Tokyo Times

Photographs from a small group of islands

Food and Drink

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B for beer advertising

Japanese beer itself is very nice. A good selection to choose from, not overly expensive, and practically all of it around 5%. Which I can confirm packs a very respectable punch. And when drinking holes serve it super cold and in iced glasses, you could argue that life doesn’t get much better.

Yet remarkably it does.

Go into most bars or shops selling beer, and you’ll be able to buy/drink your beverage of choice whilst having a gander at the tasteful beer posters on display. Most of which consist of young ladies sporting bikinis and clutching beers. All of them presumably waiting for a date with a pot bellied beer drinker.

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And just like beer, a second one is always a good idea.

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One for the road?

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Curry Cocktail

At the incredibly tacky, yet surprisingly popular Yokohama Curry Museum, a curry-flavoured cocktail is now available. The drink is called Karetini, and is based on gin. But to live up to its billing it contains curry spices and red pepper.

I have to admit that I’m not a big cocktail fan, but this new concoction sounds particularly unappealing. Plus an official of the museum claims, “it will cause you to perspire” which is not something I generally look for in an alcoholic beverage.

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Lets just hope it’s not one of those cold sweats that usually precede projectile vomiting.

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Cool Squares

As the temperature steadily rises, and we head full steam into the summer, watermelons have become increasingly prominent in supermarket promotional displays.

But let me ask you a question. Do you ever have problems fitting an awkwardly big and round watermelon in your refrigerator? No, me neither. And even if such a problem did arise, it wouldn’t make me unduly upset.

Yet it would appear that refrigerator unfriendly watermelons are an issue of growing concern amongst many Japanese. As can there be any other explanation for these just-the-right-shape-to-fit-in-the-refrigerator watermelons?

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Recognition at last

Six years ago today I arrived in Japan, and it would seem that my contribution to the local community has at last been rewarded. As believe it or not, I’ve had a curry named after me. A beef one at that.

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I can’t tell you how proud it makes me feel to walk down the dried food aisle and see this awe inspiring sight. And just like me, LEE curry is hot and spic somewhat shoddily packaged, and despite its claims, rather bland.

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Do you fugu?

Fugu (or blowfish) is arguably Japan’s most famous delicacy. For the simple reason that if the fish isn’t prepared correctly, the poison contained in its internal organs can quickly kill any unsuspecting diner. The toxin is so potent that 1 gram of the stuff can kill 300 people. And if that’s not enough, there’s no antidote.

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Fancy a bite?

Perhaps Fugu’s best known victim was a famous kabuki actor who was struck down in 1975, although every year the dangerous fish claims a few victims. In 2002 there were 6 fugu fatalities, but last year’s tally was reduced to just 3. A testimony to the strict regulations surrounding fugu preparation, and the issuing of licenses to those permitted to serve it.

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Can I still not tempt you?

But all this may be about to change. Scientists claim to have cultivated fugu that contain no poison, making the whole of the fish completely safe for human consumption. This news however has received a decidedly lukewarm response from fugu connoisseurs. Some claim that this focus on the potential danger of the fish detracts from how well it is prepared and presented. Whilst others say that producing safe fugu takes away the thrill of eating it.

Now I must admit to having never eaten fugu. Not for cowardly reasons of course, but simply because it’s so expensive (are you buying that?). But I can see where the fugu fanatics are coming from. Especially those who talk about the thrill of eating the fish. Take away even the slightest chance of being poisoned, and surely fugu becomes just your average run-of-the-mill fish. Arguably no different from a bit of salmon or cod. But put a bit of poison in there, and you’ve got yourself an exotic delicacy. One that garners a lot of attention, and perhaps most importantly for fugu restaurants, allows them to charge a ridiculous amount of money for a fish that apparently has very little taste.

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Last chance. Go on!