The Reverse Import Brand

Hey it's Yoshi again, today I would like to mention about reverse import brand in between Japan and America. As you can see from the title, it is what it is. As most of you guys know that famous video game character Super Mario Brother, are Japanese native that it originated from Japan, but became very popular in America. It got so, popular that they actually made a film based on the video game (by the way the film was so terrible that it was actually funny, if you are interested you should watch it). Other reverse import brand is Transformer. You thought that it originated from America, but my friends, you are wrong. It is also Japanese made, yes it is made in Japan. Again Hollywood got into and made into multi-million dollar film past few years. And you can't forget the Power Ranger, that's Japanese as well.
Interesting Deal... Enjoy!

Citation:
http://www.videogamesblogger.com/wp-content/uploads/2006/12/super-mario-bros-special-big.gif
http://www.wallpaperbase.com/wallpapers/movie/powerrangers/power_rangers_2.jpg

http://ameblo.jp/rimogirls/entry-10291048742.html

Micky Diee

I have been to different locations of McDonald's all around American and one in the Philippines, and all around in Tokyo. But I have never tested better than Japanese McDonald's. Now this is interesting because it is McDonald's and you would think that it all tastes the same, but I tell you, you are all wrong. Japanese McDonald's is some how tastes better than at least American McDonald's I don't know why. The possible explanation as to why Japanese McDonald's tastes better than American one is that employee's motivation. From anthropological perspective, getting a job at McDonald's in America consider as low job, looked down from society, that it is last option when everything else is exhausted. However, in Japan it is little bit different that employees are much more motivated in Japan because it is one of the only jobs that high school students can get as a part time job. I don't know if quality of actual patty, buns, and all that other ingridients are different, but I assure you that Japanese McDonald's are the best, or at least better than American.

Citation:
http://trendy.nikkeibp.co.jp/article/pickup/20100209/1030989/?SS=expand-life&FD=-660058563

Convenient? Oh, Very

This is a straight up honest question. Have you ever been to convenient stores in Japan? If you have not let me tell you all about this amazing Japanese convenient stores that are very, very convenient proving most of stuff that you need in a pinch. Japanese convenient stores sell anything from magazine, personal hygine, drinks including alcohol, food, snacks. Now this sounds familiar that these things can be provided in America as well. What makes the difference is that in Japan, you can actually pay utility bills, cell phone bills and other bills as well. Cell phone is crucial and must have item that you cannot live with out it. Not just quantity of food, but also quality of food is impressive to me as well because I know that from watching documentary in Japan, the convenient store companies compete to win its customers and they come up with better quality of food each season. The competition in convenient store is fierce, but that is what makes us go to convenient stores everyday.

 Citation:
http://okagen.cocolog-nifty.com/photos/uncategorized/2009/06/24/0621cvs03.jpg

The Machine of Vender

As most people know by now that I have lived in both America and Japan for good amount of time. One thing I noticed in Japan that I seem to encounter more than convenient store is vending machine. I seriously see this drink provider machine everywhere, I mean everywhere. Amazing part of this machine is provision of variety of drinks from soda pops, coffee, alcohol, juice, Japanese green tea, sport drink, energy drink, and even cigarettes. Now from my experience from America, I have only seen 4 or 5 different types of which included water, sports drink, few different types of soda pops. Currently, there are over 2 million vending machines in Japan. The number of vending machines are very convenient for me and I'm sure for the rest of the people. The price of individual drinks varies from size, but usually around 120 yen ($1.50), and at very convenient price. Now that I am writing about vending machine, I come to realize that I use vending machines very often, as matter of fact almost everyday. I even used vending machine to buy Calpis Soda, which is Japanese oriented pop soda, by far my favorite drink in Japan. I also watched Television about vending machine that vending machine company offers a job that requires to find a spot for the machine and negotiate with person who ever owns that particular land property and if he or she succeeds in negotiation, I've heard that you can receive pretty good amount of money. Now this is interesting.

Citation:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Vending_machines_at_night_in_Tokyo.jpg

Skateboarding in Japan

One of my favorite hobbies in Japan is to skateboarding around Tokyo. I became interested in skating when I was senior in high school where I had absolutely nothing to do because I was senior and about to graduate. One of my best friends showed me and taught me how to skate, and I became very into it that I brought it back to Japan. Now, skateboarding is awesome and fun especially in Tokyo because you can pretty much ignore traffic signal lights and swirl around the crowed and get point A to B fast. Mainly I use skateboard as a mean of transportation. I go from Shirokanetakanawa station to TUJ or from my work place in Hiroo to TUJ. From my proven fact, I can get to TUJ from Shirokanetakanawa in 2 minutes. Now, skateboarding in Japan is a weird sport or entity in Japanese perspective because it is minority sport, where as in America it is a major sport and almost every children in America would always receive skateboard at some point of child hood. There are many skateboarding park in America provided by city, where as in Japan there are far less parks especially in Tokyo. It is unfortunate that Japan is not providing enough skate parks in Tokyo because I want to ride it in park. However, there is a hope, in a heart of Tokyo in Shibuya, the city is cooperating with Nike to build a skate park in Miyashita Park and its expecting opening is in Mach 2011. I hope that this plan will go well and that I get to ride!!

Short, Tall, Grande, or Venti

As most of you guys know Starbucks Coffee is a cafe style coffee shop originated from Seattle, providing variety of coffee, blended beveridge included espresso drinks and frappaccino. Because I have lived in both Japan and America, I have opinions on both sides and I would like to compare and contrast them as well. So, have you ever been to Starbucks in America? and tried going to Starbucks in Japan? It is interesting not because of language, but the cup size that they serve in Japan. In America, they would serve in three different size of cups which is Tall (350cc), Grande (470cc) and Venti (590cc). I was introduced to Starbucks while I was in America, and I come to enjoy them since. Since my mind was input to having three sizes I would always get Tall size, and on a good day a Grande. Some years later, I went to Starbucks in Tokyo and I would order the same thing which is Vanilla Latte, Tall size of course, but one of the staff asked me if I wanted the Short size. I asked them what a Short size was and she told me that it is even smaller than Tall size, which serve 240cc. Now to put this in anthropological view, Japanese Starbucks provided even smaller size because many Japanese people cannot finish drinking Tall size, so it would make sense for them to provide a smaller size.

From right, Short, Tall, Venti


Citation:
http://kazuh.typepad.jp/photos/uncategorized/2007/10/08/venti.jpg

Motcross in Japan

One of my greatest passion is motor sport. There are many deciplines of motor sports, but I am particularly interested in Motocross. Motocross is competitive motorcycle racing in dirt and gravel environment with jumps, tight corners, uphills, and downhills. Motocross was first originated in England, then spread to the United States. Motorcycles were manufactured in Europe, but by the end of the 20th century, dominate manufactures of motocross bikes are Japanese made, which is Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki, and Suzuki. One of interesting points in sport of motocross is comparson in publicity between Japan and the United States. Despite Japan's dominate manufacture line ups of motorcycles, Japan competes poorly in the sport compare to the U.S. racers. There are several explanations as to why the United States dominates motocross compare to Japan, however, one of the obvious reason is publicity. America has far more publicity than Japan. Number of published magazines is different, America has four major magazines issued monthly, where as Japan publishes only one magazine. Second factor is numbers of race series held is different as well. America holds, two championship series which are the Motocross and the Supercross, plus a sub event held each summer called X-Games, where as Japan holds only one. In addition, all of the races held in America are broadcasted through normal cable TV channels, where as Japan broadcasts through only subscription satellite cables. Conclusion, it is unfortunate that Japan makes finest motocross bikes, yet does poorly in racing.

Result of Motocross of Nation
AMA Racing (American Motorcylist Association)
MFJ (Japanese Motocross Organization)

Japanese Education

Japanese college's entrance exam result

American college education

Being a Japanese citizen, I hate to say it, but I really don't agree the Japanese way of education. Having background of both Japanese and American education system, I would have to choose American education over Japanese. Especially when it comes to transition from high school to college and during the college education. In general, Japanese students begin their college preparation in their senior year for college entrance exam, which every students have to go through if they purse their education at a college level. The students would study hard, so that they can enter the university of their choice, however, entrance of the university of their choice is not the only reason for them to study hard. It is also, in general, I say in general, Japanese college education, operates in a way that it is hard to enter universities, but once accepted it is generally easy to stay in and very easy to graduate, so what I mean is that essentially college education in Japan is a big joke. Where as American education system varies depending on college of student's choice, once entered, it is generally hard to stay in college, and usually harder to graduate. In my opinion it is just pointless to stay college where you don't really learn anything, but to devote to their "circle" a.k.a. fraternity, instead of their academic aspect of college life. After all, in most cases, it is our parents who invest in our education, who fully deserves our effort to perform the best in academic.