Yesterday, while walking around Komagome in Tokyo, I was thinking of visiting Rikugi-en, a famous garden for its huge weeping cherry. I used to live around there and felt a kind of nostalgic. But it was so crowded, so I changed my mind. Instead, I visited the temple nearby called “Kichijo-ji” which was really calm. It’s fun to find some quiet places like this where only locals visit.
By the way, Komagome is worth visiting for those who love sakura. Someiyoshino, the most representative sakura tree, originallly comes from this place – In the past, the place around Komagome was called “Somei village” where many gardeners lived.
There is such a cute mailbox in front of North Exit, JR Komagome Station.
It is the best season to enjoy strawberry desserts. How about making Ichigo-daifuku (mochi filled with strawberry and bean paste)?
Ingredients: 8 strawberries, 200g red beans, 100g shiratama-ko (glutinous rice flour), 180ml water, sugar (180g for bean paste, 50g for mochi), potato starch
Method: 1. Make anko (bean paste) *Please refer to this post for details.
2. Make anko balls by wrapping each strawberry with anko.
3. Mix shiratama-ko, 50g sugar and 180ml water in a bowl. Microwave it for about 2 minutes and mix well. Repeat this process 2-3 times. Move this mochi paste to the tray (spread enough potato starch on its surface) and leave it until it becomes less hot so you can touch (but do not cool it down completely). Divide it into 8 equal parts using a scraper.
4. Wrap anko balls with shiratama mochi. It requires some technique as the mochi is really soft and sticky. Put enough potato starch on your hands when touching. Spread mochi on your hand and put anko ball and wrap it.
Yesterday, I was lucky enough to pass by “Gyokuzo-in” a temple of Shingon Buddhism in Urawa, which is famous for a 100 year-old weeping cherry (shidare-zakura).
It was quite a surprize to find this in the middle of the city.
Gyokuzo-in
2-13-22, Nakacho, Urawaku, Saitama-City
Access: About 5 minute walk from West Exit of JR Urawa Station
So finally, sakura started blooming in Tokyo yesterday, following the announcement of Fukuoka on March 19. According to the weather forcast, it seems to last till the end of this month.
Here are my favorite sakura viewing spots in Tokyo:
Sotobori Park (Yotsuya-Ichigaya-Iidabashi)
Chidoriga-fuchi, especially around the gate of Kitanomaru Park in Kudanshita
I knew the taste of baby scallops when I was living in Aomori, the northern part of the mainland Japan, which is famous for scallop aquaculture. Baby scallops are culled just now – in early spring. I’d never had miso soup with baby scallops in my hometown but it was quite popular in Aomori.
Last week, I luckly found baby scallops in the supermarket near my house, so I made miso soup using them and Chinese yam which was also produced in Aomori.
First, clean the scallops well and boil them in water with diced Chinese yam. Skim the scum. Add some miso paste and that’s it. Baby scallops make good stock, so it’s quite simple but tasty!
Here’s the updated sakura blooming days in Japan according to tenki.jp as of March 9.
It looks sakura will bloom earlier than the last forecast.
Place – Start blooming on / Full bloom on
Tokyo (central) – March 21 / March28
Yokohama – March 23 / April 1
Nagoya – March 22 / April 1
Kyoto – March 25 / April 2
Osaka – March 25/ April 2
Fukuoka – March 22 / April 1
Sendai – April 6 / April 12
Aomori – April 22 / April 27
Sapporo – May 2 / May 6
For those who are worried about missing sakura, read the tips I posted on the previous post 🙂
