I Taste Test Three New Country Ma’am Flavors: Cream Stew, Plum Mochi, and Truffle-scented 4 Cheese

I love trying limited edition special flavors (kikan gentei) in Japan, so I jumped at the chance to try three new Country Ma'am flavors! This is a popular brand of soft, chewy cookies that are basically your only tie to chocolate chip cookies over here. The current kikan gentei flavors are plum mochi, creamy stew, and truffle-scented four cheese. I wouldn't have normally put those last two anywhere near my mouth, but hey, since it's my last few weeks in Japan I thought I'd give it a shot.

Plum Mochi

Country Ma'am plum mochi.

Awesome Products at the Ghibli Store That Will Have Die-hard Fans Pledging Their Retirement Funds

I've been updating you all on monthly Disney store products for almost a year now, so I thought I'd introduce you to another fun store I often visit in Japan (but not as often as the Disney store): the Studio Ghibli store, responsible for awesome movies like My Neighbor Totoro, Spirited Away, and Kiki's Delivery Service. You're bound to have watched one even growing up in the US, perhaps without even realizing it was Japanese! (Although we all thought it was a bit strange that Natsuki and Mei bathed naked with their father in the bath tub in Totoro, right?) In Japan Ghibli movies have a huge following, though admittedly not nearly as popular as Disney. You can find these stores selling adorable Totoro and Jiji products throughout Japan. Here's a sampling of everything you're missing out on!

Cars in Japan, as Told by Shincan

Shin-chan!

One of my favorite Japanese shows to watch on TV is Shin-chan, aka Crayon Shin-chan. Shin-chan is a kindergartner who likes cute girls and showing off his plump butt-cheeks. It may be aimed at kids, but it's not the standard kiddy content! If you've ever watched the series in English you'll know there's quite a bit of potty-language going on, but this is due to the fact that swear words don't really exist in Japanese and are bandied about even on children's shows. For some reason innuendo-infused content isn't really a concern among parents in Japan, either. Thus, without all the filtering and censoring from overprotective parents, characters and plots in Shin-chan are pretty accurate to real life and amusing as well, so I enjoy watching it weekly.

Shin-chan's family: Hiroshi (Dad), Misae (Mom), Himawari (baby sister), and Shiro (dog)

Recently I watched a three-part series about Shin-chan's family buying a new car. Actually, it was the first time I ever saw them use a car! Japanese people have them but seldom use them – what's the point?! They usually just walk or bike everywhere to save money. Japanese people are all about saving and hoarding money. But it's understandable considering how ridiculously expensive everything in Japan is, especially cars. Just to get your license in Japan costs nearly 2000 US dollars, as it includes months of mandatory driving school. Upon completion you have to pass your driving test within a year, or you'll have to repeat everything all over again and fork over that money! Oh, and did I mention you can't even get your license until the age of 18? In addition, you're not allowed to drive with even the tiniest ounce of alcohol on your breath!

Typical conundrum in Japan.

Get Up Close and Personal With Your Favorite Celebs at Madame Tussaud's!

Ever since I found out that my favorite Japanese figure skater Yuzuru Hanyu was featured here, I've always been wanting to pay a visit to Madame Tussaud's, located in Odaiba, Tokyo. I've been to Odaiba many times but finally decided to make my dream a reality!

Valentine's Day and Princess Bears hit the Disney Store!

Although Valentine's Day is on the way and widely celebrated in Japan, it's not the only thing occupying the shelves at the Disney Store this month! Recently a special line of Unibearsity Bears has debuted: Princess Bears! Because everyone loves princesses, human or no.

Even more articles!

Here's an update of articles I have published on izanau.com as of January 19th 2017!

Japan's Newest Hit Celeb Couple: Ryupeko!

Panda Express Comes to Japan!

Death Note: Light Up the New World Movie Review

Death Note: a Worldwide Sensation

Sweet Potato Ice Cream Showdown: Creamy Sweet Potato Yukimi Daifuku vs Hagen Dazs Murasaki Imo

Roosters and More at the Disney Store!

2017 is upon us, and according to the Chinese zodiac, it's the year of the rooster, which brings us a line of adorable Winnie the Pooh rooster products you won't be able to resist! All the characters from the 100 acre woods are dressed up in rooster or chick outfits.

Happy Year of the Rooster!

Healthcare in Japan

It's been a busy month lately – between after school work, cramming for the JLPT, and writing a whopping six articles with my freelance job, it's been hectic! On top of this I've been dealing with health issues. In only four weeks I managed to go to the doctor five times and the hospital four times! Having health issues in a foreign country is definitely a stressful ordeal, no matter what ailment, but ongoing troubles without any known cause is the pits!

Japanese health insurance.

Let me give you a little background on healthcare in Japan. This isn't my first time making liberal use of my health insurance, so I'm pretty familiar with how things run. Japan has universal healthcare, which you must enroll in by visiting your local city hall. It's around $200 US dollars a month, but the actual amount you pay at doctor's offices is very affordable. The only thing that has costed me more than $30 dollars (teeth cleaning) was my first visit to the hospital, a whopping $75 bucks! I have had to shell out more for a CT scan and recently my first MRI, but they were both under $70 dollars. There is no standardized co-pay here, which makes for a much less stressful doctor's visit, which is probably why they are so busy.

Everyone in Japan during health check season.

Ho! Ho! Holidays at the Disney Store!

Christmas is right around the corner, but that doesn't mean new products at the Disney store are limited to just that – there's a lot of other great stuff this month! If you're already counting down the days until the sickening onslaught of Christmas music will be over, this new line of "King Mickey" merchandise just debuted.

You can upgrade the old Mickey you have stashed away in the back of your closet for this shiny gold Mickey worthy of royalty! Plus for a small fortune (literally guys!) you can dress like him, too.

To afford this 81 dollar shirt, you'd better be royalty.

My Tips for the JLPT

If you study Japanese, you'll know that it's that time of year again  – JLPT testing time! There are only two chances a year, July and December, and with less than a month to go until the December 4th test, I'm feeling the crunch! I've been studying Japanese for 10 years, including college level courses and self study, and I decided to try my hand at the JLPT for the first time last December. I challenged myself with the N2, since I may as well if I'm going to shell out 50 bucks, and to my delight, I was able to pass! This year I'm being even more ambitious by going where no gaijin has gone before, attempting the N1, the highest level!

I’m sharing my dos and don’ts tips for you all based on my regrets last time, and what I've learned since then! Preparing for something as big as the JLPT is definitely an eye-opener. If you’ve taken it before and met with frustration, don’t get discouraged! Just read up on my tips!

Christmastime at the Disney Store!

Well, November 1st means Christmas is coming! Off with Halloween, and in with the most profitable season of the year! Merry Christmas! (Sorry, but you won't find any turkey-related products). Of course Disney Japan couldn't even wait until Halloween finished to try and sell people Christmas Mickey and Minnie dolls. Now that it's all over, you can look forward to the next two months devoted completely to Christmas! So, what's hot on the market this month?

Ho-Ho-Ho Baymax! Christmas sweaters! Stocking stuffers!

I've Been Writing Up a Storm! Check Out my Articles!

As of this year, I officially became a freelance writer! I've been loving every minute of it – the feeling you get from seeing your writing officially published! It's a pretty big goal for me, as one of my dream jobs includes being able to combine my passion for writing with my passion for Japan. (It's also nice to get paid for it, too!). Thus I've been writing up a storm over the past seven months, and I've already published a whopping sixteen articles! Unfortunately, since I've been so busy doing freelance writing, I've been less active on my blog, as I'm using most of my ideas for articles. But don't despair! I'll be posting more blogs, and you can count on my monthly Disney store updates!

If you haven't read my articles yet, please check them out on izanau.com!

Japan Trend Tracker: Radio Fish's "Perfect Human"​

Radio Fish's "Golden"​ New Hit

The Ultimate Simple Yet Effective Japanese Study Trick

The Cool, the Cute, the Bizarre, and Downright Scary in Japan

Time for another addition of cool/awesome/weird things I've stumbled across while living in Japan. If you're familiar at all with Japan, you know it's known for such things, from the latest cutting edge technology, animal cafes, and hilarious commercials. This is my third year in Japan, so I'm pretty used to things around here – sorry but no, you won't encounter any giant robots battling over the city skyline or cute alien girls trying to declare their love to you. Mostly vending machines and conbinis (convenience stores). But there are still things that have me stopping and staring at how cool/awesome/bizarre they are!

Strange

This is supposed to be a beauty product. So why does it so closely resemble an instrument of torture?!