Kyoto Interview Series
Life in Kyoto (LIK) recently interviewed Mr. Atsushi Kawabata, the owner of "El Latino," a Mexican restaurant in Kyoto. Mr. Kawabata started his career working in the Japanese office of an American trading company. When he made a business trip to Mexico, he came to love the country and its people. He decided to quit the company and to start his own trading firm in Mexico. He had spent twelve years of his life there and returned to Japan in 1992, after which he opened his folk-art shop and Mexican restaurant in Kyoto. Q: Mr.Kawabata, you lived in Mexico for twelve years. What about Mexico attracted you to live there for such a long time? A: It was the Mexican people in particular. They are very hospitable. For example, when they are asked for directions, they will never tell they don't know the way even if they really don't! Instead, they will try their best to help you find the way. They are cheerful people who know how to enjoy their lives. Q: What is your restaurant "El Latino" like? A: "El Latino" provides a variety of Mexican and South American food at reasonable prices. It is more than a restaurant, but a place to enjoy Mexican atmosphere and culture with Salsa music, Mexican folk-arts and friendly staff. We are sure that everyone who comes to "El Latino" will feel satisfied with delicious food, reasonable prices and an enjoyable time. Q: What types of people come into "El Latino?" A: There are many Mexican and South/North American people (those who live in Kansai area and tourists alike). Of course, many Japanese people love Mexican food as well! We've had some professional musicians, DJs and wrestlers (professional wrestling, called "lucha libre" in Spanish, is very popular in Mexico) come as well. Q: What dish would you recommend to a person who is trying Mexican food for the first time ? A: "Guacamole y Chips." This dish consists of corn chips served with two kinds of sauces made from avocados and chili peppers. It is a typical Mexican food with a home-made taste. As for a beverages, why not try a Margarita? Q: What is your motto for life? A: Try everything you want to do in life. Even if you do not succeed, you will have had the experience. But stay within your own range of capability. Taking action is the most important thing, ultimately. 　　With real Mexican food and beverages, an exotic atmosphere and Mr. Kawabata's friendly personality, a visit to El Latino is like stepping into a Latin country for an hour or two. Seeing is believing! Why not come to "El Latino"? You won't be dissapointed. -T. Iwasaki 　　El Latino Restaurant is located near the intersection of Marutamachi and Higashioji Streets. 　　They are open 6pm-Midnight most days.
	Japanese Sweets in Kyoto　　August: Mizu Yokan
	As the summer gets hotter and hotter, people like to eat chilled and light-tasting sweets such as Mizuyokan (水羊羹). Mizuyokan is a watery version of Yokan, a rectangular bar of sweetened jellied bean paste available in different flavors, and served with tea. 　　Yokan has a history going back hundreds of years. It was originally brought from China by Zen monks between the years 1192〜1573. At that time Yokan was eaten as a vegetarian substitute for the thick mutton soup traditionally served between meals (known as tenshin). Zen monks were forbidden to eat meat, so they made meat substitutes using mashed beans and powdered kuzu root (kuzuko: Japanese arrowroot). With time, the popularity of Yokan gradually spread to the military (samurai) world as well, and it was often served during religious ceremonies and memorial services for the dead. 　　At that time sugar was a precious ingredient, so Yokan did not have the sweet taste it has now. At ceremonial meals people ate Yokan served with with slices of pear or sashimi (raw fish) which seems unthinkable now. 　　 During the 16th century, Yokan began being used for tea ceremonies. As sugar supplies increased during the Edo period, Yokan started being produced as a dessert rather than food eaten between meals. 　　 In the 18th century Yokan began being produced as merchandise, wrapped in bamboo leaves. The process of Yokan production during that time period is similar to the way that steamed Yokan (Mushiyokan) is made now. Mizuyokan was created by making steamed Yokan using Kuzuko in place of wheat powder and a larger quantity of water, creating a jelly-like texture. It took a while for the recipe to be perfected, so it was not until the 18th century that it caught on in popularity. 　　 In 1789-1801, Neriyokan (Yokan paste), began being made in the Edo region (Tokyo), using kanten (agar- a jelly made from seaweed) to make it firm. This became popular, and spread all over Japan. Neriyokan was more popular than steamed Yokan because it kept well and was better tasting. It thus became the main Yokan product on the market. 　　 Mizuyokan made with kuzuko tastes smoother than the kind made with kanten, but is more difficult for mass production and does not keep as well as the kanten variety, so the latter tended to dominate the market. In modern times, packed and canned Mizuyokan can be easily preserved, but are not as aesthetically pleasing as fresh sliced Mizuyokan placed on real cherry leaves or packed in a real bamboo container complete with bamboo leaves on the top. Many sweet shops sell original Mizuyokan in a variety of tastes, shapes and colors. So why not give Mizuyokan a try this summer? 　　 -A. Tara 　Mizu Yokan Recipe The main ingredients in Mizu Yokan are kanten, a flavorless gelatine like substance made from sea weed, and smooth azuki bean paste called koshian. All of the ingredients can be found at Japanese supermarkets. 　　 Ingredients: 　　2 sticks kanten (寒天) 　　1 1/2 cups water 　　1 cup sugar 　　1/2 teaspoon salt 　　1 1/2 cups koshian (漉し餡:smooth bean paste) 　　Cut the kanten into one inch pieces and soak them in water for thirty minutes. Cook this mixture over medium heat until the kanten dissolves. Add the sugar and salt, and stir until they dissolve in the water. Add the koshian paste and continue cooking the mixture over medium heat, stirring constantly, until it comes to a boil. Turn off the heat, and pour the mixture into a pan and refrigerate. Cut the cooled Mizu Yokan into rectangles using a knife. Serve with tea. -B. Jarvis
	Ota Dokan and the Lady of Yamabuki
One day this past April, I took my American friends Lee and Bill to see the Imperial Palace. While we were resting underneath a cherry tree, Bill pointed at a nearby bush and asked me "What is that flower?" 　　"It's called Yamabuki (山吹, Japanese Kerria). Don't you have this kind of flower in America?" I asked him, to which he replied "No, we don't." At that time, I remembered a story I had heard as a child about the Yamabuki flower. I knew the story would be difficult to explain to my friends, since it involved a play on words, but I tried my best to tell them anyway. 　　One spring day during the Muromachi Period, a young samurai was taking a walk in the countryside near Edo (江戸), when he was caught in a sudden rain shower. He looked for shelter, but all he could find was a dilapidated cottage. He ran under the eaves of the cottage and knocked on the door. A lady answered the door. "Could you lend me a mino (蓑, straw raincoat)?" he asked her. The lady disappeared into the cottage without a word, then returned with a small branch of Yamabuki, which she presented to him with a sad look. She then bowed and left him there. He didn't understand why the lady had done this. Later, he came upon a poem by Prince Kenmei (兼明親王) in the GoShuiShu (後拾遺集, an anthology of poems compiled during the Heian period), and finally understood the intention of the lady of Yamabuki: Nana-e ya-e (七重八重) Hana-wa sak-edo-mo (花は咲けども) Yamabuki-no (山吹の) Mi-no hito-tsu da-ni (実の一つだに) Naki-zo kanashi-ki (無きぞ悲しき) "Seven Layers, eight layers. Even though the yamabuki is blooming, It is sad that it does not bear even one fruit." 　　 This is the intended interpretation of the poem. However, there is another possible interpretation of the last two lines. The morphemes (smallest meaning-carrying units of language) mi (実, fruit) and no (の、a nominative case marker), when taken separately, have a different meaning than when the two sounds are taken as one word, mino, which refers to a raincoats woven from straw. When interpreted with the latter reading, the meaning changes to "It is sad that I do not have even one raincoat." 　　 The samurai realized that the lady, whom he had assumed to be just a poor farmer, had known the poem and had expressed her situation in quite a graceful way, while he himself, who was supposed to be educated had in reality been ignorant. He felt very much ashamed of his ignorance and became determined to study harder. 　　 The samurai, known as Ota Dokan (太田道潅), later became an expert of strategy and a well-known scholar. He became famous as the designer of the Edo Castle (江戸城). 　　 I would like to remark on this tale of "The Yamabuki and Ota Dokan" that the key point of the poem is an example of a "pun" or play on words. People have amused themselves with these kind of intellectual games as language developed over the centuries. It might be considered part of the innate sense of humor that is a natural gift for human beings. -K. Takahashi
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