Display Food

Looks are Deceiving

When it looks this good, I’m bound to grab a pair of chopsticks and slurp it up. Though be warned: IT’S A PIECE OF PLASTIC!

Display food is a great way to lure customers through the door. Not only do you learn what’s on the menu, you get the sense that it’s all amazingly fresh and perky. (I love perky!) That’s why so many of Japan’s restaurants spend thousands of dollars on elaborate store fronts, displaying rows and rows of food that’ll make you salivate before you’re seated.

And now you can get all your favorite food-fakes via Japan Trend Shop: kitsune udon, tempura, yakisoba, sushi, pork ramen and even a strawberry donut. But don’t think fake udon is cheaper than the real thing just because you can’t eat it. One bowl is $77, chopsticks not included. It’s the cost of craftsmanship. (Read up on the century-old industry here.) Apparently, there’s one company that only hires women to craft the food because, “Women cook everyday.” Hah!

Though once you actually get your delicious paper-weight in the mail, then what? I suppose it’d make a great dieting tool: just lick it whenever you get an urge to snack. Zero calories! \(^o^)/

Himawari

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Teen Idols + Bikinis = Good Business

I’ve been away from J-pop for a while so I just recently caught wind of a popular idol band called AKB48. (I’m of the Morning Musume era.) Yes, 48 cute girls on one stage. They sing, dance, and now they strut their bikini and yukata-clad stuff for department store Ito Yokado, the Target of Japan.

19 year old Tomomi Itano is the band’s golden girl, so she’s been the focus of all the Lolita-esque publicity:

Check out the store’s site and you’ll see all the adorable accessories for sale — wooden slippers (geta), handbags, hair decorations and soft-pink sashes. The thing about having a yukata is that matching accessories are an absolute must. Who’d wear a little black dress without a string of pearls?

Back when I was a kid, I’d be so embarrassed to wear clothes from second-tier stores like Target. But these days, as Target has introduced their own line-up from popular designers, it’s actually cool to shop cheap. Same goes for Ito Yokado. I’m sure tons of prepubescent girls are buying up everything off the rack. Heck, I’m sure men are, too. Yikes!

Himawari

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Thinking of doing business in Japan? We can make it easy for you!
japanizmo, a Los Angeles based company, provides practical solutions for U.S. ? Japan business projects. Our experienced Japanese staff will support all phases of your business project to seize business opportunities and turn your vision into a reality. >> Learn more

The Force is Strong in These Chopsticks!

This month, geeks and fanboys alike converged at San Diego’s Comicon convention. It’s only here where you’ll see Storm Troopers, Spawn and Naruto walking side-by-side without bystanders doing so much as a double-take. Inside the convention hall are endless rows of booths selling figurines, comic books, and other fun collectibles you can blow an entire paycheck on if you’re not careful.

Toy company Kotobukuya is one of my favorite booths. Why? Because they know how to really geek it out:

These “Chop Sabers” ($18.95 via Amazon) come in Yoda green, Luke Skywalker blue and Darth Vader red, and they’re beautifully crafted to look like the real thing!

So what do you do with these hi-tech utensils? Well, as Kotobukiya’s spokesperson says, “You can have a wonderful dinner fighting each other on your kitchen table.” Hahah! Though let’s not be mistaken, these sabers won’t help cut through your prime rib. That is, unless you can locate the secret operation manual that’ll turn them into a real light saber…

… I kid, I kid. =P

Himawari

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Thinking of doing business in Japan? We can make it easy for you!
japanizmo, a Los Angeles based company, provides practical solutions for U.S. ? Japan business projects. Our experienced Japanese staff will support all phases of your business project to seize business opportunities and turn your vision into a reality. >> Learn more