“Ichigo ichie” (一期一会): a Japanese idiom meaning “one time, one meeting”. The phrase embodies the cultural concept of treasuring meetings with people, and is often translated as “one chance in a lifetime”, reminding people to cherish any meeting or experience they are part of, as they may not be repeated. The phrase “ichigo ichie” has been … Continue reading
“Ichigo ichie” (一期一会): a Japanese idiom meaning “one time, one meeting”. The phrase embodies the cultural concept of treasuring meetings with people, and is often translated as “one chance in a lifetime”, reminding people to cherish any meeting or experience they are part of, as they may not be repeated. The phrase “ichigo ichie” has been … Continue reading
“Ichigo ichie” (一期一会): a Japanese idiom meaning “one time, one meeting”. The phrase embodies the cultural concept of treasuring meetings with people, and is often translated as “one chance in a lifetime”, reminding people to cherish any meeting or experience they are part of, as they may not be repeated. The phrase “ichigo ichie” has been … Continue reading
“Ichigo ichie” (一期一会): a Japanese idiom meaning “one time, one meeting”. The phrase embodies the cultural concept of treasuring meetings with people, and is often translated as “one chance in a lifetime”, reminding people to cherish any meeting or experience they are part of, as they may not be repeated. It’s a phrase I love, … Continue reading
Miso Tasty, my favourite supplier of miso (みそ) in the UK, created by chef and food blogger extraordinaire Bonnie Chung, has just published a fantastic new cookbook! Not only is this a lovely book to have on your shelf (it feels nice and fabricy and is beautifully designed with delicious photos throughout), it’s also packed … Continue reading
Billed as an “ode to the simple joys in life”, Sweet Bean (あん) directed by Naomi Kawase (河瀨直美) really is just that, and it’s lovely. Sweet Bean is set in a small-town dorayaki (どら焼き) (red-bean pancake) shop run by a grumpy middle-aged man (Sentaro, played by the rather handsome Masatoshi Nagase / 永瀬 正敏) who … Continue reading
This weekend I went to the UK’s biggest J-culture event HYPER JAPAN at Olympia in London. I was working there, enthusing to the masses about travelling to Japan and what a cool destination it is, and after my shift finished yesterday I hung around for a little while to take in some of the craziness. … Continue reading
With Smiling Sushi Roll lunch can resemble great works of art, like Munch’s “The Scream,” and Rodin’s “The Thinker.” In this unique and humorous sushi book, illustrator and maki artist Tama-chan (Takayo Kiyota) shows how basic ingredients like rice, seaweed, pickles, and cucumber can be used like paint and ink to create maki that is … Continue reading
For my final recipe of the year before I take a little break I wanted to do something seasonal, so I decided to make Kabocha Pudding (かぼちゃプリン). Kabocha is a kind of Japanese pumpkin, and it’s quite different to British pumpkins which are usually large and orange. Kabocha are small and dark green, and they … Continue reading
I was recently contacted by the nice people at Chimasu asking me if I would like to sample one of their oriental snack boxes. Of course, I said yes! Om nom nom. Chimasu.com was started by two friends who loved the snacks they discovered whilst travelling in East Asia and wanted to share the joy with … Continue reading
