Monday, May 25, 2015

Japan 文化: May 23, Kissing Day in Japan

This past Saturday was キッスの日 (Kissu no hi) in Japan.

Love at the Time of Vocaloid
img via ncaranti
Kiss day celebrates the first time a kissing scene appeared in a Japanese movie, which dates back to May 23rd, 1946. Historically, kissing and displays of affection in Japan were something private and not performed in public.

The movie that included this scene was ひたちの青春 (Hitachi no Seishun), and was considered rather controversial at the time.



This year, an event was held in Akasaka, Tokyo to celebrate the iconic scene from the movie. The event consisted of sharing a kiss with a special someone through a piece of plexiglass, just as it was done in 1946.


What do you think of Kiss Day in Japan?

Japan 可愛い: Adorable teacup balconies in Asakusa

For those times when you want to drink tea in a teacup outside in a teacup. Check out these adorable teacup balconies on the Niimi building in Asakusa, Tokyo.

Niimi - Teacup-balconies
img via st3f4n

Japan 旅行: Kyoto Festival: Bamboo Cutting Ritual at Kurama-dera (Takekirie)

The Takekirie is a bamboo cutting ritual performed annually at Kurama temple in Kyoto. The ritual, which has been performed for over 1000 years, is based on the legend of Buen the monk and the serpent.
Teams of 8 men wearing traditional costume race to see who can chop through bamboo the fastest using a mountain sword and the help of their team mates.

Check out this beautiful video posted by Discover Kyoto that shows the Takekirie ritual and explains the legend it is based on.




Sunday, May 24, 2015

Japan すごいなあ!: Epic hanging cat tower

Apartments in Tokyo can be rather small and lacking in free space, especially if you're living with a pet. Japan is always making things more efficient and space friendly, and they've done it again.

Unihabitat, who believe cats, dogs, and humans should all live together, has created a different kind of cat tree that allows you to save space and give your feline friend some privacy and fun.



Japan Hot 音楽: Number 1 track this week goes to E-girls

The hottest track this week on iTunes in Japan is Anniversary!! (released May 20th) Performed by E-girls.

That's a lot o' ladies.

Japan おかし: 10 KitKats only found in Japan

KitKat is a well known snack in many countries. With it's iconic crispy wafer inside and milk chocolate coating, just thinking about KitKats makes me salivate (I've said it once and I'll say it again, I have a chocolate problem).
Kit Kat Bars for Halloween
img via slgc

Japan, on the other hand, has taken the KitKat and completely reinvented it about a gazillion times over. Using unique flavours and colours, Japan has definitely created some one-of-a-kind KitKats.

Here is a list of 10 KitKat flavours only found in Japan!

Saturday, May 23, 2015

That's a nice set of melons!: Yubari melon pair sells for 1.5 million yen

Fruit is a bit pricier in Japan than elsewhere in the world, but the Japanese Yubari melon really takes the cake on most expensive fruit.

The expensive and prestigious Yubari melon.

Japan 可愛い: 10 Adorable "kawaii" pillows to get your hands on

What's better than just plain old resting? Resting with something CUTE of course! Or resting with chocolate. I do like resting with chocolate.

Check out these 10 crazy cute pillows!



A gigantic yet adorable bread loaf.


Japan 旅行: Kyoto

Kyoto City is one of the most famous cities in Japan. Located on Honshuu island, it was originally the Japanese capital for over 1000 years until Tokyo became capital in 1869.

Kyoto (img via city.kyoto.jp)

Friday, May 22, 2015

Japan すごいなあ!: World's new heaviest strawberry found in Fukuoka

A strawberry grown by farmer Mr. Koji Nakao in Fukuoka, Japan has broken the world record for the heaviest strawberry. I seriously cannot stop staring at it. I mean LOOK at that thing. It could probably beat my cat in a fight.



Weighing a whopping 250g, this gigantic strawberry occurred from the fusion of several strawberries during their growth period.

The strawberry has been on several television shows and made news all around the world. Which is understandable, cause, just... DAMN, look at that thing!

Mr. Nakao decided his daughter should be the first one to taste the world's heaviest strawberry, and how did she think it tasted?




"おいしい。" (oishii) or "delicious" was her response.

The previous record set for World's heaviest strawberry was set 30 years ago by a gentleman in the UK. Do you think we will have to wait another 30 years to break this record yet again?



Source: Guinness World Records

Japan Hot 音楽: angela

What's new this week in Japan's music scene? Let's find out!

img via jpopasia.com

angela, best known for their work in anime themes songs, has recently released their newest album titled ONE WAY which includes the opening and ending theme for the recently aired anime Fafner: EXODUS. angela is a pop band with hints of electronica, dance, rock, swing jazz and ska (obviously not all at the same time as that would be traumatizing).

Japan 生活: Bandotaro blows up Twitter

Last night, a Japanese television show called Himitsu no Kenmin Show aired a special piece about a chain restaurant in the Ibaraki Prefecture called ばんどう太郎 Bandotaro. 

img via wikipedia.

Thursday, May 21, 2015

Treats: Another Pino for my belly, it IS ice cream season, after all...

I'm always looking for new treats to try from my local コンビに (konbini). What can I say? I'm a sugar fiend. Especially when it's sugar mixed with cocoa... oh yes. I am one of those people. I love me some chocolate!

Today I tried out a new flavour of Pino Ice Cream made by the Morinaga Company. Pino Ice is a chunk of ice cream slightly bigger than the size of a rolo chocolate that is covered in delicious milk chocolate. They have several flavours, one of which is their newest flavour: Rouge Berry.


Wednesday, May 20, 2015

Dat shine, doh: the speed clean routine of the Tokyo Shinkansen

You may or may not know about the Japanese bullet trains, otherwise known as 新幹線 Shinkansen, some of the fastest trains in the world.


Japan has many shinkansen and there are usually many in use at one time. Not to mention that skinkansen only stop at the station for a mere 12 minutes before they are off again to another destination.

One has to wonder, how is the upkeep of so many trains dealt with while also trying to manage a strict and fast-paced schedule?

Mixing up my days leads to a great discovery...

This morning, I have been cleaning my house in anticipation for some furniture we have coming on the 21st which I thought was today.

Thankfully, a wonderful advertisement at our local 7/11 set my date twisting mind straight.

Which ad, you ask? Oh, just this little old thing:





That's right, 7/11 is once again teaming up with Attack on Titan to bring you some fantastic winnable and purchasable goodies.

Including, THIS:

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

Treats, treats, I love me some treats!

Mix Mochi (rice cake), Kinako (roasted soybean powder), and Kuro-mitsu (dark sugar syrup) together and what do you get?

Shingen Mochi!


Not to be confused with ningen mochi, which... is a terrifying thought. Moving along...

Sunday, May 17, 2015

Today was a day of ramen and dancing!

Ryan and I went to Shibuya today to meet up with a friend, and little did we know, the Shibuya Kagoshima Ohara Matsuri was going on today!

I added some Ohara Matsuri photos to my Japan Pinterest Feed just for the occasion, so check them out!

I was also able to snap a few shots of Shibuya crossing which I made into a fancy gif.


Sorry for the window lines.

I mayyyyy have also done a teeny interview with Nihon TV while I was there, and toooootally butchered it. You have to subscribe to Nihon TV to watch what they air (which I have not) so I just hope their editing makes everything all better, as I will probably not see the disaster I befell upon them. IF they even decide to use it. Gah.

Well, off to bed. 6:30 comes early!

Speaking of early rising, currently, the sun rises in Tokyo at 4:34am.
Good thing I can sleep through anything.

Japan Links

Looking for more resources about Japan? Check out the links below.


Gaijinpot.com 
This website contains everything. I frequent this website often to check out the articles, podcasts, and job listings. Definitely worth a browser bookmark (or two, or three!).

Japan Today
This website translates Japanese news to English. Very helpful for keeping up with the news in Japan, and the Lifestyle section offers some insight into the current Japanese trends. 

So many things... time to get busy!

Hello everyone! I'm not even sure where to start with this blog, as so much has happened so far and continues to happen every day.

Perhaps a slight introduction and overview are in order.

My name is Amy, but my family sometimes calls me Amoo. I currently live in Tokyo Japan with my fiancee, Ryan and our cat, Jack. This blog will be covering our every day (and not so every day) adventures. I also hope to use it as a reference or anecdotal evidence for those who are also looking to expat across the world to Japan.

Some things you will be able to find here in due time:

  • Japanese Language Resources
  • How to's regarding transferring your life overseas (including your cat!)
  • Japanese culture and lifestyle
  • Random and weird foodstuffs
  • Japan oriented links, apps, groups, etc
  • Gratuitous amounts of photos of Jack (of course!)

  I am extremely excited to start on this project and hope that you will follow along with me for the ride! I would also love to hear any questions or comments anyone may have about learning Japanese, life in Japan, or even about Jack and his latest nap.

So bear with me for a while whilst I get things in motion. Chill out, eat a senbei, watch a J-drama, do what you do, and we'll see you soon!

Saturday, May 16, 2015

Japanese Language Learning Resources

Here is a list of apps, websites, books, etc that I have used in my attempt to do battle with the Japanese language.

About Me

My name is Amy (my family calls me Amoo) and I am a fan of all things Japanese. After I finished my schooling in Swedish Massage Therapy, I packed my bags and dragged my fiancée Ryan (and our cat, Jack) across the world to live in Tokyo, Japan, as students learning the Japanese language. 


Please follow me as I chronicle our every day life, schooling, and random adventures!