Japanese and American Cultural Differences

A few talking points to ponder:

1. When it comes to customer service, the Japanese are the hardest to please and may be the most demanding customer in the world. My wife worked in the tourism industry for a year in Los Angeles and dealt with Japanese tourist on a regular basis and can confirm this. They expect things to be done on time and completed in a first class manner. Quality is the trademark of Japanese products in the US.

The exception to the rule is the lack of quality when it comes to Japanese homes. For example, poorly insulated homes with no central heating with a life expectancy of about 20 years. It is not uncommon to see a half fallen in home next to a modern building in urban Japan. Also, you either freeze you butt off in the winter or sweat it off in the summer. I’ll go into the details more about the sorry excuse of Japanese houses at a later time.

2. In America, you can go to any restroom and in most cases there will be two kinds of water, hot water or cold water. Then after washing your hands, there will be some sort of paper towel dispenser. Then guess what? You can throw the soiled paper towel in a trash can. Imagine that.

In Japan, cold weather really sucks especially when you have to wash your hands. You have to whip out the handkerchiefs as if you are 90 years old or “Goober” of Mayberry checking the oil in your car. Trash cans? They are about as rare in Japan as finding a Santa Claus in a shopping mall. It’s OK to have all of the decorations and more and more department stores like Toys R Us at the shopping malls in Japan, but no Santa at Christmas time.

3. Have you been to a Japanese restaurant lately? You don’t necessarily need to be in Japan to experience this since I first noticed this while at a sushi bar in Redondo Beach, CA. On this particular evening, I ordered combination of sushi items from the sushi bar, while my wife ordered some broiled fish from the kitchen. In the beginning, we were happy about the dinner, enjoying the rare Okinawian beer, Orion and an appetizer. Then my order comes out and I wait a moment so that the waitress could return with my wife’s order from the kitchen. Nearly 15 minutes go by and then my wife’s order comes out. Had it not been for the delicious food, I would have complained to the owner. But, they were new, and so close to our place and serving my favorite Japanese beer, I let it slide. The next time, I made an effort to tell them, “Bring our food out together.” Not too long after that, I was listening to radio talk show host, Tom Leykis, who was ranting about a terrible dining experience he had at a sushi bar in Beverly Hills. He wanted to know why the food couldn’t be brought out at the same time. It was the same one that Madonna was a regular at.

I remember two years ago at a Jonathan’s (café similar to Denny’s) I ordered a club sandwich along with about a dozen other foreigners and the waitress brought out each person’s order one person at a time with about 3-5 minutes between deliveries. Guess who was last? I remember a colleague from the UK, who was tickled to be at Jonathan’s since he had the same name turning to me and asked, “What kind of sandwich is that anyway?”

4. More on restaurants...In Japan, when you are ready to place your order, you have to holler out in a loud voice, in Japanese the equivalent of “I’m sorry!” In Japanese, it’s Sumimasen. Maybe push a button at the table informing the waitress that you are ready.

5. At one of the junior high schools that I worked at, there was a carpet in front of the shoe changing area. So, you change your shoes, then walk across the carpet with your shoes in your hand and then put your shoes on. I don’t mind but need a shoe horn (kutsu bera) in order to put them on properly. The shoe horn is located in the spot that I just left. If I put the inside shoes on, then I will have to walk across the carpet to put the shoe horn away. It is like the guy who is painting the floor and finds himself painted into a corner and then having the sudden urge to take a leak.

6. Back in 2002, my buddy from my Navy days in San Diego met up with my wife and I while we were visiting in Japan. He wanted to experience the nightlife of Roppongi and as soon as we get out of the subway in front of the Almond shop, he turns to me with a look of grave urgency and says, “I need to pinch one.” And I don’t mean one of those girls with the nice hips either. We get into the club, Gaspanic, and he comes back from inspecting the head and says, “I noticed a public toilet out front, I’ll be right back”. Then he leaves with a hand full of napkins from the table. He returns to the club and then says, “How do they take a sh*t in a hole in the ground with out falling? I imagine his backside got chapped since it was in January.

7. If you have spent any considerable time in Japan, you will notice how people walk around with “tunnel vision”. You could be walking on your side of the road and a person will cross the street and you will have to get out of their way to avoid bumping into them. Then at the train station, a person will run past you and then get right and front of you and slow down. Then they are fumbling around for their train pass and holding up the line in the process. In Korea, they are pushing you from behind but in Japan they are stopping in front of you.

8. Not too long ago, I was at the gym and conversing with another foreigner from China. Lucky devil speaks Japanese like a native but since he isn’t Japanese, he doesn’t have a complex about talking to me. Anyway, he was complaining because he is so skinny. I replied, “How many fat old people do you see still alive?” He then went on about how the key to long life was having a positive outlook on life, not necessarily maintaining a healthy diet and exercise routine.

I wrote this in December 2006 in one of those "bah, humbug moods".

The Divine Wind Vault
http://divinewindvault.blogspot.com
(C)2006-09

A Cynical View of Foreigners in Japan

I recalled seeing an American in front of Roppongi Station back in 2004 holding a tin cup and a sign stating, "Spare change." As Van Halen said in their 1991 video, Right Now, "Right now, somebody's got the wrong idea."

Japan, known for it's "hammer down the nail that stands out" basically takes foreigners and either conforms them to a degree to the Japanese way or sends the disillusioned home wondering if sleeping on a futon and reading manga was cracked up to what it was suppose to be. How relevant can a gaijin (foreigner) be if he is to be different by becoming more Japanese? Isn't their uniqueness in terms of culture why they are in Japan to start with?

So, are you thinking of going to Japan for work? Here's what you have to look forward to in terms of options:

English as Second Language Teacher- basically whoring out your native English tongue (you can speak English as second language as long as it is better than the Japanese nowadays having been replaced by a Filipina at my favorite JHS my third year in Japan.

Financial Sector- I knew a guy who worked for Goldman Sachs who was working 80 hours a week in Roppongi. By the way, this was before the financial meltdown of '08. Many companies like Goldman Sachs pulled the plug on their overseas' presence leaving many foreigners in this field up shit creek without a paddle.

Commission-only head hunter- I've seen too many former English teachers get fired/quit since they couldn't make the cut in this profession or show their asses as the resident know-it-all. Basically snake oil salesmen.

English-language journalist- is viable but considering how tight the market is (newspapers becoming more and more obsolete), it is safe to say that you better have a pretty darn good and extensive portfolio and connections.

One question that I raised before returning home was, "Is Japan that special of a place where a gaijin (foreigner) feels like they are relevant since if they go home they will have to be accountable, responsible and unable to float under the radar?" The sad thing is that too many Western expatriates living in Japan forget what defined them and will do anything to stay in Japan, even if it means flushing their education, trade or experiences down the toilet.

It was around the time that I left Japan in July '07, the eikaiwa (English conversation) sector was shaken when the largest English conversation company in Japan, Nova, basically stranded 4000 employees from abroad due to their shady business practices. Now, I've met some of these employees either at a local watering hole in Omiya, Saitama, The Hub, or at the local university where I studied Japanese in Koshigaya, Saitama. They were nice enough people but the main thing that came from our conversations was how they regretted not getting accepted onto JET like I did therefore made due with the next best alternative. Don't get me started on JET rejects who ended up in Japan as members of the OSET (Ohio-Saitama English Teacher Program).

A stepping stone is what a stepping stone is. See the Forest for the trees while living and working in Japan.

Today's picture is what a ESL teacher does when visiting an elementary school.


The Divine Wind Vault
http://divinewindvault.blogspot.com
(C)2006-09

Japanese Customer Service, Part 2- More on the Differences between Japanese and American Customer Service

A waitress prepares my meal in Japan, January 2005.

Originally written on March 15, 2007

Part 1: The Japanese Way

Prior to my recent trip to the US, my wife and I had a discussion about the things that we will miss about Japan. One of those things was customer service.

Back in 2005, my wife and I returned to California and after dining at our favorite seafood restaurant on the Redondo Beach Pier, we left without leaving a tip. In Japan, there is no tipping.

Later that year, my wife, mother-in-law and I flew from Japan to South Carolina for Christmas with a transfer in Chicago. To make a long story short, we missed our connection flight to South Carolina due to weather. Prior to finding this out, we checked our luggage to be picked up upon arrival in SC. After about six hours waiting to learn our fate, we checked in to a nearby hotel and called it a night. The following morning, we checked-in for our connection flight which was an indirect flight thru Philadelphia. Upon our arrival into South Carolina, we discovered that we were separated from our checked luggage. My wife had a fit. After settling down and explaining this to her mother, my mother-in-law was speechless. My wife asked how we would managed and the United Airlines agent told us with 100% confidence a blatant lie. "Spend up to $50 per person and keep your receipts and the airline will reimburse you." Being extremely pressed for time, we did this and drove four hours to meet my sister and her family in historic Charleston.

A few days later, in the process of leaving Charleston, I called to find out the status of our bags. The agent on the other end told me with 100% confidence that my baggage was waiting for me at the airport we flew into which is 20 minutes from my parent's house. I had my brother-in-law make a special trip to the airport only to find out that my bags were scheduled to arrive from Washington DC via truck the following morning. I told the airline of the phone call and even gave a name explaining why I came today. The airline didn't have anything further to say. The following morning, I made another trip to the airport wearing the $50 voucher clothes for about the third day. United Airlines still didn't have it together and tried to give me the runaround but I was fed up and told the agent to find my bags. He did with a scowl on his face. I ended up with the scowl on my face. My mother-in-laws bag had one of the wheels knocked off. It was a loaner bag from my sister-in-law who is very territorial over her belongings. I complained later on while we were in Atlanta and finally my mother-in-law insisted to speak to someone in Japanese. After all, United Airlines is operating in Japan and needs to make things right. We got a Japanese-American agent on the line from Hawaii. It satisfied my mother-in-law but there was no recourse or compensation. The cute little story about buying up to $50 was nothing more than a lie. Upon our return to Japan, my wife and mother-in-law left a week before I did. Their departure from South Carolina was very chaotic and the perfect ending to a miserable customer service experience. My wife and mother-in-law had to speed walk at the Chicago airport in order to make the flight to Japan. A week later, after calling to confirm my early morning flight was on schedule with an agent located at a call center in India, I arrive to the airport only to find out that the flight was delayed due to crew rest. I managed to make my connection flight to Japan by sprinting through the airport like OJ Simpson. I recalled finding my seat, dropping my stuff off and making a bee line to the airplane toilet to relieve myself since this was not possible at the airport due to the delay out of South Carolina.

Six months later, we managed to get reimbursed but it was from United's Japanese office since the American office didn't feel the need. I continue to fly on any other airline but United.

In March 2007, I spent my first night at a hotel in the Atlanta area. The place was not so easy to find and called from my dad's cellphone since mine was a Japanese cellphone (keitai) to get directions. I was puzzled since I was thinking that it would be off of the 285 freeway but found out that it was off the 75 freeway. That was all the hotel front desk could tell me and when I asked her if I crossed or went away from the freeway, she replied, "I'm from New York and am not good with directions." and repeated herself with the name of the freeway and its exit number. I then drove past the hotel twice due to it being behind some buildings and no sign on the road pointing me in its direction. I then called back and was told that it was behind a Waffle House (WH) restaurant. Waffle Houses at freeway exits in the southeast US are like McDonalds next to train stations in Japan. I found one WH with a parking lot behind it and had to go inside to find out if there was another WH in the area. Lucky for me I speak English but found the ordeal frustrating none the less. Once I got to the hotel, the New Yorker confirmed that she had been in Atlanta for nine years which would suggest that you have been in town long enough to get someone from the freeway to your hotel without the runaround.

A few days later, I was in SC I went to the same Arby's that my dad would take me to after basketball games as a kid. I ordered some Beef n' Cheddar sandwiches to take home and after paying for them and filling my large to go cup with sweet tea I returned to the counter and was able to watch the kid make my order. Once he finished the order and bagged it, he took it to another counter about 5 feet in front of the main counter where I stood. For about two minutes I stood and watched my order get cold while the same kid made the next order which was a order for the drive thru. The cashier began taking the next customer's order while another kid prepared the curly fries. Another two minutes pass and the cashier gets finished with the order and sees me standing there and asks, "Have you received your order?" I nod "NO" and he rushes over to the order and sees that kid who was making the curly fries just standing there and looks at him as if he wanted to say, "Give the man his order!" I ended up warming up the sandwiches in the microwave and was still satisfied with the meal despite the wait.

Lastly, I went to the nearby Wal-Mart and did a grocery run on some provisions that we can not get in Japan unless we make the trek to the nearby Costco Wholesale about 90 minutes away by train. After getting everything that was on the list, we went to the checkout line. To my surprise, there were only two cashiers open and the other seven lines were closed. My mom and I pick the line with the least amount of people and waited. Waited some more. Then waited some more. It wasn't the cashier's fault so much but more of the customer's fault. This young girl had an American size cart filled to the tip with all kinds of snack foods, ice cream, sugared cereal, Twinkies, etc. When it came time to pay the bill, she had to use three different cards to pay for it. It finally got done by having the young girl remove a few items from her order after the girl's older sister with two young children and pregnant with other saying what to leave out. I had forgotten, but later realized that we could have done the self-check and pay with a debit/credit card but my mother was against it.


The Divine Wind Vault
http://divinewindvault.blogspot.com
(C)2006-09

NEW- Japan Fix: South Carolina

Please read my latest contribution, Japan Fix: South Carolina.

A recent picture turned up on Facebook when I was in Japan. Here, I'm at a Sayonara Party in '06 with (L to R) Kendall, Mika, me (holding a beer mug) and Paul. All JET teachers representing America, Canada and the UK.

The Divine Wind Vault
http://divinewindvault.blogspot.com
(C)2006-09

My Last Time in Yokosuka

Originally written on March 1st, 2007.

Disclosure: This article does not tell the reader where to go to get a massage in Yokosuka, merely discusses my last time in Yokosuka and the experiences that came from that visit. If you are interested in information on massages in Japan, you'll have to look elsewhere.

These days, whenever I'm in the Yokohama area, I always try to make it down to Yokosuka since that was my first home in Japan back in 1993-95. So, at the recent conference in Yokohama, I made sure that at least one night was dedicated to the place that introduced me to Japan.

One of the first things I noticed on this visit that the streets were empty. I wasn't sure that a curfew was put in place or the area was prohibited. I did see a few military guys walking around but it could have been likely that the Kitty Hawk was deployed. Navy’s version of the military police, Shore Patrol with their “SP” armbands was walking around Yokosuka’s Honcho area.

I made a stop by the "Honey Comb" stand and ordered a corn dog, aka "stick dog". I asked for the corn dog in Japanese and when I used the correct counter for long slender object "i-pon", she smiled and saw that I was nicely dressed. I then told her in Japanese that I was stationed down in Yokosuka 13 years ago and then she wanted to know what I was doing now. When I told her I was teaching, she replied in English, "You must make alot of money." In comparison to the Navy boys, yes I do. I'm glad to be moving in the right direction.

I had a disappointing meal at a Chinese restaurant, Bamyans. It was disappointing because the portions were small. I did notice a few military guys who knew the deal and had a big bowl or ramen. I was glad to see that the guys were experiencing something that they would not find back home.



In Tsunami’s, I drank Corona’s for 400 yen during Happy Hour and had one last one after Happy Hour for 600 yen. Back in the day, this would have only been done on a payday since a $4 beer was big money, and to be honest, it still is. As I drank and listened to classic rock and heavy metal from the bartender’s i-tunes that he managed to hook up to the bar’s stereo I chatted with him in Japanese about the good ol’ days down in Yokosuka. He told me that the bar is about three years old and then wondered were I was living now. When I told him that I was up in Saitama, he remembered getting his driver’s license in Kumagaya which is about three hours away from his hometown of Zushi, Kanagawa (south of Yokosuka). These guys in their early 20s were big in to American heavy metal. I left when they were watching a Slayer DVD.

As I left the pool bar, Tsunami’s, a string of unusual things happened as I trekked back to the Yokosuka Chuo Station.

1. As I was walking through the covered street alley near Yokosuka Chuo Station, I noticed a younger serviceman in civilian clothes walking towards the base wearing the head phones that are usually worn by a guy who is working as a DJ at a party. Then, out of the blue, he stops and starts dancing a jig next to a group of middle-aged Japanese women with the lady in the front exclaiming to her friends, “Daijobu!?!?!”(Are you OK?) As she turned with her exclamation, she saw me shaking my head in disappointment in this fool. One rule of thumb to keep in mind when you are in Japan is never behave in a way that you would not behave in back home and it is not necessary to draw extra attention to yourself. You already are getting more than necessary attention since you are a foreigner.
2. Since I was down from Saitama at a conference in Yokohama, I was packing light and staying in a capsule hotel. I was hoping for mild weather and only brought my blazer which I wore with a black turtleneck shirt at night instead of the shirt and tie in the day. So, in Yokosuka, I was over dressed to say the least since back in the day, I usually wore jeans, t-shirt and windbreaker when I was out in town on some precious liberty. So, to my surprise, I see an Asian guy hanging halfway out of a window yelling, "This is one crazy place!” In broken English. I nodded in is direction to acknowledge him and then I am passing a parked car next to a building where two women are standing.
3. The one closest to me blurts out something in my direction that I do now understand. So, I turn and look at the two women and they are talking to each other as if nothing was blurted out. I had to pause for a second since I wasn’t sure if the woman blurted it out or not. So, I break the ice and say to them in Japanese, “Nani?” (What is it?) Then the lady who blurted out the incoherent message turns from her friend and then says, “You want a massage. I’ll give you a massage for 3000 yen (US$30). I’m then walking away from them shaking my head "NO!" and then I notice to my right a poster advertising a Japanese hostess bar and next to it a night club named “Russia House” written in katakana. With the woman still behind me but now has her hand on my arm, she is still saying, “I’ll give you a massage for 3000 yen.” I turned and said to her in Japanese, “Tsuma ga imasu yo!”(I have a wife.) She then pauses and retreats and then responds, “Only a massage!”

Just as the classic movie, Smokey & The Bandit goes, Jackie Gleason`s character pulls into a rest stop and invades a camper only to arrest the captain of the local police department. As he orders his numb skull son to remove the handcuffs, he turns to the captain and says, "If you are going to hang out in these kinds of places, you should wear your badge on your tidy!"

The Divine Wind Vault
http://divinewindvault.blogspot.com
(C)2006-09

Eating Out in Japan （和食）

This is my first video that I made from still pictures. Backing music WAS J-Pop from the artist, Shale Apple and Tomoyasu Hotei and Brian Setzer. Brian Setzer's record label cried foul due to not being given permission and YouTube took this video down. I switched the original mix with some generic stuff provided by YouTube to keep things going.

This video is of Japanese food as it is back in the motherland. Please note that there are no knives being thrown, 3 lbs. of fried rice being taken home in a Styrofoam box or fire being squirted out of a volcano of onions. Authentic Japanese cuisine only found in Japan. Pictures were taken while living in Japan from 2004-07.


The Divine Wind Vault
http://divinewindvault.blogspot.com
(C)2006-09

Great Journeys in Japan and around Asia Series, Part 3

Foreign Food Supermarkets in the Saitama/Tokyo area

Originally published in the Summer 2006 Issue of Saitama MemoRandom An English Quarterly Publication by The Saitama Prefectural Government, International Division in Saitama City, Urawa Ward, Japan.



What is a "foreign food supermarket"? It is defined as a supermarket that imports and sells 75% or more of their products that are on their shelves. These outlets also sell non-Japanese food that is made in Japan. Currently, there is a growing trend of Japanese food and beverage manufacturers producing "non-Japanese food" as well as foreign food and beverage companies establishing a joint-stock corporation(Kabushiki Kaisha) office in Japan. Take Nestle Foods for example. This Swiss food manufacturer lists their point of contact in Tokyo with a "free-dial 0120" number on the back of their products in Japan. Of course this is more cost effective and time efficient than having to deal with transporting from abroad to Japan and the associated duties, but there is a tendency that these products come out a little off in comparison to the imported original. Take the American snack food manufacturer, Doritos for example. The Doritos made in Japan taste different than those found in the US. As a foreigner residing in Japan, it is important to remember that when it comes to foreign food and beverage products, they are made and sold with the Japanese in mind.

As far as retail sales of food and beverage products go in the Japanese market, it has been within the past 15 years that foreign food and beverage products have been found in large quantities in Japan. In the beginning, these products were found in department stores such as Queen's Isetan in central Tokyo (http://www.queens.jp/english/english_index.html). In this setting, a small bag of Lays potato chips was sold at an exorbitant price. Establishments such as The Foreign Buyer’s Club have found success in Japan by importing directly from the US and distributing to their customers in Japan by avoiding the retail outlets altogether. Japan’s distribution system of the 21st century is nearly the same as it was in the Meiji Era of the late 1800s with products changing hands several times forcing the cost of unnecessary expenses to be passed on to the consumer. When it comes to imported products and the duties that are associated with it, the price is much more expensive. Around the same time of the emergence of foreign food and beverage products in Japan was the collapse of the Japanese economy known as "The Japanese asset price bubble". This forced distributors to eliminate several of its layers of distribution which resulted in products being available at a much more reasonable price.

Today, it is possible to find imported foods and beverage products in Japan at reasonable prices with a wider degree of variety. Here is a list of where you can find foreign food supermarkets in the Saitama/Tokyo area:

Listed in Alphabetical order:

1. Cook Y (Shinjuku Gyoenmae, Central Tokyo)

Internet: n/a

This outlet is geared towards food service professionals and restaurant owners selling imported products in bulk and large quantities. Keep in mind that the Japanese are known for selling a six-pack of beer as if you bought each beer individually. I managed to get in bulk large flour tortilla shells which are good for making breakfast burritos.

2. Costco Wholesale (Various with the closest to Saitama in Makuhari, Chiba)

Costco's Website: http://www.costco.com/Warehouse/Location.aspx?country=Japan

Flying Pig's Website:
http://www.theflyingpig.com/tfp/Shop.ASP

This retail outlet was established in Japan in 1999 and requires a membership like most “Club Stores” in the US. Since I was already a member prior to my arrival in Japan, my membership was rolled over to Costco Japan and can be used at any Costco in the world. Costco uses it own shipping fleet to get its imported products into Japan. Costco specializes is selling its products in bulk therefore if you are a food service professional, restaurant owner, have a large family or have adequate storage at your home, Costco would be beneficial to you.

However, the closest one to Saitama is in Chiba so a round trip train fare will cost around 1600 yen. The online store, The Flying Pig.com has been established and sources many of their products from the Costco outlet in Fukuoka. Their services eliminate the need of having a car to get all of your big bulk items back home and expensive train fees by allowing their customers to shop online and have their items delivered to them in a timely fashion.

Also worth mentioning, the Costco in Chiba has clothes in US sizes plus school supplies and English books which come in handy for those English teachers who work for employers with no budget for supplies or have any material for elementary school visits.

3. Hanamasa (Yotsuya Station, Central Tokyo)

Hanamasa's Website: http://www.hanamasa.co.jp/company/sm/index.html

This outlet is geared towards food service professionals and restaurant owners. Most of their products are similar to Costco’s format of selling in bulk, large quantities but at reasonable prices. I managed to get a 1-2 kg. portion of salami which is used at sandwich shops such as Subway. If only I had one of those electric slicing machines to slice the meat evenly. I managed with a butcher knife and left out in the refrigerator a portion and froze the rest and transferred from the freezer as needed.

4. Jupiter (Various in Tokyo and Japan-wide)

Jupiter's Website: http://www.jupiter-coffee.com/

My impression of this outlet is that I was back in California at a Von’s or Ralph’s due to the range of foreign products and the affordable price. For example instead of only having Campbell’s chicken noodle and tomato soup, they also have about four other flavors or soup along with the rest of the products on their shelves. The only problem with this outlet is that there are none in Saitama and the closest is in Oji, Tokyo’s Kita Ward. The two Jupiter outlets that I’ve been to were at Hiroshima Station and Sapporo Station.

5. Kaldi Farm (Kawaguchi City, Saitama Shintoshin, Akabane Station and many more)

Kaldi Farm's Website: http://www.kaldi.co.jp/english/index.html

This outlet is similar to Jupiter but has a presence in Saitama. It is possible that this outlet has a relationship with the Ario shopping mall due to many Ario shopping malls list Kaldi Farm as one of their stores. Aside from the one that is at Saitama Shintoshin, many of their outlets are located at places other than train stations.

6. Kinokuniya (Various in Central Tokyo)

Kinokuniya's Website: http://www.e-kinokuniya.com/cont/index_e.html

One of the first foreign food outlets in Tokyo, this outlet has a wide variety of premium quality imported foods. I have never been there but have been told that many of the celebrities that are seen on Japanese TV frequent this outlet. In my opinion, this indicates that inflated prices are likely to associated to the products at this outlet.

7. Meiji Ya (Roppongi and Hiro-o, Central Tokyo)

Meiji Ya's Website: http://www.meidi-ya.co.jp/

Along with Kinokuniya, Meiji Ya is one of the first foreign food outlets in Tokyo. This outlet has a wide variety of premium quality imported foods however not considered the most affordable. A rare find that I thought was interesting was Chili Beer from the US. It’s a draft beer with a chili pepper in it. I was told that during the 2002 World Cup in Japan and S. Korea this beer made its debut in S. Korea with overwhelming sales.

8. National Azabu (Hiro-o, Central Tokyo)

National Azabu's Website: http://store.yahoo.co.jp/national/index.html

Along with Meiji-Ya, this outlet is considered one of the first foreign food outlets in Tokyo. Personally, I found the food selection to be the best-rounded of all the foreign food outlets in Tokyo but at the same time the most expensive. However, this supermarket came in handy last year when I did a home stay in Aichi and I wanted to get some omiyage from America but couldn’t since I had been in Japan for nine months at the time. I managed to get some premium Hershey chocolates and Chips Ahoy cookies.

Their deli is probably the only place where one can find sliced chicken. This outlet is probably the best source for turkey which comes in handy for us Americans when Thanksgiving rolls around. They also have a point card and I receive in the mail advertisements regarding their current promotions. For those of you who have Yahoo TV, maybe you have seen their commercial?

9. Seijo Ishi (Omiya and many more)

Seijo Ishi's Website: http://www.seijoishii.co.jp/

Many of their outlets are found at several train stations throughout the Metro Tokyo area with Omiya being the closest for those who reside in Saitama. This outlet is a good source of premium imported foods without having to venture to central Tokyo.

10. Yamaya (Shinjuku and many more)

Yamaya's Website: http://www.yamaya.co.jp/en/core.htm

This outlet is mainly a premium wine shop. Nearly any kind of foreign beer can be found as well at this outlet. This outlet prides itself in keeping the cost down by buying directly from their suppliers abroad.

Sources:

1. www.wikipedia.org

2. Marketing in Japan, 1999, Ian Melville

3. Tokyo Japan Living & Traveling Guide,

http://www.kananet.com/japanguide/link05hiroo.htm

4. Import Distribution Symposium 2005, Manufactured Imports and Investment Promotion Organization (MIPRO), Subject: “Review of the Japanese Distribution Market from the Customers’ Perspective”, October 7, 2005

Today's video clip was taken in Tokyo of Marusho sign located in Yotsuya, which was not listed.

The Divine Wind Vault
http://divinewindvault.blogspot.com
(C)2006-09