things I (contine to) miss about japan- part I

I thought that I would bring back the things I would miss about Japan, written back in 2007 on my former blog juliajima. Because, it just so happens that I continue to miss these things. Almost all the time. I lived there for 2 years, and it was pretty amasing.

Here is the first part of a 3-part series.


there are so many things that keep popping into my mind. thought i'd start to make a list.

1. juicy juicy kinkans: these tiny, bite-sized citrus fruits that look like minature oranges. only in japan, sour, and delicious. eaten whole, peel and all. loaded with vitamin C and great for colds. actually, they have natural enzymes that work as a cough suppressant. last night i went to my favorite hangout, to order my favorite drink- vodka, soda, halved kinkans, lemon liqueur and a dash of sweetness of some sort, complete with a tiny fork to nibble on the kinkans between sips. my friend the restaurant owner/bartender fumio-san lowered his eyes at my request. "juli-chan, the kinkans are finished. out of season. no more kinkans." SHOCK. devastation. disbelief. a tad dramatic you say? its just that i am in love with this fruit. and they don't exist anywhere else. i like the little things so much that i smuggled two bags first into the states, then into canada when i went in march. and we all know how the americans are serious sticklers when it comes to bringing fresh fruit into the country.