such as pottery and mirrors are also considered unlucky. In the case of housewarming, lighters and ashtrays should not be sent because they are reminiscent of fire. These are just a few. If you are going to give something to Japan someone, you need to research it in advance to see if it will be a rude gift. Dining etiquette Your country also has various dining etiquette. I have heard from Nepalese students at our school that they never use their left hand when eating curry. So, what kind of dining etiquette is there in Japan? In Japan, chopsticks are used when eating. Chopsticks are difficult to use, but their manners are also complicated. For example, the last thing you should do is hold one food with chopsticks for two people. The reason why this should not be done is because it is the same act as placing the bones of a deceased person in an urn at a Buddhist funeral. * I'm not talking about chopsticks, but you have to be careful if the collar of the kimono is in front of the right, because it will be the same as the kimono worn by the deceased. In addition to this, there are many other acts that should not be done, such as "embroidery chopsticks" to embroider food and "chopsticks" to pull plates together. It is also bad manners to eat rice without holding a bowl in addition to chopsticks, or to elbow yourself on the table. However, if you think about it too much, it will be difficult to eat delicious rice. We recommend that you learn the minimum manners of your meals and gradually get used to them. superstition How many superstitions do you know about Japan? Here are some of them. The first is the "North Pillow". There is a theory that you should not sleep with a pillow in the north, which is related to Buddhism, and that placing a pillow in the north means "death". The second is "do not cut your nails at night." There is a superstition that if you cut your nails at night, you will die faster than your parents. There is a theory about this, but there is a teaching that nails must be cherished because they are the place where the person's "soul" is, and there are reasons that in an era when there was little light, cutting nails at night would injure you. The third is "Do not whistle at night." There is a Japan tradition that whistling attracts spiritual things. There is a theory that this spiritual thing contains not only good things, but also bad things, so whistling is dangerous at night when spiritual things are active. The three things I've introduced so far are all things you shouldn't do, but here are some good and meaningful superstitions at the end. It is "good luck comes when the tea pillar stands". A tea pillar is a tea stalk that stands like a pillar in a teacup when tea is brewed. For Japan people, "pillars" have a powerful impression as they support the house. Recently, popular manga often have "pillars." Therefore, tea pillars are known as auspicious. By the way, I have heard from Mongolian students that there is a superstition that "relatives come to the house when the tea pillar is erected." Different countries have completely different meanings of superstition. Do you understand manners? Next time, we will introduce manners at leisure facilities.

This is a photo of when I made dried persimmons at my parents' house. I don't think many people imagine dried persimmons in "Speaking of autumn", but if you ask me, I think there are many people who feel that it is autumn. This photo is freshly dried, but after a day, there is work to rub it. When people think of dried persimmons, they have a strong image of just drying them, but surprisingly they are food that people can handle.

Visited Fujiiya a small eatery in Kameido famous for its gyoza. It was definitely good, and they had an interesting tare for the gyoza as well. I think it had chashu inside of it and it tasted great. I threw in a little soy sauce as well but I think it's probably perfect without it. I recommend shaking the bottle before pouring it as I had a little too much oil come out instead of the actual sauce. It was also my first time getting shoyu ramen in a while. I'm usually a bigger fan of miso, probably because it feels warm and filling on cold days but is great on hot days too. That being said, I was pleasantly surprised by this shoyu ramen, was a really refreshing flavor and the noodles were perfect. The restaurant is really cheap too, I think a normal chashu ramen and 5-piece gyoza was just ¥780, which is super cheap. They also had a lot of cool photos and signatures on the wall from/with famous entertainers like "Downtown," etc. Cool place, definitely recommend it!

Autumn of Japan With buckwheat flowers The red bokeh in the back is Higanbana

Since it is autumn in Japan, this season is often called "autumn of appetite". And what is harvested this fall is rice, which can be said to be the food culture of Japan people. I think many people buy it when it is harvested in the fall and new rice comes out. You don't usually look closely at such rice, and you rarely see ears of rice before harvesting. However, rice is harvested in autumn, and I think that rice is a king for "autumn appetite". There was a rice field in front of my house, and the ears of rice were shining in the evening light, and they looked beautiful and delicious, so I took this picture.

Autumn landscape in Japan Sparrows were playing in the ears of rice

The riverbed in front of Kifune Shrine in Kyoto. In summer, you can eat somen noodles here. Surrounded by trees while listening to the sound of water, it was a place where you could feel the harmony.

I stopped by a Japanese confectionery shop for a break. Here, I had cool Japanese sweets and matcha with ice. The transparent Japanese sweets were cool and it was an elegant summer break. I dared to edit it in monochrome. Imagine the color of Japanese sweets.

Japanese cuisine Japanese Cuisine Yamazaki@Nishiazabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo Yamazaki＠Nishiazabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan Yamazaki 03-6812-9848 Nishiazabu UOU Building 1F, 1-15-3 Nishiazabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo Yamazaki +81 3-6812-9848 Nishiazabu UOU Bldg. 1F, 1-15-3 Nishiazabu, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan

in spring fruit 🍓 strawberries, I made strawberry daifuku. It seems difficult to make Japanese sweets, It was easy to make with white ball powder and a can of maroon. Preparations for cherry blossom viewing are also in good hands.

I went to Takachiho in Miyazaki Prefecture with a friend! Also, I went to the tourist spot "Sea of Cruz where wishes come true" in Hyuga and the beautiful sea spread. ♪ Stray cats are also relaxing lol

This looks so awesome. I always love seeing food art, especially in Japanese lacquer dishes, they just go so well together. The coloring is really nice too! I've seen a couple videos on here about food cutting and they were pretty cool, but I don't think I have the patience to cut cucumbers so thinly like the ones in this photo lol! This makes me want to eat some sushi, maybe I'll order some tonight or head over to some revolving sushi this weekend. Been a while since I went to a revolving sushi restaurant but last time I went my friend ate around 40 dishes😂 I should really get some lacquer dishes though, even just for decoration. They'd probably look good on my shelf. Anyways, I'm just rambling at this point, but I guess I just really liked this photo because it showed Japanese craftsmanship in both the lacquer and the sushi and they both look like artwork

Spring in Japan is a colorful dish. When colorful ingredients are beautifully placed in the bowl, I think that Japan people are fine laughs. I made 🍣 hand sushi with Ohina-sama

The curry is full of spinach.

Why is takoyaki made almost exclusively from wheat flour so delicious?

Japanese cuisine Washoku/Japanese food Sowado@Hiroo, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo SOWADO＠Hiroo, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Japan Sowado 080-8040-4822 1-12–15 Hiroo, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo Riverside Building 1F SOWADO +81 80-8040-4822 Riverside Building 1F, 1-12-15 Hiroo, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Japan

Japanese cuisine Washoku/Japanese food Japan cuisine 44 A2@ Ebisu, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo Nihonryouri Yoshiatsu@Ebisu, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Japan Japan cuisine 44 A2 03-6277-3150 2-13-10 Ebisu, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo Rembrandt Hiroo 1F Nihonryouri Yoshiatsu +81 3-6277-3150 Rembrandt Hiroo 1F, 2-13-10 Ebisu, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Japan

I've heard about this place! I think I watched a video on it here actually? Not sure, but anyways, this photo is really nice. It's so simple and yet it really conveys the beautiful simplicity of sushi. It's really cool that the restaurant has English services for customers that don't speak Japanese. I think it really goes to show just how strong Japan's omotenashi culture is. The hospitality here is really second to none and it's something I've never experienced outside of Japan. I've gotta check this sushi place out though as it's apparently really good and popular! Another one to add to the list I suppose!

Snow on persimmons

Omurice. Shall I 🧐 become an artist?

Visited Tokyo Skytree. Haven’t been going outside at all lately so we needed a change of pace. Found some really nice Edo Kiriko, at some beef tongue, and tried senbei ice cream for the first time

Tried a new tsuyu again lol. A spicy flavor this time. It’s not as spicy as it looks actually, just the right level of spicy. The tsuyu was 赤から apparently from Nagoya. Goes great with udon too. Tasted really good

Ahhh I love watching these kinds of videos. Getting to see food truck/food stall vendors make food is just so organic. It's nice since I'm not able to travel much these days as well not that anybody is really. I've never had gohei mochi, let alone heard of it before, but it reminds me of Akita's Kiritanpo. I think the last food truck item I got was ツブ, snail I guess? I didn't even know that until now lol. My girlfriend loved it, I was a bigger fan of the bacon that went with it. Really hoping I can visit another food stall again soon though as I really miss the yakisoba that they make. The yakisoba from the convenience store is alright, but it doesn't really hold a candle to the food stalls 😂. Just gonna have to keep waiting until it's okay to travel again though. Until then I'm gonna keep watching videos to stay sane lol!

Japanese cuisine Washoku/Japanese food Japan cuisine Takayama@Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo Japanese Cuisine Takayama＠Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan Japan cuisine Takayama 03-5411-0905 Tokyo, Minato-ku, Roppongi 3-8-1 Sun Annex Building 2F Japanese Cuisine Takayama +81 3-5411-0905 Sun Annex Building 2F, 3-8-1 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan

That's some good lookin' crab right there! Really impressive that this is home made. It looks like something you'd buy at a high-class restaurant! I think I've said it before, but that's another great thing about Japan - It's an island country so there's tons of good seafood to be had and it's prepared better than anywhere else in the world imo. Especially when it comes to crab, you'll find just the most amazing dishes like this. It's been a few years since I threw out some crab pots with my dad but I'd love to do it again, it's always a lot of fun. I've never been crabbing in Japan before so I'm interested to know if it's done differently here somehow. Maybe like different crab pots or methods, etc. The only thing I doubt is different is the waking up early 😂. That's gotta be one of the hardest parts about crabbing/fishing for me. Waking up at 3 AM takes some dedication! I guess if you want to catch some delicious snow crab to make a dish like this it's worth it though! That or just buy it at the supermarket I guess lol

I could really go for some yakisoba right about now. I always love going around at festivals and looking for the yakisoba vendors as it's the best festival food imo. I actually haven't had it cooked on teppan in a restaurant in a few years though. I think the last time I did it was at an okonomiyaki restaurant with a bunch of friends, was a lot of fun. This "En" restaurant in Yoyogi looks pretty good though, I'll have to keep an eye out for it or write it down for whenever I'm in the area next. I'm probably going to make some yakisoba this weekend if not sooner though, cuz it sounds pretty good right now😂

Tonight’s dinner - Hot pot. Tried a new tsuyu tonight. Tasted really good

Osechi I thought there were many wonderful traditions and cultures in Japan. These are our New Year's dishes. It was such a day that I felt happy about such a tradition that I would make myself someday. I wish you a wonderful year for all Japan.

Japanese cuisine Washoku/Japanese food Matsukawa@Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo Matsukawa＠Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan Matsukawa 03-6277-7371 Akasaka Terrace House 1F, 1-11-6 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo Matsukawa +81 3-6277-7371 Akasaka Terrace House 1F, 1-11-6 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan