Tobacco Aficionados Check It Out

Visit Okinawa to Get These Smokes

It began when I walked out of a bar to buy a few packs of cigarettes.

At the local grocery store, I ran into an old friend, who was hanging out, watching TV.

We drink beers together sometimes and, I had noticed him with Uruma cigarettes.

He had bummed one of my Mild Sevens, before I spotted his red pack of smokes.

It seems, he's trying to quit. The Urumas are helping him.

They are so strong he says, "After smoking one, you don't feel like having another for 3 hours."

Products Sold Only on Okinawa Islands

Way back in the late 1800's the government of Japan took over the tobacco industry.

It became a monopoly for the purpose of  taxing people so, the country could get rich.

Many years later, they figured out, private industries could make them, even richer.

The monopoly, got done away with but, the government still gets to hold one third of the stock.

When Okinawa, reverted back to Japanese control in 1972 the farmers weren't happy.

They had been raising their own tobacco and making these cigarettes, for Okinawa.

So, the big boys, up north, decided to give the tobacco farmers a break.

Before investing a total of  ¥ 630 or, about six bucks on those smokes, I did some research.

That's how I learned, these are brands exclusive of Okinawa, Japan.

Taxes drift upwards sometimes but, not as high as they would on any other Japanese smokes.

The way to get some of these gems, is to come to the islands. You can't buy them online.

Just for fun, I read some reviews of Uruma cigarettes on a Japan website.

A customer said, "They are a little bit pungent and sweet."  He recommends them for women.

When he, opened a pack, it smelled like some fancy liquor.

Another dude (in Osaka) met an Okinawan girl, who was smoking Uruma cigarettes.

He was a non-smoker but said, everyone around him was sucking smokes.

So, he decided to start sucking them, too. And, he liked to sweetness.

He's looking forward to, having that girl, smuggle him some from Okinawa on her next visit !

Some Do's and Dont's

Do: Plan on me getting rid of these smokes tonight. I ain't smoking them.

Don't: Send any correspondence, asking me to get some for you, back in the USA.

Reason: Once, in the custody of Uruma police, I promised, to be law abiding forevermore.

 More Information

Each cigarette, of both brands above contains:

Nicotine: 1.2 milligrams

Tar: 17 milligrams

Source: Learn Okinawa A-Z

The Ultimate Pork: Ryukyu Pig Named Agu

Served at a Health Festival

The annual Nuchigusui (health fair) was held in Kin Town today.

All sorts of, good for your health, items were on display including food and drinks.

They had health care specialists and, people who could give you massages.

Fruits, flowers, vegetables, tonics and special ingredients, to lift your spirits, were available, too.

The event most folks, come to see, is the butchering of the Maguro (tuna) and, they eat it.

A few hundred images of that, are in my pending files, to be seen some other day.

These little pigs called Agu (アグー) were a hot item today, as well.

Some were cooked in smokers, others, sliced and grilled over charcoal fires.

The Ryukyu pigs are special. Their pork contains less than 25% cholesterol.

Genetics wizards claim the hogs came from China, hundreds of years ago.

During the Battle of Okinawa, most of the livestock were destroyed.

Pigs from Western countries, were brought to the island so, people could survive.

Back during the 1980's someone, discovered Agu hogs, living in the wild up north.

Eighteen of them were determined to be pure bred; not, mongrels mixed with other breeds.

The little black pigs, called Shimabuta (locally) are making a comeback.

The pork is tender and sweeter than, the average hogs farmers are raising.

So, with the demand for healthy foods, on the increase Agu meat has become popular.

Checkout this video, in Japanese and English:

Some Days a Sign and a Curtain Are All You Need

Bankers hours, you could call it.

Today, we hit the west coast, east coast and middle of the island.

Back at the office, I downloaded 162 images.

There were birds, outer islands, tourists and food photos in the collection.

A simple kitchen curtain and sign at a restaurant, turned out to be my favorite photos.

It wasn't until, I read the EXIF data that it dawned on me.

We did all our photography between the hours of 9 and 3.

Those could bankers hours.

Sounds like a plan, to me !

Daikon (大根) Japanese Radish (Photos)

Many people around the world could eat a few radishes and not get full.

Today, I decided to introduce you to the radishes we have in Okinawa, Japan.

These little guys growing in a field gave me the idea.

The other Ryukyu Dudes were wading through a stream to find a cave.

Not thrilled about catching pneumonia, I told them I'd hang around and shoot birds.

No birds, butterflies or, any wildlife showed-up and I got bored.

So, I shot radishes. They are really called Daikon  (大根) in Japanese.

Paphanus sativus var. longipinnatus is what scientists would call them.

Rather than pull some poor farmer's longipinnatus plant out of the ground, to show you...

.....I went to the farmer's market and took some photos.

To add a sense of perspective, I stuck my paw in this photo.

Now, you have an idea how large these daikons can become.

They are humongous !

So far, I've never seen anyone eat, even half, of one of these radishes in one sitting.

More about Japanese Daikon (大根) and how to use them may be seen at:

What's Cooking America


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