Halloween is in Full Swing at the Disney Store!

As predicted, October brings us some awesome Nightmare Before Christmas products! This month is packed with new products, and I can't wait to share with you all the great new stuff!

Happy 3rd Anniversary to Tsum Tsums! How did we ever live without their cuteness in our dull, dull lives?

Funny Conversations I've Had with Japanese People Recently

Since being back in Japan a month after an equal amount of time visiting family in the states, I've already had some pretty interesting conversations with Japanese people.

When I first came back to school, one of the female teachers I work with noticed that my face looked darker than usual. "You got a suntan!" she remarked to me with a smile. "Huh?" I thought. "Uh, no, not really..."

"Oh?" she said. "Your skin looks darker..."

I thought...And immediately recalled my stepmom saying something quite similar to me when I was back home. "Melissa, you look so white! I don't think that makeup is the right color for your skin tone..." "Really?" I had said in surprise. I'd run out of my American foundation, so I had been forced to buy some more in Japan. I bought what I thought matched my skin color...but apparently not.

August/September Disney Goods – Goodbye Summer, Make Way for Halloween!

It's been a while since my last Disney update as I was on summer break in America for the whole month of August! I'm back and refreshed, and super excited to hit the Disney store again! It may only be September, but Halloween goods have already hit the shelves. Right now the Unibearsity bears are this month's highlight, with adorable Disney Halloween costumes to dress up your bear with.

Daiso Japan vs Daiso America: A Comparison

Recently I made a trip back home to my native country of America (which is how the USA is known in Japan), excited to be comfortably surrounded by all things American. What should I find, however, but a very familiar sight right next to good ol’ Trader Joes – Daiso! Daiso is the equivalent of the dollar store, and it’s everywhere in Japan. Their products are actually quite good, ranging from handy kitchen products to cute stationary and nail stickers. I knew I had to check out this “Americanized” Daiso. Would the products be the same?

A Guide to Japanese TV

As a TV/movie fanatic, I jumped at the chance to familiarize myself with what’s popular in Japan. Luckily for me, my first apartment – a Leopalace – came equipped with a big flat screen TV (although this also got me into a contract with the dreaded NHK because of this – but that’s another story. Tip: unless you’re expecting someone or something, never, ever open your door in Japan. Even real Japanese people refrain from it for fear of the NHK). Not only is watching Japanese TV entertaining, it’s a great way to boost your Japanese learning! The great thing about Japanese TV for foreign learners is that there are subtitles of select speech that pop up on the bottom (I suppose if this was done in English it would be quite annoying, but it’s very helpful for those of us who could use the extra support). Also, in the top right and left hand corners is an overview of what's currently going on in the show and the topic of discussion, filling in any channel flipping viewers coming in halfway through the show. In the morning the time is also displayed, helping people getting ready for work keep track of the time.

Alice Through the Looking Glass Arrives at the Disney Store!

Although the new movie Alice Through the Looking Glass debuted in America months ago, it just premiered in Japan last weekend, and with it came a ton of awesome products at the Disney Store! Alice in Wonderland is wildly popular in Japan and sells well, so the movie should turn a good profit even if it didn’t produce much fanfare in America. Following the color theme of the movie, there are a ton of white and gold products that are just gorgeous.

Disney Store New Arrivals! Stitch, Zootopia, Ice Cream Tsum Tsums, and More!

It's June, and that means new arrivals at the Disney store, my favorite place to shop in Japan! So, what's new this month? Stitch!

My First Trip to a Cat Cafe!

One small key chain, hours of entertainment. Who can resist the soft pads of a kitty's paw?

If you’re familiar with Japan at all, you know all about their love of cat-related things – these squishy cat paw key chains, anime cat girls, this popular cat – and the awesomeness that is cat cafes. Cafes are another thing Japan loves, evidenced by maid and, more recently, butler cafes (which I will eventually visit and give my full report on, I promise you readers). Maid cafes are even so popular that they have opened in the states. Japan aficionados have brought back their love of cat cafes to places like London, Singapore, Hong Kong, and New York. Just what makes them so desirable to emulate?

Awesome Food I’ve Been Enjoying in Japan – Limited Edition Kit Kats, Taiyaki Okonomiyaki, and Gorgeous Cold Stone Ice Cream Pops!

Living in Japan for two years, I've enjoyed tons of great food both novel and familiar-with-an-Asian-twist. I've had my fill of okonomiyaki, my absolute favorite Japanese food, in Osaka until I literally got sick of it (never thought this was possible), inadvertently tried monkfish liver (never again!), eaten Burger King Japan's black burger, been fed a mouthful of shirasu (tiny white fish – also never again), eaten the most delicious curry flavored popcorn at Tokyo Disneyland, and had about the tastiest burger at a beach side shop in my previous home of Hitachi, Ibaraki (about the only place to get American food!). I love food! So I'm always on the lookout for new and exciting things to try.

As a self-professed sweet-tooth, I'm always searching for good places to satisfy my cravings when the weekend rolls around. Japan isn't traditionally a culture big on sweets, and when they do eat sweets it's usually mochi with sweet bean paste (not really my thing) or something green tea flavored (also not my thing). Unlike America, fro-yo bars, cupcakeries, or bakeries selling all sorts of cakes, pies, cookies, and muffins are almost nonexistent. That being said, nowadays Japan definitely appreciates sweets (there are even dessert-only or buffet restaurants such as Dessert Kingdom) and loves to invent unique, limited edition flavors! One thing I love is that in Japan Kit Kats come in all different flavors, while the ones back in the states are always the same. Besides green tea, "adult" (darker chocolate), and regular, all special flavors are limited edition. (For some reason Oreos are the opposite, leaving me pining for all the cool flavors being released back home, although you can find chocolate cream ones at Daiso and there is an interesting selection of Oreo bars). There's been a boom in new Kit Kat flavors this spring, such as these awesome Easter Kit Kats, which are pancake flavored!

Meet Japan’s Hottest New Character, Osomatsu-san

One of the many things Japan is known for is its love of characters, whether it be its own creation such as Hello Kitty, Totoro, or Pikachu, or those of another country such as Winnie the Pooh or Moomin (a popular character from Finland, which you have never heard of back in the states). Characters are seen everywhere, from snacks to sports drinks, kitchen goods, anime and games. There are even characters created purely to sell products. Japanese youth love characters, and it’s perfectly normal to have at least one character pinned to your pencil case or backpack, even if you’re an adult. I’d like to say I’m pretty savvy when it comes to popular characters in Japan.

My Review of the Edo-Tokyo Museum – and it’s Definitely Worth Seeing

So I did something the other day that I don’t normally do. I went to Tokyo. To visit a museum.

And I actually liked it!

Museums aren’t really my thing. But when my Ibaraki friend said he was coming into town to visit and he had some museums on his list, I thought museums…isn’t that…well…boring?

Then I recalled seeing some friends’ pictures of the Edo-Tokyo museum, which was on his list. And it actually looked pretty cool, like a real life replica of Edo period Japan. And guess what? It was definitely worth the trip! I’ve never enjoyed a museum so much as I did the Edo-Tokyo museum. Just what makes it so great? It brings history to life. Usually museums are very static representations of historic items, paintings, sculptures, etc. The Edo-Tokyo museum does have these things. But they don’t stop there – they push the boundaries. Then – BAM. You’ve got history right in front of your eyes!

Things You’re Forced to Learn for the First Time When Living in Japan

With seven years of Japanese study under my belt and a homestay experience, I thought I was more than prepared for living in Japan when I came here two years ago. I quickly discovered that was not the case, not only in certain aspects of language that you miss out on simply from learning from textbooks. No, there were simple everyday things that I discovered were very different from my home of USA that I was quickly forced to learn in order to survive in a new country. Nothing you read online can prepare you for what the reality is when it comes to every day, run-of-the-mill things. As an American some of these things are more difficult for me than for people from other countries, but here is my list of things I had to learn in order to survive.

1. All the difference sizes of printing paper – it’s not just 8 ½ by 11!

This is the equivalent of A4 in Japan. There’s also A5, B4, and B5, all different sizes ranging from lesson than 8 ½ by 11 to double that in one page. Working at a Japanese school teaching English, I frequently have to make copies for class, which involves selecting the size of paper to print it out on. Printing was another thing I had to figure out, which, depending on the machine, requires you to make a model of the page you want to mass produce, wait for the test print, then inputting how many copies you want before getting anywhere. If there was only one size paper in Japan you wouldn’t have to worry about finding the right size and loading it up every time you want to copy. But these sizes – A4 and 5, B 4 and 5 – are going to become a part of your everyday life whether you like it or not. I still haven’t memorized what everything is aside from A4.

2. What constitutes as burnable and unburnable garbage – and you will never truly get the hang of this; always to be flustered by sorting your garbage at McDonalds.

Hanami Time! Saturday in the Park with Pups, and New Disney Store Releases

At hanami in Tokyo.

Last weekend was the start of hanami, cherry blossom viewing! I met my friend Sarah (www.twitter.com/S_NelkinEN) in Tokyo – and her adorable pups! – to marvel at the beautiful light-pink blossoms now blooming throughout Japan. This is my third hanami in Japan, but last year I was visiting my family back in the states and arrived at the tail end of the brief season. So this year I was more than ready! Usually there are only two weekend chances to enjoy hanami eating and drinking underneath the blossoms with your friends and family, given sakura’s extremely short lifespan. Unless you travel from southern to northern Japan following the blooming. And I’m so sure there are totally people who do that.

Beautiful light-pink blossoms mean spring is here!

After a long winter and a cold start to spring, sakura are a sure sign that warmth and sunshine is on the way! Unfortunately this wasn’t the case last weekend, as a stubborn cloudy, rainy spell hit the Tokyo and Yokohama areas. Still, crummy weather or not, sakura attract a crowd! Popular sites in Tokyo for hanami are Yoyogi and Ueno park, but I tried for something off the beaten path near my friend’s house. This was a nice little park with plenty of sakura and not too crowded, although she said it got more crowded than last year due to a TV special that attracted more people this year. I was more than happy in a smaller, less crowded setting, and enjoyed snacking on tomato-garlic takoyaki while playing with my friend’s cute dogs.

Me, my friend Sarah, and her dogs Aurica and Philo enjoying hanami.

Another spot near the park.

Stage performance in the park.

Other gorgeous flowers in the park.

Also, a big announcement for me – I’ve become a freelance writer! My first article is up on www.izanau.com, so please check it out and look for more of my writing on the way!

Back to business, right after enjoying hanami I decided to pay a visit to the Disney store in Ikebukuro (I had an intense craving for Blue Seal purple sweet potato ice cream), and they have tons of cute new products! I’m considering featuring new Disney products every month, but this may cut into my spending money quite a bit, as who can resist all the cute things there? First up, these adorable French pastry goods.

Can you say adorable?

My favorite are the croissant goods. Chip and Dale are extremely popular here, and they look so cute sharing a big buttered croissant!

This one has to be my favorite, though. It’s really a pencil pouch, but it looks good enough to eat! Warning: purchasing any of these products may cause intense cravings for French pastries.

On the other hand, Easter products are in full swing, featuring Pooh and his friends! The cutest ones are all the little critters sitting in a colorful Easter egg.

Plus there’s a whole new line of Winnie the Pooh tsum tsums! Just when you thought you had painstakingly collected them all. They are all dressed up in fuzzy yellow chick utfits similar to the bumble bee versions from last year. And for some reason on the big Winnie the Poohs there’s a bunny attached to the front like a little kangaroo pouch? This makes no sense.

I also have to recommend this adorable line of sleeping characters that has been around for a while and looks like they're here to stay! They are so soft you’ll swear they’re stuffed with tofu and marshmallows.

Continuing in the spring vein, there are new jewelry stands for sale. You may have seen original jewelry and ring stands in the dresses and heels of your favorite Disney princesses. (I have to say I’m partial to Anna’s, because it’s a perfect match. Some of them have had creative liberties taken). They run about 25 dollars each.

But now you have two new jewelry stand options in these super cute dresses!

They’re both very pretty, and unique from the standard Disney princess dresses. If you’re a real Disney fanatic (and have lots of money) you can even buy this dress that matches the first one!

And Disney doesn’t only have its animated movie products. Check out these super cool Avengers tsum tsums! (Why is there no Loki?! Clearly the production team messed up on this one).

You can also find some Star Wars goods still around! I really like this BB8 cup.

That’s all for this month! Look forward to more awesome Disney store products!