June, 2011

All Posts / Culture / Food — No Comments
24
Jun 11

Pan: Japanese Bread

Elsewhere on the site, we’ve discussed manju, “steam buns,” and briefly, we mentioned anpan as well. A look at Japanese food wouldn’t be complete without a more in-depth look at Japanese bread. Due to early Portuguese influence, the Japanese refer to bread as “pan,” the Portuguese word for “bread.” Pan was introduced to Japan by Westerners in the 19th century and did not exist in native Japanese cuisine beforehand. While sandwiches like we’re used to in the West are still less common than rice dishes in Japan, there are a number of Japanese foods made with pan.

The anpan, as previously mentioned, is sweet bread filled with sweet filling. It’s definitely more of a dessert than a meal. However, like manju, there are hearty meal fillings for pan as well. Curry pan is filled with Japanese curry, katsu pan has fried pork cutlets inside (yes, fried, breaded pork inside of the break), croquette pan has a croquette inside (a croquette is fried mixture of potatoes and other vegetables as well as potentially meat and seafood), and yakisoba pan is filled with yakisoba–fried noodles!–and ginger. Operating as both a dessert and a potential meal depending on your mood, the fruit sandwich is another common Japanese sandwich. Fresh-cut fruit is layered in bread with a yogurt cream.

Panko refers not to a sandwich-like treat but to a form of breading. Panko is a popular coating for fried meats, seafood, and vegetables. Panko is a lighter, crisper texture than other Western breading. This is unsurprising due the fact that Japanese bread tastes different than Western bread.

When you order a hamburger, you have to make sure that you’re in an American-style restaurant if you’re looking for a hamburger on a bun. Most Japanese hamburgers are served as patties on plates without bread. Until about the 1970s, foreigners in Japan looking to make hamburgers had a hard time finding hamburger buns!

Have you ever tried Japanese pan? Do you prefer the dessert breads or the meal breads? Do you like hamburgers without buns?

All Posts / Culture / Customs — No Comments
17
Jun 11

Common Japanese Superstitions

Knock on wood, don’t open an umbrella indoors… All cultures have superstitions and the Japanese are no exception. If you spend time in Japan or even if you just watch Japanese TV shows and movies, you may notice a few superstitions that aren’t familiar to you. Of course, like with most people, most Japanese take these superstitions with a grain of salt.

Sneezing: In the West, you may have heard the superstition that when your ears ring, someone is talking about you. In Japan, a similar superstition is that when you sneeze, someone is talking about you. If you’re like most people, you tend to sneeze more than you suffer from ringing ears, so perhaps a lot of Japanese people are talking about you!

Floating tea stalk: Tea is important to traditional Japanese culture. Traditionally, tea is brewed with tea leaves. One Japanese superstition says that if you notice a green tea stalk floating vertically upright in your cup, you will enjoy good luck.

Upset catfish: In some areas of Japan, a long-standing superstition dictated that when catfish began acting strangely, an earthquake would soon follow. Ancient Japanese who came up with this superstition may have been on to something; some scientists believe that the fish act strangely due to their ability to sense the changes in the earth before humans. However, long before scientific research, the Japanese used to believe the catfish caused the earthquakes! (One particular large catfish, the Namazu, was to blame.) You’ll notice catfish associated with earthquakes even today; the early earthquake warning symbol includes a catfish.

Death and four: In Japanese, the word for death is “shi.” One pronunciation of the number four is also “shi.” So rather than being afraid of the number thirteen, the Japanese are leery of the number four. Some buildings, like hotels and apartment complexes, avoid having a floor or a room numbered four (whether it’s truly the fourth floor or room or not). The dislike for four extends into basic parts of Japanese life, too. For example, when you give someone a gift, make sure it’s not four of an item. (Fruit, dining ware, etc.)

Have you ever encountered these Japanese superstitions? What other Japanese superstitions do you know?

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10
Jun 11

Ueno: Museums, a Park and a Zoo

In the east area of Tokyo, another of Tokyo’s wards, Taitou, is home to Ueno, a famous destination for tourists and Japanese culture enthusiasts alike. Ueno Park is one hotspot in the area that houses quite a few of Ueno’s biggest attractions.

There’s the Ueno Zoo, a 35-acre area. Opened in 1882, Ueno Zoo is Japan’s oldest zoo and is also home to the country’s first monorail, which you can ride to get around the zoo. Almost 500 species of animals–a total of around 2600 animals–call Ueno Zoo home. Their most popular animals include two giant pandas who arrived in February of this year.

Also in Ueno Park are three museums: The National Science Museum, Tokyo National Museum, and the National Museum of Western Art. The National Science Museum is ideal for science enthusiasts and people who love to see the progression of technology over time. The museum houses exhibits from pre-Meiji-era Japan as well as from modern times. The Tokyo National Museum is the oldest museum in the country and has been open since 1872. The museum focuses on Japan’s history and culture through ancient artifiacts and art. The National Museum of Western Art is newer; it’s been around since 1959. The museum remains the country’s only national museum that houses only foreign Western art from Europe. You’ll find works by artists such as Monet, Van Gogh, and Picasso at the museum.

Ueno also houses many buildings in traditional Japanese architecture, such as Buddhist temples like Bentendo and a Shinto Shrine called Toshogu.  A famous temple during the Tokugawa shogunate, Kaneiji, resides in Ueno Zoo. There are a number of ponds within the park as well, including the famous Shinobazu Pond. The Shinobazu Pond is featured in many works of art. Part of the Shinobazu Pond is called “the Lotus Pond.” So many lotuses grow in that area, that you can hardly see the water at times.

Many of Japan’s homeless congregate in Ueno, particularly around the ponds.

Have you ever been to Ueno? Which part of Ueno would you be most interested in seeing?

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3
Jun 11

Japanese Swear Words and Insults (Explicit Content–in Japanese!)

Japanese "gals" -- tough girls -- may not be afraid to swear!

As we’ve discussed in previous entries, politeness and courtesy is extremely important in Japanese culture. Just not speaking to someone with the correct conjugation of verbs could prove a bit disrespectful, depending on the context. However, to swear to someone is even more disrespectful. Cursing at Japanese speakers is not recommended. Nonetheless, your curiosity may prompt you to seek out swear words in the Japanese language. You’re also likely to hear these words in Japanese movies or TV shows, depending on the content. Or you could overhear a Japanese speaker swearing and be wondering what they’re saying!

Be warned–don’t use these swear words if you wouldn’t use swear words in your own language!

There’s a number of polite to casual ways of addressing someone as “you.” Read more here. Extremely impolite ways–as insulting as if you were swearing them–to say “you” include:

Teme = Often translated as “you b*tch or bastard”; a high-level insult, but not the most extreme.

Kisama = The highest level of insult, as bad as calling someone a “mother f***er”; strangely, the literal translation is “your honorable self”, but the intent is meant sarcastically.

The following words can be used to address or refer to people:

Baka = “Idiot/dummy”; the least insulting insult that you may hear even children call one another. However, in some areas of Japan, “baka” is a level more insulting than “aho.”

Aho = “A**hole” or “idiot”; more insulting than “baka” in most areas of Japan.

Bakayarou = One degree more insulting than “baka” alone, but the meaning is the same. Perhaps “moron” is a better translation.

Konoyarou = “This moron”; moderately high-level of insult.

Kusoyarou = A high-level “moron” insult; literally refers to feces and a hole…

Ketsunoana = “A**hole” (literally)

Busu = “Ugly” (for women)

Swear words to say aloud in a frustrating situation (in which you don’t mind being rude) include:

Shimatta! = “S**t!”

Kuso! = “Damn it!”

Urusai/Urusei/Damare! = “Shut up!”

Chikusho = “S**t!” or “F**k!”

Fakku! = The Japanese pronunciation of “F**k!”

Shine! = Literally “Die!” Used more often in Japanese than in English, perhaps, to basically say “F**k you!”

You’ll find quite a few more vulgar insults as well, but this serves as a good introductory course!

Can you imagine ever using these swear words? (I hope not!) Have you heard these swear words before? In what context?