A few days ago the New York Times featured an article about a monument in Palisades Park, New Jersey, an area populated largely by Korean Americans, dedicated to comfort women.  The amount is disputed, but “comfort women” (慰安婦 or ianfu) refers to the at least tens of thousands of women and girls, many Korean, who were forced into sexual slavery by Japanese soldiers before and during World War II (Some counts put their numbers as high as 410,000).

The Palisades Park monument, built in 2010, is the only known tribute in the United States to the comfort women (Last year one was erected in Seoul, South Korea, in front of the Japanese Embassy).  This picture shows three Korean Congressman who placed bouquets of white chrysanthemums at the stone monu­ment last week.

According to the article, a delegation of  four officials from Japan’s Liberal Democratic Par­ty recently visited Palisades Park Mayor James Rotundo in order to urge him to get rid of the memorial.  During this meeting they disputed the number of comfort women and claimed that they willingly served the soldiers.  This was following a visit from Shigeyuki Hiroki, Consul-General of Japan in New York, who proposed donating cherry blossom trees and making other contributions to the town if the memorial was removed.  However, this was later denied by the Consulate, despite the fact that Rotundo and two others confirmed that this offer had been made at the meeting.

In 1993, the Japanese government accepted its military’s role in setting up brothels, and apologized with a declaration from then chief cabinet secretary Yohei Kono. But many, including the surviving comfort women, didn’t accept the statement because it hadn’t been issued by the Diet.  Similarly, in 1995 a $1 billion fund for victims was set up, but surviving comfort women rejected it because it would be financed by private money and they are seeking reparations from the Japanese government.

During a recent International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP)  trip to Dallas, our group had the chance to meet the head of the Human Rights Program at Southern Methodist University, one of only five schools in the country with such a major.  According to Professor Rick Halperin, Program Director, Japan is on the list of worldwide human rights violators.  Thinking domestically, I thought he might be talking about violations against minority groups like the Burakumin or Ainu.  However, upon confirmation it turned out he was talking about comfort women and the Japanese government’s persistent attempts to whitewash this part of its history.  As one advocate in the NYT article commented, let’s hope that this debate over the monument leads to increased awareness of this pertinent issue.

New Rice Cooker Chronicles submissions always welcome. Just e-mail it to Leah at jetwit [at] jetwit.com.

More Bread Revolution and Guide to Flour.

“Pita pockets” didn’t excite me as a kid. Toted as a kid-friendly food, the charm of stuffing sandwich fillings into a bread with a pocket was lost on me. I rediscovered pita–fresh pita–in university at Middle-Eastern diners and as (store-bought) hummus became more mainstream. In Japan, I sometimes bought stacks of pita from the import store, but after preparing for an international cooking lesson, I discovered pita are really simple to make, and more importantly, make a great bread substitute for proper sandwiches in Japan. Save the trip to the import store for chickpeas–you don’t even need to make hummus to go with it!*

Click HERE for more.

New Rice Cooker Chronicles submissions always welcome. Just e-mail it to Leah at jetwit [at] jetwit.com.

Early May means fresh bamboo shoots are in season again here in Ishikawa, and I received not one but three lovely shoots from my friends and coworkers this year! 2012 is apparently a bumper year for bamboo in the forests and in my kitchen.

Whether you purchased or received fresh bamboo, one large shoot can seem like a lot to cook up. The best English-language resource for cooking bamboo is, in my opinion, Makiko Itoh’s Just Hungry. The reason why I have only one bamboo recipe on this site is because I always use hers! What I do have to offer is how to cook raw bamboo, my master list of bamboo recipes, comments, and my own photos. Enjoy!

Click HERE for more.

I’m here in Seattle wrapping up the last leg of my ACYPL interpreting trip.  After recently reading Jamie Ford’s “Hotel On the Corner of Bitter and Sweet”, I was compelled to visit the Panama Hotel which plays a pivotal role in the book.  Located in the International District close to the Japanese supermarket Uwajima and bookstore Kinokuniya, this hotel with a rich history is still operating today.

It contains the only remaining Japanese public bathhouse (sento) intact in the U.S.  In addition, the basement where the baths are located also houses the possessions of Japanese-Americans who were imprisoned in internment camps during WWII.  The owner of the hotel offers tours of this basement, but they are limited so I was unfortunately unable to join one without a reservation.  Instead I enjoyed catching up with a college friend in the tea house, whose walls are decorated with artifacts from pre/post WWII that tell the stories of Japantown at the time.

The Panama Hotel is a must visit for anyone looking to learn about Japanese American history, and I look forward to staying the night the next time I’m in town.  The beautifully decorated rooms with an Asian flair are reasonably priced and come complete with yukata to sleep in!

Lars Martinson (Fukuoka-ken 2003-2006), author of the graphic novels Tonoharu: Part Two andTonoharu:  Part 1, has  just announced the “Kameoka Diaries“, Lars’ e-comic about his return to teaching English, this time in Kameoka, Kyoto, is now available on iTunes.

More info here and below:  http://larsmartinson.com/my-first-two-e-comics-now-available/

The Kameoka Diaries: Volume One [ Direct iBookstore Link ]
The Kameoka Diaries: Volume One is a humorous (?) account of my experiences living and working in Central Japan, told over eight chapters. It includes an exclusive chapter not available anywhere else!

JETwit Note:  I just downloaded a copy onto my iPhone. 250 pages for only $0.99, and I always love Lars’ work.  Plus, it’s my first time using iBook which it turns out is pretty nifty. :-)

Posted by: Daniel Gauss
Type: Full-time
Location: N/A
Salary:  Deferred pay
Start Date: N/A

Author of an ESL book to be published in the Spanish-speaking world is seeking a Japanese collaborator to tailor the book for Japanese English-learners. The purpose of the book is for learners to acquire English idioms and vocabulary through reading English instead of relying heavily on line translations. For more information about the book on Amazon, click on the following link:

http://www.amazon.com/Sucks-Youll-Wanna-Anyway-ebook/dp/B004TSPAQS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1301236827&sr=8-1

Job Responsibilities:
- Write chapter introductions in Japanese
- Add introductions in Japanese to the vocabulary sections
- Write up short explanations or translations of difficult English words in the text
- Aid in changing the main character of the book to a Japanese hero or heroine (Main character is currently
a young woman from Spain studying English in New York.)
- Aid in communication with Japanese publishers to publish book in Japan

Job Requirements:
- At least a bachelor’s degree
- Proficient in written Japanese
- English teaching experience in Japan (preferred)

Compensation:
- Deferred pay (If the book is published in Japan and earns a profit, you will receive 50% of the cut.)

Note: This can be discussed, but a percentage of the profit can be donated to a charity supporting Japan.

Contact: Please send credentials to the author, Daniel Gauss, by e-mailing him at djg51qu@gmail.com.

I am currently in DC interpreting for a six-person delegation that is here on a two-week program with the American Council for Young Political Leaders (ACYPL).  Group members represent both the DPJ and LDP, as well as one participant from the New Komeito Party.  Our other destinations are Tennessee and Washington State, so despite their short stay my group will have the opportunity to experience different parts of the U.S.

Speaking of young politicians, last week the New York Times profiled Japan’s youngest mayor, 31-year old Naomichi Suzuki of Yubari, Hokkaido.  Yubari is known for its expensive melons, as well as being Japan’s only bankrupt city and also its most elderly.  So far during our trip the declining birth rate and increasing aging population are two of the main domestic issues the delegates keep highlighting, and Yubari is facing the same challenges.  It will be interested to see if the injection of Suzuki’s youthful energy and innovation can turn things around in this northern town.

New Rice Cooker Chronicles submissions always welcome. Just e-mail it to Leah at jetwit [at] jetwit.com.

More Bread Revolution and Guide to Flour.

TexMex/Southwestern/Mexican foods were something I purchased from the grocery or at restaurants in the US, missed sorely in Japan, and was convinced I couldn’t make it myself. If I found salsa in a jar, I couldn’t find chips, so what was the point? Avocados weren’t something I could get my town easily, and forget cilantro or jalapeños. I gave up on my dream of enjoying these foods in Japan, but luckily Cheruko didn’t, and she put together a fantastic fajita spread for an international cooking lesson.

Click HERE for more.

Cherry blossoms are blooming, depending on where you are in Japan, and various other types of trees and flowers are starting to show their spring colors. Graduation ceremonies are being held (or have already happened) all over Japan, as one year ends and another is about to begin.

Then there’s the pollen. Hay fever season in Japan has also arrived. And if you have allergies, it might have already hit you hard (or will…). How do you get through allergy season in Japan? You’ll find some ideas below.

A few words to know:

花粉症　 かふんしょう     kafunshou        hay fever
花粉　　 かふん　　         kafun                  pollen
アレルギー　　　　          arerugii              allergy

Now, a few ideas to help you survive hay fever season in Japan:

1. Wear a mask outside. Even if you didn’t wear one in your home country, “do as the locals do” or “when in Rome…” or something like that. I personally can’t stand wearing them, but I know some people who now like wearing them.

2. Use a mask spray. Apparently if you spray your mask with this stuff it makes the mask more effective at keeping unwanted particles out.

3. Try a “nose mask” – (pictured below) It’s basically something that you attach to the underside of your nose and each side goes in a nostril. It acts as a filter for pollen and other airborne particles.

4. Refill those allergy medicine prescriptions. It is possible to get Claritin, Allegra, Zyrtec and Flonase (フルナーズ) in Japan – consult a doctor about possibilities. You could also try contacting Japan Healthcare Info if you’re not sure where to look or who to ask. Some possible prescription non-drowsy or “mostly” non-drowsy meds in Japan include: Allegra (アレグラ), Claritin (クラリチン), Alesion (アレジオン), エバステル, Talion (タリオン), and Zyrtec (ジルテック). [Source]

You can get some over-the-counter anti-allergy medication, but most, if not all, are drowsy, and probably not as effective as those you can get by prescription. (Let us know, though, if you’ve found something that works well and isn’t too sleep-inducing). Mmmfruit mentioned Zaditen as an option. David and I have both used Stonarhini (ストナリニ), and while David didn’t get too drowsy, I felt like I had just taken a Benadryl (it knocked me out for hours). It claims to use less of the ingredients that make you drowsy, but it may be best to try it on a day you don’t have to go out and do anything, just to see how your body reacts first. — CLICK HERE to read 11 more ways to defeat hay fever this year.

Australian JET alum Pepi Ronalds (Miyagi-ken, Sendai Shi, 2010-11) recently published an essay on Amazon titled “After Shock:  Experiencing the 2011 Japanese Earthquake.”  Below is a bit of context from Ronalds along with an extract from the essay:

About Pepi

Pepi is a freelance writer, ghostwriter and researcher based in Melbourne, Australia. On any given day she is found writing, researching and craving sakuranbo soft-cream from the Omiyage shop below Yamadera. While working as an ALT in Sendai Shi, Miyagi prefecture she experienced the Great East Japan Earthquake first hand. She writes about the experience in her long-form article After Shock: Experiencing the 2011 Japanese Earthquake, which can be downloaded via Amazon or Pepi’s website http://www.pepironalds.com.

“After finishing JET I returned to the freelance writing career that I had begun in late 2009. As a writer of non-fiction, I was keen to write about my experience of the triple disaster in Sendai. I knew that many people outside of Japan had a limited understanding of what had happened. – Yes, I was caught up in a natural disaster as a foreigner, and yes it was scary. But there was (and continues to be) so much more to my experience (and those of my fellow JETs and gaijins). I was astounded by the incredible generosity of my Japanese friends and colleagues, and the work they’ve done (and are doing) to rebuild.”

As publishing paradigms change, I there are fewer venues for long-form articles like mine.  So in publishing this article I made my first foray into ‘entrepreneurial journalism’. That is, I am selling direct to readers. Below is an extract. If you want to read the whole thing (6,500 words) you can either download the article via Amazon, or buy direct from me using Paypal.”

Extract from After Shock: Experiencing the 2011 Japanese Earthquake

“We started the heaters,” my friend Yuriko writes, “but we are trying not to use them often to save them in case of an emergency.” I know the school in Sendai to which she refers. Winter is marked by a meter of snow on the baseball field. It’s sustained by snowflakes the size of marshmallows that seem to fall horizontally. The winds wheeze and rattle at loose windows. When I was there last year, I was constantly dabbing my nose with a tissue. And when my friend writes this from Sendai eight months after the earthquake, winter in Japan has barely begun.

I read her email and think back to that frigid Friday, March 11, 2011. My students and I were decorating the walls of the school with a mosaic of origami-paper blossoms. It was so cold in the unheated hallway that my fingers seemed to move in slow motion. We worked with a feeling of purpose and excitement. Then there was a long, deep, foreboding yawp. An announcement from the earth beneath us that everything was about to change.

When people learn that I was in Sendai for the Great East Japan Earthquake, they ask me, “What was it like?” As their lips form the inevitable question I think about my students, the games we played and the pleasure of our simple conversations. Memories tumble through my mind like objects rattling from shelves. I think about learning Sendai’s traditional dance, suzume odori, and about the spectacular orange of the city’s mountainsides during autumn. I want to tell them about the day we welcomed spring at the kindergarten. I want to show them pictures of the view from Yamadera, the ancient Buddhist temple. And I also feel guilt. Mine was a place of relative safety. “It was long,” I answer. “Earthquakes are meant to last for less than a minute, and this one went for at least three.” And I am always back in that hallway, my pulse pumping a little faster.

The yawp below groaned upwards, stretching lazily, with a gentle rock. At first it felt like we were standing on a children’s fairground ride – just a rocking, but with a clamorous rumbling. We stood in the hallway attentively, still holding the pins and decorations. We cocked our heads sideways and furrowed our brows, listening and looking nowhere in particular. In a moment the ride seemed to derail and upgrade itself by way of a lurch and intense rattling. We scattered, my colleagues yelling instructions to the students. Clatter! Rattle! Clatter! I scampered into a wobbling classroom and went under a desk near a door. I held onto the legs of the desk and vainly pulled them towards the floor. The other desks and chairs zigzagged like giant flies in small orbits around me. Papers on the teacher’s desk fell one by one as if being sorted by an unseen presence.

Everything – literally – was rattling. It was being lifted, dropped, tipped and clattered. I could hear the movement of doors and walls and windows and curtains and pens and pot plants. The ceiling above creaked. People were calling somewhere. The noise was a rat-tat-tat, boom-boom-boom that I will always recognize as a cacophony unique to earthquakes.

“What was it like?” It’s a near impossible question to answer. In the eight months I spent in Japan before the earthquake I had hiked through a valley so beautiful that everywhere I looked could have made a postcard. I rode buses through Japan’s crazy urban landscape. I listened to taiko drums. I sang with my students. I didn’t know about the tsunami until over six hours after the earthquake. I couldn’t speak the language.

We evacuated to the baseball field, where there was a biting wind. Thankfully the snow had melted since spring had formally begun over a month earlier, but the puddles were ice blocks and a nasty mite-like snow stung my cheeks. I trembled. The building we’d been in looked like it was about to sneeze. I watched trees quiver apologetically.

Want to read on? You can buy a copy of the full article via Amazon, or full article direct from Pepi Ronalds – both for only $2.99!

New Rice Cooker Chronicles submissions always welcome. Just e-mail it to Leah at jetwit [at] jetwit.com.

One thing that always amazes me when I return to the US is the sheer amount of choice one has about food. Order a pizza in the US and you can usually choose whole-wheat or white crust (sometimes even gluten-free); thick or thin crust; marinara sauce or white sauce; any combination of toppings. With the sheer amount of kinds of pizzerias in towns like Ann Arbor–everything from national chains to Silvio’s organic pizza–the sky was the limit.

I know most of my posts start with me gushing about Ann Arbor, then complaining about Japan, then resolving into my resolution to make it myself, but going from choosing the tiniest details of my pizza to angrily eyeing the corn-and-mayo pizza on a rare trip to Coco’s actually wasn’t that shocking until I came back to the US on business in the winter.

Click HERE for more.

Today’s New York Times features two article regarding Japan’s economic doldrums.  The one from Martin Fackler talks about Japan’s decline as a manufacturer, and what direction the new course the country should take will be.  The other by Hiroko Tabuchi discusses the fate of one of the manufacturers mentioned in Fackler’s article, Sony.  Kazuo Hirai joined as the new CEO at the beginning of this month, and it remains to be seen what path he is planning to take the company on.  Many commentators throughout say that Sony has failed to differentiate itself, and the article closes with the quote, “The tarnish on their brand has definitely begun.”  Happy reading!

When I first came to Japan, attempting to read food labels and understand what things were and what was IN what I was buying and eating was a huge obstacle. I could read hiragana, katakana and some kanji, but the majority of the food labels were confusing and I spent extensive amounts of time at the supermarket, smartphone in hand with a Japanese-English dictionary open, trying to decipher ingredients and information. I’d also use the smartphone app, ShinKanji, to search for various kanji and words I couldn’t read.

The work paid off, and though now I can’t read every single Japanese word without consulting a J-E dictionary or looking up certain kanji, I can usually quickly scan most labels to find what I want to know.

A guide to reading food labels in Japan is also one of the most popular post topic requests I’ve received. It’s something most of us struggle with when we first arrive, and I’d imagine even some of those who are fluent may not have known every word or kanji at first. Deciphering Japanese food labels, the entirety of them anyway, isn’t particularly easy, but I’ve attempted to break them down for you here. Note that I have not covered various ingredients aside from common allergens, as that’s something to cover in a separate post (or more than one). This one is already long!

I should note that food labels in Japan aren’t always consistent, as you’ll see below, and although, for example, you’ll usually see information about the total calories, protein, fat, carbohydrates and similar main nutrients, you won’t always see much about other minerals or vitamins (though things like fortified cereals, breads, etc., often list these).

I’ve also tried to include a variety of words you’ll see, but some terms/phrases are worded slightly different, although the meaning is generally the same, e.g., “賞味期限” and “消費期限” both mean “best before; best eaten by” or the expiration date.

Also note that throughout the post I have not broken down kanji and words as I normally do – instead, the vocabulary charts break them down, so please reference the charts for a breakdown. (You can also use the “find” feature on your browser and copy/paste a word you want to see in the chart to find it quickly.)

So let’s get on with it: how do you read food labels in Japan?

– CLICK HERE  for the following:

Japanese Food Label Vocabulary Chart
Japanese Nutritional Information Vocabulary Chart
How to Understand the Nutritional Information List on a Food Label
How to Understand the Rest of the Food Label
How to Read Food Labels on Imported Goods
Meat and Seafood Labels
Fruit and Vegetable Labels
Allergy Information on Food Labels

Today is the big parade to celebrate the centennial sakura matsuri, but unfortunately all the blooms are long gone.  However, the festival goes through the end of the month, so for those who find themselves in DC there are plenty of Japan-related activities to keep you entertained.  I had a chance to sample many of them this week, the first of which I’d recommend being the National Geographic Museum’s samurai exhibit running through early September.

It shares the history of how the now legendary cherry trees made their way to DC, as well as displays unique items such as swords and armor that were gifted from Japan to American presidents such as Ulysses Grant and Teddy Roosevelt.  My favorite section was the black and white photos of samurai in a photo studio run by a Westerner.  It captures them in their garb during behind-the-scenes moments, giving you insight into the people they were behind the armor.

Some other exhibits not to be missed are the National Gallery of Art’s Colorful Realm: Japanese Bird and Flower Paintings by Ito Jakuchu (1716-1800), on display until April 29.  This collection of 30 scrolls is amazingly vivid in color, depicting not only birds and flowers but in some cases fish, insects and palm trees.  Jakuchu seems to be obsessed with roosters (some in “kabuki-like poses”), and according to one description I learned that “In Zen Buddhism, images of the rooster’s piercing cry were associated with spiritual awakening.” (Go figure!  I could have used this information when I was in Kauai earlier this year, being woken up an at ungodly hour each morning by these enlightened roosters.)

After that make sure to check out the Hokusai Japanese screens at the Freer Gallery (through July 29), followed by the 36 Views of Mount Fuji from Hokusai at the nearby Sackler Gallery (through June 17).  The latter also features a display called Kano Kazunobu’s Masters of Mercy: Buddha’s Amazing Disciples, fantastical paintings which share the lives of Buddha’s 500 disciples, making their debut outside of Japan for the first time (as do the Jakuchu scrolls).

And if all this consumption of Japanese culture has you wanting to consume some Japanese food along with your art, look no further than the cherry blossom roll ( 桜巻き?) at Fujimar.  At $17.60 it costs a bit more than your standard roll, but it is definitely worth it.  It combines cherry-flavored rice, avocado, tamago, cucumber and crab in a pink soy bean wrapper, with three cherries on top and leaf-shaped avocado slices on the side.  Its sweetness is just the right amount, and the flavors were powerful enough for it to be eaten with or without soy sauce.

For those whose sweet tooth is not satisfied by the cherry blossom roll, many local restaurants are featuring special cherry themed desserts during the duration of the festival (through the 27th of this month).  My one regret is not having had time to try the cherry-chocolate bread pudding at one of my favorite DC restaurants, Founding Farmers, but there’s always next year!

I’m down in DC to begin a new business trip, and was thrilled when I found out my assignment would coincide with the famous Sakura Matsuri.  This year is extra special as it marks the 100th anniversary since the 3000+ trees were gifted from Japan to the U.S.  Even the Metro gets into the spirit, as you can see with their turnstile decorations.  Due to the warm weather it is doubtful that the blossoms will last until the conclusion of the festival at the end of the month, but I’m hoping to do some hanami while I’m here.

On another Japan-related note, today I went to see an interesting exhibit at the National Portrait Gallery entitled “Asian American Portraits of Encounter.”  It features several different Asian American artists, including three Japanese.  One is Satomi Shirai based in New York, the second is Shizu Saldamando based in California, and the last is Roger Shimomura based in Kansas.  I was especially taken with the work of Shimoura, who as a child was relocated to an internment camp in Idaho along with his family during World War II.  His displayed works are all self-portraits, and according to Shimomura through them he strove to battle “oriental” stereotypes or conversely become them.  As an example of the latter I particularly liked the two works shown here side by side, American Pikachu and American Hello Kitty, where the artist takes the form of these iconic images.

The non-Japanese artists also share some really thought-provoking work, so this exhibit is definitely worth checking out.  It runs through October 14, admission is free and it is open daily from 11:30-7.

This weekend I finally had the chance to see the much-hyped documentary Jiro Dreams of Sushi.  It made a splash at last year’s Tribeca Film Festival and had been on my radar ever since, so I was happy to see it playing at local theaters (currently at IFC Center, Lincoln Plaza Cinema and Kew Gardens Cinema).   Director David Gelb is a New Yorker who has loved sushi since he was a kid, and his film faithfully follows 85-year-old sushi chef Jiro Ono, proprietor of the renowned restaurant Sukiyabashi Jiro.  Its humble location inside the Ginza subway station belies the exquisiteness of the sushi produced within.  Ono’s work is extremely simple, yet it possesses complexity of taste as well as aesthetic beauty.  As the title indicates, this shokunin (or craftsman) eats,  sleeps and breathes sushi, and even after all his years of mastering this art form he believes there is still room to grow.

I liked how Gelb incorporates different aspects of the sushi world, such as Ono’s exclusive rice seller, fish handlers at the Tsukiji Fish Market, and the incredibly devoted apprentices at the restaurant, all with distinctive personalities that add an additional layer to the story.  However, it is the family dynamics at the heart of this doc that will capture viewers’ interest.  Ono has two sons, older Yoshikazu who works alongside his father, and younger Takashi who works as the sushi chef at Sukiyabashi Jiro’s spin-off branch at Roppongi Hills.  I wanted to learn more about Takashi and his separate path, but the movie mainly focuses on Ono’s relationship with Yoshizaku, the apparent successor to his father.  Considering that Ono is a living legend, this is a prospect that Yoshikazu regards with a combination of resignation and trepidation.

Not that Ono is considering stepping down anytime soon.  He is still working full time at the restaurant, though he admits that all the hard work is done in the kitchen, allowing the fish to be “95% ready” by the time it comes to him.  Considering that Ono has been honing his craft since childhood, it only seems fair that he gets all the glory.

New Rice Cooker Chronicles submissions always welcome. Just e-mail it to Leah at jetwit [at] jetwit.com.

One of the biggest challenges–and triumphs– for me during these 2.5 years living in Japan has been creating bread products I could easily purchase back in the US: pitas, tortillas, flatbread, pizza dough. I experimented (usually disastrously) with a few things in year 1, namely pizza dough, which was passable but not fantastic, and tea bread, which refused to cook through no matter how I reduced the recipe or what device in which I baked it.

My first success was whole-wheat soda bread. Pizza dough took two years and five different recipes.  Tortillas and pitas, which I was stupidly convinced couldn’t be made at home until Cheruko of Hokuriku Expat Kitchen decided they could, turned out to be incredibly simple. I, like many Americans, thought bread-making was some sort of epic process, a choice between hours of kneading and rising and punching dough or investing in a breadmaker that would take up precious storage space. It’s really not that bad. I’ll speak more on this later with each recipe’s time-commitment information, but I full work-time, work out, have an active social life and hobbies, and I still have time for bread-making. The rising time, depending on the recipe, is often ideal for cooking the rest of a meal, enjoying a TV show or book, or even an evening trip to the gym for the longer risers.

So, now that you’re less worried about OMG BREAD, let’s get started on building your expat bread factory. First, we need to have a chat about types of flour.

CLICK HERE for more

Last night I had fun rocking out at the concert of L’Arc en Ciel, one of Japan’s most popular bands.  They were the first Japanese group to perform at Madison Square Garden, and they put on an amazing show!  For me it was largely natsukashii, as I discovered L’Arc (or ラルク) as an exchange student in Kyoto my first time in Japan.  During the weekly karaoke outings that I used to work on my kanji, ラルク soon became a regular part of my repertoire and for a while their song Honey was my #18 (specialty or favorite).

So I was super excited when I heard ラルク front man Hyde belt out the first  「ずっと」 that begins the song, and was happy to find that I still remembered most of the lyrics.   I enjoyed other old favorites like Stay Away and Caress of Venus, but was disappointed that Heaven’s Drive didn’t make it into the playlist.  With blonde dreadlocks and heavy eye makeup Hyde was androgynously beautiful, and the other band members offered humorous greetings in English.  Bananas and lollipops (along with colorful commentary) were randomly thrown out to the crowd throughout the show, and the graphics and pyrotechnics accompanying the music were absolutely amazing.

In Hyde’s goodbye to the audience he said, “It took us 20 years to get here!”  Definitely worth the wait, and certainly not the last we will see of this “biggest band you’ve never heard of.”

I am wrapping up a business trip here in Seattle, where the Japanese influence is huge.  Not only do they have great Japanese shopping centers like Uwajimaya, located in the International District area, but they have Ichiro!  The man himself is not here at the moment, having headed to Japan with the Mariners to play two exhibition games against Japanese teams before opening up the Major League season in two games against the Oakland A’s.  All four games will be played in Tokyo.  Today’s Seattle Times features an article highlighting the Ichiro Museum that his parents run in his hometown outside Nagoya.  Featuring items such as his high school bike and pictures from growing up, it sounds like a must-see for any Ichiro fan.

Speaking of Japanese famous sports figures, in the midst of Linsanity the name of a Japanese-American predecessor has repeatedly come up.  This would be Utah-born 2nd generation Japanese-American Wat Misaka, the first person of color to be drafted into the NBA.  He played for the Knicks in the 1940′s, amidst the extreme prejudice that Japanese-Americans were forced to endure (Misaka was not put in an internment camp, but he had friends who were sent to Topaz).  You can read more about his amazing story as well as purchase the documentary which tells his story on his website.