Who else loves the Olympics!?! I am definitely more of a summer Olympics gal myself, but something about the whole world coming together to compete is so exciting to me! My favorite events are gymnastics, swimming, and pole vaulting (did you know that I pole vaulted in high school?).
Every time the Olympics comes around, it has been a tradition to watch the opening ceremonies together and embrace the culture of whatever country is hosting. This year it is in Tokyo, Japan.
Part of the tradition is to try as many different things from that country. So being Japan, we got ourselves tons of goodies from snacks to beverages to candy, and even our meal will be Japanese. This is something that I always look forward to when the Olympics comes around.
I think it is a super fun, super unique way to kick off the Olympics. So I thought I would put together a few ideas, so you too can have a Japanese Olympic opening ceremonies watch party.
Japanese Snacks/Candy
The best place that we find to pick up some international goodies (no matter the country) is World Market/Cost Plus. World Market has tons of imported goods/food/wine from all over the world. I just love wandering around see what goodies they have! We lucked out because they have a HUGE Japanese section, so we were like kids in a candy shop picking tons of goodies to try. For this year’s opening ceremony, you could also check out your local Asian grocery store, or order some things on Amazon.
It is so fun having next to zero idea what anything is or what it tastes like. Trying a bunch of different things is the best way to go. We like to get a mix of salty/sweet. There were so many options we definitely had to narrow it down to see what we might like the best.
Here are the things we found to snack on during the opening ceremonies:
- Shrimp Chips
- Avocado Oil Roasted Seaweed
- Japanese Pringles
- Hapi Mixed Cracker Mix
- Ramen Gummies
- Hello Kitty Chocolate Marshmallows
- Lemon Hard Candies
Here are a a few Japanese goodies I found on Amazon that would get here in time for the opening ceremonies!
Japanese Dinner
For the main event, we typically would like to cook something traditional to the country that is hosting. I think it would be super fun to try cooking your own ramen or sushi.
I feel like most people would order sushi take out, and if I was a sushi fan I would probably do the same! However, since we are not a sushi family, we are ordering hibachi take out. We always spend birthdays, special occasions, you name it at a Japanese steak house. So we thought it would be special to support local and order take out from our favorite one. If you are local – Jurin in Geneva is my go to, and we have been going there for 20 years!
If you are in the cooking mood, here are a few Japanese recipes that I think would be super fun to make for the opening ceremony!
Sushi Recipes
- 20 Easy Sushi Recipes You Can Make At Home
- Shrimp Tempura Roll
- Spicy Shrimp Sushi Stacks
- California roll
Yaki onigiri (grilled rice balls)
Japanese Drinks
No party wouldn’t be a party without some drinks! We have a combination of alcoholic/non-alcoholic drinks to try from Japan.
Non Alcoholic
- Bubble Tea
- Japanese Soda (pineapple and watermelon)
Alcoholic
- Sake
- Japanese Beer
I think sake is the most popular Japanese drink and would be the easiest to get your hands on. But, being a big beer girl, so I definitely wanted to try to find some Japanese beer. I remember when I was a kid getting the Japanese soda at Jurin, and pushing the bubble to pop to open the drink. This will definitely take me down memory lane!
You can try to make your own bubble tea, I found this recipe!
Japanese Utensils/Decor
We don’t go crazy with decor, but we do try to stay as authentic as possible when it comes to utensils. Since it is traditional to eat on the floor in some Asian cultures, we will do the same. We will also be using chopsticks, and I found these adorable ramen bowls to use as well.
Except, I for some reason cannot figure out how to use chopsticks, I blame it on being left handed, so I still use the kiddie cheat cheat chopsticks!
We like to think of our opening ceremony watch parties as a way to honor the country hosting and to take a moment to learn more about their culture.
I found some Japanese utensils that would be great for an opening ceremony party, or just any night as well. I will be using my pink chopsticks for many many thai take out nights!
Even if you just celebrate with sushi take out, or if I have inspired you to cook your own authentic Japanese meal, I hope you watch the opening ceremonies tomorrow and cheer on our country!
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