Lunch anyone?

Fruit

I've mentioned before that I really miss the fruit of a UK summer. That's not to say that fruit is not available here, but when something is packaged to within an inch of its life it does loose its appeal. There are no markets with piles of colour and flavour to savour. Instead supermarkets display an ever changing mound of individually wrapped items, mostly hidden behind tissue and foam. In Tokyo's Midtown area, there is a shop that sells nothing but fruit, all shown in glass displays like precious jewels, with price tags to match. It is always in perfect condition - when everything is imported, why get anything but I suppose, but for me, its imperfections that make things beautiful. That is not to say that it isn't delicious. Strawberries taste amazing, as to pineapples, grapes - in fact everything I have tried so far (except apples which are boring, floury and tasteless).

Here are some pictures of grapes - large and succulent, but look at the price - the green ones are valued at about 45 quid. Luckily nobody pinches anything! Specially grown shapes are also available. Shown here are square and pyramid shaped watermelons. I'm not sure why!

Carnival!

Went to see M's translator perform at a drumming festival in NW Tokyo last weekend. It was a relatively small affair but quite spectacular. Yuca's drumming band performed for an hour straight and involved a team of around 45 drummers rotating in perfect sequence around 3 large drums and it was mesmerising. Rather shocking were the lack of trousers worn by men on the floats, some with no more than a g string, which rather put me off my lunch!.. I took the picture of the green dress because it was beautiful! Tonight we are off to a big carnival in central Tokyo which is the last of the summer festivals.

Fat girl with fish

We've had a few removal firms round to quote and I find it a bit strange because my stuff is packed up in a warehouse in Acton and its any day now that I will push the button and get it on the high seas to Australia. I've actually really enjoyed the feeling of liberation that comes with not actually 'having' anything, bar the limited amount of clothes I've brought with me and I plan to continue with the clutter-free living in the future. One little thing that M brought me when I got here is this papier mache figure which he surprised me with after a trip to Asakusa. I love it because its bright and features my favourite little goldfish but I can't help but wonder what it was that made him think of me!

Squid Ho!

August is a busy time for festivals throughout Japan and the sky is filled with fireworks most weekend evenings. Each festival seems to be dedicated to something - last weekend was 'Obon' where people go back to their homes and dust off the graves of their relatives which culminates a week long holiday and there were a variety of carnivals to celebrate this. The most bizarre festival that I have come across is that belonging to the port town of Hakodate in Hokkaido, where the town's official 'fish' is the squid.

The Hakodate townspeople love the 'ika' so much that every year they shut down the town for a two-night celebration of the 'Ika Odori'. There are many floats and marchers, all dressed accordingly and wiggling and singing along to the famous 'squid dance'.

The lyrics go like this...

Hakodate's speciality, the squid dance

Squid sashimi, fermented squid, squid somen (?!)

One more, as a bonus, barbecued squid

Squid, squid, squid, squid, squid dance!

Lovely!

Food lusting

I've been growing herbs on my roof terrace for a few months now and, much as I tend them with love and care, I am unable to get them to grow as well as I could in my lovely North London windowsill. I'm not actually talking size here - the plants upstairs are prolific. Its just that they all have a raggedy edge to them and they just don't taste the same. The basil and sage have much stronger flavour and whilst pesto works well (although I've found the Japanese mitzuna leaf far better) the cravings I have for basil and mozzarella salad can never quite be satiated.

The lovely @libertylondongirl recently twittered about a salad using mint and mozzarella with peach and I have been lusting after it ever since. I have mint in abundance, again with a slightly battered look but it all does go down the same way. Fruit though can be a challenge in Japan - I have really missed a summer filled with raspberries and plums in abundance. That's not to say that fruit isn't available, but as Japan is able to grow only a very little, pretty much all the fruit is imported. This means that it is very expensive - I have actually seen a bunch of grapes for sale at a specialist fruit shop for around £50. Fruit is also prized for its perfection and often comes wrapped in tissue and packed individually. The fruit has a very short season - strawberries, although possibly the most delicious I have ever tasted, were on sale for literally two months. Today though my local supermarket had a special offer on peaches at 3 for 400 yen (about £3) so I took it as a sign and tonight we are having the dish of my current fantasies.

Cheese too here is limited, but it is available. Naturally its vacuum packed to an inch of its life but it has the same vague taste. I will however be imagining mine came from the buffalo mozzarella stand at Borough Market as I eat mine!

Basically the recipe is this

Couple of peaches - I skinned mine but you could be lazy, especially if they are organic

Big fat ball of mozzarella

Bunch of mint

Salt and pepper

Good olive oil and a light sprinkling of balsamic

Eat with good bread but don't tell me about it because our bread shop is shut for 2 weeks holiday!

Cold hands no heart

'Gundam' are robots that have featured in manga strips, video games and books since the late '70s. To mark the 30th anniversary, this summer, the toymaker Bandai has constructed a full-scale reproduction in Tokyo's Odaiba Shiokaze Park. Apparently its the biggest ever and at 60' tall, the true size they were envisioned by the creators. Its head moves and it can do various other special effects with light and smoke so all in all a fairly frightening spectacle.

As you would imagine, this is big news in Tokyo, and this weekend, as the result of a big competition, a lucky couple were married at Gundam's feet. The couple are so keen on the series that they have a daughter named after a character. Thousands turned out to see the marriage and Gundam performed well with lots of light and smoke effects puffing overhead.

We've had M's son and daughter in law for the last 3 weeks so sorry for the silence. Last night to celebrate their departure, we all went to Hummingbirds Hill, an American style diner in Evisu. These are the type of restaurant I normally avoid - big slabs of meat, and ribs all cooked in an open kitchen is not usually a good experience for a fish-a-tarian like me. But it turns out the Japanese do American very well indeed. The food was good - big fat prawns and scallops with rice followed by banana and oreo cake (shared) and washed down by chardonay. Probably the largest meal I've had for a while and certainly not the tiny portion sizes normally associated with Japanese restaurants. But the thing I love most is the way the Japanese do 'detail' so incredibly well. Everything was themed. The walls were lined with sculpture made by indians and horn chandeliers from Hoikkoido deer. Hung on the walls were neck ties, each in a different style and all hand sewn but yet incorporating the tiny hummingbirds that are the restaurants brand. The handrails and seating was beautifully finished leather which must have cost a fortune. And when we left the uneaten ribs had been placed in a beautifully wrapped box and was presented to us to take home.

The water's warm ....

Back in Tokyo, it's sticky and hot and although the rainy season is over, there are days of rain. In between however there are some truly beautiful afternoons and evenings, where the shadows are long, the cicadas are deafening and I know that even here, Summer is my favourite season.

Whilst I am yet to find something to come close to my beloved daily swims at Highgate Women's Pond, I've found a little treat, which is the Komazawa pool, in the Olympic park about 10 mins from home. When I left Tokyo in June, uninviting dark green water could be seen behind barbed wire. But now the 1950's pool is transformed, manned by buffed boys in yellow pants and at just the perfect temperature to cool you down, the pool is somewhere I visit at least once a day.

And yes, every hour, on the hour, I get to experience one of the most bizarre safety procedures which I understand happens in pools across the land. On the hour, every hour, a bell sounds and a voice across the tanoy says something which I presume means 'get out of the water'. Everyone does, dutifully, without comment and sits patiently on the side. About 8 lifeguards, each proudly sporting a red whistle and a yellow load hailer, stand in position around the pool, scanning their section of the water, and waggling their finger which apparently assists them in double checking that they haven't missed anything. Meanwhile, the chief lifeguard gets into the pool and does a few lengths. We've been told that he is looking for bodies, which is quite interesting given the water is clear and no more than about 5 feet deep so I'm not sure a body could be missed from the lookout tower, or even just looking from the side. And anyway, don't bodies float?!

This whole process takes about 10 minutes and meanwhile, we all sits in the sun. I noted a couple of children chasing dragonflies, well off to the side, who were stopped and told to sit down. Its very quiet and nobody else moves. Finally, after its been confirmed that there are no casualties, another announcement is made. All the lifeguards line up by the edge of the pool and blow their whistles which signals that we can get back in the water. Obviously we all let out a sigh of relief that another hour has passed without a drowning and jump back in.