Side effect of sweet fatty foods

The other day, my doctor showed me the result of my blood test.  I was taken aback when I saw it.  My cholesterol level was very high.  The doctor said that it would be better for me to take some medicine to reduce it. 

I looked back over the last few months and suddenly understood.  It was what I had eaten.  Recently, a bakery opened in my neighborhood.  It’s an authentic French style bakery and its croissants, baguettes and handmade confectionary are so good that I’m almost addicted to them.  Take my word for it, they are as good as ones from famous boulangeries or maybe even better, though it’s just a local bakery.

I asked the doctor to let me have a couple of weeks because taking some medicine isn’t my cup of tea.  I’ve decided to reduce the cholesterol level by myself.  Then, I checked some websites and found a very good ingredient that is effective for getting over hyperlipidaemia.  The ingredient is a water-soluble fiber that is contained in soy beans, seaweed, fish with a bluish back, plant oil, and what not. 

I had been eating water-soluble food day in, day out.  Two weeks later, I had a blood test again.  I did a double take when I saw the result.  OMG!  I succeeded in reducing my cholesterol by 48 points and as to my neutral fat, I lost 186 points.  Besides, I lost 2.2 kg in weight.  It’s too good to be true!

Now that I found how to control my cholesterol, I’m relaxing my guard a tad.  It’s a very dangerous attitude because we have a lot of fat, rich food during the New Year’s holidays.  The most important thing is that I should keep on having a good eating habits.  I hope my good blood test score is not just temporary. 

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Tawaraya in Kyoto

Moss garden attached to Sakae room in Tawaraya ryokan hotel.

One of the words that won the prize in the buzzwords-of-the-year contest was “omotenashi,” or hospitality.  However, what is omotenashi exactly? 

I looked it up on the Internet and found a very good explanation.  "Omotenashi is a traditional Japanese way of hospitality with the most dedicated and exquisite manners.  It creates an ambiance of tranquility and relaxation where guests will experience unforgettable moments at ease.“ 

So, where can we experience the most refined way of omotenashi in Japan?  In my opinion, it’s at Tawaraya ryokan hotel and I headed for Kyoto to stay there in the beginning of autumn.  Tawaraya has 300 years of history and is one of the oldest and most prestigious hotels in Kyoto.  The name Tawaraya is known all over the country, even though it’s just a small hotel with 18 guest rooms.

Good hotels usually offer us clean rooms, good food and comfortable sleep; but Tawaraya does more than just fulfilling such basic needs.  The Japanese, since ancient times have always been sensitive to the changes of the seasons.  When we stay at this unique hotel, we can become more sensitive to this.

Toshi Sato, the owner of Tawaraya said in her book; “I think that the identity of the Japanese is an affection for the changes of the seasons in every aspect of our lives, such as clothing, food and interior design.  The cultural succession is nothing but just continuing seasonal events regularly.”

When I stayed at Tawaraya, there was a Shoen Uemura’s hanging scroll that represented autumn maple leaves.  Along with it, Japanese pampas grass and toad lily arrangement was combined on tokonoma (alcove where art or flowers are displayed).  Besides, a lot more very important fine art pieces and flower arrangements that related to autumn were displayed various locations in the building.  It reminded me that a hint of autumn was in the air. 

Uemura Shoen's hanging scroll

to my eyes it is

not clear that autumn has come

but the chill whisper

of the invisible wind

startles me to awareness

translation:  http://warbler.ryu.titech.ac.jp/~yamagen/gromit-the-db/KW/html/KW000169.html

秋きぬと目にはさやかに見えねども風の音にぞおどろかれぬる 
（藤原敏行）

This is a poem that Toshiyuki Fujiwara composed in Heian period (794-1185).

I was able to feel the essence of this poem while I was staying at the hotel.  It was a very unique and important time for me to reaffirm my cultural background and to understand aesthetic of the Japanese. 

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Aso Kojima’s ceramics

Last weekend, I went to Kawagoe to visit a gallery, Utsuwa Note to see Aso Kojima’s ceramic exhibition. 

Exhibition room.  How nice it is!  

When I was younger, I collected ceramics, but I lost interest in it before I knew it.  What inspired me look at ceramics again was an article in an art magazine. 

It says that there is a new movement in the Japanese ceramic industry after a long stagnation caused by the bubble economy bursting.  The characteristic of the new artists’ work is that they are strongly connected with “nature.”  We can feel the touch of soil and fire in their works and Aso Kojima is one of the artists in this new movement. 

Aso Kojima is making ceramics and also growing produce.  It’s his lifestyle that he sticks to.  Being familiar with ‘soil’ as a farmer, he is trying to develop something different.  He is really an artist rather than an artisan because of the way he lives and what he makes are both unified. 

I bought these things and they all appear in our daily table.

I bought some pieces at the gallery including bowls, a small vessel and what not.  They are strong, warm and sensitive and there is no doubt that they are good match with Japanese daily dishes.  Speaking prices, to my surprise, they added up to only 8,000 yen!!! 

“It’s merely ceramic.” Kojima often says.  It means that his ceramics should be used a lot in your daily life, not put on higher place on your shelf just for appreciation.  This philosophy is in his pricing.  They might be merely ceramic, but they are usable art pieces.  It would give us a lot of enjoyment in our daily life. 

Gallery Utsuwa Note is located very close to Kitain temple in Kawagoe.

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