A Taste of The 3 ‘R’s to good eating – Restaurants, Reviews & Recipes

12-page pullout STRIPES JAPAN ASTE OF JAPA MARCH 22 − MARCH 28, 2019 A T 2 N

A taste of Yokosuka you’ll never forget We ensure that in every dish we prepare, we add the best herbs and spices specially handpicked from Nepal and India. With our belief deeply rooted in the Eastern philosophy, we regard every customer as a god, and make sure in every way that we treat them as one. Our 5-star experienced cooks and chefs ensure the food looks as good as it is healthy. Once you come and visit us, we are confident that you will make plans to come again. We eagerly await the opportunity to serve you our delicacies!!

American craft beer is our specialty! Antenna America is just what you need to quench your thirst! Our Kannai, Yokohama and Shinagawa branches serve up American craft beer from top U.S. craft brewer- ies. Please go to : http://www.naganotrading.com/ for more details. Our tasting rooms have rotating taps and a huge selection of bottles, all fresh from breweries thanks to our cold-chain delivery system. Chicken wings, burg- ers and other American food items all made to order at our Kannai and Yokohama branches. We have private space available upon request at our Kannai branch. An- tenna America is family friendly, so come check us out! MARCH 22 − MARCH 28, 2019 E OF STRIPES JAPAN TAST JAPA A 3 N

It tastes as good as it sounds

Beginning with an Eric Clapton guitar, owns the world’s greatest collection of music memora- bilia, which is displayed at its locations around the globe. For fans of music, great food and good times, Hard Rock is the go-to restaurant to get that authentic American diner-inspired cuisine wrapped in a unique musical ex- perience. So, it’s time to strike up the band! Events, like great music, are born to inspire others. At Hard Rock Cafe, we pride ourselves on delivering an exceptional ex- perience with a rock ‘n’ roll twist for each and every one of our guests.

Delicious French cuisine in Misawa North 40-40 is celebrating our fourth anniversary!! Join us for a wonderful French meal!! Head chef Kazu Hira- bayashi dished up food at some of Tokyo’s finest French restaurants before bringing his culinary talents to Aomori. Chef Hirabayashi and his staff use only the finest, freshest local and original French ingredients in his tasty dishes. Many from the military community have enjoyed North 40-40’s French fare and its casual and friendly atmosphere. So stop by and treat yourself to some delicious French food and wine. We can’t wait to serve you! STRIPES JAPAN ASTE OF JAPA MARCH 22 − MARCH 28, 2019 A T 4 N

Traditional Sweets highlight food cultures of Japan

STORY AND PHOTOS BY TAKAHIRO TAKIGUCHI, cake. As rice can spoiled STRIPES JAPAN easily, ancient people invented a way of pre- f you have sampled the traditional sweets of Japan, you serving it by making might have been surprised how different the tastes – and . Iingredients that include sweet potatoes, sweet beans and “Rice cakes can be preserved rice - are from Western sweets. for a long time without refrigera- These sweets are not only savory, but generally extremely tion,” Yabu said. “And once you cook it over a fire, it becomes fancy and beautiful. They usually are served with tea and are very tasty.” used for temple ceremonies, offerings and gifts. They also have These two ancient sweets, dango and mochi, are mainstream a deeper meaning to the Japanese. wagashi today, with many popular shops specializing in them. The traditional sweets supply nourishment to the heart, ac- Various ingredients are used in wagashi, including rice, flour, cording to Mitsuo Yabu, managing director of Traditional Japa- sweet potatoes, beans, millet, chestnuts, sugar, seaweed and nese Sweets Association. various fruit. “As you know, food is necessary for a man to live, but sweets “As wagashi is made mainly from cereals, rice flour, nuts, are not,” he said. “But they enrich and encourage our heart beans and potatoes, the smell is very faint,” Yabu said. “Japa- with their delicious tastes and elegant looks. I think this is very nese traditionally prefer a faint smell for sweets.” important.” And until about 50 years ago, wagashi did not include dairy “Souls exist in traditional sweets,” said Masae Arakaki of the products nor eggs. However, today “most wagashi shops use traditional Ryukyu sweets shop Ara- these animal products for some of their sweets,” he said. kaki Kashiten and descendent of the The biggest difference between wagashi and Ryukyukashi is dynasty’s last royal chef, Arakaki Pe- oil. While wagashi almost contain no oil, Okinawans use a lot of chin Shukuku. oil in their sweets. Wagashi Trivia “I would like as many people “A majority of traditional Okinawan sweets use lard for bak- as possible to be touched by these ing and for flavor,” Arakaki said. “Chinsuko, for example, is a – Do you take off the leaf? souls by enjoying these traditional cookie using lard instead of butter, and that gives it a unique sweets.” flavor.” Okinawa has its own group of On the contrary, the use of oil is traditionally avoided when When you eat “sakuramochi” or “kashiwamochi” sweets, traditional sweets called Ryukyu- making wagashi, according to Yabu. “Adzuki beans are used do you remove the leaf wrapping, or eat it with the leaf? kashi, developed under the influ- quite often to make bean paste in wagashi, but soybeans have According to Mitsuo Yabu, managing director of ence of both Japanese and Chi- never been used because of the lipid,” he said. “An adzuki bean Traditional Japanese Sweets Association, a famed television nese during the Ryukyu Dynasty is only 2 percent fat while the soybean has 20 percent. The (veg- announcer once told viewers that a true connoisseur of (1372-1879). “Ryukyukashi is the etable) fat makes bean paste sticky and spoils the flavor, which traditional Japanese sweets should eat them with leaves on, fruit of a Ryukyu Dynasty aes- is why our ancestors avoided it.” and many believed what he said. thetic sense,” Arakaki said. “It Climate also plays a part in differentiating the two tradition- “That is absolutely wrong,” said a notably perturbed is said that Ryukyu-kashi is 30 al sweets. In mainland Japan, the sweets are seasonal. Yabu. “It took me a long time to correct the public’s percent Japanese taste and 70 “We know spring has come when kusamochi (rice-flour cake misunderstanding.” should enjoy the faint aroma percent Chinese.” flavored with mugwort) is available in February,” Yabu said, According to Yabu, to fully enjoy theseof rice cherry cakes, or you oak leaves According to Arakaki, exist- adding that the shapes and colors of the sweets also vary from first, then remove the leaves just ing documents from that era month to month. “Summer is heralded by mizuyokan (soft ad- before eating it. show there were more than zuki-bean jelly) and kuzuzakura (cherry-leaf-covered kuzu bun “The salty 230 recipes of sweets dur- filled with bean jam), and for autumn, there are persimmon and taste of the ing the Ryukyu Dynasty, al- chestnut sweets.” leaves remain though most have been lost. Since there are not four clear seasons on Okinawa, the same on the rice The Ryukyukashi available sweets are sold throughout the year. “But we often shape our cakes, making today are mostly baked sweets in accordance with the season,” Arakaki said. “We shape the sweets even sweets, which include the chinsuko in a cherry-like figure in spring, and star-like for sum- sweeter with a famous Okinawan Cookie, mertime.” delicate flavor. “chinsuko,” and “hanabo- So, exactly how popular are these traditional sweets? ru,” cookies shaped like When the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Wisteria flowers. conducted a nation-wide survey on Japanese sweets in 1978, While Okinawan sweets are hun- Yabu said the data clearly showed a majority of younger people dreds of years old, the first form of Japanese sweets, didn’t eat the traditional sweets, while those age 70 and older wagashi, was developed about 5,000 years during the Jomon did. The data made those in the traditional sweets industry wor- Period. During this time, people started making food out of ry that their products would fade into history. nuts, according to Yabu. “Smashing oak nuts into powder to “However, when the ministry did the same research 28 years make “dango” (dumplings) after removing the bitterness with later, the data was still the same,” Yabu said. “The data clearly water are fundamental processes for making wagashi,” Yabu shows that people enjoy the traditional sweets as they grow said. older, which made us very relieved.” Another important part of wagashi is mochi, a chewy rice [email protected]

• SEE WAGASHI AND FOUR SEASONS ON PAGE 10 MARCH 22 − MARCH 28, 2019 E OF STRIPES JAPAN TAST JAPA A 5 N

Let us serve your Easter Brunch! Let us handle the cooking this Easter so you can focus on spending quality time with friends and family. The Yokota Enlisted Club welcomes all ranks to the ultimate Easter Brunch! Enjoy a wide variety of food at Yokota’s one and only brunch buffet from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Try our chocolate chip pancakes, southern-style biscuits n’ gravy or one of our tasty omelets. Whatever you are craving, we have it! Savor an Easter Feast with your family and friends and be sure to use your $2 Member’s First Discount. Check our Facebook, Yokota Clubs, for more information.

Come and explore Available for a limited time until Mar 24th. the Outback!

Enjoy our premium Tomahawk Bone-In Ribeye available for a limited time until Mar 24th. The superior marbling of Angus from Aurora, Ill., is cut thick and flame grilled so each bite is juicy and flavorful. And don’t miss our happy hour available at our Roppongi and Shinagawa Takanawa & Konan branches. You can enjoy 18 select at half price weekdays from 5-7 p.m. (This deal is available every day at Takanawa branch). STRIPES JAPAN ASTE OF JAPA MARCH 22 − MARCH 28, 2019 A T 6 N ‘FAMIRESU’ Family restaurants in Land of the Rising Sun

File Photo STORY AND PHOTOS BY TAKAHIRO TAKIGUCHI, So what qualifies a restaurant to be a STRIPES JAPAN “family restaurant” and not, say, a “”? Top family ocated from the northern island of According to the research company Hokkaido through the southern- Fuji Keizai, family restaurants can be restaurants in Japan most island of Okinawa, family res- L defined as a restaurant where children Gusto (www.skylark.co.jp/en/gusto/) taurants, aka ‘famiresu’, offer a variety can visit, its price ranges are between of unique menu items at a reasonable 500 and 2,000 yen ($4.50-18) per cus- (www.saizeriya.co.jp/) price, providing an indispensable dining tomer, serving time takes three minutes Joyfull (www.joyfull.co.jp/) facility for anybody in Japan. or longer (less than three minute is cat- COCO’s (www.cocos-jpn.co.jp/) Being stationed in Japan or Okinawa, egorized as fast food), and there are 80 places like Gusto, Saizeriya, Joyfull or or more seats. Denny’s (www.dennys.jp/) Denny’s are probably pretty familiar to Since most family restaurants are Bamiyan (www.skylark.co.jp/bamiyan/) you. Some of you may regularly use these franchises, price, service and menu Bikkuri Donkey (www.bikkuri-donkey.com/) places for a cheap and quick meal. items are the same throughout the chain, These restaurants cover many of the just like fast food joints McDonalds, KFC Big Boy (www.bigboyjapan.co.jp/) popular Japanese dishes, so visiting one and Mister Donut. Royal Host (www.royalhost.jp/) and scanning its thick menu will give you According to Touji Kon, an essayist and a good overview of the local fare. researcher of the food service industry, While Gusto and Saizeriya are popular in Kanto region, I often take my wife and daughter, the history of the family restaurant goes Joyfull overwhelms others in the West of Japan. Check sometimes with my parents, to a family back to 1969, when a casual French res- restaurant once or twice a week for an taurant group, Royal Nakasu (currently out the popular Family Restaurant in your locations. easy and inexpensive dinner. Royal Host), introduced a so-called “cen- We’ll get anything from raw fish to piz- tral kitchen style”. The style allowed for Check out popular za, salad, or any number of most of the dishes to be cooked in one other meat dishes. There are also location, frozen and shipped to all the famiresu near you! restaurants so each chain could offer the bars. Aomori Prefecture (Misawa) Thanks to family restaurants, open same dish fast and easily. early morning to midnight (some 24/7 – Using this new cooking style, Skylark 1st: Gusto, 2nd: Bikkuri Donkey, 3rd: COCO’s Restaurant Group opened its first shop in 365), we can sample virtually any dish, Tokyo (Yokota, Hardy Barracks) Tokyo in 1970, and a newspaper called anytime, anywhere. the casual, family-oriented restaurant 1. Saizeriya, 2. Gusto, 3. Denny’s “Family Restaurant” for the first time. Kanagawa Prefecture (Zama, Yokosuka, Atsugi) The new restaurants were rapidly ac- 1. Gusto, 2. Saizeriya, 3. Bamiyan cepted with the name of famiresu, and have increased the number of Yamaguchi Prefecture (Iwakuni) shops throughout the nation. 1. Joyfull, 2. Gusto, 3. COCO’s and Big Boy As a result of stiff competition Nagasaki Prefecture (Sasebo) among the different chains, prices 1. Joyfull, 2. Gusto, 3. Bikkuri Donkey at these restaurants have contin- ued to drop. This has turned these Okinawa Prefecture (Foster, Kadena) Popular menu items restaurants from a special place 1. Gusto, 2. Joyfull, 3. Bikkuri Donkey to have a celebration, to more of - Source: The 2015 research of stats-japan.com a casual eatery for virtually any- The followings are some of the body. most popular menu items at “Famiresu is an ideal dinning popular Family Restaurants. facility for solo diners, just like me,” says Kunihiko Ishii, a To- Photo by Yukiyo Oda 1. Gusto: Cheese-filled hamburger kyo salaryman who uses fam- students chatting over a small meal, or steak ………………………390 yen ily restaurants almost every foreigners giving English lessons to day for both lunch and dinner. Japanese students at family restau- “It has plenty of options, so I 2. Saizeriya: Palma-style pasta rants. The well-arranged seats, casual can enjoy different things for ………………390 yen yet cozy interior and lighting might lunch and dinner depending contribute to the hang-out friendly en- Margherita ………..390 yen on what I’m feeling.” vironment. “Living alone in town, I 3. Joyfull: Egg-drop pork cutlet set can’t survive without famire- I remember that my daughter using ………………………………590 yen su,” Ishii said. the restaurants as a place to study before According to Ishii, daily school exams. She said it was like going to the school library, but people are able 4. Coco’s: Seafood doria…780 yen lunch sets are available for to chat and study together. Beef curry ………………880 yen around 500 yen ($4.50), and dinner can be less than Because some of the chains have 1,000 yen. Plus, unlimited added liquor to their menu, family res- refills at the drink bar for taurants have become a cheap and cozy around 150 to 300 yen en- bar for salarymen. I’ll often drop by ables him to stay and read Saizeriya or Bamiyan, both of which of- fer a 17-ounce decanter of quality wine Photo by Ian Waddick in a cozy restaurant for hours. for 390 yen ($3.50). I’ll often see groups of high school With cheaper adult beverages, MARCH 22 − MARCH 28, 2019 E OF STRIPES JAPAN TAST JAPA A 7 N ‘FAMIRESU’ Family restaurants in Land of the Rising Sun

Top family restaurants in Japan Gusto (www.skylark.co.jp/en/gusto/) Saizeriya (www.saizeriya.co.jp/) File Photo Joyfull (www.joyfull.co.jp/) COCO’s (www.cocos-jpn.co.jp/) Denny’s (www.dennys.jp/) Bamiyan (www.skylark.co.jp/bamiyan/) Bikkuri Donkey (www.bikkuri-donkey.com/) Big Boy (www.bigboyjapan.co.jp/) Royal Host (www.royalhost.jp/) OkinawaBY SHOJI KUDAKA, eatingFutenma: (Hours 10 a.m. – 11 Cowboy Family While Gusto and Saizeriya are popular in Kanto region, STRIPES JAPAN Notes: Based on a concept that p.m.) a cowboy family in Texas treats • Ootoya Chatan near Camp Fos- Joyfull overwhelms others in the West of Japan. Check t can be hard to draw a customers to a home-cooked ter: (Hours 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.) out the popular Family Restaurant in your locations. line between what is a meal, this family restaurant main- • Ootoya Noborikawa near Kade- I family restaurant and ly serves steak and hamburger na Air Base: (Hours 11 a.m. – 11 what is not. One online dic- cooked with Certified Angus p.m.) Check out popular tionary briefly describes it as Beef. The Cowboy Family res- a restaurant that families can taurant in Rycom mall is the only Capricciosa famiresu near you! use casually. Hundreds of res- one on Okinawa. Waiters are Notes: A restaurant franchise that taurants on Okinawa would dressed like cowboys or cowgirls offers casual-style . Aomori Prefecture (Misawa) – hats and all. Most menu items come in a large match that description. But 1st: Gusto, 2nd: Bikkuri Donkey, 3rd: COCO’s • Cowboy Family Okinawa Rycom size for family-style dining. Party when it comes to restaurants Tokyo (Yokota, Hardy Barracks) Mall near Camp Foster: (Hours 11 plans are available. that truly deserve the nick- a.m. – 10 p.m.) • Capricciosa Chatan Mihama 1. Saizeriya, 2. Gusto, 3. Denny’s name “famiresu,” the list may near Camp Foster and Kadena Kanagawa Prefecture (Zama, Yokosuka, Atsugi) not be so long. If the definition Joyfull Air Base: (Weekday Hours 11 a.m. of the word is chain/franchise – 10:30 p.m., Fri./Sat. Hours 11 1. Gusto, 2. Saizeriya, 3. Bamiyan Notes: There are 10 Joyfull restau- restaurants with various menu rants on Okinawa. Most of them a.m. – 11 p.m.) Yamaguchi Prefecture (Iwakuni) items for reasonable prices, are open 24 hours a day except 1. Joyfull, 2. Gusto, 3. COCO’s and Big Boy push-buttons for ordering, and the one in San-A Convention COCO’S Notes: Known for serving steaks Nagasaki Prefecture (Sasebo) soda fountain system called a City. A variety of menu items, “Drink Bar,” the list will likely especially are avail- with heated stone so custom- 1. Joyfull, 2. Gusto, 3. Bikkuri Donkey be as follows: able for reasonable prices. ers can reheat their meat. Other • Joyfull Ooyama near Camp Fos- menu items include hamburger, Okinawa Prefecture (Foster, Kadena) ter and MCAS Futenma: (Open spaghetti and pizza. “Dorae- 1. Gusto, 2. Joyfull, 3. Bikkuri Donkey Café Restaurant Gusto 24 hours) mon,” a famous Japanese car- Notes: There are 12 Gusto restau- • Joyfull Okinawa Convention City toon character serves as a mas- - Source: The 2015 research of stats-japan.com rants on Okinawa according to near MCAS Futenma: Hours 9 cot. the company’s website. Two of a.m. – 11 p.m.) • COCO’S Aeon Gushikawa near them are on route 58 near Camp • Joyfull Maehara near MCAS Awase Communication Facility Foster and Camp Kinser. Their Futenma: (Open 24 hours) (Hours 10 – 2 a.m.) popular menu item “Cheese- filled hamburger steak” has been often advertised on TV. Wafutei Bikkuri Donkey students chatting over a small meal, or • Gusto Chatan near Camp Fos- Notes: A local chain owned by Notes: Known for its various menu foreigners giving English lessons to ter: (Hours 7 - 3 a.m.) San-A. As the name suggests, a items with hamburger. The inte- Japanese students at family restau- • Gusto Urasoe near Camp Kinser: variety of Japanese dishes are rior of the restaurant has a log rants. The well-arranged seats, casual (Open 24 hours) available. There are many lunch cabin look like something from a yet cozy interior and lighting might plates with tempura, or western movie. Many restaurants are open late, including the one contribute to the hang-out friendly en- Royal Host sashimi. near Camp Foster, which closes Notes: Although known as one • Wafutei Hamby Town near Camp vironment. at 2 a.m. of the major family restaurant Foster: (Hours 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.) I remember that my daughter using • Bikkuri Donkee Hamby Chatan: franchises in Japan, it waited • Wafutei Okinawa Convention the restaurants as a place to study before (hours 11 a.m. – 2 a.m.) until 2015 to open its first restau- City near MCAS Futenma: (Hours school exams. She said it was like going 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.) customers can enjoy cheap drinks to rant on Okinawa. In addition to to the school library, but people are able its signature western-style menu Tomato & Onion go along with the wide variety of foods. to chat and study together. items such as steak, rice omelet, Ootoya Notes: A family restaurant fran- Because some of the chains have Plus, the late hours allow for the late- and hamburger, several limited Notes: A franchise of family res- chise based in Kansai-area. added liquor to their menu, family res- night, post-bar meal. menu items were introduced by taurants that focuses on Japa- There is only one Tomato & Onion taurants have become a cheap and cozy Whether it’s breakfast in the morning, using local food such as aguu nese dishes. Known for many restaurant on Okinawa. Ham- burgers, steaks, and pastas are bar for salarymen. I’ll often drop by a drink at night, or a late-night snack, pork and goya (bitter melon). menu items with fish. For rice, cus- these cozy restaurants offer just about • Royal Host Okinawa Rycom mall tomers can choose from white, their main menu items. Saizeriya or Bamiyan, both of which of- • Tomato & Onion Yasuoka Naha: everything you need at a price that’s near Camp Foster: (Weekday five grain, and rice seasoned by fer a 17-ounce decanter of quality wine Hours 11 a.m. – 11 p.m., Holidays brown seaweed. (Open 11 – 1 a.m.) hard to beat. for 390 yen ($3.50). 10 a.m. – 11 p.m. • Ootoya Ginowa near MCAS [email protected] With cheaper adult beverages, [email protected] STRIPES JAPAN ASTE OF JAPA MARCH 22 − MARCH 28, 2019 A T 8 N

McDonald’s burgers with a Japanese twist For those of you who cherish a Big Mac and crispy fries, the Golden Arches in Misawa is the perfect safe-haven for you! The menu is complete with all your McDonald’s favorites and even a few Japanese twists thrown in, including our tasty Teritama Burgers. Juicy burger, egg and lettuce. Yummy. You can also add thick bacon or cheese. Try our wasabi-flavored Shaka Shaka fries and wash them down with our famous McFizz. These items are for a limited time only, so what are you waiting for? Spring into action!

Breakfast buffet great way to start off day! The Market Basket at Yokosuka Naval Base has just what you need to fuel your body to kick off the day - our “All You Can Eat” Breakfast Buffet! Enjoy a variety of eggs, meats, pastries, waffles, French toast, pancakes, fruits, veggies and more for $9.99 (kids under 6, $5.99). For $1 more, savor our “All You Can Drink” fresh-brewed drip coffee. Chefs from around the globe developed the menu for the buffet and made-to-order options for the entire family. The Market Basket offers a taste of home without the work! Catering and private dining available. Friday Happy Hour specials 5 p.m. - closing. MARCH 22 − MARCH 28, 2019 E OF STRIPES JAPAN TAST JAPA A 9 N

A little story about Jack & Betty hotdogs Located in Sky Plaza Misawa, Jack & Betty Food Corner offers a variety of tasty hotdogs. Our eight original homemade hotdogs are popular with the military community and all lovers of hotdogs. Our large juicy “dogs” are served on local freshly baked buns, a combo that will leave your mouth watering and your stomach grumbling for more. And if you do have some room left, we recommend our homemade, naturally-flavored and additive-free gelato, the perfect dessert to any of our tasty hotdogs! So, stop by Jack & Betty. We’ll make you feel at home while you chomp on our tasty dogs.

Authentic, juicy & hearty, we are now in Yokosuka

Born in CALIFORNIA OVER 75 YEARS ago, Carl Karch- er had a cart and a dream. The hot dog cart became CARL’S JR.®, now one of the PREMIER BURGER BRANDS in the world, with over 3,800 RESTAURANTS in over 42 COUNTRIES. We focus on FRESH FOOD made with only PREMIUM QUALITY INGREDIENTS so that you can indulge in our BIG, JUICY BURGERS, HAND- SCOOPED REAL ICE CREAM SHAKES and HAND-BREAD- ED CHICKEN. All while you sit back and relax as WE BRING FOOD TO YOUR TABLE with a smile as warm as the CALIFORNIA SUNSHINE. STRIPES JAPAN ASTE OF JAPA MARCH 22 − MARCH 28, 2019 A T 10 N

Spring Winter

Sakuramochi Daifuku (bean paste rice-cake Zenzai (soft rice cake filled with wrapped in a salted Wagashi Kusamochi (thick bean-meal soup containing sweet bean jam) (mugwort rice cake) cherry leaf) and sugar and rice cakes) four seasons Summer Autumn TRADITIONAL JAPANESE SWEETS ASSOCIATION

Ohagi (oval-shaped sweet Kurikinton Kashiwamochi made from glutinous (sweetened Mizuyokan rice and covered with mixture of boiled (bean paste rice-cake (Soft adzuki-bean jelly) wrapped in a salted oak leaf) adzuki bean jam) and mashed chestnuts)

Popular Wagashi (Mainland) Popular Ryukyu-kashi (Okinawa)

A sweet dumpling that comes DANGO - An Okinawan cookie that originated in an assortment of colors and is made CHINSUKO - during the Ryukyu Dynasty. It is made from from cereals and rice. Soy sauce and wheat flour, sugar, and lard. It is baked until an sweet bean paste are often used to appealing exudes. Chinsuko is one of the most flavor it. Applying sugar to a well- important traditional sweets on Okinawa. pounded dango can preserve it for long time.

CHIIRUNKO - Often called MONAKA - A wafer filled with adzuki bean “Okinawan kasutera,” Chiirunko is a paste. The paste can be made from sesame brightly colored steamed cake topped with seed, chestnuts or rice. Most wafers are a smattering of peanuts that have been sqaure shaped in a square. Monaka is usually dyed red with citrus peels boiled in sugar served with tea. syrup. The recipe includes plenty of eggs, which were scarce and thus highly prized during the Ryukyu Dyanasty era. It is said SENBEI - A Japanese that this cake was eaten only by nobility. rice cracker in various shapes, sizes and flavors that are usually baked or grilled, traditionally over charcoal. A typical senbei SENJUKO - A pretty lotus-shaped cake with is flavored with soy sauce and mirin, and pastry on the outside filled with a mixture of wrapped with a layer of seaweed. There also sesame and peanut butter and refreshingly are salt- and sugar-flavored senbei. fragrant kippan.

The dark-colored sweets are one of the YOKAN - A cookie made from nation’s most popular traditional sweets. Yokan HANABO-RU – wheat flour and egg yolk and shaped is made from adzuki beans, sugar and agar, like a Wisteria flower. This Ryukyu- a natural gelling agent made from seaweed. kashi requires the skilled techniques Yokan derives from an ancient Chinese of an experienced patisserie chef. The recipe for lamb stew. When the dish came Portuguese introduced this sweet to to Japan, Zen monks substituted beans for mainland Japan in the 1600s, and later it the lamb because they were prohibited from was introduced to Okinawa. Today this eating meat. sweet is enjoyed only on Okinawa. – Masae Arakaki of Arakaki Kashiten Kasutera – Western sweet or traditional Japanese? n the 15th and 16th centuries, Spanish and Portuguese baking powder in chiirunko.” introduced Western sweets to Japan. A sponge cake was one of “When the Western food culture was introduced, our ancestors I them. The Japanese digested it and remade it their own. did not accept them as they “Kasutera is one of very popular sweets in Japan and it really were. They modified resembles Western sponge cake,” said Traditional Japanese Sweets them.” Yabu said. “I Association’s Mitsuo Yabu. “But it is different. While Western think their spirit is sponge are made with baking powder, our ancestors made it by wonderful, and whisking eggs so that bubbles would make holes in the cake when that shaped the baked.” core of our Okinawans have their own kasutera called chiirunko. sweets, which “Different from Kasutera, chiirunko is a steaming sponge cake has been with plenty of eggs,” said Masae Arakaki of Okinawa’s traditional passed Ryukyu sweets shop, Arakaki Kashiten. “Like kasutera, we don’t use down from generation to generation.” MARCH 22 − MARCH 28, 2019 E OF STRIPES JAPAN TAST JAPA A 11 N

Popular wagashi shops near your base The following are some of the most popular and highly-rated wagashi shops.

Kyoufune – Misawa (Aomori Prefecture)

Kyoufune is widely known for its chestnuts sweets. Taste the popular Michinoku Maron, a whole chestnut wrapped in dough and white bean paste.

Open: 9 a.m. - 6:30 p.m. Location: 3-7-20 Chuo-cho, Misawa City (4-minute walk from “Chuo Sanchome” bus stop) URL: www.kyofune.jp/ For more information: call 0176-53-8111 (Japanese)

Yamaguchiya – Atsugi Aizawa Kashiho – Yokosuka (Kanagawa Prefecture) (Kanagawa Prefecture)

Since its opening in 1937, Yamaguchiya Aizawa’s most popular item is has focused on producing tasty sweet shikimando, a crispy wafer filled bean paste. The popular Renzan Monaka, with coarse sweet bean. Another a wafer filled with sweet bean paste is a popular sweet, kaki-no-sato, is a must. dried persimmon with white bean that is only available between Open: 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. October and February. Location: 3-30-9 Nakashinden, Ebina Open: 9 a.m. - 8 p.m. City (5-minute walk from Location: 1-51 Higashi Hemi, Yokosuka City JR Atsugi Station) (4-minute walk from Hemi Station of Keikyu- URL: www.yamaguchiya. line) ne.jp/index.html URL: http://yokosuka-aizawa.jp/ For more information: For more information: call 046-824-4147 call 046-231-0471

Tachikawa Iseya – Tachikawa Iwamiya – Iwakuni (Tokyo) (Yamaguchi Prefecture)

Founded in 1956, Tachikawa Iseya Iwamiya is known for its popular has caught the attention of a wide-range iwami-manju, or steamed buns. of people with a sweet tooth. Daifuku They are often sold out by early Mika, Mame-Daifuku and Kuri-Daifuku afternoon, so place an order by are customer favorites. phone and then pick it up

Open: 9 a.m. - 7:30 p.m. Open: Tue - Sat, 9 a.m. - 6 p.m. Location: 3-17-1 takamatsucho, Tachikawa Location: 1-7-22 Imadu-cho, Iwakuni City City (An 8-minute walk from JR (7-minute walk from JR Iwakuni Station’s Tachikawa Station) west exit) URL: http://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1329/ URL: http://tabelog.com/yamaguchi/A3506/ A132901/13067034/ A350601/35005871/ For more information: call 042-522-3793 For more information: call 0827-22-0235 (Japanese)

Kikuhodo – Zama Shogetsudo – Sasebo (Kanagawa Prefecture) (Nagasaki Prefecture)

Since its establishment in 1928, Since its foundation in Kikuhodo has offered wagashi 1905, this shop has offered made using tasty mineral water and kasutera famous for its ingredients from Zama City. Odako plentiful egg yolk and lam Monaka and Sake Manju are the most sugar. popular items. Open: Mon - Sat, 9:30 a.m. Open: Wed - Mon, 9 a.m.- 6:30 p.m. - 6:15 p.m. Location: 1-3003-2 Zama, Zama City Location: 5-6 Kamikyo-cho, (10-minute walk from JR Sobudai-shita Sasebo City (3-minute walk Station) from JR Sasebo Station) URL: http://0462.net/shop/kikuhodo/ URL: http://tabelog.com/nagasaki/ For more information: call 046-251-0139 A4202/A420201/42005633/ For more information: call 0956-22-4458 STRIPES JAPAN ASTE OF JAPA MARCH 22 − MARCH 28, 2019 A T 12 N