Delicious Gadgets

Kawaii is the term meaning cute, and it is used to describe for almost anything by Japanese girls… And here is another Kawaii item which is very popular today in Japan.

No turkey on Thanksgiving?

It’s November, the time of football and best of all, turkey!! But they don’t have that custom here in Japan…

When you think of Thanksgiving, if you are from the states, you’ll probably think of pilgrims and Indians having a big festival and dining on a huge meal. Like roasted turkey and cranberry sauce lining up on the table with pumpkin pies and mashed potatoes glazed with gravy…ooh just typing these makes my stomach growl…

Long Nights? Art is the answer...

The hot humid summer has long gone past, and cold wind is starting to blow now a days. Tokyo has entered the season autumn, and in Japan autumn is said to be the season of reading, eating and art. Since autumn nights are longer than summer, and it is a bit chilly to stay outside so it is said these indoor activities were chosen for one to enjoy in autumn.

Manners in Japan

Japan is known to have a well-mannered culture, probably because majority of the citizens are polite to other people. One obvious example is the use of “keigo” and “kenjougo,” different word usages we have for elder people. Using these words in addition to making nice actions shows hierarchy that Japanese culture values greatly. They only sound slightly different from normal conversations, but in Japan, it is a way of showing that the young are kind and courteous to the elder.

Eyelashes

“Fashion” is a big part of girl’s lives. “Fashion” isn’t just about how you dress or what you have. Japanese girls also spend a lot of time, effort, and money on “Beauty” to do anything to look stunning. Most girls make sure they look their best on their daily basis when they step out of their house: perfect hair, make-up, nails is definitely on their checklist.

Lately, to boost women’s beauty, getting eyelashes done at a salon specializing in eyelashes is becoming quite popular. To be specific, there are two types to getting eyelashes “done.”

First, it is the act of permanently curling your own eye lashes called eyelash perm. Though it costs about 5,000 yen for both eyes, since it saves morning makeover time for girls, eyelash perm is considered valuable. The actual process of eye lash perm is very simple, and only takes up to an hour. The aesthetician wraps your eye lashes around a thin roller while you lie down and close your eyes. They then place gauze on the under-eye area as they apply perming solution to your lashes for protective measure. They are curled for about 2 months since they get replaced naturally over time. Thus, perm will need to be re-done if you want to maintain the curly lashes.

When Tokyo Lights Up…

Tis’ the season to be jolly, and tis’ the season Tokyo starts to become filled with glimmering lights of illumination. Tokyo bustles with holiday illuminations during Christmas season. Many of these illuminations start to light around this time of the year, until as late as Valentine’s Day.
Here are some of the beautiful seasonal lightings around Tokyo:


Shiodome:
Instead of the red and green lights, Caretta Shiodome centers on the theme of “ocean” for the holiday lighting. Splendid fields of blue illuminations will surround you and amaze you this winter.
Displayed from: Dec. 1 – 25, 2009

Tori no ichi

Tori-no-ichi is the traditional Japanese open-air market which takes place on the day of the rooster (tori-no-hi, tori meaning bird or here rooster) in November according to the Chinese calendar. And as for this year it is November 12 and 24, 2009.

MA-KU-DO

Most people are familiar with McDonald's, with the huge "M" and the color, red and yellow, being one of the famous global food service retailer.

Although, it may not excite many tourists when they spot a McDonald's in Japan, nor encourage them to walk into one. There are number of menu items that can only be eaten here in Japan. So here's he advice! Spending a lunch for a day at McDonald's in Japan could be the way to save money and to experience the culture through fast food!! :)

Noticing what's popular in Japan…

It's funny but Japanese people like to see long lines. Why? Because it proves that whatever they are in line for is popular or something of great value. This may be one element of the Japanese culture, since most Japanese automatically assume and believe that long waits are worthwhile. It could be a restaurant, apparel shop, souvenir shop, or even a wait for a particular object. Whatever it is, people from the states or other countries may find it interesting, because they constantly try to get away from long waits.

EXCLUSIVE AUTUMN TASTE

There are many expensive foods around the world, caviar, foie gras, saffron, white truffles, you name it. And there are so many to name just in Japan too, such as Yubari melon, the famous Kobe beef, and fugu (blow fish). But do you know what the most favored expensive food is during autumn in Japan? It is the matsutake mushroom.

Smooth rides in Japan - Pasmo and Suica

When using a train in Japan, you will see that many people are placing their wallets or card cases over the ticket gate, and a “beep” follows every time they do so. That is because almost every train user in Japan possesses a “Pasmo” or a “Suica”. “Pasmo” and “Suica” are both IC cards that you can charge and use on trains in the Kanto area of Japan. Before Pasmo and Suica became familiarized across Japan, purchasing a ticket to ride a train was the mainstream in Japan. In order to reduce the stress of having to do so every time you ride a train, these IC cards were introduced.