Sketches are my half-baked ideas, projects and notes for articles. I scribble them on napkins, random notebook…

Dear friends, colleagues and those who have expressed an interest in the FOOD & CULTURE of Japan: 屋台 YATAI…

Dear friends, colleagues and those who have expressed an interest in the FOOD & CULTURE of Japan: 素麺 SŌMEN…

Dear friends, colleagues and those who have expressed an interest in the FOOD & CULTURE of Japan: SHŌBU: 尚…

Celebrating Sakura The Japanese take great pleasure in celebrating the seasons and SAKURA (cherry blossoms) ar…

Dear friends, colleagues and those who have expressed an interest in the FOOD & CULTURE of Japan:   W…

The Japanese speak of aki no mikaku (autumnal eating pleasures). Of the many foods placed in that category, a …

The Japanese have long believed that foods beginning with the syllable “U” (written” う in hiragana), have spec…

MA-GO-WA-YA-SA-SHI-I (Grandchildren are kind) This acronym helps speakers of Japanese remember the names of fo…

JUNSAI (water shield; Brasenia schreberi) grows naturally in lakes, ponds and slow streams in many parts of th…