Category Archives: Education

Ecology, Education, Environment, 静岡県, 静岡市, 観光, Health, Japan, Japanese Culture, Japanese Hygiene, Non smoking, Non-smoking issues, Photography, Shizuoka, Shizuoka City, Shizuoka Prefecture, Tourism

No Smoking Streets in Shizuoka City (and how about Japan?)!

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SN3O5132

The pavements in Shizuoka City are full of signs that can sometimes be an eye sore, but there is at least one I would encourage the city, Prefecture and country to stick everywhere, that is, a NO-SMOKING sign!

The one they use in Shizuoka City represents a kingfisher because it is the emblem bird of Shizuoka City!

The sign says: “Smoking is prohibited on that street”!

Incidentally I did run into some confrontations with some morons who ignored the sign at their own feet…
The worst occasion was with one particularly idotic (man) moron kept puffing in the middle of the small crowd waiting to cross the street. When I complained he just replied (in Japanese) to f…k o.f you b….y foreigner!
But I must say for the Japanese that no one took his defense when I replied (in Japanese) in kind!
Mind you, this is still a very safe and peaceful country so I prefer to forget such incidents, but the no-smoking will stay.

Note: I’m a former smoker and it is probably even harder on my sort! LOL

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

So Good Sushi Restaurant in Nice France
Navigating Nagoya by Paige, Shop with Intent by Debbie, BULA KANA in Fiji, Kraemer’s Culinary blog by Frank Kraemer in New York,Tokyo Food File by Robbie Swinnerton, Green Tea Club by Satoshi Nihonyanagi in Shizuoka!, Mind Some by Tina in Taiwan, Le Manger by Camille Oger (French), The Indian Tourist, Masala Herb by Helene Dsouza in Goa, India, Mummy I Can Cook! by Shu Han in London, Pierre.Cuisine, Francescannotwrite, My White Kitchen, Foodhoe, Chucks Eats, Things that Fizz & Stuff, Five Euro Food by Charles,Red Shallot Kitchen by Priscilla,With a Glass, Nami | Just One Cookbook, Peach Farm Studio, Clumsyfingers by Xethia, PepperBento, Hapabento, Kitchen Cow, Lunch In A Box, Susan at Arkonlite, Vegan Lunch Box; Tokyo Tom Baker, Daily Food Porn/Osaka, Only Nature Food Porn, Happy Little Bento, J-Mama’s Kitchen, Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat, Bento Lunch Blog (German), Adventures In Bento, Anna The Red’s Bento Factory, Ohayo Bento,

Must-see tasting websites:

-Sake: Ichi For The Michi by Rebekah Wilson-Lye in Tokyo, Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World
-Wine: Palate To Pen, Warren Bobrow, Cellar Tours, Ancient Fire Wines Blog
-Beer: Another Pint, Please!, Beering In Good Mind: All about Craft Beer in Kansai by Nevitt Reagan!
ABRACADABREW, Magical Craftbeer from Japan
-Whisky: Nonjatta: All about whisky in Japan by Stefan Van Eycken
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery

Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents

笑い, Education, 観光, Humor, Japan, Japanese Culture, Life, Life in Japan, Shizuoka, Tourism

Shizuoka Expat Blogger: Ashley Harvey telling about his experiences in “This is MY LIFE”

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HARVEYS-2

These days more an more expats write in blogs about their daily life in Japan and naturally Shizuoka.
They share unique life experiences with readers all over the world and offer a true glimpse on life in Japan!
Ashley Harvey hails from New Zealand and is an ardent fan (me too!) of the Crusaders Rugby Team.
He has lived for quite some time in Shizuoka Prefecture working mainly in education.

Do visit his blog : This is MY LIFE!

HARVEYS

He is a lucky man being blessed with Ayako, his sweet wife and a growing family.
He has a lot to tell and share about Japan and Shizuoka from festivals to train sushi, a million crows ambush and Mount Fuji views!

HARVEYS-1

His hobbies are sports, especially rugby, cricket and soccer, education (I’m taking a risk here! LOL) and taking the mickey out of French men who remind him about rugby history!
he is a good friend of mine, actually!

Leave comments and I’m sure you will discover a fast new friend!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Kraemer’s Culinary blog by Frank Kraemer in New York,Tokyo Food File by Robbie Swinnerton, Green Tea Club by Satoshi Nihonyanagi in Shizuoka!, Mind Some by Tina in Taiwan, Le Manger by Camille Oger (French), The Indian Tourist, Masala Herb by Helene Dsouza in Goa, India, Mummy I Can Cook! by Shu Han in London, Pierre.Cuisine, Francescannotwrite, My White Kitchen, Foodhoe, Chucks Eats, Things that Fizz & Stuff, Five Euro Food by Charles,Red Shallot Kitchen by Priscilla,With a Glass, Nami | Just One Cookbook, Peach Farm Studio, Clumsyfingers by Xethia, PepperBento, Hapabento, Kitchen Cow, Lunch In A Box, Susan at Arkonlite, Vegan Lunch Box; Tokyo Tom Baker, Daily Food Porn/Osaka, Only Nature Food Porn, Happy Little Bento, J-Mama’s Kitchen, Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat, Bento Lunch Blog (German), Adventures In Bento, Anna The Red’s Bento Factory, Ohayo Bento,

Must-see tasting websites:

-Sake: Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World
-Wine: Palate To Pen, Warren Bobrow, Cellar Tours, Ancient Fire Wines Blog
-Beer: Good Beer & Country Boys, Another Pint, Please!, Beering In Good Mind: All about Craft Beer in kanzai by Nevitt Reagan!
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery

Non gastronomy must-see sites by Shizuoka Residents

HIGHOCTANE/HAIOKU by Nick Itoh in Shizuoka City
This is MY LIFE by Ashley Harvey

Culture, Education, Japanese Education, Japanese universities, Universities

Changing Japanese Culture by Richard McMahon & Marcus Grandon

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PRESS HERE to watch and enjoy the whole videa!

Following a class project to create and give presentations on Japanese culture, this group of students collected data on cultural attitudes in Japan.
They decided to share their interests and findings on video with others passionate about Japan now and where its culture is heading.
Directed/produced by Richard McMahon and shot/edited by Marcus Grandon.

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Tokyo Food File by Robbie Swinnerton, Green Tea Club by Satoshi Nihonyanagi in Shizuoka!, Mind Some by Tina in Taiwan, Le Manger by Camille Oger (French), The Indian Tourist, Masala Herb by Helene Dsouza in Goa, India, Mummy I Can Cook! by Shu Han in London, Pierre.Cuisine, Francescannotwrite, My White Kitchen, 47 Japanese Farms Through The Eyes of Its Rural Communities, Foodhoe, Chucks Eats, Things that Fizz & Stuff, Five Euro Food by Charles,Red Shallot Kitchen by Priscilla,With a Glass, Nami | Just One Cookbook, Peach Farm Studio, Clumsyfingers by Xethia, PepperBento,Adventures in Bento Making, American Bent, Beanbento, Bento No, Bento Wo Tsukurimashou, Cooking Cute, Eula, Hapabento , Happy Bento, Jacki’s Bento Blog, Kitchen Cow, Leggo My Obento, Le Petit Journal Bento & CO (French), Lunch In A Box,
Susan at Arkonlite, Vegan Lunch Box; Tokyo Tom Baker, Daily Food Porn/Osaka, Only Nature Food Porn, Happy Little Bento, The Herbed Kitchen, J-Mama’s Kitchen, Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat, Bento Lunch Blog (German), Adventures In Bento, Anna The Red’s Bento Factory, Cooking Cute, Timeless Gourmet, Bento Bug, Ideal Meal, Bentosaurus, Mr. Foodie (London/UK), Ohayo Bento,

Must-see tasting websites:

-Sake: Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World
-Wine: Palate To Pen, Warren Bobrow, Cellar Tours, Ancient Fire Wines Blog
-Beer: Good Beer & Country Boys, Another Pint, Please!, Beering In Good Mind: All about Craft Beer in kanzai by Nevitt Reagan!
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery

美食, Earthquake, Education, 観光, 魚, 魚海の幸, 農業, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Radioactivity, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Cuisine, Tourism, Tsunami

Cruise finds Fukushima pollution: Good News-Sea radiation levels near Fukushima are not harmful, by Jonathan Amos of the BBC!

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Just found this article written by Jonathan Amos for the BBC

Marine organisms were collected for evaluation

Radioactive elements from the damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant have been detected in seawater and marine organisms up to 600km from Japan.

But the scientists who made the discovery stress the natural radioactivity of seawater dwarfs anything seen in their samples.

The results come from a research cruise in June last year led by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI).

The initial findings were presented to the biennial Ocean Sciences Meeting.

“Just because we can measure radioactivity doesn’t mean it’s harmful,” WHOI’s Ken Buesseler told the gathering in Salt Lake City.

“There’s a pretty good news story in here – that the levels [of radioactivity] offshore are not of significance to human health in terms of exposure, or even if you were to eat the seafood offshore,” he added.

CONTINUE HERE>>>

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

Pierre.Cuisine, Francescannotwrite, My White Kitchen, 47 Japanese Farms Through The Eyes of Its Rural Communities, Foodhoe, Chucks Eats, Things that Fizz & Stuff, Five Euro Food by Charles,Red Shallot Kitchen by Priscilla,With a Glass, Nami | Just One Cookbook, Peach Farm Studio, Clumsyfingers by Xethia, PepperBento,Adventures in Bento Making, American Bent, Beanbento, Bento No, Bento Wo Tsukurimashou, Cooking Cute, Eula, Hapabento , Happy Bento, Jacki’s Bento Blog, Kitchen Cow, Leggo My Obento, Le Petit Journal Bento & CO (French), Lunch In A Box,
Susan at Arkonlite, Vegan Lunch Box; Tokyo Tom Baker, Daily Food Porn/Osaka, Only Nature Food Porn, Happy Little Bento, The Herbed Kitchen, J-Mama’s Kitchen, Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat, Bento Lunch Blog (German), Adventures In Bento, Anna The Red’s Bento Factory, Cooking Cute, Timeless Gourmet, Bento Bug, Ideal Meal, Bentosaurus, Mr. Foodie (London/UK), Ohayo Bento,

Must-see tasting websites:

-Sake: Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World
-Wine: Palate To Pen, Warren Bobrow, Cellar Tours, Ancient Fire Wines Blog
-Beer: Good Beer & Country Boys, Another Pint, Please!
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery

美食, Education, 野菜, 観光, 農業, Gastronomes, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Organic Vegetables, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products, Shizuoka Cuisine, Strawberries, Tourism

Shizen No Chikara Organic Farm: Visit by “47 Japanese Farms” in Shizuoka City!

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Syunsuke Sano/佐野俊介 of Shizen No Chikara Organic Farm explaining his craft to Roshni Nirody and Sara Harriger of the U.S. Department of State

Ms. Roshni M. Nirody (from New Jersey) and Ms. Sara Harriger (Alaska) employed by the U.S. Department of State working for the Foreign Service Institute, Japanese language and Area Training Center at the U.S. Embassy in Japan paid us a visit in Shizuoka City!
Not only these young ladies speak very good Japanese on top of their native language but even more languages, a undisputable proof of their ability for their jobs!
They have initiated their own grand three and a half year project at 47 Farms to examine Japanese agriculture through interviews and working farm stays with farmers in each of Japan`s 47 prefectural entities!
Read more HERE, it is certainly worth a very long look!
To cut a story short they contacted me as they wanted to discover what Shizuoka Farms had in store for them!
Actually Shizuoka does have a lot, but to make easier for their first visit I and a staff at M2 labo decided to take them to new but already very influential Organic Farm in Shizuoka City and Prefecture called Shizen No Chikara Farm.

Organic Tomatoes!

Shizen No Chikara Farm has plots in Sena, Shimo, Nippon Daira and many others in the Prefecture.
We took them to Sena where the man in charge, Syunsuke Sano/佐野俊介 was kind enough to explain his crafts and answer quite a few very pointed questions from our lady guests!

All the cultivation is organic in the strict sense with no insecticides, or any agrichemicals.
The insects are fought off with natural repellents concocted by the farmers, catch fly sticky tapes or with natural enemies such as ladybugs!

Temperature and humidity are constantly checked and monitored!

For the moment they grow five varieties of tomatoes there!

These will go to the top restaurants in the Prefecture!

Now, Shizen No Chikara succeeded a very difficult organic cultivation at their first attempt: strawberries!

The strawberries are not allowed to come in contact with the floor or soil!
No need to mention this is all daily back-breaking work!

The greenhouse has its own beehive!

Even the beehive is kept super clean!

The bees are vital for a regular pollination and beautiful berries!

Organic mini daikon!

We then proceeded to the plot in Shimo to have a look at the their root and leaf vegetables!

Row of mini daikons!

Komatsuna left to look after their harvested rows!

Hosonegi/scallions/mini leeks!

Leeks are great to fight common colds!

Big white daikons!

Japanese gastronomy wouldn’t exist without these!

Beautiful radishes and turnips just harvested!

The same in their rows!

This visit was all too short for my own satisfaction and I already have invited our sweet visitors to come again as soon as possible!
I’m already planning visits to Numazu and Fujinomiya Cities!
Our two ladies are not only lovers of agriculture but also gastronomes. I have a few breweries and izakayas in mind for them!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

47 Japanese Farms Through The Eyes of Its Rural Communities, Foodhoe, Chucks Eats, Things that Fizz & Stuff, Five Euro Food by Charles,Red Shallot Kitchen by Priscilla,With a Glass, Nami | Just One Cookbook, Peach Farm Studio, Clumsyfingers by Xethia, PepperBento,Adventures in Bento Making, American Bent, Beanbento, Bento No, Bento Wo Tsukurimashou, Cooking Cute, Eula, Hapabento , Happy Bento, Jacki’s Bento Blog, Kitchen Cow, Leggo My Obento, Le Petit Journal Bento & CO (French), Lunch In A Box,
Susan at Arkonlite, Vegan Lunch Box; Tokyo Tom Baker, Daily Food Porn/Osaka, Only Nature Food Porn, Happy Little Bento, The Herbed Kitchen, J-Mama’s Kitchen, Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat, Bento Lunch Blog (German), Adventures In Bento, Anna The Red’s Bento Factory, Cooking Cute, Timeless Gourmet, Bento Bug, Ideal Meal, Bentosaurus, Mr. Foodie (London/UK), Ohayo Bento,

Must-see tasting websites:

-Sake: Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World
-Wine: Palate To Pen, Warren Bobrow, Cellar Tours, Ancient Fire Wines Blog
-Beer: Good Beer & Country Boys, Another Pint, Please!
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery

Bread, Cakes, 美食, Dessert, Education, 野菜, 農業, Gastronomy, Japan, Japanese Gastronomy, Shizuoka, Shizuoka agricultural products

Bread: Shizuoka Agricultural High School Mari Ishiguro wins Consecutive First Prize at 6th National High School Bread Contest!

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Mari Ishiguro/石黒茉莉さん established a record by winning her second consecutive First Prize at the 6th National High School Bread Contest fielding 176 participants from all over Japan!
On the 21st and 22nd of January 2012 the 6th National High School Bread Contest took place in the City of Izu No Kuni in the Izu Peninsula, Shizuoka Prefecture!
Mari who had won last year’s contest with a “Toma Kara Feuille”/”Tomato Mille-Feuilles” did it again with a ‘Toma Kan Pan” creation!

The concept of the bread was indeed an interesting combination of European and Asian cuisines:
“Toma” stands for “tomato” as dried ones were extensively used.
Note that tomatoes were a prerequisite ingredient in submitted recipes as the Government is actively promoting the culture of this vegetable!
“Kan” stands for “kanten/寒天/agar agar” in Japanese with which the bread was coated!
“Pan” stands for bread in Japanese.

Mari Ishiguro is a third year student at the Shizuoka Prefectural Agricultural High School and will graduate next month before attending Cooking College in Tokyo.
The bread might be small but it took no less than 5 hours to prepare and bake!

Cross section of a frozen sample

Creating the bread with a dough surrounding another dough containing dried tomatoes and walnuts took 3 and a half hours, while the coating with agar agar took an hour. Add to this 35 minutes for baking, the whole work took no less than 5 hours!
According to Mari, this year’s concept was totally different from last year’s approach as she wanted to create a bread/cake that could be appreciated chilled.
Moreover, instead of using water in the dough she utilized the natural juice of real tomatoes.
She also compensated the astringency with cocoa powder.
Finally she topped the bread with dried tomatoes before baking it!
She agreed that her “bread” was more a dessert than anything else!

All this creative work was made possible under the teaching of her Bakery Teacher, Tetsuya Ishida/石田哲也!
Mari and her teacher (and all the students and their students) have the chance to belong to a very progressive high school by Japanese standards which emphazises vocational studies above all!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

With a Glass,
Clumsyfingers by Xethia
Adventures in Bento Making, American Bento, Beanbento, Bento No1, Bento Wo Tsukurimashou, Cooking Cute, Eula, Hapabento , Happy Bento, Jacki’s Bento Blog, Kitchen Cow, Leggo My Obento, Le Petit Journal Bento & CO (French), Lunch In A Box, My Bento Box, Vegan Lunch Box; Tokyo Tom Baker, Daily Food Porn/Osaka, Only Nature Food Porn, Happy Little Bento, The Herbed Kitchen, J-Mama’s Kitchen, Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat; Bento Lunch Blog (German); Adventures In Bento; Anna The Red’s Bento Factory; Cooking Cute; Timeless Gourmet; Bento Bug; Ideal Meal; Bentosaurus; Mr. Foodie (London/UK); Ohayo Bento

Must-see tasting websites:

-Sake: Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World
-Wine: Palate To Pen, Warren Bobrow, Cellar Tours, Ancient Fire Wines Blog
-Beer: Good Beer & Country Boys, Another Pint, Please!
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery

Education, Japanese students, Japanese universities

“A Vision of Japanese University Students Today” by Marcus Grandon

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“A Vision of Japanese University Students Today”

A good friend of mine, Marcus Grandon who shot Sake Road with me, is also a lecturer in various universities in Shizuoka Prefecture in Japan.

He has just created in collaboration with the students from his Global Issues course in December 2011 as a class project this short video which summarizes attitudes and beliefs of students at a large university in Japan.

Do click on the link on the title below the photo above. It will become an eye-opener!

RECOMMENDED RELATED WEBSITES

With a Glass,
Clumsyfingers by Xethia
Adventures in Bento Making, American Bento, Beanbento, Bento No1, Bento Wo Tsukurimashou, Cooking Cute, Eula, Hapabento , Happy Bento, Jacki’s Bento Blog, Kitchen Cow, Leggo My Obento, Le Petit Journal Bento & CO (French), Lunch In A Box, My Bento Box, Vegan Lunch Box; Tokyo Tom Baker, Daily Food Porn/Osaka, Only Nature Food Porn, Happy Little Bento, The Herbed Kitchen, J-Mama’s Kitchen, Cook, Eat, Play, Repeat; Bento Lunch Blog (German); Adventures In Bento; Anna The Red’s Bento Factory; Cooking Cute; Timeless Gourmet; Bento Bug; Ideal Meal; Bentosaurus; Mr. Foodie (London/UK); Ohayo Bento

Must-see tasting websites:

-Sake: Tokyo Through The Drinking Glass, Tokyo Foodcast, Urban Sake, Sake World
-Wine: Palate To Pen, Warren Bobrow, Cellar Tours, Ancient Fire Wines Blog
-Beer: Good Beer & Country Boys, Another Pint, Please!
-Japanese Pottery to enjoy your favourite drinks: Yellin Yakimono Gallery