Celebrating the Olympic Games with a marathon of its own, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre will present all thirty-seven Shakespeare plays, each performed by a different theatre company, in a different language, over six ...
Spotlight
JC Sushi Academy is Back: Cooking Classes for Everyone
Ever wondered “how do I do that?!” at a Japanese restaurant? JC ...
Japancentre.com Has Had a Revamp! Come and Check it Out!
Phew, it’s been a long time coming, but we are finally able ...
Latest News
Free Tasting Weekend at Westfield Stratford
Ittadakimasu!
Last week umai Westfield Stratford held a cool pop up stand with exclusive manga goodies, this week our second stand alone store located in the bustling Westfield mall is holding a free tasting event on Friday 4th and Sat 6th May 12pm – 6pm.
Pop-Up Store at Westfield Stratford!
NIHON POP CULTURE POP-UP!
There’s some pretty cool things going on at umai by Japan Centre Westfield Stratford City. Our second stand alone store located in the bustling Westfield mall houses all your favourite Japan Centre goodies as well as a special central umai deli area where you can pick up fresh sashimi and sushi, hot from the pan tempura and of course our latest Japanese burgers!
Inside Japan Centre! Taste Testing
To many people Japan Centre is the busy food shop and Japanese deli counter in the centre of Piccadilly Circus, but to the Online Team our home is a bustling warehouse in North Acton. It’s here we update our website, prepare and send out all of the online orders we receive, as well as bake the delicious Japanese bread for the bakery and deliver products to our stores. It’s also where we taste test. Taste testing is a lengthy but (as you can imagine) enjoyable job, so we thought we’d let you guys have a little look at how we bring the best of Japan to you.
Easter Holiday Schedule
Easter is here!
Want some tasty treats delivered to your door or to pop in for a bite to eat over Easter? Check out our Easter opening schedule to make sure nothing stands in the way of great food from Japan Centre this holiday!
Read More…
Student Discount at Japan Centre and umai!
Ahh I remember my student days fondly. Lots of parties, lots of drinking and lots of sleeping. Unfortunately though, not a lot of money. This is why Japan Centre is here to help and support you! We know how daunting it can be thinking about how much you have left to spend on proper food instead of that 8p pack of instant noodles or yet another week’s worth of pasta… so we’ve introduced a student discount!
Bloomin’ Marvelous
While spring has not quite yet sprung in the UK, we at Japan Centre find our thoughts once more turning to sakura mochi, sakura shochu and yards and yards of blue tarps; a sure sign that Hanami is just around the corner.
What is Hanami?
Hanami is a very ancient tradition, dating as far back as the 700s when people would have ‘flower parties’ and feast outside, composing odes about their beautiful surroundings. These days Hanami parties are almost exclusively cherry blossom viewing parties and can range from informal family picnics to massive outdoor raves.
March to May is prime Hanami time in Japan as the ‘sakura front’ of blooming cherry blossom crosses the country, starting in warm and sunny Okinawa ’till it eventually makes its way to the slightly cooler climbs of Hokkaido in the north. But you don’t have to go to all the way to Japan for a great Hanami. So get ready and grab your picnic basket, here are our top tips on where to go and how to make the most of your Hanami!
Read More…
umai Westfield: Happy 6 Month Anniversary!
Well look at that, time’s flown by and umai by Japan Centre Westfield Stratford City is already celebrating its 6 month anniversary! Our Westfield branch is a beautiful little place, selling a fantastic selection of both umai deli take-out and all your favourite staple Japanese cooking ingredients! We’ve enjoyed meeting our East London customers and hope you’ve enjoyed your umai by Japan Centre shopping experience too!
Spring Menu Explosion!
Spring always heralds the start of something new, at Japan Centre we’ve been bitten by the spring bug and have what can only be described as a taste explosion under way! During March both Toku Restaurant and umai deli have introduced some awesome new dishes for you to grab on the go during your lunchbreak, or enjoy as you relax with friends and family in the afternoon and evening. Read on for more…
TOP 5: Super Gourmet Japanese Food
I remember being slightly disappointed when I first arrived in Japan and thinking “Huh, you mean Japanese people don’t eat sushi every day?” Of course I realised after that it would be the same as thinking British people only ever eat fish and chips and scones every day! Despite sushi being one of my main reasons for being interested in Japan, it took another week or two after arriving before I even had a chance to eat some. The reason was because Japanese cuisine is so much more than just raw fish… there is a huge variety of amazing Japanese food, including some of the world’s most super gourmet foods.
Continuing on from our Top 5: Weirdest Japanese Food, follow Japan Centre as we check out our Top 5: Super Gourmet Japanese Food.
Supporting Japan One Year On: Community Events
On 11th March 2012 it will be exactly one year since the devastating earthquake and tsunami destroyed part of Tohoku, north-east Japan. This event changed people’s lives in just one moment and resulted in large scale loss of lives, with many others displaced and made homeless. Last year Japan Centre and our generous customers donated over £26,000 to the relief effort helping those effected get back on their feet.
Showing our support
To mark the 1st Anniversary of this tragic event, over 2 weeks from March 5th – 18th Japan Centre in conjunction with JFC (UK) Ltd will be holding an online fundraising food event called Japan Aid: Cook for Japan!
During this event you can support Japan through your love of cooking buy purchasing items bearing the Japan Aid logo. Proceeds from this will be donated to the Hatachi Fund, a charity which supports surviving children of the earthquake and tsunami by offering financial, educational and emotional support until the age of 20 (in Japan 20 ‘hatachi‘ is the age where people reach maturity).
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Japan Centre | Hannah: A winner has been chosen, please check your facebo...
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Hazel Christopher: Masi Oka - he's a brilliant actor. Love him on Her...
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Colum: I really enjoyed Kamome Shokudo. It is set in Hel...
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C Thomas: My favourite Japanese film is Grave of The Firefli...
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Yuki: My husband and my favourite are always comedies. T...
- The Ozu Collection on DVD and Blu-ray + COMPETITION
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COMPETITION: Hyper Japan is Back for 2012… And We Have Tickets To Give Away Again!
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COMPETITION: Win a set of Japanese Films on DVD
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COMPETITION: Win a Japanese Pop Culture Snack Set!
- COMPETITION: “The Centaur and the Animal” Sadler’s Wells Theatre Tickets! *CLOSED*
