Peko Chan

This is a character of a candy company, Fujiya. The character's name is Peko-chan. It is very famous character and has been loved by many Japanese children. This milk taste candy, Milky, is long-time seller. When I was a child, I love it. Peko chan is drawn on packages of some Fujiya's products.

Fujiya runs restaurant or cake shop. Peko-chan always stands in front of the cake shops. It is so cute. She changes her cloth in every season or events. For example, she wears Kimono in new year season.

I bought Milky yesterday. I sometimes want to eat it.

*She has a friend. His name is Poko chan. I found website of Peko chan and attach it. (It has no English.)

Peko World

Delicious sauce

I read a cooking magazine. I found a dish that looks so delicious and cooked it recently. It is fish saute with arranged sauce. Marvellous !! It is so simple, however so good.
I introduce the ingredients of the sauce.

1. soy sauce
2. olive oil
3. honey ( 1,2,3 = 1 large tsp)
4. wholegrain mustard (1 or 2 small tsp)

After fish is baked in a pan, put it out and take extra oils, put this sauce in a pan and heat a little. (Please be careful to not burn the sauce.) I think the sauce is OK for various dishes. It is say sauce based, however, is like western style sauce because of wholegrain mustard. Please try this sauce.

(I'm sorry for not having a picture. I ate it before i took a picture.)

MUJI 無印良品

MUJI is a name of Japanese brand. I like its goods. Design is so simple and not expensive. We can buy various necessity for our life. Stationary, furniture, foods, or dresses etc. I like MUJI shops. There are a lot of shops in Tokyo.

There is a cafe in some MUJI shops and I sometimes go for a lunch at Meal MUJI in Yurakucho (有楽町). Meal MUJI is a cafe and I like this place and atmosphere in the cafe. There are some types of plate lunch and breads. I have favorite lunch there. A lot of plate seeing foods are displayed in the showcase. I can choose three type of a few portions of plates. Every foods seem to be so delicious. The cost of this lunch with a cup of drink is about 1,000 yen. Since it is spacious cafe, women who have their babies can eat close to baby buggy.

I like to see various MUJI goods there after lunch. I sometimes buy some attractive goods. It is one of my pleasures. New Meal MUJI is recently opened in Shinjuku (新宿).

There are shops in some countries. If you go there in your country, you might find your favorite goods. 　

Sunomono (酢の物)

I ate a typical Japanese food, Sunomono(酢の物), yesterday. It is very healthy and sour taste of vinegar. It's like marinade. Marinade sauce is called "Sanbaizu" (三杯酢). Ingredients of Sunomono in my home are soft seaweed (Wakame), cucumber and Perilla frutescens (aojiso).

1. Put wakame in hot water about for twenty minutes, drain the water after washing off and cut it.
2. Cut cucumber in round slices, salt and drain the water after washing off.
3. Mix wakame and sliced cucumber with Sanbaizu ( rice vinegar : soy sauce : sugar = 3:1:2 It is basic quantity. )
4. Put sliced aojiso on the mixture.

It is better to put it in refrigerator before eating.

I like Sunomono. When I don't want to eat fatty food or it is hot weather, Sunomono is excellent for me.

Ikemen (Nice-looking guy)

Ikemen is new Japanese word and we, especially women use this word. "Ikemen" means nice-looking man. For example, we often say "That waiter is Ikemen !"

Recently young and popular actor, Hiro Mizushima and female singer, Ayaka, were married. It was a big topic last week. He is one of very popular actors now. He has a lot of female fans. He is just "Ikemen".

I think almost women in any countries like Ikemen. We often talk about Ikemen actors with our friends. If you know this Japanese word, it might be useful for conversation with Japanese female friends.
Now a young actor is very popular for Japanese women. His name is Shun Oguri. He frequently appears in mass media now. I saw a film that he is starred in. The title is Kisaragi キサラギ. It was so interesting film. I recommend to see it if you have a chance.

Who is your Ikemen in your country now ?

* Below is new good song of Ayaka. I like it.

夢を味方に

Salaried Workers' Lunch Box

I read a topics about lunch boxes in newspaper recently. Various lunch boxes for salaried workers are sold in shops now.

It has been usual for women to prepare lunch (Bento in Japanese). Mothers prepare for their children, women prepare for herself or wives prepare for their husband. Especially lunch that wives prepare is called "Aisai Bento". (愛妻弁当)　

Salaried workers prepare for themselves now. As our custom, it was said Japanese man shouldn't cook in kitchen. Cooking has long been a work for women in domestic life. However, It is an advantage for Japanese men to be able to cook well nowadays. And single men that prepare lunch and bring the lunch box to their office increase. It is to save the money for lunch and overcome depression. Some of them introduce their original lunch in their blogs.

It is welcome for women that men who can cook well increase. It is good season to go out with lunch box and eat lunch in the air. Let's go for a picnic with new lunch box !

菜の花 - Rapeseed

Flower of Rapeseed

Spring comes and it is very sunny and warm today. We can eat a lot of fresh vegetables after winter and feel spring. Cabbage, potato, Fuki (Petasites japonicus), bamboo shoot, etc. They are very delicious. 菜の花 (rapeseed) is one of typical spring vegetables. We can eat it only spring season.

We eat boiled leaves and stem of 菜の花 (Nanohana in Japanese) with stock (Dashi), soy sauce and mustard. It is a little bitter taste. However, it is so good.

When I walked around, I saw 菜の花 field. The yellow flowers were amazing view.