A closer look at why eel (unagi) is commonly eaten in Japan in July- especially on certain days called DOYO-NO-USHI (this year July 21st)- again
Each summer in Japan, usually in mid or late July, you will find that department stores and COMBINIs (convenience stores) have set up special displays and counters for promoting and selling ready- to- eat, steamed and grilled UNAGI (eel). At the same time, banners advertising these succulent, snake-like delicacies, can be seen lining the roads leading to shops and restaurants which specialize in them . Even those who are JAPANESE ILLITERATE can clearly make out what is being touted by these fluttering NOBORI (flags), as the U (う), which is the first syllabic character used to spell UNAGI is printed in a long, exaggerated line (often with a head and a tail), forming the shape of an eel!
A NOBORI advertizing UNAGI (eel)
You may ask what this is all about? Your Japanese friends or acquaintances will probably give you the SIMPLE , STANDARD explanation- that eating nutritious eel helps you beat Japan`s notorious summer heat, and keeps NATSU-BATTE (summer lethargy) at bay. They will also tell you that it is customary to have UNAGI ( usually served on rice and in a distinctive sauce) on a specific day, traditionally said to be the hottest of the year, which is called DOYO NO USHI NO HI (土用の丑の日), and which literally means the Day of The Ox During DOYO ( in 2011 this will be on July 21st).
Now all of this is clearly understandable and perfectly correct. But for those you who would like to delve deeper into the roots and significance of this extremely popular custom ( you can bet that I have MY eel every summer! ), I would like to explain just what DOYO (土用) means, why the Day of The Ox (丑の日) during the DOYO is significant, and then, why it is EEL that has become the most popular TONIC for that day. I will also show you that there are alternative foods for those who have not developed a taste for UNAGI (or its distinctive shape).
Let me begin with the basics. The traditional Japanese calendar consists of 4 perfectly balanced, 90 day seasons, with the official first day of each season falling between the solistices (the longest and shortest days of the year) and the equinoxes ( the two days in the year in which daytime and night-time are equal). Accordingly, the first day of spring (RISHUN, 立春) is half-way between the winter solistice (TO-JI, 冬至) and the spring equinox (shunbun no hi, 春分の日), the first day of summer (RIKKA, 立夏), is between the spring equinox and the summer solistice ( GESHI, 夏至), the first day of autumn (RISHUー, 立秋) between the summer solistice and the autumnal equinox (shubun no hi, 秋分の日), and, likewise, the first day of winter (RITO-, 立冬) lies between the autumnal equinox and the winter solistice. As I have mentioned above, there are 90 days between each of these official seasonal changes.
Doyo (土用), according to the traditional calendar, is the 18 (or 19) day period before EACH seasonal change day. And though, as you now know, there are actually 4 DOYO periods in a year, most contemporary Japanese now associate this expression ONLY with the summer.
To understand the etymology and significance of the term DOYO (土用), which contains the Chinese character DO (土), meaning earth, or soil, we have to look at traditional Chinese Yin Yan (陰陽) Theory and more specifically the concept of the 5 elements (五行) which has had such a great impact on Japanese thought. According to this way of thinking, most things in the world can be associated with either YIN (the passive) or YANG (the active), OR with one of the five elements. These are: wood, fire, earth, metal, and water. Each season, of course, is also associated with one of these elements- spring with wood, summer with fire, autumn with metal, and winter with water. As you can see, there are only four seasons, so what about the fifth element- earth? Well, traditionally this became connected to EACH period of seasonal change. That is why this 18 day period, which comes four times a year, is the earth period. According to these beliefs, one should not engage in any projects which upset the earth (digging a well, etc) during these DOYO periods.
Now that we understand what DOYO means ( and PLEASE remember that I am only giving the scantest explanation of EXTREMELY complex traditional concepts), lets look at what The Day of The Ox is, and why that day is considered to be of special significance.
If you look at a Japanese calendar (even today) you often find that printed on it each day of the year has, in order, one of the TWELVE ANIMALS OF THE CHINESE ZODIAC ( junishi, 十二支), just as each consecutive year has. These animals are- RAT, OX , TIGER , RABBIT , DRAGON , SNAKE , HORSE , SHEEP , MONKEY, ROOSTER, DOG ,and BOAR. The characters used to represent these animals as zodiac sign are DIFFERENT from those we use to represent the actual animals. That is why Day of The Ox, is written 丑の日, with 丑、as cow or ox, and not the more familiar (to basic students of Japanese) character: 牛.
Since Doyo periods are usually 18 days long and there are twelve zodiac signs, it is quite common for a DAY of The Ox (ushi no hi) to occur not only once, but twice within that period (Im not good at math, but you can do the calculations yourself).
The questions remains as to WHY the ox would be of special significance during the summer DOYO. OK. This period has traditionally been the hottest time of the year in Japan. Those of you who have experienced this overwhelming heat and humidity know how it can sap you of all your strength and knock you out of action. The ox is significant in that it can act as a COUNTER-BALANCE to the summer heat ! Here is why. Not only each day and year, but also each month is designated its own zodiac sign. The sixth month of the old calendar ( usually July) is Month of The Sheep (未). Directly on the other side of the year , is the frosty 12th month (usually January). The zodiac animal of this, the coldest of months, is the OX ! In other words, the the cold bearing powers of the ox are called forth for assistance when the year is experiencing its hottest days ! In Ying Yang thinking FINDING THE BALANCE is always important, and the Ox help to level out the sheep!
Now you see why the Ox Days are significant during the summer DOYO. But why has eating eel been so popular on these days? Again, the explanation is not simple.
It seems that there has long been the belief that any food beginning with the syllable U (as in ushi- cow), would bring relief from summers oppressive stranglehold. That is why, to this day, besides Unagi (eel), there are those who eat Udon (wheat noodles), Uri (gourd), or Umeboshi (salted plums), on DOYO NO USHI NO HI. Today, I stopped by at an eel restaurant, and they were serving DOYO UME- plums for DOYO along with their unagi.
The man who is credited with having made eel into THE food to be eaten on DOYO NO USHI NO HI is the polymath Hiraga Gennai (1729-1779), one of the more interesting characters of pre-modern Japan. The story goes like this. An acquintance of Gennai who ran an eel restaurant had fallen on slow times. To help whip up business, the well-known and well- loved inventor, writer and artist wrote up a sign for the shop saying that it was the Day of The Ox During Doyo (and a good time to eat unagi, which begins with a U !) The sign was a big hit (as you can now imagine) and thus was begun, along with Valentine chocolates and Christmas cakes and chickens one of the greatest commercial successes linking a particular product with a special day.
Eating eel DOES make sense though, for the Japanese in summer, since it is HIGHLY NUTRITIOUS. In fact, in Japans oldest collection of poems (The Manyoshu) there are two poems on the theme of eating eel to prevent SUMMER WEIGHT-LOSS, by one of the greatest Japanese poets of all time- OTOMO NO YAKAMOCHI.
Something else to consider is that another obvious choice for a nutritious dish on the Day of The Ox would be BEEF. Pre-modern Japanese , however, did not eat animals with legs (mostly) and thus cows were not eaten (eels, on the other hand, are just about as far as you can get from having legs!).
EATING UNAGI
So, there you have it. This years DOYO NO USHI NO HI is coming up, so while you should have no trouble finding eel at supermarkets, you WILL have trouble getting in the better UNAGI RESTAURANTS ( especially on the the 21st this year).
The most popular way to prepare unagi in the Kanto Area ( which includes Tokyo and Tsukuba as well) is called KABA YAKI ( see photo on top), which is steamed and then grilled eel, basted in a special sauce. It it served on rice in a laquer box ( this is called UNAJU) or in a bowl ( UNADON) and most people sprinkle a special condiment called SANSHO ( Japanese pepper, or Shechuan pepper) on top ( somtimes the sanso has a slight numbing effect on the lips and tongue!)
It is interesting to note that in the Kansai Area ( around Kyoto and Nara) the eel is only grilled and NOT steamed. I cannot tell you how it is prepared that way, as I have never eaten unagi in Kansai!
Another way of preparing eel that I would like to try is SHIRAYAKI- which is eel steamed without the sauce. another friend, who is something of a gourmet has told me that UNATORO is delicious. This is pieces of eel mixed into grated yama imo ( a kind of tuber) poured over rice. Sounds deeeeelish!
Avi Landau
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A Deeper Look at O-Sechi (お節)- Japan`s Special New Year`s Dishes (which are served cold)
In a recent TsukuBlog article about O-Shogatsu ( お正月) the Japanese New Year Festival, I mentioned that I would like to write more about Osechi (御節), the variety of special, slow to spoil and symbolically significant dishes, packed into a box or set of stacked boxes, which are eaten over the 3-day New Year`s holiday period. I instead added a link to a site online ( wikipedia) which I said would provide adequate information in English. Later , I re-read the article that I had recommended and found it unsatisfying in terms of what I would have wanted to communicate about this most important ( along with O-Mochi- pounded rice cakes) of all Japanese festive foods . So now, after my own Osechi boxes have already been picked clean, I will try to give a fuller picture of this important custom which is so revealing in terms of traditional Japanese culture in general.
First let`s look at the origin of the term Osechi ( 御節), which an abbreviation of Osechiku (御節供), literally meaning Offerings for Days of Seasonal Change. Traditionally, besides New Year`s, five special seasonal change days (originally brought over from China) were celebrated in Japan. These are all linked to the fact that according to Chinese thought, ODD NUMBERS are auspicious. Thus we have:
O-shogatsu ( the New Year) on the first day of the first month ( 1/1)
Jinjitsu no Sekku ( 人日の節句) on the seventh day of the first month (1/7)
Joshi no Sekku ( 上巳の節句 ) on the third day of the third month ( 3/3)
Tango no Sekku ( 端午の節句) on the fifth day of the fifth month (5/5)
Shichiseki (七夕) on the seventh day of the seventh month (7/7)
and Choyo no Sekku (重陽の節句) on the 9th day of the ninth month
on which special foods were given as offerings to the gods. These Sechiku (offerings) were later eaten by the family or group that presented them.
Since the first day of the first month was, and still is, the most important of these seasonal change days, the term Osechi is now used ONLY to refer to the special dishes of New Year`s.
(the other seasonal change days ( sekku) are still recognized in Japan to varying degrees and have their OWN special dishes which have evolved over the generations. The fifth day of the fifth month is even a national holiday ( Childrens Day), while 3/3 is the popular Doll Festival ( Hina Matsuri) and 7/7 , the Tanabata star Festival. Interestingly, 9/9, the most important of the sekku for the ancient Chinese, besides New Years Day ( because nine is the largest ODD number), did not become truly popular in Japan because in the Japanese language the pronounciation of the number nine -KU-can also mean to suffer.)
Each of the separate dishes which make up what is now called Osechi ( and there can be dozens) are meant to symbolically represent ( through similarities of sound or shape etc) a good harvest, long healthy life, the success of ones descendants and conjure up other positive, auspicious images for the future.
Osechi dishes also usually include representative foods from the mountain and foods from the sea, as well as foods which are cooked in various styles( grilling,boiling, etc.), and different tastes ( sweet, sour, salty).
As with Japanese cooking in general, they also show deep consideration for healthfulness with a good balance of vegetables and protein.
The other characteristic of Osechi dishes, is that they must keep for at least three days and can be eaten as they are, that is, without heating up- because over the New Year`s holiday there was NO cooking, traditionally.
Of course, there are variations in, how many, and what dishes comprise the Osechi from family to family , so it goes without saying that their can be great regional variation.
GOMAME In the Kanto Area ( around Tokyo), there are 3 dishes which are considered essential ( iwai sakana sanshu- 祝い肴三種), which are- GOMAME ( boiled and dried sardines, also called TAZUKURI), KUROMAME (黒豆)- boiled black beans, and KAZU NO KO ( 数の子)- herring eggs.
Kazu no ko ( herring roe) In Kansai ( around Kyoto and Osaka), the GOMAME, while probably included somewhere in the Osechi, in not considered to be one of the essential three. Instead there is TATAKI GOBO (burdock root boiled in Soy sauce) which is considered a MUST ( the other two are the same).
Traditionally these dishes are packed into a set of stacked laquered boxes, four tiers high ( though now 2 or three tiers is the norm and these are often of cheaper material). This makes for convenient serving.
Besides this utilitarian aspect, all the dishes, with their celebratory colors, packed into these small boxes makes a feast for the eyes ( some would say that it is more beautiful than delicious!) and is also symbolic of how the millions of residents of this mountainous island nation have lived cramped together, yet in harmony.
kuromame As I mentioned before there is no ONE set way of packing or stacking these boxes but here is a typical way:
The first tier ( ICHI NO JU 一の重) would have the essentials- the KUROMAME ( representing HARD WORK, DILIGENCE and health- because MAME means beans, diligence , energy and health. Their black color bearing the power to drive away bad energies), the Kazu no ko ( herring roe) which represents many descendants ( there are made up of countless eggs) and health of parents ( NISHIN, herring, is a homophone for NISHIN 二親- two parents), and the GOMAME fish, which represent a good harvest ( sardines would traditionally be used to fertilize the rice fields).Date Maki-伊達巻, an egg and fish paste roll shaped to form a swirl were said to have bee a favorite of the great daimyo Date Masamune. Their scroll shaped also can be seen as a celebration of Japan`s traditional literature, which was written and illustrated on scrolls.
The second tier ( NI NO JU 二の重), contains grilled foods and sea foods- yellowtail (BURI- which represents promotion, as this fish has different names in its different growth stages), shrimp ( whose bent back represents achieving old age), Sea bream ( TAI, which for the Japanese conjures up images of omedeTAI- celebration, etc…
The third tier ( SAN NO JU 三の重) contained vinegared dishes
and the fourth tier ( YO NO JU 与の重, please note that the character here 与 is not the standard character for the number 4 ( 四), which could also be read SHI (death), and is thus avoid. This might also be the reason that four tiers are no longer popular) contained boiled dishes including KONBUMAKI ( kelp) which represents happiness ( because the sound of KONBU is similar to that of yoroKOBU- to be glad) and lotus root, whose holes, which can be peered through, represent the looking toward the future, etc…
As I said, the above does NOT represent the rule and will find variations of this arrangement.
(And there are many more dishes that I have not mentioned yet. I will add to this list little by little and promise a more comprehensive list by next O-Shogatsu)
In Japan today many people order their osechi ( each tier costs at least 5,000 Yen and the price can go much higher than that), but many houswives make some of the dishes themselves even if they do order a set.
Each of the dishes can also be bought separately at department stores just before O-shogatsu.
Its fun to sit around the house for three days, noshing now and then out of the osechi trays ( with plenty of SAKE, of course!), enjoying not only the taste and beautiful presentation of the food but also each little tidbit`s symbolic significance.
Some more O-Sechi favorites: Date Maki (伊達巻), on the left- made of eggs and fish meal, and Kamaboko- made of fish paste. These were part of my own O-Sechi ( 2011)
By the way, though O-Sechi can be picked at freely at any time diring the first three days of the year, at MEAL TIMES it is always taken together with O-ZONI (お雑煮), which is a soup containing O-Mochi ( pounded rice cakes). O-zoni is interesting in that though O-Shogatsu is celebrated by just about everyone in Japan in quite a similar way- there is great variation in O-Zoni, depending on the region. There is even a saying TONARI NO ZONI (隣りの雑煮) which means that even within the same region, or neighborhood, O-Zoni varies from household to household.
I have heard that this sometimes leads to spats in the first year of marriage, since a new bride might make O-Zoni which to her husband is NOT O-Zoni. Or since a brides new family might insist that she make O-Zoni THEIR WAY.
Generally speaking,, speaking in Western Japan the Mochi in the soup is usually round, while in Eastern Japan ( including Tsukuba), it is square.
A famous O-Zoni oddity is that in Kagawa Prefecture ( on the island of Shikoku) the Mochi ( which is round) contains AN (餡)- sweet adzuki beans!.
Also, in the Kinki Region ( Nara and Kyoto), the soup is made of white miso paste,
Since in Tsukuba there are residents who have come from all over Japan, I have always thought it would be fun to have a ZONI event in which the various types of New Year`s soup would be made and served at one place.
Anyway, I hope you get a chance to taste O-Sechi and O-Zoni. Though you can buy the former, the latter is pretty much only made at home. But I think if you mention that you are interested in trying some New Year`s soup with MOCHI to a Japanese friend, that just might bring you some to try!
And one more thing!
The chopsticks used for eating O-Sechi and O-Zoni are different from normal chopsticks- they are slender at BOTH ENDS! That is because while you are eating, the God of The New Year TOSHI-GAMI SAMA is eating with you! They are also often made of willow wood, which is believed o have the power to drive away evil!
Have a great year!
Junko Takasaki`s O-Zoni (2011) in the style of Iwaki (Fukushima Prefecture)-Taro,Carrots, burdock, fried tofu, mushrooms, leaks and chicken in a soy sauce based broth- topped with citron (yuzu) peel shavings
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A late winter walk leads to the UBAYURI (姥ユリ) a type of wild lily, which is more beautiful AFTER its flower has fallen off- AND was an important food source for Japan`s early inhabitants
On an uncomfortably cold day like today, you might not believe me when I tell you that spring IS just around the corner. Sure, plenty of very cold ( and even snowy) days probably still lay ahead, and the March winds which blow off Mt Tsukuba ( the Tsukuba Oroshi) can be frosty and brutal ( for cyclists especially). But I`m not talking about the temperature. When I speak of spring I am thinking of all the VEGETATION, all the GREENERY which in the coming weeks will start emerging from the soil. Already this week I can sense all of that LIFE, chomping at the bit, getting ready to burst forth. You can almost hear it.
Knowing that there is is little time left to savor Tsukuba`s distinctive wild winterscapes, I took a long walk through the fields and woods near my house in Konda. It was not all just dried out reeds and branches
A new goshawks nest in the Konda Woods (Tsukuba)
I decided to start out by heading to the area above which I have often seen, in recent weeks, one of our neighborhood goshawks ( O-Taka) perched high up on some sort of communications tower. I thought that perhaps it was around there that the majestic birds will be nesting this year.
Stepping into the woods in my neighborhood can sometimes be creepy. With all the owls, and the goshawks, there are often plenty of small animal and bird remains, the feather, fur and bones, which the birds of prey ( and later the scavengers) leave behind. Right away, I knew that the goshawks were active in that area. The route I had chosen was littered here and there by blotches of such leftovers. There were also plenty of hawk droppings.
Getting deeper into the forest, I often stopped to scan the canopy ( still thick in winter because of all the evergreens), in the hope of spotting a nest. Just at the point which was probably furthest from any road ( in any direction), I found it, letting out a big WOW! Very impressive- amazing, even suddenly coming across it.
I then resumed my ground search in the general area around the nest.
Another view of the nest
About 20 meters east of the grand tree high atop which the goshawks had chosen to make their home, was a little slope- the remains of an ancient burial mound (kofun, 古墳). Still scouring the ground, I slowly proceded up it. What I found on top almost made me forget all about the nest- in fact it brought me back the original purpose of this hike- marvelling at the interesting withered vegetation of winter.
I found myself suddenly walking among what at first seemed to be the commonest of dried out reeds- but raising my eye-level to what would be my chest height, I found that the little ridge I was on was covered with one of the most beautiful features of the Japanese woods in winter- the dried out UBAYURI (姥ユリ), a type of wild lily ( with the scientific name Cardiocrinum cordatum )
Of course, by this time of year these plant`s flowers had long disappeared. So what, you may ask, makes them so special.
Well, after their blossoms have fallen away, the fruit of this lily appears. Eventually, this dries, too, and opens up into three petal-like parts- which are connnected by what look like fine filaments. Really something special to look at. And how strange I thought that, though many types of lily flowers are spectacular, the UBAYURI`s blossoms are rather dull and plain ( though they ARE large!). That means in winter, without their white cone-like flowers, they are probably more attractive than they are in summer!
In fact, they are often added to winter flower arrangements, as symbols of the season.
Looking closely I could still find some of the lily seeds with had been blown out of their casing. These, too are remarkable to examine, as they look like very finely sliced flower bulbs. Since lilies are famous BULBS, some are surprised to hear that they also have seeds. Well, they do, and they are worth a close look.
The Ubayuri as it looks in winter after having released its seeds ( Tsukuba, Konda 2011)
Japan is considered to be something of a TREASURE HOUSE of lillies, with more than 10 indigenous species ( some of which were introduced to Europe in 1829 by the German physician Von Siebolt, who was at the Dutch trading post of Dejima, Nagasaki).
And though the Europeans and others took up these flowers with great enthusiasm for decorative purposes, in Japan ( and the rest of North-East Asia) lilies have not only been admired for their beauty and scent- they have also been EATEN.
The bulbs of various types of lily were an important source of starch for the ancient Japanese andYuri Ne ( lily bulbs) are still an important feature of Japanese special O-Sechi dishes eaten over the New Year holiday.
The dried out fruit of the UBAYURI- in Tsukuba (2011)
Besides the holiday season Lily bulbs are available at supermarkets and food cooperatives and can be prepared in a variety of ways. One variety in particular, the Ko Oniyuri, is cultivated for its bulb ( though some other varieties can also be eaten)
When cooked these bulbs look like pieces of GARLIC (also bulbs) when served, and their texture is also quite similar to the STINKY ROSE. Their flavor , however, is very subtle and starchy, and is influenced by the seasoning used ( as opposed to influencing the taste of everything else, as garlic does).
The ubayuri stand tall in one area of the woods
One very interesting thing that I learned after I got back from my walk and started doing a little research on the UBAYURI was that a larger type of the same lily, called the O-Ubayuri (Cardiocrinum cordatum var. glehnii) is one of the most important food sources for the Ainu people.
The O-Ubayuri grows mostly in Hokkaido and in the colder, snowier, Japan Sea side of Northern Honshu.
Two UBAYURI seeds stuck on a nearby leaf
For anyone interesting in the process used to make TUREP, which is the dish that the Ainu make of of the starch of the O-Ubayuri, have a look at this page:
http://www.frpac.or.jp/kodomo/html/bunka/tabemono2/tabemono_01_ooubayuri2.html
A staple food of the Ainu- TUREP- made from the O-Ubayuri
In a couple of weeks I plan on going back to that same spot and dig up a few of the bulbs and try to make some Japanese dishes with them.
I think I will give TUREP a try , too, using the smaller type of UBAYURI.
I will tell you how it goes!
Ubayuri as they look when blooming in summer
And I hope that before the bulbs are ready for the taking, I will be able to get back a coupek of more times to enjoy Tsukuba`s wonderful winter wilds.
For some pictures of Japan`s lillies IN SUMMER see:
http://www.bekkoame.ne.jp/~seiji-t/liliy.htm
Ainu with traditional facial tatoos digging up O- Ubayuri
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A Look At Japan`s Various Hanami Confections
Tri-colored Hanami Dango
Thoughout the month of March,as Japan`s mass media reports the daily progress of the CHERRY BLOSSOM FRONT across the Japanese Archipelago, those of us living in the Kanto Area ( around Tokyo) anticipate our local sakura trees bursting into bloom (sometime in April) by enjoying SAKURA MOCHI during tea breaks, at work or at home. These are sweets which consist of smooth, pink colored patties (made of wheat flour)which are gently folded around a dab of sweet bean paste ( anko). Importantly, a young cherry tree LEAF which has been lightly salted, is then wrapped around this ( the leaves have been picked during the previous year, of course).
The fragrance of the cherry leaf is absorbed by the soft dough, giving this confection a distinctive taste and aroma ( and the leaf is eaten as well!). This particular confection first became popular in Edo ( now Tokyo), and the shop which first sold them ( Yamamoto-Ya), is still selling them to this day. ( Ive written more about this here: http://blog.alientimes.org/2008/04/to-eat-the-leaf-or-not-to-eat-the-leaf-that-is-the-question/ )
I was surprised a few years ago, when a friend, born and raised in the Kansai Area ( around Kyoto and Osaka), and who had just come to live in Tsukuba ( in Kanto), had NEVER SEEN such a sakura mochi before. The fact is that in Osaka, what they call sakura mochi is ALSO a sweet wrapped in a cherry leaf. Theirs, however, is round, and made with sticky rice which has not been pounded smooth, so that each grain is clearly visible. These are called DOMYO- JI outside of Kansai ( and they are available at some shops in Tsukuba).
Kanto-style Sakura Mochi ( left) and Kansai-style Domyo-Ji ( right)
Still more surprising was to find out that many WAGASHI-YA ( traditional Japanese sweet shops) stop selling sakura mochi with the onset of April, when the sakura trees actually start blooming around here,
More sweets with cherry blossom motifs
The reason for this is that the most traditional sweet taken to cherry blossom parties has long been HANAMI-DANGO. Sticky and chewy little balls ( four or five of them) skewered on a stick.
Generally speaking, dango are made out of pounded grain, boiled or roasted. There are many types of these dumplings, depending on the time of year and the region, and they are available throughout Japan all year round.
Dango are the simplest and most rustic ( you could say primitive) of all Japanese sweets, making them perfectly suitable for Japan`s most ancient customs- cherry blossom parties and moon-viewing ( for which Tsukimi Dango are offered to the moon).
It is popular. however, in the cherry blossom season, to find three-colored HANAMI-DANGO at convenience stores and supermarkets. The colors represent the blossoms- pink, the fresh foliage of spring- green, and most importantly, SAKE- white!
Domyo-Ji from Tsukuba`s Seibu Department Store
If you visit a wagashi shop ( or the hanami sweets display at your local supermarket, you will find a wide variety of cherry motifed goodies. Some are extremely beautiful. The confectioners have surely been inspired by the poets of old who wrote:
MITE NO MIYA HITO NI KATARAMU SAKURA HANA TE GOTO NI ORITE IE TSUTO NI SEMU ( 見てのみや人にかたらむさくら花手ごとに折りて家つとにせむ）- which means- the blossoms are so beautiful that I`d like to break of a branch and take then home with me.
As actually doing this would be very bad form indeed- almost sacreligious, what better surrogate for the blossoms than taking home the beautiful cherry shaped and motifed wonders created by Japans imaginative confectioners. They taste good too. But dont forget that these sweets are made to go with green tea and not coffee, so make sure you have some when you get ready to eat them.
Enjoy your hanami! And if you have no time here in Kanto, remember that the CHERRY BLOSSOM FRONT will continue its progress northward. You still have some time to catch the blossoms at some of Japan`s most famous cherry spots, including Kakunodate in Akita and Hirosaki in Aomori.
Skewered Dango in a sweet paste
One more thing about the dango skewered on a stick that I cant resist pointing out. Though during the cherry blossom season there are the colored HANAMI DANGO with three dumplings on a stick, in Tokyo, for most of the year, there are FOUR on a stick, and in Kyoto FIVE !
Here is an example of a BENTO ( lunch box) especially prepared for a cherry blossom excursion. Note the cherry flavored rice:
A Hanami Bento ( photo by Harumi Takaya)
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A Whole Lotta Lotus- Ibaraki`s Beautiful Lotus Blossoms and the Role of These Plants in Japanese Culture And History (revisited)
A lotus flower (hasu no hana) blooming near Lake Kasumigaura
Symbolizing man’s ability to spiritually rise up out of the muck, no matter how deep it might be, the flowers of the lotus plant look like jewels dancing over a sea of sprawling, gently green leaves. I’ve heard it said that there is an audible popping noise when the petals open in the morning, but numerous failed attempts at actually hearing this sound have got me thinking that that is just an urban legend. Anyway, if you live in Tsukuba or Ibaraki it would be a shame if you didn’t take a drive down to Kasumigaura for some lotus viewing, as this prefecture is the nation’s largest grower.
Lotus flowers are often linked to mid-summer in the Japanese psyche, but lotus root farmers have been experimenting with different later-blooming varieties making it now possible to enjoy these remarkably beautiful and culturally significant flowers in the cooler autumn air.
According to the ancient chronicles of this area (Hitachi no Kuni Fudoki), a type of lotus was cultivated in ancient Ibaraki for medicinal purposes. Later, different varieties were introduced from China, with today’s most common types of lotus having been introduced from the continent during the Meiji Period (1868-1912).
There is an interesting etymology for the Japanese word for this plant, which is HASU (蓮). After the hasu’s flowers fall away, a hard honeycomb-shaped pod remains standing. Since this looks like a bee-hive (hachi no su, in Japanese), the entire plant is referred to with an abbreviated form of this, which is HA SU.
Besides the word hasu no hana (蓮の花), which is often used for the lotus flower itself, there is another expression used more often as Buddhist terminology: renge (蓮華). When you eat at a Chinese restaurant or ramen shop in Japan, you are given a thick curvy spoon which reminds the Japanese of the petals of the lotus flower. That is why these spoons are called CHIRI RENGE (literally, fallen lotus petals) in Japanese (though NOT in Chinese).
In Asian countries, especially India and China, every part of the lotus plant is eaten. In Japan the crunchy and beautiful roots are a very common ingredient, and the lotus seeds are made into sweets (though not very commonly eaten). As mentioned above, Ibaraki Prefecture is the number one producer at present, with much of the area around Lake Kasumigaura turned into lotus ponds. The use of nets, ostensibly to protect these fields, trap numerous birds which can make touring around the lake highly stressful. However, in this season, while the fields are full of greenery and the number of birds low in general (before the autumn migration), you are unlikely to find any trapped birds (the nets are also slowly coming down, the funding for them STOPPED, thanks to the efforts of the Kasumigaura Bird Rescue volunteers).
A typical feature of Tsuchiura`s lotus fields- hanging birds - dead or alive
One of the nearer places for lotus viewing is across from Red Lobster (I mean on the other side of Tsuchiura Gakuen line). I park at the used car dealer’s lot. Look out for lots of waterbirds (there are no nets here).
Lotus fieds in Kasumigaura-City ( July 2010) Can you make out the just visible form of the Ushiku Daibutsu (Great Buddha) across the lake?
For a journey into deep lotus land, you have to drive to Tsuchiura. Take the upper road over the city which takes you to the East side of the station.Turn left at the light and go straight until you see lotus fields on both sides of the road. When you reach a T-junction turn right and then make a left at the next traffic light (with the great tofu shop, TOFU-YA, 十二屋 , at the corner). Now you can enter the LOTUS WORLD of the Tamura (田村) and Okijuku (沖宿）. Have a nice drive. I guarantee it will be an enlightening experience.
Besides lots o’ lotuses, one thing you will notice is the ironically plastic lotuses around grave yards, left over after the O-Bon Festival ( which is in mid-August in Tsukuba).
Lotus fields in Tsuchiura- behind the Unagi restausant Nakayama- with Mt Tsukuba in the background (July 2010)
And for a song ( my original) inspired by the Japanese summer:
http://www.jamendo.com/en/track/12856
as recorded by the TenGooz
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