Some more of my favorite Japanese things...

If you have read my other posts about cool Japanese stuff- you can probably tell that I like to take pictures of the things I buy that are different- or that I just love.  So here is another installment of some of my favorite Japanese things...

Mini beers!  Isn't this the cutest little can?  I am not really a big beer drinker.  But I saw these at the grocery store and had to buy a couple- just to say I did.  They look like "kid-sized" beers- though they are definitely not kid beverages!  I am not sure how popular these beers are here?  The drunk driving laws here are uber strict to say the least.  Maybe the mini beers are for those who just want a taste of beer but are driving so they can't consume too much?  I have noticed that some Japanese people really follow the "in moderation" rule.  Unlike me- who can eat a whole bag of cookies- here they would and could stop at just one.  It's major will power baby!  So maybe the little cans are for those who know that too much beer is bad- and just want a little taste?  I thought they were mighty tasty- Japanese beer is pretty good actually.  But like I said- I am not a big beer drinker..

Japanese bread!  I am just talking about the bread they sell in the grocery store- not the bakeries (I'll post about those later.)  As you can imagine, the bread we have at the commissary just plain sucks.  It is old and stale- which is understandable considering the length of travel they have had to endure to get here.  The Japanese bread "loaves" are thickly sliced and so fresh and yummy!  I made sure we had plenty for the after Thanksgiving turkey sandwiches.  Hubby totally loves the bread.  I have always eaten wheat bread- but I love the white bread here.  The slices are much bigger and they come 8 slices to a loaf.  There are no heels   included either- I am not sure what they do with them after they slice them off?  I am sure they get put to good use.

Speaking of the commissary- they do sell the local bread there as well- but with a big mark up.  I don't get that!

My lovely dishes!  I found these in the entrance to the grocery store (Maruetsu).  The plates were only 300 Yen each and the bowls I think were about 100 Yen each.  So cheap and so pretty!  I love the edamame bowls- so different than anything I would find stateside (at least without paying an arm and a leg.)  The plates are smaller than what we are used to- but I kind of think that is better.  Maybe I will eat less? ha ha  Anyhoo- I plan on buying more to add to my collection.  I am going to need a pretty china buffet now...

 Did I mention how carefully the cashier wrapped my dishes?  She actually put up a sign to say her lane was closed while she diligently wrapped each piece in paper.  When she was done she took down the sign.  I just love that!!

Some more Japanese faves...

I don't have to leave to pick up my English student for another hour so I thought I would talk a little more about my favorite Japanese things.

Bento lunches! One of the pictures is upside down- I didn't realize the bento was upside down when I took the picture. But you can see the price in the lower right corner- 398Yen. That is roughly $4. Talk about cheap and yummy! I admit- I did not eat all of the seaweed looking stuff- but I ate just about everything else. It had a fried fish fillet, salted salmon, some sort of dumpling, a chicken nugget and tamago (egg omelet I mentioned before.) They have the best chicken nuggets here. I am not a big nugget fan- but I love them here. Of course I had to top off my lunch with a Caffe Latte from Mt Rainier. I am not sure if the coffee is really from Washington state- but who cares- it is good!  I bought this particular bento at the grocery store- but they can be found everywhere.  7-Eleven carries them and will make them to order.  Did I mention that there are 7-Elevens and AM/PMs on every corner?  That is not an exaggeration either!

Festivals, street fairs- whatever you want to call them.  They seem to spring up spontaneously- but I am sure there is much planning involved.  This particular one was last fall in Yamato (I may have posted pictures of this before?)  We had no idea it was there- we just happened to come across it stepping out of the train station.  What a nice little detour.  We found all kinds of food, drinks (beer) and dessert.  Sister enjoyed her chocolate covered banana on a stick.  It was good- but I am used to the banana being frozen- so I was surprised when it wasn't.  The last picture is a Japanese tea ceremony.

I am sure I will have more festival pictures to share in the future.  There will be a big cherry blossom festival next month I believe.  I can't wait!

A few of my favorite Japanese things...

The more I explore and the more I discover here in Japan- the more I realize how much I will miss it all.  I still have another 2 years, but already I am thinking how much I will miss all this.

I love my PASMO card.  It is my ticket for riding on the trains, subway and buses.  And- they can be used to buy stuff at the vending machines.  The kids think it is awesome they can flash their card in front of the machines and pick out what they want.  The best thing about the Pasmo card is that I don't have to worry about buying the correct fare.  The charts can be very confusing and not always in English.  I don't even take it out of my wallet, I just flash my wallet over the machine at the gates and it beeps me through.  Ok- I know that this is not really a big "miss" item- as I most likely will go back to commuting only by car when we get back stateside.  I still think my PASMO card is cool.

Sushi-go-rounds.  They are the bomb!  And they don't just have sushi.  They will have salads, vegetables, juices for the kids, and desserts!  If you don't see what you want- they will make it for you right then and there.  If you go during a slow time of the day there will not be much on the conveyer belt as they don't want to waste food- so you'll get everything made for you as you order it.  My favorite is the salmon and young yellowtail.  The tuna and scallops are also very tasty.  They even have little egg omelets (tamago) that are served on a little lump of rice that I find quite tasty.  They are kind of sweet and almost taste like a custard.  I do not care for the "fishier" kind of fish like smelt and some other ones I don't remember the name of.  At first I tried it all.  Now I am a little more picky and can tell usually what to stay away from.  The baby octopus is "interesting"- I would probably enjoy it more if it wasn't so dang chewy.  I also didn't care for the pickled eggplant.  But I do love fresh Japanese eggplant- it is most tasty when fried up tempura style.  Did I mention dessert?  They have the cutest little custard dishes with all kind of nummy fillings.  My favorite is a coffee flavored custard with a dallop of cream on top.  When you're all done you flag down a waiter or push the button at your table.  All the plates are color coded- the waiter or waitress will count the plates and enter it all on their little hand held order pad machine.  They hand you a ticket and you go to the counter to pay.

Oh- when you enter the restaurant the sushi chefs and the wait staff will often greet you enthusiastically in Japanese.  When you leave they will do they same- except say goodbye and thank you.  It's an awesome experience. 

Grocery Stores!  I highly recommend anyone visting Japan to take a little time to stroll through a grocery store.  First of all- they are usually in a multiple floor building where you will find assorted stores and shops.  My favorite store Maruetsu has a sushi-go-round upstairs- perfect for a nice cheap lunch.  A lot of times you'll find dry cleaners, bakeries, clothing stores, drug stores and all sorts of other things all in one building.  It is like the Japanese version of a Super-Walmart- except they are actually separate store/shops- so there isn't one big cashier line.  In Maruetsu they have beautiful- I mean beautiful produce.  When I finally get my DSLR I am headed there to take some photos.  The meat and fish are beautiful too.  I have never seen such fresh salmon- it is practically still moving.  If you want a cheap lunch you can't beat the bento boxes.  They have all kind of stuff from the traditional salted salmon to fried chicken and tempura.  Honestly- Japan isn't all that expensive if you get out of the touristy areas and shop with the general population. 

(From the Maruetsu website- I believe these are sweets made from mochi- a kind of sweetened rice that is pounded down into a kind of paste and then shaped into assorted shapes.  I think it is definitely an "acquired" taste- very different than what we are used to.)

 These are just a few of my favorites- stay tuned as I discover more things I love about Japan!