Archive for the ‘HOGI’Category

Shabu-shabu (しゃぶしゃぶ, , also spelled syabu-syabu) is a Japanese variant of hot pot. The dish is related to sukiyaki in style, where both use thinly sliced meat and vegetables, and usually served with dipping sauces., but it is considered to be more savory and less sweet than sukiyaki. It is considered a winter dish but is eaten year-round.

Shabu-shabu was introduced in Japan in the 20th century with the opening of a Shabu-shabu restaurant “Suehiro” in Osaka. Its origins are traced back to the Chinese hot pot known as “shuan yang rou”. Shabu-shabu is most similar to the original Chinese version when compared to other Japanese steamboat dishes (nabemono) such as sukiyaki. The name of Shabu-shabu was named when Suehiro served it. After that, Suehiro registered the name of shabu-shabu as a trademark in 1955. The cuisine rapidly spread through Asia.

Together with sukiyaki, shabu-shabu is a common dish in tourist hot-spots, especially in Tokyo, but also in local Japanese neighborhoods (colloquially called “Little Tokyos” or “Japantowns”) in countries such as the United States and Canada.

Via Wikipedia.

Our last night in Tokyo was celebrated by going to a magnificent Shabu Shabu restaurant.  On the surface, the idea of taking beautifully marbled ribeye slices and boiling them in water is anathema to everything I enjoy about living in Texas.  That said, I am a person who likes sauces, especially with steak, and while boiling may not have been my first choice for cooking methods, the dipping sauces accompanying the dish were amazing.  I was always surprised when I’d watch Iron Chef (my only real exposure to Japanese cuisine prior to this trip) because the entire culture seems to prefer meat steamed, boiled or very lightly grilled.  For me, the best part of the steak is the carmelized edges, not the pink interior.  While our palettes may differ, we can agree that Shabu Shabu is a very good dish.  This evening, it was accompanied by BBQ spare ribs, sashimi, salad and a host of lovely vegetables.  I do find it interesting how many Japanese dishes are intended to be cooked there at the table, instead of being prepared in the kitchen.  Regardless, it was a magnificent final meal.

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10 2009

Day 14 – Mr. Miyama’s Office

Mr. Miyama owns a development company that builds residential developments throughout the Tokyo area.  After traveling in the United States, and touring projects like the Southside on Lamar in Dallas, Mr. Miyama became intrigued with renovation of old buildings.  Japanese developers weren’t renovating buildings at the time, prefering to demolish and start from scratch, and he saw an opportunity.  By redeveloping older buildings, he was able to reduce his construction costs and offer his new product at a very competitive price.  He also took stock of the state of Japanese residential design, which largely lacks any distict detailing or stylization, had no communal space or sense of entry.  He would design his apartments to create a sense of interest in their form, and incorporate resort-style entries, common rooms and even private courtyards.  While much of this reduces the amount of net rentable space, his occupancy rates are much higher than that of his competitors, utlimately netting more profit in the long run.

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10 2009

Day 14 – Taishakuten Temple

Taishakuten Temple, formally called Kyoei-zan Daikyoji, was founded during the Kan-ei Period(1629) under the auspices of the nineteenth head priest of Hokekyoji Temple in Shimofusa Nakayama, Reverend Zen-nai-in Nitchu. The second head priest of Daikyoji, Rev. Daikyo-in Nichi-ei, is credited for its actual logistical establishment.

For many years, this temple housed a figure of Taishakuten (Indira), until it disappeared for a period during the middle ages (between the later Heian and Muromachi Periods(1175-1573)). The lost main deity was miraculously found when the ninth head priest, Kotei-in Nikkyo, disturbed by the severely dilapidated condition of the main prayer hall, decided to renovate. Coincidentally, this main deity was discovered in the attic of the main hall on a Koshin Day in the spring of the eighth year of the An-ei Period(1779).

Via Taishakuten.or.jp.

While all of the temples I’d encountered posessed amazing woodworking, none were so express in their design as the Taishakuten Temple.  The actual temple that the Miyama family goes to for prayer, it is a lovely, quaint, neighborhood temple that is very accessible.

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10 2009

Day 12 – Tsukiji Fish Market

Tsukiji fish market (築地市場, Tsukiji shijō) The Tokyo Metropolitan Central Wholesale Market, commonly known as Tsukiji fish market is located near the Tsukijishijō Station on the Toei Ōedo Line and Tsukiji Station on the Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line. There are two distinct sections of the market as a whole. The “inner market” (jonai shijo) is the licensed wholesale market, where the auctions and most of the processing of the fish take place, and where licensed wholesale dealers (approximately 900 of them) operate small stalls. The “outer market” (jogai shijo) is a mixture of wholesale and retail shops that sell Japanese kitchen tools, restaurant supplies, groceries, and seafood, and many restaurants, especially sushi restaurants. Most of the shops in the outer market close by the early afternoon, and in the inner market even earlier.

Via Wikipedia.

Brian and I woke early the morning after we got back from out independent travel to explore the Tsukiji Fish Market which we’d head was one of the most incredible in the world.  This is a great tourist attraction, especially around the tuna auctions:

Each of the tuna on the floor has a portion of the flesh cut open and pulled back to allow for those bidding to examine the grade of tuna to be bid on.  Then an auctioneer gets up and starts taking bids.

There were numerous bins of all different kinds of seafood, as one would expect.  This container held live crabs, about the size of a small football, in some sort of sawdust.  Everything was being packed in styrofoam for shipment to restaurants across the city.  I’d see small lorries around town unloading these everywhere, and had assumed they were food goods, but it was very interesting to see where they’d all originated from.

A lot of the seafood are still alive.  These containers each have different critters and are outfitted with air lines to aerate the water.  The Japanese food industry is so inextricably focused on live seafood that this isn’t a surprise.

These were a fascinating catch.  Originally I had thought the bins contained some sort of dust, like with the crabs,  but upon closer inspection I realized there were minute fish, no larger than a Neon Tetra in general size, although longer.  Later at the Miyama’s house, I noticed that they had a jar full of these fish sitting on the dinner table.  I inquired about them, and found out that they are a dried fish the people (often elderly) eat to supplement their diet with additional calcium.  I tried them, and they aren’t bad, they just taste like dried fish.  If you’re into that.

Once the tuna is purchased, it’s then trucked away on carts to the various stands around the market where individual proprietors butcher the meat for individual sale. While the picture here of the butcher with a knife is more romantic, most stations were cutting up the tuna with a bandsaw in a very efficient fashion.

All of the crustaceans were of the most magnificent order.  Huge crabs and lobsters, bigger than I’ve ever seen and some with species colorations I was unfamiliar with.

I would definitely recommend visiting the fish market to anyone that makes their way to Tokyo.  It’s fun to do the touristy things, but getting to delve below the surface of the city and the the intricate way truly unique things like this happen.

13

10 2009

Day 14 – Japanese Tea House [Katsushika tei “Yamamoto”]

A tea house or tearoom is a venue centered on drinking tea. Its function varies widely depending on the culture, and some cultures have a variety of distinct tea-centered houses or parlors that all qualify under the English language term “tea house” or “tea room.”


In Japanese tradition a tea house can refer to a structure designed for holding Japanese tea ceremonies. This structure and specifically the room in it where the tea ceremony takes place is called chashitsu (茶室). The architectural space called chashitsu was created for aesthetic and intellectual fulfillment.

In Japan a tea house can also refer to a place of entertainment with geisha. These kinds of tea houses, called ochaya (お茶屋), are typically very exclusive establishments. The most notable ochaya is the Ichiriki Ochaya.

Via Wikipedia.

On our last day, one of the more subtle moments was a visit to a local tea house.  Sawako informed me that while traditional, unlike something like the Onsen which is still very widely used, the tea house is more of a nostalgic “touristy” event anymore.  This was proved out by the troupe of students here ona  field trip.  The house was a beautiful setting, and Mr. Miyama explained that the house, known as Yamamoto-tei,  had been the residence of the very prominent Yamamoto family who had gone bankrupt, and the state had claimed their house in order to preserve the historical site.  He used the tale as a parable of how the Japanese need to adapt, that tradition isn’t enough to carry them into the future.

The tea was lovely, served in traditional style, with a sort of semi-sweet confection similar to marzipan.  We removed our shoes and sat on the floor, again in traditional style.  The Japanese culture is truly fascinating, how tempered and determined it is in addressing every detail of even the most casual things.

13

10 2009

Day 14 – Tsukuba Station

Tsukuba Station (つくば駅, -eki)  is a train station on the Tsukuba Express line in Tsukuba, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan.

The station is the terminus of the Tsukuba Express line, and is located at the heart of the “science city” of Tsukuba. It is also situated near the central bus terminal. Its station number is 20.

Tsukuba (つくば市, Tsukuba-shi?) is a city located in Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan. It is known as the location of the Tsukuba Science City (筑波研究学園都市, Tsukuba Kenkyū Gakuen Toshi) a planned city developed in the 1960s.

As of 2008, the city has an estimated population of 207,394 and a population density of 730 persons per km². Its total area is 284.07 km². Tsukuba is sometimes considered part of the Greater Tokyo Area.

Mount Tsukuba, particularly well-known for its toad-shaped Shinto shrine, is located near the city. Also found there is the Tsukuba Circuit, a popular short racetrack which hosts the D1 Grand Prix and other motorsports events.

Via wikipedia here and here.

In contrast to many of the othe rail stations I’d visited, the Tsukuba Station is located in what can honestly be called a “suburban” area of Tokyo.  The density is akin to the downtown areas of boomburbs in the US like Plano or Garland, TX.  Hence, the morphology employs a more direct suburban mall form and the fact that it is even a rail station at all is largely hidden.  That said, it still tends to operate in the same manner as other rail stations, being a clear focal node of the community.

13

10 2009

Day 10 – Kiyomizu Temple

Kiyomizu-dera (清水寺) known more fully as Otowa-san Kiyomizu-dera (音羽山清水寺) is an independent Buddhist temple in eastern Kyoto. The temple is part of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto (Kyoto, Uji and Otsu Cities) UNESCO World Heritage site. (It should not be confused with Kiyomizu-dera in Yasugi, Shimane, which is part of the 33-temple route of the Chūgoku 33 Kannon Pilgrimage through western Japan.)

Kiyomizu-dera was founded in the early Heian period. The temple dates back to 798, and its present buildings were constructed in 1633, during a restoration ordered by the Tokugawa Iemitsu. Not one nail is used in the whole temple. It takes its name from the waterfall within the complex, which runs off the nearby hills. Kiyomizu means clear water, or pure water.

It was originally affiliated with the old and influential Hossō sect dating from Nara times. However, in 1965 it severed that affiliation, and its present custodians call themselves members of the “Kitahossō” sect.

Via Wikipedia.

Ascending through the Gion district, climbing my way up the Kyoto mountainside, I was very pleasantly greeted by Kiyomizu Temple, the great gate towering over the city, and the pagoda just beyond.  It is a classic pilgrimage, venturing through the hustle and bustle of the crowds of people, the shops, and the narrow canyon-like avenues of Gion, to then have the scenery explode open at a place of worship.

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10 2009

Day 10 – Eikando Zenrin-Ji

Eikan-dō Zenrin-ji (永観堂禅林寺) is the head temple for the Seizan branch of Japan’s Jōdo shū (Pure Land) Buddhist sect, located in the town of Eikandō, in Kyoto’s Sakyō-ku. It was founded by Shinshō, a pupil of Kūkai, and is famous for its fall foliage and for its prominence in the past as a center of learning.

Via Wikipedia.

This was one of the most engaging places I visited in Kyoto.  The site is a vast compound with a tea house, temple, pagoda, gardens, etc. so you get to see an amazing snapshot of each of the ancient building typologies all in one place.  The fact that the integrity of the site was so well preserved as a complete compound also affords a glimpse into what a medieval clan compound would have been like.  It was just lovely.

11

10 2009

Day 10 – Kyoto’s Gion District

Gion’ (祇園) is a district of Kyoto, Japan, originally developed in the Middle Ages, in front of Yasaka Shrine. The district was built to accommodate the needs of travelers and visitors to the shrine. It eventually evolved to become one of the most exclusive and well-known geisha districts in all of Japan.

The geisha in the Gion district do not refer to themselves as geisha; instead, Gion geisha use the local term geiko. While the term geisha means “artist” or “person of the arts”, the more direct term geiko means essentially “a child of the arts” or “a woman of art”.

This neighborhood in Kyoto has two hanamachi (geiko communities): Gion Kōbu (祇園甲部) and Gion Higashi (祇園東). Despite the considerable decline in the number of geisha in Gion in the last one hundred years, it is still famous for the preservation of forms of traditional architecture and entertainment.

Part of this district has been declared a national historical preservation district. Recently, the City of Kyoto completed a project to restore the streets of Gion, which included such plans as moving all overhead utilities underground as part of the ongoing effort to preserve the original beauty of Gion.

Via Wikipedia.

I found this to be the most impressive area of Kyoto.  Unlike Colonial Williamsburg or other similar beautifully historic areas, the Gion District is a excellently well preserved architectural museum that is still inhabited and alive with shops and restaurants as well as residences, small gardens, and a myriad of other public and private spaces.  Winding through the narrow streets, one gets a profound feeling of what medieval Japan would have been like.

11

10 2009

Day 9 – Kyoto Station

Kyoto Station (京都駅, Kyōto-eki?) is the most important transportation hub in Kyoto, Japan. It has Japan’s second-largest train station building (after Nagoya Station) and is one of the country’s largest buildings, incorporating a shopping mall, hotel, movie theater, Isetan department store, and several local government facilities under one 15-story roof. It also housed the Kyoto City Air Terminal until August 31, 2002.

Via Wikipedia.

It was fitting that I didn’t get to Kyoto Station until the end because it really is the most magnificent of all the stations I visited.  Prominently situated in the very center of the city, the station is a sprawling complex containg the station, a bus terminal, subway access, a hotel, a movie theater, several retail malls…I could go on.

The great central space is a large atrium covered with a structural frame and glass curtain wall reminiscent of a long barrell vault.  Each end of the atrium are open to the exterior and have successive tiers of escalators providing access to various level.  At the west end, the escalators provide access to a roof-top terrace, while the east end deposit people into several terraced courtyard surrounded by the hotel.  While I was there, a high school band was giving a concert in one of the public areas, the movie theater was preparing for an opening show, the hotel had an art gallery in their lobby, and everywhere people were bustling through their daily commute.

As with the other massive stations, restaurants, retail and grocery stores about with just about anything you could want (I rounded out my souvenir shopping in about an hour).  In the end, it was almost literally overwhelming the scale of everything.

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10 2009