Shochu Ads

Last month, I was with my colleagues in a Tachinomiya (立飲み屋:A standing bar). And I saw these posters.

All these posters are mainly advertisements for Shochu but most Izakaya (居酒屋: Traditional Japanese bars) and Japanese restaurants (especially old ones) have these type of posters for Sake and Beer too.

I find it intriguing that there is similarity among these pictures, wherever you go in Japan. As if all these posters  belong to particular class of art or as if they are work of a single artist!

Faces of the models, their hairstyles and typical clothing, fuzzy colors and borderlines, specific font for text all are similar. I wonder if these posters have kind of history as well...

You know you are here for long time...

I was going through my old stuff  as a part of year-end routine of massive house cleaning ritual in Japan and found these. Wow! I thought. It really made me feel the flow of time.

My first mobile in Japan.
J-Phone(later transformed to vodafone) sanyo model:

My second phone by Sharp.
Larger screens and 3-4 Mbps mobile camera were in vogue; The name 'J-Phone' is history but Vodafone is still hanging in.

Next similar, but more powerful from Toshiba.
Softbank has taken over and Vodafone is out of Japan. Looking at this now, I wonder why I carried such monsters.

Shifted to iPhone 3G; One Button Revolution!!
Proud to be among first users of iPhone in Japan. Thanks Mr. Son and Steve!

And my current phone is iPhone 4S. I find no reason to run away from Apple. Just that looking back, I feel how mobile users have come long way...

Slow life

Life Philosophy T-Shirt found in one of the supermarkets in Tokyo

Nomikai topics - Your blood type

If you go for nomikai (飲み会:Literally 'drinking party') often with your Japanese friends/colleagues, there are  so called 'FAQ's you will certainly come across.

What is Your Blood Type?

Blood group based fortune telling（血液型占い） is a national pastime in Japan. Initially I thought how can there be only 4 types of people in the world, but it is not about 4 types. It is more about attributing certain traits to the people with certain blood type. Here are some of those traits

Type A:

• Very particular, meticulous and with sense of responsibility about any thing they do.
• Do not take much risks.
• As a shortcoming, these types may get too much involved and think in too many details.
• Takes time to convey his/her romantic feelings. So forming relationship may take time.

Author's comments: Since you are in Japan, if you are guessed to be A, take it as a compliment.

Type B:

• Easily interested in many things and gets into action but easily gets bored too.
• Fickle. Not a great team player. Individualistic and creative.
• Easily falls in or out of love.

Author's comments: Most looked down upon type to be in relationship with. If you are B, you have lot of 'damage control' to do.

Type AB:

• Obviously mix of AB. 'Dedication' from A and 'Quick Action' from B makes them successful in most of their tasks.
• Even while in relationship, tends to keep certain distance with boyfriend/girlfriend.
• Sometimes gives a deep thought to own actions but sometimes dives into action straightway (Mix of A and B?).

Author's comments: I still don't see how a person can be self contradictory,

Type O:

• Is dependable and has leadership qualities.
• Does not give a thorough thought before actions. Sometimes regrets for his actions later.
• Tends to be in more romantic or dramatic relationship.
• Makes clear differences between 'them' and 'us'.

Author's comments: Seriously??


So, that was about the 'blood type talk' that you may hear a lot over Japanese dinners with young and middle-aged people. Although in Japanese, there are even books on this type of fortune telling.

Disclaimer: This post is under 'Humor' label since author thinks about any type of fortune telling as a waste of time. No offense! Sometimes I waste my time too, but in other ways.

Dragon Quest

I am not a great fan of video games but recently, I was intrigued to find this crowd at Akihabara enjoying the free wireless range for Dragon Quest players. It was late afternoon and still quite hot outside, but these hard core fans won't let it go!