Big in Japan: Eating Mozzarella cheese can kill you

by Matthew Firestone on

Forgive the sensational title of today’s blog, but I am a serious foodie when it comes to all things Italian…

After all, few things in life hit the spot quite like an authentic Italian antipasto of parma ham, buffalo mozzarella and marinated red peppers.

So, you can imagine my shock and surprise when I discovered that my local supermarket here in Tokyo was no longer selling mozzarella cheese.

After making this horrific discovery, I quickly asked the store clerk where I could find this necessary ingredient for my antipasto in the making.

What was their response you ask?

Well, quite simply that Japan has decided to ban all imports of Italian buffalo mozzarella cheese following the discovery of high levels of dioxin in the cheese.

Yikes!

(Interestingly enough, the store clerk then recommended that I try using sharp cheddar cheese instead of mozzarella in my antipasto!)

Anyway, turns out that as of yesterday, the Japanese Ministry of Health has been impounding all shipments of this delicious cheese after South Korean officials discovered 29 toxic samples.

Dioxin, which is an extremely potent carcinogen, hit the headlines a few years back following the alleged poisoning of Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko.

Needless to say, this is not the kind of chemical you want on your dinner plate!

Last month, Chinese-made dumplings containing pesticides sickened 175 Japanese, which launched the issue of food safety and security into the public spotlight.

Culturally, the Japanese are incessant gourmands, so issues concerning food contamination are not taken lightly here in the Land of the Rising Sun.

So, following a rash of food poisonings in neighboring South Korea, the Japanese government was quick to act.

Each year, Italy produces 33,000 tons of mozzarella, and exports 16 percent of that (or approximately 329 tons) to Japan.

So, given that there are batches of killer cheese floating around South Korea, which imports a mere 10 tons of the gooey product, the Japanese public is applauding the government’s foresight.

Of course, the Italian government is less than happy as of recent.

Paolo Minster De Castro, Italy’s agriculture minister, is in talks with Japanese, South Korean and European Union officials on the issue.

At an emergency summit in Rome, the Italian health ministry admitted that traces of carcinogenic dioxins had been discovered at some farms in Campania.

Health officials previously stated that herds of water buffalo, whose milk is used to make the cheese, could be ingesting poisons from illegally dumped rubbish.

Dioxins are usually released when plastic is burnt, though they can also seep into groundwater from decomposing rubbish.

However, the Italian government is fiercely denying that the dioxin in the buffalo mozzarella comes from improperly disposed garbage.

In fact, the Italian health ministry even went as far as to reassure the public that the problems were “limited and contained.”

For those of you living in Japan, my suggestion is to pass on mozzarella for awhile, even though the problem has thus far been limited to the buffalo variety.

And, for anyone living over in America who is fond of Italian food, perhaps you might want to consider going out for Thai this week.

** All images courtesy of the WikiCommons Media Project **

Big in Japan: Praying pooch attracts droves of temple goers

by Matthew Firestone on

The Japanese have an intense love for all things cute or kawaii (?????????)…

So, when a story like this one gets picked up by the international press, it’s kinda hard not to comment on something as cute as this!

According to the Associated Press (AP) in Japan, attendance at a Buddhist temple in Okinawa has increased since the temple’s two-year old Chihuahua started joining in daily prayers.

Aptly named Conan, the feisty little critter sits on his hind legs, raises his paws and puts them together at the tip of his nose.

According to Joei Yoshikuni, a priest at Jigenin temple, “He may be showing his thanks for treats and walks.”

He continues: “Basically, I am just trying to get him to sit still while I meditate – it’s not like we can make him cross his legs!”

Of course, there still might be hope for Conan to participate in the daily meditation rituals as it only took him a few days to imitate the motions of praying.

“I think he saw me doing it all the time and got the idea to do it too,” says Priest Yoshikuni.

Buddhism has an extremely strong foundation in Japan as the religion first arrived in the archipelago 1,200 years ago from mainland Asia. In fact, almost three-quarters of Japanese people are registered Buddhists, though the only time they enter a temple is on their death bed.

As a result, the vast majority of Japan’s 75,000 temples are in serious financial trouble. Although funerals are a huge source of income, especially given Japan’s aging population, the temples will have to attract new followers if they wish to thrive beyond the immediate future.

Fortunately, since word started to spread about Conan, Jigenin temple now gets 30% more visitors than it did before. Truth be told, it may be a rather unorthodox way to attract new followers, but Japan’s temples have been anything but conservative as of recent.

According to Priest Kosuke Kikkawa, who recently organized a fashion show for Buddhist monks in Tokyo: “Many of us priests share the sense of crisis, and a need to do something to reach out to people. We won’t change Buddha’s teachings, but perhaps we need a different presentation that can touch the feelings of the people today.”

Fellow priest Hogen Natori, who has been performing his traditional mantras at jazz clubs throughout Tokyo, whole-heartedly agrees.

“Many Japanese don’t want to come to temple. They think Buddhism is very difficult, and deep and serious, but Buddhism is much more than that – exciting, funny even. I want to spread this kind of teaching.”

Fortunately for the monks at Jigenin temple, their rather photogenic praying pooch might just be the ticket to reviving interest in their faith.

In fact, following news of Paris Hilton’s exploits here in Japan, primed and pampered pet Chihuahuas have become all the rage amongst the young and fashionable.

Only in Japan!

** Photo of Conan was taken by the Associated Press (AP). The Buddhist images were courtesy of the WikiCommons Media Project. **

Big in Japan: Giant anime cat is Japan’s new foreign ambassador

by Matthew Firestone on

If you thought that the political world of international diplomacy was dry and boring, then guess again!

Last week in Japan, government leaders shocked the world by announcing that their latest ambassador to the world is a giant anime cat.

Of course, we’re not just talking about any old cat, but none other than Doraemon (??????????????), Japan’s beloved anime robo-cat, that traveled back in time from the 22nd century to aid a schoolboy, Nobita Nobi.

On Tuesday, March 19, Japan’s foreign minister, namely Masahiko Komura, appointed a giant stuffed Doraemon as Japan’s first “anime ambassador” tasked with “making friends by travelling around the world.”

Doraemon responded by saying the following : “Through my work, I will do my best to tell people in foreign countries about what Japanese think, how Japanese live and what kind of future the Japanese hope to make.”

The ceremony concluded with television crews filming Doraemon shaking hands with real flesh-and-blood foreign dignitaries from around the world.

Isn’t Japan an amazing place?

In case you’re a bit confused as to who Doraemon is, and why he may be standing near you at an airport security line in the near future, keep on reading!

For starters, Doraemon is the main character in one of Japan’s most popular anime series, which has also become widely known in much of Asia.

Created by a cartoonist under the pen name Fujiko F. Fujio in 1969, Doraemon is a robotic blue and white cat (sans ears of course) who travels back in time to help a struggling school boy.

The manga was highlighted by Doraemon’s seemingly bottomless pocket on his belly, from which he would pull out all sorts of crazy futuristic gadgets known as dōgu (道具, literally tools).

Over the past several decades, Doraemon is believed to have pulled out roughly 4,500 different kinds of dōgu from his ‘fourth-dimensional’ pocket including everything from time machines and helicopters to bamboo horses and sniffer octopuses.

However fanciful the universe of Doraemon might be, his most recent appointment as Japan’s cultural ambassador is serious business.

In fact, Japan’s international popularity has waned significantly in recent years following a number of controversies including various World War II denial scandals and increased whaling efforts.

Which is of course why the Japanese government is extremely keen to promote the country’s strong cultural attributes, such as the weird and wonderful world of manga.

Just ask foreign minister Komura, who instructed Doraemon to “travel around the world as an anime ambassador to deepen people’s understanding of Japan so they will become friends with Japan.”

Alongside Doraemon’s diplomatic tour, the Japanese foreign ministry also plans to arrange showings of a Doraemon film at a number of diplomatic missions around the world including Singapore, China, Spain and France.

So, with election fever on everyone’s mind in the States, I guess it brings up the question of whether or not a giant anime cat is as effective of a politician as some of our country’s leading candidates.

I’ll of course leave that question up to all of you out there!

Big in Japan: Why it sucks to have US dollars

by Matthew Firestone on

In case you haven’t heard, it seems as if the United States is rapidly sliding into a recession…

Then again, if you believe all of the buzz in the headlines as of recent, it seems that the US government is doing everything possible to prevent this from happening.

Of course, while the recent surge in the stock markets and the remarkable buyout of Bear Stearns are certainly good signs that things are returning to normal, not everyone (including myself) is convinced.

I should preface today’s posting by saying that I’m certainly not an economist!

(In fact, I didn’t even learn how to write a check as of recent, and am something of the black sheep in a family of bankers.)

But, one thing I do know is that American ex-pats here in Japan are feeling the crunch where it hurts the most, namely in their rapidly shrinking wallets.

The daily peaks and valleys of the Forex currency exchange market certainly aren’t the most fascinating of travel topics.

However, it’s worth pointing out that the US dollar is presently at a 12 and a 1/2 year low against the Japanese yen.

And this, my faithful audience, is why it sucks to have US dollars…

In one of my very first posts on Gadling, I tried to dispel the myth that Tokyo is a prohibitively expensive city to live in, and even went as far as to argue that it’s a bargain compared to most American and European cities.

One of the main reasons is that for the last decade or so, there has been a favorable dollar-yen exchange rate that has allowed Americans like myself to enjoy a higher standard of living here than in most other major cities.

Indeed, I have been able to maintain a fairly posh apartment in a ritzy area of Tokyo for less than US$1000 a month, and can eat out most nights of the week for less than US$10-15 a meal.

Of course, the sad reality of the failing US economy hit close to home last week when the dollar slid as much as 3.0 percent.

At its lowest point, it hovered below 96.00 yen, its lowest since 1995, bringing year-to-date losses to more than 13 percent.

To put things into perspective, a few months ago the US dollar was trading at about 115 yen, though today this seems like little more than a fond and distant memory.

Now, as I said at the beginning of this posting, I am certainly not an economist, but you don’t have to be good with numbers to realize that your bank account is dropping quicker than normal.

Of course, there are plenty of people out there who see financial trends better than I do, and there are talks of the dollar trading as low as 75 yen in the months ahead.

So, when you’re filing your taxes this season, and you happen to get that handy little $600 rebate check from the government, think twice about spending it at Applebee’s.

After all, there are warning signs that all is not well on the financial horizon, and I can assure you that I’m not the only one crying wolf out here in Asia.

** All images courtesy of the WikiCommons Media Project **

Big in Japan: White Day is the opposite of Valentine’s Day

by Matthew Firestone on

To Western eyes, there’s no shortage of unusual Japanese festivals that have little to no equivalent in our society.

Indeed, the first time I started throwing dried rice around the house in order to ward away evil spirits, I couldn’t help but feel like I was wasting food.

(Then again, you can imagine the reaction most Japanese people have when they see us Westerners carving up a perfectly edible pumpkin on Halloween!).

Anyway, last month was Valentine’s Day, a chocolate-fueled holiday dedicated to everlasting love (or at least intense sugar-highs).

While this Hallmark holiday has swept around the world, from London to Sydney and Buenos Aires to Cape Town, Valentine’s Day in Japan is just a bit different.

While Western women expect their significant others to reward their devotion with flowers, candy, jewelry and/or expensive dinners, in Japan, Valentine’s Day is a man’s holiday.

Yes – that’s right! On Valentine’s Day in Japan, men expect their significant others to reward their devotions with chocolate, expensive dinners and/or a six pack of lager.

But, fret not ladies as today is March 14th, which is otherwise known as White Day in Japan.

And, assuming you haven’t broken up with your man since February, today you can expect your generosity to be repaid three-fold!

White Day (ホワイトデー, howaito dē), which was created in Japan in 1980, is somewhat akin to the American version of Valentine’s Day, though it’s celebrated exactly one month after the fact.

While few women in the West have any reason to mark March 14th on their calendars, this seemingly innocent day is unforgettable in Asia.

In fact, the concept of White Day has spread throughout Korea, China, Taiwan and Hong Kong in recent years, and is being applauded as a way of turning the tables on sexism.

While women in Asia have long been snubbed on Valentine’s Day, Japanese females are quick to cite the right of sanbai kaeshi (三倍返し), which literally translates to thrice the return.

So, if you gave your man a box of $25 chocolates on Valentine’s Day, this rule dictates that the return gift should at least $75 or even more.

Then again, as this is the age of women’s liberation here in Japan, it shouldn’t come as surprise that the right of juubai kaeshi (十倍返し) or ten-times the return is becoming more the norm.

So where exactly does White Day come from?

Well, the romantic story is that the holiday began in 1965 when a marshmallow maker started marketing to men.

His unique pitch was that men should pay back the women who gave them chocolate and other gifts with fluffy, white marshmallows.

Of course, the reality is probably a bit more monetary in scope.

In the 1970s, confectionery companies realized that they could capitalize on such a tradition, and began marketing white chocolate.

Soon after, other companies jumped on the consumer bandwagon, and started advertising everything from white gold to white-lace lingerie.

History aside, today is White Day in Japan…

So, if you’re living over here in the Land of the Rising Sun, and there is a significant other in your life, might I suggest a quick run to the candy store.

After all, the consequences for missing White Day are just to brutal and gruesome to depict here.

** Image are courtesy of the WikiCommons media project. **