Photographs from a small group of islands
The constraints of space and increasingly time in Tokyo make the notion of ‘convenience’ the norm rather than something noteworthy; however given the added option of either cut-price cost or comfort, the former always seems to be favourite.
As far as convenient food to go with a cup of coffee is concerned, the Japanese introduction of bread in a can a few years ago seemed to cover all bases, being little, light and long-lasting.
Yet believe it or not even this has been bettered by the arrival of bread, in a can,
in a vending machine.
Lunch and light snacks may never be the same again.
Update: Now available in a limited edition anime version. Yes, I kid you not.
Tokyo, it has to be said, is not exactly blessed with greenery, but in neighbouring Yamanashi Prefecture, they have a veritable glut of the stuff.
Although thankfully for the purist, there is a generous enough smattering of concrete accommodation to give it at least a hint of that traditional Tokyo-like topography.
Somewhat surprising however is that a large amount of the colouring comes from grapes, with this part of Yamanashi in particular positively bursting with them. A crop that, considering the Japanese love affair with packaging, thankfully comes complete with wrapping — or at least a preliminary part of it.
Such an abundance also means that the region is blessed with wineries, making the thought of a trip all the more worthwhile. But despite the use of foreign names,
and complicatedly carved barrels,
the end product could be politely described as poor, unpalatable even. The labelling of one particular tipple as ã™ã”ㄠワイン (great wine) arguably taking optimism to previously uncharted territory.
And then some.
Japanese snack maker Meiji has recently released its latest comically named chocolate product, Panky.
Yet despite Mao Inoue appearing in the promotional campaign, there’s hardly even a hint of any ‘hanky’.
A wasted opportunity if ever there was one, with the somewhat bizarre accompanying commercial offering little in the way of compensation.
With food-related programmes dominating Japanese television, it’s very easy for the viewer to be left slavering at the sight of the succulent snacks on display or, on occasion, the saucy delights of those sometimes serving up the samples.
The only problem is that all this food-based frivolity can leave the practice of preparing dinner seem all the more mundane, with no fancy dishes or flirty females to fire the imagination. Yet for the cost of only 1,980 yen (17 dollars), any dinnertime disappointments can be easily eradicated — this breast-boasting apron effortlessly putting a morsel of merriment back into meal times.
Perhaps.
“It appears obvious there is almost no market for whale meat, so if the Japanese government will not listen to the conservation argument to stop whaling, perhaps Iceland’s official recognition that there’s no market for the meat could finally encourage Japan to stop its expanded ‘scientific’ whaling program.”
New Zealand Conservation Minister John Carter disputing the supposed demand for whale meat.
The market for whale meat in Japan is probably nowhere near the size so-called ‘scientists’ may suggest, although Mr Carter’s claims that there’s almost none is equally suspect. It’s true that schoolchildren in certain areas are being lumbered with the stuff whether they like it or not, but on the other hand, some people do seem to buy it simply because they want to.
Plus to try and increase interest and tempt those willing to give it a whirl, whale is now available in cute little cans.
And for those after something fresher, supermarkets seem to have finally sussed that presentation could be a powerful tool in boosting whale sales. This for example doesn’t look especially appetising.
But with the addition of a bit of green and a lovely little flower, the minke below is much more appealing.
Maybe.