Your Life in a Box

A happy new year to you!! **\(^o^)/** (/^o^)/**

So how will you start off the new decade? Dieting? Exercising? My resolution is to save loads of money to buy a new computer. It costs exactly $1,199, so I figure if I put away $1 a day I can get it in three years!

Oh wait….that’s a long way to go. =(

Takara TOMY has a cool product that’ll help build your savings 500 yen (~$5) at a time. I’ve featured many a piggy banks on Japanizmo but the “Jinsei Bank” (“life bank”) may perhaps be the ultimate. The electronic gizmo has an LCD screen that shows a Tamagotchi-like character who’s also tightening the money belt. And every time you pop a 500 yen coin in the bank, you’ll see the character’s living situation improve. You’ll watch him get new furniture or turn into a rock star. Exciting!

The piggy bank holds up to $1,000 in coins so it’s no joke how much you can save with this little white box. Most people underestimate the value of coins. For me, a penny saved is a penny earned!

Happy New Year!

Himawari

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Pass the Droid, Please

First there were light saber chopsticks. Now, bring on the R2-D2 soy sauce dispenser!

Watch as our favorite Star Wars robot pours you a saucer of shoyu. It’s every geek’s dream. To fill him, just flip his top and pour into his plastic cavity. He can’t help you out of dangerous situations, but he’ll make your sushi extra tasty.

His creator, Heart Art Collection, is a proprietor of a variety of wacky novelty goods. So if you can’t get enough of just one, they also have an R2-D2 flash light, soap dispenser, and a mini-trash can to add to the party.

Personally, I’d start having nightmares if I had that many droids hanging around the apartment. (What’s that coming out of my toilet bowl?!) But if you’re a die-hard fan, nothing is excessive. So call up C-3PO and let’s have some sushi!

Himawari

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A Naughty Kitty

Ever wonder where your money goes? Blame the kitty! When you’re not looking, he snatches your coins and spends it on fresh milk.

Actually, he’s a coin bank ($15.98), helping you save up for your next vacation. And he’s the most adorable bank ever!

He hides in an fruit crate, and when you place a coin on the box he creeps out just to the point where you can see the whites of his tiny eyes. He has a few friends, too — chihuahuas, bulldogs and tiger-cats hiding out in an assortment of storage boxes — all ready protect your quarters from robbers and arcade games.

Loyal Japanizmo readers should know that elaborate coin banks are good and plenty in Japan. An empty pickle jar would do the trick, but as they say, “Gotta spend money to make money.”

Himawari

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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

Message in a Gum

Back in junior high, my friends and I would kill time by passing around notes. We’d write messages on a piece of college-ruled paper and then fold it like origami into a heart, a ninja-star, or some other shape too complicated for the teacher to unravel.
Jump ahead a few years to 2010 and Japanese teens have come up with a sneakier way to get their message through – with a piece of gum!

Just watch:

Gum Letter (ガムレター) works like a pasta roller. Just slide the candy through the machine and out comes a chewy message for all occasions like, “Good luck!” “Nice to meet you!” “How about going out tonight?” “Thank you” and “Relax!” Gum Letter comes in handy when you’re too shy to say something, or just don’t want the teacher to catch you in the act. And don’t worry, it’s not ink, it’s just an imprint.

Some people may want to say more than what fits on a piece of gum. But until Lotte comes up with parachute-size portions, I say keep it short and lip-smacking sweet. \(^0^)/

Himawari

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What’s that dancing on your nightstand?

Watch out for things that go BUMP in the night: ghosts, goblins, and that old vacuum cleaner sitting in the middle of your hallway!

The safest way to get from your bedroom to the bathroom in pitch darkness is with a trusty night-light. And thanks to toymaker Takara TOMY there’s a cute one that’s part mushroom, part chicken. (Say what?!)

Walk past Kinopuyo’s motion sensor and he’ll bob up and down, emitting a soft, red glow. He’ll also respond with a careful nudge, so as long as you don’t sock him into the air.

His name comes from the word for mushroom (kinoko) and the onomatopoeia for a soft, jelly-like texture (puyo-puyo), which is how he feels like when he sways around giddily. Put him anywhere that needs a little illuminating; He’ll help you find your keys and guide you to the bathroom, no sweat!

At the end of this month, TOMY plans celebrate Kinopuyo’s launch by lining up hundreds of them along Tokyo’s Omotesando boulevard as 70 of Santa’s helpers march their way to Kiddyland. Imagine that, Japanese elves and dancing mushrooms all on the same street. Sounds like a party to me! (/^o^)/\(^o^\)

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