Big in Japan: 5 Japanese foods you might want to avoid

by Matthew Firestone on

Today’s edition of Big in Japan is brought to you by Shane Sakata, who writes The Tokyo Traveler, a great blog about things to do and see in the city of Tokyo.

Japanese cuisine is known the world over for its exquisite preparation and beautiful presentation of seasonal ingredients. Most visitors to Japan cannot wait to get a taste of ‘real’ Japanese food, such as fresh sashimi and sushi or delicate shrimp and vegetable tempura. And, truth be told, these dishes just seem to taste better in Japan!

However, it’s worth pointing out that the Japanese are adventurous eaters, and their love of food extends far beyond sushi and tempura. In fact, some dishes that are considered delicacies in Japan aren’t exactly popular menu items in the West. Internal organs like the heart and intestines are commonly served, and eating the flesh from a fish head with an eye staring straight at you is somewhat disconcerting, but not at all uncommon.

So just how ‘real’ do you want to get in your exploration of Japanese food? Here are 5 of the more bizarre foods that you might want to avoid while traveling in Japan.

Natto (納豆) is a traditional Japanese food made from fermented soybeans that has a distinctive aroma (it smells like rotten cheese), a strong flavor (it tastes liked aged gym socks) and a sticky consistency. However, it is also a low calorie, protein rich food that researchers attribute many health benefits ranging from cancer prevention to improving heart health and promoting the reversal of hair loss.

Tako-no-shokushu (たこの触手) Animal lovers beware – this dish starts when a tentacle is severed from a live octopus and the arm is cauterized. After a quick dip in soy sauce, you pop the squirming live tentacle into your mouth and start chewing. If you don’t chew it quickly enough, the sucker will latch onto the roof of your mouth, and it will take a swig of beer and a well-applied chopstick to pry it off.

Fugu (ふぐ) Perhaps the most famous dish in Japan, the potentially lethal blowfish is dissected by a specially trained chef to remove all traces of tetrodotoxin before the raw meat is served. Of course, an incredible amount of time and preparation is needed as one errant flick of the chef’s knife can leave behind enough of the poison to slowly paralyze your entire body while you remain completely conscious of your impending doom.

Tori-sashimi (鳥刺身) This gag-inducing dish is quite simply sliced raw chicken served with green onion and a special dipping sauce. Although relatively tasteless, this dish is prepared by specially licensed chefs, and is considered a delicacy in Japan. If you can get over your fears of hospitalization due to a rough case of salmonella poisoning, then go ahead and give this one a try.

Basashi (馬刺) Thinly sliced raw horse meat is served with a dipping sauce made of soy, garlic, ginger and green onions. While it’s difficult for most people from North America to wrap their head around eating a barnyard favorite, this chewy dish is not that uncommon in Japan, and is actually quite nice if you convince yourself that you’re eating beef (which you’re not).

If you are ready to get ‘real’ in your exploration of Japanese food, then try out these 5 dishes – you’ll have some great stories to tell!

Be sure to check out more of Shane’s writing at The Tokyo Traveler, which today features an interview with Matt ‘Big in Japan’ Firestone.

Big in Japan: A night out at Tokyo’s jazz clubs

by Matthew Firestone on

While first timers on the Tokyo night scene can’t seem to get enough of Roppongi and Shibuya, at some point the binge drinking and skirt-chasing has to stop. So, if you’re looking for a slightly more sophisticated night out on the town, here’s a quick introduction to Tokyo’s blossoming jazz scene…

Jazz is an American musical art form that originated in the early 20th century in the southern United States. A confluence of African and European music traditions, jazz erupted on the scene, launching successive generations of iconic performers from Louis Armstrong to Wynton Marsalis.

Although you may be surprised to hear this, jazz in Japan actually has a long history dating back to the 1920s. While American soldiers where occupying the nearby Philippines, jazz performers started touring the dance halls of Japan, particularly in Osaka, Yokohama, and Kobe. However, jazz was subsequently banned in Japan during World War II due to its overwhelming “Americanness,” though it had strong resurgence during the post-war years.

Given this lengthy history, it’s no wonder that jazz continues to thrive in Tokyo’s night spots. While there is no shortage of underground clubs and small bars where you can hear live music, today’s column is about the big hitters on the Tokyo jazz scene, namely the Cotton Club and the Blue Note.

Perhaps the most famous jazz club in the history of the movement, the Cotton Club in New York City’s Harlem operated during Prohibition, and featured some of the greatest American entertainers of the era including Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Billie Holiday and many more.

Since 2005, Tokyo’s installment of this American classic has been attracting some of the finest domestic and international jazz sensations. The ballroom at the Cotton Club is also a nostalgic throwback to the original Harlem theatre, though the expansive dining menu featuring such items as ‘Braised Abalone and Cabbage in Yuzu Flavor’ is decidedly Japanese. With that said, you can always get a highball of fine Kentucky bourbon if you suddenly feel nostalgic for a bit of Americana.

While not as historically significant as the Cotton Club, the Blue Note in NYC’s Greenwich Village first opened in 1981, and is today regarded as one of top jazz venues in the world. The Blue Note has also been site of several live recordings, including The Legendary Oscar Peterson Trio Live at the Blue Note, Arturo Sandoval’s Live at the Blue Note and Jose Feliciano – Live at the Blue Note.

Tokyo’s highly-acclaimed installment of the Blue Note opened to rave revues in 1988, and continues to attract some of the world’s most famous jazz performers. The auditorium itself is an Art Deco-influenced minimalist space of richly hued woods and pale blue hues, while the menu features an eclectic assortment of Japanese and European classics from foie-gras terrine to bamboo shoot salad. Of course, jazz is music is best appreciated over a martini glass filled to the brim with a potent brew.

Both the Cotton Club and the Blue Note certainly aren’t cheap nights out, though they offer a nice change of scene from the Tokyo club circuit. Besides, we all need to grow up sooner or later!

The Cotton Club is located near the South Marunouchi exit of Tokyo station. For more information, check out their website at www.cottonclubjapan.co.jp or contact them at +81-3-3215-1555.

The Blue Note is located near the B3 exit of Omotesandou Station. For more information, check out their website at www.bluenote.co.jp or contact them at +81-3-5485-0088.

Taiwan phasing out disposable chopsticks

by Iva Skoch on

Well, even Taiwan is now more environmentally progressive than the US.

About 10,000 convenience stores in Taiwan will join an environmental push by withholding disposable chopsticks from hordes of customers used to getting them with take-out meals, Reuters reports.

From next Wednesday in Taipei, and by July 1 on the rest of the island, four convenience store chains will give out the wooden single-use chopsticks only on request. Taiwan’s small restaurants also will be encouraged, with the enticement of saving money, to phase out disposable chopsticks, claiming that “conservation is getting to be mainstream” and that it shouldn’t be an issue.

Conservation efforts are happening elsewhere in Asia. For example, China banned production of ultra-thin plastic bags in May and activists in Japan are pushing for a reduction of wooden chopsticks, which are already made from recycled chips. I travel with my own chopsticks anyway, so it would be a non-issue for me.

I wish conservation was “becoming mainstream” in the US. I think the minute Americans get “forced” to carry reusable chopsticks or forks for take-out lunch, there might be riots in the streets.

[via Asiaone]

Big in Japan: Are children becoming addicted to cell phones?

by Matthew Firestone on

At the risk of sounding like the anchorman on your local news channel, I’ll go head and pose a somewhat sensationalist question:

Are children suffering from cell phone addiction?

If you’re a member of the Japanese government, then the answer is a resounding ‘yes.’

According to Mr. Masahuru Kuba, a high-ranking government official who is proposing a limited ban on cell phones in schools, young students are suffering from the negative effects of cell phone overuse. In particular, Mr. Kuba believes that cell phone addiction can cause kids to inadvertently participate in cyber crimes, and sacrifice free time in favor of exchanging text messages with their friends.

“Japanese parents are giving cell phones to their children without giving it enough thought,” says Mr. Kuba. “In Japan, cell phones have become expensive toys that have moved beyond mere communication devices. Parents are finding it more and more difficult to monitor what they’re children are doing with their cell phones.”

Indeed, the numbers are striking. According to government statistics published by the Ministry of Education, about one-third of Japanese sixth graders have cell phones, while almost two-thirds of ninth graders have them. However, some Japanese children commute long distances by trains and buses to schools, and busy parents rely on cell phones to keep in touch with their children.

Along with the proposed partial ban of cell phones in schools, Mr. Masahuru Kuba is also recommending that Japanese cell phone makers implement special child-friendly models. Specifically, these models would only feature talking functions and global positioning systems (GPS), which would allow parents to monitor the location of their child.

In particular, Mr. Kuba is worried about the growing trend of using cell phones for internet access and e-mail. According to Mr. Kuba: “Some children are spending hours at night on e-mail with their friends. One phenomenon is ‘the 30 minute rule,’ in which a child who doesn’t respond to e-mail within half an hour gets targeted and picked on by other schoolmates.”

In addition, other children have become victims of internet crimes. In one high profile case, a young girl was asked to send in her snapshots for a beauty contest, and was then blackmailed for money in order to have them taken down from an explicit website. While Japan does boast a relatively low crime rate in comparison to other developed nations, Internet-crime is sadly on the rise, especially since Japanese people tend to be very trusting people.

So, once again I pose the question to all of you: do you think that children are suffering from cell phone addiction?

Feel free to chime in and share your thoughts as this is certainly not a clear cut and dry issue, and it’s likely that you’re going to start to hear more about this in the years to come. After all, cell phones in Japan are already equipped with television, so it’s only a matter of time before Americans can start taking their favorite shows with them everywhere…

Direct China-Taiwan travel now possible

by Iva Skoch on

Believe it or not, China and Taiwan held their first formal talks in 10 years and, productively enough, decided to allow direct weekend air travel between the two destinations as a result, BBC reports. Previously, direct flights were only allowed during four holiday periods each year. Otherwise, travelers had to fly through Hong Kong or Macao.

The weekend passenger flights will begin on July 4 and there will be 36 flights each week, with China and Taiwan operating 18 flights each. From July 18, each side will also allow in 3,000 tourists per day – a move that triples the number of mainland Chinese who will be allowed into Taiwan.

How progressive! China must really want to attract as many people as possible for the Olympics…