On our last night in Japan, our good friend Yoshiko took us out for okonomiyaki. My, oh my – this was good!
Prior to going out, my companions wanted to know what it was and I described as a pancake with Japanese ingredients. I had had it before, but this time I tried it with mayo on the side.
Surprisingly, I saw quite a few Japanese using mayo on dishes such as okonomiyaki, yakisoba, sushi, etc.
What looks like very pleasant to our eyes and inviting to our taste buds is actually meant for canine pleasures. Found this pet shop with a wide selection of canine delicacies for all occasions.
Dog food Japanese style
We surely miss all these jidou hanbaiki 自動販売機（じどうはんばいき） – Japan has the highest number of vending machines per capita around the world, averaging one machine for every 23 people. There are vending machines for hot and cold beverages, cigarettes, ice cubes, eggs, vegetables, umbrellas, beer, rice wine, instant noodles, and much more. It seems every street corner has at least one. There are close to 6 million machines throughout the country, generating a huge amount of sales.
In 2008, a smart card called taspo was implemented in tobacco vending machines to restrict sales of cigarettes. From such machines, cigarette purchases may only be made by taspo card holders, which is issued to adult applicants (in Japan, this is 20 years of age). The card is held up to a sensor after money is inserted into the machine. Some beer vending machines also require age verification.
Vending machines in Japan
At the Fukuoka Airport, I saw a tobacco vending machine customer holding up his wallet to the sensor. He did not even have to take out his card. This looked very futuristic to me.
Japan spends a lot of money on its conveniences, but still neglects to hire proof-readers/translators when putting information onto print.
Translation Japanese - English
The simple beauty of a stone basin and floating flower heads, as seen in Japan, inspired me to take out my Imari bowl and snap off some pansy heads from the flower box on the balcony.
There are quite a few things I have learned from my most recent trip to Japan.
One, just because a soft ice cream is green does not mean it is the regular green tea flavored one. I was too eager to get one and so I skipped reading the ad. The salesman was kind enough to point out its flavor: wasabi. It was so good.
Wasabi ice cream in Japan
Trains can have nice looking flooring such as this Sonic.
Sonic train in Japan
There was once gold mining in Japan. We visited the Taio Gold Mine near Hita in Northern Kyushu.
Taio Gold Mine in Japan
I know now the taste of Vegemite. I had to come all the way to Japan as a tourist to taste this at breakfast time at a Japanese friend’s home.
Another new taste was yokan (not to be confused with the Japanese sweet bean jelly). Yokan, the Japanese term for this vegetable, seems like a cross between potato and radish. I was told this is a fairly new vegetable from South America.
from Amazon.de
