Yoshito Ueda

GM

All Stories by Yoshio

What Could Be More Fun Than A Crazy Delicious Stick Stick Party?

Feb 6, 2012 by yoshio
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A new toy has pushed its way into the crowded Japanese market. Called the Crazy Delicious Stick Stick Party, it sells for 699yen (US$9). We got our hands on one of these babies to try it out a get a stick party started, but first the name probably needs some explanation.

If you walk into any convenience store across Japan and scour the lower shelves, under all the chocolate bars and gum you will find one of Japan’s most popular snacks, Umaibo (literally ‘delicious stick,’ which we will use throughout the remainder of this article for comedic effect). Delicious Stick is like a giant, rod-shaped version of that cheese-flavored snack of mysterious ingredients that goes by many names: cheese puffs, cheezies, cheese curls, cheese balls, and so on. However, in addition to cheese flavor, Delicious Stick comes in a wide range of flavors, including chocolate or shrimp and mayonnaise. At 10 yen (US$0.13) a pop they’re a pretty good little snack.

By using Crazy Delicious Stick Stick Party, you can – get this – cleanly cut one Delicious Stick into several smaller sticks. According to the name of this toy, making four smaller Delicious Sticks from a single large one will result in a “crazy stick party”. We rushed in to investigate this claim.

Feb 4, 2012 by yoshio
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Anyone who is familiar with Japanese culture knows about the packaged lunch known as “bento.” A bento can be found homemade or bought from a supermarket, convenience store, or restaurant that specializes in bento. One particular subset of bento is known as ekiben, or, the “station bento.”

As its name implies, you can buy a station bento on the platforms of major train stations across Japan. The station bento is beloved by travelers in Japan because they use ingredients famous or native to the region that you buy them, letting you experience the taste of an area even if you are just passing through. However, there is just one shortcoming to the station bento – it’s cold.

Luckily, thanks to the leading researchers in the field of bento technology, this is no longer the case!

Feb 3, 2012 by yoshio
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Although he has rarely been seen in Western countries, Doraemon is an animated cat whose popularity rivals that of Mickey Mouse in Japan. From his beginnings in manga in the 70s, Doraemon has made the leap to TV and film animations and was appointed Japan’s first animated cultural ambassador. Now the Doraemon story lives on in a series of TV commercials for Toyota.

Feb 3, 2012 by yoshio
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The following is a translation of a short story originally taken from a 2008 book by Haruhiro Kinoshita and posted on a blog called One Minute Impressions. The story struck a chord with tens of thousands of people across Japan as it spread through social networks.

There Was This Cashier

She moved from the countryside to go to a university in Tokyo. She joined many extra-curricular activities but always got turned off quickly . One after another, she jumped from club to club looking for something better.

When it came time for her to find work, she got a job with a manufacturing company, but she couldn’t continue working there. Three months after starting she felt she couldn’t see eye to eye with her boss. It didn’t take long for her to quit.

The next job she got was for a distribution company. She worked there for six months but came to realize the job was different than she had hoped it to be. Shortly after, she quit.

From there she joined up with a company that manages medical statistics and information, but this too didn’t do it for her.

This job just isn’t for me.

Feb 2, 2012 by yoshio
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When I first started using Twitter it was almost overwhelming. I found myself feeling very self-conscious about using hashtags or retweeting the wrong way. Luckily, I don’t live in South Korea where Twitter misuse can land you in jail.

Take the case of photographer Park Jung-guen. The 24 year-old artist often waxes poetic on his fascination with North Korea and its former leader from his account @seouldecadence with ironic tweets like “I’m hot for Kim Jong-il” and “I like red shirts.” In Japan or any other country these tweets wouldn’t raise any eyebrows and were seemingly tolerated in South Korea for a while. However, things got serious for Mr. Park when the authorities caught him retweeting messages by North Korea-based account @uriminzok.

Jan 31, 2012 by yoshio
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Japan’s premier naked festival, Sominsai (Somin Festival), was held this year on January 29 at Kokuseki Temple in Iwate Prefecture.

The name “naked” is somewhat misleading though, as participants are required to wear a fundoshi, a piece of white cloth which can best be descried as a traditional Japanese G-string. This scant clothing offers little protection from the blistering, below-freezing cold participants are expected to endure. Nevertheless, the toughest of men from across Japan come to test their mettle by trekking through grueling icy course from the temple to the river that’s cold enough to make you feel like you’re dying.

I know this because I took part.

That’s right, your fearless reporter put his life at risk to bring the experience of Kokuseki’s Sominsai to you, our beloved readers.

Jan 31, 2012 by yoshio
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A 22 year-old in her 4th year of university in Kanazawa ordered an iPod through an internet auction but received a shock when she discovered the iPod once belonged to her. Another 22 year-old 2nd year university student, who sold her the iPod, was arrested on suspicion of stealing it from the woman’s parked car last December.

The woman had reported the robbery to police but was left with little hope of recovering it, so she turned to internet auctions to find a similar model on the cheap. By the beginning of January she was able to win a bid on one for only 5,000 yen (US$65), a third of the price she originally paid.

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Taiwanese Students’ Live-Action Recreation of Popular Anime is a Slam Dunk

Jan 28, 2012 by yoshio
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Basketball’s popularity in Japan today can largely be credited to the mega-hit manga and anime series Slam Dunk. Since its beginnings in the 90s, its popularity had spread beyond the borders of Japan and even to this day it continues to hold a world-wide fan base.

Now, thanks to the National Taiwan University of Arts’ Department of Broadcasting’s Class of 2010, Slam Dunk has been lovingly recreated as a live action video. A hit on YouTube, the video is a rather meticulous reenactment of the opening sequence of the animated version.

Jan 27, 2012 by yoshio
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Near Musashi-Kosugi Station in Kanagawa Prefecture, there is a restaurant called Italian Izakaya: Natura that constantly has line-ups outside. Regardless of the day, it seems the place is always wall-to-wall with customers.

While Natura is said to have good food in general, the real buzz is spreading about their specialty: Whitebait Piled on Peperoncino Pasta – 880yen (US$11). Whitebait refers to immature fish that are collected, cooked and eaten whole in large numbers, and are popular in Italian cuisine.

We decided to go to Italian Izakaya: Natura and investigate what all the fuss is about.

Jan 25, 2012 by yoshio
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A Yokohama Ward Office was shocked on 13 January, when they received a visit from the infamous immortal homicidal monster depicted in countless horror movies, Jason Voorhees. This time, however, rather than wielding a blood-stained machete, Jason hit the office with a donation of 10 Randoseru backpacks.

Jan 25, 2012 by yoshio
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A few weeks ago, the iPhone4S was released in China amid much fanfare mixed with a healthy dose of pandemonium as we covered in the story Thousands Flock to Buy China’s Release of the iPhone4S, Very Few Actually Use Them. One thing China shares with every other country is our very short-lived satisfaction with Apple’s half-step improvement as we all eagerly await the iPhone5. Chinese citzens closely watch microblogging sites like weibo.com for any hints about when and what the iPhone5 will be.

Jan 24, 2012 by yoshio
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On 19 January, potato chip maker, Koikeya, announced they will sell a new flavor in their Premium Series line of chips, this time using the flavor of one of the most expensive delicacies in the world, truffles.

Sold at convenience stores across Japan from January 30 to February 6, you too can get a taste of the good life for only around 150 yen (US$2) a bag.

Jan 24, 2012 by yoshio
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Fans of Tokusatsu (giant-rubber-suit-fighting-monster) shows are certainly familiar with Ultraman, and even non-fans have probably seen his image in passing somewhere in their daily lives. Originally created and developed by some crew members of the original Godzilla movie, Ultraman is now nearing his 50th anniversary of fame in Japan.

As with any major anniversary of a pop-culture icon, we can expect a flood of merchandise to help us reconnect with our inner-child. And of course there is no better way to honor a household name than with a household product, like say, a kitchen timer.

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You Can Take The Yoshinoya Out of Japan, And It Seems You Can Take The Japan Out of Yoshinoya Too

Jan 23, 2012 by yoshio
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The number one gyūdon (beef and rice in a bowl) restaurant, Yoshinoya, has been working its way into Thai markets. Already having infiltrated America and China amongst other countries, it appears there is no stopping Japan’s favorite beef and rice restaurant from world domination.

However, the further a restaurant strays from its homeland, the harder it is to keep the original atmosphere of that restaurant, as a team of reporters from our editorial department learned during a recent trip to Thailand. At first they were simply curious whether the taste was the same as Japan or not, but what they discovered was far more troubling. One member of the party, who was new to Thailand, exclaimed upon seeing the menu: “Huh? A cup of tea costs 30 baht (US$1)? What’s this about?! It’s free in Japan!”

Jan 21, 2012 by yoshio
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Although a popular drink around Asia, it can be difficult to turn the younger generation on to the simple pleasures of tea. In order to compete with the likes of colas and energy drinks, Bangkok tea makers have come up with Chakuza.

Chakuza combines the nutrition and refreshment of tea (“cha” in Japanese) with the rugged attitude and danger of organized crime (“yakuza” in Japanese). And according to a clerk at a Bangkok 7-11, it’s selling really well.

Jan 20, 2012 by yoshio
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First of all, you might be wondering, “What’s kendama?” Well, it’s a popular children’s toy that is kind of like a cup-and-ball game on steroids. However, rather than a single cup, this game has three of varying sizes, and they aren’t so much “cups” as they are shallow saucers that are meant to hold the ball. And if that’s not enough, there’s an extra spike that you’re expected to skewer the ball on exactly through a pre-made hole. The purpose of this game being not only to get the ball into a cup but to also juggle it between cups or spike without dropping it.

Jan 19, 2012 by yoshio
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Hawaii’s Oahu Island is home to an inactive volcano known as Diamond Head. At a height of 232m it is by no means a tall mountain, but it’s a huge draw for tourists and is the biggest sightseeing spot around Waikiki. The reason for its popularity is the spectacular view it offers.

Getting up extremely early so I could catch the sunrise, I caught a taxi to the entrance of Diamond Head’s trail. While two to three hours are recommended to enjoy the whole mountain experience, only about forty minutes are needed to get to the top. It seemed like an easy enough trek, even for someone like me who rarely climbs mountains.

Jan 18, 2012 by yoshio
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Recently, a lot of fuss was made over an advertisement spotted near the Amerikamura (American Village) area of Osaka. Although overlooked by most Japanese who walked by, the posters hit English speaking foreigners like a slap in the face. It read: “Fuckin’ Sale — All 20% Off”.

This poster and the ensuing controversy surrounding it raises more questions than it does answers for both Japanese and Western people.

Jan 17, 2012 by yoshio
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Kalakaua Avenue, the main strip of Waikiki, is littered with high class hotels and brand name shops and it is by far the best place to spend evenings after enjoying the sunset on the beach. It was on this street that I discovered a young man with a very unique talent.

Jan 16, 2012 by yoshio
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China loves Apple products as we have seen from stories about various counterfeit products and even stores that have arisen. And so, it comes as no surprise that the release of the iPhone4S in China on 13 January had attracted large numbers of people to the five real Apple Stores.

What’s strange about these gatherings, however, is that among the Apple fanboys you’d expect to line up are an astounding number of phone resellers, folks who plan to buy the new phone anticipating a sell-out so they can turn it for a profit.