World-Acclaimed Chef Nobu Matsuhisa

Squid Pasta with Light Garlic Sauce Recipe

INGREDIENTS

• 4 broccoli florets cut into bite-sized pieces • 120 g / 41⁄2 oz cuttlefish or squid tubes • 4 teaspoons butter • 1 clove garlic, thinly sliced • 4 shiitake mushrooms, stems removed • 6 spears of asparagus cut into 2-inch pieces • 3 tablespoons sake • 2 tablespoons soy sauce • Sea salt • Black pepper • Shichimi togarashi powder (optional)

Konamon, a Tasty Kansai Cuisine

text by Miu Fujiwara

Konamon has long been a popular food for Osakans. Stemming from the food culture of konamono, Konamon refers to dishes that use wheat flour, such as okonomiyaki (Japanese pancake), takoyaki (ball- shaped Japanese snack), and udon ( Japanese noodle dish). Despite its century-long history, how does this food trend that cannot be found in Tokyo and the surrounding Kanto region remain unique? We searched in Osaka, the hub of konamon culture, for the meanings behind konamon and the secret to its rich flavors.

Hotels in the Kansai Region

with Easy Access to the Kishiwada Danjiri Festival

Hotels in and around the city of Kishiwada are very hard to book during the Kishiwada Danjiri Festival. If you are traveling there around that time, it is better to reserve a place on the outskirts and take a car or train to the festival. Resort hotels in the southern and western parts of Kishiwada or nearby hot spring areas are good alternatives. Or you can choose to stay at a shukubo, or temple lodgings, in Nara Prefecture. Shukubos were originally designed for monks visiting temples. Even among Japanese locals, not that many people have stayed at a shukubo. But more shukubos are open to tourists and have become a popular lodg- ing option. In fact, guests at a shukubo can enjoy different experiences than those available at hotels and ryokans ( Japanese inns), such as joining unique Buddhist activities with monks or eating shojin ryori dishes — Japanese Buddhist cuisine that stemmed from teachings that prohibit the killing of animals. A shukubo is a good option to enjoy the festival and the beautiful nature of Kishiwada.

Kishiwada Danjiri Matsuri

Recommended by Renowned Fashion Designer Junko Koshino

Junko Koshino, whose sisters Hiroko and Michiko are also acclaimed fashion designers, recounts that, aside from the influence of their mother, a dressmaker living in Kishiwada, Osaka had a large significance on her and her sisters when growing up. Kishiwada, Osaka is home to the most famous Danjiri Matsuri in Japan. Danjiri Matsuri is a Japanese cart-pulling festival, where large wooden carts (danjiri guruma) are designed to resemble shrines and temples. Various towns pull the carts at different speeds; some slowly, while others like Kishiwada have their partici- pants run as fast as they can. Though exciting, it can also be dangerous. Despite the risks, the 300-year-old festival is still greatly anticipated by locals. In an interview with Tokyo Journal ’s Miyuki Kawai and Editor-in-Chief Anthony Al-Jamie, Junko Koshino fondly recalls the festival and its impact on her family and the locals of Kishiwada.