Feeling a little Yamato Nadeshiko.

Just wanna share a couple of "Japanese-y" things I've been up to recently:

Homemade amazake FTW! Nothing hits the spot like this after a brutally cold day out.

A former coworker and dear friend of mine once spoke to me about the wonders of amazake. She makes a point of making and drinking a cup every night, because it offers a number of benefits: for instance, apparently it contains a lot of nutrients (vitamins, protein, etc.), lowers cholesterol,  and is supposed to be really good for your skin?!

I am not sure how correct all of her information was, but if anything my friend (who I believe is in her mid-40s) looks fantastic, healthy - and her complexion is really nice. Plus, amazake really does  warm you up - with the weather as cold as it is, she had me sold.

Later, I happened to run across sakekasu (pictured in the bottom left of the photo above) when I visited a sake brewery awhile back. There are various ways to make your own amazake, but the way my friend does it - and how I do it - is basically to mix the sakekasu with water and sugar in a pot, and voila! All done.

Since I live alone and my sad excuse for a kitchen only has a single electric stove, which takes forever to heat up - and when it does, the settings are only OFF or VERY HIGH (heat), so making amazake on my own took way more effort than it needed to. But! I've discovered a recipe where you make it with the microwave - which might wind up being my new thing. Perhaps this time I'll be able to make amazake into a habit like my friend.

Simple recipe for making amazake:

1) Put sakekasu and ~50cc water (ratio of 1:4) in a microwavable cup, and heat for about 30 seconds.

2) Using a spoon or chopsticks, mix the sakekasu until no lumps remain.

3) Add enough water to fill the cup, as well as sugar to taste. Microwave for 1-2 minutes, or until hot...and you're done!

Onto a completely different topic...

Free tickets to the Kimono Beauty exhibit!

Another recent happening - I was typing furiously at work, focusing on some translation when one of my department's bosses - the Bucho, or Executive Director for Public Relations! came and sat next to me. I rarely see her even though we work on the same floor, perhaps because she's so high on the ladder that she has her own private office.

Anyway, while I was scrambling to collect my thoughts, she asked me if I'd been to the Kimono Beauty exhibit, being held at the Chiba City Museum of Art at that time. I said no - and then she pushed these tickets into my hands, and went on her way before I could even say thanks.

I had actually already been planning to go, but this incident just ensured that I would go - especially since my bucho had gone out of her way to give me these! So I went with some friends - on the very last day of the exhibit...but it was absolutely fantastic. It was even cooler because a lot of the other visitors that day were dressed in kimono, perhaps because they were all taking lessons in how to wear kimono and they came with their class, and/or because people in kimono got discounts on admission. In any case, many of them were just as wonderful to behold, and it took a lot of self-control NOT to ogle them.

Of course, photography wasn't allowed in the museum so I don't have any other photos to share - aside from this one below! These kimono were on display at entrance to the Taisho/Showa era kimono section of the exhibit, along with a sign that basically read "please take photos"...so of course, I had to oblige!

Viva Yamato Nadeshiko!

Earth Tree Cafe.

It's been almost four months since my last post, and I only have six months left here in Chiba - only time will tell where I'll end up next. But before my time's up, I need to make the most of my remaining time here. Or so went a recent conversation with a close friend.

Earthy, natural, and gorgeous.

It took place here, at the magical Earth Tree Cafe.

A couple weeks back, I took a day trip to the lovely Kamogawa, my previous home of 3 years, to join a seminar. Before I went back to home, my friend and I played catch up at this fabulous cafe, which opened up along the road last summer, right between Kamogawa Sea World and Kamogawa Grand Hotel.

With my handsome friend~.

I failed at properly taking photos of the interior, which has a very natural feel to it and was extremely charming. It's hard to tell, but there's a little loft on the second floor - there was a table up there, so I think guests can eat up there too.

Other photos of the cafe can be found here (which I found randomly through Google search):
http://blogs.yahoo.co.jp/d_toshizou_b/29778419.html

Also, while this might be really awkward to say - their restroom was particularly gorgeous. You can tell a lot of thought was put into the interior detailing. For one, apparently the flooring is made up of beach glass that the owners' daughter collected: http://halekaira.cocolog-nifty.com/blog/2012/04/post-ebef.html

They have a stock of books and magazines, as well as... FREE WI-FI! Yes, you read that correctly. It's a freaking miracle, considering that the concept of free wi-fi is practically nonexistent in Japan, even in the middle of Tokyo. To encounter it in the inaka...woah.

If I still lived in Kamogawa, I'd be here everyday, warming up with my iPad and eating delicious foods (apparently that's what my friend does).  Speaking of delicious foods....

Here we go again with my fetish for signs (especially chalkboard ones)

Full of natural, organic goodness!

Most unfortunately, they ran out of the daily special zakkoku (grain) plate meal - or rather, they ran out of rice, which knocked out any items with rice. Sad face.

Nomnoms.

So instead, I opted for the grilled veggie burger, which comes with a side of salad and curry...as well as some kind of tea I can't recall - all super yummy! We also had chai tea, a mutual favorite.


The cafe is open from 11:00-20:00, Wednesday to Sunday. If you're ever in Kamogawa and looking for a nice place to chill - look no further!

Earth tree cafe, I'll be back!