it's that time of the blog again -- that's right, quirky japan!
this time it'll be short and sweet because i'll be talking about bitansan （微炭酸）.
bee-tawn-sawn.
three little syllables that take all the fun out of carbonated drinks because bitansan means something like "lightly carbonated" -- so it's like drinking flat soda even though you just opened the bottle.
i honestly don't know why it exists -- most people who enjoy sodas ALSO happen to enjoy that fizzy-dizzy goodness known as carbonation. i mean, it ceases to even be soda at this point. it's just...really sweet juice with a flat-soda bite at the end. and it's not even a good bite.
seriously bitansan, taking all the fun out of the soda game. and it's tricky too -- they hide the fact that's bitansan by writing it in itty-bitty letters on the bottom of the label, instead of putting a big fucking sign on it like they should that says BEWARE NEARLY-FLAT SODA DESU.
on the plus side though, sometimes they sell like SUPER carbonated soda which is like getting kicked in the teeth by a pressure cleaner -- now that's the kind of carbonation i can get behind.
2014年9月25日木曜日
2014年9月22日月曜日
bizarre crime strikes back!
back by popular demand (or something -- i dunno, my previous hanzai post got the most page views yet for this blog, so-- ), it's bizarre japanese crimes!
there have been a whole string of new incidents going on around japan, like this morning for example, there was a report on TV that started a little like this:
"it looked like money was raining down from the sky!"
last night at osaka station, what appeared to be yen notes came down from the skies by the hundreds, and while people gathered to claim their fortune, they quickly realized that it was NOT indeed money that was falling -- it was actually photographs. hundreds of them.
so what were they pictures of? you might ask.
a high school boy sitting in the priority seating area of a train, taking up another half of a seat.
a man smoking inside a train station (stations are non-smoking).
simply put, the pictures were of various types meiwaku koui, a.k.a. people being assholes (okay, that might be a really loose translation but...) we're talking like smoking in non-smoking areas, looking at your phone while walking (and bumping into people because you're not paying attention), taking up more seats than you need on a crowded train, talking loudly on your phone on trains and buses -- stuff that is a nuisance to others.
lately there has been a rise in something called sarashi, which means like exposing someone or something. what it means in this context, however, is posting pictures of actual people being assholes online and then bashing them. actually not only pictures, but video too. there was a case where a guy saw a young mother scream at her crying kid before kicking them in the head in the middle of a train station -- really messed up, and really deserving of not just an internet bashing, but an arrest, but here's the thing -- the guy taking the video sees the crime happening and while filming, mind you, casually says, "i'mma call the police" which prompts the mom to grab her kid by the hand and take off, but the guy filming is the ONLY ONE out of the entire busy station that says ANYTHING to the mom. i don't know how you can stand by and watch blatant child abuse happen.
now i'm all for putting assholes in their place, but... not sure that the problem is really solved just because you put a picture or video up on the net along with your own two-cents. i mean fighting assholes by being an asshole is very much in character with the internet, but...you could just say something then and there. i guess it does provide evidence for cases like child abuse, but i digress.
this osaka station picture thing is like real life sarashi -- actual photos being flung out into the real world for people to see. but it's not like this really solves anything -- it was just sort of creepy. so far there have been no arrests made nor suspects found, and one can only speculate at their motives but...it seems more like a waste of money on printing costs than anything else.
last but not least -- a 38 year old man was arrested for strangling stray cats and beating them against the pavement. when the police stopped him, there were 4 or 5 dead cats in the basket on his bike, and he's also believed to be involved in the death of some 40 or so stray cats who had been fed poisoned cat food. the sick fucker had a pet cat at home too. seriously cannot stand this kind of animal abuse -- i hope someone bashes his face into concrete before strangling him to death too. you see a lot of stray cat cruelty from mutilation to murder. there are about 4 stray cats in my neighborhood -- all of which i've never seen cause a problem, in fact, everyone sorta takes care of them. i mean, they have just as much a right to live as everyone else, right? come on humans, get it together.
there have been a whole string of new incidents going on around japan, like this morning for example, there was a report on TV that started a little like this:
"it looked like money was raining down from the sky!"
last night at osaka station, what appeared to be yen notes came down from the skies by the hundreds, and while people gathered to claim their fortune, they quickly realized that it was NOT indeed money that was falling -- it was actually photographs. hundreds of them.
so what were they pictures of? you might ask.
a high school boy sitting in the priority seating area of a train, taking up another half of a seat.
a man smoking inside a train station (stations are non-smoking).
simply put, the pictures were of various types meiwaku koui, a.k.a. people being assholes (okay, that might be a really loose translation but...) we're talking like smoking in non-smoking areas, looking at your phone while walking (and bumping into people because you're not paying attention), taking up more seats than you need on a crowded train, talking loudly on your phone on trains and buses -- stuff that is a nuisance to others.
lately there has been a rise in something called sarashi, which means like exposing someone or something. what it means in this context, however, is posting pictures of actual people being assholes online and then bashing them. actually not only pictures, but video too. there was a case where a guy saw a young mother scream at her crying kid before kicking them in the head in the middle of a train station -- really messed up, and really deserving of not just an internet bashing, but an arrest, but here's the thing -- the guy taking the video sees the crime happening and while filming, mind you, casually says, "i'mma call the police" which prompts the mom to grab her kid by the hand and take off, but the guy filming is the ONLY ONE out of the entire busy station that says ANYTHING to the mom. i don't know how you can stand by and watch blatant child abuse happen.
now i'm all for putting assholes in their place, but... not sure that the problem is really solved just because you put a picture or video up on the net along with your own two-cents. i mean fighting assholes by being an asshole is very much in character with the internet, but...you could just say something then and there. i guess it does provide evidence for cases like child abuse, but i digress.
this osaka station picture thing is like real life sarashi -- actual photos being flung out into the real world for people to see. but it's not like this really solves anything -- it was just sort of creepy. so far there have been no arrests made nor suspects found, and one can only speculate at their motives but...it seems more like a waste of money on printing costs than anything else.
last but not least -- a 38 year old man was arrested for strangling stray cats and beating them against the pavement. when the police stopped him, there were 4 or 5 dead cats in the basket on his bike, and he's also believed to be involved in the death of some 40 or so stray cats who had been fed poisoned cat food. the sick fucker had a pet cat at home too. seriously cannot stand this kind of animal abuse -- i hope someone bashes his face into concrete before strangling him to death too. you see a lot of stray cat cruelty from mutilation to murder. there are about 4 stray cats in my neighborhood -- all of which i've never seen cause a problem, in fact, everyone sorta takes care of them. i mean, they have just as much a right to live as everyone else, right? come on humans, get it together.
2014年9月21日日曜日
the perks (and not-so-perks) of being a foreigner
okay, first -- the recent lack of posts is mostly because i started a side project and it's really taking up my time. sorry. but i have good news!
i'm going to be featured by one of the local TV stations here, talking about the wonders of the seto inland sea! hooray! what's even better for you guys is that it's going to be a segment in ENGLISH and it's going to be on YOUTUBE so you guys can actually watch it! yay! *cue streamers and confetti*
this is one of the perks of being a foreigner -- especially if you're a business owner and a foreigner.
but i'm getting ahead of myself.
when a new restaurant or cafe opens up in hiroshima, you'll get calls from local TV and magazines asking to let them come and interview you, take pictures, compliment your food, etc, for free. new shops are featured all the time and it's really awesome because as a newly opened shop, you're generally pretty broke and ads are expensive, so getting free publicity is always welcome. so we too got the media welcome (4 different local TV shows, local radio, magazines, the newspaper, you name it) -- but you have to keep in mind, i'm a white chick that speaks japanese. you don't really see a lot of them around, let alone opening their own cafes. this means that my face is plastered on magazines and TV. you get this reputation as that white chick from cinnamon who speaks japanese. this means local media will start to call you up to be on shows that are about being a foreigner in hiroshima, not so much about your cafe.
this is how i ended up on a segment called "heart in japan" -- about 5 minutes where they interviewed me about coming to japan, things i found quirky about japan, etc. and this is also how i ended up getting the youtube gig too. it's pretty cool. not like i'm getting paid for it or anything, but it's fun to get the chance to see the TV industry, plus this time i'll be able to show you guys too! and they're filming it at the cafe!
i will definitely let you know more when i can, for now though, we film on tuesday.
but there is a downside too. i have a pretty recognizable face living you know, amongst mostly japanese people, and so whenever i'm on TV, i get random strangers saying, "hey! you're that cinnamon girl i saw on TV!" even if i'm in the middle of lugging 20 kilos of groceries around on my morning trip to the grocery store or hurrying to get somewhere on time. in the age of instagram, it means that people i follow and who follow me (but i haven't actually met) will leave comments like "i saw you in such and such a place!" and i'm like oh. well. that's kinda. stalker-y? even though i know they don't mean it like that., you never know who might be watching you when you're in the city.
it's like being a walking, talking billboard for the cafe too -- and you get people who stop you in the street on your day off to try and make a reservation (uh, hello? do i look like a phone?) or ask for directions to your store or when your day off is or...any other silly question they have (please use google, thanks).
so while there are indeed lots of perks that come with being a white chick, there are also a lot of annoyances that come too, and you learn to deal with it. but hey, if i can get my 20 seconds of fame and promote the cafe while i'm at it, then yeah, definitely down for being on TV.
i'm going to be featured by one of the local TV stations here, talking about the wonders of the seto inland sea! hooray! what's even better for you guys is that it's going to be a segment in ENGLISH and it's going to be on YOUTUBE so you guys can actually watch it! yay! *cue streamers and confetti*
this is one of the perks of being a foreigner -- especially if you're a business owner and a foreigner.
but i'm getting ahead of myself.
when a new restaurant or cafe opens up in hiroshima, you'll get calls from local TV and magazines asking to let them come and interview you, take pictures, compliment your food, etc, for free. new shops are featured all the time and it's really awesome because as a newly opened shop, you're generally pretty broke and ads are expensive, so getting free publicity is always welcome. so we too got the media welcome (4 different local TV shows, local radio, magazines, the newspaper, you name it) -- but you have to keep in mind, i'm a white chick that speaks japanese. you don't really see a lot of them around, let alone opening their own cafes. this means that my face is plastered on magazines and TV. you get this reputation as that white chick from cinnamon who speaks japanese. this means local media will start to call you up to be on shows that are about being a foreigner in hiroshima, not so much about your cafe.
this is how i ended up on a segment called "heart in japan" -- about 5 minutes where they interviewed me about coming to japan, things i found quirky about japan, etc. and this is also how i ended up getting the youtube gig too. it's pretty cool. not like i'm getting paid for it or anything, but it's fun to get the chance to see the TV industry, plus this time i'll be able to show you guys too! and they're filming it at the cafe!
i will definitely let you know more when i can, for now though, we film on tuesday.
but there is a downside too. i have a pretty recognizable face living you know, amongst mostly japanese people, and so whenever i'm on TV, i get random strangers saying, "hey! you're that cinnamon girl i saw on TV!" even if i'm in the middle of lugging 20 kilos of groceries around on my morning trip to the grocery store or hurrying to get somewhere on time. in the age of instagram, it means that people i follow and who follow me (but i haven't actually met) will leave comments like "i saw you in such and such a place!" and i'm like oh. well. that's kinda. stalker-y? even though i know they don't mean it like that., you never know who might be watching you when you're in the city.
it's like being a walking, talking billboard for the cafe too -- and you get people who stop you in the street on your day off to try and make a reservation (uh, hello? do i look like a phone?) or ask for directions to your store or when your day off is or...any other silly question they have (please use google, thanks).
so while there are indeed lots of perks that come with being a white chick, there are also a lot of annoyances that come too, and you learn to deal with it. but hey, if i can get my 20 seconds of fame and promote the cafe while i'm at it, then yeah, definitely down for being on TV.
2014年9月17日水曜日
review: unagi ice cream
it was just another day.
my husband was out running errands and comes back with a small tell-tale konbini plastic bag in his hand.
"i got you something for your blog!" he exclaims placing the small bag down on the counter.
"oh really?" i replied, examining the contents.
unagi ice cream.
"...serious?" oh god, i think.
"yeah!" he's serious.
so here goes.
eel ice cream, ladies and gentlemen.
now okay, some of you may be aware of japan's...odd ice cream flavours. most of them are like locally produced omiyage type things (like wasabi or beef tongue or...whatever) and not really the type of thing you see at konbini. but maybe circle K is an odd kind of konbini, because there it was.
maybe it's like unagi pie, i mean, that's delicious, right?
maybe it's just got like a hint of unagi sauce, which is just like soy sauce and mirin...so like sweet and salty?
this could work.
i'm optimistic as i pry the lid off and take a big scoop off the top.
AND IMMEDIATELY REGRET IT BECAUSE OMG THIS IS SO NOT GOOD.
it's nothing like unagi pie because unagi pie is actually edible, enjoyable, downright delicious in fact. this is the COMPLETE OPPOSITE.
it's sauce overkill. the ice cream is already flavoured with unagi sauce already, but for whatever reason they decided that wasn't enough and put in these broad ribbons of straight up sauce in there too for maximum saltiness impact. it's just bad. it's doubleplus bad. it might be the first time i've ever thrown ice cream out. ugh.
my husband was out running errands and comes back with a small tell-tale konbini plastic bag in his hand.
"i got you something for your blog!" he exclaims placing the small bag down on the counter.
"oh really?" i replied, examining the contents.
unagi ice cream.
"...serious?" oh god, i think.
"yeah!" he's serious.
so here goes.
eel ice cream, ladies and gentlemen.
now okay, some of you may be aware of japan's...odd ice cream flavours. most of them are like locally produced omiyage type things (like wasabi or beef tongue or...whatever) and not really the type of thing you see at konbini. but maybe circle K is an odd kind of konbini, because there it was.
maybe it's like unagi pie, i mean, that's delicious, right?
maybe it's just got like a hint of unagi sauce, which is just like soy sauce and mirin...so like sweet and salty?
this could work.
i'm optimistic as i pry the lid off and take a big scoop off the top.
AND IMMEDIATELY REGRET IT BECAUSE OMG THIS IS SO NOT GOOD.
it's nothing like unagi pie because unagi pie is actually edible, enjoyable, downright delicious in fact. this is the COMPLETE OPPOSITE.
it's sauce overkill. the ice cream is already flavoured with unagi sauce already, but for whatever reason they decided that wasn't enough and put in these broad ribbons of straight up sauce in there too for maximum saltiness impact. it's just bad. it's doubleplus bad. it might be the first time i've ever thrown ice cream out. ugh.
2014年9月11日木曜日
quirky japan (episode 2)
it's time for another edition of quirky japan!
this time i'll be discussing yuru-kyara!
short for "yurui kyarakutaa" or "loose character (mascot)" --
wait, what? loose character? what's loose?
right, see, yurui is one of those words that's hard to put into english. it can mean, of course, loose like "this screw is loose" but it can also be used to describe things like music, atmosphere, character designs...
for example, the darth vader theme played by an orchestra is NOT yurui, but the darth vader theme played on an ocarina? that's yurui.
guitar? not yurui. ukulele? yurui.
starting to get it?
in this case though, it almost takes on the meaning "shoddy" -- let's look at a classic example of yuru-kyara, the beloved funasshi.
notice the shoddy stitching, the stained fabric, and...all around lack of craftsmanship? it looks like someone's mom made it. the zipper is completely obvious in the back, and the stitching on his feet looks like it's not going to hold. and that's what makes it yurui.
since the advent of yuru-kyara about 3 years or so back, most EVERY city in japan has their own. they even have a yuru-kyara grand prix every year to vote on the best yuru-kyara in japan.
like this guy!
this time i'll be discussing yuru-kyara!
short for "yurui kyarakutaa" or "loose character (mascot)" --
wait, what? loose character? what's loose?
right, see, yurui is one of those words that's hard to put into english. it can mean, of course, loose like "this screw is loose" but it can also be used to describe things like music, atmosphere, character designs...
for example, the darth vader theme played by an orchestra is NOT yurui, but the darth vader theme played on an ocarina? that's yurui.
guitar? not yurui. ukulele? yurui.
starting to get it?
in this case though, it almost takes on the meaning "shoddy" -- let's look at a classic example of yuru-kyara, the beloved funasshi.
funasshi. the unofficial mascot of funabashi-shi -- he's apparently a pear spirit (funabashi is famous for pears) and he can talk (which is rare for yuru-kyara). he tends to end his sentences in "-nasshi!" so like..."nice weather we're having-nasshi!"
notice the shoddy stitching, the stained fabric, and...all around lack of craftsmanship? it looks like someone's mom made it. the zipper is completely obvious in the back, and the stitching on his feet looks like it's not going to hold. and that's what makes it yurui.
since the advent of yuru-kyara about 3 years or so back, most EVERY city in japan has their own. they even have a yuru-kyara grand prix every year to vote on the best yuru-kyara in japan.
like this guy!
barii-san! hailing from imabari in ehime! (imabari is famous for towels and you can get there by boat)
kumamon! hailing from kumamoto -- this guy is ALSO responsible for the yuru-kyara craze AND he's been sanctioned by kumamoto. you can see his face on stuff everywhere from ramen to candy to folders to keychains... he's a marketing wizard.
even hiroshima has their own (disgraceful) yuru-kyara named "bunkakkii" they smashed together the words for "culture" (bunka) and "oyster" (kaki) and the design is oyster + maple leaf + the hiragana ひ (hi)... yeah, i mean i know hiroshima is famous for oysters and maple leaves and all but... it sounds like "bukkake" to me and if you don't know what that means, goog--- wait, on second thought, don't google it. anyway, YURUI.
but my favorite yuru-kyara is this little guy, sobacchi! from iwate prefecture. he's not famous by any stretch of the imagination, but he IS an adorable bowl of wanko soba (little cups of soba noodles that you eat in succession, famous in (duh) iwate!) just look at him! the cuteness is overwhelming.
so if you're ever in japan, you're bound to run into one of these guys.
but watch out for this guy:
so if you're ever in japan, you're bound to run into one of these guys.
but watch out for this guy:
creepy. as. fuck.
2014年8月29日金曜日
quirky japan (episode 1)
one of japan's big tourism catchphrases, or "catch copy" as they say here, is "cool japan" ...
yeah, WOW, give that guy a promotion for creativity, right?
i'm not saying that japan isn't cool, because it is. i mean, c'mon, cellphone service companies building talking robots for sale? frickkin' cool.
but i've got a better catchphrase that really captures japan's essence --
quirky japan
that's right my friends, japan is a quirky place. endearingly quirky, annoyingly quirky, maddeningly quirky -- it's got its quirky bases covered.
you could easily write an ENTIRE blog focused solely on japan's quirks -- but i'm just going to write them as i think of them. and today, i present to you one of the annoying quirks---
the four seasons quirk
if you're ever in japan for longer than say...a week...inevitably you're going to encounter the following phrase, be it on TV or someone on the street or passing conversation:
「日本には四季がある！」
nihon ni wa shiki ga aru!
translation: they have four seasons in japan!
...uh...
duh?
i dunno, i always thought that NOT having four seasons was more an exception than the rule. i mean, i know there are indeed countries that don't have four seasons, but... is it really so unique to have a spring, summer, fall, and winter?
you'll be told about japan's four seasons like it's some great enlightening secret.
DUDE, FOUR SEASONS. FOUR DIFFERENT SEASONS. IS YOUR MIND BLOWN?!
...nope. why do you think they have words for these mystical four seasons in (likely) most every language?
*whispers* that's because most everyone has four seasons on the planet.
japan LOVES the seasons -- i don't blame them, i like them too! i'm not hating on the seasons, i'm just baffled as to why they feel the need to tell foreigners about them because we obviously don't know (even though most of us do).
japan does indeed have a long history of using seasonal icons in poetry, letters, art... like cherry blossoms in the spring, hydrangeas during the rainy season, maple leaves in the fall, etc, and that's all well and good. in fact, i think it's great to celebrate and appreciate the seasons (even if they have gotten a little weird in recent years).
but it's just a little silly to go around with a figurative banner proclaiming to the masses that OMG JAPAN HAS FOUR SEASONS GUYZ~!
it's okay, japan. you can put away the banner, go on. the secret's out.
yeah, WOW, give that guy a promotion for creativity, right?
i'm not saying that japan isn't cool, because it is. i mean, c'mon, cellphone service companies building talking robots for sale? frickkin' cool.
but i've got a better catchphrase that really captures japan's essence --
quirky japan
that's right my friends, japan is a quirky place. endearingly quirky, annoyingly quirky, maddeningly quirky -- it's got its quirky bases covered.
you could easily write an ENTIRE blog focused solely on japan's quirks -- but i'm just going to write them as i think of them. and today, i present to you one of the annoying quirks---
the four seasons quirk
if you're ever in japan for longer than say...a week...inevitably you're going to encounter the following phrase, be it on TV or someone on the street or passing conversation:
「日本には四季がある！」
nihon ni wa shiki ga aru!
translation: they have four seasons in japan!
...uh...
duh?
i dunno, i always thought that NOT having four seasons was more an exception than the rule. i mean, i know there are indeed countries that don't have four seasons, but... is it really so unique to have a spring, summer, fall, and winter?
you'll be told about japan's four seasons like it's some great enlightening secret.
DUDE, FOUR SEASONS. FOUR DIFFERENT SEASONS. IS YOUR MIND BLOWN?!
...nope. why do you think they have words for these mystical four seasons in (likely) most every language?
*whispers* that's because most everyone has four seasons on the planet.
japan LOVES the seasons -- i don't blame them, i like them too! i'm not hating on the seasons, i'm just baffled as to why they feel the need to tell foreigners about them because we obviously don't know (even though most of us do).
japan does indeed have a long history of using seasonal icons in poetry, letters, art... like cherry blossoms in the spring, hydrangeas during the rainy season, maple leaves in the fall, etc, and that's all well and good. in fact, i think it's great to celebrate and appreciate the seasons (even if they have gotten a little weird in recent years).
but it's just a little silly to go around with a figurative banner proclaiming to the masses that OMG JAPAN HAS FOUR SEASONS GUYZ~!
it's okay, japan. you can put away the banner, go on. the secret's out.
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