Archive for 'Food'
ChopStick Helpers for Lazy People
Posted on 19. Mar, 2009 by koichi.
I just came across this article (which we’ll talk about more below), which made me think… why are you so lazy!? Of course, I’m only talking to those of you who don’t know how to use chopsticks (or hashi, in Japanese). If you’re heading to Japan (or most Asian countries) you should probably get on that, or just use one of these horrible inventions down below. It’s like putting kids with minor learning disabilities into special classes to make things easier on them. Not so good in the long run. (more…)
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Obama Sushi
Posted on 18. Feb, 2009 by koichi.
The Japanese just can’t get enough of Obama. In this article (via Erin who found it via caitlinomara on Twitter), we get to see a ridiculous Obama Sushi platter. It doesn’t stop with his face, though, which is made from small shrimp and rice for the skin, black sesame seeds for the hair, and processed fish paste for the teeth (so that’s how he keeps his teeth so shiny white!). Let’s take a look at the final product, plus how all the little pieces were made. (more…)
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2Chanerized Characters Part 3: Food
Posted on 12. Nov, 2008 by koichi.
Previously, we’ve covered Ronald McDonald, Colonel Sanders, Hello Kitty, and Mickey Mouse, but today we’re going to delve into food items being parodied. Things like the image above, which are just a little too sexy creepy to eat. Really, it looks like it should be called SM&M. Why do you think he’s showing his pinky like that? That’s the Japanese hand-symbol for boyfriend!
There’s a longstanding obsession and devotion to food in Japan, so it’s only natural that food gets some attention. Here we go! (more…)
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The Japanese McDonalds Menu (I’m actually lovin’ it!)
Posted on 02. Nov, 2008 by koichi.
Surprisingly (to us Americans, maybe), McDonalds all over the world has different menus to cater themselves to the locals. Even in Hawaii, you’ll find things like ramen, Portuguese Sausage / Eggs / Rice Plates, and taro pies. Japanese McDonalds, of course has it’s own quirks, not to mention special choices on the menu. (more…)
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Japanese Face Shaped Watermelon (and other weird shapes)
Posted on 15. Aug, 2008 by koichi.
A year or two ago, Japanese square shaped watermelon were big in the news. Not only were they easier to ship, but they were more expensive too, and that catches anyone’s attention. Today, I read an article over at Megaijin, that talked about triangular shaped watermelon (even more expensive, but more difficult to ship, I imagine). This sparked my interest, so I decided to dive a little deeper. You’ll be amazed at the weird watermelon-related things I’ve come across! (more…)
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Plasticky Crêpes
Posted on 03. Aug, 2008 by Viet.
Let’s change up the pace a bit. Enough with the language lectures; let’s talk about crêpes!
What is so interesting about crêpes you might ask? Not a whole lot. I’m just salivating for a crêpe at this very moment, hence a small reason I’m writing this article. What does it have to do with Japan? (more…)
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Takeru Kobayashi Loses Hot Dog Eating Contest again. Shouldn’t go swimming for at least 30 minutes
Posted on 04. Jul, 2008 by koichi.
Maybe it’s time he commits seppuku, though, I don’t know if I’d want to see a stomach full of hot dogs get disemboweled.
It’s been a year since the last “Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest” at Coney Island, when reigning king (at the time) of eating food “really really fast” lost his title, and his world record, to San Jose’s Joey Chestnut. This makes me sad. I thought for sure he would come back with a victory, regaining his honor. (more…)
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World’s Smallest Bowl of Ramen
Posted on 30. May, 2008 by Erin.
Having taken (and nearly failed) more chemistry courses than I would like to remember, I’m usually not particularly enthusiastic about molecular engineering. However, a recent news story caught my eye this morning. Apparently, Masayuki Nakao, a professor at Todai, has just debuted the smallest bowl of ramen known to man.
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Tofugu’s Japan Week in Review 1: Fukuda, Elevators, & Mochi Death
Posted on 05. Jan, 2008 by koichi.
December 27, 2007 – January 4, 2008
Every week (i.e. whenever time allows), I’ll be doing a “Japan week in review.” These segments will cover smaller news articles from throughout the week that we don’t want to cover individually. Although these articles of news won’t necessarily be very important, they’ll surely be interesting instead. Included after the break is a video; before that, though, let’s go through the stories not covered in moving picture.
Army of Tiny Crustaceans is Destroying a Small Japanese Island: On a small island 1650 ft off the cost of Hiroshima, a whole bunch of tiny crustaceans are burrowing into the island, causing it to break apart into a billion little pieces. The island’s name is Hoboro, if you ever want to visit, though I’m not sure why you would, since it’s inhabited (except for our friends the “nanatsuba-kotsubumushi,” of course). Supposedly the increasing number of these shrimp/crab relatives was caused by increasing temperature of surrounding waters, which caused plankton blooms. These little guys love the stuff, so they reproduced like crazy. Since they make their homes by burrowing into rock, they are destroying the island one burrow at a time. Reports say that the island could disappear within the century if this keeps up. Wow! [source]
Japan Stops their Brutal “Research” of Whales: When Japan “researches” whales, they kill them in large numbers and feed them to their upper classes. “I say, Mr. Tanaka, I’m going to have to research some more of that ‘Whale Curry‘, it tastes smashing” (British Accent). Thankfully, due to international pressures, Japan has halted (for now) this nasty practice. We’ll see how long Japan can keep from eating that lovely whale cocaine. [source] (more…)
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We Wish You a Merii Kurisumasu
Posted on 25. Dec, 2007 by Erin.
Unsurprisingly, we’ve recently gotten quite a few emails asking about Christmas (クリスマス or kurisumasu) in Japan. Though this might be a bit late, I thought I’d endeavor to answer those questions today, unwrapping my presents with one hand and typing this up with the other.
A Brief History of Kurisumasu
Christmas in Japan is an interesting creature. The holiday was introduced back in the day (during the 16th century, if you want to be exact about it) when Christian missionaries first came to Japan. In the modern day, though, being a largely non-Christian country, observance of the day is pretty secular—no midnight mass or nativity scenes or anything like that. In fact, many Japanese kids (and possibly adults?) seem to be under the impression that the day is a celebration of Santa’s Birthday. Not a wholly unreasonable thought, I suppose. Anyway, initially adopted by the Japanese government to gain acceptance from powerful and snobby Western nations, Christmas gained more and more popularity as the country modernized, reaching its most commercial form around 1960.
Pseudo-Holiday
It’s important to note, though, that Christmas isn’t actually a national holiday in Japan and as often seen as an offshoot of the New Year’s festivities (which are official). Still, to the relief of department stores, bakeries, and Christmas tree sellers nationwide, most people have adopted the non-religious aspects of the holiday, buying and exchanging gifts, eating “special” foods and decorating their houses (though not quite so much as their American counterparts). (more…)
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