YUZU-licious honey

YUZU is a japanese citrus fruit that is featured very often in japanese cuisine. You see them in ponzu sauces (yuzu & soy sauce), yuzu miso paste, yuzu jams,yuzu ice cream, etc...

You can even buy fresh yuzu fruits from the meidi ya supermarket at Liang court when it is in season. For city folks like myself, I am more than contented to get my yuzu fix in more palatable versions like this honey from Sugi Kohoen company (Sugi Bee Farm).

I came across this delicious YUZU MITSU honey on my trip to Takayama, Japan 2 years ago. I am quite surprised that until now, no one has thought of importing this into Singapore. This wonderful honey tastes equally good in both hot and cold drinks. I love it so much that I slather a thick later on my buttered toast so my 500ml bottle didn't last too long. They were also available in assorted flavors and smaller sizes which make it a perfect gift for loved ones and friends. How I wished I carted home more. Well this will definitely be on my MUST BUY list on my next trip to Japan!

More information on their website http://www.0038.co.jp/foreign/en/company/about/history/

Since I have long finished my precious bottle, the pictures you see here are from another awesome japanese blog. What a nice presentation to enjoy this drink with these floral ice cups. Reminds me of the Martha Stewart tutorials on how to jazz up a cocktail reception just by adding edible floral petals into ice cube/cupcake moulds or an empty milk carton of water! Just peel away the carton after a good freeze and you have a charming bottle or cup laden with flower petals. Well a great idea for your next summer picnic! http://daimakitchen.mysinablog.com

HATO SABLE

Ever since I came across these wonderful melt in your mouth freshly baked butter sable biscuits, I have been hooked on its delicate crumbly taste. I first discovered these wonderful treats on my first visit to the charming town of Kamakura where it originated. There is a charming story on how these biscuits came to be named after the pigeons. Also available from major supermarkets in central tokyo.

Check out their website http://www.hato.co.jp/index.html

awesome JAPANESE PHRASE with cute cartoons

Though its not neccesary to speak fluent japanese when you are on a short holiday trip, it always pays to know a word or two to ease the awkwardness that older japanese folks experience when they encounter enquiries in english.

This book came highly recommended by a fellow jap crazed traveller. As someone who has no patience to go through wordy handbooks. This colorful phrase book was a whole lot of fun to read with cute illustrations by Nachie Enomoto and cartoons by Kiribo Kubo. It makes a fun read for the daily commute to work. It's handy comic book size makes it a lightweight companion for your handbag.

Go get it now from Kinokuniya bookstores. Only S$28.70 per copy. ( tip : enjoy further savings during their 20% seasonal sales )

Happy reading!!!!!

10,000 Free tickets to Japan in 2012

My heart skipped a beat when I heard of this ground breaking news! The recent massive quake was a huge blow to both the economy and morale of the citizens. But they still exhibited such graciousness. Their indomitable spirit is indeed commendable. What's there not to love about Japan?

There is no telling what natural disasters will rain upon us no matter where we are? So before its too late, hurry on down to amazing JAPAN for its glorious food and traditions!!!!

More info right here:http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/topics/2011/free_flights.html

Graphic courtesy of http://www.fotolog.com/tamiyo/66887633

Mino washi reusable paper SNOWFLAKES

Up your eco-friendly cred this X'mas with these reusable snowflakes made of traditional japanese paper from the Gifu prefecture! Watch this short video on how to apply these amazing paper snowflakes onto any glass surface. A fun activity for the whole family.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6TJsCBoZVk

Can't wait to try them out ? Head on down to ATOMI at mandarin gallery(call +65 68874138 to enquire). A set of 5 snowflakes are retailing @S$16 per set. What are you waiting for? With a little bit of creativity, these awesome snowflakes would make wonderful gifts these Christmas! I can't wait to start on my handmade gifts with these lovely creations.

Picture courtesy of IEDA website http://www.iedashikou.com/

Departures...おくりびと

This film really struck a chord with my heart, mind and soul. I have long heard rave reviews about this film but shunned it due to its somewhat gory theme. Let's face it! Who would embrace thoughts about death when news sensationalise things and report only the most horrifying accounts of deaths in cases of murder. This film had paid a poetic tribute to the passing of life. The professionalism exhibited by the "nankon" (i.e casket) undertakers elevate the art of dressing the dead into a whole other realm altogther. This film attempts to bring what chado has probably brought to the art of tea appreciation. One can choose to consume tea in a callous manner with no due respect to how the tea and its utensils were created for your use. If you have ever attended a formal chado ceremony, you will realise the pains taken to honour and express gratitude to the skilled artisans who took years or even decades to perfect their artisanal skills to create that exquisite tea bowl for you to drink your powdered tea from, lacquer vessel for your tea, the sprig of flower plucked from the gardens for your viewing pleasure. Each and every item in the tea ceremony is an efforts towards a quiet reminder to be grateful for everything in our lives and not to take things for granted.

Maybe the message hit a home run personally as 2011 was a year of many 'departures' for me. The scene where salmon are swimming vehemently against the current upstream, and that of a salmon carcass floating lifeless downstream after its failed attempt. This brought to mind how we, the human race, struggle with all our might in the fight for survival. And the unlucky few who never made it.

For the modern jobseeker/job hopper, I would like to think of it as a departure from the old self in order to embrace the new self one will become. Departures in all its guises may indeed be the gateway to a new beginning when one has to start from ground zero and re-learn everything from scratch. When Kobayashi-san sold off his magnificent cello worth 18 million yen after being laid off from an unprofitable orchestra, it was a dreaded decision he had to carry out since he no longer had the means nor purpose to own an instrument of this quality. It was time to pass it on to someone else who can do it justice and let the cello do what it was intended for.

The touching scene where Kobayashi-san shares the story of his father telling him aboutthe ancient people expressesing their innermost feelings by selecting a stone or pebble, where its texture,shape,size become a physical token to express their hopes and wishes for you- a stone letter. This romanticized way of expression makes me wonder if inanimate objects like river stones become portable momentos of a life lived with only majestic mountains and trees, the silent stream or river as the only witnesses to your limited existence on this earth i.e until they pass on when they too depart from this world, decimated by natural elements over time immemorial.

"GRASS" post-its by YURULIKU !

Check out these awesome post-its from YURULIKU !!!

http://yuruliku.shop-pro.jp/

Akira Yamaguchi - urban landscapes reinterpreted!

Tokyo born artist - Akira Yamaguchi's works are a sight to behold! "Singa-planet" now showing at the Japan Creative Centre till 6 May 2011 is a must see for his creative renditions of various Singapore landscapes and sightings. See how he cleverly juxtaposes Sri-Mariamman temple, the Merlion, Chinatown and many other landmarks of Singapore into one floating planet on water (somewhat reminiscent of Hayao Miyazaki's Howl's Moving Castle and Spirited Away's castle). Should this ever be possible to execute in real life, a replica of Singapore's most famous landmarks might be able to dock at neighbouring Asian cities in just a mere couple of days to promote tourism to our sunny city.

What struck me at this exhibition the most was a deceptively simple painting titled "FLOWERS, 2003" . Take a closer look at the flower buds and roots, held together seamlessly with nuts & bolts which is seemingly impossible. "Robotified" gardens in the next millenium perhaps?

Feast your eyes on the fantastic details in other works like "Department Store :Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi, 2004" , where you can relish in a voyeur's perspective of all the activity in this multi-level shopping haven. Witness consumer habits in their full glory from its bathhouses to rooftop revelry and basement eateries.

"A Break in Four Seasons,2007" captures the transition from Spring to Winter in seamless fashion. Blink and you might just miss that yawn from a friendly grandma on the streets and a frown from the pedestrians in the hot summer. "Setting up a Thousand Senju Kannon,2009" is another masterpiece that captures the nuances of devotees working on the thousand hand goddess of mercy from start to finish. He has captured every scene from the resting quarters to segmented work stations.

Don't miss out on the smaller portraits that poke a little bit of harmless fun at familiar Singapore scenes like that of a chicken rice seller peddling lunch out of his bicycle in style and modern portable workstations for the office,etc...

http://www.sg.emb-japan.go.jp/JCC/event_A_Yamaguchi_18012011.html