#33bentobox 110117

Japanese Culture | Hot Spots | Products

| Food TM

Nov. 2017

No. 33 FREE www.bentoboxmag.ca

Tuck into steaming comfort food

Hot pot

for a cold winter

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Contents November 2017 No.33

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Craft brewing goes Japanese

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Feature: Hot pot

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Restaurant: Godspeed Brewery

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Ingredient: Ginnan

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Sake: Mio

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Travel: Kitakyushu

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Only in Japan: Disaster preparedness

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Local Event: Reel Asian International Film Festival

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Movie: Teiichi—Battle of Supreme High

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:[HɈ 7PJR 9LZ[H\YHU[! Little Pebbles

EDITOR’S NOTE

Nina Hoeschele

7LLR \UKLY [OL SPK VM [OL WV[ Nabe, oden, sukiyaki … do you know the difference between all of these terms for delicious Japanese one-pot dishes? If you need a primer on the best way to warm up your belly this winter, we’ve got you covered in this month’s feature. Dig into all the delicious possibilities—and find out where to scoop up a bowl of your own!

Join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter facebook.com/bentoboxmag

twitter.com/bentoboxmag

Editors Nina Hoeschele, Amanda Plyley, Yumi Nishio Editorial coordinators Nina Hoeschele, Yumi Nishio Writers Amanda Plyley, Ariel Litteljohn, James Heron, M Crowson, Nicholas Jones, Nina Lee, Sarah Dickson Designers Chieko Watanabe, Midori Yamamoto 7OV[VNYHWOLY Kazu Maruyama Advertisement & marketing Kazu Maruyama 7\ISPZOLY Kazu Maruyama

Bento Box Communication Inc. | 3003 Danforth Ave. PO Box 93628, Toronto M4C 5R4 Phone: 416-964-0981 | www.bentoboxmag.ca | Email: info@bentoboxmag.ca

ISSN 2368-9153

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Hot pot for F e a t u re

a cold winter 04

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With temperatures dropping, tuck into a steaming bowl of your favourite nabe and open your heart and soul to this wintertime Japanese one-pot.

By Ariel Litteljohn

If you have not already indulged in a bubbling pot of nabe, it’s time to start!

N

abemono, or nabe for short, refers to one-pot Japanese dishes, hearty wintertime favourites in the Land of the Rising Sun. With such variety, both in ingredients used HUK ÅH]V\YPUNZ [OLYL HYL UHIL KPZOLZ [V satisfy just about every taste. Common nabe ingredients include just about any seafood `V\ JHU ÄUK [OV\NO T\ZZLSZ JSHTZ JYHI ZX\PK HUK ÄYT ÄZO HYL ZVTL Z\YL MH]V\YP[LZ Same goes for meats (including the internal organs!), tofu and vegetables—really, any ingredient is fair game when it comes to ZPTTLYPUN [OPZ KLSPJPV\Z ÅL_PISL KPZO

Sukiyaki, a sweet and salty nabe made with razor-thin slices of beef, is one of the more recognized varieties. Chankonabe, a nabe made with chicken, seafood, potatoes and other vegetables, is a favourite of Japan’s sumo wrestlers, and restaurants specializing in this type of nabe are commonly found where the sumo wrestlers train. For those who like things spicy, kimchi nabe, a nabe made with spicy Korean pickled vegetables, TPNO[ IL `V\Y WLYMLJ[ TH[JO >OH[ \UPÄLZ nabe is how it is cooked—oftentimes in a boiling clay pot, called a donabe, right in front of your eyes at your table. If you are cooking your nabe on the tabletop, the pot is heated on either a charcoal hibachi burner or else on a small gas burner that can be brought right to your table. Some restaurants prefer to avoid the hassle and L_JP[LTLU[ VM [HISL[VW JVVRPUN HUK IYPUN [OL steaming hot pots directly from the kitchen to your table for you to enjoy. Whoever is doing the cooking work (and the fun that goes along with it) should add the foods [OH[ [HRL [OL SVUNLZ[ [V JVVR ÄYZ[·[OPZ \Z\HSS` TLHUZ ÄZO HUK ZLHMVVK thicker slices of meat, and crisp vegetables like carrots. The

more fast-cooking, delicate foods like tofu, shrimp and thin beef slices can be added closer to the end, as you don’t want them to become overcooked and fall apart.

Nabe features prominently on the menus of many Japanese restaurants and is also a home-cooked favourite, where hungry diners share stories while helping themselves from the communal stew pot. As the ingredients are cooked, the broth used to cook them ILJVTLZ L]LY TVYL ÅH]V\YM\S HUK H[ [OL end of a meal it is common to add rice or noodles to the broth to soak up the remainders. Another commonality with all nabe dishes is that they are usually eaten with dipping sauces. Several types of sauce are common— a simple beaten raw egg (most often eaten with sukiyaki), sesame sauce (gomadare) and ponzu, a citrus soybased sauce, are favourites.

Yakumi, which are condiments and food seasonings such as chili pepper, scallions, grated garlic, grated daikon or roasted sesame, are often added to the sauce MVY HU L_[YH IP[ VM ÅH]V\Y

鍋

Looking for a taste of nabe in Toronto? Try visiting one of these establishments.

Ematei 30 St. Patrick St. | www.ematei.ca Nami 55 Adelaide St. E. | www.namirestaurant.ca Koyoi 2 Irwin Ave. | www.koyoi.ca Aka Teppan 394 Bloor St. W. | www.akateppan.ca

Donabe CLAY POT

Donabe is the big and versatile Japanese clay pot that is used to cook all of the wonderful one-pot nabe dishes we describe here.

It’s one of Japan’s most ancient cooking vessels. Originating from Japan’s Iga province, these porous pots are made for cooking at high temperatures, building

heat slowly and maintaining heat once warmed. Gentle and even heat distribution ensures that your nabe is simmered to perfection. Just don’t throw your donabe in the dishwasher afterwards as they are fragile and should be washed with special care.

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Yosenabe

Yosenabe is a Japanese hot pot packed with a flexible combination of meats (usually chicken or pork), seafood (often a combination of shrimp, mussels, firm fish, clams, oysters, crab, squid), tofu (often firm tofu, tofu puffs or aburaage, deep-fried tofu) and vegetables (usually a mix of napa cabbage, scallions, carrot, daikon, spinach, shirataki shredded konjac noodles, enoki, shiitake or shimeji mushrooms). Depending on the region, the broth has different flavourings as well, though it almost always contains dashi, sake, soy sauce and mirin. Yose in Japanese means to gather or collect, and so yosenabe is truly a hot pot full of whatever your heart desires.

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Kimchi nabe

Kimchi nabe is a fiery, spicy winter nabe made with hot and sour kimchi. This nabe dish incorporates the best of Korean and Japanese ingredients. For those who are unfamiliar with its wonderfulness, kimchi is a type of fermented Korean pickle that is most often made with napa cabbage. The fermentation process uses a generous amount of chili pepper resulting in a rich and spicy flavour. Good things happen when kimchi and pork come together, and this pairing is common in kimchi nabe. Like most of the other nabe dishes, kimchi nabe uses dashi, soy sauce and mirin (along with kimchi) for its soup base. Some people like to add even more flavour and spice to this dish with a small amount of gochujang (Korean hot pepper paste) or Japanese miso paste.

03 Motsunabe

Motsunabe is a Japanese one-pot dish that is made with the internal organs of either beef or pork (usually the intestines or tripe). It is popularly referred to as offal hot pot. Ingredients such as aburaage (deep-fried tofu) and vegetables like leek and cabbage are often stewed all together to make motsunabe. Unlike most other types of nabe, motsunabe does not only use a dashi soup Z[VJR I\[ VM[LU \ZLZ H NHYSPJ VY TPZV Ă…H]V\YLK base, sometimes with chilies added for extra flavour. Motsunabe is a specialty from the Japanese city of Hakata, and it is considered a delicacy by many who flock to Hakata, Tokyo or Kyoto to try it.

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Oden

There is nothing quite like a steaming bowl of this Japanese stew to satisfy your soul and warm your belly when the weather gets chilly. Oden is Japan’s comfort food—a hearty and simple Japanese stew that is chock-full of your preferred ingredients. ;OL IYV[O PZ VM[LU H ZV` ÅH]V\YLK KHZOP broth and ingredient choices include daikon (a mild stewed Japanese radish), tamago (hard-boiled egg), konnyaku (konjac root), chikuwa ÄZO JHRL WV[H[VLZ JHIIHNL dumplings, squid, octopus, chicken, beef, bamboo shoots and mochi balls. Oden is of[LU ZLY]LK ^P[O ÄLY` OV[ karashi mustard on the side, allowing you to add nasal-clearing

spice as you please. In Japan, oden is JVUZPKLYLK [V IL H MH]V\YP[L SH[L MHSS HUK ^PU[LY[PTL Z[HWSL HUK P[ JHU IL MV\UK PU H ]HYPL[` VM WSHJLZ PUJS\KPUN PU JVU]LUPLUJL Z[VYLZ (konbini), outdoor stalls or food carts (yatai), izakayas and at specialty oden restaurants.

0M `V\ SP]L PU 1HWHU P[ PZ HS^H`Z LHZ` [V [LSS ^OLU VKLU ZLHZVU OHZ HYYP]LK HZ [OL KPZ[PUJ[ HYVTH ÄSSZ [OL HPY (Z ^P[O THU` [YHKP[PVUHS MVVKZ [OLYL HYL YLNPVUHS ]HYPH[PVUZ PU OV^ VKLU PZ WYLWHYLK HUK ZLY]LK -VY PUZ[HUJL oden made in Osaka is often prepared in the Kansai style, with a light-coloured broth that has been simmered with shiitake mushrooms HUK IVUP[V ÅHRLZ [V HJOPL]L H ÅH]V\Y YPJO PU umami. Oden from Tokyo is often prepared in the Kanto Z[`SL [V HJOPL]L H OLHY[` [HZ[L and oden in Nagoya is often simmered with miso and ingredients are seasoned with akamiso, a sweet red bean paste.

Dashi SOUP STOCk Dashi soup stock is a broth that is used as a base in many Japanese dishes, nabe included. While home-prepared dashi is not hard to make, it does require planning ILMVYLOHUK ;OLYL HYL KPќLYLU[ [`WLZ VM KHZOP MYVT [OVZL THKL ^P[O IVUP[V ÅHRLZ ÄZO IYV[O [V JOPJRLU IYV[O HUK T\ZOYVVT broth, though dashi made from kombu RLSW HUK katsuoboshi (dried shaved skipQHJR [\UH HSZV RUV^U HZ IVUP[V ÅHRLZ HYL the most common and are full of umami.

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Shirokuma mille-feuille nabe Mille-feuille is the classic French pastry that consists of razor-thin layers of puff pastry and cream filling. In the case of Shirokuma mille-feuille nabe, the thin layers are napa cabbage and pork belly slices cooked in a delicious and savoury dashi broth. One of

the draws of this nabe dish is that it uses many less ingredients than others. It is also beautiful to look at, with the cabbage and pork layered together—and topped with shredded daikon radish that is frequently moulded into fun shapes. If you are making this dish at home, pack the layers very tightly as the cabbage releases water when it cooks and shrinks quite a bit.

06 ©Toyama Prefectural Tourism Association / ©JNTO

Kani nabe

Kani means crab in Japanese, and so it is that kani nabe is a winter crab hot pot. The broth is often a shoyu (soy sauce)-seasoned dashi stock that is then packed full of vegetables, tofu and whatever crab meat is most readily available. In Japan, these would most often be king crab, horsehair crab (also known as hairy crab), thorny crab or snow crab. Kani nabe comes from Hokkaido, which makes sense seeing that the most famous product of the Hokkaido region is crab! Steamed rice is sometimes added to the broth at the end to sop up every last morsel of goodness.

Don’t Forget Shime

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Shime, literally translated as ÄUPZO, is the Japanese custom of completing a meal.

Typically, rice or noodles (often udon or ramen noodles) are added to (or dipped into, depending on your preference) the nabe broth at the end of the meal, sometimes together with raw egg—soaking up [OL PU[LUZL ÅH]V\YZ [OH[ OH]L KL]LSoped from cooking all of the ingredients throughout the meal. It is a comforting and satiating ending to your dinner gathering. .VJOPZV\ZHTH (“that was delicious!”).

Sukiyaki

Sukiyaki is a sweet and salty Japanese dish consisting of very thinly sliced beef that is often simmered at the table in the nabemono (Japanese hot pot) style. Alongside the beef are a variety of ingredients, often including tofu, leafy green vegetables such as napa cabbage, mushrooms (often enoki and shiitake), scallions and shirataki, or noodles THKL MYVT RVUQHJ WV[H[V ÅV\Y 3PRL THU` VM the other warm Japanese stews, sukiyaki is generally considered to be a winter dish, and it is commonly served at bonenkai (year-end WHY[PLZ 3PRL P[Z ZPZ[LY KPZO oden, sukiyaki is traditionally prepared either in the Kanto or

Kansai style, depending if it hails from eastern or western Japan. The Kanto preparation uses a soup base called warishita that is prepared with shoyu, sugar, mirin and sake.

Cooking in the Kanto style usually happens at the table, with the meat and vegetables being added together to the soup base. On the other hand, Kansai-style sukiyaki does not use the warishita soup base, and the meat is seasoned with soy and sugar and is cooked before the vegetables, sake and water are added. Both preparations are often served with a raw egg as a dipping sauce to cut the sweetness. www.bentoboxmag.ca

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Hot Spot | Godspeed Brewery

By Nicholas Jones

A Toronto brewery with a Japanese twist Craft brews meet Japanese foods in the east end.

Raise a glass Godspeed’s refreshingly diverse range of beers embrace Japanese ingredients like yuzu.

Coming soon: Green tea IPA made with fresh tea from the Japanese farm where Luc lived.

Hungry for more? Let’s dig in!

Godspeed Brewery may look like your average craft brewpub on the surface, but when you spot names like “Yuzu” and “Momiji” on the beer taps, it’s clear this brewery has a strong Japanese influence. That influence comes from owner and brewmaster Luc Lafontaine. After brewing with Montrealbased Dieu du Ciel for a decade, Luc booked a fateful trip to Japan. He was so taken with the culture that he opened his own brewery

there. When brewing now, Luc draws on Japanese ingredients like yuzu and green tea (which will be appearing in a special IPA very soon). He has even begun experimenting with a beer based on yuzu kosho.

Godspeed’s pub menu is just as Japanese.

Though you’ll find izakaya staples like karaage and yaki onigiri, they come alongside more traditional dishes like chikuzenni. Head Chef

Doteni Doteni, a traditional Nagoya dish, combines slowcooked beef chuck and tendon with hatcho red miso [V NP]L H KLLW YPJO ÅH]V\Y :LY]LK ^P[O [VHZ[LK baguette and sour cream coleslaw.

Ryusuke Yamanaka counts such upscale restaurants as Momofuku and Ascari Enoteca on his culinary resumé, and he’s motivated to make simple food that is beautifully plated and tastes perfectly as expected. He explains that he’s more interested in flavourful dishes than fancy ones.

One such dish that has proven very popular is the kinoko salad, which combines sautéed enoki, shimeji and king oyster mushrooms with arugula. It is then flavoured with an ume amazu dressing and covered with fried wonton wrapper and kizami nori, creating a dish that is at once sweet and sour, crispy and soft. The inclusion of arugula is a hallmark of Chef Yamanaka’s dedication to using locally sourced ingredients as much as possible, but preparing them using Japanese recipes and techniques. If that sounds like “fusion” cuisine, he tells me it is anything but. And, as if to illustrate his point, he offers me a sneak preview of a batch of sweet and salty umeboshi that he is currently pickling using Ontario plums. The only fusion taking place at Godspeed is the perfect way that brewmaster Luc and Chef Yamanaka have succeeded in combining beer and Japanese cuisine to create an experience that offers so much more than a brewery or a restaurant.

Yaki onigiri These yaki onigiri pile plenty of miso pork on top of fried yukari rice. This unorthodox take on the wellknown rice ball has been a top seller.

Godspeed Brewery 242 Coxwell Ave., Toronto 416-551-2282 | godspeedbrewery.com OPEN: 4VU¶;O\YZ WT¶SH[L -YP¶:\U WT¶SH[L *Visit website for kitchen and retail hours

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Ingredient | Ginnan

By Amanda Plyley

もっちりとした食感と少し苦みを含んだ した食感と少し苦みを含んだ さっぱりとした味が魅力。 とした味が魅力。

GINNAN 銀杏

【ぎんなん】

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York or Chicago, chances are good that you’ll ÄUK `V\YZLSM \UKLY H JHUVW` VM ginkgo (“silver HWYPJV[¹ [YLLZ ;OL`»YL OHYK [V TPZZ ^P[O [OLPY V]LYZPaLK MHU ZOHWLK SLH]LZ HUK ^OP[L ZOLSSLK U\[Z YLZLTISPUN WPZ[HJOPVZ VY TPUPH[\YL HWYPJV[Z [OH[ SP[[LY [OL NYV\UK ILSV^ PU H\[\TU ;OL` TH` HSZV IL YLJVNUPaHISL I` [OLPY LYY \UPX\L ZTLSS· I\[ ^L»SS JVTL IHJR [V [OH[ .PURNV [YLLZ HYL MHZJPUH[PUN *VUZPKLYLK SP]PUN MVZZPSZ [OL`»]L Z[VVK [OL [LZ[ VM [PTL·SP[LY HSS`·OH]PUN ILLU HYV\UK MVY HWWYV_PTH[LS`

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Sake | Mio

By Sarah Dickson

泡も気分も心地よくはじける、 スパークリング清酒でパーティ。

Mio 澪 みお

A new twist on a classic Mio Sparkling Sake updates this traditional beverage for the modern palate.

T

hese days many people consider sake to be old-fashioned. Outdated. Uncool. Not something to be included in times of celebration, or at a trendy restaurant, but something that is enjoyed by older generations of salarymen in dark, smoky izakayas as they wash down a busy workday. For the brewers of Mio Sparkling Sake, this view needed to change.

The result is bubbly, crisp and distinctly modern, primed to usher in a new era of sake.

For sake fans and non-fans alike, Mio Sparkling Sake brings a new flavour and texture to this traditional Japanese beverage. Unheard of just a few short years ago, sparkling sake is turning younger generations into sake consumers with a taste that is lighter and sweeter than traditional sake. Taking its name from the Japanese word for the fizzy sea foam that trails in the water behind cruise ships, Mio Sparkling Sake’s effervescent imagery is meant to evoke the feeling of bubbles dancing on the tongue even before Mio hits your tastebuds. The vision of a luxury cruise ship cutting through the ocean provokes a sense of festivity for which Mio Sparkling Sake is truly apropos.

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Mio Sparkling Sake is crafted by the Takara Brewing Company using the same centuries-old, time-honoured methods of brewing traditional sake, with the same ingredients: rice, koji, water and yeast. The result, however, is a taste that appeals to modern palates. Located in Nada, Japan, within the city of Kobe, the Takara Brewing Company is ideally situated for brewing flavourful sakes. Its coastal location offers access to mineral-rich waters, meaning that the brewers of Mio are able to create a vividly sweet sake that is charismatic and smooth. The region also boasts rich soil that produces savoury rice, which area brewers like Takara then turn into robust sakes that are enjoyed worldwide. Like traditional sakes, Mio Sparkling Sake is brewed according to these centuries-old techniques, allowing it to maintain a connection to those who have enjoyed drinking sake for many years, while updating the taste for today. The touch of sparkle brings it out of the dim, smoky izakayas and makes Mio an ideal potable for any celebration. Sparkling sakes like Mio are increasingly being chosen as an alternative to champagne, even by Japanese F1 drivers who have used it to spray each other on the podium.

Quick tips

1 2 3

The low alcohol content and light sweetness of Mio make it an excellent way to enter the world of sake if you’re still a novice, or if you find the traditional beverage too strong.

Traditional sake can be served either warmed or chilled, but that’s not the case with sparkling sake. Warming it up will ruin the fizzy effect, so be sure to keep it chilled!

Mio’s light, sweet taste makes it incredibly versatile—try it as an aperitif, alongside a meal, paired with any manner of dessert or in place of champagne the next time you have something to toast. Cheers!

While sparkling sake may be new for many sake consumers, it has been gaining popularity in recent years for its sweetness and fruity notes. Its light taste and sparkling texture give it an element of subtle luxury, while its low alcohol content at only 5% makes it an excellent entryway into the world of sake. For those who are turned off by the dry taste of traditional sake or its old-fashioned image, Mio is an attractive option as it can be paired with Japanese foods like sushi or dishes with a bit of heat. Mio’s light taste gives it more versatility when it comes to pairing, as it easily complements anything from sour desserts to charcuterie trays. Or just mix it with orange juice and enjoy it with brunch.

If that’s not enough, the attention to detail on this beverage even extends to the packaging.

Mio Sparkling Sake’s attractive bottle makes it a perfect hostess gift this holiday season. Try bringing some to your next celebration and raise a toast with a Japanese twist.

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Travel | Kitakyushu

By Nina Lee

KITAKYUSHU

Fugu, festivals, cosplay and castles welcome visitors to this city sitting on the northern tip of Kyushu.

For many travellers, Kitakyushu is little more than a blur on their way to Fukuoka, Kumamoto or Hiroshima. But for those familiar with the area, Kitakyushu is a relaxing day trip, ripe with delightful eats, quaint castles and entertaining diversions. Only an hour from Hiroshima or 20 minutes from Fukuoka by shinkansen (bullet 16

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train), Kitakyushu sits on the edge of Kyushu just 700 metres from Honshu.

Known as an industrial and trade city, Kitakyushu’s claim to fame is its historic port, Mojiko Retro Port (門司港). Named for the historic Moji district, the port is home to numerous events throughout the year—festivals celebrating food, bountiful harvests, lanterns and seasonal fairs. Lining the port are shops and cafés selling cute character goods, local food specialties, delicious honey and banana-flavoured ice creams—and even shops renting out kimonos. When exploring the historic Mojiko train station, visitors will find an array of displays explaining the storied history of the building and port. The station was built in the Neo-Renaissance style and is one of the last remaining wooden train stations in Japan. The Kyushu Railway History Museum

歴史と文化の息遣いが残る 街並みが魅力。 かつての大陸貿易の拠点。

is nearby the station and showcases the history of rail in Kyushu with exhibits of model railways, dioramas, simulations and even authentic steam trains that can be boarded and explored! Next to the port is Mojiko Retro Central Square where cosplayers spend weekends flaunting their complex costumes, a microbrewery showcases locally made beer and an observatory allows visitors to gaze out over the shimmering Kanmon Strait.

Across the strait is the city of Shimonoseki.

Located an hour’s walk via tunnel or 20 minutes by ferry, Shimonoseki’s Karato Fish Market is a perfect stop for lunch. Open daily, the market boasts stalls selling freshly caught and freshly cooked foods. The market is a great place to try infamous fugu (blowfish) and whale sushi, and to watch fish auctions.

For visitors arriving outside of market hours,

A city on the edge

Yaki curry A blue-collar town, Kitakyushu’s favourite meal is delightfully rich and filling: a spicy curry over rice, baked with cheese until it melts into a gooey mess and topped with a soft-boiled egg.

a sushi restaurant on the top floor sells the daily catch.

A little further inland is the Kokura district, OVTL [V 2VR\YH QÍť HUK ULPNOIV\YPUN 9P]LY^HSR H SHYNL VWLU HPY THSS 2VR\YH QÍť PZ H restored castle that was originally built in 1602 and burned down in 1866 by warring clans. :PUJL YLI\PS[ [OL MP]L Z[VYL` JHZ[SL PSS\Z[YH[LZ local history, and the top offers breathtaking WHUVYHTPJ ]PL^Z VM [OL JP[` ;OL 9P]LY^HSR 4HSS next door is home to many Japanese brands and cafĂŠs, as well as an NHK Broadcasting :[H[PVU ^OLYL ]PZP[VYZ TH` ^H[JO ZOV^Z ILPUN MPSTLK SP]L ;OL 2P[HR`\ZO\ 4HUNH 4\ZL\T PZ SVJH[LK PU [OL (Y\ (Y\ *P[` 4HSS HJYVZZ [OL street from Kokura Station. While most exhibits are in Japanese, fans of classic series Galaxy Express 999 and Space Battleship Yamato will be delighted by the displays.

-VY [OL PUX\PZP[P]L [OH[ HS^H`Z ^VUKLYLK OV^ L]LY`KH` VIQLJ[Z HYL THU\MHJ[\YLK [OLYL are numerous futuristic factory tours in the JP[`¡MYVT [OL 5PZZHU 4V[VY *VTWHU` [V [OL ;6;6 ;VPSL[ *VYWVYH[PVU 0M HU HM[LYUVVU hike is more your style, Sarakura-san is a 622-metre-tall mountain, with a cable car that JHYYPLZ ^LHY` HK]LU[\YLYZ [V HUK MYVT the VIZLY]H[PVU WSH[MVYT ULHY [OL [VW =PZP[PUN [OL summit as the moon rises offers the spectacular ¸ TPSSPVU UPNO[ ]PL^ š ]V[LK VUL VM [OL ILZ[ UPNO[[PTL ]PL^Z PU 1HWHU Sitting on the edge between history and the future, between historic districts and futuristic amusement parks, and straddling industrial factory tours and natural scenic hikes, Kitakyushu is a unique day trip away from the crowds of Hiroshima and commerce of Fukuoka.

KITAKYUSHU ă€?ĺŒ—äš?塞】

Kitakyushu sits at the intersection of Kyushu and Honshu Islands and is bordered by scenic Sarakurasan and the glittering Suo and Genkai seas.

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TIRAMISU COOKIE CHOUX Tr y this special cream puff in November at NEO COFFEE B AR.

www.neocoffeebar.com

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TOKYO PULSES WITH IDEAS THAT CONNECT THE OLD WITH THE NEW

gotok yo.org

Only in Japan | Disaster preparedness

By M Crowson

In case of emergency, drill here Japan thinks ahead with a long tradition of nationwide “disaster drills.” 自然災害から身を守る防災訓練。 ミサイル訓練も始まったようで…。 but it is also one of the world’s best-prepared countries in the face of disaster. Memorial days are not just to honour the dead, but also to run drills that teach citizens how to act in natural and manmade crises. Each year, everyone from LSLTLU[HY` Z[\KLU[Z [V KPWSVTH[PJ Z[Hќ TLTILYZ participate in a variety of simulations, practicing ways to minimize trauma, whether it’s with basic duck-and-cover protection or emergency rescue operations. Families are also encouraged to keep HU LTLYNLUJ` IHN ^P[O ÄYZ[ HPK Z\WWSPLZ H ML^ days of food and water, and an ample supply of toilet paper. These measures are supplemented by a comprehensive J-Alert system, an early warning system that broadcasts messages on radios, loudspeakers and cellphones.

Illustration by Chieko Watanabe

Last week, my father-in-law sent a group email titled “Family Fun Plan,” detailing the exciting ways we could prepare for disasters such as rising sea levels, hurricanes and, most recently, North Korean nuclear missiles. Only Tom could make doomsday prepping sound like a nifty family project. If he, an American living on the West Coast, is so worried about missile strikes, imagine how the Japanese feel.

But the Japanese have been conducting disaster drills for decades, most notably during the country’s annual “Disaster Day” (防災の 日)—September 1, the anniversary of the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923, which took more

than 105,000 lives with its triple onslaught of quake, tsunami and blazing fires. The memorial day was first established in 1960, and was followed in 1995 with Disaster Response Volunteer Day (防災とボランテイアの 日), which commemorates the Great Hanshin Earthquake of January 17. After Tohoku’s triple disaster in 2011, November 5 was marked as Tsunami Readiness Day (津波防 災の日). These memorial reminders are accompanied by disaster drills that happen all over the country.

Japan may be perched on the Ring of Fire and in range of a sensitive geopolitical power struggle,

Japan wasn’t always so pragmatic. People long believed that earthquakes were caused by a namazu, a giant, mischievous catfish that lived in the mud beneath the archipelago. The namazu could only be controlled by powerful NVKZ HUK ^OLUL]LY [OL` ZSHJRLK Vќ [OL UHTHa\ would squirm and the islands would tremble.

Some stories are unbelievable (now, anyway), and some events are unforeseeable—but these contemporary disaster drills make a real impact. During the recent North Korean missile launch over Hokkaido, citizens were alerted and immediately took cover in shelters, remaining calm until they were given the all-clear. We can only hope that the drills continue to be just that—practice. In the meantime, Japan has become a leader in disaster preparedness. World leaders from developing countries have come to Japan to participate in Disaster Day, and to learn how Japan’s system might be adapted to suit their own homes.

Always be prepared Hold on, don’t cancel that plane ticket! While all this disaster talk might seem worrisome, it’s always better to hope for the best, but plan otherwise.

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DO

DO

DO

get informed.

get the lay of the land.

go digital.

Check out special disaster drills for nonJapanese speakers, and read Tokyo’s “Disaster Preparedness Pamphlet.”

www.bentoboxmag.ca

3VVR V]LY [OL OV[LS ÅVVY SH`V\[ Download a free English app, like posted on the back of your door, Yurekuru or Safety Tips, to keep noting all the exits. you in the emergency loop.

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1-Day Snow Monkey Tour

Round-trip from Tokyo

1 Visit the Jigokudani Monkey Park, a world-famous park where Japanese macaques can be seen up close as they freely soak in hot springs. The hot spring baths here are exclusively for wild monkeys, the only baths of their kind in the world. Enjoy seeing the monkeys’ charming expressions while they relax in the hot springs.

2 Visit the Zenko-ji Temple, a designated National Treasure built roughly 1,400 years ago. Along with the Todai-ji Temple’s Great Buddha Hall, it is one of Japan’s most remarkable wooden structures.

3 Just a shinkansen ride from Tokyo Station! An interpreter guide will meet participants at Nagano Station.

TOUR BASIC INFORMATION Departure city: Tokyo ¦ Visits: Nagano Tour: November 24, 2017 – March 30, 2018 (Monday, Wednesday and Friday only) Duration: Approx. 13 hours Includes: English-speaking guide, lunch, other admission fees and transportation costs included in the tour

PRICE

CAD $

330

All photos ©JNTO

HOW TO PURCHASE

*Price is valid for month of November 2017 *Price may fluctuate monthly due to change in exchange rate

Reservations can be made by either telephone or email. Please contact JTB International (Canada) Ltd. at Phone: 416-367-5824 | Toll-free: 1-800-268-5942 | Email: jtbtoronto@jtbi.com | Website: www.jtb.ca

ITINERARY Go from Tokyo Station (or Ueno Station) to Zenko-ji Daimon 06:50- Go from Tokyo Station (or Ueno Station) 07:40 to Nagano Station (120 min)

11:40

Depart from Zenkoji Station

40

min

Head to the parking lot of the Roman Museum (no entry to the museum) from which visitors walk to the Jigokudani Monkey Park.

Board a shinkansen on your own from Tokyo Station.

08:30- Arrive at Nagano Station 09:20 Meet with an interpreter guide on the platform at Nagano Station.

13:20 10:10

Visit Zenko-ji Temple

Walk to Jigokudani Monkey Park

This is a hard walking tour covering about 40 minutes of walking each way between the Roman Museum parking lot and Jigokudani Monkey Park.

Depart from Nagano Station to Zenko-ji Daimon

09:40

12:30

40

Jigokudani Monkey Park

14:10

50

min

Go from Roman Museum Parking Lot to Tokyo Station

min

Visit Zenko-ji Temple, which boasts 1,400 years of rich history. Its main hall is a designated national treasure.

15:00

11:00

Japanese-style Lunch The meal for lunch includes soba (buckwheat) noodles, a Nagano specialty.

As traces of buckwheat flour may be present in the entire shop, those with buckwheat allergies should not enter.

40

min

Depart from 40 Jigokudani Monkey Park min

Visit the Jigokudani Monkey Park, a world-famous park where Japanese macaques can be seen up close as they freely soak in hot springs.

This is the only place in the world where wild Japanese macaques can be seen bathing in their own designated hot spring. Enjoy seeing the amusing expressions of the monkeys up close as they warm themselves in a relaxing hot spring bath.

Leave for Nagano Station

16:20- Depart from Nagano Station 17:15 Head to Tokyo Station via shinkansen.

18:00- Arrive at Tokyo Station 19:00 Tour ends at Tokyo Station.

*Please note that special accommodations for those with trouble walking will not be provided. Small children will not be allowed to participate in the tour. The walking path may be frozen and slippery if there is snow. Please wear winter boots or other non-slip footwear. The temperature in the area in winter averages about -1°C. Please dress accordingly. **The behaviour of wild monkeys is unpredictable. The park might be closed to visitors in case the monkeys do not come down to the park from the mountains. The tour may be cancelled on the day before tour departure in such cases. A full refund will be issued if the tour is cancelled.

For more information, please contact JTB International at 1-800-268-5942 (toll-free) or email at jtbtoronto@jtbi.com www.bentoboxmag.ca

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Local Event | Reel Asian International Film Festival

The Toronto Reel Asian

International Film Festival The 21st edition of the Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival will run from Nov. 9 to 18.

This is a unique showcase of contemporary Asian cinema and work from the Asian diaspora.

Four much-talked-about Japanese films will be screened this year!

Blade of the Immortal ç„Ąé™?ă Žä˝?äşş

A Whale of a Tale ă Šă‚Żă‚¸ăƒŠă •ă žâˆźă ľă &#x;㠤㠎正瞊㠎牊語 In the once quiet seaside village of Taiji in Wakayama Prefecture, the local whaling practice has become synonymous with animal abuse since Louie Psihoyos’s film The Cove won the 2009 Oscar for Best Documentary.

Years later, filmmaker Megumi Sasaki offers a more nuanced examination of the small fishing community, focusing on points of contact and communication between both sides of the conflict—environmentalism versus tradition—in ways that The Cove did not. A Whale of a Tale does not attempt to resolve what will remain an ideological deadlock between the foreign activists who have devoted years to their cause and agricultural workers who have developed a long-standing tradition passed on to the next generation. Instead, in a global climate where opposing sides are communicating at each other instead of with each other, Sasaki succeeds in giving us pause.

This screening will be followed by a discussion moderated by Takashi Fujitani, professor of history at the University of Toronto.

Sat, Nov. 18, 6 pm, Innis Town Hall Theatre :\ZZL_ (]L ‹ 7. ‹ *HUHKPHU 7YLTPLYL Directed by Megumi Sasaki Starring Jay Alabaste ;PJRL[Z! -YLL HKTPZZPVU .\LZ[Z T\Z[ register for the event through the Asian Institute at munkschool.utoronto.ca/ai/ event/23857

As prolific as he is controversial, maverick director Takashi Miike returns with his 100th film and revisits the jidaigeki genre he previously mastered with the films 13 Assassins and Harakiri—Death of a Samurai. When bounty hunters kill his sister and leave him for dead, Manji is visited by a mysterious nun who grants him a strange immortality through the ability to self-heal. Years later, he is hired as a bodyguard for Rin, whose kendo-master father and pupils were slaughtered by the swordsmen of Itto-ryu. Together they embark on a campaign of vengeance, culminating in an intricately choreographed, blood-soaked climax that will leave your head spinning.

Based on Hiroaki Sumara’s hugely popular manga, Miike offsets his epic, bloody battle scenes with healthy doses of humour, fantasy and visual splendour. Official selection of *HUULZ -PST -LZ[P]HS HUK -HU[HZPH -PST Festival 2017.

Thurs, Nov. 16, 7 pm, Kobayashi Hall, 1*** .HYHTVUK *[ ( ‹ ;VYVU[V 7YLTPLYL Directed by Takashi Miike Starring Takuya Kimura, Hana Sugisaki, Sota Fukushi and Hayato Ichihara Tickets: $12. Available exclusively through www.jccc.on.ca

Dear Etranger ĺšźă Şĺ­?ă‚?ă‚Œă‚‰ă Ťç”&#x;ă žă‚Œ Dear Etranger takes a hard look at a complicated family unit, headed by the 40-year-old Makoto. A man with two families, Makoto tries to lead as ordinary a life as possible—he maintains a bond with his daughter from his first marriage, but he also tries to keep her away from his second wife, Nanae, and his two stepdaughters. When Nanae becomes pregnant, however, the fissures around the seemingly happy family begin to widen. And this news comes at the worst possible time—when career ruin, fatal disease and other tragedies have befallen Makoto’s kin. But Makoto refuses to give up or to abandon his ideal: having a family where he is more than the title â€œĂŠtrangerâ€? (stranger). Based on Kiyoshi Shigematsu’s 1996 novel, Haruhiko Arai’s script covers years in the lives of the Tanaka family using conventional flashbacks presented with unconventional freshness. The film, honest and candid, is unafraid to show life as often messy and raw, providing glimpses of the sort of interior truths that reveal themselves only rarely.

Thurs, Nov. 9, 7:30 pm, Isabel Bader Theatre *OHYSLZ :[ , ( ‹ 6U[HYPV 7YLTPLYL Directed by Yukiko Mishima (in attendance) Starring Tadanobu Asano, Rena Tanaka, Shinobu Terashima and Kankuro Kudo Tickets: $25. Includes the opening night party at the Spoke Club

Please refer to the next page for a full review of the festival’s fourth Japanese film, Teiichi: Battle of Supreme High (ĺ¸?ä¸€ă Žĺœ‹).

For the full screening schedule, visit www.reelasian.com 24

NOV E M B E R 2017

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25

Film focus | Teiichi—Battle of Supreme High

By James Heron

A manic satire of Japan’s political elites A supremely silly and deliriously entertaining parody of Japan’s elitist pathways to the seats of power based on Usamaru Furuya’s popular manga.

MOVIE INFO Teiichi—Battle of Supreme High (2017) Director: Akira Nagai Starring: Masaki Suda, Yudai Chiba, Shotaro Mamiya and Mei Nagano Screenplay: Yoshihiro Izumi Running time: 118 minutes

Photo courtesy of JCCC

Teiichi dreams of one day ruling the country and his own empire, but in the meantime must ensure his candidate for class president wins the election. As with national politics, lies, bribery, sabotage and scandal all come into play.

T

raditionally there has been little political satire in Japan. The average Japanese is thought to be fairly politically apathetic, respectful of hierarchies, deferential to superiors and shy about making fun of their governing individuals and institutions.

In Japan there are no equivalents of the US’s The Daily Show or our own This Hour Has 22 Minutes. Instead, such humour is often conveyed through traditional comic storytelling forms like rakugo and manzai.

This is not to say there isn’t much in Japanese politics crying out to be mocked. The political mishandling of the 3.11 Tohoku disaster very publically shook the country’s faith in its institutions. In response, last year’s Godzilla film offered some blistering ridicule of Japanese politicians and bureaucracy and Japanese audiences loved it. Now we have Akira Nagai’s Teiichi—Battle of Supreme High, an absurdist satire of Japan’s elitist pathways to the seats of power based on Usamaru Furuya’s popular manga.

Teiichi Akaba (Masaki Suda) is born a sensitive, artistic boy: he is a piano prodigy, afraid of confrontation and the target of school bullies. These gentle traits he inherited from his mother. His father (Kotaro Yoshida)—a pathologically ambitious politician, humiliated in his own career—furiously projects 26

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Suda’s performance —all frenzied physicality and eye-popping intensity— is at once appalling and oddly sympathetic.

his o w n ambitions onto his son. A parental spat leads to an accidental blow to the head and Teiichi miraculously awakens as a savage political animal.

The new Teiichi enters Kaitei College, a prestigious incubator of the country’s political and bureaucratic elite. There he commits himself to becoming the next student president in the first step in a campaign to not only become the prime minister but to eventually create his own country (hence the film’s Japanese title: Teiichi no Kuni or The Country of Teiichi).

The film goes on to hilariously trace his Machiavellian rise to power and the constantly escalating levels of manipulation, paranoia and toxic masculinity that drive this campaign. Together with sidekick Sakakibara (Jun Shison), who can barely conceal his lust for Teiichi, he shamelessly curries favour with Himuro (Shotaro Mamiya), a golden-maned snob, ace street-fighter and leading candidate for student council president. Himuro’s leading opponent is shogi chess-master Morizono (Yudai Chiba), whose proposal to abolish factionalism in favour of a more democratic merit-based form of student government wins him instant popularity. Add to the mix

the equally ambitious Togo (Shuhei Nomura), son of Teiichi’s father’s most reviled nemesis, and Mimiko (Mei Nagano), Teiichi’s high-kicking defender in his days as a bullied middle-schooler, and we find ourselves caught up in a complex latticework of intrigue, betrayal, shifting alliances and inarticulate romance. Oh, and did we mention there’s hara-kiri too?

Nagai’s lively and inventive film benefits from a smart, tightly paced script and artfully overthe-top performances. Suda’s Teiichi—all frenzied physicality and eye-popping intensity— is at once appalling and oddly sympathetic.

With Kaitei’s student council standing in for the Japanese parliament, the film plays better to domestic audiences who will immediately recognize the political “types” being skewered.

Though its satirical edge may be dulled slightly by a lack of familiarity, Teiichi remains a supremely silly and deliriously entertaining piece of pop cinema.

Teiichi—Battle of Supreme High will be co-presented at the JCCC by the Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival and the Toronto Japanese Film Festival on November 15. The program also includes the November 16 screening of Takashi Miike’s Blade of the Immortal.

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A ailable at the Product of the W Av World East Asian A Boutique q Store in Mar a kham at 3075 Hwyy 7 East at Woodbine W Ave. and online via LCBO e-Coomm Av merce.

pera is The Kinako O red cake laye y tt nu lly fu a delight

Staff

Sakura Tir with picakmisu combines led cherry sweetnes blossoms s

Nicholas Jones

Nicholas lived in a tiny ďŹ shing village in Hokkaido from 200 9 to 2011.

Ostensibly, he taught Eng lish, but he spent most of his tim e wrangling elementary students and frequenting their parents’ sush i restaurants.

He is currently on a que st to ďŹ nd Toronto’s best karaage .

Little Pebbles CafĂŠ serves us sweet treats Blink and you might miss this tiny Japanese oasis in Kensington Market.

L

ittle Pebbles is the passion project of owner and head baker Dada Ahn, supported I` OLY JVŃœLL SV]PUN KLZPNULY O\ZIHUK ;OL TPUPTHSPZ[ HPY` KLZPNU LZ[OL[PJ VM [OL nine-stool cafĂŠ is his contribution, while Dada JYHM[Z P[Z KLSPJH[L KLZZLY[Z ¸0Âť]L ILLU PU[LYLZ[LK PU IHRPUN ZPUJL H `V\UN HNL š ZOL JVUMLZZLZ ¸I\[ T` WHYLU[Z HS^H`Z ^HU[LK TL [V IL H KVJ[VY VY H SH^`LY ;OL` Z\WWVY[LK T` IHRPUN I\[ [OL` [OV\NO[ P[ ^V\SK Q\Z[ IL H OVII` š +HKH OHZ VUS` L]LY OHK L`LZ MVY 1HWHULZL YLJPWLZ 0U OLY VWPUPVU ¸1HWHULZL IHRPUN \ZLZ ]LY` ML^ PUNYLKPLU[Z [V JYLH[L ZVTL HTHaPUN YLZ\S[Z š ;OPZ KLKPJH[PVU PZ YLĂ…LJ[LK PU L]LY`[OPUN ZOL KVLZ! MYVT PTWVY[PUN johakuto Z\NHY ISHJR ZLZHTL WHZ[L HUK JLYLTVUPHS NYHKL TH[JOH WV^KLY [V PUJVYWVYH[PUN YPJL Ă…V\Y [V JYLH[L H SPNO[LY ZSPNO[S` JOL^` JOPŃœVU JHRL

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