hanzai 【犯罪】crime
japan's got some weird crime.
hmm...maybe weird doesn't cover it...
fucked up?
yeah, that works.
they have segments on the morning news about stupid criminals or outrageous car chases abroad (mostly the US) but you could EASILY do the same on US news shows about the messed up crimes here. you could call it "fxxked up! crime in japan"
here are some cases that have made the news in the past year that were especially disturbing (and unfortunately close to home).
"she's my wife"
kurashiki, okayama (one of hiroshima's neighboring prefectures) -- an 11-year old girl goes missing. she never came home from school and her parents contacted their local police, who then put out an alert on TV, asking for information. this is actually relatively quick for missing person cases -- for whatever reason, most of the time you start seeing news like this 2-3 days after said person goes missing. it's a relief to see that there are still sane (and fast acting) parents out there. after the alert on TV, the news switches to a live press conference with the okayama police chief regarding the details of the case.
the girl called her mother after school, asking to be picked up. however, her mother was taking her little sister to the doctor's and couldn't come get her that day, leaving her to walk home. not a very long distance, mind you, about 15-20 minutes.
but she never comes home.
however, the plot is about to thicken.
it seems that girl had complained to her mother about being followed home from school by a silver car several months ago. the same car was seen parked in the girl's neighborhood everyday for months, with a man sitting behind the wheel. her mother, distressed, took down the license plate number and consulted the police, who advised her to drive her daughter to and from school.
it would appear the stalker had made his move.
3 days after the girl goes missing, there's a break in the case. they found the silver car that has been stalking the girl. the stalker had put a different license plate over the original one (the one that the girl's mother had written down) to throw the police off. once they identified the car, the police break into the man's house, only to find the missing girl in pajamas watching anime on a futon on the floor while the stalker watched from the bed.
the girl was unharmed, puzzled about the police barging in, but unharmed (this is exceptionally rare for these kidnapping cases).
the stalker (late 40s) merely looked at the police and said, "this is my wife."
he had recently renovated his house to include a windowless, sound-proof room painted black. he also introduced himself as an illustrator and bragged to the police about his works of art -- all illustrations of young girls that plastered the walls of another room in the house. he apparently wanted to raise her into the ideal wife.
yeah.
fucked up.
he was of course arrested. the girl is likely in therapy.
haigamine
kure, hiroshima -- a 16-year old girl is found dead in haigamine (a forest in kure). the next day, a girl (also 16) turns herself into the police for killing her -- but it wasn't just her.
there were 7 minors involved in the beating, and subsequent murder of the girl, arrested the next day. why? she owed them money. like $20. some of the kids didn't even know the girl.
the main criminal (16 y.o. girl) invited her to hang out, and she and 6 minors (plus a 21-year old driver) piled into a van with her where they kicked and punched her, burned her with cigarettes, and then strangled her to death before dumping her body in the mountains. they stole her ATM card and all the cash she had on her.
the minors were all sent to juvenile hall, and the 21-year old is currently on trial. he's pleading not guilty.
"i couldn't stop myself"
sasebo, nagasaki -- a 15-year old girl is found dead in a friend's apartment after going missing. "dead" is actually putting it lightly -- she was strangled to death before having her head and wrists severed with a saw and her stomach cut open. she was murdered by her classmate, another 15-year old girl.
the murderer was living by herself in sasebo -- she came from an exceedingly rich family, but had a history of what could be considered psychiatric issues from violent ups and downs to poisoning school lunches. her mother died in 2013, and her father remarried months later, which of course, didn't sit well with the girl, and she decided to express that by beating her father with a metal baseball bat while he was asleep, denting his skull (but not killing him). things only got worse at home, and her father took her to see a psychologist who said "the way things are going, she may kill someone" and recommended they hospitalize her.
however, her father instead moved her into an expensive apartment in the city -- and i reiterate, by herself.
she started to mutilate stray cats (they found several in her freezer) and then she invited her classmate over to hang out and murdered her. her reasoning?
"i wanted to dissect a body. i couldn't stop myself -- it wasn't like she was my enemy or anything, it didn't matter who it was." no remorse, no apologies, nothing. it was like she had just dissected a frog or something.
so uh...what were YOU doing when you were 15?
the worst part of this whole thing is that it could have been prevented if her family had taken the doctor's advice.
...as you can see, a good deal of the messed up crimes in japan happen to young girls.
you see stuff like this in the movies, not real life.
come on japan, really?
fucked up.
2014年9月4日木曜日
eating grapes
eating grapes 【ぶどうを食べる時】
okay, i know what you're thinking.
grapes? you're writing a blog about eating GRAPES? how hard is it??
yeah, i know, but hear me out.
the first time i had grapes in japan, i was hanging out at a friends' house. she brought out grapes for dessert, and i promptly popped one in my mouth, like usual, and began to chew without thinking too much about it.
my friend, however, looked at me like i had just stuck a grape in my nose and started dancing around the room.
horrified, almost.
no, no, she hastily explained, you don't eat the skin! (you silly foreigner! sidenote: same goes for apples too)
that's right, here in japan, you peel grapes before eating them.
first of all, grapes are much bigger than their american counterparts (at least the ones i remember), ranging from 1～3 inches. this also makes the whole 'eating them whole' bit kinda hard.
pinch the skin-side with your thumb and middle finger and the grape should pop right out!
okay, i know what you're thinking.
grapes? you're writing a blog about eating GRAPES? how hard is it??
yeah, i know, but hear me out.
the first time i had grapes in japan, i was hanging out at a friends' house. she brought out grapes for dessert, and i promptly popped one in my mouth, like usual, and began to chew without thinking too much about it.
my friend, however, looked at me like i had just stuck a grape in my nose and started dancing around the room.
horrified, almost.
no, no, she hastily explained, you don't eat the skin! (you silly foreigner! sidenote: same goes for apples too)
that's right, here in japan, you peel grapes before eating them.
first of all, grapes are much bigger than their american counterparts (at least the ones i remember), ranging from 1～3 inches. this also makes the whole 'eating them whole' bit kinda hard.
these are hakata pione -- big and sweet!
for the sake of size, this is your average spoon. pretty big.
so the best way to go about these guys is to first cut them in half.
and THAT my friends, is how to eat grapes in japan (without getting weird looks).
review: fall snacks
time for another review!
this time i'll be looking at three fall limited edition snacks:
meiji's takenoko no sato "maroyaka marron" (mellow marron)
meiji's kinoko no yama "creamy pumpkin"
bourbon's mochi chocolat "chocolate marron"
let's start with meiji. first, these guys are a major staple of the meiji snack line -- takenoko no sato, or "bamboo shoot village", is a crunchy cookie covered in chocolate that looks like a...bamboo shoot. similarly, kinoko no yama ("mushroom mountain") is a crunchy cookie topped with mushroom-shaped chocolate. i've actually heard that the cookie bits for takenoko no sato are made from broken and crushed up "stems" of kinoko no yama...someone confirm that for me.
ah, and for those who don't know, marron is french for chestnut, and typically has connotations of marron glacee (chestnuts that are basically stewed in sugar with rum) when used in japanese (so basically a more western yougashi kinda marron, not like buttery japanese chestnut). fall is associated with a lot of foods -- sweet potato, pumpkin, and chestnut. you can find all kinds of limited edition something or other in the fall with these flavors.
though it IS still august...
but i digress!
mellow marron is a nice typical marron colour and i expected that sweet marron glacee taste, but actually found it to be more of a buttery japanese chestnut flavor, which was kind of a refreshing surprise. they're not too sweet, so you could feasibly eat the entire box without feeling too sick afterwards! they did a good job capturing that freshly roasted chestnut taste. good job, meiji!
creamy pumpkin is a lovely kabocha pumpkin colour -- oh, by "pumpkin" japan means kabocha pumpkin, which is a small, oblong squash with vivid green skin and orange flesh. buttery and rich, it's used from everything from soups to breads to sweets. i'm surprised at how pumpkin-like this smells and taking a bite only confirms it -- this guy is like kabocha to the max and i love it. you don't often see a lot of heavy flavors come in with snacks like these (unless it's like the upscale version) but these guys pack a great punch. again, not too sweet so...yeah, you could eat every last one without feeling like you're going into a sugar coma. bravo meiji, you nailed fall!
last, but not least, the mochi chocolat series by bourbon is another staple that brings out flavors seasonally. it's basically a soft choclate center wrapped gyuuhi (sweetened mochi) -- this time being marron-flavored chocolate with a condensed milk center (i see no evidence for this).
here's how they look:
the gyuuhi is soft and chewy and the chocolate is that predictable rum spiked marron glacee flavor -- not that that's a bad thing at all. it works really well with the gyuuhi, making the typically strong marron flavor a little easier to deal with by giving it a mochi cushion. this one's a little on the sweet and heavy side, so i'd say two is about my limit for one go.
and there you have it! i'm looking forward to more fall limited edition stuff (since i'm a sucker for it) and i'll hopefully get more reviews up as they come out!
this time i'll be looking at three fall limited edition snacks:
meiji's takenoko no sato "maroyaka marron" (mellow marron)
meiji's kinoko no yama "creamy pumpkin"
bourbon's mochi chocolat "chocolate marron"
let's start with meiji. first, these guys are a major staple of the meiji snack line -- takenoko no sato, or "bamboo shoot village", is a crunchy cookie covered in chocolate that looks like a...bamboo shoot. similarly, kinoko no yama ("mushroom mountain") is a crunchy cookie topped with mushroom-shaped chocolate. i've actually heard that the cookie bits for takenoko no sato are made from broken and crushed up "stems" of kinoko no yama...someone confirm that for me.
ah, and for those who don't know, marron is french for chestnut, and typically has connotations of marron glacee (chestnuts that are basically stewed in sugar with rum) when used in japanese (so basically a more western yougashi kinda marron, not like buttery japanese chestnut). fall is associated with a lot of foods -- sweet potato, pumpkin, and chestnut. you can find all kinds of limited edition something or other in the fall with these flavors.
though it IS still august...
but i digress!
mellow marron
mellow marron is a nice typical marron colour and i expected that sweet marron glacee taste, but actually found it to be more of a buttery japanese chestnut flavor, which was kind of a refreshing surprise. they're not too sweet, so you could feasibly eat the entire box without feeling too sick afterwards! they did a good job capturing that freshly roasted chestnut taste. good job, meiji!
creamy pumpkin
creamy pumpkin is a lovely kabocha pumpkin colour -- oh, by "pumpkin" japan means kabocha pumpkin, which is a small, oblong squash with vivid green skin and orange flesh. buttery and rich, it's used from everything from soups to breads to sweets. i'm surprised at how pumpkin-like this smells and taking a bite only confirms it -- this guy is like kabocha to the max and i love it. you don't often see a lot of heavy flavors come in with snacks like these (unless it's like the upscale version) but these guys pack a great punch. again, not too sweet so...yeah, you could eat every last one without feeling like you're going into a sugar coma. bravo meiji, you nailed fall!
last, but not least, the mochi chocolat series by bourbon is another staple that brings out flavors seasonally. it's basically a soft choclate center wrapped gyuuhi (sweetened mochi) -- this time being marron-flavored chocolate with a condensed milk center (i see no evidence for this).
here's how they look:
the gyuuhi is soft and chewy and the chocolate is that predictable rum spiked marron glacee flavor -- not that that's a bad thing at all. it works really well with the gyuuhi, making the typically strong marron flavor a little easier to deal with by giving it a mochi cushion. this one's a little on the sweet and heavy side, so i'd say two is about my limit for one go.
and there you have it! i'm looking forward to more fall limited edition stuff (since i'm a sucker for it) and i'll hopefully get more reviews up as they come out!
wagashi: kuromame daifuku, zunda-mochi, mizu-manju
wagashi 【和菓子】 "japanese sweets"
i love wagashi.
i'm also fortunate enough to have a rather esteemed wagashi-ya (japanese sweets shop) about 20 seconds away -- momiji-an （もみじ庵）.
while popular in japan, it's not likely that you see them all that often in the US (esp. not in MD). it's a shame too, since they're really, really good. there are many different kinds too, but this entry will be focused on just three: kuromame daifuku, zunda-mochi, and mizu-manju (don't worry, there will be more blogs on wagashi to come).
kuromame daifuku 【黒豆大福】
kuromame, or black soybeans, are large black-skinned soy beans. the beans are cooked but they're rather firm in texture, and are slightly salty. the beans are mixed into mochi (pounded glutinous rice) and then the mochi is wrapped around a ball of anko (sweetened red bean paste).
momiji-an makes all of their wagashi at their store, so it's fresh when you buy it. this means that the mochi is so, so soft and so, so chewy -- it's like biting into a cloud. the hard kuromame give the soft mochi a great texture, and the salt too brings out the subtle sweetness of the anko. i have to admit, i wasn't a fan the first time i tried kuromame daifuku, but that was because i bought one of those mass-produced ones they sell at the konbini. fresh made daifuku and mass-produced daifuku are two completely separate things -- and it was love at first bite with momiji-an.
zunda-mochi 【ずんだ餅】
green, eh? hmm...green tea?
wrong.
it's actually edamame. you know, green soybeans?
...i know, i was wary too! so wary, in fact, that this was actually my first time eating it!
zunda is a paste of ground edamame mixed with sugar (i KNOW, i know...). the paste is then wrapped around mochi and voila! zunda-mochi.
it actually doesn't taste all that different than regular anko, if not a little buttery (like salted edamame, who'da thought?) and it works well -- surprisingly well. the two azuki (red beans) on the top add a dash of sweetness too. there's no end to the magic that beans can do for sweets it seems.
mizu-manju 【水まんじゅう】
okay let's be honest here -- i'm not a huge fan of jelly-like things. and this is a very jelly-like thing. to be specific, it's kuzuko, which is a type of starch made from kudzu or arrowroot. the starch thickens and turns into a wiggly jelly when cooled, which makes it ideal as a refreshing treat on a hot day, if you're into that kinda thing. the kuzuko jelly is wrapped around anko and served chilled on its own, or sometimes served in a bowl of icy water, and is also known as kuzu-manju.
kuzu itself doesn't have a taste per-say, it just tastes kinda...plant-y? has...medicinal tones? it's VERY subtle, whatever it is, but all i know is that i don't like it in large doses. unfortunately, this is a rather large dose.
the anko is phenomenal -- a lightly sweetened koshi-an that's just as smooth as the kuzu jelly. the whole thing goes down easy, and hey, i'll admit, it is kinda refreshing. i just can't get around the large percentage that is not anko.
while it may not be my cup of tea, it could very well be yours. if you're a fan of things like jell-o, then you'll probably really like mizu-manju. as for me, i'll stick with shaved ice in the summer.
i love wagashi.
i'm also fortunate enough to have a rather esteemed wagashi-ya (japanese sweets shop) about 20 seconds away -- momiji-an （もみじ庵）.
while popular in japan, it's not likely that you see them all that often in the US (esp. not in MD). it's a shame too, since they're really, really good. there are many different kinds too, but this entry will be focused on just three: kuromame daifuku, zunda-mochi, and mizu-manju (don't worry, there will be more blogs on wagashi to come).
kuromame daifuku 【黒豆大福】
kuromame, or black soybeans, are large black-skinned soy beans. the beans are cooked but they're rather firm in texture, and are slightly salty. the beans are mixed into mochi (pounded glutinous rice) and then the mochi is wrapped around a ball of anko (sweetened red bean paste).
momiji-an makes all of their wagashi at their store, so it's fresh when you buy it. this means that the mochi is so, so soft and so, so chewy -- it's like biting into a cloud. the hard kuromame give the soft mochi a great texture, and the salt too brings out the subtle sweetness of the anko. i have to admit, i wasn't a fan the first time i tried kuromame daifuku, but that was because i bought one of those mass-produced ones they sell at the konbini. fresh made daifuku and mass-produced daifuku are two completely separate things -- and it was love at first bite with momiji-an.
zunda-mochi 【ずんだ餅】
green, eh? hmm...green tea?
wrong.
it's actually edamame. you know, green soybeans?
...i know, i was wary too! so wary, in fact, that this was actually my first time eating it!
zunda is a paste of ground edamame mixed with sugar (i KNOW, i know...). the paste is then wrapped around mochi and voila! zunda-mochi.
it actually doesn't taste all that different than regular anko, if not a little buttery (like salted edamame, who'da thought?) and it works well -- surprisingly well. the two azuki (red beans) on the top add a dash of sweetness too. there's no end to the magic that beans can do for sweets it seems.
mizu-manju 【水まんじゅう】
okay let's be honest here -- i'm not a huge fan of jelly-like things. and this is a very jelly-like thing. to be specific, it's kuzuko, which is a type of starch made from kudzu or arrowroot. the starch thickens and turns into a wiggly jelly when cooled, which makes it ideal as a refreshing treat on a hot day, if you're into that kinda thing. the kuzuko jelly is wrapped around anko and served chilled on its own, or sometimes served in a bowl of icy water, and is also known as kuzu-manju.
kuzu itself doesn't have a taste per-say, it just tastes kinda...plant-y? has...medicinal tones? it's VERY subtle, whatever it is, but all i know is that i don't like it in large doses. unfortunately, this is a rather large dose.
the anko is phenomenal -- a lightly sweetened koshi-an that's just as smooth as the kuzu jelly. the whole thing goes down easy, and hey, i'll admit, it is kinda refreshing. i just can't get around the large percentage that is not anko.
while it may not be my cup of tea, it could very well be yours. if you're a fan of things like jell-o, then you'll probably really like mizu-manju. as for me, i'll stick with shaved ice in the summer.
unagi pie
unagi pie.
shizuoka's greatest gift to the japanese omiyage business.
that's two japanese words now i've used without explaining, so i guess
unagi 【うなぎ】 eel.
omiyage 【お土産】 souvenir (it can take on a variety of meanings, but for now, souvenir)
the omiyage business is booming, and while new omiyage are born everyday, only a few remain legends, standards of the industry.
unagi pie is one of them.
...so, what exactly IS unagi pie?
do they bake eel into a pie? is the eel wrapped in pie dough?
is it savoury? is it sweet?
the answer is sweet.
unagi is one of the most interesting concepts for foodstuff.
someone in shizuoka prefecture thought hey! why not combine eel and sugar and butter together to make a delicious, crispy mille-feuille snack? and let's add garlic too! and thus, unagi pie was born. though it doesn't taste like eel (in fact, you'd never know unless someone told you), it is addictive-ly delicious and a standard omiyage to bring back to friends, family, and coworkers.
i generally get a box once or twice a year from a regular shizuokan customer. this time he brought me unagi pie VSOP, which is their premium line made with macadamia nuts and VSOP brandy -- yum! and take a look at this fancy GOLDEN package.
CLASSY.
here's what's inside.
and what's inside again!
layers of crispy, buttery, sugary, brandy-y pie...sprinkled with unagi and macadamia nuts!
the brandy definitely stands out, giving your tongue a buzz before the butter and sugar hit. and you can easily eat like...6 or 7 before realizing OMG I JUST ATE 6 OR 7.
so if you're ever planning on living in japan, you can be sure that at some point you'll be given these tasty little suckers by someone you know. and if you're planning on visiting shizuoka, definitely pick yourself up a case or two to bring back, because sharing is caring.
...or because hoarding them all for yourself is fun too!
shizuoka's greatest gift to the japanese omiyage business.
that's two japanese words now i've used without explaining, so i guess
unagi 【うなぎ】 eel.
omiyage 【お土産】 souvenir (it can take on a variety of meanings, but for now, souvenir)
the omiyage business is booming, and while new omiyage are born everyday, only a few remain legends, standards of the industry.
unagi pie is one of them.
...so, what exactly IS unagi pie?
do they bake eel into a pie? is the eel wrapped in pie dough?
is it savoury? is it sweet?
the answer is sweet.
unagi is one of the most interesting concepts for foodstuff.
someone in shizuoka prefecture thought hey! why not combine eel and sugar and butter together to make a delicious, crispy mille-feuille snack? and let's add garlic too! and thus, unagi pie was born. though it doesn't taste like eel (in fact, you'd never know unless someone told you), it is addictive-ly delicious and a standard omiyage to bring back to friends, family, and coworkers.
i generally get a box once or twice a year from a regular shizuokan customer. this time he brought me unagi pie VSOP, which is their premium line made with macadamia nuts and VSOP brandy -- yum! and take a look at this fancy GOLDEN package.
CLASSY.
here's what's inside.
and what's inside again!
layers of crispy, buttery, sugary, brandy-y pie...sprinkled with unagi and macadamia nuts!
the brandy definitely stands out, giving your tongue a buzz before the butter and sugar hit. and you can easily eat like...6 or 7 before realizing OMG I JUST ATE 6 OR 7.
so if you're ever planning on living in japan, you can be sure that at some point you'll be given these tasty little suckers by someone you know. and if you're planning on visiting shizuoka, definitely pick yourself up a case or two to bring back, because sharing is caring.
...or because hoarding them all for yourself is fun too!
hiroshima: the good, the bad, and the ugly (episode 1: the good)
i know what you're thinking.
another "episode 1" series?
sheesh, how many episodes you planning on starting?
okay, look, i promise there will be follow-ups on the other episodes too, there's just a lot of stuff to say about "episode" topics and i don't want to kill your eyes with tl;dr posts (that's too long; didn't read for anyone who might not know...but i'm sure you do).
moving right along -- as you all are aware, i live in hiroshima city, hiroshima prefecture.
hiroshima prefecture is located in western japan, on the seto inland sea.
here.
and hiroshima prefecture itself is here.
i live in that big middle bit that says hiroshima (the smaller middle bit -- this was the best map i could find, sorry)
most everyone's impression of hiroshima (in the US anyway) is, of course, the atomic bomb. that's understandable -- that's about all you learn about hiroshima and it's definitely an important thing to learn, don't get me wrong. but that's not all there is to it.
what stands out me about hiroshima most is that it's not just a city that was bombed, it's a city that recovered from the bomb.
and that's what's most important.
let's get started.
the good.
1) peace. despite the horrors that the atomic bomb inflicted on the city, hiroshima turned its tragedy into a plea for peace, not war. there is such a huge movement for getting rid of nuclear weapons and encouraging worldwide peace here in hiroshima -- you don't find animosity towards americans nor does anyone try and put the blame on america for the bombing. i'd say that's pretty big of them, and deserves some praise.
2) greenery. hiroshima city is, no doubt, a city. tall buildings and shopping arcades, the works. but it's also a very green city. peace memorial park stands out as an example -- they turned the area around the atomic dome into a vast park where you can find tourists and hiroshimans alike. but everywhere you go has their own greenery -- flower pots line the outside of apartments and stores, flowers grow on the side of the road, between buildings, and in any space they can find.
like here.
and here!
hiroshima is cut up and down by rivers too -- weeping willows and cherry blossoms line most every river bank, which gives you a great sense of the seasons, too. i dunno, i tend to think that cities with this much botanical variety are good cities (tm).
3) world heritage sites. okay, so i know UNESCO world heritage sites probably aren't as a big a deal in the US (at least i didn't know about them until i got here), but hiroshima is home to two world heritage sites: the atomic dome, and the itsukushima shrine at miyajima (i'll get into that later, just keep it in mind). that means that hiroshima gets a fuckton of tourists from both inside and outside of japan, which in turn means they've got a great, easy-to-understand public transportation system, and more guide books and pamphlets than you can shake a stick at (do people still say that?)
4) which is a great segway into my next topic: public transportation. i touched on this on the streetcar post but STREETCARS. efficient, timely, cheap -- what more can i say? there's also a loop bus that goes around the city to major tourist destinations, along with the regular bus service that goes ALL over the city and beyond, not to mention the train and bullet train system that go from hiroshima to ALL over japan. it's not just hiroshima's public transport though, japan's public transport on the whole is amazing.
oh, and there's ferries too! hiroshima has lots of little islands in the seto inland sea, mostly all connected by ferries.
5) safety and security. while there are some seedy places in hiroshima city, it's not like you're going to be mugged for going down the wrong alley. i've never felt unsafe, even if i'm out walking at night. this is actually true for most of japan, but -- unless you're like an elementary/middle school girl, you're very likely to be left alone (esp. if you're a foreigner). though sometimes weird old guys will try and use their terrible english on you... but that's nothing a glare of death can't solve!
6) food. being surrounded by mountains on one side and the ocean on the other, you get the best of both surf AND turf. the seto inland sea has a long and rich fishing history, dating as far back as the yayoi era (300 BC...!) oysters are the main brand seafood, but there's also octopus, billions o' fish, ocean eel (anago, OMG SO GOOD), squid... you name it, they've probably got it. as for turf -- hiroshima-brand kuro wagyu (prime japanese beef), pork, chicken... not to mention brand name rice, local vegetables and fruits...pretty much anything you'd need for everyday cooking, you can get locally.
7) (mostly) lack of natural disasters. major snow storms? nope. typhoons? rarely ever a direct hit. earthquakes! this is japan right?! nope. sorry. hardly any, and even when they do happen, they make people in tokyo laugh by how small they are. other than the recent landslides due to the inordinately heavy rains we've had, hiroshima rarely has anything newsworthy happen.
okay, wait -- this is getting to be a tl;dr post, so i'll hold off here for now. but there's still more good to come! along with the bad, and the ugly. eventually.
another "episode 1" series?
sheesh, how many episodes you planning on starting?
okay, look, i promise there will be follow-ups on the other episodes too, there's just a lot of stuff to say about "episode" topics and i don't want to kill your eyes with tl;dr posts (that's too long; didn't read for anyone who might not know...but i'm sure you do).
moving right along -- as you all are aware, i live in hiroshima city, hiroshima prefecture.
hiroshima prefecture is located in western japan, on the seto inland sea.
here.
and hiroshima prefecture itself is here.
i live in that big middle bit that says hiroshima (the smaller middle bit -- this was the best map i could find, sorry)
most everyone's impression of hiroshima (in the US anyway) is, of course, the atomic bomb. that's understandable -- that's about all you learn about hiroshima and it's definitely an important thing to learn, don't get me wrong. but that's not all there is to it.
what stands out me about hiroshima most is that it's not just a city that was bombed, it's a city that recovered from the bomb.
and that's what's most important.
let's get started.
the good.
1) peace. despite the horrors that the atomic bomb inflicted on the city, hiroshima turned its tragedy into a plea for peace, not war. there is such a huge movement for getting rid of nuclear weapons and encouraging worldwide peace here in hiroshima -- you don't find animosity towards americans nor does anyone try and put the blame on america for the bombing. i'd say that's pretty big of them, and deserves some praise.
2) greenery. hiroshima city is, no doubt, a city. tall buildings and shopping arcades, the works. but it's also a very green city. peace memorial park stands out as an example -- they turned the area around the atomic dome into a vast park where you can find tourists and hiroshimans alike. but everywhere you go has their own greenery -- flower pots line the outside of apartments and stores, flowers grow on the side of the road, between buildings, and in any space they can find.
like here.
and here!
hiroshima is cut up and down by rivers too -- weeping willows and cherry blossoms line most every river bank, which gives you a great sense of the seasons, too. i dunno, i tend to think that cities with this much botanical variety are good cities (tm).
3) world heritage sites. okay, so i know UNESCO world heritage sites probably aren't as a big a deal in the US (at least i didn't know about them until i got here), but hiroshima is home to two world heritage sites: the atomic dome, and the itsukushima shrine at miyajima (i'll get into that later, just keep it in mind). that means that hiroshima gets a fuckton of tourists from both inside and outside of japan, which in turn means they've got a great, easy-to-understand public transportation system, and more guide books and pamphlets than you can shake a stick at (do people still say that?)
4) which is a great segway into my next topic: public transportation. i touched on this on the streetcar post but STREETCARS. efficient, timely, cheap -- what more can i say? there's also a loop bus that goes around the city to major tourist destinations, along with the regular bus service that goes ALL over the city and beyond, not to mention the train and bullet train system that go from hiroshima to ALL over japan. it's not just hiroshima's public transport though, japan's public transport on the whole is amazing.
oh, and there's ferries too! hiroshima has lots of little islands in the seto inland sea, mostly all connected by ferries.
5) safety and security. while there are some seedy places in hiroshima city, it's not like you're going to be mugged for going down the wrong alley. i've never felt unsafe, even if i'm out walking at night. this is actually true for most of japan, but -- unless you're like an elementary/middle school girl, you're very likely to be left alone (esp. if you're a foreigner). though sometimes weird old guys will try and use their terrible english on you... but that's nothing a glare of death can't solve!
6) food. being surrounded by mountains on one side and the ocean on the other, you get the best of both surf AND turf. the seto inland sea has a long and rich fishing history, dating as far back as the yayoi era (300 BC...!) oysters are the main brand seafood, but there's also octopus, billions o' fish, ocean eel (anago, OMG SO GOOD), squid... you name it, they've probably got it. as for turf -- hiroshima-brand kuro wagyu (prime japanese beef), pork, chicken... not to mention brand name rice, local vegetables and fruits...pretty much anything you'd need for everyday cooking, you can get locally.
7) (mostly) lack of natural disasters. major snow storms? nope. typhoons? rarely ever a direct hit. earthquakes! this is japan right?! nope. sorry. hardly any, and even when they do happen, they make people in tokyo laugh by how small they are. other than the recent landslides due to the inordinately heavy rains we've had, hiroshima rarely has anything newsworthy happen.
okay, wait -- this is getting to be a tl;dr post, so i'll hold off here for now. but there's still more good to come! along with the bad, and the ugly. eventually.
review: more fall snacks!
welcome to another edition of fall snacks: the review!
today's line-up:
bourbon's blanchul mini DX noukou marron (rich marron)
bourbon's mochi chocolat ganache chocolate
it's a bourbon matsuri! huzzah!
alright, so, blanchul mini DX (short for "deluxe") is bourbon's upscale series for blanchul mini, which is essentially chocolate sanwiched between two thin langue de chat cookies. here we have two marron flavored cookies sandwiching a piece of rich marron chocolate.
okay, this is really, really good. semi-sweet was a great choice of chocolate -- it gives you a punch of flavor without being too sweet or too milky and actually HAS a discernible center this time! plus OMG MOCHI ＋CHOCOLATE OMNOMNOMNOM
A＋＋ would buy again!
today's line-up:
bourbon's blanchul mini DX noukou marron (rich marron)
bourbon's mochi chocolat ganache chocolate
it's a bourbon matsuri! huzzah!
alright, so, blanchul mini DX (short for "deluxe") is bourbon's upscale series for blanchul mini, which is essentially chocolate sanwiched between two thin langue de chat cookies. here we have two marron flavored cookies sandwiching a piece of rich marron chocolate.
it tastes the way that marron syrup tastes -- sweet and rummy -- but they're so little and light that you don't mind the intense hit. i'd recommend having a glass of milk or cup of coffee ready for these guys.
next is a new flavor in the mochi chocolat series (see previous review) -- a dark chocolate center wrapped in a semi-sweet chocolate ganache.
next is a new flavor in the mochi chocolat series (see previous review) -- a dark chocolate center wrapped in a semi-sweet chocolate ganache.
okay, this is really, really good. semi-sweet was a great choice of chocolate -- it gives you a punch of flavor without being too sweet or too milky and actually HAS a discernible center this time! plus OMG MOCHI ＋CHOCOLATE OMNOMNOMNOM
A＋＋ would buy again!
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