JapanSugoi

We’ve previously featured Candy Fruits, a well known Japanese maid costume and cosplay brand.  Capitalizing on their popularity, the company has opened up its first maid themed establishment in Akihabara last August called “Refresh Club キャンディフルーツ　リフレッシュクラブ where stressed out salarymen or otaku can relax enjoying the company of a maid.

The stores concept is that of providing the customer with a chance to relax the body and mind, something known as “Iyashikei” in Japan.  Customers can do a variety of activities including watching DVDs, doing yoga, reflexology, having their ears cleaned or even playing Wii Fit - all with their specially trained maids of choice.

The club has 4 70sq meter booths set up for customers. It is open to the public from 12 to 9 pm and costs include a one time incentives cost of 1,500 yen and 1,000 yen annual fee.  Visit costs are 30 minutes for 2600 yen, 1 hour for 4600 yen, extending 30 minutes is another 2600 yen, nomination fees to select your maid for 30 minutes is 500 yen.

Directions: From JR Akihabara Station, Suehiro-cho, Chuo street to the station to go straight, cross at the signal, go straight to the left to the Hasegawa Building.

Read more at the CandyFruits Refresh Club blog here.

source: Akibamap

Each autumn giant  Echizen kurage (Nomura’s jellyfish) invade the Sea of Japan seriously disrupting local fishing operations. The giant jellyfish can grow up to 2 meters wide and weigh up to 200 kilograms (450 lbs) each.

As part of the ongoing battle against these invaders, students from Obama Fisheries High School in Fukui prefecture developed a method for turning the invading jellyfish into powder. A Fukui-area company Keifuku Shoji Co. followed up with a cookie recipe that included the powdered jellyfish as an ingredient in making souvenir cookies. The resulting cookie has a superbly textured sweetness nicely complemented by the bitter, salty flavor of jellyfish.

The jellyfish cookies, called “Ekura-chan saku-saku cookies,” can be found on sale at JR Fukui station at a price of 580 yen for a box of 10.

After hitting the market, more than 20,000 Ekura-chan cookies were been sold in 2008, far exceeding expectations and there are plans to begin developing desserts baked with jellyfish powder for such products as jelly and rice cakes.

Being a Japanese comedian is probably the best job in the world. You get act silly and get paid for it.  One of the perks is hosting or being invited to participate in wacky game shows on late night TV.  Especially if the game involves you sliding across 30 hot and sexy Japanese bikini babes covered in some lotion (lubricant).  The fun continues with a stuffing contest and then a free for all with lots of lotion and stripping.  Watch the video before it gets removed from youtube.

This video is not safe for work!!

Japanese TV has often created many funny TV shows and crazy games.  The Human tetris game shown on Fuji TV’s  Haneru No Tobira also known as Tunnels no minasan no okage Deshita とんねるずのみなさんのおかげでした is a worldwide favorite.

Contestants for the game are grouped into the the Blue and Red teams.  They then have to  squeeze themselves through a  foam wall which contains various (sometimes human like) shapes that moves towards them. If they cannot get through they are pushed into a pool of water.  There are also group challenges towards the end of the program and the team with the most points wins.

In the original version of the game, a group of Japanese comedians lead by the Tunnels comedy duo of Ishibashi and Kinashi, with Kosugi, Yoshida and Komoto are joined by South Korean fighter Choi Hong-man.

Human Tetris Videos

Human Tetris 4

Human Tetris 5

Human Tetris 6

more Human Tetris videos here

Human Tetris 1

Human Tetris 1 part 2

Human Tetris2

Human Tetris 3

Some folks think watching pretty idols talking “girls talk” is entertainment.  In that case, take one American import model and Jpop star Leah Dizon (21), one Japanese-American fashion model Lena Fujii (24) and one Japanese idol Yuka 優香 (28) and put them in a coffee shop to see what they talk about. Unfortunately, with Leah’s limited Japanese, the conversation was dominated by Lena and Yuka. Many youtube commenters were either for Leah (for doing so well) or against Lena (for dominating the conversation).

Part 1

Part 2

When gorgeous Japanese fashion model Yuri Ebihara (known in Japan as Ebi-chan) turned 29 last year, Japanese publisher Shogakukan “graduated” her from CanCam magazine to AneCan magazine.

AneCan is the “older sister” version of the original magazine launched last year with CanCam model  Moe Oshikiri 押切もえ targeting Japanese women in the mid twenties to mid thirties and features more grown up adult fashions.

Shogakukan publicized a final CanCam photo shoot and a graduation party at Omotesando’s Saint Grace Cathedral in which lucky readers of the magazine were able to attend.

BTW, Ebi-chan is still single and looking for her ideal mate.

Yuri Ebihara Graduation Video Part 1

Yuri Ebihara Graduation Video Part 2

Though we’re past Christmas day and gearing up for New Year’s Eve, we’re still in the holiday mood and we keep hearing Exile’s 新曲 version of Wham’s Last Christmas on the radio and on TV because it’s been number 1 on the Oricon music charts.   The Jpop group’s 29th  single is taken from the latest compilation album “Exile Ballad Best”which contains 14 ballads including the romantic hits Ti Amo, Lovers Again, Tada Aitakute, Michi and Your Eyes Only ~ Aimai na Boku no Katachi~, the group’s 2001 debut single.

Exiles version “Last Christmas” is more like Wham’s original version while the Foxxi MisQ version of the song which was released a month earlier is decidely more hip hop.

Exile’s Last Christmas

Fan Made Video showing Christmas shots around Japan

Karaoke Version

Exile Best Ballad TV interview

Like Exile’s music? We do! See more or purchase here.