えいごで: Due to a gentle winter this year, the cherry blossom season is early. In the public parks, one needs to reserve the spot for picnicking early in the morning.

Japanese: はなみ！

English: Very often, Japanese construction sites are a great source of fun!

**日本語で:**さる！

えいごで: Evidence of one of Japan’s more famous animation franchises.

Japanese: おだいばにさんぽをしておどろいた。

えいごで: Fish!

Japanese: さかな！

えいごで: The 100 yen shop, the local variant of the dollar-store or pound-shop, is quite popular here. It is surprising how many goods sold there are still made in Japan (all goods in the picture). The beef curry and rice is close to the normal price. The origami paper would be around 250 yen normally and the little ceramic cup would cost you over 500 yen at tourist shops. Despite its name, you pay 108 yen per item (VAT) and most 100 yen shops have sections with higher cost goods.

Japanese: 百円のかいものしました。このものは日本につくったのです。

English: Tempura, sea-food and vegetables deep fried in a light batter, is often served on noodles or rice, or as part of a set meal. In a specialised restaurant, however, one gets served the fried pieces, one after the other, directly from the oil onto the plate.

日本語で: てんぷら！

えいごで: Last December a new underground line opened in Sendai. The new Tozai (east-west) line is particularly convenient to reach the university in the snowy winter. The new trains use a linear induction motor for propulsion.

Japanese: きょねんの十二月仙台に東西線はじめた。

Japanese: そばのつくりかたむずかしい！

えいごで: Soba noodles require some attention. Use about 60-100g per portion. Don’t throw the whole packet of noodles into the water in one go, but loosen them into the boiling water.

Cook them in calmly boiling water (not a roiling boil) for the time indicated on the packet (probably 5 minutes).

Japanese: だしをつくりました。

えいごで: The second component for the soup is dashi (stock). Make it the same way as for the miso soup, adding some extra bonito flakes for a more luxurious taste. This time I made it Kyoto-style; leave the kelp overnight in some water in the fridge, then add bonito flakes and heat for 15 minutes. Remove the kelp before the water starts to boil.

konbu (kelp)

katsuoboshi (bonito flakes)

Japanese: そばにかえしをつくりました。

えいごで: In Japan it is customary to eat soba (buckwheat) noodles on new years eve. The long noodles symbolise a long life. One of the components for the soup is kaeshi, a mix of mirin, soy-sauce and sugar. The ratios are, in volume, four parts soy-sauce to one part mirin and one part sugar (more or less sugar according to taste).

I prefer to use honmirin, which contains around 14% of alcohol.