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Japan and its rice

June 22, 2010 [ Our Staffs]

Hi everyone. Sorry for not upgrading my blog , it is just that I have have been so busy lately plus its been getting hotter in Japan. How is the summer out there.. Well I don't know where you are but as long as you are not where I am right now, I really envy you. Japanese summer is known for being humid and sticky and that is something I am not very fond of. On the other hand, I am just crazy about the Japanese culture but also Japanese rice.

Japanese rice, also called Japonica is characterized by its unique stickiness and texture. It is cultivated throughout Japan but people say that the best rice comes from Niigata, which I still have to discover. Usually, I buy my rice at the nearest supermarket but just by looking at their colors I can easily see that there are various types of Japanese rice. Once I bought a rice that was so transparent white and shiny that I had no doubt that it will taste great. However I also bought a type of rice that was very cheap and its grains weren't uniformed and as I expected it wasn't as tasty as the other rice I was used to eating. Lately there is a new brand called "Musen-mai," a kind of rice that is advertised as "no wash necessary" which has become very popular in Japan.

One can't talk about Japanese rice without mentioning Japan's famous rice cookers. These convenient rice machines that give you the option to cook your rice faster or make yourself a tasty "Okayu" a type of rice porridge eaten in Japan, always remind me of the advanced technology that made Japan what it is today. The latest rice cookers advertised on TV have an extra option for the famous "Musen-mai," and I am pretty sure it makes the rice taste even better. Once, one of my Japanese friends taught me the important steps to make the best white rice. I was surprised by that because until then I thought that making white rice had only 3 steps: washing the rice, adding some water and pushing the start button. Now that I follow my friend's advice I feel that my meals with rice taste much better

Coming from Senegal, West Africa, I am used to eating rice everyday for lunch. However the rice (from Africa, China, or Thai) I was used to before coming to Japan is very different from the rice I came to love. The African species of rice cultivated long before Europeans arrived in the continent has been gradually replaced by the introduced Asian species of rice. The two species of rice have recently been crossed, producing a promising hybrid. This rice is usually non-sticky and long-grained and is sold broken sometimes. That explains the reason why most people I know complain about the sticky rice in Japan at first. However, like a miracle, they all fall in love with Japan's sticky rice in a matter of weeks. Although I wasn't found of it at first, now I find myself taking some with me when I travel to America just because I have difficulty eating the "dry rice" my family is used to.

Being a rice lover, I was more than happy participate in the Kaiho Sangyo's project revolving around Japanese Rice. The project which is called the "Genki Rice Project" aims to get people's involvement and support for developing countries. Instead of asking for petition on the road as many volunteers do, Kaiho has decided to collect smiling pictures in exchange to rice donated to poor countries. For every smiling picture received, Kaiho donates 1000 grains of rice until it reaches 10,000 smiles which accounts to approximately 3300 cups of rice and this will be shipped to a developing country in Africa. Kaiho Sangyo's primary goal is to help establish a sustainable and independent agricultural model in these countries.

For more information about this project please check our H.P. The English version of the project will be uploaded very soon. Until then, if you are living in Japan, I wish you luck with its sticky summer and I hope you enjoy Japan sticky rice.

Rice Rice :)

Tribe

May 17, 2010 [ From Kenya]

JAMBO!!!

This is Teppei from Kenya.

There are 42 tribes in Kenya.

Kikuyu, Kamba, Meru, Taita and Kalenjin are bantu type
Luo, Nandi and Maasai that is famous in Japan are nailotic type.
US President Barack Obama's farther is Luo.

Bantu is agricultural people from West Africa.
Generally, they are plump and not so tall.
Nailotic is nomadic people that came over along Nile from north.
Generally, they are slim figure and tall.
But of course, there is individual difference.

Almost Kenyan can speak 3 languages, Swahili, English and their mother tongue.

For example, ''How are you??'' is ''WIMUSEO??'' in Kamba language.
If you say to Kamba people when you go to Kenya,
they will say ''How did you know?!?!'' and surprise, laugh, be delight.

A fight between tribes develop into dispute in Africa countries.
It also happened here in Kenya by president election of 2007, it had not happened until then, and many people were died.
Among tribes which were fighting at that time get along well in my round, and there does not seem such a problem.
However, I often can see the facts of this problem when I live here.
It is not only problem Kenya but also all African countries.

''The education is the most important for mutual understanding and coexistence''
Somebody said.

SEE YOU NEXT TIME!!!
KUEAHELI!!!

LESSON IN SUWAHILI
A: HABARI YAKO？　→　How are you.
B: SARAMA SANA　→　I'm very fine.
A: HABARI YA KAZI?　→　How is work?
B: NZURI(ンズリ)　→　It's Good.
A: SAWA SAWA. BADAI　→　That's good. See you then.

Thinking about the food in Kenya

May 6, 2010 [ From Kenya]

Jambo!!

This is Teppei from Kenya.

Here in Kenya, many people are in trouble with food everyday.

According to WFP "World Food Program", the amount of food assistance fell to the lowest level in twenty years. Meanwhile, the number of starving people climbed to the highest level in the history. The reasons include the global financial crisis, unstable food prices and bad weather. They say that there are one billion people who face a serious hunger crisis in the world. That is more than one out of every seven people on the Earth.

The leading cause of death in the world is food hunger and other related deaths. Sadly more than twenty five thousand people starve to death every day, fourteen thousand people of them are children.

On the other hand, it is said that the food production of the world is sufficient to feed the global people. Some people say that the number of starving people is the same as obese people in the world.

There is one way to tell the difference between rich and poor in Kenya. It is physical size. The poor is likely to be skinny and small, whereas the rich tend to be large and fat.

As I mentioned before, the food production of the world is enough for us at the moment. However, we do not know what will be happened in the future. It is said that if the population of the world is increasing on this way, we will suffer from the insufficient supply of food.

Another issue in Japan is the food self-sufficiency.
Japanese food self-sufficiency ratio is estimated to be around forty percent in 2009. It is the lowest ratio of all advanced nations.
The food self-sufficiency rate--that is, the ratio of food consumed daily by the Japanese that is supplied by domestic production. Although there are several ways of measuring the food self-sufficiency rate, it is usually calculated on a calorific supply base. The ratio of food consumed daily includes the high calorie food such as "Foie gras" and waste food.

That is to say, it is one of way to increase domestic production and on the other hand if we reduce left-over food, we can improve self-sufficiency in food products.

We can eat three meals in a day without any trouble in Japan. I feel that Japan is such a happy country in the world by living in Kenya.

See you next time!

KWAHERI.

Traffic in Kenya

April 9, 2010 [ From Kenya]

Jambo!!!
This is Teppei Nakagawa from Kenya.

Here in Kenya, I have seen many car accidents.

For example, it happened in front of my company.
A driver was shut up in the car...

Other one,
A big lorry clashed with other for backward carelessness...

And more stories,
There is road which is in good condition 100m away from my apartment.
I woke up at midnight then I tried to back to sleep.
In a quiet neighborhood.
But suddenly...

BOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!!

It resounded with loud sound.
I was very surprised and got up then tried to see what happened from my room.
It seemed that there was a lorry and another car had collided
Next day, I passed the spot.
The lorry which was broken backside was remained.

And only 2days latter
I woke up at midnight again then I tried to back to sleep.
Suddenly...

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!!!!!!!

Again...
Exactly same spot as last time
I went to there.
There were two cars that had front side broken.
It was head-on car crash.
The road is a just straight way.
I think reason why it happened is impossible passing or speeding.

Be careful about car accident when you come to Kenya.

KWAHELI!!!!

AJALI　→ accident
GARI　→ car
HATARI　→ dangerous
KUWA MWANGA LIFU！！ → 　Be careful!!!

Peace in Kenya

March 23, 2010 [ From Kenya]

I think that here in Mombasa is not danger but of course, more dangerous than my country Japan.
I have never had a dangerous experience in Mombasa but my friends, he is a Kenyan, was stolen his bag and injured by robber when he went home after his job at evening.
Robber is called 'ngeta' in Kenya.
They usually do stranglehold behind us!!!

Nairobi seems more dangerous than Mombasa.
Almost car in Nairobi put up tent on its glass which people cannot see inside of car from outside for safety.
And robber appears everytime, everywhere.
When you go to Nairobi, you have to check where is the dangerous zone then never go there and you have to be careful when you walk on the street.

Therefore Kenya is not safety country so that security is very important issue here.
Electric wire is put around my apartment and 24hours security.
Depending on house, splinter of glass cover up wall which people cannot break into.
 

Our company MAEJI KAIHO has 24hours security soldier at entrance.
They are called 'asukari' in Kenya.
You can see such a scene around.
In the club or pub at night, you can see many big brawny men for security.
They exclude any problem by power.

 

I suggest that you have to be careful if you are planning to go Kenya,
because Kenya is not like your country maybe.

KUWAHELI.

ASUKARI　→　POLICE, ARMY, SECURITY
MWIZI →　THIEF
NGETA →　ROBBER
STIMA →　POWER
HATARI →　DENGER

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