Coming Soon: Otsumami by Erin Niimi Longhurst
Weekly, bite-sized culture - inspired by Japan.
With book three well and truly submitted (more on that soon!), it’s time for me to share a little bit about what I’ve been working on - Otsumami, my new Substack.
My first two books, ‘Japonisme’ and ‘Omoiyari’ came about because of a lifestyle blog I started back in 2014. That blog was where I shared recipes, my random thoughts, tidbits about my friends and family. Four years later, I would become a published author, by one of the Big Four publishers - but it was then that I felt a sense of self-consciousness about the place I got my start. Since then, I’ve been lucky enough to write on a freelance basis for some incredible publications, but I missed the sense of community that I had in my blogging days. At a recent Guild of Food Writers event I attended, I became excited at the fervour with which the other members were talking about when it came to Substack - so here we go, with my humble offering.
Otsumami (お摘み)
Another word for "snack" in Japanese is otsumami. The Japanese noun tsumami meaning "something to nibble/eat with a drink", usually smaller dishes (served in a similar style, perhaps, to tapas).
I’m calling this content series ‘Otsumami’ because in contrast to my books which are long-form reads, think of this as snack-sized portions of culture with a Japanese twist. Served to you every Thursday.
I’m extremely proud of my Japanese heritage, but as a mixed-race person who has lived in many places globally, I’m ever conscious of the ways in which ‘culture’ and ‘tradition’ are malleable, and can change over time. I also live in London, and some of what I share will be influenced by that - for example, the way I sometimes use sherry instead of saké in my cooking, or how I navigate and engage with Japanese culture within the British Isles.
Why are some things behind a paywall?
Print is very much a waning industry, and for those of us without guaranteed inherited generational wealth, writing (and the arts in general) is a privilege few can afford. ‘Japonisme’ and ‘Omoiyari’ were life-changing for me from a personal point of view, but not particularly from a financial standpoint - and so if you like what I do, and want to support my work, hopefully this modest subscription is a way for you to do that.
I am also extremely conscious of the pitfalls of over-tourism. My last visit to Japan, for my Japanese wedding, was really eye-opening for me - as a viral tourist destination on social media, a lot of the temples, sights and restaurants I loved were overcrowded, or often priced out the locals. Careful curation takes time, effort and energy, and so therefore some of this type of content (recommendations, itineraries) will remain behind a paywall. However, I will offer 5 paid subscriptions free for readers who are from low or no-income households - DM me on Instagram to find if you are eligible.
Existing newsletter subscribers will be signed up to the free version automatically.
Why subscribe to ‘Otsumami’?
Recipes. Itineraries. Tutorials. Recommendations.
Subscribe for weekly morsels and tidbits - or ‘otsumami’, snacks that you might grab and eat (often with booze).
What can you expect?
As a free subscriber, you’ll get access to:
One recipe a month;
Interviews;
Food and cultural recommendations, tips and musings
For premium/paid subscribers (£4 a month), you’ll get:
Three recipes per month;
Audio recordings of the features;
Access to my weekly office hours;
Travel itineraries; and
A signed copy of one of my books*.
Subscribe below to join!
* Available only to annual subscribers who pay the annual subscription up-front - shipping charges to destinations where postage is over £10 may apply.
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