วันอังคารที่ 19 กรกฎาคม พ.ศ. 2554
5 Reasons Why You Must Study Japanese
You can learn Japanese for many reasons. Japan has breathtaking landscapes, interesting people, a thriving economy, and an ancient culture. You will be hard pressed to pick your best reason, though this incomplete list will try to convince you; and if it does not, then perhaps a visit to Japan will convince you. But first, take a peek at the list.
Acclaimed Director Akira Kurosawa
You have missed out on the best movies of all time if you have not seen Akira Kurosawa's art works. The sweeping landscapes, exciting scenes, painstaking attention to detail, amazing stories, and timeless appeal make his films - Seven Samurai, Ran, Throne of Blood, and Dreams, to name a few - a must for any avid movie buff. And because most of his films are in his native language, you should speak Japanese to see them in all their pure glory.
Anime
You'll probably think Japanese anime weird if you are used to Disney and Pixar animations. The speech bubbles, over-the-top physical features, and onomatopoeic typography aside, it does possess gripping storylines and charming adorable creatures. To appreciate the likes of Dragon Ball Z and Naruto, study Japanese.
Chindogu, A Japanese Art
Among the various Japanese art forms such as origami, ikebana, and tea ceremony, the chindogu is the most note-worthy. This art form is all about inventing everyday gadgets with the best intentions, but result in being useless anyway. As a matter of fact, the only thing these gadgets achieve is bringing on the laughs.
Maybe you're interested in a hay fever hat, which is a tissue dispenser atop your head? Or maybe you want to keep your hair away from your bowl of noodles with a noodle-eater hairguard? You might be able to turn these chindogu gadgets into profitable items if you speak to the inventor; hence, why you have to learn Japanese. Strange things like these do occur.
Japanese Dishes
Although Japanese food might look very basic on the surface, it actually requires a lot of effort and attention to detail. Study Japanese to prepare Japanese food the right way. This way, you'll be able to quickly grasp the terms used and know the names of the dishes.
Japanese Fashion
Japan's garish street fashion cannot be topped, even by New York. You will love the avant garde costumes such as Kogals, Bosozoku, Lolitas, and Ganguros donned by young people in Tokyo.
Japan also has the quickest rising economy in the world. Not only that, the Japanese are also the third largest Internet users. The business opportunities offered by the country is numerous. If you still require a reason to study Japanese, this should be good enough.
The world's fastest growing economy is also the Japanese one. The third largest Internet users all over the world are also the Japanese. Consider the business ventures that the country has to give. If you still need a reason to study Japanese, this must be sufficient.
วันพุธที่ 25 พฤษภาคม พ.ศ. 2554
Japanese businesses
วันจันทร์ที่ 4 เมษายน พ.ศ. 2554
Learn Japanese! Daily Greetings!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i2EYuOnMBy8&hl=en
วันเสาร์ที่ 5 กุมภาพันธ์ พ.ศ. 2554
Japanese Academy SPECIAL! (Including bonus clip!) Jloggy 4!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56xmOqNDhnc&hl=en
วันจันทร์ที่ 29 พฤศจิกายน พ.ศ. 2553
Japanese Food - Yakisoba
Looking for something uniquely Japanese to eat and want it fast? Yakisoba is the answer. It's a traditional Japanese dish that is very easy to prepare. Yakisoba is basically pan fried noodles. It is a commoner's food, not very fancy, and it's usually prepared as a snack or as picnic food. The noodles used in this dish are not regular noodles, but buck wheat noodles. These are thicker and darker than the Chinese Chow-Mien noodles, and are much healthier. Careful though, because most of the buck wheat noodles sold in stores are not made from 100% buck wheat, but rather mixed with regular wheat.
So the ingredients that you will need to cook this mouthwatering treat are: Thinly cut cabbage, pickled ginger, dried green seaweed, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup and finely chopped pork or squid. Add oil into a frying pan and toss in the finely chopped meat and cabbage. When they are cooked take them out of the pan. Next, put in the noodles to fry. Meanwhile, mix together the Worcestershire sauce and ketchup with a spoon in a small bowl. Once the noodles are fried for a few minutes, add the sauce mix and with it the previously fried cabbage and meat. Stir everything up, remove onto a plate and garnish with some pickled ginger and dried green seaweed. Voila!
Yakisoba tastes best when served hot. To make the dish more interesting you can use different sauces like chili, soy sauce, and even sweeten it with some honey or sugar. Instead of pork/squid you are free to experiment with chicken, tofu or shrimp. Toss in some more vegetables like onion, cabbage, snow peas, capsicum, carrots or anything else you can think of for that matter. As with any other food in Japan, this can be bought already prepared in supermarkets and convenience stores, or in an instant cooking form.
วันอังคารที่ 9 พฤศจิกายน พ.ศ. 2553
5 Popular Japanese Travel Destinations
Japan's mix of traditional and modern high tech attractions entice many to these isles. With your flight, travel insurance and accommodation organised, excitement awaits!
Tokyo
If one wants to experience the buzz and excitement of a major world megalopolis, look no further than Tokyo. One could spend considerable time just sitting and people watching, taking in all the movement of this thriving city. Not only is Tokyo teeming with people, it's also teeming with things to do. Riding the subway can be quite an experience, particularly in peak hour. Platform attendants with special apparatus help to wedge every last person they can into the brimming train. The busy Shinjuku is abuzz with flashing lights, sounds and shopping. Ginza is the upmarket shopping area, while Akihabara is the place for the latest Japanese technology gadgets. Don't forget Mickey Mouse and friends nearby at Tokyo Disneyland!
Kyoto
You won't have trouble filling in a day of temple visits in Kyoto. Planning ahead might be a good idea, to see what can actually be packed in! Kinkakuji (the Golden temple) and Ginkakuji (the Silver temple) are a couple of standouts. One can dress up in traditional attire, for a photo shoot as a Geisha (or Maiko, as the young Geisha are called). You may possibly see the real thing over a sundowner, as Maiko make their way by carriage to visit clients as dusk approaches.
Osaka
Osaka is known for its industrious citizens (but then again, so is most of Japan!) and pulsating nightlife. The local dish is okonomiyaki, a thick savoury pancake topped with Japanese mayonnaise and special okonomi sauce. Eat this at a dedicated okonomiyaki restaurant and the chef will pour the ingredients onto the hotplate at your table, returning in time to turn it over to cook the other side. Osaka aquarium is definitely worthy of a visit, with its impressive display of penguins and giant deep sea crabs. Osaka Castle Park and Universal Studios Japan are other options.
Hiroshima
Hiroshima's name is forever etched into the world's mind as the sad victim of the first atomic bomb used in World War Two. A sombre but impressive museum remembers the tragedy, and encourages the world to do likewise. While Hiroshima will never forget its past, nowadays it's a vibrant city offering much of the big city appeal of Tokyo and Osaka, but without the crowds. If you've enjoyed Osaka's okonomiyaki, try Hiroshima's. The local twist includes yakisoba noodles in the mix.
Sapporo
The capital of the northern island of Hokkaido, Sapporo offers something different from its sister cities in Honshu. Hokkaido offers fresher air and fresh seafood, and can be considered Japan's version of "the outback". Sapporo is the starting point for rural adventures. In Sapporo itself, summers are commonly enjoyed in big beer gardens in the centre of town, as live music sets the scene. In wintertime, Sapporo's Ice Festival, with fantastic ice carvings, is a major highlight.
Cheap Travel Insurance is easily organised, and leaves you to fully enjoy your holiday.
วันพุธที่ 29 กันยายน พ.ศ. 2553
What Does The Word Naruto From the Anime in Japanese Truly Mean?
As enthusiasts of the animation Naruto, we've all heard about the word Naruto, but do you know what it truly means? In Japanese it actually stands for a type of Japanese fish cake. This particular fish cake is often seen with pink surroundings and designs that is seen as a simple spiral form.
Believe it or not, it is often eaten alongside with soups and noodles. Yes, this will include the ramen that Naruto from the animation that he enjoys. If you examine the fishcakes carefully, you would also notice that the head protector that Naruto wears looks very much the same as the food itself. From the head protector, thus you'll realize that Kanoha is really revolved around this food and it's kinda interesting to see that these little facts actually ties in together to the centric part of the storyline in this animation.
Besides the fact that it is being seen as a traditional Japanese dish fish cakes, Naruto is also an actual city in Japan located in Tokushima a bit towards the southern part of Japan from the central divider. The city itself is quite small with a population of only 63,784 currently shown on their city's official website. This city was founded in the March of 1947 and as you can see that the city itself is still relatively new in comparison with other parts of Japan. One of the most interesting facts about the city is that it contains the first two of the 88 Shikoku Pilgrimage Buddhist temples. Now what makes this fact stands out is the looks of the people from the temple and what they wear.
Yes, those traditional Buddhist clothings that pilgrims wear are closely resembled to ones that the Hokage's in the animation wear starting with how they dress all the way to their hats and accessories. So the next time you watch Naruto episodes again, you'll know exactly where it's origin as well as where the little facts tie up together. I truly believe a lot of time has spent in the making of this animation from the Japanese to implement various names, clothing, as well as signs to symbolize the meanings of the traditional Japanese culture. It is truly a masterpiece by all means.
วันศุกร์ที่ 17 กันยายน พ.ศ. 2553
Japanese Hibachi Cooking - Free Recipes Inside
Are you a fan of yakitori? Japanese food is one of the healthiest foods worldwide, and so it is not surprising to know that the Japanese often grill their food. This grilling is called hibachi, and Japanese hibachi cooking is not only famous in Japan, but in other parts of the world as well. These meats on sticks are a favourite of many, as these taste good, and come fresh and hot; grilled over direct fire.
The best way to do Japanese hibachi cooking is to grill over fire-and not a hot plate. The fire gives your meat a smoky, authentic flavour, which lacks in those which are prepared using metal plates. One example of Japanese hibachi cooking is the sukiyaki. A favourite among many, sukiyaki involves grilling thin slices of beef and then adding vegetables and noodles or rice.
But whether it is beef or chicken you want to grill, the principle holds the same: use authentic over the fire grillers. Also, many agree that one of the secrets of great Japanese hibachi cooking is the sauce.
A great recipe for shrimp sauce is this: you will need two cups of soy sauce, a cup of whipped cream, one-third cup of ground, roasted sesame seeds, a pinch of garlic powder and a teaspoon of dry mustard (dissolve it in a teaspoon of water). Place all ingredients except the cream in a blender for fifteen seconds. In a saucepan, put the mixture and the whipped cream, stirring it over low heat.
Another example of great sauce is simply a mixture of the following: a cup of mayonnaise, a couple of teaspoons of sugar, one and a half teaspoons of chilli sauce, a half teaspoon of paprika, half teaspoon of garlic powder, half teaspoon of lemon pepper, a quarter teaspoon of black ground pepper, one and a half tablespoons of catsup, and a pinch of salt. Use these sauces and your grilled meats will have that extra zest and tanginess.
วันอาทิตย์ที่ 12 กันยายน พ.ศ. 2553
วันศุกร์ที่ 10 กันยายน พ.ศ. 2553
Cooking by Feel Not Formula ~ Episode 9: Japanese Beef Yakisoba
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmMQ_TMGbOo&hl=en
วันอาทิตย์ที่ 5 กันยายน พ.ศ. 2553
Japanese Food
As with Korean cuisine, rice, combined with fish (or more recently other meat) and pickles, called tsukemono forms the base of most meals. Anybody who's eaten a Japanese diet for any length of time would agree that it's just plain healthier than the Western diet
Popular Japanese healthy foods high in proteins such as soybeans, miso, sushi, tofu, green tea and noodles are becoming more familiar to westerners as we look to curb our obesity and diabetic epidemic.
Although cooking ingredients are largely similar to other countries, preparation makes them distinctively Japanese.
Japanese food, regarded as one of the healthiest national cuisines gets the bulk of its protein from seafood and soybeans. Soybeans are an integral component of Japanese cuisine and are used to make tofu and soy sauce called shoyu which is one of the most common flavoring ingredients of Japanese cuisine. Soybeans, or a fermented soy bean paste is also the main ingredient in the most common of Japanese soups, miso soup. Combined with fresh vegetables, fish or other ingredients it is enjoyed at breakfast lunch and dinner.
Being an island nation the Japanese eat considerably more seafood than westerners. About 80 pounds per person per year. Compared with 15 pounds per person in the US. Most seafood these days is grown in fish farms which keeps seafood prices comparatively low. The more popular sea foods are: shrimp, tuna, mackerel, salmon and octopus. Seafood is used in a variety of tasty ways from raw, called sashimi, or with seaweed, called sushi,to barbecued and braised with a myriad of tasty sauces such as teriyaki sauce. Seafood is also added to soups, stir fries, noodle dishes, hot pots or deep fried in a thin batter and called tenpura.
Beef, although getting cheaper is still considered expensive and thus is used sparingly. It is typically thinly sliced for eating. Less expensive than beef, pork has also been well integrated into Japanese cuisine. Chicken is widely popular and used in a variety of dishes. A distinctively Japanese chicken dish is yakitori which is chicken pieces skewered onto bamboo, barbecued then braised with an assortment of sauces. Lamb is not popular in Japan due to its perceived odor.
Noodles, which are high in starch and originated in China, have become a popular Japanese staple with entire restaurants and restaurant chains specializing in them. The three main varieties are: Udon, made from wheat flour, is a thick white noodle. Soumen, made from wheat flour is a thin white noodle. Soba, made from a combination of buckwheat and wheat flour is a thin brown noodle. All three are generally served with a soy based fish or vegetable broth.
Another popular noodle dish which made its way from China in the early nineteenth century is Ramen or Chinese wheat noodles. Like the other noodle dishes Ramen is served with a variety of vegetables, seafood, and meat enhancers.
Along with traditional Japanese cuisines called (washoku), meaning "Japanese food", there are a number of foreign dishes called (yoshoku) meaning "foreign food" that have been imported, adapted and now considered part of the Japanese menu. Two examples are Currie Rice which made its way from India via the United Kingdom in the early nineteenth century and Hamburger Steak which is a ground beef patty mixed with breadcrumbs, onions and perhaps tomatoes and served with rice, chips and vegetables. It is much like in any hamburger or beef patty found throughout the world.
A traditional Japanese breakfast could consist of a bowl of rice, gohan, a bowl of miso soup and a couple of other dishes including pickles, and seaweed called nori. Lunch could be noodles, or a main dish filled out always with a bowl of rice and miso soup. Dinner usually consists of a main hot dish with a variety of vegetables, rice, miso soup, pickles and sauces.
Most Japanese eat with chop sticks. Usually before a meal it is customary to say "itadakimasu", which roughly translates to "thank you, I appreciate this meal that has been prepared for me". Similarly when a meal is finished it is polite to say "gochisosamadeshita", which roughly translates to thanks for the wonderful meal that I enjoyed eating.
The art of Japanese Cuisine is to conspire ambience, sound, food preparation, and dishware to create an oasis of calm. An opportunity for social interaction, bonding and celebration.
วันอาทิตย์ที่ 29 สิงหาคม พ.ศ. 2553
History of Japanese Pearl Cultivation - Mikimoto Kokichi
Overseas trading between Japan and the western world flourished in the late 1800s, with the emphasis falling particularly on Japan's natural pearl industry. However, in consequence to the increase in demand, Japan's naturally occurring pearl oysters, suffered greatly from over exploitation.
Enter a man by the name of Mikimoto Kokichi. From an early age Kokichi, the son of a noodle seller, had been fascinated by China's ancient techniques of pearl cultivation. This archaic technique consisted of placing a fragment of shell within an oyster to produce an imperfectly shaped pearl; these pearls were often used as offerings at temple shrines. This basic seeding technique formed the foundation of Mikimoto Kokichi's quest to create a perfect spherical cultured pearl, which could match Japan's naturally occurring pearls so in demand by the western world.
In July of 1893, after many years of trial and error, Mikimoto Kokichi managed to produce perfectly formed hemispherical (half round) Mabe pearls. Mikimoto cultured these Mabe pearls by using a hemispheric dome-shaped nucleus and placing it against the oyster's shell. Mikimoto then went into large scale farming of these Mabe pearls, journeying to Europe to sell and network markets for his new product.
Around the same time two Japanese men, Tokishi Nishikawa and Tatsuhei Mise, returned from Australia where they had learnt a new grafting technique from the British marine biologist William Saville-Kent. Kent's technique involved the placing of a small shell nucleus into the mantle tissue of a donor oyster, this was then grafted into another oyster, this foreign body would cause the oyster to form a pearl sack, producing nacre, covering the nucleus and thus producing a spherical pearl similar to those that occurred naturally.
Although this technique, patented as the 'Mise-Nishikawa' method in 1908, had proved itself to be successful, it only became a viable business venture when in 1916 Mikimoto Kokichi took over the patent to produce round pearls. This ground-breaking procedure marked the beginnings of Japan's pearl industry, and by 1935 Japan was producing more than 10,000,000 cultured pearls every year. Mikimoto didn't stop there; he advanced his experiments from producing cultivated Akoya pearls using the Akoya (Pinctada fucata) oyster to cultivating the silver lipped and black lipped pearl oysters.
Aside from the farming itself, the major problem facing Mikimoto Kokichi was the eradication of the negative connotation that cultivated pearls had when compared to their naturally occurring cousins. He succeeded in changing peoples perceptions by his steadfast traveling and marketing of his products at expositions and then establishing Mikimoto stores in London, Paris, New York, Shanghai, and Bombay. These stores were his showcases, offering up the latest designs and sophisticated fashions, and at the highest quality possible affordable to people aside from nobility and the higher echelons of society.
วันเสาร์ที่ 28 สิงหาคม พ.ศ. 2553
Learn Japanese! Segments! U charge to apperceive this!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ktiKEOQpUfk&hl=en
วันจันทร์ที่ 23 สิงหาคม พ.ศ. 2553
Learn Japanese! The 5 basal vowels! A charge know!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1CkbG9f2co&hl=en
วันอาทิตย์ที่ 22 สิงหาคม พ.ศ. 2553
Japanese Cook - achievement affable authoritative Yaki Soba preparation
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4BveA8tdWOs&hl=en
วันพฤหัสบดีที่ 19 สิงหาคม พ.ศ. 2553
Learn Japanese! Enlongated vowels!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYiEvbZLij4&hl=en
วันอาทิตย์ที่ 1 สิงหาคม พ.ศ. 2553
Japanese Food in America - How to Make
You do not have to be in Japan to enjoy Japanese food. Heck! You can be anywhere and enjoy the sushi or sashimi that you love so much. How? By making them yourself of course!
So right now, you are probably asking yourself how you can manage to do that right? Well, that is what this article is for. Here are some things that you need to know to help you make Japanese food in America.
1. Recipes are conveniently available almost everywhere. You can get Japanese cookbooks at your local bookstore. If you are a novice, get a book that does not only list down the recipes for you. You may want something that can give you a clear background on what Japanese cuisine is all about. However, if you want a cheaper, you can always click on your handy dandy browser and search for them in the Internet.
2. Do not worry about the ingredients. Here's the thing, sometimes Japanese recipes include some weird - sounding items that seem to be close to impossible to find. But, do not be fooled. Some of them has an American counterpart which you can easily get at your local grocery store. Plus, Japanese specialty stores are sprouting out like mushrooms everywhere. So if you want to save time on looking for some items, go look for a shop near your area.
3. In a rare case scenario, where you cannot find a specific ingredient, substitute. For example, if sushi rice is not available, you can always replace that with any short grain rice. You would just need to adjust the way you cook the substitute to achieve the same texture or consistency of the sushi rice.
4. Lastly, stay away from processed ingredients. Traditional Japanese cooking rarely calls for dried herbs, seafood or processed meat. So as much as possible, stick to freshest vegetables and meat that you can get your hands on.
วันพุธที่ 21 กรกฎาคม พ.ศ. 2553
Japanese Fried Pork and Noodles Recipe
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Total cooking time: 15 minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients for japanese fried pork:
1 tablespoon oil
150 g (5 oz) pork loin, thinly sliced
5 spring onions, cut into short lengths
1 carrot, cut into thin strips
200 g (6 1/2 oz.) Chinese cabbage, shredded
500 g (1lb) Hokkien noodles, gently pulled apart to separate
2 tablespoons shoshoyu
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon mirin
2 teaspoons caster sugar
1 cup (90 g/3 oz.) bean sprouts, scraggly ends removed
1 sheet toasted nori, shredded
Directions for japanese fried pork:
1. When you will want to try this recipe, just follow this small guidelines. First heat the oil in a large wok over medium heat. Then stir-fry the pork, the spring onion and the carrot for about 1-2 minutes or so, or until the pork begins to change colour.
2. Then add the cabbage, the shoshoyu, the mirin, the noodles, the Worcestershire sauce, the sugar and 2 tablespoons water. Cover them and cook for about 1 minute or so.
3. After that, add the bean sprouts and toss them well to coat the vegetables and the noodles in the sauce. It should be served immediately, sprinkled with the shredded nori.
Nutritional Value for Japanese fried pork:
Protein 25 g;
Fat 8 g;
Carbohydrate 93 g;
Dietary Fibre 5.5 g;
Cholesterol 40mg;
Energy 2300kJ (550cal)
Hints for Japanese fried pork:
1. Finely shred the Chinese cabbage with a large, sharp knife.
2. Use your fingers to remove the scraggly ends from the bean sprouts.
3. Stir-fry the pork, spring onion and carrot until the pork just changes colour.
วันอาทิตย์ที่ 18 กรกฎาคม พ.ศ. 2553
Yummy japanese food!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TJqKfARXR4&hl=en
วันพุธที่ 14 กรกฎาคม พ.ศ. 2553
Japanese Food Recipes For Free
If you have found yourself liking traditional Japanese food and you are interested in making several dishes yourself, here are two of the most famous Japanese food recipes that you may enjoy.
Sushi - traditional dish which is usually composed of three basic ingredients: seafood, seaweed and rice. Famous varieties of this dish includes California Maki, Futo Maki and Ebi Maki. Their name indicates the type of seafood or ingredient used in the dish. "Futo" for example indicates that the main ingredient is egg.
To make Ebi (Shrimp) sushi you would need:
- Shrimp
- Sushi rice (Short - grained Japanese rice cooked with vinegar and sugar mixture)
- Wasabi
- Japanese Soy Sauce
Preparation:
1. Prepare the shrimp by skewering it from head to tail. This is done to prevent it from curling while cooking.
2. Boil water lightly seasoned with salt and drop the shrimp until it turns pink.
3. Once cooked de-vein shrimp and let it cool.
4. Form sushi rice into rectangular blocks which are approximately 1.5 to 2 inches long.
5. Spread a thin layer of wasabi on the underside of the cooked shrimp.
6. Put the shrimp on top of the shaped rice and serve with dipping sauce made of Japanese soy sauce.
Ramen - Japanese noodle soup dish.
For the Shiitake Japanese Ramen, you will need:
- One pack of noodles
- Cooked pork slices
- Scallions
- Shiitake Mushrooms
- Bamboo shoots
- Dried Kelp
- 1 egg
- 6 cups of water
Preparation:
1. Create the broth by combining the mushrooms and water in a cooking pot.
2. Heat the water and turn off the heat once it comes to a boil.
3. Let the mushroom soak within 30 minutes before taking them out with a strainer.
4. Cook the noodles per package directions and boil the egg until it gets well done.
5. Assemble the ramen by layering the ingredients. The noodles should go first, followed by the pork, sliced hard boiled egg and sliced mushrooms.
6. Finish the soup off by pouring in the broth.