Tag Archives: Series

【Series】 World War II 70th Anniversary – Second World War bunkers now protecting cows in pastures (July 23, 2015)

Tetsuya Onda Some bunkers from Pacific War still remain in the pastures in Makinouchi, Nemuro-shi in Hokkaido, the region with successful dairy industry. The bunkers were built during the Pacific War in order to protect military airplanes in one of the Imperial Japanese Navy airfields in Nemuro, which was a defense base in the Northern part of Japan. They were domes entirely covered with earth to camouflage. There are five bunkers in the region and four out of them sit still in the farmland of Akio Kusuhara, 40, who came to Hokkaido from Aichi Prefecture as a new farmer six years ago. According to his wife, Wakana, 27, “Cows like … Continue reading

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【Series】 World War II 70th Anniversary – Old rusting cannon kept as heavy reminder of war (July 22, 2015)

Kazuhiro Eguchi This rusting cannon of old Japanese navy base sits still abandoned in a farmland on the Hahajima Island, which is approximately 1,000 kilometers to the south of the capital of Japan and accessible from Takeshiba pier. It was a high-angle gun to repel enemy forces from the second-largest island of the Ogasawara Islands during the Pacific War. Akinori Fujitani, 45, and his wife Tomoka, 43, came to Hahajima 20 years ago as new farmers and found the cannon in their new farmland. They said they felt uncomfortable at the first sight but have never thought of discarding it. Hahajima, a popular tourist destination with beautiful beaches, was a … Continue reading

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【Series】 Japanese food worth sharing with world – Abura-fu Donburi from Tome-shi, Miyagi Prefecture (Nov. 21, 2014)

  Bowl of rice topped with Abura-fu cooked in mouth-watering sweet-salty soup broth. Umami-rich Donburi to delight everyone’s palate Abura-fu Donburi is a bowl of rice topped with fried wheat gluten (Abura-fu), onions and eggs cooked together in sweet-salty seasoned soup broth. Now it is well-known as a gourmet dish from Tome-shi, Miyagi Prefecture. The soft creamy egg, sweet-savory onions and juicy wheat gluten match perfectly with white rice and the deep flavor of the broth stimulates your appetite. Abura-fu is made by deep-frying wheat gluten bars in vegetable oil. It’s a traditional local food of Tome-shi and was one of the ingredients for the vegetarian plate that was served … Continue reading

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【Series】 Japanese food worth sharing with world – Steamed Eggplant with Sansho Pepper Soy Dressing from Hyogo Prefecture (Aug. 22, 2014)

Refreshing, Piquant, and Loved for Many Years “Steamed eggplant with Sansho (Japanese pepper) soy dressing” is one of the popular dishes in summer in Sasayama-shi, Hyogo Prefecture. Steamed eggplant with a delicate, silky texture soaks up the fresh piquant Sansho soy sauce and the flavor will permeate the dish. You will simply love it. The recipe has become popular among busy rice and soybean farmers in the region as a quick-and-easy recipe that can be made from only a few ingredients: Sansho peppercorns from their gardens and eggplants from their fields. The dish is also served at a local restaurant called Satoyama Kobo Kumobe, which is owned by a limited … Continue reading

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【Series】 Japanese food worth sharing with world – “Ohira” Simmered Vegetables from Shizuoka Prefecture (Aug. 1, 2014)

“Ohira” is local cuisine in Shizuoka Prefecture served particularly at gatherings such as Buddhist memorial services. It’s a dish mainly with simmered root vegetables which are cut in large pieces to minimize the loss of nutrients. They also look gorgeous on the plate this way. Japanese home cooks make Ohira by cooking each vegetable separately in stock that is prepared for each vegetable using different combination of seasonings. The name Ohira came from how they serve the vegetables on large (ohkii) flat plates (hirazara). Everything except carrots is cooked in salty-sweet taste basically using soy sauce while carrots are cooked using no soy sauce to keep their bright color. As … Continue reading

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