In the past couple of years the katakana loan word kureimā (claimer=complainer) has become widely used in Japanese to describe this kind of person: the Trouble Maker is someone who loves to complain about things, often to try and claim some kind of financial compensation (a discount or something for free), but sometimes simply because they enjoy causing trouble. (more…)

A quick comparison of the enormous range of Fanta flavours available in Japan with those available in other countries gives an indication of how much variety the Japanese like in their soft drinks. Fuelled by consumer demand for new products and limited seasonal editions, the beverage industry in Japan churns out an astonishing range of drinks that can best be described as ‘imaginative’.

With such a wide range of drinks, it’s perhaps not surprising that there are some unusual examples, and Inventorspot has listed its Top Ten Bizarre Japanese Soft Drinks. The list features a mixture of drinks with unusual Engrish names (like Hot Calpis) and those with unusual flavours/concepts (like Mother’s Milk). The unfortunately-named Deepresso coffee - which has also been the subject of countless blog posts on unusual coffee brands - also appears on the list, although Pocari Sweat is curiously absent.

If you’re teaching English to adults in a Japanese eikaiwa, chances are you’ll meet some great people. Speaking from my own experiences as a teacher, I met some of the most kind, generous and interesting people I’ve ever met.

Unfortunately though, the money-grabbing nature of the eikaiwa industry means that anyone can take English conversation lessons, even if they are hopeless at learning languages, have poor ability to interact socially, or are mentally ill.
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Following my previous Reblogging Japan post about kids’ beer, here’s a TV ad for the product from YouTube.

The Product: You need to be 20 years old to legally buy alcohol in Japan, but that hasn’t stopped the Sangaria company bringing out kodomo no nomimono (lit:children’s drink), a drink they basically market as beer for kids. Admittedly the product doesn’t contain any alcohol, but the fact that it’s blatantly portrayed as imitation beer means it’s the kind of thing you’d never find in a western country. (more…)