Monthly Recipe: Spicy Quorn & Tofu Rice Bowl (Vegetarian Mabo Don)

June 28, 2012, 10:27 am

≫ Next: Brighton Japan Festival 2012

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This month’s recipe is my own version of the Japan Centre’s “Spicy Beef & Tofu Rice Bowl (Mabo Don)” which was on their website recently. As I don’t eat meat, I decided to make a veggie version using Quorn (if you don’t have Quorn, you can use any other kind of meat substitute in the … Continue reading »

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Brighton Japan Festival 2012

June 29, 2012, 10:43 am

≫ Next: Weekly Shiritori #26

≪ Previous: Monthly Recipe: Spicy Quorn & Tofu Rice Bowl (Vegetarian Mabo Don)

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When I went to the Brighton Japan Festival last year (weekend 1 & weekend 2) I had only recently returned from Japan and was dying for a hit of Japanese culture. I had been living in Bognor Regis where the only way to get a taste of Japan is to buy sushi from Tesco (yuck!) … Continue reading »

Weekly Shiritori #26

June 29, 2012, 3:46 pm

≫ Next: History and fiction…

≪ Previous: Brighton Japan Festival 2012

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Last week’s post was about Suganuma (すがぬま / 菅沼), so this week I need to start with  ま (ma). A big thank you to japanaustralia who always gives some good suggestions. This week’s were: manga (漫画), Matsumoto (松本), Matsuyama (松山) and Matsue (松江). I’ve decided to write about… Matsumoto (まつもと / 松本) Matsumoto City (Matsumoto-shi / 松本市) in Nagano Prefecture is somewhere I always quite … Continue reading »

History and fiction…

July 1, 2012, 5:16 am

≫ Next: Okinawa Day 2012

≪ Previous: Weekly Shiritori #26

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I’ve never been much of a history buff, but I like the idea of knowing about history. I think if I had been fortunate enough to have had inspiring history teachers at school, things would be different and I might have even studied history at GCSE and beyond. Japanese history intrigues me. I like the … Continue reading »

Okinawa Day 2012

July 1, 2012, 11:58 am

≫ Next: Introducing… The ICN cafe

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Yesterday I had the pleasure of attending Okinawa Day 2012 in Spitalfields, London. The event celebrates the culture of Okinawa Prefecture; the southernmost prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture (沖縄県) consists of hundreds of the Ryukyu Islands (琉球諸島 / Ryūkyū-shotō or 南西諸島 / Nansei-shotō) in a chain over 1,000 kilometres long, which extends southwest from Kyūshū (九州) (the southwesternmost of Japan’s … Continue reading »

Introducing… The ICN cafe

July 1, 2012, 12:24 pm

≫ Next: Weekly Shiritori #27

≪ Previous: Okinawa Day 2012

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As many of you will know, my favourite Japanese art gallery in London is the ICN gallery. As it happens, the ICN gallery also has a cafe, and it’s fast becoming one of my favourite places to eat (or just stop for tea) when I’m out and about in Shoreditch. The lovely people at the … Continue reading »

Weekly Shiritori #27

July 7, 2012, 3:44 am

≫ Next: Monthly Recipe: Double Matcha & Chocolate Matcha Cupcakes

≪ Previous: Introducing… The ICN cafe

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Last week’s post was about Matsumoto (まつもと / 松本), so this week I need to start with  と (to). A big thank you to Mark Venning who suggested Totoro (the main character from My Neighbor Totoro (となりのトトロ /Tonari no Totoro), tonkatsu (豚カツ / a pork cutlet dish), Tokyo (東京), Tottori (鳥取県) and Toto (TOTO株式会社 / Tōtō Kabushiki-gaisha - the lavatory manufacturers), and to my colleague, Susan, who … Continue reading »

Monthly Recipe: Double Matcha & Chocolate Matcha Cupcakes

July 8, 2012, 9:20 am

≫ Next: Exhibition: “re:new tohoku” at Asia House

≪ Previous: Weekly Shiritori #27

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This month I thought I’d try something sweet for a change, and I’ve had a lot of fun experimenting with cupcakes and piping bags! I find baking very therapeutic and stress-relieving, and although these cupcakes are highly calorific I would still recommend making them from time to time! First I made Double Matcha (抹茶 / powdered … Continue reading »

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Exhibition: “re:new tohoku” at Asia House

July 13, 2012, 4:41 pm

≫ Next: Weekly Shiritori #28

≪ Previous: Monthly Recipe: Double Matcha & Chocolate Matcha Cupcakes

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If you’re in London this weekend I urge you to visit the free exhibition of crafts from Tohoku (the region in northeastern Japan which was devastated by the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami in March 2011) which is currently on display at Asia House – only until Sunday! Tonight I had the pleasure of … Continue reading »

Weekly Shiritori #28

July 14, 2012, 9:22 am

≫ Next: Weekly Photo Challenge: Dreaming

≪ Previous: Exhibition: “re:new tohoku” at Asia House

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Last week’s post was about Tokkuri (とっくり / 徳利), so this week I need to start with  り (ri). A big thank you to japanaustralia for suggesting ringo (りんご / apple), risu (りす / squirrel) and rika (理科 / science). However, this week I have decided to write about… Rikuzentakata (りくぜんたかた / 陸前高田) Rikuzentakata City (陸前高田市 / Rikuzentakata-shi) is a city in Iwate Prefecture, Japan. On 11th March … Continue reading »

Weekly Photo Challenge: Dreaming

July 17, 2012, 3:06 pm

≫ Next: Event: Arigato in London

≪ Previous: Weekly Shiritori #28

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If you’re a follower of my daily photo blog, Picturing England, you might know that I often participate in WordPress’s Weekly Photo Challenge. This week’s theme is “dreaming“, so it seemed appropriate to participate via this blog instead, as I’m always dreaming of Japan. With the weather as it is in the UK at the … Continue reading »

Event: Arigato in London

July 20, 2012, 9:30 am

≫ Next: Weekly Shiritori #29

≪ Previous: Weekly Photo Challenge: Dreaming

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After the catastrophic earthquake and tsunami which devastated the Pacific coast of northeastern Japan on 11 March 2011, 163 countries and 43 international organisations have offered help and Japan received huge support and love from the world. “ARIGATO in LONDON” will be held for 15 days from 28th July to 11th August 2012 at London … Continue reading »

Weekly Shiritori #29

July 20, 2012, 4:10 pm

≫ Next: Japan Festival 2012 in London

≪ Previous: Event: Arigato in London

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Last week’s post was about Rikuzentakata (りくぜんたかた / 陸前高田), so this week I need to start with た (ta). A big thank you to japanaustralia for suggesting Takayama (高山), Takamatsu (高松), Takahashi (高梁), tanuki (狸 / an animal), and taue (田植 / planting rice). In the end, I decided to write about… Tanuki (たぬき / 狸) Tanuki are something you will, without a doubt, notice if you … Continue reading »

Japan Festival 2012 in London

July 23, 2012, 9:30 am

≫ Next: Fukushima – A Silent Prayer of Poetry at Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2012

≪ Previous: Weekly Shiritori #29

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Not to be confused with the Arigato in London event I mentioned the other day, I’m pleased and somewhat bemused to announce yet another Japan-related festival in London – happening at the same time! Japan Festival 2012 is another event to say thank you to people for supporting Japan throughout the disaster last year, and … Continue reading »

Fukushima – A Silent Prayer of Poetry at Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2012

July 25, 2012, 12:44 pm

≫ Next: Weekly Shiritori #30

≪ Previous: Japan Festival 2012 in London

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Dramatic personal portrait of Japan’s Fukushima disaster to show at Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2012 When a powerful earthquake struck the coast of Japan on the afternoon of 11th March 2011, no one was to know the levels of destruction and carnage that would ensue in the following hours. The Tohoku earthquake triggered a tsunami which hit the Eastern coast … Continue reading »

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Weekly Shiritori #30

July 27, 2012, 3:40 pm

≫ Next: Japan Festival 2012: A night of music from Japan

≪ Previous: Fukushima – A Silent Prayer of Poetry at Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2012

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Last week’s post was about Tanuki (たぬき / 狸), so this week I need to start with き (ki). A big thank you to japanaustralia for always playing along and for this week suggesting kimono (着物), Kiso Valley (木曾谷 / Kiso-dani), and Kimutaku (a member of the band SMAP). However, as it’s summertime, I decided to write about… Kingyo-sukui (きんぎょすくい / 金魚すくい) (Image … Continue reading »

Japan Festival 2012: A night of music from Japan

July 29, 2012, 2:46 pm

≫ Next: Arigato in London: A Saturday in the Sun

≪ Previous: Weekly Shiritori #30

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There’s so much going on in London at the moment, and with not one by TWO Japanese culture festivals happening right now I was spoilt for choice. Japan Festival 2012 started on Wednesday 25th July and continues until Tuesday 7th August, at Broadgate Circle, near Liverpool Street Station. I popped along on Thursday after work … Continue reading »

Arigato in London: A Saturday in the Sun

August 2, 2012, 5:45 am

≫ Next: Weekly Shiritori #31

≪ Previous: Japan Festival 2012: A night of music from Japan

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As I said in my last post, there’s an awful lot going on in London at the moment. Right now there are two Japanese festivals happening at the same time. On Thursday last week I attended Japan Festival 2012, which you can read about here, and on Saturday I went along to Arigato in London. … Continue reading »

Weekly Shiritori #31

August 3, 2012, 3:41 pm

≫ Next: Kuniyoshi’s Skytree

≪ Previous: Arigato in London: A Saturday in the Sun

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Last week’s post was about kingyo-sukui (きんぎょすくい / 金魚すくい), so this week I need to start with  い (i). A big thank you to japanaustralia for suggesting ika (イカ / squid), ikasumi pasta (イカスミ パスタ / squid ink pasta), Iga (伊賀 / the home of ninja in Mie prefecture), ikebana (生け花 / flower arrangement), and two of his favourite places in Japan – Ise Jingu (伊勢神宮) and … Continue reading »

Kuniyoshi’s Skytree

August 8, 2012, 4:28 am

≫ Next: Weekly Shiritori #32

≪ Previous: Weekly Shiritori #31

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(Image source: Japan Probe) The other day a friend and I were talking about ukiyo-e (浮世絵 / Japanese woodblock prints) and she mentioned “Kuniyoshi’s Skytree”. I didn’t know what she meant, but soon found out after a little Googling… Around 1831, Japanese ukiyo-e artist Utagawa Kuniyoshi ((歌川 国芳, 1797 – 1862) made the picture ”Toto Mitsumata no Zu” (“The view … Continue reading »