Tom the backroads traveller hosts this weekly meme - Tuesday Treasures
November 2025 - Toronto
Not quite a treasure, but I HAD to post this today as Tom knows my potato chip collection/obsession! I found this yesterday, and everyone's reaction has been "yuck!"
Will be added to my collection!
Dinner is served, with no fuss or pots and pans to clean up!
The concept of storing fish in fermented rice began in Southeast Asia as a means of preserving the fish for several months at a time. Known today as nare-zushi, or salted fish, the rice was not meant for consumption and would be discarded before the fish was served. This method spread to China and eventually, Japan, where vinegar was added to the rice to enhance flavor as well as improve preservation. During the Edo period (1603 – 1868), chefs began serving the fish over vinegared rice rather than discarding it; once perfected, this would become known as nigiri-sushi, the most common type of sushi served today.
Varieties
There are several ways to prepare sushi as well as a number of regional sushi dishes in Japan. These are the most common:
Chirashizushi – Literally, “scattered sushi”, a selection of various types of fish and vegetable garnishes are served atop a bowl of rice. In the Kansai region, the fish is often mixed into the rice.
Inarizushi – Sushi rice is served inside a pouch made of lightly sweetened fried tofu. The dish is named after the Shinto god Inari, whose messengers supposedly had a particular fondness for fried tofu.
Makizushi – This dish consists of a selection of fish, vegetables, egg, and rice rolled into the shape of a cylinder. It is then wrapped in nori, or dried seaweed, to hold it together.
Nigirizushi – Literally, “hand-pressed sushi”, this is what most people are referring to when they talk about sushi. Some of the most common fish are tuna, salmon, and octopus.
Oshizushi – A specialty of Osaka city, the fish is placed into a wooden mold, topped with rice, and then pressed into the shape of a block. After the block is formed, the chef cuts it into smaller pieces to be served.
Also known as “conveyor belt sushi” and “sushi-go-round”, Kaitenzushi is a unique dining experience in which plates of Japanese sushi placed on a conveyor belt that winds through the restaurant. Customers are free to pick and choose the plates as they pass in front of their seat, with the plate colour/design indicating the cost of each dish. There is at least one chef constantly preparing sushi for the belt at all times to ensure customers have a variety to choose from. Alternatively, requests can be made if a specific item is not on the belt.
The concept was created by Yoshiaki Shiraishi, a struggling restaurant owner who came up with the idea after a visit to Asahi brewery, where he saw beer bottles moving throughout the factory on a conveyor belt. Shiraishi opened the first Kaitenzushi restaurant in 1958 and would go on to open over 250 restaurants throughout the country, most of which would eventually shut down. Still, kaitenzushi is hugely popular in Japan and has recently gained traction overseas as well.
Many foreigners put too much soy sauce on their sushi. The reason is that they dip the shari (vinegared rice) side into the soy sauce. If you dip the shari side into the soy sauce, not only will the shari absorb too much soy sauce, but the shari will also become easier to crumble. When putting soy sauce on sushi, try to put the soy sauce on the neta side.
Eat sushi in one bite.Sushi is designed to be eaten in one bite. To fully enjoy its flavor, you should never cut sushi into smaller pieces. If the sushi feels too large, it’s better to ask the chef to make it smaller for you.
I'm linking up at Monday Mural
August 2025 - Toronto ON
These were found in Port Credit in Mississauga, where we went for breakfast on a summer morning.
Japan is a futuristic country built around convenience, sustainability, and state-of-the-art technology. Giving excellent service is important in Japan. And what better way to provide impeccable service than innovative technology to match?
7-Elevens are the recommended place to use ATMs. As an added bonus they (and many of the convenience stores) sell some decent pre-prepared meals. The Lawson chain of stores have a huge selection of pre-packaged pastries that were replenished on a daily basis and we kept those on hand for a quick breakfast before a day of wandering.
Vending machines are located literally every 100 metres, serving all kinds of drinks
Parking is vertical. Space is a luxury in Japan and over 540,000 car parks have gone vertical.
The sidewalks in Tokyo (and train stations) have yellow tiles running down the middle of walkways. They have different textures/patterns (straight lines/bumps) and are designed for the visually impaired to guide them and identify where sidewalks intersect or there is a traffic crosswalk.
Japan has a very strict ‘no shoes’ policy which applies to a lot of places you’ll visit across the country. This stems from Japan’s culture of cleanliness and respect. While you’re out and about in the streets, popping into shops, you’ll be fine. However, when visiting homes, traditional restaurants, temples, and shrines, you will most likely be asked to remove your shoes. Don’t worry, these places will provide spare slippers for you to wear instead! One rule to remember especially is: no shoes on tatami!
Crossing chopsticks symbolises death. Food is an important element of Japanese culture, and there are lots of etiquette rules to keep in mind. You may or may not be surprised to learn that there are several rules reserved just for chopsticks! One such rule is that you should never cross your chopsticks as this symbolises death. Why? It’s because the gesture resembles a funeral rite where bones are picked out of the ashes with chopsticks and passed to another – crossing the chopsticks in the process. Additionally, sticking your chopsticks into food vertically is also considered a bad omen as it resembles the incense sticks used during funerals.
Ometanashi isn’t just a word, it’s a way of life. Familiarise yourself with “O-me-te-na-shi”, short for, “Japanese service and hospitality.” It’s derived from the practice of politeness with intent to create harmony and avoid conflict. You will experience customer service to a whole new level, that goes above and beyond anything that you’re used to. From traditional ryokans to shop assistants running out the door to return your 1yen coins – you’ll be showered with kindness and amazed at their attention to detail to keep you smiling.
There’s a zero tolerance policy on rubbish. If you’ve ever been to Japan, you’ll soon realise that rubbish bins are scarce. Most sites and public spaces are immaculate and clean. It’s basic etiquette to take your rubbish home with you and word on the street – all local residents receive a garbage guide with rules for trash collection broken down from plastic, paper, cans, newspapers, etc.
Don’t walk while eating. Leave that big city hustle mentality behind you and stop to appreciate the food you're putting inside your body. Walking with food and drink in hand can be seen as disrespectful in Japan. Japanese take pride in keeping their streets clean.. So have a seat, slow down, and don’t treat walking from one attraction to another as the perfect time for a snack.
Don’t count your change. Often w hen you purchase something, your change will be returned on a little tray. Try your best to not count this in front of them as this shows you distrust them and being honest is a big thing that is expected of everyone there. By harmlessly counting your change you could be insinuating that you do not trust them. On the topic of little trays, its also good to get into the habit of not handing people cash directly, these little trays are there for you to place your money on to pay and receive change.
As amazing as it is to see the graceful geishas IRL in the streets of … and how epic it would be to catch a selfie with them for your friends and family back home… just remember that this is extremely disrespectful!. As beautiful as they may look, these ladies are not celebrities or tourist attractions. They are working women and to stop them in the streets will potentially make them late for their next engagement, which is a big Japan travel faux pas. Instead, how about hiring a kimono or Yukata yourself to wander the ancient streets. Locals love to see tourists fully embracing their culture and what better way than to wear their traditional clothes. If dressing up isn’t for you there will most likely be “fake” geisha scattered around the streets who are always more than happy to take a photo with you! They will probably be walking at a slower pace and will be on the more busy streets.
8. Don’t blow your nose in public. This should already be ingrained in your everyday post-covid etiquette but in Japan it was looked down upon even before covid hit. Sniffling and blowing your nose loudly can result in you standing out and people looking at you in disgust, unless that's something you're into. Regardless It's best to wear a mask in public if you're feeling even the faintest bit under the weather.
9. Know your way around the escalator. If you're observant or coming from a large city you're probably aware of this rule already, but when using the escalator in Japan, the left side is for standing and the right is for continuous walking. So if you feel like your step count is capped for the day stay to the left, but if you wanna add a couple more flights of stairs walk on the right.
November 2025
We had booked the Vietnam and Thailand package first with Wingbuddy. We don't take their flights as we prefer to do our own (air points, flexibility, credit card points and benefits, cc insurance and perks). Their initial flights also went through the States which we had no intention of doing so.
The tour package is semi-organized which is what we like. There is a lot of time on our own. There are no welcome of farewell dinners or really any dinners included. There are no home stays.
When we started looking at flights the intention was to add Japan at the end, over Christmas, however the flight costs were so astronomical that we said forget it. Then we decided since Air Canada had a stopover in Japan we may as well add it ad the beginning so we added 5 days in Tokyo before joining the tour in Hanoi.
SPREADSHEET - WILL ADD LATER
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