Cool Japan!

Good evening:) How were you today? Were you fine? It gets colder and colder day by day, so I think that I need to buy a new coat, but I don't have enough money...I am going to save money in order to buy it!

By the way, Do you know this site? http://www.nhk.or.jp/cooljapan/

This site is TV program about "Cool Japan", which is broadcasted by NHK in the night, and it intoduces Japanese things with some foreignes who are interested in them. I took the class which teacher taught us about comparison between Japan and another country with this site last year. Recently, I watched it and remembered learning in the class last year. Today, I'd like to tell about a thing that I feel Cool Japan.

Please look at the picture.

Have you ever eaten "Namagashi"? they are Japanese traditional sweets. Allmost of them are made from adzuki beans and sometimes included food which people can get each seasons. They habe been eaten by Japanese for a long time, and people enjoyed feeling seasons when they ate Namagashi in those days. Because Some are represented seasons and others are represented traditional things. They can be made in detail by a workman. I think that there aren't traditional things like them in another countries, in other words, These sweets are only Japanese things! Japanese sweets don't only enjoy watching, but also eating. I can say that Namagashi can be expressed Cool Japan. Don't you think so?

If you are interested in this TV program, you should watch it and look for your Cool Japan. I think that many young people aren't proud of Japan. There are many great things and beautiful places in Japan. Foreign people are more interested in Japan than us, so they can understand good points of Japanese more than Japanese people. We need to know about our country so that we take over next generations and tell about Japan for people in another countries. It is a good opportunity for us to look for Cool Japan in order to reconsider about Japan.

White Fish!

Hi! How were you today? Did you spend enjoyable time in Bunkyo University? December started four days ago, and it gets colder and colder day by day. I often see people who wear a mask which prevent from catching a cold in the train or this university. I want you to be careful to avoid a cold!!

Anyway, please look at the picture. What do you see these?

I think that you may understand what these are, so it's famous sweets in Japan, which are called "Taiyaki." Have you ever eaten them? Most people must answer "Yes!" However, we usually get them that are colored brown when we eat them. Last weekend, I ate them with my friend in my hometown because I had found about them in the magagine, and I wanted to know how different from brown ones. What do you think about differences between white taiyaki and brown one?

As a result of that we ate and compere them, they were softer than brown ones! I think that you may be surprised if you eat them. They were very delicious and comfortable to eat. In addition, other kinds of them were colord green by green tea, brown by chocolate and pink by strawberries, so we could enjoy seeing them by color.

Do you know why they are colored white? The paper which I got from a taiyaki shop said that they were made from "tapioka powder", not use wheat flour. Tapioka powder effects soft to the wrapping of dough, so it's possible for staffs who work there to give us soft things. Besides, according to the paper, it is healther than wheat flour. It said that it recommends to eat them if someone wants to eat, but you are worried about calories. Therefore, there are many articles in the magagines to give us imformation about it and to try in these days. We can find shops which make taiyaki in many area due to publish many articles. I want you to try to eat them...you must be favorite them!!