Denver International Airport is preparing for the long-awaited launch of the direct flight between Denver and Tokyo's Narita Airport, and as part of the hubbub, a Boulder photographer who died in 2008 of cancer will be paid special tribute with his enormous images on display at the airport. The photos will establish a isual -- and visceral -- connection with...
Forget Pace Picante Sauce, which used to make a big deal of being made in San Antonio instead of phony salsas made in New York City. Forget San Antonio as well as New York City. Look no further than Pueblo and Boulder, Colorado.
Boulder-based entrepreneur Kei Izawa and his partner, Jason Takaki, are launching a new product this weekend that really isn't new at all. Karami is a Japanese American twist on salsa that tastes pretty great on a lot of food including chips, meats and fish, but its origins are as a Japanese side dish, the kind you might see served next to rice.
Karami, which means "beautiful heat," has a salty, savory vegetable base that's enhanced with a subtly sweet flavor and a mildly spicy kick. You can't put a finger on one overarching taste, which makes it a perfect example of the Japanese word, "umami," which translates as "pleasant savory taste" and is considered one of the five basic tastes following sweet, sour, bitter and salty. It's a Japanese concept that's perfectly embodied in a spoonful of Karami.
What makes it Japanese American, not Japanese?
Pretty cool: Domino's Pizza goes all in on mobile tech wizardry -- at least for its Japanese market -- with a new app featuring Hatsune Miku, a Vocaloid, synthetic/anime J-pop persona that's entirely digital. According to a new video that has Domino's Japan CEO Scott Oelkers introducing the app, Domino's staff came up with songs for the app, and the...
I’m a fan of anime and manga, although I don’t actually follow the zillions of comics or animated series and movies, because they’re instrumental in building bridges between Japan and the United States. I’ve spoken with eager young Caucasian anime fans in full cosplay (dressed in costumes playing the part of their favorite anime characters) who said they’re taking Japanese...
[caption id="attachment_4973" align="aligncenter" width="520"] The striking graphic that opens the article on Jezebel.com[/caption] As I read with disbelief the daily dispatches about North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un's bellicose statements about aiming nukes at the United States, threatening South Korea and putting his impoverished country under martial law to "prepare for war," I know that there are very serious issues...
Like zillions of other people, I'm enchanted by Hello Kitty and amazed by the worldwide phenomenon of the cute cat that was born in Japan and now adorns all manner of products and objects and toys and appliances worldwide. And, I'm enchanted by this totally cool video of a 7th grade school science project, in which Hello Kitty flies into...
I don't drink, but it's not because of moral objections or religion or prudishness. Like many Asians, I'm allergic to alcohol. Specifically, I get the familiar "Asian Flush" after just a few sips of even beer. I drank when I was younger, but I felt self-conscious about my face turning red, my eyes glowing in the dark and my body...
[caption id="attachment_4911" align="aligncenter" width="520"] Jiro Ono (left) and his son, Yoshikazu.[/caption]For the past year, people have been telling us to watch "Jiro Dreams of Sushi," the 2011 documentary by David Gelb about Jiro Ono, the 85-year-old artisan sushi chef who operates a Michelin 3-star restaurant, Sukibayashi Jiro, tucked into a Tokyo underground station. We finally saw it, and it's a charming...
