Mucha Kucha is announced the launch of a new art production and management project that aims to create a space and opportunities for people to discover the Japanese spirit and value through performances and products created by artists associated with the The TEA-ROOM.

The project brings together seven diverse artists from different backgrounds whose mission is to “Respect and Go Beyond.”

Art Production & Management Project

Participating artists will showcase their experience and personalities in a variety of ways as part of the project in an effort to create new possibilities within Japanese culture while seeking to elevate cultural value.

The TEA-ROOM productions

Exhibits

Performances

Collaborations

Art and products

Participating Artists

Souryou Matsumura (Tea Ceremony Instructor)

Shiho Sakamoto (Confectioner)

Fumihiko Sano (Artitect/Artist)

Gentaro Yokoyama (Potter)

MAMI (Calligrapher)

RYOTA HAGIWARA (Flower Arranger)

Masahiro Inoue (Paperer)

The TEA-ROOM (Art Collective)

GREEN SPOON is a Japanese company whose mission is to promote a fun and healthy eating lifestyle and culture to people in the form of fruits and vegetables that are delivered to consumers every month. This year, the food brand is releasing a new series of three soups for the spring season which will be served on March 1, March 29, and April 26 respectively.

These limited-time soup recipes are the latest to join GREEN SPOON’s menu of 15 soups which was first released in November 2020. The line-up features three potages packed full of superfoods and nutrients.

“Like the Sun” is a nutty, butternut squash potage that will release on March 1. This will be followed by the beetroot and red onion sour potage “Toriko” on March 29. Finally, “See the sea” is an avocado potage made with olives and will arrive on April 26. Each can be ordered to any address in Japan via GREEN SPOON’s official website. A maxium of two can be ordered each month per person.

The Line-Up

“Like the Sun” Butternut Squash Nutty Potage

The butternut squash in “Like the Sun” brings a smooth sweetness to the potage. This is layered with various spices as well as almonds and hazelnuts for a nutty fragrance.

The result is a rich potage with a distinct moist texture and melon-like flavour. The squash is as velvety as butter and combines deliciously with the nut assortment.

“Toriko” Beetroot & Red Onion Sour Potage

“Toriko” is a sour potage that mixes together beets, mini tomatoes, red onions, and apple cider vinegar for a refreshing, tangy kick. The combination of ingredients also makes for a colourful presentation and healthy pack of nutrients.

“See the sea” Olive Avacado Potage

“See the sea” is a creamy Mediterranean-style potage packed full of umami flavour made with avacado, anchovies, green olives, and dried tomato. Avocado is a superfood containing rich vitamins and minerals. It’s also rich in oleic acid, a healthy fat.

Price Plan (Before Tax)

8 Monthly Plan: ¥7,200 in Total (¥900 per delivery)

12 Monthly Plan: ¥10,500 in Total (¥875 per delivery)

20 Monthly Plan: ¥16,800 in Total (¥840 per delivery)

Stay warm this winter with one of GREEN SPOON’s special soups.

Together with soy sauce and miso, mirin is a fundamental condiment in the Japanese kitchen and for many recipes for Japanese food. It’s a sweet rice wine that has lower alcohol content and higher sugar content when compared to sake, adding a sweet flavour to dishes.

Today, we’re taking a look at a recipe that uses “Mikawa Mirin,” a brand of mirin made from high quality rice, to make carrot and cream cheese chawanmushi. Chawanmushi is a savoury egg custard dessert eaten in Japan.

Carrot & Cream Cheese Chawanmushi

Chawanmushi is made using mirin and has a smooth texture to it as well as a subtly sweet flavour. It’s the perfect accompaniment to a hot summer’s day.

Ingredients (Serves 1)

●Chawanmushi
60g carrots
240ml dashi
20ml soy sauce
120ml Mikawa Mirin
8g sugar
18g cream cheese
1 egg

●Okra-an
Okra
30ml dashi
0.5g salt
3ml Mikawa Mirin

Method

We will start by making the chawanmushi.

1. Slice the carrots and boil them until they become soft.

2. Add the soy sauce, sugar, and lots of mirin and cook through the dashi.

3. Cook for approximately 20 minutes on a medium heat, then cool with ice. Add the cooled carrots, cream cheese, and 20ml of the dashi into a blender and bend.

4. Add the egg to the mix and steam the mix for 12 minutes on a medium heat.

While the chawanmushi is cooling, we’ll make the okra-an.

5. Mix together the okra-an dashi, mirin, and salt together. Add watered potato starch and thinly sliced okra. Leave to cool in the refrigerator.

6. Add the okra-an to the cooled chawanmushi and tuck into your cute two-layered dessert.

Carrot & Cream Cheese Chawanmushi

The dessert is an enjoyable mix of the sticky texture from the okra-an and smooth chawanmushi. It’s great to have not only at lunch or dinner, but at home parties with friends too.

–How’s the taste?

Misa Kimura: “It works really well with the mirin. The chawanmushi is like a sweet treat. It’s super easy to make too, so I think I’ll be making it at home!”

Mirin is indispensable to any Japanese cupboard and can be used in many ways, whether it be a classic Japanese dish or a dessert like this one.

Mikawa Mirin 700ml: ¥1,122 (Tax Included)

This authentic brand of mirin is made using a traditional method of Japanese brewing which blends in the delicious taste of rice. It’s so delicious that you just want to drink the whole bottle. A high quality mirin, it has a distinct sweetness, colour, and texture. It has a rich flavour, and the taste of the rice elevates the flavours of its ingredients.

Mikawa Mirin Official Website: http://www.mikawamirin.jp/
Official Online Store: http://mikawamirin.jp/product/product_step1.php?m=n
Official Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mikawamirin

Recipe

This recipe was conceived by ITEMAE, a famous restaurant serving Japanese cuisine that is listed in the Michelin Guide.

Model: Misa Kimura
Photographer: Haruka Yamamoto

Japanese food and confectionery company Bijuu is opening a new restaurant called Tsurigitsune inside Osaka International Airport’s North Terminal on August 5, 2020. The restaurant will specialise in inari sushi, a type of sushi packed into pouches of deep-fried tofu.

Bijuu is known for producing and selling such products as Kyoto’s famous coarse sweet red bean paste-filled yatsuhashi otabe crackers.

Tsurigitsune will serve “Kyo Dashi Oinari,” a type of inari sushi made with fried tofu Saga Tofu Morioka—a long-standing tofu shop in Sagano, Kyoto—soaked in lots of sumptuous Kyoto-style dashi. The restaurant will also serve a special type of sweet otabe cracker which cannot be eaten anywhere else.

Kyo Dashi Oinari (Includes 15) | ¥3,240 (Tax Included)

The dashi that the Kyo Dashi Oinari are soaked in take up all the delicious flavour of kombu, sababushi smoked mackerel, iwashibushi pilchard, and katsuobushi dried bonito, all of which serve to add that authentic Kyoto flavour.

Tanto Otabeyasu | ¥930 (Tax Included) *Served 6:30-10:00

As well as Kyo Dashi Oinari, Tsurigitsune’s menu includes a line-up of dishes that celebrate the flavour of dashi, including soba, dashimaki tamago omelette, and more.

If you’re travelling to Osaka, why not get an authentic Kyoto experience too by dining at Tsurigitsune?

Japan Culture and Technology, a company which offers Japanese experiences taught by professionals in their respective industries, has launched an online service on WABUNKA EXPERIENCE which lets you experience traditional Japanese culture from the comfort of your home.

WABUNKA EXPERIENCE is led by leading artists and offers memorable experiences of Japanese traditional culture, such as calligraphy, tea ceremony, flower arrangement, and so on, at impressive sites in Tokyo or Kyoto.

Now people can learn about Japanese art, culture, and ways of thinking from home with the launch of their new online service. Expert Japanese artists and monks will be streaming workshops live from temples and cultural facilities in Kyoto and Tokyo. Since travel is strictly limited right now, this is the perfect opportunity for foreigners to learn more about Japan and Japanese culture.

The commemorate the launch of the online service, it will be offered at a special price. Check out the website below and learn about the programs currently on offer, from online meditation to flower arrangement, tea ceremony, and more.

SALON adam et rope’ has launched its new “Nihon no Daidokoro Dougu” (Japanese Kitchen Tools) collection which features a curated selection of Made In Japan kitchenware and cookware items from high quality Japanese brands.

Kasane

Top: ¥12,000 / Middle: ¥12,000 / Bottom: ¥9,000 (Before Tax)

Traditionally, Japanese knives were made by men with men in mind, but these Kasane knives are made by women to fit with the modern age. They are made in such a way to feel comfortable in smaller hands. The handles are made from rare natural wood from the cerasus jamasakura trees of Gifu Prefecture which give them a texture that changes as you continue to use the knives. The blades themselves are made from high-carbon stainless steel which gives them superior sharpness and durability. The blade edge is the result of a new technology developed by Sumikama called “Zero Edge” which makes them thin and sharp.

Kaji Donya

 
Left: ¥1,300 / Middle: ¥2,000 / Right: ¥2,800 (Before Tax)

Left: ¥1,000 / Middle: ¥1,200 / Right: ¥2,000 (Before Tax)

These handy stackable containers are made by Kaji Donya, a company based in Tsubame, Niigata. The height of each one is the same which makes them super convenient when stacking inside fridges.

Ceramic Grill: ¥1,400 (Before Tax)

The ceramic grill is a longtime seller at SALON. If you’re grilling bread on it, it leaves the outside crispy and the inside nice and soft. It uses far-infrared rays which means the water content of the ingredients grilled on it is not lost, allowing for the full tasty flavour to stay locked in and the food plump and juicy.

Japanese tofu company Otokomae Tofu is celebrating Father’s Day this year by releasing its new “Chichi no Hi Tofu” (Father’s Day Tofu) at supermarkets around Japan for a limited time between June 15 and June 21.

When you pour soy sauce over the Father’s Day Tofu, a message of gratitude appears on the tofu’s surface in Japanese. This is a unique, one-of-a-kind tofu experience. There are four messages in total which translate to: “Manly,” “Thanks always, dad. I love you, live a long life,” “You work so hard papa, I love you,” and “Dad.”

Giving your dad some Father’s Day Tofu is sure to make for a Father’s Day to remember!

McDonald’s Japan is introducing some mouth-watering new foods to its menu including two which incorporates chicken tatsuta: the “Chicken Tatsuta Mentai Cheese” which is made with walleye pollack roe, and the bite-sized “Hitokuchi Tatsuta”ーthe latter of which is arriving to the side menu.

It is also introducing the “Rice Chicken Tatsuta” burger following the success of the “Rice Burger” which was released at stores for the first time earlier back in February of this year.

These new menu items will be released on May 13, 2020 at all McDonald’s branches in Japan for a limited time.

Chicken Tatsuta Mentai Cheese

Chicken tatsuta is a popular Japanese dish which combines a soft, soy ginger-soaked chicken patty with spicy sauce and stuffs it inside a bun. McDonald’s new “Chicken Tatsuta Mentai Cheese” adds spicy walleye pollack roe mayo and smooth white cheddar cheese to the equation. It will be available all day round, including for the morning menu.

Hitokuchi Tatsuta

Rice Chicken Tatsuta

The “Rice Chicken Burger” will be available in the evenings only.

Japanese actor Toshiyuki Nishida is appearing in the TV commercials to promote the “Hitokuchi Tatsuta” while comedian Nobuyuki Hanawa and actor Katsumi Takahashi appear in the “Rice Chicken Tatsuta” commercials which feature a re-recording of the song SWEET MEMORIES ~Amai Kioku~ by Seiko Matsuda.

FTG Company, which operates 74 restaurants inside and outside Japan, is set to open its new restaurant Nikukappou Futago at THE JUNEI HOTEL Kyoto in Higashiyama, Kyoto on March 27, 2020 where it will serve authentic Japanese wagyu beef and full courses.

THE JUNEI HOTEL Kyoto is a small luxury tourist hotel housing eleven rooms in total, including its Bamboo Suite. Bamboo can be found throughout all the rooms as part of the hotel’s concept: “A sojourn embraced by bamboo in a moonlit space.” The rooms, as well as the hotel interior overall, showcases beautiful traditional handiwork using bamboo.

Inside Nikukappou Futago

Nikukappou Futago fuses traditional Japanese elements with modern ones. It features half-size eating areas as well as private areas. Customers can expect their private dining experience to include freshly-cooked full courses with high quality Japanese wagyu and seasonal ingredients.

Menu in Japanese　*Menu will change monthly

Nikukappou Futago’s concept is “A relaxed adult’s Iki.” The word iki here refers to a range of different meanings in Japanese, like “sophistication,” “breath,” “spirit,” and “life.” The restaurant will work to serve a hospitable service that enables each and every person to enjoy that iki that lives inside them.

Foie Gras & Wagyu Filet Mouthful Bowl

Wagyu Loin & Kyoto Vegetable Shabu-shabu

The course is made with seasonal ingredients and vegetables. Plus, in using a range of cooking methods, the original flavour meat of the meat is intensified.

Wagyu Sirloin Sumiyaki

Enjoy a selection of high-quality rare wagyu cuts like sirloin, filet, loin, and more. You can also enjoy a selection of classic Japanese dishes like yakiniku, shabu-shabu, and sukiyaki, all in one course.

Like the changing seasons in Kyoto, the menu will be altered every month to bring something new. Discover your iki and enjoy a great meal at Nikukappou Futago.

The final round for the 7th Washoku World Challenge Competition was held in Tokyo on February 20 and 21, which saw WANG Wei Ping of China, and chef at SUN with AQUA JAPANESE DINING SUNTORY, as the winner.

The two-day event brought together five chefs from Hong Kong, Singapore, Paris, Donostia-San Sebastian, and New York come together to compete and show their skills create dishes based on the competition’s main theme of “Umami” and this year’s theme of “Texture and Mouthfeel.”

The judges said: “This 7th edition demonstrates that the finalists’ technical level keeps improving every year. Creating Japanese dishes that incorporate the characteristics and unique ideas of other countries’ culinary cultures, while respecting the fundamentals of Japanese cuisine built on the concept of umami, expands the potential of Japanese cuisine. The creations of each one of the finalists embodied this notion.”

Middle Contender: WANG Wei Ping, 1st Place Winner

WANG Wei Ping’s Dish

On the first day, the chefs used the same ingredients to create a “nimonowan.” On the second day, they forged their own original dishes using five or more ingredients which they arranged on a Japanese “hangetsubon” tray.

When reacting to his victory, Wang Wei Ping said: “I thank the owner and other members of my restaurant. After returning to Shanghai, I would like to continue conveying the excellence of Japanese cuisine, which is both healthy and tasty.”

Finalists

Hong Kong

First Place: WANG Wei Ping (China, SUN with AQUA JAPANESE DINING SUNTORY)

USA

Second Place: Yael PEET (USA, Fury’s) *The restaurant will be open this summer.

Singapore

Third Place: Loh Man HONG (Singapore, FAT COW)

Paris

Wojciech POPOW (Poland, Beaverbrook)

Judges

– Head Judge: Mr. Yoshihiro MURATA

(Chairman of Japanese Culinary Academy, Owner and chef of Kikunoi, Japanese Cuisine Goodwill ambassador)

– Deputy Head Judge: Mr. Masahiro NAKATA

(Director of Taiwa Gakuen Education Inc. President of Kyoto Culinary Art College)
– Judge: Mr. Hideaki MATSUO

(Owner of Japanese Cuisine KASHIWAYA, Japanese Cuisine Goodwill ambassador)
– Special Judge: Yoshio KOJIMA

(Comedian)

“JAPAN MADE PROJECT” is a project launched by Japanese apparel shop URBAN RESEARCH which aims to revitalise regions around Japan by building local communities with businesses and creators around the country while also looking to take a step back to reconsider what is appealing about each of those regions.

As part of this new project, URBAN RESEARCH has announced its plans to establish “JAPAN MADE PROJECT TOKYO” on March 20, 2020. Focusing on Tokyo, this branch of the project will see the launch of “URBAN SENTO.” This will focus on the potential of sento, or “bath houses,” in the city, which will also include a new line of bath house clothing made in collaboration with Kosugi-yu a sento located in the Tokyo district of Koenji.

Public bath houses play an important part in Japanese culture by contributing to people’s mental health and creating communities. This is especially so in a city as busy as Tokyo. That’s where URBAN SENTO comes in, which will encourage the rediscovery of the city’s appealing culture through sento.

Pre-sales for the new clothing line opened on the URBAN RESEARCH online store on February 14, 2020. It features a collection of must-have items for the bath house, whose message is to spread the bath house lifestyle.

Apparel

To ensure the clothing is comfortable as bath-wear, the collection is made from high quality cotton provided in collaboration with HAAG, a brand managed by Smile Cotton. This cotton is nice and soft and does not rub against the skin. Smile Cotton’s materials are even endorsed by the Japan Atopic Dermatitis Patients Association.

Crew Neck T-Shirt – ¥7,700 (Tax Included) | Sizes: Small/Medium/Large | Colours: White/Light Grey/Black

One Piece – ¥13,200 (Tax Included) | Sizes: Small/Medium | Colours: White/Light Grey/Black

Short Pants – ¥12,100 (Tax Included) | Sizes: Small/Medium/Large | Colours: White/Light Grey/Black

ZIP Parker Hoodie – ¥16,500 (Tax Included) | Sizes: Small/Medium/Large | Colours: White/Light Grey/Black

Pouch (Medium Size) – ¥3,080 (Tax Included) | Colours: White/Navy/Orange

The mesh pouch can be taken into the bath with you. Put your shampoo or other bath products in with you and take a dip.

Miscellaneous Items: IKEUCHI ORGANIC x URBAN SENTO
The bath towels you can use at Kosugi-yu are made by IKEUCHI ORGANIC. They come in two sizes and are incredibly soft on the skin.

Oragnic 120 Bath Towel – ¥5,060 (Tax Included) | Colours: White/Grey

Oragnic 120 Face Towel – ¥1,980 (Tax Included) | Colours: White/Grey

Kimura Soap x URBAN SENTO
The products used for cleaning yourself at Kosugi-yu, as well as what’s used for washing the towels, is soap provided by Kimura Soap. This pure soap, crafted by artisans by cooking in kettles, is friendly to the environment and the skin. It can be used at the bath house, in the bath at home, or even for your laundry.

Body Soap (Hinoki Cypress/Lavender) – ¥1,980 (Tax Included)

This body soap gently lathers your skin in bubbles and leaves your skin filling refreshed. Both the hand soap and body soap feel good to use.

The a video and main visual were released for URBAN SENTO, which feature Japanese music artists Yusuke Emoto and Aoi Nogi as the models.

Tsuke x Koji Haccomachi is a new cafe opening in the Sanjo area of Kyoto on February 22, 2020, that is centred entirely on fermented foods.

The name “Haccomachi” derives from the Japanese word Hakko (Hacco), meaning fermented, and Komachi (Comachi), meaning a beautiful woman. The cafe hopes for people to incorporate fermented foods into their livesーsomething which is rooted in Japanese food cultureーand live comfortably.

The cafe’s logo showcases the making of kōjiーa type of mould used in the fermentation process of certain food products in Japan, like soybeans. The logo hope to pass down this long upheld tradition.

Hakko fermentation is a major part of Japan’s food culture. Since ancient times, the sweetness and umami brought about by the enzymes in the fermentation process have served to accompany many foods in the country, such as miso, soy sauce, mirin, rice vinegar, and so onーall traditional condiments used in the Japanese kitchen that are still fundamental today.

The menu at Tsuke x Koji Haccomachi features a line-up of fermented foods made in Kyoto, including those from Kyoto-based soybean makers Fujiwara Shokuhin, Sawai Shoyu Honten which has produced the same high quality soy sauce for decades, sake brewery Kitagawa Honke which has been around since the Edo Period, and more.

A Small Look at the Menu

Lunch Menu

Haccomachi Special – Fermented Lunch Plate: ¥1,690

This lunch plate is an assortment of hors d’oeuvre made with fermented condiments, tandoori chicken that has been pickled to elevate the umami, marlin fish, soup, and more.

Dinner Menu

Spare Ribs On The Bone in Miso Yuan Yaki: ¥1,490

This hearty portion of spare ribs are marinated in a miso, mirin, and soy sauce mix. Taste the full umami flavour of the juicy meat.

Namerō Miso Salmon in Yoghurt Sauce: ¥770

The salmon is served namerō style, a type of tataki or pounding method, in miso. The yoghurt has both a refreshing and rich flavour.

Homemade Komekoji Rice Malt Sweet Sake Yoghurt: ¥470

The splitting of the sour yoghurt serves to elevate the sweetness of the sake. This is a drink that even those who don’t like sweet sake are sure to enjoy.

Cafe Menu

Miso Pound Cake w/ Vanilla Ice Cream: ¥550

The miso pound cake is a collaboration with Japanese confectionery company Sarasa, which has 6 branches of cafes and shops in Kyoto. It’s made using komekoji rice malt powder provided by an old-fashioned Japanese shop (菱六もやし). The umami of the miso is intensified, and the cake stays moist thanks to the powder. It’s served with a dollop of refreshing vanilla ice cream.

Blackcurrant & Vanilla Sweet Sake Affogato: ¥550

A unique spin on the affogato dessert which has you pouring hot sweet sake over tangy and refreshing blackcurrant sherbet and rich vanilla ice cream. Enjoy the mix of the hot sake and the cool ice cream.

Discover the Japanese tradition of fermentation at Tsuke x Koji Haccomachi, opening February 22, 2020.