Eye-popping

With so many things in life, you gotta see it to believe it. But even with a picture, there’s something amiss when it’s not in 3D. That’s why the people at Takara Tomy have come up with this:

It’s a 3D photo camera you can take anywhere and bring home amazing shots of all the fun you had. What you do is print out the photos and put them into a special viewfinder and, voila!, a picturesque scene pops out in front of you.

It may look like a disposable film camera but it’s digital and uses an SD memory card, so you can use it again and again. The photos make great save-the-date postcards, birthday invitations, wall art, and just about anything else you want to show friends. It’s just too bad I can’t show it to you via this 2D website. Boo~! In the meantime, here’s a video.

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

A Sticky Situation

A rice paddle is one of the most important kitchen utensils in the Japanese home. Why? Because when you’re scooping out rice, there’s nothing worse than the sound of a metal spoon scraping against a metal pot. Argh~!

Rice paddles are traditionally wooden, but these days plastic is standard-issue. They’re easy to wash, but the one pet peeve I have is that it gets sticky with rice as soon as I use it. So wherever I put my paddle down, rice clumps are sure to follow.

That’s why I love this invention: the swinging rice paddle.

Now you need not worry about getting the kitchen counter sticky. Just lay the rice paddle down and it’ll sway around upright without falling over. Reminds me of those clown punching bags. And they come in all sorts of colors, so you’ll never get bored.

Yeah, I know some of you don’t see the big deal. Believe me, when you’re making a dozen rice balls at a time, there’s no time to wash and rewash things. So nothing beats having an accessible rice paddle. Just try it! (^_^)v

Himawari

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The Elephants are Swimming

As a Japanophile, I’m always checking for Japanese names that show up on Hollywood movie credits. So the other day, I was watching “The Jungle Book 2” and, lo and behold, out pops Ritsuko Notani, character designer extraordinaire.

Ritsuko, aka, Ritzco, draws for Walt Disney Studios in Burbank, California. Hailing from Matsuyama, Japan, she’s now stateside creating a whirlwind of characters for movies like Tinker Bell, Mulan II, Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas and Pooh’s Grand Adventure. Spending your days tapped into your own imagination sounds like a dream job to me!

One of Ritzco’s fanciful creatures is this cute elephant donned in a striped bathing suit and swim goggles. Whether he’s about to swim the English Channel or back-float in his bathtub, he’s certainly dressed for the occasion.

Ritzco’s T-shirts are specially tailored for the feminine physique. For $25.99, you’ll get a 100% pre-shrunk cotton tee that’s a slimmer cut and shorter length than standard tees. For $31.99, you’ll get a 100% preshrunk ring-spun baby rib cotton tee that’s form-fitting and contoured to flatter the hips. Check here for color and size options.

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

Green Tea with Envy

After falling into a major food coma, the best pick-me-up is a cup of green tea. Not only is it packed with caffeine, it’s filled with antioxidants to help you retain that youthful glow. You’ll find plenty of green tea bottles at markets both in Japan and the U.S., but nothing beats a home brew. It tastes fresh and you can make it as strong as you want.

So check this out:

It’s home-brewed tea to go by a company called Kraso. Fill the strainer with leaves and then fill the bottle with water. It comes with a hand-strap and a tight lid in case you’re in the habit of running through dense crowds on the way to work.

Each bottle has an oh-so-cute picture of children playing in the park. Once you start touting it around, you’ll be the envy of your office!

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

A Folder for Winners

Back in the day, Pee-Chee folders were the No. 1 way to carry around loose paper. They were cheap, full of pockets and contained useful information about the weights and measurements. They didn’t last long, but at less than $1 each it was easy to replace them on a whim.

In 2011, we’ve come a long way from paper folders. Now it’s all about leather:

You gotta love its look: simple, sleek and full of cute pockets. Quatro Gats is an expert leather craftmaker and their designs are one of a kind. The folder works either as a book cover or as a place to stuff all your awesome stationary goods when you’re on the go.

They come in an assortment of cute color combinations that bring out school spirit anywhere. Even in the working world, it’s the kind of folder that’ll impress employers at job interviews as you take out your awe-inspiring resume. You’ll amaze them with your keen sense of style. You might even get the job!

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

Dust Bunnies Beware!

If you’re not multitasking right now, consider yourself behind the times. As I type, I’m IMing friends and painting my toenails. I consider myself a success case because I’ve yet to spill polish on my keyboard, nor have I accidentally begun typing this blog into a friend’s chat box.

There’s no end to multitasking. Try grabbing some orange juice from the fridge while mopping the floor. It’s easy if you have a pair of these mop slippers ($17.50).

They’re made of the same microfiber material used to dust your shelves, and they’re flexible enough to work your pretty little phalanges across narrow pathways. A selection of six different pastel colors will keep your feet bright even when they’re covered in soot. So go ahead and dance across the linoleum — you’re doing it some good.

For their next product line, I’d like to see some yard-work foot gear. I need me a good pair of lawnmower-strapped sandals.

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

His and Her USBs

The best gifts are ones that actually come in handy. Useless gifts collect dust in the corner of the room until your next trip to the Salvation Army. Useless gifts mainly come from wedding receptions: Mini bamboo trees, decorative paper weights, a bottle of bubbles… I’m sure they seemed like a great ideas in the beginning, but then again so does posing with a parasol on a Greek pillar.

Whenever that day of holy matrimony arrives, why not give your guests a cheesy party favor they can put to good use: a his and her USB flash drive.

Each stick holds up to 2GB worth of music, photos, or whatever you like carrying in your back pocket. They come either Japanese or Western-clothed, and with its rubbery shell you can bounce your bride/groom off walls – just like in a real marriage!

One setback is that this newlywed couple does not come cheap. Two sticks are 5,800 yen, or $72 with the current exchange rate. If you decide to get them, consider a prenup. It’ll spare you the headache later on. v(^_<)

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

Missing Keys No More

Have you ever come home after a long day, throw your keys onto the messy, clothes-piled floor only to go searching for them the next day? It happens to me a lot and I almost feel like surgically attaching a keyring to my hand. WHERE ARE MY KEYS!?

Well, stress no more with this birdie key chain:

It comes in six adorable colors — grey, orange, red, pink, black and green — and also serves as a safety whistle for when you’re walking down dark alleyways in the middle of the night.

The best part is that the bird comes with a house, so when you come home you put birdie back into its cage and everyone is happy. The next day there won’t be any question as to where your keys are.

Form vs. function? Why not have both? It’s a brilliant idea. I just wish I could’ve thought of it first!

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

Eat the Moon!

This month marks the season to get on your porch and gaze at the autumn moon. It’s a time-honored tradition that’s not only celebrated with song and poetry but also by eating foods strikingly similar to the full moon.

At McDonalds, you can sink your teeth into a Tsukimi (moon-viewing) Burger filled with a beef patty and a perfectly-circular poached egg.

At noodle shops, you can order a hot bowl of soba topped with a raw egg yolk. (Yeah, it sounds gross, but it’s good!)

Another moon-shaped food is mochi, a sweet, sticky rice-cake. Here’s a fun kitchen toy that helps you turn out mochi from scratch:

You start off by boiling a pot of sweet rice, a.k.a., mochi-gome. Then you use this machine to mash the rice until soft and smooth. Traditionally speaking, mochi is pounded into submission using a mortar and heavy wooden hammer. Though, I’ve tried it before and nearly had my hand smashed. Ouch~

This cute mochi toys takes the sweat out of making Japanese desserts. Now all you need to do is pull up a chair and enjoy the rabbit in the moon!

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

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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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