Inspired by....Ofuro

Ofuro is the formal japanese word for bath and the japanese have elevated the bath to an art form. Whether it be private or public, bathing is a cultural ritual. This beautiful Japanese tub titled "Ofuro Rapsel" is was created by designer Matteo Thun, this unusual bathtub is completely made of larch wood. Historically, Japanese people enjoyed a daily bathing ritual with their friends and neighbours in a public bath (the sento) or in a hot spring bath (the onsen). However, in modern times, most people have a private ofuro (bath), while the onsen and the sento remain popular for many Japanese people. The bath is a wonderful way of leaving the stresses of the day behind. Who wouldn't love to have this bath to look forward to at the end of a long stressful day?


This design is a more modern take on the traditional Japanese bath with the Zen-like emphasis on the view and the use of natural materials. Made of Hinoki wood (with a natural citrus flavor), teak or cedar.

Both designs can be found at Lyring.com

Read more about the origins of of the origins of the japanese bath at Japonismus

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Shrine of One Hundred Torii Gates

Photo property of NewinNippon

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My New Logo!

Whew! After weeks of toil and frustration, I have settled on a logo for new in nippon. I hope you like it! I wanted to keep the logo simple while trying an Asian theme by utilizing a few of my new favorite design elements.

I really love the organic shape of the ginkgo leaf.





When we were visiting the oldest ginkgo tree in Japan earlier this spring, I was inspired by the simple, yet identifiable shape of the leaf. I brought back a leaf from the tree to use as a design inspiration. The color I chose is from the Pantone Fall 2011 color report, the color is Pantone 14 - 0740 . I found this color is similar to the yellow hue of the ginkgo leaf during the fall.






In addition, I worked in the circle as a tribute to my host country taking the circle element from their flag. The circle represents the East and also since the shape represents the rising sun I felt that it could also signify the hope of a new beginning and the optimism I feel about the future!





Please let me know if you like the new logo!

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Wild Horses at Cape Shiriya

This weekend, we drove up to Cape Shiriya to view the wild horses. Photos property of NewinNippon.



"Crossbred with the Tanabu and the French Breton breed, Kandachime horses are tolerant of northern Japan’s brutal winters, have great stamina and exist on a simple diet."



"In 1970, a local elementary school principal composed a tanka, a 31-syllable Japanese poem, that gave the Kandachime their name — literally “to stand in the cold.”"



"On clear days, the northernmost Japanese prefecture of Hokkaido can be seen to the north across the Tsugaru Strait."

You can read the full article from stars and stripes at: http://www.stripes.com/military-life/travel/where-wild-horses-roam-in-northern-japan-1.11331

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Food Love...Baked Donuts

This weekend we stopped in Sendai on our way home from Nikko. If you are a shopper Sendai is paradise, more on that later. While we were wondering through the outdoor mall, I noticed a vendor selling baked donuts. I was intrigued so I began to look for recipes so that I could make my own donuts as soon as we arrived home.

This recipe is quick and easy. You can bake your donut in a this donut pan made by Wilson and available at Sur La Table.



Or if you want, you can make your donuts in a muffin pan, as I did.
For this recipe, courtesy of Mrs. Fields Secrets, you will need:

1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1/4 cup oil (vegetable or canola)
3/4 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

2 tablespoons butter, melted (for sugared donuts)
1/2 cup super fine sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 cup confectioner’s sugar
1 cup jelly (optional)



Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare a muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray. In a large bowl, beat sugar and egg together until creamy and light-colored. Add oil, milk, and vanilla and mix well. In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg. Slowly add flour mixture into egg mixture until well combined. Fill muffin tins 3/4 full and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out mostly clean.



These would also work great in miniature muffin tins with a reduced cooking time of 8-10 minutes. Do not overcook! You want a nice, dense, moist cake.

For powdered donuts: While donuts are still warm to the touch, remove from tins and immediately roll the crust with powdered sugar, until it is well coated. Dust the tops with sugar as well.

For sugared donuts: Using a pastry brush, coat each donut with a thin layer of melted butter. Roll each buttered donut in the cinnamon/sugar mixture. Yummy! I hope you enjoy your donuts!

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Easy Washi Paper Dolls

I recently took a japanese washi paper doll class. After completing the project the two ladies that were teaching the class asked that I come back the next week as they had a gift for me. When I arrived the next week bringing strawberry shortcake to show my appreciation, this was the surprise they had for me. They taught me how to make a japanese paper geisha. Although the doll is traditionally made with japanese washi paper, this is a perfect craft for using up those little scrapbook remnants you can't bear to part with.

You will need:

About four inches in paper for the kimono.

About an inch x quarter inch of matching paper to create the collar of the kimono.

About an inch x quarter inch of contrasting paper to create a scarf to go under the color.(mine was pink)

About an inch x half an inch of contrasting paper for the obi belt. (mine was pink and also green, I made two!)

About an 2 inches square of paper for the hair. (mine was black)

Any tiny bit of paper will do for the bow.

A white cardstock circle, about half an inch circumference and a small long, skinny piece for the body.

Glue (Elmers or Tacky)

Step One



Cut your kimono paper into a long rectangle, twice the length of your kimono. Fold your kimono paper in half and cut out the shape as seen above. The top tab will be folded under to create a tuck (see step three for a better view). The edges of the sleeves should be slightly rounded to give the illusion of a sleeve. Cut a tiny triangle at the top of the fold to create the neck of the kimono.

Step Two



Glue to Cardboard circle to the cardboard body with elmers or tacky glue. Fold in half and wrap the scarf piece around the neck.

Step Three



Fold under the bottom two tabs and glue. This is the bottom of the kimono. Fold under the top piece to create a tab as shown. Do not glue this part as you will need to insert the body of the doll into the kimono.

Step Four



Insert the body into the kimono. Adjust the scarf so that it is visible. Glue the body and glue the edges of the sleeves together. Fold and wrap a small piece of paper matching the kimono around the neck to form a collar.Wrap the obi belt around the doll and over the collar piece then secure it in the back with a dab of glue (see step five for a visual).

Step Five



Cut three small strips of paper for the hair, taking care to cut two of the same size to wrap on the left and right side of the head, as seen in the picture. The hair can be as long or short as you want it to be. The longer piece, as seen in the picture, will be glued on top and will be wrapped around the head, gathered and secured on the back of the head with a dab of glue. See below for the placement of the pieces.



Now, just add a little twisted piece of paper for a bow and you are done!



Write me and let me know how your doll turns out!

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First Cherry Blossom Sighting

Since we first arrived in Japan, I have been fascinated by the cherry blossom or sakura. The five petal cherry blossom is seen everywhere in classical and pop cultural throughout Japan. Cherry blossom viewing is so popular a past time that the national weather service of Japan provides a blossom tracker so that people will know where the blossom are blooming and on what date. The viewing parties usually involve sake, food, and friends. No wonder the idea is catching on around the world! Cherry blossom viewing festivals are held in the USA in Washington, DC and also in Macon, Georgia. Because cherry blossoms have short blooming times and are fragile, the japanese have used to symbolize the transience of life and as a reminder to celebrate the beauty found in the moment.



Today we were walking through a park in Hachinohe, I spotted the first cherry blossoms we have seen this spring. There was a group of children playing around the tree, attempting to climb on the branches. Two little girls clutched a few small branches from the trees, admiring the beautiful white petals. As we approached the tree, one of the little girls ran up to me and began to introduce herself in japanese. I introduced my husband and myself and realized that I had just ran out of japanese conversational phrases. No matter. Although there was a language barrier and an age difference of about thirty years, we were both drawn to the beauty of the cherry blossom tree and both enjoyed the first signs of spring.



Ono no Komachi: The hue of the cherry (9th C. CE)

The hue of the blossom
fades too quickly from sight
all for nothing
this body of mine grows old --
spring rain ceaselessly falling.

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Food Love...Mushi-Pan! Oishii (Delicious)!

If you are looking for a new breakfast recipe to try this weekend, I have something quick, and also healthy. Try a steamed cake called mushi-pan! "Mushi" is japanese for "steamed" and this bread is very soft and sweet and more like a cake than a bread. This is definately a lo-cal recipe, because unlike cake, mushi-pan contains no butter or oil. I will share this basic recipe, courtesy of Misawa City News, and you can use your imagination and add whatever ingredients you want to flavor the mushi-pan. I added chopped apples to mine, but I think that blueberries or chocolate chips would be delicious! This is not a western-style cake, so if you like things really sweet, you may want to add more sugar or eat the mushi-pan with syrup or jam.

Ingredients:

1 Egg

2 tsp of Milk

2 tsp of Sugar

50g (1.7oz) of Flour ( I used whole wheat)

1 tsp of Baking Powder

In a small bowl, beat the egg, then add the milk and sugar. Mix well. Add the flour and baking powder, lightly mixing it and taking care not to make the batter sticky. If you have a steamer, boil water in the pot, and place the bowl into the steamer basket. Put on the lid and steam for about 12 minutes or until thoroughly cooked.



If you do not have a steamer, you can turn a plate upside down in a pot, pour about a cup of water around the plate, heat until boiling and then place the bowl on top of the plate. Cover and cook for 12 minutes.



It should look a little like this when it is done. Also, you can try using a toothpick to see if the cake is completely done.

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