Japan History and Culture

Japanese horseradish (Wasabi, わさび)

Wasabi is a root vegetable or above-ground root-like stem of this plant that is grated into a green paste. It is a strong, a fiery hot flavor which quickly dissipates within a few seconds and leave a lingering sweet taste, with no burning aftertaste in one’s mouth.

Wasabi can grow in the ground, but commonly it is cultivated in clean water running down the mountain valleys and the temperature must be mild (heat must be avoided).When the wasabi plant grows to nearly 20 inches tall, with green leaves on the head, the rhizome grows above the root and the plant is ready for harvesting.

Wasabi is most famous a staple condiment in Japanese cuisine. It is the light green paste that accompanies sashimi (raw seafood) ,sushi, noodle dishes, However, it is also used for many other Japanese dishes. Essentially, people dip sashimi (raw seafood) slices in a mixture of wasabi and soy sauce. Wasabi is said to be effective as an antidote to prevent food poisoning. That is one reason that wasabi is served with sushi and raw fish slices.

Many “wasabi” powder and paste products that is widely available in supermarkets and even some restaurants. Wasabi powders have to be mixed with water to contain only very little or no real wasabi at all and are made of colored horseradish instead. This is due to the fact that cultivation of real wasabi is relatively difficult and expensive.

Omikuji (御御籤,おみくじ)
The omikuji, literally mean “sacred lottery or crowned lottery” are random fortunes written on strips of paper from a container or box (Nowadays, these are often coin-slot machines or red vending machines,自動販売機) found at Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples all over Japan

Fortunes were originally lots written by hand one by one from container or box, but they can now be purchased from a red vending machine. The omikuji  falls out of a small hole, scrolled up, when the piece of paper is unfolded, paper reveals the fortune written on strips of paper ,one’s fortune is listed as one of several categories: Great blessing (daikichi,大吉) , very lucky (chūkichi,中吉), lucky or Blessing( kichi,吉), somewhat lucky or Small blessing (shōkichi,小吉), barely lucky (suekichi,末吉) , Half-blessing (半吉), Near-small-blessing (末小吉), Curse (凶), Small curse (小凶), Half-curse (半凶), Near-curse (末凶), Great curse (大凶).The fortune may also include predictions different subjects about love, lost articles, study, family,money, travel, childbirth, and other matters, in other words, predictions for all needs.

Another one, you usually have to shake a box waiting for a numbered wooden stick (there’s a number written) to come down from a little hole. You have to take a piece of paper from the bow with the same number. After reading it, if the fortune tells is bad luck you should to make the paper is folded into a stripe tied around the branch of a tree, or pillars or in a special place where the shrine indicates, so the predicted bad luck won’t follow you. But if the fortune brings a message of good luck you can take it with you or put it on your wallet.

The Japanese often go to consult the omikuji before a significant event (voyage, marriage, etc) and in particular the New Year’s Day.

The opening of New Year’s rice cakes (Kagami biraki,鏡開き)

Kagami Biraki also known as the “Rice Cutting Ceremony”, literally “Mirror opening “or” Breaking of the Mochi.” means “to break the image of ourselves and our actions of the previous year. Many martial arts dojos hold such ceremonies to mark the beginning of the New Year. It traditionally celebrated on the January 11 (odd numbers are associated with being good luck in Japan).It refers to the opening of a Kagami mochi was offered to the Gods. Kagami biraki not cut with a knife, and instead the mochi(a round cake made of rice) was broken with one’s hands , wooden hammer or a wooden Taru (sake barrel) and to the opening of a cask of Sake at a party, wedding banquets, sporting events, starting a new company, ceremony, etc. People bake mochi into smaller pieces are roasted and put in zenzai or shiruko (sweet soup of boiled beans) or zoni (vegetable and meat soup) or eat it with salt or soy sauce.

Golden Dolphins ( shachihoko,鯱)

The shachihoko is a symbol of Nagoya. “shachihoko”, it refers to the mystical animal, it is a kind of tiger fish, an animal with the head of a tiger and the body of a carp or dolphins. In Japanese mythology, it was believed that this animal could cause the rain to fall, and as such, temples and castles were often shibi adorned with in this shape, in order to protect them from fire. You can see a pair of shachihoko on the top of the roof of Nagoya castle.They was put there mainly for the purpose to show the power of the lord of the
castle.

Japanese Wet Hand Towel or Oshibori(おしぼり,お絞り)

An Oshibori are wet hot or cold hand  towels offered to customers in places  such as restaurants, tearoom, airlines or  bars in Japan. They are used to wipe your  hands or face before eating, this is a great  way to refresh yourself, especially if  you’ve been walking through the city,  and  have long been considered a  traditional custom in Japan.

Customers are always pleased when offered cold oshibori in summers and warm oshibori in winters. Oshibori Service has already been very popular all over Japan. This custom, unique to Japan, is also becoming popular among customers overseas. A great custom is welcomed anywhere.

The standard-size of the cloth is 12 inches by   8 inches (30cm by 20cm). They are now sometimes replaced with a paper towel.

The towels are given to you when you sit down in restaurants. When the oshibori is presented, unfold the towel, you have use finished with the towel, and then fold it or roll it up and replace the used towel in the basket that accompanied the towel.