Japanese Spiny Lobster Bento Of Oonoso

"A lobster loves water,

but not when he's being cooked in it"

Senegalese proverb

Camels decorates the lamp posts around the Onjuku town.

Nestled in a sweeping bay, Onjuku is one of the best-known small towns on the Pacific coast of the Bōsō Peninsula in Chiba Prefecture. The little town harbors a unique culture; in 1609 a Spanish galleon named the San Francisco ran ashore near Onjuku and the surviving crew and captain were cared for by the Japanese women of the town. They were later offered a ship to return to Mexico. Now, tourists to the region can admire a monolith, overlooking the sea, built to commemorate the relationship between Mexico and Japan, but that's not the only Mexican influence you can see within the town. 

Onjuku, although primarily a fisher's town, also accommodates the surfers, the sunbathers and those who just want to ride a novelty banana-shaped boat. There's a symbolic statue of Onjuku, which depicts a prince and princess in Arabian garb riding on camels at the Onjuku beach. The golden sandy beach with clear blue waters is certainly something worth coming to wash away the stress from the city. The statue was erected to celebrate the 1923 song, Tsuki no Sabaku, which was inspired by the area.

 The famous camel statues of Onjuku by the beautifu beach overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

Oonoso, the restaurant we visited to have our lobster lunch.

The owner of Oonoso giving a brief introduction about the treat we are gonna feast on very soon.

We have known each other for almost 4 years but I never had the chance to ask the name of this uncle from Chiba TV. First knew him from the interview I had with Chiba TV in 2011 and we have met several times after that, especially during the tours of Chiba Kun Ambassadors. He's a person who does his work quietly but come out with spectacular results. Took a photo with him for one last time at my last tour with the ambassadors, and in fact this is our first time taking photo together.

The regional industry of commercial diving for abalone and lobster started around here, though low yields have caused a downturn recently. Until the 1960's, the abalone diving was done by young women called "ama" who dove with no breathing apparatus, and bare-chested. Cute lobsters adorning sombreros are everywhere, along with a cactus tree that welcomes beach-goers.

Onjuku town has the largest catch of Japanese lobster in Japan, where the season for the Japanese lobster begins from September. During this period of the year, there is the annual Onjuku lobster festival (おんじゅく伊勢えび祭り), which is held from early September until end of October. Visitors to this festival will get to choose and grab fresh lobsters by the hand and eat grilled lobster on the spot.

 Assorted fruits as desserts.

Pickles or tsukemono (漬物).

Boiled green beans, miso egg plant, sweet potato.

Boiled hijiki with carrots and aburaage (deep-fried slices of tofu).

Chawamushi, which has a very tender texture and sweet aroma of eggs.

The bowl of chawamushi has among others, lobster, shiitake mushroom, ginkgo seeds and lily roots, and by far one of the best that I have ever tasted.

Vinegar rice with shiitake mushroom, flower-shaped lotus roots and tinsel eggs.

This is the main of the whole meal - freshly grilled Japanese spiny lobster or iseebi with sangayaki, a regional dish from Chiba made of minced fish.

The complete dishes of the Japanese spiny lobster bento set.

Another angle of the sumptuous meal.

Generally, this bento is packed in a box like this, but for our visit this time, it was specially prepared in individual servings.

Trying to get the best shot for blogging later on hahaha! (photo credit: Ayako Uchiyama).

One of the traditional Japanese inn in this town is Oonoso (大野荘), which specialises on lobster dishes. In a collaboration with Isumi Railway (いすみ電鉄), they come out with Iseebi Bento (伊勢えび弁当), or literally "Japanese Spiny Lobster Bento". The main is the lobster freshly caught from the Sotobo region, which is prepared by the onigarayaki (鬼殻焼き) method.  The back of the lobster will be cut open and glazed with a special sauce prepared using the authentic recipe of Oonoso, and finally grilled in oven with the shell still intact.

Other fresh seafood and cooking materials from the region are used to prepare the side dishes that complete this wonderful set of bento. Among others are Sotobo's grilled shiokoji marlin (kajikimaguro sakekasu-shio-koji-yaki, カジキマグロの酒粕塩麹焼き), Isumi's tosani boiled shiitake mushroom (椎茸の土佐煮), boiled sweet potato with honey (さつま芋の蜜煮), sangayaki (さんが焼き), egg plants with sea bream cooked with miso (秋茄子の鯛味噌のせ), green beans with peanuts (いんげんのピーナツ和え), boiled hijiki (ひじきの煮物), flower-shaped lotus root (花蓮根), kinshi-tamago or tinsel egg (錦糸卵) and vinegar rice (彩酢飯).

Small dolls which are hand-made for the Hinamatsuri celebration.

It takes several days to complete one doll, according to the owner.

One of the dolls at the restaurant which resembles the shape of lobster.

Visitors to this restaurant will certainly be impressed by the colourful tsurusibina dolls.

More tsurushibina dolls inside the restaurant.

Besides serving authentic lobster meals, the visitors who are interested can also learn how to make cute little dolls, which are hung from the ceiling. These dolls are called tsurusibina (つるし雛). There is a festival for this dolls in February and March every year, where participating restaurants will be beautifully decorated with these dolls.

So if you're looking for a relaxing weekend away or just a historical spot to explore, Onjuku has more than it's modest square footage might suggest.

The owner of Oonoso having a group photo with the Chiba Kun Ambassadors. Thanks a lot for the wonderful lunch! (photo credit: Ayako Uchiyama).

※ INFORMATION ※

Oonoso (大野荘)
Address: 775 Shinmachi, Onjuku-machi, Isumi-gun, Chiba Prefecture, 299-5103 Japan (千葉県夷隅郡御宿町新町775)
Oonoso Iseebi Bento: 1,600 yen (reservation is required 2 days prior to visit)
Tel: 04-7068-5511   Fax: 04-7068-6455
Freedial: 0120-049-551 (not applicable via mobile phone)
Website: http://www.oonoso.co.jp/ (Japanese only)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/%E5%A4%A7%E9%87%8E%E8%8D%98/234020543345236 
Access: Train: From JR Onjuku station (JR御宿駅), walk for approximately 10 minutes.

Mouthwatering Unaju From Kanetaya

"Japanese eel is said to be 

the most expensive fish in Japan"

Froese and Pauly 2011

Golden-brown and spitting hot unagi fillet, served over rice as unaju, in square lacquer-look box.

Unagi, or eel may sound like a foreign ingredient to most of us who are not familiar to Japanese cuisine. However, when unagi is served, it always looked like a typical fish fillet to me. To be honest however, I find it hard to connect the dots between the snake-looking fish in the water, and the "fish" I was eating. For better or for worse, that experience did not stop me enjoying unagi all these years.  The combination of delicious warm rice and glistering sweet caramel-like unagi sauce (we call it "unagi no tare") over the perfectly grilled unagi is simply irresistible.

For those of you who pays visit to sushi restaurants from now and then, unagi sushi or anago sushi (salt-water eels) should be a common menu you find there. However, the satisfaction from eating freshly-grilled unagi on top of warm rice is completely a different and incomparable experience. The aroma of the sauce is more than enough to make anyone's mouth water.

Kametaya - a restaurant that specializes on traditional Japanese cuisine.

Our lunch during the second tour of Chiba Kun Ambassadors took us to a traditional Japanese restaurant - Kanetaya. We had two options to choose - between the unaju or makunouchi bento. It was a pretty straight-forward choice between the two; I opted for the former. As is standard practice, it is served either in a two-tiered lacquer container with the rice separate; laid on top of the rice in a fancy square or rectangular box - unaju (うな重); or on rice in a wide bowl - unadon (うな丼).

This style of cooking is called kabayaki (蒲焼き), similar to teriyaki (照 焼き). It is a very typical way to prepare unagi but other fish that can be prepared the same way as well.  Basically the fish is split down the back (or belly), gutted and boned, butterflied, cut into square fillets, skewered, and dipped in a sweet soy sauce based sauce before broiled on a charcoal grill. In the Tokyo region, the skewered eel is first broiled without the sauce, and we call it shirayaki (白焼き). Then the unagi are steamed, before being dipped in the sauce and grilled again.

Here comes our scrumptious unaju set. They come in several sizes - jyo (上), nami (並), matsu (松), take (竹), ume (梅), etc. This nami unaju cost 2,000 yen.

Side dish which tastes very much like the Chinese shumai, but with an interesting twist; notice how they made the skin with sliced wonton wrappers, topped with a dash of chopped ginger and boiled green mustard.

Colourful pickles made of radish and green mustard.

The Shoukadou (松花堂) makunouchi bento, or traditional Japanese lunchbox, is a highly lacquered wooden box divided into quadrants, 
each of which contains different delicacies - fish, meat, pickles, eggs and vegetables along with rice and an umeboshi.

Freshwater eel, especially when broiled in the savory kabayaki style, is credited with the marvelous ability to provide energy in face of the debilitating heat of mid-summer. Unagi is rich in vitamins A and E, and omega-3 fatty acids. From Edo Period (1600-1850), the Japanese have a tradition to eat unagi on a particular mid-summer day called doyō-no ushi-no-hi (土用の丑の日) in order to gain stamina from the hot summer heat.

Finally, our highly anticipated unaju made its entrance. Like everything else here, it is simple and just as good as you would expect. The melting-soft texture of the fish is basted with a rich, savory tare sauce that oozes into the rice. A dash of color and texture is provided by the small saucer of pickles.

For dessert, we got a pleasant surprise as we were served a special home-made black beans castella (黒豆カステラ). One word to describe it - orgasmic!

 

Each of us were given a little token of souvenir after our satisfying meal - an origami with the lyrics of a Japanese folk song.

Thank you for reading, and do make it a point to drop by this restaurant if you are looking for palatable Japanese cuisine in this area of Chiba.

※ INFORMATION ※
Kanetaya (金田屋)
Address: 3692 Ajiki, Sakae City, Imba Gun, Chiba Prefecture, Japan (千葉県印旛郡栄町安食3692)
Opening Hours: 11:00 - 22:00
Closed: The second Wednesday of every month
Reservation: Available
Website: http://kanetaya.jp (Japanese only) 
Email: mail@kanetaya.jp
Tel: 0476-95-1105    Fax: 0476-95-8855
Parking: Available (40 spaces)
Access: From JR Awaji Station on JR Narita Line, walk for 12 minutes; Car: 20 minutes (15 km) from Narita Interchange. 
※ Free shuttle bus available for groups more than 10 peoples.

Making Boso Peninsula's Futomaki Matsuri-Zushi

"The most beautiful expressions 

of the culinary art"

Futomaki matsuri-zushi
 

Beautiful treats that are the result of over 100 years of culinary refinement.

If you have heard of "futomaki matsuri-zushi", you are a real sushi connoisseur! The Chiba Kun Ambassadors recently was given a cooking class. Yes, being an ambassador for Chiba Kun is not limited to only introducing the tourist spots in Chiba prefecture, because we gotta attend cooking class once in a while as well hahaha! So, this time we were given the opportunity to learn how to make one of Japanese most well-known food - sushi.

This time, we would be making "futomaki matsuri-zushi" (太巻き祭り寿司), literally "thick-rolled festival sushi". Futomaki matsuri-zushi is common in the Chiba Prefecture of Japan and is considered as another form of traditional culture that is passed down through the ages. These unique and colorful sushi rolls are rolled with intricate patterns and commonly made for special occasions and festivals since old times. They transform your traditional California roll and turn it into the linkness of a panda, flower, or even a pop culture icon.

The sushi masters were there since early in the morning in preparing the ingredients. Here they are making tamago-yaki (Japanese omelet) (photo credit: Madoka Usui).

The three sushi chefs plus a visiting student from a local university, who would teach us the way to make futomaki-sushi.

Futomaki-zushi is a type of rolled sushi that is distinguished for its large size and careful balance of ingredients. Most people, especially the non-Japanese probably have the image of sushi as rice cubes topped with raw fish. However, they might be surprised by the care and artistry that goes into these rolls of futomaki. They are usually filled with different coloured vegetables and may not even contain fish at all. Chef design futomaki to be both delicious and pleasing to the eye, and they often choose ingredients for how well they balance with each other in taste and looks.

The word "futomaki" (太巻き) is Japanese for "fat roll", and this name could not be more appropriate. Futomaki rolls are usually 4 centimeters in diameter if not larger, and are made up of three main parts. The outside "casing" or "shell" of the roll is traditionally a thin sheet of nori seaweed, which is basically seaweed that has been pressed and dried into a thin but flexible rectangle. Soy paper or thin cooked egg can be used in rare instances. The inside is made up of both sushi rice and chosen fillings.

A recipe book written by Eiko Ryuzaki-sensei (龍﨑英子), in her efforts to aspire and promote the art and techniques of futomaki-making not only to the younger generations in Japan, but also to foreigners. For more information about the recipes, you can take a look from this link (Japanese only).

Minegishi sensei, showing us the packet of Susshi (すっし〜), which is used to make the rice pink in colour.
 

Sushi mat is made up of bamboo slats woven together into a flexible surface. There are two kinds of sushi mat prepared for us,

one the normal size and the other a slightly bigger one.

Sushi rice is a special variety of short-grained, sticky rice. When it is used in rolls, it is usually seasoned with a bit of mirin, a rice vinegar, and may also be salted in order to help it stick together and adhere to the other ingredients. These "other ingredients" are where the sushi chefs have the most flexibility. Vegetables are common choices, particularly cucumber, carrot, and mushroom; cooked seafood such as crab or eel may also be used. Some rolls feature raw fish, but not often.

This time, the Chiba Kun Ambassadors were so lucky to have the opportunity to be taught by a group of three members from Chiba Traditional Regional Cuisine Research Group (千葉伝統郷土料理研究会), who had experience giving classes of sushi-making in many countries abroad, to show us how to make futomaki. The Chiba Kun Ambassadors were divided into two groups and we were given two motifs to choose from - rose or peach flower. Since I had made the peach flower motif one a year ago, I went to rose this time. The basic rolling process can take some time to master, but is not particularly difficult.

Minegishi sensei started the demonstration of making rose-motif futomaki-zushi. Pink rice and sweetened red capsicums were used for the petals part.

Thin eggs complete the petal part, which thinly sliced cucumber were used for the stalk.

And here is the final result - rose petal futomaki-zushi.
 

Next up is making the peach flower futomaki-zushi.
 

Adding in the final portion of sushi rice to complete the masterpiece.

The first step usually involves putting the nori directly on the mat, and will then cover nearly the entire surface with prepared sushi rice. The other ingredients, cut into thin strips, are placed on top of the rice. Most of the time, these ingredients are stacked in the center and do not take up the entire surface area.

When everything is in place, the chef will create the roll by slowly folding the bamboo mat inwards. This movement causes the nori to fold over onto itself from one edge to the next. The end result is a thick log that should hold itself together. Chefs sometimes present the futomaki as a single whole like this, but more commonly will slice it into individual rounds. Each round contains a small taste of all of the ingredients that were stacked on top of the rice.

The rose group is ready to rock sushi and roll (photo credit: Madoka Usui).

This is one of the ingredients for the rose petal - sweetened red capsicums.

Minegishi sensei reminding us the correct method of using the bamboo mat (photo credit: Madoka Usui).

And we started to create the petal with pink rice, capsicums and tamago-yaki (photo credit: Madoka Usui).

Pickled celery is used as the stalk of the rose.

The rose futomaki-zushi, by yours truly.

Taking a photo with the sensei and the sushi I made.

And the rest of the Chiba Kun Ambassadors in the rose group (photo credit: Madoka Usui).

Sushi is well-known the world over as a popular part of Japanese cuisine; however, in some countries, including Malaysia, eating raw fish is not common practice. Therefore, in these locations, they prefer to have unique makizushi (巻き寿司) rolls made with local ingredients. One of the many types of makizushi is futomaki matsuri-zushi, a type of sushi that contains no raw fish.

These makizushi rolls look like splendid works of art. However, in actual fact, there are very few sushi masters who know how to make them, so futomaki matsuri-zushi is not very well known even in Japan. This is because these rolls are the brainchild not of sushi chefs, but of local farmers from the Boso Peninsula in Chiba Prefecture.

Exchanged half of my sushi with the other group, and here are some of the peach flower futomaki-zushi.

A splendid work of arts made by the amazing chefs.

A group photo with the sushi chef and the Chiba Kun Ambassadors. Yes, I was the only guy there lol! (photo credit: Ayako Uchiyama)
 

This is the traditional way for the locals to eat sushi. Farmers know better than anyone else the hard work involved in growing rice, and they wish for people to experience happiness when they eat their carefully grown produce. They take vegetables, eggs, as well as dried local ingredients that are easily preserved, and roll them up into a sushi roll. The beautiful patterns crafted within each roll show a spirit of welcome toward the recipient. For that reason, they are must-haves at weddings, festivals, celebrations, and other special days.

Locals have cherished futomaki matsuri-zushi for many years, a sushi that is only available in the Boso Peninsula, and where recipes have been handed down through many generations. Every year, design contests have given birth to new works of art. Incidentally, the Boso Peninsula refers to Chiba Prefecture, where Narita International Airport can be found. If you head out there, not only can you buy some futomaki matsuri-zushi yourself, but you will also be able to stop by workshops that let you roll your own. Why not go and visit the area and enjoy the rich variety of designs, and the classic, simple flavors on offer.

Chiba is waiting for you!

Sumptuous Bamboo Shoot Cuisine At Takenoko

"Evergreen bamboo

Shoots cut down and thinly sliced

Boiled, to feast upon"

A Japanese haiku

to describe the bamboo shoot

There is a huge wooden carving of bamboo shoots in front of the restaurant.

The third tour of the Chiba Kun Ambassadors took us to Ōtaki (大多喜町) town, located in Isumi district of Chiba prefecture. The town is located right in the middle of the Bōsō Peninsular and 70% of the town is covered with forest, making it a prefect gateway escape from Tokyo to enjoy the richness of nature here. After our tour to Yoro Keikoku, it was lunch time, which I would say more often than not, the main highlight of each tour because we will be brought to taste the local specialties of each locations we visit.

This time, we dined at a restaurant - Takenoko, which specialises in Ōtaki's famous bamboo shoots or takenoko. ​The water running through the Bōsō mountains are clean and that is the main reason good grades of bamboo shots are found in this area. The harvesting season of bamboo shoots is from late April to May, where visitors get the chance to personally try and harvest the bamboo shoots by themselves.

A sign put up at the entrance door, to thank the customers for their patronage each time.

The interior of the restaurant in the first floor.

The Chiba Kun Ambassadors however, had our lunch on the second floor, in this beautifully furnished Japanese style washitsu.

Bamboo shoots as food have been part of the Asian diet for centuries, and are fast becoming popular in Western meals. The shoots are usually boiled before consumption because they are poisonous. The raw shoots contain hydrocyanic acid, and are very toxic. Peeling and boiling for five minutes will steam off the acid. Bamboo shoots do not have much nutritional value (most of the 'healthy' stuff is boiled off with the toxins), but they are yummy in stir-frys.

For the lunch, basically everything served in the menu was based on bamboo shoots, from pickled bamboo shoots, bamboo shoot rice, bamboo shoots in miso soup, and many more. It was my first time having bamboo shoot in miso soup and I gotta say it tasted really good. We were lucky that we got to request for seconds for the delicious bamboo shoots rice and also the bamboo shoots miso soup.

Our sumptuous takenoko lunch set.

Starters, that includes pickled bamboo shoots and radish, tamagoyaki (sweetened Japanese omelette), mountain vegetables, and Chiba's famous peanuts in miso.

Nimono (煮物), consisting of bamboo shoots, carrots, shiitake mushroom.

Bamboo shoot pickles in vinegar.

Bamboo shoot rice, topped with toasted sesame seeds.

Wild vegetables tenpura and deep-fried takenoko karaage.

Home made kiwi-flavoured yōkan.

Besides that, Ōtaki is also popular for its inoshishi-don (イノシシ丼) or wild boar don, and also buta-nabe (豚 鍋) or pork steamboat. The wild boars are commonly known to be an annoying animal that destroys the farm field, and that is one of the reason they are caught to be used in the local delicacies by the local villagers.

At Takenoko, besides the signature takenoko set, there are also wild boar stew and simmered miso deer meat among the other dishes in the menu. All of these dishes uses only the freshest ingredients found in the deep mountains of Ōtaki and it is certain satisfy anyone who wishes to try on the local meals in this humble little town.

|| INFORMATION ||

Kyodoryori Takenoko (郷土料理 たけのこ)
Opening hours: 11:00 - 22:00 (reservation required, except between the period of March 15 - May 15)
Tel: 0470-84-0368
Parking: Available 
Address: 181-2, Kurohara, Otaki-machi, Isumi-gun, Chiba Prefecture, 298-0255, Japan. 
Website: http://otaki-takenoko.main.jp/ (Japanese only)

Access: Train: From Ohara station (大原駅), take the Isumi Railway (いすみ鉄道) to Fusamoto station (総元駅) (approximately 45 minutes, 640yen), and the restaurant is 175 meters away.

Takean (竹庵)
Opening hours: 10:00 - 21:00  
Closed days: None
Seating: 7 tables (4 people) and an open terrace that fits 10 people.
Tel: 0470-80-1077
Parking: Available (50 spots) 
Address: 967, Horinouchi, Otaki-machi, Isumi-gun, Chiba Prefecture, 298-0224, Japan. 
Website: http://otaki-takenoko.main.jp/ (Japanese only)
Access: Train: From Ohara station (大原駅), take the Isumi Railway (いすみ鉄道) to Koyamatsu station (小谷松) (approximately 40 minutes, 580yen), and the restaurant is 1,158 meters away.

Tateyama's Hasshokudon

"Omotenashi"

Japanese philosophy

of hospitality

Ikoinomura Tateyama (いこいの村たてやま), where we made the stop for our lunch.

We were greeted with gorgeous swaying palm trees upon our arrival to the hotel.

Tateyama is a town blessed with beautiful sea around its surrounding. Realizing this fact, the city has come out with a local specialty menu based on the concept of "omotenashi" or Japanese hospitality. This menu which made its debut early this year on January 30, 2013, is called Tateyama's Hasshokudon (八色丼), or literally, "eight colours rice bowl dish".

The main characteristics of this menu is that eight different kinds of topping is served in eight mini rice bowls, giving us the chance to enjoy various flavours in one meal. You may wonder why the number "8" is chosen here. The eight different mini dishes included in this set symbolizes the orbs possessed by the eight warriors from the story "Nanso Satomi Hakkenden" (南総里見八犬伝), or the "Tale of Eight Dogs".

 Upon entering the cafeteria, we came across these mysterious-looking gigantic bowls!

An aerial shot of our lunch set.

A closer look at the condiments, pickled vegetables, clam soup and dessert.

Another shot from the top.

However, I am very sure everyone is curious what is inside the huge bowl on the left. Hmmm....

Each of the eight rice bowls is carved with Japanese kanji characters that represents the kanji appeared in the tale. All eight bowls which contain about 25-30 grams of rice is placed in a huge bowl with a cover which measures 36 centimeters in diameter and 25 centimeters tall.

The names of the eight bowls are "jin" (仁丼), "gi" (義丼), "rei" (礼丼), "chi" (智丼), "chu" (忠思), "shin" (信丼), "kou" (孝丼), "tei" (悌丼). "Tomo" is placed on the centre, "jin" is placed on the 12-o-clock position, and the rest will follow on clock wise rotation. The condiment to be enjoyed together with the rice dish is also arranged according to the same order.

 Tada! There you go - eight little rice bowls, each containing different kinds of rice dish.

Lets take a closer look at the colourful dish.

From this wonderful dish, you can get to taste everything Tateyama has to offer, as each dish features famous ingredients from the area, such as vegetables of the season, aji (horse mackerel), Ise-ebi (spiny lobster), pork, fish of the season, hijiki seaweed, and fruit of the season. Within these standards, each establishment determines the method of preparation and seasonings for these ingredients. 

The fish used in the dish differs from one restaurant to the other, and depending on the season, the types of fish in the same restaurant might be different. This gives people the chance to try out this dish multiple times as it offers a different kind of menu and experience on each visit. This unique dish can be enjoyed for just 1,800 yen.

This is what they call Tateyama's hasshokudon.

And, now you know why nobody can beat Japanese omotenashi.

Another half of the Chiba Kun Ambassadors had the opportunity to try another local specialty - Aburikaisen-don, which I have tried early this year. One thing to take note is that these two dishes are only available in five selected restaurants within Tateyama city. Furthermore, the number of meals served per day is limited to 125 sets for aburikaisen-don and 70 sets for hasshokudon. It is recommended to make a reservation before you visit the restaurants, especially during the weekends.

By the way, the place we had our lunch - Ikoinomura Tateyama (いこいの村たてやま) is a hotel that sits on a magnificent location just right in front of the Pacific Ocean. This strategic location offers a picturesque view of the ocean and islands far beyond the horizon from the room and public bath.

 

 The Chiba Kun Ambassadors enjoying our sumptuous meals.

The best way to drop by this hotel is by car, on the way driving through Minamiboso area, because the nearest train station is location quite some distance away. However, there is a bus stop nearby the hotel which the local bus runs on a frequent basis. Alternatively, the hotel is accessible from the station by taxi in approximately fifteen minutes.

By the way, there is a tropical botanical garden called Nanbo Paradise (南房パラダイス). It was built in 1970, and has set up a partnership with Singapore Botanic Gardens. There are about 5,000 kinds of tropical plants in a large glass houses with 11 rooms. And in the site, there are the beds of flowers, the house of butterflies, petting zoo and other some facilities.

The three popular local food from Tateyama.

Finally, a group photo of Chiba Ambassadors in front of the hotel we had our lunch.

|| INFORMATION ||

Ikoinomura Tateyama
Check-in time: 15:00 p.m.
Check-out time: 10:00 a.m.
Lunch time: 11:30 - 14:00 (abura-kaisendon and hasshokudon is only available during lunch time)
Closed days: None (except special holidays)
Number of seats: 200 seats
Number of servings per day: Aburi-kaisendon - 20 servings; Hasshokudon - 10 servings
Parking spaces: 60 cars (no charge, no reservations required)
Address: 1495-1, Fujiwara, Tateyama-shi, Chiba Prefecture, 294-0224, Japan.
Tel: 0470-28-2211        Fax: 0470-28-2215
Website: http://ikoi-tateyama.com/index.html (Japanese only)
Access: Tateyama is located in the southern region of Bōsō Peninsular. It takes approximately 90 minutes from Tokyo; and 30 minutes from Tateyama Station by car.

Five establishments offer Tateyama's Hasshokudon:
・Umi no Hana (Tel: 0470-25-5151) 2903-101 Hojo, Tateyama
・Hana Sohonten (Tel: 0470-22-1385) 2619-6 Hojo, Tateyama
・Kyukamura Tateyama (Tel: 0470-29-0211) 725 Kenbutsu, Tateyama
・Ito Daibo Kobo (Tel: 0470-29-1221) 963-1 Ito, Tateyama
・Ikoi-no-Mura Tateyama (Tel: 0470-28-2211) 1495-1 Fujiwara, Tateyama 
Inquiries: Tateyama New Local Gourmet Promotion Council (within the Tateyama City Tourism Association)
Website: http://tateyama-gourmet.com (Japanese only)
Tel: 0470-22-2000

The Art Of Making Futomaki-zushi

"I'm not making art, 

I'm making sushi." 

Masaharu Morimoto

 Japanese Iron Chef

Being appointed as the ambassadors of Chiba Kun, it is not all about touring around the popular spots around Chiba Prefecture to promote the prefecture to the world. The Chiba Kun Ambassadors were recently given an opportunity to experience something different - sushi-making. Well, the Japanese call it futomaki, to be exact.

Chiba Prefecture has a long history of cuisine based on delicious fresh seafood. One of Chiba's most representative traditional food is futomaki-zushi (太巻き寿司). These unique and colorful sushi rolls, which is commonly made for special occasions and festivals since old times, are another form of traditional culture that is passed down through the ages. 

The sensei line-up, headed by Ryuzaki sensei (far right), who will teach us how to make futomaki-zushi.

Ryuzaki sensei, showing us the packet of Susshi (すっし〜), which is used to make the rice pink in colour.

Some of the books that were written by Ryuzaki sensei. (source taken from here) . 

Futomaki is a type of rolled sushi that is distinguished for its large size and careful balance of ingredients. Most people, especially the non-Japanese probably have the image of sushi as rice cubes topped with raw fish. However, they might be surprised by the care and artistry that goes into these rolls of futomaki. They are usually filled with different coloured vegetables and may not even contain fish at all. Chef design futomaki to be both delicious and pleasing to the eye, and they often choose ingredients for how well they balance with each other in taste and looks.

The word "futomaki" is Japanese for "fat roll", and this name could not be more appropriate. Futomaki rolls are usually 4 centimeters in diameter if not larger, and are made up of three main parts. The outside "casing" or "shell" of the roll is traditionally a thin sheet of nori seaweed, which is basically seaweed that has been pressed and dried into a thin but flexible rectangle. Soy paper or thin cooked egg can be used in rare instances. The inside is made up of both sushi rice and chosen fillings.

Ryuzaki sensei explaining the two types of sushi mats made of bamboo.

Before we start making our own sushi, we were given a demonstration. First up was the rose motif.

Pink rice and sweetened red capsicums were used for the petals part.

Thin eggs complete the petal part, which thinly sliced cucumber were used for the stalk.

And here you go, the final result - rose.

A closer look at the roses. They look like rose, but taste like sushi hahaha!

Sushi rice is a special variety of short-grained, sticky rice. When it is used in rolls, it is usually seasoned with a bit of mirin, a rice vinegar, and may also be salted in order to help it stick together and adhere to the other ingredients. These "other ingredients" are where the sushi chefs have the most flexibility. Vegetables are common choices, particularly cucumber, carrot, and mushroom; cooked seafood such as crab or eel may also be used. Some rolls feature raw fish, but not often.

This time, the Chiba Kun Ambassadors were so lucky to have the opportunity to be taught by a group of seven members from Chiba Traditional Regional Cuisine Research Group (千葉伝統郷土料理研究会), who had experience giving classes of sushi-making in many countries abroad, to show us how to make futomaki. The lesson was headed by Eiko Ryuzaki-sensei (龍﨑英子) who has traveled to every parts of the country to learn the art of sushi-making from the local farmers. 

Next, we were shown the method to make peach flower motif. First was to prepare the petals part.

After the petals were arranged in a circle, boiled spinach were placed in between them, before they are wrapped together.

And here are the peach flower! Beautiful piece of art, isn't it?

This award winning chef is the founder of the research group more than three decades ago, in 1982. Among the awards she has received were Chiba Prefecture Cultural Achievement Award (千葉県文化功労賞受賞), NHK Kanto-Koshinetsu Broadcasting Culture Award (関東甲信越放送文化賞) and Local Culture Achievement Award (地方文化功労賞) by the Ministry of Education (文部科学省). 

 

Ryuzaki sensei is also a writer and has published several recipe books connected to creative futomaki in her efforts to aspire and promote the art and techniques of futomaki-making not only to the younger generations in Japan, but also to foreigners. For more information about the recipes, you can take a look from this link (Japanese only).

And finally, it was time for us to try out making the futomaki-zushi. These two girls seem to be having real fun making their roses hahaha! (photo credit: Masataka Ishizaki).

Ozawa sensei showing us the secret technique to roll the bamboo mat while making the petal (photo credit: Masataka Ishizaki).

With my huge hands, it was not easy to hold on the bamboo mat and making sure it doesn't drop. Damn stress I tell you lol! (photo credit: Masataka Ishizaki).

The final stage of inserting the remaining white sushi rice before wrapping them together (photo credit: Masataka Ishizaki).

And someone was too excited when she found out that her sushi roll can be used as a binocular haha! (photo credit: Masataka Ishizaki).

Here is my first ever futomaki-zushi. Not bad for a first-timer, eh?

My group members with our masterpieces. We were glad that our peach flower didn't turn out to be some other flowers lol!

And not forgetting, a photo with Ryuzaki sensei. She is a nice and friendly person, but not during the class 'coz she is quite scary and strict when she gets serious haha!

The Chiba Kun Ambassadors were divided into two groups and we were given two motif to choose from - rose or peach flower. Looking at the examples, most of us thought it would be simpler to make peach flower. When Ryuzaki sensei performed the demonstration, it was only then we were told that peach flower is one of the most difficult motif to make. Those who had picked the peach flower, including myself just looked at each other and said, "Alamak! Bad choice!" hahaha!

The basic rolling process can take some time to master, but is not particularly difficult. According to Ryuzaki sensei, she has taught at elementary schools and if those kids can do it, there should not be any problems for us to rolled out our own futomaki. One of the most important tools in making futomaki is the sushi mat, which is made up of bamboo slats woven together into a flexible surface. There are two kinds of sushi mat prepared for us, one the normal size and the other a slightly bigger one.

At the end of the class, each sensei had a special session for us, making different kinds of futomaki-zushi for us to see (photo credit: Ayako Uchiyama).

Ogawa sensei who was in-charge of our table made cherry blossom (sakura) tree motif.

And here is the final piece of art.

Butterfly motif from the table next to us.

Here is the collection of the futomaki-zushi made by the amazing chefs.

The completed masterpieces from our table. Futomaki-zushi, is indeed a custom where various pickles, rice, egg, and seaweed are carefully rolled together

to make intricate and beautiful designs

After a long class, it was lunch time. Main was the futomaki-zushi we made, accompanied with special soup made by the chefs.

The first step usually involves putting the nori directly on the mat, and will then cover nearly the entire surface with prepared sushi rice. The other ingredients, cut into thin strips, are placed on top of the rice. Most of the time, these ingredients are stacked in the center and do not take up the entire surface area.

When everything is in place, the chef will create the roll by slowly folding the bamboo mat inwards. This movement causes the nori to fold over onto itself from one edge to the next. The end result is a thick log that should hold itself together. Chefs sometimes present the futomaki as a single whole like this, but more commonly will slice it into individual rounds. Each round contains a small taste of all of the ingredients that were stacked on top of the rice.

While I was busy doing the dishes, someone came to me to try and claim that she is taller than me. 
Well, she was almost there haha! (photo credit: Gina Rivera)

Finally, a group photo with the chefs and Chiba Kun Ambassadors.

Many of the world's best sushi chefs pride themselves on the artistry and care that goes into their rolls. Traditional Japanese cooking encourages chefs, whether professional or amateur, to carefully choose their ingredients to create meals with a balance of salty, sweet, tangy, and sour. In many ways, futomaki is a perfect way to showcase this balance. Cooks will choose vegetables and fish that both look good and taste good together.

Very serious cooks may prepare their rolls to create images in the final sliced products. Arranging vegetables carefully can lead to sliced pieces that seem to hold the picture of a flower or a sunrise, for instance. It is also common for mothers to make ones for their children that seem to contain smiling faces or cute animals. There is a lot of room for creativity with this particular type of sushi.

 Ishikawa-san, the Director of Planning Department of International Division of Chiba Prefectural Government, was there to join us 
during the sushi-making classroom as well (photo credit: Masataka Ishizaki).

  Listening to the presentation about tourism in Chiba prefecture by Suzuki-san (photo credit: Masataka Ishizaki).

 Sharing my experience with the new and fresh ambassadors. We also exchanged ideas and opinions 
 among ourselves during this session (photo credit: Masataka Ishizaki).

After the futomaki-zushi class, we had a opinion exchange session among ourselves. This session was to discuss new ways that we think can further improve this Chiba Kun Ambassador project. We also had the privilege to listen to a short presentation from Suzuki-san from the Tourism Board of the Chiba Prefectural Office.

During this session, I was requested to give a short talk about my experiences from the last three year,  as I have been a Chiba Kun Ambassador for the past three years. It was indeed an honour to be given such opportunity to talk to the other ambassadors that come from different parts of the world. 

Next up would be our second tour end of September. A sneak hint from this tour - we would be visiting the hot springs! Bet that would be super exciting! So, stay tuned for more updates!