Crackers + Rice = Crazy Delicious

We all know just how decadent a Japanese meal can be. Think $200 plates of raw fugu, and kaiseki ryouri packed with seasonal vegetables and well-marbled meat. But what’s on the other end of the spectrum?

I saw a Japanese TV show a while back featuring meals people cook when they’re in the poorhouse. My favorite was a guy who crushed soy-flavored rice crackers (“kaki-pi,” to be exact) and sprinkled it over his rice. It sounds like a joke, but it’s actually tasty! If you dare to try it, Takara Tomy has a cool product that takes the work out of making this unlikely topping:

It’s called “Okashina Furikake,” which is a double-entendre meaning “snack-like condiment” and “rice-topping oddity.” It’s a simple device: Just pour in your snack of choice, then push and turn the handle. You can use just about anything: potato chips, pretzels, even cookies.

Speaking of furikake, I did some sleuthing and found it was invented in the early 1900s by a pharmacist who wanted to add more calcium into people’s diet. So he started crushing fish bones and mixed it with sesame seeds and dried seaweed to cover the fishy flavor. The bones have since been replaced by dried egg, vegetables, bonito flakes, and dozens of other yummy ingredients but my people’s love for rice topping has gone unwavered.

Well, it’s about dinner time here and I only have $2 in my pocket. You know what that means…..RICE CRACKER DINNER! \(^o^)/

Himawari

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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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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

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