Shia's Japanese Seal

Before I came to Seattle, I didn't understand that this so-called most democratic city in the United States has such a long history with Japanese culture. After living in this life for nearly two years, I found that the connection is not only a comprehensive Japanese diet and a large number of Japanese immigrants, but also many details of urban life.

Japanese supermarkets and Japanese restaurants

In Seattle International District, also known as China City, there are the largest Japanese supermarkets, Uwajima House and Uajimaya. The goods in the store are mainly Japanese, including wine, Japanese drinks, biscuits and cakes, tea, snacks, seasonings and lunches. Meat and fish are famous for their freshness. Outside the cashier's area, there are counters selling Japanese brand cosmetics and daily necessities, and there are often some seasonal features, such as soy sauce packed in pink Hello Kitty and limited edition Porky. According to the official introduction, the target customers of the supermarket are 50% Japanese, 30% white and 20% Asians of other nationalities. This data shows the number of Japanese in Seattle and their living needs.

Next to the supermarket is Ninokuniya Guo Jiyi Bookstore, which specializes in Japanese books, stationery and toys. Strolling through Japan is like crossing into the real Japan. If you need to buy all kinds of Japanese books locally, this should be the most complete physical store. About half of the shop assistants are Japanese. They will introduce the latest books on the shelves and help wrap gifts.

The famous Japanese hundred-dollar store "DIASO" is also distributed in Seattle and several suburbs. Most of the goods in the store are $65,438 +0.5, which is very good in quality, so it is deeply loved by the public.

Japanese food has always been very popular in America, not to mention in Seattle. From Shiro's, opened by the apprentice of Jiro Ono, the god of sushi, to Japanese restaurants all over the streets, there are places where rice balls and sashimi live. Local whites generally like the fresh taste and variety of Japanese food, because unlike American food, which is high in calories and heavy in weight, Japanese-run restaurants generally have exquisite and rich dishes and well-trained services. Food has always been an important way to spread culture. "Harmony with food" is not only dazzling here, but also has reached the point where everyone has to compete with each other, which shows how prosperous it is. The scene of foreigners holding chopsticks and sushi and drinking miso with painted bowls has long been common in Seattle.

Seattle Japanese Garden

There are two Japanese gardens in Seattle, one is the Japanese garden in Washington Botanical Garden, and the other is Kubota Garden in Rainier Beach in the south. The former is small and typical, displaying Japanese pavilions, fish ponds in koi fish, dried-up mountains and rivers and maple trees, and there is also a tea pavilion called "Teahouse Party", which regularly provides visitors with Japanese tea ceremony experience. This small garden is surrounded by flowers in the spring botanical garden, colorful in autumn and picturesque in leaves. It attracts many Asian tourists. I guess this kind of scenery is familiar and a little homesick. After all, in the United States, you can see small bridges, flowing water and lotus peony, and you can't miss it. The local white people also appreciate the garden. It is common for old couples to walk hand in hand and young people to play around with their children. It is also a holy place for photography. The entrance fee for the garden is only $6, which is used for routine maintenance.

The area of Kubota Garden is much larger. The central area consists of arch bridge, maple forest and aquatic plant pond. There are also koi fish and high terraces. The surrounding trees are lush and the lawn is green. Along the way, the winding path is secluded. This garden was built by Japanese immigrant Mr. Kubota as early as 1927. After 60 years, it became a park open to the public, which has been preserved to this day and has been named after it. There are countless parks in Seattle with their own characteristics, but this Japanese-style courtyard garden is unique with its unique historical background.

Dear friend

February and March are the cherry blossom season in Seattle every year. Speaking of the best place to enjoy cherry blossoms, it is the Red Square at the University of Washington. There is a joke about "three customs of Chinese in Seattle", which is to watch the migration of cherry blossoms, tulips and salmon. Cherry blossoms are naturally the top priority. As one of the top universities in the United States, Washington University planted dyed Yoshino Sakura on the square promenade, which is over 100 years old. As an important witness to the development of US-Japan relations, these cherry trees were donated by the Japanese government on 19 12. In the past century, flowers have blossomed and fallen, which has precipitated Japan's unique cherry blossom culture and become a symbol of Sino-US friendship.

Today's cherry blossom viewing activities are not just about looking at the flowers themselves, but have developed into a cultural project integrating art, music, handicrafts, Japanese tea ceremony and flower teaching. Every time cherry blossoms are in full bloom, people, regardless of race and gender, are immersed in this extremely amazing and fleeting beauty, no matter where they come from in the world. This is the history of Japanese cherry blossoms in the United States.

Panama Hotel China City

To be exact, the official name of Seattle China City is "International Zone", which can avoid the suspicion of so-called racial discrimination. However, everyone is used to such simple names as China City or Chinatown. The whole area is small, but there has always been a "special zone" for the Japanese. There are two handicraft shops, one in izakaya and one in Japan, and there is also a family showroom for Japanese immigrants. It seems that I moved here in my early years, settled down from generation to generation, photos of my ancestors, and some brief introductions of the past. The most representative one is Panama Hotel.

It's a hotel, but it's actually a building integrating a hotel, a tea bar and a cocktail bar. Almost all the decorations in the room are Japanese-style, and a photo of the whole wall tells the story of the past. There are many kinds of tea, but Japanese tea is more complete than other places. Matcha, fried tea and hojicha can all be made and drunk now. Looking around, the whole space is like a small scaled-down version of Japan, as if it had crossed time and space.

Comic-Con

If you haven't seen Sakura Con Sakura Animation Exhibition in Seattle, you won't know how popular Cosplay is here. This so-called "happy homestay" festival is the largest festival in the northwest of the United States, attracting thousands of Japanese anime fans. I am not a fan of this field, so I don't have any photos at hand; But you can take a screenshot of Facebook's official homepage and some pictures of official titles on Instagram, so that everyone can see how realistic some Cosplay are. This kind of activity is so popular here, even more popular than at home, which I didn't expect. Americans are so keen on Japanese animation that they have to say that cultural export is extremely successful.

Japanese tea ceremony and matcha

You may not find a Japanese teahouse on the streets of Seattle. Yes, Japanese tea ceremony is based on various scenes and activities, which often gives people unexpected surprises. As mentioned earlier, the Japanese Garden Teahouse Party holds tea tasting parties in spring and autumn every year. Guests can make an appointment in advance, and there are Japanese tea artists and white tea artists to explain and serve tea on the spot. Tasting tea in the garden conforms to the Japanese tea ceremony and the spirit of respecting purity and silence. Drinking a bowl of bitter matcha and watching cherry blossoms fall and yellow leaves fly is a different aesthetic for Americans. Many local tea lovers, although they can't speak Japanese, are committed to learning and practicing Japanese tea ceremony, learning from tea masters and learning more about Japanese tea culture.

Some high-end food brands will also introduce Japanese tea ceremony and flower path to cooperate in marketing activities. For example, at a chocolate tasting, half of the venue was a Japanese tea ceremony, supplemented by fresh flower arrangement, so that visiting guests could feel the double experience of sight and taste in all directions. There are often Japanese-style tea-making performances in the Cultural Festival, where people can personally participate, touch the tea bowls that burn firewood and taste green tea soup. Although the Japanese tea ceremony has strict procedures for making and tasting tea, it does not affect its spread. On the contrary, many Americans think that this rigorous way of drinking tea is something they have never experienced or rarely experienced.

Matcha is more popular. Matcha powder at various prices is sold in the store, and matcha ice cream, milk tea, biscuits and snacks can also be seen everywhere. Americans just want to spread their love for matcha to the whole world. Starbucks and almost all independent coffee shops sell matcha lattes, and Japanese bakeries are basically famous for matcha cakes. If you also have a mysterious love for matcha, please come to Seattle except Japan.

About half of the Japanese I have contacted are elderly immigrants. They can speak some English, their clothes and manners reveal a distinctive national style, and they maintain traditional etiquette, such as nodding slightly and bowing slightly. American Japanese young people born and raised here are no different from local young people, but they also like Japanese food and occasionally wear kimonos to attend some festivals and celebrations. Japanese culture has left a deep impression in Seattle, and it will continue to exert a far-reaching influence with the passage of time.