The NagaZasshi editing team was profiled, and editor-in-chief Kim Durinick was interviewed about the behind-the-scenes work needed to make it all tick. Give it a read and go check out the Dejima Network – the international arm of the prefectural government has created a hub for foreigners in or with a tie to Nagasaki, and though it’s still early, it’s got great potential.

Many of us involved with the NagaZasshi as readers or editors are involved with the JET Programme, and a long-time tradition — the annual JET Calendar, showcasing the best photographs from JETs around Japan — has not continued for 2012. Seeing as there’s now a calendar-shaped gap in our lives, we’ve decided to do something about that and commission our own Nagasaki NagaZasshi Calendar!

What’s more, we’re looking for photography submissions for the calendar!

Submission Deadline: April 30, 2012

Submission Requirements: Pictures must be taken in Japan and should be high-resolution JPEG images in landscape orientation.
Anyone who wishes may submit photos, but please limit entries to 3 per person.
In the case that you submit photographs including people’s faces, please receive permission from those featured BEFORE submission.

Submission Process: Please send all entries to email hidden; JavaScript is required with the subject in the format: [name - title - picture location (City, Prefecture)].

For example: [John Doe - Night View from Mt. Inasa - Nagasaki City, Nagasaki]

We look forward to your submissions! Remember, the deadline is April 30th!

And that’s where we come in. Here’s links to the online copies of our two most recent issues: Volume 4 issue 3 from November, and fresh off the presses, volume 4 issue 4! Issue 3 has a feature on volunteering in Tohoku, a guide to traveling in many popular southeast Asian countries, and an investigation into the origin of Turkish rice.

The brand new Volume 4 issue 4 features articles on staying warm in the winter (how topical!), Sapporo Snow Festival, a travel guide for Bali, and a guide to Setsubun. Pass the word along and give these issues a read!

Fortunately, there’s still time to see the festival — the real date and location is October 30th in Kawatana. Apologies for the inconvenience!

The event on Sept. 16 in Hamanomachi, Nagasaki City, features a special live performance by the Kentarow Band. Doors open at 8 p.m. and admission is 2000 yen, which includes one drink.

For more information, visit the O’hana Cafe’s anniversary party Facebook page. You can also check some videos of the Kentarow Band on the cafe’s blog.

We hope to see you there!

We would like to thank all of our article contributors, our sponsors, and all of you for reading the NagaZasshi. This award inspires us to continue making the best, most informative magazine we possibly can.

Below you can read the email we received from AJET. We’ve posted links to the other publications around Japan on our Links page, so make sure to check those out.

-The NagaZasshi Team

***

Congratulations!

You have won National AJET’s Best Publication Award!

This year there were several strong nominations for each category, with the publications and charity categories particularly competitive. Your certificate will be posted on the 25th of May.

Congratulations and keep up the great work!

Regards,

Andrew Heffernan
National AJET Council, 2009-2010
Block 3 Representative – email hidden; JavaScript is required

Food

Mooks features a small but eclectic menu. During lunch hours, a limited set menu is offered. One usually has the choice of a soup or smoked salmon for an appetizer along with a choice of one out of three entrees. A limited number of drinks and desserts are also available. The dinner menu is more comprehensive, featuring numerous appetizers, side dishes, drinks, and desserts.

Fish and Chips

My favorite dish at Mooks is the fish and chips. This may have peeked your interest already, since fish and chips is a rare dish in Nagasaki (perhaps non-existent, as I can’t think of another restaurant in the prefecture that offers it). However, there is more than its simple existence to praise. Like with most dishes on the menu, Mooks takes a unique perspective on fish and chips. The lightly-breaded fish and perfectly-fried potatoes are joined by a vegetable (usually eggplant or mushrooms) and lightly coated in a delicious sweet chili sauce. The dish is garnished with fresh lettuce and diced tomatoes and a light mayonaisse is provided for dipping. It’s superb.

Mooks also offers a German sausage combo platter, showcasing delicious sausages with spicy mustard. Another item that has appeared on the menu recently is Mooks chicken curry. With it, Mooks again shows off it’s ability to give subtle twists to traditional dishes. Unlike standard curry, which tends to be thick and heavy, Mooks chicken curry is thin and light with delightfully tender chicken and an assortment of vegetables not found in average Japanese curry such as eggplant and pumpkin.

Mooks Chicken Curry

Without a doubt, you’ll be hard-pressed to find anything on the menu that isn’t to like. The proportions are just right, the ingredients are fresh, and the presentation is elegant. You should be aware that the menu does change from time to time, so some items might not always be present. However, rest assured that even if a favorite dish isn’t on the menu, it will have been replaced by something equally amazing. Before I wrap up this section on food, let me mention one of their desserts briefly. The cheesecake is out of this world. Try it.

Service

Mooks is run by a small group of young women and men who are all very friendly. The first time I visited Mooks, the waiter was more than happy to explain the contents of dishes I didn’t understand on the menu (though with titles like “Potatoes and Bacon in Mustard Sauce,” not many of them need explanation). Mooks can get busy on the weekends, but I’ve never had to wait to be seated. Food is served in reasonable time, which is fortunate because I’m usually drooling for it as soon as I set eyes on the menu.

Price

The prices at Mooks are by no means exhorbitant, but they aren’t cheap either. ¥900 to ¥1200 is acceptable for an entree, but ¥750 for an appetizer is a bit much. However, the quality of the food makes the price more than deserving. The ingredients are fresh and you can tell each dish is made with individual care and attention. The lunch menu, while limited in choices, is a bit more reasonable than the dinner menu. The lunch set (including an appetizer and an entree) costs just ¥1000. A drink and/or dessert can be added for an extra ¥200 each (half the price they cost at dinner time).

Ambience

Nice and comfy

The trendiness I’ve mentioned certainly isn’t limited to the food. The atmosphere of the restaurant takes influence from the owners’ Tokyo roots as well. Mooks may be housed in a thin-walled, old building (rumor is it used to be a pottery house), but the attention to detail makes it feel like much more. From the hand-made silverware boxes to the comfy couches and chairs to the strings of lights inside and outside the restaurant, Mooks just feels . . . cool. It has a simple, understated style that’s almost classic. Combined with the great food and service, Mooks goes beyond a pleasant dining experience.

Location

Mooks’ location might be the only thing going against it. Hasami is a great town, no doubt, but a bit out of the way for most folks in Nagasaki prefecture. You’ll pretty much need a car if you want to get there easily. Another issue is that the restaurant is poorly marked. Actually, it’s not marked at all. The best indicator of the restaurant is this sign for the shop next to Mooks. UPDATE: Mooks now has a sign, making it a bit easier to locate.

モンネ ルギ ムック
monne legui mooks
東彼杵郡波佐見町井石郷 2187-4
Nagasaki-ken, Higashisonogi-gun,
Hasami-cho, Iseki-go 2187-4

Tel: 0956-85-8033
Hours: 12pm – 10pm
Closed: Tue, Wed
Website: http://mooks.jp

Don’t allow the location to discourage you though. Mooks is certainly worth the trip. Just use the map above and you shouldn’t have a problem. If you’re headed there after dark falls, keep an eye out for the trees covered in Christmas lights. In the daytime, look for the bookstore across the street.

If you want delicious food in a trendy atmosphere, you can’t do much better than Mooks. It’s pretty clear at this point how I feel about Mooks, but I encourage you to check it out and see for yourself.

Enjoy!

-Chris Breiding

Food

When judging a restaurant, food has to come first. Evaluations of price, service, and ambience are important too, but if the food in the restaurant isn’t even worth eating, I don’t care how friendly the staff is or how cheap the food is.

Eggplant with Sesame Seed Sauce

So how’s the food at Shanghai?

Put simply: it’s delicious. I have enjoyed everything I have eaten there. Let me start by telling you about the item that I order every time I go there. I see almost every other customer order it and I recommend you order it too. It’s called nasu no goma-dare なすのごまだれ or Eggplant with Sesame Seed Sauce. It’s soft, pan-fried eggplant that is tempura-ed on one side with a slightly sweet sesame seed sauce reminiscent of peanut butter. It might sound strange at first, but trust me on this one. Even if you’re not a fan of eggplant, you’ll probably love it. It’s amazing.

Fried Gyoza. You can't go wrong.

Shanghai’s other dishes are certainly not lacking at all. Their fried gyoza are excellent, though I don’t think you could ruin gyoza if you tried. The sweet and sour pork is great too, even if the pork can be a little tough at times. The fried rice is also very good, but is perhaps a little bland compared to other restaurants.

There’s plenty more on the menu I haven’t had the pleasure to try personally. I imagine they are all delicious as well. The four dishes I listed above are enough reason to take a trip there (in fact, those four are a perfect meal if shared between two people).

Service

A restaurant can get by resting only on the laurels of its food quality, but without decent service, it’s not bound to be an enjoyable experience. The quality of service at Shanghai is as good as any restaurant in Japan. The staff is very friendly and if the restaurant is not too busy, you’ll likely receive a complimentary dessert. The speed of the service naturally depends on how busy the restaurant is. In between normal meal hours, you’ll be seated immediately or after a short wait, and the food will come out within ten minutes of ordering it. However, dinner hours, even on weekdays, can be quite busy, so be prepared to wait a little longer to both be seated and receive your food.

I have only experienced one case of poor service. During a particularly busy dinner rush, the waitress forgot to bring out two cokes that I had ordered, forcing me to eventually ask if they were coming. She realized her mistake, brought them out immediately, and told us they were on the house. More than rectified, if I say so myself.

Price

I know what you’re thinking: “Delicious food and great service are nice, but not if it bankrupts me!” Worry not, my friend, because Shanghai is very reasonably priced. Most dishes range from ¥500 to ¥1000. One person should not have to pay much more than ¥1500 for a filling meal. In Japan, I would say that’s pretty good.

Ambience

Finally, allow me to give you a feel for the atmosphere you will be dining in when you go to Shanghai. Looking around the restaurant, you will notice the tatami and walls are a little tattered. There may even be some dirt in the corners. Indeed, the floor might not be spotless, but their porcelain dishes are always pristine, so a little dirt in other places doesn’t bother me. It has a hole-in-the-wall feel to it, but that’s not to its detriment. It isn’t supposed to be a ritzy place, and its down-to-Earth nature gives it charm. For example, you’ll see the following piece of artwork made by local high school students on the wall:

Wall Art

Take a closer look when you’re there. It’s pretty cool. You get the feel the staff at Shanghai are more concerned with making great food and providing excellent service than replacing tatami and painting walls. Which would you rather have?

Location

Shanghai is located on Route 35 not far from Arita JR Station. Refer to the following map for its exact location. You’ll know you’re there when you see the red sign.

上海飯店
Shanhai Hanten
佐賀県西松浦郡有田町南原丁53
Saga-ken, Nishimatsuura-gun,
Arita-cho, Nabara-cho 53
Tel: 0955-42-3901

So, next time you’re craving some delicious Chinese food or if you just happen to be in Arita, stop by Shanghai for lunch or dinner. You won’t regret it.

Enjoy!

-Chris Breiding

This invitation is of course open to everyone and anyone who wants to dance, drink and listen to great music with the NagaZasshi’s resident DJs, DJ Fumin (Brethren) and Momo.

The event begins at 9:00pm and ends at 3:00am or until the wheels fall off. 1500yen at the door includes a free drink! It has been a great year so let’s start the next one in grand fashion! Hope to see you all there!

W. (LD Project)

and the NagaZasshi Team

You can also view it directly on YouTube.