Big in Japan: The canned coffee taste test

by Matthew Firestone on

December is just around the corner, which means that all of the signs of the winter season are starting to pop up here in Tokyo.

From the falling leaves and hanging Christmas lights to the woolen scarves and hot carafes of sake, you can’t escape the fact that Jack Frost is slowly starting to nip at Japan’s ear.

Of course, the winter chill means one very important thing to caffeine hounds such as myself, namely that the vending machines in the city are starting to carry hot cans of coffee.

Indeed, Japan is home to a convenience culture, which is why it shouldn’t come as a surprise that you can get a can of hot coffee from any vending machine here in Tokyo.

Of course, with so many different varieties and flavors of coffee on offer, you might have trouble deciding exactly which can of coffee will provide the necessary jolt that you need to start your day.

But fear not as today, Big in Japan will be bringing you the first ever canned coffee taste!

So, without further adieu, let the taste test begin:

Georgia Café Au Lait (カフェオレ)

Although I’m not exactly clear how the name Georgia is supposed to bring to mind excellent coffee, I do know that this syrupy sweet mix of coffee and milk packs a powerful sugar boost.

Sadly, coffee aficionados will mourn the lack of a frothy head that makes drinking real café au lait so heavenly, though what do you expect from coffee in a can!

Georgia Emerald Mountain Blend (エメラルドマウンテンブレンド)

I consider myself to be a fairly well traveled person, though I can’t for the life of me figure out where the Emerald Mountains are located on a map of the world.

But, I do know for certain that the lofty heights of this range must produce some great coffee beans, because drinking this little can puts some serious spring in my step.

Boss Rainbow Mountain Blend (レインボームンテンブレンド

Once again, I have no idea where the Rainbow Mountains are located, so either my geography skills must really be inadequate, or perhaps they’re part of the same range as the Emerald Mountains.

What I do know is that your average resident of Rainbow Mountain must have a sweet tooth, because I’m fairly certain that there is more sugar than coffee in this multi-colored can.

Suntory Habanero Soup (ハバネロのスープ)

What foul treachery is this – habanero soup in a coffee can!

Can you imagine the horror I felt after taking a hefty sip of habanero soup at 6:30 in the morning?

Just as the burn began to spread from my lips to my throat, I hung my head in shame and slowly accepted the fact that this was going to be a bad day.

Wonda Morning Shot (モーニングショト)

Before cracking the pop-top and having my morning shot, I’m comforted by the English on the can, which assures me that Wonda is “The coffee with perfect taste to greet every morning.”

Sadly, the perfect taste for greeting every morning is somewhat reminiscent of repeatedly licking a giant metallic spoon.

But what do you expect for 120 yen (US$1)!

On second thought, maybe I’ll stop at Starbucks this morning…

Big in Japan: The history of sake

by Matthew Firestone on

I love sake (o-sake, ?????).

For some, it’s the subtle sophistication of a finely aged scotch whiskey. For others, it’s the enticing froth and savory goodness of a perfectly-poured pint.

For me, it’s the sweet, delicious nectar that is sake.

I mean, how many other drinks out there are the products of centuries of culinary revision? How many other drinks out there are so in tune with the changing of the seasons? How many other drinks out there have been adapted and re-adapted to local tastes time and again?

Wine may have been drunk since antiquity, beer may have been a staple in the Middle Ages and tea may have built empires. But, none of these drinks hits the spot quite like a carafe of ice cold sake on a balmy summer’s eve, or a carafe of gently-warmed sake on a chilly winter’s night.

The history and lore behind this sweet, delicious nectar is worthy of textbooks.

Although the date when sake first hit the scene is fiercely debated by academics, what is agreed upon is that it would not have come about without the ancient discovery of a simple mold known as kōji-kin (Aspergillus oryzae, 麹菌). Used to ferment the starch in rice to make sugar, kōji-kin is the key to making sake, just as it is the key to making miso paste and soy sauce.

By the time the Heian Era (794-1185) rolled around, the art of sake was refined enough to warrant a government-sponsored guild comprised of professional brewers. During the centuries that followed, brewers became increasingly skilled at isolating kōji-kin, pasteurizing their products and creating new types and flavors of sake.

In the early 20th century, the Japanese government opened up a sake-brewing research institute, and started holding annual taste-testing competitions. As a result, the masses took to the drink like never before, ushering in the modern era of sake brewing. Yeast strains were isolated, enamel-coated steel tanks were invented, and sake become exalted as the national alcoholic beverage of Japan.

Although the Second World War put a damper on the festivities, sake made a brief come back in the 1950s. Sadly, this reign was short lived as beer was soon to replace sake as the drink of the masses. Today, beer remains the most popular tipple in Japan, though it doesn’t inspire even a fraction of the respect as does sake or nihonshu (日本酒), the ‘Japan alcoholic beverage.’

Although sake is still making a slow but steady comeback in Japan, the quality of the drink is at an all-time high. In recent years, breweries have begun to shifting away from mass-production, and returning to traditional small-batches brewing methods. And, with the popularity of sake on the rise in North America and Europe, better methods of preservation are being put into practice.

Getting thirsty? So am I.

For more on sake culture, including some delicious recipes you can try at home, see An Ode to Sake.

Big in Japan: The search for the perfect bowl of ramen continues

by Matthew Firestone on

Today, Big in Japan brings you an update on one noodle lover’s countrywide search for Japan’s most perfect bowl of ramen.

I love ramen.

For some, it’s the rich color and briny pop of beluga caviar. For others, it’s the pink tint and soft flesh of fatty tuna belly.

For me, it’s got to be ramen, Nature’s most perfect food.

Since first coming to Japan several years ago, I have been engaged in a tireless quest to find the most perfect bowl of ramen. Like finely aged wine, matured cheese or sun-ripened fruit, good ramen must be appreciated, savored and at all times revered.

Last month, I wrote about the spicy ramen bowl at Two Guy’s Ramen, a neighborhood landmark here in the Nakameguro ward of Tokyo. Although I was quick to grant the title of ‘Most Perfect Bowl of Ramen,’ I may have found a worthy competitor.

For your visual consumption, I will now introduce you to the black sesame ramen bowl (kuroi-goma-ramen; ???????????????????) at Chiyomatsu (????), a small noodle shop just around the corner from Hachiko Plaza in the Shibuya district of Tokyo.

As a self-professed ramen aficionado, there are number of striking features about his particular bowl of ramen.

For starters, admire for a moment the rich ebony hue of the soup broth. Like the addition of squid ink to handmade Italian fettuccine, the black sesame paste is the soaring crescendo in this masterful culinary symphony.

When your spoon first breaks through the surface layer of pork fat, the black sesame paste begins to swirl through the broth like a seething black hole. This awakens the rich aroma of toasted sesame, which merges effortlessly with the heady aromas of miso and soup stock.

And the taste – oh lordy!

Like a heroin junky indulging in a back alley fix, the eyes dilate and the blood starts to flow the moment this sodium-fueled concoction races across your tongue. Health food it ain’t, but few calorie-packed meals comfort the mind and sooth the body quite like this feat of ramen engineering.

Of course, perfection is all in the details, which is why the black sesame ramen bowl at Chiyomatsu is nothing short of a masterpiece.

Like the wood trim on a fine automobile or the sparkling bracelet on a runway model, the latest subject of my affection is all about the accessories. From the addition of the finely shredded saffron and fresh sheets of pressed seaweed to the perfectly soft-boiled egg and cubed pork chuck, this particularly bowl of ramen is just as fashionable as it is delicious.

Chiyomatsu – I salute you. Although my quest for the most perfect bowl of ramen is far from over, the bar has been raised, and my hunger quenched (for the time being).

For more on Nature’s most perfect of foods, check out An Ode to Ramen, a four-part series on the history and culture of this heaven-sent dish.

Bon appetite!

Big in Japan: Cruise over Tokyo in a Zeppelin

by Matthew Firestone on

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word Zeppelin?

a) That killer guitar solo from Stairway to Heaven
b) An image of the Hindenburg in flames
c) A delicious fried donut (you’re actually thinking of a zeppole)
d) A first-class way to travel the skies

Although you’d be forgiven for thinking of any of the above, the correct answer (at least for the purposes of this blog post) is in fact d.

(Then again, I could really use a zeppole right about now, and I do loves me some Led Zeppelin.)

In a recent press release, the Nippon Airship Corporation announced that they will begin offering cruises over Tokyo in their fleet of German-manufactured Zeppelin NT (Neue Technologie, German for new technology) airships.

A 90-minute cruise over the world’s largest megalopolis will set you back the bargain price of US$1,500 or approximately 173,000 yen (give or take a few thousand).

Oh, and in case you’re wondering, the Zeppelin NT is filled with helium, not hydrogen. And besides, safety is of paramount concern in Japan, so you can erase any images of the Hindenburg in flames from your twisted little mind.

For all of you aviation fans out there who want the nitty-gritty details on the Zeppelin NT, keep on reading.

The Zeppelin NT has been manufactured since the 1990s by the German company Zeppelin Luftschifftechnik GmbH (ZLT) in Friedrichshafen. However, ZLT is in fact the direct successor of the companies founded by Ferdinand von Zeppelin, which constructed and operated the Zeppelin airships of the early 20th century.

Unlike the behemoth Zeppelins that once took to the skies, modern Zeppelin NT airships are only 75 m long, and have a total volume of 8,225 m³. They are also exclusively inflated with helium, which is a non-reactive noble gas.

Unlike hydrogen, which is needless to say extremely flammable, the only danger in using helium is the possibility of a squeaky voice, and perhaps a mild head rush.

The Zeppelin NT is also classified as a semi-rigid airship, which is completely different in design from the original Zeppelins.

Instead of employing a rigid skeleton and a non-rigid blimp, the Zeppelin NT uses an internal triangular truss of graphite-reinforced plastic as well as three longitudinal aluminum girders and aramid cords.

Although the Zeppelin NT only weighs about 2,200 pounds (1,000 kg), it can transport a payload that is double its weight, and carry up to twelve passengers and two crew members.

The Zeppelin NT has a maximum range of approximately 560 miles (900 kilometers). It can also rise to an altitude of 8,500 ft (2,600m) and reach speeds of 78 mph (135 km/h).

Although I don’t think I have the cash to take an aerial tour of Tokyo, I think you’ll agree with me in saying that the Zeppelin NT is definitely a first-class way to travel the skies, especially if you cue up some Houses of the Holy on your IPod.

** Special thanks to Justin Glow, the main man behind scenes here at Gadling, who tipped me off to this random bit of news. If I ever hit it big in the writing world, I’ll spot you the US$1,500 so we can cruise over Tokyo in style **

Big in Japan: The Honda PUYO is man’s best friend

by Matthew Firestone on

This week (and last), Big in Japan will be bringing you scenes from the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show (???????????????????????) at Makuhari Messe in Chiba City.

For an overview of this biennial event, be sure to read Scenes from the Tokyo Motor Show. For all of you road warriors out there, don’t miss A look at the future of motorcycles. For anyone who loves crazy concept cars, check out The Nissan Pivo2 can pivot on a dime. For an intriguing look at the future personal transportation, see The Suzuki Pixy will help us survive the apocalypse. For a peek at the customizable interiors to come, see The future of Japanese automotive design.

What is man’s best friend? If you answered the Honda PUYO, than you’re correct.

Honda’s newest concept car is dubbed the PUYO, which is a Japanese onomatopoeia (??????) that is meant to convey a warm, friendly impression.

Seriously, there is a word for that Japanese – what an awesome language!

According to the Honda press release, the PUYO is a ‘fuel cell vehicle which was created to have a personable design with the feel of an adorable pet.’

Intrigued? Keep reading.

Here’s where things start to get cool.

The ‘Seamless Soft Box’ exterior of the PUYO is completely cornerless, which allows for the maximum possible spaciousness.

Believe it or not, the Honda PUYO can actually accommodate four Japanese people within its tiny frame, though I’m not sure if the designers took into consideration the size of your average American!

The PUYO is also constructed of a soft gel body, which has been made luminescent to guide people into the proper operating position, and to notify them of the vehicle’s overall condition.

This so called ‘silky feel’ is intended to provide a refreshing, people-friendly space imbued with a feeling of transparency, and to allow for intuitive operation of the vehicle.

In fact, the first thing drivers of the PUYO will notice is the lack of a steering wheel, which which has been replaced by a joystick that is used for operation and maneuvering.

Accompanying features include an instrument panel monitor, luminous fluid level displays, and elastic-like controls made from cloth that rise up when the vehicle starts.

Of course, the main appeal of the PUYO is that you can drive this adorable little contraption without harming the environment.

According to the Honda press release, the PUYO “represents a new idea in mobility that brings together the principals of clean, safe and fun all into one environmentally-responsible, people-friendly, yet minimalist design. The concept has a small frame, is ultra-efficient and is powered by hydrogen fuel cell technology. “

So, it’s unlikely that you can teach the PUYO to sit, roll over and fetch the morning paper. But, with enough of a cute factor to inspire affection amongst even the most hardened of car owners, it’s not hard to see why the PUYO could easily be man’s best friend.

And, you can help save the planet by driving one!

Well, that’s it for our coverage of the biennial Tokyo Motor Show…

See ya’ll again in 2009!