Life In Japan: Eating Octopus

Would you eat this?

Octopuses are weird! Octopuses are creepy! The way they look. The way they move, slithering about frantically with those tentacles going in every direction, yet so frighteningly coordinated they promise to wrap up your head or face or limbs with slimy ropes, covered with suction cups ready to attach themselves in a slimy sucking unbreakable grip, then god knows what!

For some reason just hearing them mentioned, I used to immediately visualize giant octopuses enveloping ships and submarines, crushing them and drowning everyone aboard. I know that was 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, and Captain Nemo in a life-or-death struggle not with an octopus, but a giant squid. Whatever! Big ugly sea creature. Tentacles. Bad attitude. It’s all the same to me.

Understandably . . .

For at least six decades of my life, I never once thought about eating an octopus, or any part of one. I put them right in there with rats, earthworms, cockroaches, garden slugs, slime mold, the beating heart of another human, in the I’d-rather-starve-to-death folder.

But something completely unexpected then happened. I’m not sure of the exact date but it was sometime in 2008. What I do know for sure is that I tried octopus and loved it! Masumi took me to the 道頓堀 district in Osaka — literally octopus central here in the Land of the Rising Sun — famous for takoyaki [蛸焼] and other octopus treats. It was the early days of our dating, so I was completely taken with her and all she was teaching me about Japan, the cuisine and the culture. Next thing I know I was eating the weird, creepy creature, and I WAS HOOKED.

Years later, I had some friends visit Masumi and I from America, I was preparing dinner, and just as a courtesy I thought I should ask: “Are you guys okay with me putting octopus on your salad?” I’ll never forget their look! They did their best to hide it, but it was somewhere between or a combination of horror, disbelief, revulsion, and fight-or-flight. I was amused. Because I did and still do remember my initial reactions when somehow confronted with the prospect.

How things change!

I can honestly say that octopus is among my Top 20 favorite Japanese edibles. It’s comfortably in my Top 50 all-time favorite foods from across the entire globe, which includes such diverse items as T-bone steak, cookie dough ice cream, pizza, BLT and grilled cheese sandwiches, hot fudge sundaes, French onion soup, cheese enchiladas, licorice, seaweed and sea salt potato chips, butter pecan ice cream and coca-cola floats, bacon-avocado cheeseburgers, yellowtail sashimi, Korean barbecue, Chinese hot-and-sour soup . . . you get the idea.

Traveling the world and living full-time in a country as different from America as Japan surely is, has taught me to be very open-minded. Still . . . don’t ask me to eat fried grasshoppers or the beating heart of another human being. I have to draw the line somewhere.

[ This originated at the author's personal website . . . https://jdrachel.com ]

Life In Japan: Eating Octopus | John Rachel

Life In Japan: Tenjinbashisuji Shotengai

The longest shopping arcade in Japan!

Let me be candid. I’m not much of a shopper. In fact, rating me one-to-ten on my talent and enthusiasm for shopping, I come in around -2.

I do like buying things. I need a shirt. I buy it. I need a new computer. I buy it.

But shopping? Wandering around, looking at stuff? Comparing prices? Judging quality? Looking at pros and cons, 99% of the time for unnecessary items, thus unpurchased?

I’m just too impatient, not at all interested.

At the same time, I recognize that shopping for many people is a barrel of fun, a great way to spend leisure hours. Even not buying stuff is fine for many. Just browsing, looking, evaluating, comparing, fantasizing — how would this look in the foyer? . . . or . . . does this go with that belt buckle I have at home? — provides “shoppers” hours of relaxation, discovery, even joy. It’s not the destination but the journey. Whatever.

So . . .

With my general antipathy toward shopping firmly in place, initially I didn’t consider my wife’s proposal last weekend with much enthusiasm. She suggested we go to the “longest shopping arcade in Japan” located in Osaka and look around. But we went, because I trust her judgment and what hell . . . Osaka is always wonderful to visit and you only live once. Or something along those lines.

Let me continue to be candid: What a phenomenal afternoon we had. The arcade is called Tenjinbashisuji Shotengai and it’s great! This is from Japan Travel and says it all . . .

“Tenjinbashisuji Shotengai stretches over 2600 meters covering a single long street, altogether seven Chome(s) (丁目- block) boasting 600 shops of various types. The LONGEST shopping street in Japan! From the traditional kimono shops to shops cramped with chicly designed cheap T-shirts, all the way to Osaka only Okonomiyaki restaurants, almost anything can be found in this ‘down-to-earth’ yet unique shopping street.”

2600 meters! — 1.6 miles — which is a lot of shopping. But like it says, not your typical shopping. NO CHAIN STORES! I hate chain stores! Well . . . that’s not quite true. I do buy things at chain stores, when they have something I want. There’s a clothing chain here called Uniqlo — they even have one in New York City I visited several years ago! — which specializes in purely functional attire, no designer label brands, just what is perfectly fine for everyday wear. Half of my wardrobe is Uniqlo.

But generally chain stores are a plague, a global plague turning thousands of malls and arcades into boilerplate shopping experiences, one almost indistinguishable from another.

So the longest shopping arcade in Japan was a truly unique, I have to say fun, experience. All individual shops, some very interesting, and unlike most of what’s sold in the name brand stores, very affordable. Apparently unconsciously sustaining a sweet tooth that day, I bought mountain flower honey and short bread cookies. Also some fresh vegetables.

Does it get better than that?

[ This originated at the author's personal website . . . https://jdrachel.com ]

Life In Japan: Tenjinbashisuji Shotengai | John Rachel

Life In Japan: Enna Yamashiro Art Exhibition in Osaka

This past weekend, I had the pleasure of going to the Laugh & Peace Art Gallery in Osaka, to see a selection of works by Enna Yamashiro.

She is a TV star, one of the regular travel guides appearing every Saturday morning at 9:00 am on Travel Salad, taking viewers to a host of other countries. What makes her contribution to the globe-trotting adventures is her paintings. Wherever she lands, she spontaneously renders her impression of the place, often on a computer tablet. A few we had seen on television were on display.

Yamashiro-san’s style is unique but at the same time eminently Japanese. I don’t mean in a traditional sense. Her approach is extremely modern. But her works reflect the aesthetics of both Japanese art and culture: simple, minimalistic, elegant, starkly beautiful. I especially love her sense of color.

Rather than an artist, she calls herself an illustrator. I’ll accept that. She still creates art. I’m sure she’d love for you to visit her website!

Enna Yamashiro at work!

[ This originated at the author's personal website . . . https://jdrachel.com ]

Life In Japan: Enna Yamashiro Art Exhibition in Osaka | John Rachel