Archive for November, 2005
Naginata
Try naginata, a Japanese martial art characterized by the grandeur of its sweeping movements. Shimura Kinen Gym in Saga City, Nov. 26, 9 a.m. to noon, 300 yen per person. More info is posted on the message board.
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Helpful Japanese Food Phrases
Finding palatable Japanese food can sometimes be hard for even the most adventurous of eaters. It can be doubly hard for folks who don’t want their fish raw, their beans fermented or their bread white. It can be nearly impossible for those who stick to diets rarely heard of in Japan, like kosher or vegan.
The first step in finding food you can eat, though, is knowing how to ask for it. Here are some words and phrases you can use the next time you find yourself in a situation where you don’t want MSG in your dish or need to eat in accordance with Islamic regulations.
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Karatsu Kunchi
Karatsu Kunchi runs Nov. 2 to Nov. 4. Float pulling galore. More info on the message board.
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Karatsu Kunchi
Karatsu Kunchi is easily one of the best festivals in Saga-ken, maybe even in the world. Well, I can’t really support that, but suffice it to say that I like it. There is a feeling of excitement that emanates from every karatsu-jin in the last few weeks of October. Since the dying embers of summer they have been practicing the flute or the drum in the streets of the old center every night. They have been counting down day by day to the most important day of their year. They have plenty of beer, shochu and sake stored away so that they will not run out in this time of great need. They have prepared huge feasts, enough to feed their extended family five times over. They have been dreamily remembering the excesses of the year before. They have thinking about Karatsu Kunchi!
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