Winter 2013

(vol. 05)

Niigata Noise Winter 2013 (vol. 05)

Contributors

Jaclyn Spears

Editor-in-chief

Layout and design

Columnist

Shaun Jiro Smith

Columnist

Jonathan Robinson

Columnist

Abby Blaisdell

Columnist

Contributors

Alexis Carlton

Samara Harp

Anono-chan

Leigh-Ann De Wee

Lee Sorkin

Photographs

Jonathan Wheatcroft (covers)

Page 1 and 2

See articles for photo credits;

Thank you everyone!

Table of Contents

Greetings 2

Community

ALT Spotlight by Shaun Jiro Smith 3

Get to know Jhana Williams

Winter in Niigata by Jaclyn Spears 5

A look back at the events that got us through it

The Niigata Charity Musical by Jaclyn Spears 7

Charity, community, and comedy

Gatakon Investigation by Samara Harp 9

A blind date with 1500 people?!

Travel

Beyond Niigata by Jaclyn Spears 11

Discover beautiful Akita-ken

The Seoul of Asia by Leigh-Ann De Wee 12

Why visit Korea.?

Food and Entertainment

Restaurant Review: Katsuya by Alexis Carlton 13

Tasty pork cutlets in Sanjo

Gosen Gourmet by Jonathan Robinson 14

Where to get the best sea salt in Niigata

Rice Cooker Recipes by Abby Blaisdell 15

Learn how to make something tasty with kabocha

Set the Stage for Spring by Anono-chan 16

The best spring-themed TV shows and movies

Editorials

Pon Pon Politics by Lee Sorkin 19

Thoughts on December’s general election

My greeting

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Greeting from AJET

Greetings everyone!

I hope you have all been enjoying winter in Niigata to its fullest! Whether you have been spending

all your time hitting the slopes, sleeping in a kotatsu, performing in a musical, or curled up with a nice book,

I hope you’ve all managed to stay happy and healthy during one of the hardest times of the year for many of

us.

Now that we are well into March, we can begin to look forward to spring and all the fun new

activities we can start doing in the improving weather. Stay tuned for a bunch of events coming your way in

the upcoming months. The AJET officers and I have quite a few things in the works, and I hope everyone

will be able to come out and have fun spending time with each other.

I just wanted to remind everyone again that even if you are not an AJET officer, you are free to

create and organize your own AJET event. If you need any assistance with planning, feel free to contact me

at niigataajet@gmail.com.

For those of you traveling during spring vacation this month or Golden Week next month, have a

safe and fantastic trip! For those of you staying in Niigata, enjoy being here during one of the nicest seasons

in Japan.

I wish you all the best!

Megan Kelly

President, Niigata AJET

niigataajet@gmail.com

Hello readers and thank you for checking out the fifth issue of Niigata Noise!

It’s been a long and cold, but certainly not an uneventful winter here in Niigata. Over the past four

months JETs have been busy taking full advantage of everything Snow Country has to offer. For this issue

we tried to capture the highlights of the past season, as well as to start looking forward to the coming spring.

I hope you enjoy reading this issue. I’m very proud of what we’ve put together. Thank you again to all those

who contributed to this issue; I’m sorry for e-mailing you so much. Again, if you are interested in writing for

us, send me an email at any time!

Jaclyn Spears

Publications Coordinator, Niigata AJET

NiigataNoise@gmail.com

-

Jhana Williams, a second year JET from Jamaica, is the

prototypical ALT—she's smart, articulate, warm, and open. But these nice

adjectives alone do not do her justice. Jhana brought the soul to

the yukiguni. She’s the soul ambassador. Most often this manifests in

song. With her powerful voice, she has an uncanny ability to bring out the

music in people. If you've seen the music video she made with her students you

know what I'm talking about: a class of yankees, in a circle, taking turns singing lines

from "We are the World" with unabashed exuberance. If you’ve ever had the herculean task of trying to

motivate a group of yankees, you know there’s a certain kind of magic going on there. I'd also like to

point out how she got this bearded curmudgeon to belt out Mariah Carey at the Skills Development

Conference—that's ability. Jhana has been as much a teacher to her students as to her fellow ALTs

sharing bits of precocious wisdom and insight with each interaction. While she's not busy inspiring the

people around her, she's brewing up dreams of her own. One includes a very large volcanic rock and

another involves a shiny one that goes on her hand. Read on. – Shaun Jiro Smith

Why JET?

I wanted to be a part of the JET program

because it was marketed as 'the perfect combination'

of some of my favorite things. These included, but

were certainly not limited to the opportunity to travel,

teach, facilitate cultural exchange, meet new people,

and learn, learn, learn. Over the past 18 months I

have had the opportunity to enjoy all of this and so

much more. JET has placed me in an amazing

environment where I have been blessed with the

most beautiful scenery and reliable people. I remain

grateful.

Greatest Discovery?

I have been 'discovering' many things along

this journey. I find the cultural similarities between

Jamaica and Japan to be extremely interesting. For

example, a very popular song in Japan called 'Jupiter'

has the same tune as the national school song in

Jamaica. Also, the sound and subject verb

agreement of the Japanese syllabary; Hiragana, and

the Jamaican creole are very similar.

Favorite Place in Niigata?

This is the most difficult question that anyone

ALT SPOTLIGHT: JHANA WILLIAMS

could ever ask me about

Niigata. Niigata is such a

beautiful place with so many

different things to offer! I would

definitely recommend the

Culture Centre in Shibata. This

multipurpose facility is

approximately 6 minutes on

foot from the Shibata

Station. The scenery is breath

taking all throughout the year,

and you may visit to watch or

participate in different sporting activities or cultural

festivals. Also, be sure to check out the coffee shop.

Favorite Japanese Food?

OKONOMIYAKI!!! Osaka style :)

Most Awesome Experience So Far?

I had the most awesome time with an elderly

Japanese couple on their organic farm. I count this as

my most awesome experience so far because there

was so much passion involved. Every conversation

was enlightening. I learnt so much, and I felt as if

everything was truly simple, pure, and perfect. And I

thought to myself… what a wonderful world :)

What do you want to do/see in Japan

the most?

I want to see live Sumo Wrestling, the white

sand beaches in Okinawa, cherry blossoms in Kyoto,

I want to climb to the top of Mount Fuji, I want to

attend the snow festival in Sapporo, I want to go to

the top of the Tokyo Sky Tree, this list has no end…

really, it doesn't….

How Do You Cope?

For me it's pretty

simple. 1) I observe, try to

understand, and remain true to

myself. 2) I have the most

incredible support system. 3) I

choose to remain the eternal

optimist; irrespective of the

situation.

Most Epic Fail?

Well, my train on Thursdays is at 7:02am. If I

miss that train…I'm late for work…full stop! It takes

about 20 minutes to get to the station comfortably

from my apartment, and I left home at 6:47am on a

snowy morning. Let's just say I was running, skating,

breathing hard, tripping, and finally arriving at the

station to hear that the train will be delayed for about

10 minutes.

After JET?

I'm looking forward to starting my family with

my darling husband.

Let’s be honest – winter in Niigata is a lot to handle. It snows for days

on end; every building is draughty and cold; train delays and slippery roads

make travel slow and dangerous; and on top of all that it gets dark at 4PM. It’s

enough to test anyone’s sanity. And yet – as many of us have come to know –

once you discover what winter has to offer you may just learn to love it!

There’s the joy of warm kotatsus and nabe parties, skiing and snowboarding,

and the serenity you feel watching the snow fall while soaking in an outdoor

onsen. And of course, there are the winter festivals. Niigata is home to a huge

amount of wintertime festivals with varied - and sometimes confusing -

themes. Let’s take a look at a few of the festivals from this past season.

Held since 1950, the Tokamachi Yuki Matsuri is one of the oldest snow festivals in Japan. It’s no wonder –

Tokamachi gets more snow than almost anywhere else in the country (up to four metres!). Though traditionally

the festival centred on the display of beautiful kimono, nowadays it is a modern affair with games, snow

sculptures of everything from One Piece characters to elaborate architecture, winter food (bear meat, anyone?)

and appearances from celebrities. The main show is held on a snow stage (this year shaped like a giant ship),

featuring the traditional kimono show, as well as singing and fireworks.

Photographs by Joyce Yuki Ogawa

Photograph by Jaclyn Spears

Photographs

by Stephanie

Edwards and

Talia Hale

Photographs by Jaclyn Spears

One of the wackiest (sorry) festivals in Niigata, the

Koide International yuki gassen (lit: snow battle), is a

sight to be seen. Teams of five dress up in elaborate –

and often weather-inappropriate – costumes and

battle it out in the name of glory. Spectators can enjoy

the show from behind the safety of a net, while

enjoying the warmth of their winter clothes and free

festival food. This year the Niigata JET team looked

deadly in their cowboy duds as they took down teams

of adults and children alike.

Every town in Niigata seems to have their own

celebration to break up the winter drudgery. In

Ojiya there’s the Hot Air Balloon competition.

Unfortunately, at the 2013 and 2012 festivals the

balloons were grounded due to inclement weather

– still, it’s a pleasant festival with a community vibe

and at night there are fireworks and a light show.

March 3rd is the Hadaka Matusri, or “Naked Man

Festival” in Urasa. It’s centred on a ceremony for good

luck in which groups of men (not actually naked) fight to

reach a shrine first while carrying giant candles. The

teams are usually inebriated; there is a lot of posturing,

shouting and shoving between the groups and people do

get injured. It’s fascinating to watch – the participants

may even smear you with lucky wax! It’s a festival you

should make sure to check out at least once.

Started more than 10 years ago, the Niigata charity musical has long been a vital aspect of JET life

in the prefecture. Drawing cast mates out of their kotatsus to practices all over the prefecture between

October and January, it saves a large group of people from having a winter of discontent. This year’s

production of Beauty and the Beast saw one of the largest casts in recent years, and it’s that which makes

participating in this wonderful endeavor so worth it. “Basically, it forces you to hang out with your friends,”

joked co-director Megan Kelly, at the meet-and-greet in Ojiya. With practices two weekends a month for

four months, cast members grow close, quickly.

This was Megan’s third musical as director.

Last year she headed the production of Aladdin on

her own, and this year she was joined by Gary

Furlong as co-director. The script for Beauty and

the Beast was written months ago, after the

wrapping of Aladdin, by a group of former and

future cast mates.

It’s been a long journey, from auditions in

September to the performances in February.

Auditions are held each year in several locations

throughout the prefecture, and everyone who

auditions gets a part. They are so adamant about

everyone being able to participate that the directors

often significantly rework the script in order to

accommodate everyone – as was the case this year,

when a record number of JETs wanted to get

involved. The more JETs that participate, the more

attention is brought to the production and the more

successful it is.

Having a large number of participants also

helps to bridge the gap between them and the

communities they perform in. Often ALTs will find

that their towns are excited to pitch in, helping with

advertising, booking the venues, and more. It’s a

great example of the “internationalization” we hope

to achieve as JETs.

The performance in Ojiya was an example

of how powerful the musical can be as a way to

bring communities together. Thanks largely to the

efforts of resident Shingo Suzuki, known

affectionately as Shingo-san, Ojiya saw this year’s

largest audience and raised a significant amount of

money for the Niigata AJET charity for schools in

Papua New Guinea. Not only that, Shingo-san

helped facilitate a pre-show meet-and-greet

between some local students and cast members,

giving the kids a chance to chat with foreigners and

make the experience a little more personal. “It was

amazing to feel so supported by my community

here,” said Abby Blaisdell, a municipal JET in

Ojiya – seen above, posing at the meet-and-greet.

Shingo Suzuki stands on stage at the Ojiya

Civic Centre with co-directors Megan Kelly and Gary

Furlong, to address the audience and explain the effort

that went into the show and what it was all for –

building new schools in Papua New Guinea.

Shingo-san generously volunteered his time and

energy to help promote the musical in Ojiya, and the

large audience was thanks largely to his efforts.

The musical featured some great re-workings of

songs from various genres including big band, Broadway,

and k-pop. The lyrics were a collaborative effort of the

entire cast. Featuring choreography by Megan Kelly,

Allison Ferguson, Karlee Ontiveros, and Pamela Mendoza,

the song-and-dance numbers were a hit with audiences of

all ages. (Pictured top right: Ryan Bomalaski with

“daughters” – counter clockwise - Pamela Mendoza, Sarah

House, Stephanie Reiter, Milshue Kim, Stephanie

Edwards, Stephanie Flynn, and Cat Joos. Bottom right:

leads Morwa Gatsewe and William Moffatt take a bow.)

On March 16th

, several cast members left on a

trip to PNG to bring the funds raised to the communities

that need them. They’ll spend two weeks with the people

of PNG, helping out and hanging out.

Next year will see the staging of yet another

amazing musical in Niigata-ken. A little birdy tells me that

the story will again be a fairy tale. If you’re interested in

joining in, whether on stage or behind it, keep an eye and

an ear out for audition announcements in August.

Words/Photos: Jaclyn Spears

Pictured: Kat Truong and Talia Hale as the

mischievous fairy sisters.

Before my arrival in Japan, J-pop, rotating

sushi bars, and karaoke boxes were just a few of the

images I had about life in contemporary Japan. It was

interesting for me to see how these things would fit in

with what I knew about traditional

Japan; my desire to explore as

much of Japanese culture as I

possibly could grew from this

interest. After some eighteen

months experience, I have come to

view Japan’s culture as a delicious

blend of old and new, and I

absolutely cannot resist sampling all

of what is available to me.

Recently, I kept hearing

about, “goukon,” which is basically a

cross between a group blind date

and a dating convention. At first I

thought it might be similar to North

American speed dating but was assured that the two

events were not at all the same. It’s true they both have

multiple participants; however, the goukon offers a

warmer and more casual atmosphere than a

speed-dating event would. As for a

goukon and a blind date, the two are

similar in that the participants have

never met before, but a typical blind

date involves only two people. A

goukon can have up to 3000 people.

Intrigued, I put it on my list of

uniquely Japanese things to do.

It wasn’t until Niigata prefecture’s goukon giant,

“Gatakon,” released information about their Valentines

and White Day events that I decided to try it out. A

combination of the words Niigata and goukon, Gatakon

has been in the business of providing

Niigatans an exciting night out since

2011. The Valentines event was to be

held in Niigata city and the White Day

event in Nagaoka city. I, along with

five of my girlfriends signed up for the

Nagaoka goukon via the Gatakon

website. The catch is that you must

sign up with at least two people and

registration is confirmed only after you

pay at either the bank or post office.

Once registered, you simply wait for

further email instructions.

The night of the event, 750

men and 750 women descended

upon the streets of Nagaoka in hopes of meeting new

people for friendship and dating. Gatakon organizers

made arrangements with twenty-eight Nagaoka area

bars and restaurants for participants to meet, greet, eat,

and drink as much as they could over

the course of the event.

Before 5 pm, everyone

signed in at the large city hall

gymnasium and received a map, a

wristband, and one love “meishi.” The

meishi, or business card, has space

to write your name and contact

information with the idea that this

Map and wristband

Love Meishi

card should be given to someone special. The men also

received a small bag of candy to go along with their love

meishi. The candy was to hand out to the ladies in

honour of the upcoming White Day. The wristband had a

series of three numbers on it, each corresponding to a

different location on the map. The six of us girls had

registered under different numbers and had to split up

for the first two of three locations. The third location was

the same for all 1500 participants.

At 5 pm, the event officially began, and

everyone spent time at the first location as indicated on

their wristband. After 90 minutes, everyone moves to

the second location to enjoy more drinking, eating, and

greeting. Another 90 minutes later, everyone moved

back to the city gymnasium for more partying, and

perhaps that second chance at meeting someone they

had seen earlier on. At this point, a lot of numbers are

exchanged and plans are made for the “nijikai,” or

second party. I had lost all of my girlfriends at this point

but it was such a friendly atmosphere that it was easy to

make new friends.

At 10 pm, the event shuts down and you’re

free to do as you please. Personally, I connected with a

group of four men and women and we all went to talk

more with each other at my favorite local restaurant.

When all was said and done, I had walked away with

four new contacts, a belly full of good food and great

wine, and I was in high spirits.

Catching up with my girlfriends the next day I

discovered one of them had made a love connection

and they are still emailing each other to this day. I’ve

been spending some time with my new friends as well,

and am happy to have met them.

At 5000 yen, this event was a reasonably

priced way to explore the city and have a great night out

with your friends. The event itself lasted for 5 hours,

which works out to 1000 yen an hour for “nomihodai” (all

you can drink), and “tabehodai” (all you can eat).

Overall, Gatakon exceeded my expectations of what a

goukon would be and I’d definitely go to one of their

events again. They do play host to smaller events, but

I’d recommend exploring their next big event to be held

on May 25, 2013. Fifteen hundred men and fifteen

hundred women will participate in this goukon set in

Niigata city. If you’re looking to discover more of Niigata

city and make some new friends, I hope you will

consider attending this goukon!

For more information, check out their website at

http://gata-con.com

Words: Jaclyn Spears / Photos: Katie Yantzi

www.jnto.go.jp/eng/location/regional/akita/

www.pref.akita.jp/koho/foreign/en/index.html

From Niigata-shi: 4 Hours by Limited Express, apprx. 6,500yen

When Japanese people ask me, “What’s the

best place you’ve visited in Japan?” Akita prefecture is

always high on my list. I’ve had the pleasure of going

there twice in my two years in Japan and each time it

was such a great experience. I was lucky because a

university friend is currently living there and was able

to give me an insider’s look at what this big beautiful

prefecture has to offer. Majestic scenery, prime onsen,

delicious food, and fascinating festivals are among the

many delights this inaka prefecture has to offer. While

it is easy to reach via the Inaho Express from Niigata

city, I recommend traveling by car as the prefecture is

big and public transit is limited (think Niigata).

Akita is something of an isolated prefecture, surrounded by

mountains and buried in snow six months of the year. The culture

of Akita developed without influence from central Japan until the

year 600 and thus it is very strong and distinctive. This is

exemplified by its huge array of amazing festivals, celebrated

throughout the year. There’s a festival centred on a giant tug-of-war

match; there’s another where young men fight with 7 metre bamboo

poles. I’ve experienced the Namahage Sedo festival (right) and the

Kamifusen festival (below). The namahage (ogre) festival was

amazing – young men wearing ogre masks and straw capes climbed

down out of the mountains, played taiko and danced around a

ceremonial bonfire. Also one gave me a noogie! Ahh! This is just

the tip of the iceberg; check out their prefectural website (see top of

the page) for full details and dates of all their wonderful festivals.

Like many prefectures, Akita is quite mountainous.

It’s most famous peak is Mt. Chokai, known as the

“Dewa-Fuji” (Dewa is the old name for Akita), and it is a

gruelling but rewarding climb (or so I hear). Tucked away in

the mountains are tons of gorgeous onsen. My personal

favourite is Tsuru no yu, an onsen in the Nyuto onsen village.

Extremely old, there is little more than a hut to change in, and

one of the baths is co-ed. The water is a beautiful milky

blue-white with yu no hana (bath flowers), and the beauty of

the surrounding mountains is staggering. When I tell Japanese

people I’ve been there, I usually get an envious sigh and an “ii

na!” in response. If you get up to Akita, don’t miss it!

“I was asked to write about the top

five places to visit in Seoul. I'm not

going to do that. I'm going to give

you three reasons to visit Seoul.

Because you only need three reasons

to go anywhere in the world.”

- Leigh-Ann De Wee

K-pop. Seoul is the Mecca of Kpop. It’s the kind of place where

Psy (“Gangnam Style”) would give a surprise performance on

the streets. Or you could be interviewed by your favourite idol

for a variety show. I was secretly wishing that this would’ve

happened to me and B.A.P. Alas; my boys were in Malaysia that

week. So I drowned my sorrows and perved on the T.O.P look

alike at a Ho bar in Hongdae, instead.

Ridiculously sexy men. What I loved about Seoul was that

I was surrounded by well dressed, hot blooded young men. I

don’t know about you… but where I live, there are only the

kids I teach and old people. I have no idea where the people

my age are hiding but I liked that they were in plain sight in

Seoul. I was in paradise. The best place to hang out is

anywhere near a university--you'll find loads of clubs and

young people who know how to have a good time.

Food. Just like Korean men, Korean food is HOT!! What

should you eat? Galbi, fried rice, ramyun, bibimbap, kimchee,

and topoki - just to name a few. I'm not a fan of hot food. But

damn I ate as if I was Charlie and Seoul was Willy Wonka’s

chocolate factory. And it was all dirt cheap! When you're in

Seoul you should try anything and everything. You should

definitely eat food from stalls set up along the pavements, and

sit on beer crates eating Korean BBQ and drinking soju from a

rickety table. All of this is just waiting of you in Seoul.

I only realized what this restaurant sold after

about the tenth time I’d walked by it. I was truly elated

when I did as I have long loved my kastsu, ever since I

got hooked during my student exchange to Nagoya.

So what is katsu? In my mind it is a pork loin with

a little fat still on, that’s been deep fried to a moist

succulent perfection. And that’s what this restaurant

delivers.

My favorite katsu dish is katsudon or katsu on a

bowl of rice. It also has a mirin and soy based sauce in

which the onion and egg is cooked. This all combines to

create a filling meal that no one can kid themselves into

believing is healthy. Though, I tell myself that the onions

have vitamin C in them.

The menu is simple with easy to point to pictures

and while there’s not much in the way of a balanced meal

they do offer token gestures like vegetable miso soup.

They have other menu items like crumbed prawns/shrimp

and… well, maybe just prawns. They really do specialize

in pork.

The price is cheap, the service is prompt and the

place is clean, oh and it’s also non-smoking. This is a

chain restaurant but I haven’t seen too many of them

about but if you do see one give it a go. This one is a

short walk from Tsubamesanjo train station. There is also

plenty of easy access parking and it’s on the corner of the

number 8 and the road to the station.

It’s that time of year again; the weather is getting warmer, the days are getting brighter, and spring and

summer are right around the corner! What better way to celebrate than by taking a trip to the beach? Well, if

you’re like me and you don’t care much for getting sand everywhere, I know just the place where you can enjoy

the beautiful sea coast and more.

Sasagawa-nagare is a long stretch of sea coast

with breathtaking ocean views, amazing rock

formations, and beautiful beaches. It’s on the coast of

the Sea of Japan, and stretches from Murakami nearly

up to Yamagata Prefecture. Along this twenty

something kilometer stretch of coastline is a small gem

called the Sasagawa-nagare Salt Workshop. Salt from

the Sea of Japan is very famous and sold at nearly any

supermarket, however, there’s nothing quite like getting

it from the source. At the Sasagawa-nagare Salt

Workshop, you can experience the process of creating

sea salt firsthand.

The Sasagawa-nagare Salt Workshop is run by a gentleman named Hisashi Kobayashi, and it is an

incredibly interesting place to visit. Upon entering the workshop the first thing you’ll notice is the overpowering

steam and the smell of burning wood from the furnaces. There are a few different types of salt produced here,

including plain, sea weed flavored, and even bamboo

flavored. Although salt is obviously the main good sold at

the workshop, just behind the workshop/storefront itself is a

café. As you view the coastline from the café, you can have

coffee, small treats like onigiri, or what I believe is the house

special, salted soft serve ice cream. Incredibly simple, the

soft serve ice cream is just a regular cone of soft serve

topped with Mr. Kobayashi’s own sea salt. It is an incredibly

powerful combination, neither salt nor sweet overpowering

the other, and in fact, as with everything at the workshop, it

is designed to showcase the craftsmanship of the salt itself.

Expect to spend in the range of 500-1500 yen for any product you might find at the workshop, and up to

1000 yen for the items sold at the café. That being said, the prices are reasonable, and a 150 gram pack of

seaweed sea salt which lasts me for a few months, costs only 500 yen. The Sasagawa-nagare Sea Salt

Workshop’s summer hours are from 10am-4pm, and the café is open for lunch from 11am-3pm.

with Abby Blaisdell

Japanese pumpkin (kabocha) is great for making pumpkin puree, especially if you are like me and don’t have a blender.

When you steam the pumpkin, it gets soft enough that all you need to do is mash it with a fork to get a smooth texture.

1. Remove the seeds

2. Cut the pumpkin into 1-2 inch cubes; the smaller they are, the faster they will cook. You

can leave the outer shell on. Put the cubes in the steaming tray of your rice cooker

3. Put about one cup of water in the bowl of your rice cooker

4. Hit the “White Rice” button and let steam for about 20 minutes (times may vary

depending on the rice cooker and how thick the cubes are)

5. It is finished cooking when the pumpkin is soft enough that it falls apart when poked

with a fork

6. Take the pumpkin out of the steamer when it is cool enough to handle. The shell should

separate from the pumpkin very easily

7. Mash the pumpkin with a fork so there are no large chunks

Seeing as Thanksgiving is long past, your cravings for pumpkin pie may have faded. If they haven’t, use the above

recipe for pumpkin puree to make a killer pie, but if they have, here is another option. Once you have the pumpkin

puree this pumpkin soup is incredibly simple to make. To make the puree and soup simultaneously in your rice cooker

see the note at the bottom of the recipe.

1. Slice onion, dice garlic, and cube the potato. Put all of the vegetables

into the rice cooker and add water

2. Hit the “White Rice” button on your rice cooker and let cook about

20 minutes or until the potatoes can easily be pierced with a fork

(but don’t fall apart)

3. Once the potatoes have finished cooking, add the bullion

4. Mix the pumpkin puree into the soup

5. Stir in the milk, salt, pepper (and spices if desired)

To make the puree and prepare the rest of the soup simultaneously, put ½

cup of water into the bowl of the rice cooker and begin steaming the

pumpkin as directed in the Pumpkin Puree recipe. This will allow the

pumpkin to have more time to cook than the potatoes. Once the

vegetables have been prepared, put them in the rice cooker bowl with the

water being used to steam the pumpkin, and add 2 cups water as directed

in the original Pumpkin Soup recipe. Continue following the Pumpkin

Soup and Pumpkin puree recipes as written.

1/2 kabocha

1 cup (200ml) water

1½ -2 cups pumpkin puree

2 cup water

2 cubes chicken or vegetable bouillon

1 small onion

1 clove garlic

1 potato

½ cup milk

Salt and pepper to taste

¼ tsp cumin and ¼ tsp dried oregano

Has that mountain of snow become a brownish blob in front of your school? Are there

new seasonal flavors in the sweets and alcohol section at the supermarket? Have you

stopped blowing cold air in that igloo of an apartment? Do you no longer look like a giant,

walking marshmallow?

Congratulations, spring has come to your area.

It’s time to start putting away those heaters, buy some ichigo daifuku and (more) sake,

and get ready for the upcoming hanami events throughout Niigata. Fun times await!

But damn, there’s work on the weekdays. What to do?

If you really want to feel that springtime charm inside your apartment after a hard day

of desk-warming, here are a few Japanese films and television doramas to uplift and enrich.

NEW/ Ōkami Kodomo no Ame to Yuki/Wolf Children –

Rain & Snow (2012, Hosoda Mamoru). 117 minutes.

Hosoda Mamoru’s latest work is deceptively

simplistic in narration but lush and peculiarly

realistic in cinematic execution. Despite the

fairytale-esque story – a college student falls in love

with and marries a wolf man, and has two children

– it is at its heart a nuanced piece about familial

relationships and social roles.

Spring Element: Hosoda Mamoru is

famous for his distinct visual style, which is very

apparent here. The film’s aesthetic juxtaposition

between simplistic character design and lavish

backdrops will engross you in a colorful and lively

world.

OLD/ Byōsoku Go Senchimētoru/5 Centimeters Per

Second (Shinkai Makoto, 2007). 65 minutes.

This three-part film centers and

contemplates on the notions of relationships, time,

and space. Set in a period spanning the 1990s to

modern day, the story revolves around two friends

who gradually grow apart as physical distance and

time separates them. Though somber in plot, the

overall combination of dream-like cinematography,

subtle soundtrack, and detailed mise-en-scene

combine to create a moving and inspiring

commentary on life.

Spring element: The film’s title comes from

the speed at which sakura petals fall, with the

petals representing human beings and how people

slowly drift apart over time.

NEW/ Going My Home (Fuji TV, 2012). Ten episodes.

Fair warning – this is a slow-paced,

slice-of-life series. There are no melodramatic

scenes, exaggerated physical humor, or rabu-rabu

romance; this is a Koreeda Hirokazu piece. And like

many of Koreeda’s works, Going My Home focuses

on a group of people and their lives: when his

father falls ill, the usually submissive Tsuboi Ryota

(Hiroshi Abe) unwittingly sets out on a journey to

find a mythical creature only known as a “kuna”.

The drama is largely character-based and all

natural dialogue, with a touch of whimsy and

minute attention to “ordinary” subtleties. It’s a

qualitative reflection about death and family

through a humoristic perspective.

Spring element: Even if you can’t stand the pacing of the series, you can just leave

your laptop on to look at the beautiful, roaming shots of forest greenery and countryside and

Japanese-style dishes.

OLD/ Osen (NTV, 2008). Ten episodes.

My favorite topic – food! Based on Kikuchi

Shota’s manga, Osen refers to the scatterbrained but

skilled okami (Yū Aoi) of Isshoan, a traditional

restaurant-inn in downtown Tokyo. Each episode focuses

on her struggles and antics to keep the restaurant on its

feet while highlighting a specific dish and its preparation

in great detail. The series provides insight into the artisanal

skills of Japanese cuisine and culture without ever feeling

like a boring lecture

.

Spring element: Relaxing and pleasant in its

introduction and presentation of Japanese customs.

NEW/ RENT-A-CAT (Ogigami Naoko, 2012). 110

minutes.

The title says it all: a solitary young woman

(Ichikawa Mikako) rents her cats out to people in need of

comfort. The film’s visual style is as quirky as its premise,

with coordinated set design and costume and tonal

lighting, yet manages to show restraint in camerawork,

never pushing the film past the lines of contrivance.

Watch if you like something sweet and fey-like, comical

but intelligent, a Japanese equivalent to Amélie.

Spring element: You’ll feel that rush of sentimentality and warmth so often

associated with spring.

OLD/ Raiou/The Lightning Tree (Hiroki Ryuichi, 2010). 133 minutes.

Don’t run away when I say that Raiou is an adaptation of

Romeo & Juliet set in the Edo era. Romeo is Narimichi (Okada

Masaki), the son of a Shogun; and Juliet is Rai (Yū Aoi), a

mischievous girl who lives in the mountains. Disregarding the

apparent foreshadowing of their star-crossed romance, Hiroki

Ryuichi has a prodigious eye for camera angles and naturalistic set

pieces. A strong cast further bolsters the film, specifically with the

chemistry between the main leads.

Spring element: The couple’s meet-cute is at the “lightning”

tree: a sakura tree that grew from a former ginkgo tree.

Suddenly Senkyu and the Comeback Kid

Lee Sorkin

Even if you’ve thought the weather outside

has been freezing and downright frightful, politics in

Japan have been heating up. In case you missed it,

because it wasn’t at all difficult to ignore, there were

elections this past December in Japan. General

elections, that is - as in, to choose a new Prime

Minister. Of course, as in most Parliamentary

democracies, this election was somewhat of a

surprise. The juicy part of this story is that the

elections were moved up as part of a deal between the

DPJ (Democratic Party of Japan), the party of the last

PM, Noda Yoshihiko, and the LDP (Liberal

Democratic Party), in summer of 2012. Noda had

wanted to raise the consumption tax as a way to

partially fix Japan’s large budget deficit, and the LDP,

then acting as the opposition party opposed it. The

deal was to therefore hold elections if the

consumption tax raise was supported by the LDP in

the Diet. An election was almost certainly going to go

in favor of the LDP, so it benefitted them to accept (it

was also seen as a kamikaze pact on the part of Noda).

This past November the tax increase passed in the

Diet and elections followed. And who should win but

none other than the LDP’s very own comeback-kid,

Abe Shinzo, who was PM once before and resigned

over “health issues”.

Now, I love a good comeback story as much

as anyone, but this one is particularly slimy. But

before we go there, let’s take a short trip down

modern Japanese memory lane for a little recap.

Following WWII, from the late forties when the

current Japanese constitution was adopted until 2009,

one party remained in control of Japan’s political

system: the LDP. The LDP was able to retain its

control in part because it reigned during a really nice

to time to be in power, a time when it experienced

exceptionally high growth and productivity, catching

up to, and then surpassing many Western countries,

especially in certain industries such as high tech and

automobiles. The LDP was able to spend a lot of the

windfall from this growth on huge infrastructure

projects to prop up employment, and welfare

spending. And so the people were happy.

Flash forward to 2006 and the picture isn’t

as rosy. Japan has been stuck in a deflationary

recession pretty much since the early ‘90s and the

ruling political party hasn’t fixed it. Corruption

charges and financial scandals have also rocked the

LDP before (e.g. PM Tanaka, from Niigata

prefecture). Enter PM Abe, Parte Une, whose

administration was hit with no less than three

corruption charges, all involving Abe’s Ministers of

Agriculture, the first of whom committed suicide

before a final verdict could be reached. He also came

in singing a nationalistic tune that was a little tone

deaf to the times. So… right: “health issues.”

This time around, Abe turned down the

nationalism, mostly because he was out-sung by the

even more radical Japanese Restoration Party. So he

was able to focus on economic issues, which he

exploited as well as he could by calling for a more

expansionary monetary policy and rebuking the Bank

of Japan for not doing as much as it should, or could.

While the BOJ sulked that its independence was

being infringed upon, the Nikkei stock exchange

soared, making people think twice about ‘Ole Abe,

and resulting in the birth of the unoriginal

portmanteau “Abenomics”. Noda and his party were

already so unpopular that they both lost heavily in the

elections, with the DPJ losing control of the lower

house, generally thought to be the more powerful of

the two. It still controls the upper house, adding some

gridlock to the mix.

Abenomics has been at the forefront of

Abe’s agenda going forward from the elections,

which has been good for the stock market, but bad for

our bank accounts back home, as many of us have

realized. That’s because the expectation of an

expansionary monetary policy, specifically the

purchasing of foreign bonds, weakens the nominal

value of the yen relative to other currencies. So we

get less for our yen being sent back home, but

Japanese exports get a little cheaper. Mind you that

this is all in expectation of future inflation, flamed by

Abe’s promises and the premature resignation of the

BOJ’s governor, Shirakawa Masaaki, who was

decidedly against using the BOJ to spur inflation. The

PM’s nominee for the position is Kuroda Haruhiko,

who will most likely deliver into Abe’s hands his

dream of an obsequious BOJ.

Monetary expansion, the purchasing bonds

and financial assets to hopefully drive down the

nominal interest rate and inflate the economy, is

however only a short term prospect. It is a palliative

rather than the invasive surgery that is needed in the

form of corporate, welfare, and agriculture reforms to

get Japan back on track competitively with the rest of

the world. One hope for this is the current TPP

(Trans-Pacific Partnership) negotiations. Japan could

join this trade partnership with other countries, which

would be a major step in reforming Japan’s sluggish

economy and boosting exports. The issue though, is

that Abe and the LDP got a lot of support from the

rural populations of Japanese, who are loathe to

support anything that smacks of free trade.

It remains to be seen whether Abe and the

LDP have the foresight to brush off the naysaying

Nanaokos, both protectionist and nationalistic, who

may as yet prevent any real change from happening.

If that’s the case then Abe has made a cozy little

inflationary bubble that won’t last long, and one

which certainly won’t help redeem his shifty legacy.

And that’s a shame, because what Japan needs more

than anything is stability.