カテゴリー: ENGLISH

If you have ever been to Japan between mid-April to early-May you have probably seen carp-shaped windsocks. You might also have been told they are ‘Koi nobori’, which are traditionally displayed for Children’s Day. Then you wonder ‘why are carp for children?’ ‘Is carp special for Japanese people?’. Today I would like to write about carp and its history in Japanese history and culture and I hope this will increase and deepen your understanding of Japanese culture and make your next trip to Japan more interesting.

I just finished a new sashiko pattern –  ‘Kiku (chrysanthemums)’. So today I would like to write about chrysanthemums which are well-loved by Japanese people, and along with the cherry blossom, are treated almost as the national flower. For although chrysanthemums originated in China, their importance in legends and customs has been passed from generation to generation, and their name even associated with world famous sake – chrysanthemums have become an indispensable part of Japanese culture.

Okonomiyaki is one of the typical, casual dishes Japanese people eat at home. Each family, each region has their own recipe and they are proud of it, but today I share the standard okonomiyaki recipe with ingredients which are all easily available in most of the international cities. You can explore the other variation after you try this and make your own favourite okonomiyaki. Enjoy the flavour of Japan. For Sydney-siders I am sharing more detail information for some Japanese ingredients at the end of this article.