2012年03月27日 Japan’s Strangest Kit Kat Flavors

Kit Kat
I think Japan has the most variety of Kit Kat chocolate I have ever seen. When I go home to Canada I always end up taking Kit Kat back because of the many flavors available. The airport gift shop at Narita is a great place to pickup a bunch of these, especially last minute. Some interesting flavors include (but not limited to) green tea, sweet potato, melon, strawberry, cheesecake, soy sauce and even wasabi!

So what’s the secret to the success of the Kit Kat brand in Japan? It turns out that the answer is part marketing and part linguistic coincidence. Kit Kat is very similar to the phrase “kitto katsu”, which is a common sentiment of good luck (the phrase literally means “You shall surely win!”). Because of this, Kit Kats have become a small good luck charm given out to students taking school entrance exams.

The other half of the Kit Kat success story has to do with marketing. Capitalizing on the Japanese tendency to “Catch ‘em all”, varieties of Kit Kats are quickly introduced and then pulled from the market to increase demand. In addition, certain varieties of Kit Kats are based on regional tastes, and are not always available nationwide. (weirdrasiannews)

Many Kit Kats at one of the gates inside Narita Airport.

Recently I came across a pack at the supermarket selling Kit Kat varieties from England, Australia, and Japan rolled into one pack.

(Starting from the top-left clockwise) English Kit Kat , Japanese Kit Kat, and Australian Kita Kat.

Interestingly they taste slightly different. I’m assuming to suit the tastes of the locals like they do here in Japan. Similar to what I hear Coke does to its formula based on where it’s sold in the world by adding more fizz or sugar for example.

The English Kit Kat tastes coffee-like and the Australian one seems sweeter to me compared to the Japanese variety. But really, if I have chocolate to stuff in my face then I’m content!

Check out this url for pictures (scroll to the bottom) of many past and present varieties of Kit Kat in Japan:
http://www.weirdasianews.com/2010/03/18/japans-strangest-kit-kat-flavors/

2012年03月26日 Surviving Hay Fever in Japan

15 Ways to Survive Hay Fever Season in Japan
Spring is here and if you have allergies, it might have already hit you hard. How do you get through allergy season in Japan? You’ll find some ideas below.

A few words to know:

花粉症 (kafunshou) – hay fever
花粉 (kafun) – pollen
アレルギー (arerugii) – allergy

Now, a few ideas to help you survive hay fever season in Japan:

1. Wear a mask outside. Even if you didn’t wear one in your home country, “do as the locals do” or “when in Rome…” or something like that. I lately opt to wear one, but I’m not sure of how effective they truly are. Though it does cover up how awful you look from the symptoms at the very least! There are many types so shop around and find the one for you.

2. Use a mask spray. Apparently if you spray your mask with this stuff it makes the mask more effective at keeping unwanted particles out.

3. Try a “nose mask”. It’s basically something that you attach to the underside of your nose and each side goes in a nostril. It acts as a filter for pollen and other airborne particles.

4. Refill those allergy medicine prescriptions. It is possible to get Claritin, Allegra, Zyrtec and Flonase (フルナーズ) in Japan (Consult a doctor about possibilities). Some possible prescription non-drowsy or “mostly” non-drowsy meds in Japan include: Allegra (アレグラ), Claritin (クラリチン), Alesion (アレジオン), エバステル, Talion (タリオン), and Zyrtec (ジルテック). You can get some over-the-counter anti-allergy medication, but most, if not all, are drowsy and probably not as effective as those you can get by prescription.

5. Buy an air purifier for your home. Look for 空気清浄機 (くうきせいじょうき, kuukiseijouki). 空 気 (くうき) means “air,” 清浄 (せいじょう) means “clean” or “pure,” and 機 (き), in this case, combined with the other two words/meanings, means machine. If you want one with a humidifier, look for 加湿機 also. You can find a bunch on Amazon Japan, but I also recommend checking your local electronics store for deals.

6. Hang dry your laundry indoors. Yes, it takes longer than hanging it out in the sun and wind, but if you want to avoid getting pollen all over your clothes. Or…

7. Put a cover over your laundry and/or futon if you hang them outdoors. The following is an example of a futon cover. 干し means drying, and 袋 means bag.

8. Take probiotics. Apparently these little guys might help alleviate some allergy symptoms. Whether it will help or not, probiotics are still great to take for a variety of other health reasons. Yogurt, miso, natto, kimchi and other fermented foods are great sources of “good bacteria,” or probiotics.

9. Try quercetin. This product, which is found naturally in apples, grapes and some other foods, helps balance histamine levels. You can find quercetin easily at iHerb.

10. Drink tea. Specifically, try one of these types: nettle tea (ネトル茶), beni fuuki (べにふうき, pictured below), tencha, or Chinese tea (甜茶), and gauva tea (グアバ茶).

Beni fuuki is a concentrated type of green tea, which means there are a higher number of catechins than regular green tea. According to this study, drinking beni fuuki one and a half months before the cedar pollen season resulted in fewer or less extreme allergy symptoms.

11. Try a “clothes block” spray. Supposedly helps prevent pollen from getting all over your clothes.

12. Try eye drops or anti-allergy eye drops. My eyes are the worst during hay fever season. I rely on eye drops to help me with the itching and irritation. There are also anti-allergy eye drops, which I haven’t tried myself. However, the price seems like a big drawback.

13. Use a neti pot. Though uncomfortable at first, it really works to clean out your nasal passages, lessen your allergy symptoms and helps prevent you from getting sick.

14. Wear glasses/sunglasses when outside. There are special hay fever glasses to help protect your eyes from pollen. I’ve seen more and more people wearing them this year. I’m sure you could wear regular sunglasses to help against exposure as well.

15. Know when the pollen is really bad. If you know when the pollen count outside is high, you can hopefully plan ahead (for example, not hanging out your laundry, not exercising outside that day, or planning to exercise in the evening, etc.) And for my own information, I use WeatherNew Japan for my pollen news. There are also a few apps for your iPhone or smartphone that might work for you too.

Source: http://www.survivingnjapan.com/2012/03/15-ways-to-survive-hay-fever-season-in.html

2012年03月25日 Hay Fever in Japan

Itchy!
I’ve been having a miserable few weeks! My eyes have been the itchiest they’ve ever been! Last year I remember using eye drops a great deal cause they were always dry. The addition of them being itchy just exacerbates my discomfort more. Most of February and March my eyes were uncomfortable, my nose slightly congested and my face flushed. I was a hot mess! It’s only these last weeks of March that I’ve felt any sense of relief thanks to the rain. After which my hay fever has calmed down a great deal.

About Hay Fever in Japan
I did a little research into hay fever (or kafunshou 花粉症) in Japan and it’s kind of interesting as hay fever hasn’t always been a problem in Japan. It’s only is the last several decades has the problem escalated.

Hay fever was relatively uncommon in Japan until the early 1960s. Shortly after World War II, reforestation policies resulted in large forests of cryptomeria [sugi スギ or Japanese cedar] and Japanese cypress trees, which were an important resource for the construction industry. As these trees matured, they started to produce large amounts of pollen. Peak production of pollen occurs in trees of 30 years and older.

As the Japanese economy developed in the 1970s and 1980s, cheaper imported building materials decreased the demand for cryptomeria and Japanese cypress materials. This resulted in increasing forest density and aging trees, further contributing to pollen production and thus, hay fever. In 1970, about 50% of cryptomeria were more than 10 years old, and just 25% were more than 20 years old. By 2000, almost 85% of cryptomeria were over 20 years old, and more than 60% of trees were over 30 years old. This cryptomeria aging trend has continued since then, and though cryptomeria forest acreage has hardly increased since 1980, pollen production has continued to increase.

Furthermore, urbanization of land in Japan led to increasing coverage of soft soil and grass land by concrete and asphalt. Pollen settling on such hard surfaces can easily be swept up again by winds to recirculate and contribute to hay fever. As a result, approximately 25 million people (about 20% of the population) currently suffer from this type of seasonal hay fever in Japan. (wikipedia)

Stay tuned for helpful hints to help beat or calm the symptoms of hay fever while in Japan.

2012年03月03日 Ueno Pandas

Oh Pandas!
In early December I took my friend Nirav who was visiting me from Toronto to the Ueno Zoo here in Tokyo. The main attractions are the pandas!

After the death of Giant panda Ling Ling in 2008, Ueno Zoo was without a member of this species for the first time since 1972. Two new giant pandas arrived from the Chinese Wolong Nature Reserve in February 2011. (wikipedia)

Many people flock to see the pandas and you can expect crowds on holidays and weekends to see them.

I can understand the appeal of pandas. They are cute! They sit around all day eating and sleeping it seems… Hmm, it’s no wonder they are endangered! :/

This is what pandas do.

Interesting fact. Pandas by nature are carnivores but have adapted to a diet of mainly bamboo. Occasionally they will eat meat when offered it, but they are unskilled predators so you will probably never see a panda in action for a carnivorous meal.

2012年03月02日 Renewing Your Passport Abroad

Getting Your Canadian Passport Renewed in Tokyo
It’s about that time to renew my passport, but living abroad (in Tokyo no less) you encounter a few obstacles but nothing impossible.

Firstly you have to get a passport picture, which conforms to Canadian standards. This can be difficult since photo sizes are different here. The embassy acknowledges this and offers Japanese instructions for your professional photographer to take your picture. On top of that they have to stamp the back of your pictures with their name and address, which is not a standard practice like it would be when doing this in Canada.

So instead of going through the headache I decided to do a Google search for Canadian passport photo in Tokyo… Surprisingly I found a place called ID Photo Center that specializes in foreign passport pictures in Tamachi! It definitely made things easy and I totally recommend them. Plus it’s quick!

The ID Photo Center (証明写真センター) in Tamachi for all your foreign passport photo needs.

Next you need a guarantor. For example, a doctor, judge, mayor or dentist. This can be difficult to get while abroad. Fortunately for me my doctor is the same doctor I’ve had in Japan since forever. If you have no suitable guarantor candidates you can fill out a form which exempts you from needing a guarantor (Statutory Declaration in Lieu of Guarantor). However you will end up paying more for your passport and it may take longer to process.

Once you have filled out your application and gathered all your materials that prove you are who you are; you are ready for processing.

The one good thing about renewing your passport is that there is no line! The Canadian Embassy in Tokyo is who handles passports but only until 11:30am, so wake up early and you’ll be fine. Also you can pay the fee in Japanese yen or Canadian dollars. Whichever way is easier or beneficial for you. Finally you can come back to embassy to pick up your new passport or have it sent via registered mail.

One final note for holders of whatever Japanese visa you may hold. Don’t forget to visit your local immigration office to have your visa stickers transferred to avoid hassle.

Random passport from another Justin. :P