Fugu sashimi at the restaurant Ogawa in Onogawa, Tsukuba 2010
A full course FUGU ( 河豚) meal shared with good friends in winter just might be THE quintessential Japanese dining experience. Flavors- subtle yet sublime, textures- delicate and airy-light, and of course, delightully beautiful presentation. Other important features of Japanese culinary culture can be enjoyed as well - consciousness and celebration of the season ( fugu is representative of winter), the use of a full array of food preparation techniques ( sashimi, fried, boiled, etc), and the fun of having to share the food (out of serving plates) with your companions- all of whom are probably just as excited as you are to be partaking of the famous delicacy( something they probably dont do very often!).
I know that there are many out there who will disagree with me when I say that fugu is delicious. Not only do most English language guidebooks to Japan dismiss its taste as being bland and uninteresting ( while sensationalizing the danger of eating it), but even many Japanese people that you speak to will say the same thing- that it doesnt have much taste and isnt worth the price ( which they imagine to be AT LEAST 100 dollars, or 10,000 yen per person).
To this I respond that with fugu, just as with most of the other FINER THINGS IN LIFE- one taste, or one experience is not enough ! It takes time to develop an appreciation ( I`M sure that if I were to taste a highly rated thousand dollar bottle of French wine right now, that I wouldnt think it worth the price !).
My OWN first experience with fugu was not very memorable, either. It is only after several years of annual tastings that Ive grown to crave it!
I believe that it is for this reason that many Japanese, who usually have given fugu a try onlyonce in their lives, come to the conclusion that- they would prefer canned sardines ( or something of the sort) to fugu, anyday. Especially for that kind of money!
Well, there is good news for those who couldnt or didnt want to spend large sums developing a liking for a fish- fugu is now readily and safely available at VERY REASONABLE prices- just the other day I had a thrilling full course in Tsukuba for just 3,500 yen! Ive seen fugu courses advertized at similar prices at other restaurants, as well.
This makes it possible for longterm foreign residents to sample pufferfish at least once a year while they are in Japan. That should be enough to eventually develop a love for this most esteemed of all Japanese dishes.
For those of you who have never heard of fugu before, you might be wondering why I have alluded to the dangers of eating it. What dangers? Well, the fugu ( and there are MANY varieties of this fish in the world), can be deadly if not prepared correctly. This is because there is an extremely potent poison present in some of its organs- especially the liver. Over the ages many have died ( a horrible death) after having eaten it. At times the eating of this fish has been banned in Japan.
The danger is really a thing of the past, however. Since the peak post-war year of 1957, when more than 170 people died of fugu poisoning, the Japanese government has enacted stringent regulations regarding fugu preparation and has imposed rigorous training regimens on those who want to become fugu chefs. For this reason it is now almost unheard of for a poisoning to occur at a licensed restaurant or shop ( even in the past most deaths were the results of amateurs preparing the fish).
For this reason I am shocked at how the English language media persists in making the eating of fugu seem like playing Russian roullette ( in addition to under-rating its taste). With millions of people enjoying it and only a handfull dying over recent years ( and they, not from the fugu of reputable restaurants), partaking of the delicacy seems to be much less risky than venturing off to many of the countries which these same guidebooks or writers recommend visiting. Its certainly safer than riding a bicycle!
Dont get me wrong- the fugu DOES contain an extremely deadly poison, and it should NEVER be eaten except when prepared by a licenced chef.
However, please understand that in today`s Japan eating at a fugu restaurant does NOT involve danger and people who go out for fugu do NOT think of themselves as being engaged in of risk taking behavior.
They eat fugu because they like it ! They eat fugu because its beautiful ! They eat fugu because its winter! And they eat fugu with friends because its FUN !
Fugu stew ( techiri) at Ogawa
There is alot of interesting information about fugu ( with plenty on its toxicity) online. Here is a link :
http://factsanddetails.com/japan.php?itemid=649&catid=19&subcatid=123
The characters usually used to write the word fugu are 河豚 , which literally mean RIVER PIG. These characters were borrowed directly from the Chinese. Apparently, in China, pufferfish inhabit some rivers, in addition to the sea. When they panic and inflate themselves, they look like pigs. There you have it- river pigs!
The custom of eating fugu in Japan, however, did not originate in China . The archaeological record shows that FUGU bones have been unearthed at numerous SHELL MOUNDS ( kaizuka), which are a typical feature of Japan`s prehistoric JOMON PERIOD. Since it is widely accepted that these shell mounds were the garbage dumps of Japan`s prehistoric inhabitants, and the fugu bones have been found among the bones of other commonly eaten fish, it is assumed that the fugu were used as food.
Did these JOMON PERIOD Japanese know how to remove the fugu`s poison? Did just eat it along with the rest of their catch while enduring a heavy casualties over the years? No one is sure.
I would have to suggest the possibility, however, that the fugu found at these ancient sites could have been used for other purposes- such as making poisoned darts or arrows, etc.
A place in Tsukuba that I would recommend going to for a fugu dinner is OKADA. For most of the year this establishment is a soba shop which is open only on the weekends. In the winter months, however, the chef ( properly licenced, of course), serves fugu courses.
The highlights of the meal were:
Sashimi- fugusashi- sliced so thin as to be translucent, arranged on the dish to look like a chrysanthemum. These delicate tidbits are dipped in a tangy pozu sauce to which a garnish- momiji-oroshi is added. The result is a surprising burst of flavor.
Then there is the fugu stew ( techiri) to which many parts of the fish and lots of vegetables are added. The bits of fugu that you spoon up are soft and flaky, and if you take your time to savor them, you will be rewarded by a truly deep taste.
The remaining broth is then poured over rice to make a savory porridge ( zo-sui).
At the end of the course, we were all so full that we fefused the dessert that the chef had prepared. With good company it was a splendid, unforgettable evening, and true Japanese experience. Well worth the 3,500 yen ( for this price you will need at least 6 people in your party)
OGAWA ( おがわ)
090 3007 9161
And remember, these days fugu is not a food you think you might die for- it is simply TO DIE FOR- and by that I mean simply DELICIOUS!
Hina Dolls in an old bookshop in Makabe
Most of the year, if you pass through the center of the quaint, though rusting and run-down old town of Makabe, you are unlikely to see a single soul walking about. That is why it is surprising to go there in February, the coldest month of the year, and find the streets filled with throngs of excited visitors wandering from old shop to old shop and old house to old house. What are all these people doing, sometimes even in the rain ad sleet ? Well, eating, drinking (the local sake!), shopping, taking in the dozens of historical buildings, and most prominently, OOHING and AAHING at the dazzling variety of antique Hina Doll sets which are proudly displayed by local residents from February 4 to March 4th. There are about 200 of these family heirlooms, set up for your viewing pleasure, at shops and homes around the city center, and they have proven very successful, as part of the city-promoted Hina Matsuri Doll Festival, in bringing Makabe BACK TO LIFE, even if just for four winter weeks each year, for the past eight years
Though the town can be a bit depressing in the way that TIME SEEMS TO HAVE PASSED IT BY (a by-pass road has diverted traffic from the city center, the old Tsukuba Railroad, which ran from Tsuchiura to Iwase with a station in Makabe has gone out of service, and the stone workers who have made Makabe Stone-Ware famous throughout Japan now have to compete with much cheaper imports from Korea and China), Makabe is ALWAYS a fascinating place to visit, with an old castle ruin, several noteworthy shrines and temples, an almost unchanged early-20th century townscape, dozens of stone works shops displaying their sometimes bizarre wares, an 800 year old bell foundry (!), and its completely different view (as compared with Tsukuba) of Mt Tsukuba and the mountains behind it, Mt Ashio and Mt Kaba. Despite these formidable attractions, in Japan of the Heisei Era, Makabe is far off the beaten tourist path — except, of course, when the calendar comes round to February (and the first 3 days of March), and the local residents bring out their old dolls — a testament to Makabes’s GOLDEN YEARS from the late Edo Period to mid-Showa, when its merchants could afford to splurge on extravagant Hina Doll sets to celebrate their female offspring and pray for their growth, good health and happy marriage.
Makabe in fact thrived for centuries, first as a castle town established in the late Heian Period under the Makabe-Lords which ruled until just after the battle of Sekigahara (1600) and the assertion of Tokugawa Family hegemony over Japan. The town was then ruled by the Asano Family (mostly doing the ruling from Kasama, however), whose most famous member was Asano Takuminokami (of the 47 Ronin story fame). Hence, the fine temples and shrines in the town and surrounding area.
During the Edo Period (1600-1868), as the merchants prospered, so did the situation of Hina Doll makers and the dolls themselves. Originally, having been tiny paper or straw figurines which were wiped against a girl’s body to remove impurities, and then cast off, like scape-goats into a river or the sea, the dolls used on the Girls’ Day Festival (Momo no Sekku ) evolved over time into sublime works of art, at first affordable only for the nobility and upper-rung samurai. As the merchant class grew richer, they too were able to buy the dolls, which in their fullest sets portray a prince and princess with their retinue and all the wedding trappings. The custom of putting out Hina dolls for the few weeks before the 3rd day of the 3rd month (now March 3rd), ended up becoming nearly universal. Instead of having these dolls cast-off into water, as the more primitive prototypes were in the old days, they were cast (gently of course) back into their boxes on the day after the festival. Families who did not do this were considered to be endangering their daughters’ chances of a successful marriage.
Hina Dolls from the late Edo Period ( 1600-1864)
In Makabe today, you will be able to see several doll sets from the Edo Period ( 1600-1868). Visiting during the Hina Matsuri will also give you an opportunity to enter and photograph some VERY OLD shops and homes. At some residences, visitors are invited into the family compounds and even into the old KURA (storehouses). The presence of two sake breweries which provide free tasting samples give you the chance to add a little extra ZIP to your doll viewing experience, if you are not , of course.
You can get to Makabe by car in about 40 minutes from central Tsukuba. Head north to Route 41. As you leave the Tsukuba City limits you will start to see the stone works on both sides of the road (and one curious HANIWA shop, selling large recreations of ancient earthen-ware figurines). You can park at the Sakuragawa City Office ( Makabe is now part of Sakuragawa City). Another option is to take the special buses operating for the festival (recommended for those who plan on tasting SAKE) which leave from the Tsukuba Center bus terminal. The earliest buses leave at 9:10 and 9:35. Roundtrip fare is 1500 yen. This year some other cities in Ibaraki have been trying to copy Makabe’s idea by holding similar month-long events. In the future, it seems that most of the old towns of Ibaraki will be getting DOLLED-UP for February. I hope, however, that a visit to Makabe during the Hina Matsuri might lead to further appreciation of this all too overlooked neighbor of ours. Have a look at some of Makabe’s places of interest at the Sakuragawa City Homepage ( which has English on it):
http://www.city.sakuragawa.lg.jp/
And for more on Hina Dolls and the evolution of the Hina Festival ( MOMO NO SEKKU), read my articles:
http://blog.alientimes.org/2009/02/hina-dolls-coming-out-of-the-closet-in-the-literal-sense/
http://blog.alientimes.org/2009/03/where-are-the-real-blossoms-at-peach-festival-time/
http://blog.alientimes.org/2008/03/tsukubans-in-no-rush-to-pack-up-hina-dolls/
For most Japanese, believing that Japan is a land of FOUR DISTINCT and IDEALIZED SEASONS is a fundamental part of their national identity. The traditional calendar in fact divides the year into four perfectly equal 90 day seasons. Accordingly, winter begins at the mid-point between the autumn equinox and the winter solstice (which in 2009 was November 7th )and ends ninety days later, halfway between the winter solstice and the vernal equinox (Feb. 4th, in 2010). Summer and autumn come next, in turn, at the same intervals. Perfect.
Tsukuba rice fields blanketed in snow ( February 2010)
In the Kanto Region, where Tsukuba is located, the meteorological facts ON THE GROUND, however, DO NOT usually align themselves very well with what we imagine each of the four seasons should be. This is especially true with winter, which has traditionally been symbolized in Japanese art and literature by SNOW and SNOWSCAPES. While in Hokkaido ( Japan`s northernmost island) and on the Japan Sea side of Japan the onset of first snow-fall, and then its eventual melting away, might more closely coincide with the traditional seasonal divisions, here in Tsukuba, daytime temperatures are relatively warm through early January, and in recent years, IF there is any snowfall, it is in LATE FEBRUARY or EARLY MARCH. I have also found this period (already early spring according to tradition), to be the coldest and windiest (and a bitter cold wind it is) time of the year.
The same has ben true again this winter ( 2009-10), with snow first falling yesterday( February 1st), beginning in the evening and continuing on into the night. I was looking forward to getting up in the morning and enjoying a rare winterscape (usually Tsukubans have to go abroad or to other parts of Japan for them), building a snowman, and maybe even having a snowball fight.
I knew I would have get out of bed ( futon, in fact )early to catch the scenery before it soon melted away, as it inevitably does in these parts. Just after sunrise, I was happy to find my garden and the wilds around my house still blanketed in a delicate layer of white.
First I went out to catch a fleeting glimpse of a CLASSIC Japanese winter image, right there in my front yard – snow covered camellias. Deep red and pure white. A perfect balance of snowy weight and plant resistance-Beautiful!
I then set out with my dog into the fields. There is nothing much more thrilling for a Shiba Inu ( a breed of Japanese dog ) than being allowed to run free through the snow- and her excitement was contagious.
Rabbit tracks in the fresh snow -Tsukuba 2010
What really gave ME a thrill though was coming across an abundance of wild animal tracks- rabbit, raccoon dog, weasel and most surprisingly- fox!
Unfortunately, I had work to get to. I knew that by the afternoon the snow would be gone, soI tried to take it all in and savor it before heading back home.
Fox tracks !
Its funny….. in regions covered in snow throughout winter, people eagerly await its melting and the coming of spring. In Tsukuba, our snowscapes are so rare and so fleeting, that we REGRET to see them melt away so soon.
Older people who grew up around here say that there used to be plenty of snow in Tsukuba, all winter long. Well, there is something for those who deny global climate change to think about.
Most of the world cultures that I can think of have (or had) their own special ways of keeping evil spirits at bay, or even better, far away. Japan is probably the industrialized country with its traditional demon-fighting repertoire most intact. One of the most important and popular of the occasions on which exorcisms are appropriate is SETSUBUN (節分) usually celebrated on February 3rd, the day before the first day of spring (risshun, 立春). The main technique used is bean-throwing (豆まき）, highly effective and plenty of fun!
Usually, Dad wears a demon (oni) mask, easily purchased at any convenience store, and the kids proceed to pelt him with dried soy beans (from packets available at the same stores). While they do this, they shout “Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi!” (Evil out, Good Fortune in!). This is done at the entrance to the house, and then in the other rooms. When the beans are all used up, they are gathered up and each family member usually eats the same number of beans as his/her age. Beans can also be offered to the Shinto and Buddhist altars.
This ceremony remains one of the most popular of the traditional evil fighting customs and you can enjoy the ceremony in various forms at temples and shrines throughout Japan as well as on TV. (You might catch a scene of sumo wrestlers in masks being pelted by excited kids.)
One of the other techniques for keeping evil away in this season has not fared as well as the bean throwing. I’m referring to hiiragi （ヒイラギ）, the holly and dried sardine amulets which in not very former times would adorn the entranceways of most houses in this area.
Since holly has thorned leaves, it was thought to repel demons who were afraid to get poked in the eye, and the sardines would do the same job with their unpleasant, fishy smell. Though the use of these amulets has decreased rapidly over recent years, I have still found a few around town.
I’ve also taken some pictures of SANPO, containers for soy beans made out of origami paper by nursery school kids.
Another way to celebrate SETSUBUN (or desecrate it by joining in on its commercialization) is to buy the EHO-MAKI (恵方巻き） sushi rolls which are being sold at all the convenience stores and being promoted as efficacious for bringing good fortune by pointing the roll in the properly auspicious directions.
So, there you have it. Take YOUR choice of how you want to keep EVIL away!
See more on EHO-MAKI in my post below:
Ro-bai (Chimonanthus praecox ) in bloom in Hitachi-Omiya 2010
Just a day earlier I had been walking through the woods, and one of my companions excitedly cried out : SO-BAI ( 早梅), which in Japanese indicates plum blossoms which bloom unusually early in the year.
The next day, with that word, then new to me, still ringing in my ears, I arrived at the farm of a friend of mine who lives up in Hitachi Omiya ( in central Ibaraki Prefecture). As I opened the car door and was stepping out, I was enveloped in a thick, sweet fragrance.
Just at that moment, my friend`s mother appeared, as if out of nowhere, and even before formally greeting us, she pointed at the tree next to which we were parked and proudly exclaimed- RO-BAI ( 蝋梅) !
At first, I misunderstood what she had said and chuckled to myself thinking about the coincidence: more SO-BAI (early blooming plum blossoms), a word which I had just learned the day before.
But these were not SO-BAI, they were RO-BAI ! I could see the difference immediately as I examined the blossoms up close. They were yellow and looked almost translucent, even plastic.
It is because of this unique, waxy appearance , along with the strong plum-like fragrance and early blooming season, as well as the fact that like plum trees- their flowers bloom before their leaves appear- that these trees ( and their blossoms) are called RO-BAI, which is the Japanese reading of Chinese characters which mean WAX PLUMS (蝋梅).
However , these trees which were introduced to Japan from China via the Korean Peninsula sometime in the early 17th century, are in fact NOT related to Japanese plums ( UME, prunus mume).
Referred to in English as Japanese allspice or wintersweet, the scientific name for these early blooming trees is Chimonanthus praecox, which appropriately means EARLY WINTER FLOWERS, in Greek .
Since they bloom in late December or January and have a rich, springy fragrance, they are a popular blossom for O-Shogatsu ( Japanese New Year) flower arrangements. Miniature ( BONSAI) ro-bai are also commonly displayed in January.
Because of these and the many RO-BAI trees growing in the gardens of private homes throughout Japan, you are sure to be able to catch a whiff of these unusually strong smelling blossoms in January even if you just take a stroll around your neighborhood. In the dead of winter encountering their rich fragrance is a heartening reminder that spring is not far off.
Amazingly, on the very next day after my encounter with the RO-BAI up in Hitachi Omiya, I was back in Tsukuba and had an appointment at the Teshirogi Community Center. Going to the office to say hello ( greetings are all important in Japan!), I was struck by a familiar scent. I guess I shouldnt have been surprised, but I was. There on the table, was a branch of RO-BAI in bloom, stuck in a jar with water.
A sprig of RO-BAI ( Japanese allspice) at the Teshirogi Community Center
Some of you may be thinking- So who cares! So one day it was SO-BAI and the next day it was RO-BAI. So what?
Well I think that it just goes to show, once again, that the Japanese are keemly aware of the seasons and take notice of the little changes which occur month by month, week by week, day by day, as one species of flower withers and another blooms. It is not only a feature of art and poetry, but the topic of everyday conversation and a cause for excitement, too!
tsukubans speak