In your country, do vending machines give weather forecasts and recommend a drink for you based on your gender and estimated age ( using facial recognition software) like here in Japan?
We can also pay for the drinks by using our train commute IC cards.
Do you like Megadeth?
They have a new album coming out.
Did you know that their former guitarist, Marty Friedman, is fluent in Japanese and that he quit the band some years ago and has been living in Tokyo since?
Marty Friedman is on TV here as I’m writing this post.
Anyways, here’s the title track from the upcoming Megadeth album “Super Collider” :
Yesterday, 2013 April 19, was the 116th birthday of the world’s oldest living person … Jiroemon Kimura of Japan.
Mr. Kimura was born on 1897 April 19th.
(edited on 2013 June 12th:
Mr. Kimura died this morning.
RIP, Mr. Jiroemon Kimura, 1897 April 19th – 2013 June 12th, aged 116 years and 54 days.)
Tokyo Disneyland opened on 1983 April 15th … thirty years ago today.
I can’t believe how fast time flies!
When I first came to Japan, Tokyo Disneyland was only seven years old.
Tokyo Disneyland is calling this year, 2013, the “Happiness Year”.
Have you ever been to Tokyo Disneyland or any of the world’s Disney parks?
More and more McDonalds in Japan have begun offering delivery service called “McDelivery“.
Does McDonalds offer delivery service in your country? Have you ever used it?
I have used pizza delivery, ramen delivery and sushi delivery…but I still have never used Kentucky Fried Chicken or McDonalds delivery?
What types of food can be delivered in your country?
And, just like the pizza, Kentucky Fried Chicken and other delivery services in Japan, McDonald’s McDelivery have company mopeds that are used to deliver the food.
Here’s a なぞなぞ (Japanese riddle).
Can you guess the answer?
ねだんが分からない寿司はな～んだ？
(What type of sushi has an unknown price?)
Write your answer in the comment section of this post.
I’ll put the correct answer here soon.
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edited: 2013 April 11
Here is the answer (there are two possible answers):
First, the more common answer is:
「いくら」 (fish roe)
This is because 「いくら」 is pronounced “ikura” and is “fish roe”, which is a possible topping on sushi.
But also 「いくら」 (ikura) is the Japanese for “What is the price?”
Another possible answer is:
「はまち」 (Yellowtail Tuna)
This is also a possible answer to the riddle because 「はまち」 is another possible sushi topping, and it’s pronounced hamachi which sounds similar (with a Japanese pronunciation) to the English phrase “How much?“
McDonalds in Japan have been trying to get more weekday breakfast customers lately.
Awhile back, they offered free menu items, such as an Egg McMuffin or hash browns, to customers who come in for breakfast on a Monday.
This month, McDonalds Japan is having a very unusual campaign to try to boost Monday breakfast sales.
If you come in for breakfast on Monday, 2013 April 8, you will be given a free pack of chewing gum.
If you come in for breakfast on Monday, 2013 April 15, you will be given a free bottle of shampoo.
If you come in for breakfast on Monday, 2013 April 22, you will be given a free pack of skin cream.
And if you come in for breakfast on Monday, 2013 April 29, you will be given a free can of Sprite soft-drink.
I’m not very interested in April Fools jokes … so, rather than writing a post that isn’t true in the hopes of fooling you – – I decided to write three facts about Japan that are true and one that is untrue.
Which one do you think is untrue?
And, of course, please leave a comment on this post.
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(edited: 2013 April 4)
Twenty people have taken the poll, and most, by a slim margin, answered correctly.
As of today,
– Nine people (45%) answered “‘Sushi‘ means ‘raw fish‘ in English.”,
– Eight people (40%) answered “Japanese police officers carry firearms (guns).”,
– Three people (15%) answered “In Japanese, ‘America’ can written as 「米国」, which literally means ‘Rice Country‘.”, and
– Zero people (0%) answered “In Japan, cars are driven in the left lane of the roads.”
Since the quiz called for finding the one false statement, the nine people who answered that “‘Sushi‘ means ‘raw fish‘ in English.” gave the correct answer.
Contrary to popular belief in western countries, sushi is not raw fish. Sashimi is raw fish.
The main ingredient of sushi is vinegared rice. Sushi often includes raw fish (sashimi), but not always.
The other three statements are all true.
* Japanese police are armed. They have a police issue handgun holstered on their belt.
* 「米」 is the Japanese character for “rice“. 「国」 is the character for “country“. And 「米国」 means “America“.
* In Japan, cars drive in the left lane of roads.
Tokyo Five 
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