By: Mika Matsumura, GVJCI Marketing & Social Media Intern

Culture Day also known as 文化の日 (Bunka no Hi) is an annual national holiday celebrated in Japan on November 3rd. The day was originally intended to be a birthday celebration for the Meiji Emperor from 1868 until 1912. However, in 1927 the day was recreated to be "Meiji Setsu" in honor of the late Emperor. But again, in 1947 the day was rebranded due to post World War II and is now known as the current "Culture Day." On this holiday, they celebrate peace, freedom, and culture. 

In Tokyo, one of the largest and most widely known event is held at the Imperial Palace and is called the Order of Culture Award Ceremony. It is an award given to celebrate public figures that have displayed impressive culture, arts, science, or academic contributions to Japan and the world. The award is a great honor and is presented by the emperor himself. Some of the past recipients of the Order of Culture Award were former United States Vice President Dick Cheney, three American astronauts who were aboard Apollo 11, literary Scholar Donald Keene, Ikuo Hirayama a Japanese artist, and Japanese poet Makoto Ooka.

​Museums and art galleries are open with free entry on Culture Day, which makes them a popular choice for families and friends. Many schools show their student's artworks or hold performances where their talents are shown. Hakone in Kanagawa holds a famous event called "Daimyo Gyoretsu" and translated as  Feudal Lord's Parade. At this event clothing and traditions from the Edo-era are showcased. Many other parades and festivals are organized across the country to show the traditions that the area is known for. 

The holiday is a perfect way to reflect on Japan's rich history and culture. Here at Gardena Valley JCI, we similarly celebrate Japanese culture at our Matsuri. At our summer Matsuri, we see people wearing a kimono, yukata, and happi coats. We want to showcase our culture to the community as we perform dances, martial arts, taiko, and much more. There is always great Japanese foods and desserts as well as fun carnival games. Inside we have displays of history and artwork from students. If you miss Culture Day in Japan,  stop by our annual Matsuri to experience Japanese culture from our local community!

https://www.officeholidays.com/holidays/japan/culture-day 
​https://savvytokyo.com/culture-day-quest-japanese-traditions/ 

Fall is the perfect time for kabocha and comfort food! This kabocha stew is guaranteed to keep you warm and cozy as the weather starts to cool down. This tasty stew is a great dish to share with close friends and family, especially during fall and winter. I took these pictures the other day when my mom and I made a large batch for our family; we brought some to her parents and brother as well, who all agreed it was oishii (delicious)! I love to make this stew with my mom-- the familiar Japanese flavors in this dish such as dashi and mirin (and of course, kabocha) remind me of eating Japanese food with my family. These classic ingredients will fill your kitchen with the nostalgic scent of a homemade Japanese meal. As my younger brother once said, this recipe smells like our grandparents' kitchen in the best way possible!

Ingredients:
1 small kabocha
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup sake
1/4 cup dashi
3 tbsp brown sugar
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp mirin
Vegetables (we used carrots, onion, and green beans)
Rib eye steak or prime rib
Harusame (glass) noodles (optional)

Preparation:
Optional: Boil harusame noodles until soft (around 3 minutes). Strain and rinse with cold water, then set aside for later.

1. Wash and cut kabocha into small chunks, removing insides.
2. Cut green beans and onions into small pieces. Peel carrots and cut into slices.

3. Thinly slice the steak (we used rib eye steak).

4. Add kabocha to a medium sized pot with vegetable oil. Use enough vegetable oil to cover all the chunks (they should be shiny).

5. When the kabocha has softened a little, add the rest of the vegetables to the pot. Add more oil to cover the vegetables.
6. Once the vegetables have softened slightly, add the steak to the pot. Cook until the meat has browned.

7. Add dashi and water to the pot. When the mixture begins to boil, add sake, soy sauce, mirin, and brown sugar.
8. Mix thoroughly and add harusame noodles if desired.
9. Serve hot with rice and enjoy! I sometimes like to sprinkle roasted sesame seeds on top. Itadakimasu (let's eat)!

This recipe is a modified version of the Nikujaga recipe from Chopstick Chronicles, using kabocha instead of potatoes and harusame (glass) noodles instead of konnyaku noodles; the measurements are slightly different as well. The original recipe can be found here: https://bit.ly/3pTOgAj.