Imonikai: A Tohoku Tradition

Today, I would like to talk about a specialty of Sendai: imoni. This literally means “cooked potato.”  That is, imoni actually means to enjoy cooking somewhere outdoors, such as along a river, to promote friendship among a group of people.  The main dish in Miyagi is a bowl of stewed pork, taros, scallions and konjak, which are cooked on a stove.  People help themselves to it, and relax and chat with friends, family members, neighbors and so on.

This custom is widely seen in the Tohoku region, the northern part of the main island of Japan, and it is often considered to be one of the two most anticipated events: Hanami (cherry blossom viewing) in spring and Imonikai in autumn, every year. 

 The reason why it is carried out in autumn is that taros are perennially harvested in October, and the newly harvested taros are always the main ingredient for the dish. 

 On October 20^th, students of engineering department voluntarily planned an imoni party alongside the Hirose River, and many international students participated in the event.  In addition to imoni, various barbecue items—sausages, pork chops, vegetables and many others—were prepared there, and the participants truly felt full from the delicious feast.

Halal food at Tohoku University

Food—it is something that you cannot live without.  There is a proverb that says "you are what you eat."  You select food for various reasons: because you like it, or you enjoy it, or sometimes because of the customs you have kept for a long time.

I have visited many high schools abroad, and one of the memorable questions I was asked is about the availability of halal food.

First of all, what is halal food?

Halal foods mean meals that are allowed under Islamic dietary guidelines.  They strictly exclude alcohol, pork, carnivorous mammals, birds of prey and such.  There is meat such as chicken that is allowed for halal meals, but the animals have to be properly slaughtered according to the code of Islamic law.  Basically, Muslims cannot eat certain types of food since they are taught that all animals should be treated with respect and well cared for: animals that are not treated that way cannot be eaten by Muslims.  On the contrary, there is not that type of tradition in Japan, and most kinds of meat, such as beef, pork and lamb can be seen anywhere here.  So there may be an impression among Muslims that it is hard to find a place to eat in Japan.

Each time when I am asked about halal food, however, I feel happy to say that “at Tohoku University, halal food is available!” 

Today, I went to one of the cafeterias on campus, called Couleur.  Having entered the place, I immediately found the halal food logo. 

Today’s halal specialty was seafood curry and rice.  So I ordered it and filled my stomach with it.  The taste was very good!  While the main ingredients were not meat that I am so used to, it was just like the curry that I have eaten from my childhood, moderately spicy and steaming hot.

I was already full, but tried to find other items that are eatable among Muslims.

At Couleur, you can find various side dishes that include a nutritional balance of foods from meat and fish to fruit and vegetables, and they are sold by weight.  Fresh salad is definitely eatable, and the boiled, dressed, or vinegar-based dishes are also highly recommended.  I also found the halal logo at the corner of the deep-fried fish sausages and vegetables.



As you can see, Tohoku University is making various efforts for internationalization, and improvement of the food menu is one of them.  Recently students as well as professors of various backgrounds have been choosing to eat at Couleur, so it is worth stopping by when you have a chance to!



text and photos by
Ishida-san (Tohoku University Staff)

 

“Festina”: Tohoku University’s Indonesian Students’ Festival 2012

Konnichiwa! In this opportunity allow me to introduce Indonesian Students’ Festival called “Festina” that held on the last April at Sendai Fukushi Plaza Fureai Hall. This festival aim is to introduce the diversity of Indonesian culture. Hence, we hope that cooperation and relationship among Indonesian students and Japanese also other countries would be maintained even tighter as well.

This festival’s opening ceremony was chaired by Indonesian Ambassador, Mr. Muhammad Luthfi. After that, Prof. Kimura Toshiaki from Graduate School of Arts and Letters gave some experience when he stayed in Indonesia. He described a story about “how to learn local wisdom of Indonesia's society." Not forgotten by him to mention several Indonesian cuisines that “unforgettable” for him, because of its spicy taste.

Figure 1.    Opening ceremony by Indonesian Ambassador and some experiences by Toshiaki Sensei