Quick! What Does ‘Defenstrate’ Mean??

Have you ever been obsessed with finding the definition of a word? That’s my obsession of late. Most normal people wait until they get a hold of a Webster’s dictionary or just Google the meaning, but I’m far less patient. Because whether I’m hiking in the forest or taking a bath, I yearn for an extended source of knowledge right at my fingertips…

…and there you have it: the Casio XD-GP9700, a brainy little device for locating that word sitting on the tip of your tongue whether it be in English or Japanese.

It’s the latest of a long line of electronic dictionaries, gaining in popularity as they get smaller, lighter and smarter. My current Casio dictionary is about ten years old and as I search for more difficult words I realize it’s definitely time for an upgrade. With over a dozen dictionaries installed, this new Casio contains ten times the information.

Equipped with a stylus pen, you can search a word by drawing either the kanji (Chinese character) or the Roman alphabet (the ABCs). It can also pronounce words aloud and has a memory card slot to upload more learning software.

Whenever I run into Japanese exchange students I always spot their electronic dictionaries in hand. These days, most people consult their iPhones for random information, but when you’re a serious student you’ll realize even the internet has its limits. That’s why electronic dictionaries remain popular even against the World Wide Web. It’s a no-frills book of knowledge. It doesn’t even come with a color screen. It’s simply about getting the information and accessing it quickly.

Next time I’m in Japan, I’m planning to buy the newest Casio. Retail price hovers around $500, but the knowledge is priceless.

Himawari

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Nothing But Love for Loveless Japan

Does your ideal outfit consist of jeans, T-shirts and slip-on sneakers? Look no further than Loveless, a hip boutique in Tokyo that’s constantly updating its collection by collaborating with bands and cartoonists from across the globe. High Snobiety reports that the UK band Passarella Death Squad has joined forces with Loveless for an exclusive new set of trippy T-shirts that mix comic art and photography.

Last year, Loveless paid tribute to Charlie Brown and pals during its Snoopy exhibition. You could get shoes, button-down shirts and T’s from five different designers, all presenting their own take on both new and iconic images of Woodstock, Peppermint Patty, Snoopy, Lucy and ol’ Chuck himself.

The three-story emporium is divided into sections: “Sunny Side” on the top floor, showcasing bright, light-colored clothing, luggage and accessories, and “Darkside” in the basement. “Darkside”‘s cave-like gothic interior, lit by a single chandelier and showcasing bookshelves and even a bar, reminds me a bit of the Jesus Café.

Even if you don’t plan to go on a shopping spree, a trip to Loveless sounds like a cool tourist destination in and of itself (did I mention that drinks at the bar are free for customers?)

Sarah S.

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A New Cigarette Faux You

Japan is a nation of smokers. At restaurants, cafes, train stations, bathroom stalls — you’ll always find yourself surrounded by a handful of nicotine-addicts puckering up for a deep, long drag. Being the sole non-smoker in Tokyo, I got used to spraying Febreeze on my clothes after an evening with friends. The stench of tobacco was just a fact of life.

So it didn’t surprise me to find that a Japanese company came up with a cost-effective means of smoking — the super cigarette: an electric device that looks and tastes like the real thing and can save chain-smokers up to $800 a year. Special features include: a chargeable battery; an LED bulb at the end of the device that turns red when you suck in; and a smoke-producing cartridge that comes in different flavors like menthol, strawberry and cherry (Think hookah).

The amazing thing is that as much as this product seems like the real thing it doesn’t emit tar nor other carcinogens found in a pack of Marlboros. So along with saving money, it’s supposedly a good way to wean yourself off the habit. All this can be yours for only $120!

Of course if you know a smoker or two, you’ll realize that kicking the addiction is hard. Really, really hard. And especially in a country where many start smoking as young as 12, you’re gonna have a lot of die-hards yearning for the real thing. But who knows… maybe there’s a trick to this new-fangled pipe. Never know ’til you try, right?

Himawari

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We Must, We Must, We Must Increase Our Bust

Those of you familiar with Judy Blume’s young adult novels will recognize the above title from her classic book “Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret.” In it, a group of sixth grade girls form a secret club and angst about boys and bust sizes, hoping to chant and exercise their way to fuller figures.

If only they’d heard of Japan’s F-cup Cookie! More than just a tasty treat, it’ll have you buying new bras to support your suddenly enormous assets. (Supposedly.) Don’t care for cookies?There’s an entire line of Bust Up products to choose from, including cakes, puddings, gum, teas, soaps, gels and even boring old pills.All of them contain an herb from Thailand called Pueraria Mirifica. According to the company’s info page, taking 10 pills per day (which is more than the recommended dosage) will help you fill out that sweater while also shedding pounds.

F-cup and Bust Up apparently shouldn’t be ingested by women under the age of 21. Too bad, Margaret; you’ve got a long wait ahead of you.

Sarah S.

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Get Lunch Smart!

First there was the Smart Car. Now there’s the Smart Bento produced by CUBEEGG, the most compact lunchbox known to man (2,290 yen). Measuring at 7 inches long and 2 inches wide, it’s a sleek mode of food transportation that you can plop in your purse or keep warm under your armpits. (^o<)v

‘Smart’ is the way to go these days. With the ‘smart car’ it’s about fuel efficiency and park-ability. With the bento it’s about saving cash and making use of last night’s leftovers. Too many of us grew up with more food on the table than we knew what to do (thus, the invention of food fights). But with the economy gone kaput, the ‘smart’ ones can weather this storm just by packing their own lunch a few times a week. Believe me, it adds up. On average I blow $10 just on a sandwich. Meanwhile, Wednesday night’s chow mein is sitting there collecting mold specks in my fridge.

The Smart Bento is also neat because it doesn’t take an extra bag to carry it. And the top lid contains a pair of chopstick so you never have to go fishing for plastic forks among your drawer of soy sauce packs. You also get an elastic belt for keeping each anti-microbial compartment tightly shut and you can choose from red, green, yellow, white, pink or black — nearly all the colors of the rainbow!

Lucky for us, now we can buy it from overseas. Check it out!

Himawari

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Japanese Computer Accessories: Cute or Bizarre?

Like many things in Japanese pop culture, what I’m about to show you could be filed under “Adorable but Useless” or “Useful but Odd,” depending how you feel.

First up is a humidifier that’s shaped like a can of green tea. It’s powered by a USB connector and fits right in with the clutter of junk next to your computer. It secretly keeps you hydrated, but what if one of your co-workers decides to recycle the can one night, after seeing it on your desk for months on end?

Next up is a USB memory stick attached to a tiny, sweet-looking white cat. It’s handmade with chirimen silk crepe, the same material used to create Japanese kimonos. (In fact, this fabric is so special it warrants its own museum.)

Good things come in threes, so here’s one more: a USB stick with a Post-it pad attached! You get 100 stickies and 2GBs of memory, and it retails for $30, which is cheap compared to the two other trinkets: the humidifier goes for $60, and the cat stick will set you back $82.

Sarah S.

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Thinking of doing business in Japan? We can make it easy for you!
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Hot Prices for Cold Times

Clothing retailer　Uniqlo has a good thing going right now. During these frigid economic times, they’ve managed to create a sizzling product line called ‘Heat Tech.’ From cute camisoles to bright, puffy jackets, these clothes were created from rayon and ‘milk protein‘ to absorb body moisture and transform it into heat. It’s a brilliant idea during these cold winter nights. And not only are these clothes stylish, they’re affordable, too. Basic tops run from $10-$15; the typical price range for the ‘H&M of Japan.’

Just a few years ago, Uniqlo broke from its domestic confines to establish branches in Europe and New York. And not to be outdone by competitors, they always seem to come up with a fresh take on marketing. Last November, they held an eccentric promotion they did for ‘Heat Tech’ in Times Square. They called it The Human Vending Machine, dispensing free apparel to the first thousand passersby. The campaign was a great success. The sight of human robots picking up clothes packed in tiny white boxes was just too odd for the media world to ignore.

Watching all the coverage online makes me want to fly out to the East Coast just to buy a few things. Though I know if I were to wear it here in sunny California I’d probably faint from heat stroke.

I’m hoping one of these days Uniqlo will come out to the West Coast. Then they can plan their next product line: “Cool Tech,” taking sweat and turning it into icicles! \(^o^)/

Himawari

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When is a Business Card Not Just a Business Card?

There’s a scene in American Psycho in which Patrick Bateman (Christian Bale, who may be his own brand of psycho) and his colleagues compare business cards and go into private mental fits over whose is the very best. Paper stock, paper thickness, color, font, and print indentation are all grounds for extreme personal anguish.

In Japan, giving and receiving business cards — meishi— is kind of a ritual. The information on the card is important of course, because a quick glance at someone’s title tells you if the person is a big fish in a small pond or at the bottom rung of a well-known company. (The latter is preferred, frankly.)

But the process of exchanging cards is also important. In the States we basically toss them at each other with abandon, shove them in our pockets or cram them in our wallets or purses, never to look at them again. This behavior is considered rude in Japan.

If you have the chance to exchange cards there, it’s good to slow down and be respectful. Hold your card upside down with both hands when you offer it, so that it’s readable by the person you’re giving it to. Really study the card you’ve been handed, and look at both sides of it. Don’t place it down on a table, fold it, write on it or stack it inside a bunch of other business cards. Get yourself a nice business card holder (meishi-ire) and place it carefully inside.

There are some really lovely, reasonably priced card containers at Jun-Gifts. The insides are lined with red velvet and they can be customized with your company’s name and logo as a keepsake, too.

I also love the colorful flower-print ones at Shizen Creations.

Happy hunting!

Sarah S.

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Bag It Up!

Eco-bags are big in Japan right now, but before supermarkets were even invented, Japanese women were slinging their knick-knacks in a huge handkerchief called a furoshiki. They’re intricately weaved from natural material like cotton or silk and come in sizes big and small. Every time I’m in Japan, friends hand them to me as gifts because they’re classy-chic and haul a load of junk with only a faint trace of a carbon footprint.

Back in the day, ladies used the furoshiki to carry their unmentionables down to the public bathhouse (Furo means ‘bath’). Though after World War II, cloth bags were replaced by plastic disposable ones. (Imagine a time when it was all the rage to throw away your bags.) Now that we’re far more aware of our environment maybe furoshiki will make its mainstream comeback. Check out this clip to see how you can actually use a furoshiki.

Here’s the site that not only sells furoshiku ($9-$16~) but tells you how to wrap things like wine and watermelon. You Have fun! \(^_^)/

Himawari

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Thinking of doing business in Japan? We can make it easy for you!
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