Japanese packaging. LOVE!

Check out this Pinterest page on various Japanese packaging labels. Colorful, simple and most definitely eye catching.

http://pinterest.com/oingiboingi/japanese-package-design/

Origami and Japanese packaging

I love Japanese packaging. The colors, meticulous methods of packaging, and presentation are what catch my eye. When I was little I relished shopping at the department store with my Mom because of the cool bags and gifts they would include. They were so exacting when wrapping your items, and then sealing the top of your bag with store emblemed tape. It's like origami but for your shopping bag. I'm sure the current attention to the environment will shift packaging from paper to reusable bags or cloth, such as furoshiki. Furoshiki is the art of using cloth to wrap various items such as wine bottles or boxes. It literally means bathspread since people in the olden times would use it to carry items to the local bathhouse. Check out the imaginative ways to package!

(Adme.ru)

(funsterz.com)




(http://art-maddie.blogspot.com/2011/08/wrapping-techniques-furoshiki.html)

Here's another article about Japanese Happy Bags sold during New Year. For a fee ranging from $100 -$300 USD, you get a gift bag filled with clothing, electronics, and other treats. Most times, the total value of the contents exceed the price paid. 

Grandmother music video - Osaka Obachan (Osaka grandmother)

For a funny respite from your Monday, please enjoy this video I found on Visit Japan's Twitter page. As with any country, every region has its own character or personality. In Japan, people in the Kansai region (where Osaka is) are stereotyped as loud, opinionated, and flashy. Personally, I love all those qualities, even though my Mom is from Tokyo. Japanese moms are pretty hilarious and quirky. My mom would jump in to make sure my dinosaur dioramas got an A+ by sketching out the animals, then having me color them so that I did my part of the project (which really meant hers), or make me egg salad sandwiches that would send kids scurrying away from me because they had a few hours to ferment in my lunch bag since the morning. Or when I found condoms in the bathroom, and asked Mom what they were for. She got too scientific about the birds and the bees. So yes, Japanese moms are HILARIOUS!

(Osaka obachan music video from Youtube)

Tao Okamoto with Hugh Jackman in Wolverine

The preview for the upcoming Wolverine movie looks hot! Especially when you get a top Japanese fashion model to play in an action flick. The lovely Tao Okamoto gives an interview about her role as Mariko Yashida.

Check out Tao walking the catwalk from my last post on Japan Fashion Week 2012.

Natto - Healthy and stinky. Love or hate it

When I was little, my mom would take the siblings and I to various Japanese grocery stores- Yaohan (remember them?), Nijiya, Mitsuwa or a mom and pop place. Amongst the Japanese cookies, wakame salad, furikake, and occasional treat of anpan in the shopping cart, was the stinky, sticky, gooeyness of natto. For natto newbies, it is basically fermented soybeans that is added as a topping on white rice. I don't get why people enjoy the flavor or texture, but they do. As in most things in life, I say don't knock it until you try it, but my experience tells me not again, EVER!

Here are some creative ways people enjoy natto...

(Natto spaghetti - Trotch.com)

(Natto sushi - Umamiart.com)

(Typical style of eating natto - Wikipedia.org)

(Natto bath)

(Healthy natto with brown rice - Wired.com)

(Iron Chef Natto Battle - Video dubbed from Food Network)

Maybe eating natto isn't so bad after all. According to a Wired.com article, it may prevent Alzheimer's. So eat up I guess!?

New zombie series - Attack on Titans - MUST WATCH!

Wow! Talk about an epic anime series- Attack on Titans (Shingeki no Kyojin 進撃の巨人). I could not stop watching this 10 episode animation about giant zombies terrorizing little European hamlets. The main characters are like 3 Musketeers - Eren, Mikasa, and Armin - who survive trials and tribulations with the support of each other.

I liked the pace of the series, the plot, and often surprising twists and turns. Attack On Titans does a superb job of connecting the viewer to the plight of the helpless inhabitants of the fortified lands called Wall Maria, Wall Rose, and Wall Sina. As you see the giant zombies tear down each wall, and the villagers backed into a corner, the bravery of these people come through. At times, I thought "finally some defensive action! These people are totally chicken shit!" Armin can really annoy when he's constantly crying, but you'll see his character development. I would say there's a bit of graphic death scenes, but not in the style of Walking Dead. Anyway, just watch it already!

(From Wikipedia)

Where cats outnumber humans - Cat Island Tashirojima

Here's a cute story for you cat lovers (愛猫家), and especially to my friend Jenny! Tashirojima, or Cat Island, has only 100 permanent residents but almost 1,000 cats. The island is near Miyagi prefecture, where the tsunami hit in 2011. Luckily all people and most cats on Tashirojima survived. Cats are a beloved part of Japanese culture. You may have noticed this at Japanese restaurants and seeing a white bob cat statue with 1 arm raised greeting you. They represent good luck and fortune.

According to International Science Times, the island was popular with fisherman during the 1800s, and there is one tale that says a fisherman collecting rocks accidently killed a cat when a rock fell on it. So he buried it and created shrine. Since then there's been cat devoted architecture erected throughout the island. They are super kitsch, and I like!

Japan-guide.com states the only way to get to the island is by ferry, which departs 3 times a day from Ajishima Line terminal near Ishinomaki. The tickets can be purchased on the boat for about 1200 yen and takes 45-60 minutes.

(From Youtube)

(From amusingplanet.com)

(From Flickr: Hirano_sui)

Saving money to Japan

If you are making any travel plans to Japan, here are some ways to save money! There are several things working in favor of an affordable trip. According to a recent New York Times report, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's changes appear to be working, which inadvertently leads to a weaker yen. A weaker yen for Americans and others means more spending power when you visit.

In 2006, I remember the exchange rate being $1 US = 116 Japanese yen. As of today, it is $1 US = $98 Japanese yen. Also, my roommates found a $600 roundtrip deal to Tokyo in September, so it is possible to get a steal of a deal to Japan. My goal is to be there in 2014.

One website that I find super helpful when planning my foreign trips is Onetravel.com. I noticed that flight aggregate sites such as Kayak.com or Vayama tend to miss Asian or European carriers that could offer better rates.

For affordable places to stay, I chose Toyoko Inn, which has locations throughout Japan. This chain is awesome because they've got locations within walking distance to train stations, and the Shinjuku Kabukicho location offered free breakfast. Check to see if the one you select offers free breakfast.

Finally, researchers at Texas A&M University seemed to have debunked the belief that Tuesdays or Wednesdays are good days to book cheap airfare.

How do you find travel deals? How do you budget for trips besides eating ramen noodles or bringing a flask to a club then pouring it into your drink? Just wondering...

RIP Nujabes 瀬場潤 - Japanese DJ

I was recently turned onto Nujabes 瀬場潤, a Japanese DJ who died in 2010 from a car accident. Nujabes stands for the DJ's name spelled backwards - Seba Jun. It's sad that artists are usually noticed post death, but his music is perfect for relaxation and reflection. I was turned onto his stuff by a very special Someone, and I'm glad I was introduced to this DJ because his stuff is sentimental, worldly and telephonic. Basically....I love it!

My favorite tracks are Flowers, which features Dinah Washington, and has a retro 1940s sound to it and Luv4u, a Nujabes mix created by Thomas Prime. Luv4u has a Japanese male singer flowing in a poetry slam style tone.

Sample these songs from Soundcloud below..

Nujabes - Flowers ft. Dinah Washington
Nujabes - Luv4u a Tribute by Thomas Prime

You can play Nujubes' whole 2005 Modal Soul album below. It's perfect "I'm in bed on a weekend and don't wanna leave the comfort of the covers" music.

RIP Nujabes

For some upbeat sounds, I like listening to Shinichi Osawa. My favorite mix is his Star Guitar mix by Au Revoir Simone. His music videos are ethereal, fun and are like visual crack candy.

From Youtube, Paris 

From Youtube, Star Guitars ft. Au Revoir Simone

Download the unmixed Star Guitars by Shinchi Osawa

Happy listening!