I would love to go to Japan one day, but in the mean time, this will have to do.
01. Anime: It is no new information that I love anime, but that's just it; I love anime. I love it more than American television, and it seems less like a hobby than ... something else. I'm not sure.
Not only does Japan create anime, they embrace it like we the bald eagle. They have created stores that sell nothing but memorabilia and items from a single title, theme restaurants based on a single title, and enough toys to fill your every whimsical desire. Clothes, school supplies, home decor, etc. Want to take a tour of Tokyo Bay? Hop aboard a ship made to look like "One Piece"'s Going Merry.
Now, let's start on the advertising. Just on the topic of "One Piece" (the number one anime in Japan at the moment), there are six foot by twelve foot (approximately) subway ads on the wall of the station showing each of the characters. They have commuter buses with the characters painted on the windows (to look like they are riding the bus). Shall we talk about fast food tie ins? In the US, we generally get nothing but cheap toys based on the current movie. Once a year or so, we get something cool, like McDonald's Hello Kitty toys or some inventive Halloween toys, but generally even the kids get bored. In Japan, you can even get toys based your favorite anime.
02. Ramen restaurants: In the US, Ramen generally means the instant ramen that you get in cello packs or Styrofoam cups. In Japan, ramen restaurants are a source of pride, a place where the chef has trained for years to get the recipes right. The soup is varied and made with love, garnished with fish rolls, eggs, bean sprouts, and many other things. The stock used to make the soup is made with as much care as the rest of the ingredients, and the noodles are made fresh. I am sure, in the metro areas of the US, you can get well loved, carefully prepared ramen like this; but in general, you get two varieties: cello packs and Styrofoam cups.
03. Food: Yes, this is in general. Noodles, rice (in general), onigiri, tempura, teryaki, and so many other things. Unless it is made with the parts of animals which I like to call "weird", even though they aren't -- just different, I'm pretty much cool with it. I do not like tofu, though it may just be the Western handling of it. Then, there are Bento boxes. I don't know what it is that I like so much about Bento (other than the adorable appearance and gorgeous art that is created with it), but I will eat really bad food if you just give it to me in a Bento box (though I do have my limits).
04. Candy: Just about everyone knows, I love candy. My favorite candy though is Japanese. Pocky, weird gum, candy that fizzes and tastes like strange fruit, chocolates with dried banana chips in it, hard cola flavored candy that fizzes in your mouth like Coke. They even have interactive candy, like the kind where you use water and the contained packets and molds to make little candy sushi. There are so many great types! I also love the packaging with the cute animals and adorable little Japanese girls in kimonos. I'm not devaluing American (or German or French, etc.) candy, but I think, I could be entirely happy if I had nothing but Japanese candy.
05. Fashion: I especially love the Gothic Lolita style. It's almost like tiny little doll clothes designed for young women. Of course, you need to have something akin to the Asian physique to carry it off, or you start looking a bit strange (By this, I imagine the photos I've seen of the 300+ pounds women squeezed into it, of the woman like me that are a little too busty for their own good). I also love kimonos, even if they are now, generally, worn for special occasions, like weddings and tea ceremonies. I also love geta and tabi socks. I love their efficient suits and their whimsy.
06. Architecture and Gardens: I generally prefer traditional Japanese architecture, but the modern style is also beautiful in many ways. I am in love with Japanese gardens though, and I could look at them for the rest of my life without tiring. There are some beautiful gardens in the US, but they seem to be more like the exception than the rule (especially outside the metro areas. The Japanese just seem to take it mores seriously than we do.
07. Horror films: Though the Japanese, like everyone, do have elements of the grotesque, blood spatter, and dead bodies; their horror seems to be more elegant than ours quite often (and most know, I do love American horror ... and Spanish ... and ...). It is based on legends, superstitions, and stories like fairy tales; and even the bad Japanese horror doesn't leave you with the deep soul-sucking emptiness you get when something from American stinks like a rotten egg. Perhaps it is just the style of writing and the appearance -- from spook to wardrobe; but it seems like a style of gourmet horror, when you get a good one.
08. Game shows: Game shows in the US tend to fit in two categories. The first is the kind where people in suits stand around answering questions (the kind I like). The second is the kind where we are supposed to take a schadenfreude elation in watching people humiliate themselves for the chance of getting some money (the kind I don't like). In Japan, their game shows are just CRAZY! They are full of wacky stunts and ridiculous costumes, where everyone has a good time, no one gets humiliated, and everyone is happy to have been on the show in the end. Often, they don't compete for money but a trophy and the honor of saying they won.
09. Hello Kitty: Sure, we have Hello Kitty here, but it's kind of like anime. We don't have Hello Kitty like they do in Japan. Hello Kitty and the rest of the merry Sanrio characters are the epitome of the Japanese concept of "kawaii", and it is embraced as more than something for children and eccentric adults that like to act like children. Also, it's cheaper there. There is no paying almost fifty dollars for an HK toaster (which I really want but can't afford), because there is no mark up for import and shipping. The range of products is wider and it's much more accepted for women of all ages to enjoy. From what I understand, it's fine for boys to enjoy Badtz-Maru products and similar. I don't know about boys/ men and Hello Kitty in general...
10. Chairman Kaga: Yes, he gets his own category. Outside of Andrew Eldritch, Chairman Kaga of "Iron Chef" is one of my most long lasting crushes. He's flamboyant, handsome, loves food, and has more panache than most people would know what to do with. I love watching for his clothing, expressions, dramatic flair, and portrayal of an obsessed food critic. Sure, "Iron Chef America" has Alton Brown, but it's just not the same.
HELLO KITTY!!!!!!
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