Sushi, sushi, and more sushi. That's the ultimate cuisine for all foreigners visiting Japan.
And if you're American, hungry for sushi, and looking for a boost in patriotism (for whatever the reason may be), you've obviously landed in the right spot.
photo: MSN Skillup
Here we have it. The "Yes YOU Can" hand-rolled sushi.
And yes, it's edible! And no, it has no skittles-like artificial color. All made with fresh ingredients, it's the ultimate sushi for all you Americanos!
President Obama has got to be blushing somewhere. The color of his skin here is made of small shrimp, boiled in soy sauce. The black hair is black sesame ("kurogoma"), and the white teeth is minced and steamed fish ("kamaboko").
Here, the master (Mr. Noboru Kawanobori, president of Tokyo Sushi Academy) is designing the American flag. Tuna fish for red stripes; squid for the white stripes. 
The most important element in creating these artistic hand-rolled sushi is the balance and placement of the each ingredient before rolling them up.
"The quality of taste is as important as its visual beauty. After all, it's food, right? The art of it all is complete only after it is eaten with satisfaction!"
You didn't think sushi could "change" the world of cuisine? Time to think again!
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
"Yes You Can"sushi
Monday, February 16, 2009
Situp Kinniku Man: Hilarious "workout" USB
Some of you may have seen this character before. It's "Kinnikuman," one of the most popular (if not, the most) manga/anime in Japanese history. Every boy grew up reading or watching Kinnikuman and dreamed that, one day, we'd all have bicepts like him.
You can read all about Kinnikuman on wikipedia 'caues I can go on for pages just talking about the manga. But I won't. Instead, let me introduce you the newest Kinnikuman "gadget."
Just out in stores (or, on Rakuten - Japanese version of eBay), it's called "Fukkin Kinnikuman" manufactured by PC Gadget. It looks like a USB memory stick, and it works like one too. Once you stick it into your computer, it'll start moving, humping back and forth, exactly like the action of a "fukkin" - or "situps." 
It moves like it's doing situps. The fact that a "Muscle Man" continues to work out is funny enough. That it doesn't have the functions of a memory card is icing on the cake! On the store's homepage, it says in red, bold letters: THIS IS NOT A USB MEMORY STICK. Also, it comes in several different characters, including Robin Mask, Warsman, and Ramenman.
This "workout" USB is manufactured in various types, and you can actually see here how it moves once it's plugged into your laptop.
*USB CRUNCHING DOG*
Whoever came up with the idea of using Kinnikuman on this series is a genius. I need to seriously go buy myself one of these...
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Waikiki Hello Kitty entertainer fails to entertain, period!
I was in Hawaii for the Pro Bowl all of last week. It was my first visit to Hawaii, and so not only did it shock me to find out that the entire city of Waikiki was almost catered to the Japanese tourists, but I was also amazed at how some local entertainers were showing their talent to the Japanese tourists.
So the above photo of a man (probably) on the main street of Waikiki. Alls I gotta say is, "Couldn't you have done a better job with that pose and costume!?" Probably thought the Japanese cuties would jump at him. Good golly.
To give you a better idea of how lonely this guy was, here's the video.
So Hello Kitty and hula dance go together great. I guess this is how Japanese are portrayed ... that we're all Hello Kitty lovers regardless of their appearance.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Are you a good kisser? Kiss a girl for a $1.25!!
The size of the Japanese iPhone market is much smaller in comparison to that of the US, but the applications (games) in them are sure making some noise.
It's called "KISSCOMI" and is available for use on your iPhone or iPhone Touch devices. The Japanese name is "Kiss that Girl!" and costs 115 yen (per month, about $1.25) to subscribe to the application. Simple concept: A girl appears on your iPhone screen, and all ya gotta do is KISS!
photo by getnews.jp
Once you start the application, a girl approaches you for a kiss. Not something you encounter in everyday life, huh.
Take a deep breath and, without hesitation, just kiss the girl (alas, your iPhone screen). No cheating here: you can't "touch" her lips with your finger. YOU HAVE TO KISS the girl.
It doesn't end there. The girl (the screen) that you've just kissed grades you on the quality of your kiss on a 100-point scale.
It would suck to pay for an application and have to be told that "you suck" at kissing, but it sure does beat the alternative (no gf, no kisses)...
well, at least that's the common consesus among the Japanese internet guru.
But just imagine the smell of your $200 iPhone after using this application for 5 minutes...ARGH!
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
"Penguin Bomb" is da bomb! Japan Media Arts Festival 2009
photo by kamikara diary
Nintendo Wii, floppy disks, anime, and - even - jumping shoes. History tells us that this island is one of the geekish places on earth.
Well, history does not disappoint. Check out these amazing gadgets from the annual Japan Media Arts Festival, helf from Feb. 4 thru 15 in Tokyo.
* The Penguin Bomb (Penguin Bakudan)
It's a simple paper craft, made only from paper and rubber band. As you see, a flattened piece of paper turns into a penguin once it hits the ground. The Penguin Bomb was nominated the festival's special award.
The artist's name is Haruki Nakamura. On his website, he says he wants "to produce papercraft that will enlighten people and that people will never forget." At least I won't forget this artwork!
* TENORI-ON ("Tenori" means "Handy")
You may have seen this before, it's a portable music recorder/player with multiple options depending on how you want to use the device. It's 16x16 LED button matrix is simultaneously a performance input controller and display. All buttons produce a different sound, and by operating and interacting with the LED buttons and the light, they produce you access to the device's numerous performance capabilities.
It's visually amazing. This was awarded Grand Prize in the Entertainment Division last year. More details here.
The Festival's english website provides a list of past award recepients. May be a good intro to what this art festival is all about.
[via: Japan Media Arts Festival]
Monday, February 2, 2009
2 channel "painter" brings life into real image
Japan's largest internet community hub is the "2 channel." It's a compilation of thousands of "threads" (or, message boards) where people communicate on anything and everything. It's THE mecca of Japanese internet surfers.
And in this 2channel, a strange phenomenon sometimes brings thousands together to witness the mighty work of a "painter".
Someone would upload an image file onto the thread, and out of nowhere, this "painter" comes out with his artistic work of that same image. Of course, the "painter" does not (and cannot) respond to individual requests. He just happens to come out of the blue.
No one knows the whereabouts or who this "painter" is. But two things are for sure.
1. He (or she) doesn't get paid or receives any form of reimbursement for his work, and
2. He's pretty damn, godawfully good at what he does.
Here, just to introduce a few...
At times, the "painter" adds a bit more creativiry, and in others,...
he'll be inspired by the content (in this case, a bottle of coke) in the image and adds a touch of humor (the painting is "Nezumi Otoko", a character from the popular anime, "Gegege-no-Kitaro").
>Complete list of the works of the "painter"
(*WARNING: some paintings are adult-related. NSFW/NSFU18)
Friday, January 30, 2009
Japanese advertisement has reached its extreme
Dentsu, the leading ad agency in Japan, happens to be one of the largest agencies in the world. So you would assume that Japan ads are creative, full of color and rich media, and filled with catchy consumer-targeted messages.
I can bet you a gazillion yen no one in Dentsu could've invented this ad.
This one from a convenient store near my friend's house in Tokyo. No, it was not publicized in any major media, but this is definitely worth a note in our high-digital, super hi-fy, SNS-monopoly advertisement era. Nothing fancy; Just graffiti at its best! Japan's advertisement has reached another high.
As you can see, behind the fridge door are several coffee cans, including "Boss" from Suntory. On the door, the writing says:
"The Best Ever. Boss Rules."
Pretty sure the guys at the store were thinking of ways to promote this new "Boss" drink, and with all companies cutting down on promotion budgets, the geniuses here decided to devote this door (ad) space solely to Suntory.
If you're a shop owner, you call the cops when you spot a prankster writing scribbles on your wall or entrance door. But, before you ring that kid in, you might want to use him to good use.
He may become your next creative ad designer!
>via: My friend's blog
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Sweet delicacy “Obaman” from Obama City
LMAO when I first saw this one.
When Barack Obama officially announced his candidacy and began gaining popularity worldwide, so did this city named “Obama” (pronounced exactly the same!) in rural Fukui Prefecture. The mayor of Obama called Obama, expressing support for his candidacy.
And now that Obama is officially the world’s most famous face on earth, what does Obama City come up with?
photo: rakuten@kagamiya
“Obama-Manju”
“Manju” is a traditional Japanese sweet, with crushed beans stuffed in a layer of flour-based pastry. Japanese love to abbreviate every other word in their vocabulary, thus, this became known as “Obaman” (pronounced O-BA-MAN).
The city of Obama came up with this delicacy and held an exhibit at a department store (Keio Hyakkaten) in Shinjuku, heart of Tokyo. The Obaman was a hit among bloggers, as many took pictures and commented on this rare sweet. Whether it tasted any different is a mystery. You can actually buy this now at tourist stops in Obama City.
So, in the next 4 years (if not longer!), watch out for this Obama City to come up with further products, food, etc., by affiliating themselves with the US president.
>More photos of "Obama Manju"
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Cyber attack: Don't go around bashing Aso!
The guy with the most power in Japan is named ASO. Yes, it's pronounced almost like that word.
To his credit, Aso is a nice guy - or, so he seems like one - but lacks some fundamentals. The prime minister of Japan cannot read "kanji" (Chinese characters) we learned back in high school. He's from a rich family full of politicians. When he took office, expectations were high; recently, his popularity is drawing up the same curve as the stock market. Sounds familiar, huh. Bush & Aso - would've been hard to beat. Had Aso been elected prime minister quicker, Dabuya would've taken a rear seat to Aso.
But there's one strange phenomenon with this guy: the internet geeks love him. He's a huge fan of "anime" and "manga (cartoons)". He roamed the streets of Akihabara (the electric city, widely known as the "city of geeks") in his election campaign. Geeks can't seem to get enough of him.
La Salle Ishii
The other day, La Salle Ishii, a popular comedian who happens to do the voiceover of one of Japan's most popular anime "Kochikame", wrote on his blog that he was ignored by Aso when the two ran into each other at Asakusa. Ishii wrote,
"That's odd...my popularity is a bit over 98% of this country..."
Immediately, Aso's cyber supporters protested to the post, commenting otherwise. Ishii received such harsh beating that he deleted his post.
>Ishii's blog
It doesn't stop here. The next victim: musician Demon Kogure.
Demon Kogure
FYI, contrary to his physical appearance, Kogure is famous for his knowledge, loyalty, love for his country.
Just last week, when Aso attended a sumo tournament for the trophy presentation, Kogure took offense of Aso "stepping into the sacred sumo ring with his shoes" and wrote on his blog that the organizers of the sumo tournament should be ashamed of not warning the prime minister.
Turns out, it was Kogure at fault and it was a complete misunderstanding on Kogure's part: Aso did not have his shoes on when entering the ring. Suddnely, the cyber attack came, and in a hurry, Kogure - like Ishii - was forced to delete his post.
>Demon Kogure's blog
So be careful when writing about Aso in your blog, facebook, whatev. He's got the force behind him.
Just crossing my finger that this blog would not be the next victim...
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Asashoryu, GOD of Japanese sumo, sports
When introducing the sports culture of Japan (being a sport nut, could not resist the temptation), one need only look at sumo to understand the sports frenzies of the Japanese populous.
Now, before I get into the recent craze of this country over Asashoryu - the first-ever Mongolian to reach the highest rank in sumo - I need to explain the background of this sport a bit.
We've all seen, at one time or another, two fat dudes going at it in a ring the size of a one-car garage. Sumo wrestlers are so-called "rikishi," meaning "men with power." They also sport a different mask, as sumo is a national sport, meaning that cash to operate the sport are funded (and organized) by the Japanese government. A rikishi is - quite literally - constantly in the public's eye. Thus, sumo is the most watched sport in this country.
All rikishi are ranked, with the highest being the "Yokozuna" and the next rank being "Ozeki". For the sake of argument, I'm gonna make it clear that an Ozeki is the champ; and Yokozuna is GOD. God does not lose. You lose 2 or 3 times in one tournament, the public (with the nice push of the sports media) begin to speculate you're not worth the God-like status. God is forced into retirement. Age is of no concern. You lose, you're out.
I guess the closest comparison I can think of a Yokozuna is Tiger Woods in the modern day sporting world. You're expected to win. Still, if Tiger loses a tournament, he would be asked, "Why couldn't you win?" A Yokozuna, after a loss, would be pushed with the question: "Why didn't you win?" You get the point.
So, this Asashoryu is out in the papers, blogs, the TV almost everyday for the past few months, despite sitting out the last three tournaments of 08 with various injuries (or maybe because he was out for so long). And, as usual, everyone began to ponder the "r" word with Asashoryu before the start of the January tournament.
For those who do not know, Asashoryu is that one kid in every classroom constantly looking for trouble. God is supposed to be resilient, humble, politically correct; Asashoryu is quite the contrary - he's curses in front of the camera, he's arrogant, and he speaks his mind. Before the start of the January basho (or, tournament), Asashoryu was almost forced into retirment by the media. The papers said if he lost two bouts of the first five days of the tournament, he's done for good.
So, how does Asashoryu respond? He goes out and wins the first 14 of his bouts, before losing to Hakuho (the other God, alas Yokozuna) on the final day. With the two Gods all tied with a 14-1 record, they bump heads one last time in a one-match playoff to determine the tournament champ. Asashoryu lifts Hakuho out of the ring in God-like fashion. All of a sudden, the guy that was almost pushed out of ring by the public is back in the spotlight as national hero.
The funny thing with Asashoryu is that he was almost forced into taking the bad-boy role. He's the Dennis Rodman of the NBA, the Terrell Owens of the NFL, or Roger Clemens of the MLB. He adds a spice to the sport that the Japanese people have never witnessed before. Consequently, he has the same number of followers as haters. That's just life being a bashful Yokozuna.
So if you're ever in Japan, you might want to stop by the Ryogoku (the sumo stadium) to catch a glimpse of this guy. He's definitely worth seeing for a couple of thousand yen.
After all, he still is God of Japanese sports.
*Related YouTube video
2009 January tournament - final bout
2008 January tournament - another Asashoryu VS. Hakuho bout, this one even better!!
Tokyo, a clean city? Not always
Hell, Tokyo will never beat Singapore, but a lot of foreigners visiting Tokyo say that "it's a clean city."
If you identify "clean" as a city that will let you inhale dirt, dust, fog, asbestos, sand, mud water - you name it - all in the midst of your lunch hour or a walk to work, then Tokyo just might be the city for you.
Taken from a rooftop of a building near my workplace. You can actually see the pedestrians just a wall (or a plastic cover) away from this nasty pollution.
Not to mention myself, sucking in a nice dough of asbestos taking these photos. Thank you very much.
*Movie of this pollution coming soon.
Reporting on the other side of Tokyo from the other side of the Pacific
OK, so I'm starting this site with no special intention but to introduce this beatiful country rich in culture. But be aware, it's nothing special - just the ordinary life in the heart of Tokyo.
But I must say (and I hope I speak for those who have been here), there's something to living in Japan. The people are kind, but at the same time, can be very pervy. The food is delicious to say the least, but at times, they'll raise your eyebrows. I - accustomed to life in the US - would never be able to get accustomed to some of the un-Western-like customs of this country.
So I'll be reporting on some of the unknown aspects of Japan that'll make you wonder and ponder for a second. Let me know what you think. That'll give me some consolation, at least, that I'm not alone (or skewed) with this view of Japan.
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