Category Archives: Food

Carbonated Cough Drops: Reviewing Japan’s “Menthol Shock” Soda

Posted on June 21, 2011 by Eryk Salvaggio

Today at the conbini I stumbled across a new benchmark in Japanese Soda Pop: “Menthol Shock,” released nationwide in June.

Posted in Food, Weird | 7 Comments

On Not Walking While Drinking Soda in Japan

Posted on June 15, 2011 by Eryk Salvaggio

Why doesn’t anyone in Japan drink soda while walking? Google results are unsatisfactory. Is it considered rude? Dangerous? Had it never occurred to anyone that they could drink while walking? Japanese friends answer with a shrug. “We just don’t, I … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture Shock, Food, Uncategorized, Weird | 11 Comments

On Japanese Convenience Stores | コンビニ

Posted on April 27, 2011 by Eryk Salvaggio

There’s some irony that the English “convenience store” is such a misnomer. There aren’t real conveniences, just bathrooms and cigarettes, packaged food and buckets of shaved ice smothered in anti-freeze colored syrup. Japan has adopted the concept – and word … Continue reading →

Posted in Culture Shock, Food | 30 Comments

On Getting Drunk with your Boss in Japan

Posted on April 20, 2011 by Eryk Salvaggio

If you live in Japan, you don’t drink at work. You work at your drinking.

Posted in Food, Fun, Tradition | 13 Comments

On Drinking Canned Coffee in Japan | 缶コーヒ

Posted on March 2, 2011 by Eryk Salvaggio

Coffee in Japan is more of a vague allusion to coffee. Just like Japanese conversations. You don’t really say anything too straightforward. You hedge a lot. You tease out the meanings. Perhaps it’s coffee. It’s probably coffee.

Posted in Food, Uncategorized | 7 Comments

On the Ephemeral Nature of the Starbucks Sakura Latte

Posted on February 22, 2011 by Eryk Salvaggio

Maybe a Sakura Latte is not weird. It’s getting hard to tell. After months of figuring out Japanese culture, my go-to instinct is still bewilderment. Starbucks had primed me for the Sakura Latte since Feb. 10 with a small sign … Continue reading →