COMPETITION: Win a set of Japanese Films on DVD

Japan Centre has teamed up with Third Window Films again, this time to give you guys a chance of winning a DVD with three superb films from contemporary Japanese Director Miki Satoshi.

This limited edition box set has been specially created to coincide with the UK release of his quirky comedy ‘Adrift in Tokyo’.

The ‘Miki Satoshi Collection’ set includes 3 of his hit best titles: ‘Turtles are Surprisingly Fast Swimmers’, ‘Instant Swamp’ and ‘Adrift in Tokyo’. All three are going straight to DVD and won’t be available to see at UK cinemas, so this is a great opportunity to see some fun Japanese films.

Adrift in Tokyo

Fumiya is a student with no friends or family, leading a lazy lifestyle. What’s more, debt collector Fukuhara is on his case. Fumiya owes 800,000 yen to loan sharks that he can’t repay. Fukuhara makes a proposition – he will cancel the debt if Fumiya walks with him across Tokyo to police headquarters in Kasumigaseki, where he intends to turn himself in for a crime he deeply regrets. 

On first glance you might not think a story involving two men walking aimlessly on the streets of Tokyo was gripping stuff, but this subtle movie is a fascinating and humorous adventure that is sure to charm you. ‘Adrift in Tokyo‘ will be released on DVD in the UK on February 27^th.

If you want to know more about the movie you can ask Miki Satoshi directly, when he and his regular collaborator, actress Fuse Eri will be appearing at the Hyper Japan event this weekend to talk about their work in contemporary Japanese cinema!

How Can I Enter?

To enter and win this super cool box set, all you have to do is leave a comment or tweet telling us which Japanese movie character or star you would love to meet! Are you crazy about Kaneshiro or bonkers for Totoro? Let us know!

Simply leave your answer in a comment on this post, or if you prefer you can head over to our Facebook page and leave a comment on the post there. You can even re-tweet your answer on Twitter!

We will choose a random winner from everyone who leaves a comment and let you know whether you have been chosen by Friday, February 24^th.

Good luck everyone and watch out for our next Japan Centre competition!

Fed up with winter yet? Ready for something colourful and cool (or better yet an excuse for a party)? In Japan, the change from winter drudgery to sunny springtime is marked by Hina Matsuri in a couple of weeks’ time.

Hina Matsuri or Girls Day is a festival held on the 3rd of March where families with daughters wish for their health and happiness. It was originally called Peach Blossom Festival (momo no sekku) as it heralded the blooming of the peach blossoms and the final start of spring! As part of the festivities, many families set up elaborate displays of dolls made to represent an ancient Imperial princess’ wedding procession. Not your run of the mill Barbie or Cindy, these dolls are handed down for generations and are considered works of art in their own right (definitely not candidates for the budding kiddy stylist DIY home hair cut).

Don’t worry if dolls (er, action figures) aren’t your thing, like all Japanese festivals Hina Matsuri is also about great food. Read on to find out about Japan Centre‘s five festive selections of sugar, spice and all things nice to get your teeth into at Hina Matsuri.

Hishi Mochi

No, not the world’s fanciest dolly mixture, hishi mochi is made from rice cake and usually comes with three different coloured layers that reflect the changing seasons. These are usually put in the festive display with the dolls, but are pretty tasty to eat too (just don’t eat the display one, unless you like your mochi very chewy!)
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Shirozake

This tasty tipple is made from rice, koji mould and shochu. It’s rumoured that a Tokyo brewery owner had a dream where a paper doll told him how to make it. Perhaps because of this colourful legend or its sweet flavour, it’s become a firm favourite for ladies to drink on Hina Matsuri.

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Chirashi Sushi

Okay, so it’s not all sugar and spice. Chirashi sushi (or chirashizushi) is another traditional Hina Matsuri dish, made with seafood and other sushi ingredients scattered on rice. But just because it’s not sweet doesn’t mean that it can’t be cute! Luckily Japan Centre has you covered with our awesome Chirashi Sushi Cupcake recipe!
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Sekihan

Red symbolises happiness in Japan, so it’s not suprising that sekihan is a popular dish for all kinds of special occasions, including Hina Matsuri. Made with adzuki beans and sticky rice, it’s a cinch to make and can be savory or sweet depending on your taste.
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Hina Arare

Even though many traditions are celebrated all across Japan, each area likes to do things in their own style. In eastern Japan hina arare are made from puffs of rice coated with sugar, coloured in feminine spring shades. Don’t worry if you don’t have a sweet tooth though, in western Japan these cute snacks are a bit more of a savoury, coloured version of the regular arare rice crackers we know and love.
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But I Don’t Like Spring! Come Back Winter!

If spring is not your thing and all of this fanciness has left you feeling a bit too refined, Japan Centre still has something for you.  Why not test your tastebuds against our range of spicy curry? (Also available in mild and medium styles for those of us who don’t like breathing fire).

We also have a treat for those of you who like your spring traditions a little more, er…flat. Yes, okonomiyaki mix is back in stock! No more crummy crêpes or pathetic pikelets for pancake day! Just don’t get the okonomi sauce and maple syrup mixed up.

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• Hishi mochi image courtesy of yuichi.sakuraba at Flikr
• Hina arare image courtesy of Katorisi at Wikipedia

Valentine’s Day is one of the many days of the year where you can get into some serious trouble with your other half if you don’t put some effort in to spend a relaxing and romantic evening together!

Why don’t you let Toku Restaurant take the weight off your shoulders and help you plan a perfect evening! We have a special 7 course ‘Gozen’ Valentine’s Day menu just for you which is full of amazingly elegant, delicious and healthy Japanese food such as sushi, sashimi, tempura, beef tataki, a Japanese dessert and and a sake or plum wine aperitif. Did you know that in Japan, they say that octopus sashimi is quite the aphrodisiac too!

With a wide range of wine, beer, sake and other authentic Japanese drinks, plus a relaxing ambience located in the heart of the West End, you can be sure that your Valentine’s Day will go off without a hitch… well, unless you are planning on voluntarily getting hitched on the 14th of course!

There is just one thing that you have to do, but don’t worry, it’s definitely the easiest part! Simply book a table and let us know what time you are going to be visiting us. You can even reserve your table directly online by visiting toku-restaurant.co.uk. Did you know, we even have a special mobile version of our Toku website for all you tech-savvy smartphone owners, so there is no excuse now! Check the Toku Valentine’s Day Special Menu and book online or by phone now!

What If I Want To Stay At Home? 

If you prefer to have a romantic night in for Valentine’s Day this year then no problem, Japan Centre can still help you out! We guarantee that your partner will love these heart shaped sushi rolls, exquisitely handmade by you and seriously awesome! They are easy to make at home too, just follow our Heart Shaped Sushi Recipe online and you will be throwing Japanese kitchen knives around like an expert in no time!

Whatever you plan for Valentine’s day this year, we hope you have a great evening and that you can share the love for many more happy years to come!

Hyper Japan is back again for another long weekend of amazing Japan-osity at the UK’s biggest J-culture party! Hyper Japan are so excited about this year’s event, they even forgot it’s usually held in the summer and instead are having the event from the 24th to 26th February 2012! Good news for us anyway, just means that that we can have some serious Japan related fun sooner than we thought!

Japan Centre also has a pair of tickets to give away to a lucky winner so you can enjoy all the awesomeness of the event for absolutely nothing, yatta! Continue reading for more details of Hyper Japan 2012 and how to enter the free ticket competition!

Hyper Japan 2012 Highlights

Hyper Japan is back for its third year and ready to introduce you to the best food and culture from the land of the rising sun. This year has a whole host of amazing Japanese guests, food & sake awards, stalls selling all kinds of unique Japanese items and plenty of other fun things to do.

Check the highlights for Hyper Japan 2012 and see what you could be missing out on by not entering our competition:

Sushi Awards 2012: UK Sushi Roll Championship

The second UK Sushi Roll Championship will have 5 Japanese restaurant chefs battling it out to see who can create the best looking and most delicious, uniquely original sushi rolls. There are no stuffy food critics to judge here though… everyone gets to take part! Have a taste of the different sushi and then everyone can cast their vote. It’s a great way to get inspiration for making your own sushi as well as a fun way to taste some of the tasty and unique varieties of sushi available.

Sake Awards 2012: Top Brewery Taste-Off

Brand new for 2012, the sake awards are similar to the sushi awards where a selection of Japanese breweries show off their wares to see who can brew up the highest quality Japanese sake. You get a chance to enjoy a tipple from from some of the best Japanese sake brewers and vote for your favourite. There will be a number of different sake styles on offer and your voice will determine future sake trends in the UK.

Natsuko Aso Live

Natsuko Aso, if you haven’t heard of her yet, is a hugely popular actress and singer who is a pop icon in Japan’s anime song world. She will be performing a selection of her hits live on the Hyper Japan main stage on Friday and Saturday so don’t miss out.

A Carnival of Cosplay

Whether you like to dress up as Naruto, Princess Zelda or any other of your favourite characters, you will be sure to find some amazing outfits from fellow cosplayers at Hyper Japan. There will even be a cosplay competition where you can see people strutting their stuff and choose who did the best job. Just as long as nobody surpasses my awesome Chun Li costume!

Third Window Films Showcase with Satoshi Miki and Eri Fuse

Third Window Films are a film distibutor that source very best of Far Eastern cinema and bring them to a larger audience. They will be presenting two special guests at Hyper Japan this year, director Satoshi Miki and actress Eri Fuse who will be showing various flim clips and chatting about their work in contemporary Japanese cinema.

Competition: Win a Pair of Tickets to Hyper Japan

Japan Centre are giving away a pair of tickets to one lucky winner so they can join the fun and games at Hyper Japan on Friday, Saturday or Sunday, you can choose which day! To enter, all you have to do is tell us the answer to this question:

• What do you think is going to be the most awesome-tastic event at Hyper Japan 2012?

Simply leave your answer in a comment on this post, or if you prefer you can head over to our Facebook page and leave a comment on the post there. You can even re-tweet your answer if Twitter is your social platform of choice!

We will choose a random winner next week so make sure you get your answer in as soon as possible!

Even if you don’t win our competition, you can still buy tickets for the event at the Hyper Japan website.

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!

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, tender and tasty beef available, sometimes a cheeseburger from McDonald’s is just what the doctor ordered (well, probably not my doctor, but you know what I mean)!

Instant ramen are like the cheap and cheerful cheeseburger of the noodle world. Quick and easy to prepare, suitably satisfying for our taste buds and never too expensive. Real ramen from an authetic Japanese ramen bar are also suitably delicious, but that is where the similarities end! Read on and find out why everyone at Japan Centre can’t get enough of the amazing taste of lovingly prepared, high quality ramen noodles!

History of Ramen

Ramen came to Japan from China, but nobody really knows exactly when. It is speculated that the word ramen comes from the Chinese lamian, which means hand-pulled noodles. Indeed, even today the word ramen is usually written in Katakana, the alphabet used in Japanese for foreign loanwords, indicating that they are not of Japanese origin. Although various forms of ramen had existed before, it was after the second world war, when many Japanese returned home after being stationed in China, that ramen really took off. Not only were these men now familiar with the ingredients used in Chinese cuisine, but cheap flour was being imported from the US, which made it easier than ever to make noodles. Ramen bars exploded in popularity all over the country, but it was still a time when people went out to eat ramen rather than eating them at home.

The Birth of Instant Ramen

That was of course until 1958, when a Taiwanese-Japanese businessman named Momofuku Ando perfected the first instant ramen. Using a newly developed method of flash frying noodles so that they could be packaged pre-cooked and later prepared with just boiling water, he created a sensation. So big was this creation, that instant ramen were named as the  most important Japanese invention of the 20th century! Ando used his newly created Nissin company to start selling Chicken Ramen, the very first instant noodles, and the rest was… well, history!

The very first instant noodles: Chicken Ramen from Nissin Foods. The phrase reads “Instantly delicious, serious deliciousness”!

Varieties of Ramen

A ramen dish can be broken down into two components: the actual noodles, and the soup or broth which accompanies them. The noodles are made from wheat flour, salt, water and a mineral water containing sodium carbonate and potassium carbonate which gives them a firm texture. However, when it comes to ramen, the soup is usually the main event!

There are some ramen restaurents in Japan that have been perfecting their soup recipe for years with each batch of soup literally taking days to prepare. It’s a big business in Japan and getting the soup just right is a goal that many ramen chefs may chase for their whole lives! These are the main soup flavours that are common for ramen in Japan:

Shio (Salt)
A salt based soup is a standard soup base made from salt (of course), and usually combined with a chicken or vegetable stock. The soup is lightly flavoured with a clear appearance and often has additional ingredients such as bbq pork meat, fish paste kamaboko or even pickled plums called umeboshi.

Shoyu (Soy)
Ramen noodle soup made from soy sauce is a popular choice, particularly on the main Island on Honshu and in and around Tokyo. It is made with a chicken stock and lots of soy sauce to give it a rich, tangy taste. Common toppings include nori seaweed, boiled egg, sliced spring onions and marinated bamboo shoots.

Miso
Although miso soup has existed for generations, only recently has it become a soup to compliment noodles. It was developed in Hokkaido in the cold, northern areas of Japan and has a very rich, home-cooking style flavour made with miso paste and chicken stock. Chunky vegetables are the most common toppings for miso ramen.

Tonkotsu
Tonkotsu means pork bone in Japanese and although sounding similar to tonkatsu (pork cutlet), it is quite different. Tonkotsu is made by boiling pork bones and fat for a considerable time to infuse the soup with a serious pork flavour and to create a thick, almost creamy texture that is delicious and filling. The most popular toppings are bbq pork slices, pickled red ginger and other vegetables. Tonkotsu ramen are originally from Kyushu, Japan’s most southern main island and are sometimes called Hakata ramen from the city where they originated.

Tonkotsu Ramen, a Hakata, Kyushu specialty. Now available at Japan Centre Regent Street, umai deli and toku restaurant.

Instant vs Gourmet?

Ramen have a bit of a bad reputation in the West. Our friend Mr Ando from Nissin Foods helped to set up a subsidiary of Nissin Foods for the American market in the early 1970′s to push his new instant ramen to a global audience. This was certainly successful, but also started the preconception that ramen are a type of fast food, unhealthy and incapable of providing any sort of nutrition. For instant ramen, this preconception is not entirely unfounded. Instant ramen are created by deep frying the noodles in palm oil before drying them out for packaging, which means they admittedly don’t really offer much nutritional benefit. However, the main problem comes from the artificial ingredients and huge amounts of salt found in the powdered soup base. As delicious as they are, instant ramen should be enjoyed, as they say, “as part of a balanced diet”.

Real ramen noodles from a quality Japanese noodle bar are typically made with natural ingredients. So while they too cannot be classed as a healthy dish, they certainly aren’t quite as bad for you as instant ramen as they also typically contain a variety of fresh vegetables and seaweed. However, the quality between these two dishes is incredible. Let’s go back to our burger analogy from before. Instant ramen are the quick and easy cheeseburgers from McDonalds, and a quality bowl of ramen is like a giant tenderloin steak cooked exactly to your liking by Gordon Ramsay, while simultaneously receiving a shiatsu massage and being serenaded by the smooth tones of Stevie Wonder! I know which one I would rather choose!

Where to Get Ramen Noodles?

Instant ramen noodles can be found everywhere these day, including Japan Centre, where you can currently find over 50 different types of instant noodles available to buy online. We also have a Ramen Lovers Kit which includes a bowl, spoon and a selection of ramen to get you on your way! Even major supermarkets have a good selection of ramen in stock these days, even when excluding generic noodly items such as Batchelor’s Super Noodles.

However, what if you want to experience the taste of truly authentic Japanese style ramen noodles? Besides actually travelling all the way to Japan just for lunch, your best option is to find an authentic ramen bar that has quality ramen noodles available.

Of course, if you want to make it really easy, why not just come to Japan Centre in Regent Street where you can find a wonderful selection of  all types of authentic ramen at the umai deli and toku restaurant starting from just £6.10.

Even Tonkotsu Ramen?

Absolutely, that is the main event! Using authentic ingredients shipped directly from Kyushu, our tonkotsu ramen at umai and toku restaurant is the pinnacle of real authentic Japanese ramen. With such a wide choice of ramen available, there has never been a better time to come and see what all the fuss is about!

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!

The Bee – Play Synopsis

What would you do if your wife and child were held hostage?

When an ordinary office worker returns home to find his wife and child kidnapped, he’s drawn into a dark and dangerous game of revenge where manga comic-strip frenzy turns into an absurd and ferocious nightmare.

The Bee has won prestigious Japanese theatre wards including Asahi Performing Arts Award Grand Prix and the Yomiuri Theater awards Grand Prize for best play, and returns to Soho Theatre with original Olivier Award winning star Kathryn Hunter and Japanese theatre legend Hideki Noda.

‘This is a highly unusual theatrical gem: part slapstick comedy, part satire, part macabre dance’
★★★★★ Time Out

The Bee is running at the the Soho Theatre in London from Tuesday 24th January to Saturday 11 February 2012.

What Can I Win?

Japan Centre is giving away one lucky winner a pair of tickets to see The Bee on a date of their choice. Make sure that you are in or around London one evening during the dates the production is running for.

How To Win Tickets

For a chance to win tickets to see this exciting new production at Soho Theatre in London, simply head over to our Japan Centre Facebook page, Twitter feed or even scroll to the bottom of this blog post and leave a comment or tweet telling us what you like about Japanese theatre! We will choose a random winner on the 23rd of January and make sure that there will be tickets for you to collect from the ticket office at Soho Theatre on the day of your choice.

Good luck and don’t forget to come and let us know here at Japan Centre if you enjoy the play!

Bizarre, disgusting, gross, an ‘acquired taste’… all completely valid ways to describe some of these Japanese delicacies, but ‘weird’ is definitely one suitable word that comes to mind! Being British and coming from a country that is internationally recognised as having rather bland cuisine, this Japanese food can certainly seem a little intense for my taste. Of course, that’s not to say that they aren’t delicious, just… different!

Read on to find out what we at Japan Centre think are the top 5 weirdest Japanese food!

5. Basashi Ice

We’re going backwards and starting this list with a dessert. You may have heard of basashi before, sashimi made from raw horse meat! While although basashi is somewhat bizarre at the best of times, one plucky Japanese ice cream maker decided that his ice creams flavours were missing a certain… something.

“Ah-ha” he exclaimed, raw horse meat flavoured ice cream is surely what everyone really wants, but they just don’t know it yet. And so, basashi ice was born. I think it is unlikely that you will ever find such a weird tasting ice cream anywhere else, so better head to Japan if you fancy a taste!

4. Uni

Uni is actually a rather common sushi filling, both in Japan and also in Japanese restaurants around the world. It seems innocent enough until you consider where it actually came from. Uni is the roe from sea urchins that live in small nooks and crannies on rocky ocean floors and are covered in spikes to protect them from predators.

So once upon a time, a diver fished something from the bottom of the sea, broke off all the spikes, managed to rip the the sea urchin in half, then scoop out the raw eggs from inside and eat them! Certainly a weird food for me, but going by the number of uni flavoured rice crackers you can buy, presumably not so weird in Japan!

3. Nankotsu

I first had nankotsu when I was living in Japan and went out to eat at a local izakaya bar. A friend had placed the order so I wasn’t sure what was going to be arriving, but they had assured me that everything would be delicious. A bowl of what looked like popcorn chicken was bought to the table, so I grabbed a piece and popped it in my mouth.

Instead of the soft chicken that I was expecting, there was a rather audible ‘crunch’ and I began to wonder why I appeared to be eating a deep fried stone. Thinking that my piece must have had some bone in it, I looked around the table and noticed that everyone else was crunching away on what I later found out to be nankotsu, the Japanese name for chicken bone cartilage.

2. Shirako

It is common in Japanese cuisine, and indeed in other cuisines to enjoy the rich taste of fish roe. Fish eggs come in all shapes and sizes, from small black caviar to the larger orange coloured ikura salmon roe that is popular in Japanese food. But what about the other side… the male version?

Shirako literally means ‘white child’ and is the Japanese name for male fish sperm! This is a serious delicacy in Japan and is served in its natural state inside a thin membrane, often with sushi. The texture is said to be “soft and creamy”, with an acquired taste and presumably a little bit salty!

1. Shiokara

Shiokara is a strong contender for the weirdest, most disgusting sounding dish in any cuisine in the whole universe! Made from salted and fermented fish guts, usually from squid, shiokara has a seriously intense flavour and smell. It is so pungent that even many Japanese people consider it too hardcore! Although a quick ask round the office proved that 50% of Japanese people are quite partial to this tasty treat!

Shiokara is often served at Japanese drinking and snack bars called izakaya, where it is often washed down with a healthy slurp of sake or shochu! If you are interested in trying  it, you might have to be prepared to go directly to Japan to find this delicacy!

Honourable Mentions

• Habushu – Awamori sake from Okinawa with a viper snake in the bottle.
• Inago – Grasshoppers fried in a sweet soy sauce.
• Natto – Fermented soy beans that are stringy and sticky.

What do you think of these delicious looking dishes? Which one of these sounds the most appealing to you? Have you even tried any of these before? If you have any better suggestions for the weirdest Japanese food, let us know in the comments!

Eye Bleach

If you need some eye bleach to remove the nightmare of these delicacies from your thoughts, have a look at this fluffy Japanese Totoro toy and soothe your mind!

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• Nankotsu image courtesy of KayOne73 at Flickr
• Shirako image courtesy of Skinny Epicurean at Flickr
• Shiokara image courtesy of Okona at Wikipedia

/sigh… it’s that time of the year again! If you’re anything like me, then over the last few days you’ve feasted on way too much turkey and roast spuds, a single token brussel sprout and lashings of rich, delicious gravy. The pleasure that comes afterwards only lasts for a short while… until the regret starts and I begin to ask myself “Why did I eat so much?”

But hey, New Year’s coming up soon and that means that we can create another New Year’s resolution to get fit and healthy (for the 100th time!) The hardest thing about going on a diet is that diet food usually just doesn’t taste very good. Well, it never used to anyway… check out some of these Japanese foods from Japan Centre that are not only amazingly delicious, but also fantastic health foods, perfect for getting back into shape again.

Why is Japanese Food so Good For Us?

Did you know that Japanese people have the longest life expectancy of any country? Although much of this can be attributed to genetics and universal health insurance, it is clear that their healthy diet is also a major factor. Traditional Japanese food is well balanced and rich in seafood, seaweeds and health boosting vitamins and minerals.

A typical meal in Japan consists of a bowl of rice, grilled fish such as mackerel, some Japanese style pickles and miso soup on the side. This combination of food is not only tasty, but provide all the nutritional benefits that the body needs. Carbohydrates in the rice, omega-3 essential fatty acids in the mackerel, pickles as part of your 5-a-day and miso for our digestive systems.

With just a few simple dishes, you can get all the amazing health benefits of Japanese cuisine! Eat well and maybe you too can live to be as old as Jiroemon Kimura, the oldest gentleman in the world who is currently a youthful 114 years old!

Sushi

Sushi is a classic Japanese dish and the first thing that comes to mind when we think about Japanese cuisine. Made with sticky, short grain rice that is mixed with a light rice vinegar and combined with fresh fish or vegetables, sushi is a seriously healthy option and you can buy everything you need from Japan Centre.

There are many different types of food that fall under the title of sushi. Sushi actually just means ‘sour rice’ in Japanese due to the traditional custom of fermenting fish using rice in the days before refrigerators. Therefore, not all sushi is made from raw fish, but can be made with cooked fish, various types of cooked seafood such as prawns or shellfish, or vegetables. A combination of fresh fish and vegetables makes a tasty and healthy meal that is also great fun to make at home.

If you have some turkey leftover from Christmas, why not try making turkey sushi rolls?

Sushi Recipes online at Japan Centre.

Natto

Marmite, blue cheese and even coriander divide the best of us into either true fans or bitter enemies. Natto is another one of those foods that some people can’t stand, where as others find the texture heavenly, the aroma enticing and the taste to die for!

More than just mouldy beans, natto are made from carefully selected soy beans that are naturally fermented to release the powerful, intoxicating flavour and wonderful health benefits. Try not to be put off by the slightly slippery texture and unfamiliar smell, did you know that natto are claimed to help prevent heart diseases and cancer, lower cholesterol and even help you loose weight!

To eat natto, add the included sachets of mustard and soy sauce and mix them up well until the natto becomes stringy. Pour them over rice and enjoy as a healthy, traditional breakfast. Japanese people are always impressed when ‘Gaijin’ eat natto, so enjoy them with an open mind, but maybe a held nose!

Buy natto online at Japan Centre and check out our natto recipe too.

PS: Scroll down to the comments to read about my first experience with the infamous natto!

Miso Soup

Miso soup is a delicious and healthy side dish which is traditionally served with all Japanese meals. Miso paste, made from fermented soy beans, rice and barley is mixed with dash soup stock infused water and then seasoned with sliced tofu and spring onions.

Quick and easy to prepare, full of healthy vitamins and minerals and seriously tasty, no wonder miso soup is one of the best kept secrets of the health world!

Grilled Tuna with Miso & Mayo Marinade
Saikyo-yaki Grilled Salmon with Miso Marinade

Tofu

Tofu has a bit of a bad reputation in the West as simply being a meat substitute. However, in East Asia where it was developed, tofu is appreciated for its light and delicate taste, as well as being a super health food. 

There are a few ways to enjoy tofu, our favourite at Japan Centre is a simple dish called Hiyayakko, where a chilled block of tofu is served with a dash of soy sauce and a simple garnish of grated ginger and sliced spring onions.

Of course, if you want to use tofu as a healthy meat substitute, there are plenty of options for that too. We recently made a tofu burger which was deliciously juicy and tasted great even for the die-hard carnivores!

Hiyayakko Chilled Tofu Recipe from Japan Centre
Tofu Burger Recipe from Japan Centre

Green Tea

Green tea has become more and more popular over the last few years as people are seeing the great health benefits of it. Green tea contains an antioxidant called catechin which can help to do everything from reducing heart disease to calming you after a stressful day. With so many benefits, and a great taste, green tea is one of the best things you can incorporate into your new diet for 2012.

Many people are initially put off by green tea if they have not drunk it correctly prepared. As green tea is fresher than black tea, it only needs to be brewed for a short amount of time, otherwise the taste can become too bitter. Unlike normal English tea, green tea leaves needs to be brewed with water that isn’t boiling too. Brewing for approximately 1 minute with water at 80°C will give you a much better tasting green tea. Make sure to read about the brewing instructions for different tea grades, as high quality tea such as gyokuro is typically brewed at lower temperatures of around 60°C.

Matcha is one of the hot new keywords floating in the green tea world these days. It is a type of green tea where the leaves are ground into a very fine powder which is then mixed with water. With matcha, you actually consume the whole tea leaf rather than just infusing it with water which makes it even more healthy… and delicious. It is commonly mixed with a special matcha whisk to create the slightly frothy, inviting beverage shown in the image above.

Powdered green tea such as matcha is also used as a flavouring in Japanese foods for cakes and other desserts. This is a great way to give some extra taste and health benefits to any treats! Check out these great green tea recipes from Japan Centre below.

Japanese Green Tea Recipe
Matcha Green Tea Ice Cream Recipe
Matcha Green Tea & Sweet Chestnut Cake Recipe

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.

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!