JapanUp! magazine

A Nation’s Obsession with Rice Japan’s love for rice knows no bounds. It is the heart of every meal, but that obsession extends far beyond the dinner bowl and into the world of snacks. “Senbei” (rice crackers) are the quintessential Japanese treat, traditionally made from toasted or fried rice and glazed with savory soy sauce. While most people are familiar with the light, crispy varieties found in Los Angeles supermarkets, there is a subculture of senbei in Japan that pushes the limits of human dental strength. For some Japanese snack lovers, the harder the cracker, the better the experience. The…

The Polarizing Superfood Natto, the fermented soybean dish, is perhaps the most polarizing food in the Japanese pantry. While health enthusiasts in Los Angeles love it for its incredible probiotics and Vitamin K2, many first-timers are intimidated by its pungent smell and notoriously slimy, sticky texture. If you buy a pack of natto at a Japanese supermarket like Mitsuwa or Nijiya, you’ll notice it comes in a very specific, lightweight white foam container. But have you ever flipped the empty container over and wondered why the bottom is covered in a strange, bumpy pattern? It isn’t just for decoration; it…

The Ultimate Table Manner Taboo If you are eating at a nice restaurant in Los Angeles, there is one universal rule of table manners: do not make noises with your mouth. Slurping your soup or loudly sucking up spaghetti is considered incredibly rude, childish, and unappetizing to everyone around you. But if you step into a traditional Soba (buckwheat noodle) or Ramen shop in Tokyo, you will be hit with a massive culture shock. The restaurant will be filled with a loud, aggressive symphony of people slurping their noodles as loudly as humanly possible. In Japan, slurping isn’t just acceptable;…