I like camping. It is something I have done since I was a child and young adult in the Boy Scouts and continued to do while on hiatus back in Pennsylvania and the Northeast U.S. The solitude is great, food tastes better after a day spent in the woods, and the nature is always inspiring. […]
The Zen of Fish: The Story of Sushi, from Samurai to Supermarket by Trevor Corson My rating: 2 of 5 stars At times fascinating and insightful, other times annoyingly shallow in its presentation of the sushi phenomenon. Much of the science and history of sushi is spot on and a joy to read about, but […]
You may have noticed that my blog output hasn’t been up to snuff recently. Indeed, kanagawacement is going through a bit of a sea change, quite literally. In the last few days I have seen every possession in our apartment packed into more than 50 boxes, our furniture hauled with ropes down the second story […]
The Kappa is one of the most well known cryptics in Japan and stories of this unverified humanoid-reptilian creature have wound their way throughout Japanese history for centuries. Often interpreted as being a kind of water imp, renderings of the Kappa have ranged from a humanoid-turtle to merman and everything in-between. Most commonly its skin […]
Japan often gets ripped for its astronomical restaurant prices. Sometimes this is unwarranted, more often there is rightful cause. This usually isn’t the case with Japanese foods(soba, ramen,ect), but when it comes to western dishes consumers tend to get the short end of the stick. Amazingly, many Japanese people remain blithely unaware of how long […]
February 3rd was Setsubun in Japan, marking the seasonal division according to the lunar calendar. Setsubun incorporates elements of Mardi Gras, Halloween, Groundhog day, and culinary geomancy. While there is ample info about this great traditional holiday available on the web, I’d thought I share some of my experiences from the day. Being that this […]
Sumo: A Thinking Fan’s Guide to Japan’s National Sport by David Benjamin My rating: 3 of 5 stars Sumo, as a sport, too often gets deified and lost in the Shinto ceremonies that are blatantly evident to all who watch, from the throwing of salt to the traditional mawashi(loincloth) the wrestlers wear. David Benjamin does […]
I wasn’t always a Sumo fan. It took me many years to warm up to this traditional Japanese sport, and I am still warming up to it. Last September, I was hooked on the Autumn Basho (one of six annual tournaments) held in Tokyo. That particular tournament culminated in the promotion of a new Yokozuna(highest […]