Snow, Plum Trees, and the Tokyo Comedy Bar

Much of Japan, including Tokyo, experienced heavy snowfall in early February, a rarity for the capital. This coincided with the general election held on February 8th undoubtedly affecting turnout (around 56%). But despite the snow, spring is definitely in the air, with plum blossoms coming out now - this article describes the Mito Plum Festival (水戸の梅まつり), running February 11th to March 22nd, at Kairakuen Gardens in Mito, Ibaraki, one of Japan’s three great gardens (日本三名園): the other two are Kenrokuen in Kanazawa and Korakuen in Okayama. The plum blossoms are a precursor to the cherry blossoms - first bloom is expected around March 18–24 here in Tokyo!

Tourists coming to see the cherry blossoms in Tokyo will no doubt visit Shibuya with its famous scramble crossing - said to be the busiest pedestrian intersection in the world, with up to 3,000 people crossing during a single green light cycle - as well as the well-known Hachiko statue. But there is actually another attraction very popular with tourists in Shibuya - the Tokyo Comedy Bar! Billed as the only English stand-up comedy club in Japan it offers shows in both English every night, plus some Japanese sessions, comedy classes, and even open mic (for those interested in Japanese comedy see the older blog post here). Anyway, Britishprof has always been intrigued by stand-up (my day job at times does not seem that different) so I headed over to see what all the fuss was about.

The Tokyo Comedy Bar is located just a stone's throw from Hachiko, taking up a tiny space on the 3rd floor of the Renga Building. Renga means "brick" in Japanese and since Japanese houses are not built from brick, renga conjures up a strong image of Europe - and especially the UK - for the Japanese. As point of fact, Japanese houses are primarily built from timber (wood), using a post-and-beam construction method designed to withstand earthquakes and manage high humidity. What this means is that the average lifespan of a house in Japan is relatively short, with many homes demolished after only 30 to 35 years. While traditional, older, or well-maintained homes can last longer, the market trend is to treat houses as disposable assets, with their value often depreciating to near zero within 20-30 years (longer for steel-concrete structures). This is very different from the UK, where brick houses last for hundreds of years and increase in value as they get older!

Inside, there are two small rooms, a tiny bar boasting a big selection of craft beers on tap and an adjoining stage, perhaps big enough for 20-30 customers. When I visited on Tuesday - tickets can be bought in advance for ¥3,000 - there was a stand-up comedy showcase from 7:30 to 9:00 featuring local stars plus one international visitor followed by an open-mic session where fifteen amateurs were each given 4 minutes to show off their skills. The first segment was definitely tourist heavy with a lot of visitors from various countries while for the second segment the amateurs seemed to be mostly locals who had brought a friend or two for moral support. My New Year's resolution was to give open mic a try - what do you think, loyal readers? Should Britishprof give it a go despite the potential humiliation? Or should I stick to my day job? Let me know in the COMMENTS!

Exam Fatigue and Malatang: Japan's Spicy Sichuan Noodle Boom

January in Japan features the most important test for high school students hoping to get into university, a test used by all public and some private universities, known as the Common Test for University Admission (共通テスト). This year, 496,237 people applied for the exam, which was held simultaneously across the nation on Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th, with 813 universities and other educational institutions planning to use the results in their admission processes. Saturday featured geography, history and civics; Japanese language; and foreign languages (including an English listening component) while the subjects tested on Sunday were information (a new subject introduced last year); the natural sciences; and maths. Any mishaps or problems are quickly picked up by the media, so those of us supervising the exams, like Britishprof, have to carefully wade through hundreds of pages of detailed instructions and videos, which cover every eventuality from earthquakes and cheating to projectile vomiting. Test questions and answers appear in major newspapers in full on Monday (pictured)!

After a weekend of mind-numbing invigilation, some comfort food was definitely in order so I went to try Japan's new food craze, malatang (麻辣湯＝マーラータン), a spicy but creamy Chinese street food dish that has taken Japan (and Korea) by storm. High school girls seem to be driving this craze - like many other trends in Japan - and when I went, I was the only guy in the place! A key reason for its popularity is the fun of customisation: you can choose how spicy you want it, what kind of broth to go for, toppings, and, most importantly, the kind of ingredients you want to include. I visited Tokyo Panda Maratan (東京パンダマーラーラン) in Tachikawa: let me walk you through the ordering steps below.

 

1. Take a bowl and tongs and line up (they will make sure you have a seat before starting). When you get to the front choose from a huge variety of ingredients such as meat, seafood, dumplings, vegetables, and tofu - the choice is overwhelming! I would personally recommend the quail eggs, boiled dumplings (gyōza), shrimp, lamb, crab balls, dried bean curd (yuba), and the various mushrooms (enoki, shiitake, and the white, gelatinous, frond-like mushroom known as snow fungus=白木耳). I also noticed they had spam (!) which seemed a bit out of place, despite the fact that it has become an integral part of Okinawan cuisine (here). Warning: take less than you think you want - they expand later in the broth!

2. After piling the ingredients into your bowl - don't take too much! - move over to the cashier who will weigh it. The price depends on the weight: Panda charged ¥400 for 100g (so my 307g cost ¥1228). A bonus is that if it weighs more than 250g they will add 80g of noodles of your choice in your bowl for free, as explained in the orange poster pictured. Once you've paid, the final step is to confirm broth type (usually the standard malatang) and spice level (from 0 for kids to 5 for those with a death-wish). Be careful, this is Sichuan spice and it hits hard so I would definitely recommend starting with level 1 - Britishprof likes spicy food but level one is plenty hot enough!

3. Finally, go back to your seat and wait while they prepare your malatang - they'll bring it to you once it's cooked in the broth, usually just 5 minutes. While you're waiting pick up chopsticks and a spoon, an apron to prevent splashing, and, most importantly, a glass of water. Once your bowl arrives, you can choose from a variety of toppings (pictured), such as garlic, sesame seeds, black vinegar, chopped spring onion, sugar, or chili oil (ラー油). Itadakimasu! If you have any thoughts on Japanese food or requests for covering a particular dish, let me know in the COMMENTS!