The Food Pursuit
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Summers in Tokyo are characterized by extreme humidity to the point where one would be sweating from lifting an arm. There was never a sweat-free day. Showers take place throughout the day. The Japanese government launched an energy saving campaign following its nuclear troubles which led to many stores and trains cutting down on air conditioning, a halt in escalator operation, and a dimmer city. This meant occasional visits to the ice cream store were a must.
2011 was something magical. The year started with a decision to move to Japan where I was greeted with one of the largest earthquakes in history, an immersion of life in another country, and of course, discovering the culture through food and dining experiences.
I recently returned and for those following the website, you can expect to read about details of the adventures in Japan as well as the journeys elsewhere from here on. It is my honour to reflect on and recount all of these experiences by sharing with those who have the same love for food and culture. Updates are coming soon.
With a name like Freshness Burger, it really doesn’t have to make sense to appeal to the Japanese. If there’s one word they know in English with regards to food, it would be fresh. Supermarkets must discount foods every day otherwise no one would buy it. It is highly possible to walk into the supermarket before dinner and pick up heavily discounted items to make a feast. The price tag of items includes not only the expiry date and the date they were made, but also the time at which they were made. ‘Fresh’ is the benchmark of food in Japan. One evening, I visited Freshness Burger to see whether or not the burgers are truly that fresh.
Despite becoming gradually more fluent in Japanese, my everyday life is still not without language obstacles. This is possibly one reason why I love frequenting conveyor belt (kaiten) sushi restaurants because one can sit through a whole meal without placing any orders. This time, I visited a kaiten sushi restaurant in Ikebukuro called Tairyo, which is Japanese for ‘good catch’ or literally ‘big fish’.
After learning that Asakusa’s Sanja Matsuri is cancelled this year as a result of Tohoku’s earthquake and tsunami, I would be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed. It normally takes place during the third weekend of May and crowds flock to the temples for a good time. Not this year. And while I respect one’s decision to Jishuku, or voluntary (and ironically involuntary) self-restraint, and admire their sense of community and respect nationwide, I hope this won’t be taken into extreme. Too much Jishuku can be unhealthy for the mind or well-being. We balance diets, why not everything else? I believe at times like this, it’s more important than ever to push forward and dig for a lighted path. So when the Sanja Matsuri was cancelled, meaning all the goodies will not be where I usually find them, I dug for my own.
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