January Yatai Stuffs.

I previously mentioned that January in Japan is full of festivals, and usually festivals go hand-in-hand with Yatai. These are some of the highlights, roasted nuts of some sort - tasty but get stale very quickly - best enjoyed hot as you walk around the festival. Next are Daruma dolls (達磨), which are hollow and roundish dolls modeled after Bodhidharma; the founder of the Zen sect of Buddhism. The eyes of Daruma are often blank when sold, one eye is filled in upon setting a goal and then the other upon fulfilling it. In this way, the Daruma is a good luck charm as well as a reminder of a particular goal. Next, this tasty mollusk was simmered with dashi (soup stalk) in its shell on an open grill - enjoyed with warm Saki - yum! Finally is Kuri Manju which is a wonderful baked bun stuffed with chestnut paste.

Gundam In Action

As mentioned earlier, this is the Gundam in action.

Gundam Close-Up

Gundam is ready for its close-up.

Show Me Japan: Gundam

The Gundam statue that watched over Tokyo's Odaiba waterfront area last year has recently touched-down in the city of Shizuoka, 125 miles west of Tokyo. The 18-meter-tall statue faces the tracks near JR Higashi Shizuoka Station and can be seen from the train against the backdrop of Mount Fuji (sadly Fuji-San is blocked by buildings when you actually get up-close to the Gundam). This time Gundam is armed with a gigantic “beam saber” (in 1:1 scale). The statue was put on display to commemorate the 30th anniversary of TV broadcasts of the "Mobile Suit Gundam" and is a replica of the RX-78-2 from that series.

Shizuoka is home to many plastic model kit manufacturers including GUNPLA (Gundam Plastic Model) and is a pilgrimage site for enthusiasts. A small museum is located inside the fair site to showcase the history of the city's 50-year-old plastic model kit industry. The event runs through March 27, 2011, with the statue on display throughout the period. Entry is free, however travel to this out of the way (and frankly sleepy & industrial) town is quite expensive. You can opt for the Seishun Juhachi Kippu if you have the time (more then 3.5 hrs from metro Tokyo) and you are on the cheap.

Plenty of Gundam swag to be purchased and even a small Gundam cafe for "themed" eats. Twice daily a 30min display showcases the lights, smoke, and movement this statue is capable of, pictures to come in the following days. . .

Photograph is my entry for this weeks Show-me-Japan (Vol.1 Issue 5).

Pepsi NEX x Mobile Suit Gundam Be@rbrick

Back in August Pepsi NEX collaborated with Zozotown and Be@rbrick to provide omake (bonus) cellphone straps that make fools, such as myself, actually seek out and buy their junk product. Well they have done it again, this time featuring the classic anime Mobile Suit Gundam. These four wee fellows join my growing collection of Be@rbrick 70%, Gundam RX-78-2, Amuro Ray, Zaku II, and Char Aznable. This series offers 16 types and was released this week, so if you are in Japan and you happen to be an anime fan - then this inexpensive little diversion might just make your week.

ハロウィン

Happy Halloween Everyone!

Real pumpkins are quite expensive in Japan, around $35 USD for your average sized carving pumpkin, so this year I made due with some plastic and a little light painting. Still managed to make some pumpkin soup with カボチャ (kabocha), a Japanese pumpkin that was quite tasty, however, I still could not find a whole pumpkin as they are sold in quarters or halves. Hope everyone has a great Halloween!

Ultraman ウルトラマン

Ultraman is a character featured in tokusatsu (special effects) television programs in Japan. Ultraman's creator was Eiji Tsuburaya, a pioneer in special effects who was responsible for bringing Godzilla to life in 1954. The first Ultraman series, that aired in 1967, begins when Shin Hayata is struck by a red sphere of light. The sphere turns out to be the transport for a red-and-silver giant being called Ultraman. Feeling remorse for killing the human, the being merges with Hayata to revive him. In return, Hayata serves as the human form for this being, and when danger threatens, he activates the "beta capsule" and transforms to Ultraman to save the day. The storyline begins in the near future, as referenced from the mid-1960's, 1993 to be exact. If only the future could be so dramatically different, the way science fiction shows envision. Photograph is of an arcade ride.

Gamera ガメラ

Gamera is a giant, flying turtle from a popular series of kaiju (Japanese giant monster) films. Created in 1965 to rival the success of Toho Studios' Godzilla during the giant monster film boom of the mid-to-late 1960s. Though not as popular as Gozilla, Gamera has gained fame and notoriety in Japan (less so abroad). This 'baby' Gamera is only about 5feet and is currently chained safely outside a gift shop. Whether the chain is to protect him from us, or us from him is, however, unclear.

Pepsi NEX x ZOZOTOWN Be@rbrick

Back in May Pepsi NEX collaborated with Paramount and Be@rbrick to provide omake (bonus) cellphone straps for their rather unappetizing soda, and now Zozotown an online Japanese retailer has joined the party with 6 different designs of Be@rbrick 70%. The 6 collaborations are well know fashion brands in Japan: A Bathing Ape, Hysteric Glamour, Journal Standard, x-girl, SHIPS, and Tommy. I found a convenience store that was nice enough to just display open flats of the drink so folks could choose their toys without digging through the refrigerated displays. Now if I could only find a use for this soda, Coke makes a good marinade for chicken perhaps this would work? Or I could always use it to clean some coins. . .

Big Fan, Only In Japan

It's hot and muggy in the urban streets of Japan this time of year, but there is a small ray of hand-powered hope for the weary traveler. These are uchiwa (handheld fans) a free way to cool down, handed-out by many companies across Japan to heat-opressed pedestrians in exchange for some mobile advertising space – free uchiwa are typically emblazoned with the logo of the company that is giving them out. It’s also possible to pick up free commemorative uchiwa at certain events, you might notice a yamaboko float on the center fan that also has a advertisement on the reverse side.

KEiBuNSHA

Happiness, for me, is instilled by being in the presence of books. Adding art, music, community and charm, might just turn the happiness into pure rapturous delight; and Keibunsha is just that! Stocked with unique books, stationery, art, handcrafts, clothing, music, and interesting zakka (雑貨) enclosed in a charming and nostalgic nook of a building that is illuminated by all fashion of lamps seemly powered by magic as much as electricity. Zakka, for those not familiar with the term, is a fashion and design phenomenon that is embodied by the phrase: seeing the savvy in the ordinary and mundane; which is a phrase that suits the whole store. Meandering through the three rooms with their dark wooden shelves full of all manner of treasures, or visiting the art gallery space at the back of the store is almost like being in another world. Keibunsha is located in Sakyo-ku, a residential area of Kyōto slightly outside from the center of town.

Tokusatsu or The Return of Kamen Rider Cider

The Kamen Rider series of ciders taps the nostalgia of retro pop culture alongside the recent resurrection in popularity of Japanese cider that presents an 'old hometown' taste. Cider, in this context, refers to a clear Japanese carbonated soft drink created in the late 1800's with a tart citrus flavor. I spotted my first can back in March and recently on a late night coin-based-convenience binge decided to get another. Tokusatsu, literally special effects, is a Japanese term that applies to any live-action film or television drama that usually features superheroes and makes considerable use of people in rubber monster costumes. The most popular types of tokusatsu are kaiju monster movies like Godzilla, superhero TV serials like Kamen Rider and Metal Hero Series like Himitsu Sentai Goranger (Power Rangers). Tokusatsu remains a popular form of entertainment in Japan inspiring a rabid fan-base that, alongside anime, has spawned all manner of toys, collectibles, fans and cosplay. The cider itself is quite tasty and refreshing, but sadly it is non-alcoholic, it can be a bit heavy on the sugar - one can really satisfies the sweet-tooth.

ハンケチーフ Handkerchief

Folks handing-out free packets of paper pocket tissue is a common sight at train station exits and large crosswalks; within these packets is an advertisement for shops or businesses. Carrying pocket tissue or a handkerchief is proper etiquette in Japan and because most restrooms in Japan don't have paper towels, they are also quite necessary. Many also use a handkerchief in restaurants as a napkin, the ones provided are often very small and waxy, and as the summer months progress many trade the handkerchief for a skinny towel to keep themselves dry from the heavy humidity. Recently I received this Totoro handkerchief from the Studio Ghibli film となりのトトロ (Tonari no Totoro) as a gift, kawaii is it not?

"Make [him] an offer [he] can't refuse"

As previously mentioned, bottled drinks and candy sometimes come with an extra giveaway perched on top or hanging from the neck – character charms to put on cell phones, model cars and airplanes, PET bottle pouches and handkerchiefs are popular. These are called omake おまけ (extra or bonus) and are often more desired than the product being sold, as I can attest to with this Pepsi NEX (x) Paramount Japan be@rbrick 70% - love the toy hate the soda. Be@rbrick is a collectible toy designed and produced by the Japanese company MediCom Toy. These fellows come in 12 variations with some rather interesting movie choices including: Saturday Night Fever, The Hunt of Red October, Beverly Hills Cop, Top Gun and Flashdance. I jumped at the chance to get a be@rbrick for a measly 89円 and though I would rather drink the Pepsi then wakeup next to a severed horses head - it truly is a nasty beverage.

♪♫ These Are a Few of My Favorite♪. . .

It's the bubbles of nothing that make it really something. This is one of my favorite chocolate junk food indulgences from across the pond (Great Britain) however this is its Japanese cousin complete with a flavor twist. The Aero bar is Nestlé Japan's lesser loved child compared to the oft-manipulated Kit Kat but take notice that the Aero bar also has many limited edition Japanese only flavors. This fellow is light and fluffy green tea chocolate bubbles surrounded by milk chocolate. Next, everyone loves free stuff yes? How about as an incentive to purchase one brand of bottled water over another? Because that is what retail companies really bank on in the Japanese market overflowing with consumer choice. I have already talked about the Japanese love of limited edition merchandise, add to that a powerful drive to own brand name merchandise and the powerful force of retail incentive collaboration is born. These are Vittel (x) Converse "chuck taylor" Pepsi (x) Le Creuset Stoneware freebie cellphone charms that are literally dangled from the 500ml bottles. So cute how could you resist?

e-Mook

The magazine section of your local bookstore might have quite a few magazines, if it is a megastore perhaps even lots of them, however, the average bookstore in Japan has them beat. Every - very specific - subject of any kind has a magazine, and probably has three different ones. Many magazines attach freebies, but the king of these is the mook. Mook or e-mook is a word for magazine + book and are identified by their thick paper stock, catalogue like content layout and some included item usually wrapped inside. Some e-mook's are specific to particular brands, most of them release a new edition every season and many are highly collectable. Pictured is the MonoMax e-mook which includes a sharp little Fred Perry branded leather pouch.

Godzilla ゴジラ

Godzilla is a monster awakened by nuclear explosions, penned by its creators with the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki fresh in the Japanese conscious, and can be understood as a metaphor for nuclear weapons in general. As the film series expanded, the stories took on less serious undertones portraying Godzilla in the role of a hero, while more recent movies (The Millennium series) returned to depicting the character as a destructive monster. Godzilla is one of the most recognizable symbols of Japanese popular culture worldwide and it even has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. This Godzilla, standing only a few feet tall, terrorizes the feet of pedestrians passing a Motomachi camera store.

Fireball ファイアボール

Disney Studios has a markably different presence in Japan then in its native home. Firstly, the merchandise offering it targeted to the Japanese audience - meaning that bento boxes, chop sticks, gashapon, stationary, and every conceivable item at the dollar store has the visage of a Disney licensed character. However, the characters are not who you might think, Mickey is absent - instead replaced by Stitch who is very popular and Drossel von Flügell (who von wha' you say?) Well, Disney stepped out of the US and partnered with Toei Animation (one of Japan's anime powerhouses) to make their first Japanese anime. Titled "Fireball," the show is targeted at Japanese tastes and humor and currently has run 13 episodes on Japanese TV. It is animated entirely in 3D with no cel-shading of any sort, as would be typical for the medium. Pictured is the Figma figure for Duchess Drossel von Flügell.

Sponge Cake - Just a Dollar

Apparently someone who designs the many plastic wonders found at the Daiso 100 Yen shops (hyaku-en shoppu aka. dollar store) took the term 'sponge cake' way too literally. Internationally 100 Yen shops have steadily gained in popularity over the last several years but they are hardly comparable to the spectacle of the 100 Yen shops that are literally everywhere in Japan.

Capsule Toy Dispensary

Inside a shopping complex in Sannomiya I happened upon a small but densely packed section of hobby stores. These stores catered to all types of collectors: musical instruments, vinyl records, anime, manga, toys, video games (classic and contemporary) and some stores devoted exclusively to specific themes like Godzilla, trains, Gundam, and My Little Pony. The narrow halls were also lined with gashapon. Gashapon toys are often based on popular character licenses from video games, comics, anime, Japanese icons, movies, Disney and it is not uncommon to see vulgar and explicit sets themed for adults. Virtually all gashapon are released in collectible sets and are, by nature, a 'blind purchase' which lends to the slot machine feel of each purchase; the addiction costs between 100円 and 500円 per twist.