How does a visually impaired person pick out a can of beer from other canned non-beer beverages? By feeling the braille on the top of the can—if you're in Japan, at least. Beer manufacturers in Japan have started stamping braille on the top of cans that spells out "alcohol" or, if made by Kirin Brewery, "Kirin Beer." Whether this will increase the number of drunk blind people on the streets is not yet known. Photograph from preetamrai on Flickr... More

Pretz is a popular Japanese snack in the form of a pretzel-like stick that mostly comes in savory flavors. Like many Japanese snack commercials, the advertising for Pretz is...unique. Sumo wrestlers, geishas, and dancing scientists are just some of the characters used to illustrate the awesomeness of this snack. Watch five examples after the jump.... More

I love this commercial for Pupurun, a candy from Japan-based Meiji, because instead of highlighting the joy the eater gets from the candy, it shows the candy being ecstatically happy to be eaten. Look how freakin' jubilant this candy is to be dissolved by your saliva! It's practically having an orgasm. Watch the cuteness after the jump.... More

These subterranean farms look like a conceptual factor from a sci-fi movie (remember that oxygen garden from Danny Boyle's 2007 thriller Sunshine?), but they're actually being cultivated right now in a former bank vault in Tokyo. Pasona O2 covers about a square kilometer, growing vegetables and fruits like tomatoes, lettuce, and strawberries, as well as flowers and herbs—even a rice paddy! Snazzy state-of-the-art technology controls temperature and artificial sunlight levels. Is Japan one step ahead in planning for a sustainable agricultural model for the future? Actually, Pasona O2 is more or less a showcase and serves primarily as a training facility for jobless youth interested in the agriculture field. Still, the merging of advanced technological resources and the food... More

In a further attempt at globalizing its brand, the Michelin Guide has, as we reported last March, now been introduced in Japan. New York Times reports today that,-->As was the case when Michelin introduced its American guides in New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, the ride has not been all that smooth. Lots of interesting stuff in this New York Times story: Many Japanese food critics, pundits, and serious eaters feel that the Michelin folks do not have the expertise and experience to properly judge Japanese food, although, like Michelin's American forays, it has enlisted the help of locals. I have always been skeptical about Michelin's American efforts.... More

Now you don't have to feel guilty about your late-night snacking. In fact, there are products made specifically for your midnight munchies—if you happen to live in Japan. Morinaga/Eskimo is launching its new brand of premium ice cream for late night called Mayonaka no Zeitaku ("Midnight Indulgence"). With each cup clocking in around 140 calories, it's specifically targeted to the health-conscious woman who doesn't want to compromise her sweet cravings. (Morinaga/Eskimo's research shows that 43 percent of women between ages 20 and 40 eat ice cream around 11 p.m.) And if you want to get really elaborate, there's even a cute little "Midnight Story" illustrating that, yes, ice cream is exactly what you crave in the middle of the night... More

Maki at Just Bento shows how you can have fun with Japanese egg molds, my favorite mold being this overly adorable bunny head. Cooking and peeling perfect hardboiled eggs takes some effort, but if you want cute, blemish-free food, you have to put in some elbow grease.... More

Tokyo-based design magazine PingMag has a feature on the history and making of the Japanese snack cake ningyo-yaki, which translates to "fried dolls." These small cakes made by pouring batter into intricate molds—varying from Hello Kitty to a traditional lantern—are typically filled with red bean paste, but may also be filled with chocolate or custard. Grab a box on your next trip to Japan!... More

Thank you notes get a "sweet" upgrade with Tokyo Super Sweets' Arigachoco. Based on a fusion of the Japanese word for "thank you" (arigato) and "chocolate," these chocolates (green tea-flavored, enrobed in a white chocolate coating) come with a QR code on the box. Scan the code with your cell phone and you'll receive a message of thanks that the sender picked for you (all ending cutely with "Arigachoco!"). Saves you from buying all that unnecessary stationery, eh? [via Trends in Japan]... More

You've got your milk chocolate, dark, white, and ... garlic? Takko Shoji of Aomori, Japan, has been developing "black garlic chocolate" there. Fermented black garlic is coated with chocolate and sprinkled with cocoa powder. It's got a "sweet-and-sour taste resembling prunes, with the bittersweet taste of chocolate." Perfect for your adventurous valentine (although I'm not sure how much kissing will be done afterwards). [via Japundit]... More