Makiko Itoh

My mother's sleepy hometown was only about an hour away by train from the bustling Tokyo suburb where we lived when I was young, but a world away in many ways. A kamishibai man never charged his young audience admission - he made his money by selling dagashi, sweet or savory snacks were small and cheap enough for kids to buy with their pocket money. There was some concern about the cheap dagashi which ruined kids' appetites, but the bigger worry was with the content of the stories, which included heart-pounding adventures featuring superheroes like The Golden Bat, gruesome tales of ghosts and monsters, and other fare that entrance kids everywhere. Decades later those kids would grow up to tut-tut about the bad influence of manga, TV and anime for their children...and those children in turn fret about the bad influence of video games and the internet.

I actually prefer this myself when eating at the counter (I often switch from chopsticks to hands depending on the type of neta, which is ok too). So are people who enjoy sushi, which (as I have written here and in other places several times) about the vinegar-salt-and-sugar flavored rice, not about raw fish, supposed to only enjoy the high end, or are they allowed (gasp) to enjoy the variations they can afford? As it happens, I don't really enjoy canned tuna with mayo sushi personally, but I do like tuna mayo as an onigiri filling, and of course tuna mayo sandwiches. It's all enjoyable, and tasty at their own price ranges when they're good quality - and, I want to emphasize that there is good quality sushi at all price ranges in Japan.

This update is mainly for people who subscribe to updates by email, but it's also a general notice for everyone. First and foremost, please do not reply to this email if you are getting this by email. The best way to get in touch with me is via Twitter at makiwi, or to email me at maki at my full name (without any spaces) dot com. I'm still not very well healthwise, which makes things rather difficult, and writing the upcoming book took a lot out of me.

The sequel to The Just Bento Cookbook is now available for pre-order on the Amazons! The full title is The Just Bento Cookbook 2: Make-Ahead, Easy, Healthy Lunches The scheduled release date is January 2, 2018 (subject to change). Here are the links to the various Amazons where you can preorder the book if you so desire: I will put up more links as the book becomes more available.