Mini Guide to Osaka - Part 1

Osaka became the first true capital of Japan in the 16th century. Construction of Osaka was completed in 1598. It is usually considered to be the third largest city in Japan. Osaka has a distinct culture and dialect of its own.  Osaka is known for its tako-yaki (octopus balls) and okonomiyaki ( a fried mix of cabbage, egg, and meat or seafood). Osaka has the only other international airport outside Tokyo, built on a man-made island.

Valentines Day in Japan

Guys in Japan are quite lucky in that Valentines is a chance for girls to give chocolate to boys they like.  Of course girls also give chocolate to male co-workers, bosses, and friends as well. This is call "giri-choco" as in being obligatory. Guys don't get off scott free though, Japan made up a holiday called white day, where men return the favor.

word of the day

There are a lot of words used in Japanese that people assume are english, but are only used in Japan. One example of this is the word スキンシップ (skinship). It describes physical contact, specifically contant between a mother and child, but has expanded to include physical intimacy or even extended eye contact.

Setsubun

Today is Setsubun. Every February 3rd, people in Japan throw roasted soybeans in and around the house to keep demons away. One person usually acts as the demon and runs around, while the others throw beans at him/her.   It is customary for people to pick up and eat the same number of beans as their own age.

Macdonald's Idaho Burger

Macdonald's in Japan newest offering is the Idaho burger. It's a 1/4 pound burger topped with cheese, hash browns, onions, mustard and bacon. Coming in at a slim 740 calories for 410 Japanese yen!

Why not try a bacon potato pie on the side?

Nikko

Utsunomiya, may not be one of the most famous cities in Japan, but I do live 30 minutes away from a world heritage site, Nikko Toshogu shrine. The road to get there is quite beautiful in fall. There are also a number of waterfalls in the area.

To create a worthy shrine for the shogun, 15,000 craftsman worked for two years, using 2.5 million sheets of gold leaf.

Unlike most Shinto shrines, characterized by minimalist architecture that blends into its surroundings, Toshogu is a riot of color, gold, and carvings.

One of the most famous elements of Toshogu is the Sacred Stable, where a white imperial horse is kept. The highlight is the carving of three monkeys that spawned the phrase, "Hear no evil, Speak no evil, See no evil." Other famous carvings at Toshogu include a sleeping cat and an odd rendering of an elephant by an artist who had apparently never seen one.