If you are asking, why do I need to know this, I have learned table manners since my childhood days. Well, dear reader, since etiquette and serenity are an integral part of Japanese culture, learning these basic things could help you not look like a fool in front of your Japanese friends, colleagues, or clients.
Below, I’ve outlined a simple itinerary you can follow to make the most out your day in Yufuin, and a couple of options for you to do without lost time and hassle associated with changing hotels and dragging you suitcases (literally) halfway across the country.
Jirokei Ramen, a genre of the Japanese ramen that many fans of noodles are addicted to. Many foreign visitors might have seen it and been intrigued by it without knowing its name or the fact that it is a genre of ramen. So what is Jirokei Ramen about that makes it unique and impressive? Let’s explore it together.
Modern life is geared towards convenience. In the West, we like everything to be easily accessible, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Japan is no different. Let’s focus on one specific aspect: convenience stores. Here’s how Japan is getting it oh so right.
Okinawa is officially a part of Japan, yet Okinawa soba both in the broth and the noodles is nothing like Japanese ramen and instead is closer to Chinese noodles. It feels slightly awkward to introduce it as a Japanese cuisine.
Many similar tourist locations such as Tsukiji end up confusing tourists with too many restaurants available, but in Otaru, you can simply head over to the Otaru Sankaku Market for a concentration of 6 small shops that serves up some of the best kaisendon in the country.
Japanese people have the longest average life expectancy in the entire world. They also hold the title of being one of the healthiest in the world. Is it all because of their genes? Hmm... not quite. Japanese are said to have a very healthy diet, which contributes a lot to how healthy they are. Here are some of them!
"Ebi" is shrimp in Japanese, and while "soba" usually refers to the buckwheat noodles, they are sometimes used to refer to ramen as well (for example, abura soba, mazesoba, and here we have ebisoba).
Fukui is one of several prefectures in Japan that are famous for delicious soba. In Fukui City, the most popular soba restaurant is probably Shakudani Soba, and I highly recommend it.
Recently we had a chance to try a popular chain near Shibuya station. Genki Sushi and their sister restaurant Uobei Sushi offer an affordable option just a few minutes walk from Shibuya Station. The average sushi at these locations costs between ¥108 and ¥194 per roll. Other chains would likely have similar pricing.
These are delicacies that are way beyond what I can afford, and even if I can, I would rather go for my favourite bowl of ramen instead for much cheaper. So when a friend told me about the Michelin 1 star ramen restaurants in Japan, specifically in Tokyo, I thought that I have no excuses not to try it the next time I was in the area. Nakiryu ramen, famous for the tantanmen was my next destination.
That also means that eating fruit as part of a daily, balanced diet is not a Japanese custom. What you may have grown up thinking of as an after school snack, in Japan is a delicacy, reserved at first only for the noble class, and later for special ceremonial meals like weddings and funerals.
