Nagoya Pokemon Center

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I had almost forgotten about the Nagoya’s Pokemon Center because there is another one in Tokyo - that looks a lot nicer than this one.  But if you are in the Nagoya’s vicinity - and a Pokemon crazy fan - you can check it out.  If I remembered correctly it’s located in the Oasis.   Do check out the internet/manga cafe while you are there - pretty interesting - hopefully they are still there though.

StarBucks Japan With LCD TV

One would think with Japan being so high tech and having one of the largest electronic stores there - an LCD TV inside Starbucks Japan wouldn’t be a bad idea right?  I had written a comment on one of their comment card many years ago - but i see they didn’t take me seriously at all.  But look out for their flavor of the month for this summer - dark mocha & orange Frappie.  Yums!  And if you are wondering about prices for some starbucks caffeine - check below.

One Short Ice/Hot Coffee of Starbucks Coffee in Tokyo is ¥290

One Tall Ice/Hot Coffee of Starbucks Coffee in Tokyo is ¥340

One Grande Ice/Hot Coffee of Starbucks Coffee in Tokyo is ¥390

Coffee Jelly Frappuccino  (Tall ¥480, Grande ¥530)

One thing about Starbucks anywhere in the world - the employees are all so chic and hip.  Don’t you agree with me?

Square Enix, Japan

For the geeks going to Japan and thinking of visiting Square Enixin Hatsudai - don’t be too disappointed because i found that it was way too expensive for my liking - even though the engineers that was with me did buy some very expensive t-shirt.   But it was a good trip as far as I can remember - and if anything - the life size statue of Sephiroth was pretty impressive. And then we went on a eating spree of course and I was like thinking to myself - i need to find some  diets that work because even though you can get the healthiest food in Japan - one tends to overeat while you are there… and I was there for 6 months.  Next - food in Japan - I promise.

Gadget Savvy Japanese Gals

If you think or in your mind think that all Japanese girls are demure and shy - then you are wrong - those that i know are very gadget and tech savvy and knows all about  car insurance and unlike me - who needs to wait for the spouse to do that for me.   When i was a kid, i had an exchange student in my class and she had all the cutest looking thing one can ever dream of.  And now - that same girl that I’ve known all my life - is the most tech and gadget savvy japanese gal I know.   The classic japanese gals in Japan has a HP notebook, and ipod touch, cellphone, digital cameral and of couse the USB key but of course they had to be cute looking - quality to a Japanese gal is more important than quantity - no wonder the Japanese has new stuff every year to satisfy the needs of the tech and gadget savvy Japanese gals.

Homes In Japan

Most commonly seen item in any Japanese home is a rice cooker - and you can imagine the Japanese having one of the most high tech kind of rice cooker or any kind of kitchen gadget you can find.  Not only are the makes of things in Japan consumer friendly - they are all designed to suit the individual taste of the different age group of Japanese ladies and men.   The other common item seen in a Japanese home are   wall sconces, the Japanese are the most meticulous people I’ve seen, they can certainly make their home look really pretty without spending too much money.  But having said that - they would rather buy 1 good quality furniture than 10 which are inferior in quality.

Solar CellPhone Charger

Trust the japanese to come up with not only useful gadgets but darn cute one .. like this Hello Kitty solar Cellphone charger.  Unlike the 115334 vacuum motor this seems a lot less complicated eh.   This mini solar charger is so light .. it is also eco friendly.  But note that it only gives like 500 charges and then you have to throw it out and get another one.  But it’s darn cute.. and i’ll take this anytime.. then to carry my charger around.  What about you..??

Halloween @ Asakusabashi

Shinjuku is a great place to shop but if you want the really good stuff, I would recommend Asakusabashi - a wholesale area and also known as the handicraft town.   Halloween being round the corner, you can see a lot of Halloween stuff on sale now.

Japanese Pancakes

Well.. it really isn’t pancakes.. but sorta.  It’s actually called Imagawa Yak.  Definitely missing it right now.. and wished i could sink my teeth onto one of this sweet and sugary thing.  Made of eggs, flour and sugar.. it’s pretty popular as a afternoon snack in our office.  Plenty of them sold in the shop houses in Japan - Tokyo .. where office furniture are sold and around Asia.   I love the one in Azabu Jyuban because it was near our office..  at $1 a piece .. you can’t really go wrong with it.   Comes with fillings of red beans.. cheese and peanut or custard, i always get the red bean ones.

Cutting Noodles With A Robot

We all know that the Japs are awesome when it comes to inventing new things - i mean look at their electronic streets in Tokyo.. !  and if you have seen their paper thin phone - you know they are the leaders when it comes to any kind of invention.  Impressive is not the word.. becasue if you visit the ramen shoops in Minami - Alps, Yamanshi, you will probably be in awe to seethey have their own robot chef that takes care of the assembly of the noodle bowl while the real chef does the cooking and preparing the noodles but the putting them togehter to create the bowl of your steaming hot ramen is done by the robot.

Customers merely have to input their orders on a computer, and the robot takes care of everything. If you think that this might affect the flavor of the soup somehow, then you are right – but only in the best possible way! The robot can customize the flavors depending on the preferences of the customer. It can measure the different spices and flavorings – up to 40 million different permutations! From the amount of salt, soy sauce, and down to the richness of the soup, you can be sure to have a perfect bowl to match your tastes!

The shop owner, Yoshihara Uchida, is quite proud of his achievement. He worked on this robot for quite a while, meeting a lot of hurdles along the way. Finally, after five years of working on the robot, Uchida was able to launch his creation in December of 2008. He dreams of mass producing this robot and making a name for himself.

3D Digital Camera

A Japanese camera maker has developed the world’s first compact digital camera featuring a three-dimensional image system that allows three-dimensional still and moving images to be viewed with the naked eye. The system comprises three elements: a 3-D digital camera which captures an image exactly as your eyes see it, a 3-D digital photo frame, and 3-D prints. It is planned for release in 2009, taking digital cameras into a new era.

The 3-D digital camera has two lenses. When we humans view an object with our two eyes, our right and left eyes view the object from somewhat different angles. This makes the right and left images slightly different, and the two images are synthesized in our brains so that we see the object three-dimensionally. Theoretically, therefore, a camera should also be able to reproduce three-dimensional images if it is equipped with two lenses, one each on the right and left.