This program is one of my most looked forward programme on NHK channel. Besides being “live”, it provides on-the-ground insights to other parts of Japan I do not know of.
[生中継 ふるさと一番!] went on air in 2005 October 3rd and has been touring the country every week, Monday to Thursday. And in 2010, NHK’s publicly released plans includes their intentions to end this program in 2011 March 24.
Before the programme goes in archives, maybe I can stir up some interests in you?
Original post: http://ameblo.jp/saotometaichi-blog/
Happy New Year
It’s over
It has begun
An end and a beginning has repeated itself again
For last year’s Saotome Taichi
It is a great finish and a great beginning
It ended with a great sense of inconvenience, also great love and sacrifices
It began with a great sense of inconvenience, great love and as it ends, a sacrifice
So before the begun of the beginning
Is the beginning of the end
It is all beginnings, ends
All that I came across
Trained me to mature into the person I am today
I did not make who I am today
The 19 years of my living
I’ve come across all every day
Saotome Taichi is built up
Into an existence
For the support that all of you have given me
Thank you
My heartfelt gratitude
This year and next year too
Please give me your support
If some parts of the translation look weird, it is because I did a literal translation to maintain Tai-chan’s actual thought process; which you can see is somewhere between logical and whimsical. That’s what you would expect of a 19yr old.
http://headlines.yahoo.co.jp/hl?a=20090604-00000000-hsk_tc-l13
A niche-heavy restaurant opens in Tachikawa city (Tokyo) on 5/6/2009.
Situated in Showa era theme park-based attraction – Tachikawa Festival Village Paradise (立川屋台村パラダイス), the restaurant is named 玄六ZERO.
It promises a regular stock of around 100 different types of canned food produced for the domestic market. Common ones like sea chicken (tuna), sardines, saba (mackarel), and SPAM used heavily in Okinawa cooking (yes, we know SPAM was born in America but it has been given honorary citizenship of Okinawa, Japan).
Then there are really special ones like sea-lion curry, salmon hearts and even ramen in a can. (yes again, you read that right. Try googling them if you need to see it with your own eyes)
And in case you start to wonder how a restaurant offering only canned food oni ts menu can justify its existence, there is another item on the menu that can be called real food. This is it, I kid you not. Have some empathy, this restaurant needs to keep with the theme of the location it is in (Showa era themed) and in competition with its neighbors, it needs to offer something no one else on the same street is offering.
And in case you scoffed at the whole idea, do know that every customer is expected to fork out a minimum of 2,500 yen for a meal.
In the world of stage mastery, a young boy aptly named ” Once in a century” was born.
Saotome Taichi, 17, an onnagata by training.
In the days of Edo, females are not allowed on stage. Young boys with exceptionally beautiful body contours took the roles of female dancers. The century passed and many onnagata actors came and went.
A successful onnagata has a special set of skills he wow anyone, anywhere, anytime. Taichi’s skills probably lies in his fan work. The way he plays with paper fans as he dances gave life to the fans as they twirl, fly and flip in his hands.
Taichi was spotted as a natural talent at the age of 4 and started formal training. His impersonations are flawless, the beauty he was born with keep his audience captivated but more importantly, his eyes could lure and kill in the same instance if he so wishes. Perhaps you will not understand the hype he created, but remember that whatever emotions he conjured in you, it is the wish of him, not you.
I found some really great fresh shimeiji
mushrooms that just came in and really fresh enoki mushrooms on sale at the supermarket yesterday!
This mushroom junkie just have to get them ^_^
In my honest opinion, mushrooms have such great aromas, whether fresh or dried. There isn’t a real need to “spice” them up with other flavors. Used as a “pick-me-up” in chinese cruisine, dried mushrooms are largely used. In Japanese cruisine, fresh ones are most widely used, in soups, and stir frys, mushrooms bring out the delicateness aspect of cooking.
I threw the 2 kinds of mushrooms together with a bit of abura, mirin, shio and shoyuu. That is one of the traditional way Japanese moms would make at home.
Fukutoshin Daily Press 