Japan Study Abroad: Post Sixteen

Welcome to our sixteenth post here in Japan! Today we went to the Asahi beer factory. Asahi is a well-known brand and owns much more than just beer! They also make a variety of sodas and snacks.

The tour started by going into a theater to watch the short introductory film about how the beer is manufactured before walking through the factory. I was really impressed with the level of scientific research that takes place during the fermenting process! They observe the cultures with a microscope to ensure quality. After the beer becomes ready to drink, a team of professional taste testers samples small amounts of the drafts in order to give an adequate reading before the beer is sent off to stores. This might seem like the best job ever, but make no mistake – this job requires a lot of focus and has an intense requirements. One of the tests to qualify for the job is to be able to taste the difference between a beer that is about to go bad and a beer that is a week out of date. That timing is pretty close together!

As we went through the factory, we were able to see the cans being made and bottles getting sterilized. It was really neat to be able to see every step behind production. I always wonder how things are made.

At the end of the tour, the staff members presented us with a myriad of Asahi brand sodas to try for free! I gave the Mitsuya Cider a try and was not disappointed. It has a similar mouth feel and flavor to sprite, but crisper, as though less sugar is used. I really enjoyed it. They also make Mitsuya Cider candies that are quite a sensation. It feels like you are eating soda if you can imagine that! I highly recommend not only this tour, but Asahi’s products if you have the chance.

Japan Study Abroad: Post Fifteen

Welcome back! By now, I’m sure we have all heard of ramen noodles. Internationally, ramen has made contact in some form or fashion. Growing up, I remember my mom making me the noodles that came in the plastic packaging from Maruchan. Upon learning more about the food culture in Japan, I realized that ramen was a general way of referring to a delicious bowl of noodle soup complete with vegetables, meats, and other toppings.

Since coming to Japan for study abroad, I have noticed how popular the Nissin brand has become. This is the company that owns Cup Noodle, and we had the privilege of taking a tour of the museum in Yokohama!

The inventor of Cup Noodle is the late Momofuku Ando. During the post-war period in Japan, there was still a shortage of food. After many failed attempts, Momofuku arrived at the idea of flash-frying the noodles to dry and preserve them until time for them to be prepared for the consumer’s enjoyment. Once hot water is added – presto! The hot water delivers a satisfying meal in a convenient portable cup.

When we went to the museum, we saw a short film explaining such history to us. Then we went to create our very own cups! First we personalized and colored the our cups with markers at a table. Then we took our cups to a line where attendants helped us choose our ingredients before sealing them up. After this, we were given interesting bags that inflated to carry our cup noodles!

As we walked through the rest of the museum, we saw an exhibit of cup noodles through time. I’ve never seen so many noodles in one place! It was really interesting to see how the packaging has changed through the years. I’m excited to try my cup noodle. I’m saving it for when I get back to America, so that I can savor more tastes of Japan!

Nissin Cup Noodle Museum

Japan Study Abroad: Post Seven

Welcome back to our study abroad experience in Japan! Have you ever wondered how soy sauce is made? We took a tour of the Kikkoman Factory to learn all about it! We will be sharing a lot of really cool information about the process with you, as well as covering some of our experience with Zen in meditation and calligraphy.

The first part of our day started with a tour of the Kikkoman factory. We watched a short film that briefly explained the process before going through the factory. There are only four ingredients: water, soybeans, wheat, and salt. A microbe called Koji is added as well in order to ferment the ingredients. This is also referred to as “Kikkoman’s aspergillus.” First the soybeans are steamed and the wheat is roasted. These two ingredients are combined and thoroughly mixed before adding the Koji. The mixture is left to ferment for a few days in a warm environment. At this point, it is mixed with water and set in batches to develop over the course of six months. This mixture is called moromi. After six month’s time, the moromi is coated onto linens that are folded and mashed under a heavy weight to proceed with collecting the soy sauce. Before being bottled, the soy sauce is pasteurized to kill off the Koji. At this point we now have our soy sauce! We were given the opportunity to run through the process and make soy sauce ourselves to coat onto delicious rice crackers! This allowed us to experience the various flavors within soy sauce, such as umami, sweet, and salty. What a tasty experience!

After this, we proceeded to undergo a Zen experience by making our way to a local temple where a priest would guide us into meditation. The outside of the temple was a beautiful Zen garden that had a fountain with which to cleanse your hands and feet. The inside was ornately decorated in gold and red. I had a fair amount on my mind as I walked in, and thus, was very appreciative to be there. We proceeded to sit in half-lotus and get whisked away into trance by the sound of the priest drumming. For a few seconds he drummed very vigorously and it uncontrollably sent shivers down my spine, preparing me for a supernatural experience. As I breathed in, I tried to envision golden white light pervading my entire being and ridding me of negativity. This relaxed me to such a degree that I felt myself fading into deep sleep. Given that lotus position brings my spine straighter, it was easy to catch myself when this would happen. I would then realign my focus to just breathing again. Between the phases of waking and dozing, I would see very interesting visions that would slip away as soon as I had them. To pull our thirty minute session to a close, the priest began to drum in the same fashion as before, again giving me chills. After this calming activity, we went into another room of the temple to practice calligraphy. Although difficult, this too centered my focus and gave me quite a calm feeling. The sutra that we were copying read that enlightenment does not actually exist. I could not help but to be reminded of the part in The Matrix series when the child tells Neo that “there is no spoon.” The way I translate this is that when you seek to attain something, you are focusing on the lack thereof. If you focus on what you already have that you love, you are expanding upon these energies. Experiences like this always make me feel like I may walk the path properly and without fear. Let us never forget to take a moment to breathe with every step.

Japan Study Abroad: Day Seven