Christmas in Japan has taken from western traditions and adapted to Japanese needs and culture. As with so much in Japan, the Christmas season is rich with meaningful traditions, and elaborate delicious foods, but it is also very high-tech, sparkly and fun!
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Knives. One of the top selling souvenirs people want from Japan. Japanese made knives come from a long history of sword making passed down generation to generation. These knives are skillfully handcrafted, beautiful, and highly specialized.
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What’s a Depachika? Let me explain. Can you imagine for a minute, food heaven? Any kind of food you could imagine. Desserts, prepared food, lunch boxes, popular treats and gourmet delicacies. Yes, that’s right. Depachika means food heaven, in a basement?!
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New year traditions here are ancient and meant to bring health, wealth, and a renewed spirit. Preparations for the new year start off with a practice called Omisoka, where everyone lends a hand in cleaning the house and cooking traditional foods for the osechi ryori in the last few days of the old year.
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Have you heard of dashi? Or Bonito flakes? Both of these are born from Katsuobushi an essential ingredient used to create the infamous umami flavor in much of Japanese cuisine. Katsuobushi is dried and fermented skipjack tuna usually shaved into flakes. Like so many things in Japan, katsuobushi is deeply rooted in history, culture, and tradition.
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