Sushi.....anyone???

Prof. Saori Sadoshima’s, who Dange Sir refers to as our local guardian had invited us to her house, as part of an experience of getting to know all things Japanese! Prof.Sadoshima lives outside Tokyo in a small picturesque village of sort and it took us 70 minutes and 3 trains to reach there! We passed by a beautiful lake on the way where we saw middle-aged Japanese men fishing as means of pleasure!

En-route....!

Saori madam’s house is very simple and beautiful in a way as it is not pretentious, and it made me feel cozy and like I was at home! She had also invited two of her students as I assume she thought it would be great for us to interact with them. We even met her dog, who was optically impaired but was very cute and sadly whose name I have seemed to have forgotten!

Okay so after we got comfortable in the Sensei’s house, now it was time to get down to the food, as always! She told us she was going to teach us to make sushi, and I was a little skeptical about the whole “sushi” thing at first, I mean I had never tasted it before and if I didn’t like it, I might come off as disrespectful! But anyway, she took out a seaweed wrap, placed the “specially” cooked rice on it and then put salmon and cucumber as the filling, and then rolled it with the help of a bamboo mat and taaaddaa…….the sushi was ready! I mean that looked so simple and easy, I thought I could do it with my eyes closed , well I was so wrong, and when it came to me making the sushi , my product did not look a lot like sushi but hey….it was my first time and in my defense it tasted pretty good! And so I ate the sushi like I hadn’t eaten for days and the hot wasabi sauce only made it better, though I am not too sure about my fellow mates’ opinions about the dish! Saori mam also prepared some other variations of sushi for us in advance, which I must say was very good!

After lunch we all played “Bingo” and I must say I have never enjoyed playing bingo before as much as I have as Saori mam’s house, which I admit was mainly because there were presents involved! All of us won something, and kudos to Saori mam for putting so much thought in the gifts!

And finally for dessert we had Castella which a traditional Japanese sponge cake, and trust me when I say this it literally melts in your mouth and it is possibly the yummiest cake I have ever laid on my tongue!

Well as the events succeeded our time at Saori Sensei’s house came to an end and from all the things we took back I think the vibe and warmth of a Japanese home will remain our fondest memory!

Sushiiiiiii!!!

Heaven on a plate........!!!

          

Day Six

Tokyo- Day Six

Today was the day on which we were to witness the enigmatic Japanese Tea Ceremony. I had read about it during my school years, when we had a lesson written by an eminent Goan writer, on the same.

The writer had emphasised that today’s modern Japanese life is fast-paced and hurried, and the tea ceremony was one of the ways in which the Japanese relaxed and kept up with their ever increasing workload. He had also emphasised that this tradition was like a process or ritual which had to be followed step by step, in order to fully feel its impact.

Japanese Tea

Seeing the ceremony first hand, I could not agree more with the writer.  There is something calming and relaxing about the way the whole ceremony is performed: The way the water is boiled, the tea cups are wiped clean; the way the tea paste is gently poured into the tea cup and finally, when the tea cup is handed over to its delightful recipient.

Japanese Tea Cups

This ceremony reminds me of the serene and peaceful feeling that I experienced at the Meiji Shrine a couple of days back. Isn’t that the purpose of this ceremony? If it is, then it certainly fulfilled it. What better way to relax, than with a cup of tea.

- Shubhankar Shah

Day Five

Tokyo- Day Five

Sunset

Today I’d like to write about my experiences with the Japanese people. At first, if you happen to get a glimpse of a Tokyoite, you’d probably think that they are indifferent towards all and unfriendly. But once you get to know them, interact with them, eat with them, you’d realise that they are much more forthcoming and amiable than imagined.

The City

A simple bow is almost instinctual to the Japanese and the habit is easy to catch! Wherever you go, they always (and I really mean always) bow and greet you. Konicchiwa- hello- is something you hear quite often whereas Arigato Gozaimas- thank you- follows, as the conversation comes to an end.

Hostel Building

Even at the Central Youth Hostel where we stay, the staff as well as our Japanese roommates, are always up for a chat even though they lack good English speaking skills. The Japanese are very warm and friendly and don’t hesitate to talk about what they feel. So far, the roommates that I’ve had include a former Professor, a Doctor, a young culinary student and many more. They were all simple, grounded people, in spite of having designations of high esteem. One even invited me to his hometown if I were to visit Japan again, even though we had talked only for a short while. The students and Professors at Waseda University are no different and always have a smile on their face. They love asking us about India, our cultural diversity and how we have liked Japan so far.

A Street- Day

A Street- Night

Although at first I was apprehensive about living in a hostel, I have really enjoyed my stay here. I’ve made friends with people from different countries and nationalities; I’ve eaten food that I thought I’d never eat; I’ve travelled this city unlike any other.

The City_2

The learning experience is huge when you come to a city such as Tokyo. Just navigating yourself in such a big city can be a big obstacle. But thanks to the well-planned and perfectly detailed Tokyo Metro, travel is as easy as buying a cup of coffee. All routes and Subway lines are detailed to precision. They have names, numbers, colours, and even the time needed to reach your destination, all provided in an easy to read and visual format. The electronic ticketing system is also user friendly and the Subway staff is always at hand in case of any queries. Unlike in our Metros in India, the Japanese here form a perfect line while waiting to get in the Subway car. They make sure that they don’t enter unless all those who are supposed to come out have already done so.

The City_3

One of the most remarkable aspects of Japan that I’ve noticed is that they don’t really have dustbins. “How is that remarkable?” you might ask. Well, it’s remarkable because even though they don’t have dustbins, their streets, Subways and parks are all clean as a whistle! Not a hint of garbage or even a chocolate wrapper can be seen anywhere. Everything looks brand new, as if the whole city was made just yesterday. It’s amazing how well the Japanese have maintained their city. If there’s anything that we Indians need to learn from the Japanese then it’s their commitment to their environment and surrounding.

- Shubhankar Shah

Tokyo- Day Five

The morning started just like always as the rays of dawn met my eyes, I woke up to another day in this beautiful city. So, today was practice day… something we need a lot! We were set to go to Waseda University to practice. We reached the campus around 9.45 am to the Okuma Garden hall. We started practicing for the cultural night at 10 to 12 and practiced like never before. We all were tired and hungry so, decided to have food in an Indian restaurant.

The Indian restaurant was next to Waseda University. It had Indian music which made me happy and sad at the same time as I started missing India. Just with these few dishes my stomach was full and got the energy to reach back to the hostel and get some good rest. I took rest for a very long time and then at 6.30 we again started practicing on the 2^nd floor of our Tokyo Central Youth Hostel (which is the 19^th floor of Ramla building). It was the practice day.

Like every day, we had a meeting about what to do for the next day. After that, we went to an Indian restaurant named Mumbai Resturant and there finally got to eat something Indian. We all were so happy to have Indian food in Japan.

This was a how we spend our Day Five in JAPAN.

-By Nishigandha Deshpande

By Vaishnavi Pai Cacode

Day 6

We started our day as always. Coincidentally, we all had the same breakfast that is bread and toast with coffee. Then we went to Waseda.

Before going to the university, we had some time on our hands. Hence our sir suggested, we visit a shrine which was in the vicinity.

The shrine was beautiful. The entrance gate made all of us remember our college entrance gate.

As we walked inside towards the prayer area, we saw statues.

 The prayer area was beautifully decorated in gold colour though I am still sceptical about whether real gold was used. We all prayed. There is a praying procedure. It is a simple one that includes some sort of wishing well without the water ofcourse.  Inside you can put whatever denomination of money you like. First you are supposed to bow twice. Then clap twice. Join your hands and pray and bow again and take leave. This was something new for us. Ad we really enjoyed doing it.

After that we saw the garden that was inside the shrine. We clicked loads of pictures and then from there we went to the university. We were free in the morning so our professor had booked the auditorium for practices. We went there and prepared for our India day’s performances. Todays practice was for a quite longer time. It was tiring but we all enjoyed it.

As it was already 1 o clock we went to have lunch in the university canteen. Today for the first time we girls had food in the canteen. We had chicken fry, salad and tasty cake as a dessert.  It was a good meal. 

“ Tea ceremony” is an important part of Japanese culture. Today we got the opportunity to witness the tea ceremony.  First we saw how the hostess serves the tea to the head of the house or/and guests. After that they served us tea and sweets.

After that we came back to hostel and practiced. Then we decided to go somewhere. We went to Shimbashi. To go to Shimbashi we had to change the train. We were not sure about the train. But with the help of the map we sat into the right train and reached the right place.

Shimbashi is a nice place. It was decorated with Christmas trees and  lights. We were roaming there for an hour. Then we had dinner in McDonalds and returned back to Iidabashi. 

The day was pretty good. We all enjoyed the day. As the days  are passing the bonds between us are getting more stronger.

We are looking for another interesting and full of fun day tomorrow.

Sayonara!