Ask any Japanese student returning from a homestay or holiday (US=vacation) in England what they thought about the food there and you’ll invariably get the response “mazui” (tastes bad). Compared to food in their own country English food understandably seems basic, lacking the variety of ingredients and cooking styles that sets Japanese cuisine apart from that of most nations.
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Availability
For people who prefer to drink at home in Japan, beer is available in off-licences (US=liquor stores), station kiosks and some supermarkets, from beer vending machines (now commonly with ID Card readers) until midnight, and at most konbini (convenience stores) 24 hours a day.

There are numerous local brands of beer, which are sold in a bewildering assortment of containers and sizes: 135ml, 250ml, 330ml, 500ml and 1000ml cans; 330ml, 500ml and 633ml bottles; and 1520ml home beer pump kits (complete with gas canister). In fact, I would hazard a guess that Japan has more sizes of beer container than any other country, as well as what must be the smallest container of beer for sale anywhere in the world.

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Space Tarako

To kick off this series here’s a classic TV ad for Kyūpii Tarako Pasta Sauce.

The Product: According to Wikipedia tarako is salted Alaska Pollock roe. I’m not sure, but since the word tara means ‘cod’ in Japanese it may be used to refer to the eggs of a number of different white fish. Whichever fish they come from, tarako are basically red fish-egg sacs that are something akin to the fish version of oviducts (fallopian tubes). Not the most appetising of foods when you think about it! (more…)

Definition: Turbo (noun) a compressor that increases the power of internal-combustion engines found in cars, motorbikes etc. Shandy (noun) A drink made by mixing one part beer and one part lemonade (American English=soda)

Turbo Shandy: An extra-potent shandy made with one part beer and one part alcoholic lemonade, which ‘increases the power’ of the beer.

Example sentence: “If you lot have been out since 5 o’ clock I’ve got a bit of catching up to do. I’d better get on the turbo shandies right away.”

Explanation: In contrast to Japanese laws regarding the consumption of alcohol before driving, British laws are less strict about the amount of alcohol you can drink before getting behind the wheel(1). The exact amount varies depending on factors such as the person in question, whether they’ve eaten anything, the speed with which they consume the alcohol and the type of drink consumed. In the case of beer, approximately two pints is the maximum amount most people can drink before driving.
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As in other countries, Colonel Sanders statues outside branches of KFC in Japan are seen dressed like Santa at Christmas time, a tradition that has been commonplace since the fast food chain’s launch here in the 70s (and the reason why many Japanese people still mistakenly believe westerners eat fried chicken for Christmas dinner!). Unlike KFCs in other countries however, Japanese KFCs also have summer-wear for the Colonel, and it’s commonplace for the statues to be dressed in yukata in July and August (though always removed on September 1st). And last week I discovered this new addition to the Colonel’s wardrobe, a samurai outfit.

Check out these other unusual photos - the vomit bar, the Harajuku oddball, the claw machine with live lobster prizes and the ‘ultra big’ condoms’.

Beer vocabulary and measurements in England, Australia and America

As the world’s most popular alcoholic drink, beer has countless variations of taste, strength, colour, price and ingredients around the globe. In addition, there are thousands of beer brands, numerous sizes and types of container or vessel it’s sold in, and a wealth of beer-related vocabulary. Even among England, Australia and the US – three countries that share a common language and a great many cultural similarities – there are some surprising differences when it comes to ordering a beer.
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Overrated hamburgers and Japan’s answer to the Soup Nazi

The Soup Nazi is a memorable Seinfeld episode about a soup restaurant with a reputation for delicious soups whose owner has a fiery temper. Nicknamed ‘the Soup Nazi’ because of the excessively strict rules he imposes on his customers, the owner character was based on Al Yeganeh, a real life New York restaurant owner who was feared by people who came to eat his excellent soups. This episode highlights the paradox that if a restaurant’s food has a great reputation then people will eat there regardless of the service they receive, something I witnessed first hand when I visited Sasebo last month.

The Restaurant
Located near Nagasaki, Sasebo is home to a large US Navy base and this has resulted in a proliferation of hamburger restaurants in the city. Arguably the most famous of these is the Log Kit　(website now offline), its popularity reflected by the number of cars parked outside and the line of people waiting outside. Doubtless this fame can be attributed to the restaurant having been featured on TV along with its female owner, Nobuyo Maruta – ‘the Sasebo Burger Nazi’.
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An interesting addition to Fukuoka’s nightlife

Among the many things foreigners find surprising when they first come to Japan is the country’s lax attitude towards alcohol. This includes 24 hour availability of alcohol in convenience stores, no laws against drinking on the street or public urination, and a (more…)

According to Wikipedia the Fushimi area of Kyoto gets its name from the words fusu(hidden) and mizu(water), meaning ‘underground water’, and to anyone who’s familiar with the area(1) it’s obvious why: Fushimi has an abundance of natural springs and the purity of the water has led to the area becoming one of Japan’s most famous centres of sake production.

Despite living in Fushimi for over two years I had never visited a sake brewery until last month, when I decided it was about time I checked one out. For convenience I selected the Gekkeikan Okura Sake Museum, which - in addition to being a sake brewery - explains the brewing process and history of sake through its informative displays and collection of historical artefacts. Founded in 1637 in Fushimi, Gekkeikan has grown to become one of the leading producers of sake; this museum is located on the site of the company’s original brewery and attracts visitors from all over Japan(2).

Arriving with an empty stomach I got a buzz off the three small glasses of sake I was given to sample (a sweet one, a dry one and a plum one, all of which were quite palatable in case you’re wondering) and I contemplated cracking open the complimentary souvenir bottle I received with my admission ticket. I decided against this however - cold sake’s nice and hot sake’s potent, but drinking room-temperature sake would just be wrong, even for a non-connoisseur like myself.
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