Ichigo in Izu...it's Strawberry Season!

I love strawberries!! For my last weekend in Japan, my friends and I took a day trip to nearby Izu. There, we visited a strawberry farm and took the opportunity to see a different environment, outside of Tokyo. It was refreshing, and for about $20, we paid to sample and enjoy all the strawberries we could eat. Who knew there were so many different types of strawberries? Yummy!!

Who Eats Strawberry Popcorn, Anyways?

I went to Disney Sea yesterday...lucky me! I was actually approved a day off by my manager to go on a weekday - hoping to avoid the massive crowds on the weekends at Disney. No such luck - in spite of the fact that it was a Thursday, the crowds were still ridiculous...several rides had a two hour or longer wait...crazy! I haven't been to a Disney park in awhile, several years ago at least. Although in Tokyo, things were still very similar. I don't know if things have changed...but one interesting phenomenon I did note was that there was several popcorn stands located all around...the mere presence of popcorn wasn't so extraordinary...but it was the flavors offered. I love popcorn, and cheese is my favorite...but I couldn't find it anywhere. As can be expected there was salt and caramel...but unexpectedly there was black pepper and strawberry as well. Interesting, and not at all tempting. In conversation with my boyfriend last night, he chastised me for not trying the strawberry popcorn or getting some for him...go figure!

Eating Fish Sperm In Tsukiji

For many foreigners, Tsukiji is synonymous with Fish market. This is because the Tsukiji fish market is super famous, a place where many tourists visit in the early morning darkness (4:00 or 5:00 AM) to witness the fish auctions firsthand. I'm told it's an amazing place to see and experience, but like many of my Japanese co-workers, I just couldn't bring myself to wake up that early to witness it's many charms. For those who can, I've heard great reviews...so I would definately recommend. For those who are unable to get up quite that early, not to worry...Tsukiji as more to offer than just the early morning auctions. It's the place to be for the freshest fish and seafood, and if you're here in the winter months, the place to be to experience a special Japanese dish...fish sperm. Intrigued by the concept, I made a trip to Tsukiji after work last week, and tried the dish for myself. It wasn't the best thing I've eaten in Japan, and I wouldn't recommend gorging yourself on the dish, but a taste or two was a great alternative to the fish market...lol!

For more information about the Tsujiki fish market, visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsukiji_fish_market.

Ramen Noodles, Anyone?

Ramen noodles...nothing new, right? We all eat them - especially when we're lacking time and/or money. I ate my fair share in a cup in high school and college, and so I wasn't surprised to hear them talked about time and time again.

What I wasn't prepared for, however, was the borderline obsession with them and a variety of other noodles. Ramen isn't just ramen...I've been to the museum and learned about the different broths and noodle varieties. They vary by region and there are ramen restaurants all over. For me, ramen has always been an old standby - but never have I been preparing to go out with friends for dinner and thought...I'm really in the mood for a big bowl of ramen tonight...go figure!

Wild Horses

One of the first questions people typically ask me about Japan is..."how is the food?" I generally have few complaints. I can't lie and say there aren't certain dishes that I miss...or pretend to not notice the difference between burgers here and in the States...but aside from that, few complaints. On a positive note, food here comes in much smaller portions and is generally much healthier than in the US.
One of the main tenets of having a successful international assignment is being open...or so I've read. I'm pretty picky about some food, but in general, I'm open to most meats. So, during my second week in Japan, on a driving trip to Yamanashi, we stopped off at a somewhat traditional Japanese restaurant. Traditional in that we had to take off our shoes and sit on the ground. Traditional in the sense that raw horse meat was on the menu. In an effort to show my new co-workers just how open I was to new experiences, I persuaded them to do the ordering and that I would sample what they choose. I hated the tofu that came out, but surprisingly loved the taste of the raw horse meat....isn't that ironic? I've never been particularly squeamish about raw foods - I'm a big fan of sushi and as long as it's safe...I'll give it a try. After my dabble with horse, I've since learned that I've only scratched the surface of raw cuisine. Apparently, raw beef and chicken are also quite popular here...yum yum!!