flowers blooming in tokyo!

Life might not be exactly relaxing as the usual in Tokyo, flowers are blooming as a matter of course.

Cherry blossoms, will soon be colouring the city.

Beautiful season in Tokyo.

YUSURA

BOKE

SAKURA cherry blossom

SETSUBUN why dry soy beans are sold everywhere today

SETSUBUN(節分) literally means a change in season,
and refer to an eve before the first day of each season.

SETSUBUN today is the day before the first day of the spring,
which is Feb 3 this year. It changes since it is set according to the
old Japanese calendar.

And the soy beans and ONI(鬼) masks at stores.
We throw soy beans at a person wearing ONI(devil) mask,
usually dads, to drive away the bad luck, saying ONIWA  SOTO(鬼は外).

Throw some within the house saying FUKUWA UCHI(福は内),
telling luck to stay in.

We call this MAME MAKI(豆まき).
Be careful if you have dogs. They might be happy going after the beans,
but they are hard to digest!

After the MAME MAKI, we eat the same number of beans as the age for
good health and longevity, but I kind of doubt that since I don't think it is
hard on stomach of elderly...I don't think it's a good idea for people over 80 to
eat more than 80 beans...

Starbucks in Japan; the first store is in ...

Starbucks.
Everywhere in Tokyo.
Subtle addiction. Like sugar.

First store in HK:exchange square,
Canada:Seabus(Vancouver)

And where did it all started in Japan?

Ginza Matsuya Doori Store
map
Right behind the prestigious department store, MATSUYA.

Yes, I am a Starbuckolic.

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!

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.

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