Blog Archives

Try Your Hand at Tenugui

4/17/2017

Stephanie Mayeda, GVJCI Social Media & Community Outreach Intern

A simple item with a simple name but by no means simple uses! Tenugui, meaning hand (te) and wipe (nugui), has long been used in Japan as an essential tool. In the old days, it was largely used as a towel or handkerchief but was also used as a cover for the head to protect the wearer from the elements. They often come in a great variety of interesting and cute patterns, which only adds to the fun of using them for everyday tasks!

Shout out to Daiso Japan for the super adorable tenuguis!

Nowadays, tenugui is often used for wrapping items from bento boxes to gifts (eco-friendly!), as a headgear for activities like kendo, or even as decoration. Due to its unique dimensions (34 cm by 90 cm), it is also ideal for wrapping and carrying bottles. The possibilities of this versatile cotton cloth can go as far as the imagination! Below, we have just five easy ways to incorporate tenugui into your daily life.

Do you use tenugui for a unique or interesting purpose? Let us know in the comments section!

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Crispy Korokke: A Treat of Meat and Potato

4/11/2017

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Stephanie Mayeda, GVJCI Social Media & Community Outreach Intern

Smooth on the inside and crispy on the outside. Korokke is a Japanese meat and potato croquette that offers these two complementary textures together in one bite! And thanks to the panko, the fried coating of the korokke is not overpoweringly greasy or leaves one feeling heavy. It's also worth noting that you can add any kind of vegetables you like to your korokke. Whether you want to make it more healthy or more meaty is entirely up to you! Let's get cooking!

How to Make Korokke:

1. Boil potatoes in a large pot until tender. Use a toothpick to check for doneness. Drain water. Mash potatoes and set aside to cool. (TIP: You can microwave potatoes to speed up the boiling!)

2. In a large sauce pan over medium high heat, brown the ground beef until crumbly. Drain fat with a paper towel.

3. Over medium high heat, add 1 tbsp oil, carrots (finely diced), and onions (chopped) to the meat. Cook until vegetables are tender.

4. Add garlic (minced) and 1 tbsp yakiniku no tare (Japanese BBQ sauce). Cook for 2 minutes on medium heat.

5. Transfer meat mixture to the mashed potato pot and mix together. Add a little salt and pepper as well.

6. Form oval shape patties with the meat potato mixture with your hands.

7. Dredge patties in flour, then dip in beaten egg mixture, and coat with panko.

8. Heat oil over medium high heat. Fry patties until golden brown.

9. Place korokke on paper towels to absorb excess oil. Serve with tonkatsu sauce and enjoy!

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KOINOBORI: A Kodomo No Hi Craft

4/5/2017

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Stephanie Mayeda, GVJCI Social Media & Community Outreach Intern

It's only one month away now! Kodomo No Hi, also known as Children's Day in English, is a Japanese celebration dedicated to kids, of course! Every year on the fifth day of the fifth month, Japanese families celebrate and give thanks for the health and happiness of all children with traditional foods and crafts. Specifically, koinobori (meaning "carp streamer") flags are often put on display. Traditionally, there is a black carp that represents the father, the red represents the mother, and the blue represents the child.

Every year, the GVJCI has its own Kodomo No Hi celebration where kids can take part in fun cultural activities. This year it will be on Saturday, May 6th, and we will be making mini paper koinobori in addition to having a song performance and mochi making! But for now, we're gonna give you a sneak peak on how to make some cute, little carps of your own!

But first . . .

YOU WILL NEED:

1 sheet of white paper
1 paper cup
1 pair of cheap, wooden chopsticks
Tape
Colored pencils
Scissors

STEP-BY-STEP:

STEP 1: Puncture a hole in the cup and place a wooden chopstick through it. Set aside.

STEP 2: Cut three 2 by 3 inch pieces of paper for the carp and one 1 by 3 inch paper for the streamer.

STEP 3: For the carp, fold the 2 by 3 in half and draw the eye and scale pattern (do for both sides). Next, color it and cut out a triangle shape at the end for its tail.

STEP 4: Tape the long ends of the carp together and squeeze it gently to make it more three-dimensional.

STEP 5: Cut thin strips for the handle and attach it to the koi's mouth. (Again, the traditional colors are black, red, and blue, but you can have fun with it and do whichever colors you want!)

STEP 6: Color stripes on the 1 by 3 inch paper and cut along the stripes almost all the way to the end. Like the carp, squeeze it a bit to make a cylinder shape and tape a handle strip to its top.

STEP 7: Tape the carps by their handles along the wooden chopstick and then tape the streamer to the very top. Done!

NOTE: If tape doesn't help it stick to the chopstick, you can use some type of glue like rubber cement or hot glue to keep it in place!

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GVJCI Blog

Try Your Hand at Tenugui

Crispy Korokke: A Treat of Meat and Potato

How to Make Korokke:

KOINOBORI: A Kodomo No Hi Craft

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Try Your Hand at Tenugui

﻿Crispy Korokke: A Treat of Meat and Potato

How to Make Korokke:

﻿KOINOBORI: A Kodomo No Hi Craft

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Come and visit!

GVJCI's Mission and Vision

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Crispy Korokke: A Treat of Meat and Potato

KOINOBORI: A Kodomo No Hi Craft