TsukuBlog

The Japanese never go very long without taking care of their ancestors or departed loved ones. In fact, there are many who pray and make offerings at their family altar (butsudan) every single day. In addition, as part of the annual cycle of events, there are four times a year (besides individual memorial days) for special ceremonies in which extra efforts are made for family members who have passed on: New Years, O-Bon (in August) and then the week around (three days before and three days after) the equinox days. In fact, there are national holidays in March and September making it possible for anyone who wishes to do so to visit their family graves for O-Higan (for more detail see my article).

Walking around Tsukuba today, I saw many signs of yesterday’s higan-iri (彼岸入）, the first day of O-Higan. First, the graves in all the old neighborhood cemeteries have been swept and decorated with offerings of seasonal flowers.

Rare mound type graves for full burial(before cremation was mandatory)

In and around these graveyards, and in many other places as well (the gardens of old houses, parks, or even along the road), are the amazing higanbana. These flowers are so named for the very fact that they appear, each year, during the higan season.

Higanbana along Tsuchiura-Gakuen Road

At convenience stores, department stores and traditional sweet shops, O-Hagi are on sale. These are oval shaped mochi-rice cakes, covered with a layer of sweet beans, soy bean powder, or black sesame. You can buy them individually, or in sets. The name of these traditional cakes during the autumn o-higan is o-hagi because hagi are a typical flower of this season, while the same sweet cake in spring is called botan-mochi, after the peony, a typical spring flower.

O-Hagi at Seibu

You will notice that many Japanese, when talking about the weather will use the expression- atsusa samusa mo higan made (hot and cold until O-higan), which I guess means that the equinox days (spring and autumn) are seasonal and climatic turning-points. With the crazy weather we’ve been having who knows when it will get cooler. One thing is for sure, though, the nights will start getting longer and longer, until next spring’s equinox.

I was on my way to a little adventure in the woods surrounding the ruins of Konda Castle, near Sakura Junior High School. As I turned off the road and headed onto a little dirt trail, I noticed a neighbor of mine busily doing something by a bush of some sort. I called out a greeting so as not to startle her (Have you noticed that when Japanese are doing work outside, they never seem to glance up or around? I always attribute this to a deep focus on what they are doing, which is probably true, though some have told me that it’s just a way of avoiding having to say hello!), and then I asked her what she was doing. “I’m picking NUKAGO,” she said, “why dont you join me?” I thought, ”Well, why not?!”

Nukago is the archaic name (still often used by native Ibarakians) for MUKAGO (零余子), which look like tiny potatoes (they are actually tiny yams) clinging delicately to vines which grow out of the stems of the yama imo ( Japanese yams). I say delicately, because to be picked, they merely have to be touched and they come right off. I helped my neighbor gather up a small bag-full. She said she was going to cook them up with the rice in her rice cooker (some people also add ginkgo nuts and some kombu stock). Some Ibarakians also fry, roast, or boil them with salt, sake, soy sauce, etc. I found some original recipes online as well.                     

Mukago can actually be found on sale at some supermarkets for about 500 yen a fistful (as you can see in the blog linked above), but buying them could never match the fun of finding and picking them yourself. Kids, especially, always enjoy cooking up what they have foraged.

Many of your Japanese friends might not have ever tasted or even heard of mukago (also remember that in Ibaraki it is often called nukago), and those who HAVE might not rave about their taste. Still, having mukago at least once in autumn is considered a MUST by many, since it is a rustic symbol of the season and a welcome change of pace from just plain ol’ rice.

Mukago can be found in this area throughout autumn. In English they are called wild yam propagules (or bulbils) as they are how the yam plants propagate (by dropping these little babies to the ground). You can find them in wild fields, by the side of the road, and even in some parks.

Happy hunting!

Though you can find tropical/specialty fruits at UNAGI-YA fruits market in Takezono (near Terashima drugstore and Kasumi), I just wanted to inform you of some passionfruit on sale now (100yen each…they just starting selling them today and will continue until the inventory runs out, I think - they look really beautiful with shiny firm purple/red skin!) at Yao-kane supermarket.  If you want to go, hurry and go now because inventory often changes.  I was also thrilled to find white asparagus there recently.

That particular shop is a typical friendly local supermarket selling mostly regional produce at prices often lower than typical major supermarkets.   The seafood there is QUITE fresh (my housewife friends all praised the quality of the seafood there) and the man behind the counter is happy to clean the fish for you.  Special fish at the moment: saba (mackerel) and sama (saury)…saury is best eaten salted and grilled while mackerel is really tasty simmered in sweet miso sauce and ginger!  Assorted sashimi fish packs  are reasonable and fresh there too.

How to find the place: Go SOUTH on NISHI-odori…turn right (West) on the Andersen Bakery/Doho Park road…and you can see the supermarket just one block down.  The place is easy to miss but often you can see tons of cars parked along both sides of the street, mostly customers!

UPDATE: I was told that “tonari no yasai” shop (along Nishi-odori…near Onogawa area and the Coco’s around there) also sells passionfruit.  Apparently someone is growing passionfruit in Tsukuba these days, hoping it will spark a demand for it. 

INFO: Passionfruit is tasty when cut open and eaten as is…though it is INCREDIBLY sour.  Many people choose to open it up, put the insides of the fruit into a glass, mix it up with some water and sugar for a tasty passionfruit juice cocktail.  Orange juice can be used instead of sugar, too.

Autumn mackerel is divine - juicy, fresh, and easy to prepare!  Every family has its own recipe for “miso mackerel”…here is a recipe I have come up with after some experimentation.  I like mine strong-tasting but if you don’t, please adjust this recipe accordingly.  Takes only about 15 minutes!

SABA NO MISONI (serves four)

Mackerel - 4 pieces

1-2tbsp strained miso paste (I use 2)

1-2tbsp sugar (I use 2)

1tbsp mirin

dash to 1 tbsp soy sauce (I use 1tbsp)

1c sake (or 1/2c sake, 1/2water)

1-2 knobs of ginger, sliced (I use 2)

1. Cut ginger into thin slices. (to make the fish tastier, lightly grill the mackerel in the fish burner)
2. Pour 1 cup sake into pan and boil for 1-3 minutes. Add mackerel and ginger and boil 2-3 minutes. Lower heat slightly.
3. Add sugar, mirin and miso (I like mine unstrained), cover and simmer for 10 minutes, turning occasionally. 

Optional: I like to add chunks of white konnyaku (lightly blanched beforehand) to the dish after the fish has been cooked.  This dish tastes better the next day, after it has soaked up the rich miso flavor!

I am not sure about the authenticity of my Japanese dish but if there are any Japanese cooks out there who might comment on the recipe or add some helpful tips, do not hesitate to do just that!

This post might be interesting for those of you into baking out there. Many bakeries are willing to sell ingredients for your baking needs. For the most part, all you have to do is ask!

One particular bakery in Tsukuba (and Moriya), Couronne, readily sells ingredients to customers. Upon request you can get a list of materials up for sale. Peanut butter, flour (all types), chocolate chips, baking powder, dry and wet yeast, dried cranberries, whipped cream, block-style cheese, mixed meltable-type cheese, generic and Kiri cream cheese, almonds, walnuts, pecans…and so on!

The organic bread shops in Amakubo and Kasuga sell 100% whole wheat flour on request. It is much cheaper (and perhaps higher quality) than the whole wheat you can find at supermarkets around here.

One thing I really miss about Canada is breakfast restaurants. On Saturday or Sunday mornings, I really hanker for a breakfast that includes bacon and eggs — and it is even better if someone else cooks it for me.

I have only found one restaurant in Tsukuba that has a breakfast menu that satisfies my weekend needs. Gusto, on the corner of Tsuchiura Gakuen Sen and Nishi Odori, offers a cheap (under 500 yen) breakfast until 10am on the weekends that includes eggs (scrambled or fried), bacon or sausages, toast or a roll, some lettuce with Japanese style dressing (okay, that part isn’t very traditional, but nevermind), and access to free drink refills. Occasionally, if I can get myself sorted out before 9:30am (I like my weekends lazy), I like to saunter over to Gusto for a nice weekend breakfast.

I’m sure I am not the only person who hankers for this sort of breakfast, but I never see any other foreign people at the restaurant. I wonder if people know about it.

Are there any other decent breakfast places in Tsukuba? If you find one, please let me know!

Every day can be exciting if you live in Tsukuba. One reason for that is that new places to eat are always popping up at various locations around town. Yesterday, I stumbled upon a very soon to be opened (tomorrow, April 16) cafe, which will serve up some fine varieties of coffee and home-made cakes, along with some other exotic and wholesome offerings which will be part of an expanding menu.

The name of this new establishment is Cafe Noir and it is located off the beaten path in the Green House Lodge in Shimohiratsuka, just across the street from the Tsukuba Ham Restaurant. It can seat 12 customers at 6 small tables inside a cool, Scandinavianesque interior, with wide window views out to the Ibaraki countryside. All drinks are 500yen and you can choose from the special Noir blend, Guatemalan or organic coffee from Costa Rica. You might also want to try the supremely sour organic iyokan juice (a type of citrus) which will surely drive any drowsiness you might have away.

The daily set lunch features Ghanaian food with bread, salad, etc and can be had for 850yen.

The proprietress Yo said she wants to create a comfortable space to slowly enjoy coffee , perhaps with a book, with natural greenery just right in front of you. Her husband a sociologist who studies rural development, has many contacts with farmers, and she hopes to incoroprate their unique and fresh produce in the dishes she serves.

She will always be playing Jazz , Bossa Nova and soft Latin music.
Tuesdays are off.
11am to 7pm

Bon appetit!

I saw an article about a bakery called David Pain (pain means bread in French, so it’s pronounced like “pan”, not “pain”) in the latest Tsukuba Style magazine, so I thought I would go and check it out. The bakery is located in the far south of Tsukuba, near the intersection of the Route 6 bypass and Route 408 (Address: Makizono 7-11, Tsukuba).

The bakery is run by David and his wife, with some help from their little baby. David hails from Corsica, and he and his wife met in Paris.

I am not a bread specialist, but I know what I like, and I found the bread at David Pain to be excellent. My favourite was a unique roll made by David called “Campignon” (at least I think that was what it was called). It was a tiny little roll but it packed a powerful taste of cheese, bacon and nuts.

I liked the atmosphere at the bakery and found it easy to talk to David and his wife, but my favourite thing about the bakery was that they did not individually wrap every single item that I bought individually in plastic bags. They gave me a nice paper bag and put all of my purchases inside. I think the Tsukuba community should support bakeries that promote sensible bagging!

Opening the door to SRI LANKA, bells jingle and you are instantly greeted by Sunil Jayantha and his wife Kiyomi who call out with a hearty IRASSHAIMASE which resounds from the kitchen! At the same instant you are also engulfed in the heavenly aromas of SERENDIB: freshly ground spices — cardamon, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon and black pepper – all simmering in coconut milk, onions and garlic. It’s intoxicating! You take your seat, order and wait a bit (maybe more). Never mind! This certainly is NOT fast food. In fact, when your INDIVIDUALLY prepared curry is set in front of you and you take your first taste, it’s as if TIME STOPS. No matter how busy you are on that particular day, there is no rushing through THIS meal. Every spoonful is a treasure. 

For more than 20 years, the Jayantha family has been spicing up life in Tsukuba with their savory curries. Sunil came to Japan to study Japanese in order to help deal with the increasing number of Japanese tourists staying at his family’s hotels in Sri Lanka. Lucky for us though, he met Kiyomi and has been here in Tsukuba ever since, busy raising his three kids and keeping our taste buds  titillated.

Sunil has told me that he has adjusted his cooking to Japan, and that always seemed curious to me since his curries were just about as far from Japanese curry rice as I could imagine. I eventually realized what he meant.Curry Shop Sri Lanka has adopted the Japanese custom of changing their SPECIAL CURRIES in accordance with the season. In summer, mackerel, eggplant and goya are shun (in season) and these are the curries which they serve in that season, in addition to the regular menu. My favorite season for their specials is winter when Sunil always has scallop, salmon or daikon radish curry.

Another reason I have been a regular customer of SRI LANKA is that for vegetarians and there are many ordering options . My favorites are the vegetable and daal curries. These are DEEPLY tasty and completely meat free.

Everyday lunch specials are 750 yen and consist of a curry, rice, soup, and salad. Beer and the more potent Sri Lankan arak are available along with juices and lassis.

Sri Lanka serves its customers everyday (except Monday) from 12:00-2:00 and then from 6:00-9:30.

Sri Lanka is located off Nishi-Odori near the south-western quadrant of the intersection where that road meets Tsuchiura Gakuen-Sen, south of the Photo Studio Alice which is on the corner and across from the GUSTO family restaurant. You cannot park along Nishi Odori, however (though you can get there on foot or by bicycle by going along it. If you are driving you have to go around by turning at Ton Q restaurant or Takarajima. It is maddening giving directions in Japan as there are usually no street names! Here is a map.

Tel-029 855 2621

As a resident of Tsukuba for more than four years now, I have always wondered about where I can find various ingredients for making home like recipes. As a Romanian, I was used to usually having Feta-style cheese and bread as staple foods and for a few good years now I have come to like dark or whole wheat bread. So, here are some of the little discoveries I have made during my quest for such bread.

One thing is the difference between the types of bread people eat. In my home country, we do not usually use eggs, milk and sugar for making the bread used to accompany daily meals. The only ingredients used are flour, water, yeast and salt. This in view of Australians (the source of my information, although I am assuming this might apply to others coming from an English speaking background) is called sour-dough type bread. So, when I was looking for a place selling bread, this is what I wanted and not the dessert breads or anything usually sold in bakeries in Japan.

Recently I was recommended a shop that has a variety of German-style breads and delivers to your home door. You can access it here (http://www.kornblume.co.jp/scb/shop/shop.cgi). There are ten varieties of bread and in my experience the bread ordered was really dense and of a fairly big size. What I ordered were the Weizen-Sesambrot, the Fruchtebrot, and the Heildelberger Mischbrot. The Fruchtebrot has some cinnamon and the flavour was a bit too strong for my taste. Yet, the other two were the perfect bread to make sandwiches with ham, cheese, lettuce, olives… and so on.

The delivered package.

Since the delivery costs 600 yen, I preferred to order more and then cut the breads and put them in the freezer. The order needs to be placed for a specific date and time, no earlier than two days from the time of ordering. Since it is a perishable product, I do not know what happens if you miss the delivery time, but I liked the care the shop took in wrapping the bread - adapted obviously to the Japanese market. The website has no English version and shop seems to be a small one that originated in Mie prefecture, although it seems to have a branch in Tokyo. More information on the shop and maps with locations can be found at: http://www.kornblume.co.jp/alia/shopdata.htm.

Recently I did not feel like ordering from “afar”, so I have been buying bread from Brotzeit and the shop on the first floor of Seibu in Tsukuba. Each of these has whole-wheat bread or rye bread and the one in Tsukuba centre has a fruit bread that I really like. In the case of deserts-like breads or sandwiches my favourite is Le Pan Gris Gris. Both Brotzeit and Le Pan Gris Gris are family businesses and have been previously discussed about on Tsukublog or Alien Times (for more about them, see the links below).

Perhaps you are not so desperate as me to have a particular kind of bread, but if you are, I hope this helps.

Links to articles related to bread:
http://blog.alientimes.org/2008/02/germany-bakery-in-tsukuba-backerei-brotzeit/
http://www.alientimes.org/Main/BakeryReviewGrisGris

Or here is a link discussing the Brotzeit backery.
http://tsukuba.wikia.com/wiki/Backerei_Brotzeit

For those of you who do not know, there is a small ‘cafe’ in Doho park, right on the end of the pond! The name of this resting place is AHIRU cafe, or “Duck cafe” in English. The view is spectacular and you can enjoy summer days there minus the sweltering heat and humidity.

They offer healthy one-plate lunches, reasonable tea/coffee, ice cream, and other simple things. From August 7th for a limited time (approx. one month) the vegetables from the daily lunch plate served there will be organic ones! Additionally they will feature some kind of home-baked cake each day. I have previewed a slice of maccha cake and it was tasty.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask in the comments section!

You never know what surprising encounters await you when you stroll around Tsukuba City. Last weekend, on a perfect October day, I stepped out of the Ars Library to stretch my legs and get a little fresh air when I spotted something unusual on the lawn of Tsukuba’s Central park (Chuo Koen). There was a small group of people fiddling excitedly with what looked like satellite dishes, or even more like large flowers with petals made of shiny steel. Never being very good at resisting the pull of curiosity, I walked right over for a closer look. As I approached I noticed various types of food being prepared and then placed into the strange metallic contraptions which glistened brightly in the sun. A small placard revealed what it was exactly that I had stumbled upon: Tsukuba’s Solar Cooking Club!

Arranged in a dense cluster on the southern edge of the park were about a dozen solar cookers of various design, some ordered from companies and others homemade. These sun-powered ovens were being used to cook up a feast. First the popcorn started popping, as that only needs five minutes of solar cooking. We would have to wait 15 more minutes for the stewed apples, 35 more minutes for the rice and about an hour for the steamed chicken and potatoes. But on a day like that, with plenty of good company, who would mind the wait.

Yuko Tomioka, of Niconet Tsukuba, gave me a little tour of the cookers, which can be ordered over the internet for about 30,000 yen. I also saw pictures of the Japan Solar Cooking Association’s visit to Tanzania, where they showed local villagers how to build their own cookers.  I was also lucky to meet and have the chance to talk with famous Tsukuba solar energy researcher Tadashi Nemoto (read < a href="http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fl20080831x2.html">a recent Japan Times article).

It was all good people, great fun, and a worthy cause: reducing dependence on gas and electricity. It seems that these gatherings can be called for whenever weather conditions are favorable, so if you are interested in taking part in any future solar cookouts you should contact Niconet (niconet[at]niconet.org).

Vivian’s post “local produce” reminded me to write about another farmer’s market in Tsukuba. This one is held on Saturday mornings in Namiki Kinrin Park (並木近隣公園/Namiki Kinrin Koen), which is across the street from Namiki Kouminkan (community hall) by the Namiki Shopping Center. It’s officially from 10am to Noon, but the farmers get there before 9am.

This farmer’s market has a long history, and the farmers told me that they’ve started selling their veggies at this park when Tsukuba was still a quiet country town!

Like the farmer’s market Vivian mentioned, you can buy various vegetables for very low prices, so it gets extremely crowded especially when vegetable price hikes occur in “regular market.” A couple of years ago, price of lettuce went up to 300-500yen each, but you could still get it for 100yen at this farmer’s market. Naturally, a lot of people found out about it through word of mouth, and simple task like buying veggies became such a hassle!

What I like about this farmer’s market is that the vegetables sold there are organic. The farmers explained to me that they occasionally have to use minimum amount of agrochemicals, however. You’ll notice wormholes and some other damages to the vegetables you buy from these farmers, but you’ll know why their veggies don’t look as good as the ones you see in the grocery stores.

The sign in the picture is asking the customers to bring the　生ごみ(nama-gomi or raw garbage), so the farmers can use them as fertilizers. I always keep banana peels and other “veggie-gomi” in a different bag when I know I’ll be visiting this farmer’s market. I’m a “eco-minded” person, and since I grew up watching farmers in my neighborhood use raw garbage as fertilizers, it just makes me happy to bring veggie garbage to this place.

The farmers will be there every week, even during major holidays like Golden Week holidays and Obon holidays, and even during severe weather (I’m not kidding about this!).

A fish shop’s truck also comes every Saturday mornings, and you can have the fish cut in the way you like. I hear that you can buy the kind of fish you don’t see often in the grocery stores.

It’s nice to eat outside, and Cafe Plus 1 in Sakura Techno Park might be the best place in Tsukuba for an alfresco lunch or dinner. Within the confines of its faux American South-west style adobe courtyard, with its large picnic parasols and industrial-sized fan, even an afternoon meal in midsummer can be pleasant. The food there is always good, reasonably priced, and served in filling portions.

The other day at lunch, I learned something new about Cafe Plus 1. Dogs are welcome in its courtyard eating area, and are even served a dog-dish full of water, which is carried out by the staff on a tray.

So if you’d like to spend some more quality time with your pooch, Plus 1 might be the place for you and Pochi to dine.

It’s been 6 years since Burger King pulled out of Japan, but the “whopper” will back again… tomorrow!

Burger King Japan will open its first Burger King shop in Shinjuku tomorrow at 7am. It’ll be on the first floor of a building called “Tokyo Island It’s“. You may not recognize the name of the building, but some of you may recognize the artwork: a big sculpture of “LOVE” by a very famous American artist, Robert Indiana. Tokyo Island It’s is directly linked to Nishi-Shinjuku Station on the Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line.

The second Burger King restaurant will open on Friday, June 22 in Ikebukuro. It’ll be in the “Alpa Building” of Sunshine City. It’s across the street from Tokyu Hands and is less than a 10-minute walk from Ikebukuro Station.

According to the Burger King’s website, both of those restaurants will be open from 7am to 10pm. However, it also says “予定” (yotei/plan) after its hours, so I guess their store hours are tentative.

Will the new Burger King shops bring in the chaos like the new Krispy Kreme doughnut shop did in Shinjuku? (There are still long lines there, by the way.) I hope not, but I also hope that my son, who somehow thinks it’s fun to stand in a loooong line to get “good food,” won’t find out about this!

Growing up in the US, I only knew them as rubbery little brown slices that came out of a can. Coming to Japan opened my eyes to the exciting and varied world of mushrooms, or ki no ko (literally the children of trees) in Japanese. A walk around the produce section of your local supermarket in this season will reveal an exciting array of edible fungi, which when cooked are startlingly tasty (try stir frying maitake mushrooms in soy sauce and sake!).

According to a popular traditional Japanese expression, SHIMEJI mushrooms are the most delicious (though many now prefer maitake and shiitake). The same adage 香り松茸味しめじ (KAORI MATSUTAKE AJI SHIMEJI), however, claims that in terms of aroma the matsutake mushroom is king (the expression directly translated means “aroma matsutake, taste shimeji”).

The matsutake has become one of the three representative foods of the season (along with persimmons and sanma (a kind of fish), and valued as a delicacy and as a high end gift. Many Japanese like to have steamed matsutake rice, with its unique aroma, at least once every autumn.

Domestically harvested matsutake are becoming harder and harder to come by (at present these mushrooms cannot be cultivated, and have to be HUNTED and picked) and when you find them in stores you will most surely be discouraged from buying them due to their astronomical cost. You might want to take a picture of the price tags though. Last week in Tokyo I found a few of these phallic shaped fungi (this is probably another reason for their prestige in the orient) on sale for nearly 600 dollars (57,000 yen!)

Tsukubans interested in having a classic autumn culinary experience, can do so, with an inexpensive matsutake rice lunch set, at the ICHINOYA RESTAURANT. For the price of a usual lunch set (teishoku) you can have a MORE THAN FILLING meal which includes the famous delicacy (the matsutake they use are not domestically harvested). This special will only be available till the end of the month so you had better hurry.

If you do go, write me and tell me how YOU would describe the aroma. I have asked several Japanese (including professional chefs) what word they would use for the smell. The usual response was ”HHMMM, well, uh, it’s the MATUTAKE AROMA!”

Ichinoya restaurant has been around for a long time and is a favorite place for older Ibarakians. They serve up most kinds of Japanese food in very generous portions. It is also very reasonably priced.

I apologize for such short notice. Today’s the “Ice Cream Day” and Baskin Robbins Free Scoop night at Tsukuba Creo (Jusco) has started at 5pm tonight. Free Scoop Night at Tsukuba Creo is from 5pm to 7pm, and you get one single cone when you make a donation to UNICEF. Please visit their website for details.

Ibaraki is famous for its fruit, and Chiyoda Town, now part of Kasumigaura City, with its myriad orchards of Japanese pear (nashi), persimmon, grape, and chestnut, is surely the fruitiest place in the prefecture. There are dozens of farms which offer (for a price) various fruit picking options, in addition to plain old fruit shopping (bo-ring!). The town itself and the surrounding countryside also offer several places worth checking out.

Today was a perfect, if slightly hot, autumn day. With a few morning hours to spare, I suggested some pear and grape picking, and a very short hike to commune with some mysterious Kamakura period Buddhist carvings known as the Kankyo-Zan MAGAI BUTSU (磨崖仏). This idea was received with enthusiasm.

From Tsukuba we got onto route 53 (by staying on Nishi-Odori and continuing straight on), going past Oda and heading towards the small mountain, half-eaten away by the ravages of a quarry. We drove past that monstrosity (with windows up, of course) and after a few km on this narrow, truck-filled road, we entered a world of large traditional houses and plenty of greenery. High above, I noticed a soaring hawk. A little further on, the road was lined on both sides with fruit stands and farms offering fruit picking.

There are MANY orchards to choose from, and making up your mind as to where to stop can put you in a flurry… But if you are making the trip all the way out to Chiyoda, there is ONE place that stands out high above the others, in that it offers a very special physical setting, a spectacular 200 year old house filled with interesting knick-knacks, and nearby historical sites. I’m talking about SHO-BEH KAJU-EN (庄兵衛果樹園).

 It’s a little tricky to get there. From Route 53, you turn left at route 64 (県道６４). This road, too, is lined on both sides with fruit picking orchards. You will soon see large signs for Shobeh Kajuen and will eventually turn left. Just to make sure you’d  better check the map on their website.

Just having the chance to walk around this neighborhood makes the trip worth it (for me). The gate and main house offer some interesting features and, if you are lucky, the proprietress will show you around. Also, near the house, next to a small shrine, are two rare stone pagodas (important cultural property) and a memorial to the family’s war dead.

Shobeh’s offers chestnut, persimmon, pear, and grape picking. Today, we opted for grapes — KYOHO, my favorite. After paying a 900 yen per person entrance fee you can enter and eat as much as you like. There is no time limit. I would recommend bringing a picnic lunch and drinks with you.

After having our fill, we headed further towards Yasato, where we turned off towards the foot of Mt. Kankyo (閑居山）. Kankyo means TO DWELL IN SECLUSION in Japanese, and according to legend, the great Buddhist Kukai (KOBO DAISHI 774-835), did just that on this mountain, more than 1000 years ago.

It is now the WILD-BOAR CULLING SEASON, and a sign warned us of hunters with guns and the presence of traps (we saw one at Shobeh’s). We were not going to be climbing very far though, so I suggested we forge on. A ten-minute hike brought us to scores of mysterious Buddha figures carved into rock. Exposed to the elements for centuries, most of them have been badly worn away. Still I find it a good place for a little peaceful contemplation. If you like, you can continue on for further hiking. (The SHOTS you hear are probably not hunters. Farmers use time released fireworks to scare off birds in this area).

Time was short, so unfortunately we had to rush back to the Science City. I’d like to go back soon, though, and if YOU haven’t been to Chiyoda in autumn, you might want to check it out for yourself.

You can pick pears, grapes, and chestnuts until November and in winter (from the end of December) there is strawberry picking.

Backerei Brõtzeit is a German bakery that is located near the University of Tsukuba. I found out about it through an ad on the TAIRA mailing list and thought that I would go and check it out. I was very happy to see that they had yummy, thick rye breads (made from 100% organic rye) with or without walnuts and raisins, various specialty breads covered in a variety of toppings such as cheese, mushrooms, and green soybean paste, and baguettes and other kinds of rolls. All of the breads I bought were tasty. If you are in the area, I recommend dropping by. The owner was happy to tell me about the composition of the breads and was even able to translate “sourdough” into French for the friend who came with me.

Directions
Go north from Tsuchiura Gakuen-sen on Higashi Odori until you reach the intersection with Aji no Mingei on your right and Cocos/El Torito on your left. Turn right at that intersection and follow the road past the first intersection. Backerei Brõtzeit is on your left. If you reach the park, you have gone too far.

Open from 7:00am – 6:00pm, most days. Closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays.
Address: Amakubo 2-10-20 (close to the University of Tsukuba)
Tel: 029-859-3737

You don’t need to actually BUY okonomiyaki mix - though it is good to buy the flour specifically blended for making okonomiyaki. For those of you into cooking, here is one of my tried and true recipes, compliments of a friend with roots in Kansai. Most measurements are approximations, so feel free to tweak the recipe to taste…adding or leaving out whatever ingredients you wish! For a Korean twist, add kimchi…for a daring twist, add some natto…or Mexican, add spicy Monterey Jack cheese, jalapenos or green tabasco sauce! The possibilities are endless, after all, it is not called okonomiyaki ‘as-you-like-it’ pancake for nothing!

Kansai-style Okonomiyaki
Ingredients (2人）
100~150 grams of flour
2 egg
25cc of Japanese dashi (soup stock)
100 grams of ground yam…this replaces water
1 spoon of mayonnaise and soy sauce
200 grams of sliced cabbage
50 grams of sliced stone leek (or green onions)
30 grams of sliced pork or bacon
Seafoods (shrimp, squid, etc)
6~7 pieces of thinly sliced rice cake
60 grams of meltable cheese

optional: little dried shrimp, kimchi, natto, yakisoba noodles, udon, ten-kasu (tempura crisps)
CONDIMENTS:
okonomiyaki-sauce
mayonnaise
mustard
dried bonito
red ginger (benishoga)
tabasco
nori (green laver)

Directions:
1) Mix the flour and egg well. Mix the ground yam into the mixture, then dashi, then 1 tsp mayo + 1 tbsp soy sauce.

2) Mix the sliced cabbage and Japanese leeks into the mixture
3) Spread some cooking oil on the heated hotplate and put in 1/4 batter.
4) If you have rice cake, place a few pieces of it on the mixture and put another 1/4 batter. Do not spread it too thin.

5) Spread the sliced pork and seafood on it.
6) When one side of the mixture is cooked and light brown, turn it over.
7) Cook the other side well. Turn it over again, sprinkle cheese and turn over when it starts to melt. Turn after 1 minute. (if you want to keep it crisp in texture, keep the cheese inside and not outside!)
8) Spread wet condiments, then dry condiments on top.
9) Cut into slices, like pizza, eat while it’s warm.

Autumn foliage comes late to Tsukuba.  It is already mid-November, and the ginkgo trees (itchoh) are only just starting to yellow. It has been for many weeks, though, that we have been able to enjoy what is probably the most representative color of autumn in the Japanese countryside - the  reddish-orange glow of kaki (柿), persimmons, which seem to grow in the gardens of almost every home in the old neighborhoods of Tsukuba.

Already in late September these warmly hued fruits can be seen hidden among the still verdant leaves of their trees, but by now with most of the foliage gone, the kaki hang heavily on the bare branches, like so many little Halloween ornaments (they could be mistaken from afar for tiny pumpkins). With light conditions just right, they can be absolutely breathtaking. In all the years I’ve been trying, I have never quite been able to adequately capture their special beauty on film.

Though it is possible that some species of persimmon are native to Japan, it is commonly believed that these fruit were introduced to this country from China, probably via the Korean Peninsula sometime during the Heian Period (794-1185). There are legends of how a Buddhist monk wandered Japan on foot, subsisting mostly on the light-weight and nutritious dried persimmons he was carrying, spreading the seeds to every village he passed through (he was a kind of Japanese Johnny Appleseed). These legends also stress how people were impressed by the persimmons curative (anti-bacterial) powers.

Whatever the truth is, the persimmon did in fact spread throughout the land, with more varieties now in Japan than in any other country in the world. It has become an essential part of Japanese culture (in several ways).

As I have said, there are numerous varieties of persimmon in Japan. However, it is important to know that there are two basic types. First there are sweet persimmons (amagaki,甘柿) which can be eaten right off the tree (when ripe), and are sold fresh at stores (in season). Then there are astringent persimmons (shibugaki, 渋柿)), which cannot be eaten raw (they taste chalky!), but can be made edible (and sweet) by drying, heating, or soaking in a little alcohol. These shibugaki are often longer from top to bottom, while amagaki are flatter and wider (though this is not always true!) 

The kaki sold at stores are recently developed varieties which are consistently sweet, with the most famous in this area being fuyu-gaki (富有柿). However, the trees which grow in the gardens of Tsukuba usually are of different varieties which could be either sweet or shibui (chalky), with even the same tree bearing different tastes in different years. It is even possible to have the fruit of the same tree in the same year being different types if different parts of the tree have different light exposure.

If you have any friends who are locals, you are almost certain to get a gift of homegrown kaki. Your friends will probably tell you how sweet they are. If you try one and it is inedible, you can put a dash of alcohol (shochu, for example) on it (and the rest of the batch) and close it up in a plastic bag. By the next day they should be delish. Soaking them in your hot bath will also do the trick.

Since heat is a factor in making them sweet, global warming has been changing the nature of Tsukuba’s kaki culture. Until about 40 years ago, I have heard that shibugaki could be seen drying in the sun from almost every house in Tsukuba. Now, since local trees are producing sweeter and sweeter fruit, it is no longer necessary to dry them for eating. In more northern or mountainous parts of Japan persimmons strung up in the sun are a common sight, harking back to the days when dried persimmons were one of the most important sources of nutrition for farmers, and just about the only sweets their kids ever tasted.

Over the centuries the Japanese found many ways to use persimmons and the Edo Period (1600-1867) could be said to be the Golden Age of Kaki. During this period the fruit was an important ingredient for many dishes which no longer appear on menus or in peoples’ homes. And as I have mentioned above, it was a staple food for the masses. Fresh off the tree, dried or slightly roasted. The leaves were (and still sometimes are) used for tempura, and the caps (boiled with ginger) a cure for hiccups.

Before the development of plastics, the tannins removed from persimmons were used to create a water-proof coating for a variety objects (umbrellas for one!)

In this area I have heard it said that pregnant women and new mothers should not eat persimmons as they chill the body, and all old people remember being told that if they fell out of a persimmon tree they would soon die (this was a way of keeping kids from climbing the tree, whose branches are in fact easily broken). 

And of course, all Japanese, when asked about kaki, remember the poem by Masaoka Shiki (because it is in all school textbooks) which goes:

Kaki kueba kane ga naru nari Horyu-Ji

Munching on a kaki, Horyu-Ji Temple’s bell resounds (my translation).

There are numerous other poems and proverbs related to kaki which I would also like to mention, but maybe I will leave them for next year.

Enjoy your kaki, sweet or astringent!

Though the number of Italian restaurants in Tsukuba is countless, you cannot really say the same for Japanese ones. I am a big fan of Japanese food and really like kaiseki meals…at non-kaiseki prices (lunch averages at around 1600yen). In Ninomiya you can experience mini-kaiseki at Kita restaurant, located just behind NON cafe. (same building but way back, kind of hidden)

The food you’ll find at Kita is Japanese with a slight French/Italian twist. Everyday Japanese fare doesn’t tend to have cream in it though some dishes at this restaurant do. Standard mini-dishes are: sashimi, vegetarian nigiri sushi, some meat or fish main, and some fried croquette. (As you can see from the picture, there is a total of 6 mini-dishes - this is their standard way of serving up lunch and dinner)

Topping off the meal is a seasonal dessert dish. Once I got fresh fruit with red bean topping, round piece of shiruko (sweet sticky rice ball) with a dollop of vanilla ice cream. Another time it was fresh fruit jelly. Another time it was 5-layer ice cream with exotic flavors like mango, black sesame, green tea… You can order drinks but the lunch set comes with black tea or coffee, both are self-service.

While the desserts tend to change, some may find the menu choices at this particular restaurant to be somewhat too constant (similar). That being said, the overall quality is always guaranteed to be excellent - freshly prepared tasty dishes! While the vegetables are not organic, the owner makes an effort to use fresh local produce in the dishes. Please try it out sometime, I don’t think you’ll regret it. It is a good place to bring out-of-town guests. The last time I brought 5 friends there and every one of them was impressed and satisfied with the lunch.

A review, in Japanese can be viewed here:

http://www.e298.jp/epi/modules/wordpress1/index.php?p=26

Ninomiya Arumikku Building 1F/2F

Lunch: 11:30 to 14:00 (LO); Dinner: 17:00 to 21:00 (Monday off)

The first Krispy Kreme Doughnuts shop opens (actually just about now) in Shinjuku today! It’s located in Shinjuku Southern Terrace, which is just outside of the Shinjuku Station’s south exit. I think this will be a nice to place to stop by before or after you go to Kinokuniya Bookstores :-)

Man, I hope Krispy Kreme Doughnuts will come to Tsukuba in the near future!

For those of you interested in buying produce locally, there is a farmer’s market (open all day from 7a.m. to 7p.m.) right off Nishi-odori. My housewife friend kindly told me about it after she discovered the place not too long ago, meaning some native Tsukuba residents might not even know about it!

The shop has some unique items not usually found at your local supermarket like Jusco, Kasumi, and so on. Yakon, a root vegetable identical (in appearance) to potato can be bought there - a bag for only 250yen. It is a tasty slightly sweet tuber which tastes great raw in salads (similar to Japanese pear taste and crunchy in texture) and fried in tempura batter. Kasumi sold muffins made from yakon powder for some time, when yakon was the ‘hot health food’ of the moment. They might still sell it…

The shop also has sashimi konnyaku, something usually found in Northern Ibaraki in areas like Fukuroda Falls, etc. Sashimi konnyaku tastes just like maguro when eaten with soy sauce and wasabi! A bag (3 balls) of homemade konnyaku jelly goes for 200yen.

The farmers speak in heavily accented Ibaraki-dialect (?) but seem light-hearted and funny. They might be very curious about where you are from, so be prepared to be asked that! From what I know, most of the vegetables sold there are grown by them and the rice is high-quality Ibaraki rice (1800yen for 5kg). I was surprised a whole bag of broccoli only cost 100yen…usually only imported American broccoli is that cheap at regular supermarkets.

You can find the shop just north of the Panda-sign Chinese restaurant on Nishi-odori. It is on the West side of Nishi-odori…or if you know where the Asia Juhan real estate agency is located on Nishi-odori, it is basically across the street from that shop. You can identify the farmer’s shop by some bright banners and yellow flags outside of the place. It looks like an open garage or something like that.

The next time you have to extend your visa, consider going to Mito instead of Tokyo so you can enjoy a great lunch at Pizza Lino right near the immigration office. Pizza Lino offers a “lunch for two” that is a quite a deal. For 2600 yen (in total for two people), you will get access to the salad bar and drink bar, two main dishes (one pizza and choice of either pasta or rice), and a dessert selection (usually three small desserts like cake, panacotta, and ice cream per person). The salad bar is rather small but surprisingly filling. Actually, I have never once been to Pizza Lino and had someone complain that they didn’t get enough food.. You can also add a third person in for an extra 1300 yen.

To get to Mito, take a bus from Tsukuba Center to Tsuchiura Station (approximately 30 minutes) and then take the Joban line from Tsuchiura to Mito (approximately 1 hour). The immigration office is located on the south side of Mito Station. There is a Mini Stop (convenience store) located to the south and east of the immigration office. Pizza Lino is located on the same street as the convenience store near the McDonalds and Royal Host closer to the station.

Address: Jonan 2-8-32, Mito
Tel: 029-225-9877
Open: Monday to Saturday from 11:30am to 10pm,
Sundays and Holidays from 11am to 9:30pm

I loathe margarine - not only because it cheapens the taste of bread, but because it reportedly damages our health (due to free-radicals).  Recently, due to the massive butter shortage and rising butter prices, many bakeries have resorted to using margarine.  I was very disappointed recently, to eat croissants that tasted like they were made out of pure oil, ick! 

I have written a review about Gris Gris bakery in Sakura (behind ex-Fujiya…) in the past, it is probably still searchable on this site.  I recently go there to buy breads because I can be assured it uses real butter and not its cousin, margarine!  In the past one might have considered it somewhat more expensive than other bakeries, but now that all the other shops have raised their prices, I found Gris Gris to be in fact cheaper (and definitely more superior in taste!).  Croissant for 140yen, rustic bread with tons of chestnuts for 140yen, and so on. 

Now with an 8-month baby, I want to make sure what I buy is not preservative and free-radical packed.  Not too long ago I was told by a friend that PASCO chojuku (sp?) loaf bread does not contain ‘unnecessary’ ingredients and preservatives.  Other major company’s loaf breads, I was told, should be avoided.  They might taste great but think about it - a week and still no mold?  Doesn’t that strike you as scary?  Fresh bakery bread usually molds up in 3 days!  (put your bread to the test: toss some bread into a small plastic bag…wait until you can see black or green mold growing on it - how long did it take?)

Have to run.  Your thoughts?  If you try the bread in a bag experiment, please let me know the results and what bakery’s bread/supermarket bread brand you used.

QUICK NOTE: The bakery is closed on Mon/Tuesdays all August and September, due to the summer holidays.

There is a lovely little mikan (mandarin orange) orchard on the slopes of Mt. Tsukuba. It costs 300 yen per adult (sorry, I can’t remember how much it was for kids) to get into the orchard. You can pick-your-own mikans, eat as many as you like while you are in the orchard, and then take some home for 300 yen/kg. I am not sure what the address of the orchard is, but look for the orange 「みかん狩り」 (mikan gari) signs as you start the ascent up Mt. Tsukuba.

I didn’t intend on going to this restaurant in order to write up a review but ended up doing so because I thought some people might be interested in such a place.

Momoko House, is a casual restaurant located somewhat far away from Tsukuba Central (close to Yatabe city hall). They specialize in Japanese-style Western foods, such as: hamburger steak, cabbage rolls, doria, gratin, spaghetti, and so on. For the sweet tooth in you, they have plenty of desserts in a glass showcase near the entrance.

It is a little similar to Westhouse restaurant but somewhat quirkier - the decor is made up of quilted goods and somewhat frilly. Even the rice served is in the shape of a ‘kawaii’ heart. That and the food seems like home-cookin’. For those with a hearty appetite, you might want to order the mentaiko pilaf or giant doria (white sauce and cheese covered fried chicken+rice…definitely not for dieters!).

So if you are not on a diet and crave some generously sized dishes, why not head out to Momoko House?

Hours of operation: 11:00 to 22:00 (THU off, LO@21:00 )

More details can be found on their website!