What is Tatami

Tatami　is  traditional straw mats that are still found in almost all Japanese houses.When you walk on them,First please take your slippers or shoes off. We Japanese sleep here at night, but we fold Futons and put them away during the day.

They are usually rectangular in shape and are made tightly woven rush grass with edges hemmed with cloth.

Tatami is indispensable to the Japanese house and still loved by many Japanese now.

Recommend Japanese Foods and Drinks

I will introduce the recommend foods and drinks of Japan.

http://find-travel.jp/

Ramen

Ramen is popular Japanese food.There is also in China, but Japan's Ramen is different from china's. Mostly much better. It is like a Japanese soup pasta.

http://matome.naver.jp/

Gyoza

Gyoza is one of the popular foods in Japan. In English,it called Pan-fried dumping.

Speaking of chair restaurant which mainly serve gyoza in Japan,it's sure　"Gyoza no Oushou".

http://find-travel.jp/

Sushi

http://toyokeizai.net/

Kaiten-sushi

0riginally,sushi was fish pickled for preservation.But in the Edo period,people in Edo started using fresh fish instead of pickled fish.They put raw fish slices or shellfish on top of small vinegared rice balls which were rolled by hand. This is called"nigiri-zushi"typically known as "sushi"in Japan and all over the world.


Kaiten-Sushi is a type of Sushi restaurant that serves dishes on a revolving counter. 
As the food revolves around, you pick the dishes you want. 
Kaiten-Sushi has a variety of dishes, such as curry, ramen, dessert, and etc. 

http://www.hanakaido.co.jp/

Sabu-Shabu

Shabu-shuabu is a kind of a hot pot. You soak raw and sliced meat of beef in hot water of a pot for a short time, and eat the meat with a special sauce and vegetable boiled in the pot.

http://www.kobebeef-shop.com/

Sukiyaki

Sukiyaki is a popular one-pot meal. The main ingredient is 

thin sliced beef, and it is simmered in skillet with sukiyaki 

sauce and lots of vegetables. 

http://matome.naver.jp/

Yo-kan

Yokan is Japanese sweet bean paste jelly.

It is usually molded into long rectangles

and sliced when eaten.

http://matome.naver.jp/odai/

Nihonshu (Japanese sake)

Japanese sake is brewed from rice grains.
There are many kinds of Japanese sakes such as “Junmai-shu”, “Honjozou-shu”, and “Ginjou-shu.” They have different brewing processes and different levels of rice polish.“Jizake” means Japanese sake brewed using locally grown rice grains and water from local sources.There are many kinds of “Jizake” throughout Japan. Their uniqueness varies from region to region.A bottle of premium “Jizake” can cost tens of thousands of yen.“Meishu” means Japanese sake which is specially brewed in small quantities. It has high rarity value.“Nama-zake” means Japanese sake which is not pasteurized at all after production.

http://www.tfm.co.jp/

Shochu

Shochu is a Japanese distilled beverage.

 It can be made from from barley, sweet potatoes, rice, buckwheat and other ingredients. 

There are many ways to drink shochu.

Katana,beautiful Samurai sword

Katana is beautiful traditional Japanese sword.

It's a curved sword of single-edged.

Doujigiriyasutuna

It is said to cut off the neck of Japanese Demon (Oni)

In Edo period, the master of trial cutting ｃut off the six corpses of criminals and chunky wooden foundation at a time using Doujigiriyasutuna.

Masamune

Masamune is one of the most famous Japanese Katana. In Kamakura period master craftsmen have created, Masamune.Masamune is the name who created these Katana.

Onikirimaru

 Notsuna Watanabe defeated the demon of Rashomon at this sword.

It was the sword treasured in the Genji Family.

Shishimaru

                        Since defeating Nue troubled capital, It was given to Minamoto no Yorimasa.

Tatsumonjizaka

From near where I'm living, there are old stone sidewalk.It is called "Tatsumonjizaka".
Construction began in 1635, it is said to have completed after  about 100 years.
The stone was cut from the  Hinosako mountain nearby the Tatsumonjizaka.
Saigo Takamori, master mind of Satsuma Rebellion(Seinan War),headed to Kumamoto through this road.Saigo Takamori was called "Last samurai".He is the model of the movie "Last Samurai".
After the end of Edo period, Meiji government took away the privileges of the samurai.The Samurai can no longer be equipped with a Katana(Samurai Sword).Satsuma Rebellion(Seinan War),was the largest rebellion of Samurai at that time.By passing through this road
you can enjoy the atmosphere of Edo period when Samurai still existed.

What is Samurai?

Samurai　is Japanese soldiers of the Middle Ages　and  early modern period.　In　Heian　period, Samurai is who guarded the people in high social position.

From Muromachi period, the definition of the samurai changed to some extent. The person served to Ashikaga family  called " Samurai".Shougun is born from Asikaga family. After Ashikaga family's destruction, meaning of the samurai has changed to those who fight in the war. After the Edo Shogunate collapsed in the Meiji Restoration, the last samurai the Saigo Takamori, which was defeated in the southwest war has disappeared from history.

Japanese samurai has the "philosophy" called "Bushido".

What is Ninja?

Ninja is very popular character of Japan.Ninja is mercenary and otherwise act like spy.Traditionally Daimyo hired Ninja, but Daimyo disappeared with the end of Edo period, so Ninja loses meaning of existence. Nowadays it is very difficult to find real Ninja in Japan.Very few people still use the real technique of Ninja.

Ninja's physical ability is said to equal in a top athlete.They can jump over 3 meters and move about 4000 km a day.They can use unique skills called Ninjyutu. By Ninjutu they control　fire and water.They can also disappear whenever they want .

Ninja trained hard everyday for survival.　If many people tried to kill a Ninja, probably he will survive.One famous training is jumping over planting hemp everyday.Hemp is a fast growing plant.

It is very good training for enforcing jumping power. Hemp grows three meters in height in about four month.

They run binding long cloth round his waist, so that it does not stick to the ground.This training is very effective for improving running skills.

Ninja's surviving skills are depend on everyday's hard training.

Ninja

How to be friends with Japanese

Hello! My name is Akira Ohashi. I'm living in Japan. I will tell you the real style of Japan.Many Japanese are shy to people from abroad and not good at speaking English.If you want Japanese friends, don't be afraid of taking to them and don't forget to speak slowly to Japanese,so that they can understand your English.

Some Japanese are love to study English. They want the chance to brush up their English.We Japanese have few chance to speak English in Japan.So if you visit Japan it might be better to  find the person who love to speak English.Japanese English educational system are terribly bad.That’s why many Japanese can’t speak English well enough.They wish to study English from people from abroad.

There are International Communications Association in each regions.It  will help you making friends and get the useful infomation about Japan.I hope you enjoy Japan and have a wonderful time in this country.