Easily Enjoy Varieties of Japanese Tea

Hi everyone who want to go or is going to Japan,

Have you ever had Japanese tea? I mean that the green tea is not "Matcha" or green tea espresso. Japanese usually have varieties of Japanese tea at home, such as Green tea "Sencha", Roasted green tea "Hojicha", Brown rice tea "Genmaicha" ,Barley tea "Mugicha" and so on. We do NOT often have "Matcha" at home, and usually have it at a cafe or somewhere like that. I would like you to try them, and you can try them easily because there are varieties of plastic-bottled Japanese tea in Japan. Japanese often buy those plastic-bottled Japanese tea at a convenience store, a supermarket or somewhere. I will introduce 3 popular brands of it and 1 my favorite plastic-bottled green tea. Although, my favorite one is also produced by one of popular brands.

Green tea Espresso "Mat-cha", in Japanese "抹茶"

Green tea "Sen-cha", in Japanese "煎茶"

Roasted green tea "Hoji-cha", in Japanese "ほうじ茶"

Brown rice tea "Genmai-cha", in Japanese "玄米茶"

Barley tea "Mugi-cha", in Japanese "麦茶"

1. 3 popular brands of plastic-bottled Japanese tea

• O-i Ocha, in Japanese "おーいお茶" from Itoen company: This Japanese tea series is the biggest selling one in Japan. As you can see on the photo, there are many varieties of Japanese tea produced from the company "itoen". Itoen produces more type of Japanese tea such as green tea made with seasonal tea leaves. 

From the left: Green tea (original flavor), green tea rich taste, green tea with "Mat-cha" powder, Roasted green tea, hot original green tea, hot rich taste green tea, hot roasted green tea and hot brown rice tea. 

• Ayataka, in Japanese "綾鷹" from Coca-Cola company: The Ayataka is produced to people enjoy savoring as good Japanese tea as it made with a teapot. 

  

  From the left: Green tea (original flavor) and roasted green tea

• Iemon, in Japanese "伊右衛門" from Fukujuen company: This company was established as wholesaler of Japanese tea in Kyoto in 1790, so it can be said that the Iemon is produced by an expert company in Japanese tea.  

From the left: green tea rich taste, green tea (original flavor), brown rice tea (limited version), roasted green tea (limited version in Autumn) and roasted green tea

2. My favorite green tea

• Nama-Cha, in Japanese "生茶" from Kirin beverage company: Honestly speaking, the Nama-cha is the best plastic-bottled green tea in Japan. This is just my personal opinion, and I buy the green tea whenever I want to have green tea. As for your information, of course, the green tea series is sold well in Japan. You must feel good bitter taste, deliciousness and full-bodied taste of tea. This is the green tea you must try in Japan, if you enjoy green tea in Japan easily! 

As I said above, you can see really many varieties of plastic-bottled Japanese tea in Japan. Each of them has each characteristic. You may want to try some of them and find your favorite one out!! And then, if you come to love Japanese tea, you try Japanese tea with tea leaves and teapot. There are also many varieties of tea leaves in Japan!! You must enjoy having them and want to come to Japan more!!!

Enjoy your trip in Japan! And see you in the next article of the blog!! 
"The ordinary for Japanese" must work to spice up your trip! 

Read Me: For Venturing Local Restaurants in Japan

Hi everyone who want to go or is going to Japan,

I think that One of the pleasures of travel is eating delicious local foods, and you must want to try some Japanese food when traveling in Japan. I'm going to introduce some foods which Japanese have usually to you in the blog. But before that, I'm telling you basic things about local restaurants in Japan. Such information would help you to understand Japanese local restaurants and encourage to venture Japanese local restaurants!!

1. Order and Payment

There are some way to order meal and pay the bill/check, and I guess that you are not familiar with one of them.

• Pay at a vending machine and order (Unique way in Japan): There is a vending machine on the inside or outside of a restaurant. You put in some money and buy the ticket for your desired meal at the vending machine. Please don't forget to take the change!! You pass the ticket to a staff to order your meal after taking a seat.  
  
• Pick up some foods on shelves and paying: Many varieties of meals are on shelves on the inside of a restaurant. First of all, you take a tray somewhere at the restaurant. You pick your desired meals up from the shelves, pay the bill for the meal at register and take a seat.
  
• Order and paying at resister before eating: Normal way at fast food shops like McDonald's in the world.
• Paying after eating: Majority way at restaurants in the world.

2. Drinking Water

As I said on the article in the blog, tap water in Japan is potable. Many of local restaurants provide some iced/hot water, sometimes barley tea or green tea for free of charge. 
<Japanese lesson: Cold water="冷水", Hot water="温水", Barley tea="麦茶" and Green tea="緑茶">

• Be served a glass of water, and you ask a stuff another one each time. <Japanese Lesson: "Mizu"=Cold water, "Oyu"=hot water, "Ocha"=tea and "Kudasai"=Can I have>
  

• Be served a glass of water and a water pitcher.
   
• Be served a glass of water, and you refill a glass with a water pitcher nearby.
  
• Be served a glass of water, and you refill a glass with a water server.
  

3. A Wet Towel (Oshibori)

I guess that all of local restaurants in Japan provide a wet towel for you to wipe your hands clean for free of charge. Some of them provide a wet cloth towel, and the others provide a wet paper towel. I prefer the feeling of wet cloth towel. Some of Japanese men, especially over middle-aged men, often wipe their face with the cold cloth wet towel (in summer)/hot cloth wet towel (in winter). As a matter of fact, it is said that is not good manner. However, if you are interested in it, please try it. You may feel so good!

• A wet cloth towel (cold or hot).
   
• A wet paper towel (cold).
  

4. Chopsticks (Hashi)

As you may know, Japanese often use a pair of chopsticks and sometimes use fork, spoon or knife differently to eat a meal depending on menu what they have. 
Each local restaurants have a different way to provide chopsticks to customers, and most of restaurant provide throwaway wooden chopsticks. Don't forget to split apart a pair of chopsticks!!

<If you are not familiar with chopsticks, you can ask a staff to borrow fork, knife and spoon.>

• Put many pairs of chopsticks in a chopstick holder.
  
  
• Bring a pair of chopsticks with meal. <Japanese Lesson in case you dropped your chopsticks: "Ohashi"=chopsticks and "Kudasai"=Can I have.>
  
• Provide a pair of chopsticks for each person when you sit at a table.
  

I think that each of above topics are categorized enough and roughly, and every local restaurant combines them. So, you can enjoy finding what  combination a restaurant has. Additionally, Please don't worry about how you order, get some water and a pair of chopsticks, whether that wet towel is for free of charge.

Enjoy your trip in Japan! And see you in the next article of the blog!! 
"The ordinary for Japanese" must work to spice up your trip! 

Ice Sorbet Sold Over 400 Million Pieces A Year in Japan

Hi everyone who want to go or is going to Japan,

Today, I would like to introduce to you one of Japanese favorite Ice sorbet series. The category for this ice sorbet is "Hyoka". (If you don't know 4 categories of Japanese ice cream and sorbet, please read this article in the blog.) "Why can I say that is "Japanese favorite"? That is because the ice sorbet series is sold over 400 million pieces in total a year in Japan!! Do you know the population in Japan? It is 120 million. That comes over 3 pieces per person a year. If you ask Japanese the ice sorbets, I'm positive that the Japanese knows about it and have eaten it before. And I strongly hope that you try it when you visit to Japan!!

The name of the Japanese favorite Ice sorbet series is

"GariGariKun" (in Japanese "ガリガリ君")

Regular Price: 70 Japanese Yen (Excluding tax)

This is the package for the original flavor "soda pop" of GariGariKun. The soda pop flavor is the biggest-selling flavor in GariGariKun series. Then, the next photo is the content of the ice sorbet. The ice sorbet is kind of ice pop/ice lolly.

Shaved ice flavored soda pop is on the inside, and thin ice sherbet flavored soda pop is on the outside to cover the inside. You can have a stick of it with one hand and eat it, so you enjoy it while even walking outside!! This would be the best choice to eat when you feel hot, such as just out of the bath or coming back home in summer!! Moreover, you can win one more GariGariKun, if you get a winning stick like it on the following picture.

In English: You won!! You can exchange the stick with another "GariGariKun", not "GariGariKun Rich"

And then, as I said "ice sorbet series" on the title, there are many flavors of the  GariGariKun. The followings are just some of them: cola, grapefruit, orange, grape, Japanese pear, mango, apple. Japanese pear flavor is one of my favorite!!  

The package of Japanese pear flavor

The package of Cola flavor

In addition to above, there is high-end series; the name is "GariGariKun Rich".

Regular Price: 130 Japanese Yen (Excluding tax)

You must feel rich taste of the flavor. Although, the price of that is be higher than regular one!! Some of flavors of the "Rich" series: Milk&Milk, Chocolate&Chocolate, Pudding&Pudding.

How was the GariGariKun introduction? Do you want to have it? You can buy some of GariGariKun series at convenience stores, supermarkets or wherever you can buy ice cream and sorbet in Japan. Sometimes, new flavor of the GariGariKun series is released. You must enjoy finding and eating your favorite one and trying new flavor each time you come to Japan!! If you are acquainted with some Japanese at place you visit in Japan, you can try to ask him or her "Do you wanna go eating GariGariKun??" 

Enjoy your trip in Japan! And see you in the next article of the blog!! 
"The ordinary for Japanese" must work to spice up your trip! 

Read Me: The 4 Official Categories of Japanese Ice Cream and Sorbets

Hi everyone who want to go or is going to Japan,

Do you like ice cream and sorbets? Do you have any specific brand which you love in your country? I guess you do, and I also do!! There are many types of ice cream and sorbets, and several brands which I love though... Today in Japan, there is a lot of ice cream and sorbets from many brands as you can see the image on the top. Most Japanese (I never ever seen people who don't care for ice cream and sorbets in my life though...) like ice cream and sorbets, and we have them in all seasons, even in winter!! Ice cream and sorbets in Japan has 4 big categories and all of ice are classified in terms of the categories. I don't know if your country has slimier one or not. If you know that in some county else, I hope you tell me that. I would love to know that!! Anyway, Let me show the categories to you, and you must enjoy having ice cream and sorbets in Japan much more to understand them and check them on a package of ice cream and sorbets.

The Table of Category of Ice cream and Sorbet in Japan

All of ice cream and sorbets in Japan has any of the followings on its package.

• Ice Cream (in Japanese "アイスクリーム"): Rich milk taste because of much milk solid and milkfat. No allowed to use vegetable oil. 
  

  

  Milk solid 22% (9%+13%) and Milkfat "乳脂肪分" 13%

• Ice Milk (in Japanese "アイスミルク"): Good milk taste. Enough rich and lighter than "Ice cream".
  

  

  Milk solid 13.5% (8.2%+5.3%) and Milkfat "乳脂肪分" 5.3% 

• Lacto Ice (in Japanese "ラクトアイス"): The word is Japanese English. Light milk taste. Lighter than "Ice milk".
  

  

  Milk solid 6.5% (3%+3.5%) and Milkfat "乳脂肪分" 3.5% 
• Ice Sorbet (in Japanese "氷菓 <Hyoka>”): Ice cream with low milk-fat (under 3%), or ice sorbet with frozen fruits juice or flavored with something such as coke or some soft drink.
  

They are summarized as follow.

You want to have rich taste: Ice cream "アイスクリーム" or Ice milk "アイスミルク".

You want to have light taste or freshen your mouth: Lacto ice "ラクトアイス" or Ice sorbet "氷菓".

The followings are my suggestion how to choose ice cream or sorbet you want.

You don't feel hot so much, you are at home with some drink in early spring/late autumn/winter : Ice cream "アイスクリーム" or Ice milk "アイスミルク".

You feel hot inside home or outside, you feel thirsty: Lacto ice "ラクトアイス" or Ice sorbet "氷菓".

Those are just my suggestion, and the best way is to you enjoy finding out and having ice cream or sorbets what you love in Japan!! 

I will post some popular ice cream and sorbets in Japan for your reference. If they help you to find out your favorite ice cream or sorbet, I will be glad so much!! You can buy them at convenience stores or supermarkets and have it anywhere, but somewhere you are forbidden. Then just keep in mind: Don't litter, and you must throw away trash in a garbage can. 

Enjoy your trip in Japan! And see you in the next article of the blog!! 

"The ordinary for Japanese" must work to spice up your trip!