Serialized Essays | #ijichiman's Musings: "Year-End Party Hot Pot"

Serialized Essays | #ijichiman's Musings

No. 42: "Year-End Party Hot Pot"

It's the year-end party season. Gatherings, which I usually limit to once or twice a week, have increased to three or four times since November. For the past two years, when COVID-19 was raging, year-end parties were either voluntarily canceled or restricted by some industries and companies. How about this year? I've heard that younger people are generally avoiding year-end parties, regardless of COVID-19. I hear they're told stories of the good old days, forced to eat and drink because they're young, and then end up having to pay for it themselves. Who would want to attend under such circumstances? Of course, that's a matter of company or individual discretion and capability. If those issues can be resolved, then year-end parties are definitely something to be had.

Photographs and Text by IJICHI Yasutake

All You Need is a Hot Pot

Serialized Essays | #ijichiman's Musings: "Year-End Party Hot Pot" — Yanaka Toriyoshi: Yanaka

People we've been meaning to meet but haven't, people we've bumped into and planned to go drinking with, people we've met through mutual friends, hit it off with, and decided to meet again separately, people we want to thank for their help, old friends who gather every year-end, colleagues we work with daily... As we get older, the list of people we want to see only grows, but it's hard to see everyone regularly. Yet, the "year-end" alone becomes a reason and an occasion to meet.

Botan: Awajicho

Year-end parties have always meant "hot pot." Let's set aside concerns about hygiene in these times, or the awkwardness of sharing a pot with people you're not close to. I want to enjoy hot pot and drinks with people who have a positive mindset, aiming to have fun, drink, and become closer by gathering around a single pot.

The origin of hot pot cuisine is said to be the Jomon period, when earthenware was invented. By heating meat, fish, and vegetables in earthenware, it was possible to sterilize them, make them easier to eat and digest, and utilize all the nutrients, which led to its spread.

The style of "gathering around a hot pot" as we know it today began in the Edo to Meiji periods. Its origin is the regional cuisine "Shippoku" from China, which was introduced to Japan and spread in Nagasaki. Until then, the dining style was "zen" (individual trays), but the style of serving large dishes on a "taku" (table) for people to take and share also became popular. In the Meiji era, the ban on eating meat was lifted, and with the promotion of wealth and military strength, gyunabe (beef hot pot) became widespread. It was almost synonymous with what we now call sukiyaki. It was easily accessible to commoners unfamiliar with Western cuisine and quickly spread, making "nabe" (hot pot) popular as well.

Let's cleanse ourselves of the year's impurities with a delicious hot pot at our year-end party, boost our spirits, and welcome good fortune for the coming year.

Chanko Kirishima: Located in front of Ryogoku Station, Tokyo
Chanko Kirishima stands tall in front of Ryogoku Station, the mecca of sumo. This is the restaurant of former Ozeki Kirishima (now stablemaster Mutsu), who was popular in the early Heisei era for his handsome looks and sculpted physique, during the time when Chiyonofuji, Hokutoumi, and Asahifuji reigned as Yokozuna. Chanko hot pot is the name for the dish prepared by the sumo stable's cook (chanko-ban), and there are no set definitions for its ingredients or seasoning. Chanko hot pot is made with a balanced mix of vegetables, mushrooms, seafood, and meat, simmered thoroughly to provide the nutrition sumo wrestlers need to build their physiques. It's healthy, easy to digest, and warming, making it perfect for the year-end party season when alcohol consumption increases.

Kirishima's chanko is also delicious, packed with vegetables, seafood, and meat, with a flavorful chicken bone broth that seeps into everything. The entire building dedicated to Kirishima right in front of Ryogoku Station has a certain charm. After the hot pot, would you prefer to continue the night sensually in nearby Kinshicho, or perhaps in a stylish manner in Asakusa? Incidentally, if you're lucky, you might even meet the former Ozeki himself at the restaurant.

Matsuya (Korean Cuisine): 1-1-17 Okubo, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo
A long-established Korean restaurant in Shin-Okubo, it was already popular and well-known about 25 years ago when I first moved to the area. Matsuya was the first to introduce Kamjatang (spicy pork and potato stew) to Shin-Okubo. While the Kamjatang with its generous chunks of fluffy potato is delicious, I personally recommend the octopus hot pot. They drop a whole fresh octopus into the pot and simmer it. Then, you grab the cooked octopus and cut it up with gusto. The tender yet firm texture of the octopus, combined with the mild broth infused with the sweetness and richness of the vegetables, creates a truly Korean hot pot experience. Not only the food but also the restaurant's atmosphere and the staff's somewhat brusque service feel authentically Korean. Eating a hearty octopus hot pot that fully replenishes your energy will help you get through the cold winter.

Tori Ryori Soregashi (Chicken Sukiyaki): Matsuoka Bldg. 2F, 2-15-11 Nishi-Gotanda, Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo
Chicken sukiyaki is not something you often get to eat. It's not particularly expensive, but when you think of a slightly luxurious meal like sukiyaki or shabu-shabu, chicken sukiyaki doesn't immediately come to mind. This is a chicken specialty restaurant in Gotanda run by "Soregashi," who deeply loves and is meticulous about sake. Their chicken sukiyaki is exquisite. It makes you realize anew how delicious chicken can be. You can enjoy the whole chicken, with various parts offering different flavors and textures. Each dish is thoughtfully prepared yet simply and honestly delicious.

Yamadaya: 4-28-20 Yotsuya, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo
When thinking of hot pot, and winter delicacies, fugu (pufferfish) immediately comes to mind. Because it's a luxury item that one rarely eats, it's something you'd want to savor at least once a year during an important year-end occasion. My recent favorite is Yamadaya in Shinjuku Gyoen. Founded about 60 years ago, it's a traditional small restaurant located in an alley off Shinjuku Dori, on the way from Shinjuku Gyoen to Yotsuya Sanchome. The first floor counter has about 8 seats, and there's also a raised tatami seating area. The simple course, including tessa (thinly sliced raw fugu), fried fugu, tetchiri (fugu hot pot), and zosui (rice porridge cooked in broth), is reasonably priced under 10,000 yen. You can also enjoy à la carte dishes like grilled shirako (fugu milt) or kani (crab) that would make any drinker's mouth water, along with hire-zake (sake with a grilled fugu fin). The apple ice cream for dessert is homemade using apples from acquaintances, showing their attention to detail until the very end. Given the quality, the price would likely be more than double elsewhere. Gathering around the hot pot in the tatami room with everyone is great, as is a quiet dinner for two at the counter with a close friend or partner.

At the year's end, rather than planning for the next year, I simply want to look back on the enjoyable moments of the past year, laugh again, and forget the unpleasant ones. Let's gather around a pot, warm our hearts and bodies, and enjoy ourselves with a sense of contentment.

IJICHI Yasutake
Born in Tokyo in 1982. While attending Keio University, he was involved in planning and producing receptions and parties for major brands at an event company. After transferring to a PR firm, he worked as a planner and resigned at the age of 30. He joined his representative, a friend since junior high school, in establishing Japan's first cold-pressed juice specialty store, "Sunshine Juice," and served as Vice President until September 2020. He currently supports corporate communication and branding for clients in a wide range of industries while continuing his urban explorations. His favorite foods are fugu and suppon (soft-shelled turtle). His favorite sports are baseball and horse racing. His favorite places are old-fashioned coffee shops and casual bars.
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