You know how sometimes you just want to eat something quick and easy? For example, even though that expertly grilled medium rare sirloin steak is some of the most delicious, ...
Spotlight
Japancentre.com Has Had a Revamp! Come and Check it Out!
Phew, it’s been a long time coming, but we are finally able ...
New Customers: Get Free Delivery or 10% Off!
Thanks for checking out Japancentre.com, home to the largest selection of Japanese ...
Latest News
Come Get Some Rice!
Rice is rice, right? Well, when you eat rice three times a day like many Japanese people, differences in aroma, taste and texture become much more noticeable. Even I can taste the difference between a standard variety of rice and its high quality counterpart!
If you are interested in seeing what the difference is between different strains of Japanese rice, be sure to pop along to Japan Centre Regent Street store this weekend for a free sample! We will have a variety of different Japanese rice available which you can try and find out which is the most delicious. We also have a sale on many brands of Japanese rice, so it’s a great chance to stock up on some rice for that sushi party you have been promising for ages! We can even give you some tips on how to cook Japanese sticky rice perfectly at home, as well as adding sushi vinegar so you can use it to create your own sushi.
Where:
Japan Centre
14-16 Lower Regent Street
London
SW1Y 4PH
When:
Friday 27th Jan: 4pm – 7pm
Saturday 28th Jan: 3pm – 7pm
Sunday 29th Jan: 3pm – 7pm
We look forward to seeing you at Japan Centre this weekend!
COMPETITION: Win Tickets to See ‘The Bee’ at Soho Theatre
The Bee is the latest production at Soho Theatre in London from the legendary Japanese playwright Hideki Noda. Famous for bringing Japanese plays to a larger international audience, Noda’s work has a contemporary style with a unique Japanese touch, making this play a fantastic spectacle that is suitable for everyone!
Japan Centre has a pair of tickets to give away so you can see this show in London and experience Noda’s exciting world of Japanese theatre. Read on for more details of the play and how to win tickets!
Sake Ceremony & Mochi Pounding Events for New Year at Japan Centre
New Year will be soon upon us again and that means it’s time for some traditional Japanese celebrations! New Year, called Shōgatsu in Japanese is one of the most important festivals of the year with plenty of tasty food and drink, as well as a fantastic variety of interesting customs.
If you want to experience some of the fun that happens during the Japanese New Year celebrations, why not join us at Japan Centre and get involved. There’s free samples to be had to make it even more tempting! 
Mochi Pounding
Called mochitsuki in Japanese, mochi pounding is the custom of pounding large amounts of mochi rice into soft, stretchy and sticky mochi! Using a giant hammer and a huge mortar, one person hammers down on the mochi while another person adds water and flips the mochi over in between pounding to stop it from sticking. It is a technique that takes a lot of coordination, but is certainly quite a show to watch.
Want to see some authentic mochi pounding at Japan Centre? Head over to Japan Centre Acton Store and enjoy the spectacle. We will even have some free mochi to give away to anyone who wants to try this authentically made Japanese sweet.
Where: Japan Centre Acton Store
When: Monday 2nd January 2012 | 12pm~ & 3pm~
-
Sake ‘Cask Opening’ Ceremony
Kagami Biraki literally means ‘opening the mirror’ in Japanese and refers to an ancient ritual of opening either a type of mochi, or more recently breaking open a ceremonial cask of sake. This is a common practice which although traditionally done just after New Year, is now popularly done at weddings, opening ceremonies for new businesses and other various special occasions in Japan.
We will be breaking open our very own cask of Gekkeikan sake at both Japan Centre Regent Street Store and Japan Centre Acton Store. It might be a little early for some, but you can also grab a free taste of the sake after the ceremony!
When: Monday 2nd January 2012 | 1pm~
-
We look forward to seeing you at Japan Centre on the 2nd!
COMPETITION: Win a Japanese Pop Culture Snack Set!
There are loads of classic Japanese food items that you always see popping up in anime, manga and Japanese films. Some of these items such as Pocky and Ramune are so ingrained into Japanese pop culture that they are instantly recognisable by everyone. Oh, and they all taste pretty good too!
At Japan Centre, we created a special Japanese foot set containing some of our most popular and famous Japanese snacks. This week, we have one of these sets to give away to a lucky winner. Read on for the full details!
Opening: New Fish & Meat Counter at Japan Centre Acton
BRAND NEW FISH & MEAT COUNTER AT OUR NORTH ACTON STORE
Opening Saturday 10th December Japan Centre Acton members will be able to benefit from our new fresh Fish & Meat Counter, now you can pick up sashimi grade fish and sukiyaki meat at the same time. Open 7 days a week, this counter will stock the best quality fresh fish and meat from Billingsgate and Smithfields markets to create delicious Japanese dishes at home with selected items up to 20% off! What’s more our range of fresh Japanese vegetables will also be expanding to match.
For Goodness Saké: Part II
Ah, sake… delicate, but complex. Sharp, but balanced. Delicious, but deadly! Japan Centre has the best selection of sake in Europe, brush up on your knowledge then choose a sake to get you started on your merry way!
What is Sake?
Sake is a Japanese alcoholic drink made from rice and similar to wine it comes in a huge variety of different grades depending on the quality of rice used, the % the rice is polished (milled), the additional ingredients that are added during the brewing process and even the way it is stored. All these factors can make the difference between a cheap and cheerful sake, or a premium, exclusive sake that can cost hundreds of pounds a bottle. Having been developed alongside Japanese cuisine so that it harmonises with the delicate flavours of Japan’s fish-rich diet, sake is a perfect accompaniement to any Japanese meal and should be drunk in unison to complete you Japanese dining experience.
Keep reading for a quick tour of the different types of sake available.
First, a Little Background of Sake & The Brewing Process
Sake is made from rice that is fermented with koji, a type of mould, then mixed with pure water to create our favourite tipple! Being a rice wine, the variety and preparation of the rice is paramount to creating a high quality, delicious tasting sake.
The first important step is to to remove the outer layer of rice bran and oils to get to the starchy centre of the rice grain. The rice is milled or polished to a different amount depending on the sake being brewed. This can range from polishing away 30% for a standard sake to 50% for a premium sake.
After the rice has completed fermenting and the liquids are separated, some varieties of sake receive a type of distilled alcohol to help extract the delicate flavour and aromas. They are then filtered to remove any excess solids and pasteurised before being bottled and consumed.
So, What Are The Different Varieties of Sake?
Futsu-shu
Futsu-shu is the standard basic type of sake. It is often considered a table sake, something easy to drink on any occasion. It contains a large amount of distilled alcohol added after fermentation and is not considered one of the premium types of sake. That being said, there are many types of futsu-shu sake that are quite delicious!
Check our range of Futsu-shu sake at Japan Centre Online
Honjozo
Honjozo is the beginning of the more premium classifications of sake. It is made to a high standard with rice polished to below 70% of its original size and also includes a little added distilled alcohol.
Check our range of Honjozo sake at Japan Centre Online
Junmai
Junmai is similar to Honjozo in the type of ingredients and preparation with the exception of added distilled alcohol which is absent in Junmai. This gives junmai a pure, clean taste.
Check our range of Junmai sake at Japan Centre Online
Tokubetsu
Tokubetsu means ‘special’ in Japanese and is applied to both Honjozo and Junmai types of sake. Tokubetsu sake uses higher quality rice which is often polished to less than 60% of its original size. Distilled alcohol is then added for Tokubetsu Honjozo or left out for Tokubetsu Junmai.
Check our range of Tokubetsu sake at Japan Centre Online
Ginjo
Ginjo is the next grade up from Tokubetsu and uses excellent quality ingredients for a full flavoured taste and aroma. As before, Ginjo sake can have distilled alcohol added, or can be a Junmai Ginjo if none is added.
Check our range of Ginjo sake at Japan Centre Online
Daiginjo
Daiginjo is the highest quality sake you can find and uses rice grains that are polished to less than 50% for a light, complex and fragrant taste. Again distilled alcohol is added to normal Daiginjo and the purer Junmai Daiginjo contains none.
Check our range of Daiginjo sake at Japan Centre Online
Other Sake Varieties
Sake can come in other variants apart from the ones detailed above such as Namazake, an unpasteurised sake, Nigori Sake, which is left unfiltered to give it a cloudy appearance and Taru Sake, a variety that is aged in wooden casks made from sugi, a Japanese cedar which gives it an earthy, natural flavour and aroma.
Japan Centre has one of the largest selections of authentic Japanese sake in Europe so head on over to our website and browse all the types of sake we have available. A bottle of sake makes a great gift for any friends or family who claim they already have everything they want! After all, everyone loves a delicious drink!
Free Sake Tasting at Japan Centre – Saturday 3rd Dec 2011
Come & Try Some Top Quality Sake
Sake comes in a huge amount of different varieties depending on the rice used, the rice polishing ratio and a whole host of other small changes. Right at the top of the sake quality table is Junmai Daiginjo. This is the best quality sake that uses the purest rice and contains no added distilled alcohol like some other types of sake.
If you want to see why Junami Daiginjo tastes so much better than other types of sake, come to Japan Centre on Saturday 3rd December and try it for yourself.
What: Free sake tasting with two varieties from Asahi Shuzo in Yamaguchi prefecture. Dassai Junmai Daiginjo Niwarisanbu & Dassai Junmai Daiginjo Fifty.
When: Saturday December 3rd 2011 at 1pm until 9pm.
Where: Japan Centre Regent Street.
We hope to see you there!
Japan Centre Online Christmas & New Year Delivery Schedule Plus Store Opening Hours
The Christmas and New Year Rush Begins!
We love doing our Christmas shopping online, but it does mean that we can’t leave it until Christmas Eve to do it all! If you want guaranteed delivery before Christmas from Japan Centre Online there are a few dates to be aware of to make sure that you will receive your order in time for the big day. Please be aware these dates are also for guaranteed delivery before New Year.
JC Sushi Academy is Back: Cooking Classes for Everyone
Ever wondered “how do I do that?!” at a Japanese restaurant? JC Sushi Academy brings you authentic Japanese cooking training in a relaxed environment at Westfield Stratford City, so you can learn the skills to make your favourite Japanese dishes at home.
Japan Centre currently have three dates where you can come and learn the secrets of making delicious, healthy sushi. Each class offers a chance to learn directly from the teacher with plenty of hands on practice. This gives you a chance to master every technique and pick up numerous cooking tips to get the most from your Japanese cooking.
Each class ends with a quick tour around umai by Japan Centre so you can find out more about the different ingredients used in Japanese cooking, as well as have a chance to pick up some kitchen essentials to continue your cooking at home.
Come to the website now to get more details, find the prices and enquire online! Go on… we’ll wait here!
Make Your Own Origami Candy Box
Keep Your Candy Safe From Prying Eyes & Itchy Fingers!
Origami is the Japanese art of paper folding and has been a popular hobby and art form for centuries. The complexities of some designs that are made from just a single sheet of square paper are absolutely mind bending, not to mention beautifully elegant. If you are interested in origami and want to try making some yourself, read our Japan Centre guide to making a very cute box, perfect for a small gift or to keep your precious snacks and candy safe!
-
Japan Centre | Nik: Thanks for your comments guys, a winner has now be...
-
katherine: Every time I travel to London I have to buy a Toto...
-
Kate: I'd love to see this play. I'm a fan of manga but ...
-
Sheila Sloan: Would really love to see this play. A fantastic pr...
-
0jspicer: Looks fantastic, great reviews too- Would love to ...
