Over the winter season, while I was volunteering at the Fuyu Matsuri at the JCCC, I was lucky enough to win a gift certificate for a shiatsu massage in the big auction.
Back in Japan, I had some interactions with shiatsu, in the form of shiatsu massage chairs. In fact in Oita, where I lived, there were massage chairs at nearly every onsen, and there were onsens nearly everywhere. Since my favourite pastime was to go to the onsen, this naturally included being gently massaged by a massage chair afterward.
After experiencing a real shiatsu massage at the Tao Sangha Healing Centre, I now know how a Japanese massage chair is nothing like the real thing, and I can never go back. (more…)
Two woodcut prints of ぶどう delicious, huge Japanese grapes, from 内子、愛媛県 Uchiko, Ehime Prefecture. I'm sure anyone who has tried grapes in Japan remembers how flavourful and juicy they are. I…
This is a woodcut print of a 椿 (つばき) flower, I made while living in Matsuyama, the capital of Ehime Prefecture. Tsubaki flowers are beloved in Ehime, and all over…
Compiled by JETAA Memeber Nicholas Jones So you're freshly back to the GTA from Japan, and you've had some time for the reverse culture shock to wear off. Like many…
Missing Japanese home cooking? Need some ingredients you can’t seem to find anywhere? How about checking out the many options we lucky Torontonians have at our disposal. Explore the various Japanese supermarkets in Toronto. Ashley Haley breaks it down for you.
J-Town
3160 Steeles East / 404 & Steeles
J-Town, should you be close enough to access it, should always be your first stop for authenticity. This shopping complex encompasses a supermarket, restaurant, bakery, fishmonger, cafe, izakaya, kitchenware store, cosmetics store, beauty salon…it is, essentially, a tiny Japanese mall. The prices are consistent with what you might find at Sanko, though slightly higher than the Korean grocery stores that stock Japanese products. Still, for the experience – especially for expats fighting homesickness – this place is the Promised Land. It’s also the only store I know of in the city that sells melon pan, fresh or otherwise.
Access it by the 53 Steeles East bus at Finch Station – the stop you want is “3381 Steeles Avenue East,” immediately afterWoodbine Avenue.
Sanko
730 Queen Street West / Queen & Bathurst
Sanko is the more well-known of the two purely-Japanese shops in town, open since 1968 and run by a local family. For downtowners, it is a much more sensible choice than J-Town, especially as it has a fantastic stock of both drygoods and fresh ingredients, including burdock root and shiso leaves. Rice balls and takeout obentou available too. Sanko also carries an extensive stock of Japanese dishware; priced for imports but of excellent quality.
Access it via the 511Bathurstor 501 Queen streetcars.
