2013 the year of Snake, Eto (Chinese zodiac)

Do you know your own Eto (Chinese zodiac)?
Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey,  Rooster, Dog, Pig (or Boar in Japan)
This year is snake! It is my year!! :D
If you are born in … 1923, 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001, 2013
You are a snake too :)

Your own zodiac animal is your lucky charm, so you should have one of your animals!!
This page explain about the zodiac very very well.
http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/12-zodiac.shtml 

< 2013 Year of Snake, Japanese talisman pottery bell >

 I got this lovely snake ornament from Japan and now it's available in my shop Zakka81!!
This ornamental talisman pottery bell has a "uchide no kozuchi"under the snake.
"Uchide no kozuchi" A small mallet.  It is said that one can attain anything if one shakes it saying whatever you want.　
Japanese folktail from "Issun boushi"  
(Wiki -> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Issun-b%C5%8Dshi )

 This double lucky charm ceramic bell surely bring good luck to you!!

http://www.zakka81.com.au
* Japanese online gift shop *

New product ☆ Antique Kokeshi dolls

"Kokeshi" is a Japanese traditional toy doll made by wood. Traditional shape has simple trunk and an enlarged head with a few thin, painted lines to define the face and there is no arms or legs.
There is a eleven types of traditional kokeshi out there, they have a particular shape and patterns.
But my kokeshi are not belonging to "traditional"  they are a modern "creative" Kokeshi.

I found a very small antique shop in Tokyo, when I saw the shop, like someone whispered to me "go check the shop!!" I parked my bicycle the from of the shop and WOW!! There was a full of kokeshi dolls everywhere in the shop!!
I picked few lovely kokeshi's for you☆ These are one of a kind things, you will almost never find the same kokeshi like this!!
I can't wait to go back to the shop and adopt more kokeshi dolls!!

Antique pair of Kokeshi doll – Boy and Girl

Antique pair of Kokeshi doll – Oranges

Antique Kokeshi doll – Bath time

Antique Kokeshi doll – Pomelo girls

Antique pair of Kokeshi doll – Snow children

Antique pair of Kokeshi doll – Mother and child

How many days more to the Christmas??
Let's start collect the presents!!
Zakka81 - Japanese online gift shop
http://www.zakka81.com.au

Hotcake - Japanese Pancake

Everyone's favorite! 

I think Japanese pancake is a more thick and fluffy.  Very easy just try it! 

You can add more milk if the mix is too thick or you want to stretch it further.

Great served with fruit and cream or maple syrup and jam♥

** Japanese Hotcake ** 

 Ingredients

1 Egg

3 Tbsp Sugar 

1 Tbsp oil 

130 ml Milk

Few drops of Vanilla essence 

150g (1 and 1/2cups) Flour 

1 and 1/2 tsp Baking powder 

Instructions
1. Sift flour and  baking powder together.
2. Mix the egg, sugar, oil in bowl.
3. Add milk and vanilla, mix well.
4. Add flour mixture, mix until smooth.
5. Pour over the preheated pan (low - middle heat) Flip when they start to bubble and you will end up with a nice golden hotcake.
 **************************************
This original recipe is from very famous Japanese cooking community site called Cookpad where you can find whatever you want to cook and bake!!

Original recipe by Keyua - ->  http://cookpad.com/recipe/252539

***************************************

We love thick hotcakes :)

This is a very famous "Iwata coffee shop" 's hotcake! 5cm thick x2!!

It takes 30 minutes to bake. Wow!!

Do you like baking?
Do you like Japan?
How much do you know the geography of Japan?
I got a unique cookie cutter!!  

Japan Geographical Biscuit Cookie Cutter 46 pieces set 

 Available on Ebay ;)

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Japan-Geographical-Biscuit-Cookie-Cutter-46-pieces-set-NEW-/160802612702?pt=AU_Utensils&hash=item25709525de

Children's Day - Musya ningyo & Kabuto

 I wrote about Children's day last time, but let me explain again for new visitor's :)

Children's Day is a Japanese holiday which takes place annually on May 5th, It is a day set aside to respect children's personalities and to celebrate their happiness.
But also known as "Tango no sekku", Families with young boys put up "Koi-nobori" (carp stream) in their yard and display dolls called "Musya ningyo" patterned after historical warriors and heroes to pray for their health and success in life.

Today, I show you little bit about more "Musya ningyo"

Musha ningyo (武者人形：Warrior dolls) also called "Gogatsu ningyo" (五月人形：May doll).

A set of Armour, helmet and other things the samurai warrior of old carried during wartime are displayed.

Parents display the dolls wishing for their boys to grow into strong and powerful man like a samurai!!

But, whole "Musha ningyo" is pretty big, we just display samurai warrior helmet instead of whole doll these days.

Now, we have an another doll, called "Kintaro" , Kintarō is the childhood name of "Sakata no Kintoki" who was a hero in the Heian period. He having been famous for his strength when he was a child. It is said that Kintarō rode a bear, instead of a horse(!!) and played with animals in the mountains when he was a young boy. So, that's why we display "Kintaro" it represents strength and  healthy boy!

Why not make Samurai helmet by news paper?? 

Here is how... 

http://samuraikids.com.au/funstuff%20samurai%20hat.html

Don't forget to cut the news paper into the square!

I found a geeky one, it's Darth Vader Musha doll!!!!!! also Storm trooper!!!! OMG really?!

It's in Japanese, but you can buy these at here...

http://www.yoshitoku.co.jp/sw/musha_ningyou.html
http://www.yoshitoku.co.jp/sw/index.html
http://www.yoshitoku.co.jp/sw/S_trooper.html

I have small "Kintaro" decoration in my shop★

Kintaro and carp stream and origami helmet! All in one, very cute set!!

http://www.zakka81.com.au/?p=1237&preview=true

Children's Day - Koi nobori

Children's Day is a Japanese holiday which takes place annually on May 5th, It is a day set aside to respect children's personalities and to celebrate their happiness.
But also known as "Tango no sekku", Families with young boys put up "Koi-nobori" (carp stream) in their yard and display dolls called "Musya ningyo" patterned after historical warriors and heroes to pray for their health and success in life.The Koi-nobori is a legend that carp swim up waterfalls and become dragons! This represents the successful career. That's why we put up Koi-nobori :)These days we don't have any big space to put up Koi-nobori, so we made a little one☆
The biggest koi-nobori(for home) around 10m long!! Wow... (size image bottom right)
I have brother but we didn't have koi-nobori. Our school put up the many big koi-nobori for all the kids :)Also many cake shops selling a koi-nobori cake♥ If you visit Japan now, you can see many kind of koi-nobori!!

Koi-nobori printed, decorative Japanese hand towel at Zakka81☆
http://www.zakka81.com.au/?p=1134

How to make Origami Ornament Ball (Kusudama)

Have you try to do some Origami (Folding papers) work? Do you think it's very difficult? hard to do??
I'm sure you need practice at first, but once you use to folding papers, this flower ornament ball is a piece of cake!!
I found this tutorial on youtube, you need 60 piece of Origami paper (square paper) and glue. Oh, and specially you need patient!! ;) I recommend to use Origami paper because the color. When you fold some "both side same color" paper doesn't looks great, still fine but two color combination is much better.
I was cut the origami (mine was 15cm square) in four equally (make 7.5cm) and my origami ball size is around 11cm diameter.

Ok, here is the link...
Anniversary, Designed by Mio Tsugawa

Enjoy your Origami!! :D

Japanese Valentine

I picked few of Japanese Valentine's day chocolates!
Do you know, in Japan is basically the day for women to give men chocolates or gifts. It's not fair?? Don't worry, we have a "White day" on March 14th, exactly one month after Valentine's Day, men who were lucky enough to receive gifts of chocolate have the chance to return the favor by giving the women who gave them gifts of some sweets or gifts, now this is little tricky, if you love her you HAVE TO buy her a more expensive gifts than what you got! Now it's fair enough !! lol

Delicate design!! yes, this is chocolate!!
Left : Matsue - Soft chocolate in Japanese sweets
Right : Beppin dou - Hana karuta (Japanese traditional card game)

Green tea chocolate...
Left : Daisan - Green tea cream chocolate
Right : Decadence du chocolat - Love kiss ♥ Surprise me Yes, something in this lip!

Beautiful ...
Left : Anniversaire omotesando - parterre au chocolat
Right : Chocolat boutique L'eclat - Planetary Chocolates

Sorry, all links is in Japanese.

Coming of Age Day

The second Monday of January (it was 9th on this year) is a big event for young Japanese!

=The girls from Japanese idol group "AKB48"=

All young adults who turned or will turn 20 between April 2 of the previous year and April 1 of the current one and who maintain residency in the area are invited to attend. Government officials give speeches, and small presents are handed out to the newly recognized adults. So they can start drinking alcohol (officially), smoking (I mean cigaret) and they got the right to vote.

The ceremony is boring but some place like Urayasu (the place has Tokyo Disney Land) is a luck one!!See the Micky is coming for celebrate with them!!

Many women celebrate this day by wearing kimono with long sleeves that drape down, this kimono is for unmarried women, you can't wear this special long sleeves kimono once you get married. (You need to cut these long sleeves)

Boys wear kimono as well, but many boys are choose to wear a suit.

=men's kimono "Montsuki-hakama"=

I really want to wear these beautiful, gorgeous kimono once again!!