shopping
The traditions behind Japanese knife-making go back thousands of years. What began as powerful katana (swords) yielded by the fiercest samurai (warriors) evolved into kitchen knives and everyday cookware as Japan opened up to Western trade in the 1850s. Despite the move from swords, craftsmen applied the same techniques, materials and knowledge to make the best knives. To own a Japanese knife is to have a tangible piece of history. Musashi Japan is the perfect place to look if you want to invest in your first Japanese knife. As a brand, it strives to keep traditional knife-making techniques al...
GaijinPot
Betweenthe historic districts of Ueno and Asakusa lies Kappabashi Street (Kitchen Town), Tokyo’s hub for all things cookware. From 1912, a cluster of second-hand stalls soon evolved into a shotengai (shopping street) and is now home to several well-established specialty kitchenware stores. For those on the hunt for high-grade Japanese knives, Musashi Japan’s main Kappabashi Street branch is your one-stop shop. Inside Musashi Japan’s Main StoreWalking down busy Kappbashi Main Street, Musashi Japan’s storefront is open and inviting. It blends an open, bright concept with minimalist Japanese sens...
GaijinPot
Congratulations! You’ve decided to propose! Now it’s time to go shopping for wedding rings in Japan. Nowadays, Tokyo has a wide variety of engagement ring options, but that hasn’t always been the case. Wedding rings, while not historically a staple of Japanese wedding culture, became increasingly popular from the 1960s on. While only 5% of Japanese brides owned a diamond ring in 1967, over 60% did by 1981. Portraying diamonds and diamond wedding rings as modern, European and fashionable, De Beers, a giant in the diamond industry, and others convinced Japanese consumers to adopt the practice. A...
GaijinPot
Gotemba is a friendly city in Shizuoka Prefecture well known for its outlet mall and stunning views of Mount Fuji. It’s easily accessible by highway bus from Shibuya or Tokyo stations in under two hours, making it a great place for an overnight trip or a stop on the way to the Fuji Five Lakes. Gotemba Premium OutletsOne of the main things Gotemba is famous for is the Gotemba Premium Outlets. The mall has around 300 stores and restaurants, as well as a hotel and onsen (public bath) with views of the mountain. As if that weren’t enough, there’s also a Ferris wheel to take in the view at a leisur...
GaijinPot
If you come from a land where good cheese is just as common as good bread, you were probably at least somewhat disappointed to find out that just isn’t the case in Japan. I know I was. Sure, you can find some cheese at your local supermarket, but it’s typically a small portion and expensive. Moreover, it’s almost always some kind of mozzarella blend. Or bland slices of tokeru (melty) cheese. Just like when we asked with cereal—where is the good stuff? Shropshire blue, halloumi, real cheddar! If you’re always on the hunt like me, you’ve come to the right place because we will run through the be...
GaijinPot
Despite being Japan’s fourth-largest city, Nagoya in Aichi Prefecture is often off the radar for tourists, which is a real shame. Nagoya has a lot to offer, from historical sites to some of the best food in the country. It also has Osu, a fun and funky shopping district worthy of any Tokhoku itinerary. Osu, located not far from Nagoya station on the Meijo and Tsurumai subway lines, is centered around Osu Kannon Temple. Any visit to the temple is not complete without a stroll around the many shops and restaurants. Together, the two share a long history of providing Nagoya’s cultural and enterta...
GaijinPot
Are you looking for a unique and high-quality gift for a special someone, or are you simply looking to expand your growing knife collection? Either way, you may be finding the world of Japanese knives a little overwhelming and confusing, so let’s get right to the point. As the weapon of choice in many professional kitchens worldwide, these chef’s blades are reliable, precise and—of course—satisfyingly sharp. But what sets apart the general-purpose kitchen knife from a sushi knife? And why shouldn’t you use a vegetable knife to fillet a fish? Let’s answer these questions and help you sheath you...
GaijinPot
Socks in the West have a slightly notorious reputation; an obligatory Christmas gift to please your father or a fashion faux pas when paired with sandals. But in Japan, the deep-rooted reverence for footwear produces a fascinating market filled with a plethora of multi-colored, wonderfully weird and scandalous socks. For centuries, the Japanese have taken off their shoes indoors, and once they do, they should be wearing good material underneath (10-year-old, socks with holes in the toes won’t cut it and don’t even think about going barefoot.) There is even a special slang term: zettai ryōiki, ...
GaijinPot
Japan is a great country for musicians. Thanks to strong local brands such as Yamaha and Roland and an overall cultural appreciation for music, it’s easy to find second-hand instruments (chuko gakki,中古楽器 in Japanese) for surprisingly low prices—if you know where to look. Musicians and those looking to start a new hobby living in the city, such as Tokyo and Osaka, are spoiled for choice regarding second-hand shops. However, what do you do if you’re in the countryside? Don’t fret, as there are plenty of places to buy online and in-person all over the country. Japanese vocab for instrumentsIn cas...
GaijinPot
“J-beauty” is a billion-dollar industry. But with so many products lining the shelves, it can be difficult to know where to begin, so we’ve put together a list of some of the best cosmetic products you can find in Japan. These products are not only affordable but easily obtainable—even if you’re living in the heart of the inaka (countryside). Here are 10 of Japan’s most popular beauty products, all between ¥500 and ¥2,000 and found in drugstores, department stores, supermarkets and sometimes convenience stores nationwide. 1. DHC Cleansing Oil Cleansing your skin with oil is a centuries-old pra...
GaijinPot
閲覧を続けるには、ノアドット株式会社が「プライバシーポリシー」に定める「アクセスデータ」を取得することを含む「nor.利用規約」に同意する必要があります。
「これは何?」という方はこちら