#Omiyage

[tsun-zaku]

YMO「OMIYAGE」広告（1981年）

[lilliesforya]

Google Translate in the Grocery Store

August 21, 2023

The supermarket is the size of a large Walgreens. I don’t know where anything is located. The products look like things I recognize from a dream but have never seen before in real life. I walk around with a basket in one hand and my phone in the other. The basket always gets too heavy but I never grab a cart from the front because I’m always convinced I won’t need one. I always need one. The carts are smaller and they look like the ones from Wegmans but with only one place for the items. I find items on my list like spinach, bread, and garlic. I lament the loss of niche (or not) food items I love like nutritional yeast, plant based butter, peanut butter that isn’t peanut flavored cream, and maple brown sugar oatmeal. I try to replace this with a feeling of gratitude for the improved access to locally grown rice, miso soup, pickled ginger in large amounts, bread that tastes savory like pastry dough, red bean flavored anything, and 9% alcohol in a can for like barely $2. 

The picture above is part of the alcoholic drink section in the grocery store. I can get these at my local convenience store for slightly more yen but it’s not a huge difference. The drinks range in alcohol content- the light pink peach drink in the upper right corner is 3%. The grapefruit vodka soda I picked up from the front of the aisle is 5%. My favorites are ‘Strong Zero’ and Chu-Hi both in lemon flavor. These are 9% and they make me the closest I’ve ever gotten to drunk on one drink. They taste so good it is easy to forget they’re so strong- similar to the Soju effect.

This is all of the miso soup options. I wanted to buy the paste because it seems more cost effective but one time I did that I forgot to use dashi (fish stock that gives the salty flavor) and the result was awful. I was so paranoid that I just got the packets that come with the seaweed, green onions, and tofu, etc. with it. I must have stood in this aisle for so long trying to google translate the differences between all of the miso soups. I don’t usually get stared at too much in the grocery store but I think this warranted a few glances as to what on Earth I was doing. 

In a lot of stores, including the grocery store, there are sections for omiyage (souvenirs) or items that can be given as gifts. It’s an extremely common cultural practice. When people go away on trips it's customary to bring back small gifts for family, friends, and/ or coworkers. Usually, it’s small items special to the place you’ve visited or sweets that are local to the area. For example, Chiba prefecture is known for peanuts (among other things), so if I went to visit friends in Kobe I would bring some peanut based sweets to give to people. Also, most prefectures and sometimes cities and towns have mascots. So, often in train stations you can find small memorabilia of the mascot of the area. Example: Osaka is known for takoyaki so they sell octopus plushies and keychains (and I have a large plushie of him). Even my small town has omiyage in the local train station! 

[verosnacks]

Matcha White Chocolate Chip Brownies

Ingredients

100-105g butter (1 stick = 125g)

100g white chocolate chips (about 3/4 cup)

125g white sugar (like 1/2 cup)

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon salt

120g (1 cup) AP flour

1.5 tablespoons matcha

Lastly: 50g white chocolate chips

Instructions:

Melt together white chocolate chips and butter, about 15 seconds on 20% in the microwave until incorporated.

Using an electric mixer, mix together sugar, eggs, vanilla, and chocolate-butter paste.

In a separate bowl, mix together flour, matcha, and salt.

Add dry ingredients to wet, and mix with a rubber spatula.

Pour into 8x8 in baking pan, bake for 25 minutes. Turn oven off and let rest 5 minutes. Don't use the toothpick trick!

Notes:

11/29/2024:

Baked this in a regular oven instead of a toaster oven, turned out perfect.

Popular at asian potlucks

12/17/2024 - Upped the flour to 150g and it came out too floury. Like cake. Perfect texture is referred to above.

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObXuQJ_Fu6o https://sweetmouthjoy.com/green-tea-matcha-brownies/

[xshu]

Omiyage for The Mouse

The Cat and The Mouse picked up from Haneda Airport while waiting for flight home. Japanese Pancakes filled with Red Bean Paste Royce Chocolates Milk and dark. The Mouse’s Breakfast Coffee and pancake. Mmm. Be well, eat well. The Mouse Lahaina/Maui Strong.

[techdriveplay]

7 Insider Tips from Lonely Planet to Make the Most of Your Trip to Japan with the Aussie Dollar at a 10-Year High

If you’ve always wanted to travel to Japan, now’s the time to say konichiwa to this super-hot travel destination with the exchange rate at its best. These insider tips from Lonely Planet’s “Experience Japan” and “Experience Tokyo” make it even more kawaii (or cool): Crazy Commute For Tokyoites, the morning commute is a contact sport. On weekdays from 7.30am to 9am, millions squeeze into trains…

[famouspeopleinturtlenecks]

Omiyage Dari Prof Jepun

[roundtripjp]

朝聖世界遺產巡禮，漫步在日光中禪寺湖老街街道之中的最佳美味伴侶，有著美味紅豆饅頭與名產日光羊羹的和菓子老舖「みやま堂」!

[eri-nishi]

[jueyun-chili]

Got this custom Dojang stamp as a souvenir from my South Korea trip~

I also got one for my bf because I couldn't think of a cool souvenir to bring :))

[ocfooddiva]

Arigato for the Matcha Azuki Mochi from Japan! 🇯🇵 #omiyage #travel #japan #matcha #azuki #mochi https://www.instagram.com/p/CqLvU4SvB1N/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[bedandstay]

Bring an omiyage (gift) to your love one when you visit Japan. We got one today from our co-worker. 

When you visit Tokyo, book your stay with us  here ⬇️ https://www.airbnb.jp/rooms/21581868

日本語

日本を訪れた際には、大切な人におみやげを持参しましょう。本日も同僚からいただきました。東京にお越しの際は、こちらからご予約ください⬇️ https://www.airbnb.jp/rooms/21581868

[phoenixyfriend]

Ftr Kyoto is absolute MURDER on the wallet

[taiso]

april 23rd marks the anniversary of YMO's legendary Shagaku Festival (写楽祭) concert!

[selfmaderibcageman]

Look how excellently my bag is packed..

[setsunatekiblast]

oh yeah ummm hi i lowkey have a bachelor's degree btw

like not officially because the ceremony is in november but i finished my final assignment for the last course i needed last month & got my grade on friday! was an 80% (a-) which im not actually all that happy with because i feel like i could've done better but we ball

[colourme-feral]

Translation notes for Miseinen: Mijukuna Oretachi wa Bukiyo ni Shinkochu / Our Youth ep 4

Thank you @nieves-de-sugui for letting me throw ideas around with you!

Why are you going this far/doing this much? Because if we continue this way, we'll stop talking and I don't want that. I hate that you're distancing yourself.

The number of days you've attended classes seems to be pretty low

Aside from that, there's a girl you seem close to, isn't there. Note: There's so much emphasis by Jin on how there's a possible someone that Haruki is dating!!!

Note: Jin's "I saw that you two seemed to be holding hands" vs Haruki's "She's a friend. That's all": I like that these two lines have a similar focus on certain things. In Jin's, it is the hand holding and in Haruki's he is emphasing that they are simply friends.

There can't be anyone who has that sort of whimsies/strange tastes Note: Basically saying that there's no way that he wouldn't be anyone's type

So don't leave me/go away

Am I being attacked?

Wow, it's Mount Fuji! Note: This was actually the moment that I thought that this show needed translation notes. They are saying "fuji san", but that literally translates to fuji + mountain. However, Gaga took it to be the honorific, '-san', making it Ms./Mr. Fuji, since Fuji is also a Japanese surname.

Jin: Did you not go for dinner? Haruki: You didn't go either, right?

To catch a cold on a day like this is...

Then infect me more thoroughly/properly

It's okay to infect me more Note: Jin is giving Haruki permission to infect him. Is it ok? for me to scream?????????

It's already started melting

Note: Haruki brings back Takahara Manju, a type of sweet, from his trip and throws it away after seeing his father, suggesting that it was intended to be an omiyage / souvenir for him. Often, when people go on trips, they will bring omiyage (usually snacks) from the place they have visited back for people close to them/around them. (more info)

Are you alright?

It would be great if the boundary between you and me could melt away and become one.

Miseinen / Our Youth translation notes・Other translation notes