Japan: East Asian Soccer Champions

I’m not really a big soccer fan.  But yesterday Japan and Korea played the championship game of the East Asian (Soccer) Cup.

So I watched their soccer games on TV yesterday,

Japanese and Korean sports teams have a rivalry…so people in both countries really want their team to win every time these two countries compete.

Countries that play in the East Asian Cup are: Japan, South Korea, North Korea, China, Taipei, Hong Kong, Australia, Guam, Macau, and the North Mariana Islands.

(South) Korea and Japan made it to the final round. They played the championship game in Korea yesterday.

First the women’s teams played.  The South Korean women’s soccer team beat the 「なでしこジャパン」 (Japan women’s soccer team) with a score of 2-1.

But in the men’s championship match, the “Samurai Blue” (Japan men’s soccer team) beat the South Korean men’s soccer team with the same score (2-1).

So, now the Japan men’s soccer team are the 2013 East Asian Cup champions.

Did you watch the games?

Heroes on the Platform

Yesterday, at a train station near Tokyo, a woman became stuck when she fell into the space between the platform and the train.

The people on the platform pushed the train enough for her to be pulled to safety.

The Ring milkshake

In Japan, haunted houses and horror movies are popular in the summer.

Cool drinks, such as shaved ice and milkshakes, are also popular in summer in Japan.

So, starting next weekend, the Japanese fastfood chain, Lotteria, will sell a special ラムネ (Ramune) / chocolate milkshake that is supposedly inspired by the Japanese horror movie “The Ring”.

Passion Fruit Kit-Kat

I tried it today. Not bad.

Pearl Day

Today, 2013 July 11th, is the 120th anniversary of the day that Japanese jeweler Mikimoto Kokichi successfully cultivated pearls in Japan.

He said his company “Mikimoto Pearls” and was Japan’s first domestic luxury pearl company.

Mikimoto Pearls and Jewelry original shop in Tokyo, circa 1893.

“Mikimoto Pearls” is a world-famous luxury jewelry company. Their main shop in in Tokyo’s high-end Ginza district.

So, because of Mr. Mikimoto, July 11th is unofficially 「真珠記念日」　(“Pearl Day”) in Japan.

Tanabata

Today is 七夕 (Tanabata) in Japan.

The name of this holiday means “seventh evening” because it falls on the seventh day of the seventh month (July 7) … it originally came from China (where, I believe, it’s celebrated a bit differently than in Japan).

In the Chinese lunar calendar, the seventh day of the seventh month falls in mid-August, so it’s not Tanabata there yet.

In Japan, people write a wish on a piece of special paper and tie it to a bamboo Tanabata tree … and the wish is said to be granted on this special day.

There is a back story about two stars in the sky that are a prince and princess who are in love but are forbidden by their familes to be together (kinda like Romeo and Juliet).
But they can meet only once a year … the seventh day of the seventh month.

At Tokyo Disneyland, visitors to the amusement park can write their wish on Tanabata paper that has mouse-ears and hang it on Mickey’s Tanabata tree.

Happy 4th of July

It’s the 4th of July … America’s Independence Day.

I live in Japan, so I haven’t done anything special on this day in years because July 4th isn’t a holiday here, of course.

But, if you’re in America, will you be going to a 花火大会 (fireworks show) ?

Maccha at Starbucks Japan

Does Starbucks in your country have 抹茶 (Japanese Green Tea) drinks on their menu?

I suspect that it’s another only-in-Japan thing.

Starbucks Japan‘s newest item on their menu is 「チョコレート・ブラウニー抹茶クリーム・フラペチーノ」 (“Chocolate Brownie / Green Tea Cream Frappuccino“).

Do you like Starbucks? Would you order this drink?