Although all over the world know that Sushi（寿司） is the typical of Japanese cuisine, only few people know that why and how Sushi（寿司） was born during Japanese history.

Today we would like to share the reason why Sushi（寿司）was born in Japan.

In the old time of Japan, there was no equipment such as refrigerator to keep the food ingredients away from the going bad.The people were in trouble with the way of preserving very fresh seafood all the time.As Japan is an island country, abundant food materials from the sea were the main part of their lifeline.

To deal with such a situation, they started to create the way of preserving the fresh seafood for a long time, using the system of fermentation（発酵）. Fermentation（発酵）is the process that the invisible bacteria causes an organic substance to break down into simpler substances, so they were succeeded in preserving fresh fish from decay. To be surprise, the birth of the Sushi（寿司）was only just for preserving.

After a while, various kinds of Sushi（寿司）was born, mainly divided into three.

One is OSHIZUSHI（押し寿司）, often made with Mackerel（サバ）and vinegared rice. Since it can be made so quickly and simple way, people always enjoyed OSHIZUSHI（押し寿司）easily.

Another one is NIGIRIZUSHI（にぎり寿司,）the most famous type of Sushi（寿司）we guess. Not only fresh fish but also other materials like shrimp or shellfish were used. Actually NIGIRIZUSHI（にぎり寿司）was born in Edo period, so it can be said relatively new type compared with other kinds.

Last one is INARIZUSHI（いなり寿司）. It is basically made for offering to the God of agriculture. They are using a vinegared rice covered with deep-fried tofu（油揚げ）tasted sweet flavor.

Now, you can find a various kinds of Sushi（寿司）here. Why don’t you challenge all of them and feel Japanese history deeply?

In Japan, the rainy season has set in and it gets wetter and stormier every day. Sometimes the humid and hot weather will makes you sick. Today I would like to introduce the special things to enjoy such a bad weather. It is “Wagashi(和菓子)”.Wagashi is a traditional Japanese sweet, and it is well known as an essential thing in tea ceremony. Not only such a formal situation, it also popular in the daily situation as a food which brings enjoyment of feeling season to people.

As you may have already noticed, ingredients and the shape of Wagashi are considered carefully to express the season. For example, Wagashi in summer seasons are often contain the starch to install a sense of refreshment. The picture below is a Japanese sweet which named “ajiwai”. This sweet expresses a representative flower in rainy seasons: Japanese hydrangea. The hydrangea flowers are produced with agar cubes to express the sense of refreshment.

The next picture is also summer sweets. This sweet also use agar to express the clear water, and locks up a gold fish in it.

Wagashi will help you to compete the depressed feeling which comes from the weather, and you might have love with the season! Enjoy summer season in Japan with lovely Wagashi.

Now in all over the world, Nihonshu—日本酒 is getting great highlighted. Nihonshu—日本酒, Japanese traditional Sake—酒, has great number of kinds and we actually cannot count it down how many they are. Depends on its kinds, we can enjoy totally different flavors, smells, and aftertastes.

Today in here, we would like to pick up one of the most famous and popular kinds named Dassai—獺祭, and also introduce its attractive points for you.

For the extreme beginners of Nihonshu—日本酒, Dassai—獺祭 is quite friendly one. Tastes slightly sweet, not so strong too much, and fruity smells with it. If you try Nihonshu—日本酒 for the first time, Dassai—獺祭 is good one for you. After tasting Dassai—獺祭, all the people would be attracted to Nihoshu—日本酒, and also cannot stop sharing how wonderful Nihoshu—日本酒 is.

Telling some more information about Dassai—獺祭, it is from Yamaguchi—山口prefecture, located in west of Japan. Because of its unique way of brewing, it is possible to realize its delicate and flavorful tastes. Once in upon a time, the company of producing Dassai—獺祭 was almost going into a bankrupt. However, with tough efforts and great strategies and of course a huge passion for Nihonshu—日本酒, they finally succeeded in recovering their company.

To be great honor, Dassai—獺祭 was surprisingly awarded a Gold Prize by the Monde Selection in Europe. Now, Dassai—獺祭is officially recognized as top of Sake—酒 by not only in Japan but also in all over the world. Because of its attractive points, a great number of shops in the big city, for example New York, Paris, Hawaii, Hong Kong, and Macao, are preparing Dassai—獺祭with their high recommendation to their customers. Also among the foreign people, the tour which like visiting the place of “Sake brewery”—酒蔵(Dassai—獺祭 is made in it) and learn hardly about it, is pretty popular and more than 30 participants visiting there every year.

Also mentioning another interesting point, Dassai—獺祭 is on the famous anime “Neon Genesis Evangelion—『新世紀エヴァンゲリオン』”. Most of foreign people firstly know Dassai—獺祭 to watch out this anime according to the survey.

Now, you found that Dassai—獺祭 is plenty of great attraction more than you expected.

Why don’t you try it and you can feel truly Japanese sprit enjoying Dassai—獺祭! Some of us in Cosmos Japanese Language School, there are greatly familiar with Nihonshu—日本酒!

To tell the truth, I am a kind of film geek. I watch films at least three works in a week.However, I had never watched Kurosawa’s movie before I have enrolled the course of cinema review in my college days. I have thought that Japanese old movie is boring and makes me sleepy. But, I become japanese movie lover because of the Kurosawa’s movie.

Do you know Akira Kurosawa?He is regarded as one of the most important and influential movie director in the historyof movie, and he produced only 30films in his career. Today, I will introduce you to some of his films.

One of the most famous film is “Rashomon(羅生門)”, this movie’s theme is that truth vary from person to person. The woodcutter, priest, and commoner talked about an incident from various viewpoints around the Rashomon gate. After watching the movie, you might meet with skepticism toward what the truth is.

The next movie is “Yojinbo(用心棒)”. The actor who is the most famous in Kurosawa’s movie, Toshiro Mifune plays a main role. His role is the bodyguard who is hired by two bosses of rival gangs in small town. This bodyguard tries to save the ordinary people in the town. His attitude to the life is really impressive to know how samurai should be. And this film has a sequel which called “Tsubaki sanjuro(椿三十郎)” . Both of these films are also good to know the role of samurai in peaceful Edo-period.

And the greatest work in Kurosawa’s film might be “Shitinin no samurai(七人の侍)” . This movie’s main characters are samurai, who gather to the small town to save ordinal people from a bandit groups. The attractive point of this movie is the attitude to the battle of seven samurais.

Kurosawa movie will be useful to know the Japanese culture and Japanese splits. If you have never watched these movies, please check it out!