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!

This entry was posted on Monday, January 28th, 2008 at 6:11 pm and is filed under Life in Japan, More in Japan, What the...?. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.