Resident, Japan

Cancer Curing Fish?

terrandabo — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 05:00:03 +0000

I was running errands Monday morning when I walked past a line at 鮮魚吉本商店 (Sengyo Yoshimoto Shouten) or Yoshimoto Fresh Fish Shop. I have no idea what the big deal was but there must have been cocaine in the carp or something.

A rainy day cheer up

terrandabo — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 22:29:58 +0000

Japanese love uniforms for school kids (from elementary to high school and sometimes college). These kids are just wearing white and red caps (I think they’re reversible), but they’re ready for a field trip with their art set/clip boards(?). Some schools have the kids in a pretty elaborate set of navy blue coat, shorts, and brimmed hat. And of course the awesome leather backpacks called randoseru ランドセル. Spring is field trip time so should be easy to get a pic next time.

Engrish #2 CAT SMACK

deeiy — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 07:19:04 +0000

キャットスマック (Cat Smack) Found this one today while looking through the local chirashi (チラシ) junk mail. Wrong in so many ways, but funny.

Kendama – no buttons but still fun

deeiy — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 16:40:41 +0000

Japan has invented some awesome games from Street fighter to Dance Dance Revolution, but one of my favorite games/toys is the kendama. Now kendama has nothing to do with Ken’s balls, though I’m sure barbie wouldn’t mind if it did.
Kendama (剣玉) was invented way back in the day, maybe even before the Last Samurai (useless movie reference), or in the 20th century if you believe everything written on wikipedia. The name comes from ken (剣) meaning sword and tama, which in this case when followed by a ‘nn’ sound, we say dama (玉) meaning ball. The kendama is a stick with four catching positions (3 cup positions and one point) attached to a ball with a hole in it by a piece of string. The object of the game is to catch the ball on each cup position in order from largest to smallest and finish by catching it on the point. Skilled players can perform some incredible tricks like catching and balancing the ball between the cup and point or reverse catching the point while holding the ball.
The cool thing about kendama like a lot of Japanese traditions is that it’s still thriving today despite all the technology and computer gaming. You can even find Kendama clubs at elementary, junior and senior high schools and there are nationwide kendama competitions held each year.
So if you’re looking for a way to sharpen your hand-eye coordination or just something to keep you busy when you have a mental block, I would highly reccomend getting a kendama and taking a break.

Ball on the 2nd cup position

Ball on the 3rd cup position

Also take a look at this for some crazy kendama antics.

Trad Japanese Breakfast at Miyamoto Munashi

terrandabo — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 06:01:13 +0000

Had this lovely 680yen (about $7) hokke teishoku (ほっけ定食 mackerel set) for breakfast this morning at Miyamoto Munashi (宮本むなし). Miyamoto Munashi is a Japanese set menu or teishokuya (定食屋) franchise where you can get all sorts of Japanese eats from kara’age (fried chicken) to hambahgu (hamburger steak) with side dishes for a reasonable price. The name is a play on the name of famed Japanese swordsman Miyamoto Musashi (宮本武蔵) and means roughly means Miyamoto the Sad. I guess this is because only sad and single specimen like me frequent these joints. Fair enough, by why insult your base?
Clockwise starting from the 11 o’clock position: miso soup, pickled cucumbers, tofu, chicken in sesame sauce, and obviously the mackerel and a bowl of rice.

Do you like FA-KIN?

deeiy — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 15:20:11 +0000

My friend Ben put me onto this one. Its a little youtube video about learning Japanese. In this episode they go over abbreviations for English shop names. You have to watch it until the end to really get the gist of it.
You can check out the rest of their videos on youtube here.

A thrilling parenthood

terrandabo — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 23:16:09 +0000

「恵みとスリルに満ちた子育て」(Megumi to suriru ni michita kosodate – Child rearing full of blessing and thrill) is what this sign in front of Kobe Bible Church says. Hmm…?
By the way, perhaps because of it’s upscale history the Rokko neighborhood where I reside has quite a few churches. Five minutes walk away is a Protestant church and a nice Catholic church with a bell tower. There are probably a few more in the area that I don’t know of.

Gyoza Time!

terrandabo — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 23:06:04 +0000

Those little delectable meat wraps are called gyoza. Originally a Chinese (dem geniuses) dish, gyoza are pork wrapped in dough skin. If you’ve had these before, you might note that these have no burn marks. That’s because they are sui-gyoza (水餃子 water gyoza). This is the original style, and in China the standard. In Japan yaki-gyoza (焼餃子 grilled gyoza) is the main style. Yaki-gyoza were originally made from left over sui-gyoza. Yaki taste great (and I had a plate afterward) but the true test of gyoza is whether or not they rock the water style.
These gyoza are from Hyotan (ひょうたん) in downtown Kobe. Besides the handmade gyoza (by Chinese friends) I’ve had these are the best in the world. So much so that I pretty much refuse to go to any other gyoza shop. I will eat other gyoza at a ramen shop, but that’s because ramen without gyoza is like a massage without the happy ending. Feels good, but ultimately unfulfilling.

Starbucks Latte at your local Famima (Family Mart)

deeiy — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 16:31:15 +0000

Starbucks Latte. You can get one of these or any of the other Starbucks selection from pretty much any combini around Japan. I think the price point is a bit high and considering Mt. Rainier, Doutor and a few others make some really good combini coffee too.
Price : 4/10 (smaller than some of the others)
Taste : 5/10 (a bit too sweet)

Package looks nice, I'll give them that.

Japanese tradition youtube

deeiy — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 10:00:58 +0000

I’m sure everyone has seen at least one of the “Japanese Tradition” videos on youtube. I just happened to google it again the other day and came across some of the other ones in the series. They are a great satirical look at life and Japanese traditions.

Redbull without balls not so Genki

deeiy — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 20:03:56 +0000

Now I like my genki drinks (energy drinks), and I like Redbull, but Japan is the home of the energy drink. Why, you ask? Because Japanese work hard and then a bit. In Japan people can work 6 ~ 7 days a week- add to that the long hours, short breaks and the obligitory drinking with your co-workers. Given all this the energy drink is pretty much a necessity of life in Japan.
Redbull is a fairly new comer to Japan, but the question is, will they stay?
I know Redbull is big on sponsoring cool sporting events as well as contracting big ad agencies to come up with edgy campaigns- though I haven’t seen a lot of this in Japan, unless they are focusing on the population of shibuya. Japanese also eat up advertising like its going out of fashion, which Vodafone found out the hard way. Now if it were any other product they might be able to get away with a half assed campaign, but not energy drinks.
I haven’t seen Redbull’s sales figures so this is just an on the ground perspective as I see it. First problem, Redbull came into japan way to expensive. From memory they started around 275 to 300 yen per can, which is now dropped to 200 yen. This is crazy considering some other drinks like Real Gold (made by a little comapny called Coca Cola), Pokka Vitaence C, Dekavita C, Energy Gym etc, are all priced at around 120 yen each and all taste pretty much the same. Other more powerful Genki drinks like Lipovitan D, Tiovita etc. are priced around the 150 ~ 300 yen mark, but in terms of punch, they out power Redbull with more caffeine, amino acids, and yes, nicotine and a few other uppers. Compared to these Redbull is just a fizzy drink in a mildly cool looking can.
Second problem, Redbull is stubborn. They are trying to market it the same way it’s marketed in Western countries- same can, same logo, same format. Call it a hunch, but this is not gonna cut it. Japanese people love marketing, new products, new styles and format changes, special packages and little trinkets.
Third problem, Redbull is going after the young market. Fair enough, I guess I can’t imagine grandparents watching drifting or some of the other sports they target. But in case no one told them, Japan has a heavily aging population. All other genki drinks in Japan are cross marketed and anyone from 20 to 80 years old buys them. Seriously, my wife’s 80+ year old grandmother drinks them, and she’s not fussy.
Fourth problem, I would hazard a guess that quite a few Japanese have no idea what Redbull is. I see hardly any advertising in print, and nothing on TV, or trains. If Redbull is playing hard to get it’s going to be a 40 year old virgin if its not careful.
Oh yeah, I forgot to mention their Japanese website sucks. Looks average and content is boring. Well off the mark for Japan.

Typography #signs 2

deeiy — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 12:14:10 +0000

Sometimes Japanese signs can be pretty amusing. This is a great example of ‘made me look twice’. I almost thought the guy was doing something inappropriate to himself or the flower.

One of those signs that requires a double take.

Pepsi x Dean & DeLuca

deeiy — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 07:43:42 +0000

Pepsi Japan is always doing cool little cross promotions and their latest little supermarket promo for the refreshed pepsi branding is a Dean & DeLuca Magnet giveaway with their large bottles.
We all need fridge magnets from time to time, so why the hell not buy some pepsi (even if you don’t drink the stuff) just for the magnets.

Stating the obvious, but an ice cream magnet.

Yes, its a Baguette

BAPE gone fishing

deeiy — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 18:23:41 +0000

We all know Nigo creator of ‘A Bathing Ape‘ loves a good side project and is always keen to try new things, unlike most of those high street brands that stick with the same formular for a decade. Well, he has done it again with the launch of a little project called ‘A Fishing Ape‘, which if you hadn’t guessed it already, is all about fishing. If you’re in the market for some BAPE fishing pants, a BAPE fishing reel or maybe even a BAPE lure to impress those fish, its well worth a look.

Kara’age Kun

deeiy — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 14:53:43 +0000

[Note: Hilarious comments provided by Terrance]
If you are like me you love your meaty [balls] snacks (well unless you’re a vegan). [If they were vegan, they wouldn't be like you now would they?]. However, if you live in Japan you will know that: 1. KFC sucks ass, not just their chicken and chips but also their nuggets. Seriously WTF is with the tomato sauce? Nuggets need BBQ sauce [I agree with WTF tomato sauce, but I'm a mustard man myself].
The good thing is that Japan is full of fried chicken goodness, something that would make Isacc Hayes smile I’m sure. The man loved his chicken. [Are you trying to say black people like friend chicken? Because I sho' do.]
A Great [so great it requires capitalization] little chicken snack that you can find at any Lawson convenience store is Kara’age Kun (唐揚げくん). It comes in Regular, Cheese, Red (Chili), and sometimes special flavors such as BBQ and citrus pepper. Awesome flavor, nice and juicy and probably full of that good MSG. Of course you also have to love the cool presentation and the package. Cute and delicious. [The man's not lying. Them suckers are delish!]

Karaage Kun packet

Karaage Kun chicken

Eating Karaage Kun chicken

Karaage Kun pack flap down

Karaage Kun pack flap up

‘Late Spring’ – A Favorite Movie of Mine

terrandabo — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 14:34:55 +0000

Although 1953’s ‘Tokyo Story’ (Tokyo Monogatari 東京物語) is Ozu Yasujiro’s (小津安次郎) most well-known movie, my favorite is 1949’s ‘Late Spring’ (Banshun 晩春) starring Ozu’s longtime collaborators Ryu Chishu (笠智衆) and Hara Setsuko (原節子). Ryu plays a widower who lives with his daughter who is around thirty. They respect and adore each other greatly and both are happy living together but the father worries that he’s not getting any younger and that he’s keeping his daughter from getting married and leading her own life. With good intentions he earnestly (and with just a little trickery) works to get his daughter to marry and leave home. Yes, the core value of this movie is conservative and old fashioned, but Ryu plays the father with such compassion that you can’t help but be moved and persuaded when he makes a climactic speech to the daughter about the importance of leading your own life with a partner and having the patience to allow love for a partner to grow. Some may find this old black and white picture with little camera movement and pedestrian plot boring, but I think if you sit down, take a deep breath, and let go of our modern need for constant fast-paced stimulation, you will enjoy this quiet beauty of a film.

The Power of Pom Juice

terrandabo — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 10:12:53 +0000

Before I got on the train today I stopped by the combini and picked up one of my favorite drinks. I actually don’t know what powers are hidden in the Japanese beverage classic Pom Juice, but I do know it’s a tasty combination of orange and mikan (tangerine or Satsuma) juice. The biting acidity of orange juice is mellowed and filled out by the mikan juice. Pom is definitely greater than the sum of its parts. Born in 1952 Pom was the brainchild of former Ehime Prefecture governor Sadatake Hisamatsu and was called Pom because the gov wanted the drink to be ‘NipPON Ichi’ or number one in Japan. As you can see the packaging is beautifully retro and probably hasn’t changed much since the 50s. Btw, Ehime is the prefecture next to David’s current home prefecture of Kagawa and is famous for its mikan.

Edible Superhero Melon Panna

deeiy — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 08:56:43 +0000

Melon Panna is a character in the popular Japanese animation Ampanman with an anpan for a head, although she has nothing to do with this post. We went for lunch at our local bakery today, had some cool little bread snacks and the Japanese favorite ‘melon pan’ or as we say in Japan meronpan (メロンパン). The name might imply that it is melon flavored but in fact the melon refers to the outside texture and look of the bread, looking somewhat like a melon. While pan refers to the French or Portuguese loanword for Bread depending on who you talk to. The use of French, Portuguese and German words is actually quite common in the Japanese language and most Japanese are completely unaware of the source of the words.
Back to the bread. Almost every bakery, supermarket, or bread, snack related company has their own version of melon pan. Some notable flavors are melon, maple, black tea, choc chip and coffee. The bread itself usually varies in price from 90yen ~ 200yen or so depending on where you get it and can come in a number of sizes.
The one I bought today was a very traditional melon pan, with a sugary sweet crisp coating over a slightly sweet soft bread.
So next time you’re in Japan try some me’ron’pan and see what you think.
Oh, and try not to dribble on your keyboard.

The oh so yummy, Meron Pan

Mmmm, Sorry no taste'O vision, It was awesome.

Engrish #1 – ASSES’BRIDGE

terrandabo — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 08:16:12 +0000

ASSES’BRIDGE indeed. Engrish in Japan needs no further explanation. Yes, that handsome polyethnic fellow reflected in the window is me. As Henry Louis Gates (the famed black academic who gained notoriety when he was arrested by a white police officer for breaking into his own home) noted, the ideal interracial world will be when we all look polynesian. Take another look, because that’s the future and it’s beautiful.

Mitsuketa – found it

deeiy — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 15:36:14 +0000

Yet another clip of Japanese kids TV. This is the morning show that I posted the closing song for the other day. There is a girl, a cactus and a chair as the characters, go figure. I often think of cacti and chairs together……
Despite the strange combination of characters it is actually really cool to watch, and even I learn stuff too.
In this clip they are talking about switches and turning the light on and off.

The Coolest Starbucks in the World?

terrandabo — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 14:56:38 +0000

Along with Nagasaki and Yokohama, Kobe is famous for being one of the first places in Japan to welcome Westerners after the end of the Edo period and the reopening of the country. Just north of the downtown Sannomiya district of Kobe in the posh Kitano neighborhood is the area called Ijinkan (異人館). Ijinkan means Different Peoples Mansions and is the area where about 100 years ago powerful white men from powerful European countries had embassies and nice homes. I don’t know the history of this house, but apparently Starbucks bought it and made it part of their evil yet enticing coffee empire. The Naked Mermaid has given the interior the bland Buckstar treatment, but much of the original, historic vibe remains. It’s the first and only Starbucks I’ve ever been to that actually has separate, distinct rooms. Inside it almost feels like it’s Halloween and the frat brothers decided the theme would be major coffee retailer.

Starbucks Kitano

Ehime part3

deeiy — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 14:35:43 +0000

On the way back from our trip to the zoo in Ehime, we picked up some omiyage for the rest of the family. I snapped a few photos around the shop while we were there.

A shot of all the Omiyage boxes, cakes, dango, all kinds of things.

This particular omiyage had its own little mascot character. ( Mikan )

Some special citrus kit-kat and Rilakkuma Kit-kat

a stall outside selling citrus.

Home made mochi

deeiy — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 14:12:40 +0000

Took these pics back at the end of last year. I had never made mochi although I have eaten a truckload of the stuff, so it was a cool experience to join in and make some. Some people still use the oldschool method of beating the crap out of it with a mallet, but these days most people use a mochi maker to do all the hard work, then form the cakes by hand. Fun but the stuff is hot to handle.

mochi being made

anko for mochi cakes

making mochi cakes

finished mochi cakes

Aichi Trinnale Curatorial Comp

deeiy — Mon, 01 Mar 2010 03:11:26 +0000

The Aichi Triennale 2010 is looking for artists to curate exhibitions either in group or solo shows. It’s a great opportunity for any artists looking to get some exposure in Japan and be a part of a really cool event. The remuneration for the projects are also pretty good, with a budget of up to 1,000,000 yen (or around $12,000) on offer. Applications are open from March 1st ~ 31st, so better hurry.

Picked up via twitter from @jt_edancorkill

Mini cans

deeiy — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 11:25:11 +0000

When it comes to drinks in Japan there are a variety of sizes and there are always new sizes coming out. I think last year was the debut of the half size coke bottle, designed especially for girls.
Anyway, one of my favorit drink packages is the mini can, which can usually be found at any supermarket. Most places offer a bag of 10 or so for a fixed price or 50 ~ 60 yen each. These little 100ml cans are great for a quick drink and especially sometimes when you don’t want a whole large can
* Beer companies also make a selection of mini cans that can also be found in the supermarket alcohol section- great for gifts.

100ml cans of coke and fanta