NENMATU 年末 end of the year in Tokyo

2010 is ending soon, but hmmm, what happened to my new year's resolutions?
Well, carry overs aren't the useful method for accounting only :)

So NENMATSU is pretty busy in Japan. People usually end the year's work on Dec 29th, getting ready to return to their hometown -SATOGAERI （里帰り）/ KIKYO　（帰郷）-
, fly off for short vacations, or just stay in Tokyo like me. NENMATSU in Tokyo's nice and empty, trains with empty seats even around rush hours.

And what we do in NENMATSU? Here's my list.

1) OHSOHJI (大掃除)　massive cleaning up to clean up this year's mess and
for fresh new year. It's been said that we clean up to for TOSHIGAMI sama （年神様)
a god of harvest and fortune who visit every cleaned up household, with KAMIDANA （神棚）, on new year's.

2) OSECHI(お節)　New Year's Dish(or more like BENTO) preparation.
I've read some where that is was developed to give break for hard working housewives in Japan. OSECHI, is filled with food symbolising good luck,
 but also that had been cooked to last few days. Making dishes
at the end of the year that last for the New Year's holidays enable
housewives to stay away from the kitchen!

3)Purchasing TV guides, with NENMATSU special TV shows

4)NENGAJO (年賀状) war. This New Year's post cards are like Christmas cards
in the western countries(esp. N America). You send post cards, with
New Year's greetings. You will receive wedding photos, baby photos, from
those got married and gave birth on New Year's day or so.
Japan Post recommends people to post the NENGAJO by the 25th to have
them delivered on the New Year's day, but you can get by maybe till the 27th
from the information I get from my friends :)

Now I am off for more cleaning up...
年神様、きてくれるかな。。。

what we do on TOJI:winter solstice

Christmas is almost here and Tokyo's illuminated for the season.
December is filled with events, both foreign and japanese traditions.

This year, this year's TOJI(冬至) pronounced TOH-JI, is today.
The tradition is originated from lunar calendar from China, but
it has been modified to suit gregorian calendar hence the date of TOJI in Japan
differs from that of China.

There are lots of things we do without knowing the exact reason on such a day.
For TOJI, we take YUZU bath, and eat KABOCHA(japanese pumpkin/more like acorn squash).

So you see a lot of YUZU today at grocery stores in Japan!

Racines: filling cafe type bistro in maze-like Ikebukuro!

I was in Ikebukuro, away from my "sphere".
Even with several wanderings, I can never get to the right place in Ikebukuro.
I don't know if it has anything to do with the crowdedness and windings of
the streets, but I always end up getting lost in that district.

But with help of my friend,  I was able to find an organic un-Ikebukuroish bistro.(sorry if I've offended anyone...but Ikebukuro's image of Ramen haven kinda made me say it.)

Bakery Bistro. That says all. French bistro-type food served with fresh-out-of-oven bread!

Weekday Bistro Lunch: 1800  
appetizer, main dish, tea/coffee with 4 types  of freshly baked bread
appetizers and main dish are hearty. Ikebukuro size!

other types of lunch available. Salad Lunch 980 and more.

Racines Boulangerie&Bistro
http://r.tabelog.com/tokyo/A1305/A130501/13100821/dtlmenu/

JUNKUDO SHOTEN IKEBUKURO Building B1, 2-14-2 MINAMI IKEBUKURO,
TOSHIMA-KU, TOKYO

東京都豊島区南池袋2-14-2 ジュンクドウ書店池袋ビル　B1

rice cake, red bean paste, bread all in one!!! DAIFUKU-PAN at Doutor

Doutor(DOTOH-RU ドトール) is everywhere in tokyo. Big coffee store chain but no starbucks.
Closer to McCafe. They have fancy cafe drinks(lattes even soy!, milk teas, hot cocoas)
and nice warm sandwitches at very reasoble price.

Not being a cigarette lover, I tend to get the order to go, since the store is usually smokey despite the divided smoking/non-smoking areas.

Interesting bread I bought today. Red bean paste bread (AN-PAN あんぱん) with a twist!
There was sticky rice cake(MOCHI もち) inside!
I guess I can call it a red bean rice cake bread(DAIFUKU-PAN)!

Interesting.

TOCHIGI field trip!? Copse, not corps :)

I was away from Tokyo this weekend, enjoying a day at
tradional coppieced woodland, ZOKIBAYASHI, in Tochigi prefecture.
Weekend traffic out of Tokyo has increased due to the weekend highway
toll discount. Doube-edged sword, indeed.

Our destination was Tochigi-ken, Nasu-gun, Nakagawa-machi
(栃木県那須郡那珂川町) where ZOKIBAYASHI is still conserved.

The scenery as well as the people there made my heart warm.
Homemade food like riceballs(ONIGIRI),vegetable pickles with KOJI,
YUZU confit, MISO soup with lot of goodies(KENCHINJIRU), KONNYAKU,
etc etc was served and that, made my tummy warm as well!
 Rice was just harvested rice(SHINMAI), with red beans and chestnuts.
The rice was sticky rice, was awesome.

If you feel trapped in Tokyo, try spending a day in untouristy rural areas!
Need help? Drop me a line :)




 

relaxing cafe in Daikanyama

Although there are quite a few nice cosy cafes in Daikanyama, it it hard to find a cafe with open-air seats, without lining up. I was there at 4pm on Friday and was the only one.

But here's one for you. "green deli" in Daikanyama
(next to La Fuente building)

I haven't tried the dinner yet but the dessert  I had was nicely presented and
good!




Chiffon cake made out of rice flour, with lightly whipped cream and seasonal fruits on the side! Very soft yet moist cake. I ordered Darjeeling and was not bagged. Good!

Dessert set (a dessert and a drink) ¥1000
Price not bad for Daikanyama.


green deli Daikanyama
http://www.green-deli.com/index.html
 
operation hours 11:30〜23:30
lunch 11:30〜15:00 (14:30L.O)
weekend lunch 11:30〜16:00L.O
cafe 11:30〜18:00
dinner 18:00〜23:30 (Food 22:30/Drink 23:00L.O)

[address]
shibuyaku, sarugaku-cho 10-1 Mansard Daikanyama 2F

〒150-0033
東京都渋谷区猿楽町10-1 マンサード代官山2F

ginger creme puffs!

Interesting creme puffs I found in Tamagawa Takashimaya B1
munchies DELI Tokyo.
(station:FUTAKOTAMAGAWA)

Cream puffs, with vegetable blended creams.
KABOCHA(Pumpkin), SHOHGA (Ginger), GOBOH(Burdock), SERORI(Celery), and MURASAKI IMO(Purple sweet potato)

The one I bought was Ginger. Firm shell and thick cream. Strong puffs,
I would say. Fairly strong ginger flavour but sweetness balances out the
gingerness.

A box full of them could be a good gift for home parties.

I haven't tried the deli but looked good!
delivery/catering company "munchies DELI Tokyo "
their selling point:no MSG, no preservatives, good looking food.

munchies DELI Tokyo
http://www.munchiesdeli.com/

-RM