Entries tagged with 'Japan'
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Sake is experiencing a serious decline in Japan these days. Thanks to a dietary shift from fish and rice towards meat and dairy, as well as a decision made in the 1980s by the country's tax agency to stop issuing new brewing licenses, the Japanese consume a third as much sake today as they did thirty years ago. Now they tend to opt for imported wine or a fiery local spirit called shochu. Nonetheless, sake is undergoing a renaissance elsewhere, most notably the U.S. About a third of all sake exports go to the States, and even the finicky French are hopping on the rice wine craze. Sake brewers are hoping that Japanese consumers will soon take a cue from...
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Since eel is supposed to give you an energy boost, the Japanese encourage eating lots of it during the summer to combat natsubate, or heat lethargy. In fact, there's even a specific day called Doyo Ushi no Hi during late-July, when temperatures are at their hottest, dedicated to eating unagi, or grilled eels. So leave it to the country who bats nary an eyelash at strange flavor combinations to come up with eel soda. Called Unagi Nobori (which translates to "Surging Eel"), the beverage contains eel extract and vitamins commonly found in eel. Yellow in color, the carbonated drink apparently has a similar taste to unagi. It's like an energy drink and liquid meal hybrid!...
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Photo from sanchome on Flickr. The only thing better than a regular robot is one that doubles as a Coca-Cola vending machine with scorpion-like pincher hands. The logistics are unclear—does it really vend cola cans? Is there a person tall and strong enough to wear this bulky suit? File this under times I wish I was a Japanese school girl outside Shibuya Station in Tokyo to see this weirdness walk by....
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Something about Darren Elliott's photo of a bowl of tonkotsu Taiwan ramen is making me unable to think of much else besides scarfing down a huge bowl of noodles. I only just looked up what tonkotsu ramen was after looking at this photo, which Wikipedia explains uses a "thick broth made by boiling pork bones, fat, and collagen over high heat for hours on end, suffusing the broth with a hearty pork flavor and a creamy consistency that rivals milk or melted butter or gravy." Melted butter. I'd drink it. Related Takashi Murakami-Inspired Instant Ramen Noodle Packaging Photo of the Day: Ice Cream Ramen The Best Bowl of Noodles in the World...
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The eight world leaders meeting for the G8 Summit in Hokkaido, Japan, scarfed a six-course lunch and then an eight-course dinner before discussing the world food shortage situation. [via Eat to Blog]...
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When you sit at the sushi bar chances are you'll end up chatting with your sushi chef. This interaction is one benefit of sitting close to the action—you can easily express your preferences, find out what's fresh, and develop a nice rapport. If you're not one for small talk, though, you may like the new standing sushi bar Ushio, located at Shinagawa Station in Tokyo, where you can order sushi without uttering a single syllable. How it works: Rows of tokens—each labeled with a kind of fish or beverage and marked with its price—are neatly stacked on the counter. Want some freshwater eel and tuna? Grab the anago and maguro coins and toss 'em in your personal tray. The...
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I share Marvo of The Impulsive Buy's sentiment: "I’m allergic to cocktail umbrellas and drinks that make me look like a drunk sorority girl ready to flash her boobs when a video camera and Joe Francis come by." Hence I, like Marvo, have never experienced a Blue Hawaii cocktail, consisting of rum, pineapple juice, blue Curacao, sweet and sour mix, sometimes vodka, and always a festive paper umbrella. Maybe I'd enjoy the Blue Hawaii better in soft drink form. This summer, Pepsi unleashed the limited-edition Pepsi Blue Hawaii. Sorry, unlucky Americans—it's only available in Japan. Marvo got his hands on a bottle and reviewed the drink, describing its color as "Smurf-like," and the pineapple and lemon flavor combo as "really...
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Different kinds of Japanese vending machines from PingMag. Americans are seriously missing out on the ability to purchase hot french fries or socks without having to talk to an actual human being. So until our country gets with the program, we'll just have to sigh into our sake and wish we lived in Japan. Meanwhile Tokyo-based design magazine PingMag, after doing some investigative reporting at a manufacturers' convention in Tokyo, provides updates on the latest in amazing Japanese vending machines. From a self-serve tourist information center to cigarette dispensers with age recognition software, the only thing these innovative machines have left in common is automated awesomeness. Related Mobile Street Food in Tokyo, Japan Ningyo-Yaki: Molded Japanese Cakes Spherical Is...
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Photograph from Kellyhyde on Flickr What I'm guessing is that, as a commenter says on the page that this photo appears on, is that this is simply a version of the Japanese sports drink Pocari Sweat that's marketed for people to give to their pets. Yes, Pocari Sweat itself is a zany name, but as you know, you can never account for translation....
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Clockwise from top left: wine, coffee, ramen, and green tea spas at spa theme park Hakone Kowakien Yunessun in Japan. If you've ever fantasized of loafing in a pool of wine, visit Hakone, Japan and your dream can become reality. Food-themed spas are just one of the trends listed in Adage.com's feature on Japan's latest could-be trends, from ramen-noodle baths to self-cleaning toilets (Madonna is a fan). Hakone Kowakien Yunessun, a spa theme park in Hakone with a menu of "amusement baths," is your spot for that wine bath. Not feeling wine? Perhaps you would prefer a soak in green-tea, coffee, or sake. I'd go for a ramen-noodle bath, myself, which is shaped and outfitted like a ramen bowl....
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