2009年7月28日火曜日

Do you like baseball and football?

Which do you like baseball or football? I often watch both baseball and football games on TV. Both sports enjoy high popularity among the Japanese. Because, these are amused the people with the games. Also, these sports have a broad range of fans everywhere in Japan.

The first Japanese baseball team was established on December 26th, 1934. In 1936, the Japanese professional baseball league began with just only seven teams. They had three baseball seasons a year, in Spring, Summer, and Autumn. Today, Japanese professional baseball teams have produced excellent and wonderful players, and some players working in the major league. The Japanese professional football league was established as a professional sports association in 1993. Japanese Football Association carry on the Japanese Professional Soccer League, there are belong to Federation International de Football Association. J League, which is short for the Japanese Professional League, it is widespread recognition for Japanese and the media in the main. Now, 27 prefecture of Japan 36 clubs are affiliated with J League.

Japanese baseball teams are Yomiuri GIANTS, Hanshin Tigers, Chunichi Dragons, Tokyo Yakult Swallows, Hiroshima Toyo Carp, and Yokohama BayStars. These teams are belong to Central League. Central League is popular with pro-baseball fans. And on the one hand, belong to a professional baseball teams ‘Pacific League’. For example, these are Hokkaido NIPPON-HAM FIGHTERS, Fukuoka SoftBank HAWKS, Saitama Seibu LIONS, Orix Buffaloes, Chiba LOTTE MARINES and Rakuten EAGLES. In Japan, 12 professional baseball clubs have got the game. However, football teams are classified into two groups.
The first is the J League Division 1, we usually call them‘J1’. J1 teams are Kasima Antlers, Urawa Red Diamonds, Gamba Osaka, Sanfrecce Hiroshima FC, and so on. The second is Division 2 which is ‘J2’. For example, Tokyo Verdy, Consadole Sapporo, Cerezo Osaka and Avispa Fukuoka, etc. Compared with baseball, there are so many 36 clubs belong the J League Division 1 & 2.

What is baseball for high school players? Located in Nishinomiya, Hyogo prefecture, Koshien is the home of the Hanshin Tigers baseball team. They first compete in their preliminary games, with wishes winning a chance to play at the famed Koshien stadium – national high school Championship at Koshiem stadium. High school baseball players were battled in the final round of games at Kishien stadium every year. So, every August we can see 49 teams of 47 prefectures were battled at the stadium. Do you know ‘touch’ comic? That comic was draw about Koshien. The main characters are high school baseball players!
How about football? In Japan, All Japan High School Soccer Tournament is held in Kanto area every year. The tournaments vie to be the nation’s best for high school football teams. It is commonly known as ‘championship’, ‘winter of kokuritsu (national)’ or ‘winter of high school soccer’. Every prefecture of Japan has it’s own local team, 48 school teams (Tokyo has 2 teams) have a match before the tournament throughout the months of September until November.

I like watch the games both football and baseball. When I don't have the time, I usually see the game results as highlight throuout TV sports proglams and newspapers. Let's root for the home town crew, and cheer our town's athlete!!

2009年7月12日日曜日

5 features of Hakata ramen.


Do you like Chinese noodle? I like Chinese noodle, especially I love Hakata ramen. I often go to Fukuoka to eat Hakata ramen and do a little shopping. I usually go to Hakata Ippudo Honten in Daimyo. Why Hakata ramen has the best taste? I figure out these yumminess!

1. Soup
Hakata ramen soup taste non-fatty. It looks a little strong and you might think it has a strong flavor, but surprising fact is simple taste. And it makes a difference in the soup at another restaurant. The soup based on pig cranial bone, and it boiled thoroughly for hours and hours. Finally, add soy sauce and another all kinds of sauce to the mixture. Visitors can enjoy them at original soup. Because, thickened soup, taste and thickness are infinite in variety in each place.

2. Noodles
Hakata ramen noodles are very thin and straight. When ready to order, we have a choice hardness at own choice. Hakata people hang up a noodle’s hardness. Common practice is order desired hardness when they order. For example, they called ‘katamen (hard)’, ‘futsuu (normal)’, ‘yawamen (soft)’, ‘barikata (very hard)’, and ‘harigane (hard more barikata)’. Like this we have 5 choices.

3. Kaedama
Kaedama means make an additional order for only noodles. This system is making oneself add boiled noodles on the plate in the soup. Hakata ramen noodles are thin and get soft in a bit, so it can be said that people order kaedama instead of serving larger than usual. When order kaedama, we must leave soup on plate, and if you feel short on the taste, we can self-adjustable using sauce on the table. You can order kaedama as many times as you want!

4. Topping
Topping basically consist of ‘char siu’ (Chinese-style barbecued pork) and finely-chopped raw welsh onion. Dressed char siu deliberately and heaped welsh onion bring out the flavor of the other. Combination of toppings are vary from restaurant to restaurant. Because, some restaurant’s topping including egg, cloud ear and bean sprout and so on.

5. Yakumi
Hakata ramen has some spice, also there are many kinds of spices. Normally, a variety of yakumi is exhibited on the counter in a restaurant. For example, sesame, pickled ginger, heaped welsh onion, grated garlic and red chili chopped greens. Sesame is can be crush in a mortar by oneself. If you add sesame to ramen soup, the taste will be full of flavor. Moreover, pickled ginger is excellent with a pork bone broth. This way, we have a wide choice of yakumi .

Hakata ramen has many features. You can be customized to individual preference flavors to add different kinds of yakumi! Finally, I recommend “Ramen Taxi”. The system is you can go from shop to shop by taxi. If you go to Fukuoka, please eat Hakata ramen and take a Ramen taxi!!