an edutravel experience for the discerning foodie. - the yamasa … · 2016. 12. 17. · an...

The YAMASA Institute, Okazaki, Aichi Prefecture, Japan

An edutravel experience for the discerning foodie.

The Hattori Foundation-The YAMASA Institute

1-2-1 Hane Higashimachi, Okazaki, Aichi Prefecture, Japan

Ph: +81-0564-55-8111

Fax: +81-0564-55-8113

E-mail: [email protected]

nicejapanese.yamasa.org yamasa_en /yamasainstitute /user/YamasaInstitute

mailto:[email protected]

1-2-1 HANEHIGASHI-MACHI，OKAZAKI-SHI，AICHI-KEN，JAPAN 444-8691

FAX：+81-564-55-8113 TEL：+81-564-55-8111 EMAIL：[email protected]

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Contents

1) Survey Time! P. 4

2) What is the NICE Program? P. 5

(a) Cultural and Culinary Components P. 6

Japanese Cooking Classes P. 8

Okazaki Gourmand Society P. 9

Tour to Ise Shima P. 12

Homestay P. 13

(b) Linguistic Component P. 14

3) Timetable P. 16

4) Curriculum Outline P. 17

5) NICE Gourmet Japanese Disclaimer and Refund

Policy P. 18

6) Course Inquiries P. 19



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Survey Time!

Are you passionate not only about Japanese culture but

also international cuisine and want to learn about both of

these things in an authentic and hands on way?

Are you planning on travelling around Japan in the next few

months? Do you also want to learn some Japanese that

can make your time here more productive?

Do you experiment in the kitchen and wish to add a couple

of new dishes to your expanding repertoire?

Are you a current resident of Japan who wants to learn the

basics of Japanese cooking but also have some fun while

doing so?

If any of the above is applicable, then the YAMASA Institute’s NICE Gourmet Japanese course, which is to be run exclusively on our

Okazaki campus in March/April 2017 is a great opportunity for you to:

1) experience Japanese gourmet culture

as well as

2) learn practical Japanese related to dining and other culinary pursuits.



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What is the NICE Program?

Class Sizes: Minimum of five/Maximum of twelve

Application Period: From November until the start of March

Course Duration: From the 27th

of March to the 1st of April.

Cost: \160,000 (All fees are included unless specified. Students will be given prior notice if particular costs are not included

in the initial course fees.)

▲ Overall course costs may change if the student chooses to stay in a dormitory/YAMASA operated accommodation or if the

student wishes to stay in a nearby hotel.

How to Apply:

Students can apply individually via the NICE website (nicejapanese.yamasa.org), via e-mail ([email protected]) or by

telephone (+81-0564-55-8111).

In addition to taking NICE as an individual course, students are also able to supplement their initial enrolment with other courses

that run prior and after the initial study period (March 27th

to April 1st). For more information, please visit the NICE website.

The NICE Program aims to provide its participants with an experience that emphasizes the acquisition of language based,

cultural as well as food preparation skills. In short, what you can get out of this course is best divided into two categories:

cultural and culinary and linguistic.



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Cultural and Culinary Components

As was mentioned in our earlier ‘survey’, this course is ideal for those who have a genuine passion for food; not only Japanese

cuisine but food in its many forms. NICE offers you the ability to explore the many aspects of Japanese gourmet culture that are

inaccessible ‘back home’.

Learn more about a worldwide gastronomic phenomenon!

The popularity of Japanese cuisine is increasing by the day. With many people looking for a healthier alternative to the numerous

takeaway restaurants and fast food chains (of whose product is often of dubious nutritional value) that crowd the current landscape;

foods such as sashimi and sushi have carved out a niche within the market.

Unfortunately, a lot of what gets sold in many overseas Japanese eateries can often end up being very different to the genuine

article. While this can be delicious in its own way, it can also lack the authenticity of the ‘real deal’.



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NICE will take you beyond the more recognizable Japanese foods that you have been exposed to in your home country or during

your travels in Japan. It will open your eyes up to different forms of cuisine that you may not have considered prior to enrolling in the

course.

This is achieved via 4 aspects of the course: Japanese cooking classes, the Okazaki Gourmand Society, Culinary Japanese

Lessons and a weekend tour to Ise Shima.



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Japanese Cooking Classes

Students will participate in a cooking class taught by a qualified

and experienced Japanese cooking teacher, Michiyo Nishimura

who not only has an enviable level of cooking expertise but is

also vastly experienced in teaching Japanese cooking to

foreigners.

Our cooking class will aim to teach a style of cooking that is both

unique and with a certain ‘je ne sais quois’ about it. The dishes

that you will be taught (which include grilled ayu sweetfish and

donburi rice bowls) will also able to be made with ingredients

that are accessible back home.

The class will be conducted in the cooking studio run by the

Kurashi no Gakkou, (YAMASA’s sister school and community

learning centre), which is equipped with all the necessary

utensils and equipment for you to whip up a metaphorical storm

in the kitchen.

In addition to learning how to make the kind of food that you

could only find in a restaurant in your home country, you will be

able to use the Japanese that you have picked up during class

time in a practical and functional setting.



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Okazaki Gourmand Society

While cooking food is a lot of fun, eating it can also be a lot of fun as well! For this reason, we have set up the ‘Okazaki Gourmand

Society’ as a part of the broader NICE program. These are a series of events/tours that introduce you to the various ways that you

can enjoy Japanese dining in and around Okazaki; the city that YAMASA calls its home.

Okazaki Gourmand Society events will include:

Visit to Tea Factory at Nishio

The first trip in our itinerary will be to the Nazan tea factory in

Nishio, Aichi, Japan. During the course of the tour you will be

given an explanation of the history of maccha tea and the

process of how it is cultivated. After a tour of the grounds of the

factory, you will be able to sample the many varieties of tea

available at this location; ranging from the maccha that many of

us are familiar with to Japanese kinds of sweets.

Okazaki Castle/Tea Ceremony

Okazaki itself is the home to a large slice of Japanese history as

it is the birthplace of Ieyasu Tokugawa, a famous samurai who

reunited Japan after a long period of civil war. The actual place

of his birth, Okazaki Castle, will be one of the locations that we

will visit.

After our visit to Okazaki Castle, we will be taking a tour around

the area surrounding Okazaki Minami park (the area that houses

Okazaki Castle) to visit some traditional Japanese confectionery

stores. However, before we embark on that...



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Hanami (Cherry Blossom Viewing)

Before launching on our tour of downtown Okazaki, we will

engage in a long time Japanese tradition: cherry blossom

viewing. While looking up at these flowers is part of this activity’s

appeal, the entirety of what makes up hanami isn't merely limited

to just this. The bulk of this activity is mostly relaxing with friends

while enjoying good food, drinks and company. We will bring a

few beers, some dumplings and some good friends along to

make this event a memorable one.

Visit to Osu Shopping District

After having lunch at Onjaku (a local Japanese eatery that

serves most high standard Japanese fare) we will be visiting the

Osu shopping district.

A roofed shopping district located 5 minutes from the Sakae

entertainment district, Osu is an interesting mish mash of

traditional Japanese culture, modern Japanese subculture,

shopping and local and international cuisine. The site of the

World Cosplay Summit, Osu is also contains home to numerous

local and international restaurants. Osu not only will tickle your

cultural sensibilities but also broaden your appreciation of both

old and new Japan.

However, prior to visiting Osu, you will be taken to lunch at the

Onjaku kaiseki ryori restaurant. Providing a multi course meal,

Onjaku serves the Japanese equivalent of haute cuisine: kaiseki

ryori (懐石料理）.

Izakaya Trip

Any visitor to the Land of the Rising Sun will tell you that you will

have to visit a traditional Japanese bistro (known in the local

dialect as an 居酒屋= izakaya) before you leave. As part of the



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Okazaki Gourmand Society, we will do just that.

This Okazaki Gourmand Society event will see us go to Kuukai,

a local Izakaya close to Okazaki station, to enjoy a broad

selection of Japanese food ranging from the deep fried (e.g.

kareage style fried chicken, tofu and potentially blowfish) to

lighter fare (such as tuna and kingfish sashimi, edamame beans

and cold ramen noodles).

Japanese Café:

NICE students will also have a weekly chance to practice their

Japanese with their teachers at the YAMASA Institute’s on site

café ‘Kurumi’. Order food using the Japanese you have learnt in

class while enjoying good food and company.



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Weekend Tour to Ise Shima

Students of the NICE Gourmet Japanese Program will go on a tour on the last day of course to Ise Shima. It is often said that

language cannot be separated from the culture that it was spawned from. The same can also be said for food. Being aware of this,

YAMASA will be taking NICE students to a location of cultural significance to get a first hand glimpse of the society that created the

food that inspired this course.

The site of the most recent meeting of the G7 group of nations, Ise Shima also holds considerable significance in the cultural life of

Japan. It is home to Ise Jingu, a large, sprawling complex that is considered one of the most sacred shrines in the country (and one

that also has links to the Japanese royal family).

During our trip to Ise Shima, we will be indulging in a meal of Matsuzaka beef at the Isshobin beef restaurant. As Matsuzaka (the city

in which said beef is reared) is located in the same prefecture as Ise Shima, this is a great opportunity to experience a broad range

of what not only Mie has to offer but central Japan as well.



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Homestay/Accommodation Options

All NICE students will be given the option of staying with a local Japanese family during their time at YAMASA. Homestay is a great

opportunity for you to get to know more about the Japanese lifestyle. In addition to this, a homestay visit is also a chance for you to

apply both the linguistic and culinary knowledge that you have picked up in class. It’s also great for trying home cooked Japanese

food cooked by your host family as well as for allowing you to cook more international fare for your host family.

Whilst homestays are offered as a primary component of this course, it is not an essential part of it. For those who would like to stay

in accommodation besides homestay, YAMASA has a range of accommodation options available which can be accessed from the

YAMASA homepage (http://www.yamasa.org/en/facilities_accommodation.html).



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Linguistic Component

Many first timers to Japan can find the experience of going to a restaurant (with absolutely no English on the menu) a trying

experience.

While this can be avoided if one were to go to all English speaking locations during one’s travels, this can often be limiting in that it

does not give one access to the full gamut of what Japan has to offer; in both a culinary as well as cultural sense.

The NICE Gourmet Japanese Program aims to arm you with the kind of practical and functional Japanese that will serve you well

during you travels across Japan, get the most out of your experience while you are here as well as allow you to better appreciate the

conveyor belt sushi, gyudon and ramen restaurants that you will be frequenting while you are here.

This will be achieved by the following aspects of the course:



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Cutting edge e-learning focused curriculum:

Harnessing the kind of technology that has been witnessed in many Western classrooms, NICE utilizes e-learning technology that

allows teachers to put the learning needs of their students at the forefront.

The application of this ‘teachnology’ brings about the following benefits.

The bulk of your class time will be spent on practicing the vocabulary, expressions and vocabulary that you have learnt prior to

arriving in class. Students who learn at a slower pace will be able to access lessons online to insure that they are able to keep

up with the rest of class.

Students are also able to collaborate with each other using interactive learning portals to answer each other’s questions and

exchange notes as well as directly interact with their teacher should they need clarification on a certain point.

Practical Japanese related to dining and culinary pursuits:

NICE is that it will give people travelling Japan the tools to be able to not only get out of a Japanese restaurant in one piece but also

to be able to successfully order food, give ones opinion on it and pay the bills. While this may sound a bit simplistic, for many visitors

to Japan, this can be a lot to ask.

In addition to the basics, we also teach specialist cooking vocabulary such as steam, boil, fry and deep fry as well as the names of

unique Japanese

Timetable

Period 3/27 Mon. 3/28 Tues. 3/29 Wed. 3/30 Thu. 3/31 Fri 4/1 Sat. 4/2 Sun.

1) 9:00-9:50 Pre Course

Japanese

lessons

Japanese

lessons

Japanese

lessons

Japanese

lessons

Weekend Tour to

Ise Shima

End of Course

2) 10:00-10:50

3) 11:00-11:50

Cooking Lessons

Lunch 11:50-12:40 Japanese Café

Okazaki Castle

Hanami (Cherry

Blossom Viewing)

Stroll around Okazaki

city centre including

areas of culinary

significance.

Lunch at Onjaku

Trip to Osu Shopping

District

4) 12:40-13:30

Arrival and check in

at YAMASA by this

time.

(Please arrive by

6PM)

Aiya Tea Factory tour

in Nishio

5) 13:40-14:30

6) 14:40-15:30 Graduation

Ceremony

Return to accommodation Izakaya Tour

Key: ▲ Japanese Lessons/Administrative Tasks ▲ Okazaki Gourmand Society/Weekend Tour/Japanese Café ▲ Cooking Lessons

Curriculum Outline

Learning Focus Target Vocabulary Examples Activity especially relevant to

Understanding and using taste

words.

This is bitter/this is sweet/this is

salty.

Nanzan Tea Factory (Tues,)

Asking what something tastes like. What does that taste like? Nanzan Tea Factory (Tues,),

Politely refusing foods that you do

not like.

I’m not really that crazy about

pork…

Stroll around Okazaki city

Centre (Wednesday),

Making requests at restaurants. Can I have a menu please? Lunch at Onjaku (Thurs),

Izakaya Tour (Fri)

Asking about things you don’t

understand or don’t know about.

What are your specials? Lunch at Onjaku, (Thurs),

Izakaya Tour (Fri), Weekend

tour to Ise Shima (Sat.)

Politely refusing unwanted items. I don’t really need a bag/receipt Weekend tour to Ise Shima

(Sat.) Trip to Osu Shopping

District (Thurs.)

Using nouns to ask for permission. May I pay by card? Weekend tour to Ise Shima

(Sat.), Trip to Osu Shopping

District (Thurs.)

Language relevant to cooking lesson Cooking verbs and temperature

adjectives

Cooking lessons (Fri.)

Vocabulary reflecting real life situations: dried gluten, soups and

broths, types of cherry blossom, bowls, pour, send around, (to) serve, (to)

steam

Simple food vocabulary, Listening Practice: pour, mix, boil

NICE’s curriculum has been designed to have maximum relevancy to the

activities you will be participating in every day. It has also been made with

the goal of allowing students to be able to order in restaurants and go

shopping after the course is complete. Therefore, curriculum is designed

with the end goal of being able to successfully navigate the izakaya tour

and trip to Ise Shima.



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NICE Gourmet Japanese Refund Policy and

Disclaimer

Disclaimer:

1) Some locations listed within the itinerary that require forward booking (such as restaurants) may change

to a different yet comparable location if reservations are unable to be made at the initial premises/location.

2) Previously arranged events may need to be cancelled on account of inclement weather, natural disasters,

terrorist attacks or acts of God.

Refunds:

Students are entitled to the following refunds if they notify YAMASA of their cancellation (via e-mail) by 12am

of the following dates (JST- Japanese Standard Time).

1) Students will be entitled to a full refund should they notify YAMASA by the 11th of February 2017

2) Students will be entitled to a 2/3 refund if they notify YAMASA between the 12th of February and 15th of

March.

3) Students will be entitled to 50% refund if they notify YAMASA between the 16th and 26th of March.

4) Students who cancel from the 27th of March onward will not be entitled to a refund.

Final notification on running of course:

YAMASA will endeavor to provide notification to all NICE students by the 10th of February 2017 if there have

been any changes to the course or overall cancellation of the course due to various factors (insufficient

enrollment numbers, natural disasters, unavoidable circumstances, illness etc.).

In circumstances such as those listed above, YAMASA will contact each applicant and refund their tuition in

full if this is the student’s preference.

Course Inquiries

If you have any specific inquiries concerning the NICE Gourmet Japanese Program, please feel free to contact the following

YAMASA staff members.

English: Glen Cowan E-mail: [email protected]

Japanese: Takako Seko E-mail: [email protected]

Mandarin: Shu Ching Yu (Haru) E-mail: [email protected]

We look forward to seeing you at the YAMASA Institute!

an edutravel experience for the discerning foodie. - the yamasa … · 2016. 12. 17. · an...

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