Cooking with Bear

I knew a girl in college who preferred to eat dinner in her room than with everyone else. After her roommates left for the cafeteria, she’d take out a mini-rice cooker from under her bed and make a simple meal —
either rice and furikake or a steamy bowl of ochazuke. Starch was her addiction.

I know the feeling. When I’m traveling Europe, I start craving all kinds of sticky, short-grain rice (sorry, Uncle Ben’s doesn’t cut it) most Asians can’t live without. That’s why this comes in handy… the Rilakkuma Rice Cooker:

Place this cutie bear of a pot into the microwave and he’ll cook rice for you in under 10 minutes — four times faster than the conventional cooker. The cooking process is easy: Just pour in water and fill the raw grains up to the line marked on the container, then microwave. As an added bonus, you get a shamoji (rice paddle) and an extra compartment for steaming vegetables.

As I’ve mentioned before, Rilakkuma is a bear created by Sanrio. His main objective in life is to relax and enjoy life, and he hopes his carefree attitude rubs off onto his owner. Just thinking about him puts a smile on my face. (^o^)

Himawari

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My Seal of Friendship

My friend has been feeling very sad and lonely lately. I feel bad, but with work and other obligations in the way I can’t be there for her 24/7.

So the next best thing I could do is give her one of my lovable ‘Shirotan’ pets:

I discovered this little guy at a shop in Japan called Mother Garden. They mostly specialize in adorable pet accessories, but also have a few toys hanging around for humans, too. Shirotan is a seal pup who likes disguising himself as other animals like penguins, elephants, lions, and random things like strawberries and bumblebees. (It’s Japan. Don’t question it.)

He’s the most adorable thing I’ve seen since Rirakkuma and Piyochan, and he’s always there whenever you need a hug. Memory foam-like material makes him ultra soft and cuddly.

The cool thing about Shirotan’s costumes is that they’re fastened by velcro, so you can change his clothes to your liking.

Hopefully, Shirotan will be able to keep my friend company and maybe even make her smile… otherwise, I’m taking him back!!

Himawari

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No Worries Here!

I have a friend who suffers from anxiety whenever she’s in public places. The thing is, she’s one of those silent sufferers, not wanting to impose on even close friends whenever she’s scared. That’s why she carries around a San-X plushie called Rirakkuma (“relax bear”). It’s a cute teddy-bear sprawled out like he’s taking a Sunday afternoon nap. Take a look:

Rirakkuma specifically caters to ‘worry worts’ like my friend. More than most countries I know, Japan is a nation of people who suppress their true feelings — and that leads to a lot of stress. So I have a feeling Sanrio knew what it was doing when creating a character who is in perpetual chill-mode. They’ve sold millions of items since its 2003 debut.

My friend has an eye-opening collection of Rirakkuma goods: erasers, toothbrush, waffle-maker, laptop, toilet paper, car seat cover… And of course, there’s her prized plushie, a 2-inch tall guy that attaches to her keychain. Just by caressing Rirakkuma against her cheek, she says she feels all is right in the world. She keeps him in her purse whenever she walks out the door. And on the rare ocassion she misplaces him, she starts freaking out.

Personally, whenever I’m stressed or feeling down, I’ll sing my favorite songs or go jogging. But everyone has their own way of venting and my friend just so happens to have two-dozen teddy bears to do so. Just don’t ever think of pulling a prank by confiscating her goods. All hell will break loose. Next thing you know, you’ll need your own Rirakkuma to calm your nerves.

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