• Read more about 10 Questions With Oku Japan Tours

We at Pogogi are very pleased to have done an interview with Oku Japan.  Oku Japan operates guided, self-guided and custom tours around Japan. They are launching a new tour that involves Japanese Food! Please read on and enjoy this wonderful interview.

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1. Can you tell us about your new guided tour “Japan's Culinary Heritage” and how it all came together?

In Japan, food is the best way to engage with local lifestyles and to gain an in-depth experience of regional culture, the daily life of Japanese communities, and individual inhabitants. We truly believe there is much more to experience than the ordinary food encountered on most standard itineraries. We decided to use our knowledge and our local connections to offer travellers a unique culinary adventure as a way to know Japan and its people through some of the best-kept culinary traditions. This tour really relies on the local people we personally know!

2. Which of your Guided packages do you anticipate to be the most popular in the next few years?

In general, we see a trend in the adventure travel industry towards shorter trips. People are seeking immersive experiences, and highly customized itineraries.　While scheduled tours remain popular, more and more clients are looking for flexible dates so they can travel with friends, family or their special-interest groups. Our Nakasendo Trail tour is our best-selling product at the moment. We hope our culinary tour will match its popularity! We have scheduled departures, but we can offer private trips and can customize tour elements depending on clients’ requirements.

3. Oku Japan’s tours include overnight stays in Japanese inns. Can you describe what makes staying at an inn in Japan so special?

Staying in a traditional Japanese inn is a highlight of any journey in Japan. Many inns are in charming historic buildings, and all focus on providing a personal service. The classic Japanese inn, the Ryokan, comes in many styles but all are united by flawless service and exquisitely-prepared food. Ryokan may be in modern or traditional wooden buildings, but rooms are always Japanese style, with Tatami (straw mat) floors and futons for sleeping laid out in the evening by the Ryokan staff. Minshuku are similar to Ryokan but family-run and with less formal service. Each Ryokan prides itself on its cuisine, featuring local ingredients freshly prepared each day. Meals usually consist of many different courses, with a great variety of dishes.

4. What can you offer to Japanese Food lovers?

There are many good reasons to travel in Japan, but food has to be one of the most compelling. One of the highlights of our tours is to taste real, home-made Japanese food. Our guests need to be prepared for the freshest of produce! Fish, chicken, pork, rice, miso soup, tofu and vegetables are at the heart of many meals. We crafted our Japan’s Culinary Heritage tour in order to show travellers how food is the most intimate way to uncover Japanese culture. In Japan, food reflects the daily life of Japanese community, and our tour is the best introduction to the country travellers can get.

5. How is your Tour Company different from others?

Our main office is in Kyoto, with additional members of the team based in the UK. We also have a branch office – which is also a Minshuku inn – in the village of Chikatsuyu, along the Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage Trail. This means we have unparalleled connections with the local communities our tours explore, and we can provide a 24/7 local support to our guests. Being part of the community allows us to craft itineraries that take people to places they would not be able to visit if we weren’t there. In addition to our guided tours, we also offer self-guided walking tours and we were the first tour operator to offer self-guided walking tour on the Nakasendo trail. We are the first and only tour operator in the world to offer self-guided walking tours on the Shikoku 88 Temple Pilgrimage Trail. We are proud of our staff with deep knowledge and passionate about Japan. Our staff members’ expertise makes our tours and our clients’ experience exceptional. We also have top-quality English-speaking guides.

6. Which tour packages offer the best off-the-beaten path travel?

We try to strike a balance between comfortable travel and reaching destinations which require a degree more effort to discover. Some of our destinations are not visited by any other tour company, and that's because they are not suited to mass-market tourism. Our favourite inns may not have internet access or even their own website, but they have the freshest food and personal service you can't reproduce on a large scale.

7. Which Guided packages is recommended for someone who have never experience Japan before?

It all depends on clients’ interests. We offer an array of guided tours that can cater to different tastes. We focus on soft adventure, often with a walking discovery of the country, but we also offer more cultural tours with less walking. For those less interested in walking, our cultural tour Shoguns and Samurai is an ideal introduction to the country. It includes key destinations that are on many visitors ‘must see’ list. In addition to the historic treasure house of Kyoto, Takayama is a city of great cultural accomplishments and Shirakawago is a UNESCO World Heritage site with Gassho-zukuri farmhouses and unique living traditions.

8. What do Foreigners visiting Japan need to know to ensure a pleasant and enjoyable experience?

While Japanese culture and customs can be confusing at first, as a visitor from overseas you are generally not expected to understand them. In fact, many Japanese take a pride in the belief that their culture is extremely complex and impossible for outsiders to comprehend. You will likely be forgiven for any minor cultural gaffs you make.

1. Language – try to learn at least a few phrases. Japanese is not really so difficult, and there are few sounds that are challenging for a native English speaker to pronounce. Your efforts will be rewarded even with just a few words, and the Japanese will never make fun of your mistakes.

2. Shoes – make sure to remove your street shoes before entering Ryokan, Minshuku, temples, shrines, and some restaurants – anywhere that has a raised floor. Remove slippers before walking on Tatami straw matting. Lastly, change out of your normal slippers into the special toilet slippers at the entrance to the toilet. Use these slippers only within the toilet area and be sure to change back into your regular slippers on exiting the toilet.

3. The Japanese consider over-familiarity inappropriate, so hearty backslaps or hugs are best avoided if you have just met someone.

4. Topics such as the Imperial Family and Japan’s role in World War II are best avoided as they are still sensitive subjects in Japan.

9. How does the experience of a tourist in Japan today differ from that of 30 years ago?

Japan is now a far easier destination for overseas visitors than three decades ago. English signs abound and this makes navigation around cities and around the country far easier. Japanese people still tend to be shy about their spoken English ability, but their tradition of hospitality means that a polite request for assistance is usually met with great kindness and concern. Of course, modern technology is a great help, too!

10. What is the food scene in Japan like in 2017?

The Japanese eat out on average several times a week and the sheer number of restaurants, eateries, canteens and hole-in-the-wall snack bars is incredible. These restaurants can be found in stations, in underground shopping areas, the top floors of department stores, and along shopping arcades. Socialising in Japan nearly always involves eating out, as Japanese people rarely invite each other to their homes. More and more people have started to care about food and well-being. This means considering not only the taste of the food, but its source and whether it is environmentally friendly and locally produced. The impact of chemicals is of greater concern now; organic farming or minimal use of chemicals on food are becoming more important criteria in the food scene, a trend which mirrors similar movements in the west.

• Read more about Make Your Own Tonkatsu - Pork Cutlet

Tonkatsu is a famous pork cutlet that has a crispy texture on the outside and the juicy goodness of the meat on the inside. It is often compared to furai which has a similiar cooking technique but uses different meats.

Version 1 - Classic using Bread Crumbs

The ingredients needed are the following

• Bread crumbs (panko) - Learn the difference between Panko and Bread crumbs.
• Eggs(2 or 3)
• Cabbage
• Some flour
• Pinch of salt
• Lean pork
• You will need a wok where you will be adding oil.

First, take your pork chops and season with salt and pepper on both sides. Then cover it with plastic wrap and softly pound it out until it gets relatively thin.

Then pour out some flour on a plate or something flat. Then beat a couple of eggs in another plate-like object, but one that has more of a dip, so it's easier to dip something in the eggs. Also, lay out bread crumbs on similar plates. 

Now, heat up some cooking oil in a wok, and while it's heating, take your sitting pork chops, cover it in flour, then dip it in the eggs, and finally cover it with bread crumbs. Once you have done that, drop it into the wok and cook until both sides are golden brown.

Once that is done, take your cabbage and finely shred it and serve it next to your tonkatsu. You can serve the meat cut up and then add sauce on top (tonkatsu store bought sauce).

Version 2 - Marinade and using Corn Flour

A quick and simple dish for you and your family using corn flour (not using breadcrumbs)

Ingredients Cooking time: 6 minutes Serving Size: 5 pax

5 pieces of lean pork

5 tablespoons of corn floor

2 eggs

1 pack of sesame seed (white)

1 1/2 tablespoons of soy sauce

1/4 teaspoon of salt (depend on individual preference)

1/2 teaspoon of pepper (depend on individual preference)

Preparation

1. Prepare the marinade by soy sauce, pepper and salt together with the pork chops. Put it in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
2. Mix the egg and corn flour in a mixing bowl. Mix it well.
3. Dip the pork chop in the mixture.
4. Roll the pork chop onto the sesame (Both side). Press slightly.
5. Fry the porks in heated oil (medium heat) until it turns brown. (make sure oil is hot)
6. Fry each side about 3 minutes.
7. Take out the porks and put them on a paper towel to drain the oil. 8. Slice porks into smaller pieces. Now, teach your friends how to make tonkatsu today!

• Read more about Some Interesting Facts About Shibuya, Japan

Though Shibuya is one of the 23 city wards of Tokyo still the surrounding area of Shibuya station is known as the shopping and entertainment districts of Tokyo. This area is considered as one of the main points for youthful fashion and culture of Japan due to the presence of large number of various restaurants, night clubs and retail shops. The streets of Shibuya have branch of most of the major stores of Japan and for that reason they daily remain alive with large number of visitors. Some of the other interesting things about Shibuya Japan are briefly described here under for your consideration. 

Hachiko

It is the statue of a dog situated outside the station of Shibuya who used to wait for his owner to meet him after work in 1920s. He continued to wait for his owner even after his death for up to ten years. Japanese recognise his statue as mark of waiting for your friend and for that reason this area remains busy every time. Hundreds of people wait here for their departed friends patiently. This is one of the busiest spots in Shibuya. 

Photography

Shibuya crossing is also a great spot for photography. Every evening large number of tourists can be seen photographing from various imaginary angles. This spot can also be seen in a number of TV shows, films, advertisements and music videos along with the photos of tourists. 

Umbrella scramble

The crossing of Shibuya station looks more attractive and fun when everyone present there has an umbrella, especially when it is raining. It seems like after every two minutes thousands of people, having big umbrellas, charge from opposite directions at each other. 

Tune up your skills for urban survival

The events like umbrella scramble at Shibuya crossing can change your viewpoint about the crowded streets when you experience them few times. You will learn how to survive in the urban areas of Japan. When you see hundreds of people in front of you trying to cross the people coming from opposite direction skilfully it will be relay surprising for you.

Antics

You can see something extraordinary happening often on the Shibuya crossing to make it more colourful. Some of these happenings may include stunts, antics, illegal concerts, gorilla advertisements and appearances of celebrities etc.

Attractions of Shibuya

Being an entertainment district of Tokyo Shibuya has reasonable number of izakaya(details), karaoke, restaurants, night clubs, shopping arcades and other interesting places to walk through.

• Read more about 5 Fun Things To Do In Shinjuku Japan

Shinjuku is said to be one of most like Tokyo neighborhoods. It is more of classy and very less crowded place than shibuya. There are a lot of things in Shinjuku Japan that you can do for free. Here we have discovered with a few things you can do there. They are in geographical form and so tourist can even use this guide for a good day out if you are going to stay for limited time in Tokyo.

Yotsuya Fire Museum

To visit this place you will have to go to yotsuya station and come out from exit 2 and go straight into yotsuya fire museum. This is free of charge. The only thing you have to do is pick the visitor pass from the reception and give it back in the end. The museum is pretty great and the main attraction is the helicopter on a roof in which you can sit.

Take pictures at Taisoji Temple

The temple has many stray cats so if you are a pet lover and would like to feed them you can carry a cat snack for them. During the non festival time the huge Buddha on the temple is the main attraction and gives its tourist a photo opportunity as well. During summer festival you can look for traditional dancing near obon that is in august.

Visit Shinjuku Gyoen

This garden is very big in size and has various styles of gardens all over. You can visit the free green house where visitors can see some exotic plants from Okinawa. You can even try the famous green tea inside the park. The entry cost is pretty affordable and it’s free on 4th may that is greenery day.

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Visit the Hanazono Shrine

There are some amazing festivals here for all year. Visitors can visit the place at any time even during the night time and have a look. You can find flea markets on most Sundays and they are very exciting. You can shop there for unlimited hours.

Visit the TOTO Showroom

Visitors and tourist all are fascinated by the high tech toilets and you will find no hygienic place than this Toto showroom. You can even see fascinating baths which are even hard to think of in a small Japanese house and some eco friendly methods which helps in saving water.

So these are the 5 locations in Shinjuku Japan that you can visit while your trip to Tokyo. There are many more famous attractions to see in Tokyo but above given are some famous and good ones.

• Read more about Green Tea Ice Cream Popularity Started In California And Not Japan?

Green tea is not only a popular tea but also a popular ingredient used in many food items nowadays.   In this post we want to spend time talking about the ice cream version of Green tea and how it became popular across the globe.  Looking back in history, what surprised us is that green tea ice cream has been available in the USA since the 70s.  Of course you could only find them in Asian markets or Japanese restaurants at that time.

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In Japan it can be traced back since the late 1860s( Meiji period), where it was served to royalties.  One of the big questions is the origins but unfortunately this is still not known.  The ice cream flavor of Green tea became only popular mainstream-wised globally since the 1990s.  Before this, it was popular in a shaved ice formed dessert called the Uji Kintoki. 

Japan only had 3 flavors?

Interesting fact - the only ice cream flavors that Japan had before the 90s was chocolate, strawberry and vanilla.

California Origin?

Looking at history, what made the boom in Japan did not really originate there, but from Japanese restaurants located in the United States.  It was actually imported to Japan from a Californian ice cream Company called “Maeda-en” that sold the flavor.  This did not happen with the case of the California Sushi roll which also originated in North America but never adopted in Japan. You could order a California roll in Japan, but you probably will have to customize it through the Sushi Chef or it will be under a different name.

The Company that Started it all

This company “Maeda-en” started by a Japanese named Taku Maeda who moved to the States in 1984.  He was trying to market green tea throughout the United States and often visited many Japanese restaurants across California sampling different styles of Green tea ice cream.  He was not happy with the taste nor the texture.  It was often made with artificial colors and this is when Maeda started to explore other methods to improve this dessert.  He decided to use green tea imported from Japan to be used as one of the main ingredient.  It then became a popular dessert item in many Japanese restaurants across California. One of the other main ingredients was using American milk.

Exporting to Japan

During this time Mr. Maeda had his company export his new revamp dessert to Japan.  Once it hit the shores of Japan, it was distributed across all supermarkets.  Many local and national newspapers picked up the news of this foreign taste, a strange as that seems, but you have to understand there were only three flavors available at that time.  When the popularity became much larger months later, other local Japanese ice cream companies started implementing the new California green tea taste.  This is when Japan started a new evolution of introducing many more flavors shortly after and other types of ice creams like the ice cornet.

• Read more about Japan's Love For Barley?

A Japanese show dedicated to the health niche has recently increased the demand for barley worldwide.  According to one of its programs of last year, one of its hosts had a segment on barley where the focus of the topic was on the many health benefits of barley.  This prompted many locals buying up barley across Japan thus driving up demand for more imports from countries like the United States.  

Many Japanese bought Barley to either mix it with rice or use it completely to replace rice because of its suggestive benefits for the health.  This is a pretty big thing to even think that something can replace rice as it is a major staple and is used in many different ways.

The founder of McKay Seeds from the state of Washington has mentioned in a recent interview that the demand for barley has jumped 3 times in the last year.  Many global companies are trying to meet the demands of this new growth. 

The type of barley that considered the main variety is called BG 012, which requires a lot of rainfall and is considered a short plant.  At the moment they are looking at taller plants species that will produce higher yields in order to try to meet the demands for the upcoming years.

So What Are the Benefits of Barley?

It is considered a whole grain providing important nutrients such as vitamins, minerals and fibers.  Bread is the most popular form of consumption.

Here are the three major benefits:

Providing healthy bones

Your bone health will increase, since it contains magnesium, zinc, calcium, phosphorous and iron.  This is very important because bone mass will decline after the age of 35 and the rate will increase in later years.  The possibility of having osteoporosis will be higher if you do not consume the right nutrients that will help strengthen your bone as you age. 

Your blood pressure and Heart Health

The ingredients that help with your blood pressure that is found in barley are that of magnesium, calcium and potassium.  There is evidence that it will also help with those wanting to maintain weight and magnesium itself is excellent for your heart.  Magnesium has shown to help with blood vessels, reducing heart spasm and reducing the risk of blood clots.  According to a leading magnesium expert (Dean, MD, ND), she mentions that up to 80% of the world’s population is deficient for this mineral. 

Help Reduce Risk of Cancer

One special ingredient found in barley that has a profound effect against reducing the risk of certain infectious disease and cancer is selenium.  This mineral is found in barley and helps detoxify compounds found in our bodies that are capable of causing cancer.  With the help of selenium, it improves our immune system in order to fight these rogue cells before a tumor can be formed.  Supposedly it also helps with fertility in both genders.  According to one paper, it is estimated that around 750 million people suffer from a deficiency of selenium.

• Read more about Japan's Mos Burger Popularity In Asia

The global market for fast food restaurants is massive with many chains competing with each other.  In the United States alone, close to $200 billion were generated back in the year 2014.  Leading the way is McDonald’s which had revenue of $25 billion and is still considered the most valuable chain in the fast food industry in the world.  Even though it is the most valuable, sometimes depending on the country it is not the most popular as in the case in Japan.  Mos burger is the most popular chain in all of Japan based on a survey done there, but McDonald does come in second.  What makes Mos Burger so popular Japan? Yes we know it could be because it is Japanese but out of curiosity let’s look more into the company.

A little History

The first Mos restaurant started back in 1972 and opened its first restaurant in Tokyo (Narimasu area). It is founded by Mr. Sakurada and the headquarters of the company is located in the Shinjuku prefecture of Tokyo. 

Its first overseas fast food store opened in Taiwan back in the year 1991.  Ever since then it has opened chains all across Asia and has close to 1750 restaurants.  You can find one in the following countries:

• South Korea - Seoul
• China - Xiamen, Fujian
• Hong Kong
• Taiwan - Taipei
• Thailand - Bangkok
• Indonesia - Jakarta
• Singapore
• Australia – Brisbane (Currently with 6 stores across Australia)

For more specific listing of the locations visit http://www.mos.co.jp/global/store_information/

The menu

We want to mention that the company focuses on quality value while using quality ingredients. The classic Mos Rice Burger started to use rice as an ingredient for their buns back in 1987 and still does today.  The current mix is rice, millet and barley.  Enough talk, let’s look at the menu pictures and here is a snippet of their main menu for burgers.

The motto of the company is “a dietary habit determines health.” 

 

One interesting fact that we found is that the old motto(maybe still is) was "Japanese Fine Burger and Coffee."  They serve premium (blended) coffee and apparently they offer one free refill if it is in within the same day depending on the shop.

Other Info – Sales

End of Fiscal Year 2016 (March) – The group made sales of over 70,000 million Yen (an increase of 7.2 percent from the previous year). In USD this is equivalent to 650 Million Dollars.

• Read more about Komezu Is Rice Vinegar(awasezu) Used In Sushi Rice

Komezu may be a word you recognize while walking down the vinegar section of a supermarket.  It is basically “Japanese Rice Vinegar,” which is one of the most important ingredients in making sushi rice.  You may also see this word across the culinary world as an ingredient for soups, pickling and marinades.

In the world of Komezu there are two types or styles that you will encounter.  The first version is the raw version (just unseasoned rice vinegar) and the second one is a blended type called “Awasezu”.  Awasezu has a mix of ingredients which is popular for using in sushi rice.  You can purchase the blend or even better; make your own by using the following:

Three ingredients are necessary:

1. Salt 28g
2. Sugar 100g
3. Rice Vinegar (Komezu of course!) – 0.7 cups (145 cc)
4. Optional – Sake

Grab a pan and add the rice vinegar and start heating it slowly to medium but never ever boiling it.  Then put in the salt while mixing.  After a minute or so, add the sugar while stirring.  Do this for a few more minutes and making sure that all ingredients are well blended.  Turn off the heat and move the pan to a non-used stove element.  At this point let the mixture cool down.  When it reaches room temperature you can start using it.  There are several other ways to make it.  One technique is making it without doing the heating step, where you can just add all three ingredients in a bowl and let it sit overnight.

The Taste

Komezu has the expected vinegar taste but at a much milder level than compared to the average vinegar (distilled) that are found in Western countries.  It is slightly milder than that of the average cider vinegar’s and much more so than that of a typical wine vinegar.  Because of this, Komezu will have other distinct aromas and flavor because the vinegar is not as overpowering.  It is known to be a very balancing flavor Vinegar and can be used as the main ingredient for many other styles of cooking that involves marinating meat or as a vinaigrette for your vegetables(cooked or raw).

Calories

3 Cals

1mg of Sodium

Calorie source -  http://www.myfitnesspal.com/food/calories/195848320

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• Read more about Giant Daikon Of Sakurajima Volcano