Since the transplanting has now reached it's seventh month, I have begun to truly miss some things. These things, would have gone unnoticed, and un-missed, for the most part. A decent slice of pizza and a normal jar of peanut butter, bottoming out this list. Being from the south, however, I had began missing something that I was sure I would be unable to find in the land of the corn, mayo, egg, potato pizza. It was a weekend tradition among my friends that persisted for many a year. I speak, of course, of the flea market. Most of my friends were devout thrifters and loved the flea market for its endless mountains of cheap vintage clothing. Not to mention the hours afforded observing the colorful cross section of drowning victims in the human gen... Read More

Let me tell you about my neighborhood here on the outskirts of Tokyo.

It may surprise you to know that there are still a number of small (under an acre) farms where locals grow fruit and vegetables. They often have a table set up where you can buy a few of the pickings before they go to market.

There is a tofu shop, where beans are pressure cooked and made into fresh tofu and aburage daily. Three generations can be seen working there. Even on Sunday I often see the shop master cleaning, adjusting his equipment, or just hanging out. Clearly it’s a labor of love.

There is also a delicious bakery run by a young couple. They are friendly, and promote organic and other healthy products. On holidays they always bake up seasonal goodies: German ‘st... Read More

Today we went to a K-mart type place that I don’t remember the name of. Then after we went to the beer distributor to buy some girly drinks for Marina and a case of beer for the family. It’s strange to walk into a beer distributor knowing that you can legally buy alcohol where you are. For some reason it didn’t feel as weird when I was in Europe buying alcohol for my friends at convenience stores, but it’s probably because we were drunk the whole time.

Anyway, after the liquor store we jumped in the car and took Marina to a legal building (more or less the Saitama township building) to get her living situation registered. You have to have yourself registered as far as where you live and stuff in order to go to an accredited college here in Japan. So, she had to get her... Read More

7/8/06
The day after our arrival and the first day we could really get out and see things in Japan was my birthday, July eighth. In the morning I woke up, walked downstairs and there was a sign that said "happy birthday" on it on the way down the stairs. That was so nice! I got a few gifts from the family (John Lennon words book in Japanese, a Japanese Olympic Basketball Team warmup, and some candy) and we had some cake too.

So then after the cake, which is pictured somewhere on my picture site, we ran out to get Marina a cell phone. The phones in Japan are all cheaper and more useful than the ones in America. They email, text, and take pictures, but the pictures are like.. better quality than my digital camera and i don't know - the phones are wa... Read More

Living in Japan you come across strange versions of your favorite western food and a huge range of western products that have gone through localization for the Japanese market. I get a laugh every time I go to the supermarket and see some bizarre product with a corny catch phrase on the packaging.

Today I was totally bamboozled at the latest product launch on the Japanese market from a western company. Pepsi has launch a new variation of Pepsi. Thing is, it is cucumber flavored and if I was an investor I would be asking questions at the next Pepsi board meeting. I would think green tea flavor would sell better than cucumber in Japan as even though Cucumber is nice in Japanese salad, I can’t see a growing demand for this product.

On the other hand the Mega ... Read More

Despite the rigorous pace of life in which people are constantly rushing around to save precious minutes, the same people are willing to stand in a queue for doughnuts.

I've been in Japan for just over two years and like a lot of my expatriates find myself wondering why people here do the things they do. A lot of it makes sense but too much of it doesn't. It makes sense to use the trains to go to work. Why? The public transportation system in this country is incredible. The trains and buses are always on time and it's possible to reach just about any place, no matter how far flung, by using some type of public transport.

What doesn't make sense is queueing for things which you can do without, especially in a country where minutes, not hours or da... Read More

One morning, while we were having our breakfast and watching TV, I happened to watch a TV program that features new technology, new gadgets and new equipments invented by Japanese. I was amazed at those new technologies where in my country, which is not yet developed, were not yet introduced.　When I first arrived in Japan, I was surprised of some machines that are used in everyday life of Japanese. It seems like everything is powered by electricity.

I realized that every month there are always new technologies introduced to make work easier, faster and more effective. As a result, Japan's consumers are tempted to buy that product because it will reduce the load of their routine work.

Japan's time seems so fast, people seem so busy and deadlines see... Read More

Maybe you have seen lots of stores selling dried seafood in Ueno market near the Ueno Zoo. I forgot the exact name but the location is really accessible for people shopping for cheaper, discounted goods. I noticed these stores selling frozen big crabs, dried fishes and other sea foods, dried fruits too. The stores are located in one place besides each other and sell more or less similar goods. The competition is so tight that they need someone to advertise by shouting to catch potential customers’ and by-passers' attention.

I was shocked to see Japanese businessmen advertising their products in big voices and convincing people to buy their product like calling for fireman. It was crowded and noisy around the place and people are mixed-up. They do this to... Read More

In the country where I originally came from we have some car garage sales where old stuffs (usually antique collections, old artifacts) are sold. I was shocked that they also have it here in Japan and they call it a Flea Market. Basically, a flea market is a way of selling your useful and presentable old and new stuff at your house that you don’t use anymore. Japanese people sell them in flea markets where other people may find it useful.

Your trash maybe precious to others: this is the basic logic of Flea Market. They call it flea because you can place your goods in a stand or in mat direct to the ground anywhere in the vicinity of an allowed flea market place. There are many flea market stands in Tokyo, Chiba, Yokohama and Osaka. One of my favorite is in Yokohama wh... Read More

Everyone likes a bargain and saving money so this is where 100 Yen stores can help you out setting up your new home in Japan. There are many 100-yen chain stores in Japan and one of my favorites is named DAISO that has stores all over Japan. 100-yen stores offer a whole range of goods with most items costing 100-yen hence the name although you will pay an extra 5% tax on top. Stores offer everything from snack foods, cooking utensils, crockery, underwear, ties, sauces, tupperware, drinks, condiments and a million other daily use household items.

Setting up your home from scratch can be very easy and quite inexpensive if you shop at a 100-yen store compared to a regular supermarket and many supermarkets even have a 100-yen section offering the same goods sold in the supermark... Read More

I have been waiting for this day for weeks, my Father in-law named Ken decides to take a day off work which does not come lightly even though he is self employed. He is the president of a one hundred and fourteen year old "Makie" business which is Japanese Lacquerware painted with Gold, Silver and Mother of Pearl shell. So he knows his old school Japanese art, what is a bargain and a load of antique shop, recycle store and market owners.

Me being a fanatic collector of all things old like katana, yoroi, ukiyoe and old school Japanese art things, he had promised to take me on a tour on the next day he took off. The plan was to take me to all the secret antique and recycle shops as well as a Sunday market that was on only held once a month... Read More

For those of you who’ve actually managed the marathon at some stage of living here, you will be well aware of the length and depth of variety in retail spaces that, it seems in places, link endlessly around major city centres. In my experience, they have things here for problems that I didn’t even know I had ? tetra pack handle in a variety of colours anyone? They have whole shops for people who hate shopping or just look (Tokyu Hands, Loft) and even cheapskates (100\shop). Think of something you might want, whimsical, nonsensical even. Ok, I’m channelling you with my new G15, Pentium 48, PDA with telekinesis in two tone burgundy ? what, you don’t have one of those yet? So I’m channelling you and you want…..a pair of sneakers in purple sha... Read More

Sometimes it's hard for me to reconcile the fact that in Japan, the busiest place on Earth, you find some of the most innovative conveniences. Take the vending machines for instance. Normally something as simple as a vending machine would not elicit much curiosity, but not here. Whether the dead of a freezing, snowy winter or the middle of a humid Japanese summer, these machines are a godsend. They are literally everywhere. No matter where you go in any Japanese city, you will see a vending machine somewhere near you, guaranteed. They are in train stations, parks, office buildings, residential neighborhoods, temples. I've even seen one outside of a funeral home. While both cold and hot drinks are served year round, it's really in the winter that these machines p... Read More

When I washed up earlier this year on the shores of Japan, I had the distinct and eerie feeling I had wound up in a Jonathon Swift story. This feeling started growing at the airport, multiplied exponentially on the rapid carrying me into the city and manifested on the local train that took me to my digs. As I looked down the packed carriage I could see nothing but the top of heads. As I stepped off at my station I panicked. I had only brought one worn out pair of shoes.

The ensuing days justified my panic. False modesty aside, I am gifted height-wise. I look down at people most would call tall. But this gift turned to a curse in Japan. At the local department stores I couldn’t buy any clothes that fit. Shoes were objects to be looked at. I disfigur... Read More