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Understanding Nara’s deer The cultural significance of Nara deer Nara Park is home to hundreds of freely roaming sika deer, long regarded as a symbol of the city and a major draw for visitors. Historically, these deer were considered sacred messengers of the gods in Shinto tradition, and harming one was once punishable by death. After World War II, their…
Curry is a dish that originated outside of Japan, but has undergone a unique evolution within the country. Not only are there specialty curry (pronounced karē in Japanese) restaurants across the country, but it is also served in school lunches, making it fair to say that curry has become a staple of Japanese cuisine. Photo for illustrative purposes The five…
Monjayaki is considered a local specialty cuisine of Tokyo. The Tsukishima area of Tokyo in particular is home to many monjayaki restaurants and is bustling with tourists every day. Originally created as a children’s snack, monjayaki was quite simple in terms of ingredients. It consisted of flour dissolved in water, seasoned, and then cooked on a griddle. However, as monjayaki…