Gundam Pepsi

In Japan, Pepsi-Cola offers many different flavors and other campaigns.
Click here to look at all of the different posts I’ve written about the various flavors and other gimmicks Pepsi has offered in Japan.

And Gundam is popular in Japan. There is a life-size Gundam robot, Gundam cafe, Gundam cell-phones and many other Gundam-related campaigns in Japan.
Click here to see the posts I’ve written related to Gundam.

Of course, Gundam and Pepsi have teamed up.
Click here to see a post I’ve written about it.

Well, they’ve teamed up again.

Currently Pepsi-Cola in Japan is selling their cola in cans decorated with Gundam characters.

Here are the cans:

Happy birthday, Mr. Gundam

Do you know 富野由悠季 (Yoshiyuki Tomino)?

If you’re a big fan of the Japanese anime series “Gundam” you might know who he is…because he’s the creator of the Gundam series.

Today (2011 November 5) is Mr. Tomino’s 70th birthday. He was born on 1941 November 5 in 神奈川県 (Kanagawa Prefecture), just south of Tokyo.

I wrote a post with photos I took of the “lifesize” Gundam robot when it was in Tokyo (click here to read it).
Actually, I’ve written a number of Gundam-related posts.

Have you ever watched Gundam? Are you a “fan”?

Yamato and Gundam

A live-action movie version of the Japanese anime 「宇宙戦艦ヤマト」 (“Space Battleship Yamato“) has recently hit the movie theaters in Japan.

It stars Japanese sex-symbols Takuya Kimura and Meisa Kuroki (whom I wrote about in this post).

Japanese movies usually have theme songs by Japanese artists but this movie’s theme song is titled “Love Lives” and is performed by Steven Tyler (lead vocalist of the American rock band “Aerosmith“).

Here’s the official trailer which features a bit of the song:

And here’s the entire song:

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Last year I wrote a post about “Cup Noodle” in Japan giving away miniature Gundam figures with purchase of their instant ramen.

Well, Nissin Cup Noodle has teamed up with Gundam again.
In Japan you can buy a special, limited-time-only Cup Noodle that comes with a plastic reusable “Gundam” ramen cup.

The package of the Cup Noodle with the Gundam cup

The Gundam cup and the package of ramen noodles

Gundam Phone

If you’re a fan of 「ガンダム」 (“Gundam“), there has been many things in Tokyo that you would love…the “life size” Gundam robot, the smallest Gundam, the Gundam Cafe, and now a 「ガンプラケータイ」 (“Gunpla Cell-phone”).

This phone is made by the Japanese electronics maker “Sharp” for the Japanese cellular phone company “Softbank“.
The phone is to commemorate the 30th anniversary of 「ガンプラ」 (“Gunpla”), which stand for “Gundam plastic models“.
This new Gundam cell-phone comes decorated with decals and parts similar to a Gundam robot, Gundam inspired applications, a unique charger and a plastic model of a Gundam robot.

I won’t be buying this phone…I’m not much of a Gundam fan, and my cell-phone is kinda old but it still works so I’m not in the market for a new one.
Anyways, it’s a Softbank phone…I use Japan’s biggest cell-phone service provider—DoCoMo.

How about you? Would you buy this? What type of cell-phone do you have now?

Gundam Cafe

Last summer I wrote a post about the “life-size” 「ガンダム」 (Gundam) robot that was in Tokyo.

A photo I took last summer of the giant Gundam.

Well, yesterday the “Akihabara Gundam Cafe & Bar” (also called simply 「ガンダムカフェ」 (Gundam Cafe)) opened in the Akihabara area of Tokyo.

"Gundam Cafe" logo

This cafe / bar is near the 「電気街口」 (“Electric Town” exit) of 秋葉原駅 (Akihabara train station).

It’s called a “cafe and bar” because from 8:30AM – 5:00PM it’s a cafe with lunch meals and coffee on the menu, and then from 5:00PM til closing it becomes a bar and serves dinner and alcohol.

They also sell souvenirs such as Gundam Coffee, Gundam ashtrays, Gundam coasters, せんべい (rice crackers),　ガンダム人形焼き (Gundam “Ningyou-yaki” (which is a traditional Japanese snack)) and 「ガンプラ焼き」 (“Gunpla-yaki” (which is a たい焼き (traditional Japanese bean-filled snack) in the shape of a Gundam robot)…

「ガンプラ焼き」 ("Gunpla-yaki")

Smallest Gundam

In Tokyo right now, until the end of August, is the biggest Gundam robot ever made.
I wrote a post about it (Click here to see it).

Well, from 2009年8月31日(月) ～ 2009年11月30日(月) (Monday, August 31 – Monday, November 30 (2009)), 日清カップ・ヌードル (Nissin Cup Noodles) will give away the smallest Gundam figures ever made.

Just like the giant 18 meter tall Gundam robot in お台場 (Odaiba, Tokyo), these figures that come in the top of the noodle package are in commemoration of the 30th anniversary of Gundam‘s debut.

The Gundam figures

Only 1000 of this red and white figure will be made (making this one the most valuable):

Only 1000 of this figure will be available

Quarter Century!

On 1990 October 17th, I came to Japan from America. Twenty-five years ago today!
I have been living in Japan longer than I lived in the U.S.

Twenty-five years already! 1990 doesn’t feel like it was all that long ago…but twenty-five before 1990 was 1965 and that was before I was even born! America saw a lot of changes between 1965 and 1990…and Japan has seen many changes since 1990.

I wrote a post on this date last year and told about some of the many changes I’ve seen in Japan since I first arrived.
(Click here to read it.)

In this post, to mark the quarter-century that I’ve been living in Japan, I decided to list (in no particular order) twenty-five reasons that I love living in Tokyo. (Many of them have to do with the fact that Japan is a very safe place to raise children!)

1. No guns – I dislike guns and see no reason for “common people” to own one. In Japan, only the military, the police and hunters (after passing an extensive testing and screening procedure) legally have guns. The Japanese police are armed, but very rarely draw their weapon…it would be an absolute last resort.So, there aren’t shootings in Japan. I witnessed a deadly shooting at my high school in Florida when I was a teenager…that’s something I never wanted my children to experience.
2. Low crime rate – Tokyo is a huge, densely-populated metropolitan city…but still has very little crime.
3. Punctuality – Everything and everyone is on time. Trains, and even city buses, arrive on the scheduled time. Almost 100% of the time.
4. Convenient – There are so many stores, restaurants, and services in Tokyo! You can get anything you need…without going too far.
5. Health care – Health insurance in Japan pays for 70% of hospital, clinic, dental and ambulance costs.
6. School system – I wrote a post about how I feel that Japanese schools are better than American ones.
7. Prices – Many people have an image that Japan is very expensive. But, in my experience, it’s mostly cheaper than America! Amusement parks, movie tickets, groceries, restaurant meals, haircuts, and on and on are all similarly priced, or even cheaper than, in America! Gasoline is about the only thing priced lower in America.
8. Restaurants – The restaurants in Japan are well-known for being the best! Everything from fast-food to family restaurants to gourmet establishments all have excellent food and service. There are more Michelin starred restaurants in Tokyo than any other city in the world!
9. Convenience stores – Japanese convenience stores are great! You can get beer, whiskey, snacks, hot meals, and more 24 hours a day. But also…you can buy postage stamps, concert tickets, mail packages, pay bills, and use an ATM.
10. Vending machines – Japanese vending machines are everywhere and they sell all kinds of things: hot drinks and cold drinks (such as tea, coffee, water, juice, cola and beer), umbrellas, stamps, snacks, fruit, and much more. They accept payment by coin, ¥1000 bill (about US$10), cell-phone, or IC card. Many have digital displays that show the weather forecast and use facial recognition to recommend a drink.
11. Kindness -Even in a big city such as Tokyo, you can often see acts of kindness shown to others.
12. Thoughtfulness – Japanese people are very good at considering other people’s feelings, and that makes living in a densely populated city much easier.
13. Politeness – Japanese are well-known for their politeness.
14. Sightseeing – Modern architecture, traditional castles, shrines and temples, and beautiful nature…Japan has a lot to see.
15. Amusement parks – Japan has all kinds of amusement parks…big, small, water parks, and theme parks. Probably most well-know is Tokyo Disneyland and Disney Sea…they’re the only Disney parks in the world that aren’t owned by Disney. Rather, they’re owned by a Japanese company and licensed from Disney. Tokyo Disneyland is actually a lot cheaper than Florida’s Disney World!
16. Service – Service is always top-notch in Japan. Even at fast-food restaurants and convenience stores!
17. Quality – Even Daiso (Japan’s version of a “dollar store”) sells quality merchandise.
18. Statues and robots – Gundam (both a statue and a “life-size” robot), Statue of Liberty, Godzilla, Hachiko, and so many more. I’ve written many posts, with photos…click here.
19. Four seasons – I grew up in Florida. There’s no snow, no colorful autumn leaves…basically only one season there. I know many places in the world have four seasons…but many don’t. And in Tokyo, each season is an even 1/4 of the year. And each season in Japan is so unique!
20. Festivals – There are so many excellent festivals in Japan! I’m a member of a great one! (Click here to see photos).
21. Museums – Museums of art, Japan’s history, ramen, cartoon characters, beetles, and so many more! They’re all so interesting!
22. Peaceful and quiet – Tokyo can be noisy, but generally, Japan (even the big cities such as Tokyo) are nice and quiet! Have you ever ridden a train in Japan. Most people don’t talk…and the ones who are talking do so quietly. It’s nice.
23. No tipping – Not restaurants, not hotels, nor barbers or taxis. Leaving a tip isn’t done in Japan.
24. Unique areas – Different cities and areas of Japan are unique. But, not only that…even in Tokyo, the different areas are unique. Ginza, Akihabara, Shibuya, Shinjuku, Ueno, etc…what do you want to do or buy? There’s a section of Tokyo that’s best for whatever you’re looking for.
25. Never boring – I have been living in Japan for twenty-five years now…and I still enjoy going out and about.

Odaiba

We went to Odaiba, Tokyo today.

The train to Odaiba is fun because it’s driverless and it goes over “Rainbow Bridge”, but we went there by car today.

It had been awhile since our last visit to Odaiba. Kinda surprising how many more foreign tourists were there this time! I guess Tokyo tourist guidebooks feature Odaiba more prominently now.

Anyways, here are photo I took:

We ate たこ焼き (grilled octopus) for lunch.

The “lifesize” Gundam robot.

France gave Japan a 自由の女神 (Statue of Liberty) too.

Sunset over Tokyo Bay, Rainbow Bridge and 自由の女神 (Statue of Liberty)

I like 「台場一丁目商店街」 (Odaiba Retro Shopping Street), designed like post-WW2 Japan.

The “Odaiba Takoyaki (Griled Octopus) Museum”

In the evening, the lifesize Gundam robot is lit-up and moves a bit.

Japan Quiz

****Updated: 2014 September 28th****

Thank you to the many people who took this “Japan Quiz” during the few days that it was on my blog!

This quiz was more popular than I anticipated, so I’ll make another one in the future.

Here are the answers to the quiz:

 

Here’s a short quiz about Japan.  It’s just for fun and not too difficult.

Submit your answers and I will contact you with you score.

Also, I will put the correct answers on this post after a few days or so (on Sept 28th 2014).

Anyhow, here’s my quiz about Japan with the correct answers in red. (Feel free to leave a comment on this post with any thoughts or questions you have about this quiz):

 

1. What is the name of the country of Japan in Japanese?

(A) Japan  (B) Japon  (C) Nippon  (D) Kingdom of Japan

 

2. What is the essential ingredient for sushi?

(A) Vinegared  rice  (B) Raw fish  (C) Seaweed  (D) Soy sauce

 

3. What are Cherry Blossoms called in Japanese?

(A) Ocha  (B) Sakana  (C)  Sakura  (D) Sanma

 

4. Who is the beloved robot cat from the 22nd century?

(A) Doraemon  (B) Gundam  (C) Chibi-Maruko   (D) Baikin Man

Doraemon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5.  Hokkaido is the __________ prefecture in Japan?

(A) northernmost  (B) easternmost   (C) southernmost  (D) westernmost

 

6.  Tokyo Disneyland is actually in ____________ prefecture.

(A) Kanagawa  (B) Chiba  (C) Saitama  (D) Ibaraki

 

7.  What is a shinkansen ?

(A) A postage stamp  (B) A bicycle  (C) A rice cooker  (D) A bullet-train

 

8. A koban is a  ____________ .

(A) post office  (B) police box   (C)  ambulance  (D) train station

 

9.  Which is a traditional Japanese toy?

(A)  Kendama   (B) Pi-man  (C) Makura   (D) Zubon

Japanese kendama toy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10.  The flag of Japan is called “_________” in Japanese.

(A) Rising Sun  (B) Aka-shiro  (C) Hi-no-maru  (D) Taiyo-no-hata

Tokyo with kids…

I’m often contacted by parents in various countries who are planning to visit Tokyo with their children…and ask me for suggestions for places to take them in this city.

So I thought it would be helpful for people who are planning to visit Tokyo with kids if I wrote a post with some places that are popular with kids in Tokyo.

So, in no particular order, here is a brief list of places in Tokyo to take kids:

– Tokyo Disneyland and/or Tokyo Disney Sea

– Kiddyland – One of the giant toy stores in Tokyo. In Omotesando, near Harajuku.

– Yamashiroya – Another giant toy store. Near Ueno train station.

– Hakuhinkan – This giant toy store is in Ginza.

– Odaiba – A driverless train takes you to this part of Tokyo.  Has a shopping center, cat-cafe, bicycle rental, a Statue of Liberty like the one in New York…but smaller, and a life-size “Gundam” robot.

– Children’s Castle

– Zoos and/or Aquariums – There are many excellent zoos and aquariums in and around Tokyo. This site tells the government-owned ones in Tokyo limits…there are more than these.

– Tokyo Tower

– Tokyo Sky Tree – At 634 meters tall, it’s the world’s tallest tower. It’s within walking distance of Asakusa.

I also sometimes give inexpensive (not much more than the cost of my train fare) walking tours of Tokyo to foreign visitors, when my schedule allows.

Feel free to contact me with this form if you need more information:

Name(required)

Email(required)

Website

What country are you from?

When will you visit Tokyo?

How many times have you been to Japan?

This will be my first trip there Once before 2-3 4-5 over 5

How many people in your group, and age range?

Would you be interested in a tour of Tokyo, if I am available?

Yes No

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