Japan History and Culture

Sacred straw festoon (Shimekazari, 玉飾り)

Shimekazari(標飾り)is one of New Year’s decorations, many house and companies   hang on the top of the house entrance or in the kitchen above the stove for block the invasion of bad luck or wards off evil spirits and welcome the gods (Shintoism God). Some even decorate the front of their cars with shimekazari after a car wash. These are made from sacred twisted straw rope hung with strips of white paper and pieces of straw ,shaped into one or more rings.

These consist of propitious decorations, most commonly an orange because orange (daidai is a small citrus)) sounds like “many generations”. It is a wish for fertility and lots of descendants, kelp (Konbu) sounds similar to the word, yorokobu (to be happy), a lobster, ferns with white-backed leaves, folding fan and attached to them. It has a modest and simple one. The lettering says daikichi, which means best luck, and that little cat is a manekineko. It is holding a golden coin in one paw and beckoning with the other. It is beckoning for more coins. each one of those decorations is significant, symbol of a prayer for longevity, academic success, prosperity and so on.

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.

Donburi (丼ぶり)
The Donburi is basically known as a fast-food lunch, literally means “bowl”. Sometimes this dish is called simply “don” may be added as a suffix to indicate a donburi dish.

The Donburi is a Japanese dish of boiled rice with topped (meat, fish, eggs or vegetables).Donburi meals are served over rice in big bowls. The various Donburi choices vary largely in their toppings. The topping served on each donburi is reflected by its name in the menu, topping preferences vary by region, even by town, and by season.

Variety of donburi

Tamagodon or Tamagodonburi (玉子丼) is  a scrambled egg mixed with sweet donburi sauce on rice.

Oyakodon or Oyako Donburi(親子丼)The name of this popular donburi dish comes from its two main ingredients, literally “parent-and-child rice bowl “, the bowl with simmered chicken together with egg and green onion or other on rice. a good simmering sauce often based on dashi, flavoured with soy sauce and mirin(Japanese rice wine) then all is poured on top of both of rice .The parent-and-child rice bowl is a poetic reflection of the fact that both chicken and egg are used in the dish. In Japan, oyakodon is often served in soba restaurants and the shop can add Japanese pickles (tsukemono) by free.

Katsudon (カツ丼),Tonkatsu donburi or Pork cutlet rice bowl , is a popular Japanese dish consisting of a deep fried breaded pork cutlet (Tonkatsu) with onions and egg on top of rice. The dish has become a modern ritual tradition for Japanese students to eat katsudon the night before taking a major test or school entrance exam because The Japanese word “katsu” is a homophone of the verb katsu (勝つ) ,literally meaning “to win”.

Tenshindon (天津丼) is a Chinese-Japanese specialty, consisting of a crabmeat omelette on rice, this is called天津飯 tenshinhan, named for Tianjin, China.

Tekkadon or Tekka Domburi (鉄火丼) is basically thin sliced raw tuna served on rice with seaweed(nori), wasabi and ginger. Many Japanese restaurants serve chirashi, which is the same thing with assorted seafood in place of the tuna, but very few seem to have tekkadon.

Negitorodon (ネギトロ丼, ねぎとろ丼) is a green onion and diced toro (fatty tuna or raw tuna fish) and negi (spring onions) over a bowl of rice.

Tendon or Tempura Donburi (天丼) is tempura shrimp are deep fried pieces of battered seafood and vegetables, dipped in soy sauce, served on top of the rice. Various tempura pieces are dipped into based sauce before served on top of the rice.

Gyudon or Gyuniku Donburi (牛丼),literally “beef bowl” is a Japanese dish consisting  broiled beef and onion simmered in a mildly sweet sauce flavoured with soy sauce, mirin, salty flavour and sake giving the dish a sweet on top of the meat, it is commonly served with beni shoga (pickled ginger),shichimi(red chilli mix), and a side dish of miso soup. Other side dishes are salad and kimchi. Tea and water are offered for free with refill jugs available on the table for customers to serve themselves. Many chain restaurants (gyudonya) specialize in gyudon making it an informal, inexpensive dining option frequented by students, ideally suited to travellers on a budget and often open 24 hours.

Unadon or Unagi Donburi (鰻丼), literally “eel bowl”, this combo is popular in the summer, because the Japanese believe eating eel is good for you in the hot weather,this is also the time of year when the eel fishing is at its peak.Unadon is a rice topped with pieces of grilled eel(unagi no kabayaki,鰻の蒲焼) coated with a thick glaze of soy sauce and  sweet sauce(soya), sprinkled with sansho.

Chukadon (中華丼) or gomoku-chukadon (五目中華丼),literally meaning “Chinese rice bowl”, is a popular Japanese fast food dish. It consists of stir fried assorted vegetables, onions, mushrooms with some meat over rice in a big bowl. not traditionally Japanese or Chinese, the hybrid dish indicates the popularity of donburi in Japan.