When starting a restaurant business here in Japan, zoning regulations usually are not the primary concern. We can open and run a restaurant right in the middle of a quiet residential area. Surprised? One of the reasons behind it probably lies in the limited land. Japan is a mountainous country where two thirds of the land are covered by mountains. So the government, in order to efficiently use the limited land, thinks that it is insignificant to place a clear cut distinction between commercial and residential areas like in other western countries. If you plan to start a restaurant business in Japan, one thing you may wish to remember is that officers …
Author Archives: Masashi
It’s the lavender season in Hokkaido
July in Hokkaido is ideal for distance runners. Maybe not just for runners, but also for any other sports. I hear that many college sport teams have summer training in Hokkaido due to its mild summer climate. Along the Shiroihi Cycling Road in Sapporo, which is my regular running course, are trees of deep summer green and blooming flowers, and lavender is one of them. I happened to learn that the cultivation of lavender in Japan was started out here in Sapporo about 80 years ago. Since the Furano area (including Nakafurano and Biei) is the brand name of lavender fields in Hokkaido, it was a little surprise to me. I don’t …
Japan’s compulsory car inspection
I think owning a vehicle in foreign countries involves experiencing social and cultural differences. In Japan, we have “sha-ken“, that is mandatory vehicle road-worthiness inspection, comparable to MOT in the UK. While MOT is a checkup of basic vehicle functionalities, Sha-ken is rather the “preventive maintenance” of vehicles and it’s costly here in Japan. This time, it cost me “only”, I would say, a total of 93,000 yen, however, it cost me more than 200,000 yen two years ago, because I had to have brake pads, brake cylinders, ATF and others replaced with the new ones. The next time will be a headache again. I will have to replace …
It’s the cherry blossoms season!
We all have been waiting for this season. The cherry blossoms, at last! Why do the Japanese have such a strong emotional attachment to cherry blossoms? Probably the secret lies in the clear cut four seasons in Japan, and the cherry blossoms signifies beginning, or maybe departure, in our minds. In Japan, school year and the fiscal year begin in April and end in March, so that life-events such as graduation and employment coincide with the cherry blossom season. You would be surprised to hear that virtually all Japanese companies, listed on the stock exchange, employ new-graduates as of April 1st and hold an employment ceremony on that day. I …
From Father to Son
Shinoya, a soba restaurant, is one of my favorites in Sapporo. It’s located only 5 minutes’ walk from the Sapporo Prince Hotel. The soba noodle they serve is called “Sarashina” that uses only the core portion of soba grains and is whiter than others. Sarashina, therefore, is not to enjoy the aroma of soba but rather to enjoy its what we call “trace in the throat.” Noodle making of this kind requires years of hard work and experience, I hear. The owner chef had unexpectedly passed away last year, however, his son took over the restaurant and its “one of a kind” soba is waiting for me just like before. It …