INTRODUCTION

Living in Japan! Hello everyone! Glad to be back with you. I'm Ruth. And I'm Stuart.
Living in Japan is a program for international residents in Japan, now or in the future.
 
Now in January, many people lost their lives or suffered damage in a major earthquake. It struck the Noto region of Ishikawa Prefecture. And the people of the region, of course, are definitely in our thoughts.
And we really hope that the area's recovery will come soon and be long-lasting.
 
Absolutely, yeah. Now people from other countries who are living in Japan but outside that region may feel a bit anxious. The same could be true of tourists just visiting. And of course, those who experienced the devastation directly may be hard-pressed to find peace of mind.
Yes, I can remember how I felt the first time I was in Japan during an earthquake. If you have no experience with them, you don't know what's happening. Yeah.
And if you've not had an evacuation or any evacuation training, you may start actually worrying too much about your lack of knowledge. Indeed, yeah.
 
Professor Emanuel Leleito of Nagoya University specializes in disaster management. We asked him what to remember in case of a quake. First of all, what should you do?
The first priority is to protect your head and neck with your arms. If you are indoors, don't run out of the building. Get under a desk or a table; hold onto the table's legs until the shaking stops. Moving around when the ground is still shaking is dangerous. When shaking stops, calmly make your way to a safe space outside.
 
Okay, so the main points are protect your head and neck, and get under a hard desk or table until the shaking stops. Then leave the building.
Right, wait until the shaking has stopped and then leave.
Okay. Now also if you know where an evacuation shelter is located, you can go there if necessary.
Yes. People from abroad may wonder if they're actually allowed in. I've thought of that too. Yeah, me too.
The answer is, of course, yes. Yeah.
The centers are for anyone who needs them. Don't let language get in the way. You and all the others can figure it out together. So, you need to find out where the evacuation centers near your home and workplace are. When? Right now. Yes.
And we asked Professor Leleito what else you can do right away.
 
I recommend preparing an emergency bag with provisions to last at least three days. Keep it in an accessible place so that you can grab it and go during an emergency. You will want a three-day supply of food and water. Plus, any medicine you need, a cell phone charger, a small radio, flashlight, and masks for possible dust or smoke in case of fires. Most of these items can be found at 100-yen shops. Also, begin cultivating something that is priceless: close friends nearby who can help each other.
 
That is so important. And one of the other things I do is I actually keep a pair of shoes under my bed.
Oh, that's a good idea. Right?
If an earthquake occurs late at night when the lights are off, I want to avoid stepping on broken glass with my bare feet. Yeah.
So, I keep those shoes under there. That's an excellent point, yeah.
 
Now, as for the three days of supplies, the essentials, of course, are universal. But the details differ from person to person. So, get an image of what you definitely want to have access to in an evacuation shelter for, let's say, three days.
True. Also, like the Noto earthquake, in some places relief supplies may arrive quite late. It might be delayed. So, a three-day supply might not be enough, just my opinion. In such cases, you can go to the evacuation centers if necessary if you run out of supplies. Sure.
And Professor Leleito said that we also need to get information.
 
You also need to know two or three sources to turn to for accurate and up-to-date information. Think not only TV, but also radio and internet. For example, the app for NHK WORLD-JAPAN and the one for the Japan Tourism Agency offer safety tips in English.
 
The website and apps for NHK WORLD-JAPAN are available in 20 languages. Twenty, that's superb.
The English version also provides information for staying safe and healthy after the quake. So please see if your questions have already been answered there.
Now from time to time, our program includes information on disaster prevention too. So, let's listen and learn together. Yes.

HINTS FROM SENPAI

It's time for Hints from Senpai. Senpai is the Japanese word for someone who has more knowledge or experience than you do. Every time we invite a different senpai in to give us tips and hints on how to do things better. And today we are talking about something that attracts people from all over the world to Japan. Ramen!
 
Today's guest is Cody Mizuno. Cody is Japanese and grew up both in Japan and the U.S. He currently works for a company in Japan, but he's also a ramen blogger. It's more than just a hobby. He's been known to consume 200 to 300 bowls of ramen a year. Wow! His blog spreads the appeal of ramen around the world, and he sometimes organizes ramen tours with international participants. Cody, welcome to the show!
Thank you for having me.

Terrific. 200 to 300 bowls of ramen a year is a very impressive number. Wow. How many did you have last year?
Yeah, so last year I visited over 200 different ramen shops and ate 365 bowls of ramen. Wow.
Holy Toledo, as we would say in the US.
Hahaha. But Japanese ramen has fans from, of course, all across the world. Some even come to Japan just to eat ramen. So why so much affection for ramen, do you think?
 
I think the biggest draw for ramen, especially from people overseas, is the worldwide recognition that a lot of the shops have been getting in recent years. Oh.
And, of course, another is the sheer number of styles. Uh huh.
For example, in the US, I think bigger cities like LA, New York, you may be able to try five to six different styles. But here in Japan you can find easily over 100 in Tokyo alone.
 
And since your blog is in English, I'm sure lots of people around the world ask you all kinds of questions about ramen. Would you give us some examples?
Yeah, sure. The most asked question I get is definitely shop recommendations. But I'm finding that more people are inquiring about the history, the birth of ramen, as well as the growing culture around it.
 
Huh, what do you mean by that?
So, the most common question is what exactly is ramen? So, generally speaking, the answer for that is that any noodles that includes the alkaline salt, which is called “kansui.” Kansui.
So, kansui is what gives the ramen noodles its distinct springiness and texture. Oh.
So, anything which includes noodles with kansui fall under the ramen umbrella. So, things like “tsukemen,” which is dipping noodles, and “mazesoba,” which is soup-less ramen . . . they all fall under that ramen umbrella since it uses that alkaline salt in its noodles.
 
Okay, I've been in Japan for 36 years, and I did not know that. Thank you. What other questions do you get?
Yeah, another common question I get is people asking about the different types of ramen. Giving a concrete answer to that can be a little difficult. Right. Because there's so many different styles and so many different ways to categorize them.
So why are there all these different ways of categorization though?
 
Most people will categorize ramen based on the three flavorings: soy sauce, salt, and miso. Okay.
But yeah, that really only indicates what flavors the soup. Oh!
And from there, you can also categorize ramen by broth types, such as chicken, pork, fish. From there, ramen can be categorized by prefecture as well. Right.
With many featuring a specialty specific to that particular region.
Ah, yes. Local specialties are called Gotochi ramen. Tell us about some.
 
Sure. So, one of the most popular regional ramen styles is the Sapporo Miso. Sapporo is located in the northernmost prefecture of Hokkaido, and it's very cold there. So, they love the heartwarming ramen such as the Sapporo Miso. So, the preparation of this style is quite unique. With most ramen you make the soup first and add the noodles in after. But with the Sapporo ramen, the toppings, miso, are first seared and then mixed with the broth directly in a wok, and then this concoction is then poured right over the top of the noodles. So, the toppings stay at the top and won't sink to the bottom.
 
So, it's categorized by the way it's made. How about another way?
Yeah. So, another popular ramen is the Hakata style ramen from Fukuoka Prefecture in western Japan. Interesting thing about Hakata ramen is the noodles. Most shops will allow you to order extra servings called Kaedama to supplement your meal. And Hakata has long been a fishing town. They say these noodles were cut thin in order to cook them quickly and be ready to serve in minutes. Oh.
It was very important for that, for the speediness for that, for busy fishermen and people doing time-sensitive work to come in, eat the ramen very quickly, and be able to head back out to work.
Okay. So, the form of food is based on the life of the community. Okay, that makes a lot of sense.
 
The ramen that impressed me the most was called Kitakata ramen from the Aizu region of Fukushima Prefecture. The soup was very light, the noodles were very thin, and even though ramen has like a lot of—you get the impression it has a lot of calories—I did not feel guilty eating this ramen because it felt very light.
Yeah, Kitakata ramen is probably one of the more unknown Gotochi ramen among people from abroad. But it’s very popular with many Japanese ramen eaters, and many will travel to the area just to have Kitakata ramen. Yeah.
And as you mentioned, because of their light airy soup, many people eat Kitakata ramen actually for breakfast, with a lot of the shops opening from 9 a.m.
They have a whole street. Oh, that sounds great.
 
For me the ramen I had in Minamisanriku in Miyagi prefecture was filled with seafood. It was gorgeous. It left a deep impression: shrimp, scallops, shellfish, all sorts of other seafood, and the soup was soaked with the flavor of the seafood. It was absolutely gorgeous.
Yeah, unfortunately, I've never been there, but many local ramen feature the ingredients that are popular in the area. So, it makes complete sense that the ramen you had there featured so much seafood. Yeah.
And I always say when traveling through Japan, the best ramen you could try, is always the specialty of whatever town you're in. So, hopefully you'll try whatever the best in that area.
 
Continuing our chat with ramen enthusiast Cody Mizuno. Now I recently found a tomato-based ramen with lots of cheese on it—four different types of cheese. What are some of the more unusual ramens these days?
Among the recent ones I’ve eaten, I've had one which featured a beautiful oyster soup with Gorgonzola cheese as topping. As well as a Southeast Asian influence ramen that was sort of a Tom Yum soup and ramen fusion, had a lot of cilantro and a lot of herbaceous notes to it. Nice!
And one that I've recently gone into is a type of ramen called Chacha-Kei ramen. What's that?
So, Chacha-Kei ramen is a pork tonkotsu-based soup, and they typically sprinkle cooked back fat over the top as topping. Wow!
 
And Chacha is the Japanese onomatopoeia for the noise of that action. So, it inspired the name of this dish.
Haha. That sounds amazing! Now Ruth, is there anything else you’d like to ask our connoisseur?
Something I would wonder about is the calorie part of it. How do you control the calories? Like how do you keep that under control?
 
To be honest, I don't think I do a very good job of it. But I do try my best by going to the gym and walking as much as possible. Rather than eating one ramen a day I usually have a couple bowls in a single day, and I would pick shops that are quite far from each other, which forces me to walk between. So, rather than taking a train, I'll walk to the next bowl and, of course, during my non-ramen eating days I try to eat as healthy as possible.
 
That's smart!
Very smart indeed. I like the walking idea. Now we've been talking about ramen itself. But Cody, I imagine many people ask about the restaurants where ramen is served.
Of course, I think the most asked question in that regard is the ticket machines. Oh, right!
Many shops use a sort of vending machine to place your order and pay. It helps expedite the service, so you can eat quickly and leave. But it can be a little difficult to navigate if you have trouble reading Japanese.
 
Indeed. Now if you can't read it, you can also use your cell phone to translate. But even if you can read it, sometimes you don't know what's in it.
Yeah, in that case, I've got a little life hack for you. The top left button is quite often the ramen that the restaurant recommends the most. So, if all fails, I would go for that one. That's smart.
 
Yeah, and also many ramen shops will price their ramen at around a thousand yen. So, if you're not sure what to expect, choose one that's around a thousand yen and you'll most likely get some sort of ramen. Say you bought like a 300-yen ticket, you probably didn't get ramen and got something like a topping or a drink. Or an egg. Exactly.
 
Yeah, on the topic of egg, because of the recent rise in prices here in Japan, egg is no longer a standard at many of the ramen shops. Used to be for years.
Yeah, so if you really want to add one to your bowl, be sure you choose the option which includes egg or grab it as an add-on topping. And ramen egg is often referred to as Ajitama in Japanese. Ajitama.
 
Should be easy enough to find on a menu, especially using a smartphone translation app. But don't be scared to ask for an Ajitama if you're unsure.
That is so helpful. And I've seen on some of the vending machines there are little photos. So that's also very helpful. Anything that people with food restrictions should be aware of? Good point.
 
Yeah, I know that many ramen shops in other countries offer vegetarian options, but that's not very common here in Japan. Many items like soy sauce or shoyu ramen, salt, shio ramen, they can differ in broth types from shop to shop. So, if you have a dietary restriction, I would definitely do a quick check online beforehand.
 
I also recommend simply searching for vegetarian ramen to find a variety of ramen that you might be able to eat. Anything else to be aware of when going to a ramen restaurant?
So, popular ramen restaurants in Tokyo are sometimes located in pretty quiet residential areas. Oh.
When standing in line, be mindful of the neighbors. They would really appreciate it if you kept your voice down.
Oh, absolutely. Now finally, I have to ask you, as someone who has eaten thousands of bowls of ramen, what's your favorite?
 
Actually, it's the ramen from a shop right next to my parents' house, where I grew up. I've eaten it more times than I can count, and after all these bowls, I still find myself coming back there. But the great thing about ramen is the vast variety and options. Each bowl is widely different, and I encourage everyone to try as many different styles as possible, and it'll help you figure out what you enjoy most.
Excellent. Cody, thank you very much for coming in.
Thanks for having me. Thank you.

ENDING

In coming to the end of today's broadcast, let us remind you of a program from NHK WORLD-JAPAN. We've talked about it before. It's BOSAI: Be Prepared - Earthquake, Tips for Staying Safe from the Culture Crossroads.
Yes, this program teaches you what to do first when an earthquake strikes. It includes images so you can imagine the situation as you learn about disaster prevention.
 
You'll find the show on the NHK WORLD-JAPAN website.
And if you want to tell us anything or ask anything, head over to the Living in Japan website and please send us a message. We're always glad to hear from you. We'll be waiting for you next time on Living in Japan. Bye!