Stepping up to the plate
Transcription
Stepping up to the plate
Issue 21 u April 2016 u ¥0 Spring clamming around Kansai lifeinkansai.com Seeb's pasta alla boscaiola new! Eating out the alternative way Get your colour on! The poetic power of sakura Stepping up to the plate accommodation | community | culture | employment | events | food | services B ES T IN DE A L S I K ANSA Lowest Airfares in Kansai!! 海外激安航空券 If you find any cheaper price than ours we will try to beat it!! APRIL SPECIAL Airport tax and fuel surcharge excluded. PUSAN ...................... \9,800~ HONG KONG .......... \17,800~ BANGKOK .............. \19,800~ SYDNEY .................. \29,800~ LONDON ................. \43,800~ インド・カルカッタ 8日間 ネパール・カトマンズ 8日間 マザーテレサハウスでの ボランティア体験& インド人家庭での ホームステイ ネパールでの 生活体験とホームステイ ・特別な技能や知識は必要ありません。どなたでも御参加頂けます。・詳細はお問合わせ下さい。 ・Don't miss out ―seats at these prices are limited! ・Prices depend on departure date, ticket type and airlines. ・Call us for last-minute deals and compare our prices. ・We speak English, Spanish, Portuguese, Hindi, Bengali and Japanese. GS TRAVEL Open: Monday-Friday 9:30-18:30・Saturday 9:30-14:00 Travel Agent License Number: 3-1841 Midosuji Daimaru UniQlo Midosuji-line Shinsaibashi Family Mart Exit #6 GS TRAVEL 3F Wadayoshi Bldg Daimaru Tel: 06-6281-1230 (For Japanese, English) 06-6281-1322 (For Spanish, Portuguese) Softbank line: 080-3847-9601 Fax: 06-6281-1255 Email: [email protected] Web: www.gs-travel.com Tokyu Hands Nagahori-dori Avenue 302 Wadayoshi-Bldg; 1-13-21 HigashiShinsaibashi, Chuo-ku, Osaka 542-0083 On the cover www.djseebstyle.com www.soundcloud.com/ djseebstyle www.facebook.com/ djseebstyle Sebastiano Gosmar A.K.A. DJ Seebstyle, a native speaker of French and Italian living in Nishinomiya, Hyogo, is a teacher by day and DJ by night. Best things in life: Family and real friends, enjoying the things I love doing (DJ-ing, travelling, teaching languages and hanging out with friends). Best things about Kansai: Night life, clubbing, great people, sightseeing around the area (Kyoto, Kobe, Nara, Osaka), delicious Japanese and international food (especially Italian). Top 3 Japanese foods Yakitori (torikizoku), vegetable (yasai) tempura, sashimi (salmon and tuna). Address Life in Kansai Welfare Solutions Co.,Ltd. Aoyama Bldg 9F, 2-11-12, Minamisemba, Chuo-ku, Osaka 542-0081 Publisher Ryoko Ino Editor Clare Midgley Photographer Reylia Slaby Editorial Jetvel | George Trump In the April 2016 Issue Features 4–11 [email protected] Employment 12 Tel. 06-6210-4964 Fax. 06-6210-4965 @lifeinkansai Accommodation 13 lifeinkansai.com lifeinkansai How to advertise 8 Life in Kansai accepts no responsibility for items advertised. We reserve the right to edit or omit any submissions. The views expressed herein are not necessarily representative of those of the publisher. lifeinkansai.com | April 2016 Food 14,15 Maps 16,17 3 Stepping up to the plate How much do you know about your local baseball teams? Brush up your knowledge in time for the new season with this quick guide. PROFILE: HANSHIN TIGERS Pass through Koshien Station on a Hanshin Line Limited Express train around 5pm on a Saturday and you may suddenly find yourself drowning in a sea of orange-yellow and black-and-white-striped shirts. From the end of March to late September Hanshin Tigers fans are a common sight on the trains between Osaka and Kobe as the baseball season gets underway. Though Tigers supporters aren’t exactly rowdy by the standards of sports fans in some other countries, you can usually at least tell from their behaviour whether their team won or lost! Imported to Japan from the United States in the late nineteenth century, baseball inspires a devoted following among the Japanese population and is considered a national sport. Baseball-loving visitors and residents in Kansai are in luck, with two major local teams to choose from. The Orix Buffaloes, with ballparks in Osaka and Kobe, provide a counterpoint to the glamour and excitement of the eternally popular Hanshin Tigers, based in Koshien, though the two teams don’t compete directly in regular league baseball; the Tigers play in the Central League, which they have won a handful of times, and the Buffaloes play in the Pacific League. Together these two leagues make up Nippon Professional Baseball, Japan’s highest level of baseball, with the winning teams from each league facing each other off in the Japan Series – the ultimate baseball title in Japan. But don’t expect a Japanese baseball match to resemble a US Major League clash. Though the rules are similar, the smaller pitch, smaller ball, shorter batting swing and limit on match length make Japanese baseball less about power and more about speed. Despite this, some Japanese baseball players Ballpark: Hanshin Koshien Stadium Founded: 1935 League: Central League (セ・リーグ) Website: hanshintigers.jp (Japaneselanguage only) Mascots: Torakki (トラッキー) the tiger and his girlfriend Lucky (ラッキー). have successfully made the transition to Major League baseball – notably power pitcher Kyuji Fujikawa, who this season is back with the Hanshin Tigers after his three years in the US was blighted by an elbow injury. The now-retired Hideo Nomo of the Kintetsu Buffaloes was an early pioneer in transferring from Japanese to US baseball, playing for many American teams over the course of his career, while Ichiro Suzuki, now at the Miami Marlins but for many years a Seattle Mariners player, started out at the Orix BlueWave. (The Orix BlueWave merged with Kintetsu Buffaloes in 2005 to form the current Orix Buffaloes.) And this trans-Pacific movement works both ways, with players from the US and elsewhere featuring on the squads of Japanese teams; new to the Orix Buffaloes this season is Erik Cordier, who played the 2015 season with the Miami Marlins. With the 2016 season about to get going, both Kansai teams are under new leadership and each face different challenges over the coming months. Former Hanshin Tigers star player Tomoaki Kanemoto may have earned the trust of his squad and the fans over his twenty-one-year career at the club, but does he have what it takes as a manager to lead the Tigers to Tickets If you can't get to the team's ballpark to buy tickets, check the team website (see profiles above and on page 7) or the Ticket Pia site (t.pia.jp/). If you don’t read Japanese, try using a Google Chrome browser with Google Translate enabled. Otherwise, there are ticket machines in convenience stores, where friendly staff are usually willing to assist. Prices start from around ¥2,000 and vary depending on seating location. 4 lifeinkansai.com | April 2016 PROFILE: ORIX BUFFALOES Founded: 1936 Ballpark: Kyocera Dome Osaka and Hotto Motto Field Kobe. League: Pacific League (パ・リーグ) Orix Buffaloes game. Image © Orix Buffaloes. Website: buffaloes.co.jp (English- victory over long-time Kanto rivals the Yomiuri Giants, who dominate the Central League? Heading up the Orix Buffaloes is Junichi Fukura, entering his first season in charge, but will the Buffaloes be able to rise above the 2015 misfortunes that saw them come in fifth out of the six teams in the Pacific League? Though diehard fans will live and breathe baseball for the next half-year, celebrating and commiserating the ups and downs of the season with their team, it’s not all serious stuff. Food, drink, cheering and singing creates a buzzing atmosphere, making baseball games language available) Orix Buffaloes mascots. Image © Orix Buffaloes. lifeinkansai.com | April 2016 Mascots: Brother and sister duo Buffalo Bull and Buffalo Bell (below left). great entertainment. Fans join in enthusiastically with the songs and cheers – with a different cheer for every player there’s a lot to remember. And then at Hanshin Tigers games there’s the famous seventh-inning balloon release, when fans blow up long balloons and launch them into the air (much to the annoyance of both teams, who lose their concentration). A baseball game in Japan is a spectacle worth seeing, even for baseball novices and sports sceptics. This relatively recent yet deep-rooted and iconic tradition can be seen as touching on more than just sport. The modern baseball game is a way of expressing regional identities and retravelling longestablished geographical divisions through rivalries such as that of the Giants–Tigers. An important aspect of Japanese culture that’s a lot of fun to observe! By Life in Kansai 5 The poetic power of sakura Find out what the ancient Japanese poets had to say about cherry blossom... The words sakura and hanami are two of the first you learn on arrival in Japan – especially if you come here in the spring. Sakura, Japan’s world-famous cherry blossom, is not the official national flower (that’s the chrysanthemum) but it might as well be. From late February to early May, images of sakura adorn shop windows, advertisements, magazines and product packaging. Not to mention the back of the one hundred yen coin, on which the flower is engraved. And hanami (literally ‘flower-viewing’ – sitting under a flowering cherry tree with a picnic) has been popular since the Heian era (794–1185). So why is it that sakura has this capacity for stealing people’s hearts? Cherry blossoms haven’t always been held in such high regard. Although they frequently feature in the Japanese form of poetry known as waka from the Heian era onwards, before that, during the Nara period (710– 794), the hana (flowers) appearing in waka poetry were ume (plum) blossoms rather than sakura. Sugawara no Michizane, a scholar, poet and politician of the Heian period who is now revered as Tenman Tenjin, the Shinto deity of scholarship, was a lover of ume blossoms, and Tenmangu shrines around Japan, which are dedicated to him, have taken the ume blossom as a symbol. Plum trees bloom for longer than cherry trees, and their fruit can be used to make umeboshi (salty sour plum often eaten with rice) and umeshu (plum wine). But back to sakura. In the words of Heian era poet Ariwara no Narihira (825–880): 「よのなかに たえてさくらの なかりせば はるのこころは のどけからまし」 (Yononakani taetesakurano nakariseba harunokokorowa nodokekaramashi) lifeinkansai.com | April 2016 This famous poem, from the Kokin Wakashū anthology of waka poetry, can be translated as, ‘If there were no cherry blossoms in this world, I would feel calm in spring.’ The poet’s springtime unease is because of the ephemeral beauty of the sakura, which bloom so briefly, reminding him of the transience of human life. Heian-era Japanese たえて(taete)=全く(at all) せば(seba)~まし(mashi)=~だろうに (would/ conditional form) のどけし(nodokeshi)=落ち着いている (to feel calm) Among the many excellent places to see sakura is Nara, capital of Japan during the Nara period. Nestled within Nara Prefecture is the famous Mt Yoshino, covered in a thick carpet of approximately thirty thousand Yamazakura cherry trees. This view is known as senbonzakura (a thousand cherry trees). Toyotomi Hideyoshi, daimyo (lord), warrior and politician of the Sengoku period (1467–1603), was a great fan of Mt Yoshino’s sakura display and would have hanami there in springtime. Kamisenbon, Mt Yoshino. Image: lasta29, Flickr. If you want to follow Hideyoshi’s example and take a trip to Mt Yoshino yourself this year, April is the month to choose, but check the sakura forecast to be sure.You can find it at www.jnto.go.jp/sakura/eng. By Life in Kansai Access: Yoshino Station on the Kintetsu Yoshino Line. Kamisenbon (upper) area is a 40-min walk and Nakasenbon (mid) area is a 25-min walk. Information on buses and ropeway available at Yoshino Station. Illuminations: 26th March–24th April, 6pm–9pm. 7 fr INTERNATIONAL SINCE 2007 o m e ve O p 7p r y n e n m ig to ht 5a m CONTEMPORARY JAZZ ! CLASSES ●Come in for FREE English Practice ●Darts & Waterpipe ●3 Big TV screens with latest musical videos ●Dance floor with DJ every weekend ●Free Entry ●Party space for rent for up to 50 people ●All drinks & food from ¥500 ●Japanese language (OK) ●Ask about our party plan prices! JULIA Free shot of tequila for any customer in Bar NASTY HOUSE at 2am on a Friday or Saturday night! r dly ba e n sy f ri ! Co ith staff w KM Bldg, B1F, 1-4-18, Nakayamate-dori, Chuo-ku, Kobeshi, Hyogo, JAPAN Cover Model Osaka Teikoku Hotel B1F, 2-8-17, Nishishinsaibashi, Chuo-ku, Osaka Tel. 078-393-5828 How to advertise in LinK 1 http://darkangeldance.com [email protected] FOR COMMERCIAL ADS Fresh Dance Studio http://freshdancestudio.com/ Deadline ( 広告掲載方法 ) for May issue 広告料金 ¥ 400 30 English letters 30文字 ( アルファベット ) Letter count 文字入稿 Size 枠入稿 ※日本語での 入稿も可能です。 要別途費用 ¥ 40,000 138mm×194mm ¥10,000 66mm×94mm 入稿方法 Full Page Mar 28 申込締切日 3 月 28 日 Deadline for adverts ¥20,000 designed by LinK 138mm×94mm Mar 21 ¥5,000 弊社でデザインをする場合 1/8 66mm×44mm 3 月 21 日 ¥10,000 1/4 138mm×44mm 1/2 Page 1/4 2 SEND YOUR AD 〒 542-0081 Aoyama Bldg 9F, 2-11-12, Minamisemba, Chuo-ku, Osaka By Post 大阪市中央区南船場2-11-12 アオヤマビル 9F By Fax 06-6210-4965 [email protected] Your name, telephone number, and postal address are required for reference. LinK reserves the right to edit or refuse any advertisement. By E-mail 3 HOW TO PAY 支払方法 POSTAL TRANSFER (00910-0-329693, Life in Kansai) 郵便振替(00910-0-329693, Life in Kansai) BANK TRANSFER (Mizuho Bank, Minamisemba Branch, Futsu 1864692 Welfare Solutions.,Co,Ltd.) みずほ銀行、南船場支店、普通、1864692、株式会社ウェルフェアソリューションズ PayPal. http://www.lifeinkansai.com ペイパルでのお支払いはHPよりお願いします。 We’re always looking for highly visible locations to display LinK. For owners of such locations, we are pleased to offer an advertising discount. LinK 設置場所を募集しております。毎月継続的に設置して下さる方は広告料をディスカウントしております。 8 lifeinkansai.com | April 2016 Spring clamming around Kansai This alternative to hanami will give you some fresh air and exercise as well as a tasty and nutritious meal! When you feel the warm spring air, you know it’s time to head down to the beach to dig up some clams. Never mind sitting under the cherry blossom – what better way could you spend a Saturday in April than covering yourself in mud in search of fresh shellfish? At least, that’s the way many Japanese people see it. Families, friends and couples are likely to spend several hours trawling through the wet sand filling their buckets. And once the bucket is full you can grill a few clams on the beach before Image: coniferconifer, Flickr heading home to make the rest into soup – choose from Japanese-style or chowder. Kansai’s shores boast not one but four different kinds of clams to dig up: the common orient clam (はまぐり), also known as ‘hamaguri’ from the Japanese word, the Manila clam (あさり), the razor clam (マテ貝) and the surf clam (ばか貝)– all delicious! So is it really that simple? Can you just head down to your nearest beach and start digging? Well, not quite. While some beaches let you take home all the clams you catch, others have entry fees and weight limitations. Take your pick from our recommendations below. Get out there, have fun and experience the satisfaction of digging for your own dinner! By Life in Kansai. Image: Yamashita Yohei, Flickr lifeinkansai.com | April 2016 Mie Prefecture Gotemba Beach Season: Mid-March to end of August Fee: free Address: Fujikata, Tsu, Mie Access: Approx. 20 min by bus from Tsu Station on the JR or Kintetsu Line. Karasu Beach Season: Mid-March to end of August Fee: free Address: Karasu-cho, Tsu, Mie Access: Approx. 35 min by bus from Tsu Station on the JR or Kintetsu Line. No restrictions on weight of clams. Free use of BBQ set (reservation needed). Hyogo Prefecture Shinmaiko Shiohigarijo Season: 16th April to 19th June. Fee: Adults ¥1300, children ¥800, small children ¥400 Address: 1414, Kurosaki, Mitsu-cho, Tatsuno, Hyogo Access: About 7 min by taxi from Aboshi Station on the Sanyo Aboshi Line. Matogata Shiohigarijo Season: 1st April to 30th June, 9am to 5pm Fee: Adults ¥1300, children ¥800, small children ¥400 Address: 1919, Matogata, Matogata-cho, Himeji , Hyogo Access: Free bus is available from Oshio Station on the Sanyo Line. Osaka Prefecture Nishikinohama Shiohigarijo Season: 16th April to end of May Fee: ¥1500 for adults, ¥750 for children Address: Nishikinohama Park, Sawa, Kaizuka, Osaka Access: Approx. 15-min walk from Nishikinohama Station on the Nankai Line. Take-home limit 800 g for adults and 400 g for children. Tanwa Shiohigarijo Season: 20th April to 5th June Fee: ¥1300 for adults, ¥700 for children Address: Tanwa, Misaki-cho, Sennan-gun, Osaka Access: Approx. 12-min walk from Tanwa Station on the Nankai Line. Take-home limit of 700 g of clams for adults and 400 g for children. 9 Roast Beef Sand wic h GEAUX SAINT S GEAUX! Cha u ric e Sand wic h La niappe t! Yeah you righ Gu mbo Ne w Orleans Styl e Cockta ils Try authentic Creole and Cajun cuisine and soak up the New Orleans atmosphere at this English-speaking bistro... 英語がとびかうビスト ロで、本場ニューオー リンズの雰囲気をお楽 しみください 本格的クレオール・ケイ ジャン料理のビストロ・ ニューオーリンズ WHO DAT? Where y’at? Laisser les bon temps rouler! bistro New Orleans http://r.gnavi.co.jp/kbpg400/ TEL. http://www.bistro-neworleans.com/ 3:00pm–11:00pm Closed Tuesdays 定休日:火曜日 Ow n e r Chef CC Hayd e l Fried Catfi s h Bread Pudd ing ビストロ・ニューオーリンズ Kawabe Bld 3rd., 1-15-10 Kitahorie, Nishi-ku, Osaka 550-0014 06-6543-7071〒550- 0014 大阪市西区北堀江1-15-10第三川辺ビル SOUL MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT INTERNET RADIO & TV STREAM 音楽番組・国際エンターテインメントネットラジオ、生放送&動画ストリーミング Hip Hop, R&B, Reggae, Soul ヒップホップ、R&B、レゲエ、ソウル Gospel, Jazz, African ゴスペル、ジャズ、アフリカン BLACKAN RADIO App http://www.blackan.com/ Mitori Bldg., 408, 1-9-19, Higashi Shinsaibashi, Chuo-ku, Osaka 542-0083 lifeinkansai.com | April 2016 10 Get your colour on! A fun run with a psychedelic twist hits the city of Sakai this April. Take part and you'll be left looking and feeling brighter! Loosely based on Holi, the Hindu Festival of Colours, which celebrates the transition from winter to spring, Color Me Rad brings you the thrill and excitement of colours, fun and music. Color Me Rad started as a revolution to bring more fun to runs. With millions of runners joining the party so far, Color Me Rad has hosted runs across the world for everyone with a desire for something a bit different. And this event will soon be returning to the Kansai area. In Sakai, south of Osaka, the energy is starting to build as people get ready for this April’s 2 km run, featuring live music, fun stands, photo opportunities and, most importantly, colours! As you run with your fellow participants, each checkpoint will douse you in a different shade. Blues, reds, greens, oranges and more wait for you around every corner. If you are concerned about stains from the paint, fear not – all the colours used are certified non-toxic and are cornstarch-based with food-grade dyes. It’s all safe, colourful and fun! This year you can join in the excitement on 16th April. Not only is the music and colour a true temptation, but you will also get a generous handful of goodies: t-shirts, wristbands, temporary tattoos and sunglasses. The run will have a staggered start, with sections beginning 20 minutes apart. Don’t worry if you’re not really into running – Color Me Rad is not about the run, it’s about the fun! Grab your shoes and walk, jog, dance or even get a piggyback ride through the colour checkpoints. No one will judge you and you will find yourself in the company of a large variety of people, all taking things at their own pace. Now, we mentioned the music, but you can raise your expectations. Lawson HMV Entertainment is sponsoring the event this year, so look forward to some fantastic beats and tunes to get you into the colourful mood. Want to find out more? Head over to the Color Me Rad site at colormerad.info/osaka to find out about entry tickets and times. By Meghan Bridges Images: Color Me Rad lifeinkansai.com | April 2016 11 Employment TRANSLATORS & PROOFREADERS! Interested in freelance translating or proofreading? We want to hear from you! We’ll keep your details on file and get in touch when we have work that fits your skills. Contact speakingfactory@ gmail.com w ith your name, email, availability and: •• Mother tongue; •• Details of languages you can translate from/into; •• Whether you're interested in translating, proofreading or both. DESIGNERS! Do you have a flair for design? Can you use Adobe InDesign, Illustrator and Photoshop? We’ ll keep your details on file and get in touch when we have work that fits your skills. Contact [email protected] with your name, email, availability and details of design skills. English instructors wanted Nagoya: BL&C needs English instructor for corporate lessons, once a week, Tues or Wed. Hours: 5pm–7pm. 8-week course, from beginning of March. Location: central Nagoya. ¥4,000/hour plus bonus of ¥500/hour upon completion of course. Transport paid separately. Resume to [email protected]. Kobe: BL&C needs English instructors for corporate lessons once or twice / wk. 6:30pm–7:30pm, days negotiable, 3 mths (renewable), nr Kobe Airport. Pay ¥4500 / hr plus ¥500 / hr bonus on completion English, Italian, Korean & Thai teachers wanted For C Flat international cafe in Shinsaibashi. Have fun, meet new people and experience Japanese culture. Please send CV to: [email protected] Website: freespacecflat.com of course. Transport paid separately. Resume to [email protected] Seeking enthusiastic writers Are you keen to share your love of Kansai? Life in Kansai magazine is looking for writers to contribute short articles about the Kansai area. Payment: per article. Email us with your ideas: [email protected] Bartender wanted Bartender living in Kobe area wanted for BAR NASTY HOUSE in Sannomiya. 2 or 3 days / wk. No experience OK! Call 090-8057-2483 (Bruce) for details. For foreign and Japanese people who want to help foreign travellers in Japan! We maintain www.japan-travel-planner.com, a website aimed at foreign travellers, to provide information regarding inexpensive accommodation, regional tours and activities, transportation, etc. across Japan. We want to increase interaction between Japanese people and foreigners, both online and in the real world. To this end, we created a teamed called Japan Travel Supporters, who seek an enjoyable Japan for both Japanese people and foreigners. We are looking for either Japanese or foreign part-time workers or volunteers who want to think about the future of Japanese tourism with us. Examples of activities and jobs ●Provide interesting or useful information regarding Japanese tourism ●Production of videos and booklets describing Japanese etiquette and customs ●Work as staff at the center, open since June 2015, which provides tourist information and serves to facilitate interaction between Japanese people and foreigners We are looking for international residents and visitors who can answer surveys or participate in interviews regarding Japanese products and services. Some work can be done at home. Hourly pay: ¥1000-¥2000. Please register at www.jlinksjapan.com/registration. Ayumi Kimba, J-Links Co.,Ltd. 4th floor, 4-2-13 Kitahama, Chuo-ku, Osaka 541-0041 Tel: 050-5883-7451 [email protected] 12 lifeinkansai.com | April 2016 Accommodation Life in Kansai on social media lifeinkansai @lifeinkansai Follow us on Twitter and like us on Noah House We can help you find the best apartment in Osaka! Move in smoothly with only a credit card! No guarantor required! 50% OFF Agent Fee with this AD 06-6633-0591 070-5341-2336 (Frances) Contact us for more information and available rooms! [email protected] nrhouse.info Come and speak Japanese while eating lunch at our Nihongo Cafe! 4th Sunday of every month. International guests ¥300, Japanese guests ¥600 (lunch included). Facebook for regular updates on Kansai events, cultural activities, food, employment and more... RSVP by email to: [email protected] Tel.: 06-6241-0246 facebook.com/cflat.nihongo Website: freespacecflat.com Nakamura Kousan Bldg. 2F 3-10-28 Minamisenba, Chuo-ku, Osaka FOREIGN BOOKS MEGA SALE! at KINOKUNIYA Umeda Main Store Fri March 18th ~ Sun April 3rd 10:00~22:00 *Last day till 18:00 UP TO 60% OFF! Paperbacks, children's books, picturebooks, and more! Check us out every day, as we add more books daily! Don't miss this chance to get all the books you love at a special bargain price! At the Event corner of our Umeda Main Store. KINOKUNIYA UMEDA MAIN STORE TEL. 06-6372-5821 STORE HOURS: 10:00~22:00 lifeinkansai.com | April 2016 13 There are times when the standard fare offered in Japanese restaurants just doesn’t suit everyone. Maybe you have a food allergy, or have chosen to renounce certain foods for ethical, health or religious reasons. Whatever your special dietary requirements, they can make eating out in Japan troublesome. Whether you’re just visiting Kansai, have recently moved here or are a longer-term resident, if you have dietary needs that most Japanese restaurants can’t cater for, you’ve come to the right place. Eating out the alternative way The cafés and restaurants listed below provide options for those who find it difficult to eat in ordinary restaurants in the Kansai area. If you have a suggestion for this page, please contact us at [email protected]. Kyoto Osaka Cafe Matsuontoko V DF SF Green Earth Vegetarian Cafe 538-6 Shijo Agaru Shinkyougoku Nakano-cho Nakagyoku, Kyoto 604-8042. Tel. 075-251-1876. Open Mon to Sun 11am–10pm. facebook.com/pages/Matsuontoko/316921331665778 Website: matsuontoko.net Vegans Cafe and Restaurant V DF 4-88 Nishiura-cho, Fukakusa, Fushimi-ku, Kyoto 612-0029. Tel. 075-643-3922. Open Thurs to Tues 11:30am–5pm. facebook.com/VegansCafeAndRestaurant Website: www.veganscafe.com Kobe The Pink Weed Cafe V DF 4-7-12 1F Kitanagasa-dori, Chuo-ku, Kobe 650-0012. Tel. 066251-1245. Open Thurs to Tues 9am–6pm. facebook.com/thepinkweedcafe Website: thepinkweedcafe.com Tofu Dining Daizuya VG 4-7-20 Kanocho, Chuo-ku, Kobe 650-0001.Tel. 078-333-4388. Open Mon to Sun11:30am–2pm, 5pm–12am. Website: www.ko-z.com/daizuya NB: Course menus can be made vegetarian on request. Nara Kinatei VG V 25-1 Surugamachi, Nara. Tel. 080-6119-6105. Open Tues to Sun 11.30am–2pm. Reservation required for dinner. V Vegan VG Vegetarian GF Gluten-free V DF Hommachi area: Room 50, Kitakyuhoji-machi 4-2-2, Chuo-ku, Osaka 541-0057. Tel. 06-6251-1245. Open Mon to Thurs & Sat 11:30am–5pm; Fri 11.30am–3pm, 6pm–10pm. facebook.com/Green-Earth-535323183261364 Website: osaka-vegetarian-ge.com Atl Organic and Vegetarian Cafe V DF Shinsaibashi area: 2-1-24 Shinsaibashisuji, Chuo-ku, Osaka, 542-0085. Tel. 06-6212-0066. Open Wed to Mon 12pm–10:30pm. facebook.com/CafeAtl Website: osaka-vegetarian-ge.com Aju Vegetable Kitchen Bar V DF Umeda area: 1-10-14 Nakazaki, Kita-ku, Osaka, 530-0016. Tel. 06-6251-1245. Open Mon to Thurs & Sat 11:30am–5pm; Fri 11.30am–3pm, 6pm–10pm. Website: a-ju.org facebook.com/Vegetable-Kitchen-BAR-あじゅ -162056213886768 Paprika Shokudo V DF SF 1-9-9 Shinmachi, Nishi-ku, Osaka, 550-0013. Tel. 06-6599-9788. Open Mon-Sun 11:30am-2pm, 5:30pm-11pm. facebook.com/papurika.vegan Website: paprika-vegan.com Himeji Organic Cafe Iyashiya Maaru V DF Aeon Town Himeji 1F 435-3 Nobematsu, Himeji 670-0966. Tel. 079-2881414. Open Mon to Sun 10am–9pm. tabelog.com/hyogo/A2805/A280501/28030846/ DF Dairy-free SF Sugar-free H Halal The dietary requirement specified by the symbol does not necessarily apply to all dishes served at the establishment. 14 lifeinkansai.com | April 2016 Recipe Seeb's pasta alla boscaiola DJ Seebstyle, who you can see on the cover this month, is a dab hand in the kitchen and often whips up mouth-watering Italian dinners for friends and family. This quick, easy and, above all, delicious recipe for pasta with mushrooms, cream and pancetta, or pasta alla boscaiola in Italian, is a favourite of his. Instructions 1 Bring a large pan of water to the boil and add the pasta. 2 While the pasta is cooking, cook the bacon in a non- Ingredients 350 g tagliatelle or penne pasta stick pan until it starts to brown. In a separate pan, heat a little olive oil with the garlic clove and add the mushrooms, stirring until they become soft. 200 g pancetta or bacon, diced 3 When the pasta is ready (after about 10 minutes), Approx. 200 g mushrooms (try Italian add the pasta and bacon to the pan with the mushrooms. porcini or Japanese shiitake or eringi), 4 Next, add the cream along with 2 tbsp of the pasta’s 100 g cream cooking water and a twist of salt and pepper. Salt and pepper 5 Mix everything together for about a minute. Remove Handful of parsley, chopped from the heat and serve immediately, topped with Fresh parmesan parsley and fresh parmesan. Olive oil Garlic clove, crushed sliced Serves 4 Top tip: Skip the bacon, substitute soy cream for the cream, or use gluten-free pasta – this recipe can easily be adapted for anyone with special dietary requirements. lifeinkansai.com | April 2016 15 Osaka C Flat Shinsaibashi Namba Mill Pour Trusty Hotel トラスティホテル Life in Kansai MAP Hearton Hotel Stn. Shinsaibashi Stn. Hotel Nikko essway Onzieme Apple Store Police Balabushka STANDARD Ghost BOOKSTORE Mandarake TAMI BAR FRESH DANCE SLICES STUDIO RICH GARDEN Coolabah L&L Pasion New JAPAN CINQUECENTO Hachiman-suji Hotel VISTA GRANDE Osaka Pure H&M P3 Bar Las Rocas Mitera-suji 三津寺筋 Zerro Cross Hotel 八幡筋 Don GIRAFFE Quixote Dotonbori River TSUTAYA Shochiku-za ROUND1 Sennichima Kintetsu Narea line line Nihonbashi Stn. Bic Camera Junkudo Book Store P9 Real Estate NRhouse ジュンク堂 No Name Cafe Bar Little Long Beach Oriental Hotel ○I○I マルイ TOWER RECORDS タワーレコード Takashimaya Swiss Hotel BAGUS ジュンク堂 St n St u ts ka Na NAMBA CITY なんば CITY WORLD PUB なんばパークス . NAMBA PARKS P16 Bar NGK Junkudo Book Store 高島屋 n. . a Sin amb JR N HOTSPOT Lux-Ria ba tn. Suomachi-suji 周防町筋 Nam tsu S Police Fusion 松竹座 Osaka Nakatsu Shinsaibashi P2 Travel Agency FUBAR Murphy's P11 Bar HUB Namba Stn. N a ka アーク GS TRAVEL Cocotte VANITY BAR ONE Dublin Bay OCAT BLACKAN/ KCC Sakai-suji 堺筋 Sakai -suji line Hearton Hotel ハートン心斎橋 Big Step Triangle Park Namba Hatch SAM& DAVE WAX BANCO OPA Twenty Three Hanshin Expr 大丸 Shinsaibashi-suji 心斎橋筋 Yotsubashi Hana Hostel Absinthe Yotsub Yotsubashi ashi -suji 四ツ橋筋 line Daimaru Dept. 日航 Mido-suji 御堂筋 Mido-suji line P10 Restaurant Bistro New Orleans Tokyu Hands Nagahori-dori Nagahori TsurumiNagahoribashi Stn. Ryokuchi line ZARA P3 Radio Station UNIQLO Ark Hotel ハートン南船場 STADIUM CAFE ASOBIBA 16 Kobe 幹線 Garage ParadiseThe Old Yamate kansen 山手 TSUTAYA Shiei Yamate Subway line Hotel Police Monterey Tokyu Iznt Hands Hyogo Pref. office Language Resources P12 Bar NASTY HOUSE Sannomiya Stn. Kobe Ikuta Junuor High School The AVERY'S INAZUMA Kobe Ko Motomachi Stn. an JR S soku line Hanshin Hanshin Motomachi Stn. nom line Kyuk yoryuchi Daimarumae Stn. i ya S Subway Kainan line MAP ri Police Kiyammachi-dori cafe MATSUONTOKO Kawaramachi-dori OPA ZARA Saint Marc Police Bank Kawaramachi Stn. Takashimaya Marui o Stn. Tower Records Gionshij Shinkyogoku Shotengai Junku-do iya Stn Daiei Junku-do Book Store . SOGO Sannomiya Hanadokeimae Stn. Higashiyama St n Wakamat su -dori Hanamikoji-dori IBIZA ZAZA Chambers Yamatoji-dori ROARS nom . Sanjo Stn. HUB BUTTERFLY Mina Kyoto San St n i ya Pig & Whistle Sanjo St n Keihan line Sanjo -do Police Sa m nno Loft Kobe Kokusai Kaikan Kobe City Hall Kyoto t n. Marui Daimaru Movix Kyoto World Express Midnight Shinbashi-d ori Gael Irish Pub cafe GREEN Police Kacho College Yasaka Jinja Shijo-dori Caricature Shijo Minamiza Todaiji- dori e Stn. Ikuta Jinja Flower Ro ad Kencyoma MICKEY'S CLUB MAP England Port liner Ikuta Police Station Police February's photo of the month Many congratulations to the winner of the February Life in Kansai photo contest, Kendall Wilson of Nishinomiya, Hyogo. We had a good laugh at Kendall's winning picture! Caption: "This photo was taken in September of last year, on the beach in Nishinomiya, Hyogo, Japan. Being an avid golfer, I had already had a good laugh at the sign, as we don't have that particular one in the US. When I saw this gentleman standing next to it, holding a golf club, I just couldn't pass up the opportunity to give my friends back home a little chuckle...." Will you be next month's winner? Send in your best shot of Kansai for the April Life in Kansai photo competition! You could get it published in our June issue and on our website, and win a mystery prize! Email your photo to [email protected] by 27th April along with the following: - Full name - Address - Contact telephone number - Caption of up to 50 words - Where and when photograph was taken - Image attached in JPG, PNG or TIF format - Image size should be 1–5MB Image: Anton V. Ovcharov 18 lifeinkansai.com | April 2016 Doors open: 18:00 Start: 18:30 OSAKA UMEDA WORLD PUB WORLD VIP LOUNGE VIP Lounge available for private parties and events Shisha Cafe & Sports Bar CLUB MUSIC EVERY NIGHT LIVE SPORTS ON BIG SCREEN TVS European and J-League Football, Pro Baseball, Rugby, Motor Sports... SHISHA 11 flavors GREAT BAR FOOD & SNACKS FREE ENTERTAINMENT Belly Dance / Pole Dance / Samba / DJs DRAFT AND BOTTLED BEERS PRIVATE PARTIES AND EVENTS 20 90mins all-u -can-drink ¥2,400 (groups of 5+) WORLD PUB Open Everyday 7pm-5am TEL 06-6375-4808 ADRESS Osaka, Kita-ku, Nakatsu1-2-21, Kyoei Five Bldg 2F 2F Hankyu Nakatsu Stn. EXIT Subway Nakatsu Stn. EXIT 4 @worldpubosaka worldpub.osakaumekita worldpub_osakaumeda LIVESPORTS Hankyu Umeda Stn. Yanmar lifeinkansai.com | October 2015