Culture

: Japanese Miniature Culture: GASHAPON

GASHAPON

Hello! Today, I will introduce you to a toy that's hugely popular in Japan, contained within a capsule. While these toys are formally known as "capsule toys", they are more commonly referred to by the registered trademark of the comprehensive toy manufacturer, Bandai, known as "GASHAPON" (or "GACHAPON"). Additionally, Takara Tomy, another toy manufacturer, also sells capsule toys under the name "GACHA." GASHAPON GACHA What is GASHAPON? GASHAPON machines are box-shaped devices filled with small capsules containing miniature models or figures. By inserting a coin and turning the handle, a randomly selected capsule from the machine is dispensed. With a ...

Culture Hobbies and Entertainment

: Is every Japanese person a NINJA?

NINJA

Hello everyone. I want to share the results of an interesting experiment. The experiment's theme was, "How often do people apologize when bumped into on the street?" It was conducted in tourist areas in London and Oxford, UK, targeting tourists of various nationalities, including Americans, Germans, Japanese, Spaniards, Australians, and Scandinavians. Results for Japanese participants: In the experiment, many people from different countries apologized when intentionally bumped into by the experimenter. However, the results for the Japanese were surprising. Even when the experimenter tried to bump into them on purpose, Japanese participants quickly sensed the movement and evaded it. This ...

Culture

: Souvenir Culture in Business

souvenir

Hello! Today, I will introduce the culture of giving souvenirs in the workplace and business. About Japan's Souvenir Culture In Japan, there is a long-standing culture of giving souvenirs. When returning from trips or business trips, it's a common practice to bring something back for family, friends, and coworkers as a gesture of gratitude and to share memories of the journey. Souvenir Culture at the Workplace In Japanese workplaces, when returning from domestic or overseas business trips, it's common to bring back food, especially sweets, as souvenirs for colleagues. Particularly, female employees who like sweets often look forward to receiving ...

Business Culture

: The QR Code Invented by the Japanese

DENSO, QR code

The QR code is a two-dimensional code composed of black and white squares. By scanning it with a smartphone camera, you can obtain information such as URLs, phone numbers, and email addresses. The Invention of the QR Code The QR code was developed in 1994 by Mr. Masahiro Hara, an engineer at the Japanese automobile parts manufacturer "DENSO WAVE". At the time, barcodes were used in manufacturing, but a code that could read more information at a faster rate was needed. Mr. Masahiro Hara developed the QR code in response to this need. The QR code was first adopted for ...

Business Culture Technology

: The Precision of Japanese Trains and Delay Certificates

train

Hello! Today, I'd like to introduce you to the punctual operation of Japanese trains. Japanese trains rarely run late Japanese trains are known worldwide for their punctuality. Whether in urban or rural areas, trains run almost exactly according to the timetable. Even when there are delays, they typically last only a few minutes. In the urban train interiors, an apology announcement is broadcast even for a mere one-minute delay. Interestingly, the high-speed railway "Tokaido/Sanyo Shinkansen", which operates approximately 320 times a day and transports around 460,000 passengers, has an average delay time of just 12 seconds per train. Even for ...

Culture

: Rainy Days in Japan: Measures for Wet Umbrellas

rainy day, wet umbrella

In this article, we will introduce something commonly seen on rainy days in Japan. Japan has unique measures to prevent bringing water droplets inside buildings on rainy days. Especially in places like department stores and restaurants where many people visit, you can find the following three types of measures: Manual Type At the entrance, there are plastic bags provided to cover your umbrella. This is to prevent dripping water by covering the umbrella yourself. When leaving the store, you remove the plastic bag from the umbrella and dispose of it in the trash can. This is the most common measure ...

Culture

: Japanese Pen Spinning Performance

pen spinning

Hello! Today, I'd like to introduce you to a unique aspect of Japanese culture, "pen spinning." As the name suggests, pen spinning refers to the technique and art of twirling a pen using one's fingers. It's especially popular among students and was often seen during school break times. Origins of Pen Spinning The exact origins of pen spinning—when and where it began—are unclear. However, in Japan, there seems to have been a form known as "pencil spinning" even before World War II. Later, with the introduction of mechanical pencils, which were easier to spin than regular pencils, it seems there ...

Culture Hobbies and Entertainment

: Japan's TAKEUMA: Origins and Its Benefits

TAKEUMA, toy

Hello! In this article, we will delve deeper into the traditional Japanese game called "TAKEUMA." The Origins of TAKEUMA TAKEUMA is a toy made of bamboo or wood that children can ride and walk on. It has a long history, believed to have been used in Japan around the 10th century AD. From that time, there are records and illustrations showing children enjoying this game. Nowadays, instead of bamboo or wood, stilt toys made of aluminum, plastic, and rubber are sold. The Benefits of TAKEUMA TAKEUMA offers the following remarkable benefits: Mastering Balance: Riding on TAKEUMA helps cultivate the ability ...

Culture Hobbies and Entertainment Sports

: Japan's Commuting Rush: Train Crowds and Surprising History

Commuting Rush, train

Hello! Today, I'd like to share with foreigners about Japan's "commuting rush" and some surprising stories related to it. What is the Commuting Rush? The "commuting rush" refers to the time periods, mainly in the morning and evening, when a large number of people head to work or school. Especially in urban areas, transportation gets extremely crowded during these times due to the high volume of people moving. Train Crowding Trains in urban areas of Japan get incredibly packed during the commuting rush. In major cities like Tokyo and Osaka, passengers can hardly move inside the train cars. Many foreign ...

Business Culture

: "Pocket Tissue" Advertising in Japanese Streets

giveaway, tissue

One of the surprises for foreigners visiting Japan is receiving free "pocket tissues" on the streets. This is known as a unique advertising method in Japan. What are "Pocket Tissues"? They refer to tissue papers packed in small pouches. Various advertisements are printed on the outside of these pouches. Why are they distributed? Companies and stores print their advertisements on the pocket tissue pouches and distribute them for free to the public as a promotional activity. Every time people use the tissue, they see the advertisement, making it an effective marketing strategy. Things to note when receiving While many locals ...

Culture