Timothy Hong Ming Chan

Japanese Table Etiquette: Boundaries between Japan and the World

Where I am from, eating together with the family just meant having a good meal and some time talking to your loved ones. In Japan, that is different, you will be socially frowned upon or given weird looks if you were to subvert these social standards that I want to discuss today. Before eating aContinue reading “Japanese Table Etiquette: Boundaries between Japan and the World”

Japanese Beauty Standards: The Impossible Goal

Recently, I have stumbled upon a video on Youtube which has piqued my interest: In Japan, the term “Yamato Nadeshiko ( 大和撫子 )” symbolizes the image of the perfect woman. Besides a feminine personality, it means a slim, fair skinned body with beautiful hair that women aim for. Asian Boss brings to light this issueContinue reading “Japanese Beauty Standards: The Impossible Goal”

Does a Tourist Experience What Japanese People Eat?

When someone mentions to you “I am going to visit Japan”, what do you think of? Japan has created an image of what ‘Japanese food’ is and it shapes our perspectives. Below is a portion of the culinary guidebook issued by the ‘Japanese National Tourism Organization’: For me, understanding a country’s culture requires you toContinue reading “Does a Tourist Experience What Japanese People Eat?”

Japan’s Unusual Yellow Pumpkin: Naoshima

When someone thinks of food in Japan, they think of sushi, tempura, hot pot, wagyu beef, the list is endless. When someone thinks of travelling to Japan, they think of Kyoto, Tokyo, Fukuoka, or Osaka. However, none of these locations features the Yellow Pumpkin of Naoshima, which resides on a small island in the inlandContinue reading “Japan’s Unusual Yellow Pumpkin: Naoshima”

Sushi as a Reflection of Japanese Society?

We have all probably eaten or seen the symbolic dish known as “sushi”. It tastes, looks and feels Japanese. But I have chosen it not for any of those reasons, I believe it embodies the image of Japanese values and culture. On the surface, the sushi became well known due to globalization and the tasteContinue reading “Sushi as a Reflection of Japanese Society?”

About Me: Why Japan and Food?

“Traveling is an easy way of surrounding ourselves, as in childhood, with what we cannot understand “ Iyer, Pico (2000). ‘Why We Travel’ Travelling has always been a way for me to escape the monotonousness of daily routines; to find something that isn’t just the ‘same’. It is analogous to the feeling that I gotContinue reading “About Me: Why Japan and Food?”