Miss/Won't Miss #1

Things I'll Miss About Japan #1: Nostalgia in all the most random places

Some of the old cartoon franchises I grew up with are still alive and kicking in Japan. I've posted other random Dragonball goods, but this was a cool find.

I wanted to show my boyfriend the super lame drink vending machine that had all these weird sodas that I'd never heard of, and he was like WHOA DRAGONBALL SODA.

I thought they'd all be Goku, but then I GOT A SUPER SAYAN ONE AND WAS LIKE MAYBE I WON MONEY??? Nah, there's 9 cans in all. I also acquired the Trunks can later on.

Things I Won't Miss About Japan #1: The devastating lack of Sailor Moon anything/Pure Cure? EVERYWHERE

Given Sailor Moon's big revival in the states, I thought for sure I'd see some awesome Sailor Moon stuff in Japan. To date, I have seen NOTHING outside of collector's shops and used toy stores. No candy, soda, cell phone charms, trinkets, advertisements -- absolutely nothing.

Some of my older kids know who Sailor Moon is and sort of chuckle when I draw my really bad version of her on their homework. Girls my age all grew up watching it and even the guys know the theme songs. WHY CAN'T I GIVE MY MONEY TO NAOKO TAKEUCHI THE WAY I GIVE IT TO JOHNNY'S ENTERTAINMENT???

Of course, you know what I do see a lot of? THIS STUPID SAILOR MOON RIP OFF THAT I DON'T EVEN CARE ABOUT.

Pure Cure? Pretty Cure? IDK! It's not Sailor Moon and there is no handsome Tuxedo Mask-type manly man, either. FAIL.

The Money I'd Have Wasted Had I Grown Up in Japan...

For the past few days, awesome and un-useless things with cartoon characters on them have been forcing me to spend money. If you wouldn't think twice about buying at least one of these items for nostalgic value, you should find other blogs to read.

First up, Super Mario Galaxy 2 Card Gum pack!

A whole 63yen per pack at the supermarket. I threw out the square bathroom-tile-looking gum, but I'm definitely keeping the Obake Mario and Hachi-Mario (hachi in this case is short for hachimitsu, or honey). I don't think I'll be buying enough of these to put together the big photo on the back but it was a satisfying impulse purchase.

Next, Dragon Ball stamps!

IT'S NOT OVER 9000 YEN!

In America, we put important people on stamps. In Japan, we use Dragon Ball. IF THERE IS A SAILOR MOON SET ALSDKJF;LSAKMD ;LSJDF I WILL DIE OR BUY THEM ALL. Set of ten 80yen stamps cost 800yen, SO AWESOME.

Third, super cute Hello Kitty fortune-teller daruma cell phone strap!

The only bad thing about this 200yen ball of unnecessary cute is that I can't read the kanji on the fortunes coming out of the back. I'm used to the variations of  吉, not entire phrases.

And finally, His + Hers Valentine's Day Pikachu merchandise!

The cell phone straps are kind of a given, I think they were 1200yen for the set. They made a girl Pikachu with a heart-shaped tail for this line of merchandise, and if you notice the half-heart for the girl even has a little pink diamond. KAWAIIIIIIII OMG.

However, it was the matching TAILS that... just... gaaaaaaaaaaah.

The back of the package

I died. Then I gave the Pokemon center 1500yen of my own money for a set. Then I died again. Of cute. And before you all die of cute, please note that for whatever reason my camera didn't get the colors as well as it should have. The tails look really washed out but they are much more vibrant in person.

And here's an unrelated parfait!

Flea Market in Setagaya

Last Monday Marissa dragged my butt out to Setagaya for the largest flea market in Tokyo! I'm pretty sure I caught a cold from being out in the cold all day, but it was fun looking at old Japanese junk.

Start of the epic flea market!

Sing those blues.

I'd keep this in my house and use it.
Too bad it was 25,000yen (more than $250).

BAKED POTATOES WITH BUTTER

Panda phone!

Yakitori!

Looking at junk!

I didn't buy anything, but it was a nice change of pace from the usual department stores or 109. I almost bought a kitschy set of 5 pins that were obviously older than me and super cute, but I refrained because of the 2,500yen price tag.

The cold outside is really keeping me from doing much and I'm pretty down and ragey about my job. Spring can't come soon enough!

A Note to 2012

Hey 2012.


Just a few things on how to be awesome. First, some general points:

1. Try not to be a dick with the natural disasters. 2011 REALLY messed that up in an epic fashion. We're still recovering from those and we don't need more to deal with.

2. Get that global economy back on track. It'd be nice.

3. America kind of sucks right now, can you make it suck less? I know 2011 kinda screwed us over with the batshit crazy GOP presidential candidates and a sitting president who's less than hopey-changey these days, but you can do better.

4. Take advantage of that whole Mayan calendar ending thing. "The world will end as we know it." That's not a terrible thing, because the world as I know it isn't full of rainbows and bunnies and Nyan cats.

5. Keep the internet memes coming.

Personal points:

1. Related to the America-sucking-less point, I need Japan to suck less as well. I'd like to live there for a while longer without wanting to gaijin smash everything.

2. 2011 gave me all these great new wonderful people in my life. Keep that up, I like having funny kids in class and people to see on the weekends.

3. My family is happy and healthy. My friends are happy and healthy. I'm happy and healthy. Keep that up.

4. 2011 was a Rabbit year and I did all right, but 2012 is a Dragon year and that's kind of frightening. Make sure it doesn't eat me alive.

5. More j-boys. Sandaime J Soul Brothers is like the best thing ever, thanks to 2011. Top that.

And just so you're not alone in this, here are some things I'm going to strive for:

1. Pass JLPT N3 and improve my Japanese all around.

2. Expand my social circle in Japan. And not at international mixers, those are terrible.

3. See, do, experience more. I want great memories and stories, not useless stuff.

Let's do it, 2012!

Imperial Gardens

A few weeks ago I walked around the Imperial Gardens in Tokyo. It's free and open to the public, which is great because paying to get some culture all the time sucks. It's kind of strange being able go from the sprawling urban jungle of downtown Tokyo to these amazing gardens by just crossing a street, but that's part of the magic of this city.

I'd also like to mention that a few years ago a crazy British gaijin removed all his clothes and jumped in the moat that surrounds the gardens. No wonder the right-wingers want us out of this country - no Japanese person would ever think to jump into the Emperor's moat, much less naked. Onto the photos!

Was the inspiration for this photo the big stone wall or the young salarymen?

Perfect for a desktop background.

What I'd do every day if I were the Empress of Japan.

My outfit that day was also pretty awesome, not that I got a proper picture of it. This was probably one of the last nice days were I could get away with wearing tall socks.

More info on the gardens here. I'd suggest paying a visit when it gets warmer.

SUMO!!!/相撲!!!

This past Sunday I was lucky enough to watch the final day of matches of the Tokyo sumo tournament! HUZZAH!

I honestly wasn't all that excited to go. My friends were all pumped, but I was sort of meh about the whole thing. I think I've mentioned before that I'm pretty meh about most things. I was going along for the ride, maybe buy some things for people back home. Pretend to be cultured. Go once so if people ask me if I ever saw a sumo match I could say I had.

OMG HOW DUMB WAS I??? I LOVE SUMO. IT'S SO GREAT. HOW IS THIS SPORT NOT MORE POPULAR???

Seriously, if I could buy the sumo equivalent of season tickets I'd have already bought them. I went to the tournament not knowing squat, and now I want to learn EVERYTHING. I kept track of who won each match in the Makuuchi round and I'm gonna have to Google all of them. I spent almost an hour on Wikipedia reading some of the wrestlers' pages. I might even Google some of the Juryo round wrestlers, a few of them had very loud, very proud fans in my section.

Click to enlarge the photos.

Dots indicate big white dudes (they were the obvious foreigners)

Stars indicate the winners

Arrows indicate wrestlers who had significant vocal support from the crowd

We spent all day watching matches. I told my grandmother student we were there from the beginning, and she said I was crazy for staying so long. I think it was totally worth it, only because I don't think I would've appreciated the higher ranking fighters without seeing some of the newbies first. The Juryo and Makuuchi matches were far more interesting to watch.

I remember seeing this dohryo on TV when I was a kid. In the 90's there were two very popular high-ranking wrestlers from Hawaii, Akebono and Konishiki, and they always showed their matches as part of the nightly sports report on the news. My grandfather was apparently a big sumo fan, even though I don't remember watching sumo a lot at my grandparents' house. I'm not sure that he ever got to see a sumo match at an arena like this, so I'm very glad I had the opportunity to do so.

Beginning of the day - empty arena.

Aoiyama's match.
Four judges discussing who should win.

At one point, two wrestlers fell at the same time
ONTO THE HEAD JUDGE.

Of course that got discussed.

Makuuchi time!

Hakuho receiving his big sumo Stanley Cup thing.
The prime minister and an assistant gave it to Hakuho...

...who then single-handedly gave it to someone else.

I recorded Baruto vs. Kotoshogiku and a few other matches, but I think this was one of the best fights of the day. Sorry for making all kinds of stupid noises but it was super exciting!

And of course I came home with some sumo loot! I bought a hand towel with Kotoushu on it not knowing he wasn't going to fight that day. I thought between the Baruto towel and the Kotoushu towel, I should support the gaikokujin with the hairy chest! Although now I'm kind of sad that I didn't buy any cool Baruto merchandise, especially after that awesome fight.

Super cute sumo exercises towel.

I'M TOTALLY GONNA WATCH SUMO AGAIN IN JANUARY. BARUTO BETTER BE FIGHTING AND GETTING PROMOTED TO YOKOZUNA.