25 Things about Japoon that are excellent Pt 3
by Wendy Elizabeth Horikoshi on Thursday, 09 September 2011 at 19:59
17. Giant fruit. The fruit here is priced like it's made by Dolche and Gabana. But it's MASSIVE. I am lucky enough to get fruit as a gift on a regular basis (as it stops me and the family from getting scurvy, on my meagre teaching salary). Last week I got apples the size of cannon balls, strawberries the size of golf balls, and a sweet potato we could use as a life raft, in case we get done by a tsunami in Kodaira. Because we live in Japan, we have to display these gifts on a little pedestal in the kitchen, for some days so visitors can see how lucky we are to have fruit in the house. Currently we have 10 dollar peaches on display on the kitchen table (until I get hungry).
18. Giant cans of beer. Now I don't drink beer as a rule, but the thought of a 1 litre stubby excites me so much, that I buy them and mail them to my friends. You can buy 1 litre cans of beer in the vending machines anywhere, pretty much from all brands. Some vending machines kindly also supply the snacks that will compliment your excessive beer consumption. Nice.
19. Cosplay. Sex life a bit blah? Want to get your juices flowing again? Just like dressing up as your favourite Pokemon? Then Japan is the place for you matey! Any day of the week, you can swan around the shops and see Lolicon (people who have a Lolita complex, and so the girls dress up in baby doll dresses, with lollipops and carry stuffed toys) Goth Lolicon (same, except its all about black lace, black eye-liner, black parasols and pale make up)
http://www.chictoday.com/daily/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/harajuku-fashion-japanforumcom.jpg
people dressed up as their favourite anime character, manga character, or the ever popular Maid Cafes, where (relatively) busty women will serve you in sexy maid costumes, and laugh at your dumb jokes.
20. Beautiful paper products. Japan has some of the most lovely, delicate, and totally original stationary and stamps that the world will ever see. I love the smell of paper shops, new books and money from the ATM, and their are as many paper shops here as book stores. From beautiful Kimono and woodblock themed paper writing sets, origami (gazillions of kinds) and the more beautiful and expensive hand made washi paper, all gifts here are wrapped with the utmost care and reverence, and department store staff are strictly trained in the art of gift wrapping. The little stickers that go with everything are also to die for :)
21.Onsens.
Magic hot springs in beautiful settings that encourage you to get naked with the general populace. Really.
You must first strip to your birthday suit, don a Yuukata, and carry a little wooden bucket with your soap, loofah and tiny little towel (this is compulsory to have a tiny towel) then sluice water from the trough or pump over you, give yourself a good hard scrub, all the while sitting on a tiny kid sized wooden stool, with your knees around your ears. After you have removed EVERY trace of soap, slide your naked self in to the big stone pools of hot volcanic water, and remain until lobster red, trying to look at everything else but the other people. Takes some getting used to, but it's a very relaxing pastime, the waters are said to be good for your health. I'm not against nudity, and nakedness in a nice tranquil mountain setting is probably good for your soul too.
22.Electronics. Akihabara, or Electric Town is always abuzz with the newest cutest tiniest gadgets. It attracts geeks of every ilk. Its a place where the subcultures and people on the very edge of the bell curve go and search for stuff that they are passionate about. Go for the electronics, stay and gawk at the people, I do.
23.Bizarre fashions.
Nothing can describe how it feels to shop right next to a middle aged man in a pink tutu and tiara, looking for a nice teapot. To see hundreds of young girls dressed as rock stars with injuries
http://boingboing.net/2007/12/05/tokyo-festishfashion.html
http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:7p1g3sq2HdlYLM:http://media.nowpublic.net/images/8d/5/8d5d1f0931bc0e055ef3edd060c079b4.jpg
or to sit on the train next to women who wear the traditional 14 layer Kimono, coupled with Amy Winehouse hair and 10cm bejewelled fingernails, and matching glittery cell phone.
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hdMWb_HMuzo/S0nVeIHv-II/AAAAAAAAEYo/7XHrd0z6pUQ/s320/seijin.jpg
24. Engrish. I buy my underwear at a shop that "supports my sock life"
My dairy products are delivered in a van marked "Flesh Delivery" And my favourite bakery is Breadshop Spank.
This is my favourite thing about living here. Check this out, if it doesn't make milk come out your nose, you need a check up at the local hospital http://www.engrish.com/
25.Tea. I am a tea drinker, and I am totally in love with the HUGE amount of pomp and ritual that goes into making a cup of tea in Japan. It's almost a religion, with each tea ceremony taking up to 45 minutes for a cuppa. There are a whole range of shops and huge swathes of department store space dedicated to what to wear, what cake to serve, and what plates to serve them on, what cups and teapot to use and a million other decorations dedicated to the art of having a nice cup of tea. I am not so fond of the cakes, though. They are always made with sweet potato or beans . I am more of a fruit, cream, sugar and icing kind of girl :)
18. Giant cans of beer. Now I don't drink beer as a rule, but the thought of a 1 litre stubby excites me so much, that I buy them and mail them to my friends. You can buy 1 litre cans of beer in the vending machines anywhere, pretty much from all brands. Some vending machines kindly also supply the snacks that will compliment your excessive beer consumption. Nice.
19. Cosplay. Sex life a bit blah? Want to get your juices flowing again? Just like dressing up as your favourite Pokemon? Then Japan is the place for you matey! Any day of the week, you can swan around the shops and see Lolicon (people who have a Lolita complex, and so the girls dress up in baby doll dresses, with lollipops and carry stuffed toys) Goth Lolicon (same, except its all about black lace, black eye-liner, black parasols and pale make up)
http://www.chictoday.com/daily/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/harajuku-fashion-japanforumcom.jpg
people dressed up as their favourite anime character, manga character, or the ever popular Maid Cafes, where (relatively) busty women will serve you in sexy maid costumes, and laugh at your dumb jokes.
20. Beautiful paper products. Japan has some of the most lovely, delicate, and totally original stationary and stamps that the world will ever see. I love the smell of paper shops, new books and money from the ATM, and their are as many paper shops here as book stores. From beautiful Kimono and woodblock themed paper writing sets, origami (gazillions of kinds) and the more beautiful and expensive hand made washi paper, all gifts here are wrapped with the utmost care and reverence, and department store staff are strictly trained in the art of gift wrapping. The little stickers that go with everything are also to die for :)
21.Onsens.
Magic hot springs in beautiful settings that encourage you to get naked with the general populace. Really.
You must first strip to your birthday suit, don a Yuukata, and carry a little wooden bucket with your soap, loofah and tiny little towel (this is compulsory to have a tiny towel) then sluice water from the trough or pump over you, give yourself a good hard scrub, all the while sitting on a tiny kid sized wooden stool, with your knees around your ears. After you have removed EVERY trace of soap, slide your naked self in to the big stone pools of hot volcanic water, and remain until lobster red, trying to look at everything else but the other people. Takes some getting used to, but it's a very relaxing pastime, the waters are said to be good for your health. I'm not against nudity, and nakedness in a nice tranquil mountain setting is probably good for your soul too.
22.Electronics. Akihabara, or Electric Town is always abuzz with the newest cutest tiniest gadgets. It attracts geeks of every ilk. Its a place where the subcultures and people on the very edge of the bell curve go and search for stuff that they are passionate about. Go for the electronics, stay and gawk at the people, I do.
23.Bizarre fashions.
Nothing can describe how it feels to shop right next to a middle aged man in a pink tutu and tiara, looking for a nice teapot. To see hundreds of young girls dressed as rock stars with injuries
http://boingboing.net/2007/12/05/tokyo-festishfashion.html
http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:7p1g3sq2HdlYLM:http://media.nowpublic.net/images/8d/5/8d5d1f0931bc0e055ef3edd060c079b4.jpg
or to sit on the train next to women who wear the traditional 14 layer Kimono, coupled with Amy Winehouse hair and 10cm bejewelled fingernails, and matching glittery cell phone.
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_hdMWb_HMuzo/S0nVeIHv-II/AAAAAAAAEYo/7XHrd0z6pUQ/s320/seijin.jpg
24. Engrish. I buy my underwear at a shop that "supports my sock life"
My dairy products are delivered in a van marked "Flesh Delivery" And my favourite bakery is Breadshop Spank.
This is my favourite thing about living here. Check this out, if it doesn't make milk come out your nose, you need a check up at the local hospital http://www.engrish.com/
25.Tea. I am a tea drinker, and I am totally in love with the HUGE amount of pomp and ritual that goes into making a cup of tea in Japan. It's almost a religion, with each tea ceremony taking up to 45 minutes for a cuppa. There are a whole range of shops and huge swathes of department store space dedicated to what to wear, what cake to serve, and what plates to serve them on, what cups and teapot to use and a million other decorations dedicated to the art of having a nice cup of tea. I am not so fond of the cakes, though. They are always made with sweet potato or beans . I am more of a fruit, cream, sugar and icing kind of girl :)
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