I am in Japan now!

My photo of Oirase Keiryu, Aomori Japan

I was born and brought up in Tokyo, Japan.
I moved to the Netherlands on 2002.
Now I and my husband are visiting Japan, and have been staying my mother's place in Tokyo.
My last visit to Japan was 4 years ago.
Japanese trends were changed a lot.
Everybody from younger to older are checking Keitai(mobile phone)in the train.
Too many great electronic products and shops on everywhere in city areas.

Of course, foods are very very tasty in Japan.
I enjoy to go for eating or eating my mother's meals on every day.

We traveled Tohoku (north Japan area) on last week.
It's very beautiful season to watch KouYou(red colored leaves)
This is beautifully interesting a natural　phenomenon in Japan that some leaves are getting red in autumn season.

We hiked Oirase-Keiryu(Oirase stream), Aomori, Japan on 26th Oct.
Enjoy some photos from our travel!



Yeah, dinner in Ryokan(Japanese hotel) where we stayed was also nice!

Japan news: Shin-chan author falls to death in mountains

Yoshito Usui, the author of worldwide famous Manga/Anime "Shin-chan (Japanese title: Kureyon Shin-chan)", he was killed in a mountaineering accidentfalles to death in Mt.Arafune, Gunma Japan.
His hobby was hiking and he left his home early in the morning 11th. he told to his family that he would be back by the evening.But he didn’t return home on this day. His family went to the police.

for more detail:
http://www.examiner.com/x-16352-Japan-Headlines-Examiner~y2009m9d20-Famous-Japanese-manga-artist-falls-to-death-in-mountains

Tokyo Ramen (home made)

I guess some people knows about Japanese Ramen.
Soooooooo tasty and I love it!
But unfortunately it"s hard to find good Ramen shops in abroad(means out of Japan).

I often make Ramen by myself because Ramen in Japanese restaurants, it's not tasty like main land, or terribly expensive. Moreover I saw a lot of fake Ramen in fake Japanese restaurants.

An important thing is the taste of soup. The bouillon of Tokyo style Ramen is combinations from fishes, chicken bones, pork meats, and Soya source. We need to boil them over 4 to 6 hours.
Yep, Hard work makes Ramen tasty more and more!

For more detail, refer my other blog,
http://ameblo.jp/utrecht/entry-10260588462.html

Lekker!

fried eggplant with Japanese meat sauce

To make Japanese-style meat sauce, we use Miso, ginger, and spring onion for seasoning.
Lekker!

Japan news: Japanese charismatic Rock star Kiyoshiro Imawano dies at 58

Japanese charismatic Rock star Kiyoshiro Imawano has died.

Kiyoshiro Imawano, a Japanese rock singer known for his critical lyrics and original stage costumes, passed away from lymphatic cancer. He was age 58.

In 1968 he formed the band RC Succession with his junior high school classmates.
In 1982, Imawano teamed up with Ryuichi Sakamoto to release the single "I-ke-na-i Rouge Magic," which became a phenomenon in Japan. Hailed as a Japanese "rock god," Imawano performed concerts, and also appeared in commercials and films.

Kiyoshiro Imawano, who believed that "music should be the stimulus of the era," also performed songs with a political message. He often composed critical message songs that was prohibited by government or music industry. His soulful action was unusual in Japan.
Therefore at one point, sales of his anti-nuclear power album "Covers," and that of an album that included a punk version of "Kimi ga Yo," Japan's national anthem, were temporarily suspended. At a concert in 2003 that was being broadcast live on an FM radio station, he suddenly sang the national anthem and "Akogare no Kita-Chosen," or "Longing for North Korea," forcing the radio station to cut off its broadcast.

Kiyoshiro Imawano was diagnosed with cancer of the larynx in July 2006 and admitted to hospital. After treatment, he held a comeback concert at Tokyo's Budokan in February 2008. However, in July of the same year, it was confirmed that the cancer had spread to one of his pelvic bones, and Imawano was forced to put his career on hold to undergo radiation therapy.

Kiyoshiro Imawano passed away on 3rd may, 2009. His death gave a deep shock all over Japan. Many Japanese felt in a deep sense of loss, and they posted their heartfelt condolences to Kiyoshiro’s songs on Youtube.

Recently it’s kind of a Japanese movement in the world. Many young people listen Japanese pops, rock and Visual kei. They know the trend but unfortunately they seems do not know masterpieces. I really disappointed at poor information articles in English and Dutch wikipedia about Kiyoshiro Imawano. I trid to write about him as much as I can. But this is not enough to tell how great his achievements is in Japan.

reference: Mainichi Shinbun
http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20090504p2a00m0na015000c.html

Japan news - Blog crime

Police target 18 over Internet messages saying comedian killed girl

Police are seeking charges against 18 people who posted messages on a comedian's blog that wrongly labeled him a murderer of a teenage girl in Tokyo in 1989, sources said Thursday.
A woman who threatened to kill the 37-year-old comedian in December because she thought he was a murderer on the loose was also referred to prosecutors on suspicion of intimidation on Wednesday.
Police will soon send papers to prosecutors on the 18 on suspicion of libel over their messages posted from January through October 2008, the sources said.
It is extremely rare for police to crack down on such a large group related to messages on the Internet.
A Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department official said the move is meant to "warn people that such acts could result in a police crackdown."
According to police, the 18 message writers include a 17-year-old girl in Sapporo, a 35-year-old male company employee in Matsudo, Chiba Prefecture, and a 45-year-old man in Takatsuki, Osaka Prefecture, who works for a national university.
The messages called the comedian a "murderer." They also taunted him for carrying out his show-business activities "despite being a criminal."
The message writers wrongly identified the comedian as one of four youths found guilty of murdering a female high school student in Tokyo's Adachi Ward in 1989 and encasing her body in concrete.
The comedian's talent agency had introduced the comedian as having been born in Tokyo's downtown area. The agency also said the comedian was once a juvenile delinquent.
The defamation campaign began soon after the comedian opened the blog in January 2008.
In April, the agency began to partially restrict postings on the blog. It also made announcements denying any connection between the comedian and the murder case.
But after the attacks continued, the comedian filed a complaint with police in August.
The 29-year-old Kawasaki woman who threatened to kill the comedian says she regrets what she did. She said she had believed what was said about the comedian in the other messages on the blog, according to police.
Police said they believe the 18 message writers were not acquainted with one another before the attack began because they live in separate locations ranging from Hokkaido to Oita Prefecture.
In 2007, police around the nation received 8,871 reports of Web-based defamation and libel, more than triple the 2,619 cases reported in 2003, according to the National Police Agency.
In the first six months of 2008, 5,482 cases were reported to police, a record number for a half-year period. Police investigated 38 incidents of defamation or libel and 52 cases on intimidation during that period.(IHT/Asahi: February 5,2009)

THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
2009/2/5
http://www.asahi.com/english/Herald-asahi/TKY200902050239.html

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Writing Blog is quite popular and big movement in Japan from kids to older.
This may concern to Japanese mentality that most Japanese people are sometimes feel shy to speak face by face.
It is easy for them to write their true intention or hidden emotion on their Blogs sometimes.
Submit comments are too easy and commentators do not have to show their real names.
unfortunately this easy phenomenon made some or many people whom can not understand between moral and immoral.

Niku Jaga (meat and potatoes)

Niku Jaga is also popular dish in Japan.
Niku means meat, and Jaga means Jagaimo.
Jagaimo? this means potatoes.

ingredients
-6 midium Potatoes
-100g Meat(pork or beef whatever you like)
-1 Onion
- choped spring onion

-Stock
--700cc Dashi soup (refer Konbu Dashi direction)
--100cc Sake or white wine
--4tbsp sugar
--6tbsp Japanese Soya source

1. lightly bake meats.
2. Place 1, onion and potato in the pan, add stock.
cook over medium heat 15 to 20 min.
3. Place on the dish, and sprinkle spring onions

NikuJaga dinner