The shocking truth: One in four Japanese 65 years or older
Twenty-five percent of the population is now estimated to be 65 or older, the Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry announced ahead of Respect-for-the-Aged Day on Moday. As of Sunday, the number of elderly people in the nation was a record 31.86 million, an increase of 1.12 million, or 0.9 percentage point, year on year. This is one in four of every Japanese. The ministry attributed this situation to the fact that baby boomers are beginning to reach the age of 65. By gender, the number of elderly men stood at 13.69 million and that of...
read more20 Tokyo ramen shops you have to visit
From Jiro to Kiraku: the ultimate crash-course in Tokyo ramen Tokyo is a city of 100,000 restaurants, and sometimes it feels like half of them are serving the same dish: ramen. The nation’s most popular fast food comes in various guises, from simple, comforting chuka soba to rich Hakata-style tonkotsu and flavour bombs like the fiery noodles served at Mouko Tanmen Nakamoto. Rather than attempt to list all of the good ramen restaurants in Tokyo, we consulted some hardcore noodle geeks – people who scoff over 200 bowls of the stuff a year...
read moreWhere to go: Shinjuku Golden Gai, After7
Shinjuku Golden Gai (新宿ゴールデン街) is a small area of Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan, famous both as an area of architectural interest and for its nightlife. It is composed of a network of six narrow alleys, connected by even narrower passageways which are just about wide enough for a single person to pass through. Over 200 tiny shanty-style bars, clubs and eateries are squeezed into this area. History Golden Gai was known for prostitution before 1958, when prostitution became illegal. Since then it has developed as a drinking area, and at least some of...
read moreSecret treasures of Japan: Origami
Origami (折り紙), Japanese: ‘ori’ means to fold and ‘kami’ paper, is a traditional Japanese folding art and developed in the Edo period. Origami uses a limited number of folds but due to the combination of these folds intriguing designs are possible. The art originates in China during the first or second century, shortly after the invention of paper. From China it came to Japan, where it gained its shape and form as we know it today. In general the designs start with a piece of squared paper of which the sides can be...
read moreHow to drink… Shochu (Japanese gin or vodka)
While sake is familiar to millions outside of Asia, shochu is the drink of choice amongst the Japanese. Since 2003, shipments of shochu within Japan have outstripped sake and the trend shows no sign of reversing. Shochu can be made from barley, sweet potatoes or rice and is distilled like whisky, unlike sake, which is brewed similarly to beer. The shochu is then aged in oak barrels giving the drink more kick (it averages around 25 percent alcohol, rising to 40 percent for some barley shochus) and a deeper flavour. The famed Shinozaki brewery...
read moreA guide to Japanese whisky
In Ian Fleming’s You Only Live Twice, the Australian spy Dikko Henderson gets a vile hangover drinking Japanese whisky. James Bond, more of a martini man, is amazed that Dikko would even consider drinking that gutrot, saying, ‘I can’t believe Japanese whisky makes a good foundation for anything.’ That neatly sums up the attitude of most foreigners to Japanese whisky for most of its more than 80-year history. In 2001, that all started to change when a 10-year-old Yoichi made by Nikka Whisky won the ‘Best of the Best’ title at Whisky Magazine’s...
read moreSeptember 16th, respect for the elderly day in Japan
Japan has many strange holidays. In the past there were religious holidays, but the government decided that religious days should not be celebrated as public holidays unlike all the other religions in the world like for instance the Christians who celebrate chrismas and other major Christian holidays, or the Jewish people who celebrate passover or Muslims who celebrate their sugar feast at the end of the fasting period. I could go on and on. Many countries celebrate their religious special days. Not so in Japan where there are rather peculiar...
read moreThings to do this week in Tokyo September 16th – September 21st
Deborah J Carter Mon Sep 16, 2013 B Flat American jazz singer Deborah J Carter will be stopping in Tokyo for one night only as part of her September Japan tour. Having started her career in Okinawa (where her Japan tour will culminate later this month), she’s now based in Europe, and her music draws inspiration form a range of cultures. She will be accompanied by the Amsterdam Trio – consisting of Joost Swart on piano, Mark Zandveld on bass, and Seb Kaptein on drums – when she plays B Flat tonight. Details Open Sep 16 Time Doors 6.30pm...
read moreEarth’s largest volcano found in Pacific Ocean east of Japan
The largest single volcano ever found on Earth lies quietly in the depths of the Pacific Ocean, about 1,500 km east of Japan, having been extinct for millions of years. Scientists have now discovered the dome-shaped behemoth, which has a footprint the size of New Mexico. The discovery topples the previous world record holder for largest volcano — Mauna Loa, one of the five that form the Big Island of Hawaii. The area covered by the newly discovered volcano rivals the biggest volcano in the solar system, Olympus Mons on Mars. “Olympus Mons is...
read moreSurfing in Tokyo
The perfect wave is closer than you think For many Tokyoites, surfing is synonymous with just one place: Shonan. The coastal area in Kanagawa Prefecture is generally regarded as the birthplace of Japanese surf culture, and it teems with boarders during the summer months – never mind that the swell is often pretty pathetic. Local schools include Easy Surf in Shichirigahama (beginner classes ¥5,000; private lessons ¥15,000), and Shonan Surfin School, which has shops in Chigasaki, Tsujido and Kugenuma (beginner classes ¥5,000; stand up...
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