Hey guys!
It's me, Loretta/KemushiChan!
Welcome back to my channel! :)
Today I'm on a special trip
to go to Matsusaka along with NHK TV.
We'll be out there filming for the next few days
I have to get ready to get on the train but I'm so excited
we're going to some really cool spots, behind the scenes
let's get going!
Today we are headed out to Matsusaka,
an area that's famous for its legendary Matsusaka-ushi
which is a type of "wagyu" steak.
The thing about this area is that
even though it's kind of the reason that steak popularized across Japan
a lot of people have tried it before
but don't know anything about this place.
So, just a heads up,
if you are sensitive about steak or eating meat
you might want to skip this video
but in the meantime, we're out here with NHK
to film a TV show for Japan.
and at the same time I'm taking you behind the scenes.
They're hoping to see if you guys find anything interesting
or if there's something you wanted to know more about the area
go ahead and leave a comment below
because they would really like to see that!
Let's get going!
[ MATSUSAKA, JAPAN ]
Here's how to get there from Tokyo:
First, I'm taking the bullet train to Nagoya
then switching to an express train on the Kintetsu line.
That will take you all the way to Matsusaka.
See? Pretty easy, huh? :)
Hello everyone!
I am here in Matsusaka, Japan
which is an amazing place that's known for its BEEF.
I just got here to the hotel room,
and we are about to shoot some amazing
delicious, fun times for the next few days.
So I'm going to take you guys along with me!
Let's go!
Good morning, everyone!
We are at our first location in Matsusaka.
Let's go inside and check it out.
Our first stop is at this famous, local butcher.
Because they want to see if I can tell the difference
between more western style steak
versus the Japanese, marbled-style of steak.
Let's see if you can tell what I'm talking about.
Hey guys, today we are in Matsusaka,
we have come to a butcher shop
that's making some delicious things
Oh! This huge cut sitting right here...
Matsusaka is famous for its beef
and I got to try the different types that they have.
Usually what we have in the states is called
AKAMI, a very red-style of steak
this one down here is a little bit closer
to what I'm used to seeing back in the states.
But what we have here is much more marbled.
It looks really delicious!
But I had a chance to taste it all
and taste the difference between the more fatty beef
vs. what we have back in the states
and I have to say
I really like the Matsusaka beef that they gave me.
It was soooo delicious!
I had a chance to taste just the actual fat
that they have on the beef
in the US we often cut the fat off and eat the red part
but really, the fat itself was so good.
I would eat that with a beer and a movie.
Sooo good!!!
The reason the steak is so different looking
and marbled, which makes it really tender
it has to do with how the cows are actually raised.
...and that's where it starts to get interesting.
So, we are now on our way to a cow ranch
to meet the owner, who's a local expert.
So right now we are here on the cow ranch.
It's basically the stables where they're kept
which are really wide and huge
and there's lots of room for the cows to hang out
some of you guys will probably say something in the comments
the reason we're seeing not only the steak
but the reason we're also seeing the cows here
is to really appreciate the way that they're brought up
the fact that they're really in a nice condition
and they're just like well taken care of.
The farmer here who keeps the cows
he's so nice, he talks them for walks
so we're going to go check that out.
This is Harumi-chan!
and we are taking her for a walk!
But this is no ordinary walk
this is a walk with...a JUMPING COW!
I met her and gave her a massage
after glazing her back with shochu
and rubbing her down with a straw massage-y thing.
That's not the only thing we did.
In addition to daily massages and walks
the owner likes to make sure they stay on a special diet
which includes...a bottle of beer apparently?!
I've never seen anything like this before
according to the owner and the 70 years he's done this
giving the cows a beer helps them build up an appetite
and then everything else is his own special blend
of oats, corn and grains.
For the owner, one of the most important days
is when the cows are old enough to enter a competition
and eventually be auctioned off.
But until then, he talked about
how taking meticulous care to raise them gave him a sense of pride.
OK, I want to show you a bit of history
behind everything that we're seeing here.
When I first studied Japanese in the states
I would hear about how people eat Japanese food
traditional Japanese foods,
but there's also more westernized coming into Japan.
Especially beef being one of those things,
which wasn't really eaten before now.
But it turns out that there's a reason
that beef was able to popularize throughout Japan
in the last 100 years or so
and this place behind me is going to tell us why.
We're in a new place now...
This sign here says
The prized Matsusaka Steak,
that they share with the world.
In these here are some of the
wooden pieces that they would use
when they were keeping the cows.
This is a basket that you put over their snout
these are all handmade.
This one's made out of wood.
It's used to cut the straw that we saw over there.
Do you have any idea what this might be?
This here, called WARAJI
is the SHOES they put on the Matsusaka cows.
And the reason they would do this is because
they actually had to walk
the cows all the way from here in Mie Prefecture
all the way to Tokyo!
To see if they could sell.
And it was a success!
That's how the Matsusaka beef
was made popular in Japan.
These shoes right here!
These tiny little things!
Handmade, and really intricate designs!
We were looking through them and I kept thinking
these would make really good souvenirs!
Put a little Hello Kitty on there and make a keychain...
BOOM! Instant souvenir :).
What do you think?
If you could make any of these into a souvenir what would you think?
This one's light and would fit perfectly into a suitcase!
What thing I haven't mentioned recently
is that I really like crafting.
I used to knit all the time.
The first time I came to Japan actually
is because I knit all these things and sold them to come to Japan
so, we saw a lot of food-related items
but one thing we want to try
is something a little bit more crafty.
But still Matsusaka style ;).
Here, we have come to the center...
so I can try my hands at something crafty...
Everything in this store is made with Matsusaka Momen
and famous local textile, known for its indigo color.
Which is also called, "Japan Blue".
Kimono and other clothing
are made out of these striped indigo patterns
and considered to be VERY fashionable.
So today I've come to learn how to make my own.
This is Tanaka-san who showed me
how to make my own things out of the same material.
She's the best!
You've gotta do it well...not like this :P.
This lovely coaster you see here
is something I made myself!
Usually you can only try making the coaster here
but she was nice enough to let me make my own stole.
A really pretty scarf with the same blue pattern
I love it so much!
You can see the edges...the parts where I didn't do so well.
I think we got it though!
For our last stop, we're going to dinner.
But I've never had it like this before!
OK, can you guess what this is?
You may recognize this case here
but what's INSIDE is what's special!
For dinner we're having KAITEN USHI
Which is basically like kaitenzushi...
but instead of sushi, we're having steak.
...or are we? ^_~
Ah! Here it is! Here it is guys!
Get ready to push the button...
Timing is everything!!!
3 - 2 - 1.... PUSH!
You probably have know idea what I just chose.
I'm not going to tell you, it's a secret!
Because this is actually the CHEAPEST way
and I think, the most delicious way,
to enjoy Matsusaka-ushi Steak.
This is GYUU-TORO. Do you know what it is?
That plate that I got was only like... 300 yen ($3) ?
It's written at the bottom of the plate
But it's super cheap and really really good.
What I think is really fun to do is
to ask the store person everytime you pick something
Like, "What is that?"
Pick something that looks good and give it a try!
And the fire starts to burn!!
That's how we make Matsusaka specialty...
delicious beef!
Here we go!
So good!!!
You guys have no idea what you're missing!
If you want to find out, you gotta check it out.
In Matsusaka. Let's go!
So, it's time for me to go!
If you live in central Japan,
the TV show we filmed for NHK will be airing their soon.
But if not, you can still participate by leaving a comment
Let us know what you thought was interesting.
Whether it's steak, blue fabric, or feeding cows a beer...
The way they do things here is very unique to Matsusaka
So let us know what you thought
and you're comment may be featured in the show!
Thanks so much for tuning in!
I'll see you guys next time!