Popular Potato Chips (Crisps) in Japan

Hi all,

Today, I would like to introduce about Japanese Patato Chips (Crisps). I am living in London, so I know British guys love Crisps so much. British people have crisps for their lunch, afternoon snack, at pub with a pint of beer, etc… Some of them even make crisps sandwiches.

There are many potato chips in Japan. They are very popular snacks for them, too. Today, I show you 5 potato chips for example.

1. Calbee's Usushio (lightly salted)

This is a very common Potato Chips all over the world, I think. Especially good with beer. By the way, there's no vineger flavour potato chips in Japan, as far as I know.

2. Calbee's Consomme Punch

This Consomme Punch and Usushio are the most popular potato chips in Japan, I think. As you probably can imagine, it is Consomme Flavour.

3. Calbee's Norishio (sea weed and salt)

Norishio is seaweed flavour. Japanese people basically love sea weed, so it is also popular (especially for the adults) in Japan.

4. Koikeya's Barbecue

This is Barbecue flavour Potato chips. The flavour is made from Meat and various vegitables. Little sweet and sour Potato chips.

5. Koikeya's Karamucho

This Karamucho is quite hot and spicy potato chips. This is probably the one I have bought most. I don't eat hot things so often but Collaboration of Karamucho and beer makes me very happy.

Calbee's Website (English): https://www.calbee.co.jp/english/jp/leadingbrands.php

Koikeya's Website (Japanese Only): http://koikeya.co.jp/commodity/

You can buy all of these potato chips from most of the convenience stores and super markets. If you feel you want to try some Japanese (not traditional) snacks, they will be good choices.

That's all about for today. Should you have any questions, requests or comments, please leave a message. I am very happy if you could give me some advice to improve this blog so more people can visit here and get information on what they need.

Bye!

"Donki", The Shop of Everything

Hi All,

Today, I would like to introduce you about a shopping centre called "Donki" (Don Quijote) http://www.donki.com/index_en.php. 

Donki is one of the most popular Discount shop in Japan. It offers, basically, every consuming items in low price. Of course many locals use Donki a lot, but I would say, it is one of the best places for foreign visitors to buy their gifts for their families and friends (relatively close people). 

You can find, sweets, snacks, drinks, consumer electronics, fashions, toys, cosmetics, etc… it opens 24h a day, and what better for the foreign visitors is, Donki is a TAX FREE Shop. You can ask the shop people for the Tax exemption processes. They will tell you how to get the consumption tax refunded at the airport, when you leave Japan. 

Also, more and more foreigners visit Donki, nowadays, they started new services. They provide you with “Yokoso! Card” (Welcome Card) and “Yokoso! MAP” (Welcome MAP). The map is made by several languages and it does not only contain information of Donki but also Visitors Spots, Hotels and Restaurants with some coupons.

There are 42 shops in Central Tokyo area (23-ku) and 24 shops in Osaka area and more shops in various major cities in Japan, so it would be very easy and convenient for you to visit.

That’s all about my introduction of Donki. Should you have any questions, requests or comments, please leave a message. I am very happy if you could give me some advices to improve this blog so more people can visit here and get information on what they need.

Bye!

Warm (Hot) canned coffee from vending machines

Hi All,

Today, I would like to introduce you about canned Coffee in Japan. I love Japanese canned beverages, especially in the winter seasons. I have been living in almost 1.5 years in London and visited more than 15 countries in Europe but never seen the vending machines like ones you normally can see in Japan. The feature of the Japanese vending machines and what I love about is that they offer very warm (actually, hot) drinks.

The red sign below on the vending machine means that the beverages are warmed up and the blue sign shows the beverages are cooled (you normally do not see red signs in Summer).

 <- Warmed up

<- Cooled down

I introduce some of the very famous canned coffee brands in Japan as follows;

1.    Coca Cola: GEORGIA 
http://www.cocacola.co.jp/brands/georgia/

 
2.    Suntory: BOSS
http://www.suntory.co.jp/softdrink/boss/

3.    KIRIN: FIRE
http://www.kirin.co.jp/products/softdrink/fire/

4.    ASAHI: WONDA
http://www.asahiinryo.co.jp/wonda/index.psp.html

To be honest, I cannot find any difference among those Brands’ products. They are all very good!

And here’s some of canned coffee offered in Japan.


-     Milk and sugar added

 1.    WONDA Morning Shot

 2.    GEORGIA Emerald mountain

 3.    BOSS Rainbow Mountain

 4.    FIRE Double Mountain


-     Black (No sugar, No milk)

 1.    GEORGIA Emerald Mountain Black

 2.    BOSS Black

 3.    FIRE Black Special

 4.    WONDA Morning shot Black



-     Little sugar with milk

 1.    BOSS Zeitaku Bitou (Luxurious little sugar)

 2.    FIRE Hikitate Bitou (Freshly- ground with little sugar)
　
 3.    WONDA Kin-no Bitou (Golden little sugar)

 4.    GEORGIA Shifuku-no Bitou (Blissful little sugar)


-     Other featured coffee

 1.    FIRE Café au lait

 2.    WONDA Zero Max Premium (Sugar Free)

 3.    GEORGIA Emerald Mountain Premium

 4.    BOSS Gran Aroma


I hope you will like these canned coffee. They are definitely very helpful especially in winter.

Bye!

Japanese Good Restaurants for Good Value

Hi all,

I'm Kaz from Tokyo, Japan. I would like to introduce various useful (I hope) information for tourists to Japan, about restaurant, food, drinks, transport, medicines and etc... Please, leave a comment if you have any questions, requests, advice etc… I will help you as much as I can.

Today, I would like to introduce you about the good restaurants at good value in Japan. Basically, I take up franchise restaurants in this time because they are easier for you to find in the places, where you visit.

The first restaurant is Japanese set meal restaurant called “Ootoya” (http://www.ootoya.com/). Ootoya offers very basic Japanese dishes (homemade), costs around 800 yen per person. The atmosphere of Ootoya is fairly quiet, very clean and light. Especially, many Japanese business people (rather than students) visit Ootoya for their lunches. The good thing especially for foreigners is that they offer meal without rice and miso soup in cheaper price. If you cannot eat or do not like Japanese rice so much, you can choose not to have it. It will reduce the price by about 180 yen.

My recommendation are “Flavoured Fried Chicken meal set” (Koumi karaage teishoku) and “Yongen Pork Loin Cutlet meal set” (Yongenton no roosu katsu teishoku). The English names are my original translation, so show Japanese Name in alphabet to the waiters, if you want make an order for either of them.

“Flavoured Fried Chicken meal set” (Koumi karaage teishoku) 

The English names are my original translation, so show Japanese Name in alphabet to the waiters.

“Yongen Pork Loin Cutlet meal set” (Yongenton no roosu katsu teishoku)

The English names are my original translation, so show Japanese Name in alphabet to the waiters.

The next restaurant is “Ten-ya”（http://www.tenya.co.jp/）. You can have Tempura or Ten-don (Tempura on rice bowl) in this restaurant. The cost is around 500 - 900 yen. You can choose various Tempuras and make your own Tempura Baskets. You can also ask for takeaway the Ten-don Lunch boxes. My recommendations are normal “Tempura basket” (Tempura Moriawase) (take away, 410 yen) or “Good value Tempura basket” (Otoku Tempura Moriawase) (take away, 800 yen for 2 people).

“Tempura basket” (Tempura Moriawase) 

The English names are my original translation, so show Japanese Name in alphabet to the waiters.

“Good value Tempura basket” (Otoku Tempura Moriawase) 

 The English names are my original translation, so show Japanese Name in alphabet to the waiters.

The last restaurant is a Italian restaurant called “Saizeriya” （http://www.saizeriya.co.jp/）. This is western style restaurant so you cannot have Japanese-ish dishes but maybe you find it easier to eat if you stay in Japan for quite a long time. Also Saizeriya is one of the Best “Good restaurants at Good value”, I think, so the quality of food is very high compared to its price. They offer pasta from 299 yen and Milano Doria also from 299 yen. Other foods are also at very good value and you can even have a glass of wine for 100 yen. You can also have meat, chicken dishes from 400 yen (with no rice).

These are the very popular restaurants for local Japanese. It would be worth trying in your next visit to Japan.

If you have any questions, comments, requests, advice etc... please, let me know.

Bye!