KodoGuru S5 Ep2: Drama Notes

[earth_colors]

Ep. 2: "Popeye Bacon and Raw Smoked Saury of Kiyosumi-Shirakawa, Koto Ward, Tokyo"

Episode Synopsis. Arriving at Kiyosumi-Shirakawa Station in Koto Ward, Inogashira Goro (Matsushige Yutaka) receives some bad news on the phone. It seems some business deal did not push through. He goes to buy a handkerchief at a souvenir shop and chooses one with a Daruma design on it. He hopes it will bring him good luck. Then, he meets with Tajima (Satoi Kenta) at the Fukagawa Edo Museum for a business meeting. To his delight, Goro is able to have a successful outcome with this deal. He goes out into the streets to celebrate and have a Fukagawa rice meal. But instead, he chooses an izakaya because of its name: "Daruma". Feeling that luck brought him to this place, Goro goes inside the crowded tavern, to be greeted cheerfully by the attendant, Suu-san (Asano Atsuko). Goro is also awed by the varied menu displayed on the walls, boasting a hodgepodge of Japanese and Western snacks and dishes.

Drama Notes:

Featured Shop:

Daruma

[だるま]

Address:

Tokyo, Koto Ward, Miyoshi 2-17-9

Tel. No: 050-5872-6370 (for reservations);
03-3643-2330 (for inquiries)

How to get there:

5-minute walk from the subway Kiyosumi-Shirakawa

More info/pix: tabelog, buzzplus (map)

Fukagawa, Koto Ward, Tokyo. Fukagawa is one of the "shitamachi" (downtown or merchant/working class districts) areas of Tokyo. It used to be a ward but was incorporated into Koto Ward in 1947. It is also known as one of the places poet Basho called home (it is where he wrote his "Frog Poem"). Attractions include: Fukagawa Edo Museum and Kiyosumi Teien Gardens. For more tourism info on this: japanvisitor.

(info: wiki) (pic: sumai.nikkei)

Fukagawa Edo Museum [深川江戸資料館]. A community culture center that was established in 1986. Acc. to gotokyo: the museum is "an actual-size reproduction of the city streets from Fukugawa Saga Town in the Tempo period (the end of the Edo period). The family structure, occupation, and age of each resident have been established in a detailed manner, and daily goods for each of their lifestyles are present." It is open daily except for holidays, 2nd and 4th Mondays (If a Monday falls on a public holiday, the center will be closed on Tuesday) and temporary closures for maintenance and preparation.
(info: gotokyo, kcf.or.jp) (pic: koto-jikan)

Fukagawa Meshi [深川めし]. Acc. to jnto.go: "Fukagawa-meshi is a popular dish in downtown Tokyo. Shelled clams and leeks are cooked in miso and then served on a bowl of rice together with the soup." For a recipe: getitcooked

(info/pic: ja.wiki, jnto.go)

Daruma doll [だるま]. Also Dharma doll. Acc. to wiki: it is "a hollow, round, Japanese traditional doll modeled after Bodhidharma, the founder of the Zen sect of Buddhism. These dolls, though typically red and depicting a bearded man (Dharma), vary greatly in color and design depending on region and artist." It has a design that is "rich in symbolism and is regarded more as a talisman of good luck to the Japanese." They are regarded as a symbol of perseverance and good luck. It is made of papier-mâché, "have a round shape, are hollow and weighted at the bottom so that they will always return to an upright position when tilted over. (...) This characteristic has come to symbolize the ability to have success, overcome adversity, and recover from misfortune."
(info/pic: wiki)

Nikomi [煮込み]. It means stew, hodgepodge, or ragout. Popular types of nikomi are "Nikujaga" (beef and potatoes) and "Beef Tendon Nikomi".

(info/pic: ja.wiki)

Senbei-Jiru [せんべい汁]. Goro mentions this dish at the end of the episode that combines rice crackers and soup. A local dish of Aomori prefecture, senbei-jiru is a dish of soy sauce-flavored senbei (rice crackers) mixed in a nabe or hotpot of vegetables and meat.

(info/pic: ja.wiki)

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