Every month Japan Centre publishes its in-store magazine called Japan Centre Circle. Packed full of Japanese insights and food tips, as well as a monthly recipe, voucher and upcoming event details, it’s a great way to keep up to date with all things Japanese from your favourite Japanese food hall and it’s free too! This week we’ve syndicated our popular Staff Review column so that those of you not able to visit one of our stores can get the chance to read a bit of what Japan Centre Circle is all about. We’ll try to get downloadable versions of the magazine up on www.japancentre.com for you soon.
Opposites Attract
“It’s my turn to write the column this month and an opportunity for me to give you a little insight into Japan from a native. I came to London 3 and a half years ago and am the guy who puts together the Japan Centre Circle magazine for you, hello! In my first column I’d like to talk about sushi…
As well as the obvious cultural differences between Japan and Britain, what surprised me the most when I arrived in London was the amount of sushi sold in all types of supermarkets. Unaware of quite how successful sushi was in the west, I found out pretty quickly that sushi is actually already a normal lunch choice for many, you guys love it! You might be surprised to hear that in actual fact us Japanese don’t eat sushi all that often, certainly not as much as it seems you guys do. In my case I tuck into some sushi about 2 or 3 times a year. Bakeries are big business in Japan and people have sandwiches and artisan bread as their main lunchtime choice instead, very different to how people may imagine (there’s a lot less Fish & Chip eating in Britain than I thought too!)
But Japan = Sushi
Don’t get me wrong, it doesn’t mean Japanese don’t like sushi, far from it, but sushi tends to be eaten at specific times like festivals, parties or times of celebration. I absolutely gorged on sushi before I left Japan, afraid that I might not have it for quite some time… not the case! Working for Japan Centre means I get to eat delicious sushi whenever I want, I just have to pretend I’m constantly celebrating!”
Nari’s Profile
Nari’s hometown is Tochigi in central Japan, after graduating from university he worked in Tokyo for 3 years before moving to London in July 2008 and joining Japan Centre. He is our Design, Advertising & Product PR manager, so all the design work you see throughout the stores is made by his own fair hands.
Craving some fish and rice?
If all this talk of sushi’s got you hankering after the good stuff, you can buy a complete sushi kit online at www.japancentre.com for just £18.90! It contains all the basic ingredients you need to create delicious maki rolls, nigiri, handrolls and onigiri at home (fresh fillings / toppings not included). We’ve also got handy sushi recipes on our recipe page waiting to be tried and tested!
Or, if you want to eat like the Japanese do on their lunchbreak and try a Curry Pan or Melon Bread, we’ve got those too! Head to one of our Japan Centre stores to browse the delicious smelling (and tasting) Japanese bakery items on offer and maybe pick up a cute custard totoro bun for dessert while you’re at it.
Japan Centre Circle magazine is published monthly and available in store now.
