The 5 of Japanese cooking

A japanese meal is supposed to exemplify these fives:

* Goshiki (five colors): aka(red); kiiro (yellow); ao (green); kuro (black); shiro (white).

* Goho (five methods): niru (simmer); musu (steam); yaku (grill); ageru (fry); tsukuru (create).

* Gomi (five flavors): shiokarai (salty); suppai (sour); amai (sweet); Nigai (bitter); karai (spicy).

* Gokan (five senses): miru (sight); kiku (hearing); kaku (smell); ajiwau (taste); fureru (touch).

A bit overwhelming to contemplate as a cook, but there is more::

* Gokan no mon — the five viewpoints or outlooks — a Buddhist doctrine referring to the state of mind to be maintained while partaking of the food. The first tenet is to ponder deep gratitude for the people who prepared the meal. Second is to perform deeds and have thoughts worthy of receiving such nourishment. Third is to partake of the food with no ire. Fourth is to realize that eating this food is feeding the soul as well as the body. And finally, the fifth consideration is to be seriously engaged on the road to enlightenment.

A little Japanese food for thought.

See this article from the Japan Times for more info

Difference

Many years ago, I took a course in family therapy. One of my teachers kept saying: information lies in difference. What she meant is that you find out about yourself by discovering that others are different.

In that spirit, our lives here are full of such differences, from small to large, so I anticipate a bunch of posts which simply show difference.

Such as how red peppers and lemons are usually wrapped at the grocery store:

or the styrofoam netting that cushions delicate fruit:

if these peaches look big, they are. Peaches tend to run about 25 to 50% bigger over here.

Presiding Bishop of ECUSA visits Tokyo

A talk by the Right Reverend Bishop Katherine Jefferts Schori in Tokyo on September 23rd, 2009: From Right to left, Rev. Iijima, the president of the National Christian Coucil of Japan, Rev. Koshi-ishi, moderator of the National Christian Counsel of Japan, The Right Reverend Katherine Jefferts Schori,Presiding Bishop of ECUSA, a woman whose name I did not catch, and Peter Ng, partnership officer for Asia and the Pacific in the Episcopal Church's Office of Anglican and Global Relations (AGR)

Rt. Rev. Schori participated in the celebration of the 150th Anniversary of the Anglican Church in Japan (Nippon Sei Ko Kai).

To me, most interesting was the questions that the Japanese church brought to one represents the church in America: questions about peace making in Asia and the Middle East, the role of the church as advocate for such issues in US policy, and the presence of the US military in Japan.

A dish lover's find

There are many amazing things to find along the "kitchen" street, Kappabashi Dori. This last time there we discovered a store that smelled like my grandmother's attic, and was packed floor to ceiling with china and pottery. Greg nicknamed it the "Crazy Man's China Emporium," cause you almost had to be crazy to get through the aisles and it was certainly packed with China. Listen for the sound of my foot hitting a pile of dishes in this clip.

We bought some bowls and plates.

Amazon

Setting up my Amazon.jp account today.

The books are more expensive. Richard Russo's "Bridge of Sighs?" $10.17 on Amazon, ¥2616 ($28) on Amazon.jp. Still, its cheaper than sending stuff from the US.

You can buy alcohol at the Amazon.jp.

Once you get out of the English language books on Amazon.jp, they really don't expect to serve the english speaking community. But its fun to click around anyway.

Italian food

Yesterday I went to a PTA coffee where I two women who invited me to join them for lunch. Rita is Italian. She has moved every 2 years in her adult life, and has lived in Paris, Rome, Milan, New Jersey among other places. Mariko was raised in Kyoto and sent to California as a teenager to go to an American boarding school. She married a Navy officer who is working at the embassy. They have lived in Japan twice and a number of years in Fairfax county Virginia. Clearly, the three of us have a lot of moves between us.

Rita suggested an Italian restaurant. Once there, Rita carefully surveyed the menu and then suggested what we should order. We started with a sampler of Mozzarella--three kinds. It was about he freshest mozzarella I've had outside of the North End of Boston. Yummy.

Still, something amusing about the fact Rita told Mariko what to order, so she could translate it to Japanese for the waiter. The wait staff would deliver the meal and tell us, in Japanese, how to eat the food that is Rita's native fare.

Mariko said she would take us to a traditional Japanese restaurant for lunch next time. I offered to do my part too: MacDonald's and then follow up with a Starbucks.

Plantings

I don't think I've ever seen this extremely purple plant before. The other thing to note here is how even tiny spaces are used for plantings. This is a very narrow walkway next to a train track.