A Japanese Wanderer, Tsukubu — Tasting the Poetic Beauty of Japan and Beyond

Even though Japan is supposed to have four seasons,  after winter, summer arrived right away. What on earth happened to spring? Anyway, it was too hot today. I couldn't wear the sweaters I had been wearing until yesterday. I hurriedly took out my summer clothes from the drawer. They said it was over 30 degrees today. I don’t like either winter or summer. Spring and autumn, please come back!

  I previously wrote about Sunaba, a soba restaurant in Nihonbashi Muromachi known for its beautiful garden. Today, I'd like to highlight another captivating aspect of Sunaba that caught my attention: the "noren." Do you know what a "noren" is? It's a traditional Japanese fabric divider hung at the entrance of restaurants and shops. Noren is a unique part of Japanese culture, serving as a cloth barrier between the entrance and the interior. Its origins can be traced back to the Yayoi period, and it officially acquired the name "noren" during the Kamakura period. In the Edo period, it evolved into a symbol of a shop's identity and brand, used to distinguish it from others. Sunaba's noren boasts a remarkably fresh green color. Until now, I hadn't paid much attention to the color green, but Sunaba's noren has truly captivated me. It revealed the noble beauty that green possesses.

  Have you ever eaten tempura soba? Nowadays, we can enjoy it all over Japan. Today, for the first time, I visited the restaurant where tempura soba originated. It is called Nihonbashi Muromachi Sunaba . The restaurant is located near JR Kanda Station,  just a 3-minute walk from its south exit. I was very surprised by the beautiful garden there. We can enjoy really delicious soba while admiring the stunning view. This restaurant has an atmosphere similar to that of a museum—I truly think so.

  Do you know Japanese yam ? In Japan, we call it "Nagaimo." Many people enjoy eating it grated, but I like to add it to miso soup. After peeling, I cut it into large pieces and add them to the soup. I enjoy its fresh crunch. Nagaimo is considered a natural medicine in Traditional Chinese Medicine . Because it is very nutritious and helps with stamina recovery,  it is sometimes called "eel of the mountains." I also like eel, but "eel of the mountains" is lower in calories and more affordable.

I had walked past the facility many times, but I had never been inside . That was the historical museum in Shinagawa. Today, I passed it again, and suddenly I thought, "Why not go inside this time?" The entrance sign said that we needed to pay 100 yen for entry. However, there was no charge to enter the main building and the garden. If we wanted to see the exhibits , we needed to pay 100 yen. Inside, it was really peaceful and quiet . The garden was well-maintained and had a traditional Japanese tea house. I wish I had entered earlier. There was a big cherry tree. When it blooms , I will go there again.

  There are many Yabusoba restaurants in Japan. But why are so many soba restaurants named "Yabusoba"? It is said that three major soba restaurants were established during the Edo period: Yabu Sunaba Sarashina I mentioned that there are many Yabusoba restaurants in Japan, but there are also many Sunaba and Sarashina restaurants. In short, these three major soba styles spread all over Japan. Today, I went to Yabusoba in Kanda for the first time. I was very surprised by the small portion of soba and the light soba soup. However, this seems to be the traditional style of Yabusoba.

  Speaking of Japan, it is the country of 100-yen shops. There are many of them all over Japan. They offer many new products, some of which I had wished existed before. Today, I went there and found something I had been looking for. It was a garbage catcher for the washroom drain. As soon as I found it, I was really happy and bought it. However, after returning home,  when I opened the package and tried to set it in the drain, it broke immediately. Well, that’s how it is. 100-yen shops are convenient, but not always reliable.

  Have you ever eaten dried radish? This is one of my favorite ingredients for miso soup. It has a naturally sweet taste and is rich in dietary fiber. Since it is a preserved food, it can be useful in times of need. I often buy organic dried radish online. It comes from Nagasaki. Because the Kyushu area has strong sunshine, it produces high-quality dried foods. They are all made by the power of the sun.

  I enjoy tarot cards, both reading and simply admiring them. I always use a pocket-sized deck. The package of my deck says: "The Rider Tarot Deck – Miniature Edition." The regular-sized deck is three times bigger than mine. When using the regular deck, I can't shuffle the cards very well because they are too big. On the other hand, my pocket-sized deck is easy to shuffle and convenient to carry outside. There is a Japanese proverb that says, "The bigger, the better." However, when it comes to tarot cards, I think "The smaller, the better."

  Do you know amazake ? It is a traditional Japanese beverage made from fermented rice. I am familiar with drinking it when I visit a shrine that serves it to visitors  during New Year's. I happened to come across amazake at a supermarket, so I bought it. I was very surprised by its sweetness. I checked the package to see if any sugar had been added. There was none. Sometimes, I crave something sweet. I will drink amazake at those times.

  There are certain foods that I consider important for my health. One of them is ginger. I add it to miso soup and grate it into radish soup. I always buy it at a supermarket near my house. It's a little expensive, but it's organic. However, I haven't seen it there recently. I asked a staff member why they didn’t have ginger. Apparently, it hasn’t arrived for the past week. It also doesn’t look like the situation will improve anytime soon. There are many food-related issues, such as rice shortages  and high prices, and now ginger is another one.

  There is a truly unique flower shop in Ginza. It specializes in field flowers only. Speaking of Ginza, it is one of Tokyo’s most bustling areas. Having a flower shop that focuses solely on field flowers  in such a lively place feels both luxurious and mysterious to me. This shop offers rare field flowers. Just looking at them gives me a sense of richness. Moreover, the displays are always fresh and cutting-edge. Field flowers are naturally subtle, yet in the heart of the busiest city,  they stand out in a striking way.

  I drink a cup of miso soup every day. It helps me stay healthy, but I also continue this habit simply  because it tastes so good. Today's miso soup included nameko mushrooms , tofu ,  and Japanese mustard spinach , which is called komatsuna in Japanese. I try to add some type of mushroom to my miso soup every day  because it's good for my gut health. Besides the main ingredients, I also add ground sesame seeds  and sake lees to my miso soup every day. For me, miso soup is a form of natural medicine.

  What do you think about tarot reading? Some people might feel scared, while others might be curious. As for me, I find tarot cards fascinating, especially the artwork on them. The images are full of metaphors and layers of meaning. I have taken online classes on how to read tarot cards twice. There are many methods of reading, but I prefer one-card or two-card readings. Every morning, I do a two-card reading. Recently, I had been drawing cards that indicated worry and anxiety. However, this morning, I finally got some positive cards. Major Arcana: Temperance Minor Arcana: King of Wands I want to trust myself and move forward.

There is a platform called "note." in Japan. On this platform, we can write articles and stories by ourselves. We can also sell them.  There is no charge for using the platform. It is said that some people earn over 10 million yen a year there. I tried posting one article and one serialized novel. I am enjoying this new form of entertainment in my life.

I've had a cold for the past two weeks.  Although I had been healthy for a long time,  it's been a while since I caught a cold.  I've been wondering why I caught a cold,  and something came to mind. It was daikon soup with ginger.  After dinner, I always drink a cup of this soup.  But for about a month before catching the cold,  I hadn't been drinking it. I restarted drinking it three days ago,  and I'm already feeling better.  I don't want to forget to drink it every day.

Do you know John Manjiro? He was originally a fisherman from Tosa. However, he later became a translator from the late Edo period to the Meiji period and the first Japanese person to visit the United States. He transcribed the English he heard in Katakana and introduced it to Japan. I respect his Katakana method of teaching English. In fact, Japan has built a very solid Katakana English system. It is used only by Japanese people within Japan and acts as a strong barrier for English learners. The worst thing is the significant difference in pronunciation between Katakana English and native English. I am still reading Charlie and the Chocolate Factory in English. Every day, I read it aloud while listening to native pronunciation on YouTube and write down the words in Katakana as I hear them. John Manjiro is my teacher.

  Do you know the difference between cherry blossoms and plum blossoms? I can't distinguish them at all. The only thing I know is that plum blossoms bloom earlier than cherry blossoms. They say you can tell the difference by the number of petals and their shape. On my way to the supermarket near the JR station, I saw a big tree with pinkish flowers. I don't know whether it was a cherry or a plum tree, but it was truly fantastic.

  I came back to Tokyo from my second house in the mountains. As soon as I got off the express train Azusa at Shinjuku Station, I felt even chillier. I had expected Tokyo to have already become warm, but it was actually colder than my second house in the mountains. Although it's cold, Tokyo is filled with many foreign travelers and remains very busy, especially on the JR Yamanote Line. Second houses in the mountains are usually for escaping Tokyo's hot summers, but in the near future, they might also serve as a refuge from Tokyo’s colder winters and increasing busyness—at least, that’s my opinion.

  Okaya City calls itself the "Unagi City." Indeed, there are many unagi restaurants there. I was planning to have lunch out today, but my favorite restaurant was closed, even though it wasn't a regular closing day. My second and third favorite ones were also closed. Finally, I went to an unagi restaurant near JR Okaya Station. It was my first time visiting that place. Generally, unagi is considered a summer dish, but in my opinion, that's just a matter of preference. How does unagi taste in winter? The quality and taste of the unagi were not better than my favorite unagi restaurant, but the eel was large, soft, and quite impressive. Still, this restaurant saved us from becoming "lunch refugees." Thank you to the restaurant and to unagi!

  I have been staying at my second house in the mountains for the past five days. It has snowed twice during this time. The olive tree in my small garden is covered with snow. I bought this olive tree online. The reason I chose it is that they said it could survive at an elevation of over 800 meters and had good cold resistance. This olive tree's name is Carolea, which originates from Italy. It stands in my garden at an elevation of 807 meters, covered in snow. I wish I could be as strong as this olive tree, but I have had a cold for over a week.

  There are many wonderful cafés in Matsumoto. Today, I’d like to introduce one of them: Marumo Café . It is located near Yohashira Shrine. Matsumoto is famous for its folk art furniture , and this café is beautifully decorated in that style, both inside and out. My top recommendation is the morning set , which includes thick-sliced bread from Komatsu Bakery (a popular bakery in Matsumoto), served with butter, a small salad, and coffee. It costs 700 yen , though it used to be 500 yen . Anyway, the atmosphere in the café is really nice!

  I have been staying at my second house in the mountains for the past three days. It has been snowing since this morning. I tried to remove the snow from the road in front of my house. It was my first time, and I got very tired because of the heavy snow. I've had a cold since last Thursday. I wish I could get rid of this cold as easily as the snow.

  I went to Shimosuwa for lunch to eat soba. I ordered the special set, which came with beautifully presented tempura. I had never seen such luxurious tempura in my life! This soba restaurant is very popular because it uses only soba flour from Nagano. The parking lot was filled with cars from other prefectures. I have been there several times, but I had always ordered only soba. This time, I realized that the restaurant also serves excellent tempura. After my meal, I visited Suwa Taisha Shimosha in Shimosuwa. There were many people there praying as well. I received a Goshuin stamp for the first time, even though I had visited the shrine several times before. I really enjoyed this beautiful early spring day!

  Do you like Japanese castles? They are quite different from European ones. There is a very famous castle in Matsumoto called Matsumoto Castle. It was built during the Sengoku period, in 1504. Its walls are uniquely painted with white plaster and black lacquer. What’s more, it stands against the magnificent backdrop of the Japan Northern Alps. I went there today. Matsumoto Castle and the Japan Northern Alps looked even more stunning  under the clear blue sky.

  My favorite department store is closing today, and I am deeply disappointed. This store, PARCO Matsumoto, has been a beloved place for me since my early twenties. When they announced their closure in 2025, I felt incredibly sad. Since then, I have tried to visit as often as possible. However, the day has finally come. Many people gathered there today to express their gratitude to PARCO. I also bought some memorabilia for myself. Every time I use them, I will remember my favorite place with appreciation and fond memories.

  Do you have experience growing roses? I have two roses in my tiny garden. Since late last autumn, they had two buds. They remained tightly closed, as if protecting themselves from the harsh cold. After the Spring Equinox, they slowly began to open little by little. Regrettably, one of them withered before it could bloom. Happily, the other blossomed beautifully, lush and gorgeous. Now, it is blooming in my room, filling the air with its fine aroma. Roses are truly resilient—those who have experience growing them know this well.