Spending Christmas and New Year over a winter is the best thing that can ever happen. I get skin problems in tropical climates. But here, every thing is dry and nice... no perspiration and oil to clog my skin. No problems with infection of hair follicles.
Living in a big country is fun. You can always get away for the long weekend without being robbed in a neighboring country... Mount Fuji is a beauty. This is the first time I saw it without clouds covering it.
We lived in a Ryokan in Atami and it was a good experience. Life in traditional Japan was spartan to say the least. The food was very healthy; grilled fish, miso soup, fruits, rice, pickles vege, raw tuna, salmon... steamed shitake mushrooms. No wonder there are very few fat Japanese around. The western diet has spoilt this great traditional diet. Hence, cancer rates and obesity is rising in Japan, China and Korea. There are more obese Singaporean kids these days thanks to McDonalds, KFC, Maturbak, etc... all the deep fried, cheese filled, butter fattened food. Avoid dairy products and live to a 100. Stick to a traditional diet of brown rice, steamed vegetables, lots of grilled eel and fish.
Ippudon could possibly have the spiciest and tastiest Ramen in Japan. I chose the spiciest Ramen which was made of Jalepano peppers. My god even I could not take it and had it diluted.
Osaka has many great food inventions. Above is a picture of a high school student making Okonomi-yaki for us.
Tako-yaki
This popular Japanese dumpling originates in Osaka and is made of flour batter and includes tako (diced octopus), tenkasu (tempura scraps), pickled ginger, and green onion. Once cooked into a ball, they are topped with Okonomi-yaki sauce, aonori (green laver), mayonnaise, and katsuobushi (bonito flakes.) Although Tako-yaki can be made easily at home with the right equipment, it is usually considered a fast food and is sold on the streets. In the Kansai region, Tako-yaki is eaten as a side dish with a bowl of cooked rice. Elsewhere in Japan, it is eaten without rice as a snack food.
Okonomi-yaki
Similar to Tako-yaki but flat, Okonomi-yaki means "as you like it.” With a variety of ingredients from seafood to pork and cabbage, these are flat cakes that resemble a cross between a pancake, pizza, and omelet that is topped with Okonomi-yaki sauce, aonori (green laver), mayonnaise, and katsuobushi (bonito flakes.) Osaka style is usually in the do-it-yourself form at small specialty restaurants. Tables are equipped with embedded hot plates and you will receive a bowl of ingredients that you would then cook "as you like it.”
Shabu Shabu came from China. It's a hot pot of soup used to lightly boil vegetables and meat. It's healthy, hearty and tasty... Wagyu beef is popular but expensive in Japan. A plate of high grade Wagyu beef (about 200g) cost us S$15-20.
