The prices for fresh vegetables are much higher than normal for the second year in a row, due to the cold weather and the typhoon back in fall.
Even the humble daikon, the big white radish that's a staple of the winter months, is a lot more expensive. It's still one of the most affordable and useful vegetables at the supermarket, however, and it can be eaten cooked, raw or pickled from top to tail, including the leaves.
The daikon was introduced to Japan from the continent sometime in the Jomon (10,000-200 B.C.) or Yayoi periods (200 B.C.-250 A.D.).
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