In or Out?

Have you ever walked in Shibuya and wondered why Japanese girls have similar outfits? Or have you ever wondered why Japanese people are constantly self-conscious and aware of their surroundings? It is because most of the Japanese citizens like to be involved and accepted from others. Most likely, the Japanese business management and social concepts must be taking a big part in sculpting such citizens’ behaviors and attitudes.

BENTO BOYS

Until a few years ago, a lunch boxes (called obento bako in Japanese) was a popular item among girls. Boys on the other hand would start buying their lunches at convenience stores or at other stores as they get older. However, this trend has begun to change since early this year. More men that work in offices are beginning to bring lunch boxes to their offices and enjoy them during their lunch time.

Monkeys in the Hot Springs.

What image do you get, when you think of monkeys? Jungles? Rain Forests? In Japan, there is a way you can enjoy them in a completely different way. See them take a nice warm bath in the hot springs!

Fast Fashion

Be Cheap! –the latest fashion trend in Japan-

So, the country of Japan has been suffering from an economic slump over the past few months and it is making it harder for people to open up their wallets and pay their money for something. Especially for girls in Japan who want to remain fashionable, not being able to spend so much money on cute clothes is a pain!! That is why for such girls, several brands have stood up to save the girls in Japan from having to give up the joy of shopping and being fashionable. This is what started the trend of “Fast Fashion” in Japan!

HUNTING

When you hear the word "hunt" the first thing which pops up in our mind is either fox or deer or any type of animal living in a forest right? The word "hunt" just automatically links you to a violent idea. But, here in Japan we hunt for something else. No blood, no gore, no weapons needed. Cause here in Japan we hunt for fruits and vegetables.

JAPANESE PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL

Do you remember who won the World Baseball Classic last year and the year before? Yes, it is Team JAPAN that won two consecutive years! As you can tell from that glorious achievement, Japan is strong in baseball! Let's take a sneak peek at the overview of how Japan's professional baseball league works.

Fukuoka - Greatest in Kyushu -

All the way down in the Kyushu area, there is Fukuoka Prefecture, the most populous and the most active prefecture in Kyushu. In Fukuoka, there is Fukuoka City which is also famous for being one of the five biggest cities in Japan, along with Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya and Sapporo. Today, I will introduce to you two interesting places you can visit in Fukuoka.

Local Area Specialties -Starbucks Tumbler-

Looking for a Japanese souvenir for a coffee-addict? If so, there is a perfect gift at Starbucks Coffee in Japan. In almost every prefecture you can purchase a Starbucks tumbler (or a mug) with design that made exclusively in that specific prefecture. In other words, it is a specialty tumbler! All of them are designed in a way that depicts that specific prefecture and is very cute and fashionable! I will briefly explain what the tumblers of some prefectures look like!

NAMCO NAMJATOWN

Have you ever heard of a theme park in a shopping mall!? Well, there is one in Ikebukuro　called "NAMCO NAMJATOWN" run by the famous company Namco. This theme park is located on the 2nd and 3rd floor of Sunshine City. Not only are there attractions that you can enjoy riding, but it is also combined with a food theme park, so it can be enjoyed in many ways.

Momiji Manju -The Most Popular Manju in Japan!!-

Ask a Japanese person, "What is the most famous Japanese confectionary that is sold in Miyajima?" For sure, everyone would name the same confectionary, and that is of course Momiji Manju. Momiji manju is a maple-leaf shaped Japanese baked confectionary and is enjoyed by many tourists that come and visit Miyajima and Hiroshima area. Since it is so great both in taste and appearance, it is the most popular manju in Japan!

There is a very interesting story about how the Momiji manju became the representative souvenir of Miyajima. In the Meiji period (1868-1912), Hirofumi Ito (The first Prime Minister of Japan) frequently visited Miyajima. During one of his visits there, he saw a pretty girl's hand and said, "Your hand is like a maple leaf!" An Okami-san (female owner of a ryokan) who heard him say this came up with the idea of making a maple leaf shaped confectionary to a man named Tsunesuke Takatsu. Soon, the first momiji manju was created and sold at Takatsu's store in the small island of Miyajima. Although this story has not been proven to be true, but many long-established momiji manju shops believe in this story. Thus the tradition has been passed on for many generations.

Today, as you walk across Omotesando (a small shopping avenue) in Miyajima, you will see a lot of momiji manju shops. Some have transparent walls that allow tourists to see how momiji manjus are being made. Unlike the early years, where momiji manjus were hand baked one by one, momiji manjus today are mostly created with large machines exclusively for momiji manjus. It is extremely interesting to watch the fluffy momiji manjus coming out of the machine. In some stores you can buy a freshly baked momiji manju that just came out of those machines! The fluffiness of the dough and the sweetness of the anko are extravagantly brilliant! Pop one into your mouth and you will sure see why momiji manju is chosen by many as the most popular manju of Japan!

Other than anko, there are many other interesting fillings for momiji manjus. For example there are custard crème, cheese, chocolate, green tea, sweet chestnuts, sweet potato, mochi, almond and more. Depending on which store you visit, you can taste unique flavors of momiji manjus so why not go for a try. Usually momiji manjus are around 70 JPY to 100 JPY so it is very easy to purchase them.