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  • Seniors
    • Bento Program
    • Smartphone/Tablet Class
    • TNK Classes
    • Tomo Cafe | 友カフェ
  • Events/Programs
    • Upcoming Events
    • Japanese Language School >
      • JLS Graduates
    • The Bridge: GVJCI Heritage Center
    • Day Of Remembrance >
      • DOR 2023
    • Meditation & More Class
    • GVJCI Scholarship
    • TANOSHII Fun Camp >
      • Camper Registration
      • Counselor Registration
      • Testimonials
      • Camp Supporters
      • Activities
      • FAQ
    • Past Events
  • Organizations
    • Bando Hidesomi
    • Boy Scout Troop 683
    • Boy Scout Troop 719
    • Evening Optimist Club of Gardena
    • Gardena JCI Kendo
    • Gardena Judo Club
    • Gardena Kendo
    • Gardena Naginata
    • Hawaiian Music Class
    • Kyudo Renmei
    • LA Men's Glee Club
    • Meito Calligraphy
    • Sansei Baseball League
    • South Bay F.O.R Junior Sports Association
    • South Bay Youth Basketball
    • Taiko
  • Support Us
    • Become a Friend of the GVJCI
    • 2023 GVJCI Raffle Drawing
    • Become a Bento Buddy
    • Donate Your Car
    • Shop on Amazon
    • Purchase a 2023 Calendar Ad
    • Volunteer
  • Reserve our Facilities
  • Donate

GVJCI Blog
ガーデナ平原日本文化会館ブログ

Perfectly Thick & Fluffy Japanese-Style Pancakes

5/25/2017

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By: Megan Taenaka, GVJCI Social Media & Community Outreach Intern
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It's time to get trendy! You may have seen these Japanese-style pancakes popping up on your social media feeds recently, due to their popularity in Japan.  More and more Japanese cafés are serving these tall, fluffy pancakes, but they don't just look good, they taste amazing too!  If you can't go all the way to Japan, don't worry! These pancakes are simple to make right at home! They also contain a secret ingredient... Japanese mayonnaise! While this may sound odd, you can't even taste the mayonnaise, and it helps create a moist texture.  But enough about mayonnaise, let's get cooking!
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Instructions:

​*To make the pancake form, cut a thin sheet of cardboard into two long strips about 4 cm wide and 31 cm long.  Do the same with parchment paper. Then staple the parchment paper onto the cardboard, form it into a circle shape, and staple it closed (with the parchment paper on the inside).
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1. ​Whisk all the dry ingredients together in a bowl to combine.
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2. ​In another bowl, whisk together the egg, buttermilk, and vanilla extract.
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3. ​Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, and pour the liquid mixture in.
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4. ​Mix the dry and wet ingredients together, then mix in the mayonnaise.
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5. ​Place the two pancake forms on a pan over low heat (Low! Not medium-low!), and pour half the mixture into each form.
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6. ​Place a lid on the pan and leave it for 20 minutes.
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7. ​Once the pancakes have little bubbles and the edge is slightly cooked, flip them over with the mold still attached. Place the lid on the pan again and cook for another 20 minutes. 
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8. Once fully cooked, remove the pancakes from the heat, and gently remove the pancakes from the forms. Your tall and fluffy pancakes are ready! Top them with anything you want! Maybe even put ice cream on top and have dessert for breakfast!
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Cheer Up With a DIY Cherry Blossom Branch!

5/15/2017

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The cherry blossom, also known as "sakura" in Japan, is considered the national flower of Japan.  It symbolizes beauty and the fragility of life.  Cherry blossom season lasts from late March to mid-April, but if you wish they were around all year long, here's your chance to make your own!
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This is our DIY cherry blossom branch that our interns made.  It adds a pop of color to the office with no watering necessary ;) It doesn't matter if you don't have pink tissue paper, the cherry blossoms will look nice with any color paper you might have!

Supplies:

  • Tissue paper (3 colors, 1 must be green for the leaves)
  • Tree branch
  • Scissors
  • Hot glue gun 

Instructions

Step 1
Cut out tissue paper into squares. Make sure one square is slightly smaller than the other. (Flower size and amount depend on branch size). 
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Step 2
​With the larger square, cut out a flower shape. With the smaller square, cut small slits along the side about halfway through.
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Step 3
​Put the small square on top of the large square and pinch the back center of it and twist.
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Step 4
​ Fold the rectangular piece in half (hamburger style) and pinch and twist the closed end. Cut out a leaf shape using scissors.
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Step 5
​Glue flowers and leaves onto the branch using a hot glue gun.
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Step 6
​ All done!
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Totoro Time: Super Simple Origami (with Scissors)

5/11/2017

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By: Stephanie Mayeda, GVJCI Social Media & Community Outreach Intern
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Origami ("ori" meaning "folding" and "kami" meaning "paper") is the popular Japanese art form of paper folding that has been around since the Edo Period (1603-1867).  Origami is still widely practiced to this day and is a common activity for children of all ages as well as adults. Here at the GVJCI, our interns have done a lot of origami decorations for our various events. They add a nice pop of color to any location and are even more fun to make! 
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For our Yatai Food Festival last August, our interns made a paper crane chandelier to hang above our beer garden!
Today we're going to be making a very simple Totoro origami.  For those who may not be familiar with Totoro, he is a forest spirit from Hayao Miyazaki's 1988 film, Tonari No Totoro.  He still enjoys great popularity, even almost thirty years later.  Let's learn how to make one!

Step-by-Step:

Step 1

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Step 2

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Step 3

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STEP 5

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STEP 7

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STEP 9

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Step 4

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STEP 6

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Flip the shape from step 5 upside down. 

STEP 8

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STEP 10

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Use scissors to cut out the shape of the ears.

You're all done! Now go enjoy your Totoro origami!
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Stay Cool with a Bowl of Namasu

5/8/2017

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By: Stephanie Mayeda, GVJCI Social Media & Community Outreach Intern
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So, in an effort to balance out the last few fried food blog posts we've done, what better way than to introduce namasu! If you don't already know, namasu (also commonly referred to as "tsunomono") is a Japanese dish of vegetable and seafood that's marinated in rice vinegar; basically, it's a lightly pickled cucumber salad. And with the soon-to-be warmer weather, it's also a great way to stay cool and refreshed! Crisp, crunchy, and vinegary with a nice sweetness from the dressing and kani kamaboko (imitation crab), pair it with an entrée like chicken katsu for a nice complement of textures and flavor, too! And an added bonus: it's super easy to make! Check it out!
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Whatcha waitin' for? Get cookin'!

Step-By-Step:

1. Slice cucumbers thin. Place in a bowl and add in salt. Let it sit for 5 minutes and then drain the water from the cucumber.
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2. Shred kani kamaboko by hand into thin strips. Add to cucumbers.
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3. Stir together rice vinegar, sugar, and soy sauce until sugar is dissolved. 
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4. Pour mixture into cucumber bowl and let it marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes. You're done. Chow down immediately.
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BONUS #2: It's also Instagram-pretty!
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May 5th is Kodomo No Hi!

5/5/2017

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Nicole Sato, GVJCI Program Coordinator 

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May 5th is...?
If you said Cinco De Mayo, okay, okay, you're not wrong, but we wanted Kodomo No Hi! as the answer. 
That's right. Every May 5th is Kodomo No Hi in Japan! What's Kodomo No Hi? It directly translates to: Kodomo (子供): Child(ren) No(の): 's  Hi(日): Day. Yup, it's a day to celebrate children's health and happiness as well as thanking and celebrating mothers 🤰

Maybe you're like, "Wait. I thought today was Boy's Day???" Well, you're right and wrong. Boy's Day or Tango (that's with a short A not the long A like the smooth South American dance you all like 💃) No Sekku (丹後の節句) was officially changed into a Japanese holiday since 1948, when it became Children's Day. Boys are still celebrated though, as the means of celebrating (the koinobori, kabuto, etc) is still in tradition. Read on to find out! 

Feel like celebrating yet? Good! We'll talk about some things to get your Kodomo No Hi celebrations on the road! 

Koinobori ​🎏

If you've ever been to Japan this time around, you might have seen these huuuuuuuge fish kite looking things flying around town. These are "koinobori" which yes, is koi, or carp! Carps are known and often depicted as going upstream through a river or waterfall (and one of the few fish that can) and according to Chinese legends (where the tradition of Kodomo No Hi actually originated from), once the carp reaches the top of the waterfall, they become dragons 🐉! Koinoboris are now used to symbolize both family (if you look closely, they range in size from Dad, Mom, and Child) and hopes that a child will grow up to face the currents of life. 

"But I don't have a koinobori!" you say. Well, we don't blame you. Those things are huge and expensive. But some local supermarkets do carry smaller ones that are desk size! You can also make your own! We've got just the DIY craft you can do! 
While you're in a craft mood, try making a kabuto hat out of newspapers to wear around!

Kashiwa Mochi VS Chimaki 


Ah, now onto the food!
If you're born and raised here, you're probably more familiar with the one on the left. That's the common Kashiwamochi, eaten on Kodomo No Hi.  
Kashiwa leaves are oak leaves! And oak leaves are known to not fall off until the new ones can sprout. People have put in the meaning of "until the child grows up, the parents will not pass" in hopes of their children growing up healthy. 
Chimaki sushi, on the right, are commonly eaten in the Kansai region and is a mochi often wrapped in bamboo or reed leaves. 
Pick some up at your local Japanese supermarket and start chewing away!
Do you celebrate Kodomo No Hi? How do you celebrate it? Did you learn something new? We hope so! 
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