Where disagreements can make our relationships stronger It seems that recently there are more claims of “I’m listening”, yet many of our arguments surrounding political and social issues are ending in frustration, polarization, and in the most unfortunate of cases a refusal to communicate with those who differ in opinion. Even in the household, our […]
Archives for July 2020
Japanese Society, Shaped by the Seas
Why Japanese culture is what it is, in a word That word: geography It’s Sea Day today, July 23, 2020. A Japanese national holiday specially dedicated to celebrating our oceans. It’s a bit different from an American Earth Day, because Japanese citizens get an entire day off work and school, in name of honoring our […]
Rainy Season and the Joy of Cooking with Plums
The most peaceful season in Japan While some people might think the rainy season evokes feelings of gloom, it actually carries my most peaceful and quiet memories. The popular travel destinations are much less crowded, and the streets are less rowdy — a grace period after cherry blossom season and before the onset of summer […]
Friends Described as Fruits
A poem about a strange fruit basket We make up a pretty strange fruit basket. Different colors. Different backgrounds. Different interests. Different tastes. Well at least we’re all fruits. Blueberry is easily likeable. She’s vegan, but only sometimes. Maybe 70% of the time? She’s adventurous, and many of my favorite memories were her ideas. She […]
The Japanese Way of Eating Less Meat
It’s not about going vegan, it’s actually much simpler It’s not that I don’t want to go vegan — thinking about the environmental impact of meat consumption and the health benefits of eating plant-based, it seems like an ideal lifestyle choice that would fall in line with my values. But it can also be hard […]
Why Bento Boxes Are So Popular
They’re healthy, easy to make, and easy to eat I was on the phone with my friend, and she was talking about how she was struggling with her extra weight and the latest diet she’d been undertaking to lose it. She was growing fearful, as it wasn’t just about self-confidence anymore, but also about the […]
Use Miso to Introduce Umami to Your Dishes
One ingredient, three ways It was late at night and I had stopped by the supermarket to buy some salmon filets but hadn’t really thought about how to cook them. When I got home, I looked in the kitchen to see what I could use for seasoning and found the cabinets sparse. Another night of […]
The Perfect Side Dish to Pork Cutlet Is… Cabbage?
Why katsu is paired with shredded cabbage in Japan I was at the train station on my way home when my mom sent me a text about dinner — everyone else was out, and it seemed like it was just going to be the two of us. What are you in the mood for? We […]