Archive for March, 2009

Sexy Japanese candy

A Japanese commercial featuring a sexy Puccho candy:

• Akihabara News – Gadgetry from Japan (Subscribe)
• dannychoo.com – Your portal to Japan (Subscribe)
• Kirainet.com – A geek in Japan (Subscribe)

‘One Stop Centers’ for foreigners in Japan

Mainichi reports that the Justice Ministry will be setting up new “One Stop Centers” to help foreigners on employment searches, immigration issues, and other problems:

Until now, these issues were handled separately by local governments and regional immigration bureaus, but the three centers — to be set up in Tokyo, Saitama and Hamamatsu in Shizuoka Prefecture — will be open for consultations on all matters pertaining to foreign residents in the country, in an attempt to better integrate them into Japanese society.

“The immigration bureau is not just about exposing illegal residents, it’s now at a turning point where it can work toward creating a society where Japanese people and foreigners can live in harmony,” said an Immigration Bureau official.

• Akihabara News – Gadgetry from Japan (Subscribe)
• dannychoo.com – Your portal to Japan (Subscribe)
• Kirainet.com – A geek in Japan (Subscribe)

Rice Tard

Some Japanese stores need to start importing this lovely product from Korea:

• Akihabara News – Gadgetry from Japan (Subscribe)
• dannychoo.com – Your portal to Japan (Subscribe)
• Kirainet.com – A geek in Japan (Subscribe)

Takeru Kobayashi wins eating contest in China

He may have not been able to reclaim the Nathan’s hot dog eating title, but Japanese pro-eater Takeru Kobayashi still dominates at Asian eating contests:

Takeru Kobayashi(L) of Japan and Johnny Wu (R) of China’s Hong Kong swallow food during an eating contest in Suzhou, east China’s Jiangsu Province, March 29, 2009. Takeru Kobayashi, the famous Japanese big eater, claimed the title in the eating contest on Sunday by eating 164 sushi within 20 minutes. -Xinhua

• Akihabara News – Gadgetry from Japan (Subscribe)
• dannychoo.com – Your portal to Japan (Subscribe)
• Kirainet.com – A geek in Japan (Subscribe)

Canned Apéritif

A commercial for Kirin’s classy new apéritif-in-a-can:

• Akihabara News – Gadgetry from Japan (Subscribe)
• dannychoo.com – Your portal to Japan (Subscribe)
• Kirainet.com – A geek in Japan (Subscribe)

Tonight on TV: SASUKE (Ninja Warrior) – Spring 2009

Cancel your plans for tonight, dear readers: it’s SASUKE time! TBS will be airing the Spring 2009 SASUKE (Ninja Warrior) competition tonight from 8:00PM until 11:23PM.

Here’s a TV commercial with a few seconds of teaser footage:

Those of you who won’t be able to watch Japanese TV tonight can keep an eye on Lost in Ube for timely blog posts about the results of the competition.

• Akihabara News – Gadgetry from Japan (Subscribe)
• dannychoo.com – Your portal to Japan (Subscribe)
• Kirainet.com – A geek in Japan (Subscribe)