Many of the buildings in Takayama’s Old Town have been preserved from the Edo Period (1600-1868). It is like walking through a historical drama movie set. Only it is beautifully maintained and many of the buildings are working sake breweries, so it was a little like Disneyland for Super Sake Boy and I. When we…
Category: Culture
Sake, Shrines and Shopping…..
Despite what the children think, we have had opportunity to drink sake, but little time to explore it any further. Today we headed out early-ish to check out the Gekkeikan Sake Brewery Museum. Fushimi, in Kyoto is an area where sake has been brewed for hundreds of years, as the quality of the water is…
Gion, Ponto-cho, Sake and Gin
Written by Super Sake Boy As the evening fell, Nihonshu Girl (aka Blossomkitty) and I set out for a little exploration on our own. Our plan was to wander the back streets and laneways of Gion and Ponto-cho, spot some Maiko (aka Geisha), sneak in some street photography, and settle down in a small timeless…
Valentine’s Day… Japanese Style
Photo credit here Valentine’s Day in Japan is celebrated differently than anywhere else in the world. It is a day that women gift men, usually chocolate. There are several different types of chocolate given, for a multitude of reasons. There is, of course, etiquette involved, and as with all gift giving in Japan, it is…
Uniquely Japanese- Inemuri 居眠り
Inemuri translates roughly to “snooze” or “doze, however, it very common, in fact, an every day experience, to see Japanese people sleeping in public places. Most commonly, on trains. It is quite alarming at first. It is almost as if a wave of collective narcolepsy has overtaken the train carriage. However, you soon become accustomed…
Return to Japan and Return to Blogging
After a bit of a break from blogging, and a bit of a break from travel (I have been very distracted…. thanks, Super Sake Boy ☺️😛) I am happy to report, I am returning to both. Yay. Firstly, my return to blogging. I am very excited to sink my teeth back into writing my blog….
Sake Master Class
(Or The Continuing Adventures of Super Sake Boy and Nihonshu Girl) So, a couple of months ago Super Sake Boy and I attended a Sake Master Class at Maedaya in Richmond, Melbourne. Maedaya is a sake bar and Izakaya style restaurant, where the food is really delicious and the sake selection is impressive. Maedaya is…
Bento Wars
I love to make bento box lunches for, and with, my daughter when I have the time. It is fun and strangely satisfying, to put together a cute and edible creation which tastes yummy and looks super appealing. When I am able, it is for fun, and she likes to show her school friends what…
Calligraphy
Have you ever wondered at why every Japanese person has exquisite handwriting, when writing in English? I believe it is because they have finely honed fine motor skills, due to the fact that they practice calligraphy throughout their schooling life. Last time we were in Kyoto we were fortunate enough to experience a calligraphy homework…
Mighty Matcha
So, there is a lot of hype about matcha, lately. Personally, I totally get it. I love matcha. My kids love matcha. We make matcha cheesecake, matcha protein balls and matcha icecream. Yum. But matcha is not for everyone. The flavour is a unique blend of bitter and umami. Not for the faint of heart….
Me, Japan and Suicide
Suicide is a hard subject to talk about. Especially when your Western culture has very little idea on how to talk about it, or anything else related to death. The English stiff upper lip has lead to many subjects being deemed as taboo. However, when you find yourself in a situation where you have to…
Well, well, well…. Japanese wells, actually
What is the significance of the humble well in Japanese imagery? I had not even realised that there was a significance until I was reading Peter Carey’s Wrong About Japan. Toward the end of the book, which follows Peter Carey and his son on their trip to Japan, the father and son watch a DVD…
