DAYS
STAY SALTY ...... means column
DAYS / Reiko Takami Column
Walking and Walking
My Daredevil Challenge
from Tokyo / Japan
4.15.2024
DAYS/ Reiko Takami Column
Walking and Walking
My Daredevil Challenge
Hello, my incapable self.
At a local development event, Mr. Sashiide, editor-in-chief of Sotokoto magazine, had something interesting to say.
The words may not be accurate, but...,
A good community is one in which the entrance door is half-open.
The characteristic of a good community is that participants are free to come and go as they please.
The same is true for the "Whimsy Diner" activity.
I am conscious of the fact that it is a place that is open to the public.
One of our regular friends said something like this: "When you grow up, you don't want to meet friends regularly.
As an adult, you don't get to see your friends as often, so it's a lot of fun.
Takami's personality makes the people who gather there loose and comfortable.
In a way, it gives me courage to realize that things don't have to be perfect to be successful.
He once told me with a smile, "In a way, it gives me courage to know that it doesn't have to be perfect to be successful.
I can't help but wonder if the food is satisfying for the money,
"The food must be perfect," "We must not make people wait," "The food must be satisfactory for the price.
In addition, you may feel guilty if the meal did not go well.
In addition, there may be times when you feel guilty for not serving a good meal.
In the past, I used to give out the food with a lot of worry, but now I am not so worried.
But this year, we are going to accept what we can't do and what we don't know,
This year, I hope to be able to cook meals with a little more ease.
I think a comfortable place is a more relaxed state of mind.
I don't want to be so rigid that I feel I am no good if I can't do things properly.
Life is not something to be shown off to anyone, nor is it something to be evaluated.
In this country where it is important to read the atmosphere, it is actually quite difficult not to mind one's surroundings.
That is why I wrote this column as a declaration.
I would like to keep a happy feeling and change a little bit every year.
2.10.2024
DAYS/ Reiko Takami Column
Walking and Walking
My Daredevil Challenge
An 80-year-old lady who flattened 15 kg of apples.
In November 2023, we were waiting impatiently for the Nagano apple harvest.
Every year, we receive orders for apples from a limited number of acquaintances.
One person ordered the largest quantity of apples ever.
She is the mother of a teacher at the university I attended.
She was about 80 years old and lived with her son in Hachioji.
According to the teacher, she especially loved seasonal fruits, but
She is a "gourmand" who will not try to eat even a bite of anything that is not delicious.
Around early November, when we solicited apple orders only from friends and acquaintances via social networking sites,
It was just as well that his mother was eating apples a lot,
She ordered a 3kg box of apples that she thought she would be able to finish eating.
When we sent them to her parents' house, she ate them all in less than a week by herself.
The speed of consumption was beyond her imagination, and even her daughter, the doctor, was surprised.
My mother seems to like it very much! Can we order more? She said, "Can we order more?
After ordering 5 kg, 10 kg, and so on, the total order was 18 kg!
The mother seemed to like them so much that she ate two or three every day,
The farmer was also surprised that the same person kept ordering more and more, so he said, "What? More? The farmer was surprised and laughed because the same person kept ordering the same thing over and over again.
The reason I started going to the farmer in Nagano was because I wanted to help nice people.
This time, I was able to get apples from a farmer who only accepts fax or phone orders.
I was able to ensure that the apples were delivered to the farmers, though only face-to-face through social networking sites.
I felt that both the farmer and the recipient were sufficiently pleased with the apples.
I returned to the starting point of making people happy.
It was also a great harvest for me to have my mother, who is a gourmand, know about our delicious apples.
We will continue to support the farmers who grew the apples to deliver them to as many people as we can see.
In order to be able to connect with them in a small but careful way, I would like to go to Nagano this year to tell them how the apples are doing.
4.10.2023
DAYS/ Reiko Takami Column
Walking and Walking
My Daredevil Challenge
Having wild vegetables whose season is short
It has been somewhat like early summer in Tokyo.
I heard from a farmer that the harvest season of wild vegetables would start before GW, about two weeks earlier than usual.
I heard from a farmer that the harvest season of wild vegetables would start before GW, about two weeks earlier than usual, so I made an urgent plan to go to Nagano at the end of April.
I also go to the mountains to pick them when they are in season.
I also go to the mountains to pick them when they are in season, and have them sent to me when they are harvested.
Spring is the season when I am happy to have more opportunities to enjoy freshly harvested wild vegetables.
Sansai are known as the seasonal delicacy that reminds us of the arrival of spring.
like bamboo shoots that come out all at once and grow quickly.
but they soon become hard after the time to eat them has passed.
Many of Nagano Prefecture's wild vegetables grow wild in the mountains,
When they are in season, local people usually go out to the mountains to gather them.
Typical wild vegetables include bracken, taranobuds, and butterbur sprouts.
Straw is known as one of the most expensive wild vegetables
It is characterized by its thick and crispy texture.
Tarano-no-mo (taran sprouts) are harvested by plucking the sprouts of taran trees that sprout on the surface of the mountains in early spring.
I like tempura best served on top of handmade soba noodles prepared by apple farmers.
The bitter taste of taranobuds disappears and their sweetness increases when they are made into tempura.
So, even those who do not like the bitterness of wild vegetables can enjoy it.
Fukinotou is a bud of the Asteraceae plant that grows wild in mountain forests in early spring.
It has a slightly bitter taste, so it is often served on the table after being seasoned with salt and sugar.
Wild vegetables in Nagano Prefecture are a seasonal delicacy and an important ingredient for the locals.
We hope you will enjoy tasting wild vegetables during this season of spring.
12.15.2022
DAYS/ Reiko Takami Column
Walking and Walking
My Daredevil Challenge
Seasonal dishes are easy and tasty. Aware of the busy season while eating warm soup.
A large pot full of hot soup with white steam rising from it.
Memories of eating Nagano's hot pot meals, which we ate while repeatedly blowing on them and burning our tongues, are
It alone warms my body and heart.
The simple taste of the food made by Nagano's mothers is something I love.
I never get tired of eating it every day.
I feel that winter is coming, and the seasons are coming around.
This time of year, there are many banquets and gatherings.
Then there are year-end parties called by connections of acquaintances.
I clear my schedule at the end of the year to meet with people I don't usually get to see very often.
In this way, the New Year's holiday has always passed in a hurry.
However, recently, due to Corona, year-end parties have become much less frequent.
It's not that I don't like people anymore, but it's only when I started to do so that I realized that my life is limited and that I have only a short time left to live.
I have a limited amount of time left in my life, and it could end tomorrow.
I think that I should consider the time we spend together for meals more important.
If it exhausts you, don't push it.
If it's a relationship that changes whether we participate or not, we'll try to keep a little distance.
I think about this as I sit in Nagano, Japan, eating sukiyaki.
The stories of those who are older than I am are always simple.
They seem to become clearer and clearer as they get older.
Such a way of life is the goal I am aiming for.
I would like to make some preparations toward that goal.
It is difficult, but I would like to start by reviewing my belongings and my schedule for the New Year.
I would like to start by reviewing my belongings and my schedule for the New Year.
11.7.2022
DAYS/ Reiko Takami Column
Walking and Walking
My Daredevil Challenge
A sense of "self" found in time spent with others.
For the first time in three years, I was going to visit the home of an apple farmer in Iijima-cho, Nagano Prefecture.
Although I had no special plans, the faces of people I had not seen for a long time popped into my head.
I could contact them through SNS, so I would see them another time, another time, another time... and I never saw them.
But I was still thinking about them.
Since I was going to Nagano, I decided to go see them.
It was 6:00 p.m. and beer was soaking into my body.
We went to an izakaya located just off the main street from the rotary of JR Iijima Station.
In the tatami matted tatami room, I was greeted by people I had already missed saying, "It's been a long time! How are you? and "How have you been?
They welcomed us with big smiles.
As if to make up for the time we missed each other, we had a status report meeting and realized that three hours had passed.
We talked about our jobs, our recent farming activities, our travels, and our year-end and New Year's trips to our hometowns.
At the end of the meeting, the children of the couple who run the lily farm told us to "come visit their house," which made us happy.
We high-fived and parted.
After parting with everyone, I felt a sense of joy that gradually grew.
We didn't talk for very long, but just talking about people who are living a good life
I felt again that just talking with people who are living a good life is enough to make you feel refreshed.
By fully enjoying the time to talk with people, I reconfirmed what I like and what I feel.
Then, after a long and varied conversation, I would "take a deep breath.
That brief moment is a refreshing change of mind.
Not that noticing doesn't change anything, but it does.
But it is a time to eat a delicious meal and take a deep breath.
I would like to immerse myself in a place where I can take a deep breath and enjoy more "spontaneous" time.
To create a "space in my heart" where something new can enter.
10.7.2022
DAYS/ Reiko Takami Column
Walking and Walking
My Daredevil Challenge
The mountainous country is rich.
In the fall, every time I see an advertisement that says, "Mushrooms are in season!"
Whenever I see an advertisement introducing mushrooms
I am tempted to say to myself, "Mushrooms are available all year round (because they are artificially cultivated).
What most mushrooms have in common is that they are
They are low in calories and rich in dietary fiber and vitamin D.
In addition, mushrooms are a superfood that is part of the "Magowa Yasashi" diet (a diet that uses beans, sesame, seaweed, vegetables, fish, shiitake mushrooms, and potatoes), which is also known as an ideal diet.
Among them, mushrooms from the mountains, the so-called "natural products," are the best.
This year, due to the extremely hot summer, the mushroom fungus in the forest was weakened by the high temperatures, and growth was delayed considerably.
There is no guarantee that natural products will be found, but there is also the joy of finding them.
I was thrilled in many ways right up until the last minute, including the fact that things didn't go as planned.
This situation is completely different from the situation where food can be purchased as a matter of course at the supermarket.
As a result, the rain from the typhoon moistened the mountains and the mushroom fungus became active.
I was relieved to receive some fine-sized mushrooms.
But the mountain mushrooms, which are really in season and can only be harvested during this season, are only available in the mountainous areas of Japan.
I realized after receiving the food from Iijima that they are only available in the mountainous areas of Japan.
The name of the mushroom that arrived in September is "Shogonji.
The mushrooms are crispy and smooth, and because of their abundant harvest, they are commonly eaten in a wide area of Japan, including Nagano Prefecture.
But I have never seen mushrooms in this shape at the supermarket.
I was surprised at the "size" of the mushrooms, which were about four times the size of artificially grown shimeji mushrooms.
Shogunji mushrooms are about four times the size of artificially cultivated shimeji mushrooms.
The mother from Iijima-cho had them boiled to make them sweet and easy to eat.
This is to be mixed with freshly cooked rice.
Put this in the foil baked salmon.
It is heartwarming to see a gift with a handwritten note from either Nagano's mother or father.
I am most grateful for the relationship that I have with them, even though I am not their daughter, and they treat me so well.
Autumn is the season of delicious food, and for me, it is a precious time when I can encounter "real food.
As I get to know the "real ingredients," I slowly get to know the nature of Nagano.
I cannot stop eating at Kimagure Diner.
9.5.2022
DAYS/ Reiko Takami Column
Walking and Walking
My Daredevil Challenge
Unpromised time
Did you know that summers in Nagano are hot and dry, and many homes do not have air conditioning?
In the winter, we use "horigotatsu" or "mametan" (bean charcoal) to keep out the cold, but in the summer, we barely have fans to cool us down.
In the summer, a fan barely brings a breeze that is not at all cool.
In the summer, the fan barely brought a breeze that was not at all cool, and I was sweating pleasantly.
During the day, I frequently rehydrated myself with fruit and cold tea.
Dinner time comes before we get hungry.
When the sun went down, we could go outside and enjoy the cool of the evening.
Unlike in the city, the hot and humid weather does not make it difficult to sleep.
A peaceful day passes slowly.
When I went to visit them in the summer, I met their three grandchildren who often come to visit from Nagoya.
The real family returning to their hometown and the strangers in Tokyo, who are not related by blood.
It was a funny sight to see them playing together, helping to prepare meals, and eating together around the dining table.
I even felt as if I was returning to my parents' home.
In the summer, I was energized by the grandchildren who were about to enter elementary school.
No matter how hot it was, I always looked forward to it.
I couldn't put it into words, but when I was frequently going to Nagano
I felt as if I was terribly tired of external stimuli.
There were times when I felt my energy waning, but I wasn't really aware of it at the time.
I spent many days watching myself from afar until I realized something on my own.
Usually I had a full schedule, but I wanted to have time without commitments and without names.
Whenever summer came, I missed the time I spent in Nagano.
I miss the wide sky, the mountains, the delicious food, and the hot summer days of sweating without any plans.
I think that the days of sweating through the hot summer are almost here.
In the fall, with the cool air blowing down from the mountains
I am looking forward to the season when bright red apples are sweet and ready to eat again this year.
7.11.2022
DAYS/ Reiko Takami Column
Walking and Walking
My Daredevil Challenge
Even if you can't do it well, at least be polite.
A visitor to Kimagure Diner at the end of June told us an interesting story.
It has been three years since we started serving lunch here almost every month.
This was the first interview request for this activity.
While taking a break at the Corona Vortex from 2019, this was the 26th time that Kimagure Diner had been held.
In fact, Mr. Yunoki , the representative of Little Japan, has been working on the idea of a shared kitchen service called "Rental Kitchen.
Mr. Yunoki, the representative of Little Japan, has been a participant in this event since he was conceptualizing a shared kitchen service called "Rental Kitchen".
I have been a member of this service for some time now, and have become an old-timer among the members.
I first met Mr. Yunoki at a community activation event that a friend brought me to.
It was my first visit to Little Japan and I loved the atmosphere of the venue.
The counter kitchen, with a large window facing the street that lets in light, seats a maximum of about 20 people.
The layout was also to my liking, as it was easy to talk to the diners from the counter kitchen.
At that time, I had just finished several food events near my parents' house in Chiba, the starting point of my current activities, and was looking for a venue in Tokyo.
I was looking for a venue in Tokyo, and after the event, I asked Mr. Yunoki if I could rent the kitchen.
After the event, I asked Mr. Yunoki if I could rent the kitchen and we agreed to start Kimagure Diner.
Two years have passed since then. With the support of friends who look forward to my cooking
I have been supported by friends who look forward to the food I cook, and the number of people who are interested in my activities, which started on a whim, has been increasing.
I don't know what I will say in this interview.
I would like to thank Mr. Yunoki for graciously lending me the venue and my friends who always look forward to seeing me.
I would like to thank Mr. Yunoki who kindly lent me the venue and my friends who always look forward to coming.
I am now thinking about the menu for the next "Kimagure Diner," cherishing the relaxed encounters that we have had through "food.
5.5.2022
DAYS/ Reiko Takami Column
Walking and Walking
My Daredevil Challenge
The Spirit of Lunch
I love Saturdays.
It's the best day of the week when freshly picked vegetables arrive from Nagano.
I am so excited to think about having them at Kimagure Diner the next day
I get so excited thinking about having them at Kimagure Diner the next day that I end up staying up late.
The other day, I asked the farmer in advance if he had any wild vegetables that I wanted to try, and he sent me some koshibara and cod roe.
I asked the farmer to send me some koshibara and cod roe.
Because they are fresh, the fresh scent of the green leaves is spring-like, and the vegetables are colorful and delicious according to the season.
The vegetables are colorful and seasonal.
The colorful vegetables appear on the menu only once a month.
Recipes my mother made for me, and some not so much.
She carefully prepares the vegetables that arrive so that they will taste good.
I am ashamed of my cooking skills, which are by no means deft, but
I am happy to see people enjoying my dishes.
I am not good at cooking, but if I do it a few times, I can learn to do it to some extent.
I now think that I may be able to take on a new challenge.
I have been thinking for a while that I should not rely only on the taste of vegetables.
I have been trying to make the menu a little more yakuzen-conscious since this month.
Although I still need to work on it.
I am determined to create a lunch that is healthy and tasty, and that will not be defeated by any fad or recession.
I would like to continue to make lunch that is healthy and tasty.
I will continue to make lunch that is healthy and tasty, and I will put a lot of thought into what I don't show.
4.5.2022
DAYS/ Reiko Takami Column
Walking and Walking
My Daredevil Challenge
April in Tokyo
Tokyo in April is filled with new people.
Stations and streets are swarming with people who have moved to Tokyo for higher education, employment, or transfer.
When you almost bump into someone on a platform, or hear an announcement in a train that is louder than usual, it is a good feeling to know that you are not alone.
I feel a renewed sense that the energetic season is here again.
Four years ago, I was just as nervous as you are now.
I was on an express bus from Shinjuku to Nagano, looking at road signs, place names, and mountain ranges.
I was looking for a destination, thinking, "I want to work in a job related to the countryside.
I finally arrived in Nagano after a friend introduced me to the area.
There I rolled my eyes. I was amazed at how many meals they served me wherever I went.
The tables were always lined with freshly prepared homemade food, and I was always full for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
And I was always full for breakfast, lunch, and dinner with the locals who just happened to be there.
Smiles increase and faces become serene from casual conversation.
Even I, who had been characterized as a person who did not know anything about common sense and things.
It was a strange place where people accepted me.
Tokyo and Nagano, where we were connected by fate. The depth of my breathing is different from that of
Even though I have lived here for six years, I think I may be subconsciously somewhat nervous in Tokyo.
When I am in Nagano, my breathing becomes slower and deeper.
On the way back to Tokyo on the highway bus, I saw the reflection in the window glass.
I am sometimes surprised to see my face slackening.
The air of my second home is always sweet to me.
2.5.2022
DAYS/ Reiko Takami Column
Walking and Walking
My Daredevil Challenge
It's like a "send-off" package.
I was born into a family that didn't have the custom of sending money.
I was born in a family that did not have the custom of sending money, so I secretly longed to receive such a gift.
However, there was no way I could suddenly ask a person whose name I didn't know to send me money.
I never dreamed that the day would come when I would receive a "money order.
I never dreamed that the day would come when I would receive my "money order" from an apple farmer in Nagano.
Perhaps it's because it's been a long time since I could easily travel even within Japan.
It was a day when I received a gift from an apple farmer in Nagano.
When I opened the box, I found vegetables, fruits, and other good-for-you foods that were unique to the area.
Every time I opened the box, it was filled with local vegetables, fruits, and other good-for-your-body items that I couldn't believe were enough for one person.
I love the moment when I open the box and wonder what's in it this time.
Because I ask for food for the menu of the cafeteria, which is held once a month.
I guess it's not exactly "sending money".
But when you grow up, you think about yourself.
They pack extra seasonal vegetables that they have grown with love and care.
It makes me happy just to think of the time they spent choosing and packing for me.
Sending money is a way of "thinking of each other.
Just like sending a money order, I would like to make a dish from the warm feelings that filled the box.
I want to provide a space where customers' mouths will drop open.
With this in mind, I make lunch once a month in Tokyo.
The second month of the year 2022 has begun. It will soon be Risshun.
I'll have to be patient until I can move around freely for a while longer.
Until then, I will continue to serve lunch in a relaxed manner, energized by the voices over the phone.
12.5.2021
DAYS/ Reiko Takami Column
Walking and Walking
My Daredevil Challenge
As if I were choosing a gift for that person's apple
Delicious apples delivered every year
In Nagano, the apple harvest is at its peak.
How are the apples doing this year? When I asked the farmer, he said, "They are the best.
It was still too early to pick apples on our day trip, so we couldn't taste the deliciousness. However, I was told that the apples will store sugar to ward off the cold and become sweeter and sweeter until harvest. Hearing this story, I was looking forward to the day when the delicious apples would arrive.
As much as I had heard that last year's harvest had been depressed by the many typhoons that had hit the area, this year's harvest would be even better. I was relieved to know that this year the apples were harvested without being damaged by the wind and rain.
I was relieved that this year's harvest was not damaged by wind and rain. I shared with my friends who look forward to eating the big, sweet, delicious apples every year.
She said, "I look forward to eating them every year! I was so happy to see her happily tucking them into her bag.
I was happy to see her happily put the apples in her bag. I realized that the way the apples arrive, the depth of happiness, and the way they catch your eye are all completely different.
Apples are a delicate fruit, and if you don't take care of them, the taste will be reduced by half.
In fact, the apple trees of another farmer who grows apples in the same way in the farm right next to us were
Before the harvest, all the leaves had fallen off due to disease, and the tree had become a pitiful mess of branches.
As a result, according to the farmer, the leaves were not producing any nutrients and the apples would not get any sweeter.
What decided our fate was whether or not we knew that apples are prone to disease when it rains.
If we had to take measures every time there was a rain forecast, it would be costly, time-consuming, and troublesome, so few people would do it.
In such a situation, we have to face the task of producing delicious apples with more care than others. To prevent the leaves from falling off the apples due to disease, they take measures before the rains come.
As a result, the people around him say that his apples are the best apples in town. How careful the apple farmers are in their work. I think that's why people keep coming from far away to visit my house.
I meet my friends every month, and every time I do, I give them an apple as a gift.
It's not as easy to buy as apples from the supermarket, but But an apple with the whole of your feelings left in its form is very much appreciated by the recipient.
In choosing such foodstuffs, we have to I think apples are a powerful tool of communication that changes our hesitation to enjoyment. I think apples are a powerful tool for communication.
For those of you who think that ordering fruits and vegetables is too difficult and takes a lot of courage.
This is an introduction to delicious apples.
11.5.2021
DAYS/ Reiko Takami Column
Walking and Walking
My Daredevil Challenge
In the season of beautiful sunsets
I was absorbed in working on my computer when I looked out the window.
I was absorbed in my work when I looked out the window and saw that the sky was pink and dusk was just around the corner.
I suddenly remembered that I was going shopping.
I stepped outside and took a deep breath. I took a deep breath and stretched a bit.
In the midst of working on various things and trying to find the right balance and saltiness in how I face them.
Facing uncertainty every day.
For me, the act of looking up at the sky
For me, the act of looking up at the sky is a way to be sure that the seasonal sky will heal my feelings.
It occurred to me that the act of looking up at the sky is something that is highly certain.
I went to Nagano on a day trip in early October.
The sky in Nagano, where I went on a day trip in early October, was also impressive with its elegant dusk.
It had been raining the day before, so the air was clearer than usual.
I was going back to Tokyo in an hour.
The sky was like a miracle.
I felt as if something stagnant in my body had been sucked out.
I felt like something was sucked out of my body.
The "unchanging scenery" definitely cheers me up and heals me.
It's because I can't go out as often as I would like.
When I do, I want to relax and unwind.
I hope to see my mother's delicious food and the sky in Nagano again soon.
I hope to see that sky again soon.
10.5.2021
DAYS/ Reiko Takami Column
Walking and Walking
My Daredevil Challenge
Rather than thinking with your head, feel nature and "adjust" it.
In an e-mail I exchanged with a Nagano apple farmer after a long absence, he wrote
"This morning's newspaper shows the autumn leaves of Senjoujiki-karl at their best.
It was the end of September. It was the end of September, and the autumn leaves were at their best.
"If we're lucky, we might even have a full course of matsutake mushrooms!
I was tickled by the invitation.
There seems to be a bumper crop of matsutake mushrooms this year, and the first ones are already on the market.
Three years ago, we had "matsutake mushroom sukiyaki" at home and it was delicious.
Three years ago, we had "matsutake sukiyaki" at home and it was delicious, but now I can't wait to see how we will eat it this year.
I once asked a farmer, "Don't you go up to the mountains to see the autumn leaves? I asked a farmer once.
Since I usually go to the mountains to pick wild vegetables and mushrooms, I naturally assumed that he would like mountain climbing, but apparently not.
But apparently not. "Climbing mountains is not fun. Mountains are where you go to gather food.
If I went into the mountains to look for food, I could walk around all day and not get tired.
But when it comes to mountain climbing, my legs get really heavy. In fact, while we were walking up a small hill about 10 meters from the parking lot of the Yomei Sake souvenir shop in the mountains, a person who was not afraid to walk up the steep slope of the mountain said weakly, "I'm so tired.
The farmer spends his days letting the great flow of nature take over.
I envied the fact that autumn leaves and matsutake mushrooms were just one of the everyday things that come in a year.
I too dream of living a relaxed life in nature someday, but for now, I still want to work hard in Tokyo.
Maybe I'm going to Nagano to reset myself from time to time.
Thinking of this, I started to like Nagano more than before, even though I had never been there before.
I booked an express bus leaving Shinjuku early in the morning, hoping to find some matsutake mushrooms.
7.2.2021
DAYS/ Reiko Takami Column
Walking and Walking
My Daredevil Challenge
How to make delicious food
It's been three years since I started the Kimagure Diner.
There was a time when we took a break due to the coronavirus, but
But I never got tired of it.
Even though we change the farmers we order from depending on the crops they harvest.
We may change the farmers we order from depending on the crops harvested, but I don't think we will ever change the ones we order from because of their deep love for vegetables.
By the way, the concept of the cafeteria's menu has changed drastically since I started.
The premise was that I would make the menu I wanted to eat with vegetables from Nagano and share it with others.
I think the biggest thing that has changed is the way I think about cooking.
I used to think of meat and fish as the main dishes and the vegetables from Nagano as side dishes.
Now, I tend to look for simple menus where I can really taste the vegetables.
In early spring, I try to eat wild vegetables, spinach, potherb mustard and other leafy greens, corn and apples that can be eaten raw.
Boil or steam them as much as possible, dip them in a little miso and eat them as they are.
I try to create a menu that relies on the taste of vegetables. I'm also thinking of more healthy menus that don't use meat.
What I am trying to do now is to not think of the menu by myself.
When I call the farmers once a month to check on the harvest status of the vegetables, I ask them about the best way to eat them.
I want to know how the farmer usually eats his food, and I want to know how he eats his food, including what we talked about on the phone.
I would like to know how the farmers usually eat their food, including what they told me over the phone, so that I can tell the people who come to eat it.
The menu for June is "Ringo-ya's Curry Rice.
I used apple juice from an apple farm instead of water to dissolve the curry roux.
I was told that if I used the apple juice from the apple farmer's farm to dissolve the curry roux, the rumor would spread that it was so good that people in the neighborhood would come to eat it all the time, and it would become a curry shop.
When I hear something like that, I think, "Okay, I'll make curry this month.
Even if you're not very good at cooking, you'll find yourself cooking almost every day.
I've come to realize that even if you don't have that much skill, or don't add a lot of seasoning
I realized that if the ingredients are good, it can be made tasty.
You don't have to think too hard about it, as long as you have vegetables that have a good flavor, you can cook anything.
It took me three years to realize that. I think it took me three years to realize this.
6.2.2021
DAYS/ Reiko Takami Column
Walking and Walking
My Daredevil Challenge
Koshiabura at dawn
Have you ever had Koshiabura rice?
Over the phone, Mr. Nasuno, an apple farmer, suggested a menu that "90% of people say is delicious.
Koshiabura is a kind of wild vegetable like cod's sprouts and udo.
In Nagano, the harvest season is around the Golden Week holidays.
In Nagano, the harvest season is around the Golden Week holidays. It is a tasty wild vegetable that can be made into tempura.
In late May, the leaves are harvested, boiled with salt, chopped into small pieces, and mixed with freshly cooked white rice.
We decided to have the bamboo shoots from Haciku sent to us as well, saying that we would like to have a full meal of wild vegetables for this month's Whimsy Restaurant.
The year before last, I left my house at dawn when the sky was getting whiter and whirled down the steep mountain road to pick wild vegetables.
I couldn't keep up with the movements of Mr. Nasuno, who was seventy years old, and I miss the way he looked at me with disgust.
Even though I was unsteady on my feet, I was desperately looking up at the trees, trying to find wild plants.
I used to see the indescribable power and overwhelming view when I looked up at the trees and the sky.
Lately, I've only been looking up at the cropped sky, and I think I've forgotten to pay attention to the plants.
In Tokyo, you can look up at trees as much as you want in parks or shrine grounds.
But the "cKoshiabura" that grows in the soft shade of the trees is too delicate to live here.
I was reminded once again of the richness of the place I had been given to live in.
It is easy to realize the importance of everyday life, which we take for granted that we can go back to, only after losing it.
I felt lonely in Nagano, a place I had no connection with.
While feeling lonely for Nagano, which I had no connection with, I would like to spend some more time with my friends in Tokyo to feel the daily changes and the gradual transformation.
5.2.2021
DAYS/ Reiko Takami Column
Walking and Walking
My Daredevil Challenge
I wish I could relax in my own way during my busy days.
I want to get in touch with nature to relax.
Even if you think so, it is not always easy to realize.
We have been refraining from traveling due to the effects of the corona vortex since last year.
or the economic uncertainty caused by the self-restraint.
There were so many hurdles before I could make the trip.
What makes me happy at such times is the "asparagus delivery" from Nakagawa Village in Nagano Prefecture.
The asparagus are in season and green with sweetness from the moderate stress caused by the difference in temperature between morning and evening.
The asparagus, which is rare in Japan, is over 1 cm thick and is the pride of the farmers.
The asparagus is actually soft without any strands and juicy just by boiling! You can enjoy its fresh texture.
The moment you put it in your mouth, the gentle aroma of asparagus spreads through the air.
Unlike asparagus from overseas, the asparagus is harvested the day before and shipped right away, so it is very fresh.
Moreover, the asparagus is grown slowly and carefully until it grows thick and large, which is why it has a beautiful color.
Once you try the asparagus, you will become a repeat customer.
The asparagus is so popular that more than half of the customers are repeat customers.
It makes me happy to see the number of people who look forward to eating asparagus every year gradually increasing.
Nagano's asparagus, which brings us spring, has become an indispensable part of my life.
Now that the hurdles to travel are so high, I want to get to know Nagano better, thinking of the farmers' courteous personalities and the scenery of the Southern Alps mountains through their crops.
Until the time when we can travel freely and easily again
I would like to share with my friends and family the things that make our daily lives more comfortable.
I would like to share them with my friends and incorporate them into our daily lives.
4.1.2021
DAYS/ Reiko Takami Column
Walking and Walking
My Daredevil Challenge
Bringing the Season to Everyday Life
After a winter that was so cold I wanted to stay at home and hibernate, spring is here with warmer weather.
The sun is shining and the room is warm, and I'm up and ready for my first "Kimagure Shokudo" in three months, and the busy morning hours tend to be hectic.
But the thought of having everyone enjoy the spring vegetables from Nagano naturally lifts my spirits.
Since I started ordering vegetables from Nagano, I have become more conscious of the "season" of food.
While seasonal vegetables are nutritious and delicious, if you miss the timing, you may not find what you want.
In addition, the harvest time often shifts depending on the weather.
When I was accustomed to the convenience of supermarkets, I could not afford to buy carefully selected seasonal vegetables because the hurdle was too high.
Now that I know how delicious and different the taste of vegetables carefully grown in close contact with nature can be, I sometimes ask my friends to buy them with me.
One of my friends who bought vegetables from Kimagure Shokudo said, "I've been eating them at home as salad and boiled vegetables since yesterday! We were so happy to hear that.
By sharing delicious food with others, I feel that people are gradually getting to know Nagano through food.
Spring is the season of buds.
Vegetables with buds are also in season.
Along with easy-to-handle vegetables such as potatoes and onions, you can also find rape blossoms and bamboo shoots in your shopping cart.
Living in Tokyo, we tend to forget about seasonal vegetables.
They replenish the body with the nutrients and energy it needs at that time of the year, so I would like to pay more attention to them in the menu of Kimagure Diner.
3.1.2021
DAYS/ Reiko Takami Column
Walking and Walking
My Daredevil Challenge
The Power of Apples
The Corona has restricted my mobility and made it difficult to go to Nagano for fun.
My desire to eat delicious food has only increased.
In particular, I miss the red apples and 100% apple juice carefully grown and ripened by the apple farmers in Nagano.
In particular, I missed the bright red apples and 100% apple juice carefully grown and ripened by the apple farmers in Nagano.
I couldn't stand it and actually ordered them several times during the self-restraint period.
Whenever I felt somewhat sluggish or unwell.
This apple juice is so thick that it seems to prevent colds.
The sweetness and crunchy texture of the bright red ripened apples were perfect for dessert.
At first, I only ordered one for myself.
But then I thought, "Maybe I have a friend who would like to try those apples. I thought.
So, at the end of last year, I posted a message on social networking sites.
On the same day I posted it, more than 10 people, mostly regulars of the Whimsy Restaurant, bought the apples.
Some of them were so strong that they bought 12 bottles of 1 liter juice.
Friends who bought the juice said, "It's so delicious! "My mother loved it, so I want to order it again! I want to order again!
I was so happy to receive feedback from friends who had purchased the products that I recruited them again at the beginning of the year and delivered them to each household.
I was so happy to hear that there were so many people who wanted to buy fresh food through me.
I was happy to know that there were so many people around me who wanted to buy fresh food through me.
Maybe it's possible to have a lifestyle of eating and using food that is a little closer than "face-to-face"?
I felt like I had a glimpse of a happy future beyond "production" and "consumption" among friends.
2.1.2021
DAYS/ Reiko Takami Column
Walking and Walking
My Daredevil Challenge
The view from the car window and the view you see
Knowing that thirty is just barely old enough to attend a training camp, I was
Surrounded by young kids in their early twenties.
The driver's license that I obtained while feeling the nostalgic atmosphere of the school
The driver's license that I obtained while feeling the nostalgic atmosphere of the school, with my face half hidden by my wallet, seems to be out of use for a while.
When I was driving, I used to look around and watch the movements of people on the street.
I even remember things like, "That curve was dangerous," or "I got goosebumps.
When I drove for the first time, I felt that my awareness of "seeing" my surroundings had changed.
The views I saw as I drove were.
I could see things that I could not see or feel from the back seat window.
I use the express bus as a way to travel to rural areas.
There were times when I thought that the reason for my choice might not only be financial.
I've never had a stranger sleep next to me.
Or stopping at a parking area for a certain amount of time and then going outside to rest.
When you have an accident that prevents you from arriving on time, your imagination and senses begin to work.
When I see someone putting souvenirs on the shelf, I think to myself, "It's been a long time since I've been home, it's nice to have a home in the country.
There are times when I challenge myself to see if I can sleep even if someone is breathing comfortably.
There is nothing to be gained by doing so, but I love the time I spend imagining and challenging myself for no reason at all.
When I was a child, I used to read fantasy novels so much that I would dream about them.
This may have been influenced by the fact that when I was a child, I used to read fantasy novels to the point of dreaming about them, and play with them by expanding the world in my imagination.
I can drive a car or fly without a license if I just imagine it.
The time I spend devising ways to enjoy the story in my own way is sometimes more enjoyable than the main story.
For me, the journey already starts from the time I get there, and the amount of fun I have before I arrive at my destination is also important.
Of course we are traveling with a purpose, but it would be a shame if we didn't look aside until we reached our destination.
There will be more and more people who want to enjoy the process of getting to their destination as well.
I was thinking, "I wonder if the number of people who want to enjoy the process on the way to their destination will increase in the future?
That's what I was thinking about.
12.1.2020
DAYS/ Reiko Takami Column
Walking and Walking
My Daredevil Challenge
With a hiding place, resistance activities
I started building a small hiding place because I didn't have a place to go back to like a hiding place yet.
We started meeting at an apple farmer's house in the town of Iijima in Nagano Prefecture, and I gradually learned about the area.
When I head out there, I decide that the only people I want to talk to are people I want to share the same view with.
When I go there, I decide that the only people I want to talk to are people I want to share the same view with.
I go to the farmer's house so that I can be filled with only "my favorite things" and "my favorite people".
My "little hideaway" is slowly growing into a place that I love.
To begin with, when I meet people, I wonder if they really like their jobs, or I tend to be quite sensitive to whether there is love in such other people and their works.
If I can see that someone is using people for status or honor, I will put on a mask and keep my distance.
This is because when I am in contact with something unlovely, I have the sense that something inside of me is really diminished.
"Have a place where you can come home, with love
Since 2019, when I became a freelancer, the activities I've been doing, which I've put a lot of effort into, are It was an important resistance effort that I started.
My little "rebellion" that I started with was to say, "As far as I'm concerned, I'm going to get it right eventually.
It leads to the dream of "making it a place where everyone can come home".
So, even if it's a little bit of a loss, it's important to make sure that the "place" is nurtured properly.
I have some concrete plans in mind.
I know the importance of money, the importance of profit, the importance of being famous, but a strong sense of rebellion in me said, "It's not just about that, it's about living! And for a very long time, I was on a rampage.
Rather than someone who is "all about me" in every way, I'd like to support people who have warmth behind their eyes in their own way and do their job properly.
11.1.2020
DAYS/ Reiko Takami Column
Walking and Walking
My Daredevil Challenge
Maybe that's what luxury is all about
Summer has been over before I knew it, and now autumn has arrived like a quick curtain-raiser.
This year I feel this way, even more so since I hardly went out.
However, I'm not the kind of person who can stay in my house in Tokyo for a few months.
I was secretly looking forward to going away to my friend's house in Chigasaki on weekdays.
It was only a small one, since we were moving from Shinjuku to Chigasaki.
Still, it was a nice break.
This time last year, I was with an apple farmer in the town of Iijima, Nagano Prefecture.
I was helping to pick grapes for shipment in November.
After finishing the work, we ate a delicious meal and slept while listening to the sound of bellbugs.
A trip of one night and two days where you wake up to the morning sun leaking through the shoji screens.
The rhythm of my body, which was disrupted by work, was reset and my mind was refreshed.
Even though it took me four hours to get there one way, I felt satisfied with the change.
I was supposed to go again this year as a matter of course.
Over the phone, Ms. Nasuno, who cares for me like a daughter, and We chatted on the phone for 30 minutes about everything from vegetables to what's going on.
I hung up the phone, feeling like that was a very luxurious time because I can't go now.
Come to think of it, I've been carrying the expectations and roles of society on my shoulders.
In a world where you have to grow and accomplish things in your own way.
I was a bit tired at times.
So I wanted to make a proper return to society.
I created it to create an "inner" world for myself.
It's a "whimsical diner" that I run just once a month at a guest house in Asakusabashi.
After that, we met "Mr. and Mrs. Nasuno" from the town of Iijima in Nagano Prefecture.
It didn't matter how small the "inner" world was for me.
I was like a child who was given his own room for the first time.
It's a small hiding place like a treasure that you can refurbish and tailor with your wisdom.
For example, when you don't get the results you want in a game, you can run into the ground.
In order to set up a system to get those basics right, we have to you also need a place to reset yourself.
You might get sick for a little while, and every day is going to be a serious challenge and take up a lot of energy, but
You know, taking it easy and having the "fun of going back there I think it's a tremendous luxury.
The day I first met the apple farmer.
We had apples after dinner.
One bite and they were so sweet and delicious.
Whenever I talked about apples, he would talk passionately about his particular way of growing them.
When you pick the fruit and leaves, you have to consult with the apple tree.
If you listen to the apple tree, you'll make it taste better.
The cultivation rules proposed by the cooperative are not designed to produce delicious apples.
To efficiently grow and harvest apples for income.
He is an oddball among the locals because he ignores all that and grows them to be delicious in his own way.
His peers look at him coldly, but he doesn't care about that at all.
As a result, his apples are delicious.
I was drawn to his personality around him.
It attracts people of all ages, from local residents to immigrants.
A big reason to attend Iijima Town is the open environment that welcomes all kinds of people.
It's important to meet a good uncle like him to get to know the community.
And as I was writing this, it occurred to me that I remember what a long time friend of mine said to me before I went to Nagano, Japan.
She had been a teacher of mentally challenged children for over ten years.
I don't remember exactly how he said that to me, but 'Let's make sure we don't unintentionally come off as superior.
I was told once that I wanted to do something for the community.
I was talking about how I wanted to do something for the community, and he said to me, "The economy has been running well for a long time, and we're not in trouble now.
It's not like they're in trouble now.
It's not like they're in trouble now.
It was typical of her to value polite relationships with people.
After hearing this, I try to ask myself these words before I start anything.
They're different professions, ages, and genders, but they hate relationships that are connected by money.
I feel that there is a connection between this attitude and the importance of a polite face-to-face relationship.
Money" seems to be everything in the world, but it really isn't. I think that's the only thing we can't compromise on as a value, and I hope more people can relate to that.
That's the only thing I can't give up as a value, and I hope more people can relate to that.
The town of Iijima in Nagano Prefecture is 4 hours away from Tokyo and Shinjuku by express bus.
The area is secretly popular with migrants because of the beautiful Southern and Central Alps surrounding it on all sides.
I learned about this place in 2019 when I visited with a friend of mine and before the Corona fiasco, it was my favorite place to visit once a month for a weekend.
Now it's not exactly free to go there due to movement restrictions.
I have been continuously involved with the community through the monthly "Kimagure Diner" in Tokyo, which provides lunches made from local ingredients.
Since we started with a half-hearted effort, we didn't know how to get involved in the community, so we joined the Shimane Prefecture-sponsored "Shimakoto Academy" to learn more about various ways to get involved.
In this course, we learned about Shimane Prefecture, which is known for its progressive community development, through fieldwork and actually visited the area to find out how we can get involved with the community.
I learned about the concept of "concerned population" proposed by Kazumasa Sashiide, editor-in-chief of the social and eco-magazine Sotokoto.
The "relevant population" is not the "permanent population" who have moved to the area or the "social population" who have come to visit, but the population who are involved in the community.
It's the people who spend only weekends in their favorite neighborhoods, buy local products, or support a particular area in some way, even if not often.
The apple farmer and his wife, who stay with us each time, are like a local "information center" for the community, with different people, young and old, men and women, coming to their home in turn every day.
Last year, we invited the rice farmers to come to Tokyo to eat their new rice.
It was a good experience for me to be able to involve the people around me in creating a place where I could talk directly with my favorite farmers about their particular tastes and preferences.
In the wake of the new coronavirus scare, people are spending more and more time working at home, and with the declaration of a state of emergency and the accelerated pace of our "daily lives online," there has been an overwhelming decrease in the number of opportunities to meet people.
This may be the trend of the times, for better or worse, as we live in an age where we don't need to be directly connected to people to get by.
If remote work is being promoted and more and more young people are seriously thinking about moving to the regions, it may be a good idea to start slowly by finding their favorite place in the region as a "concerned population" to start with.
If people like me who are not from the same region as you, but who love the area and its culture, are called "fans," then it may be possible to start a connection with the community as a fan, and feel as if you are seeking a "second home" for your family.
If you can create a place across the country where you can be yourself with people you can talk to comfortably like family, then even the anxiety of old age, which is often said to be insecure, will be exciting.
7.1.2020
DAYS/ Reiko Takami Column
Walking and Walking
My Daredevil Challenge
Breath
Go where you feel comfortable.
I subconsciously go back to it again and again.
I mean, you know, that coziness of I can safely trust that it is comfortable.
This applies to things like my parents' house.
For example, I'll tell you if it applies to any area where there is nature.
Surprisingly, I feel that there are few places that seem like that.
The town of Iijima in Nagano Prefecture is four hours away from Shinjuku Station by express bus.
We have been fortunate enough to visit once a month for the past two years for a weekend.
The local apple farmer and his wife, who are taking care of us there, are he entered the mountain and pushed his way up the steep slope with an air of familiarity and strength.
He's a caring, generous, well-liked man.
He is like a mainstay who is relied upon by men and women, young and old.
You don't have to think about anything special in that kind of environment.
A night or two spent without a care in the world it allowed me to be spontaneous.
And I confirmed that this is my true self.
The feeling of being mixed in with the crowds in the city center.
You can spend your weekends unraveling and enjoying the beauty of this land.
I was wondering how to tell the story in Tokyo.
Right now I'm still thinking about fluff in my free time.
I'll start with what I can do.
The purpose of this project is to promote the culture of this region through food.
We started a one-day only restaurant called "Kimagure Shokudo" in Tokyo.
It's a place to enjoy learning about the local culture together, using ingredients from various regions.
Through these activities, we reaffirmed the values we hold dear in living in the area.
First of all, there's the expectation that something fun is about to begin for the people of the area.
I'm trying to create a "good hangout".
We don't go there because it's work.
It's a place you'll want to go to because it's comfortable.
Take a big breath and change the direction of the wind.
To look at tomorrow so interesting that I can't wait.