The Japanese Tutor

The Japanese Tutor

Manga

manga1

In the West, comic books are typically thought of as “kids’ stuff” and the adults who enjoy them are usually thought of as adults who refuse to grow up—and not in a good way. Although some graphic novels have tackled…

Onsens

onsens-in-japan

In Japan, it is quite common to take a relaxing soak in a bath at the end of each day and it is a daily chore to scrub one’s tub to keep it clean and free from mold. Nowhere is…

Sumo

sumo-in-tokyo

Two men enter the 5-foot round platform and face the crowded arena. They clap their hands and then stomp their legs, driving evil spirits from the ring. Once finished, they retreat to opposite corners, each taking a ladleful of “power…

Japanese Theater

history-of-kabuki

Long before the Internet, television, and cinema, people had to go to the theater to see fantastic stories brought to life. The theater has been a nearly-universal attraction since the ancient Egyptians first put on a play performance of one…

Japanese Food

japanese-sushi-guide

The staple of a Japanese meal is rice, the most important domestic crop. While the Westerner might have bread, rice is served with nearly every traditional Japanese meal, from plain rice cooked in a specialized rice cooker to vinegared rice…

Sushi

nigiri-sushi-on-a-plate-2

You and a row of people sit facing a winding conveyer belt, chopsticks in hand. A flap opens from the kitchen and you can see that yari ika you’ve had your eye on making its way around the corner—the kind…

Gyoza

gyoza2

First you fry your dumpling on a frying pan until it’s crispy and brown on one side. Then you fill the pot with water and cover it with a lid, steaming the top of the dumpling. Then you take a…

Types Of Japanese Noodles

japanese-noodles-soba-and-wasabi

How would your mother, who always told you to mind your manners at the dinner table, feel about you noisily slurping a bowl of noodles? If she were a Japanese chef, she’d be flattered! In Japan, noodles are everywhere you…

Sake

sake-nohonshu

Instead of holding onto the handle of a tall cold, glass mug, you take a sip of the nation’s favorite pastime alcoholic beverage from a small cylindrical ceramic cup that fits between your index finger and your thumb. After just…

Miso

japanese-food-miso

What if each morning instead of that bowl of cereal or that plate of bacon, toast, and eggs, you started your day off with a salad, some fish, a mountain of rice, and a bowl of soup made with things…