Month: May 2016

Spaghetti the Japanese Way

The Japanese love spaghetti so much that they think they invented it.  They actually reinvented the dish by adapting it to their palate.  Tomatoes were hard to come by so they mixed ketchup and Worcestershire sauce in the early days.  Now, the chefs have created sauces and recipes to complement the seafood, shiitake mushrooms, and sea vegetables readily available in Japan.  At the Kansai International Airport, I was going to catch a flight back to Las Vegas and arrived early.  Thinking of American taste, I noticed a restaurant called the Margherita Kitchen with plastic food displays and ordered ketchup spaghetti; however, I decided that ketchup tastes better on hamburgers and French fries and couldn’t finish the meal.  I’ll be sure to try another dish when I’m in Osaka again.

Home cooks in Japan use olive oil and butter with soy sauce or chicken or vegetable broth for the sauce and add whatever is handy.  Instead of Parmesan cheese, they might add shredded nori as a garnish.  It’s a very versatile and budget friendly dish.

My daughter is fond of Japanese spaghetti so I usually pick up several prepackaged mixes for her at an Asian market.

The Amazing Dragonfly

The dragonfly is such a common motif in artwork that I was motivated to research this amazing insect.

In regions around the world where dragonflies inhabit the area, there is usually a profound reverence for these insects.  In Japan, they are called tonbo (トンボ) and usually appear in autumn.  Dragonflies have two sets of wings that are independent of each other and allow for great maneuverability and speed.  They fly with and against the wind and some species have flown over oceans.  Their wings can reflect colors from their environment.  They are good predators that control insect populations such as mosquitoes.

Dragonflies can fly from 19 to 38 miles per hour depending on the species (there are over 5,000) and live a month to six months.  They have compound eyes that have up to 50,000 lenses, or ommatidia, and can see 360 degrees at once.  All of these attributes resonated with many samurai, who decorated their clothing, armor, and weapons with likenesses of the dragonfly to remind them of strength, perseverance, and victory.

Fossil remains have established that ancestors of the dragonfly have been around for over 300 million years.

Personal Goals

For a culture with an emphasis on “we” and “us,” the Daruma doll provides an opportunity for the Japanese to state and pursue a personal goal. The doll is in the likeness of Bodhidharma, the founder of Zen Buddhism, and is usually made of paper mâché with a weighted base.  The dolls are often given as gifts but may be purchased by the individual having a wish, for instance, for a good outcome from an illness, success in business, or excellent test scores.  A new doll always has blank eyes.  The instructions are simple:  When you know what you want to accomplish, draw a black pupil in the doll’s left eye. Place the doll on a shelf to remind yourself of the goal.  When the goal is achieved, draw in the other pupil.  Congratulations!

 

Maneki-neko

When I lived in Los Angeles, I noticed that many of the Japanese-owned businesses had ceramic cats with a raised paw displayed on a shelf or on the counter next to the cash register. I found out later that these cats are called maneki-neko or beckoning cats.  I thought the cat was waving but it was actually beckoning customers and is a good luck charm.  (When the Japanese want you to come to them, they use their palms down and use a gesture with their fingers as if scratching the air.)

There are many stories about the origin of the beckoning cat, but my favorite is about a poor merchant who had little food but shared it with a cat. The grateful cat stood at the door to welcome customers into the shop and the merchant soon became prosperous.  A wood carving was made of the cat that evolved into ceramic or plastic figurines.  The cats are usually white with a collar, bell, bib and a coin called a koban, representing a coin used in the Edo period.

Ichigo Ichie

Ichigo ichie is a Japanese phrase that has its roots in Zen Buddhism and the tea ceremony.  It had its start in the 16th century and means “one time, one chance,” relating to the transient nature of life.  When a host prepares for a tea ceremony, it could take days to ensure that everything goes perfectly and a formal tea gathering could last up to four hours.  The guests understand that the occasion can never be repeated, treasure the group encounter, and sincerely appreciate the efforts of the host.

The tea ceremony was originally practiced by the nobility and as tea became accessible to the common people, its practice spread throughout Japan.

This concept has been sewn into the fabric of Japanese life. One meeting with a person or group can never be repeated because even if you meet again the next day, all the elements of the previous meeting will have changed.  Many tourists and friends of the Japanese have noted that the Japanese are gracious hosts and display consideration for their guests beyond common manners.  This is the influence of ichigo ichie.

Also words to live by, in America, many people have seen this quote by Etienne de Grellet. They have clipped the passage and kept it in their wallets, posted it on the refrigerator door, and recited it to their children:  “I shall pass this way but once; any good that I can do or any kindness I can show to any human being; let me do it now.  Let me not defer nor neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again.”