Japan it UP! » What the…?

It is a friend…

Steve — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 09:08:59 +0000

Took a picture of this bag at a department store.

An animal and relations will become good.
Animals are alive with nature.
It is a friend wholly.

Add a “Booyah!” and you’ve got an awesome bag!

What is considered?

Steve — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 06:48:37 +0000

What is considered? I want to understand you. Please be together all the time. I want to know what you consider.

This bag can be yours for only 600 yen! Get it now at your local Daily Yamazaki!

Aging Odor in Japan

Steve — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 17:58:23 +0000

I read this news article today which is funny because I was just talking about this with somebody this yesterday. I said whenever I take the subway or the bus and there’s a person (usually a guy) that’s 50+ riding along… and somebody smells… for real. My friend told me that it’s called Aging Odor, lol! WHAT! Now don’t go crazy reading this, of course it’s not every person that smells, and it’s usually guys who look like they used a lot of product in their hair. That + the heat is not a good mixture, and that’s what I assume the odor is from.

Aoki Holdings Inc, a discount menswear chain, last year started selling ‘deodorant suits’ as well as anti-odour shirts and socks.

Read the article here and read more about the 2-Nonenal, the technical term, here.

Thank God I don’t smell now! If this is aging odor is real and comes knockin’ on my door, I’ll be taking 2 showers a day and I’ll keep using Right Guard (with the power strip!) and cologne.

The shoes which took off this place!

Steve — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 04:22:14 +0000

I hit up the local Round 1 with a group of friends for a game night. We had a good time playing video games, ping pong, using the batting cages, karaoke, and one of the coolest places was the relaxation area with massage chairs. I had to get a picture of the sign posted before entering. It kind of looks like somebody used an online translator which is a bit strange because there are companies offering translation services for a small fee (less than $1 a word or $35 a page) to translate Japanese to English.

Things I’ve never seen before

Steve — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 09:11:53 +0000

Today I’m going to share some pictures I’ve taken of things in Japan that I’ve never seen before in the U.S.

The picture above is a QR Code. I see them everywhere here, even at McDonalds. They’re on buildings, billboards, magazine ads, product packages, etc. You take a picture with your cell phone and it brings up information or a website.

From Wikipedia: A QR Code is a matrix code (or two-dimensional bar code) created by Japanese corporation Denso-Wave in 1994. The “QR” is derived from “Quick Response”, as the creator intended the code to allow its contents to be decoded at high speed. QR Codes are common in Japan where they are currently the most popular type of two dimensional code.

The picture of the shochu bottles above were explained to me as a “bottle keep” and from my understanding these are unfinished bottles of alcohol. If a person comes in (probably with a group) and orders a bottle but they don’t finish it the restaurant will put the person’s name on it so that person can enjoy the tasty beverage which they’ve already paid for during their next visit. That’s awesome!

The picture above is a package of coffee creamer. I consider it a powdered coffee creamer refill since I fill up my jar from this package. What’s so different about it? Well it has a dotted line and you’re supposed to cut all the way across. When you cut it all the way across only this small portion is opened so you can conveniently pour the contents out. How awesome is that? In the U.S. if you do this you have an opening the full size of the package.

The picture above is a refill pack of shampoo. In the U.S. there are refills jugs or really huge bottles of shampoo so I think the Japan version is interesting and I think it’s more convenient.

The above picture is an umbrella holder. They are everywhere here. Most large stores don’t have an umbrella holder but instead they offer plastic bags you can use to cover your umbrella so you don’t get any of the products wet. I don’t come from a state that has much rainfall so seeing a lot of people carrying umbrellas was new to me. And a place to put your umbrella and trust that nobody will want a free “upgrade” from theirs (or from none) is different.

The above picture is a Lawson convenience store. Convenience stores are commonly called “Conbinis” in Japan (sounds like cone-beanie). There are conbinis everywhere in Japan. It’s insane. None sell gasoline like the American version and the staff is very nice (again, unlike the American version). Stores are really clean and they have a ton of items including ready to eat fried chicken and other random fried things that I’ve eaten but can’t tell what they are. They’re often used as landmarks too when you’re trying to navigate through town.

Ah yes, the picture above is a vending machine. Why is this so different? Well… they are everywhere. Within a 3 minute walk I will see at least 4. Some are sneaky and are hiding around the corner. Some have hot and cold drinks. I’ve even seen one that sells are regular size + large size for the same price. Some even make noises and it makes me feel that they’re taunting me. You can get coffee, tea, soda, juice, and I haven’t looked but I wouldn’t be surprised if you can get soup and milk.

Those are all the pictures I have right now. I hope you enjoyed them, and stay tuned for more!

The $20,000 Japanese Coffee Maker

Steve — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 06:14:21 +0000

Out with the cheap coffee maker, in with the …. WHAT WHAT!? I just read this article at the New York Times website and had to share. The Japanese siphon coffee maker at the Blue Bottle CafÃ© in San Francisco was imported from Japan and cost more than $20,000 USD (That’s 2,130,399 Yen at the time of this post. See the conversion at Yahoo). It’s halogen-powered and looks like a chemistry set. That’s a ton of cash for the Japanese coffee maker. Are they serious about coffee? I’m going with “Yes” but are they a bit crazy about coffee? I’m going with “Yes” on that one too. Hmmm, I wonder if that cost included the shipping as well.

Ready for some pictures? Click the picture to see the slide show of images at the New York Times showing the step-by-step process of how coffee is made using the siphon bar.

And an awesome quote from the article:

“The whirlpool, it messes with your mind,” said Mr. Freeman, who practiced stirring plain water for months to develop muscle memory before he brewed his first cup of siphon coffee. “There’s no way to rush it.”

Here’s another interesting quote:

“Siphon coffee is very delicate,” he said. “It’s sweeter and juicier, and the flavors change as the temperature changes. Sometimes it has a texture so light it’s almost moussey.”

Here’s an informational siphon coffee machine video I found on youtube which you might find interesting.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjH1hzl-Iq0[/youtube]

And finally a video I found showing a siphon coffee maker in action at some shop in Tokyo.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3JcOndpcGU[/youtube]

Now I’m craving coffee. But instead of taking the time to make some I’m off to the local Starbucks… which is across the street from a Starbucks… and about 3 blocks away from another Starbucks… (I am not making this up).

Detox And Lose Weight At Bathtime!

Steve — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 00:43:54 +0000

So… I was watching one of my favorite channels – Shop Channel (It’s like QVC [they have it in Japan too] or Home Shopping Network in the U.S.). People are always working hard and I’ve seen quite a few awkward moments, it’s awesome, I kid you not! What’s the difference of Shop Channel and QVC Japan vs. QVC America? Here’s a quick breakdown.

QVC America tries to sell you crap you’ll never use and takes calls from old people.
Shop Channel and QVC Japan tries to sell THE CRAZIEST THINGS I’VE EVER SEEN!

The other day while watching Shop Channel I saw some younger woman wearing a gold moon suit looking plastic bag outfit, reading a book, and relaxing in a bath while sweating her balls off. I’m like WTF! So I took some ghetto pics of my TV and had my fiancee type the words out in Japanese and I hit up Google. Here are my ghetto pictures.

Here are some failed Google Translations:

Big exercise and sweat bath water-soluble out from the sweat glands, sweat, urine and most of the same component
After more than 30 km marathon run, sweat glands and milk served with sweat

Here are some details I was able to make out:

It comes with 6 non slip pads
I don’t know how long you wear it. I’m assuming 30 minutes in boiling water.
A 30-km marathon puts out the same amount of sweat.
You’ll lose 2kg of weight
You can use the suit up to 10 times (sounds great, especially after you see the sweat bag pictures)

Now some professional pictures of the product.

And lastly, here’s a link so you can buy it directly from Shop Channel for 4,935 Â¥ RIGHT NOW! Or this other place… I think.

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Tiny Japanese Coca Cola

Steve — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 06:57:27 +0000

I’ve seen some amazing and interesting things here in Japan so far and here are some photos of the smallest Coke I’ve ever seen in my life. Can you imagine drinking this with a Mega Mac? It’s 160ml (or 5.4 ounces), it cost 53 Yen, and it came in a heavy duty can. Speaking of cans, a lot of canned drinks here in Japan are pretty strong. I’d say they are somewhere in the middle of an American beer can and a can of vegetables. I was in a rush so the only thing I had hand to compare size was an 8 ounce coffee mug.

Basho The Sumo Wrestler Table

Steve — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 07:25:32 +0000

I’ve read the SkyMall magazine over and over while waiting for a plane to take off and I’m sure I’m not alone! I’ve never bought anything from the magazine but I did see something that made me go ‘wtf’ the other day when checking out their site… for just $225 you can have your very own Sumo table.

“Basho, The Sumo Wrestler” Glass-Topped Table
Add a touch of the Far East with “Basho” (Japanese for “tournament”), a traditional Sumo practitioner of one of the world’s oldest martial arts. Basho crouches in his mawashi (Sumo belt) in these intricate sculpts with wide stances. Our table is topped with a 3/8″-thick, pencil-edged, 27″ dia. tempered glass top for views from any angle. This Toscano-exclusive heavyweight is cast in quality designer resin for display in home or garden.

Heart Touching Japanese English

Steve — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 01:56:27 +0000

The other day I bought this at the hyaku yen store (it’s basically like the Dollar Store or Dollar Tree in the U.S. but way more awesome). The quality of this 100 Yen notebook is great and I could see somebody paying 200-250 for it. The battery is dead in my camera so I used my cell phone to snap a quick pic. The English on the cover doesn’t make sense… even when I try hard. It reminds me of a time back in the U.S. when a Taiwanese friend of mine pointed out a framed picture at the store read ‘vegetable’ in Chinese but was supposed to say peace or love or something. Good times, good times.

“If I were an angel, could I send my favor to everyone all the world?”

Japanese Capsule Hotel

Steve — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 04:18:17 +0000

Akihabara = Otaku paradise… and now you can take a 4 minute walk from Akihabara for a good night sleep before hitting up the Maid Cafe in the morning. Nice!

For just 4,000 Yen per night you can sleep in a capsule which looks like the size of a coffin. A coffin with a shit load of stuff packed inside so you can feel trapped in a hole. Even though each capsule is small as hell it comes with TV, radio, alarm clock, adjustable lighting. I wonder if I’d fit in there being 190 cm tall. They have a lounge area with internet and have 100 Yen coffee. I’ve been searching for a cheap ass cafe here in Fukuoka with 100 Yen coffee so I’m a little bit jealous of that. So far I’ve found 300+ yen coffee which is ridiculous because I could get 350ml of coffee for 320 Yen or for just 80 Yen more I could enjoy some bomb ass ramen. Seriously, what’s up with that?

The site says “Everybody that travels to Japan should experience this unique accommodation, at least once” but I don’t get it… they have a men’s section and a women’s section. How are you supposed to get it on with your woman with this setup?

Check out their site and make your reservation today! Then email me and tell me what it’s like because I’ll probably never hit one up. CapsuleInn.com

Here are a few videos so you can tour a capsule hotel (but it’s not the one from capsuleinn)

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kamFnYCtylo[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXWGvHV2rQE[/youtube]
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9iYqnGGSxE[/youtube]

The solution to small living space in Japan

Steve — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 10:07:54 +0000

Some people use a futon in the bedroom laying on tatami and then they put it away during the day. Others have a couch that converts to a bed. But I have found the ultimate solution today! Seems pretty cool and very uncomfortable which is the Japanese way (futon = not comfortable, small cards = not comfortable for tall people, etc) Check this out.

It’s a 2+1 [Chairs + Table]

http://www.sdesignunit.com/

The young singles ratio is getting increase in the society. These people live alone in small apartment in the city. They would like to have multipurpose furniture for using small room efficiently. There are two chairs and on table. Ordinary these are two chairs and table. But When they watch TV. It can be Sofa. And when they go to sleep. It is going to be a single bed.

Confusing Directions

Steve — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 04:15:55 +0000

If you leave it unattended in a place (the inside of car) becoming a high temperature and might transform it when it can get closer to fire. Please dry printed matter such as a magic, a copy, fax well, and enter.

Good times good times! I think this was on some small note cards or adhesive paper we bought. Get ready for some more crazy stuff in the future!

Investing in Love Hotels!

Steve — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 17:05:23 +0000

Does this exist in other countries? I’m talking about Love Hotels. There are different themed rooms to choose from, they make money (nearly 3 trillion yen in annual sales), but the downside is they’ve been associated with with gangs and red-light districts. Booooo

I read about Love Hotel investing today on Yahoo:

Japan’s secretive love hotels are opening up to European investors as one player in the sector prepares for a debut on London’s stock market this month.

Japan Leisure Hotels, which owns five love hotels worth some 21 million pounds ($43.68 million USD) in Japan, hopes to lure investors to its IPO with an 8 percent dividend and promises of fast growth — shedding light on a sector that is often associated with sleaze and organized crime.

Japan’s 25,000 or so love hotels have long provided discreet hideaways for couples, some featuring Karaoke machines or vibrating beds. Guernsey-based Japan Leisure Hotels rents out rooms for short stays lasting only a few hours, but the company’s director believes this system doesn’t just appeal to thrill-seekers…

WTF is a Love Hotel anyway? Well… you’ve got to love Wikipedia! Check out what they say… but first some pictures!

A love hotel is a type of short-stay hotel found in Japan operated primarily for the purpose of allowing couples privacy to do some bam bam (aka sexual intercourse.)

Love hotels usually offer a room rate for a “rest” kyukei , as well as for an overnight stay. The period of a “rest” varies, typically ranging from one to three hours. Cheaper daytime off-peak rates are common. In general, reservations are not possible, leaving the hotel will forfeit access to the room, and overnight stay rates only become available after 10pm. They are often used by young couples, since many young Japanese people live with their parents. They are also commonly used for prostitution.

Entrances are discreet and interaction with staff is minimized, with rooms often selected from a panel of buttons and the bill settled by pneumatic tube, automatic cash machines, or a pair of hands behind a pane of frosted glass. While cheaper hotels are utilitarian, higher-end hotels may feature fanciful rooms decorated with cartoon characters, equipped with rotating beds, ceiling mirrors, karaoke machines or decked out like dungeons complete with S&M gear.

Want to know more? Here are some links about these sexy time hotels:
Love hotel information site: http://www.rabuho.com/
Love hotel guide: http://kavp.wordpress.com/love-hotel-guide/
Love hotel pics: http://www.themorningnews.org/archives/galleries/love_hotels/
Love hotel pics: http://www.mistykeasler.com/

Photo credits:
107131542_8be9b5674c_o.jpg by kaishin http://flickr.com/photos/kaishin/ | 366579355_324714a31c_b.jpg and 366579319_0a8ada1ca7_o.jpg by RVLTN 12 3 http://flickr.com/photos/twelvethree/ | 106645707_1ba918385c_o.jpg by prepreet http://flickr.com/photos/1990/ | 118027509_c8b3086951_b.jpg by liquidindian http://flickr.com/photos/liquidindian/ | 490820903_8f039e861a_o.jpg by thecameo http://flickr.com/photos/kiad/ | 70265551_053d16c84b_o.jpg by PDMZ http://flickr.com/photos/pdmz/ | 187930472_784035fd46_o.jpg by Mil http://flickr.com/photos/danw/ | 1445197170_5b9c7b8496_o.jpg by blogsorbeta http://flickr.com/photos/blogsorbeta/ | 1256329015_4b80a561eb_b.jpg and 1256319417_81b3f625a9_b.jpg by gruntzooki http://flickr.com/photos/doctorow/ | 56303704_f3729e393b_b.jpg by dotben http://flickr.com/photos/dotben/

Sonna no kankei nee!

Steve — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 11:42:52 +0000

One of the things I love about Japan >>> “Sonna no kankei nee! Sonna no kankei nee!” Oh hellz yeah! Yoshio Kojima (å°å³¶ ã‚ˆã—ãŠ from Wikipedia) is the guy that’s on TV a lot saying that and freaking out in a small bathing suit. Do I know what he’s talking about? Nope. Good times. Here’s a video I found and I don’t know how long it’ll work. Maybe forever, maybe for 1 hour.

(Vid is from Daily Motion)

Sea urchin cream soup

Steve — Mon, 29 Oct 2007 04:09:08 +0000

I know after you see this you’ll be rushing down to the local coop to grab as much of this as you can! How does it taste you ask? Well… I haven’t tried it… but I did take a picture of it. This is the first time I’ve seen this and it’s pretty different. I’ve had sea urchin sushi (not very good) and I can just imagine what creamy sea urchin soup tastes like (bleh!)..

Not sure what a sea urchin is? Here’s a brief explanation. They’re tiny sea creatures in the shape of a ball with 1-3cm spines sticking out but they’re not that sharp. I’ve eaten it on sushi and it looks disgusting to me… brown ish… with a taste that I don’t care for.

From Wikipedia: Humans consume sea urchin (“roe”) either raw or briefly cooked. Sea urchin “roe” is not actually roe, but rather the organs that produce the roe (the gonads). Five strips of roe reside within the structure of the urchin, a yellowish or orange substance resembling a rather firm custard. Sea urchin roe is a popular food in Korean cuisine, and it is called uni in Japanese sushi cuisine. It is a traditional food in Chile, where it is known as an erizo. Sea urchins are highly appreciated in Spain, Greece, where they are known as achinos (Î±Ï‡Î¹Î½ÏŒÏ‚), and also in Italy, where they are known as ricci di mare. Sea urchin (Toutia in Lebanese) roe is also highly popular in northern Lebanon, where it is eaten directly from the Urchin with a spoon, or some people prefer it on a piece of Lebanese bread with a twist of lemon and raw white onion. Apart from domestic consumption, Chile and a number of other countries export the sea urchin to Japan in order to meet its demand throughout the country. Traditionally considered an aphrodisiac, sea urchin “roe” has been found to contain the cannabinoid anandamide”

Old School Legend of Zelda Commercial

Steve — Fri, 26 Oct 2007 07:42:33 +0000

I was check out YouTube today and found an awesome commercial for the Legend of Zelda on the Super Famicom. First I watched the video and felt joy. Second I sat in front of my computer for about 30 seconds. Third I went “WTF is a Super Famicom?” Fourth I Googled it and found out that it’s basically the same thing as the Super NES aka Super Nintendo. Nice!

Here’s the video:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyxRVBkZCag[/youtube]

Here’s some more info on wtf a Super Famicom is.

The Super Nintendo Entertainment System or Super NES (also called SNESa and Super Nintendo) was a 16-bit video game console released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia, and Brazil between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the Super Family Computer, Super Famicom (ã‚¹ãƒ¼ãƒ‘ãƒ¼ãƒ•ã‚¡ãƒŸã‚³ãƒ³, SÅ«pÄ Famikon), or SFC for short. In South Korea, it is known as the Super Comboy and was distributed by Hyundai Electronics. Although each version is essentially the same, several forms of regional lockout prevent direct compatibility.

Beer Bath Action

Steve — Wed, 24 Oct 2007 11:01:02 +0000

Hakone Kowakien Yunessun in Hakone Japan is offering just about every man’s dream, a kick ass beer bath! Until until December 31 you hit up the spa and enjoy a relaxing bath in a beer mug shaped tub full of beer. I recommend not asking for Miller Lite since it’s an import here and can be pretty pricey. The Yunessun also offers baths of coffee, tea, wine and Japanese sake.

Hakone, Japan is considered the most popular Onsen (aka Hot Springs) resort areas in Japan, and Yunessun takes full advantage of the abundance of high quality hot springs in Hakone. Here’s how you get there!

No personal handy telephone inside

Steve — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 04:05:40 +0000

WTF? “No personal handy telephone inside. Thank you.” When I saw this it made me laugh because I’ve never heard this before. I did some research to see if it was real or a messed up phrase and all I could find was information about a mobile network in China.

From Wikipedia:

The Personal Handy-phone System (PHS), also marketed as the Personal Access System (PAS) and known as Xiaolingtong (å°çµé€š) in China, is a mobile network system operating in the 1880-1930 MHz frequency band, used mainly in Japan, China, Taiwan and some other Asian countries.

Do you use this phrase in your country?

Ice Cream Ramen

Steve — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 01:30:32 +0000

Sure sure you might be saying “Only in Tokyo” but you should be saying “Only in Japan” because there’s crazy stuff all over the place. Anyway there’s a restaurant in Tokyo that has created the ultimate ramen + desert in one package. Looks simple enough. Take some ramen, add some ice cream, and then eat as much as you can before puking. Nice! You can hit up this dish at a local ramen shop called “Kikuya” by taking a 15 minute walk north Kitasenjyu Station in Tokyo. If you want ramen it up and need to find Kikuya ASAP then memorize the name and these characters: èŠã‚„ To help you get lost I’ll include a map of Kitasenjyu Station (might not work) and I think this is a map showing where Kikuya is located.

That flavors can you expect? Vanilla Ice Cream Ramen, Chocolate Ramen, and every bodies favorite… Green Tea Ramen (LIKE WHOA!) Something to remember is that ice cream ramen could be a limtied summer time edition this year (like I heard it was last year) and if you show up too late in the season you might end up with some Coffee Ramen (a.k.a. kohii gyunyu ramen). Other items on the menu include white ramen (yogurt), red ramen (tomato), natto ramen, milk ramen, hot cocoa ramen, pork kimchi ramen, and other crazy combinations. Regular ramen is 500 Yen but if you choose that option I’m sure people will look at you funny.

Here’s a review if you can read Japanese (a friend gave me the link). I found out about this restaurant from this blog (it’s in Japanese too, which I cannot read). He seems to only visit strange restaurants so check it out. The pictures above are from his blog and ramen experience.

If you eat this, come back and let me know!