In 2003, Bill Murray and a young Scarlett Johansson showed us in Lost in translation a hitherto unknown Tokyo, a film that captivated and made thousands of viewers dream of a trip to the Far East to discover what they had seen on the big screen. a city that never sleeps, bustling, with streets full of neon lights and endless skyscrapers. And more recently, the Tokyo vice series (highly recommended, by the way) shows a country full of social codes and rules very different from those of the West, where the Yakuza, the Japanese mafia, moves freely through the streets of the city.
The fascination with this radically different world is evident, and not only for cinema, food, manga, literature, art,… made in Japan is a global phenomenon. Therefore, for all those who love Japanese culture and cannot travel to the Japanese country, there are proposals that invite you to discover it without having to take a plane.
Marco Reggiani tries to bring the most authentic Japan to the reader. Because although his lifestyle increasingly resembles ours, there are still differences. This book is divided into six chapters: Domestic space and feeling at home, explains how they live together in not very large houses; Tokyo, life in the infinite city, with its colors and vibrant urban life; Japan: beyond the megalopolis, where we talk about the countryside and rural regions; Observing the circumstances is an analysis of the dynamics that condition social customs and behaviors; Perfecting the form is about the language of appearances; and Day by day. Chapters that explore the most significant aspects of Japanese life, its customs and its particular social codes from the point of view of a Westerner who has been living in that country for 10 years.
The Official College of Architects of Madrid (COAM) pays tribute to manga with an exhibition that will immerse visitors in the universe of one of the greatest cultural phenomena of the 21st century. With more than 150 pieces and works of art from international private collections: from illustrated books and scrolls or Japanese woodcuts from the 18th and 19th centuries, to paintings and manga manuscripts, original posters, photograms, rare magazines and comics, as well as sculptures limited edition, a journey through the history of manga is taken among spectacular scenery, such as the reproduction of a Torii (traditional door) and a Yokai temple, a dazzling hallway of Japanese lanterns and even a relaxing Zen garden.
Pastry is often the great unknown of Japanese gastronomy. In Japan they don’t end their meals with dessert, but there are many sweets that are eaten at tea time or between meals. This book contains almost 50 recipes that Laure Kié tells step by step, but not only traditional desserts, the wagashi, but also sweets with influences from other countries. Wagashi are small jewels with a refined and delicate flavor that are used to accompany the famous tea ceremony. But there are also numerous desserts inspired by Western pastries, such as Japanese cheesecake, much lighter than American cheesecake. And the great protagonist of contemporary desserts, matcha, which is used to make all kinds of preparations, such as tiramisu.
The Nomo restaurant group began its journey in 2007, with Nomo Gràcia, this was the origin of the history of these ten establishments that are located between Barcelona, Girona, the Costa Brava and Madrid, in addition to offering their own delivery service. : Nomomoto. To celebrate the 15th anniversary they have collaborated with the Madrid artist Pils Ferrer, alias Pilar García-Ferrer, to create three collages that show the three key stages of Nomo’s history, and that serve to illustrate a limited series of metal boxes containing 25 pieces with the most emblematic nigiris and makis of each stage, made by chef Naoyuki Haginoya, and which can be purchased on the Nomomoto website at a price of 49 euros.
On Jorge Juan Street in Madrid, in the Salamanca neighborhood, Robata opened its doors last year, a Japanese tavern that had already succeeded in Barcelona, and is now doing so in the capital. Those Japanese food enthusiasts can find a traditional Japanese menu with Mediterranean and American influences. Chef Fabiola Lairet, one of the few female sushi chefs in Spain, creates dishes to share, sushis, sashimis or tatakis and products cooked on the ibata, the famous Japanese charcoal grill that is the protagonist of the open kitchen and gives name to the establishment. A tasting menu is offered for 80 euros to try a little of everything.
Toki is located in the Chamberí neighborhood of Madrid, a very exclusive Japanese restaurant that has been designed to only seat six diners at a time. A Michelin-starred establishment, whose haute cuisine proposal is the work of chef Tadayoshi Motoa. After a year of its opening, there is a single menu: Aki No Omakase (180 euros 85 euros pairing) which is now expanded and will be made up of 24 dishes, prepared every day based on the freshest and most seasonal product, where introduced local products such as octopus, wild asparagus or squid, among others. What has not changed in these twelve months is the obsession with making the best rice, chosen of the highest quality and made with three different dressing recipes. The winery is the big surprise with around 100 champagnes and around 80 sakes.
For the second year, the Hotel Arts in Barcelona will open, starting on May 24, Roka, an ephemeral concept restaurant that will remain open for only five months exclusively for dinner, as its menu revolves around Japanese Robatayaki cuisine, a technique which was already used by Japanese fishermen more than two millennia ago and which consists of grilling on an open grill with a fire, so it is better to wait until night, when the sea breeze refreshes the atmosphere of your outdoor terrace. Their specialties include Wagyu sushi with Oscietra caviar, black cod and shrimp with roasted chili or lamb chops with Korean spices and asparagus with sweet soy and sesame.