Konbu Cha Pickled Vegetables
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Source: japan.recipetineats.com
 Today’s dish, Konbu Cha Pickled Vegetables is super easy and quick to make. You only need to pickle the vegetables for 30 minutes and the preparation takes just 5 minutes. It is lightly salted and full of umami. I have already posted a recipe, Simple Pickled Celery, which is also a very easy recipe using just salt to pickle. Today’s recipe uses Konbu Cha as a pickling agent. Konbu Cha vs KombuchaThese two words mean completely different things even if they sound exactly the same. Konbu Cha refers to a kelp tea and Japanese people call it ‘konbucha‘ (昆布茶) – well, the same as the English sound. The word ‘konbu’ (昆布) means kelp and ‘cha‘ (茶) means tea. On the other hand, Kombucha is ‘kōcha kinoko‘ (紅茶キノコ) in Japanese, which translates to tea mushroom. Konbu Cha (昆布茶)Konbu Cha is a Japanese beverage, like green tea, which is made from powdered dried kelp. It often contains salt to give it more flavour and some of them might even contain tiny pieces of kelp or rice crackers. The delicious flavour of Konbu Cha comes from the umami and saltiness.
Konbu Cha already existed in the Edo period (1603-1863). At the time, it was made by adding boiling water to a tea cup with finely chopped konbu in it. After drinking the konbu-flavoured water, the konbu pieces were eaten. The modern, powdered version of Konbu Cha has over 100 years of history. It appeared in 1918 during the Taisho period. The founder of the Japanese tea company, Gyokuroen, invented it. He looked at the traditional way of drinking Konbu Cha and thought that it could be consumed by more people (just like tea and …continue reading    |
What is Johnson Town in Saitama?
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Source: japanwondertravel.com
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Visit Kinosaki Onsen – Local Experience In Kansai
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Source: japanwondertravel.com
One of the favorite pastimes of many people in Japan is visiting onsen, the hot springs that are found all over the country. It is one of those local experiences that you can’t miss out on when you travel to Japan, and it will be difficult to choose where to go as there are so many options. One of the best places to enjoy a traditional hot spring experience is Kinosaki Onsen (城崎温泉) in Hyogo, an onsen town around 2.5 hours north from Kyoto by train. Let us show you why a stay at Kinosaki Onsen should feature on your Japan itinerary! |
Weekend Trip to Japan’s Samurai Town Aizu-Wakamatsu
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Source: japanwondertravel.com
Cultivating traditional culture, offering unique food, and home to beautiful scenery, Fukushima Prefecture is known for producing some of Japan’s best fruit and sake. It’s the third largest prefecture of Japan and has a deep history connected to samurai culture. Despite the scare of the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake, tourism in Fukushima has bounced back tremendously and Fukushima has become a popular destination to catch the views of seasonal foliage in autumn as well as enchanting sakura blossom in spring, enjoy onsens, and hike through the mountains. One such destination is Aizu-Wakamatsu (会津若松), a well-preserved traditional castle town which calls itself Samurai City. It was once known as the land of […] …continue reading |
Best Mixed-gender Onsen near Tokyo
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Source: japanwondertravel.com
With its location on the Ring of Fire, Japan is tectonically very active. This means that there are regular earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, but there is also a positive side-effect of this particular geography. We are talking about natural onsen, or hot springs, that can be found all over the country. There are many health benefits to bathing in these natural springs such as lowering blood pressure and making your skin smooth, but the main reason people love onsen so much is the relaxation it brings. If you travel with someone of another gender, you may want to bathe together even though most onsen only offer gender-separated bathing. So what […] …continue reading |
7 Best Places to See The Best View of Shibuya Crossing
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Source: japanwondertravel.com
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Best Things to Do in Okinawa Main Island
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Source: japanwondertravel.com
Japan has islands in several climate zones. Northernmost Hokkaido has very cold and snowy winters, main island Honshu has a temperate climate, and southernmost island group Okinawa has a mild subtropical climate. It is no wonder that many Japanese as well as international tourists love going to Okinawa for a nice vacation. Going to the beach is a very popular pastime in Okinawa, and there are certainly many places to enjoy the white sandy beaches of Okinawa, or island hopping is another popular activity, but there are other things to do as well. What are the best things to do in Okinawa Main Island? 1. Churaumi Aquarium One of the […] …continue reading |
Tokyo 2020 Opening Ceremony Original Plan Leaks in Full
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Source: aramajapan.com
 Over the past few weeks, Shukan Bunshun has teased bits and pieces of the original plan for the Opening Ceremony for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Now, on the day of the Closing Ceremony, the publication has leaked the full plan! What would have happened if MIKIKO‘s full plan was realized, and she wasn’t fired in favor of Dentsu’s Sasaki Hiroshi, who himself later resigned after joking about Naomi Watanabe‘s weight? MIKIKO’s plan started in June 2019. In charge of both of the Opening and Closing Ceremonies for the Olympics, she had to create about seven hours of content from scratch. She worked so hard on the plan that she should that she would retire upon its completion. The team of elite creators around MIKIKO worked just as hard, as one to achieve a singular goal. But how would they direct the stage? How would they tell the story they wanted to tell? What would the costumes be? The team figured all of this out. Everything was set to go for the big day, a day that would never come. All of the hard work of MIKIKO and her team was thrown away upon the appointment of Sasaki. Even though her plan couldn’t be executed in reality, we do have the document showing what would have been.
A countdown starts. A red motorcycle, the one made famous by Otomo Katsuhiro’s manga “AKIRA”, races across the floor of the Olympic stadium. The countdown ends. The dome in the center of the stadium opens, and a stage appears. On the stage is Perfume. They perform “Welcome to Tokyo”, a song by their producer Yasutaka Nakata. |
The Amami Islands of Kagoshima
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Source: japanwondertravel.com
As an island country, Japan is full of beach paradise islands that feel like they came straight out of a guide book. While Okinawa is usually the ultimate destination for beach goers in Japan, the Amami Islands (奄美大島) offer seclusion and relaxation while also still bringing the same warm weather Okinawa has. As part of the greater Ryukyu Islands, you’ll find that many of the locals don’t speak standard Japanese. Originally its own island nation, the Amami Islands were later occupied during the Meiji Restoration and incorporated into Kagoshima Prefecture. Today the islands are known for their subtropical climate, beautiful coral reefs, water sports, and amazing food which can be […] …continue reading |
Ryuji Imaichi Falls in Love with a Robot in “FUTURE LOVERS” MV
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Source: aramajapan.com
 On July 21, Ryuji Imaichi of Sandaime J SOUL BROTHERS will release his third solo album, “CHAOS CITY.” This release comes about a year and half after his previous album, “ZONE OF GOLD.” “CHAOS CITY” is a conceptual album that tells the stories of the fictional city that the album is named after. The lead song from the album is the 80s-influenced “FUTURE LOVERS.” Ryuji was inspired to write the song by the Hajime Sorayama statue “Sexy Robot.” The song is based on the theme of forbidden love between man and robot. In the music video for “FUTURE LOVERS”, Ryuji falls in love with an android in the futuristic CHAOS CITY. “Sexy Robot” is one of the prominent features of the city and of Ryuji’s album cover, which can be seen below!
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Blu-ray / DVD
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