Ichiro Wada's Blog

Dear Customers & Friends

Hello from Japan! This is Kimono Flea Market ICHIROYA's News Letter No.295.

This weekend we had 5 young students at our house. They are Shoko's(our daughter) friends from university. They are all from different area of Japan, studying in Osaka University and now seeking for job. They enjoyed filming each other, wearing kimono. We hope they could have a short refreshing time during their severe job hunt days. As you can see, for Japanese to, wearing kimono is really becoming like unusual and fun event.
http://www.ichiroya.com/blogimg/busr200609ccccce/bpos200905cccccb60bf3f2893dd81874eda9e24aa0617b8/20090510192907_001.jpg
http://www.ichiroya.com/blogimg/busr200609ccccce/bpos200905cccccb60bf3f2893dd81874eda9e24aa0617b8/20090510192907_003.jpg

(This news letter can be read here with photos and more information)
The first Half Part
The second Half Part


We are very happy if you add comments and edit my unskilled English there.)

Do you know the name of Momohuku Ando?
In 2007, when he died at the age of 98 years old, New York Times also wrote about him in the editorial article, so you may know him.
He is the inventor of instant ramen and cup noodle, and is said to be the man who changed the food culture of the world. It was 1958, when he invented instant ramen all by himself - it was just a year before I was born!

Momofuku Ando was born in Taiwan (when they were governed by Japan), and came to Japan, and ran various business. Textiles, precision instrument, department store, salt industry and so on.
He seemed to be very gifted businessman, and his business went well. However, most of them were in the war time, and he experienced torture by military police and he lost everything by air attack. Also after the WWII, he was arrested on suspicion of tax evasion, and he lost his business because of bankruptcy of credit cooperation(he was asked to be administrative director of them).

In 1958, he had lost his business, and only had his own house in Ikeda city. He was already 48 years old, but he invented instant ramen in the small hut which he built in his garden!

Instant ramen became popular and big business rapidly. He made his company 'Nissin Food Products', and went on the market.

He tried to export instant ramen to United States, but 'donburi'(bowl)we use for noodles in soup were not used in other countries, and it was difficult to sell as it was. He saw a sales assistant of supermarket broke the instant ramen and put into the cup to try the taste, and this scene gave him the hint of 'cup noodle'. Cup noodle was invented in 1971.

It was when I was 12 years old, and I was first-year middle-school. I remembered how sensational it was. With only pouring the hot water in the cup, ramen would be completed and could be ate deliciously. The material of cup was also new, and I felt that cup noodles were the food from future!

I think you must have eaten cup noodles before and instant ramen, even which country you live in.

And in Osaka(Ikeda), there is The Momofuku Ando Instant Ramen Museum.
I visited there with my younger daughter Mugi several days ago planning to make original cup noodle together.
Unfortunately, it was in the Golden Week, the museum was very crowded by families with children. We reached around 11 a.m. and excited to see incredibly many cup noodles and ramens were displayed in the wall.
However, to make the original cup noodle, we found we had to wait for 2 hours. We didn't reserve 'making instant ramen', so we gave up making ramen.
We looked many children and parents pleased with making noodles, and understood that it had to be more fun than we expected especially for children.

Visitors can make their own cup noodle at 'My Cup Noodle Factory'. We can select flavor, ingredients and design the cup(can paint pictures on the white cup!), we can bring it home in the cute air bag.

Visitors can also experience to make their own instant ramen from knead the noodles!

Here is the English official page.
http://www.nissin-noodles.com/english.htm

This museum is very fun especially if you are with your children (around elementary school).

Speaking of ramen, there are many ramen restaurant in Japan. Of course, ramen is Chinese noodle, but various cooking ideas have been added, now I think ramen become a Japanese dish.
There are various types of ramen all over Japan, and there also is Ramen Museum in Shinyokohama ( http://www.raumen.co.jp/ramen/ )! In the museum, various popular ramen shops are collected from all over Japan.
Most important difference of these ramens is soup. In general, there are four kinds of soup - 'shouyu'(soy), 'shio'(salt), 'miso'(soy-bean paste) and 'tonkotsu'( pork belly and bones). (I love 'tonkotu' most.) In addition, noodles also have variety in material, stiffness, thickness and so on. Of course, ingredient has unlimited variety. So there exist various taste of ramen, and always ramen fan are looking for new taste and argue with each other about what ramen is the best now.
There are many ramen ranking in the media, and of course, we know various 'ranking' can exist because the people have different taste.( And important know-how to make popular ramen restaurant is said to offering ramen, which is liked by everybody so so, but loved passionately with some people.)
We would like to introduce some famous ramen restaurants, which I have ate befored.

*Tenkaippin
When I was a unversity student, I was a ice hockey player. We players always thought to eat something highly nourishing at cheap price. Our favorite ramen was Tenkaippin. Now their restaurants exist all over Japan, but its first restaurant was began in Kyoto, and there was a restaurant near our university. Feature of their ramen is richness of their soup. It seemed to be a kind of tonkotsu, but we felt they gave lots of energy to us - as if we could play one more game imediately, even if we were completely tired with long practice.
I have ate this ramen most often - now one restaurant exist near our office! So I knew well about them. I have read that - the owner lost money(becase he was fired or failed his business) and began ramen cart in Kyoto. His ramen became popular soon, and now he has more than 200 restaurants all over Japan. He said that a man came to him and ask him to teach how to make his rich taste soup. The man offered to pay hundred million yen! The owner let him know the know-how of making his soup conversely, but he don't know how the man did with this secret. Don't you think it is interesting story?

Official site http://tenkaippin.co.jp/pcindex.html

They have a restaurant in Hawaii.
~617 Kapahulu Avenue Honolulu , Hawaii 96815

*Kamukura
I didn't know this famous ramen till few days ago. This ramen shop was began in Dotonbori, Osaka, and became popular soon, and now it became most famous Osaka-born ramen. Now they have 18 restaurants in Osaka, Nara and Tokyo.
I know this ramen in many ramen ranking site, and beame eagar to eat soon.
I went to Shinsaibashi shop several days ago, and tasted.
Its soup is comparatively plain, and napa is added. I don't like napa, so unfortunately, I didn't feel this ramen was so delicious. However, this ramen shop is very popular and has lots of fan as sure as I'm standing here.

Official site http://www.kamukura.co.jp/store/index.html

*Hakata Ippudo
If I must say my favorite ramen now, I will select Hakata Ippudo. Here are many shops all over Japan and they opened a shop in New York last year.
This ramen restaurant was began in Hakata in 1985. Their tonkotsu soup ramen was dramatically delicious, and store interior was also very sophisticated - lots of wood was used, jazz records were played and warm service was served, and their shop became very popular among also ladies.
I ate several times in Kyoto shop, but now we don't have photos. In future, we would like to add some photos.
If you live near New York, please visit and try their ramen!
http://www.ippudo.com/ny/

Official site http://www.ippudo.com/index.html

*Rairaitei
Rairaite is also ramen chain restaurant. Compared to above three restaurants, they are not so famous, but I love this ramen shop. One of the restaurant exists near our office, and their parking is always crowded with cars. Till I visited several days ago( I went there with Mugi after we visited Nissin Ramen Museum), I wondered why this ramen shop was so popular.
The mystery was solved.
Ramen itself was delicious of course. And the passion and service of the restaurant manager makes this shop very special and popular.
Except Hakata Ippudo, we can't expect good service in the most of the popular and famous ramen restaurants. They seem to concentrate on the taste of ramen, and don't pay enough attention to the customers. Usually, we buy tickets with machine, and was indicated to sit most efficient seat ( not most comfortable - most efficient table for their business), and served - it's the all.

However, at this restaurant, a staff came out from the door, and asked us to wait with apologizing. He was smiling to waiting customers, and cared all of us included boys. Our turn came, and he led us to the seat and excused us about sharing the table. Staff of the restaurant were cheerful, and all of them seem to care the customers - if a customer was going to pay, a staff in the kitchen called attention to a staff near the customer.
From the name badge of his, we knew the staff who led us was the manager of the restaurant. He was not in the kitchen, but at the front of the customer service, and looked out for all customers.

He must feel that once the cocking method is established, the most important thing is caring customers.

I would like to write again, their ramen is VERY delicious, and visiting this restaurant make us HAPPY.

Official page http://www.rairaitei.co.jp/index2.html

This is a sign written by the manager. Customers can ask to change the volume of topping, sauce, stiffnenss of the noodle and so on, but the last sentence says ' Passion Can Not Be Removed/Changed'.

Thank you very much for reading the end!
Today we will list various obi, yukata and bolts. We are very happy if you can find your favorite among them!
Have a nice weekend!
Ichiro & Yuka Wada
Kimono Flea Market "ICHIROYA"
http://www.ichiroya.com

e-mail: info@ichiroya.com
address: Asia-shoji Bldg.301
1841-1 Nishi 1 chome
Wakamatsu cho
Tondabayashi city
Osaka 584-0025 JAPAN
TEL&FAX ****( international number ) - 81-721-23-5446

Dear Customers & Friends

Hello from Japan! This is Kimono Flea Market ICHIROYA's News Letter No.294.
Japanese national holiday Golden Week ends. We are very sorry for the inconvenience due to our absence regarding your order. We could have very refreshing time-thank you.
Our office is opened from today(May 07, Japan time).
Before and during this holiday, we went several site viewing spots, and we would like to introduce some of them today.

*You can read same text below and photos here.
Peony
Kemari

(1) Peony
I don't remember how many times I wrote the word 'peony' in the description of our kimono items. Peony is one of the most frequently used flower motif in kimono and other Japanese handicrafts.
If I write the best three, they will be Chrysanthemum, Peony and Camellia.

Usually, flowers and other motifs are used with considering the season - for examples, cherry blossom(sakura) have not been used so often, and it is said that the cherry blossom season is very short and its blooming season is too dramatic, and cherry blossom motif in kimono looks hackneyed except the just before blooming season - it will boost the expectation of blooming.

However, peony and chrysanthemum can be seen very often in kimonos without connection to their blooming seasons. So I didn't care about their blooming season, and to be honest I have never seen blooming peony in large amanita at a time.
This year, I noticed that there are couple of temples in the Nara prefecture (not so far from our office), which are famous for their peony garden.

Yesterday(25th April), it rained when I got up, and I wondered whether I should go or not. News and announcement of the station said peony was full bloom now, and this Saturday and Sunday are the best time to view the peony. However, if it rains, I might not be able to take good pictures. At about 10 a.m, I decided to go, because taking pictures would become little bit difficult, but if the visitors became less because of the rain, it might be better on the contrary.

I visited three temples by car. And peonies were in the rain, but they were incredibly beautiful in the rain.
It was success to dare to go in the rain!

*Sekkoji Temple
This temple is the smallest among three, and there is only a visiter besides me. So I could monopoly all fabulous peony and beautiful garden to my heart's content. Japanese style garden is full of peony flowers, and of course, pine tree, azalea and other plants were arranged very carefully. It was very calm, and rain seemed to make it more calm.
Various spieces of peony were blooming, and their colors were pink, red, wine color, white, yellow and so on, and their bold and big flowers were incredibly beautiful.

*Taima-dera Temple

We could reach Taima-dera only by 30 minutes drive. I have never visited there, and found that this temple is also wonderful!
This temple is very old, and was established in Hakuho Era(645-710).
In the Tenpyo era, a young noble lady 'Chujohime' completed to transcribing 1000 volume sutras and looked Amidanyorai and heaven in the Nijo Moutain. She came to this temple, and became a monk, and made 'mandara' ( picture of heaven and Amidanyorai). Now, replica of her mandara (made in Muromachi era) is enshrined as principal image.
Two pagoda from Nara Era(710-794) remain ( it is very rare), and there is a beautiful Japanese garden, which is praised as one of Three Best Garden of Yamato. The garden was built by Sesshu Katagiri in Momoyama Era.There also is a wonderful chashitsu(tea room), which has rare big circle window. This chashitsu is also made by Sesshu Katagiri.
Their scale is way larger than I imagined, and more than Buddhist statues (Heian/Kamakura period) are opened to public - they are gorgeous and artistic. ( To look these statues, we need 500 yen, but we strongly recommend to see them ).
There are couple of peony gardens. Peony were at full bloom, and peony flowers of these garden were covered by white umbrellas. The woman who sold ticket to me said that rainy season is becoming earlier, and it is meeting with peony bloom season recently. And these umbrella seem to guard their bold but delicate flowers from the rain. Contrast of colorful peony flowers and white umbrella has peculiar beauty.

This temple is very interesting even if it is not peony season.


* Hase-dera Temple
This temple is also famous for their peony, and when I visited, many visitors came. Approx 150 species, 7000 peony are said to bloom!
This temple is called 'Hanano Mitera'(temple of flowers), and famous for season's flowers - cherry blossom and peony in spring, hydrangea in summer, autumn red leaves in autumn and winter peony in winter.
Hondo(main pavillion) is in the halfway up a mountain, and there is long stone stair(more than 300 steps) to the hondo, and along this stair, lots of peony are planted, and bloomed with various vivid colors. Its scene was spectacular!
Hondo is a building similar to Kiyomizu-dera Temple, so there is a wooden stage, which is sustained long wooden pillars.
Honzon(principal image) is a huge gold Buddha statue 'Juichimen Kannon'( made in 1538), which must astonish you.

Here is photos and more information.
http://www.funfun-japan.com/index.php?Temples%20of%20peony


(2) Kemari, ancient football of noble people

We have come across 'kemari' costume at kimono auction. 'Kemari' is the ancient ball game like soccer, and we knew it was done by noble people, and wore luxurious costume for the game. As like most kimono sellers, we only knew it by books and photos, so when such items are offered, we were not sure whether they were genuine one or not. Most of bidders don't know precisely, so the discussion occurred
I wanted to look genuine 'kemari' play and costume, but for a long time, we didn't have such occasion.

After we began Funfun-Japan site, and began looking for unique viewing site and festival, we found that 'Kemari Festival' is held in the spring and autumn in Tanzan-jinja Shrine. At the 'Kemari Festival', I knew genuine kemari is played and dedicated to the shrine. Kemari is played by 'Kemari Club' in Kyoto, and they seem to wear genuine kemari costume and play same as it was played in the ancient days.

WE MUST GO!

In the April, it was hold in 29th April every year. ( It is also fold in 3rd November. ) I have been the temple couple of month ago, and I knew the temple is small but wonderful ones among the southern mountains of Nara. There is a beautiful pagoda, which was rebuilt in Muromachi era( 1532 ), and gorgeous honden(main pavillion) was built in Edo Period( 1850).
This shrine is very famous for their beautiful autumn leaves color. And in the autumn leave season, this small shrine seems to be crowded very much.
However, in the fresh green season, shrine and mountain must be very beautiful, and we were afraid that it had to be very crowded in the day of 'kemari festival'.
The road to the shrine is narrow, and if many cars went the road, it had to become traffic jam in the mountain. However, is was only imaginary fears, and road was not crowded and we could reach the shrine smoothly.

It was 11.am. Just the kemari players were walking into the festival space. Players were wearing very colorful 'suikan' and hakama. Suikan is made of silk, and has luxurious embroidery or woven pattern according to wearer's class. Hakama of them were 'kudzu' and shoes were leather boots.
Their costume looked too gorgeous for any sport, but 'kemari' is not win/lose game, and elegant play, so such luxurious costume seemed to be able to use.

Short religious ceremony was done with Japanese music by 'shou', 'koto' and 'fue' ( flute and harp) before the kemari game, and the ball, which was made of deer skin was took off from dedicated bamboo, and finally 'kemari' play began.
The audience was about a hundred, and many people were taking photos.

8 players made a circle, and they kicked the ball not to drop on to the ground. Players tried to kick and lift the ball to others as they can easily kick and lift again.
At first, in the front of many cameras and audience, players seemed to be nervous, kick failed with only two or three kicks.
Audience shouted and sighed.

The same thing repeated again and again, and several times, and at last, we audience came to know it was their play level ----

However, we were very happy - because we could know how the kemari was done, with what kind of costumes. Yuka and me understood that we couldn't expect splendid play like Beckham because the players were not professional 'kemari' player.

Anyway, if 'kemari' might not be seen, Tanzan-jinja Shrine is worth to visit. Of course, autumn leaf season must be best, but visiting in other season also must become wonderful experience.

Here is the photos and more information here.
http://www.funfun-japan.com/index.php?Kemari%20Festival%20of%20Tanzan-jinja%20Shrine

Thank you very much for reading to the end.
Today we will list various obi, yukata, kimono, furisode and bolts.
We are very happy if you can find favorite among them.
Have a nice spring day!

Ichiro & Yuka Wada
Kimono Flea Market "ICHIROYA"
http://www.ichiroya.com

e-mail: info@ichiroya.com
address: Asia-shoji Bldg.301
1841-1 Nishi 1 chome
Wakamatsu cho
Tondabayashi city
Osaka 584-0025 JAPAN
TEL&FAX ****( international number ) - 81-721-23-5446