011: Happy 2013 !

Happy new year ! Wow, it's 2013!

Looking back 2012, how many resolutions have you checked off so far?

Get a house? Weight-loss? Add a new family member?

It's easy to set the goal, when it comes to effort that you need pay to make it come true,

always not easy. Anyhow, ganbarou!

During new year, received a box of new year present from my friend.

Including this ~

You may heard tokyo banana before, this one called "Tokyo banana tree" ,

it is only sold in Tokyo skytree, launched in May 2012.

It's actually a choco-banana cake rolls with leopard prints. You can easily find the original Tokyo banana in Tokyo station or airport but not this one.

Also have some Taiwan local souvenir, the yi lan bing is very nice!!

Do the prints on the masking tape look familiar to you?

 It is a Tokyo limited masking tape, you can see the Hachiko statue at Shibuya,

 the Kaminarimon, Tokyo tower and the Tokyo skytree tower prints lining up on the masking tape.

 

If you would like to buy the things we shared in this post, make sure you're in Tokyo not Kyoto or Osaka, since there are all only sold in Tokyo!

 

Have a great 2013 ahead!

 

~End~

 

010 : Get a stamp on it !

I think stamp collecting would be one of the most common hobbies among my friends when I was a primary student. But I already put my stamp book into the bookshelf for a long time. I think I have to take it out again since I'm attracted to the post postage stamps in Japan.

If you're anime lover + stamp collector, then you'll be taken with the 'Animated series' which are being sold in Japan. There are always in a set of 10 stamps, like the photos posted here, featuring the Japanese manga series "Detective conan" and "One piece".

To welcome the festive season, the Japan Post also released "Christmas Stamps". I think your friends and family would be very happy to receive a card which added with a festive touch with this Christmas stamp. My friend even mistook it as kid stickers. Yes, they are stickers! No glue is needed! You can just simply paste them on cards,  parcel... You can even use them for decoration ( though it seems a little too wasteful )

009: A fun masking tape printer

It's really convenient nowadays, we can print almost anything at home,

photos, greeting cards using a printer.

And, now you can print your own words on masking tape as well. Isn't cool?

I found this little cute masking tape printer when I walked by a shop in Kyoto.

First impression, it looked like a thick calculator for me. It could be held in on hand and it's light.

You can print in Japanese, English or numbers.You can choose type of font, size of font, frame and type your message on the masking tape provided.

It's as easy as that, can be used as a label, decorations on cards or gift.

And, here is the video of a printer user who's sharing how to use the printer, have a look ^^

007: Halo!

Hi folks! How are you doing? It a bit late to say "Happy Halloween" now.
Anyway, hope you had a good time with your friends.

It is getting cold in Japan, it is the season to wear many layers of clothes, like an onion.

If you are visiting Japan soon, it is advised that not to wear the very thick inner wear.
Since when you enter the restaurant, it would make you feel stuffy.
There are many functional thermal inner wear available in Japan, the fabric is thin and won`t make you look bulky.

 

If you can`t stand the cold weather may be you can wear like them.

It is not hard to find this kind of costume in Japan. And, it is not rare that people wear them to sleep.

Also, wear them to halloween party.

I couldn`t help myself switching my eyeside to the Kamen Riders,

 they look even more shiny at night.

 Thinking to get any one?

006: Say kimchi ~

Haha, this is usually said when my korean friends are taking photos.

Everyone is looking at the camera and say `Kimchi`

Well,  Japanese usually say `ha-i, chi-zu!` (means cheese ) to give a good smile when they are taking photos. This is not the point of this post. Just wanna share some photos of mine that previously taken when I was making kimchi with my friends.

Very first step , cutting and slicing all the ingredients.

We were making two types of kimchi, one is using chinese cabbage , another one is white raddish.

The other ingredients including minced ginger, garlis, sliced onion, scallion, chili flake,

salt and korean fish sauce.

I think making kimchi is one of the good way to bring people together, especially family members.

Coz it needs a lot of work like washing, cutting the ingredients and mixing them.

Time to stuffed and spread the chili paste on the cabbage.

All mixed well.

 

Tadaang ~

Yay, done! all the kimchi were packed into boxes and stored in at room temperature for the first day to allow fermentation. The next day, it was put in to the fridge and ready to serve. 

My korean friend also made us the traditional drink, called Su jeong gwa. It is made by simmering the cinnamon stick, ginger and red jujube. Then, add in sugar and dried persimmon.

Masiseoyo!

 

 

005: The legendary Mouse

 What I love about the Disney in Japan is they always has special edition for some of their goods. Like below

There is a series of Disney character called Cubic Mouth released in Japan back to few years ago.

Designed by Satoshi Fumihara. Love them very much, with the special features on their face.  

With the square mouth and the facial expression which you`ll never see on the original one.

 Went to Disney sea in the early of September.

Minnie was greeting everyone in front of the entrance.

 Love to see how people decorate themselves with the disney accesories.

Duffy`s popcorn bucket sold in Disney Sea Japan.

 

 

The new attraction in Disney Sea Japan, Toy Story Mania. It is more impressive to visit the Toyville at night. The illumination is really amazing.

 Unable to get in since there a sea of people queuing for it.

According to what I watched from the tv, the guest will put on a 3D-glasses, board on the tram and find themselves under the bed in Andy`s room. Guest will feel like they shrunk as a toy cause everything in the room looks gigantic.

By the way, just found the masking tape printed with the lengendary mouse on the rack in a stationary shop.(ps: not found in the disney though) Very cute huh?

004: Awa Dance Festival

Just found out in the mid of August, Masking tape had a mt school project in Shikoku,` Making is fun`. The school is like you pay 1000yen for the workshop and learn to make cards, photo frames etc using mt products.  Here is their work http://www.masking-tape.jp/mtschool/gallery/

I was in Shikoku during August, not for the mt school but for another program.

My first meal in Takamatsu, the most famous food in Shikoku, udon!

 See, another footprint I got from this trip.

After having my lunch, continued my way to Tokushima, another prefecture in Shikoku.

Awa dance festival is one of the famous event in Tokushima, which held in the mid of August.

There are seats in some reserved area where you need to purchase the tickets to get in.

Performers wear the traditional obon dance costumes sing and chant as they parade through the shopping street.

Also, there are groups of dancer are called `ren`, dance through the streets during the obon.

Usually, the Awa dance festival is held for 4 consecutive days and there are competitions for

 dancing of each Ren as well.

The taiko drum`s performers.

The kids wear yukata.

Besides, there are many vendors selling food, toy and etc.

This also one of the common vendors you could see during the festival, it`s a game where you try to see how many toys you can net.

You could always find interesting choices of fizzy soda in Japan`s vending machines.