The Shinto Religion

Just like in many other countries, the Japanese people have many different religions. At the same time, there is one major religion that can be called indigenous to the country. In Japan, this is the Shinto religion. An interesting thing about the Japanese is that many do not think that one has to practice a single religion. In fact, there are some Japanese who may practice Shintoism but at the same time be Christian.

So what is the Shinto religion all about? Historians say that the Shinto religion dates back to 500 BCE. Their main belief is that objects in nature have spirits in them and that they have their own powers. These spirits, also considered gods, are called kami. When people and other natural objects such as rocks and trees exhibit greatness, they can become gods themselves and are called kami-kaza.

One focal point in the Shinto religion are the Shinto shrines. Currently, there are about 1,400 Shinto shrines in Japan. Those who practice the Shinto religion frequent the Shinto shrines for a variety of purposes. Just like with other religions, these shrines are considered to be places of worship. They are also visited when people want to celebrate something in their lives. They can also serve as places where people can seek guidance.

Although the principal worship is conducted in public shrines, many families in Japan have their own small Shinto shrines at home. These are usually basically high shelves which contain the objects of worship.

Tasmanian Wasabi: One Of The Best

For those who are into Japanese food, wasabi is something that is always appreciated with the rest of the meal. Wasabi is a plant that belongs to the Brassicaceae family, the same plant family that includes cabbages, mustard, and horseradish. You can buy wasabi in its original form – as a root – or as a paste, which can be consumed as is. These days, you can even buy wasabi in powdered form, which is even more convenient. If you have ever tasted the real thing, however, you would know the difference between that and the powdered stuff, which is quite nasty. Some people would only touch the real thing – the connoisseurs.

There is this kind of wasabi, however, that even the most discerning of people have given it a thumbs up. There is a group of farmers from northern Tasmania in Australia who grow a special kind of wasabi. Instead of the traditional way of growing the plant, they grow their wasabi hydroponically. The Tasmanian wasabi was actually featured in a festival in Japan.

The festival was called the Taste of Tokyo and it featured the produce of Steven Welsh and his partners. So why do they grow their wasabi hydroponically? Welsh says that the method increases the quality of the wasabi as well as increase the output. It seems that the quality is indeed very good as it impressed Sydney chef Tetsuya Wakuda. He was so impressed that he brought the wasabi to the festival in Tokyo.

Mobile Phones to Aid in Weight Loss

The Japanese have always been at the forefront of utilizing technology to make life easier and more interesting at the same time.  NTT’s new project is no different: they have launched a service which will help the Japanese people in their quest to live a healthier lifestyle – not that they need to be healthier! Correct me if I am wrong, but in general, the Japanese do not have weight issues. (How can you get fat on Japanese food?)

Last month, the world renowned telecommunications company announced the Health Enhancement Assist Service, which they are working on together with NTT Resonant Inc. (NTT Resonant) and foo.log Inc. (foo.log).  Basically, the service will make use of mobile phones (and their cameras) and data center services.  The former will take photos of the food that a person will ingest and send the data to servers in the cloud.

What will happen is that the photo of the food will be analyzed using high-tech software, which is developed by the University of Tokyo.  The data will be compared to the guidelines that have been set by the Japanese Ministry of Agriculture, Food, Forests and Fisheries.  Factors such as quantity, caloric content, and nutritional value will be determined based on the image.  More so, the service will allow the user to determine the amount of exercise he or she gets via walking. The system will then return recommendations based on the data analyzed.

The service is not available commercially yet, and testing is scheduled for early next year.  I think this is brilliant – you can take photos whenever you eat out and kill two birds in one stone: watch what you eat and update your food blog as well!

Photo via Whale Balanced

Japanese Lacquer Art

I have recently embarked on a home improvement project – well, actually, I am moving to another unit in my building. I have never been good at interior design and my apartments have always looked like the typical single’s pad – cozy and lived-in, as I like to put it. This time, however, I have this urge to decorate even before I move in. As such, I have engaged the services of a carpenter and painter to work on the unit weeks before I move. I am also actively looking for art pieces that I can use for the house. That’s when I discovered the art of Japanese lacquer.

If you are at a loss, think about cabinets, boxes, and similar items which are covered in fine lacquer. Think intricate designs and the colors of black and red. These are the most common visuals that come to mind when lacquer is mentioned. The fact is that there are many kinds of Japanese lacquer. They differ in the manufacturing process as well as the visual result.

Some experts say that lacquer started in China although evidence shows that this art was used in ancient Japan, as early as 10,000 to 250 BC. The purpose of lacquer application back then was not only for aesthetics but also in order to protect wood and leather. And while the original color schemes used were red and black, the art evolved and the color use expanded to other hues such as gold and silver.

Today, we can still see a lot of lacquer pieces and they certainly add character to a room.

The Toilet Fixation

Many s first time Western visitor to the rural areas of Japan has been surprised about the toilet facilities, where there usually is no “conventional” toilet bowl. Japan – like some other Asian countries – does not really traditionally make use of the toilet seat as Western countries do. Instead, they have fixtures which are akin to holes in the ground.

All this has changed in the recent decades, however. And indeed, the Japanese has outdone many other Western countries when it comes to advanced toilets. Only in Japan can you find hotels which advertise a certain kind of toilet in an effort to attract more people.

ABC News published a very interesting feature article on this topic and I found out that there are so many choices when it comes to commodes! The author even likened buying a commode to buying a car – the options are virtually limitless. Imagine this, you can choose based on features such as self-opening and closing toilet seats, strength of the water flow, accompanying music, lights, warmth of the seat, and so on. It does not end there, however. Consumers also have other options such as built-in deodorizers and fake sounds to cover the sound of doing your business in the bathroom. In keeping with the Japanese tradition of not harming the environment, commode makers also ensure that their products are environment friendly. In fact, one of the biggest things going for their products is the fact that one would not need toilet paper any more.

So how much does a commode set one back? Anywhere from $750 to $5000. Whew!

Famous Suicides of the Japanese Empire

Hara-kiri? I am sure that you have heard of – or even used – this term before. This term is actually more formally known as seppuku, which referred to a form of Japanese ritual suicide by disembowelment. Seppuku was originally reserved only for samurai. Part of the samurai honor code, seppuku was used voluntarily by samurai to die with honor rather than fall into the hands of their enemies, as a form of capital punishment for samurai who have committed serious offenses, and for reasons that shamed them. Seppuku is performed by plunging a sword into the abdomen and moving the sword left to right in a slicing motion. (Source: Wikipedia)

In his book, Famous Suicides of the Japanese Empire, however, David Mura, dramatizes something else. He showcases the life of sansei, or third generation Japanese American. The main character is Ben Ohara, a sansei who is mired deep in a quest to find out what really happened to his father who died and his only brother’s disappearance. The Chicago Tribune has a review which narrates:

For Ohara, suicide begins at home. His father, interned during World War II, held his own shame as one of the so-called “No-No Boys,” a nisei (second generation Japanese American) who refused to join the American army and went to jail instead. That shame eventually led him to take his own life. Ohara’s brother, an astrophysicist with a drug habit, walks out into the Western desert, never to be seen again.

If you are interested in reading this book, you can get it from Coffee House Press for $14.95. It might be a good gift this Christmas.

Hortensia: Fraponese Treat in Tokyo

The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner, and is surprisingly affordable. For only 4,750 yen (inclusive of tax), diners can choose four dishes from the menu. Whatever you feel like eating – appetizers, main courses, or desserts – you can pick out from the menu. Dinner is a bit pricier at 8,400 yen (inclusive of tax) and the choices have to be two appetizers, one fish dish, one meat dish, and one dessert.

After dinner, the whole place takes on a different character and transforms into a wine bar. They have a pretty decent wine list – what else can you expect from a French-inspired restaurant?

What gives Hortensia an edge is the skill and preferences of Chef Kogi, who incorporates local influences into his cooking. He also has a propensity for making use of seasonal ingredients, making sure that guests have something new to look forward to even after several visits.  Delectable Fraponese cuisine is what awaits you when you pay Hortensia’s visit.

If you find yourself hankering for French cuisine while in Tokyo, make sure to head out to Hortensia:

B1F, NS AZABU-JUBAN BLDG, 3-6-2 AZABU-JUBAN,
MINATO-KU, TOKYO JAPAN 106-0045
Telephone: 03-5419-8455 FAX 03-3451-9300

Lonely? Get Yourself A Pekoppa Toy

Do you live alone? Do you NOT relish the thought of coming home to an empty apartment without anyone to interact with? Or maybe, you live with other people who you do not really get along with, prompting you to go directly to your bedroom.

If so, then you might want to get yourself a Pekoppa toy, one of the newest hits in Japan. It is just like a small plant which is merely beginning to grow. Unlike any other plant, however, the Pekoppa toy can respond to the sound of your voice. Speak and you will be delighted to see its two leaves flutter or its stem bend towards you, as if acknowledging what you are saying.

The Pekoppa toy is the brainchild of Japanese company Sega Toys Co. Ltd. Since its release in September of last year, more than 50,000 units of the Pekoppa toy has been sold, attesting to its popularity. According to Minako Sakanoue, spokeswoman for Sega Toys, the Pekoppa toy serves as a psychological buffer for interaction for people of all ages. She is quoted as saying “If you have no subordinates who would listen to your grumbling in the office or no children who would talk with you, Pekoppa will be by your side, gently nodding.”

Though in truth, you know very well that the toy does not understand a thing you say, I can very well see how it can help some, psychologically. Later on, in June of this year, they will also be releasing a flower version dubbed Hanappa.

The Tokusatsu genre

In a few previous blog post, I talked about my love for the various sentai series that came from Japan. Well, the nostalgia trip didn’t end with writing that post.

I recently went to a toy sale at my local mall and found a whole stash of Kamen Rider 555 action figures. I immediately grabbed a Kamen Rider Kaixa figure (which is one of the coolest figures in the bunch). It was a 12-inch figure that lights up just like in the series — signifying that the armor is powering up.

Getting my hands on a Kamen Rider figure made me think of the other genre that is as popular as Sentai — the Tokusatsu genre. Tokusatsu is a looser grouping, not like the more genre specific sentai. Tokusatsu literally means Special Effects and is actually a contraction of two words tokushu satsuei, which means special photography.

The tokusatsu series runs the whole gamut of subgenres from science fiction, fantasy and even horror and monsters. Some of the most popular tokusatsu series or shows aside from Kamen Rider are the Ultraman series, the Godzilla and Gamera series, and even Doraemon.

The Tokusatsu is another one of those distinctly Japanese pop culture references that make their culture so unique.

Miso And Its Health Benefits

While we are on the subject of miso, let me share with you the health benefits of this wonderful soup. Though, of course, its primary purpose (at least for me) is to satisfy my tummy and make me feel better, miso does have potential health benefits. I ran across this article from Associate Content written by Scott Kessman. In it, he details the benefits that miso soup can give to our health.

For women, consuming a bowl of miso a day can help keep breast cancer at bay. The reason for this lies in the inherent nature of the main ingredient, which is fermented soy bean. Another thing about miso is that it is supposed to regulate the production of estrogen in women. This, in turn, helps keep tumors from developing.

Miso also contains a whole lot of other nutrients such as Vitamin E and Vitamin B12. These vitamins help in increasing our immune system. In addition to these, miso contains antioxidants. We all know how antioxidants have come to the forefront because of their anti-aging and anti-cancer properties. Of course, miso contains protein, making it a good alternative to other protein-rich food such as beef and pork.

How about the other ingredients in the soup? The seaweed that is normally included in the dish is purported to have the effect of lowering cholesterol levels. Combine the seaweed with miso paste and what you get is something to help combat problems related to nicotine.

Indeed, miso soup is not only food for the soul but for the body as well!