What is “karaoke”?
カラオケ “karaoke” Karaoke is a compound term consisting of kara, which means “empty”, and oke, which is short for “orchestra.” It has become popular now all over the world. In karaoke, people sing along to music from which the vocals have been deleted. The song lyrics are displayed on a video monitor. Karaoke rooms, where people […]
Japanese Value Societal Harmony and Fitting One’s Role
Japanese Value Societal Harmony and Fitting One’s Role Japanese value societal harmony. Every person should fit their appropriate role. This is more important than individual freedom of choice. In Japan, there is a strong sense of what are appropriate activities according to a person’s age and gender. In business, the typical Japanese career lifecycle is […]
What is Hayashi Rice? Was a Mr. Hayashi the First Person to Make Hayashi Rice?
A Couple of Theories Behind the Invention of Hayashi Rice Hayashi rice (hashed beef rice) is prepared by simmering sauteed beef and onion in a demiglace and tomato sauce or demiglace and red wine sauce and ladling this over rice in the same way as curry rice. There are various theories about the origin of […]
Mizkan’s Ajipon and Its History
Mizkan’s Ajipon It is said that vinegar is the oldest flavoring created by human beings. It was brought to Japan from China during the period of Emperor Ojin (360 to 404). More than 200 years ago, Mizkan succeeded in producing vinegar using the lees of sake (rice wine) for the first time in the world. […]
Stephane Danton: A French takes on Japanese tea
A French takes on Japanese tea Frenchman Stephane Danton is trying to remake Japanese attitudes to tea. That might seem a little presumptuous. After all, Japan has turned drinking tea into an art form, and surely needs little help from a Westerner to understand its national drink. Well, maybe. Danton, 44, persuasively argues that the […]
Turning Agriculture into Industry— Rising Above Environmental Dependence
Plant Factories – Their Potential for Improving Food Availability Within Agricultural Industrialization & Constraint of Resources Developments involving the industrialization of agriculture are again showing new life. New production systems called “factory production” or “plant factories” are becoming established as heightened consumer concerns about food safety and security add to the background of increased instability […]
What is "Omiai" in Japan?
見合い “miai” Miai is the first formal meeting between a man and a woman who are seeking marriage partners. A go-between arranges the miai and fixes the date and place. The man and woman later report their impressions of the other indirectly through that person. A marriage arranged through miai is called miai-kekkon (an arranged marriage). […]
Successful Small Talk in Japan and “Nominication”
Small talk with customers is a great way to break the ice and get to know one another. It provides a lubricant for the give-and-take of the sales negotiation. Unfortunately the wrong topic can upset Japanese customers and make the negotiation harder, not easier. No matter where you go in the world, doing business is […]
Manga is not only for kids but adults in Japan
Scattered around my living room bookshelf, my bathroom and even on my dining table are essay collections about life on a dairy farm in Hokkaido, being a poor but well-fed student in Italy and the awkward social skills of “technie” engineers. Comical, heartwarming and sometimes provocative essays about unique experiences are written in most languages. […]
The Reason Tuna Rolled Sushi Is Called Tekkamaki or Gamblers’ Roll
Tekkamaki is sliced raw tuna rolled in vinegared rice (sushi rice) and dried seaweed. As known by the words tekka-ba (gaming room) and tekka-hada (hot-tempered personality), the word tekka refers to a gambler. Although sushi and gamblers are a strange association, it is surprising that tekkamaki came about because of them. Japanese playing cards hana-fuda […]