Susan Spann's Blog, page 25

Taki no Yakimochi – Tokushima’s Traditional Treat

I love just about everything about traveling in Japan, and sampling various regional foods ranks high on my list of things to do whenever I arrive in a new location. (To be honest, I seek them out whether or not I’ve been to the place before.) Almost every city has a dish or ingredients–often more than one–for which the place is known, and each location takes pride in preparing, serving, and sharing these local and regional treats.   In Tokushima, a city on the island of Shikoku (the third-southernmost of Japan’s four major islands), the regional specialty is taki no yakimochi,

Taki no Yakimoshi – Tokushima’s Traditional Treat

I love just about everything about traveling in Japan, and sampling various regional foods ranks high on my list of things to do whenever I arrive in a new location. (To be honest, I seek them out whether or not I’ve been to the place before.) Almost every city has a dish or ingredients–often more than one–for which the place is known, and each location takes pride in preparing, serving, and sharing these local and regional treats.   In Tokushima, a city on the island of Shikoku (the third-southernmost of Japan’s four major islands), the regional specialty is taki no yakimochi,

Kyoto’s Golden Pavilion, Part 2

The Golden Pavilion, Kinkakuji, ranks among Kyoto’s most popular attractions, though many visitors know little about the temple’s history or architecture. On Wednesday I blogged a little about the Golden Pavilion’s history (to read it, click here), so today I thought I’d share a little about the architectural details. The Golden Pavilion stands beside a peaceful, reflective lake, surrounded by Zen landscape gardens. It has three stories, each of which holds different treasures and features a different architectural style. The ground floor, built in the style of Heian-era (794-1185) court nobility, holds two statues: one of Sakyamuni (also known as Buddha) and

Kyoto’s Golden Pavilion, Kinkakuji (Part 1)

Kinkakuji ranks high among Kyoto’s most popular tourist sites, and with good reason. Its famous golden pavilion, which stands on the edge of a peaceful lake, is a lovely and well-maintained example of Buddhist architecture.   But many visitors don’t realize that “kinkakuji” (temple of the golden pavilion) is not actually the temple’s real name. The temple buildings date to the 14th century, when the third Ashikaga Shogun, Yoshimitsu, built a villa (called Kitayama-den) at the location. After the shogun’s death, the villa became a Zen Temple known as Rokuonji (a name based on Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu’s posthumous Buddhist name), and that remains the

Traditional Japanese Welcome Tea (and Cakes)

Tea is the most commonly-consumed drink in Japan, and a customary part of the welcome visitors receive at traditional inns (ryokan), temple lodgings (shukubo), and many guest houses (minshuku). The type and grade of tea used to welcome guests varies significantly in type and grade by region, accommodation, and/or time of year. Temple lodgings, or shukubo, often feature roasted green teas or genmaicha, a type of green tea combined with roasted rice. Although genmaicha originated as “poor man’s tea”–the rice was added to stretch the valuable leaves–it was also often used by priests and monks to reduce hunger and fool the stomach during periods

Stepping Back in Time at Ekoin

Today, I’m guest posting at Murder is Everywhere – and I hope you’ll click over and join me for a virtual night at Ekoin, a thousand year-old temple on Japan’s sacred Mount Kōya. It’s one of my favorite places in Japan, and I hope you like it too! Stepping Back a Thousand Years: A Night at Ekoin   

A Visit to Nakamise Shopping Street (Part 1)

Tokyo’s oldest Buddhist temple, Senso-ji, is also one of my favorites. The massive Kaminarimon, or Thunder Gate, is one of Asakusa’s best-known landmarks: and visitors often take photos with the gate’s massive chochin, which weighs almost 1,500 pounds. But a visit to Senso-ji is not complete without a stroll down Nakamise Shopping Street – the vibrant line of shops and stalls that lines the approach to the temple. Traditionally, vendors’ stalls or shops line the approach to Japanese shrines and temples. The goods on display can vary, but they usually include a variety of tasty local specialties, like these small cakes

An Easy Recipe: Roasted Cauliflower With Almond Butter

Since I’m currently receiving chemotherapy relating to last year’s stage 1 breast cancer diagnosis, I’m exploring and creating (or modifying) a variety of recipes for tasty, healthy food that I can prepare in a short amount of time. Several friends have asked for the recipes, and since “tasty, healthy food with short prep time” isn’t just for cancer patients, I’m sharing them periodically on the blog. Today’s Recipe: Oven-Roasted Cauliflower With Almond Butter. Ingredients: 1/2 to 1 head of cauliflower (depending how many people you plan to serve). 1/2 a head can generally serve one hungry person as a main dish or

Remembering the Unborn: Kiyomizudera’s Mizuko-Kannon

The Japanese term mizuko (literally, “water child”) refers to a deceased baby, infant, or fetus. This includes stillborn and miscarried children as well as those who died by abortion, and in some cases also applies to babies that die shortly after birth. A funerary rite, called mizuko kuyō, is often performed on behalf of these children, and Japan has many shrines honoring mizuko–mostly in combination with statues of Jizō, a kind incarnation of the Buddha who is considred the patron and protector of mizuko.  However, Kyoto’s Kiyomizu-dera features a somewhat different mizuko shrine, dedicated to Kannon–the goddess of mercy–who is also the temple’s primary

Temple and Toilet Slippers in Japan

Most Japanese people don’t wear shoes inside. Apartments and houses typically have a small, lowered area just inside the door for removing shoes and a cabinet by the door where shoes are stored. This keeps the indoor spaces clean and undefiled – and it has been the custom in Japan for many hundreds (if not thousands) of years. However, this doesn’t mean all indoor spaces are barefoot-friendly. Japanese homes customarily separate the toilet from the bathing and shower area–toilets are dirty, and bathing areas are customarily kept clean to the point of sacredness. (Hotels, especially Western-style hotels, still combine the bath,