ika's posts with tag: monthly in japan
|  | Tahun 2008, adalah hanami (menikmati bunga Sakura) yang pertama buat Aicyan sejak tinggal di Utsunomiya. Awal bulan April, Di Utsunomiya sakura mulai bermekaran. 2 tempat di Utsunomiya yang biasa dikunjungi orang-orang adalah di Kogakubu Uday (Jurusan Teknik di Universitas Utsunomiya). Satu lagi yang paleng banyak dikunjungi dan bikin agak susah parkir mobilnya adalah di Hachiman Yama Koen (didalamnya ada Utsunomiya Tower). |
| | Bulan ini masih aja dingin, padahal kemaren dah mulai anget udaranya....Di Utsunomiya cuman 2 kali yuki(salju) turun, bulan Januari dan Pebruari. Itupun salju turun dan sebentar dah hilang. Foto diambil di Utsunomiya Castle, kebetulan castle disini baru dibangun, deket Utsunomiya City Office. Selain itu diambil di Chuo Koen(Park). |
| Start: | Mar 9, '08 09:30a | | End: | Mar 9, '08 12:00p | | Location: | Akebono Koen |
| Start: | Mar 2, '08 09:30a | | End: | Mar 2, '08 12:00p | | Location: | Eki Higashi Koen |
| Start: | Feb 24, '08 09:30a | | End: | Feb 24, '08 12:00p | | Location: | Yokubenimaru-Hosoya |
| Start: | Feb 23, '08 10:30a | | End: | Feb 23, '08 3:00p | | Location: | Nishi syougai gakusyuu senta |
Biasanya setahun sekali, perkumpulan teman2 jepang yang suka orang indonesia ngajarin kita (orang indonesia) masakan jepang. Tapi sekarang gantian kita yang ngajarin mereka masakan Indonesia. Di kesempatan ini, kita rencana masak sop buntut, telur bali dan tempe/tahu bacem.
| | Setiap bulan Agustus sampai September kemaren, Nashi lagi murah-murahnya disini. Nashi yang kumaksud bukan nasi (isnot rice) tetapi pear (dalam bhs Jepang). Kalo lagi murah, yang kecil2, 1 kg 100 yen dan yang besar, 1 kg 200 yen. Walaupun kecil, rasanya enggak kalah dengan yang dijual disupermarket. Selain dapat murah, kadang dapat tambahan kiloan yang anget… Disupermaket, 1 buah Nashi harganya kalo lagi murah 100 yen, belum kalo yang tipe kaori. Mahal..banget…..Luckynya, kita bisa ikutan metik….
O,ya berikut sedikit cerita mengenai Nashi……
Nashi pear, Pyrus pyrifolia, is sometimes called the Asian pear. It has also been called Japanese pear or Taiwan Pear, as well as sand pear, apple pear, bapple, papple, and bae, from the Korean 배. In India is it called nashipati. Nashi pears are widely grown for their sweet fruit, a popular food in East Asia. They are sweet on the tree and are eaten crisp or else bletted.
Nashi pears generally are not baked in pies or made into jams because they have a high water content and a crisp, grainy texture, very different from the buttery European varieties. Also, Nashi pears are not as intensely sweet, having a more refreshing, light taste. It is not a cross between apples and pears, as common names like apple pear may suggest, but its shape and crisp texture are reminiscent of apples
In Japan, Nashi pears are harvested in Saitama, Chiba, Ibaraki, Tottori, Fukushima, Tochigi, Nagano, and other prefectures, except Okinawa. Nashi may be used as an autumn kigo, or "season word", in writing haiku. Nashi no hana (pear flower) is also used as a kigo of spring.
Many type of Nashi like Shinseiki, Kosui, Shinsui, Chojuro, Jyuseiki, Kikusui, Kaori, Akizuki and etc…..Ichiban Nashi. An early-maturing, large, brown fruit ripening in mid-July ahead of Shinseiki, Shinsui and Kosui.
Shinsui. An early-maturing, brown fruit with reasonable size, ripening in mid-July after Ichiban Nashi and before Shinseiki.
Kosui. A small, flat, bronze-russet, early-maturing, sweet fruit with and tender skin that ripens in mid-July. A strong-growing tree with leaves sensitive to 2-spot spider mites and many sprays.
Shinseiki. A round, yellow-skinned, firm fruit that is early-maturing (late July) plus it stores well up to three months. In appearance it resembles 20th Century but is less flavorful. Trees are self-fruitful in the San Joaquin.
Chojuro.An old, firm, brown- to orange-skinned, flat-shaped, highly productive variety is losing popularity because it is not as juicy as many newer varieties. It matures in mid-August, bruises easily but stores for five months. It must be picked when first yellow-brown in color or fruit is subject to severe bruising and skin discoloration.
Kikusui. A flat, yellow-green, medium-sized fruit with excellent flavor but a reputation for having tender skin. The fruit stores well until February but the dull-colored skin makes it less attractive at harvest than 20th Century. The fruit sizes better than 20th Century and it has flavor and texture equal to 20th Century. It ripens in mid-August but fruit has preharvest drop problems. Tree has average vigor.
NUTRITION
Serving size 122g
Amounts Per Serving - % Daily Value*
Calories 50
Calories from Fat 5
Total Fat 0g - 0%
Saturated Fat 0g - 0%
Cholesterol 0mg - 0%
Sodium 0mg - 0%
Total Carbohydrate 13g - 4%
Dietary Fiber 4g - 16%
Sugars 9g
Protein 1g
Vitamin A 0%
Vitamin C 8%
Calcium 0%
Iron 2%
Make Asian Pears Part of Your 5 A Day Plan
-Enjoy eating fresh out of hand.
-Use in salads, slaws, soups, and sandwiches.
-Use Asian pears as you would with other pears and apples in cobblers and fruit crisps.
-To prevent discoloration when cut, dip in a mixture of water and lemon juice.
Note: about Nashi, taken from :
http://www.island.wsu.edu/CROPS/asnpears.htm
http://www.sfc.ucdavis.edu/pubs/brochures/Asianpears.html
http://www.foodreference.com/html/art-asian-pear.html
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| | On Friday, February 2, We went to Seiki san House to see "Hina".
Hina-matsuri is a festival for girls to wish their happiness and good health.
Hina ningyo (dolls representing the Emperor and Empress,
and nobles in the Imperial Palace in the Heian period)
are set up in the home, as shown in the pictures above,
by most families that have daughters.
The dolls are offered hina-arare (sweetened puffed rice), hishi-mochi
( diamond-shaped rice cakes ) and shirozake ( sweet sticky fragrant white sake ).
The family, sometimes with invited friends of their daughters', cerebrate with a meal like
Chirashi-zushi ( a bowl of sushi rice arranged a layer of sliced raw fish and vegetables).
The origin of this festival came from a court custom
and a game which was played by girls with paper hina dolls in Heian period.
The courtiers called in diviners on the third day of the third month in the lunar calendar
to exorcise their impurities and troubles, transferring them to the paper images, called katashiro,
which were then floated away down the river .
This custom became associated with the paper dolls with which
girls played at that time.
The practice of displaying dolls on shelves like in the photo above began
in the middle of the Edo period (1603-1867).
Japanese Family displaying "Hina" for a month, after that they must clear off.
Note: You can see more at http://kikuko.web.infoseek.co.jp/english/hinamatsuri-1-how-to.html |
| Start: | Feb 11, '07 09:00a | | End: | Feb 11, '07 11:00a | | Location: | Akebono Koen |
Tomorrow, I will see Flea market.
When first time I came to Japan, I saw the road is clean from rubbish from Tokyo till Utsunomiya. No scattered garbage is found until the small city around Utsunomiya.
Panorama in Japan is also beauty because we can find many parks. The park is kept clean by government, volunteer, and people. We can find the place where the water is flowing like the river, pond, and lake. At the time I made barbeque together with Japanese friends. After finishing barbeque, we must clean dirty dish and barbeque tool. We cannot find the place for cleaning the dirty dish. Same as your thinking, in Indonesia, we can wash the dirty dish in the river because the river water is clean, free, and ready to be used. But the young Japanese said “dame”, it means it is not allowed to wash the dirty dish into the river. I am very wonder with him, since when and how long the senior Japanese maintain and teach the young generation for giving respect to their resources from rubbish.
From the Japan television news, sometimes they also have flood like in Indonesia, but it is cause by the matter of nature disaster, not from human-made disaster. Japanese maintains the river, lake, pond, and forest from rubbish and uncontrolled tree cutting. It is clear from the television that Japan has many beauty parks, forest, and mountain.
Now, I know how important the management of garbage disposal in Japan. We must know when throwing rubbish, different type rubbish has to be careful. We must separate, divide, and put out the rubbish. Japan system has five type of rubbish such as recycle rubbish, incineration rubbish, nonflammable rubbish, dangerous rubbish, and a large-sized discarded/unwanted article. Recycle rubbish is book, paper, can, bottle, magazine, cardboard, good cloth etc. Nonflammable rubbish is vas, toaster, rice cooker, pot tea, kitchen equipment etc. Dangerous rubbish is battery, lamp, thermometer, knife, spray can, lighter etc. Incineration rubbish is kitchen rubbish (from food, vegetable, fish and meat), video tape, doll and etc.
Every region has different day for throwing rubbish. At my region, every Monday and Thursday for incineration rubbish, Wednesday for nonflammable rubbish and dangerous rubbish, and Friday for recycle rubbish.
For big rubbish or a large-sized discarded/ unwanted article like jitensya (bicycle), motor cycle, cupboard, car, etc. If we want to throw that big rubbish, we must pay. For example, if we want to throw a car, we must pay 20.000 JPN to the garbage disposal station.
I also excite when throwing the rubbish, we also must break down. For example if we want to throw the cardboard, we must open folded paper, stack them neatly, and tie crosswise with a string then remove attached plastics, gummed tape, and foam polystyrene and the last even in rainy days please avoid vinyl bags. It just for making easy to collect the rubbish.
In Japan, we also can find Japanese people driving car with speaker asking about throwing big garbage. It is easy, because we just put the big rubbish up to his car without going to the garbage disposal station. I don’t know after that, he will go to garbage disposal for throwing that rubbish, or repair that rubbish so that he will sell again like a second-hand goods. I think that it is a good idea, because he can help the city office for garbage management. Not only the city office does not need much money for burning garbage but also second-hand goods can be a resource. It is means that we are responsible for keeping the resources and managing the garbage. Can we do like that in Indonesia ???
| Start: | Mar 2, '07 11:00a | | End: | Mar 2, '07 5:00p | | Location: | Sokudo Uday |
Every year, Utsunomiya University makes event for foreigner. At the event, We can arragement flower (ikebana), wear kimono, mochi tsuki, ocha ceremony, attraction (Japanese dancing, japanese music and from other country) and party.
| Start: | Feb 20, '07 1:00p | | End: | Feb 22, '07 10:00a | | Location: | Nagoya |
In japan, the subject is very interesting. When my husband wants to legalize his master degree certificate, his professor was so excited. Cause, the Japan system do not recognize a legalized certificate, the copy is enough. Good name of the professor or teacher can make guarantee their student. It means that japan system is entrusted society, no need to make a legalized copy, because the copy itself is sufficient.
In Indonesia, every body makes a legalized certificate for going to school or job, the copy of certificate is not enough. Why? because Indonesia system is low trust society.
| Start: | Jan 31, '07 12:00a | | End: | Jan 31, '07 12:00p | | Location: | Every where |
This year on January, We will get married 8 years. So long time, we know, learn and adapt each other. We hope it can be good until we died.
| Start: | Jan 7, '07 10:00a | | End: | Jan 7, '07 1:00p | | Location: | Eki Higashi Koen |
 The celebration of the Japanese New Year involves many traditions, customs and rituals that hold special symbolic meanings. The New Year itself represents a time to conclude activities of the passing year and a time to start anew. There are parties to attend – bonen kai (end of the Year celebration) and shinnen kai (new year’s celebration) – that are both symbolic of putting behind the past and starting with a new outlook for the coming year. In Hawai‘i , the Japanese celebrate the New Year with traditional customs, as well as with customs adopted from other ethnic traditions. The burning of firecrackers to chase away weevil spirits, the playing card games that set the tone for a good or bad year, the feasting on specially prepared foods for good fortune, and temple visits to cleanse one’s spirit are among the activities that many families enjoy. The following are some of the traditional Japanese New Year’s customs and their special meanings. What is Hatsumode? Hatsumode, first temple or shrine visit of the year, is one of the most important traditions for the Japanese family. At the Shinto shrines, visitors arrive from midnight on through the morning to express gratitude for blessings of the past and to pray for guidance and protections for the new year. Priests bless visitors with white paper streamers attached to wooden purification wands. The wands are waved over visitors for purification and blessing. Visitors also receive ofuda (talisman) which consists of a thin strip of wood wrapped in paper with the name of a kami (god) written on it. It is replaced annually at the new year and is posted near the door of a house or office building for good fortune and protection. Omamori (amulets) are also given to shrine visitors during the new year. The ommori is similar to a good luck charm and is kept for protection and good fortune. In Buddhist temples, the sounding of bells signifies the end of the passing year and start of the new year. Bells are rung 108 times on New Year’s eve. Each ring represents a temptation for mankind to conquer with the last ring sounded at the stroke of midnight. Special New Year’s Foods Special foods are also important to the Japanese New Year’s celebration. Osechi ryori or traditional new year foods are symbolic of good fortune, long life, good health and success. A Japanese New Year’s feast may include ozoni (a mochi soup) for strength and prosperity, otoso or ocha with umeboshi (sake or Japanese rice wine with herbs or tea with preserved plum) for good health, kazunoko (herring roe) for fertility, kuromame (black beans with chestnuts) for good health and success, kobumaki (weaweed stuffed with chicken, pork or fish tied with gourd strips) for happiness, kurikinton (mashed sweet potato and chestnuts) for good fortune, renkon (lotus root sliced crosswise) as a symbol of the wheel of life, and konbu (seaweed) for long life. It is believed that eating these special foods at the new year will bring one good fortune during the year. Mochi Tsuki Mochi (pounded rice cake) is always part of the Japanese New Year’s celebration. It is often times that entire families gather to prepare, shape and fill the mochi. Traditional mochi tsuki (mochi pounding) involves the steaming of mochi rice which would be pounded with a usu (mortar) and kine (pestle or wooden mallet) until it reached a white pasty consistency. The pasty rice would then be shaped into round pieces or mochi which literally means “round rice.” Today, mochi is usually purchased from confectionery shops or the markets. New electronic mochi-making machines that steam and “pound” the mochi are also popular with many local families. Kagami-mochi The traditional new year Kagami-mochi, or mirror mochi, display originated from Shinto story of Amaterasuomikami (Sun Goddess) who hid in a cave and make the world dark. The people prayed to a mirror, which symbolized the Goddess, for her return. Her reappearance caused great joy and happiness for the people as the skes opened with brightness. The kagami-mochi display is made with a small round mochi stacked on top of a larger one. They are placed on a clean sheet of white paper in the center of a sambo (raised tray of plain wood) stand. The kagami-mochi is decorated with objects often chosen for the lucky ideas suggested by puns on their names. An example is the daidai orange (tangerine is often used) meaning “generation to generation.” The custom in Hawai‘i for the kagami-mochi is that it should be displayed before New Year’s eve in any room and is later taken down and eaten. Kadomatsu The Kadomatsu, “gate pine,” display dates back to the Edo period of Japan. The arrangement is made of pine sprigs, bamboo and plum blossoms that are tied together with cord. The matsu (pine) symbolizes constancy, vitality and longevity, and the bamboo represents strength and flexibility. Plum blossoms can also be used in the arrangement, representing new beginnings, purity and sweetness. The size of the kadomatsu may vary according to the entry way. The kadomatsu is usually displayed on both sides of an entrance way, one representing a female (the smooth surface of the pine) and the other representing the male (the rough bark). People in Hawai‘i often display and discard the kadomatsu according to the customs of their families around the seventh day of January which signifies the end of the new year festivities. Note: taken from http://www.jcch.com/jt.htm
The characters that form this word, shiwasu, mean, “Priests are running.” That shows how busy people are at the end of the year.
December is the month final settlements, and is also called Shiwasu.
On the 15th, the post office begins accepting New Year’s cards for delivery on New Year’s Day.
Around the 22nd is the Winter Solstice. On this day people eat pumpkins and take a hot bath with a yuzu orange steeped in it. It is said to prevent colds and get one through the winter in good health.
The 23rd is the birthday of the Emperor, and is a national holiday.
Christmas on the 25th is not national holiday, but people enjoy Christmas no matter what their religion. Towns are decorated with Christmas trees, the melody of Jingle Bells floats on the air, and people spend the day merrily giving each other presents and eating Christmas cakes.
The 28th is the last workday of the year for government and municipal offices. On this day most of the public offices and private companies begin vacations that last through the New Year. At train stations and airports, people who will spend the New Year in their hometowns are crowded together with those setting out to foreign countries or to ski areas. On shopping streets, shops for New Year’s decorations are set up, and food counters are packed with people buying New Year’s special items. In every household, people ate cleaning house, making New Year’s decorations and preparing to greet the New Year.
The 31st is New Year’s Eve. That night people eat toshikoshi soba, listen fir joya no kane (new Year’s Eve Bells) broadcast at midnight on TV and radio from famous temples all over the country and welcome the New Year.
Note:
This review, taken from The Tochigi Times.
About shiwasu, please see at http://gojapan.about.com/cs/japaneseholidays/a/newyeareve.htm
You can also know about Toshikoshi soba at http://www.urban.ne.jp/home/higa/culture/7noodle/sobaeng.htm
And about yuzu, see at http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/yuzu.htm
As November comes, the weather turns gradually colder, and throughout Japan red and yellow leaves appear on trees. When leaves turn red and yellow, people go out autumn foliage viewing spots. Viewing the autumn leaves is one of the favorite pastimes of the season. The 3rd is Culture Day, a national holiday. Those who have made outstanding contributions in the arts and scholarship are presented with the Order of Culture in a ceremony at the Imperial Palace. Around the time of Culture Day, are exhibitions, concerts and art festivals are held, and schools have performing arts and culture fairs. Especially now, many cultural activities have become popular since grand new museums and concert halls have been built in many parts of the country. The 15th is the day for Sichi-go-san. In many areas of the country, seven-and three-year-old girls and five-year-old boys put on formal clothes and make a visit to shrine. A commemorative photograph is taken of the children holding a bag of special red and white stick candies. Then, families gather to celebrate the children’s growth with a special dinner at restaurant or at home. The 23rd is Labor Thanksgiving Day, a national holiday. At the end of the month, The Tori no ichi Festival is held in downtown Tokyo. People wishing for good luck in business buy decollated “rake” at the festival. With the Tori no Ichi Festival over and the end of the year coming soon, the busy season is approaching. Every year about this time the cold north wind begins to blow, and the Hokkaido, Tohoku, and Hokuriku areas are bracing for a full-scale snow season. And even in households in the kanto area, people are pulling out the heaters ant the kotatsu they had stored in closets during the summer, and getting ready for winter. Note: This review taken from The Tochigi Times. About sichi-go-san, please see at http://www.flickr.com/photos/ishida/46061713 and http://seb.zoneo.net/Japan/Gallery/shichi.php?&lang=en About Tori no ichi Festival, you can see at http://www.jnto.go.jp
October 1st is “change of dress day.” This is the day we change from summer to winter uniforms.
The Red Feather Community Chest Campaign also starts on the 1st. Volunteers and students collect donations at public places such as train stations. When a person puts some money into the collection box, the volunteers pin a red feather to the donor’s lapel.
October 9 is Health Sports Day. On October 10th,1964, the opening ceremony for the Tokyo Olympics was held. In commemoration, this became a day to enjoy sports. Around this day, kindergartens, schools, communities and companies organize field day. Family members pack their o-bento lunches and join in the programs.
Later in the month, there are more sports events such as the Fall Emperor’s Cup Horse Race, the Japan Series of professional baseball, and the fall nation wide sports events.
In October, it is neither too hot nor too cold, the weather is calm and comfortable. With the fine and fresh autumn days one after, this is the season for outings. Families venture out to orchards to enjoy pear picking or apple picking. On the hills and in the fields, fruits are ripening. Kindergartners and schoolchildren go out for chestnut-gathering and sweet potato-digging expeditions.
At the urban greengrocers, fall fruits and vegetables such as matsutake mushrooms, pears, chestnuts and persimmons are displayed in abundance. Newly, harvested rice appears at the store around this time of year. Autumn fishes such as macherel, sardines and saury pike are also in season.
Note:
This review taken from The Tochigi Times.
About matsutake muhrooms see at http://www.jun-gifts.com/others/culturalcalendar2/culturalcalendar2.htm
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