5 Things We Have Learned This Week… #4

Another week, another set of discoveries as we eat, explore, and occasionally freeze our way through Japan. This week, Nagoya took us by surprise, we unlocked the secrets of Ichiran like ramen-slinging pros, and we started to understand why sakura season is practically a national obsession. So, here are five things we have learned this week:

1. Sakura Season Is Not Just a Season – It’s a Lifestyle

We knew Japan took cherry blossoms seriously, but we didn’t fully grasp the scale of the nationwide obsession until we started seeing sakura-themed everything. Starbucks? Sakura lattes. KitKats? Sakura-flavoured. Convenience stores? Walls of pink packaging. You could probably buy sakura toilet paper if you looked hard enough.

And it’s not just the merch - hanami (cherry blossom viewing) is a full-scale cultural event. Families, couples, and office workers will claim the best picnic spots weeks in advance, all for the chance to sit under a tree, drink sake, and stare at flowers like it’s the most beautiful thing in the world (which, to be fair, it kind of is). Now, Ash & I won’t be in Japan when it’s expected to blossom (we’ll miss it by a few days) but we’ll Sakura in all it’s glory in South Korea & China (we hope!).

2. The Word “Yaki” Will Make You Hungry

If you see the word “yaki” in Japan, it’s safe to assume something delicious is being grilled, fried, or generally cooked to perfection. We’ve been throwing this word around like we actually know what we’re talking about - yakisoba (stir-fried noodles), yakitori (grilled skewers), okonomiyaki (savoury pancakes), takoyaki (octopus balls). It’s like a cheat code for finding good food. We can’t wait to sample okonomiyaki in Osaka next week!

Basically, if it ends in “yaki,” we want it, and we probably already ate it.

3. Miso Katsu: The Deep-Fried Hero of Nagoya

Nagoya has a bit of a reputation as a place you pass through rather than a place you visit. But let us tell you - this city knows its food. Specifically, it knows how to take a perfectly good katsu (deep-fried pork cutlet) and drench it in thick, rich miso sauce.

Miso katsu is a big deal here, and after trying it (several times, in the name of research), we completely get it. We even found a cozy book café that served miso katsu sliders because why have one big katsu when you can have three mini ones? Sitting among shelves of Japanese novels we couldn’t read, munching on sliders and sipping coffee, we realized that sometimes, the best food discoveries happen when you’re just looking for somewhere warm to sit.

p.s. we enjoyed the sliders so much we didn’t take a photo but look at our smiley faces… you can tell we enjoyed them!

4. Nagoya Deserves More Love (Even If We Weren’t Brave Enough for the Eel)

Speaking of Nagoya - it’s criminally underrated. Most tourists breeze through on their way between Tokyo and Kyoto, but if you actually stop for a second, you’ll find a city full of surprises. There’s the massive Nagoya Castle, where you can marvel at golden shachihoko (mythical fish-tiger creatures, because why not?). There’s the futuristic Oasis 21, which looks like a spaceship landed in the middle of the city. And, of course, there’s the food - miso katsu (as above!), tebasaki (sweet and spicy chicken wings), and hitsumabushi (grilled eel so good it gets its own set of eating rules).

Now, let’s talk about the eel. It’s one of Nagoya’s most famous dishes, and people rave about it. But for us? Yeah… we weren’t quite brave enough for that one. Something about the texture, the look, the general eel-ness of it all - just not our thing. We sat that one out, leaving the hitsumabushi to those more culinarily courageous.

Nagoya doesn’t beg for attention like Tokyo or Kyoto. It just quietly exists, serving up incredible food and futuristic architecture, waiting for people to notice. We’re glad we did (even if we wimped out on the eel).

5. We Have Officially Mastered Ichiran Ramen (On Our First Try, Obviously)

When we were in Tokyo, we said we’d go to Ichiran, but the reality? We didn’t look hard enough, got distracted by other things (read: coffee and konbini snacks), and ended up saving the experience for another time. 

Well, that time finally came and this time, we did it properly.

We strutted in, punched in our order with the confidence of people who know exactly how much garlic they want, and navigated the hidden pull-down tray like seasoned ramen veterans. We even filled out our customisation sheet like it was a personality test we had studied for. (Rich broth? Always. Extra spice? Obviously.)

Sitting in our private ramen cubicles, slurping away in silence, we realized we had unlocked a new level of ramen expertise. From “We’ll get to it later” in Tokyo to Ichiran pros in Nagoya, we finally made it happen. And yes, it was worth the wait.

p.s. If you’re not familiar, Ichiran Ramen is like the Nando’s of Japanese noodle joints except instead of choosing the spice level for your chicken, you’re customising the richness, garlic and heat of a steaming bowl of silky tonkotsu ramen, all served in your own private booth for peak slurping concentration.

This week, we learned that Japan’s love for cherry blossoms is unmatched, that “yaki” is our new favourite word, and that Nagoya deserves far more than just a train transfer (even if we weren’t brave enough for the eel). We also reaffirmed our love for deep-fried food and finally ticked Ichiran off our list.

Until next week, when we’ll probably learn more things the hard way.