What Losing 10 kg Taught Me About Life | Life in Japan at 54

A quiet day off in Japan—making bento for the week, cooking lunch, and spending some time with Fu-chan. Today, I’m also sharing a story from my younger years about losing weight, learning to let go of my all-or-nothing mindset, and finding a more balanced way to live. Thank you for spending this quiet day with me. Here are the ingredients I used in today’s video. I usually don’t measure ingredients very precisely when I cook, so please use these amounts as a general guide. Feel free to adjust the seasonings to suit your taste! 【Stuffed Green Peppers】 Makes about 2–4 bento portions 5 large green peppers 300 g ground meat 1 small onion Salt and pepper, to taste 1 egg 2 tbsp potato starch (to mix into the meat) 2 tbsp potato starch (for coating the inside of the peppers) Sauce 2 tbsp soy sauce 2 tbsp sake 2 tbsp mirin 【Komatsuna, Carrot & Bean Sprout Namul】 1 bunch komatsuna (Japanese mustard spinach), about 200 g 1/4 large carrot 1 bag bean sprouts 3 tsp chicken bouillon powder 1 tbsp soy sauce 2 tbsp sesame oil 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds 【Sweet Tamagoyaki】 3 eggs 1 tbsp sugar A pinch of salt 1 tbsp mirin A small amount of mentsuyu (Japanese noodle soup base) 【Mushroom Takikomi Gohan】 Japanese seasoned rice with chicken and mushrooms 2 go Japanese rice (about 300 g uncooked) 300 g chicken thigh or breast A little salt and sake (for seasoning the chicken) Use any mushrooms you like. I used: 1 pack shimeji mushrooms (about 100 g) 1 pack shiitake mushrooms (about 100 g) 1 small piece of fresh ginger Seasonings 1 tbsp sesame oil 2 tbsp sake 2 tbsp mirin 2 tbsp soy sauce 2 tsp Hondashi (Japanese instant dashi powder) Water, about 340 mL Add the seasonings to the rice cooker first, then add enough water to reach the 2-go line. 【Fried Lotus Root — Aonori & Salt / Consommé】 200–300 g lotus root Vinegar (for soaking the lotus root) 2 tbsp potato starch Vegetable oil, for frying Aonori & Salt 1 tsp aonori (dried green seaweed flakes) Salt, to taste Consommé Consommé powder, to taste #LifeInJapan #LifeInMy50s #JapaneseLifestyle #QuietLiving #Bento #JapaneseFood #StartingOver