(If you know what the item in the photo above is, definitely continue reading!) I’m not a carpenter, but at least I know that a traditional tea room is built with no nails, and that it requires high level of woodworking skills to build it. I also hear that now it is getting harder and …
It is fluffy. It is suitable for thermal insulator or padding, used in goods such as jackets and bedding. It is not cotton, however. It is not down, either. Mawata （真綿）is formed by stretching silk cocoon. Since it is made with the same material, mawata has all the benefits that silk does: it’s warm and …
As I mentioned in my previous blog post “What What’s So Special about Cherry Blossoms,” their very short season is what has long impressed us. When I planned my trip to Japan this year, I was half hoping to see cherry blossoms but half not anticipating. Yes, cherries usually blossom around this time of the …
If you want to create creamy foam of Matcha green tea, the utensil indispensable is the tea whisk called chasen (茶筌). You might wonder how it is made. In this trip to Japan, I had a chance to see firsthand how a chasen is made. Not only that, I had a chance to try making …
In Edo period (1603-1868), Osaka used to be called “the nation’s kitchen.” While moving its political center to Edo (current Tokyo), the Tokugawa shogun kept Osaka as the economic center. Rice and other goods produced in various regions in Japan were brought to Osaka, traded, and then transported to Edo, the center of consumption. The …
Why Osaka Used to Be Called “The Nation’s Kitchen” Read More »
The central part of Osaka was heavily bombed during World War II and most wooden buildings were burnt down. But in the suburbs east of Osaka City, a historical building still remains. It’s called Kounoike Shinden Kaisho. Kounoike Family was the wealthiest merchants not only in Osaka but probably in Japan in 18th century. After …
Kounoike Shinden Kaisho – Another Place that Takes You Back in Time Read More »
The Osaka Museum of Housing and Living is not a usual museum. If you are looking for some masterpiece of famous artists, this is not the one. If you want to learn how ordinary people in Osaka used to live, this museum gives you wealth of information. On the 9th floor of a commercial building …
According to the statistics issued by Agency of Cultural Affairs, there are over 81,000 Shinto shrines and 77,000 Buddhist temples in Japan. Some are huge and some are tiny — what shrines and temples have in common, are trees and open space. In the middle of the concrete jungle in Osaka, there is a little …