Meiji in Japanese

Named after the emperor, it is definitely so in terms of sales if not in taste.  They get all the best stars in their commercials… Here is one with David Beckham.

AND While technically a Korean brand, this one is a very popular type in Japan

Ghana Homepage

One of the more recent articles is this One from the New York Times about the lasting legacy of the Lost Decade. The writer says that there is a new sense of thrift in Japan. I don`t see that where I am. It seems that the Yokohama-Tokyo Coorador is one big shopping mall. I have seen more sales and coupons in the mail but it doesn’t seem possible that less Japanese are interested in shopping.

Its possible that less young Japanese guys are interested in cars because the trains are so useful and parking is a pain… but girls love a guy with a car. They love going on drives and guys will do anything for a girl, same as all other countries. The stats about guys not wanting cars are dubious in my opinion.

1. M.O.S. Burger

Mountain Ocean Sea http://www.mos.co.jp/menu/

Smaller size, fresh ingredients: you feel like you are indulging but yet somehow staying healthy at the same time.

I understand the Ocean part, there are seafood burgers like the scrimp scampe burger (ebi burger)… They don’t have any Mountain animals on the menu… Sorry no hyrax or snow leopards burgers…

The “Sea” in the name seems a bit redundant… OK! We get it, you have seafood!! I suppose it is better than just MO Burgers… but it would have been cool if they had gone with “inlet” - M.O.I. Burger or better yet “bay” - M.O.B. Burger.

2. Yoshinoya

A staple for students living abroad in Japan. Meat, sauteed onions, rice… a meal that can’t be beat. Well known for the speed in which they deliver the food to you,

There is a strong fascination for new products in Japan. The shop in the picture is only selling “Quarter Pounders” and as you can see from the line, it was very popular! Oh and they kept the name “Quarter Pounder” despite Japan being a metric system country. Some how the “.110 kilogramer” doesn’t have the right ring to it!

But don’t feel pressure when ordering: the staff wants you to have the best possible meal so they will patiently wait for your order. Oh and there are big pictures on the menu to point to if you can’t yet read Japanese.

Great Deals from Yoshinoya right now due the recession. 　Under 500 Yen!

Recession = Cheap Meat and Rice!

3. Freshness Burger

Limited Number of them but delicious. One is just outside of Harajuku.

4. First Kitchen

Fast food but also a sit down restaurant. Great Food!

5. McDonalds

Believe it or not, McDonalds in Japan is pretty good! The restaurants are always clean and there are usually special limited time only deals, like cheaper milk shakes and burgers. The french fries are really popular. They are always trying new products like . They also test market burgers that are successful in other countries. For example, a new item arrived:

http://tonymcnicol.com/2008/12/18/tokyo-commuter-hell/

Note: It isn’t like this all day, just watch out for the morning and evening rush… that is a good time to go to a cafe and wait it out. BUT it sucks getting caught in it… smelling someone elses hair when its 2 inches away, not my favorite thing to do…

Yen Over the Dollar

For one, Japan is primarily an export culture - Think of all the brands you come across on a daily basis: Honda, Toyota, Toshiba, Mitsubishi (they even make elevators) These companies benefit when the foreign currency is stronger…

For two, its time for some goverment influence, I mean if China can do it why not Japan???

For three, I am happy to be making Japanese Yen. My Salary has jumped considerably!

Or if not then what About.com recommends: Orange Juice or Powerade. Water is ok… but he needed something stronger. More Hangover cures here.

On with the Show:

Thanks to my friends at Tokyomango.com and Youtube for the posting the videos!

Oh Minister Nakagawa Resigned… but the TV News won’t let up (or the blogosphere) poor guy…

But with primo technology came a primo price, it always seem like Sony products were just a little too expensive. That can work as a sales point, to a certain degree. When a company has an elite image, it is smart to charge a little bit more, you know for that prestige factor: I OWN A SONY!

Even cutting edge technology needs to work and properly and be what people actually want.

What happen with the batteries in their VAIO computers? Fabulous looking machines with built in webcams, perfect for the Youtube generation, hit with a battery recall??

Why did the Playstation 3 take so long to get out the door? If they had not included the Blue Ray Disc Player could they have gotten it out the door on time? Will Blue Ray even be a factor now that several providers offer streaming of High Definition Video straight to your TV?

Pick yourself up Sony! I want to be proud of my Walkman again.

I want the envious stares when I proclaim: I OWN A SONY!!!

Thought I might provide some context. One of the biggest sticking points is over Japanese citizens that were kidnapped and taken to North Korea. They were forced to provide cultural information so that North Korea would be better able to train spies.

Return after 28 years

The crazy thing is that some of these people were kidnapped taken while at the beach!! Literally a N. Korean submarine would pop up, commandos would grab as many people as possible and then submerge! It is believe that up to 500 people have been kidnapped… full disclosure by N. Korea has not yet occurred.

Here are a few articles for more insight:

Boy Kidnapper by Regime 28 years Ago Meets his Mother

North Korea’s Kidnap Victims Return Home After 25 years

Why North Koreans were Kidnappers

Wikipedia has a great section as well:

North Korean Abductions of Japanese

From Wikipedia -

“The Ox is the sign of prosperity through fortitude and hard work. This powerful sign is a born leader, being quite dependable and possessing an innate ability to achieve great things. As one might guess, such people are dependable, calm, and modest. Like their animal namesake, the Ox is unswervingly patient, tireless in their work, and capable of enduring any amount of hardship without complaint.”

Here is a video from Japan for The Ox:

I am trying to see a positive on this, I mean you know that a company is pretty successful when they’ve had that long a run without experiencing a financial loss. A looming question is how will Toyota re-coup that loss: Will they need to close a plant or two? Some of these plants are located in the American South, the very place which were so against the bailout for the Detroit-based Big Three: Ford, GM and Chrysler. In this case the Japanese Government would need to arrange the bailout.

According to NY TIMES: “Toyota said it still expected to report a small net profit, helped by interest and dividend income as well as tax-related savings of 50 billion yen, or $560 million.”

From what I’ve read, Toyota is still much better shape. Due to profitability of their cars before, Toyota has very little debt.

At least the Exec apologize, I couldn’t see the Big Three CEOs ever doing that:

Katsumi Kasahara/Associated Press

Here is some vocabulary:

I am sorry: gomen nasai ごめんなさい Said to people of equal or lower status

I am terribly sorry: moshiwake arimasen 申し訳ありません - Said to superiors