Back in the 1980s, Japanese car manufacturers cultivated a reputation for building bulletproof cars that exceeded the reliability expectations of virtually all of their competition at the time.
The American and European markets were still sceptical of Japanese-built cars, but gradually manufacturers like Toyota, Honda and Nissan gained a foothold outside of their domestic markets, largely thanks to the positive association with building cars that rarely need auto repair.
Although the gap in quality has narrowed in recent years, data shows that Japanese brands still lead the field when it comes to reliability. Seven out of the top 10 reliable carmakers in the 2015 Auto Express Driver Power survey were from Japan, and around a third of the Reliability Index’s top 100 cars are Japanese.
But why is it that Japanese brands rank so highly in terms of reliability? What is it that Japanese engineers and manufacturers have that the rest of the world is trying so hard to catch up with?
Why are Japanese cars so reliable?
In the wake of the Second World War, the Japanese economy was neither ready for nor able to replicate the mass production model pioneered by Henry Ford. Instead, manufacturers had to work smarter, not harder.
Manufacturers like Toyota couldn’t afford to buy different stamping presses for every part of the manufacturing process, and instead had to use a single press to stamp the different components of their cars’ bodywork.
Compared to a factory run by an American or European manufacturer who subscribed to Ford’s mass-production process, Japan’s setup at the time would have looked shockingly old-school, but the upswing was that there was less on the line that could go wrong.
Additionally, there was little room for error and Japan’s automotive employees knew this. Factory workers could stop the entire production process upon spotting a mistake and so could fix it before it was too far into the build.
In contrast, on a mass-production line the process never stopped and issues were only dealt with after the car came off the line, by which time plenty of flaws could have slipped through the net.
This frugal approach to car construction eventually led to the birth of the Toyota Production System, otherwise known as just-in-time manufacturing or lean manufacturing. Essentially a set of socio-technical rules, the Toyota Production System aimed to improve the efficiency of Japan’s production facilities and reduce wastage.
Ironically, the Toyota Production System was actually pioneered by an American, W. Edwards Deming, who was sent to Japan to help rebuild the country after WWII. Deming believed, correctly, that sustainable growth would be easier to achieve by constantly improving quality rather than simply producing high-volume vehicles.
From the ground up, Japan’s automotive industry was rebuilt. The production facilities themselves were located close to key component suppliers to reduce transit costs and times, which also meant Japanese factories could be much more flexible in their manufacturing processes.
Instead of firing out countless vehicles like mass-production lines, Toyota only made what was needed, when it was needed and only in the amount that was needed in order to reduce wastage and unnecessary costs.
The rest of Japan’s car manufacturers soon cottoned on and lean manufacturing was adopted by much of the country. To this day, the rest of the world is still trying to play catch up, notably with the introduction of shared-platform construction.
Even still, many American and European manufacturers are still too ingrained in their ways to truly emulate Japanese production techniques, with older working patterns, less modern facilities and less than ideal locations.
There are downsides, however, and some suggest that Japanese brands achieve their stellar reliability at the cost of being more conservative when it comes to adopting complex new technologies.
A survey from Consumer Reports on used car reliability, which placed Toyota and Honda at the top, suggested that cars which are more reliable aren’t necessarily engineered better than those which don’t rate as highly in terms of dependability.
Consumer Reports notes that part of the reliability issues that plague cars from Europe and North America are a result of more cutting-edge technologies like complex new powertrains, chassis constructions and modern electronics.
For example, Toyota still sells cars with aging four-speed automatic transmissions in many parts of the world, while many European passenger cars now feature dual-clutch technology with advanced designs.
The report also states that the most reliable cars aren’t necessarily the best to own for this very reason, and even if other manufacturers make cars which are less reliable they might be better equipped, more efficient or better to drive.
Of course there are exceptions, with Toyota now looking to pioneer hydrogen powertrain technology and the iconic Nissan GT-R having stood at the forefront of performance car technology for a number of years now.
All the same, ‘new’ cars from various Japanese manufacturers regularly crop up with parts and drivetrains carried over from much older vehicles. It’s definitely a case of ‘if it ain’t broke don’t fix it’, but even if cars from Germany as an example mightn’t quite be as reliable, you can always guarantee they’ll come packed with exciting and modern new technologies.
It would likewise be wrong to lump every single Japanese car into the stereotype that they have the best quality of any manufacturer in the world, and there are plenty of Japanese-engineered lemons out there.
According to the 2015 JD Power Initial Quality Study, only four in 10 Japanese cars rank above the industry average for quality in the first 90 days of ownership, and Infiniti is the highest-ranked Japanese brand in fifth place overall.
That’s no bad thing by any account, but it’s not exactly the stellar quality that many believe Japanese cars have by virtue of their construction. Reliable in the long term but perhaps not all that exciting, for luxury and quality, cars from Europe in particular still run circles around them.
All the same, particularly in Britain, it’s important to understand the impact that Japanese-made cars had. Prior to the 1970s, it was generally accepted that if you bought a car it would be riddled with all kinds of reliability and manufacturing issues.
Then came the likes of Datsun, Toyota and Honda and suddenly drivers no longer had to have their cars fixed every thousand miles or so. They were more reliable, easier to fix and packaged in a much more efficient way.
Japanese manufacturers also tended to make the mechanicals of their cars very user-friendly. If you did develop an issue you could just pop up the bonnet and fix it with a spanner, unlike the special tooling needed for European cars or the over-use of rivets in American vehicles which made DIY difficult.
Above all, it’s the mentality of companies like Toyota and Honda which cemented Japanese exports as the gold standard for reliability, with attitudes geared towards constantly refining and streamlining the production processes.
It’s the restraint that Japanese brands exercise when it comes to changing their productions and adopting unproven new technologies which preserves their high reliability ratings. Even if some of them aren’t the most exciting cars around, their reliability isn’t just a stereotype, it’s a mentality.
Murakami Nohon
What Will You Eat in Japan?
Over the past few decades, Japan has made significant contributions to the culture of the world.
As well as revolutionising our cars, computers, and cartoon characters; Japan has also broadened our culinary knowledge with the introduction of its delicious and highly unique cuisine. We at Japan Centre live and breathe Japanese cuisine, so we compiled a list of our top 30 recommendations for Japanese foods that everybody needs to try.
1. Sushi
Sushi is one of the first foods that spring to mind when we think about Japanese cuisine. This delicacy was one of the first Japanese dishes to be exported to the US after the Meiji Restoration in 1868, and since then its popularity has steadily increased year after year. The word ‘sushi’ refers to any dish made with Japanese rice that has been seasoned with rice vinegar. Common varieties of sushi include makizushi (sushi rice and fillings rolled up in nori seaweed), nigiri sushi (shaped, bite-size mounds of sushi rice with single slices of raw fish or similar draped over the top) and inarizushi (sushi rice stuffed inside pockets of inari; a type of seasoned, fried tofu).
2. Ramen
Ramen is a noodle soup dish consisting of wheat noodles (also known as 'ramen noodles'), a savoury broth (soy sauce, salt, miso, and tonkotsu pork bone are the four main ramen broth bases) and toppings of meat, protein, and/or vegetables such as sliced pork, nori seaweed, spring onions, bamboo shoots, and others. Ramen is one of present-day Japan’s absolute favourite delicacies, costing very little and being widely available in restaurants and ramen bars (which are on almost every street corner). Indeed, Japanese ramen is so popular that there is a ramen-themed museum/amusement park in Tokyo.
3. Udon Japanese udon noodles
One of the three main noodle varieties eaten in Japan; udon noodles are thick, chewy, and traditionally made from wheat flour and brine water. Udon can be served in a number of different ways (mixed into stir fries, added to hot pots, served cold with a tsuyu or tentsuyu soup base on the side for dipping), but are most commonly used in noodle soups, where they are served in a savoury soup broth with different garnishes. Some of the most common udon noodle soup dishes include kitsune udon (‘fox udon’, topped with aburaage fried tofu), tempura udon (topped with tempura battered seafood and vegetables), and chikara udon (‘power udon’, topped with grilled mochi rice cakes).
4. Donburi Donburi rice bowl
This rice bowl dish is almost as popular as ramen in Japan and a common lunchtime choice among busy Japanese workers. Donburi is made by preparing (normally by simmering or frying) various meat, fish and vegetables and serving over steamed rice in large bowls (also called 'donburi'). While donburi can be made using just about any assortment of ingredients, the most common types include oyakodon (simmered chicken, egg, and green onion), gyudon (sliced beef and onion simmered in a soy sauce soup base), tendon (fried tempura pieces drizzled in tsuyu), and katsudon (breaded and deep-fried pork cutlets, or tonkatsu, simmered in tsuyu with onion and egg).
5. Tofu
Although tofu is mainly thought of in Western countries as a health food or vegetarian alternative, in Southeast Asian countries like Japan, tofu (particularly silken tofu) is enjoyed by everybody and is a common part of the traditional diet. To answer the question 'what is tofu?', it is soy milk that has been coagulated, with the resulting curds being pressed into blocks. These blocks come in differing levels of firmness, and can be eaten uncooked (perhaps with a couple of savoury garnishes), boiled in hot pots, or fried into tasty pieces of aburaage and used as a garnish.
6. Tempura Fried tempura battered prawns
If you enjoy crispy fried foods, then you will love tempura. Tempura are pieces or slices of meat, fish, and/or vegetables that have been covered in a special tempura batter and deep fried until they become crunchy and pale gold in colour. Unlike in the UK, where battered foods tend to be made from meats and fish, tempura tends to be made from either small shellfish like prawns, or vegetables like green beans, pumpkin, daikon mooli radish, and sweet potato. Tempura can be eaten by itself (perhaps with a little grated daikon and a small dish of tsuyu for dipping), or served on top of rice bowls or noodle soups.
7. Yakitori
While we in the UK might pick up a serving of chips or a hot dog during a sports match, the Japanese will pick up some yakitori. With a name literally meaning ‘barbecued chicken’, yakitori are small skewers of bite-size chicken pieces seasoned with salt or brushed with a sauce, or tare, of mirin rice wine, soy sauce, sake alcohol, and sugar. There are many different types of yakitori, but the most common varieties are momo (chicken thigh), negima (chicken and spring onion), and tsukune (chicken meatballs).
8. Sashimi Sashimi fresh raw fish
Possibly one of the most controversial dishes in all of Japanese cuisine, sashimi is raw fish or meat that has been expertly cut into thin slices and typically comes served with daikon radish, pickled ginger, wasabi and soy sauce. Sashimi differs from sushi in that all sushi is made with vinegared rice and does not always contain raw fish, while sashimi is almost exclusively raw fish and is never served with rice. The fish used to make sashimi must be as fresh as possible, both in order to minimise the risk of contamination, and because fresher fish makes for tastier sashimi.
9. Ramen
Ramen is a noodle soup dish consisting of wheat noodles (also known as 'ramen noodles'), a savoury broth (soy sauce, salt, miso, and tonkotsu pork bone are the four main ramen broth bases) and toppings of meat, protein, and/or vegetables such as sliced pork, nori seaweed, spring onions, bamboo shoots, and others. Ramen is one of present-day Japan’s absolute favourite delicacies, costing very little and being widely available in restaurants and ramen bars (which are on almost every street corner). Indeed, Japanese ramen is so popular that there is a ramen-themed museum/amusement park in Tokyo.
10. Nikujaga
A flavoursome savoury dish of meat, potatoes and assorted vegetables simmered in soy sauce, sake, mirin and sugar, Nikujaga meat and potato stew is one of a collection of Japanese dishes called 'nimono' (meaning ‘simmered things’). Although nikujaga is available in plenty of Japanese restaurants, it is also considered a homely dish that differs in flavour from household to household. For an authentic Japanese nikujaga experience, therefore, the best thing to do is get invited to a Japanese friend’s house and put in a request with the family chef.
11. Natto
In the same way that Marmite divides the British nation, so too does natto divide the Japanese. This traditional Japanese food is made by fermenting soy beans in a special type of bacteria that is naturally produced in the human gastrointestinal tract. Natto has a strong smell similar to mouldy cheese, as well as a sticky/slimy texture that many find off-putting. However, many other people love these fermented soy beans for their full-bodied salty and savoury (or umami) flavour and their ample nutritional value. Is natto delicious or disgusting? It is up to you to decide.
12. Oden Oden japanese soup winter hot pot
No cold Japanese winter would be complete without oden. This winter hot pot dish, or nabemono, is made by taking an assortment of vegetables and proteins (including processed fish cakes, mochi rice cakes, boiled eggs, daikon radish, konjac yam and tofu), and stewing them in a light broth seasoned with soy sauce and dashi (a soup stock made from infusions of bonito fish flakes, kombu kelp seaweed, and/or other savoury ingredients) in a large hot pot at the centre of a table. Diners can then scoop out their favourite pieces and enjoy with karashi mustard and other condiments. As well as being a hearty main meal, the simmering hot pot also serves as a communal heater on cold evenings.
13. Tamagoyaki
A versatile delicacy that can be enjoyed for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, tamagoyaki (which literally means ‘cooked egg’) is a Japanese omelette made by sequentially cooking and rolling up several layers of beaten egg (sometimes seasoned with soy sauce and/or sugar). A freshly cooked tamagoyaki looks like a rolled up crêpe, which can then be sliced up and eaten by itself (often this is how it is eaten at breakfast) or used a topping or filling in sushi. A tamagoyaki-topped nigiri sushi is often eaten in sushi bars as the final course, as the tamagoyaki has a slight sweetness that makes it almost dessert-like.
14. Soba
Otherwise known as ‘buckwheat noodles’ (‘soba’ is the Japanese word for ‘buckwheat’), soba are one of the three main varieties of noodle most frequently eaten in Japan. Unlike udon and ramen; soba noodles are made partially, if not entirely, from buckwheat flour. This gives them a distinctly earthy and slightly nutty flavour that works well with stronger flavours like garlic and sesame. Soba can be served hot in soups with toppings of spring onions, agetama tempura flakes, kamaboko fish cakes and/or grilled mochi), or cold with a side of tsuyu and garnishes of green onions, shredded nori seaweed, and wasabi.
15. Tonkatsu
Tonkatsu pork cutlets are one of the many yoshoku, or ‘western-style’ foods, that were originally introduced to Japan by Europeans. Like most other yoshoku foods, the Japanese took the original tonkatsu and made it their own. Today, tonkatsu is made by coating pork chops in crisp panko breadcrumbs and deep-frying them until they are golden brown in colour. They are normally served drizzled in fruit-and-vegetable based tonkatsu sauce with shredded cabbage and other crisp salad greens on the side. Tonkatsu are also often enjoyed as part of a bento boxed lunch, in a Japanese curry (known as 'katsu curry'), or as a sandwich filling.
16. Kashipan Kashi pan japanese sweets bread
The Japanese love a good bread roll as much as the next person, and bakeries line Japan's city streets with almost as much regularity as ramen bars. The word ‘kashipan’ means ‘sweet bread’, and it refers to a range of single-serve bread buns that were originally invented in Japan. Among the most popular of these are melon pan (a bread bun with a cookie dough top), an pan (a bread bun filled with an or anko; a sweet red bean paste), and karee pan or kare pan (a bread bun filled with curry sauce, covered in panko breadcrumbs, and deep-fried). Kashipan are a must-try for bread lovers in particular.
17. Sukiyaki
Like oden, sukiyaki is a Japanese nabemono hot pot dish most commonly enjoyed during the winter. Sukiyaki hot pots are prepared by searing beef slices in the hot pot, then adding sukiyaki broth (normally made from soy sauce, sake, mirin rice wine and sugar) and different vegetables, noodles, and proteins. The name ‘sukiyaki’ means ‘cook what you like’, and the joy of sukiyaki comes from being able to prepare the dish with your fellow diners, at the table, using whatever ingredients you desire.
18. Miso Soup Japanese miso soup
Few Japanese dishes are consumed more often or more consistently than miso soup. Made from a combination of miso paste (a traditional Japanese food made from fermented soy beans) and dashi broth, miso soup is served as a side dish with traditional Japanese-style breakfasts, lunches and dinners. The complex savoury flavours of the soup help to enhance the umami of the main dishes with which it is served. To give the miso soup a little more body, several complementary toppings are normally added to it, such as green onion, wakame seaweed, and firm tofu.
19. Okonomiyaki
Okonomiyaki japanese savoury pancake Okonomiyaki is made by mixing together batter, sliced cabbage, and other savoury ingredients; spooning the mixture onto a hot plate; and then pan-frying as you would a pancake. Okonomiyaki originated in Osaka and Hiroshima (where a different, ‘layered’ style of okonomiyaki exists) and its popularity spread to the rest of Japan, where specialised okonomiyaki restaurants are easy to come by. In some of these restaurants you are expected to prepare the okonomiyaki yourself, which makes for a delightfully fun cooking experience.
20. Mentaiko Spicy mentaiko pasta
Lovers of salty seafood will reach the peak of their desires with mentaiko. This salty delicacy is made by marinating the roe (fish eggs) of pollock and cod in any of a number of salty, savoury, and spicy seasonings. The most basic mentaiko is marinated in a simple salt solution, while mentaiko marinated in spicy chilli pepper (known as 'karashi mentaiko') is becoming increasingly popular. Mentaiko is traditionally eaten as a side dish with steamed rice, as a topping on ramen, or as a filling in onigiri rice balls. In recent decades mentaiko has also been mixed with butter or cream to make a simple savoury or spicy mentaiko pasta sauce.
21. Curry Rice Japanese curry rice karee kare
Known in Japanese as kare or kare raisu, Japanese curry is a yoshoku dish that was originally introduced to the Japanese by the British during the Meiji era (1868-1912).Japanese curry differs from the Indian varieties with which the UK is more familiar, in that it is generally sweeter in flavour, thicker in texture, and prepared more like a stew (with meat and vegetables being cooked by boiling in water together). Japanese curry is often prepared in Japanese homes with the help of curry roux; blocks of solidified Japanese curry paste that melt into the ‘stew’ and thicken up to become a flavoursome curry sauce.
As well as revolutionising our cars, computers, and cartoon characters; Japan has also broadened our culinary knowledge with the introduction of its delicious and highly unique cuisine. We at Japan Centre live and breathe Japanese cuisine, so we compiled a list of our top 30 recommendations for Japanese foods that everybody needs to try.
1. Sushi
Sushi is one of the first foods that spring to mind when we think about Japanese cuisine. This delicacy was one of the first Japanese dishes to be exported to the US after the Meiji Restoration in 1868, and since then its popularity has steadily increased year after year. The word ‘sushi’ refers to any dish made with Japanese rice that has been seasoned with rice vinegar. Common varieties of sushi include makizushi (sushi rice and fillings rolled up in nori seaweed), nigiri sushi (shaped, bite-size mounds of sushi rice with single slices of raw fish or similar draped over the top) and inarizushi (sushi rice stuffed inside pockets of inari; a type of seasoned, fried tofu).
2. Ramen
Ramen is a noodle soup dish consisting of wheat noodles (also known as 'ramen noodles'), a savoury broth (soy sauce, salt, miso, and tonkotsu pork bone are the four main ramen broth bases) and toppings of meat, protein, and/or vegetables such as sliced pork, nori seaweed, spring onions, bamboo shoots, and others. Ramen is one of present-day Japan’s absolute favourite delicacies, costing very little and being widely available in restaurants and ramen bars (which are on almost every street corner). Indeed, Japanese ramen is so popular that there is a ramen-themed museum/amusement park in Tokyo.
3. Udon Japanese udon noodles
One of the three main noodle varieties eaten in Japan; udon noodles are thick, chewy, and traditionally made from wheat flour and brine water. Udon can be served in a number of different ways (mixed into stir fries, added to hot pots, served cold with a tsuyu or tentsuyu soup base on the side for dipping), but are most commonly used in noodle soups, where they are served in a savoury soup broth with different garnishes. Some of the most common udon noodle soup dishes include kitsune udon (‘fox udon’, topped with aburaage fried tofu), tempura udon (topped with tempura battered seafood and vegetables), and chikara udon (‘power udon’, topped with grilled mochi rice cakes).
4. Donburi Donburi rice bowl
This rice bowl dish is almost as popular as ramen in Japan and a common lunchtime choice among busy Japanese workers. Donburi is made by preparing (normally by simmering or frying) various meat, fish and vegetables and serving over steamed rice in large bowls (also called 'donburi'). While donburi can be made using just about any assortment of ingredients, the most common types include oyakodon (simmered chicken, egg, and green onion), gyudon (sliced beef and onion simmered in a soy sauce soup base), tendon (fried tempura pieces drizzled in tsuyu), and katsudon (breaded and deep-fried pork cutlets, or tonkatsu, simmered in tsuyu with onion and egg).
5. Tofu
Although tofu is mainly thought of in Western countries as a health food or vegetarian alternative, in Southeast Asian countries like Japan, tofu (particularly silken tofu) is enjoyed by everybody and is a common part of the traditional diet. To answer the question 'what is tofu?', it is soy milk that has been coagulated, with the resulting curds being pressed into blocks. These blocks come in differing levels of firmness, and can be eaten uncooked (perhaps with a couple of savoury garnishes), boiled in hot pots, or fried into tasty pieces of aburaage and used as a garnish.
6. Tempura Fried tempura battered prawns
If you enjoy crispy fried foods, then you will love tempura. Tempura are pieces or slices of meat, fish, and/or vegetables that have been covered in a special tempura batter and deep fried until they become crunchy and pale gold in colour. Unlike in the UK, where battered foods tend to be made from meats and fish, tempura tends to be made from either small shellfish like prawns, or vegetables like green beans, pumpkin, daikon mooli radish, and sweet potato. Tempura can be eaten by itself (perhaps with a little grated daikon and a small dish of tsuyu for dipping), or served on top of rice bowls or noodle soups.
7. Yakitori
While we in the UK might pick up a serving of chips or a hot dog during a sports match, the Japanese will pick up some yakitori. With a name literally meaning ‘barbecued chicken’, yakitori are small skewers of bite-size chicken pieces seasoned with salt or brushed with a sauce, or tare, of mirin rice wine, soy sauce, sake alcohol, and sugar. There are many different types of yakitori, but the most common varieties are momo (chicken thigh), negima (chicken and spring onion), and tsukune (chicken meatballs).
8. Sashimi Sashimi fresh raw fish
Possibly one of the most controversial dishes in all of Japanese cuisine, sashimi is raw fish or meat that has been expertly cut into thin slices and typically comes served with daikon radish, pickled ginger, wasabi and soy sauce. Sashimi differs from sushi in that all sushi is made with vinegared rice and does not always contain raw fish, while sashimi is almost exclusively raw fish and is never served with rice. The fish used to make sashimi must be as fresh as possible, both in order to minimise the risk of contamination, and because fresher fish makes for tastier sashimi.
9. Ramen
Ramen is a noodle soup dish consisting of wheat noodles (also known as 'ramen noodles'), a savoury broth (soy sauce, salt, miso, and tonkotsu pork bone are the four main ramen broth bases) and toppings of meat, protein, and/or vegetables such as sliced pork, nori seaweed, spring onions, bamboo shoots, and others. Ramen is one of present-day Japan’s absolute favourite delicacies, costing very little and being widely available in restaurants and ramen bars (which are on almost every street corner). Indeed, Japanese ramen is so popular that there is a ramen-themed museum/amusement park in Tokyo.
10. Nikujaga
A flavoursome savoury dish of meat, potatoes and assorted vegetables simmered in soy sauce, sake, mirin and sugar, Nikujaga meat and potato stew is one of a collection of Japanese dishes called 'nimono' (meaning ‘simmered things’). Although nikujaga is available in plenty of Japanese restaurants, it is also considered a homely dish that differs in flavour from household to household. For an authentic Japanese nikujaga experience, therefore, the best thing to do is get invited to a Japanese friend’s house and put in a request with the family chef.
11. Natto
In the same way that Marmite divides the British nation, so too does natto divide the Japanese. This traditional Japanese food is made by fermenting soy beans in a special type of bacteria that is naturally produced in the human gastrointestinal tract. Natto has a strong smell similar to mouldy cheese, as well as a sticky/slimy texture that many find off-putting. However, many other people love these fermented soy beans for their full-bodied salty and savoury (or umami) flavour and their ample nutritional value. Is natto delicious or disgusting? It is up to you to decide.
12. Oden Oden japanese soup winter hot pot
No cold Japanese winter would be complete without oden. This winter hot pot dish, or nabemono, is made by taking an assortment of vegetables and proteins (including processed fish cakes, mochi rice cakes, boiled eggs, daikon radish, konjac yam and tofu), and stewing them in a light broth seasoned with soy sauce and dashi (a soup stock made from infusions of bonito fish flakes, kombu kelp seaweed, and/or other savoury ingredients) in a large hot pot at the centre of a table. Diners can then scoop out their favourite pieces and enjoy with karashi mustard and other condiments. As well as being a hearty main meal, the simmering hot pot also serves as a communal heater on cold evenings.
13. Tamagoyaki
A versatile delicacy that can be enjoyed for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, tamagoyaki (which literally means ‘cooked egg’) is a Japanese omelette made by sequentially cooking and rolling up several layers of beaten egg (sometimes seasoned with soy sauce and/or sugar). A freshly cooked tamagoyaki looks like a rolled up crêpe, which can then be sliced up and eaten by itself (often this is how it is eaten at breakfast) or used a topping or filling in sushi. A tamagoyaki-topped nigiri sushi is often eaten in sushi bars as the final course, as the tamagoyaki has a slight sweetness that makes it almost dessert-like.
14. Soba
Otherwise known as ‘buckwheat noodles’ (‘soba’ is the Japanese word for ‘buckwheat’), soba are one of the three main varieties of noodle most frequently eaten in Japan. Unlike udon and ramen; soba noodles are made partially, if not entirely, from buckwheat flour. This gives them a distinctly earthy and slightly nutty flavour that works well with stronger flavours like garlic and sesame. Soba can be served hot in soups with toppings of spring onions, agetama tempura flakes, kamaboko fish cakes and/or grilled mochi), or cold with a side of tsuyu and garnishes of green onions, shredded nori seaweed, and wasabi.
15. Tonkatsu
Tonkatsu pork cutlets are one of the many yoshoku, or ‘western-style’ foods, that were originally introduced to Japan by Europeans. Like most other yoshoku foods, the Japanese took the original tonkatsu and made it their own. Today, tonkatsu is made by coating pork chops in crisp panko breadcrumbs and deep-frying them until they are golden brown in colour. They are normally served drizzled in fruit-and-vegetable based tonkatsu sauce with shredded cabbage and other crisp salad greens on the side. Tonkatsu are also often enjoyed as part of a bento boxed lunch, in a Japanese curry (known as 'katsu curry'), or as a sandwich filling.
16. Kashipan Kashi pan japanese sweets bread
The Japanese love a good bread roll as much as the next person, and bakeries line Japan's city streets with almost as much regularity as ramen bars. The word ‘kashipan’ means ‘sweet bread’, and it refers to a range of single-serve bread buns that were originally invented in Japan. Among the most popular of these are melon pan (a bread bun with a cookie dough top), an pan (a bread bun filled with an or anko; a sweet red bean paste), and karee pan or kare pan (a bread bun filled with curry sauce, covered in panko breadcrumbs, and deep-fried). Kashipan are a must-try for bread lovers in particular.
17. Sukiyaki
Like oden, sukiyaki is a Japanese nabemono hot pot dish most commonly enjoyed during the winter. Sukiyaki hot pots are prepared by searing beef slices in the hot pot, then adding sukiyaki broth (normally made from soy sauce, sake, mirin rice wine and sugar) and different vegetables, noodles, and proteins. The name ‘sukiyaki’ means ‘cook what you like’, and the joy of sukiyaki comes from being able to prepare the dish with your fellow diners, at the table, using whatever ingredients you desire.
18. Miso Soup Japanese miso soup
Few Japanese dishes are consumed more often or more consistently than miso soup. Made from a combination of miso paste (a traditional Japanese food made from fermented soy beans) and dashi broth, miso soup is served as a side dish with traditional Japanese-style breakfasts, lunches and dinners. The complex savoury flavours of the soup help to enhance the umami of the main dishes with which it is served. To give the miso soup a little more body, several complementary toppings are normally added to it, such as green onion, wakame seaweed, and firm tofu.
19. Okonomiyaki
Okonomiyaki japanese savoury pancake Okonomiyaki is made by mixing together batter, sliced cabbage, and other savoury ingredients; spooning the mixture onto a hot plate; and then pan-frying as you would a pancake. Okonomiyaki originated in Osaka and Hiroshima (where a different, ‘layered’ style of okonomiyaki exists) and its popularity spread to the rest of Japan, where specialised okonomiyaki restaurants are easy to come by. In some of these restaurants you are expected to prepare the okonomiyaki yourself, which makes for a delightfully fun cooking experience.
20. Mentaiko Spicy mentaiko pasta
Lovers of salty seafood will reach the peak of their desires with mentaiko. This salty delicacy is made by marinating the roe (fish eggs) of pollock and cod in any of a number of salty, savoury, and spicy seasonings. The most basic mentaiko is marinated in a simple salt solution, while mentaiko marinated in spicy chilli pepper (known as 'karashi mentaiko') is becoming increasingly popular. Mentaiko is traditionally eaten as a side dish with steamed rice, as a topping on ramen, or as a filling in onigiri rice balls. In recent decades mentaiko has also been mixed with butter or cream to make a simple savoury or spicy mentaiko pasta sauce.
21. Curry Rice Japanese curry rice karee kare
Known in Japanese as kare or kare raisu, Japanese curry is a yoshoku dish that was originally introduced to the Japanese by the British during the Meiji era (1868-1912).Japanese curry differs from the Indian varieties with which the UK is more familiar, in that it is generally sweeter in flavour, thicker in texture, and prepared more like a stew (with meat and vegetables being cooked by boiling in water together). Japanese curry is often prepared in Japanese homes with the help of curry roux; blocks of solidified Japanese curry paste that melt into the ‘stew’ and thicken up to become a flavoursome curry sauce.
All Things Japanese
Japanese Novelist
The overwhelming popularity of Murakami Haruki’s novels in translation has transformed the image of Japanese literature around the world. How will the country’s writing continue to be received on the global stage?Murakami Haruki’s first appearance in the New Yorker came with the English translation of his short story “TV People,” which appeared in the issue for September 10, 1990. The publication of a Japanese writer’s work in a US literary magazine was a groundbreaking moment not only for the career of the author himself but also for Japanese literature in translation—particularly in English. Murakami’s books have since been published in over 50 languages and include a number of global bestsellers, while he has received international awards like the Franz Kafka Prize and the Jerusalem Prize. His combination of critical and commercial success is unique among Japanese writers.
Murakami’s arrival on the scene dramatically transformed the image of Japanese literature in translation. Edward Fowler describes how the 1955 publication of two English editions by US publisher Knopf—Osaragi Jirō’s Homecoming and Tanizaki Jun’ichirō’s Some Prefer Nettles—ushered in a golden age of translation of modern Japanese literature. Focused on a “big three” of Tanizaki, Mishima Yukio, and Kawabata Yasunari, and against a background of renewed interest in Japanese culture in postwar America, the country’s literature became firmly associated with an exotic aesthetic sensibility. Murakami’s works, which are strongly influenced by US writers and blend elements of fantasy into a contemporary Japanese setting, have reshaped the image of Japanese writing for readers in the English-speaking world.
Ahead of Murakami’s English-language debut, he initially worked together with his Japanese publisher, but later chose his own agent and collaborated closely with American editors to fine-tune his fiction for English-speaking (especially North American) readers. Irmela Hijiya-Kirschnereit has also noted that his writing in works like After Dark appears to have future translation in mind through such aspects as careful explanations of details that would be common knowledge to Japanese readers. This use of what she calls “pretranslation” shows how Murakami has set a new template for the age of translated literature.
Weird and Wonderful Japanese Cars
Post-war Japan was a place that welcomed technology with open arms and often fostered a penchant for oddball inventions. Inheriting this particular trend was also Japan’s motoring industry which produced some seriously quirky cars ranging from tiny ‘Kei’ cars, to a series of sports cars that reflected a bygone era.Take a ride with us on this sushi train as we explore the weird and wonderful rides from the land of the rising sun.
#1 Mazda Cosmo 110-S This sleek and elegant coupe was based on the design of a Triumph Spitfire and appears completely textbook classic coupe to the untrained eye. Where it slaps history in the face however is under the bonnet as this was Mazda’s first Wankel rotary-engined car.
Its significance in motoring history is undeniable as it brought the twin rotary design of engineer Felix Wankel into the mainstream, setting the standard for all future rotary cars in the world. Mazda had only built 1176 between 1967 and 1972 with the car mustering 130hp from its 982cc power plant. It was considered unorthodox at the time, but without it there would be no way for modern high-powered rotaries like the RX-7 to exist.
#2 Autozam AZ-1 This diminutive little two-seater was built by Mazda in the early 90s and called the Autozam AZ-1. Falling into the popular Kei car category (cars that can avoid a certain tax due to their minor emissions and size), the AZ-1 packed a three cylinder, 657cc, turbo engine mounted behind the driver, complete with gull wing doors and weighing in at less than 725kg – making it lighter than a Lotus Elise.
Designed to be a fun handling car, the AZ-1 packs a mighty 64hp with tuners extracting more out of it over the years to make it go faster. The doors look pretty thin too so you’ll likely be maimed in a side-on collision.
#3 Toyota Sera One of the more interesting designs to come out of the Toyota camp in the early 90s was the Sera – a gull-winged Corolla of sorts if you will. Reflecting what was considered cool of the time, the Sera featured a sweeping glass roof that formed the curved doors to give the car a very unique and futuristic look. It even managed to amass a small cult following around the world, selling around 16,000 cars over its 5 year production run.
Performance was typical Toyota fair with a 1.5-litre engine driving the front wheels in fury.
#4 Nissan Figaro An icon in the world of strange Japanese cars is the Nissan Figaro. It looks like it rolled off a 1960s production line but actually hails from 1991 where it saw production for just one year. The demand for the vintage looking Figaro at the time was so high that production had to be doubled and a ballot set up to select the buyers. It’s powered by a 987cc turbo four cylinder to give it some blistering grandad-spec performance.
#5 Dome Zero One of Japan’s first ever supercars that never saw the light of day was the Dome Zero. Dome was the Japanese racing company that designed countless race cars from 1975 for open-wheelers and categories including F1. As Japan’s burgeoning fortunes as an automaker reached its peak in the 70s, the group decided to build their very own Japanese supercar.
In 1978 the Zero was debuted at Geneva motor show, featuring a wedgy Italian shape, swooping canopy that would make Homer Simpson weep and cues that could only be described as Back to the Future before it was even made. Powered by a Datsun inline six, the car offered optimum performance with the power to weight ratio of the Porsches of that era.
#6 Daihatsu Midget II Another in the list of crazy-cool Kei cars is the aptly named Midget II from Daihatsu. This second generation cult car hailed from the 90s and packed a tiny 660 cc engine. It came in either a one seater or two seater and was noted for its unusual design with a spare tyre mounted on the front of the car. We’re not too sure what the load rating on this car is, but we don’t recommend you drive this one onto a construction site to impress the boys.
#7 Subaru 360 Leading the Kei car charge for the people mover category is the Subaru 360 of 1970. Yes you will stand taller than it and yes you will garner a many surprised looks. In a good way of course. Weighing in at just 498kg with a length just shy of 3 metres, the 360 van was designed by Subaru for Japanese work duties. Its mighty two-stroke, two cylinder 360cc engine enables it to hold an amazing payload of 362kg – that’s about 70% of its own weight. It’s also considered one of the world’s cutest vans. 5 star safety rating? Dream on, dweeb.
#8 Honda Vamos The modern Honda Vamos is a rather bland and boxy affair. The original though was an entirely different beast. It shared a similar design to the Midget with its front facing spare tyre which was a trend in the 70s around when this car was released. The open top Kei car also features a sweet removable canvas roof and a 354cc two-cylinder engine for the serious lead footers out there. A perfect companion for beach hoons, you can think of this one as the least practical Jeep ever made.
#9 Mitsuoka Orochi One of Japan’s weirdest and arguably ugliest offerings is the Orochi from Mitsuoka. Ceasing production in 2014, the car’s name is taken from the mythical 8-headed Japanese dragon, hence the reptilian-like body lines, googly headlights and intake holes. Mitsuoka have categorised it as a “Fashion-Super Car” and adds that “Orochi is the car to ride to gather attention from everyone”. We definitely agree with the latter.
Performance is derived from a Toyota Camry 3.3-litre V6 in a mid-ship layout driving the rear wheels. International reception has been lukewarm at best with Jalopnik voting it the world’s ugliest car.
#10 Isuzu VehiCross Yes, the truck manufacturer Isuzu once tried to build a sporty off-roader and the VehiCross was the rather stunning result. With the fluid lines that are rarely found on 4WDs nowadays let alone ten years ago, the VehiCross became available on Japanese shores in 1997 and was powered by a 3.5L V6 with full time all-wheel-drive and Torque On Demand (TOD).
It was not to be though, with pundits in the industry who praised the vehicle’s bold design and superb road holding ability adding that its eventual demise came from low production, the fact that consumers were oblivious to what the car could do, and the absence of a proper manual transmission. Sad face.
Japanese Drumming Sacramento
Imagine being surrounded by a thunderous rhythm as you watch drummers united in choreographed movement. Imagine being drawn by the energy and spiritually moved by the sheer physical and emotional exertion of the artists as their passionate performance unfolds. Imagine how such a collective effort could reach and influence an audience of any age and cultural background.Sacramento Taiko Dan is the premiere Japanese drumming ensemble in the greater Sacramento region. Founded in 1989, we are a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization. Our performers include community members and an international touring performance team. The combination of renowned drummers and outstanding drums enables us to provide audiences with world-class entertainment.
WE SEEK TO:
Promote cultural awareness and diversity Continue the traditional styles while developing new forms Educate new and existing students from diverse backgrounds Provide top level performances in a wide variety of venues Sacramento Taiko Dan tours nationally and internationally, with annual appearances at the California State Fair, San Francisco Cherry Blossom Festival, Sacramento Pacific Rim Festival, International Taiko Festival, and at UC Berkeley�s Zellerbach Hall. We have collaborated with several artists and arts organizations including the Sacramento Ballet, Sacramento Symphony, Camellia Symphony and poet Julia Conner.
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