Ingredients

* 200 g of shiitake mushrooms
* 1 clove of minced garlic
* 1 tablespoon of butter
* 1 / 2 cup of chopped parsley
* 1 / 4 cup of lemon juice
* 1 / 2 cup of soy sauce

Preparation:

1. Heat a skillet or griddle.
2. Melt the butter and saute the garlic, add the shitake, with the top facing down and wait two minutes.
3. Turn and wait another two minutes.
4. Add the sauce ingredients (soy sauce and lemon juice) and serve on the shitake with chopped chives.

Tips:

* You can use the stem of the shitakes to give more flavor to broths and soups.
* Buy large shiitake mushrooms, because they shrink in the fire.

Ingredients:

* 2 egg yolks

* 50 grams of sugar

* 200 ml milk

* 1 tablespoon of green tea powder

* 100 ml of whipped cream

Preparation:

1. Beat the egg yolks with sugar. Add milk and mix. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened slightly.

2. Dissolve the matcha in a little hot water and add into the mixture. Mix well.

3. Add the whipped cream, mix and put in the fridge, mixing it every few minutes.

Yield: 2 ~ 3 servings

Ingredients

* 500g moyashi (bean sprouts)

Sauce

* 3 tablespoons white vinegar
* 1 tablespoon sugar shallow
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 tablespoon sesame oil
* 1 tablespoon chopped chives
* Olive oil to taste

How to prepare:

1. Bring a pot with enough water to boil.
2. Add moyashi and cook until it is transparent - but not so far or will be too soft. This process should take about 1 minute.
3. Drain and cool with a fan waving, because cold water can make it very watery.
4. Mix all the sauce ingredients and add the moyashi.
5. Mix again.
6. Sprinkle with chopped chives and serve.

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

* 2 chicken breasts (cut into 3 cm)
* 1 bunch scallions (cut into 3cm)
* 2 green peppers (cut into 3 cm)

Sauce

* 1 cup mirin
* 1 cup soy sauce
* 2 tablespoons sugar

How to prepare:

1. Prepare the skewers alternating the chicken, peppers and onions.
2. Reserve.
3. In a saucepan cook the ingredients until the sauce is reduced to 2 / 3.
4. Thread the skewers on the prepared sauce and bake on the grill.
5. Repeat 2 or 3 times with the same skewers, taking care to not burn.

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

* 150g azuki bean
* 2 cups water
* 1 cup sugar
* Pinch of salt
* Mochi to taste

How to prepare:

1. Let the azuki sauce in a bowl with water from one night to another.
2. The next day, replace the water and put the azuki to cook about 2 or 3 minutes.
3. Discard this water and pour 2 cups of water.
4. Take it to cook in a pressure cooker until the beans are tender.
5. Add sugar and salt, mix and let boil again.
6. Place in individual bowls with pieces of mochi and serve.

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

* 2 cups cooked japanese rice
* 5cm kombu
* 3 medium dried shiitake (hydrated in 1 cup of water) cut them into thin strips
* 1 boneless chicken thigh, chopped
* ½ small burdock into thin strips
* 50g carrot strips
* 1 whole egg
* 1 tablespoon sesame
* 1 pinch of ginger

Seasoned Rice

* 1 teaspoon salt
* 2 tablespoons sugar
* 3 tablespoons vinegar

Seasoning Sauce

* 1 tablespoon sugar
* 1 ½ tablespoon soy sauce
* 1 tablespoon mirin

Jade Egg

* 1 teaspoon sugar
* 1 pinch of salt

How to prepare:

Start preparing the sauce so you can add it on the rice still warm:

1. In a saucepan put 1/4 cup of the broth in which the shiitake was being hydrated, shiitake, burdock and chicken and allow to boil.
2. Add the seasoning sauce, cover and cook over medium heat until the burdock is cooked.
3. Place the carrots on top without mixing it - to highlight your natural color - and let capped by only a few minutes to give a touch of cooking.
4. Move to a sieve, strain and leave aside.
5. Mix the egg with the sugar and salt and divide it into two parts. Bring to a skillet on low heat. It should be thin and soft. The process and the end result resembling the mass of the pancake. Leave aside also.
6. Prepare the rice plus the piece of kombu (this should be removed after cooking). Once ready, transfer it to a large bowl (preferably wood).
7. Add the seasonings rice - pre-mixed and dissolved - and mix with the kijakushi as if cutting the rice, keeping it standing. Otherwise, you can leave the rice soggy.
8. Group a side of rice in a wooden container and leave for 1 to 2 minutes just to get a taste.
9. Try to spread the rice and shake quickly - to shine.
10. Add the shiitake mixture into the rice and mix as before.
11. Cut the dough egg into thin strips and sprinkle over the rice.
12. Garnish with the ginger and enjoy!

Tips: The kakitama-jiru is a perfect combination.

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

* Pumpkin (300g)
* 1 tablespoon oil
* 1 tablespoon sugar
* 1 tablespoon sake
* 2 tablespoons soy sauce
* ½ cup water
* Pinch of salt

How to prepare:

1. Remove the pumpkin seeds with the aid of a spoon, some parts just peel and cut into pieces of 5x3 cm on average.
2. In a large pot heat the oil and quickly saute the pumpkin just to distribute the oil evenly.
3. Add water and boil.
4. Then place the sugar, sake, soy sauce and salt and cook over medium heat.
5. Stir the pot occasionally so the seasoning will be thoroughly distributed.
6. Do not use a spoon, otherwise, you could dismantle them.
7. Turn off the heat once it begins to dry.

For 4 servings*

Ingredients:

Choose how many ingredients you prefer, those listed below, and prepare them by cutting into small pieces:

* Lotus Root: Boil, peel and cut the roots. If they are dry, you need to soak the night before and boil them slightly later.
* Bamboo Shoot: boil the pieces and soak in water, changing it several times a day.
* Burdock: Scratch the bark and cut into chunks, cook in water until tender.
* Konhaku: It is a pasta made with potato of the same name. Just boil and cut.
* Yam: Peel, cook and wash several times.
* Turnip: Peel, cut into slices 1.5 cm thick and cook in water.
* Carrot: Peel and cut into pieces.
* Tofu pieces
* Shiitake Mushroom: Soak, remove the stems and boil.
* Cauliflower and green bean in pieces.
* Dashi
* Kombu: Soak for a few minutes in water, cut and tie or curl and secure it with a line, with a wire or a strip of seaweed.

Preparation:

Preparing the broth - For each cup of fish stock (dashi), place 3 tablespoons sugar, 2 tablespoons sake, 3 tablespoons soy sauce and 2 tablespoons mirin (sake for cooking more sweet).

1. Put the ingredients in the pan, add the broth to cover everything and cook on medium heat.
2. When the sauce has reduced it's ready.
3. Serve hot.

The name "Saitama" originally comes from the Sakitama (埼玉郡) district of what is now the city of Gyōda in the northern part of what is now known as Saitama Prefecture. "Sakitama" has an ancient history and is mentioned in the famous 8th century poetry anthology Man'yōshū. The pronunciation has changed from Sakitama to Saitama over the years.

With the merger of Urawa, Ōmiya, and Yono it was decided that a new name, one fitting for this newly-created prefectural capital, was needed. The prefectural name "Saitama" (埼玉県) was changed from kanji into hiragana, that Saitama City (さいたま市) was born. It is the only prefectural capital in Japan whose name is always written in hiragana, and belongs to the list of hiragana cities.

However, Saitama written in hiragana (さいたま市) actually finished in second place in public polling to Saitama written in kanji (埼玉市). Despite this, government officials decided to name the new city Saitama in hiragana, not kanji. In third place in the poll was Ōmiya (大宮市). In fourth was Saitama (彩玉市), written with an alternative kanji for "sai" (彩) which means "colorful". The "sai" (埼) used in the prefectural name is a rare form of a common character (崎) that means cape or promontory.

Saitama Prefecture is blessed with abundant flora and fauna, and also with the beauty of the landscape caused by seasonal change.

Sightseeing:

Saitama Super Arena (さいたまスーパーアリーナ) is a multi-purpose indoor arena located in Chūō-ku, Saitama City, Saitama, Japan. Its spectator capacity is 37,000 at maximum settings. This main arena capacity is between 19,000-22,500 when events such as basketball, volleyball, tennis, ice hockey, gymnastics, boxing, mixed martial arts and professional wrestling take place there. It is also the only Japanese arena equipped especially for American football. The arena features a gigantic moveable section of seating which can reduce capacity for smaller events and create a more intimate setting.
Its permanent attractions include the John Lennon Museum which displays John Lennon memorabilia.
It is one of two home arenas to Japan Professional Basketball League team the Saitama Broncos.
It is a favorite venue for puroresu (Japanese professional wrestling) and mixed martial arts (MMA).

Saitama Stadium 2002 (埼玉スタジアム2002), often called Saitama Stadium (埼玉スタジアム) or simply Saisuta (埼スタ), is a football stadium located in Midori-ku, Saitama City, Saitama Prefecture, Japan.
Currently J. League football clubs Urawa Red Diamonds and Omiya Ardija use this stadium for home games.
The stadium is a 15 to 20 minute walk from Urawa-Misono Station on the Saitama Railway Line.
Built by Azusa Sekkei to host matches of the 2002 FIFA World Cup, construction was completed in September 2001. The stadium holds 63,700 people, although for segregation reasons league games hosted at the ground have a reduced capacity of 62,300. The Saitama Studium hosted four matches during the 2002 FIFA World Cup, including co-host Japan's first match against Belgium.

John Lennon Museum (ジョン・レノン・ミュージアム) is a museum located inside the Saitama Super Arena in Chuo-ku, Saitama, Saitama Prefecture, Japan. It was established to preserve knowledge of John Lennon's life and musical career. It permanently displays Lennon's widow Yoko Ono's collection of his memorabilia as well as other displays. The museum opened on October 9, 2000, the 60th anniversary of Lennon’s birth. A tour of the museum begins with a welcoming message and short film narrated by Yoko Ono (in Japanese with English headphones available), and ends at an avant-garde styled "reflection room" full of chairs facing a slide show of moving words and images. After this room there is a gift shop with John Lennon memorabilia available.
The museum is scheduled to close at the end of September 2010 when its exhibit contact with Yoko Ono expires.

Omiya Bonsai Village (大宮盆栽村), is the general name for the area on the north side of Omiya Park enclosed within the Tobu Noda Line and JR Utsunomiya Line. Known as one of the most outstanding bonsai cultivating areas in Japan, visitors take delight in the bonsai in all seasons as they change from one season to the next.
The Omiya Bonsai Festival is held on May 3-5 every year, when it bustles with the many bonsai lovers who gather there from throughout the country. It is also visited by many bonsai lovers from overseas as the worldwide mecca of bonsai.

Hikawa shrine (氷川神社) is a major Shinto shrine in the Omiya district of Saitama. Surrounding the shrine is a large park in which there are many cherry blossom trees, a zoo and a museum.Omiya itself, literally 'Great Shrine', derives from the special favor shown by Emperor Meiji, who raised Hikawa above all other shrines in the Kantō region.
Standing behind three torii gates in a wood with many ancient Japanese elms, it claims to have a 2400-year history.
According to shrine's tradition, the shrine was established during the reign of Emperor Kōshō in 473 BC. A legend recounts that Yamato Takeru, who injured his leg during his crusade to the East, visited the shrine following directions of an old man who appeared in his dream. After worshiping, he was able to stand on his own. It is known that the old name of the region, Ashidate (足立), literally meaning "leg stand", was named after this incidence. The pond within the grounds of the shrine is a remnant of Minuma and considered to have roots in enshrining the water god of Minuma.
From 1871 (Meiji 4) through 1946 (Shōwa 21), the Hikawa shrine was officially designated one of the Kanpei-taisha (官幣大社), meaning that it stood in the first rank of government supported shrines. The main shrine structure was renovated in 1882 (Meiji 15). In 1940 (Shōwa 15), a project financed by the government reconstructed the main shrine structure, the gate tower, and other structures.
Entrance torii at Hikawa Shrine.
In 1976 (Shōwa 51), the Large Torii of Meiji Shrine which had been damaged by lightning in 1966 (Shōwa 41) was repaired and relocated to Hikawa Shrine.

The Railway Museum (鉄道博物館) is a railway museum in Saitama, which opened on 14 October 2007. It was built and is operated by the East Japan Railway Culture Foundation, a non-profit affiliate of the East Japan Railway Company. It consists of a 19,800 m² building on a site covering 42,500 m², with a display area 9,500 m² in size.
The museum features about 30 railway cars, train cab simulators, railway model dioramas, mini trains, storage for artefacts and books, video booths, a multi-purpose hall, a gallery balcony, a cafeteria, a museum shop, and a research room.
The museum places emphasis on learning through interactive experiences and is mainly divided into two zones: the history zone and the learning zone. The history zone recounts the history of railway technology with the help of trains that were in service in the past. In the learning zone, visitors can gain knowledge of the principles and mechanisms of railway with the use of actual parts and models. The tour of the museum takes roughly two hours with extra time for interactive exhibits.
The present Railway Museum is the successor to the Transportation Museum (交通博物館) in Chiyoda, Tokyo. This museum also opened as the Railway Museum under the elevated railway track near Tokyo Station celebrating the beginning of the 50th year of the railways in Japan on 14 October 1921. In 1936, the Railway Museum was relocated to the new facility built in the place of former building of Manseibashi Station, which station continued to operate until 1943 as an accessory of the museum. The museum was renamed to the Transportation Museum in 1948 to cover various means of transportation while the railway was still the main exhibit of the museum. On 14 May 2006 the museum was closed pending a move to the new Railway Museum in Saitama.
The museum features driving simulators that allow visitors to experience being drivers of a D51 steam locomotive, a Shinkansen train, and trains on the Tokaido Line, the Keihin Tohoku Line, and the Yamanote Line. The D51 simulator requires a reservation through a reservation terminal installed in the museum and costs 500 yen, but the other simulators are all free.