Life in Fukuoka "English"

【Toshi-ake Udon-Opening the year with udon】

Have you ever heard of Toshi-ake Udon? I hadn't and so I'll share a little bit about it with you. As you know, on New Year's Eve, people eat toshi-koshi soba, or kind of “year-end” noodles. It's a pretty well known tradition across Japan and I'd guess nearly everyone tries to have soba before the clock strikes midnight. Toshi-ake udon, however, isn't nearly as well known. And, well to be honest, that's understandable as it's a fairly recently created custom. Apparently, it was introduced on New Year's day in 2009 in an attempt to expand the consumption of udon and bring back udon's popularity.
Since long ago in Japan, udon has been considered an auspicious food with it's soft white color. It also signifies a wish for health and longevity as it is a thick, long noodle.
To make toshi-ake udon is a pretty simple process. You only need to top your udon with a red ingredient of sorts and eat it between the 1st and 15th of January. Things like umeboshi, kamaboko or even shrimp tempura are all great ideas and the sky is the limit really, when you think about it.
And although Fukuoka is famous for ramen, historically, this area is said to be where udon was first brought from China, Jotenji-temple is considered its birthplace here, and as such, there are a ton of udon shops in the city. Udon on a cold winter day is just the thing to warm you up, so why not give toshi-ake udon a try? So where to go? Well, you could just pick up a pack from the supermarket and do it at home if you want to keep the price down, but if you feel like getting out, I'd say search for Asian Beat, Fukuoka Udon, to take a look at one article I found with a whole variety of udon shops in the area. The Samurai Udon shop over by Hakata Station looked interesting, but if you want something more traditional, Yataro Udon near Tenjin Minami station also looked good.

【COVID-19 Vaccination Information】

Now, I have some information from Fukuoka City to share with you. Fukuoka City has been working toward making sure everyone who hopes to be vaccinated can do so with peace of mind. In Fukuoka City, inoculations for the third dose of the vaccine have begun. Residents of Fukuoka City, who are over the age of 18 and have received the previous two inoculations will receive the vaccination coupon for the third dose in the mail.

For those who have not yet taken your first or second inoculation but hope to do so, please visit the Fukuoka City homepage or contact the call center for information on where you can get your vaccination done.

For information on vaccinations or for advice or to make a reservation, you can call 092-260-8405. Again, that number is 092-260-8405. Calls will be taken between 8:30 am and 5:30pm every day. 7 languages are available at that number, including English, Chinese, Nepali, Vietnamese and Korean.