Mr. Sumo Cup

I have this teacup on my desk.  It was a sample from a while ago that we never carried (even though I really really wanted to).  It’s actually a known fact around here that whenever we look at samples to add to our product line, I usually give something the kiss of death when I proclaim it to be a future best seller.  I used to think I was good at it but clearly, I am not.

 

But Mr. Sumo has been on my desk for years and every time I look at him, it makes me smile.  It could be the expression on his face.  It could be the way he’s holding his hands up as if he’s saying, “Whoa, now!  Take it easy!” It could be that he’s wearing a fundoshi (diaper/loin cloth-like panties he has to wear to work) which could make anyone giggle.  Or it might quite possibly be my odd attraction to all things made to look like sumo.  Actual sumo themselves don’t do anything for me.  Things made to look like sumo, that cracks me up.   Is that wrong?

So I’ve decided that perhaps Mr. Sumo needs to make it off my desk once in a while cause let’s face it, we’re not getting any younger.  I’m a little torn since he is my only sample and if something should ever happen to him, I might actually cry.  So I have to be careful.  Wish me luck.

My ulterior motive is that if I can get enough people to say how much they love Mr. Sumo, I might be able to convince Bob to invest in a mold to bring him back to life.   It seems the original factory that made this cup is either no longer around or has disposed of the mold.  So we have to start from scratch if I really want him.  And since my track record of predicting the best sellers is atrocious, I need some real people to agree with me.  I figure, if I put him in pretty situations and Instagram him (username: miyacompany) and then also Pinterest him, he may look like a superstar. 

Here he is standing in front of a K. Nishijima print of a Kyoto street that I bought for Bob in Tokyo.  He misses home…  But then he reconsiders, saying, “whoa, now!  take it easy!  Sure, I miss Japan and all, but don’t pack me up and put me back on that boat all the way back!  That’s cray cray!!”  Okay, he probably wouldn’t use the term “cray cray” but it’s definitely what he’s thinking. 

Keep an eye out for Mr. Sumo Cup!  And let me know if you like him! 

 

Haha no Hi

It is almost “Haha no hi!” (read “ha ha no hee”)

No, this isn’t a flashback to Lamaze class.  “Haha no hi” means “Mother’s Day” in Japanese.  It’s celebrated on the second Sunday in May, as it is in the U.S.  And just as in the rest of the world on Mother’s Day, the kids try to do something nice for the moms.  Usually in the form of carnations.   So, since there may be a shortage of carnations if you have not yet reserved some for this Sunday, I found a really beautiful alternative to the real thing.

I found this at:  FoldingTrees.com

Gorgeous!

You will need:

• Tissue paper
• Scissors
• 2 large paper clips
• Pipe cleaners (chenille stems) or floral wire
• Coloured marker pen
• Optional: floral wire, floral tape, wire cutters

For complete instructions, please go to FoldingTrees.com by clicking on the image above.

I’m looking forward to trying to make these with my girls.  But if being crafty is not your thing, you might consider a nice covered mug like this:

I think I’ll get my mom & mother-in-law this pretty covered mug. It has a ceramic strainer for steeping loose tea leaves. And a cover so that she can keep her tea hot longer. Which is perfect for when she gets interrupted so many times by my kids (when I drop them off with Grandma for some free babysitting.)  I’m so considerate…

Happy Mother’s Day everyone!

Don’t Call it a Comeback!

As I’m trying to find some interesting images for our Pinterest boards, I thought it would be fun to put up some pictures from our “Archives” (read: dusty supply closet).  This first picture is from our catalog from 1972.

I think we could bring this look back!  Look at the hair!  Look at the bedroom eyes!  I’m not sure when “hapi” coat became a “happy coat” (probably when this very attractive woman had it on) but I believe the correct term has reversed back to a “hapi” coat.  It’s all about Peace and Love, baby.    I would love to hear about anyone who might have actually bought this!  And can I buy it back??!!

These pretty mugs were in the 1975 catalog.  I really think we could sell these today!  I especially love E-408 (5th row down, last mug).  I’m a sucker for florals on blue.

This next picture is seriously something that can sell today.

We had a whole box of these still in the warehouse about a year ago and I was convinced we could sell them.  I mean, really, terrariums are all over the place!  and it’s acrylic!  What’s cooler than acrylic?  Ghost Chair, anyone?  But Bob thought I was crazy and he may have removed the box from the premises in case I wanted to act on my instincts.  Too bad.  The geniuses were always called crazy….

Which of these do you think could make a comeback?

Umami Mania

I can’t believe it’s been this long since I added a post to our blog.

I’ve been meaning to write this one about umami if for nothing else than just to post this picture:

Okay.  Thank you for indulging me.  I’m glad I got that joke out of my system.  whew!

The images above are from pamphlets that I collected when I visited the Restaurant Show in NYC.  The baby’s expressions are reactions to trying the different tastes.  Evidently, babies are happy with sweet and umami but kinda raise a stink at sour and bitter.  Which really, doesn’t seem like rocket science but now it is documented and therefore, fact.

So, if you don’t know what umami is, it’s the official 5th taste in the culinary world.  There is sweet, sour, bitter, salty and now, umami.  You many have heard this word before but do you know what it is?  Would you be able to eat something and say, “whoa!  that is way too umami?”  I think I can now!

Umami can be described as beefy, or mushroom-y.  Kinda earthy.  Tomatoes are umami.  Cheese is umami.  Kombu (seaweed) and dashi (the base with which most Japanese broths are made) are umami.   It is a savory taste that is found in glutamate.

There is umami seasoning that you can buy – used to be that MSG would provide this taste but since MSG has fallen out of favor with the health conscious, there are other glutamates (the G in MSG) that enhance the natural umami flavor of foods.  The Restaurant Show had taste test comparisons of french fries seasoned with salt and those seasoned with umami seasoning.  Both good.  Umami season has 30% less sodium.  There was also soy sauce that was seasoned with dashi (which is rich in umami flavor) that made sushi even more divine.

Would you like some umami with that?

So next time you are chowing down on burgers at the Shake Shack or In-N-Out or even a Five Guys, slow down and enjoy the umami.

Restaurant Show

Bob & I visited the International Restaurant & Foodservice Show yesterday at the Javits Center in NYC.  We had exhibited there before and we thought it would be good to see what the new trends were in Japanese food and food service.  Plus, there was a section called the Japan Pavilion so how could we not go?

 

pretty bottles of shochu!

The show was a lot smaller than I thought it would be but it was packed.  You know how they say people can’t pass up a free meal?  Well the admission was not free but holy cow, you would have thought people had been saving their appetite for days just to get some freebies.  It was worse than Costco on a Saturday afternoon when they crank out samples of Pizza Bites or something.  Granted, the food samples at the Restaurant Show were much tastier than microwaveable frozen snacks but still, it was not pretty.  I mean, how many samples of bagels does one need?  We’re in New York!!

 

 

Cafettone by PreGel. so good.

And yes, I was not immune from this free-for-all lack of decorum.  I swear, it’s the mob mentality.  You see a line of people waiting for a sample of something and you have to get one too!  That’s what happened to Bob and the crepes.  And really, it wasn’t worth the calories.  I got stuck at the PreGel booth.  I have to mention them because they had samples of 3 different types of frozen dessert and I waited for each one.  The first was a Marscapone  Caffettone (frozen yogurty type thing but very creamy and rich) with an espresso swirl.  Then we went to other side of the booth and had some gelato (mango flavored) and then we went to yet another part of the booth and had a frozen yogurt (dark chocolate).   They were all very good.

And this was all after we walked through the Japan Pavillion and had 3 types of ramen samples, beer sample, sake sample, Muscat drink sample (which by the way is the bee’s knees – I must find more!), miso soup sample and of course the sushi sample.  Well, it was actually 2 pieces of a maki roll one with regular soy sauce and the other with soy sauce that had dashi in it.  Bob ate them both (for the sake of accurate taste testing) and the booth folks didn’t even offer me any.  I don’t need your umami anyway!

Muscat Love. Yummy cider from Japan.

So after the Japan Pavillion, we walked through the rest of the show and we ate more.  I thought about partaking of the wine samples that were at the other end of the show but I passed.  Not sure why as wine is my favorite thing – I think I finally realized that I had had more than enough at that point.

Besides, I think we were there to work….

What the Wat?? Asian Americans in the NBA

Jeremy Lin

Linsanity has taken over New York. In case you are not a basketball fan, or an underdog story fan and you have been living under a rock, Jeremy Lin is an Asian American basketball player who has taken the New York Knicks by storm.  And we know, it’s not just him.  It seems that he has helped revitalize the whole team and everyone is playing their A game.  I haven’t had this much fun watching the Knicks since the early 90s when my brother made me forced me to watch it with him.

What a great story though.  This kid plays basketball and makes waves in high school but ends up going to Harvard for college even though they do not give athletic scholarships.  So he plays for the Harvard team, also doing well and somehow makes it to the NBA.  And apparently, that is not as glamorous as it sounds if you are warming benches.

Despite showing a lot of potential, he gets shuffled around a couple of teams, goes back and forth from the D league until he gets his break.  He makes it to the Knicks roster and since it seems they’ve run out of point guards, he gets the signal to get in the game.

 
And he shines. And he keeps shining! Yes, this guy is for real. Stop asking if he is!

 
I saw the article in the New York Times last week talking about Wat Misaka and how he was the first non-Caucasian in the NBA.  This was in 1947 right after World War II when racial tensions were still broiling over from the war.  This is the same year that Jackie Robinson became the first African American to play in Major League Baseball and Wally Yonamine became the first Asian American to play in the NFL for the 49ers. [Coincidentally, it is also the same year that Miya Company was incorporated in NYC by our founder, Mr. Chosuke Miyahira.]

 
So I googled Wat Misaka and found a documentary about him called, “Transcending, the Wat Misaka Story.” (www.watmisaka.com)  I promptly sent them my money to get a copy. I get excited about Asian American history, don’t judge me!

 
If you get a chance to see it, I highly recommend it.  It’s a bit slow in some parts but it’s quite an interesting story. He lived through the time of Pearl Harbor, Japanese American Internment, Japanese American conscription into the US Army against Japan, the bombing of Hiroshima & Nagasaki and of course, all the racial tension that stemmed from all of this.  At one point in the documentary, Wat Misaka put into words the feeling of confusion and despair of many Nisei (2nd generation Japanese Americans) after Pearl Harbor.  He says that it was devastating thinking that his parents’ country was waging war on his country.

Wat Misaka in Utah

He was living in Utah and was able to leave the internment camp with a sponsor to play basketball for his college team.  The accounts of his time with his team with real footage from the games were amazing.  He gets drafted and ends up in Hiroshima close to where his mother’s brother lived.  They use a quote in the documentary about his wearing an American Army uniform in Japan saying that no matter where he was, he was seen as a traitor to his country – in the US, simply because he was of Japanese descent and in Japan because of his uniform.

Wat Misaka with John Starks in 2009 at Madison Square Garden. (image from www.watmisaka.com)

The documentary is a great story of his spirit and a nice overview of Japanese American history.  He was honored in 2009 by the Knicks in recognition of his place in Knicks’ history. He was 5’ 7”, Japanese and the Knicks’ first draft pick in 1947.  How incredible.
Wat Misaka is getting some press lately because of Jeremy Lin’s success.  You can see some similarities in their stories but, of course, both men should be celebrated for their own achievements.

As much as Jeremy Lin has become a hero to many kids, Asian American or not, who see him as their inspiration, imagine what it must have been like to see (or more likely, read/hear about) Wat Misaka playing at Madison Square Garden in the 40s. That is truly a story of the American spirit.

And excuse me but I must add in the gratuitous, “GO KNICKS!!”

Happy New Year!

We are busy little bees with Bob in Japan scouting new products and the rest of us getting ready for the New York International Gift Fair.  NYIGF begins Sunday, January 29th at the Jacob Javits Center in NYC.  If you are a buyer and you haven’t registered for your badge yet, please go to the NYIGF website to register!  We will have our latest products for you to view, touch & hold!  See you there!  NEW BOOTH # 2862 in Tabletop

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Ku-ri-su-ma-su

There are some lovely things about Christmas in Japan – the dramas on tv that tell romantic stories of couples who may not have known how deep their love was until Christmas night when they find themselves realizing what the true meaning of Christmas is – it’s all about dating a cute girl in a fluffy outfit who is standing outside at night in a brightly lit Christmas scene with perfect makeup as snow begins to fall gently.   It is, as the Japanese say, ro-man-ti-ku.

In Japan, people also like a good Christmas Cake  -  these are usually wonderful concoctions of whip cream and strawberry goodness.   Sounds like a better option over sticky lumpy fruitcake.

Then there’s the KFC tradition of ordering a fast food chicken dinner with all the fixings to devour with your family on Christmas night.   Mmmmm….  I don’t know when this started but it’s not a bad idea!  Sounds pretty good about now as I think about the many hours of cooking I have ahead of me when my family comes over on Christmas.

Why is Christmas so popular in Japan?  Not sure, maybe because Santa’s outfit has the same colors as the Japanese flag?  In fact, KFC, Santa, Strawberries & Cream and the Japanese flag… Wait a second, what do these all have in common?  The color scheme!  Wow.  I can’t believe I just figured it out.  Now on to global warming!

But before I solve that, I also have a theory about why Christmas is a romantic holiday in Japan – because everywhere you go, you can’t get away from Mariah Carey singing, “All I Want For Christmas” and George Michael singing “Last Christmas.”  These might be the official Christmas songs in Japan, not “White Christmas” or “Jingle Bells.”  You’d be hard pressed to find a Japanese person under 40 who didn’t know either of these Christmas pop songs.

The holiday season is fun wherever you go.  It’s the end of the year so people all around the world feel a little nostalgic, a little rejuvenated and maybe a little stressed out.  For us, it’s the busiest time of year as we try to supply all our customers with all the sushi sets they need to make their holiday season successful.  With just a couple of more shopping days to go, it’s always nuts but we are thankful that we are busy.

Happy Holidays everyone!  Enjoy your Christmas turkey, ham, roast or fast food chicken!  And may all your holidays be bright!

The Making of a Kokeshi Doll

A couple of years ago, Bob, our fearless leader, went to visit a Kokeshi doll factory and was given permission to take pictures and video tape some of the steps to make a doll.

I had these videos on our old blog but since that old blog died accidentally, I thought I would dig them up again to show how much work goes into making a Kokeshi Doll.  But while Blogspot will let you upload for free, they won’t let you recover a blog you accidentally deleted (oops).   And WordPress, while pretty in its templates, will not let you upload videos without paying.  So you see, I am at an impasse.  I will have to add the video upgrade fee to our marketing budget for 2012 and see what happens.   But in the meantime, if you would like to check out the videos, please visit our YouTube Channel.

I’ll add some still images here just to show you how much of an art form this really is.  And when you see the work and craftsmanship that goes into one, you will want to start your collection immediately!

First the trees are cut and the bark is removed.  The types of wood used are Japanese dogwood, cherry tree and chestnut.  They can’t just begin cutting it up.  It has to dry in the sun for 6 months to a year before they can do anything with it.  Then the wood is cut into thick slices.  The wood is then compressed and excess pieces are removed.

Then it is put on a lathe where the master craftsman uses a special tool to shape the head.  I would totally mess this up.

After each piece is prepared like this, they go through 3 rounds of sandpapering.

Some of the pieces also go through multiple rounds of painting as well.  The details are handpainted on each doll.

Engravings or carvings are also done by hand.  Then it’s off to be finished with two coats of a glaze to seal everything in.  They are then put on these poles that move around the room to dry.

Then the pieces are assembled and voila!  A perfect Kokeshi doll.

The factory also has a collection of many of their products throughout the years.  This company is in its 3rd generation (like us!) and the business along with the master craftsmanship have been carefully handed down.

Some of these older pieces seen here are amazing.  Unfortunately, the original owner of the factory used to make these and after he passed, they have not been able to find someone with his skill level to make these same shapes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some others from their collection on display only:

These last two still have their original branches intact!

A beautiful art form!  And that concludes Art Appreciation Thursday.

Chopstick Etiquette

As one of our gift ideas, I wrote that our bowl sets with chopstick notches are great for those friends you may have who insist that you do not stick your chopsticks in your food when taking a break from eating.  You have a predetermined notch on which you can rest your chopsticks.  So I thought it would be a good idea to explain why sticking your chopsticks in your food is considered rude.

Bowl & Chopstick Set of 2 - complete with notches to hold your chopsticks! Fashion or Function? Why, YES!

Did you know there is an etiquette to using chopsticks?  And it’s different in each culture where one uses chopsticks so there’s a lot of thinking involved….  There are little ones I have heard of, such as not crossing the chopsticks, not sticking them in your food, not tapping them like drumsticks.  Please don’t tap them like drumsticks.  Unless you are Roger Taylor (I think I just gave away my age).

So I’ve researched a few and I have some links if you’d like to see some good ones but I’m going to copy the Wikipedia etiquette list since it is the most concise and I thought it would be interesting to throw in the Korean and Chinese etiquette when it comes to chopsticks too.  I’ve literally copied and pasted it so take it up with Wikipedia if you don’t agree with these!

Japanese etiquette

• Food should not be transferred from one’s own chopsticks to someone else’s chopsticks. Japanese people will always offer their plate to transfer it directly, or pass a person’s plate along if the distance is great. Transferring directly with chopsticks is how bones are passed as part of Japanese funeral rites.
• The pointed ends of the chopsticks should be placed on a chopstick rest when the chopsticks are not being used. However, when a chopstick rest is not available as it is often the case in restaurants using waribashi (disposable chopsticks), a person may make a chopstick rest by folding the paper case that contained the chopsticks.
• Reversing chopsticks to use the opposite clean end is commonly used to move food from a communal plate, although it is not considered to be proper manners.Rather, the group should ask for extra chopsticks to transfer food from a communal plate.
• Chopsticks should not be crossed on a table, as this symbolizes death, or vertically stuck in the rice, which is done during a funeral.
• It is rude to rub wooden chopsticks together after breaking them apart, as this communicates to the host that the user thinks the chopsticks are cheap.
• Chopsticks should be placed right-left direction; the tips should be on the left. Placing diagonal, vertical and crossing each stick are not acceptable both in home and restaurant manners.
• In formal use, disposable chopsticks (waribashi) should be replaced into the wrapper at the end of a meal.

Chinese etiquette

• In Chinese culture, it is normal to hold the rice bowl—rice in China is rarely served on a plate—up to one’s mouth and use chopsticks to push rice directly into the mouth.
• It is acceptable to transfer food to closely related people (e.g. grandparents, parents, spouse, children, or significant others) if they are having difficulty picking up the food. Also it is a sign of respect to pass food to the elderly first before the dinner starts.
• It is poor etiquette to tap chopsticks on the edge of one’s bowl, as beggars are believed to make this noise to attract attention.
• It is impolite to spear food with a chopstick, unless the food is difficult to handle, such as fishballs.
• It is considered poor etiquette to point rested chopsticks towards others seated at the table.
• Chopsticks should not be left vertically stuck into a bowl of rice because it resembles the ritual of incense-burning that symbolizes “feeding” the dead and death in general.
• Holding chopsticks incorrectly will reflect badly on a child’s parents, who have the responsibility of teaching their children.
• Serving chopsticks (公筷, “community-use chopsticks”) are used to take food from serving dishes. These chopsticks are to be returned to the dishes after one has served oneself, and are often a different colour from individuals’ chopsticks.

Korean etiquette

In Korea, chopsticks are paired with a spoon, and there are conventions for how these are used together.

• The elders pick up the utensils first, then the younger ones do.
• It is considered uncultured and rude to pick up a dish or a bowl to bring it closer to one’s mouth, and eat its content with chopsticks (except certain noodle dishes like naengmyeon). Dishes are to be left on the table at all times, and a spoon is used alongside chopsticks, if the food lifted “drips”. This is in stark contrast to Chinese and Japanese convention, which lifts up the rice bowl, often to the mouth.
• When laying chopsticks down on the table next to a spoon, one must never put the chopsticks to the left of the spoon. Chopsticks are only laid to the left during the food preparation for the funeral or the memorial service for the deceased family members, known as jesa.
• It is rude to use the same hand to hold both chopsticks and a spoon at the same time and laying the spoon down on the table while one uses chopsticks.
• Use a spoon to eat soup, stew and liquid side dishes, and chopsticks for solid side dishes. Either may be used for eating rice.

Here are some links to fun sites that elaborate on Chopstick Etiquette:

Just Hungry where it really needed to be said:  don’t stick your chopsticks up your nose.  very gauche.

All About Teaching English in Japan has a succinct list that includes a very important one – there is no 2 second rule when it comes to dropping your chopsticks on the floor.  Please, people, that’s gross.

What Japan Thinks – that features a fun poll about chopstick etiquette.

So, now you know.  And knowing is half the battle.