MURAKAMI 2020 DIARY GIVEAWAY COMPETITION

This competition is now closed. The winner is Ramses Cabello from Denmark!

 

It’s time for another giveaway competition!! I will send one lucky winner the oh-so-stylish MURAKAMI 2020 DIARY!

Murakami diary

All you need to do for a chance to win is to leave a reply in the comments section below with the title of your favourite Haruki Murakami book and I’ll choose a winner on Tuesday, 28 January 2020!

If you’re reading this and thinking about entering this competition I guess you’re a fan of Haruki Murakami, Japanese culture or just gorgeous diaries. Whatever your motive, you’re going to love this Murakami diary designed by book designer Rosie Palmer and Suzanne Dean, the Creative Director at Vintage Publishing.

The highlight of this diary really is the design and artwork on the cover and throughout. I’m sure I’m not the only person who appreciates Murakami’s book covers (and his writing, of course). I’m always waiting impatiently for the book cover release whenever a new novel is announced. They’re always very modern and really clever in their approach. Well, this diary is a culmination of those superb book covers and so much more. Inside, the months are written in English and Japanese (e.g. January 一月) and the days of the week are on the left. The covers, book quotes, Japanese calligraphy, and unique artwork inspired by Murakami are mostly on the right and it’s all of this artwork that will have you flicking through the pages over and over again. For me, the seasonal colours and patterns on the pages seem reminiscent of the sumptuous Japanese textiles featured on kimonos from the Edo period.

This diary is not just beautifully crafted, it will fit easily into a large handbag and it’s slim enough not to take up too much room beside your textbooks in your backpack. The hardcover has a soft, velvety finish. The paper inside is the perfect thickness. There’s a long red ribbon bookmark so you can find your place easily and you’re never going to forget Japanese national holidays, seasonal days, and festivals like Golden Week or the hina-matsuri Doll’s Festival thanks to the reminders.

If you want to find out more about Haruki Murakami, the author and his books, head over to Books on Asia for top reviews and an interview with Lena Baibikov, a Murakami non-fiction translator.

 

My First Article for The Japan Times and Our Holiday in the Caribbean

November and December were busy but relaxing months for my husband and me. I know this sounds like a contradiction but let me explain: we celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary with two weeks in the Caribbean staying at the Grand Palladium Lady Hamilton Resort and Spa in beautiful, balmy Jamaica, I read all five books in the new Vintage Japanese Classics series, and I submitted my first article to The Japan Times.

Jamaica 20

Jamaica 4

As you may already know, two of my great passions in life are reading and writing Japan-related fiction and non-fiction and I’ve always wanted to write for The Japan Times. When I lived in Tokyo, this English-language newspaper gave me access to breaking news in Japan and overseas. I could look up local and national information on cultural events and entertainment and get the latest on where to go and what to do.

When I first lived in Tokyo, I read The Japan Times every morning on the train when I was going to job interviews and later on when my life was more settled on my way to work. This newspaper was (and still is) full of interesting articles and essential information for gaijin (Westerners) like me, but at that time it offered so much more. Every Monday, there were several pages dedicated to employment opportunities and it was through The Japan Times I was able to find the perfect job as an English teacher and a lovely place to live in Setagaya ward in central Tokyo with free rent and no utility bills to pay! For this reason, The Japan Times will always hold a special place in my heart because it was this paper that was able to help me and give me security at a time when my Japanese language skills were limited and I didn’t have a lot of Japanese friends. Even today, you can find lots of job vacancies in a variety of fields if you do an online search at The Japan Times.

You can imagine how blessed I felt when The Japan Times gave me the opportunity to write a review of the new Vintage Japanese Classics series. Here’s a snippet of the review published in the print edition of The Japan Times on December 29, 2019. The full review is also available now to read online at The Japan Times.

Japan Times Review faded

Review of ‘The Memory Police’ by Yōko Ogawa for Books on Asia

The Memory Police by Yōko Ogawa (translated by Stephen Snyder)

MemoryPolice

(Pantheon, Random House August 13, 2019)

This internationally-acclaimed writer transports you to a disturbing dystopian island where everyone and everything gradually disappears, leaving its vulnerable inhabitants at the mercy of a terrifying totalitarian regime.

Imagine, if you will, waking up knowing something seems strange, eerie and definitely off, but you’re not sure what’s bothering you. Still unsure a few hours later, you chat with your neighbors and you collectively realize all the bells have been removed from your island, or the ribbons have been removed from drawers, or even worse the birds have disappeared from the sky. Adding to the peculiarity, you don’t feel any emotion, sentimental longing, or nostalgia. It’s as if the bells and ribbons and birds never existed in the first place. Despite your complacency, you know life is a living hell for those unlucky few who still feel attached to anything that has vanished. They hide away knowing they’ll be hunted down by the Memory Police and removed from society for remembering the value of anything that dematerializes. This is the premise of Yōko Ogawa’s latest book, originally published in Japanese in 1994, and now expertly translated into English by Stephen Snyder.

Ogawa has won nearly every literary prize Japan has to offer and her popularity is up there with Haruki Murakami thanks to her gentle prose, the detailed portrayal of her characters, and gripping plots which are written with conviction and precision. Fans of Murakami will see similarities in Ogawa’s writing style and the way she interweaves fantasy with reality but they’ll also appreciate her softer and more delicate approach. Onion skins are described as butterfly wings and the finger nails on a child are likened to flower petals as they flutter to the floor, soft and transparent. . . .

Read the full review on Books on Asia

18 Delicious Dishes to Order at An Izakaya and Why You Have to Dine at These Gastropubs When You’re in Japan

Most people travelling to Japan want to experience the real deal but what is one of the best ways to find out what Japanese people are really like?

All you have to do is eat at an izakaya, a type of Japanese gastropub!

The 18 delicious dishes you can try at an izakaya are at the end of this guide so if you’ve been to an izakaya and you know the drill then scroll down to see all the dishes and food images.

If you live in Japan, you’re already fully aware of the fact Japanese people are difficult to get to know, especially in the big cities like Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto, and they are on the most part orderly, restrained, polite, patient, and usually perfectionists during the day (well, most of the day when they’re not squeezing themselves into packed trains 😊). But when night falls and the working day finishes, thousands of Japanese people go out for drinks and a tasty meal with colleagues, clients, and friends and an izakaya is a popular choice for delicious food, cheap drinks, and lots of laughs.

Izakaya 2

There are over 100,000 izakaya in Japan and they can get a bit rowdy but sometimes people start chatting with strangers sitting next to them and everyone is usually in a good mood so this is an ideal place to dine if you’re visiting Japan for the first time and you want to get to know Japanese people a bit better without breaking the bank. It’s not a place to get messy though. Don’t get too raucous and remember everyone is still respectful, even when they’re highly intoxicated.

It’s easy to spot an izakaya because they often have a red lantern on the outside. Inside, it’s common to see a straight counter where you can sit and chat with the proprietor and staff, and behind this about five or six tables for couples and groups to sit down. Some izakaya also have a u-shaped counter which is popular with anyone eating alone because you can easily get the staff members’ attention and watch everyone around you without being conspicuous.

In some izakaya you’ll be able to sit on tatami mats or dine from low tables and more recently private rooms have become available in some establishments, catering for two or three people or groups because they’ve recognized the fact some people want to speak privately and don’t want to be overheard. Sometimes the tables and chairs even spill out onto the footpaths and this is the perfect place to sit on warmer nights. If you’re in the mood to eat or drink a lot then look out for the all you can eat (tabe-hōdai) and the all you can drink (nomi-hōdai) izakaya.

Izakaya 3

A lot of izakaya have an intimate feel and the food can be seasonal and usually tastes homemade so you could describe these restaurants as quintessentially Japanese. Izakaya remind the locals of the post-war years and the Showa era.

izakaya

At some izakaya each dish is written in Japanese on strips of paper or wooden boards above the counter but don’t worry if you can’t speak the language because many izakaya now have digital menus with an English language option and if they don’t just check out my list of delicious dishes below and ask for those! Also, don’t be afraid to ask other patrons if they speak English so they can help you. Many Japanese people, especially in the big cities, speak at least a little English and they’ll be more than happy to offer some suggestions.

menu izakaya

The word “izakaya” is made up of these kanji or Japanese characters: 居酒屋.
居 means “stay” or “dwelling”, 酒 means “alcohol,” and 屋 means “room” or “shop” so you can see how the word izakaya was formed.

You may have to take off your shoes at the entrance to an izakaya and put them in a locker so make sure you’re always wearing clean socks with no holes when you’re in Japan. The first thing you’re most likely to be asked before you sit down is how many people are in your party and you can tell them this by indicating the answer with your fingers just like Japanese people do. If there are a lot of people say the number in English slowly and you should be understood.

When you sit down you may be given an oshibori, a wet towel you unroll to clean your hands. This towel is cold in summer and warm in winter. You’ll also be served an appetizer or otōshi お通し(also called tsukidashi 突き出し in Kansai, West Japan). Edamame (boiled or steamed soybeans served salted) are a popular appetizer but you could also get a house special. You should never tip in Japan but you may be asked to pay a table charge called otōshidai (お通し代) or sekiryō (席料) to cover the cost of the appetizer and service. If it’s not busy at the izakaya then stay as long as you want but don’t stay longer than two hours if other people are waiting for a table.

edamame

otoshi

If you want to order just say “Sumimasen” (Excuse me) really loudly. I’ll break that into syllables for you: “Su-mi-ma-sen”. When you’ve had a few drinks, you’ll find this easier to do. You’ll also hear everyone else saying it when they want to order.

You can enjoy all sorts of alcoholic drinks at an izakaya. This includes Western drinks like beer, wine, cocktails, and Whisky but you should try some of the Japanese drinks like sake (served warm in winter and cold in summer), umeshu (plum wine), chuhai (a mixture of shōchū, a Japanese distilled beverage with an alcohol content of about 25%, and soda water. A lemon or lime wedge is added for flavour), or a sour mix with fruit juices added to shōchū.

It’s the custom to pour drinks for each other so give it a go! Don’t be surprised if the waitress pours your Japanese sake into a glass balancing in a wooden box. She’ll fill it to the brim until it flows over into the wooden box and this symbolizes prosperity and generosity. Take a few sips from the glass and pour the sake in the wooden box back into the glass for good manners. Don’t drink from the wooden box.

sake

Check out the 18 delicious dishes below. These suggestions appear on most izakaya menus so savor each dish and fill up your belly until you’re completely satisfied. When you’re ready to pay here’s what you need to say when you have to ask for the bill: Call out “Sumimasen” (Excuse me) just like you did when you wanted to order and “Okanjō onegai shimasu!” お勘定お願いします (“Cheque please!”).

An izakaya is always very inviting. You won’t feel uncomfortable eating here, even if you’re by yourself. You’ll also discover the true feeling of omotenashi or Japanese hospitality here – not just from the people working at the izakaya but also the other customers who always make sure everyone else feels welcome, including you. It really is one of the best places to see the real Japan, a great place to people watch, and you’ll learn a lot about the culture and the Japanese people here.

Some izakaya offer entertainment with live music, others offer rakugo (traditional storytelling) performances to watch while you eat, some serve regional food, some are relaxed, and some are formal and a lot more expensive. You can usually get a feel for what kind of place it is and whether it’s a pricey establishment just by looking through the window or past the entrance.

TimeOut Tokyo has a great list of places where you can find lots of popular izakaya in Omoide Yokocho in Shinjuku and Nonbei Yokocho in Shibuya.

You have a huge choice of food in many izakaya and it’s best to order a lot of small dishes just like Spanish tapas. Some of these gastropubs only serve one specialty food like yakitori (grilled chicken on skewers) but most izakaya offer a wide variety of dishes. Below is a list of my favourites. All of these dishes should appeal to most Westerners even if they haven’t eaten a lot of Japanese food in the past.

1. Yakitori (焼き鳥) — grilled chicken on skewers

yakitori

2. Tempura (天ぷら) — seafood or vegetables that have been lightly battered and deep fried

tempura

3. Yakisoba (焼きそば) — Japanese noodle stir-fry dish

yakisoba

4. Sashimi (刺身) — thinly sliced fresh raw fish or meat often eaten with soy sauce and a little bit of wasabi horseradish

sashimi

5. Korokke (コロッケ) — deep-fried dish originally related to the croquette, a French dish

croquette

6. Karaage (から揚げ) — Chinese inspired fried chicken. Really delicious if you squeeze a dash of lemon juice on this and dip it in Kewpie mayonnaise. A very popular dish with Westerners

karaage

7. Gyōza (餃子) — dumplings filled with ground meat and vegetables and wrapped in a thin dough

gyoza

8. Tamagoyaki (玉子焼き) — a sweetened Japanese rolled egg omelette

tamogoyaki

9. Agedashi dōfu (揚げ出し豆腐) — crispy deep fried tofu served in a tsuyu sauce with grated radish, spring onion, and/or bonito flakes as toppings

agedashi dofu

10. Horenso no goma-ae (ほうれん草の胡麻和え) — Japanese spinach salad with sesame dressing

horenso

11. Yakizakana (焼き魚 or やきざかな) — grilled fish

grilled fish

12. Nasu Dengaku (なす でんがく) — miso glazed eggplant/aubergine

nasudengaku

13. Tsukemono (漬物) — pickles

tsukemono

14. Tebasaki (手羽先) — deep-fried chicken wingtips with a spicy glaze, popular in Nagoya

tebasaki

15. Gratin (グラタン) — a creamy dish topped with cheese and breadcrumbs that originated in France

gratin

16. Pizza (ピザ) — you know this one, don’t you!

pizza

17. Ochazuke (お茶漬け) — a simple rice dish which combines green tea (ocha), steamed rice, and an assortment of savory ingredients. Usually served at the end of the izakaya meal

ochazuke

18. Matcha aisu (抹茶アイスクリーム) — green tea ice-cream. Don’t knock it until you try it. It’s really refreshing at the end of a big dinner.

matcha icecream