Kodomo no hi

One of my all time favorite holidays celebrated in Japan is Kodomo no hi, otherwise known as Children's Day.  Formerly known as Boy's Day (changed in 1948), May 5th is a day set aside to honor children for their individual strengths and celebrate healthy growth.  Most importantly, families wish happiness upon the children in their lives. 

Families adorn their homes with samurai helmets and koi fish flags.  Koi flags are everywhere this time of year, which is very festive and fun.  Maybe this is why I often call it Boy's Day instead of Children's Day - that and the fact that there's still a Girl's Day...  Many boys are gifted beautiful samurai dolls by their grandparents after they are born, which they put out for this holiday.

These photos are from a public display, not a in a home.

We have celebrated Children's Day for many years, even throwing a party in our home in the US one year.  We did the best we could in the US always stretching to get authentic treats and decorations.  Celebrating in Japan was much easier and felt even more special.

Weeks ago, we ordered the traditional snack eaten by children in Osaka - chimaki, a delicately sweet mochi wrapped in bamboo leaves.  We also ordered the more common kashiwamochi, a ball of mochi with sweet red bean paste in the middle and wrapped in an oak leaf.  Of course, there are so many options of treats to choose from, but we decided to stick to the traditional ones this year, since we had such a hard time finding them in the states.  My son loved walking to the traditional sweets shop in town to pick it up this morning.  It is always special to go to this shop and purchase their beautiful creations, just like many other parents have done for their kids for over 60 years.

Chimaki and kashiwamochi

Other treats available at the shop.

The old saying of "you  learn something new everyday" rang true today when I was told we needed to pick up iris leaves.  Not flowers, just the leaves.  They are put into the bathtub (similar to the yuzu we bathed in back in December) the iris is thought to promote good health and ward off evil.  Luckily, my husband knew just where to go to get some!

There are no obligatory gifts on this holiday.  Instead families celebrate simply by being together.  Since Children's Day is a national holiday, entire families are able to spend the day together, regardless if the 5th falls on a weekday or weekend day.  Besides the special treats and fancy bath, our family celebrated by going out to breakfast (well, a Japanese version of it - my son ate a tonkatsu/pork cutlet sandwich!) and my husband took him to a new park that we've never been to.

Mostly, we just spend the day thanking our lucky stars for the delightful boy that is our son.  He is healthy, happy, and wonderful in so many ways. 

Soup for dinner

Going out to dinner in Japan tends to be carb and protein heavy.  Many of the most popular dishes are very low in the vegetable department.  Tonkatsu (pork cutlets) may be served with cabbage, but that is it.  You can choose to eat edamame (green soybeans) with your sushi, but it isn't a full serving of vegetables.  There might be a little bit of green onions or bamboo shoots or seaweed in the ramen,  but just a bite or two compared to the whole bowl of noodles.

As a person who loves vegetables, I am saddened by this for a variety of reasons.  I like to eat a diet with lots of vegetables.  I try to include vegetables in every meal - sometimes succeeding more than others.  And I grow them, because it is a beautiful thing to watch them grow and change from just a tiny seed to a glorious vegetable. 

We've been in the mood to eat vegetables a lot lately.  We've been eating in restaurants frequently due to all the visitors and have been up to our eyeballs in heavy food.  So when we visited the Edo-Tokyo Museum in Ryogoku, we were determined to find a healthy dinner.  For us, that means eating lots of vegetables.  Chanko nabe is one of those delightful, vegetable laden cuisines.  This special soup is described as sumo stew, as it is often made for sumo wrestlers.  It is really popular in the Ryogoko area, where the sumo stadium is located, as well as several sumo stables.

Chanko nabe is relatively healthy, low in fat and loaded with vegetables.  It has a ton of ingredients - fish, pork, chicken, sea scallops, shrimp, two types of mushrooms, Chinese cabbage, two types of tofu, daikon, carrots, leeks, bok choy, glass noodles (clear noodles made with potato starch), all in a dashi broth.  It is a lot of food, but delicious! 

Nabe is a soup cooked in the middle of the table.  The pot is filled with yummy ingredients and after cooking, everyone can take out what they want to eat.  Nabe, in itself, is very filling.  But the soup isn't the last course!  Once all the vegetables and meat are consumed, there is a final course with either rice or noodles.  The carbs are put into the broth and soak up all the delicious flavors. 

Since we were eating with friends, we ordered a smaller nabe and a couple of sides.  The kids, of course, got kid's meals.

A sumo-sized croquet with a curry sauce.

A variety of fish cakes.

Udon, ketchup rice, minced chicken patty, fried shrimp, and mango pudding.

By the time you walk out of the restaurant, it is more of a waddle than a saunter.  But it was all worthwhile.  And vegetables galore!

Edo-Tokyo Museum

Whenever we have friends visiting, we ask them what they would like to do.  When they don't have something specific that they request, we try to think up something fun for everyone.  A lot of times we go places we have been before.  We have already "tested" out the area and it's easier to show them around.  But sometimes we venture out into new areas, taking a chance of it being a fun experience for everyone.

Today we met friends that are visiting from the US.  The couple have 3 young children, so we needed someplace interesting for a wide range of ages.  I gave the task to my husband, as he is much better at researching new activities, taking into account how everyone gets there and other important details.  For today's excursion, he chose the Edo-Tokyo Museum.

This history museum is filled with dioramas and life-size models representing the city for a common person during the Edo period.  There is also exhibits showing modern day Japan.  Edo is the former name of Tokyo.  It changed it's name in 1868 during the Meiji Restoration.  Many people are fascinated by the Edo period of Japan, a time a great change.

One thing I really liked about the dioramas were the binoculars. 

They let you look really close to the detailed works of art.

Many guidebooks recommend this particular museum.  After seeing it today, I understand why!  It is an amazing museum.  The level of detail that went into creating the exhibits is so admirable.  There is a huge wooden bridge inside the museum, along with many life-size buildings.  Some of the buildings have scenes depicting everyday life and others patrons can walk through. 

The museum is huge and we couldn't get through everything.  There was too much and the attention span of the kids wouldn't allow us to spend more than 2 hours.  Honestly, I was getting pretty tired after 2 hours.  However, I will happily return to this museum again and again.  There are so many interesting things to see and learn!  We all walked away feeling like it was time well spent.

One of the best things about visitors is taking them to see different parts of this crazy, busy city we live in.  There is something for everyone here.  You just need to do a little bit of research to find what peaks your interest.

A quick visit

We met one of my son's friends from his daycare in the US today.  He was so excited.  The first words out of his mouth after waking up was asking if this was the big day.  Before our meeting, he was jumping up and down and telling me how he was going to hug her as soon as he saw her.  I had to remind him several times to settle down and stay calm.

We were standing in line, waiting for the elevator to take us up to the 9th floor when we saw them.  The girls mom waved, smiled, and shouted a greeting.  The dad did the same.  I invited them into the line and gushed about how excited we were to see each other.  But my son and their daughter stood there frozen.  It's like they had a sudden case of shyness.

By the time we reached Sunshine Aquarium, they were talked excitedly with one another and quickly grabbed each other's hand to run around and excitedly view the aquarium.  It was nice to see them revert back to their normal buddy behavior.  Since my son is now a Sunshine Aquarium expert, he led her around to all his favorite exhibits and made sure to take her to see the sharks she wanted to see the most.

We flew through the aquarium in record time.  They were both starting to jump off the walls from the excitement of the day.  As we were getting ready to leave, we noticed there was a special exhibit on the roof of the indoor area of the aquarium.  We went up the stairs to find a small petting zoo.  There was an alpaca, sheep, guinea pigs, rabbits, and capybara.  After seeing these animals, we were getting ready to leave when they asked if the kids were interested in holding an owl.  Both had calmed down enough that we thought they would do great. 

They put a glove on each kid and then gently moved the owl from their hand to the kids.  Both kids were so calm and did wonderful holding the owl.  After their turn, they were allowed to pet the owl.  It was unbelievably soft!  What a great experience for both of them.

The rest of the day flew by just as the morning had.  We had lunch, watched the fountain dance to music, and did a bit of shopping. 

When it came time to say goodbye, the kids had a rough time departing.  They weren't making a scene.  They just wanted to keep playing together.

Once on the bus, my son was wistful, already missing his friend.  It is so fun to see his friends, but so hard to say goodbye again.  I totally understood his feelings and just held him as we rode. 

He stayed on his emotional roller coaster throughout the evening.  Luckily, the night ended on a positive note when we went for a short walk (in the rain) and saw 3 huge frogs! 

I was amazed to see the palm-sized frogs jumping on the sidewalk and right next to it.  They were the biggest frogs I've ever seen out of captivity!  No wonder we can hear frogs croaking at night.  In Tokyo!  Frogs!  Who knew?

Overnight in Izu - the food

As previously shared, the food at the timeshare is one of the major attractions.  Dinner is in the kaiseki style, featuring many small courses.  It is considered an art form that balances the taste, texture, appearance, and colors of food.  It is a treat for the taste buds and eyes.

Visiting the timeshare is the only time we indulge in kaiseki, as it is a very elaborate affair.  It is a very traditional style and requires the attendees to use very formal table manners.  Luckily, I had a good teacher (my husband) to show me the ropes years ago.  For example, Chopsticks are picked up with three movements (pick up with the right hand, left hand holds the chopsticks while the right moved under the sticks, then utilize).  The environment is very quiet and respectful as each piece of food is admired and contemplated.  Only bowls are lifted from the table (soup and rice).

Zensai/appetizer course - 7 little bites, including a small squid,

a cheese ball shaped like a tangerine, bamboo, and a fava bean frog.

The wire hat is samurai helmet representing Boy's Day on May 5.

Tsukuri/sashimi course - A variety of raw fish, including tiny shrimp.

Sakisui/first soup course - A very simple soup featuring spring vegetables. 

Suzakana/Sunomono course - Pickled foods including a

crunchy green frog made from veggies!

Nabe/boiled course - Crab, mushrooms, and onions

in a divine broth.

Yakimono/grilled course - Hamburger steak

wrapped in a cabbage leaf and vegetables.

Mushimono/steamed course - Shrimp ball

and seasonal vegetables.

3 courses in one plate.  Gohan/rice, Konomono/pickles course, and Tomewan/last soup -
Rice, tsukemono (pickled vegetables), and miso soup, served with tea.

Mizumono/dessert course - Matcha pudding and fresh fruit.

Our son thoroughly enjoyed his meal.  A couple of the items were the same as us - the shrimp ball (upper left) and hamburger steak (upper right).

His meal also came with rice, miso soup, and dessert.

Breakfast is also an elaborate affair, just without the courses.  There was so much food that I couldn't get it all in one photo!

Salad, squid, tofu salad, tsukemono (pickles)

Rice, natto (fermented soybeans in little white square), fish, eggs, ginger

Udon, tofu ball, miso soup

A close-up of the udon

One thing is for sure, you never walk away hungry!