March 2012 Archives

Are there skating rinks in your town?

In Japan, cities have skating rinks.
These rinks are mostly used as indoor swimming pools during summer, and as skating rinks in winter only, and many people at all age use them.


I had taken lessons of skating in my childhood.
Children like me are usual, (but basically girls are).
Some people take lessons of skating, and other people do skating as a hobby or sport.

The total fee includes an admission fee and the rental fee of a pair of skates is about \1800.
Children pay half the price.
Is it a little bit expensive? , even Japanese think so.
But, it can't be helped.
Because the management fee of the skate rink costs a lot of money.

There is the place for renting a pair of skates, entering into the facility after buying a ticket, and then, you ask the employee to borrow them of own size.

Change your shoes into a pair of skates in the locker room.
The facility is used as a swimming pool during summer, and this place is also used to change the clothes for the same reason.

Well, let's go to the rink.
I love this moment from my childhood upward.

The facility has two ice rinks, large and small.
Though those rinks were not crowded because of a weekday before noon, many families and couples dating come here during a weekend, and the rinks become be crowded.

The man wearing blue jacket on an above picture is a staff of the skate rink.
Actually, there are other staffs except him, and they skate and circle on the rink like a lifeguard.
They asked some people who can't skate if they need their help.
And, they also teach you how to skate if you ask them.
Of course, it is only a few minutes, but it is quite helpful.

My daughter became a little bit better skater with their help, too.
She likes Mao Asada who is a Japanese skater, very much.
In Japan, skating has been popular from old years though, especially the resent years, skating becomes very popular because of the activity of young Japanese skater.

Some kids who learn skating seriously skated on the rink.

By the way,
An ice rink gradually gets many lines and holes, because many people skate on the rink and shave ice of it.
Then a staff keeps a rink in good condition with a special vehicle like a below picture a few times a day.
First, shave the surface of a rink, and next, sprinkle water on ice.
Then, the new layer of ice will be made.
This work takes about 20 minutes though; you will feel great to skate on the rink whose maintenance of ice was just finished!

When I saw the rink and I found a message in Japanese; that means「Fight! Japan!」
I realized that such a message was hidden even here.

I make miso every year and every this season.
Then miso which I made yesterday is this.↑
Miso is made of soybean, rice, koji, and salt.
An episode that tells about making miso is this link.

It is white color because it is just made now.
But, it becomes brown in a half year, because it will be fermented by koji.
Then I will be able to eat it.
Koji is a kind of bacteria which human beings have utilized from old times, and it is living!

This picture shows koji on rice.↑
Koji is sold at koji shop, and this operation is also conducted by the workers at the shop. When I went to the small shop, it was very crowded.
The moment I thought why (It is rude), I became aware of the reason.  
Now, the thing called Salt Koji is very popular.

Salt Koji is the seasoning made of salt, koji, and water.
It has been the boom, since it was broadcasted. 

Salt Koji can be easily made on your own if you get koji.
When it is finished, Salt Koji is put on meat and vegetables, and then they are grilled.
I heard that koji made food more nutritious, and tastier.
The efficacies of Salt Koji is skin enhancement, intestinal disorders control, and increase in immune strength etc...
Only replacing salt with Salt Koji in case of using salt may be more effective to your bodies.

So....I did.

I Mixed koji, salt and let them ferment for about a week.
In about two days, it may be completed.
Though, it looks same as this.

I feel it's fun to keep and watch bacteria.

I have another bacterium.
It's a bacterium for making yoghurt.

It's named Yoghurt of the Caspian Sea, and the bacteria of yoghurt can be cultured easily.
It becomes yoghurt in a day after being put the bacteria into milk.
I have made yoghurt by this method many times for three years, because I put the rest of previous yoghurt into milk repeatedly.
My intestine has been working well since I started eating the yoghurt!
Though Yoghurt of the Caspian Sea has been known in Japan since 10 years before, did you know it?  

Gee～、
This is the second bacteria of our family.
Bacteria, bacteria, bacteria!
It's fun living with those bacteria.

Well, I found an article about that "A drink named KOMBUCHA is popular among people who well care about own health."  in the paper.
If Japanese hear the name, they find it's a strange name.
Because it must be a Japanese product's name.
Besides, KOMBUCHA is hot seaweed tea in Japan.
But, in point of fact, the drink is KOUCHAKINOKO that was popular as a health drink in Japan.
The drink is a fermented drink that can be cultivated at home, too.
It might be a big mistake that it is named so, but people may have discovered new merits in bacteria worldwide.



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It has been a year since the Great East Japan Earthquake occurred.
I have received many messages from people overseas reading my blog.
I deeply appreciate your support for us.
On the other hand, I think many people care about how about our present life is.

Today, I report the present situation of Japan as just a housewife living in Hamamatsu.

First, yesterday, March 11th, just a year past since the earthquake, the news about the earthquake was reported all over the country not only by the newspapers but also on TV all day.
The ceremonies for the victims died by the earthquake were also held all areas of the country.

The number of deaths and missing people are 20,000. 
I who was living a life as usual got nervous, when it was around 2:46, which was the exact time that the earthquake occurred last year.
Even my daughter said that she wanted to let them know before the arrival of tsunami, if she could time travel a year before.
It is so cruel that nobody can be aware of a tragedy until it occurs.

And yesterday was very cold like just then.
The snow fell unusually in Hamamatsu.
It reminded me of the earthquake because of the weather like that day's.

I have always heard a word "reconstruction" every single day since last year in Japan.
I often see other words,「Cheer up Japan!」,「Ties」,and 「Support」, too.
I feel ties among Japanese have been united because of the earthquake.
But, on the other hand, we have serious problem now.
we cannot manage「rubble」that is left in the areas which were hit by the tsunami.

The total amount of rubble is 22,520,000 tons,
and we only finished about 6.3 % of the disposal.
It's impossible to dispose all locally; therefore, we must transport lots of the rubble to Tokyo or Shizuoka, and other such places to dispose of burning there.
But it is difficult to make plans to do it, because some people don't want to accept it.
The rubble that may includes radioactivity.
That's why they don't want to accept it.

This is a food catalog of co-op I order every week.
After the earthquake, a copy is enclosed with it.

It is an inspection report whether the foods contains radioactive substance or not by coop actively, and the data shows that it is not contained into rice, vegetables, fruits, bean curd, and meet.

When I went to my daughter's elementary school,
a woman who has a child got the teacher to explain whether all ingredients of meals are inspected or not. 
Some people especially care about that kind of things, I think.
I don't mind it. (Because I am concerned about chemicals and food additives not only it.)
As well as the problem about rubble, if Japanese government could show correct information to the public after inspection, and dispel a general feeling of unrest, Japan would be quickly reconstructed.

If a year since the earthquake is compared to be haplessly, sad, and puzzlement, the next year is the time to take a step forward with all Japanese power that they have all.

The current Hinamatsuri season is over.
In Japan, March 3rd  is called 「Momo no Sekku」, and parents who have a girl or girls celebrate her growth in good health.
I introduced the story about it before, please read them ,if you have interest.

Hinamatsuri is an event which is easy to understand , for example, decorating dolls, or singing a song of Hinamatsuri .
Therefore it is generally held at a kindergarten.
And students make the ornament like this.↓↓↓

It's made by my son, and I realized that he's a boy, again.
Because he put his minicar next to the ornament before I noticed.

By the way, as for Hinamatsuri, it reminds me of rape blossoms.
It is a food in season just at that time.

During the season, it is always sold at my sweet spot, where I introduced before in 「unmanned Marche」, too.
So I eat it almost everyday.

The rape blossoms are the plant of the mustard family of the friend of a Japanese radish or a turnip, and the flower buds and the soft leaves are eatable.
Eat flower buds??
Mmm,are broccoli the same as them, I wonder?
But I wonder how is in other countries.
Do you eat any flower buds?

I eat it after parboiling with sour orange-based sauce and dried bonito.
Putting the buds beside a slice of grilled pork is nice, because they're flower.
It is highly nutritious food included such as vitamin, and has bitter sweet taste.

By the way, if it is left untouched, it will have such a flower.↓↓↓

There is a broad expanse of rape blossoms.
In the past, these flowers are planted to extract cooking oil in Japan.
In the season of bloom, many bees flew past each other, and also honey was taken.
A rape field is the scenery that reminds Japanese of nostalgia for old Japan.
Therefore, in these days, it is often planted in the large park of a city or tourist site.

At the same time as rape blossoms,
what makes Japanese become aware of that spring has come is this.↓↓↓

Perhaps, everyone doesn't know it.
This is called"TSUKUSHI", and a fertile of field-horsetail.
Field Horsetail is one of a wild grass grows naturally on a bank and a field.
Tsukushi 's buds are also out in the spring.
Japanese eat them, too!
In my childhood, I picked off a bagful of them with my father at the bank near my home.
Tsukushi is also boiled when people eat it..

I introduced vegetables familiar to Japanese so far.
Then, what is the name of these leaves?↓↓↓

The answer is artichoke.
It is growing up about 1meter now in my garden.
The portion of the flower which can be eaten comes out in early summer.
It is sold in France as a common vegetable, and with canned food, too, you know?
But in Japan, it is quite rare, and people over 90% haven't eaten it yet, I think. 
There's been a bumper crop year after year since I tried to plant it few years before. Because Hamamatsu's climate is warm.
My friends come to my garden are always surprised, and say "What's that?"
Hahaha That's funny～.


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