Bite-Sized Yakitori

If you love chickens, you probably wanna order Yakitori, which is grilled chicken speared on sticks. Eat all the chicken as all different parts of the chicken, thighs, skin, liver, etc. can be used for yakitori! Amazing isn't it?

As for me, if I order yakitori I usually have a choice of having it cooked with salt (shio) or with tare sauce, which is generally made up of mirin, sake, soy sauce and sugar. I preferred the tare sauce to be applied to the skewered meat and is grilled until delicately cooked.

What part of the chicken I don't like the most is the gizzard. It's bitter when grilled. Thus I don't like them.

Japanese Winter Dish Oden

I never knew about this food before. But when our Department's general manager introduced this during our Nihongo lesson, we have a dinner at Niji restaurant and ordered 2 bowls of this kind.

This is popular during winter season and is considered as their winter dish. Oden consists of several ingredients like boiled eggs, daikon radish, konnyaku, and processed fish cakes stewed in a light, soy-flavoured dashi broth.

You wanna try this one? Maybe, they're available at any Japanese restaurant in the Philippines.

Savoury Okonomiyaki

This what we call "as you like it Pancake".

Okonomiyaki is a popular food in Japan made up of flour, grated nagaimo, water or dashi, eggs and shredded cabbage. Sometimes it also contains other ingredients such as green onion, meat (generally pork or bacon), octopus, squid, shrimp, vegetables, kimchi, mochi or cheese.

For me, it is like an omelette or a pancake and may be referred to as a "Japanese pizza". Oh I love this food but I can't eat that much. Just hope to have them again in Niji restaurant!

Fortune Teller in Japan

Do you believe in fortune teller? Have you tried checking out what could be your future, in your career, love life, health, family.

When I went to Mount Akagi in Japan, we went to the shrine and there was a small box there where you could read your future. All you have to do is to drop 100 yen in the slit of the box and pick a paper where your future is written on it.

And so I tried. It tells me to have a good future. I will have a harmonious relationship with my family and my career will be good as long as I will work hard. Since I have a good fortune, I kept the paper with me.

A Japanese friend told me to hang the paper if it says bad fortune. You have to leave the paper to let the Divine responsible for reshaping your fortune or not to let bad things happen.

Roaming Around Sanyo Denki By Bike

The last time I go to Japan was on the year 2005. That was 7 years ago! And i missed some of the places near Sanyo Denki.

Today I decided to roam around by myself. Before going to Ota, I dropped at Hard Off again to check out new items. Unfortunately, I didn't find anything interesting (^-^).

I go to Ota to buy some toys again in Toy Planet! And I was lucky to find a remote controlled car that is kinda cheap. So I picked it up for my daughter. I also bought some Naruto stuffs and small cars.

It's my plan to go to PC Depot but I have changed my mind and decided to go to a Brazillian Store named Si.

Since I don't have too much energy, I feel thirsty and decided to drop at Fressay to buy some snacks. Luckily there's a waiting area where I could eat and have some rest.

Now, time to move to Si store. There's a lot of stuffs for souvenirs but they are quite expensive. But they have good selections of display items and electronic devices too. Here I have bought some wrist watched for my 3 kids. My kids will surely love it because of the cute designs.

The day is still long and I still have time to go to Aizawa and to Sanki and Daiso (a Hundred yen shop).

Oh, that was a good experience roaming around by myself. Only by biking, I can go wherever I wanted.

I hope I could go to other places in Ota as well. Let's see... (^-^)

Japan Nuclear Horror

I thanked God for keeping all of my friends in Japan safe and sound. God is really good every time and every time God is Good!

A week ago, I've read and heard some of their stories. There were panic buying, that every individual take all food stuffs, and other necessities of life. Leah, one of my comrades there, told me that she can't even find toilet tissue paper in any of the convenient stores she tried purchasing. Well, she had a hard time searching for rice that day. Since almost all people in Japan have lots of money so they can buy all what they need, unlike in the Philippines that you can still find something valuable in the store when there is panic buying.

Aside from that, there was a rotational power cuts outside central Tokyo. They have experienced dark environment with fears of aftershocks. Brownouts is due to the blast of the Fukushima Daiichi Power Plant, which is more scary because of possible nuclear radiation leakage. Residents living near the power plant site are advised to evacuate in order not to be exposed with this fetal radiation.

It is hoped and prayed that Japan will be stable soon.

Nuclear Radiation Dose Effect

The radiation levels from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant have fallen back from a great spike on Tuesday, Japanese authorities say. Japan government has advised residents living within 30km or 18 miles to leave the area.

Now let's take a look at the effects of nuclear radiation to humans. A sievert is essentially equivalent to a gray, but tends to be used to measure lower levels of radiation, and for assessing long-term risk, rather than the short-term acute impact of exposure.

Based from World Nuclear Association, here is the radiation dose effect:

2 millisieverts per year (mSv/yr)
Typical background radiation experienced by everyone (average 1.5 mSv in Australia, 3 mSv in North America)

9 mSv/yr
Exposure by airline crew flying New York-Tokyo polar route

20 mSv/yr
Current limit (averaged) for nuclear industry employees

50 mSv/yr
Former routine limit for nuclear industry employees. It is also the dose rate which arises from natural background levels in several places in Iran, India and Europe

100 mSv/yr
Lowest level at which any increase in cancer is clearly evident.

350 mSv/lifetime
Criterion for relocating people after Chernobyl accident

400 mSv/hr
The level recorded at the Japanese nuclear site, 15 March

1,000 mSv single dose
Causes (temporary) radiation sickness such as nausea and decreased white blood cell count, but not death. Above this, severity of illness increases with dose

5,000 mSv single dose
Would kill about half those receiving it within a month

image credit: all voices

Eating Out in Japan

Whenever we go to Japan, we, together with our Japanese engineers, always dine in any good-tasting restaurants. Of course, malt beer or sake is always included! Japanese foods taste really good!

My Japan Training in 2010

Another year contract with my current company! I was sent to Japan for training on AC test. I've been involved in DC test for 10 years already but now I am opt for AC test becuase people there were not good enough... haha...





Together with dhaw, we stayed in a hotel in Gunma prefecture for a couple of weeks. Going to the company is a good form of exercise! We bike going to work and going home as well. It's already cold in Japan but not too cold...


There are so many things to be learned. I guess I need to study again the principles behind AC test. It's challenging yet interesting!

Importance of Nihongo to my Career

Engineers who have been in Japan for training probably know how important Nihongo is. In our group, we are required to speak and understand Nihongo as much as possible for many reasons:

Japanese engineers and Filipino engineers can communicate properly. They will understand each other about any given jobs. Filipino engineers can ask many questions about his job or about the circuit and he may able to understand what the Japanese engineer may explain. Any jobs will be done correctly the soonest time possible since the 2 engineers understand each other.

Although we do not have time to study during office hours, we were encouraged to review in our homes. We are also planning to take JLPT exam next year. And most importantly, we aim to speak fluently and understand Nihongo in the future.

Cognitive Development by Learning Nihongo

People who have learned Nihongo show greater cognitive development in areas such as mental flexibility, creativity, and higher order thinking skills, such as problem-solving, conceptualizing, and reasoning.

In addition to cognitive benefits, the study of Nihongo leads to the acquisition of some important life skills. Because language learners learn to deal with unfamiliar cultural ideas, they are much better equipped to adapt and cope in a fast-changing world. They also learn to effectively handle new situations. In addition, the encounter with cultures different from one's own leads to tolerance of diverse lifestyles and customs. And it improves the learner's ability to understand and communicate with people from different walks of life.

Meet Life Long Friends by Learning Nihongo

Knowing other languages effectively increases the number of people on the globe with whom you can communicate. People who speak Nihongo fully appreciate the effort and desire learners expend to get to know their culture and to communicate with them. Your ability to speak Nihongo and your interest in other cultures can connect you deeply with people around the globe.

From anime to sushi bars, karaoke to manga, bonsai to origami, Japanese culture has become part of international culture. A knowledge of the language will give you direct access to Japanese film, animations, and comic books, give you insight into the special terminology used in your favorite martial art, help you understand the cultural basis for kamikaze training and the origin of the samurai warrior, and develop your ability to order sashimi like a native at your favorite Japanese restaurant!

Knowing Japanese will set you apart from the crowd.
The majority of people who learn a foreign language choose a European language like Spanish, French, German, or Italian. Choosing a less commonly learned language like Japanese will differentiate you from the crowd.

Studying Nihongo

Although Japanese is one of the more difficult languages in the world to learn and Fluency requires thousands of hours of study, there are just so many reasons for studying Japanese.

Learning another language gives the learner the ability to step inside the mind and context of that other culture. Without the ability to communicate and understand a culture on its own terms, true access to that culture is barred. Lack of intercultural sensitivity can lead to mistrust and misunderstandings, to an inability to cooperate, negotiate, and compromise.

Though it's possible to travel to Japan without speaking the native language, your experience will be largely shaped by your ability or inability to see beyond the surface of the culture.

When you lack the ability to communicate in the native language, you can not fully participate in day-to-day life, understand the culture, or communicate with the people.

When you know the language, you have the comfort of being able to successfully navigate all sorts of situations, like order meals in restaurants, ask for and understand directions, find accommodations and perhaps negotiate cheaper prices, and meet and talk with natives, to name only a few.

You will be able to communicate more completely and have a deeper, more satisfying travel experience. Your language ability will allow you to see and do things that many visitors cannot.

Cooking Japanese Foods

Our company is a Japanese firm. From anime to sushi bars, karaoke to manga, bonsai to origami, Japanese culture has become part of our culture here in our company. And last March 2007, we have a cooking activity.

We have to show our skills in preparing and cooking Japanese foods to our Japanese managers. Well, it is a good activity because it is a way of releasing stresses from our daily task. It is also a form of mind relaxation. Aside from that we have really enjoyed preparing Japanese foods.

Here are some of what we have prepare during the activity.

Japanese Akoya Pearls Sold To Factories

Japanese Akoya pearls are sold only to factories, not to retailers. Farms in Japan sell pearls only to factories, unlike pearl farms in China. These pearls are polished, bleached, matched and drilled. Factories will buy pearls from numerous sources to create finished hanks of pearls. The factories are able to make a handsome profit with a mix of 80% Chinese and 20% Japanese.

Akoya’s Are Not All Japanese Akoya Pearls

When I saw the name Akoya pearl, I thought it was made in Japan. Now, I know that Akoya’s are not all Japanese Akoya Pearl. In fact they are actually Chinese cultured pearls. Then, consumers should not believed or trust pearl sellers claiming that they are selling 100% Japanese Akoya pearls.
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Pearls from China

I bought my Akoya pearls from China. We all know that China has a strong supplies of Chinese Akoya pearls. Factories in Japan are now increasingly turning to China as their main pearl source because of the high price of Japanese materials and the low price of Chinese materials. The pearls are imported from China into Japan, processed, and placed on temporary strands, which are then tagged "Made in Japan".

Japanese Akoya Pearls

Japanese Akoya Pearls is often used as a misnomer to describe cultured akoya pearls. However, this is no longer an industry accepted term as akoya pearls are now grown in China, South Korea, Vietnam and Australia.

Recently I am fascinated of collecting pearl jewelries. As a matter of fact I have bought a new Akoya pearl necklace and an earring. This Christmas holiday I wished I could receive a Japanese Akoya Pearl ring.

Eating Crabs

Did you know that there is a saying in Japan about eating crabs? When you eat crabs, you become silent. Isn’t it interesting? Why? It’s because you are too busy to say a word when you eat crabs.

In Japan, you can see different variety of crabs like the king crabs and horsehair crabs. Snow crabs are the very common. The most popular meal using snow crabs is hot pot meal called kani-chiri or crab shabu shabu.

Japanese Steak

I love eating steak. The image below is what we ate when I was in Japan last year. Beef is a luxury; it is used sparingly and for special occasions in Japan. This steak is teriyaki style, which means teriyaki is all in the marinade. Teriyaki marinade contains soy sauce, ginger, sugar and Sake or Mirin. This marinade can also be used on most any meat.

How to make sure that the steak will taste good? Take the steak you are going to grill and make 1/4 inch slices into the surface of the meat at a 45-degree angle on both sides in order to get the most from the marinade. Why this is needed? This will allow the flavor to get deep into the meat. Cut across the grain to increase the tenderness of the meat. Cut down on the time you need to marinate. After that, place the steak in the marinade and refrigerate for 2 hours. Then it is ready to cook on a hot grill.