OSAKA, Mar 16 (News On Japan) –
Osaka’s Nipponbashi Tool District boasts a historical past even longer than Tokyo’s Kappabashi, famend for its distinctive store homeowners and progressive devices, attracting overseas guests who rave about their finds.
The 142-Year Legacy of Nipponbashi Tool District
Here’s a unusual cooking gadget quiz: What do you assume a large clip, seemingly 100 occasions bigger than a daily clip, is used for within the kitchen?
A customer from Canada guessed, “Is it for holding giant papers?”
No, it is truly a cooking device.
A customer from South Africa advised, “Is it for holding fish and eating it while it’s still clamped?”
The right reply is a clip for grilling squid. This clip prevents the squid from curling up, permitting it to be grilled superbly.
Such distinctive and useful devices may be discovered within the Nipponbashi Tool District, only a three-minute stroll from Namba Station in Osaka. Spanning 150 meters, this specialty road is lined with over 40 shops providing a variety of cooking instruments.
A customer from Australia exclaimed, “It’s huge!” and “That’s a massive takoyaki!”
Indeed, Osaka is legendary for its outsized takoyaki pans, with a diameter of 8 centimeters. There’s even a tiny takoyaki machine accessible, which might make “chobo-yaki,” thought-about the precursor to takoyaki, bought in sweet shops through the Taisho period.
A customer from Finland remarked, “Kappabashi might be slightly larger, but the variety here is amazing.”
The Nipponbashi Tool District traces its roots again to 1882, making it older than the Kappabashi Tool District. Its intensive product vary attracts vacationers from all around the world.
Specialized Peelers and Chef-Approved Tongs
A Canadian customer questioned, “Is this a frog? It looks like a frog.”
What gave the impression to be a frog to overseas eyes is definitely a cabbage-specific peeler. Simply match it in your palm and stroke the cabbage to simply shred it finely.
An American customer stated, “I’ve never seen such a tool before,” and, utilizing the palm cabbage peeler, added, “Oh! I always cut with a knife, but I’ve never been able to cut it this neatly.”
Comparing the 2, the distinction is evident. The cabbage reduce with the peeler is way finer and extra uniform than that reduce with a knife.
Yuken Chida, the proprietor of a cooking device retailer, talked about, “Products like these sell well. It’s called ‘Tsuma & Peeler,’ and it has two blades.”
The “Tsuma & Peeler,” standard amongst foreigners, options totally different blades on all sides. Not solely can it peel, however the serrated blade also can julienne, making it a flexible device for effortlessly making ready dishes like kinpira gobo with out the necessity for a knife and reducing board.
Chefs and Foodies Beware: The Irresistible ‘Idea Tongs’
An Australian customer, a chef, was thrilled with the “Idea Tongs,” saying, “These are chef tongs. He’s a chef, a cook.”
The pleasure was palpable because the chef demonstrated the tongs, “See, it’s open. It locks,” and declared, “Very fun,” whereas his daughter commented, “You’re getting too into it.”
These tongs operate as common tongs when dealing with down, however with a easy upward flip, they lock with one contact. This progressive design permits for sensible storage with out taking on a lot area.
The Quest for the Perfect Knife: Success After Three Hours?
Tobias, a 37-year-old customer from Canada, was on a mission to search out his supreme knife.
“It’s a black knife,” he stated, whereas his good friend Sam added, “It’s a sexy knife.”
Tobias was torn between the deal with of 1 knife and the blade of one other, spending practically three hours looking by means of the 11 knife outlets within the district.
“Are you still deciding?” Sam requested.
Tobias replied, “They all seem the same… I can’t choose anymore.”
However, he ultimately discovered the right knife and was trying ahead to utilizing it for the primary time again residence.
“Are you happy?” Sam requested.
“I’m so happy to have this knife,” Tobias responded.
A Unique Gift for a Cousin: A ‘Noren’ Curtain
Rosa, a 23-year-old customer who had simply accomplished a half-year examine program at a college in Kyoto, was set to return to her residence nation, Hungary, the following day.
“I’m buying souvenirs to take back home. I want to give my cousin something unique,” she stated.
She selected a noren curtain from a takoyaki store, saying, “I’ll go with this one. The octopus is cute.”
While the design is lovable, one wonders if will probably be understood in Hungary.
Foreigners Praise the ‘Mysterious Stone’
A customer from Australia marveled, “This is truly an invention. I’ve never seen anything like it before. It seems very good.”
There was additionally a charming dwell demonstration that intrigued foreigners.
A customer from France requested, “What is this made of?”
Keisuke Mikawa, the proprietor of a ceramics retailer, answered, “Stone, special stone.”
Despite having no holes, this peculiar stone-like object permits water to cross by means of.
Mikawa defined, “It’s made of Arita porcelain. When water passes through, it becomes softer, making Japanese tea taste better even overseas.”
Made with Arita porcelain methods, this eco-friendly filter may be reused repeatedly.
Mikawa added, “No detergent is needed for cleaning, just pour boiling water. Once a year, bake it in a toaster.”
A customer from Mexico commented, “It’s very intriguing. It makes you realize how much paper we use daily. We should use more items like this. It’s very good, bravo.”
Osaka’s Playful Food Samples
Even the meals samples acquainted in Tokyo’s Kappabashi have a playful Osakan twist! Takoyaki turns into earrings, and a enterprise card holder is heaped with spaghetti Napolitan.
A customer from the USA stated, “This looks like it would start a conversation.”
The hottest meals pattern expertise is, in fact, making takoyaki.
A customer from Hawaii joked, “This is tomorrow’s lunch. I hope it doesn’t spoil (laughs).”
Discovering a ‘Mysterious Tool’ in an Established Store
The 80-year-old Ebisuya Hardware Store is a treasure trove of high quality instruments.
A customer from the USA stated, “I always find good things in this store. Things I can’t find in America, I find here.”
The retailer’s philosophy is to supply instruments that prospects can use for a very long time and which can be actually wanted.
Isao Shibata, the proprietor of Ebisuya Hardware Store, stated, “We have to keep things that customers might ask for, ‘Do you have something like this?’ We have a lot of tools that we just have to keep.”
The retailer is full of merchandise which have stood the take a look at of time. Among them is that this curious merchandise.
Hideyoshi Goto, an worker with 50 years of expertise, stated, “It’s older than my 50 years here.”
This brass curler is engraved with patterns of tangerines and cherry blossoms. But what’s it?
Goto defined, “Don’t you know candy drops? The ones in a tin can. I don’t know the price. It’s made of brass, so it should be somewhat expensive.”
The thriller device is a mould for drops. Although we could not discover a firm that makes use of the very same device, we did uncover a meals producer in Kyoto that makes use of the same precept.
Nowadays, machines mechanically produce drops, however up to now, employees would manually flip the curler, urgent out a sheet that will be damaged into particular person drops.
Experience the love for instruments that Naniwa retailers have. Why not give it a strive?
Source: ANN