Japan Regional Hello Kitty

Damn Camels: Onjuku & Tottori

2011-08-23T12:06:00.015-04:00

The artwork for the following regional items fit into the category of "vague & haiku-like." It isn't enough that she's dressed in a green tutu or as a shallot. She has to be next to a camel and on the desert. We've seen Gotochi (Japanese Regional) Kitty dressed as a number of food items, fruits and vegetables, historical and fictional characters as well as dressed in traditional garments of a certain period or region. Not much surprises me but I have to admit to being puzzled and frazzled over these items.

What is the deal with all the camels and the desert night scenes? Kitty dressed as some kind of Arabian princess? She is clearly part of the Gotochi collection, but her artwork looks like a page from 1001 Arabian Nights. Is Scheherazade a new character at Puroland? Are there native breeds of Japanese camels? From what I could tell from my internet sources the answers were no and no. So what's going on with all this night desert scenery? I finally scanned and emailed my mom a picture of the tag below. I followed up with a call and asked her what she thought this was all about. She couldn't figure out the camels- not in her memory banks, but the desert scene and the green tutu'd Kitty hit a chord. "Oh," she finally said. "She's supposed to be Nijisseiki Nashi!" Thanks, Mom. It made purrfect sense to her. It gave me a place to start my internet search.

So what did I find? While there aren't deserts in Japan, there are places that inspire the romantic images of moonlit deserts and Arabian Princes and Princesses on camelback. One such place is Onjuku Beach, Chiba Prefecture. It is said that the rolling sandy hills of Onjuku and its beach were the inspiration behind the 1923 song "Tsuki no Sabaku" or "Desert Moon" (Poetry by Masawo Kato, music by Suguru Sasaki.)

Long ago and far away in a forgotten land
In the desert late at night camels walked o’er the sand
Lost in time, a mystic line, on a journey unknown
Wearing gold and silver saddles, ‘neath the moon that shone

On the saddlebag of gold, hung a bright silver urn
On the silver saddle fold, hung an urn made of gold
So divine, another time, on a journey unknown
Tied together by a twine, ‘neath the moon that shone

On the camel’s back that night
Rode fair handsome prince
On the camel there behind, a young princess did ride

Lost in time, a dream so fine, on a journey unknown
Wearing white and wondrous gowns,
‘neath the moon that shone

Long ago and far away in a forgotten land
In the desert late at night camels walked
O’er the sand
Who could know where they did go?
Step by step, all alone
Desert dreams, misty light beams,
‘neath the moon that shone

O’er the mountains made of sand,
Hearts of gold, lips of stone,
In a long forgotten land, on a journey unknown

First camel mystery solved as well as the Arabian Princess Kitty. On Onjuku beach, there is a statue of an Arabian Prince and Princess upon camelback on a concrete dune commemorating this song. But what about the tag I emailed my mother? Is there another statue of a camel floating out there in Japan? Not quite. The answer lies on the other side of the peninsula and at another "desert-like" place called the Tottori-sakyu Sand Dune.

Tottori-sakyu Sand Dune is located near Tottori City, Tottori Prefecture. The dune is said to be the result rough winds and sea currents that return to shore the river sediments that run into the Sea of Japan. Spanning almost 10 miles along the coastline and the width of a mile, the Tottori-sakyu Sand Dune is the largest in Japan. The winds are constantly changing the shape of the dune, creating deep craters and high hills. Needless to say, the dune is quite the tourist attraction along with the reasons Kitty is dressed the the following costumes and shadowed by a camel. In addition to seeing the dune, for 1800 yen, you can take a ride on a real live camel. An imported live camel, but it's real, not a statue.

Kitty as the famous Nijisseiki Nashi. Unlike the Asian pears we are used to seeing in super markets these days, the Nijisseiki Nashi or "20th Century Pear" is said to have been cultivated from a wild pear tree found in the early 1900s. They are said to be plump, sweet and juicy with a green-to-yellow skin.

Tottori Rakkyu: Pickled Shallots, anyone? Like garlic, the pickled shallot is said to be good for blood circulation. Tottori is said to be one of the largest producers of the shallot...yum yum.

The List of 27

2011-08-22T16:08:00.011-04:00

It's been a long time since I've done the kitty-search on the web. It's been a rude awakening.

I was doing "research" for my next kitty post and was appalled to see the changes at Asunarosha. All of the old versions of regional items as well as their artwork have been removed and what remains is a tiny collection and some lukewarm artwork. While the older kitty mascots still rattle around the train stations and souvenir haunts, I miss seeing those little square thumbnails of artwork and their vague, haiku-ish names. I miss the fast, encyclopedic reference the other parts of the site provided as well. I know. Everything changes, progress, expansion, etc. I get that. There was only so long the regional kitty craze would last, but for me, those Japanese cultured critters epitomized "The Way of Cute". Kawaii-do. They did it far better than a pair of pink fuzzy slippers or a cat-shaped toaster.

The old Shingen Takeda artwork; the new Shingen at Asunarosha. Call me old fashioned but I liked the old artwork. Way cuter...
As I wistfully dug through my packed up boxes of Regional Hello Kitty items (note the capitalization that suggests a level of seriousness to an otherwise girlie-cutsie endeavor), I came across a very precious item. It was a treasure list that I had created six years ago when I was living in another time and place... sometimes I think it was another reality as well. It was a pictorial list of the 27 Japanese Regional Hello Kitty Plushes that I had to have. I yearned for these kitties. I ached for them. I looked all over eBay and found myself lucky a few times, but for the most part, I was fighting tooth and nail to find these little treasures.

The list was inspired and literally built on the pictures from a gallery I found online back in the early days. It was called Nyankovivi.com and was primarily focused on the sale of those adorable San-X Nyan Nyanko cat plushes. The site also featured a gallery of her (or his for all I know) Japanese Regional Hello Kitty plushie collection which was not for sale. It was my source, my bible, my gestalt...

I giggled when I found this mashed-up list. A smug grin followed. Not just because I kept the list, but because I found those little you-know-whats. This list was my trophy; my testament for having stayed in the line of battle; for never giving up hope that I would find the Dazaifu Plum kitty; for being so freakin' serious about getting these stuffed animals mounted on my wall! Now, I am just grateful to have this memento because Nyankovivi.com is gone. Poof. So is that gallery that inspired so many bidding wars on eBay. I hope it returns in some form or another....

X marks each triumphant spot. The Daizafu Plum blossom kitty was the last and probably the hardest fought kitty of the collect. I'll admit that once she made it to me from Japan via Yahoo Japan auctions, the thrill was over.

The plushies were up in my new abode for a little while, but I eventually put them away. I also stopped collecting. Not really sure why. Am I growing older and more boring? Am I pretending to be an adult? Does it matter? All I know is that the cute army has retired to some nice boxes in my closet. Their days of fighting off boogie monsters and channeling displaced hostility are at an end. At rest, but not out of sentimental value. They still have that ability to pique my curiosity and dig a bit deeper into my family's cultural past. They call, mewl, moew and entice and puzzle me. In fact one is calling me now, asking about Arabian princesses and camels in Japan...(hint: that's the next post)

Safely stored in boxes, no more dust and fade to attack my army of cute. Just a pain to dig out when I want to do a post, but its worth the effort...

Up and Running Again

2011-08-22T08:08:00.002-04:00

Meatloaf sandwich anyone? Hearty and highly portable, not to mention cute....

Well, I'm back -- sorry for the abrupt stoppage of Regional Kitty blogging but between a webspace move and an actual physical move, Kitty and her accessories were put in boxes to be dealt with when the time came. And the time is now or at least I finally transferred images I could rescue from the old space. Everything was in tact except for the post on Kasutera... weird, but not fatal. Still working on ideas for the next Kitty, but just to let you regional kitty fans know that this blog hasn't been abandoned.

She'll be back soon!

Noodles and Stuff: Nabemono

2010-03-29T10:10:00.017-04:00

Clearly the ramen post kicked off a noodle phase in my eating habits. After having a bit of nabeyaki udon (chinese cabbage, shiitake mushrooms, fishcake, poached egg and green onion simmered altogether in a pot) for dinner last night, I awoke still craving noodles. I realized that with Spring finally here, the season of noodles and dishes like nabeyaki have come to an end. Always behind the seasons, I felt inspired to write about those wonderful nabemono dishes that fix a blue mood on a cold rainy day.

Nabe is a cooking pot (clay or cast iron) and mono refers to all the ingredients that will be used for making a complete meal. Vegetables, meat and noodles are simmered together and served "family-style."

One famous example of nabemono is Sukiyaki, which is thinly sliced beef that is stewed in a sweet soy broth with tofu, shiitake and mung bean noodle. My mom's winter favorite is Oden which is a big production involving two different kinds of fish cake, fried tofu, cabbage, konnyaku, potato, radish, eggs and finally "treasure pouches" which are fried tofu skins filled with meat. A lot of work goes into making dishes like Oden, so much so that these days it's not uncommon to find frozen Oden kits that are ready to go. Ever anxious to keep up with the Kitty market, Asunaro also makes a Hello Kitty version of Oden that comes in a can...

Back in the Genyo era there was a limited seasonal kitty dedicated to nabemono called "Nabebugyo." The series featured 10 regional examples of nabemono. During my collecting days, I was only able to find one mascot from this particular series, but Kitty has a way of cross referencing herself in the regionals so I hoped for some luck.

SEASONAL LIMITED NABEBUGYO SERIES

This kitty version features a specialty of Hokkaido, Ishikari-nabe: Salmon stewed in a miso broth with potato, konnyaku, cabbage, chrysanthemum greens, radish, tofu, green onion and butter!

Ah! Close up of those hot pot ingredients...

As I had hoped earlier on, I did get lucky in the regional varieties. The next Kitty is one of my all time favorite original mascots: Houtou Kitty from Yamanshi Prefecture. In this dish the udon is an extra wide noodle that is a specialty of the region. The mono include Yamanashi specialties like mushrooms and Kabocha - that beautiful pumpkin-like squash. Everything is stewed together in a hearty miso broth.

No family-style service from this nabe. Kitty is IN the pot getting a heaping serving of that thick udon. I guess she loves the Houtou more than the usual nabemono. I wonder how Daisy feels about eating furry stew...

If you're interested in making nabemono, there's a number of fun/quirky videos on youtube that show you how to make a few of them like Oden.

Cooking with Dog: I am a new fan of these quirky but informative videos on Japanese cooking

The Alchemy of Fat & Carbs: Tonkatsu Ramen!!

2010-03-26T13:36:00.028-04:00

Almost five years ago I did a post on a promotional line of Hello Kitty featuring Japan's "Ramen Devas". Deva is the sanskrit word for god or celestial one, so you get an idea of how highly regarded these gentlemen are. One of these devas makes a return appearance with a regional Kitty from Hakata, a ward of Fukuoka city on the southern island of Kyushu. I was fortunate to visit Kyushu many years ago and I loved it! As I watched the fog and rain roll in I had visions of Seattle. Sadly, my visit happened before Genyo introduced the regional and promotional kitty lines but more importantly, I was ignorant of regional specialty. I was too busy looking for Baumkuchen (I'll post on that if they ever make a kuchen-kitty) and Ohina dolls to take note of the legendary Tonkatsu Ramen.

Love pork or hate it, the rich taste and luxurious appearance of its broth make this noodle dish a distinct contender in the battle for best of the best in ramen. The broth is made by cooking pork bones until all the marrow and gelatin are released. This gives the broth its distinctive milky color and silky sheen. Traditionally it is topped with slices braised pork belly, green onion, red pickled ginger and hard boiled egg.

HAKATA KITTY

The tag for the plushie features chef Kitty and her ramen street stall or yatai. I can't tell what is on Daisy's plate, but its either very salty or sour considering her expression. Cod roe (mentaiko) or pickled ginger?

In the Genyo era version, Kitty dresses in her white ramenista uniform and presents a fresh bowl of creamy white Tonkatsu ramen. She can barely see over that bowl of noodles topped with slices of pork belly, green onion and ginger

In the Asunaro era, Kitty loses her chef whites and earns a pig costume. It's cute, but I prefer the Genyo version.

Just thinking about this post sent me to the Asian grocery to pick up some Tonkatsu style ramen and eat it before trying to blog on the subject.

TONKATSU RAMEN IN MY KITCHEN

It's not the real thing and its full of processed fat, carbs & MSG, but hey, I don't live in New York and this is the closest thing I will get to Hakata style ramen in the next few hours. This package boasts that it contains extra noodles so I can pretend I'm at a yatai and asking for those extra servings!

Errr, the ingredient list for the soup does not mention pork fat or lard, but refers to "pork essence". Yeah, it's gotta be a nice slab of something arterially challenging.

It looks a lot better once I've added the hot water...

...and even better with noodles and appropriate condiments. No pork slices and too hungry to add an egg...

In an earlier post I said that I thought udon was Japan's soul food. Ramen puts in a good bid for that title. In fact, ramen and udon share a few things in common such as Chinese origins and the importance of minerals that go into making the noodles themselves. For udon, it was salt; in ramen, it is a combination of salt minerals and water (kansui). This mixture gives ramen its distinctive yellow hue -- and I always thought it was egg... Its also worth mentioning that it too has a dedicated movie in its honor: Tampopo!

If you'd like to try a bowl of this comfort food without going to Japan or consuming the large quantities of MSG and "pork essence" like I did a few hours ago, there is hope. The Hakata Ramen Deva, Shigemi Kawahara has opened up one of his signature Ippudo restaurants in New York City. This isn't a humble street stall or typical ramen restaurant -- its a brasserie (insert the rolling of eyes right here) serving the traditional Tonkatsu Ramen, as well as a number of other ramen and meat dishes. Just like he had hoped for back in 2005, Kawahara has made his New York debut and it looks like they love this pork ramen as much as the Japanese.

Kitty returns as Shigemi Kawahara, the Hakata ramen Deva and marketing master mind who transformed the ramen shop into a full restaurant experience.

Another great food movie: Juzo Itami's 1985 film Tampopo. It's a fun and quirky ode to all kinds of soul foods and the people who love them

Let's Eat Some Sweets: Tsujiguchi Hironobu

2009-08-31T05:22:00.017-04:00

And now for something completely delicious.

When I look at many of the current promotional items posted on the Asunarosha site I realize that this tribute to celebrated pâtissier Tsujiguchi is pretty "old." It's alarming how fast new kitties start to pile up and simply amazing what these designers will come up with in just a few short years. Yet despite this, I find this promotional version to be one of the most unusual in my collection. This is a Dear Daniel exclusive. Normally, Dear Daniel (now and forever referred to as DD) completes a pair to Kitty White when the regional/promotional subject involves a couple. Kitty White, regardless of the subject's gender is always the headliner. For this promotional item, she takes a powder and DD takes a solo bow in the spotlight. Maybe it was the hair...

Some of you may remember Tsujiguchi from the Valentine's Day inspired "Banana & Chocolate" battle with the beleaguered Italian Chef Masahiko Kobe. Back then in 1998, he was already recognized as an international prize winning pâtissier. These days, he is a marketing force (typhoon is more like it) that has turned his extensive experience with French and Japanese sweets into the art that decorates his high-end comestible "boutiques": Mont St. Clair, the pâtisserie which this DD item represents; Chocolate de H, a chocoholic's nirvana; Confiture H, a kind of perfume boutique only the perfume is various fruit preserves; Marriage de Farine, a classic "boulangerie" or french style bakery; and a number of "concept" offerings (Waraku-Beniya, cafe Fortissimo) in the wonderful world of the Japanese department store. As an aside, I should point out that the food section of the Japanese deparment store is heavenly. Imagine Saks, but instead of fancy Lancome and Estee Lauder counters, there are all kinds of food ready to be purchased and "furoshiki-ed" for your convenience!

Sweets may have been in Tsujiguchi's blood at birth since his family ran sweet shop in Beniya, in Nanao City in Ishikawa prefecture. He began his training in Tokyo and moved onward to France. When he returned to Japan he opened Mont St. Clair. In this pâtisserie, Tsujiguchi features the classic French sweets, some of them fused with uniquely Japanese ingredients.

May be it was the hair that did it. Did DD's signature coif make him the natural choice for Tsujiguchi?

Here is a teeny Kugelhopf - a yeast cake with dried fruit that is usually soaked in liquer.

Here is a teeny fruit crepe

Here are some teeny-tiny Madelines or shell shaped tea cakes

Here is a teeny slice of strawberry shortcake. Here's a bit of BTW-trivia: Strawberry shortcakes have become a contemporary traditional dessert for Christmas in Japan.

Here is a teeny tiny bit of Mont Blanc, a chestnut cream meringue

And Now for the Other Side: The Shinsengumi

2009-08-21T09:21:00.007-04:00

In the last two posts I introduced two historical Kitty Regional figures that were looking for either an end to the Shogunate system or at the very least some kind of reform that would allow Japan to survive and flourish in the brave new world of "foreign relationships." This next post will introduce a group that remained loyal to the shogunate.

In 1863, the Tokugawa shogunate funded a group of ronin samurai who were given the task of protecting Tokugawa Iemochi, the Shogun - the big kahuna, so to speak - when he made unprecedented visit to Kyoto to meet with the Emperor, Komei. Think of them as the original secret service of Japan. However, unlike the secret service, not everyone in the ensemble was loyal to the shogunate. A few suspects used this group as a means to recruit ronin who were fervent sonno joi believers (anti-shogunate). The plan was to march into Kyoto as protectors of the Shogun, but once arriving, they were to become the very forces that they were designed to quash.

Tags from the two versions of plushies in my collection: the blue comes from the Genyo era, while the later 2003 pink version features the signature artwork that I've come to love. In the background the Daimonji-yama mountainside is aflame with a bonfire of the Chinese character "dai" -- part of a summer festival to be covered later called "Gozan no Okuribi

Kitty in Pink, Kitty in Blue: I do love pink, but have to wonder if it really was a color of choice amongst these secret service warriors. The uniform included a haori, a short jacket with the angular white trim, against solid colors like blue and black (maybe even pink) making it easy to recognize the Shinsengumi in battle.

Ever paranoid in the turmoil of the times, the shogunate already suspected some of its newly formed corp were up to no good. Orders were made to send the group back to Edo to "expel" some foreigners which fell in line with anti-shogunate mind-set. However, about 13 of these ronin refused the orders to return to Edo on the grounds that they really intended to protect Shogun, and would continue to do so if permitted. Needless to say, it was permitted and the corp was reformed as the Shinsengumi or "newly elected" corp. In addition to protecting the Shogun on his visit, they were charged with the duty of policing Kyoto and keeping hostile forces at bay.

Even though history did not favor them in the end, the Shinsengumi represented a strong sense of honor and duty. Their high point may have been in 1863 when they thwarted the plans of sonno joi extremists to burn the city of Kyoto, and kidnap the Emperor and take him to Choshu.

Loyal from the beginning to the end, Kondo Isami was part of the original 13 ronin who refused orders to return to Edo and petitioned Kyoto's military commissioner to remain the Shogun's protector. He eventually became commander of the Shinsengumi corp. In the end, Isami was beheaded for allegedly assassinating our previous Kitty - Sakamoto Ryoma. However, the jury is still out on his part in the assassination.

FOOD TIE-IN

I think the artwork is what sold these cookies to me -- the 2003 version of the Shinsengumi.

...and what a fun surprise to find Kitty's face stamped on this delicious butter cookie!

Kitty's Political Side: Sakamoto Ryoma

2009-08-15T08:29:00.011-04:00

Since we left of with the Last Samurai, might as well stay with a few more players in the waning days of the warrior.

Sakamoto Ryoma was a low ranking samurai from Tosa (present day Kochi prefecture, Shikoku island). He was renown as a master swordsman, but for the most part, not considered a samurai of much importance. History would later show a very different story.

Like Saigo of the previous post, Ryoma was drawn into the anti-Tokugawa shogunate movement in this home region. When efforts to break away from the shogunate were uncovered, Ryoma was forced into exile as ronin. During this time period, Ryoma "crossed paths" with Katsu Kaishu - an important official in the Tokugawa shogunate. When I say "crossed paths" it really means he was going to assassinate him, but somehow, Kaishu was able to turn the tables and show Ryoma the futility in trying to "expel the barbarians." Kaishu believed that Japan could not stop invading forces without modernizing its military forces. Ironically, they could not do this with out the help from other parties from the West.

A Genyo-era plushie: Kitty as Ryoma-kun, representing the popular ronin warrior-turned-negotiator and the Shikoku region.

So instead of assassinating Kaishu, Ryoma worked with him to establish a Naval Academy in Kobe, Japan. Ryoma was a faithful follower of Kaishu but this did not change his view of the Tokugawa shogunate. This would eventually force Ryoma to flee once again as the shogunate grew more and more apprehensive over outbreaks of subversive activity.

As fate would have it, Ryoma fled further south to Kagoshima where anti-Tokugawa sentiments were stronger and becoming more organized. Perhaps his time with Kaishu had changed him from master swordsman to master negotiator because Ryoma was able to do what was thought of as impossible; he negotiated a secret alliance between the enemy domains of Satsuma (Saigo's territory) and Choshu. This alliance and its forces would be key to the downfall of the shogunate.

In this double netsuke version of Ryoma, Daisy appears in a pretty pink kimono as Ryoma's equally famous bride, Oryo, a maid servant who according to legend helped Ryoma escape an assassination attempt by Tokugawa forces. Their trip to a hot spring in Satsuma (at Saigo's invitation) following their wedding is said to the first Honeymoon in Japan.

Unlike Saigo, Ryoma was not seeking to preserve the feudal system and practices of the samurai. He envisioned a democratic government like the United States, and recognized that Japan could not survive against foreign invaders as long as it remained a disjointed group of feudal domains. Additionally, he did not support the political annihilation of the Tokugawa regime. Hard for me as a non-history major to discern what his motives were but it may have been fear of the Satsuma/Choshu region gaining too much power or the risk of civil war and foreign intervention that moved Ryoma to quickly negotiate a peaceful resignation of the Shogun.

In his own letters to his sister, Ryoma knew that due to his actions and efforts, he would not live a long life and certainly the fluidity of his political views earned him more enemies than devoted friends. While the life of being a masterless samurai offered him no monetary and physical protection, it did offer the ability to act on his own set of political beliefs and vision of Japan's future. Sadly, at the age of 32, Ryoma was assassinated by a pro-Tokugawa group.

Saigo Takamori - The Real "Last Samurai"

2009-08-07T18:23:00.023-04:00

Back in 2003 I saw the movie "The Last Samurai" starring Ken Watanabe in the title role. The screenplay was inspired by the somewhat romanticized legend of a samurai by the name of Saigo Takamori who was literally one of the last true samurai of Japan.

Saigo Takamori was born in 1827, Kagoshima, Japan. He was a low ranking samurai in the Satsuma region whose rise up the ranks was a bit of a mess. For a while he was even banished to the Amami Islands for "anti-shogunate" activities, but was eventually pardoned and sent back "to work."

Emerging from the mists, Katsumoto (Ken Watanabe) sees his vision of the white tiger in the form of John Algren. Of course this is all the beautiful fictional work of screenwriters, but it works for me.

From the 12th up until the 19th century, Japan's true ruling power rested in the military and its "commander and chief", the Shogun. The Emperor, on the other hand, was considered more of a symbolic or ceremonial leader. However, Japan's increasing contact with the West set off a series of "cause and effect" reactions that eventually led to the end of the Shogunate and the restoration of the Emperor.

While the Portuguese left their imprint on Japan during the 17th century (like the tasty cakes of the previous post), it wasn't until Commodore Perry's arrival in 1854 that Japan was forced to deal with the rest of the world and its place in the West's obsession with manifest destiny.

Food tie-in: Kitty as Saigo makes an appearance on a box of a Kagoshima specialty; Satsuma Age or fried fish cakes. The illustration on the box shows "Kitty-as-Saigo" with canine companion overlooking Kagoshima Bay and the volcano Sakurajima. They are eating delicious fried fish cakes as one of Admiral Perry's "Black Boats" floats in the background.

Needless to say, not everyone was ready to accept the West's entry into their ports especially under implied military force and they grew resentful of the Shogunate's inability to resist Perry's threats and the terms of the Harris Treaty . The shogunate's critics cried sonnō jōi or "Revere Emperor, Expel the Barbarians!" Japan needed to close its doors, preserve its tradition as well as rebuild its strength before allowing the foreigners back in. Within their slogan, it was clear. The shogunate had failed as Japan's leader and it was time to bring unified Japan back to the Emperor.

Although Saigo Takamori began his early exploits in support of the Tokugawa shogunate in Satsuma (modern-day Kagoshima), he eventually found his role in the efforts to restore the Emperor.

Unable to withstand the pressures from foreign and internal threats, Tokugawa Yoshinobu agreed to step down from his role as Japan's ruling shogun and thus restoring the Emperor as Japan's leader. However the Tokugawa family still retained much of its ruling power.

To make a very long and complicated story somewhat short and sweet, there were some who strongly argued that the shogunate needed to be abolished and the Tokugawa family be stripped of its lands. Saigo Takamori, a samurai from the Satsuma domain (now modern-day Kagoshima) was one of the strongest proponents of this belief. Despite his early exploits as defender of the shogunate, he would successfully prevent the Tokugawa regime from ever posing a threat to the new government.

However, the tides were changing for Saigo. Despite his participation in overthrowing the old system, Saigo saw the new ruling body turning too far from the original goals of preservation. The new government's commitment to modernization and establishing new international identity was starting to threaten the way of the warrior. A conscripted imperial army was now the defender of Japan's figure head and there was no place for the samurai and therefore no privileges. Their way of life was coming to an end. Saigo resigned from his new government position and returned Satsuma.

Like his statue in Ueno Park, Tokyo, Saigo-Kitty strikes a pose with his/her canine companion.

Although Saigo retreated, he established a kind samurai academy in Kagoshima for the disaffected warrior. It's from this point in Saigo's life that John Logan and Edward Zwick draw inspiration for their character Katsumoto in their movie "The Last Samurai". In his academies, Chinese classics and Bushido were taught as well as weapons training, both traditional and modern. Soon the one academy turned into 132 academies and the new government was starting to grow concerned over Saigo's influence in the Satsuma region. Trouble was already surfacing around the region and they saw an organized revolt led by the popular Saigo as a real threat.

After a failed assassination attempt on Saigo by government envoys, the situation quickly escalated into an open conflict. Students of Saigo's academies were running raids on the local arsenals in both protest to the government's restrictions and in preparation for revolt. Meanwhile, Saigo became the reluctant leader of what was now being called the Satsuma Rebellion.

Needless to say (especially if you've seen "The Last Samurai") things turn out rather tragically for Saigo and his fellow warriors. While the historical context gets a bit sketchy, the sentiments of these warriors running down the hill to face certain death as samurai may be quite true.

Saigo's last stand has come to symbolize the end of the way of the true Samurai. However, not all of Saigo's mythos fall into the category of tragedy. Written accounts describe him as imposing in stature; over 6 feet tall and rather husky. He was said to have commanded both honor and respect by his actions rather than in words or force. Like the Logan/Zwick version, Saigo has become a symbol of honor, bravery and wisdom in the face of a changing world.

Nagasaki Kasutera: Thank You Portugal!!

2009-08-06T08:07:00.015-04:00

Kitty and Daisy in ruffs, galligaskins and cloaks? A carrack in a harbor? What's going on? It must be about food, right?

One of the things that tend to end up along with Hello Kitty items in my international internet shopping cart are special sweets and cakes. While some end up being a permanent part of my associated Kitty collection (meaning unedible and fossilized) some never make it past the box it was shipped in. Japanese sponge cake is one of those things.

Kasutera (also called Castella) was introduced to Japan by the Portuguese back in the 16th century. It's name relates back to it's original Portuguese pão-de-ló or bread of Castille. Unlike its modern French cousin, this cake is slightly denser and kept moist by the use of starch syrup or honey. It is eaten unadorned by strawberries and whipped cream (the combo I expect with my understanding of western spongecake) and is often paired with a spot of tea.

Nothing more disconcerting slicing up a piece of this tasty, eggy cake and finding a Hello Kitty face. I guess she's trying to compete with San-X's NyanNyako designs. While I love my collection, I have to admit, these ball-bearing appendages mystify me.

Nagasaki is regarded as the homeland of Kasutera. Thanks to its geographical location and the political independence of its surrounding smaller islands, Nagasaki was open to foreign trade during Japan's "Sakoku" period. This allowed the Portuguese to introduce many new things to Japan like sugar, firearms, tobacco and a tasty cake that could be preserved for long sea voyages.

On the flip side, Kitty's backside bears the proud stamp of a Nagaski Kasutera

Eventually, the Portuguese came under the suspicious eye of the ruling daimyo Hideyoshi who didn't like the possibility of his unification plans being thwarted by Christian missionaries. The Portuguese missionaries and eventually merchants were expelled, but their influences remained.

There are lots of recipes out there in internet-land and the truly devoted home cook strives to improve their techniques so the results can compare to the Kasutera Standard: Bunmeido. Another company website (Fukusaya) has a rather impressive flash video of the "mass production" that goes on in their bakery, but it doesn't look like the kind of mass production I'm used to seeing when it comes to a Hostess Twinkie.

Check out the video

The 47 Ronin: Kitty Goes Commando

2009-05-14T21:34:00.013-04:00

SUMMER IS FINALLY HERE!! Back to Kitty cata-blogging. Actually, this post has been sitting on my desktop waiting for some formatting and linkage, but in noticed that this particular mascot had versions in two different regions so that made things both confusing and fascinating. Thanks to the internet angels. The version that I have in my collection is from the Kansai region, but there are two "seasonal" version that appear in the Kanto region. The actual story will explain the reason for the region-straddling Kitty.

Following the civil war amongst the various daimyos, Japan was moving towards reunification and the reestablishment of a centralized, imperial government. For the working warrior, that meant that politics and diplomacy were replacing the battlefield and bureaucracy was becoming the weapon of choice. Trying to fully define the meaning of being a warrior during this time was wee bit removed from the usual "good soldier" routine. The tried and true warrior was in need of a revamp or a total recall. Following story is what Kitty refers to as to total recall of bushido.

Because of the years of civil war, the ruling shogunate liked to keep a very tight leash on various daimyos by ordering them to live alternate years in their ruling domain, and in the capitol of Edo, close to the Shogun... where he could keep a wary eye on them. This was known as Sankin kotai. It was during one of these alternate living stints that the story begins.

The daimyo of Ako (Lord asano Naganori) was ordered to receive envoys from the royal court. To ensure the reception befit the stature of the shogun's envoys, a master of protocol (Kira) was assigned to instruct Asano on proper court etiquette.

The long and short of it is the two fellas did not hit it off. Kira was rude, Asano was stoic until he couldn't take it anymore. Asano took a swing at him (albeit with his sword). Needless to say this was a big no-no during a period when the changing face of government was doing its best to weaken its potential rivals. Even though Kira survived the attack, Asano was sentenced to death by the legendary seppuku or ritual suicide).

In addition to his death sentence, Asano's land would be confiscated and his samurai ordered to disperse - to become masterless samurai. This did not sit well with Asano's loyal samurai back in Ako and they vowed vengeance.

AKOH CASTLE, HYOGO PREFECTURE

In all versions, Kitty appears as Oishi Kuranosuke, the leader and driving force behind the act of the 47 ronin. In the more dramatic retelling of the story, Oishi took on the role of a drunken womanizer as part of the plan to lull Kira into a false sense of security. I'm sure Kitty doesn't hold much with such dramatic license. She wears the the coat of the Edo fireman and bears the family crest of Lord Asano.

As the story goes, 47 of Asano's most loyal samurai set into motion a long term plan to avenge their master. They dispersed and pretended to be living as drifters, gamblers, drinkers and trouble-makers. After two years, their "activities" as ronin were convincing enough to put the ever-paranoid Kira at ease. Now it was time to set the plan in motion.

On a wintery morning, disguised as Edo firemen, the ronin marched their way to Kira's compound. They found Kira hiding in a charcoal shed and offered him the choice of dying in a manner befitting his stature (in other words, seppuku) but he would not respond. Let's just say, the ronin helped Kira meet his end and took his head back to their master's grave at the Senjaku-ji temple to let him know he had been avenged and his family's honor restored.

Kitty (as Oishi) carries the drum that will signal the attack on Kira's compound. Her fellow ronin have been instructed to split into two groups (half in the front, half in the back). Once in place, Kitty bangs the drum and the battle begins

In Hollywood, the story would end here with honor restored and the warriors riding off into the sunset. Unfortunately, this is Japanese-Warrior theatre (the stuff of Kurosawa and John Ford) and the vengeance is just act II. The climax is the ethical quandry that arises when honor conflicts with laws of order. On the side of honor, the ronin had remained faithful to their master and to the code of bushido. However, they had disobeyed the laws of the Shogunate. There was a great deal of public sympathy for the ronin so the Shogunate needed to show that their rule was still absolute, but not without respect for sentiment for their acts as warriors.

Like their master, the ronin were sentenced to death by seppuku --meaning that they would be mortally punished for their defiance of the laws, but would recognized and honored as true samurai. Their bodies were laid to rest in front of their master's tomb in Sengaku-ji.

To this day the act of these samurai are honored every year on December 14th at Senjaku Temple in Tokyo (which probably explains the two regional versions of this legendary Cat).

The story of the 47 Ronin inspired a number of classic kabuki, bunraku plays in addition to modern movie and televsion adaptions. The latest rumor? Keanu Reeves as Oishi. Oi! I prefer Kitty. She understands and demonstrates cultural context in this adapted watercolor of a ronin.

Back-to-School Interruptus

2008-09-23T07:16:00.021-04:00

Once again its Fall and I was caught in the spell of going back to work. Needless to say, I completely forgot Tsukimi this year and a number of happy fall rites. Fortunately there's still time for Thanksgiving!

Before I continue with more martial-art inspired kitties, I should at least announce the autumnal equinox with some kitties that I've wanted to post for awhile. In and of themselves, they look pretty ordinary. What catches my collector-mania is the artwork. As a result, I have a large collection of these kitties, so this may be the most image heavy post in a while.

Yuyake Kitty is a reoccurring part of Asunaro-sha's "promotional" series that screams back-to-school, or at least that's the feeling I get from these sun-tanned mascots and uniformed plushies. When I look at the artwork, it reminds me of the so-called magic hour of the day when dusk is approaching. It means that summer is ending and school begins. I feel the weight of my old nylon back pack, my blue, three-ring binder starting to rip the zipper stitches out because it never really fits in anything, and finally, noticing that the days are growing shorter and a little colder.

In this close up of a phone mascot, Kitty sports the classic Japanese school bag - a more expensive, but ergonomic and book friendly carrier.

Back from school (maybe a Friday) and ready to play. Looking forward to that weekend!

Ah...the weekends and that fresh, open feeling of a carefree morning.

Its Saturday, so let's do a little hula hoop then head over to the street vendors and eat some shaved ice.

These kitties also remind me of the joy of weekends. As a somewhat grown-up adult, weekends are all about catching up on all the things I couldn't do during the week. But when I was a youngling, weekends were a non-stop carnival. While I never learned how to use the hula hoop, I did do my share of pogo sticks, bongo boards and jump-rope.

The untanned plushies hide behind some garden harvests (eh, a little wimpy, but still trying)

I'm old enough to belong to a generation that had a neighborhood candy store that had a soda fountain. I bought all sorts of treats and candies like wax lips, Zots (precursor to pop rocks) screaming tiger tails (a type of long balloon that shrieked when you let the air out), Pixie sticks, Razzles and Fun Dip. If I was lucky and had a quarter, I might splurge and buy a can of soda or a blue Slush Puppy. My teeth hurt just thinking about all that sugar....

After a long week at school when Kitty finally comes home knowing that free days are coming her way, she likes to kick back with a cold Ramune and some of these egg biscuits/cookies

After a festive dinner, Kitty moves on to some hard partying with her can-walkers. You know I don't know what the name is for these things? I had a pair myself, but I just called them my-cans! Even after a big dinner, Kitty's can work out spikes her sweet tooth for a donut-like treat called karintou. The cakes are dipped in dark brown sugar.

Sugar-rush: In addition to some shaved ice, this phone mascot also features a small bag of suzu kasutera or bell-shaped cakes. I noticed this cute little cakes turn up on an episode of Star Trek Voyager - some kind of alien food that Neelix offered the Doctor. They're certainly cute, delicious and not at all alien.

On the healthier side of things, Kitty likes to round off her sweets with some roasted mame or beans. Broad beans, soy beans and peas are dry-roasted and offer a salty finishing note to her sugary day.

What makes Kitty such a pro with the hula hoop? Hot wasabi peas, dried like the roasted beans and coated with a crunchy wasabi coating.

I suppose after Saturday's overindulgence in sweets and spicy treats, Kitty brings it down a few notches. A peaceful Sunday is spent hosting a genteel tea party and the offering of tummy-settling hardtack biscuits.

Although the following youtube video is not kitty-related, its definitely one of those wonderful back-to-school ads that I love to see again and again!

Priceless

Kitty as the White TigerTigress of Kai, that is...

2008-06-13T21:41:00.036-04:00

There she is, invading a classic painting of the Warlord Shingen Takeda
I saw Kung Fu Panda last weekend and its no surprise that I loved it. It rolled together my favorite subjects into a fuzzy, giant, tempura-battered futomaki of joy. It was a trifecta of cuteness, food and chop-saki humor. Let the recent Disney/Dreamworks box office smash be a yet another gentle nudge to the Asunaro designers to create a martial-art Kitty. Look how good a cat looks when they focus their ki/chi.

As I watched Tigress and then Tai Lung (a snow leopard) shake their tails in the movie theater, I thought this was the perfect time to talk about Japanese Regional Hello Kitty's version of Shingen Takeda.

Her plushie doesn't quite pull-off the whole "tigress-warlord" thing. She looks a little sheepish and squished in her samurai gear, but still powerfully cute.
During the 16th century, Takeda was a powerful Daimyo or feudal lord over Kai and Shinano provinces (modern day Yamanashi and Nagano prefectures respectively). This was a time of constant conflict amongst the various Daimyos across Japan. The ruling government in Kyoto was losing power as the outlying territories were enjoying economic prosperity and a strong desire for power and independence. Takeda held a strategic geographical hotspot for the clans that wanted to supplant the current government and rule over all the feudal territories. Anyone to his "West" would have to get through him and his forces if they wanted to enter Kyoto.

Takeda was a bit of a contradiction. He was a great military strategist, and quite a ruthless warrior (nicknamed the Tiger of Kai), but he was also a great civil administrator and an accomplished artist. Like Musashi himself, Takeda was master of the pen-and-ink as well as the sword. His fair and consistent application of criminal laws and taxation gained him popularity and loyalty from his subjects. Ironically, many of his administrative systems would be adopted by the very shogunate that ended his clan's preeminence.

Kitty gets ready to oversee the great battles. She brandishes her war fan or Dansen Uchiwa- ready to signal her troops and block those pesky little flying arrow-thingies. Behind her, the black banners bear the Takeda mon or family crest and gives testament to her studies of the great martial strategist, Sun Tzu's writings. The characters are Fu Rin Ka Zan: Swift as the Wind, Stolid as the Forest, Fierce as Fire, Immovable as the Mountains
Okay, so I've covered two of the trifecta of the giant tempura-battered futomaki of joy: chopsaki humor and cuteness. Now let's talk about Shingen and food.

In this phone strap mascot, Shingen-Kitty is holding some grapes in her left paw, a specialty of the Yamanashi prefecture.
One of the things I've caught on to with regional omiyage is the branding and pairing of historical subjects and regional food specialties. However, when it comes to Shingen and food, we enter into a very intense pairing. Rice cakes, crackers, sweet cakes, peaches, plums, grapes, even the Houtou noodle dish are paired with Shingen. The pairings normally fall in the line of "he liked this so let's put his image on the packaging." Sometimes there are fanciful stories - like the one about how he instructed a cook to make rice in a fashion that would allow troops to carry it for long periods without it going bad (hence the mythical birth of the Shingen senbei). A reasonable mythology attributed to the strategist and civil administrator. But then there comes the plethora of sweets! It makes me wonder if this guy had been Dionysus in another life.

I briefly introduced a zipper mascot back in 2005. Now that I have a better camera and better context, I felt like this one deserved a little revisit
This mascot is "preeminent" for me because I found out about this wondrous treat on a blog that inspired me to blog. Anyways, Kitty pops out of the famous Kikyou-ya bag that would normally hold a few furoshiki wrapped servings of soft mochi, roasted soybean powder and a molasses-like syrup called kuromitsu.

Like the Kikyou-ya packages, this version of Shingen Mochi uses the wonderful Kitty artwork on the outside and inside. The tigress appears on the plastic furoshiki style wrappers.
Another company, Kinseiken has a version of the Shingen Mochi that uses the Gotochi era artwork for its bag and furoshiki wrapper. The toothpicks look a bit 'obento-generic' but it's all Kitty. I haven't eaten the Kikyouya or Kitty versions, but I have had the Kinseiken version. Tasty, but like Chika describes in her blog, the best part really is the fun of opening the tiny little servings and tailor-making your teeny treat.

There is a a kind of rice cracker paired Shingen as well. Unlike the rice crackers or sembei that we're used to eating here in the States, these are more like cookies than crackers.. actually more like a pizzelle. They are made with egg and flour and tend to be slightly sweet.

In addition to the Shingen mochi in the Genyo-era Kitty packaging, Kinseiken offers these Danzen Uchiwa shaped wafers in "grown-up" versions and Kitty versions. The "White Tigress of Kai"'s face is prominently stamped on these sweet things.
The Yamanashi region is also famous for grapes and peaches. That offers even more examples of sweets available flavored or filled with fruits that bear the traditional images of Shingen Takeda on their packaging. While I couldn't find Kitty versions of some of the more interesting sounding cakes (peach-shaped manju, plum mochi packaged like the Shingen Mochi), Gotochi offered up some simple but tasty butter cookies with the White Tigress of Kai.

At last the trifecta is complete. I am hungry...

Summer Vacation

2008-06-05T14:31:00.014-04:00

Sketching Kitty White and my sunflowers while watching CSI reruns: summer is really here
Ah yes...
Summer is here and for me this means off-season and that equals time-off!! Time to do the things I should be doing (other web-based projects, video editing, fix-me house projects) and the things I really want to do (tend to my fledgling sunflowers, doodle Kitty and Kogepan while I watch CSI, cook, blog, have a life) when the season is going full-throttle.

I will be getting back to some more obscurely aikido-related Kitties in the following weeks (Shingen Takeda and the 47 Ronin) but to kick off my Kitty-blogging return I thought I'd post on a regional Kitty that best describes my enthusiasm for this time of year.

KARUIZAWA RETRO KITTY VERSION

Karuizawa is in Nagano Prefecture, Japan. Once a busy and important stopping point between Edo (old Tokyo) and Kyoto during the shogunate era, Karuizawa has been reborn as a favorite summer retreat for Tokyo-ites looking to escape the heat of summer and the energy of city life.

Canadian missionary Alexander Kroft Shaw is credited with "re-branding" Karuizawa as a resort area. It's said that he found the climate and landscape reminiscent of his own home country, so in 1877 he built a summer villa there for himself and his family. He encouraged fellow missionaries and westerners to do the same and soon Karuizawa's new life as the Hamptons began.

Only and hour train ride away from her home in Tokyo, Kitty will spend most of her summer "weekending" at her villa in Happy Valley, Karuizawa. She likes to hike and play tennis, but her favorite pastime is to ride her bike on tree-lined, flag stone paths. She finds the sounds of nature relaxing and it gives her a chance to reflect on her life and the things she needs to work on when she returns to her city life. She also gets a wicked tan.

Nagano Prefecture is the second largest producer of apples in Japan and some say they are better than the Fujis... guess I'll have to do a taste test, but in the meantime, I'll enjoy looking at these tiny, fuzzy versions.

Cute and Cutting: Musashi Kitty and Aikido

2007-08-22T16:44:00.001-04:00

I know enough about Aikido to get myself in to a lot of trouble so I'll try not to go into too much detail about it's roots in the various martial arts of Japan. Suffice it to say, the founder Morihei Ueshiba was trained in a number of the martial arts of the samurai. I'll let the experts argue over which art influenced him the most, but one art that is pervasive in Aikido is the art of the sword.

Most people don't associate the sword with Aikido, but it is there literally in the Iwama tradition (Aikiken) and in many of the taijutsu or "empty-handed" techniques. Attacks simulate sword strikes and many techniques are in response to multiple attacks/attackers - something you'd expect to find on the battle field or if you're Steven Seagal or in a Jason Bourne movie. Partner practices often involve wrist locks and grabs - not exactly life-threatening, but to a swordsman, a wrist grab usually meant you might not be able to draw the sword.

There are many, many links between "culture of the sword" and Aikido, but it goes well beyond my comprehension and the scope of regional Hello Kitty. Nevertheless, since Genyo and Gotochi released a number of sword and samurai regional Kitties it bears the cross-referencing. Eventually there will be a food connection made depending on how hungry I get...

My reinterpretation of a classic depiction of Musashi
When it comes to the sword, one name comes up as THE big kahuna: Miyamoto Musashi. He is somewhat of an archetype of the samurai character - in youth he is violent, volatile, boastful and careless; but in his twilight, he is centered, focused, humble and peaceful. In his late writings, Musashi writes about the continued pursuit of mastery and how this feeds into other aspects of life; the ultimate goal is to find harmony between "strategy and skill."

His most famous duel was with another accomplished swordsman by the name of Kojiro. Kojiro showed up to the duel with a large samurai sword. Musashi, on the other hand showed up with a bokken or wooden sword made from the boat oar he had previously used to row his boat to the duel. In Aikido, some traditions train with this type of wooden sword.

I believe the Kojiro duel is the subject of this Musashi Kitty from the Yamaguchi region. Despite having her traditional swords with her, Kitty comes ashore with her paddle/bokken bearing the name of Miyamoto Musashi. For a small plush, Kitty displays an very good ken kamae or sword stance!

A Kitty Version I'd Love to See...

2007-08-16T14:40:00.001-04:00

Been busy the past six months dealing with life's usual surprises, unsure at times whether I'd manage to stay afloat amidst an unending stream of bizarre dramas. Nevertheless, I did keep my head up with lots of help from good friends, family and some good things. One of those things (that also include some good people) is Aikido -- that Steven-Seagal-martial-art-thingie that no one can really describe in one sentence. Unfortunately, neither Genyo or Gotochi have taken advantage of this "peaceful warrior" theme and quite frankly, I think Kitty is the perfect spokes... err... thing for Aikido. She's gentle, grounded, calm and aware amidst chaos. Her uncanny sense of "kawaii" is her powerful connection to ki.

Even though there is no O Sensei Kitty, Hombu Dojo Kitty or even an Iwama Kitty, I thought I could sneak in a few Aikido-related regional/limited Kitty versions over the next few posts. This way I can pay hommage to the two things that have made me laugh and kept me dancing circles through the fire (Kitties and Aikido respectively). In the meantime perhaps Gotochi might take on the challenge of Aikido Kitty mascots!

Here are just a few of the regional/limited Kitties that pay hommage to warriors, peaceful, not-so-peaceful, historical and mythological. All of them share a role as a source of teachings for many of the Japanese martial arts. Backrow (left to right): a ninja, a shinsengumi, Shingen Takeda, Sakamoto Ryoma and Saigo Takamori. Front row: Mushashi, "author" of the Five Rings

Next Post: Cute and Cutting - Musashi Kitty

Udon: Soul Food?

2007-05-31T21:31:00.004-04:00

I think one of the reasons why regional kitties continue to catch my fancy is because of their link to the tradition of souvenirs-as-gifts or omiyage. When a traveler returns home or to work, they will bring a small item from their trek, usuallly representing a regional specialty. These regional specialty items are referred to as meibutsu. This way, the traveler is able to share their experience with family, friends and coworkers and pay their respects for those who didn't get to tag a long or didn't get the time off... good Kitty, good manners.

Often times the meibutsu is a specialty food that often times has a story behind it -- like "soul food" in this country. Historically, soul food has a very specific definition, but for those who actually make it and eat it? Its about a connection to the regional agriculture, family/cultural roots and a strong sense of the food having some spiritual connection to the heart (has to be made with love/attention) and soul (intent/purpose).

I saw a food-themed movie from Japan called "Udon" - perhaps my favorite noodle variety. It is the story of a prodigal-like son who returns to his hometown of Sanuki after failing to make it as a comedian in New York City. His homecoming isn't quite what he hoped it to be. His surly father, a seemingly unimaginative udon maker is quick to remind his son of his insults to the family business before he ran off to the States.

"HOW TO MAKE UDON"

Sequence from the movie "Udon" featuring the making of this wonderful noodles

It's hardly an original story to be told, but I loved it. Any story told via the medium of food has my attention. Combine it with a favorite food, I'm ready to give it four stars. Anyways, as the story continues, the lost son takes an unintentional pilgrimage around the region to obstensively report on the various hidden Udon stands and slowly begins to find his way home and back to his family.

The movie boldly states that Udon is the true soul food of Japan -- not sushi! And just how does this movie go about convincing us? Well, let's have Kitty take over on that one...

The Spiritual Roots of Udon:
Kukai, 8th century Buddhist Kahuna and Noodle Dude

Kitty appears as two of Sanuki's most famous treasures - Kukai and a bowl of udon.

Born in the Sanuki region of Shikoku, Kukai came from a well-to-do family. Time had reduced the families influence in Court, so they groomed the young Kukai for a future in Court politics. Despite their best efforts, Kukai showed more of an interest in spiritual matters and eventually abandoned his studies and literally headed for the mountains for meditation and spiritual studies. Eventually, Kukai was able to wrangle a spot in on a government mission to China. It would be here where Kukai would begin his studies in esoteric Buddhism AND learn about the dumpling that would eventually become Sanuki's Udon.

The udon legends say that when Kukai returned from China and was sharing his spiritual revelations, he also shared the recipe for noodle dumplings with local farmers. Perhaps it was Kukai's influence or more likely the climate of the region (little rainfall that makes rice cultivation difficult) that made Sanuki spiritual home of udon. Many in Japan will travel to the region just to taste the "real thing."

There is another soul-food link to the noodle. People will travel to Sanuki and the island of Shikoku is to take the Shikoku Henro. This is a pilgrimage made to the 88 temples and sacred places that encircle the island of Shikoku. It is meant to recreate the steps that Kukai made in his search for truth. Traditionally, this pilgrimage is taken on foot, covering a distance of 1200 kilometers, taking about 30-40 days. This trip is by no means a pleasure hike through the beautiful scenery of the island. It is a long, arduous journey that is meant to break down the body and the barriers of the mind. It is in those moments of being stripped of illusions that many believe healing and enlightenment can be received.

Kitty prepares for the arduous pilgrimage in full ohenro garb. Her bag bears the words "two traveling together", reminding her that Kukai will be with her on this journey.

The pilgrim or ohenro-san is traditionally clad in a white (the "uniform" of the pilgrim), carrying a walking staff (a reminder that Kukai is with them, ready to offer guidance when the pilgrim falters). The traditional garb also let's everyone know that these travelers are here for the pilgrimage and should be treated with respect. Often times locals will offer gifts of aid or osettai - this can be money, food or a place to rest. Not surprisingly, some towns on the route will offer free udon to the weary traveller - yet another reminder that Kukai is always with them. Now how's that for soul food?

REGIONAL UDON

Kitty's most recent Nagoya Kishimen Udon mascot

Udon is served in a variety of ways -- a reflection of the region they are prepared in. For instance, Nagoya is famous for their miso and also their Nagoya Cochin breed of chicken so one of the ways that udon is prepared is with miso and chicken stock. The noodles themselves are also wider than most udon and is called "Kishimen."

Here are a couple of examples of regional styles of udon, offered in the wonderful hands of Kitty White. As usual, companies like Gotochi are quick to take advatage of the triple threat of a gift that'll fit the omiyage criteria, tastes good and cute to boot.

Nagoya

Here's an impulse purchase - Nagoya Kishimen noodles with a keepsake ceramic bowl. The noodles were delicious and I always eat udon in that bowl.

Here's an example of another kind of Nagoya Kishimen a la Kitty White.

I was lucky to get a hold a few of these Kitty themed regional food items, but there are so many to chose from - a lot of them packaged with the imaginative artwork of the Gotochi artists. Many items don't have a long shelf life so I will leave that area of Regional Kitty collection to more able hands. Here's a webpage that covers the arena of regional okashi (snacks and candies) and it includes some Gotochi items as well as a section on Regional Kitty Noodles

Are you hungry yet? I hope so because I have grown to appreciate what a real comfort food udon can be in its simple, clean taste and when you stop to think about the history and influences around this noodle. If you're hungry enough and hopefully inspired to try some, consider trying to make your own udon...
If you've only had the premade stuff that comes frozen in your local Asian market, or the dried stuff on supermarket shelves, you owe it to yourself to experience a close brush with udon's true koshi -- the texture and bite of hand-made udon. The recipe is REALLY simple, but it takes some elbow grease and patience.

Maki's "Just Hungry" Blog: Kitsune Udon

Shine on Harvest Moon

2007-05-03T16:28:00.002-04:00

In 2006, the Harvest Moon appeared on October 6th. What a beauty!

Foiled again. Here it is, Spring-time and I am still trying to catch up with my autumnal kitties. Might as well not fight it and keep going with what I had originally intended. At this rate of posting I will eventually catch up with my seasonal efforts

Anyways, the next post that was supposed to follow the Aki no Mikaku kitties was my attempt at celebrating the first full moon of Autumn or Jugoya. This date is said to be the 15th of August on the Lunar Calendar which puts it roughly in September-early October. The practice of moon viewing was introduced to Japan via China during the Heian period. Its hard for me to decipher the early days of these moon viewing parties (o-tsukimi) but from what I can tell is that when it found its way to Japan it was first practiced by the nobility with poetry compositions and music inspired by the light of the full moon. However the rural farming classes soon adopted this event as part of their harvest season celebrations and rites. Today, tsukimi has a mixture of both the aristocratic and agrarian practices. Poetry, music and the drinking of sake are still enjoyed as well as offerings of round mochi (tsukimi dango), seasonal foods and displays of beautiful pampas grass and bush clover. Sadly, it has been noted that the tradition of tsukimi is fading in fading in Japan, but hopefully the younger, more globally-minded generations will give this tradition another resurgence.

Strangely enough, my familiarity with harvest moon celebrations comes from the Chinese tradition than Japanese. My family did not celebrate this event when I was growing up and my first introduction to it came from our extended family. My brother's wife and her family would bring us huge oranges, moon cakes and a tin of White Rabbit candies. When I started taking a closer look at Japanese celebrations I recognized their roots.

Trying to put together a tsukimi party was a chance for me to try out some new recipe ideas, eat lotus seed cakes and, oh yeah, celebrate the first full moon of Autumn. It would be a chance to herald in a season that shows up so subtly in Florida, and perhaps subtly in places and times that have become so far removed from nature and our dependence on what it provides us in terms of sustenance. It would also fuse together my original understanding of the Chinese celebration (the moon as a symbol of reunion of families) and a new found interest in my family roots.

The White Rabbit or Usagi

Kitty appears as the "rabbit in the moon". In the Japanese version of harvest moon celebrations it is said that if you look closely at the dark parts of the moon, you will be able to make out the shape of a rabbit pounding rice cakes. In the Chinese tradition, the rabbit is said to be making a magic elixir for the princess of the moon.

Tsukimi Kitty

Kitty introduces us to the most traditional elements of a proper moon viewing party: she holds the beautiful pampas grass (a symbol of Autumn) in her hands and sits beside an offering of round mochi

A close up of the Kitty's traditional offering of tsukimi-dango on a sanpo

Since I was going through a wagashi phase in the fall I decided to be a little more adventurous with my tsukimi-dango. I used a gyuhi mochi wrapped around a sesame seed infused bean jam. They looked better than they tasted. Back to the drawing board

I didn't have any sanpos so I improvised with some bamboo trays that are meant for sushi. Rather than try to find the specific food offerings that would have been made in Japan, I opted to display the foods that I associated with autumn and with my memories of the Chinese version. One small lotus seed moon cake represents that piece of the puzzle. It was very tastey too!

Kitty makes a "subtle, yet profound" appearance as the egg-as-moon in our harvest moon festivities - I made tsukimi udon (the presence of an egg is all I need to call it that). I will cover the joys of regional udon in the next post.

Princess of the Moon

Again, the Japanese and the Chinese legends concerning the harvest moon intertwine. In China there are a few versions of how a princess named Chang'e swallows a pill of immortality and flies to the moon. In Japan, the story turns to a special princess that is found in a shining stalk of bamboo by a poor bamboo cutter. She brings great joy and wealth to her adoptive parents, creates romantic havoc for many arrogant suitors and eventually breaks the hearts of all when she must return to her true home, the moon.

I have yet to purchase the battery, but this cute little version of Kaguyahime will light up at the push of this button. Its just as the story tells!

Aki no Mikaku - The Tastes of Autumn

2006-09-20T19:17:00.001-04:00

If you haven’t noticed already, my Kitty mania seems to be bleeding into a recent obsession with Japanese food. Rather than try to separate the two topics and make a lame attempt at a foodie-blog (I'll leave that to the real foodies) I thought this would be the perfect time to focus on the Regional Kitty food items I’ve been able to get my hands on as well as the mascots that celebrate some of my favorites.

The past couple of posts have featured wagashi and there's more snacks and sweets to explore, but for this post, I want to focus in on Autumn and some of the wonderful foods associated with this season.

AKI NO MIKAKU - Tastes of Autumn
In the past, Genyo & Gotochi released a series of limited mascots that celebrated the food staples that represent the clarion call for Autumn in Japan.

Chestnuts (Kuri)

Kitty as Kuri is one of the few larger plushes I wanted to add to my collection. She is a fully encased chestnut or "kuri". Chestnuts are used in a number of sweets both traditional and western-influenced. However, the one dish that I think connects chestnuts to the arrival of autumn is Kurigohan or chestnuts cooked with rice.

Matsutake Mushrooms

Kitty introduces us to the Rolls-Royce of Mushrooms and the "king of autumn flavors" the matsutake mushrooms. Matsutakes have a full flavor and a piney-cinnamon aroma - that is what I am told. I have yet to try one! It earns its name from its favored growing spot, at the foot of pine trees. In Japan, the most highly prized ones are the kind that Kitty presents. Her cap is closed and close to the stem. If she were on the market, she could go for a few hundred dollars.

Pacific Sauri (Sanma)

Kitty poses in the grocery store as pacific saury or sanma, a slender, silver- colored, fatty fish that is often enjoyed salt-broiled or char-grilled. Unlike her autumnal counter-part, the matsutake mushroom, sanma is an inexpensive Fall food and is enjoyed by all. Read about the Sanma's comic history.

Roasted Sweet Potato (Yaki Imo)

Kitty presents herself as a fire-roasted sweet potato. It may not seem like a big deal, but I think for many Japanese people, there are many nostalgic feelings that arise when they walk down the street and hear the call 'ishiyaki imo!' or hear the song of the 'yaki-imo' man as he drives down the street in his truck. Even the most curmudgeonly hearted Scrooges will cut some slack for the yaki-imo man. It means fall is drawing to an end and winter will soon be coming.

The REal-Life Food Part: Thanks to some inspiration from the eGullet forums, I was reintroduced to a rice dish that screams of that tired-old Iron Chef phrase "subtle-yet-profound". I hadn't eaten it or seen it for years, but when the topic of takikomi gohan (losely translated to "boiled with rice") came up, I saw these wonderful photos of the posters delicious recipes. One in particular spoke to my nostalgic taste buds: rice, aburaage and mushroom cooked in a delicately seasoned rice. The color of the rice, the glossiness of the mushrooms and carrot shreds made my stomach ache with homesickenss as well as hunger. My stomach demanded that version of takikomi gohan and would not except any other. It was also making a great excuse to upgrade our rice cooker!

I can't afford to buy matsutakes (even the ones grown here in the US) so I looked in our local Whole Foods for some 'shrooms that might be in season. Alas, they seem to think that the only mushrooms that we will eat are buttons and portobellos. Oh well...Those and some dried shiitakes might do the trick.

Oita Donko
Region: Oita Prefecture, Kyushu, Japan

Kitty dresses as a very high-grade shiitake mushroom called "Donko" or winter mushroom. Her cap is thick, round and curled inwards, unlike her koshin cousin (the ones we see more frequently here in the US) which has a flared, flat cap. Oita is said to be the largest producer of these Shiitake mushrooms. This may have something to do with the fact that 70% of Oita prefecture is occupied by forest - a key to "cultivation success."

My first batch of takikomi gohan in our new Zojirushi IH rice cooker. I don't know how I could have survived so long without this cooker or this dish!

So simple and yet so delicious. How could I have forgotten this dish? My reticular activator was on red alert. I was seeing takikomi gohan everywhere. Next thing I knew, I was watching "Iron Chef America" - something I haven't done since it took the place of the original - watching Morimoto make the same mushroom, aburaage takikomi gohan...and it was in a clay pot or donabe. As I watched him carefully dish out the rice from of the center of the donabe into bowls, my stomach remembered something else - OKOGE!!

Okoge is that wonderful, chewy, sometimes crispy burnt rice that resides at the bottom and sides of a rice pan - you won't find the really good okoge at the bottom of a rice cooker since most of them are teflon coated. But if you're an experienced pro like Morimoto or just good at making rice on the stove top, okoge from takikome gohan or your favorite rice porridge is the ultimate in rice experiences! This is okoge from a teflon coated pan - it looks like good okoge, but it won't have that crispy/chewy texture

Here is a wonderful "depiction" of okoge:
http://www.oyado-sagawa.com/stay/010.html

Another Kitty Inspired Purchase

2006-08-14T22:08:00.001-04:00

I've been waiting for Gotochi/Asunaro to come out with a limited promotional line of Kitties for the summer - you know something to do with the fireworks and/or Obon season. Looks like they won't be doing anything and frankly, I'm more than a tad disappointed with their recent offerings interms of limited promotional items. It all looks rather...run-of-the-mill; something that Sanrio could have done on their own. Oh well.

Since there won't be any fun summer limited mascots for this year, I decided to re-use an old plush to introduce yet another item that this Kitty line inspired me to learn about, track down and experience for myself. This particular item is one that neither myself or my parents knew of despite its traditional roots. How we managed to live without it will forever remain one of those wonderful Kitty mysteries.

KATORI BUTA

In this 2003 Senko Hanabi version, Kitty not only displays traditional fireworks-viewing garb, she also carries the ubiquitous Katori Senko: a convenient holder for the classic Japanese mosquito repellent. It's a simple, functional item, but it works amazingly well!

What is it? Honestly, I had no idea what this item was and the only time I had seen it was with this particular Kitty line. I assumed it was a kind of small firecracker that kids might use. Boy, was I wrong.

It turns out that this strange, ceramic, pig-shaped item is a nifty little holder for mosquito coils. Instead of having a plain old coil burn away on a plate or can lid, the pig houses the coil and diffuses its steady smoke stream through its eyes, large nose and out its...ham - okay, its butt. It's also portable, which makes it even better.

My new outdoor muse, the traditional Katori Buta. A nice pair to "traditonal" blogging with pen and paper.

Growing up, my dad burned Raid mosquito coils at our summer house in Maine. He used the simple aluminum metal stand that came in the package and he'd put it on a small plate to catch the ashes. It was a sight and smell that was forever anchored to my father and to those wonderful nights in Penobscot Bay. As the years went by, Raid started making "improvements" to their coils which eventually led to us no longer using them. They tried to cover up the scent of the coil with something more "floral" and they replaced the metal stand with a plastic ring and some wire. The new improved smell was overwhelming and the new and improved stands were unstable and did not lend itself well to anything smaller than a full coil. As I look back, I'd have to say the decline of the Raid mosquito coil seemed to coincide with the decline of those magical summers. The property we rented each summer was getting sold-off piece by piece to the toffs trying to escape the Hamptons and frankly, we were all getting older and more cynical. Digging clams with your hands is pretty cool when your 5 years old, but when you're an obnoxious teenager, it's decidedly uncool.

The usual 50 piece box or 30 piece cannister with fancy insulated stand for burning coils

My Dad eventually asked his sister to send the Japanese mosquito coils or katori senko. Sometimes she'd send the big 50 packs and other times she'd send the pretty metal cannisters that included a burning stand in the lid. Othertimes, she'd try to get my Dad to try the latest mosquito repellents that used small cartridges with pleasantly mild soapy scents. He was convinced they didn't work. On top of it, I think we all kind of missed the smell and the sight of coil's smoke snaking up to the sky.

Funny, in all those years, a Katori Buta never showed up....

From the little I've gleaned off the internet, the Katori Buta has a long and distinguished history with fighting mosquitos (it even has a cameo appearance in "My Neighbor Totoro"!) Originally, cedar needles and wood chips were burned inside the ceramic pig in hopes of turning away the nasty little blighters. We had actually tried local cedar incense ourselves since not everyone in the family was wild about the sometimes choking smoke of the katori senko. However, it still didn't work as well as the katori senko.

...it looks as if it wants to say something...

When I found these pigs on eBay, I purchased two - one for myself and one for my Mom. My Dad passed away back in March so it makes me a little sad to think that I couldn't share this funny but functional item with him. He absolutely HATED mosquitoes and I think he would have had a good laugh from this as well as appreciate its usefulness. I know my mom is enjoying it as she moves about her garden - the site of many viscious mosquito attacks. Mine stays by my side when I'm out on the linae drinking coffee with my Hubby and Kitties. I watch the smoke rise from the Katori Buta and I think of those summers in Maine and, of course, of my father. No doubt had he seen it, there would have been a Buta for every room in the house.

Kyogashi? Konashi and Shiro Koshian!

2006-08-06T11:38:00.003-04:00

When I had begun my search for Yatsuhashi and other types of specialty sweets from Kyoto, I kept coming across the term "Kyogashi." At first, I thought it was just a word to denote all sweets that came from Kyoto. However, if I searched under "kyogashi," Yatsuhashi didn't appear. Why was that? Afterall, this wagashi was a specialty of Kyoto. Eventually, I learned that Kyogashi actually referred to the specially crafted cakes and confections that were made and presented in the Imperial Court. Eventually these cakes found their way into the Tea Ceremony where they were developed to be "in harmony" with the bitterness of the various matchas (powdered green tea) served in the ceremony. The ingredients and in many cases the appearance of the cake were meant to reflect the essence of each of Kyoto's distinct seasons.

The end result of all this history is a confection that is a simple cake in its ingredients but beautifully and intricately crafted to remind you of how nature does the very same thing. It is a confection that can be appreciated and enjoyed on many levels even if you don't want to eat it.

Konashi: a wagashi make of Shiro Koshian, flour and sugar. It tastes like a almond paste candy.

Genyo and Gotochi never did an exclusive Kyogashi line, but they did do a limited promotional line on wagashi sweets that are traditionally paired with green tea.

Kashiwa Mochi is a mochi filled with adzuki bean jam, and wrapped with an oak leaf. It is associated most often with "Children's Day" on May 5th. Originally, this holiday was known as "Boys Day" - a time when Japanese families hoped/prayed that their sons would grow up to be strong and healthy. The oak leaf denotes the succession of the family line through the young boys.

I think in this version, Kitty demonstrates the "Kanto" style of Sakura Mochi or Cherry Mochi that is served during the Cherry blossom viewing season (late March?). A thin layer of pink tinted glutinous rice is wrapped around adzuki bean jam and the whole thing is enfolded in a salt-cured cherry leaf. The color and the cherry leaf are the only "cherry" substances in this cake, but again, it reflects the time of year when this cake would be traditional made and served.

Here's one that I love to look at, but would rather not eat. Hanamidango is sweetened mochi, colored to reflect the colors of spring and served on a skewer. Sometimes the green is flavored with powdered green tea or Yomogi (mugwort). While I love mochi, I prefer mine more savory than sweet.

Kitty sits upon a box of deadly Neri Yokan...sorry just kidding. It is red adzuki bean jam jelly that is made with kanten (a kind of seaweed gelatin), sugar and water. Its very dense and sweet. Of course there are other kinds and other "bases" other than beans, but in this version, Kitty presents 'ol reliable.

The line also includes another type of Yokan and also another seaweed-based gelatin dish called Tokoroten. I mention this last one because another blogger has a great entry on Tokoroten and the process of making the gel from sea weed. She has also dedicated an entry a month to a seasonal wagashi - check it out!

Obachan's Kitchen & Garden Balcony

At the time my wagashi mania began, I was more interested in some of the beautiful hand-crafted cakes that appeared to be a little more complicated than daifuku or Yatsuhashi. These cakes seemed unapproachable to the novice, but nevertheless, they ensnared me. I had many sleepless nights wondering whether I should embark on these cakes. I asked myself, "How many times did you have to dump a failed batch before you could get your yatsuhashi not to look disgusting? Now you want to try and make cakes that look like this?" I knew I was being overyly ambitious, but as some motivational speaker once said (no, I really can't remember which one it was) something that keeps you up at night like this is something you can learn with passion. Well, it's basically week 3, so I guess I am still passionately stumbling my way through the wagashi basics.

First thing I had to learn was making "Shiro Koshian", a smooth white bean jam. This type of bean jam is an important ingredient for a number of "Kyogashi" items such as Nerikiri and Konashi. It would be the filling for the Nerikiri and play a double role in the Konashi.

Unfortunately for me, this stuff doesn't come in a convenient, premade vacuum sealed package like the red bean version. I'd have to start from scratch. I was able to find two recipes that essentially agreed with one another, but I lacked the Alton Brown-esque answers to all my "why-do-it-this-way" questions. For example, one recipe called for a soaking period after the first boiling phase (shibukiri). From what I could tell, it had some affect on the flavor? If that was true, what did a minimum soaking produce versus longer? Why did I need to keep changing the water after the beans reached a few boiling points? It was frustating because all these little details were prolonging the boiling time but more so because I wanted to know why. I also felt like I had to OBEY these rules or I wouldn't have a good Shiro Koshian.

One recipe suggested I peel the bean skins before I cooked them if I were using lima beans. It seemed like a very tedious task, but in the end, peeling beans was a surprsingly relaxing.

I'm supposed to mash the beans through a sieve, but that was more tedious and not as peaceful as peeling beans. Finally I resorted to brute force and mashed the remaining beans.

Somehow I managed to get a smooth bean slurry and end up with this. Its a pitiful amount from one pound of beans, but I wasted so much "bean-matter" from inexperience...and undercooking beans.

The recipe called for 200 grams of sugar. Knowing I didn't have a legit amount of bean matter from 1lb of beans, I cut back the amount. I should have cut back more...

There it is. My first batch of Shiro Koshian!

Recipe sources:

http://konny.fc2web.com/info/recipe_shiroan_e.html
http://www.midorikai.org/koshian.html

*Both these sites have a great selection of traditional wagashi recipes

After 5 hours of Lucy & Ethel antics in my kitchen, I managed to make JUST enough Shiro Koshian to go onto with a full blown Kyogashi - Konashi. When I read the recipe, I imediately thought of marzipan and other kinds of almond paste based sweets. Flour and more sugar would be added to half of the shiro koshian so that it could be kneaded and shaped like a sugar cookie dough. The dough would then be wrapped around small amounts of the remaining shiro koshian.

Like I said, I was ambitious -- I wanted to go right ahead and make some truly stunning cakes. Unfortunately, I lacked experience, know-how and patience. I also lacked the traditional tools, but I did my best to improvise. I tried to use my Hello Kitty microwave cake molds as a "kashigata" (traditional wooden molds), but the Konashi dough was so dense and sticky that I needed to forcibly pull the cakes out which in turn, ruined the overall shape of the cake. I tried banging the Kitties out, but all I ended up with was flying Konashi Kitties. It was quite funny and quite messy.

One Kitty, post-flight and some plain round cakes. The shiny coating is from a sugar-water syrup called mitsu.

Well, was it worth it? I have to admit that even after cleaning up the kitchen of bean residue, yes it was. I will never be a master wagashi artist, but at least I can say that I came closer to understanding these seemingly strange sweets and what they mean to me in a larger context... I can't really say what that is since I'm still trying to figure it out myself...

The Shiro Koshian is a nice compromise for folks like me that don't like the red adzuki bean variety. However, part of that is due to the seemingly total lack of flavor. Its very sweet, but does suggest great potential for flavorings such as vanila, chocolate--perhaps even coffee.

If you're intersted in seeing a real master make Konashi, kyogashi.kyoto-np.co.jp has some video clips on the basics of the dough, how to wrap the dough around the filling and how to color and decorate your cake to look like a rose. While the videos are in Japanese, the visual instructions are quite helpful even for kitchen spazzes such as myself.

Videos: http://kyogashi.kyoto-np.co.jp/modules/tinyd5/index.php?id=2

The dull side of a table knife worked as a make-shift tool for these flowers. However, as you can see, I need lots more practice before I start blaming my lack of tools.

The next project I am looking towards is Nerikiri. It too has another component that has to be mastered and it doesn't look easy - Gyuuhi. It is mochi, but its made in a manner that is suppose to make it much softer than regular mochi. I can remember having certain types of daifuku that had mochi skins that were so tender to the bite. Others had harder, chewier skins and I was never quite sure whether it was the cook or the cake itself. It looks as if it was the cake itself - I send my apologies to those I may have offended with my reaction to their chewy daifukus.

Intrigued yet? Youtube has a video of Flickr photographer and wagashi master jam343 making a "nadeshiko" cake - not sure if its a konashi or one that uses gyuhi, but it is fun to watch. You can also see his work at the Flickr site

Images - http://flickr.com/photos/jam343/sets/1296030/
Video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKuDjIjkw9g

Rediscovering Wagashi

2006-07-30T11:53:00.001-04:00

Part I: Yatsuhashi and Its Many Faces

My parents were both born and raised in Kyoto so whenever I see a new regional Kyoto item pop up, I'm ready to do a little "family" investigation. Most of the time, it's not much of a challenge to find out "what Kitty is doing." As long as its a traditional item, someone will know the answer. However, even established traditions go through changes and adaptions over the years and this can lead to a bit of confusion and mystery - my favorite! At the end of the investigation, there is a pleasant rediscovery or, as in my case, a new appreciation of things I once took for granted.

As the title of this entry suggests, the "slightly adapted" tradition I'm referring to in this case is Wagashi - a japanese style of sweet cake or candy that was originally served as part of the tea ceremony. As a kid, I have to admit, I did NOT like a lot of the various wagashi treats, mainly namagashi or "fresh" mochi cakes filled with anko (a sweet bean paste made from red adzuki beans). The sweetness without a vanilla or chocolate marker to hang onto was strange, like floating in empty space. There also was something about eating sweet beans that kind of freaked me out. Then there were the pressed sugar candies or higashi -- ewww! It was like eating sweet chalk dust. As a five year old I asked myself "Is this some kind of a joke? Where's the chocolate & nuts? Where's the creamy nugat center?" Oy, it was clear. My parents succeeded in making me a good old American gal.

Despite my dislike of namagashi, I did like to watch my mom make things like simple daifukus. There was something about those mochi skins she patted in her hands that really made me want to like them. They looked so delicate and they were warm and so soft to the touch. I loved to look at them before my sister and dad would dig in. The beautiful opaque, velvety mochi skins against the dark anko looked so seductive. Just like the instructions on the package said, they were soft like your earlobe. Something that sensual had to taste like chocolate and caramel, right? After about 10 attempts, I finally realized that anko would always taste like anko.

Then again, traditions adapt and so do palates.

KYOTO YATSUHASHI

Once again, Regional Japanese Hello Kitty led me on a journey of discovery/rediscovery. Gotochi had released a new mascot called "Kyoto Yatsuhashi." I took a look and initially brushed it off as another recycled mascot. However, since it was a Kyoto item I decided to call home.

Since Yatsuhashi is a traditional Kyoto sweet, my mom knew it, but not the way I was describing the artwork. I kept telling her, "It looks like a half-folded gyoza, right? It's filled with anko, right?" Nope. She told me that Yatsuhashi were the rock-hard cinnamon crackers that my aunt used to send to us. They were quite tasty, but nothing like the mascot I was describing to her over the phone. Those sweets looked more like roofing tiles than gyoza. She said that there was another kind that called "Nama Yatsuhashi" but she said that didn't have any fillings. It was cinnamon-flavored mochi that was rolled out into flat strips and sprinkled it with roasted soybean powder (kinako). Aha, I thought. Now I think I know what Kitty is up to.

I turned to the internet for further "study", finding beautiful images of a nama yatsuhashi that looked like my mom's description as well as the filled versions. While the cross-section images of filled yatsuhashi didn't do much for me, the flat, cinnamon-colored, kinako-flecked version fired off the home fires. All those wasted caramel wishes on daifuku were history. Now it was time to pursue those beautiful, soft mochi skins! Oh, and look! Not all nama yatsuhashi have to be filled with anko!

With this new understanding, I started to look online for recipes for this Kyoto speciality. Since it could be made with or without fillings, I thought this type of namagashi could satisfy my need for a tasty earlobe.

Nama Yatsuhashi: I could leave it as is and eat it all, but in this case I decided to do the folded/filled versions. Potato starch or katakuriko is used sparingly (much like flour) to keep the mochi dough from sticking.

Initial finds on the internet suggested this would be a simple recipe to execute provided that I could find all the ingredients. I knew I'd be visiting my mom in a few days, so I printed up a recipe and headed "home."

Mom was excited to try out the recipe and I had the advantage of her experience with making other namagashi and having actually eaten the "real thing." I thought we'd have a real slam-dunk... of course not. Yes, the recipe itself was simple, but that simplicity meant that things could go wrong quite easily. Simplicity requires perfection because there is no place to hide. No frosting no ganache to cover those occasional oopsies.

A small dollop of anko paste is placed in the middle of the mochi dough - just like you were making gyoza/dumplings.

First problem had to do with amount of water, then there was the issue of "to microwave or to steam," then steaming time and then just-how-much-katakuriko-is-too-much-katakurio issues. In the end, we discovered that the water amounts would have to be eye-balled, microwaving just doesn't cut it, steam a minimum of 20 minutes and a Silpat is a must-have.

Nama Yatsuhashi with Anko: It will probably take me a few more tries before I can really master this recipe or even make it look half as pretty as the pros. Nevertheless, a dusting of kinako does help dress up this delicious treat..

After the 3rd effort, we came up with a nice nama yatsuhashi and yes, the mochi had the texture of an earlobe. My niece loved the bean-filled cakes, while my nephew preferred the plain yatsuhashi. Me? I found that I enjoyed both. I still find the anko too sweet for my liking, but the combination of the textures took me by surprise. I was addicted after the first bite. I also had an insatiable desire to make more Wagashi regardless of whether I would eat it or not. Thanks Kitty...

Stay tuned for Part II: Kyogashi? Konashi and Shiro An!

Peaceful Kitties

2006-05-22T22:35:00.001-04:00

As I prepared my various Spring Kitties, I thought about those sleepy Kitties - some of my favorite varieties of regional line. I realized how I keep many of them close to my desk so that whenever I am feeling the stress of life, I just look to my left, my right or if its really bad, over my shoulder and take in the vision of those peaceful sleeping (or meditating) kitties. It always makes me feel better or I should say it actually interupts my bad patterns of thought. I even have a few "portable" kitties that I'll keep on my purse or briefcase for that quick fix during the work day, just to make sure I don't let myself get too overwhelmed or take things too seriously.

NARITASAN
Chiba prefecture
Kanto, Japan

Kitty makes her pilgrimage to the Naritasan-Shinshoji Temple, perhaps to take part in legendary rite. She will pray to Fudomyoo, the buddhist divinity of fire, as a priest burns special sticks. According to tradition or legend, this rite was performed during a revolt in 939. On the 14th day, the revolt ended and Fudomyoo was given the credit. Today, it is believed that performing this rite honors Fudomyoo and in turn, he helps pilgrims like Kitty fufill her wishes by extinguishing ignorance, attachment to material things, and pulls them closer to enlightenment. The rite of prayer along with burnt offerings is called the Sacred Fire Rite or Goma

YAKUSHIMA
Kagoshima prefecture
Kyushu, Japan

Kitty has never been the same since she's seen Princess Mononoke! Here she takes in the nurturing care of a Japanese Cedar or Sugi tree in the lush forest of Yakushima island. Sugis are the national tree of Japan, but in Yakushima they are very special. Due to the altitude, these Sugi trees can grow to be almost 3000 years old. These old cedars are known as Yakusugis.

FUYU NO NAGOMI
(I just call her Winter Kotasu Kitty)
Limited Seasonal Version

Kitty curls up to her Kotatsu, a table with a heater, covered with futon. Winter is raging outside her home, but she's oblivious. There are some versions out there that I covet not only for the plush but for the artwork. Being a displaced northerner living in a southern state sometimes I miss that peaceful, cozy feeling of coming in from the cold and cuddling up to a warm fire or radiator. When I got this kitty (plush, pen/pencil set, zipper mascot AND stationary!) I scanned the tag and blew the artwork up so I could have the full image of the warm, sleeping Kitty and the snow falling outside at night - definitely a comforting image from my childhood.

BATH KITTY
Limited Promotional Version

This series is not terribly remarkable but this little plushie says it all -- "ahhh...." very cute and very peaceful. As an aside, I have to admit that the recent offerings up at Asunarosha have been a bit blah as of late. I'm waiting for something like "Ramen Devas, 2006"! C'mon guys, let's get crazy!

Spring Fever

2006-05-21T16:39:00.002-04:00

Ah yes, my vacation has finally arrived. Now I can indulge in my Kitty habits!

Spring sprang up a few months ago and if I'm not careful, summer will be in full steam before I've introduced the regional kitties that signify spring and along with it, the wonderful affliction of "spring fever." Here are a few of those traditional flowers of spring as well as the kitties that remind me of the sleepiness and the restlessness that comes with it.

HIROSAKI SAKURA MATSURI
Aomori Prefecture
Tohoku, Japan

Kitty rides a scattering sakura or cherry blossom that gently falls from one of the thousands of cherry trees that surround the medevial Hirosaki Castle. These beautiful flowers are in bloom for only a week so there is a lot of attention paid to "blossom forecast" or sakurazensen. In the "old days" the blossoms were used to indicate the time for rice-planting and to fortell the season's harvest. The aristocrats of the Heian days were a little more philosophical about the flowers, seeing them as a metaphor for the ephemeralness of beauty and life. Viewing these blossoms (or hanami) is still carried out today with special trips to popular areas such as Hirosaki Castle.

DAZAIFU UME
Fukuoka prefecture
Kyushu, Japan

Kitty poses as "the other" flower of spring; the ume or plum blossom. It is believed that the plum tree was introduced to Japan by the Chinese along with their tradition of hanami. In Dazaifu, the plum tree has special meaning. The famous Heian scholar and politician, Sugawara Michizane was exiled from Kyoto to Dazaifu after being falsely accused of treason. Legend says that when he was exiled, a plum tree is said to have followed him by flying from Kyoto to Dazaifu. Today, the flying plum tree or tobiume stands to the right of the front hall entrance of Dazaifu Tenmagu - one of the most important shrines built and dedicated to Sugawara Michizane.

MIZUBASHO MARSH LILY
Gunma prefecture
Kanto, Japan

Like her plum sister, Kitty looks reluctant to deal with spring and is perfectly happy to stay cloister in her tightly closed, yet cosy blossom. In the case of the mizubasho or (hang on to your noses) skunk cabbage, I'd be reluctant to step out of the blossom bud as well. The mizubasho, a lily like plant begins to sprout in the marshland bogs of Oze when the snow begins to melt. They say that May is the best time to see them in their full glory. Unlike her American counterpart, the japanese skunk cabbage doesn't smell.

Hina Matsuri Means Spring is Here

2006-03-05T17:11:00.001-05:00

Tiny Dear Daniel and Kitty White with their netsuke interpretation of the Imperial Couple

Well, I meant to cover my regional/limited Kitties by the seasons but that requires a level of organization that defies my current state of mind. However, Spring offers a couple of ways to get in some regional Kitties even though I might be stretching things a bit in terms of their relatedness...

Even though it isn’t officially Spring, I thought I’d get a move on it's first big festival, Doll’s Festival or Hina Matsuri. This festival is celebrated on March 3rd - a date that has not only seasonal importance but spiritual as well.

The history of the Doll’s Festival is a confusing mix of very old and very new-ish Japanese traditions. It’s a little like how westerners developed Christmas. In “old Japan” (were talking ‘BC-old’) purification rituals were very important. Talismans were used to either ward off or remove sickness and evil from families and to ensure a a good harvest. Dolls/figures were used often as those talismans. Some were worn or displayed in the home for protection. Others were used as surrogates (katashiro for a kind of purification sacrifice.

One of the earliest written records of dolls being used this kind of purification stand-in comes from Ise (Mie prefecture). In 4BC a shrine was built and dedicated to the Shinto sun goddess Amaterasu… and yes, there is a Hello Kitty mascot for the Shrine!

The shrine dedicated to Amaterasu is one of over a hundred different shrines, all culminating in a Vatican-like complex known as Jingu. It is in this kind of place that you really come to understand that the Japanese, despite their focus on commercial industry, have a strong spiritual connection to nature. Like many early “island” cultures that relied on the land and surrounding waters for their survival, the Japanese believed that nature (trees, animals, bodies of water) held spiritual deities within them. The need to create harmony between man and nature resulted in the creation of these shrines, each honoring a different deity or kami. Offerings were made in these shrines to both thank the spirits and perhaps to appease them when people knew they may have done things that jeopardized the delicate balance between man and nature. If you’re a fan of Kurosawa and Miyazaki you will recognize these themes of nature and man at odds with one another.

To return to the history of the Hina Matsuri:
According to the temple records, a grass doll was made and blessed by the temple priestess, then thrown into the river Isuzu as a way to rid the people of evil and sickness.

"ISE HIME" (region: Kansai)

Kitty either appears as Amaterasu or one of the many nature deities that the Jingu honors. Either way, she's too cute to cast off as evil!

During Heian Period (8th-12th centuries) these “purification” rituals involving some sort of disposable dolls became linked with the March 3rd date. According to customs inherited from China, the 3rd day of the 3rd month was considered the first day of the serpent - a day of “purification.” Shaman would transfer sins or evil from people into paper dolls. The “infected” dolls would then be sent away in a nearby river or burned. This tradition still remains in some form today in places like Wakayama, and Hiroshima as part of the Hina Matsuri festivities.

Genji Monogatari (a novel from the Heian Period) describes such a ritual when the main character has a shaman perform the purification ritual for him and has the dolls set out to sea… yes this was another shameless way of sneaking in another Regional Kitty!

Lady Murasaki Shikibu wrote Genji Monogatari or “The Tale of Genji” sometime in the early 11th century. It is thought to be the “first novel” ever, and it depicts the lives of the aristocrats of Heian Court. While it might seem unrelated to the Hina Matsuri, many of the dolls that we see today in traditional Hina Ningyou sets are modeled after the customs and costume of the Heian court.

"GENJI-MONOTAGARI" (region: Kansai)

Kitty appears in courtly dress of the period, perhaps identifying herself with the one of the novel's characters or perhaps Murasaki herself

Heian Influences: The princess doll or mebina that I bought when I was in Japan shows the typical Heian characteristics that are found on many types of Hina Matsuri dolls: the long flowing hair, the face partially hidden by the fan and those funky eyebrows. Back then, it was considered chic for women to shave and repaint eyebrows and to blacken their teeth.

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Another characteristic borrowed from the Heian period is the juni hito’e or 12-layered kimono. Yep, another tricky way for me to stick in another regional kitty!

It was fashionable for the ladies of the court to wear 12 to 20 silk robes in layers and in special color combinations. These layers would be covered with a final coat or karaginu. They would be layered in such a way that this color array was visible only around the neck, sleeves and hem. I hear that this form of dress could weigh up to 35 pounds. No wonder the Heian ladies would rather stay at home and write very long novels.

"JUNIHITOE" (region: Kansai)

How I wish there was a plushie for this beautiful version. Even in its tiny mascot form you can see how a real 12 layered kimono might appear.

By the Edo period (17th century) the March 3rd rituals and the dolls come together in what is now known as Hina Matsuri. The festival had moved away from the overriding theme of purification and seemed now to focus on the health, good fortune and good marriage of the girls of the family.

Okay, so there are the politically incorrect elements that still remain, but I think every girl should have the opportunity to have a girlie-girl day, and then be done with it. Growing up in the United States, my sisters and I didn’t celebrate Hina Matsuri, but every few years, my relatives would send little reminders of the event.

and example of the "imperial couple" given to me only a few years ago. I guess still strike people as a little kid!

Today, families with girls will celebrate this festival by setting up a display of a special set of dolls made just for this occasion. These displays can be simple, consisting of two dolls or can be very ornate with 15 or more dolls, plus accessories!
Throughout the display, peach blossoms play an important, decorative and symbolic role. The peach represents the coming of spring, fertility, longevity and marital happiness. It is also meant to symbolize the "ideal feminine characteristics": softness, mildness and peace. Read all the un PC inferences as you wish ^_^!!

Foods such as mochi or rice crackers are “offered” to the dolls – a throw-back to the purification rituals and I suppose a way for the aristocrats of the Edo period to hang on to these beautiful dolls. Offer them food to aid their daughters in a long and healthy life.

The Hina Ningyou Set
The main focus of the doll set is the “imperial couple” or dairasama on their wedding day.

Dear Daniel and Kitty White present one interpretation of the dairasama. Hina Nigyou sets can include 15 dolls AND accessories. When a set has just the imperial couple, it is called shinnou kazari. Even this simple Sanrio issue has an important accessory - the folded screen behind them or byoubu

Of course, the folks at Sanrio did not miss an opportunity to offer Kitty fanatics a wide range of doll sets. Again, some can be simple ceramic dolls, or very intricate, detailed works of art. I can't afford to even think of purchasing sets like these, but they are worth showing in terms of examples of what is possible if you're wealthy and just a little crazy for Kitties:

Daniel and Kitty look quite "imperial" in this $3000 shinnou kazari. Inbetween them is a stand with two vases that hold peach blossoms. It is called the sanpou kazari. Infront of both of them are hishimochi. The colors are meant to denote the seasonal changes (white for snow, green for summer and spring, and pink for the flowers of the changing season.)

In this toned down version, you can see the different kinds of accessories that are a part of any kind of Hina Ningyou set. Along with the beautiful paper laterns or bonbori, this set pays special attention to the sake set that will be used for the "wedding" ceremony

This full version is a wonderful interpretation of a traditional 15 doll set. It's funny to see how closely this Kitty set follows the traditional setting.

In the first row, is of course, Daniel and Kitty flanked by the bonbori. Daniel holds the traditional sceptre or shaku denoting his postion in the "Sanio Royal Court". Again, my latent feminist leanings would argue that he should hand over that shaku to Kitty. Well, Kitty is pretty calm about these things so she'll stick to hiding and looking demure behind her fan - also very traditional of the Heian period. In between them is the table and flower vases (sanpou kazari)

Second row: My Melody, Lala and Kathy are the three ladies of the court. They will help in the performing of a Shinto wedding ritual using sake and a special set of cups. This is known as san-san kudo. The cups are in a stack of three. My Melody will probably pour the sake into the first cup in three motions, and then the bride and groom will sip three times from each cup. They will do that with each cup turning those threes in to even luckier nines.

The small serving tables between the ladies of the court are called takasuki. Sweets or small rice crackers are place on these. In the full Kitty set, small white and pink mochi are place on these tables.

Third row:
Pokopon, Pochacco, Kiki, Pekkle and Tabo are the court musicians or gonin bayashi.

Fourth row:
Batz Maru and Hangyodon are the Ministers of the Left and Right, respectively. Behind them are the special serving stands holding the hishimochi. These are called the hishidai. The smaller table behind Hangyodon is called the kakebanzen. Its table with covered food bowls.

Fifth row:
Monkichi, Pop Pom Purin and Keroppi are the prince’s footmen. They are also referred to as the “three drinkers” or sannin jougo. They are flanked by two trees, one a mandarin tree (probably meant to represent the longevity of the couple and the dynasty) and a flowering tree (peach, cherry or plum – each flower has its own nuance of symbolizing the nuptials and the change of seasons).

An Unexpected Treat

2006-03-02T12:52:00.002-05:00

Yeah, its been a long time since my last Kitty post but real-life caught up with me in the fall and I couldn't spend much time cataloguing my bloated collection much less track down what they were supposed to be.

I was planning to post some of my Hina Matsuri charms plus a little history on the festival, but it'll have to wait... Is that bad luck? Hmmm. Have to think about that one! But the good news is that the postman delivered a surprise today: my "Hello Kitty Box - The Complete Catalog - Special Edition". I always hate when they do that kind of stuff to cars, like the Eddie Bauer SE Expedition. However, when it comes to Regional Kitties, I can lose all common sense like the big boys.

What's the big deal? For the hard-core Japan Regional Hello Kitty junky, this book alone is a long overdue and much coveted bible of the 850 (and growing) regional kitties. I have yet to delve into the details in the book, but what I can see is lot's of pics, maps and shots of the artwork for the packaging. The Special Edition comes with a reissue of one of the original mascot netsukes from Hokkaido: Lavender Kitty.

The delivery was an event in and of itself, but the discovery of a retailer in the US that actually had it? How nice is that? I have to give kudos to that annoying amazon.com A9 search engine which tracked down this book at akadot.com. While I have to confess that I bought the last one, they are offering the option to special order this book. The Special Edition is a pricey 35 bucks, but if you request the regular version, that should save you a few bucks. From what I can tell from internet searches, this special edition is sold out and is hitting amazon resellers and yahoo auctions at similar prices. According to the gotochi webpage, people were snatching up to 15 copies for themselves. Ah yes, the power of resale. However, I will not part with mine!

If you'd like to see some pics of the layout and the book's basic approach check out the amazon.co.jp site.

Summer is here: Part III

2005-07-04T20:27:00.001-04:00

Happy 4th of July!

I couldn’t have hoped for better timing – posting this summer segment on the 4th of July… well, sort of

As mentioned in the previous posts, a focal point of the various celebrations during this season is a big firework display or “hanabi taikai”.

In the US, the time that we most associate big firework displays is the 4th of July. Depending on what city you find yourself on that day you could be in for quite a spectacular show. However, some folks in Japan might argue that when it comes to these kinds of shows, Americans are just scratching the surface.

Check out GMAN’s blog to see what I mean.

The latest summer limited item being offered up from the folks at Asunaro-sha is called “Yatai.” Yatai is a street vendor/stall that sells food. There used to be a time when this only happened during festivals, but these days, a lot of larger cities in Japan are starting to offer food from this kind of “mobile kitchen” throughout the year – especially around the train stations.

Another type of street vendor associated with summer is called “yomise”. These stands either sell souvenir items or have games where you can win prizes.

During the festival season there is plenty of food to chose from and plenty of it is directly related to summer. Always interesting to note: some of these summer festival food items (although given a different spin via preparation) are fairly universal.

A fictional tale of my new Kitty items:
Although Kitty likes fireworks, she tells me she’s seen so many hanabi-takais that she doesn’t get excited anymore. “Sometimes its just not worth it. It can be a real pain because it’s hot, muggy, buggy and really crowded. Sometimes the ground is wet and you end up having to sit in a soggy yukata for five million hours. Some of the stuff is fun, like the finale, but most of the time, I just get aggravated."

While the crowd was enjoying the beautiful “fire flowers” Kitty was lying on her back, tossing tufts of grass from paw to paw. “Booooring!” she wailed as the crowd ooohed and ahhed. I was determined to ignore her, hoping she’s give up the teeny-bopper, bratty-katty thing, but I guess it was too much to hope for. She started to knead her claws into my leg until I shot her a look. She gave me a wink and nodded her head in the direction of the lantern-lit streets off in the distance. “C’mon,” she whispered. “Let’s get some grub!” and before I could say no, she was off and running. I chased after her as best I could as she quickly scampered towards the street stalls.

“YOMISE”: SET ONE

When I finally caught up with her, Kitty was already strolling the avenue of stalls. “How about some takoyaki? Sound good?” I thought it sounded okay. “You stay here,” she ordered. “I’ll go get it.” She returned to me holding a plate with some round little dough balls. “You like it?” Yeah, they were pretty good. “Guess what? You’re eating octopus balls.”

Octopus, either chopped or whole is dropped into a seasoned, egg-flour batter. Its cooked in a takoyaki grill – a pan that looks a little like a Swedish apple dumpling pan.

“I’m thirsty,” Kitty sais as she strutted over to the kagoori stand. Kagoori is shaved ice, kind of like our version of the snow cone. However since the ice is shaved, its texture is smoother – almost like Italian ice. In addition to the fruit flavors, sometimes people like to have it flavored with green tea and milk.

”YOMISE”: SET TWO

”I’m still hungry,” said Kitty, “that serving to takoyaki was kinda puny for two.” Clearly, she was disappointed that I didn’t refuse the takoyaki. “Well, we still have about an hour before the finale of the fireworks begins. My doctor told me to watch my blood sugar so I think I need some refined carbs.” She trotted over to the next stall. “Yakisoba, perfect!” Yakisoba is simply prepared, stir-fried noodles.

After she gobbled up her noodles, Kitty headed back at the kagoori stand for a second hit – “Wow. Its pretty hot tonight!”

”YOMISE”: SET THREE

I guess Kitty ate her noodles too fast because we still had about 50 minutes to go and she was still thinking about food. Then I saw her nose start to twitch, her ears start to perk. "I need a veggie to round out my dinner. Oooh, how about that?" She took my arm and dragged me over to a stand that was selling corn on the cob on a stick. "That's yaki-toumorokoshi, grilled corn on the cob." I looked at her and said, "Why such a fancy, long name for corn?" Kitty hit me in the arm and said, “Bakachan – its special corn on the cob! Its been marinated in some soy sauce and fish-stock.”

While she was still munching on her corn, she frantically waved her paw towards another stand. “Look at that! That’s my favorite! Ikayaki!” I turned to where she pointed, and there, piled high on a grill was stack of grilled squid. Like the corn, the squid is marinated before being grilled.

As Kitty paid for her Ikayaki she asked, “Don’t you want anything?” I shrugged and said that a simple hot dog would do just fine for me right now. “Well, there’s a stand right there. Don’t expect any bread with that, okay? Don’t embarrass me.”

”YATAI”: SET FOUR

”Oh boy, I am full!” Kitty groaned. But before I could say anything she was off and running “Time for dessert.” I was both amazed and horrified at what happened next.

Kitty first picked up a chocolate covered banana. It was gone it less than a minute. Next was a ringo ame or candied apple. That took longer because of the candy coating. Then to round out the feast, she bought a cotton candy. “This is for later, just in case I get hungry.”

”YATAI”: SET FIVE

There was still about 20 minutes to go, but I was able to convince Kitty that the cotton candy would probably be enough to hold her until we headed back to her place. As we walked back towards the fireworks, Kitty stopped in her tracks and pulled me to a stop. “Kingyo-sukui! You have to try this game. This is positively my ultra-fav game. C’mon!” She brought me into a stall that had a long, low table. On the table was a long tank filled with water and live goldfish! Kitty handed me something that looked like a tiny plastic tennis racket with paper in the center. “Here, take this and try to catch one of these fish.” That didn’t seem so challenging so I dunked my funny fish catcher in pursuit of a fine looking goldfish. Once I felt I had my fish cornered I pulled up my catcher and the fish. I looked at Kitty and said, “That wasn’t so hard, I can see why you like this game,” but as soon as I said that, I heard a little sploosh. I looked down to where my fish should have been and there was my catcher, nothing more than a plastic ring with wet, torn paper in the center. Kitty laughed hysterically for about five minutes while I tried to catch another fish with a new paper net.

Finally, I was able to whip up a fish that the kindly vendor placed in a plastic bag for me. I held it out to Kitty and said, “I hope you’re satisfied. This is the world’s most expensive goldfish. She smiled at me and said quietly, “Arigato.”

“Is there anything else you think I might enjoy?” Kitty looked at her goldfish, her cotton candy and said, “Well, yeah, there might be just one thing more. Its another game.” She headed towards another stall that had a long, low table and a tank filled with water. However, instead of fish, the long tank was filled will small, colorful balloons. “This game is call bon-bon tsuri. These balloons are filled with a little water and a little air. You try to pull the balloon out by its rubber band handle.” I looked at her and said, “That’s it? What’s so hard about that?” She held up the goldfish to my face. “You think you’re so great. C’mon, let me finish! You don’t grab it with your hands. You use this.” She handed me a long strip of paper that was twisted until it looked like a string. At the end was a piece of metal that obviously was my means of hooking the balloon. I asked Kitty to point out a balloon she’d like. Of course, she picked pink. Several tickets/dollars later, I finally snagged her pink yo-yo balloon. Kitty held out her fish as I handed her the balloon. She wrapped the rubber band around her paw and gave the balloon a few soft bounces. She beamed. Then she yawned. I noticed that the finale had begun. Oh well, I thought. I’m sure she’ll take me to the big one in Gujo-Hachimen. I picked her up and slung her over my shoulder. She nuzzled and purred, drooled cotton candy into my hair, then finally fell asleep.

To see pictures of the "real thing" (various foods and kingyo sukui), check out Kuishinbo Meow's blog
Happily, these Kitty "Yatai" items are available to overseas buyers via Strapya.com. The series is going fast, but they have restocked these items at least twice since hitting the site.

Summer is here: Part II

2005-07-03T08:40:00.002-04:00

Summer Festivals:

One of the major summer festival celebrations focus on Obon - an annual Buddhist ritual that commemorates family ancestors. Traditional beliefs are that our ancestor’s spirits are released from a kind of purgatory. They travel to our world to visit their relatives before they make their way to the final destination. As the traditional story goes, a disciple of Buddha saw his deceased mother suffering in the “world of hungry ghosts.” When he tries to give her a bowl of rice, the food turns to burnt charcoal and cannot be eaten. The disciple goes to Buddha and tells him what happened. Buddha then explains to the disciple that his mother had been hot-tempered and greedy in her past life and did not believe in retribution for her behavior. This is why she suffers in the world of hungry ghosts. The disciple asks Buddha if there is anything that he can do to free his mother. Buddha tells him to make an offering to all holy monks on the last day of their summer retreat – a time when many of them will have attained enlightenment. Only these monks, united in the effort can free his mother from suffering. The disciple makes his offerings as Buddha instructs and his mother is freed. The disciple “dances for joy.”

Every region in Japan has its own adaption to the story/history behind their summer festivities, but they all tend to include lanterns/fire (to guide the spirits), food offerings (as Buddha instructed his disciple) either at home or in temples and dancing. I’m not sure whether theme dancing comes from the story of the disciple or from the idea of giving comfort to the spirits. Nevertheless, the Obon season of festivals means lots of dancing and lots of food.

Hanagasa Matsuri (Early August): Kitty prepares to perform the Hanagasa Odori (flower hat dance). She wears a colorful happi coat and holds a big, round hat decorated with, of course, flowers. The motions of the dance are based on the movements of the old rice farmers who harvested their crops by hand.

YAMAGATA HANAGASA

REGION: TOHOKU

Aomori Nebuta (mid-August): Nebutas are giant, washi paper laterns that are usually in the shape of legendary characters from myths and history. Illuminated from the inside, these giant laterns are quite a sight as they parade down the city streets at night. This festival’s origins are thought to come from a famous samurai who conquered his enemies by frightening them with these nebutas. While Kitty would love to see herself up there with the great samurai for now she’ll have to be satisfied as a member of the “haneto” – costumed dancers that accompany each of the floats. She’ll have to keep up with the taiko drummers and flutes!

AOMORI NEBUTA

NEBUTA (2005)

I believe that Kitty is trying to be one of the elaborate hats (goldfish-style) that the haneto wear in the parades
REGION: TOHOKU

Kochi Yosakoi (mid August): Kitty is going to get tired because she has to keep dancing. This time she picks up her "narukos" (clappers that were originally used by farm workers to scare birds away from crops) and dons her happi coat. Although it occurs during the bon period, the festival originally began to encourage the morale and economy of Kochi following WWII. This may be why this particular festival’s dance music isn’t restricted to traditional Japanese interpretation. Competing dance “teams” have been putting their own spin on the traditional “Yokaskoi Bushi” with rock, hip-hop, jazz and samba interpretations. Kitty doesn’t care. She’ll be refueling soon at the food stalls.

Some "real" Hello Kitty narukos from a YahooJapan auction

KOCHI YOSAKOI

REGION: SHIKOKU/KOCHI

Gujo Hachiman – Gujo odori (July - September): For the people of Gujo Hachimen, dancing festivities aren’t isolated just to obon. The Gujo Odori festival runs from July through early September. The festival was begun over 400 years ago by its feudal lord Endo Yoshitaka. He wanted all townspeople to come get together and mix, regardless of social positions. The Obon odori is said to be the highpoint of this festival. In mid-August, Kitty will join up 100,000 people who have come to this city to dance from 8PM to 4AM.

Dancing isn’t all there is in this city. Kitty loves fish, but in Gujo Hachiman, fish and summer can mean only one thing: Aiyu! She loves to eat these sweet tasting fresh water fishies – and there’s plenty of fresh water here as well. Several rivers and freshwater springs flow through the center of town. The most famous of these springs, the Sougisui is said to be the purest water in all of Japan.

GUJO HACHIMAN

REGION: TOKAI/GIFU

Kyoto Daimonji bonfire festival - Daimonji Gozan Okuribi (August 16th): On August 16th, five huge bonfires are lit on the surrounding mountains of Kyoto. The bonfires are in the shape the Chinese characters “Myoho” (the supreme law of Buddha), "Funagata" (the shape of a ship), “Hidari” (left) “Dai” (large) and “Toriigata” (the shrine archway) The Daimonji Gozan Okuribi festival signals the end of “Obon”. In Kyoto, the bonfires are lit to guide the souls of the departed.

KYOTO DAIMONJI

REGION: KANSAI/KYOTO

Summer is here: Part I

2005-06-17T19:49:00.004-04:00

Since we’re about to head into the “dog-days” of summer here in the States, I thought this would be the perfect time to introduce the Limited and Regional Kitties that represent the various summer festivals and customs in Japan.

LIMITED VERSION: “SUMMER – SUIKA” 2003

Nothing says summer like the beach and a bit of “smash-the-watermelon” or more precisely, suikawari – the watermelon splitting game. Kitty is blindfolded and her goal is to crack open that juicy watermelon with just that stick. Wish her luck because the beach natives are getting hungry!

LIMITED VERSION: “SUMMER – HANABI” 2003

Its another hot summer night, but that doesn’t stop Kitty from going out to see the fireworks. To make sure she’d be comfortable, she donned her yukata and brought her uchiwa fan. Yukatas are casual, lightweight cotton kimonos. During the summer, many women and young girls wear beautifully colored/patterned yukatas for festival and firework events.

LIMITED VERSION: “SUMMER – SENKO HANABI” 2003

In this netsuke version, Kitty holds a senko hanabi (an incense stick-sparkler) for a more home-style fireworks show. Once all the grown-ups have safely fired off the rockets and firecrackers, Kitty gets to hold a senko hanabi. Once its lighted Kitty must be careful not to shake the stick or her small fireworks show will go out too soon!

* In the plush version, Kitty holds something that looks like a little toy pig. At first I thought it was another toy firework but I could not find any references to it. My sympathetic Kitty contact kindly explained what it really was: a porcelain pig that is often used to hold a burning mosquito coil. I guess Kitty doesn’t want to take any chances with encephalitis. Smart cat.

["Katori Buto" - a nice 3D depiction that I found at the this website]

LIMITED VERSION: “SUMMER – KINGYO” 2003

Another item synonymous with summer is goldfish. Goldfish are symbols of good fortune, prosperity, harmony and beauty. They are also an integral part of summer festival activities, both as games and prizes.

In part II I will cover some of the festival events including the goldfish games and "yomise" -- the special stalls that surround the summer firework events.

The Elusive Regional Kitty

2005-06-14T22:00:00.002-04:00

When I first started looking for Regional Limited Hello Kitty, my only guide at the time was Nyankovivi’s wonderous site. It should come as no surprise that her collection was a bit of a bible guide in my early auction searches. The site offers a gallery of genyo era regional/limited plushes. I would go through the gallery and look at some of the amazing regional plushes and make a list of the items I had to find.

After 6 months of trawling the web, I had amassed a collection that should have satisfied my needs. I was able to find some I'd seen in the gallery plus newer releases that were popping up on eBay. Granted, my list of gimmeez was considerably shorter than it once was, but there was a handful of plushes that never seemed to come up on the auction block. Maybe their absence gave me the illusion of special rarity, but all I knew was that I could not stop collecting until these few Kitties were found. Yes, my other regional Kitties were cute and interesting, but this elusive group was haunting me. To make matter worse, when I finally discovered the “official” regional site (Asunaro) it was apparent that these alleged rarities were no longer available – either sold out or no longer made. I should have given up, but those particular Kitties haunted my computer dreams.

In the following 6 months, at least 70% of those haunting Kitties made it to an auction. Yes, I paid more than I should have for a few, but I sleep better at night. Two of the Kitties were obtained through the generosity and sympathy of a fellow Kitty collector who found one in a Tokyo train station and the other up for auction on YahooJapan. Of course, this means there is at least one left that still taunts every now and then, but I think I can let go... for now.

I can't really say for sure why these particular Kitties hit me so hard. They may seem rather ordinary and indistinguishable from my other plushes. Maybe it was the fact that they somehow challenged me to a hunt? I don't know. I just really likedthem and I had to find them. So here they are:

REGION: KANTO/TOKYO –“TOKYO MEGUMI”

Kitty pays tribute to Tokyo Firemen. Kitty proudly carries the matoi, a big banner standard that was used as a firefighting tool by the firefighters or hikeshi of the Edo period. The strips of cloth on the matoi were soaked in water. A hikeshi would then climb up to a rooftop near the burning building. The hikeshi would then start to twist the matoi back and forth so it would release a spray of water. This spray and the current created by the twisting motion would help to either trap or put out any rising embers that threatened to land on other buildings in the area – an important consideration in a old city that was made primarily of wood, straw and paper.

If you’d like to see a matoi in action, this website has a few modern day demonstrations:

http://www.nihonhikeshihozonkai.org/news/news.html
(Requires Windows Media Player)

REGION: TOKYO/TOKYO – “INU HARIKO”

Kitty appears as a version of the Inu Hariko, or paper-mache dog. This is a talisman that focuses on the protection of children. For pregnant mothers, the Inu Hariko is said to ensure a safe and easy birth and that the newborn will be strong. For their children, it protects them from evil. After all, dogs are still regarded as the guardians of our homes in these modern times. In addition, dogs are thought to have the ability to recognize evil – all dog owners at one time or another swear they once had a dog that could smell trouble! In this Tokyo version, Kitty’s Inu Hariko carries a denden taiko, a double headed drum that is also a child’s toy. The drum is also meant to be a talisman against evil spirits.

REGION: KANSAI-KINKI – “WAKAYMA PLUM”

Kitty mugs for the camera as she wrestles with the nanko ume – the king of plums. These famous Wakayma plums will be used to make the highly regarded umeboshi. The plum is pickled in a salt brine then aged. The result is a very salty, tangy “slap-in-the-face” taste, which probably explains Kitty’s expression.

REGION: HORIKURU – “KANAZAWA SUMMER & WINTER YUUZEN”

Dressed in a two formal kimonos, Kitty displays Kanazawa’s famous Kaga Yuuzen or the art of silk dying. This is a complex process that combines a number of different techniques including stenciling, blocking and painting. Nature-themed motifs are traced on fine silk with a line of juice from the aobana flower. Then the aobana line is covered with a rice-paste that will keep the dye from bleeding out of the design lines. Then the hand painting is done. Another layer of rice-paste is applied which allows certain gradation of colors and to protect the design as the material heads into its “background color” dying. The silk is then rinsed in water to wash away the paste, then steamed to fix in the dye and rinsed one last time to wash away any remaining paste.

Of personal note: Kitty holds a temari ball. When I was very little my sisters were given large temari or thread balls. I was fascinated with them and had the strongest urge to take a pair of scissors to them and unravel all that thread. Fortunately, no one every gave me the chance to act out my moment destructive of curiosity

The Ramen Devas: Ramen Enlightenment

2005-06-04T19:50:00.003-04:00

At times I am horrendously embarrassed to let people know that I collect Hello Kitty items. However, I am always reminded how the queen of kawaii ensnared me into her evil trap. It is a trap of innocent cuteness wrapped around an interesting topic/subject with a giant hook of creative, miniaturized detail wedged down the middle. Its that hook of detail that sends me into Google mode. I will want to know why Kitties are dressed a certain way. Is it for a festival? When and where is it and what is the festival for? Why is that weird bird is perched her head and why is she sitting in a hangiri? As usual there is little wasted detail on these regional/limited Kitties and I always enjoy what I end up learning.

So my obsession from the most recent shipment? Ramen: How could a certified starch queen not know the true nature of this wonderful food? I am grateful to Kitty for opening my eyes to the possibilities and for showing me the path to Ramen Enlightenment.

Stage One: EARTH : Its fast, filling and cheap... but is it ramen?

The Dry Pack: What I thought was ramen
Revelational Source: College Dormitory Cooking

Ramen isn't the dried block of stuff that became a pantry staple for every college student who grew tired of macaroni and cheese variations. I sort of understood that when my mom made me a bowl of some ramen that was sent from my aunt. This was a partially dried variety with a very simple shoyu broth. I thought that this ramen was the best thing I had ever had but as usual, my mom crinkled her nose and said "Its not that good. Its not as good as real ramen." So I offered to unburden my mother's shelves of this inferior noodles but she said that my Dad really liked them and I 'd get too fat eating them so she'd hang on to them.

Stage Two: PERIPETIA : Is this what the dry stuff is trying to be?

Miyako Frozen Pack: What I learned ramen could be
Revelational Source: ANA Supermart

Fast-forward to about a year ago - I found some Miyako frozen nama ramen. It was a difficult choice to make since my habitual flavor choices involved small foil packages of chicken, pork, beef, shrimp, mushroom -- and if I was really adventurous creamy chicken (ugh). The Miyako selection was strange; I had a choice of miso, soy-vinegar or salt. What the heck was this I thought. I decided that since I liked miso soup, miso would be the logical choice for a first try.

I'm not sure if it was because the noodles had been frozen and then defrosted, but it was quite a challenge to cook the noodles. In all honesty, it was a noodle massacre. The noodles lost and my victory was a shallow one with over-cooked, broken strands and little end bits that had clumped together. Yet, despite its unattractive appearance it was better than the partially dried version I had shared with my mom over a decade ago. Who knows how good they could be when I learned how to cook them properly!

Stage Three: TRUTH : Ramen Is

Hakata Ippudo's Tonkotsu Ramen, live and unedited!:
What I learned ramen truly is
Revelation Source: Hello Kitty's Four Ramen Devas limited series

My noodle massacre gave me new-found respect for ramen; for those who know how to cook it and for the food itself. When I found the Hello Kitty "Four Ramen Devas" limited series I knew this was a signal for me to reach for the Google button. Oh what fun I had and oh what a sticky process - I can't read Kanji (chinese characters) and my katakana/hirigana skills are that of a two-year-old dog. Thank god my mac displays them all, thank god for Google's language tools, Jim Breen, and foodie blogs. I would have gone insane without them.

Kitty Teaches the Path of Ramen Enlightenment

My latest additions: netsukes and memo pads from the limited "Ramen Devas" line

The name itself should give you an idea of just how serious ramen is in Japan. Devas, in Hinduism and Buddhism refer to "exalted beings" - charismatic, shining ones who are on a higher realm than normal mortals. Clearly, a good ramen chef will make or break that hot bowl of pleasure so the ones that excel at their craft earn the adoration of the mortal, slurping peons.

Kitty introduces her choice of exalted ramen masters:

Kitty does the vogue as she poses as the "ogre of food". She's not kidding about her stance: this is serious business buddy.

Sano-san of Shinasobaya - Considered by many as the first name in ramen, this is where every ramenista-in-training should begin their lessons. Sano-san emphasizes the importance of selective ingredients and the time needed for proper preparation in order to cultivate a profound flavor. His soups appear to be simple (emphasis on the clear shoyu and shio varieties) but are said to be rich in flavor. The use of the Nagoya cochin (a special breed of chicken) for his soup base, special wheat for his noodles and the chashaomin are hallmark features of Shinasobaya.

> sorry, no homepage to be found

Kitty pays tribute to the Donald Trump of Kyushu by donning the trademark Ippudo bandana or tenegui. It is to remind us that even though Kawahara is thinking of a global ramen market he still cooks and sweats behind the counter when he's needed

Shigemi Kawahara of Ippudo - Ippudo specializes in tonkostu ramen - a version that comes from Hakata, Kyushu. The broth for the noodles is white and creamy, made the marrow of pork bones (nice and fatty!) He opened his first restaurant in 1979, and opened the first Hakata Ippudo in 1985. Now president of Chikara no Moto (a food service company) Kawahara is changing the look and feel of traditional ramen houses, expanding its menu and taking the franchise overseas. Right now, Kawahara is hoping to open 60 ramen shops in China by the 2008 Beijing Olympics and hopefully an Ippudo in New York. Sounds good to me. When is Ippudo coming to my neck of the woods?

> Ippudo's homepage:
> non-flash version: www.ippudo.com/index3.html
> Chikara no Moto: chikaranomoto.com/english/index.html

Kitty emulates the dramatic draining-of-the-noodles stance that has become part of Nakamurasan's pop mystique

Shigetoshi Nakamura of Nakamuraya Co. Ltd - He is the young, twenty-something ramen genius of Fujisawa City, Kanagawa. I guess the best analogy I can use to sum up the web reviews of his work: the Iron Chef Morimoto of Ramen. Nakamura has become somewhat of a sensation not only for his ramen but for his rapid ascension to the top of the noodle pile - all done without the lengthy apprenticeship that is sometimes expected of the best Ramen Devas or "ramen oyajis". Like Kawahara, Nakamura would like to change the concept of traditional urban noodle houses, making them oriented towards family dining and expanding the menu to include European inspired entrees and patisserie.

> Nakamuraya: www.dearest-style.com

Kitty dons the Menya Musashi uniform of red-shirt, brown pants and her favorite, the tenegui. Now she's ready for the long line of customers waiting outside for some hot ramen!

Yamadasan of Menya Musashi - One of the most popular "ramen-yas" in Shinjuku, Menya Musashi specializes in shoyu ramen - a ramen served with a clear soy-sauce seasoned broth. Many fans of the tonkotsu varieties won't stick-up their noses at this traditionally "lighter" variety because of the stock it's master chefs brew: a blend of a fish and pork broths, served with thick noodles. Yamada also takes a spin on the "simpler" variety of stock by keeping his menus in synch with seasons.

> sorry, no homepage to be found

A Tribute to Carbohydrates

2005-05-26T17:33:00.001-04:00

Niigata Onigiri: On a lunch break from collecting rice or just out for a pinic with friends, Kitty White enjoys one of my favorite rice treats - onigiri. Onigiri is simply a rice ball lightly seasoned with salt. They can come with a variety of fillings and wrappings. It is estimated that 70% of Japan's rice production comes from Niigata. Save some for me please!

Summer must be right around the corner because all I can think of is onigiri - salted rice balls that my mom used to make when we took the long car ride up to Northport, Maine. This was the ONLY time she made them so whenever I feel the weather starting to heat up I can't help but feel the need to carb-out.

My mom preferred to keep her onigiri's simple. Rather than the fancy triangle shapes our onigiri were like small barrels. They accompanied a car-food meal of tamago (a kind egg omelet seasoned with soy sauce) and sometimes candied chicken. Occasionally she might hand the onigiri to me wrapped in seasoned nori, but for the most part, her onigiri was simple and delicious.

It came as little surprise that Hello Kitty is happy to offer her assistance in making lunches easier and just a little too cute. I think my mother would ridicule me for making onigiri in a mold, but then again, she ridicules my hand-made versions. When it comes to mom and cooking, she rules. I think if these little Kitty helpers existed when I was little, she might have entertained the idea of buying them for about three seconds. She'd look at these punch-out nori pieces and say "Oh, I can do much better than that!" and you can be sure she would.

According to the family expert (Mom, of course) real onigiri is shaped by hand. While she might think these molds are cute, she would consider this "cheating". These molds are positively new-fangled for my generation. I knew of only two shapes: barrels or the triangle. The following image should give you a better idea of how these molds would work when shaping and decorating your rice ball.

Rice is put into the mold, rounded-face down. When its the right thickness, the mold is turned over and the rice shape is pushed out from the rounded-face side.

Some of the above pictured molds come in far more elborate kits. They come with stencils that allow you to draw Kitty and friends in nori, sesame seeds, egg yolk or whatever strikes your fancy. They also include sheets of nori with Hello Kitty punch-outs. This might even be too much for me...

To see these mold kits and their results check out this Kitty fan's photo album

While looking for pictures of traditional onigiri I was happy to see that I am not alone in my love of this simple Japanese comfort food. With a strong culture of Obento box blogs (I'll cover that Kitty link in the next post) onigiris have become an art form for many at-home chefs. I am truly touched by their devotion to food and I hope their recipients can appreciate the enthusiasm that went into these creations.

A Taste of Spring

2005-05-02T21:11:00.001-04:00

It's almost summer around here but my set of "Haru no mikaku" Kitty plushes were made complete just little over a week ago. Although these are not part of the regional line, they are part of Asunaro-sha's limited seasonal mascots. The series, "Haru no mikaku" or "Taste of Spring" features Kitty White as four kinds of "sansai". Sansai are edible wild plants that begin to appear in the early days of spring. In this limited series, Kitty appears as tsukushi or “horsetail brush”, takenoko or "bamboo shoots", kogomi or “fiddleheads” and fukinoto or “butterbur” flower bud. The cost of some of these luscious edible treats can be quite expensive in grocery stores so many people like to hunting for these wild plants. However, some people say the hunt for these delicacies have more to do with the rituals of spring. I'd guess that fukinoto and tsukushi are the crocuses of northern Japan -- indicators that the snow will be gone soon and cherry blossoms with follow. Other than takenoko and kogomi, these spring veggies are strangers to me so I had to rely on my mom's memory and the internet to give you an idea of the tastes and uses of wild plants.

Fukinoto is the sprout of the butterbur (a flower plant from the chrysanthemum clan) has a sharp and bitter taste. It is sometimes served minced with miso dressing or as tempura. Maybe its me, but doesn't everything taste better when its dipped in batter and deep-fried?

Tsukushi is a rhizome. Sometimes served in a soup or with a simple dressing of sugar and soy sauce -- I have no idea of its flavor, but I bet if you dipped it in batter and deep-fried it...

Kogomi are the coiled-up, baby leaves of the ostrich fern. I have had a version of these spinachy-asparagusy delicacies from Maine. My mom served them with a ground sesame seed and soy sauce dressing. I loved them and they weren't even deep-fried!

Takenoko are relatively common for westerners that have eaten stir-fries. I have yet to eat a shoot that hasn't come out of a can, but I've been told they are crisp and have a mild flavor.

What will they think of next...

2005-04-26T21:31:00.002-04:00

Sometimes I am simply astounded at what the the Asunaro-sha folks will come up with interms of Kitty White's next appearance in their regional/limited series. Okay, I wasn't suprised by the "underpants" series -- seems to be in line with traditional, cutesy Hello Kitty fare, but when I saw the "Kazuko Hosoki" series, I had to get up and leave the computer for a few minutes. Outside of Japan, Hosoki is known as one of the tart-tongued judges on "Iron Chef" and from what I understand, she is spicier in her many appearances on japanese television.

Other recent and fanciful additions to the "you're kidding me" guises:

Kitty as a Sumo wrestler. It's both funny and disturbing to see that cute white face on that body.
Kitty as Papaya Suzuki (Japanese TV comic pop star)
Last but not least (and I should mention, this is one of my favorite Kitty themes) The Four Ramen Devas (page relisting pending...)

There's something about the food-thingie and Kitty that always makes me both happy and hungry. Two of my latest additions to my regional collection are food-thingies:

Kitty White pops out of a bag of Shingenmochi -- a treat said to be a favorite of Samurai Shingen Takeda. To find out more about this fabulous treat, I highly recommend Chika's blog on the subject

Kitty prepares and eats a Kanto region specialty -- kind of a japanese pancake/omelette. To find a better description of the dish and its preparation, try this site.

These additions are not currently available as plushes so I must be content with their miniature netsuke forms. Maybe they are more charming in micro... they still make me hungry, that's for sure.

New Additions

2005-04-24T12:10:00.001-04:00

April has been a good month for Regional Kitties -- lots of new and interesting additions to the Asunaro website, lots of older, hard-to-find plushes turning up on the auction sites.

My collection has grown (bloated) over the past year so "trading was been light" up until recent months. Normally I am adding one new plush mascot or "nuigurumi" to my collection every other month. However, last month I hit the jackpot thanks to the help of one my regular "kitty dealers." A nice, big package was delivered on Friday and despite it being late in April, it felt like Christmas.

A few of the newest plushes

"Kagawa Kukai" aka Kobo Daishi, the founder of Shingon Esoborder="0"gion: Shikoku, Kagawa Prefecture

"Nozawana" -- Kitty White enjoys green tea and some nozawana, a turnip green that is grown in the mountains of Japan
Region: Koshinetsu

Hard-to-find plushes ---at least for me

"Michinoku Kokeshi" -- In this version, Kitty White appears as the traditional wooden doll from the general area of Tohoku. This is a "Genyo" era item from 2002.
Region: Tohoku

Genyo to Asunaro-sha

2005-04-20T18:49:00.004-04:00

Kitty White in a bowl of Sanuki Udon, one of my favorite types of noodles. Udon are the wonderful, thick and hearty white noodles and Sanuki (a city in Kagawa, Japan) is where the noodles are said to be the best

For over a year, I’ve been collecting Japanese Regional Hello Kitty items, mainly the small keychain plushes. Yes, they are too cute but at the same time, they are wonderfully detailed and teach me something about the country and culture my parents came from. They also have the added benefit of making me forget job-related stress so I'm wondering if the IRS would allow me to use my kitty purchases as a medical deduction -- hey, I can dream can't I?

The sordid story behind my collection
Regional Hello Kitties first appeared in Japan in 1997. A company called Genyo made a licensing deal with Sanrio which allowed them to create and market (in addition to their infamous vibrator) a line of stuffed animals, stationary, towels, etc., with a "regional theme." Each kitty was presented as a food, animal, historic figure or tourist attraction from that region. No surprise that within Japan, these little regional items became wildly popular when they first came out. Genyo had a hard time keeping up with the demand.

However, like all good things rich and powerful, Kitty White's reputation was tarnished on her way to the Top Ten Toys list. To start with, Sanrio was not happy about the whole vibrator debacle, but things went from uncomfortable to down-right ugly when three of Genyo's top executives were charged with tax evasion. It was reported that some 400 million yen of corporate taxes was creatively missing. As the news spread, some gasped at the thought of Kitty White being "soiled by corporate greed." Others snickered. I, on the other hand worried that there would never be another regional Kitty once the Genyo website when down.

Thankfully, saner heads prevailed and the Regional Hello Kitty series not only still exists, but is still going strong!

Asunaro-sha website (Japanese)
Kitty Goods Index (English)