Do you like Porcini? Try Matsutake mashroom, then!

Matsutake muchrooms (small size)

Needless to say, the best gastronomy in autumn is mushrooms!  Mushroom saute in butter, that's all I need on my cosy table, if there already are some wine, cheese and baguette.

It is the best time (from mid September to mid October) for enjoying Matsutake muchroom throughout Japan.  Shinshu is one of the best growing districts of this excellent mushroom which is often called 'diamond of the montain'. This year, unusually good harvest of Matsutake has made the local people so excited. 

I went to Matsutake Sansou in Nagano prefecture, a ryokan (Japanese style hotel), which specialise in Matsutake dishes.
Their set menu starts from 2,500yen(26USD) with 1 Matsutake dish (usually Matsutake rice), and, if you want something lavish, they also serve a set menu of 16 dishes including 9 Matsutake dishes at 15,000yen(153USD). 

How should we evaluate their price...Well, The dealing price of Matsutake is normally 10 times of that of Porcini, another wonderful mashroom popular mainly in Europe.  This year's harvest of Matsutake is so good that its price down by 30~40% , dealers say.

To tell the truth, I did not know Pocini (in Italy) and Cep (in France) are the same kind of mushrooms.

Shinshu achieved the best longevity in Japan as of 2010

Data concerned with longevity of Nagano pre.

			Nagano pre.	national average	data of domestically
			(national ranking)		worst
life expectancy			m. 80.88yrs(1)	79.59			77.28
			f .87.18yrs (1)	86.35			85.34
death of cancer under 75yo			119.8(1)	138.2			176.2
(per 100,000 of population)
smoker (male only)			33.3%(4)	37.2			44.8
salt intake (/day)			m. 12.5g (42)	11.8			13.3
			f. 10.7g (40)	10.1			11.2
vegetable intake (/day)			m. 379g (1)	301			245
			f. 353g (1)	285			229
length of mealtime (/day)			103min (2)	99			93
obesity rate(male only)			25.7% (8)	31.1			45.2
habitual drinker (male only)			36.5% (29)	35.9			51.6
number of medical doctor			213.9 (33)	230.4			148.6
(per 100,000 of population)
medical bill for elderly  (per person)			745,000yen (3)	882,000			1,113,000
consultation behaviour			41% (5)	32.7			19.4
for medical checkup (over40yo)
engagement of the elderly  (over 65yo)			26.71% (1)	20.35			15.23
number of fitness gym			3.10 (4)	2.57			0.97
(per 100,000 of population)
participation in volunteer work			33.1% (6)	26.3			20.6
(over 10ys in a year)
number of museums			4.92 (1)	0.87			0.18
(per 100,000 of population)
number of community centre			57.70 (2)	11.49			0.64
(per 100,000 of population)
				source: Asahi Shimbun on 6 Sep, 2013

Nagano prefecture had followed a long way of 30 years to be covered in glory.  In 1970s, this region was always around the bottom of the list for the high rate of brain and heart diseases due to high intake of salt.

 Their honour of this time is just a result of people's efforts.  The prefecture assembled local house wives and organised 'health monitoring' .  A couple of housewives who entitled to be watchers call on the local houses and monitor the salinity of the soup of each home.  It is amazing that this usually troublesome action is accepted  in the whole region of Nagano.  How is it possible?  (in Tokyo it would never succeed!)  Firstly because people in Nagano have sincerely longed for healthy and long life, and secondly, the bonds of neighbours taken over from generation after generation still live on among these people. 

The key for healthy long life is to eat a good food, to do some exercise and to keep in touch with people, the researchers say.

Congratulations Tokyo for winning the host city for the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games !

" After all, Tomorrow is another day".  This is my favourite words which Scarlett O'Hara says at the end of the film of " Gone with the Wind".  This morning when I wakened in my bed, these words suddenly came up to my mind not as Scarlett 's lines but as my own words.  I am surprised what a strong impact the news of the selection of the host city of 2020 summer games gave on the national feeling was.  It is just 'seeing the silver lining in the dark cloud'.


Before the selection, Japan had been filled only with problems that seemed impossible to solve, such as the reconstruction of Tohoku, deteriorated relation with neighbour countries,  unsureness of economic recovery, and so on.


These big problems still exist, of course, but,what is different now is that we have got a driving force to try our best to take another step move forward. 


The stock market has already took a huge step this morning.  Not a few enterprises would receive purchase orders soon.  There may be many youngsters who begin to learn foreign languages to welcome foreign visitors.  Elderly people may expect healthy and longer lives to watch the games of 7 years later.  Athletes,  especially, will work harder to realise their dreams to take part in the game.  Each person should have taken one small step of his own hope today.


One step of mine is to think about ideas worth spreading throughout the world.

Worries in this season

We had heavy rain all night last night widely in north-east Japan including Shinshu region.  There were tornadoes observed somewhere else as well. 


The lashing noise of rain on the roof disturbed my sleep.  I live in a over 20 years old Canadian log cabin at the foot of the Northern Alps in Shinshu with my family at present.  In such a cabin, there is no ceiling under the roof, the noise gets much louder than in an usual town house.  Half awake and half sleep, I recalled that I had been worried in the same season of last year if a landslide or a flash flood took place. 


Besides, there was an earthquake in the daytime yesterday.  Since the major earthquake of East Japan occurred, we have been experienced numerous aftershocks here and there, and, these repeatedly occurred earthquakes cause crustal deformation, according to specialists.
Shinshu is famous for clear and pure water of melting snow of the mountains.  What I am worried about is the relation of suddenly increased amount of water with flowing courses of ground water which might be deformed by these earthquakes. 


What disturbed my sleep these days is not only such awful weather, however.  Something,( usually flying), suddenly has appeared in our cabin in the middle of the night since 4 days.  A black, flying, nocturnal creature, --yes, it is a bat!  It is awful to live with a bat in the same house even if a bat is said to be a symbol of fortune in Japan as well as in China. In addition to that, it is assigned to a protected animal in Japan(does this mean we have to welcome it to our home?)  Did you know that? Simply I didn't. 


It also happened in this season of last year as well.  It took some time until I realise it was a bat, but(!), it  was only an accident of one single day.  I mean, I found it dead in an empty narrow flower vase in my room on the next day.  I had totally forgotten about this unwelcome guest until the same thing happened this week. 


Can you imagine being waken up by a bat's fluttering noise in a dark of the middle of the night?  

Exploring the world of Noh vol.2 ---on the Noh masks

In this volume, I would like to have a look at the Noh masks worn mainly by Shite (the main role), taking up the play "Jinenkoji 自然居士" I went last month.  Well, this is a beginners' guide by a beginner anyway...


Jinenkoji is the work created by Kannami 観阿弥, who established the form of perfect Noh,in Muromachi period(1336-1573).  There are four roles performed in Jinenkoji, Jinenkoji as shite,  two merchants as waki and wakitsure as supporting roles and a little girl.   In these roles, however, only shite wears a mask.  This is a rule of Noh.  


As you might have seen before, masks using in Noh usually show no clear facial expression.  Although there are over 60 kinds of masks basically depending on the role's sex, age, social status etc. and over 200 different kinds of masks are used today, each mask is carefully carved in such a way as to it holds a 'neutral' expression.

Why does only Shite wear a mask? 

Venetia Stanley Smith, the most famous British lady in Japan



a best selling book of Venetia Stanley Smith

Venetia Stanley Smith is appearing on screen in cinema this month at last! In this film "Four Seasons in Venetia' garden" she reveals her everyday life growing flowers, herbs and vegetables, writing essays, painting, and taking care of her house of 100 years old in Kyoto.

Sunday evenings, when there is a Venetia's programme on TV, is one of my happiest moments in a week. Her way of living in Ohara,　a suburb of Kyoto, reminds me as a Japanese my dear old days which most Japanese have left in the past little by little as time goes by. She practises the Japanese ways of living much more than the Japanese ourselves do. Watching the TV, I sometimes feel embarrassed, thinking of what she thinks of us the Japanese today.

Venetia spent her childhood in Keddlestone Hall in Derby, England as a descendant of the Lord Curzon family. Her childhood was not necessarily lovely, happy ones, so she recalls her childhood. She has once mentioned her 'busy' days moving one place to another in a short time of early stage of her life. She felt of herself 'totally out of place' in the huge manor house as early as her teenage, which might lead her to set off on her journey to India.

Unlike the life of the British nobility we tend to imagine, Venetia's life in Japan seems rather humble. She likes it, indeed. Especially, how various kinds of herbs grown in her garden turn into natural remedies, spices, as well as fragrances for relaxation is just a magic!

As Venetia finally found her ideal life in Ohara and gained peace of mind, I learn a lot of precious tips of life from her.

She says 'we have everything here'. Yes, all I need is just in front of myself.

SAITO KINEN FESTIVAL --Chamber Concert III

SAITO KINEN FEATIVAL

Chamber Concert III

30 August 2013, The harmony Hall in Matsumoto

 

 

Program

 

 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)

Adagio and Rondo in C minor K617

 

 

Eliot Carter (1908-2012)

Enchanted Preludes for Flute and Cello

 

 

Maurice Ravel(1875-1937)   arr.Carlos Salzedo

Sonatina en trio

 

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Serenade No.11 in E-flat major K375

 

 

 

 

 One of the most delightful events in Summer in Matsumoto is Saito Kinen Festival that Seiji Ozawa started in 1992.  I have never missed this festival since I moved to Shinshu, though getting ticket is incredibly difficult. Some of enthusiastic fans already start to queue up as early as 1 week before its tickets go on sale.  This year, I got tickets of 3 different concerts of jazz on 12 Aug., chamber concert of this evening and the concert with jazz piano by Junko Onishi on 6 Sep. 

 

Needless to say,this chamber concert was just marvellous.  Especially, I was overwhelmed by Jacques Zoon's flute.  He, who is originally Netherlander and has been playing in some world leading orchestras, has developed his own flute! This black instrument is made of wood, and, seems to have similar tone as  Japanese traditional flutes make to my ears.  I like its softened tone. Softened,  it rather intensifies its presence.

 

 



Love for your home province...

finding some flowers on the wayside is my pleasure of walking dogs

Last night I saw someone smiling on TV and showing a flip board where he had written 3 letters of '郷土愛 (love for one's home province)’. "Yes,you are right, that is important, I know" I smiled back to the TV set.

For some people, to love their home province is easy and may be the matter of course. When you walk your dog early in the morning, if you find a freshly bloomed flower at the wayside, and if you are lucky enough to feel its loveliness, you would be happy. And, if it happen every day, that small happiness of dailylife would finally grow into your love for home province. There would be no other way to develop that feeling.

For others, however, it may be a word to begin with-- to begin to think about oneself or the relationship with others, with his community, his country, and even with the whole world over again.

If we love our own home province or not? How can we measure it? Not a few people surely love the place where they have grown up and where they live, I believe.

What is important is that we should realise that we already have the feelings of love for our home province in our heart and that take an action to liberate these feelings.

It is not to be negaive against your neighbours, other groups and other nations that testify your own love. What is necessary is to take care of yourself and of your surroundings including your community, your country, and the whole world where you certainly belong, and also to do your best at any time to reap a good harvest of your life.


If you are happy of yourself, you would have positive feelings for your surrundings.
 

That man on TV of last night, did he say love for our country is not a matter of personal feeling but a strategy our nation needs? Sorry gentleman, I didn't hear you.



 

Explore the world of Noh vol.1 -Encounter with Noh

a good reference of Noh written by Mutsuo Takahashi and others

About two weeks ago, I had an opportunity to enjoy a Takigi-Noh, a Noh stage performed with the light of bone fire specially during summer.
And, how was it? It was just fascinating!  I got a strong desire to explore the world of Noh on this blog. This is volume 1. Let's get started!

First of all, even among Japanese people enjoying Noh, a Japanese traditional art, is not widely popular today, I have to say.  Even though we know its worth as it is designated as an intangible Cultural Heritage by UNESCO, it still seems mysterious and difficult to understand. If you have a chance to go to Noh, I strongly recommend to get some information of the work in advance.

Then, why Noh attracts some people so much? For me, it is its unique atmosphere called 'mugen'夢幻--a dream-like state. The performers create the world of 'mugen' on stage and invite the audience into it.

How does it work?  There are some tricks in it. In the next volume, I will try to solve some of these tricks.

Looks ordinary, but tastes extraordinary !

 



fresh salad from 'Ebi-vegi'

 Can you tell the difference of the taste of carefully grown tomatoes from that of ordinarily  grown ones?

Have you ever tasted powerful greens that have really their original tastes?

 These sweet tomatoes  and strong 'green oak' produced by Ebi-vegi in Tochigi, Japan tell us what fresh vegetables are originally like!! 

How are they produced, then?  One point is, according to Mr. Ebihara, the president of Ebihara Farm,  "giving too much water is rather bad for crops". And, another important point is to try to recreate 'natural environment' as much as possible. For example, he distributes over 90 kinds of crops in a year, which means he dedicates himself to 'multikind and small quantity production'.  In his 'mixed' farm different crops give positive effects each other and grow 'healthier', he says.

Well, thanks to Ebi-vegi, I can serve really tasty vegetables everyday at home just for my family. This is amazing! Why? Because, these vegetables are chosen and served also by chefs in exclusive Hotels such as Imperial Hotel and Hotel New Otani, and also by the famous chateau restaurant Joel Robuchon in Tokyo!! Its quality is guaranteed!





Not summer anymore, not autumn yet...

crops on chestnut tree

Plenty of crops on chestnut trees in the front yard are ripe and about to fall down !

Walking among the trees, I'm dreaming of chestnut rice, chestnut cream, chestnut in syrup, chestnut pie and so on...♪