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.
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.
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.
| English | Romaji | Kana/kanji |
|---|---|---|
| I am allergic to (food). | (food) no arerugi ga arimasu | (food)のアレルギーがあります |
| I cannot eat things with (food) in them. | (food) ga haitte iru mono wa taberaremasen | (food)が入っているものは食べられません |
| Does this have (food) in it? | kore ni (food) wa haitte imasu ka? | これに(food)は入っていますか |
| Hold the fish flakes, please. | sore ni katsuobushi o kakenaide kudasai | それにかつおぶしをかけないで下さい |
| (I) don’t eat any animal products (meat, seafood, eggs, cheese, milk). | doubutsusei shokuhin (niku, shiifoodo, tamago, chiizu, miruku) o zenbu tabemasen | 動物性食品(肉、シーフード、卵、チーズ、ミルク)を全部食べません |
| I don’t eat (food). | watashi wa (food) o tabemasen | 私は(food)を食べません |
| I don’t drink (beverage). | watashi wa (beverage) o nomimasen | 私は(beverage)を飲みません |
| I only eat animals slaughtered in accordance with Islamic regulations. | isuramukyou no kisoku ni motodzuite korosareta doubutsu shika tabenai | イスラム教の規則に基づいて殺された動物しか食べない |
| I only eat animals that have cloven hooves and chew their cud. | hansuu suru guuteirui doubutsu shika tabenai | 反芻する偶蹄類動物しか食べない |
| I only eat fish that have both scales and fins. No bottom-feeders. | uroko mo hire mo aru sakana shika tabenai. sokouo mo tabenai. | うろこもひれもある魚しか食べない。底魚も食べない |
| I only consume meat and alcohol prepared in accordance with Jewish regulations. | yudayakyou no kisoku ni motodzuite sabaita niku o tabe, seizou shita sake shika nomanai | ユダヤ教の規則に基づいてさばいた肉を食べ,製造した酒しか飲まない |
| I don’t mix milk and meat in the same meal. | ikkai no shokuji de niku to nyuuseihin o mazenai | 一回の食事で肉と乳製品を混ぜない |
| I am hypoglycemic. | teikettou desu | 低血糖です |
| I only eat raw/uncooked foods. | nama no ryouri shika tabenai | 生の料理しか食べない |
| I am diabetic. | tounyoubyou kanja desu | 糖尿病患者です |
| Please inject this into my thigh. | kore o momo ni chuusha shite kudasai | これを腿に注射してください |
| anaphylactic shock | anafirakishii shokku | アナフィラキシーショック |
| English | Romaji | Kana/kanji |
|---|---|---|
| Vegetarian | saishoku shugi sha | 菜食主義者 |
| Chinese Buddhist Vegetarian | chuugoku bukkyouto no saishoku shugi sha | 中国仏教徒の菜食主義者 |
| Vegan | beegan | ベーガン |
| Eats only vegetables (vegan / CBV) | kanzen saishoku shugi sha | 完全菜食主義者 |
| Halal (Muslim) | haraaru (isuramu kyou) | ハラール(イスラム教) |
| Kosher (Jewish) | kooshaa (yudayakyou) | コーシャー(ユダヤ教) |
| Hinduism | hinzuukyou | ヒンズー教 |
| English | Romaji | Kana/kanji |
|---|---|---|
| garlic | nin’niku | にんにく |
| green onions / onions | tamanegi / negi | たまねぎ / ねぎ |
| leeks | poronegi | ポロねぎ |
| English | Romaji | Kana/kanji |
|---|---|---|
| meat | niku | 肉 |
| pork | butaniku | 豚肉 |
| chicken | toriniku | 鶏肉 |
| rabbit | usagi | ウサギ |
| beef | gyuuniku | 牛肉 |
| horse meat | baniku | 馬肉 |
| soup stock made from fish or animals | niku sakana hone no nidashi jiru de totta suupu | 肉・魚・骨の煮出し汁で取ったスープ |
| animal fat | doubutsu yushi | 動物油脂 |
| food cooked in animal fat | doubutsusei yushi de ageta ryouri | 動物性油脂で揚げた料理 |
| beer and wine clarified using animal products | seibutsu seihin o tsukatte roka sareta biiru to wain | 動物性品を使ってろ過されたビールとワイン |
| carnivorous animals | nikushoku sei doubutsu | 肉食性動物 |
| omnivorous animals | zasshoku sei doubutsu | 雑食性動物 |
| dog meat | inu no niku | 犬肉 |
| English | Romaji | Kana/kanji |
|---|---|---|
| lobster | robustaa | ロブスター |
| shrimp | ebi | 海老 |
| shellfish (crustaceans) | kairui (or) kai | 貝類 (or) 貝 |
| fish | sakana | 魚 |
| English | Romaji | Kana/kanji |
|---|---|---|
| milk products | nyuuseihin | 乳製品 |
| ice cream | aisukuriimu | アイスクリーム |
| cheese | chiizu | チーズ |
| emulsifiers | nyuukazai | 乳化剤 |
| butter | bataa | バター |
| clarified butter | sumashi bataa | 澄ましバター |
| milk fat / butter fat | nyuushibou | 乳脂肪 |
| English | Romaji | Kana/kanji |
|---|---|---|
| ingredients | genzairyou mei | 原材料名 |
| salt | shio | 塩 |
| gluten | guruten | グルテン |
| wheat / wheat flour | komugi / komugiko | 小麦 / 小麦粉 |
| sake/alchohol | osake | お酒 |
| honey | hachimitsu | はちみつ |
| yeast | panshu / iisuto | パン種 / イースト |
| peanuts | piinattsu | ピーナッツ |
| nuts | kenka | 堅果 |
| refined sugar | seitou | 製糖 |
| white rice | hakumai | 白米 |
| white flour | shiro komugiko | 白小麦粉 |
| tofu | toufu | 豆腐 |
| soy products | daizu seihin | 大豆製品 |
| caffeine | kafein | カフェイン |
| fermented products | hakkou saseta mono | 発酵させたもの |
| fried food / deep fried | itame mono / ageta mono | 炒め物 / 揚げた物 |
| raw (n) / raw (adj) | nama / nama no | 生 / 生の |
| monosodium glutamate (msg) | kagaku choumiryou / aji no moto | 化学調味料 / 味のもと |
Karatsu Kunchi runs Nov. 2 to Nov. 4. Float pulling galore. More info on the message board.
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!
The first night opens up after nightfall as the 14 hikiyama, or floats, are dragged through the streets of central Karatsu. The streets are packed, people squished together like sardines. People come from all over Kyushu to see this. There are games to play and countless food stalls. A visit to the shrine is a good way to start the evening. It is a nice little one, heavily decorated, where you can purify yourself with holy water; buy a lucky charm; throw five yen, ring the bell and make a wish; or even have the future year foretold.
The hikiyama themselves are a wonder to behold as they are dragged past at high speed, executing sharp turns, with the ropes pulled by tiny children at the front and the gregarious drunk men at the back, and children are precariously perched, playing music, on the hikiyama itself. Each of the fourteen is in the care of the inhabitants of the 14 oldest parts of Karatsu. These hikiyama used to be changed every year, but about 200 years ago they decided on certain designs for each area and have stuck to them. There are lions, helmets, fish, dragons, cockerels. The one which is unquestionably the best is Kinjishi, the golden lion, the float of Honmachi, resplendent and awe inspiring. As they make their way through the city the cry of “enya enya“ is shouted by the very drunk men pulling the floats to cheer themselves on and by the very drunk crowd for them to redouble their efforts. When you come, why not join in! This continues well into the night.
I’m not sure what happens on the following morning. From my experience, mainly pain. Lots of pain. Kunchi hangovers are some of the worse of the year. I remember hearing the music and the shouting so I suppose they are pulling the hikiyama through the streets from early on, but I couldn’t say for sure. If you feel like a small gnome is trying to punch his way out of your head, why not try the traditional Honmachi Biru Breakfast. Fry some eggs, eat them with toast while downing lots of orange juice, and collapse back on the bed swearing you will never drink again.
Of course this oath is usually broken by the afternoon as you are invited from house to house to partake in the aforementioned feasts. The Karatsu people will open their houses and hearts to you, and only ask that for all the food you eat and drink you quaff, that you make small talk with whatever Japanese you may have.
Also, in the afternoon all the hikiyama are drawn up to a point near the beach and lined up. This is a fantastic photo opportunity, all these fearsome creatures side by side. This day is a national holiday too, so no worries about taking nenkyu. You can also take some time out to chill on the beach if the weather is good.
On the third day, the end comes. Exhausted by days of alcohol abuse and shouting at the top of their lungs, the hikiyama pullers and guardians drag them back to the museum next to the shrine, taking part in goodbye ceremonies. The very next day, the schoolchildren will write on their blackboards at school “362 days left until Kunchi.”
I’d just like to add a quick note. If you do go to Kunchi, remember that you are the guests of the generous people of Karatsu, so please be friendly, pay your bills in restaurants and bars, don’t get in fights, don’t make fun of any of the ridiculous vans you will see around and don’t complain that it wasn’t as good as you thought it would be. Bar that, anything goes. Thank you.