(Yonhap-Sputnik) — In the outermost fringes of the Tokyo Metropolitan area is the town of Koma, the first settlement of the royal refugees of Koguryeo (37 BC to 668 AD.), an ancestral state of Korea.
Not many Koreans are aware of the existence of this beautiful rustic village in Hidaka, Sitama Prefecture, and the history of how their ancestors made it there.
The landmark of Koma is the Koma Shrine that belongs to Shinto, a native religion of Japan, and is frequented by local farmers, travelers and cyclists seeking a moment of peaceful meditation.
The town of Koma and the Koma Shrine still have many customs and remnants of the Koguryeo heritage around, as seen by a number of "jangseung," or wooden shamanic totem poles believed to clear out bad spirits.
The friendship between these two ancient powers carried on to the last years of Koguryeo.
In October 666, Prince Yakgwang of Koguryeo crossed the East Sea to the present-day Koma, seeking shelter amid political unrest at home. According to "Nihon Shoki," the second oldest book of Japanese history, the prince is described as "Koma Ou Yakgwang."
The name appears again in "Shokunihongi," which states "Yakwang of Koguryeo was given a royal family surname Ou (by Yamato)," dated March 703. The surname "Ou" is reflective of the Yamato clan's favor of the Koguryeo prince, as it allowed the surname only to the royal descendants of foreign countries.
The prince never made it back to his home country because it fell apart amid the internal clashes of the throne among the sons of king's first hand, Yeon Gaesomun.
After Koguryeo crumbled in the hands of Silla-Tang China alliance, Yakgwang fully dedicated his life to pioneer the undeveloped farmlands of Japan.
To his last breath, the prince built up a new home for his people in harmony with the Japanese under Yamato regime.
After his death, the town dwellers and the Japanese dubbed the prince as "kami," or the godly spirit, in homage to Yakgwang and his good will.
About 1,300 years have passed since the days of Yakgwang, but his pioneering spirit has inspired many young "Yakgwangs" with strong will to build up their own "Korean dream" in Japan.
In Yakgwang's time, Korean-born Buddhist art and culture-related technology played crucial roles in forging the strong brotherly bond between Koguryeo and the Yamato clan.
In fact, Korean culture still remains the source of intimacy between Koreans and Japanese of today. Food and entertainment now form the leading cultural bridge between the two nations.
"I came to Japan to learn cooking Korean, Japanese and French dishes," said Yoon Na-ra, a 28-year-old who landed on Tokyo eight months ago. Yoon works in the kitchen of Michelin's two-star French restaurant "Mona Lisa" in Marunouchi Building, or the landmark twin building near Tokyo station.
"Some day, I want to open my own French restaurant and serve French cuisine with Asian ingredients."
The shy young man from Korea had returned from Koma Shrine the other day, where he assisted a historical culinary event that introduces the art of fermentation in Koguryeo cuisine.
Lee Yeon-woong, the owner chef of Japanese fusion izakaya "Yuwu" in Seoul also took part in arranging Koguryeo food in the Koma Shrine event. Lee's izakaya is frequented by many K-pop celebrities, who casually drop by for a bottle of sake or his home-made Japanese side dishes of the latest trend.
He came to Tokyo to study Japanese cuisine under Cho, seeking to explore the newest taste and culinary art of Japan. Lately he is absorbed in the "white curry" that has become hip in the Japanese capital, set to dissect the secret recipe behind the thin coat of creamy potato that roofs this exotic curry.
For Tokyo locals, the easiest access to Korean food is the Koreatown in Shinokubo, near Shinjuku in western side of downtown Tokyo. The neighborhood has nested countless Korean cultural and food enterprises of small and medium size.
The neighborhood is full of Japanese localites who drop by for hangouts in the Korean restaurants and kiosks, performing theaters for Korean idol groups or Korean cosmetics stores.
Many of the Korean "pocha," or pubs, and restaurants display pictures of K-pop idol groups like Girls' Generation, BigBang, Block B and CNBLUE. Korean star actors including Jang Keun-suk and entertainment show hosts such as Kang Ho-dong frequently appear on the posters glued outside the shops, mostly larger than the actual menu.
The scene may appear quite unusual to most Koreans, who seldom find Korean musicians and a diner in Korea, but not to most Japanese.
"I haven't particularly noticed anything strange (about the K-pop posters outside the restaurants,)" said Fujisawa Tatsuyaki, a 21-year-old office worker who dropped by a cafe in Koreatown after lunch. The young Japanese man said he tends to casually drop by Korean restaurants for a meal, without perceiving it as an exotic place. He described the image of Korean food as bulgogi, or Korean barbecue, and bibimbap, or rice bowl with various herbs and vegetables, cooked in a localized way.
"I don't find Korean food (here) too spicy, because the spices are moderated to suit the Japanese customers. But I do think that the same dishes in Korea may be way too spicy for me," Fujisawa said.
Korean cuisine has also become a not-so-foreign part of homecooking for ordinary Japanese housewives.
"I cook Korean foods for my family from time to time because it has great taste and nutritional balance," says Natsuko, a Japanese stay-at-home mother who slipped into a cafe in the Shinokubo Korean town on the peaceful Monday afternoon.
"I think I can make pretty decent 'sundobu jjigae,' but making 'jijimi' is still way too challenging," she said. She likes to whip up common Korean dishes with local produce.
Outside the cafe is a three-story Show Box concert hall, which stages a number of K-pop boy bands and singers whose names are more popular in Japan than in Korea.
Miyamoto Eriko, one of these local fans of K-pop lining up outside Show Box, follows the Instagram account of Korean boy band BTOB.
"My favorite is Changsub of BTOB. Sometimes he posts pictures of what he ate. I don't think they are particularly Korean cuisine, but I make sure to check out these photos. I began drinking coffee after he posted a cup of coffee on his Instagram," the 22-year-old college senior said.
Miyamoto did not recall the specific names of the food that appear on Korean television series, but they made her mouth water. She said she wanted to try "ddeok ggochi," or fried strings of Korean rice cake covered in sweet and spicy pepper paste, if she gets the chance.
Without a doubt, Korean culture has become a casual everyday fixture in the lives of Japanese localites.
In the cozy afternoon, some sweet-toothed Japanese passersby run to the small kiosk for Korea's trademark street food "hoddeok," or deep-fried rice pancakes with brown sugar and nuts, while the signal lamp stays red.
Out of a natural course, the dynamic blend of Korean culture and Japanese society has created a great "melting pot" in the heart of Japan.
Indeed, such harmony and intimacy between the two nations hearken to their ancestral friendship that transcends the 1,300 years since the days of Koguryeo Prince Yakgwang.
Now the pioneering heritage of the Koguryeo ancestors is in the hands of their Korean descendants — led by those who are paving the way to the burgeoning of Korean culture around the world with the salt of their brow.
