Gastric Adventures: Food I have Eaten Vol. 2 - Osaka

Are you ready for lots of pictures?  I have been in Japan for six months, and I am still finding amazing things to eat and drink. Some are different versions of the same thing (like Osaka and Kyoto style okonimiyaki), but each has been an amazing adventure for my taste buds. I have even started trying to cook Japanese food. This is a little more difficult since I lack both skill and space for doing any real cooking. But when I do use my tiny kitchen, the results have been delicious. So enjoy these pictures of food. Just be warned, you might want to have a napkin handy to wipe your drool.

Let's start close to home.  Osaka is well known for its unique and delicious food.  I have been lucky enough to eat lots of it.  Here are some of the local fares I have tried.

Ramen.  So much ramen.  And all kinds too.  Thanks to my tomodachi, let's call him Ling, after one of my favorite Fullmetal Alchemist characters, I have been able to experience an range of ramen flavors and types.  I never knew it could be so tasty!  Great for the cold season here in Japan.

Something spicy to fight the cold I had at the time.

Ramen set.  A great beef and seafood broth with pork, green onions, and all around deliciousness.  And a side of gozya.  What could be better!

I remember this one was duck.  An interesting flavor.

Pork, bean sprouts, homemade noodles, and a delicious garlic and soy sauce broth.

Other traditional foods.  I only have a couple pictures, but I try these in a lot of places.

Okonomiyaki from my local street vendor.  Still one of the best I have found.  Not to mention great service.

Takoyaki, another Osaka favorite.  Basically batter balls with green onion, pickled red ginger, and octopus inside.  So warm and delicious.

 Nabe.  Delicious soup that boils down right in front of you.  This one was nice and spicy.

Omelet covered things.  This was yakisoba, but you can get most things topped with egg here.

Omochi!  I actually helped make these.  It was a great experience.  Omochi is basically just pounded steamed rice.  All that pounding is hard work, though.

Omochi in homemade soup

Yakiniku

During my gastric quest, I also came across and authentic New Orleans restaurant!  I can't say enough about how good the food is.  So if you are in Osaka, stop by Bistro New Orleans.  Just look at this food!

Muffaletta

Cajun Karage

Red Beans and Rice

And, of course, a Hurricane

Finish it off with Red Velvet Bread Pudding

Sooooo delicious!

And some other dining adventures... The special Halloween burger at McDonalds

Traditional Japanese dinner made by a friend.

It was even more delicious than it looked!

Lunch at a Vietnamese restaurant after meeting new people and playing board games...

Tacos in Denden!

And churros, butter beer, and pork ribs at USJ.

Somehow, with all this eating, I still managed to save room for dessert.

Creme brulee and fresh fruit.

Including a special birthday cake from the staff at my school.

This is just a sample of the things I have found outside my home.  But my kitchen hasn't been collecting dust.  I might not cook at home a lot, but when I do it usually comes out really tasty.  The thing I cook most often is some variation of beef curry.  It usually has potatoes, carrots, onions, and whatever else I can get for cheap at the grocery store.  This particular one had eggplant and persimmon.  

Step one...

Step two...

Step three...

I have also tried making several types of soup - either ramen, udon, or soba.  

Mushroom broth

Kimchi

Soy and ginger with lots of veggies

 But sometimes I get a craving for a taste of home.  When that happens, I have an arsenal of spices from home to satisfy my needs.

Grilled cheese and persimmons

Taco night at Casa de Me

I have also tried some more traditional Japanese dishes

Miso soup with a kind of beef and potato dish.  Oh, and green tea.

The best was when Otose hosted a Thanksgiving dinner, though.  We all brought something.  I was in charge of dessert.

Pumpkin custard

It was an absolute feast!

Speaking of special occasions - remember that danjiri dinner?  Here is what we ate!

It's like edible art!

Made into your own personal soup

The Matrix style apocalypse will start in Japan

If machines ever gain sentience, it will be Japan's fault.  Forget Bolivar Trask, it will be Japanese engineers who bring about humanity's demise at the cold, robotic hands of their creations.  So many of the appliances here are already smarter than some humans.  Just take a trip to a Japanese toilet and you too will fear for human being's continued survival.

Despite being harbingers of a Matrix style apocalypse, some of the technological advancements are actually quite amazing and convenient.  Take the Japanese vending machine.  These abundant sources of liquidy goodness are light years better than their American counterparts.  Each machine offers a wide range of beverages - from tea to coffee, energy drinks to water, and a variety of fruit juices and sodas.  Usually found in groups of two or three, the customer is offered as many options as they would find in some gas stations.  This selection is infinitely multiplied by the fact there are vending machines on almost every corner.  Literally. 

But sheer selection is not what makes these machines so amazing.  No, what makes them amazing is temperature regulation.  As fall turns to winter and you see less and less skin on passing girls, you will notice the blue strip under vending machine drinks turning red.  These are the hot drinks.  Press the button for a hot beverage and you are rewarded with a toasty treat that is just cool enough to start drinking right away.  Or you can buy two, one for each pocket, as you walk down chilly streets.

Fortunately Americans don't need to worry about this advanced technology making it to our shores.  Inevitably someone would think a warm can was too hot and sue.  But the arrival of hot offerings at my many (many) local vending machines just made all that walking on cold winter mornings seem a little more tolerable.

These are all the vending machines I see on my fifteen minute walk to the train station.  Let's count. One...

Two...

Three...

Four, five, six...

Seven...

Eight, nine...

Ten, eleven, twelve, thirteen...

Fourteen, fifteen...

Sixteen...

Seventeen, eighteen...

Nineteen...

Twenty, twenty-one...

Twenty-two...

Twenty-three, twenty-four, and twenty-five... That is a lot of vending machines!

Samui desu ne!

And so I spent the coldest winter of my life. Okay, this is a little over dramatic.  Before moving to Japan, I spent four years in South Dakota, where winter temps regularly dip way, way below zero (-17.77777778 for those of you using the Celsius scale).  Usually around -40 Fahrenheit (surprisingly, -40 Celsius).  In comparison, Osaka has only dipped below 32 Fahrenheit (0 Celsius) a few times this winter.  Yet somehow, it just feels so much colder.

Mostly I think the Japanese cold is intolerable because it is not just cold, it is damp and cold.  At -40 in South Dakota, there is no moisture left in the air.  In Osaka, it can be raining and 28 Fahrenheit (-2 Celsius).  That kind of cold just seeps into your body.  Even if you manage to stay dry, you still feel freezing.  Then there is the wind that seems to cut through the many, many layers of clothing you are wearing.  In four years in South Dakota, I never wore long johns or really much in the way of layers.  Here, I wear long johns every day (and knee high socks, sweaters, undershirts, whatever I can find).  Some days I can hardly move my arms or legs for all the layers I am wearing under my slacks and blouse.

This brings up another fundamental difference, though.  In America, I never had to wear layers or really worry about the cold, because central heating was usually just a short sprint away.  Even on the coldest days, the most I was exposed to the elements was the short distance between the car and whatever building I was heading for.  On super cold days (those -40 ones), you just didn't leave the house.  Even during blizzards, we managed to stay relatively toasty between generators, blankets, alcohol, and fur babies.  I remember schools being so hot during the winter, that you had to wear short sleeves under your coat or you would sweat all day. 

Not so in Japan.  I am not sure if it is a nation wide test of courage or just giving the middle finger to Mother Nature, but central heating does not exist in Japan.  Given how much they excel in the realm of technology, I found this strange.  Schools are not heated (or air conditioned).  During the coldest months, they bring in gas stoves that sit in the middle of the room.  In the staff room there is a wall unit.  But hallways might as well be outside (some of the windows are always open anyway).  On the best days the cold is uncomfortable, on the worst you and your students spend the hour shivering.  Now other buildings are heated, so working in an office or store is warmer.  Still not central heating, but better than actually being outside.  The busses and train are also decently warm.  Some are downright hot (which are usually the overcrowded ones so you can't manage to move to get your coat off).  However, this creates its own problems when you have to get off and walk.  You just managed to warm up and now it is back into the elements.  And you walk everywhere in this country.  So by the end of the day you return to a freezing house (because leaving the wall heater on is dangerous) with frostbite on your toes and an eternally damp coat.

The cold isn't all bad, though.  It has given rise to some great traditions - hot sake, udon and ramen, and, my favorite, the kotatsu.  Winter is a miserable season everywhere.  While, as an American, I feel Japan could be doing a lot more to keep its citizens warm during the winter, I realize it is just another way that our cultures are different.  Japanese people don't like the cold any more than I do (actually they might be less tolerant toward it), but rather than spoil themselves with central heating, overly warm buildings, and just staying out of the elements, they instead live with it and find a way to almost enjoy it.  And that is a large part of the difference between America and Japan.  America changes things to suit itself.  We refuse to be uncomfortable.  Japan finds a way to live with the uncomfortable bits.  They create traditions that make it a little bit more tolerable, but nothing can change the underlying irritant.  But the shoulder their burden together.  Maybe it makes it a bit less uncomfortable when you know everyone else is suffering too.

Personally, I am just waiting for spring to come and thaw me out.

Futons are a pain in the neck. Literally.

I feel like sleeping on a futon is only marginally better than camping.  Both seem novel and exciting, but the newness quickly wears off and you are left sleep deprived and sore.  Do I sound bitter?  Cranky?  Tired?  I am.  For a week I have been waging a nighttime war with my futon resulting in casualties in both hours of restful sleep and sanity.  For a week, I have suffered through a stiff, sore neck.  At one point I couldn't even turn my head to the left without searing pain shooting down my spine.  While the pain has abated somewhat, my range of comfortable movement is still severely limited.  Sadly, this isn't an isolated incident.  It has happens about once a month.  I feel old.  Much older than I should.

When I first got to Japan, I was excited to pull out my futon every night and fall asleep to the sweet, earthy smell of tatami just inches from my face.  But as weeks turned into months, I began to long for my queen size bed back home.  I miss the other tenants of my American bed the most (some nights it was me, Anata, and three fur babies), but I also miss my pillow, my flannel sheets, and the support of an innerspring mattress.

Futons just weren't made for western bodies.  That is the long and short of it.  And I do mean short.  While the average height of Japanese people is growing, the humble futon remains the same size.  Personally, this leads to short blankets and cold feet.  I honestly feel I would have been better served by an arctic rated sleeping bag.  At least that keeps the heat inside instead of letting it all escape when you accidently kick the blanket up in the night.  With a futon, there is nowhere to tuck the covers in, you just spread the duvet (there is no sheet) over the top.  Then there is the problem of support.  To combat the cold feet, which it gets really cold during the Japanese winter, I would curl myself into the fetal position.  While this helped with the cold, it led to other problems.  The humble futon offers nothing in the way of support.  When you sleep on your back, that is okay, but for someone with hips trying to sleep on her side, it is decidedly not okay.  After only a short time, I wake not just cold, but in pain as well.  I attempt to roll over, without disturbing the covers, and try to sleep on the other side.  This repeats every half hour or so throughout the night until the alarm startles me from the lightest sleep at 5:30 (if I am not up before).  Creaking and popping I gracelessly manage to stand.

Okay, so maybe I am exaggerating a little.  Part of my sleep deprivation might come from other factors - like the cell phone I use as an alarm that rests on the floor next to me and chirps, beeps, and vibrates throughout the night as friends and family in the U.S. update Facebook, email, and text.  Or it might be from the copious amounts of tea I drink throughout the day.  I try and cut back on the caffeinated kinds before lunch, but tea is warm and the staff room can be cold.  It might be stress over the next day's lesson or adventure.  I can't blame it all on the humble futon.  Still, I dream about sleeping in a real bed again.  When I dream at all these days.

My Japan bucket list

From the beginning I knew that seven months would never be long enough in this　amazing country - even before my plane touched down.  Anata and I discussed the very real possibility of me staying another year before I left.  He wasn't super excited about it, but we both knew it was probably going to happen.  Really, seven months (working full time) is not enough time to even start to understand a foreign culture.  In the six months I have been here, I have done my best to do and experience everything I can, but there is still so much I want to do.  I was having trouble keeping track of all the exciting and exotic things I was hearing about, so I decided to make a bucket list.  Here it is, in no particular order (other than the arbitrary brainstorming order I wrote them down in).

My Japan Bucket List

-Learn taiko (or at least play it a few more times)

Last time they gave me the sticks, I bumbled my way through the Dragon Dance.  I am hoping that with a little more practice I can at least keep simple rhythm.

One, two...One, two... One, two, crap.

-Himeji Castle

Your mother was a hampster and you father smelt of elderberries!

This architectural gem, only a few hours from Osaka, has been under renovation for several years.  March 27th of this year the scaffolding, tarps, and renovation equipment will finally be removed.  I can't wait!  Regarded as the finest example of traditional Japanese castle architecture, it would really be a mistake to pass it by.  I mean I paid good money to see the hollowed out shell of Doune Castle in Scotland, where scenes from Monty Python and the Holy Grail were filmed.  An exciting day trip to a fully intact and renovated Japanese castle tour seems like a no brainer.

-Hike the pilgrim trails of Koyasan

This fall, when I visited this famous Buddhist retreat in the mountains near Osaka, we took a scenic train that twisted through lush bamboo groves and along breathtaking outcrops, with the ground falling rapidly away from us.  It was a beautiful experience, but the scenery zipped by so fast.  I was a little sad.  I started to wonder about the possibility of walking up to the town and temple complex.  There was a road, after all.  In front of the Daimon Gate I found a delightful looking path that led down the mountain somewhere and an adventure started to form.  Apparently this pilgrim trail is the traditional way to approach the holy site.  It seems a perfect way to reflect on the beauty and spirituality of the world around you.

They even have handy walking sticks. 

-Hike Mount Fuji

When I took the shinkansen from Osaka to Tokyo over winter break, I saw Fujisan for the first time.  To say it was impressive is a massive understatement.  I was completely blown away by the size of it.  It towered over the surrounding plains.  Beautiful, white snow covered most of it, a stark contrast to the dull beige of the winter landscape below.  I didn't decide to hike it right away.  I decided to come back, yes, but deciding to take the plunge (or rather climb) came after a little research.  I came to the conclusion this is something I really should do before I go.

-Hiking parts of the Nakasendo Trail from Kyoto to Tokyo

Known as the mountain way, compared to Tokaido, the coast way, Nakasendo is one of the five Edo period highways that crisscrossed Japan, carrying samurai, shoguns, priests, merchants, peasants, and news from Kyoto to Tokyo throughout the reign of the Tokugawa Shogunate.  Just before I left the states, the Star Telegram ran a story about a hiking adventure along this route.  My aunt sent me a link.  I was intrigued.  It sounded like so much fun.  So informative and cultural.  It also seemed very expensive.  Yeah, it was.  However, the travel company the author went with is not the only walking tour company in Japan.  A little digging and I was able to find another company that offered a shorter version of the author's hike - half the days for half the price.  But then again, maybe I don't need a company to plan my trip at all; maybe I just need a map, some good hiking boots, and my camera.

-Hiroshima

A mix of curiosity and sadness are pulling me toward this city.  Hiroshima is a story of horror and perseverance that only two cities in the world can tell.  As the 70th anniversary of WWII approaches, I feel a need to see the A-bomb Dome, to think about events of that time, what they meant to me personally and the world, and to reflect on what world peace really means and how we might achieve it.  Not that this is the only thing I hope to find in Hiroshima.  Like any modern city, Hiroshima has an abundance of sights and sounds to enjoy.

-Tokyo

Over winter break, I spent a couple days in Tokyo with Okasan and Otosan. Due to weather and fatigue, a lot of things we could have done were scrapped for staying warm and dry.  It was also the New Year holiday here in Japan so many places were either closed or super crowded (like every shrine!).  Watashi no ryoshin left just as the sun came out so I did a little sightseeing on my own, I didn't want to waste the hotel for the extra night, but I hadn't done my homework so I just ended up wandering around the more famous areas.  The trip ended up being a bit of a wash.  The best part was riding the Yamanote Line all the way around with Okasan and Otosan.  But even if we had been at the top of our sightseeing game, there would still be so much more to see.  Needless to say, I need to go back - but not over the New Year holiday.

-Nihon Sankei

I think Japan is the only country that can canonize its top three scenic views and no one will argue.  For centuries!  Seriously, the list was made in 1643.  It is something I just can't see happening in the U.S.  That said, I am very curious about what sets these three places apart from the rest of this astoundingly beautiful country.  I will just have to go and see for myself. 

-Naginata

Naginata is a traditional Japanese weapon that is basically a wooden pole with a short sword on the end.  It is also seen today as a traditional woman's weapon. It was practiced and used by samurai wives and daughters to protect their homes while their men were away.  So why do I want to try it?  Am I expecting a samurai invasion in South Dakota?  No (sadly).  Having tried kendo (another bucket list item), I thought it would be fun to try as many other Japanese traditional activities as possible.  While fun, kendo wasn't quite my cup of tea.  Something, something, hitting someone in the head while they are looking right at you, something.  Naginata probably won't be either, but it is something to try once.  Now I just need to find out where!

-Kyudo

Like naginata, kyudo is a Japanese martial art.  Specifically, it is Japanese archery.  I figure if I am trying one weapon class, I might as well try them all.  Kind of like a character gaining basic skills in all of the fighting classes.  I will never be a master, I know myself well enough to know I don't have the dedication, but I can at least try it for an afternoon.  Although, if my afternoon at Osakajo with Okasan and Otosan is any indication, I might actually have a tiny bit of archery skill.

-Edo Wonderland

 Let's face it, I am a fourteen year old boy at heart.  I still love playing ninjas, pirates, and samurai.  Granted, I play these more in my head these days (or in my stories), but I never really grew out of my shonen phase.  Actually, my discovery of anime has made the problem worse.  So when I heard about a theme park called Edo Wonderland, where you get to dress up as a ninja, samurai, or geisha, it was on my bucket faster than Luffy could devour a plate of meat.  Now I just need to decide if I want to be a ninja or a samurai!

-Okinawa

I have two big reasons for wanting to go to Okinawa. Reason one; I want to see what is left of the Expo 75 Park Otosan helped work on when he lived in Tokyo in the 70's. Second, the sand is made of tiny shells. How freaking cool is that! Shells! If I needed any more reasons, there are the beautiful beaches, amazing water, and interesting food. But seriously, shell sand.

-Sapporo

Known for beer and being freaking cold, Sapporo has managed to combine these two things to create an awesome event.  Well, not really combine, but if you go there for the snow festival, you will probably end up drinking (if nothing more than to warm up in a bar).  The annual snow festival is supposed to be something spectacular, but there is also a lot to see and do during the summer.  From what I hear, Hokkaido is unlike the rest of Japan. With almost a rural feel, this northern island very different from its populous brethren. Known for pristine natural beauty and a unique native culture (the Ainu), Hokkaido, and its capital, Sapporo, seems like a necessary adventure before I return to the states.

-Various Japanese theater styles

Japan has several unique theater styles that developed over the centuries.  Most well-known, outside the country, is kabuki.  But there are also Noh (the one with the masks) and Bunraku (performed with puppets).  There is also Kyogen, a form that developed alongside Noh and used to be acted as comic relief between Noh plays.  These are the national theater arts.  In my area there is also the Takarazuka Review, an all-female opera group that puts on new and traditional opera performances throughout the year.  It might be a while before I am brave enough to attend the theater (because of the language barrier), but as someone that had been on and behind the stage, I think it would be amazing to see how other countries do it.

-Ashikaga Flower Park

Wisteria is one of my favorite flowers.  This park has a wisteria vine that is almost one hundred and fifty years old.  Walking under the blooms, almost drowning in their sweet scent, seems like a magical memory.

-Hitachi Seaside Park

More flowers!  This park near Tokyo is famous for the late spring bloom of Nemophelia, a delicate sky blue flower.  There are literally fields of these flowers.  The park offers amazing blooms all year, but this event in late April, early May looks truly enchanting.

-Sumo

I didn't have a say in where my company placed me.  I got very, very lucky to be placed in Osaka.  Even more so for the fact that one of the big sumo tournaments takes place here in March.  I will have plenty of opportunities to take in Japan's national sport.

-Traditional arts and crafts

Like theater styles, Japan has a wealth of traditional arts and crafts.  Before I go, I would like to try my hand at calligraphy, sumie (ink wash painting), weaving, and whatever else I can find to try. It may not turn out well, but I think trying to work with native materials to create native art would be an amazing and challenging experience.

-Staying at a ryokan

As people walked along the Nakasendo Road during the Edo period, they would spend the night at inns called ryokan.  Some of these inns can still be found today.  No, seriously, they are still in operation.  The Hoshi Ryokan was recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the oldest hotel in 1994 (before the title was given to another Japanese hotel that opened 12 years earlier).  Ryokans are a popular option for accommodation in many parts of Japan.  It can be hard to find one in larger cities where sky scraper hotels dominate, but there are plenty in less populous areas.  Ryokans offer public baths, traditional futon style sleeping, and usually a breakfast feast of traditional Japanese foods.  Think less like a hotel and more like a spa.

 

-Polar bearing it at a hot spring in winter

I might be crazy, but I think it would be super fun to soak in a pool of hot water while snow fell around me (and Osake floated on a little try beside me).  Even better, with monkeys!  Winter is a terrible season no matter what country you are in.  Taking a hot soak in the snow would make it totemo omoshiroi!

-Various cultural events throughout the year

This post would take forever if I described all of the fascinating and exciting events that happened across Japan throughout the year.  From sakura blossom parties in the spring to harvest festivals in the fall, there is always some kind of celebration.  A few of the bigger ones I plan to attend in the upcoming year are Hanami (cherry blossom viewing), Hanabi (summer firework viewing), and Obon.  I also want to try fishing (the weather didn't cooperate for my December trip) and spend time with my friends this summer beating watermelons with sticks on the beach.

This list could go on and on.  With each adventure, it gets longer instead of shorter as I find more and more things I want to experience.  I know I won't be able to do everything I want to in the short time I am here.  All I can do is try my best and leave knowing I did as much as I could.  I won't leave with regrets, I will have done all my schedule, wallet, and body would allow, but I will leave with many reasons to return.