Kit Kats in Japan: A Journey

As a chocoholic, one of my main goals in Japan was to collect as many Kit Kats as possible. In New Zealand, we just have the standard milk chocolate, caramel, and cookies 'n cream chocolate bars. But I had fond memories of enjoying green tea, apple and strawberry flavoured Kit Kats during my time as an exchange student in Hiroshima, and I knew there were many more out there, with new seasonal and regional varieties being added each year.

Kit Kats are especially popular in Japan because the name 'Kit Kat' pronounced in Japanese sounds like 'Kitto Katsu', which roughly translates to 'certain win'. In this sense, Kit Kats have become an unusual good luck charm in Japan, particularly among students sitting exams who need a little bit of the old Nestle sweetness to help them towards a 'certain win'.

Green tea and vanilla

'Adult Sweetness' Raspberry

Over the course of five months, the Kit Kat collection became quite impressive indeed. Each Kit Kat came to have a story behind it - a memory of where, when and how it was obtained. A rainy day in Kyoto saw the procurement of Yatsuhashi cinnamon and Houjicha roasted tea flavoured Kit Kats, where the lady at the souvenir shop laughed and said 'foreigners love Kit Kats, don't they?'

On our trip to Miyajima, we had been disappointed because the famous floating torii had been under construction. The disappointment was quickly replaced by delight upon discovering a pack of Hiroshima Golden Citrus Kit Kats.

On the first day of summer, a reluctant visit to 7-Eleven to pay the bills resulted in the triumphant discovery of a new vanilla ice cream flavoured Kit Kat. I bought three packs, then had to get extra money out to pay the bills.

Yatsuhashi cinnamon and Houjicha roasted tea

Golden Citrus Blend

Vanilla ice cream

News quickly spread of the Kit Kat collecting mission, and soon I was bombarded with advice by Japanese friends and fellow exchange students - where to go to buy them, what flavours to look out for. I remember on a group trip to Nara, a Japanese friend gallantly went into souvenir shops asking on my behalf if they stocked any special Nara Kit Kats. It had turned into a highly competitive treasure hunt, with everyone wanting to bask in the Kit Kat glory. No expense was too great: 1050 yen, or about $16, was recklessly spent on a box of Rilakkuma hotcake flavoured Kit Kats, which came in a big fancy box, but only contained 12 little chocolate bars...

Rilakkuma hot cake

Part of the final collection

I didn't eat any of my Kit Kats until a couple of weeks before I left Japan. They were too precious, like little edible relics of my life in Japan. Then I realised they weren't going to all fit in my luggage, so I thought, bugger it, and we ended up eating most of the five months worth of Kit Kats in one night. I thought I would never be able to eat another Kit Kat again. But alas, guess what my last purchase in Japan was - at Kansai International Airport, past immigration, in the Duty Free shopping area, using my last remaining yen. Yup. Kit Kats.

Sakura green tea and 'peace' strawberry, packed into hand luggage

Blueberry cheesecake... also packed into hand luggage

Burgers in Japan

When it comes to western foods, while Korea is known for its pizza, Japan goes crazy for hamburgers. American-style diners and fast food chains are ubiquitous in Japan, with the humble hamburger representing all that is hip, young and cool. Something that surprised me when I first came to Japan was that Burger King and McDonald's don't have the same negative image here as they do back home. Going to these places is a much more (dare I say?) classy experience; staff are impeccably dressed and even wear posh little berets, portion sizes are more ladylike than the western counterparts, and the overall atmosphere resembles a pleasant cafe more than a greasy fast food joint.

That said, I've hardly ever been to BK and McD's while I've been in Japan. Instead, I have discovered two of Japan's homegrown burger chains, MOS Burger and Freshness Burger.

MOS Burger in Kandai-mae

MOS Burger. Don't be put off by the slightly fungal sounding name. It is sensational. There is a MOS Burger three minutes away from our apartment, and it became a tradition to have it for lunch every Saturday. I always get a W Hamburger (double hamburger, because 'W' in a Japanese accent sounds like 'double'), fries, and a strawberry milkshake. The strawberry milkshake is probably my favourite thing on the menu, because it is delicious and provides me with the illusion that I am getting my intake of dairy and fruit, two things that are severely lacking from my Japanese diet. There are lots of interesting things on the menu I have not dared to try yet, such as a rice burger (flattened rice balls instead of buns), and a naan bread with spicy Mexican toppings.

Freshness Burger in Amerika-mura

Freshness Burger is a teeny bit on the pricier side, but is a truly gourmet burger experience. They have all the classic options - cheeseburgers, hamburgers - and then some slightly more unique combinations, such as the Salsa Burger or Spam Burger. I like the restaurant's namesake 'Freshness Burger', which is a simple hamburger with a tomato slice, red onion and sauces, and the buns taste like they are made from sweet potato or something. Healthy (sort of) and very fresh indeed. The cold drinks here are great too; lots of homemade options, with lemonade freshly squeezed in front of you, and the Mojito Ginger Ale contains fresh mint.

MOS Burger meal

As always in Japan, presentation is key, and just because it's a burger joint doesn't mean they're about to start slacking off. At both MOS Burger and Freshness Burger, each item of food comes wrapped neatly in a little paper bag, placed carefully in a wicker basket. Ultimate fast food experience.

Favourite Japan Foods: Purin (custard pudding)

Eating purin (プリン) is what it must feel like to bite into an angel. There is no better pleasure than to sink your spoon into the sweet, wobbly custard, ensuring in the process you also scrape up a little of the slightly bitter caramel sauce that has collected at the bottom, and let it slither around your mouth so you can savour the texture and flavour. Purin is essentially just creme caramel, and can be found pre-packaged almost anywhere in Japan - supermarkets, convenience stores, train stations. A small cup of purin costs around 100 yen, which is a fantastic deal, considering we are biting into angels here.

Kandai Purin

Kansai University's cafeteria is known for its special homemade Purin, called 'Kandai Purin'. Differences to store-bought Purin include a dollop of whipped cream on top, a firmer 'shell' of caramel sauce, a smoother, creamier texture, and a noticeable addition of love and care in the making of it. It is so popular that several batches are required over one lunch period, and every time a fresh batch of Purin is put out (about once every 15 minutes), the lunch ladies will ring a bell, initiating a frantic Purin riot.

Puchin Purin Mushi Pan

I have recently discovered a new bread at my local Lawson convenience store that has turned into something of a love affair. It's called 'Puchin Purin Mushi Pan, and consists of soft, steamed, caramel flavoured bread (more of a cake than bread, really), with a surprise filling of custard. Purin in cake form is all right by me.

Kobe Purin KitKats

On a recent trip to Kobe, we picked up this cute box of specialty KitKats, which are Kobe Purin flavoured - Kobe is very famous for its Purin. I have been very restrained and have not opened them yet, as we have been collecting various Japan KitKat flavours that I will sample and review in a later post... but I can already tell that these Purin ones are going to be my favourite.

Osaka Rainy Blues

Welcome to the midst of the rainy season, and one of the wettest weeks I've experienced yet in Osaka. I have spent the past few days daydreaming about a pair of overpriced, polka dot gumboots that are sitting tantalizingly in the window of a nearby shop. But then if I succumb to the gumboots, I will need a new umbrella to match (my current one is about the same colour bright pink as a 1980s aerobics leotard). Rainy season = fashion crisis.

Osaka experienced the tail end of a typhoon on Tuesday, which didn't end up being as exciting as it sounds. I went to class at 9 in the morning, as usual, and by lunchtime we were told that university was cancelled for the afternoon due to the weather warnings. A lot of the shops around Kandai-mae boarded up their doors and closed for the day, too, but all it amounted to was a little bit of thunder, a little bit of wind, and quite a lot of rain. This was good for the pathetic little river that runs past our apartment - we call it 'Vom Canal', because every Friday night there are always inebriated Japanese students vomiting into it. It's nice to see it flowing with actual water, and not regurgitated ramen, for once.

There is one reason to love the rain though, and that is okonomiyaki. One of my favourite restaurants in Kandai-mae is an okonomiyaki shop called 'Kyabetsu' ('cabbage'), and every time you go they give you a coupon that offers 50 yen off next time, and 100 yen off if it's a rainy day. I get excited over bargains. Especially weather themed ones.

Kyabetsu coupons to save for a rainy day.

Kyabetsu in Kandai-mae.

I know what you're thinking. "She's managed to turn this post into something about food... again." But when it's grey, damp and miserable outside, there's nothing better than seeking refuge in this cozy little shop, planting yourself in front of the heated tabletop, and being served up a hearty feast of savoury pancake goodness... that you know is gonna be 100 yen cheaper than usual. That's how you survive the Osaka rainy blues.

Favourite Japan Foods: Tsukemen (Dipping Noodles)

As the weather becomes hotter, stickier and wetter in Japan during this season, there are some Japanese foods you lose your appetite for. In the stuffy heat, you don't really feel like eating hearty hot pots or spicy curry rice. Instead, you want something light, fresh and cool. The answer to your prayers is - believe it or not - is cold noodles. Oodles of cold noodles. More specifically, tsukemen つけ麺, or dipping noodles.

Noodles on one side, soup on the other.

Unlike ramen ラーメン, with tsukemen the noodles are served separate to the soup. The noodles are usually cold, and the soup is usually hot (although you can get hiyashi tsukemen 冷やしつけ麺, where the soup is cold too). At first, the thought of eating cold, limp noodles sounds kind of gross. But actually, it's the most delicious thing ever. They are springy and chewy and the coldness gives the flavour an extra zing! Eating them is super fun, you pick up some noodles in your chopsticks, dip them into the soup, the slurp them up. Finally, you have an excuse to play with your food! You do have to be careful not to burn your mouth, because even though the noodles are cool, they get surprisingly hot when dipped into the soup.

This cute little sign at a tsukemen shop warns you to blow on the noodles and eat them slowly!

There are all sorts of tsukemen soup types and flavours, I usually stick with a shoyu (soy sauce) broth, but you can get tangy vinegary ones, fishy ones, and sometimes even chicken, which is delicious - ultimate comfort food. If you're in Hiroshima, be sure to try Hiroshima style tsukemen, which is famous in Japan for its spiciness. The broth is full of red pepper and chili, and trust me, it will knock your socks off. You can order using a spice scale from 1-20!

Bright red, spicy Hiroshima tsukemen soup...

You can practically see the steam coming out of my ears.

We usually go to a ramen shop in Kandaimae (where we live) for tsukemen. This particular shop is run by two of the most badass looking Japanese men I've ever seen - I'm talking tattoos, piercings, muscles, facial hair. The first time we went I was terrified, thinking we had walked into some sort of ex-convict or yakuza joint. But it ended up being some of the best tsukemen I've ever had. Those guys are like noodle artists.

If you're a noodle fan, you should check out one of my favourite Japanese movies, Tampopo (Juzo Itami, 1985), a comedy about ramen (not so much tsukemen, sorry). It's hilarious, and will almost definitely make you hungry for noodles. Here's a YouTube clip from Tampopo, in which the 'ramen master' demonstrates the 'correct way' to eat noodles. I'm gonna try this next time...

Favourite Japan Foods: Chibi Kara Don

I have a love-hate relationship with the Japanese word 'chibi'. It basically means 'small and cute', and can be used to describe cartoon characters who are tiny but have oversized heads. Now, my nickname in high school used to be 'Shivvy', and when I would ask Japanese people to call me by that name, it would inevitably result in shrieks of hilarity and exclamations of 'CHIIIIBBBBIIII!' Repulsive.

There is one type of chibi that I do not mind at all, however, and that is Chibi Kara Donburi, or a bowl of tiny juicy pieces of lightly fried chicken on top of rice, drizzled with a sweet and sour sauce and topped with seaweed, cabbage, and spring onions. It is the specialty dish of a small restaurant just down the road from campus, and every lunchtime there are long lines of Kandai students waiting to eat there. Delicious and cheap - Chibi Kara Don only costs 350 yen. It is the perfect loose change meal.

If I could eat this everyday for the rest of my life, it would still be not enough.

Another reason I love this restaurant is the fact that they have two beautiful labradors, one white and one chocolate, who hang outside in a little kennel near the entrance. They are adorable, and you can often see them around the area being taken on walks.

Wee gem of a restaurant, located in Kandai-mae

It's called Umakara... something. Can't read the kanji.

The owners are a really down to earth couple. The husband sits behind the counter grunting 'welcomes' at customers. He has a droopy moustache that makes him look exactly like his dogs. The wife rushes around the cramped little restaurant taking orders. For such a tiny person, she has a very loud and authoritative voice. One time she told our group to 'stop chatting and order already!' Another time, during a particularly busy lunch hour, she told a table of guys who had just finished eating to hurry up and get out, because other people were waiting for the table. She is hilarious. Classic Osakan businesswoman.

We probably eat here about twice a week, and I think we are nearly counted as regulars. At least, whenever I order now, the lady goes 'without mayonnaise, right?'
She knows exactly what I like.

Shinsekai, Osaka - The 'New World'

During Japan's prosperous Taisho period (1912 onwards), the Osakan neighbourhood of Shinsekai - the 'new world' - was a vibrant and glamorous entertainment district, modeled after New York and Paris. Made up of a network of covered shopping arcades, as well as a popular amusement park, the modernist cherry-on-top was the Tsutenkaku ('reaching heaven') Tower, at that time the tallest in Asia.

Then World War II happened, and Shinsekai, along with most of Osaka, was destroyed in the relentless firebomb raids. Tsutenkaku Tower was demolished, its steel recycled for the war effort. Although Shinsekai and the tower were rebuilt after the war, the one thing that wasn't restored was the neighbourhood's former glory - quite the opposite, actually. Shinsekai and its surroundings now have a reputation for being one of the most poverty-stricken and dangerous areas in Osaka, due to a perceptible presence of homeless people and, supposedly, Yakuza.

Tsukenkaku Tower today

Shinsekai today

 To get to Shinsekai, we took the Midosuji Subway Line to Doubutsuen-mae Station, went out the wrong exit, and promptly found ourselves smack bang in the middle of Airin, the largest 'slum' in Japan. The guidebooks tell you to avoid the south side of the station, and, well, oops. But although the area had a completely different atmosphere to the Osaka tourist meccas of Umeda and Namba, I didn't feel particularly in danger. There were lots of cheap looking 'business hotels' and shops such as 'Working and Casual Wear' that seem directed at Airin's huge day labourer population. There was also a strange looking Christian church, with a neon cross. An abandoned amusement park stood in the background. The place wasn't so much dangerous as deserted. It was quiet and empty in the middle of the day.

Working Casual - for Osaka's working class

Christian church, with abandoned rollercoaster in background

A helpful man pointed us in the direction of Shinsekai, and finally we found ourselves in Osaka's Old New World. My first impression was that it didn't seem like a particularly dangerous place at all. A little bit gaudy and rough, perhaps, but again, not dangerous. In fact, there were small school children everywhere - I think they were being taken on a field trip to the zoo that is right beside Shinsekai. There were also adorable Billiken statues on every corner, and if you rub their feet, it's meant to bring you good luck. Aww.

Some may say he looks like an ugly oversized baby.

As we walked through the arcades of Shinsekai, we peeked into each of the shop windows, and every second one was a restaurant where food is served on a skewer and deep fried. This is one of Shinsekai's famous fast foods, known as kushikatsu. The kushikatsu smell that wafts through the alleyways is delicious - sort of reminded me of a fish and chip shop. Around 100 yen per stick, naturally we decided to have this for lunch. I had potato, takoyaki, and strawberry, but there were also all sorts of offal, veges, meats, seafood, and even cheesecake and icecream on offer. On each table or counter of these kushikatsu restaurants is a container of communal dipping sauce - very important not to double dip.

The diverse kushikatsu menu

Lunchtime!

Enjoying a deep fried stawberry

Fugu (the notoriously deadly blowfish) restaurants are also popular in Shinsekai. I have not been brave enough to sample this delicacy for myself just yet, but apparently this particular restaurant 'Tsuboraya' is a licensed chain, and the staff are experts in the art of cooking fugu safely. They have one in Dotombori too.

Blow up blow fish

Shinsekai was home to the cheapest vending machines I have ever seen in my life.

Tea or coffee for 50 Yen? Yes please.

Of course, there was also the famous Tsutenkaku Tower, once a glittering beacon of the future, now a tainted symbol of the past. What could have been a superb tourist attraction even today stands still, stuck in a time that the rest of Osaka has left behind.

This neon sign looks old and broken in the middle of the day

Another view of the tower

I don't think Shinsekai is dangerous - just sad. From the way certain websites and guidebooks wrote about it, I was expecting to be mugged at knife point by a crazed hobo. It's not like that at all. Yes, there are homeless people - but they just sit quietly, in the shadows of the tower. I think Shinsekai reveals what the rest of Japan tries to hide - that if you scratch the surface, Japanese society isn't so homogenous and middle-class after all. Shinsekai may not be a 'New World', but it is a different one to what tourists of Japan are used to seeing. It's well worth having a look for yourself - enjoy the food, take in the sights, and meet some interesting characters while you're at it.

Homeless person sits under shade of umbrella, Tsukenkaku Tower in distance

Might not be a conventional tourist attraction, but still featured on this pretty postcard

Happy birthday Shinsekai - this year it turns 100

Dotombori and Takoyaki Everything

I have been living in Osaka for exactly one month, and as each day passes I am feeling less like a tourist. This is a good thing - I have adapted to Japan and my new lifestyle; things aren't so different and strange anymore. I've (almost) stopped taking photos of every meal I eat. I don't feel the need to buy a drink from every vending machine I walk past. And as the university workload increases, I'm finding myself spending more time in my apartment studying than rushing off to go sightseeing.

But I miss the excitement of those jam-packed early days. It's too easy to forget that you are living in one of the coolest, biggest, liveliest cities in the world. So, today, I decided to try and experience Osaka like a tourist again. And this meant eating takoyaki at Dotonbori.

Kani Doraku moving crab sign at Dotombori

Osaka is known as Japan's kitchen, and Dotombori is where you'll find all the chefs hard at work. It's a long, narrow street consisting entirely of restaurants, takoyaki stands, and souvenir shops. It is rough-and-ready, loud and slightly sleazy. Workers from each restaurant stand on the street bellowing out welcomes, thrusting menus into your hands and imploring you to come inside. Dizzyingly bright neon signs and lanterns scream 'okonomiyaki', the region's specialty dish. There must also be some host clubs in the area, judging from the numerous groups of young men in suits with overly styled hair hanging around - but I haven't chosen to experience this side of Japanese culture just yet...

Takoyaki: 6 for 380 Yen

Because of its fame as one of Japan's top food destinations, a lot of the restaurants at Dotombori are quite expensive. So my favourite thing to eat is takoyaki, the ultimate in Osakan comfort food. Ubiquitous, and cheap as chips. I love hearing the sizzle of the batter in the pans, watching the artful way in which the chef uses a toothpick to flick the balls around to cook each side. I love the deep purple of the octopus tentacles, and the knowledge that my ten-year-old self would have never dreamed of eating them. And I even love that eye-watering roof-of-the-mouth burn that you will inevitably get from eating straight-out-of-the-pan takoyaki too quickly. As I write this post, my tongue is still a raw, blistered mess. It was worth it.

Tako (octopus) and takoyaki being cooked in the special pans

After feasting on takoyaki, we popped into a souvenir store and came across another treasure: a takoyaki flavoured soft drink, called 'Takoyaki Ramune'. 'Ramune' comes from the word 'lemonade'. Who wouldn't want to try a fizzy octopus-lemonade drink?

Takoyaki Ramune in all its glory.

One sip was enough.

If I had to describe the taste of Takoyaki Ramune, the closest thing I could think of would probably be carbonated smelly socks. It was rather unpleasant. I'm so disappointed, because I thought takoyaki in liquid form would be the best thing ever... Oh well. The good news is, there is also Curry Ramune, Wasabi Ramune, and Kimchi Ramune left to try. Yum.

Curry or kimchi flavoured soda, anyone?

 Dotombori and takoyaki = success. I feel as accomplished as the Glico Man.

Famous Glico Man sign at Dotombori

A Tribute to Melon Pan

What's your favourite Japanese food? Mine's not sushi. It's not tempura. Not even okonomiyaki. My favourite Japanese food is a bread roll that is shaped to look like a rock melon. It's called melon pan.

So beautiful. So delicious. So cheap.

Melon pan surrounded by other baked goods, none of which are as good as melon pan.

Someone told me that melon pan was created because rock melons are so expensive in Japan (we saw some for sale at a supermarket for 3150 Yen each... that's nearly 50 New Zealand dollars). So people would just give these bread rolls as omiyage, or gifts, instead of shelling out the cash for a real melon.

Piles of melon pan at a bakery.

It's the perfect texture; soft, fluffy bready goodness topped with a light crust of cookie dough and sugar. You can get different flavours and colours, too. I've had melon pan filled with strawberry milk custard, chocolate chips, and one topped with mochi (sticky rice) instead of cookie dough. Some cheeky fellow also came up with the idea to have a melon flavoured melon pan. I totally see what they did there.

Enjoying a melon pan approximately the size of my head.

I was talking to Mum about Japanese food the other day, and she goes 'you're probably really healthy, the food is so good for you.' And I laughed. Because the problem with my melon-pan-a-day addiction is that, by the time I leave Japan, I'm probably gonna look like a melon pan.

This is the extent of my Photoshopping skills.