yakiniku

korean food, if not politics, is sure to be a lasting part of the culture in Japan. they can't get enough of it. neither can I. kimchi, bibinba, barbecued beef, dog. kimchi, the chinese cabbage and chili sauce combination, takes pride of place in most supermarkets these days: it's getting to be as much a part of popular japanese culture as the boulangerie and white earphones have become.

last night (as, incredibly, the snow flurried perhaps it's last of winter) we headed for yakiniku in south osaka. good stuff. it's a real extravagance but is nice to do as a treat from time to time. the wrestling with the gas control is always as much a part of the evening as the chemical beer - the smell of buring cedar to be smelt as the evening wares on. the meat was great though. magic.