Food & Drink
Posted on 12月 5, 2008. Filed under: Crime & Punishment, Food & Drink, THE MILITARY IN JAPAN | タグ: alcohol, drink, drinking, driving, government, Law, punishment |
Punishment for drunken drivers will become dramatically tougher under proposed revisions to the enforcement regulations of the Road Traffic Law coming into effect next June, the National Police Agency (NPA) said.
Under the new rules, those found with 0.25 milligrams or more of alcohol per liter of breath will receive a penalty of 25 points from their license, up from 13, and lose it on the spot. Between 0.15 and less than 0.25 milligrams will incur 13 points instead of 6, earning a 90-day suspension. (さらに…)
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Posted on 12月 3, 2008. Filed under: Food & Drink | タグ: drinking, food, Foreigner, italian, wine, yokohama |
Michael and Tomomi Scott of Tomei’s California Wine Experience
Motomachi, Yokohama – Nestled on a quiet street behind the main stretch of Yokohama’s Motomachi shopping district lies a hidden jewel for wine aficionados. We visited with proprietors Michael and Tomomi Scott of Tomei’s to see what the fuss was all about.
The concept for a coop-style tasting room was born back in 1999 while Michael was still living in California. Four years later he an Tomomi moved to Japan and in May of 2005 they opened their doors and introduced a new tasting format to the general Japanese public. Michael was determined to offer locals a new way to sample and purchase wine that was a departure from the normal considerations of price and bottle design. The wine itself should be the focal point and allowing customers an opportunity to try before they buy became the lynchpin of his strategy.
There are usually more than 30 different individual wines on offer in the tasting room from 14 different wineries. Patrons have the option of ordering by the glass or bottle which gives them the freedom to explore different varieties and allowing them to choose what suits their taste best. Given the warm reception of the local community, “support food” as Michael calls it debuted on their menu soon after opening to both enhance the wine tasting experience and fortify those that wish to stay for more than just a casual tasting. (さらに…)
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Posted on 12月 2, 2008. Filed under: Food & Drink, LEARNING & STUDY (Gakumon), Shopping | タグ: Add new tag, Japanese, language, words |
A few months ago, Japanese convenience store chain
CircleK Sunkus came out with a branded line of pasta
bentos (boxed lunches).
The name? Rubetta.
If you know just a little bit of Japanese you can figure out the origins of this moniker.
Rubetta is a Japanese-style
semordnilap,* which is a fancy term that means a word resulting from another word spelled backwards. For instance, Oprah Winfrey has named her production company “Harpo,” which is actually “Oprah,” spelled backwards.
Semordnilaps in Japanese are unlike their English counterparts in that Japanese is a syllabic language. So when you reverse spelling order, you are actually reversing syllables.
This is much easier to show than explain.
(さらに…)
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Posted on 11月 30, 2008. Filed under: Culture & Society, Food & Drink, LIFE IN JAPAN, Shopping | タグ: japan, organic, restaurant, tokyo, vegan, vegetarian |
Calling all vegans and those thinking about taking the plunge! The Spinshell Report has posted an informative video on organic supermarkets, restaurants, support groups and best-selling books on things vegan in Tokyo.
Check it out here:
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Posted on 11月 1, 2008. Filed under: BLACK TOKYO NEWS, Food & Drink, Music & entertainment | タグ: american, black, female, Foreigner, japan, networking, roppongi, tokyo, women |
This in from Sista in Tokyo (SIT): For well over two years now, a group of black professionals in Tokyo has been getting together to connect, chill, and catchup on the first Friday of every month. I’ve posted a few times about some of the more interesting discussions from our little shindig, but have not yet posted on the actual group. So today, I figured it was about time I did so.
Tomorrow, our cocktail hour will be held at 57 restaurant in Ropppongi(located behind Tokyo Midtown). Usually, our group includes around 7-12 attendees from various industries here in Tokyo. It’s almost always predominately male, hence my reason for posting this announcement today :).
I am extending a personal invitation to all SIT readers currently living in Tokyo (or visiting) to come out, kick back and enjoy a laugh or two and have a drink! I have included details below. Also, if you’re interested in keeping up with the goings on and other events happening, you are welcome to join our Black Professionals in Tokyo Group located an Ning. You don’t have to currently reside in Tokyo to be a member– and you don’t even have to be black, just like being around black people :). (さらに…)
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Posted on 10月 30, 2008. Filed under: Food & Drink, Shopping | タグ: 7-11, convenience stores, drinks, japan, konbini, Shopping |
Thirsty? This in from Brent at Konbini Life. Not sure if I would buy a bottle but interesting none the less!
“So I’m walking by the soda section, and frankly this bottle is pretty hard to miss, so at the very least I have to give the design team props. ‘Pepsi & Yogurt’?! WTF?!?
Usually I don’t have to put much thought into what something tastes like, but this one I mulled over for a good 30 minutes. Eventually I came up with an answer: Girl’s Body Lotion. The split second it hits your lips you think to yourself ‘this is good!’ but you give up that thought as soon as you start drinking it. Kind of the same way you’d rather lick a girl with said lotion than eat her.
It smells sweet and if you can find a girl who will let you pour this on her so you can lick it off of her neck or belly, by all means buy a bottle. If you happen to own World of Warcraft, this ain’t gonna get you throught the night.
Price: 147yen. Store: 7-11.”
Be sure to check out Konbini Life to see what tricks and treats are offered!
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Posted on 10月 17, 2008. Filed under: Culture & Society, Food & Drink, LIFE IN JAPAN | タグ: beer, food, japan, kaiseki, sake, shochu, tokyo |
The simple truth has become a global cliche: It is hard to get a bad meal in Tokyo. Whether you’re eating humble noodles or a rarefiedkaiseki banquet, it’s likely to be more than just satisfactory — there’s a good chance it will be prepared with flavor and flair.
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| Proof’s in the pot: At Maru in Aoyama, the rice course, cooked in dark-brown heavy clay pots, is hardly an afterthought — it’s the star of the meal. ROBBIE SWINNERTON PHOTOS |
That said, it still remains frustratingly difficult to access high-level Japanese cuisine. Many of the finest chefs work in tiny premises, well away from the mainstream and the glare of publicity. You may see a sliding door with a nameplate in kanji script. You know there’s great food inside. But without an introduction or reservation (not to mention a knowledge of Japanese), how do you venture past that inscrutable norencurtain?
Thank goodness at least there is Maru, a stylish basement restaurant of no little quality just a short walk from Omotesando. Besides serving excellent modern takes on traditional cuisine, it is relaxed and absolutely accessible. Best of all, the serving staff are perfectly accommodating for those who speak little or no Japanese.
In keeping with the Aoyama address, Maru’s outward face is stylish and discreet. A small sign indicates a flight of concrete steps leading down from street level, and, halfway down, a noren in bold red marks the entrance. Inside, an open kitchen runs the length of the room, fronted by a wide wooden counter, with half a dozen tables along the facing wall furnished with banquette seating. There are also three small private rooms tucked away out of sight.
This contemporary layout reflects the outlook of owner-chef Keiji Mori. After apprenticing at one of the top kaiseki restaurants in Kyoto, he eventually left to widen his worldview and reinvent his understanding of traditional cuisine. (さらに…)
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Black Tokyo Japan 