Unusual pizza coupons

In America, does Domino’s Pizza have funny or unusual coupons?

Or is it another “only-in-Japan” thing?

Because,　once again, Domino’s Japan is offering 25% off specials to customers that fit some crazy stipulations.

Some of the funny new Domino’s Japan coupons.

For example, customers in Japan can get 25% off their pizza order if the pizza delivery person sees that they:

– have facial hair (a beard and/or a mustache),
– have “piggy tails“,
– have a last name with four Japanese kanji characters (very few Japanese people have such a long name),
– have a twin sibling,
– are wearing  glamorous clothes,
– are in the eleventh grade (high school ID required),
– have a pet parakeet,
– are wearing a “dorky” T-shirt,
– speak with an accent from another area of Japan (than the one they’re currently in), or
– show a receipt that proves they’ve already ordered a Domino’s pizza earlier that same day.

Coupons can’t be combined in one order…but if someone meets all of the above stipulations, they can get 50% off of their order (the odds of such a person existing are probably extremely slim though).

Specials in Japan

Many people think that prices in Japan are extravagantly high…but, just like anywhere, “locals” know where to go to get the best deals.

I’ll tell you a few secrets for saving money in Tokyo.

First of all, today is 子供の日 (Children’s Day).
Admission to city zoos is free today. But, be warned, free admission to a zoo in a huge metropolis on a warm day that is also a public holiday means that the zoo will extremely crowded.

Visitors to Japan complain that movie tickets and pizza are too expensive in Japan…and they are—if you pay full price.

For pizza, Shakey’s Pizza has all-you-can-eat specials that range in price from about ¥800 to ¥1,900 depending on what day and what time you go (lunch time on regular weekdays is cheapest).

And Domino’s Pizza has specials often in Japan. Currently they are offering a “Buy one get one free” deal if you pick up the pizza yourself (rather than getting it delivered).

Domino’s Pizza Japan “Buy-One-Get-One-Free” for pick-up orders.

If you go to a movie theater in Japan, you shouldn’t pay the full box-office ticket price.
On the first day of every month, it is “Ladies Day” at the movies in Japan. Women can buy a ticket for only ¥1,000. Some theaters offer discounts on Wednesdays, too.
For men, and on other days, you should buy movie tickets from a チケット・ショップ (“Ticket Shop”) that are found all around Japan.

Ticket Shops sell movie tickets at a discount.

Thay also sell tickets for amusement parks, concerts, sporting events, museum admission, trains, McDonalds coffee, and a number of other things.

You should always try a discount ticket shop before you buy any type of ticket in Japan.

Tickets in a チケット・ショップ (Ticket Shop) in Japan.

Does your country have money-saving techniques such as these that “locals” know about?

Dominos Japan paying $31,000 per hour

Dominos Pizza is celebrating their 50th anniversary this year and their 25th anniversary in Japan.

So to celebrate their 25th anniversary, Dominos Japan is running a unique gimmick.
Next week (2010 November 10th), they will begin accepting applications for a temporary position that pays 250万円 (¥2,500,000 (about US$31,000)) for an hour’s work one day in December (2010).

Domino's Pizza Japan is offering a position that pays ¥2,500,000 (US$31,000) per hour.

The position will be offered to only one person.
The only requirements to be eligible are that applicants be legally allowed to work in Japan and must be at least eighteen years old.

Dominos Japan will begin accepting applications beginning on 2010 November 10 and this position is for one hour only one day in December.
The salary for that one hour will be 250万円 (¥2,500,000 (about US$31,000).

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On a different note, today is a holiday in Japan. It’s 「文化の日」 (“Culture Day”) today.
(Click here to read my F.A.Q. about Japan’s holidays.

World’s largest Pokemon collection

A 21-year old English woman named Lisa Courtney has recently been entered into the Guiness Book Of World Records for the “World’s Largest Pokemon Collection”.

「ポケモン」 (Pokemon) is a Japanese abbreviation for 「ポケットモンスター」 (Pocket Monster).
It’s a Japanese franchise of characters used in cartoons, movies, comics, games and toys.

Lisa Courtney said that she was severally bullied in school due to a physical handicap and she began collecting Pokemon toys since she was about eight years old to cope with the bullying.

In the thirteen years that she has been collecting, she has acquired over 13,000 Pokemon items…which qualified her for the world record.

Lisa Courtney and her huge Pokemon collection

She has even been to Japan a few times and bought some “only-in-Japan” Pokemon items. She said that she plans to come to Japan for another visit sometime this year.

I think 13,000 toys is too much personally…but it’s her hobby and it helped her feel better from being bullied (which, by the way, is unbelievable that a child would get bullied because of a handicap!).

When she visits Japan this year, she should order the “Kids Pokemon pizza” from Dominos Pizza in Japan.

Recent news

A few things:

• The world’s oldest man, Henry Allington from England, died today at the age of 113 years and 42 days.
  He had been the world’s oldest man for only 29 days before he died. Before Mr. Allington, the world’s oldest man had been Japanese Tomoji Tanabe (died at age 113 years 274 days). I wrote a post about Tomoji Tanabe when he died…click here to read it.  Now the world’s oldest man is Walter Breuning from America. He’ll turn 113 years old on (2009) September 21. (The world’s oldest person is Gertrude Baines, also from America. She’s 115 years old.)

• As with most kids all over Japan, my daughters began their school’s 夏休み (summer vacation) today. They will return to school on August 25…so they’re off from school for about five weeks.In Japan, the new school year begins in April, not after summer holidays…so they’ll return to the same class.
  Also, in Japan, kids get alot of 宿題 (homework) to do over the summer.

• My oldest daughter also started her first day of work at her first part-time job today. She began working at Domino’s Pizza.

• To attract families with kids to travel by 新幹線 (bullet train) to go somewhere during their 夏休み (summer vacation)…新幹線 (bullet trains) in Japan have been painted with pictures of characters from the 「ポケモン」 (“Pokemon“) cartoon.

  

  

• The fast-food chain, Lotteria, in Japan has started a “money-back guarantee” for it gourmet 「絶妙ハンバーガー (“Zetsumyou (Exquisite) Hamburger“).  If you buy one and don’t like and return more than half of the burger, they will give you a new one (in case the first one simply wasn’t prepared properly)…if you’re still not satisfied (and return more than half of the second one), your money will be refunded.