A Costume Party Like No Other

One of my fellow gaijin (foreigner) friends threw herself a Farewell Party this weekend in Nagoya. 

She leaves Japan the day before I do and will be returning to her home in Lexington, Kentucky and her job at Toyota (TMMK). 

She asked everyone to come dressed in their favorite Japanese outfit or ridiculous fashion trend!

Everyone knows I like a party with a theme, and this one was no exception!!  It was almost as good as Halloween!

The guest of honor, Kelly, is the tall blond on the right, and she has the same problem I have--No clothes in Japan will fit her!!  Somehow, we managed to squeeze ourselves into something "super cute" any way...

As you can see, I choose a minidress with purple tights and open-toed shoes.  I also topped things off (literally) with a sparkling headband that's bendy like a giant pipe cleaner!!

I got some funny looks during my subway ride to the bar, and some teens were even pointing and laughing at me.  Geez... they wear this stuff all the time, but when a gaijin wears it somehow it's super entertaining!

Also, fur is super trendy in Japan this fall, from the fur leg warmers to go with classy heels or the "fur tails" that one of the girls in the left side of this picture is sporting!!

Guy with a top-knot hairdo plastic wig and a Ninja!

Short skirts all around in this photo of the ladies!

  

What would a Japanese party be with out some R and L confusion on the menu? 

"Sparkring" wine, anyone?!

I have never actually bought a drink in a Japan bar. 

There are two reasons for this:

1.  Nomihodai (all you can drink).  Some bars in Nagoya like to assess a flat fee to each person in the bar for a limited amount of time, usually 3 hours, and you can order whatever you would like.

2. Other bars have a entrance fee, usually around $30, and then they give you 4 drink tickets to use at your leisure. 

These are great methods for efficiency.  The bartenders don't deal with money, you can get your drinks really quickly, and no worries about the cost of ordering shots or expensive Red Bull drinks.

The downside occurs only if you prefer cheap drinks (like beer), are a lightweight drinker, or you are the DD.  Wait a minute... no one is the Designated Driver in Japan, since everyone takes trains or taxis at night!!

Regardless of how much or how little you drink, everyone pays the same price... maybe that's why there are so many darn alcoholics in this country!!

I love this guy with the eye patch.  It's really popular in Tokyo, and basically means you're a bad@$$.  People shouldn't mess with you because you are a tough guy!

This guy is "Huge in Japan" knocking over buildings on his shirt.

Hmm... where have I heard that before?  It sounds vaguely familiar...

The Japanese salaryman and his Mt. Fuji hat.  LOL!

This girl has on a flowered, one-piece capri length romper. 

They were all the rage in the summer.  She said she got a sweet deal on it because it's out of season...

and I thought things never went on sale in Japan! 

(Other than Jan 1st and July 1st, of course!)

A cool thing about this bar we were hanging out at is that they played only Michael Jackson videos non-stop for 3 hours!!  Unfortunately, other music was coming from the speakers, but it was cool to see MJ every time you looked at a TV!!

  

KG meets a J-Pop star!  (Japanese Pop music) 

LOL... he's looks amazingly realistic, but he's actually a Toyota engineer by day, also from Kentucky!!

Moving on to a Nagoya nightclub in our ridiculous outfits. 

This club needs at least 10 shiny, spinning disco balls...

Don't forget 6 chandeliers and hundreds of people.

If you thought the train cars in Japan are packed, just come dancing in this maze of people!!

The lovely ladies ending up on a stage because it provides a great view and some breathing space from the smashing crowd!

Here's a quick video of the inside of the nightclub. 

I was giving a nice commentary, but the music overpowers it!

(You must go directly to the blog to view it.)

What's New This Fall

Bread or Rice?
When I was at the hamburg steak restaurant recently, there was a choice of side with your meal: bread or rice.  As a foreigner, everyone assumed I was getting the bread, and they were shocked when I corrected them by asking for white rice instead.  Rice is my new staple food, and I think it's delicious.  Sure, I'd love a bun to go with my hamburger, but that's not what they were offering by way of "bread".  I saw crusty rolls at other tables, and I knew I didn't want that.  As an FYI sticky rice in Japan is totally better than the rice I eat in America...

Chopsticks can be your friend
Speaking of stereotypes at meal time, every once in awhile restaurants will bring a small tray with a knife & fork on it and set it right next to.  I should probably consider it nice that they want to accommodate foreigners, but it also gives me a complex like I suck at using my chopsticks or they assume all foreigners are idiots.  Which is not true on either account.  In fact, there are some foods I have discovered are actually easier to eat with chopsticks!  Like salad, cabbage, corn, peas, etc...

No thanks to dessert?!
I'm getting smarter regarding food in Japan.  This week, there was a special menu at one of my usual lunch spots.  The "special" part was you could order a slightly smaller portion of lunch and get a small dessert for the same price as a regular meal.  My lunch friends thought this sounded like a great deal, but I declined because I really like the regular-sized meal, and honestly I was wary about this "small" dessert.  (It's weird I'm turning down dessert though, right?!) 

Anyway, I made the right choice.  As it turns out the "small" dessert consisted of 2 grapes (with seeds), a half of strawberry, and a slice of orange that would be better suited on the rim of a cocktail glass.  Yeah... have I ever mentioned my strict policy against fruit as a dessert?!  It's completely unacceptable in my world.

Farewell Parties & Gifts
You may notice that I go to a lot of dinners with work.  They are usually to (1) welcome a new team member, (2) say goodbye to someone leaving, or (3) host a visitor.  I guess I've never mentioned how these things get funded.  Mitsui only pays for item #3!  When a new team member joins or one leaves, all of the dinner guests have to split the bill.  (This goes for farewell gifts and karaoke as well!)  You never really know how expensive things will be when you first sign up to attend.  (But no one in Japan really worries too much about money.)  The dinner organizer contacts you later to let you know how much you owe, and everyone pays promptly!  It's a handy, honest system but sometimes they delay in collecting money.  For example, I had to shell out over $140 one day this week to settle 3 different parties.  Good thing Japan is a cash society, and I always have plenty of money laying around...

Welcome to Fall!
I heard from the locals that Japan summer heat ends on the day of Autumn Equinox (September 23 this year), and I was doubtful.  How can they really predict the end of summer weather to ONE exact day!  But alas, it seems to be accurate... Sept 22 was over 90 degrees, and Sept 23 was 78.  It has never even reached the 80's since it "officially" became fall!  Usual high these days is 76, and low is 62.  (One weird thing is that Japan does not really have heat waves or cold fronts.  The temps vary maybe 1 degree each day.  It's really strange compared to the yo-yo weather I'm used to in the midwest.)

I'm loving the fall weather, but fashion has changed again.  I am enjoying my short-sleeved shirts (and finally slacks) at work, but I was recently scolded for still wearing my "summer" clothes.  When I looked around, yes, I am the only one wearing short sleeves, and everyone else has suddenly pulled out their turtlenecks and legwarmers again!!  WHAT?!  It's 76 outside, and 82 in the office...  these people are nutty!  I may not wear another long sleeve shirt before I leave just in spite of these rules!

The sun officially sets before 17:30 starting this week, so even if I leave work on time (at 5:30, which never happens) it means I am walking home in pitch darkness again.  Not so bad... at least the temperature is nice!

Fashion frenzy
11 months in Japan has made me bold with clothing.  I recently bought some jeggings (jean leggings) that I plan to bring back to the good ol' USA with me!  (They may be 2 sizes too small, but come on, they are supposed to be skin tight anyway, right?!)  And one day this week I accidentally put my shirt on backwards while dressing, but once I looked in the mirror, I decided I liked it that way and wore it for the rest of the day!

Favorite new word
At work they love to use the word ikemen, which means "most handsome guy".  The ladies are always talking about who is ikemen is certain departments.  When they announced that a new team member will be joining a neighboring department soon, the General Manager described his history, current assignment, and said he was ikemen!!  Everyone laughed, and then looked at me to make sure I caught that, even though it was in Japanese.  I assured them I knew what ikemen was!  How weird for a man to announce that type of description for a future male colleague...

Interestingly, there is no Japanese word for "most beautiful girl".  I've asked many guys, and they all think about it, and then shake their heads.  One clever guy said it was because "women are the ones who have time to sit around and judge the men and make up these new words".  (It's technically slang and became common around 2001.)

Everyone is a Sports Fan!
The Chunichi Dragons baseball team won the Central League pennant this weekend, and everyone in Nagoya was super excited!  Why you may ask?!  Because each year the Dragons win, the department stores will have 3-day sale following the final game.  This is a big deal because there are usually only two "sales" in Japan.  (January 1st for 5 days and July 1st for 4 days.)  Talk about a great way to get women excited about sports and have them follow the games... The ladies need to know if they should go shopping tomorrow!!

Oh, the funny things I see!

Here's more great things I see in and around Nagoya.

A whole new reason to pop your collar. 

This shirt has a hidden fashion message!

Yes, that's right... leggings for men, and their catchphrase is "No Leggings. No Life!!" 

Guess what all the men in my life are getting for Christmas?!  LOL 

(Dad's going to look really good in those blue camouflage ones!!  And Mike--how do you feel about pink lightning bolts?!)

I've gotten so used to squatty potties over here that I didn't know what to do when I came across this toilet.  I tried hovering but my leg muscles aren't what they used to be...

And what's with this tower of toilet paper?  Most days I'm lucky if the public bathrooms even provide TP, and this place buys it in mass quantities...

Special yellow subway train commemorating Nagoya's 400th anniversary!

Mini sandwiches from the convenience store. 

I no longer wonder why the Japanese don't like to eat sandwiches... it's because they are terrible at making them!  Let's throw one slice of meat and mayo between white bread and call it good?! 

By the way, this was Tarynn's breakfast on one of our trips.  I wouldn't buy this (or eat it for that matter)...

Japan sure does know how to ruin pizza. 

"Let's throw a bunch of seafood and green cheese on here and see if anyone notices, okay?"  Barf!

Milk cartons in Japan. 

They love to make everything cute!

Here's a trippy poster for Tokyo Disneyland. 

They should have a section called "Psychedelic Land" at the park!

I was wondering exactly what is so "Wild" and "Health" about Coca-Cola Zero, but then again this nation does consider OJ and PB to be sweets, so go figure...

Wild Health and sexy leather!  Roooaaarrr!

A truck advertising... umm, I don't know. 

Maybe swimsuits or maybe something else.  It's hard to say.

"Enjoy your lifestyle with love pets". 

Wow.  Where can I get myself a "love pet"?

Well if I had a "love pony" at least I'd know where to take him to get clean...

A message posted on the bulletin board at my apartment. 

The last line is my favorite. 

Apparently it's NOT appropriate to go "on a drunken rampage in the hallway". 

I wish someone would have told me that sooner.  It probably would have cleared up a lot of confusion!

Pepsi Twist?

Seriously, do they even sell that anymore?!  Not in this vending machine anyway... 

How old do you think this sign is?

Hahaha!!  Unmistakably "Where's Waldo" in Japanese!! 

I found this little treasure in the international library I go to.

I'd like to invite these boys over to play Wii with me!!

Seriously, look how adorable and fashionable they are!!

Wait a minute... I've started to see these same 5 boys all over advertisements. 

My best guess is they are some kind of Japanese boy band, but no one has been able to confirm or deny that for me. 

Maybe they just like to use the same 5 male models in all ads in Japan?!

Japanese Fashion Strikes Again!

Summer fashion in Japan has arrived, and it's simply divine!  I wish I could snap pictures left and right all day every day, but I must use some discretion.

Here's just a taste of what I see every day...

The men's shoe department, complete with purple or orange plaid sneakers.

Still in the men's shoe section. 

Yes, even the yellow ones with ruffles! Or the pink loafers with blue soles!!  I can't poke fun too much because if I'm gonna buy shoes it's going to have to be from the men's sizes, so I should be glad for such a diverse selection!

All of the bathing suits come with ruffles and skirts!!  They are actually very cute... if you're twelve!

This is the most popular outfit of 2010: straw hat + denim shirt + ruffled skirt.

See the racks full of just straw hats, denim shirts, and ruffled skirts!!  Wow... it's unbelievable how many different varieties you can see of the exact same outfit.  During Golden Week in Tokyo, Tarynn and I started counting one morning, but we lost track after about 20 because it wasn't even lunch time yet.

Leggings are essential, bonus if they are the stirrup kind!!  And everyone wears the tiny socks sticking out of their shoes.  (Even I have been known to do the leggings look and the tiny socks.  Sadly, all of the pants are too short for me to pull off the stirrup style!)

If a lady is going to wear shorts this summer, they should be enormous and baggy with tights, of course! 

I get comments every day since I'm not wearing stockings, but people need to back up off me!!  It's June, and 82 degrees in the office.  I see no reason for extra layers...

Things could be worse... 

I could just wear the tights and then rip slits in them all the way down to get some air flow...

Finally, here are some of the favorite things I have seen in stores!

This shirt first got my attention because it looks like University of Michigan, but upon closer inspection it makes absolutely no sense.  "He was bone under a lucky star" and what the heck does the big "M" have to do with that nonsense?! 

How about "Hurry Up" and "Observe a Traffic Rule"?!  Last I checked, speeding is not usually associated with following the rules...

Wow!  I think I could find a job as a professional proof reader and stay here forever:

"So taht there is it heatly live a wonderful life".

Lastly "Smartly Cats" and "Woman cat know the really good-looking".  Good looking what?  Man?  Cat with a necklace and crown on its head? 

This shirt is confusingly...

High Fashion

Like any proper girl, one of my main concerns when I found out I was moving to Japan was "What do I wear?" As it turns out, that should have been the least of my worries...

The Japanese like to call themselves "fashionable"; however, I would call it "diverse". There is a ton of variety and very little judgment based on clothes. I catch myself every morning thinking "Really?! Seriously?! Did you even look in the mirror today?!" to strangers I come across on the street.

Sadly, I have only a few pictures of fashion because, as it turns out, it's simply not polite to openly take pictures of random outfits. I have turned off all chimes on my camera and most of the time the flash is off, too. This helps me be a little sneaky :)

The first pic features a woman with a popular plaid, pleated skirt and a brightly colored, big bag. She is also wearing a mask. As I mentioned, it is very common. I'm probably going to come back to the USA, go to a store, and wonder why people are coughing and sneezing and spreading their germs on me!!

A man at the airport. The layered look is popular for both men & women, as well as "skinny" jeans. Actually, I haven't seen anything but skinny jeans. This guy pairs his outfit with some boots and a stocking cap, even in 70 degree weather!

A high fashion man. As I mentioned, it was 70 that day. I hope he is going some where cold that will justify his gloves and scarf. Sunglasses are rare*; his are just for looks.

*I read that the Japanese rarely wear sunglasses, and it is certainly true. I better guard mine with my life because if they break, I'm screwed! One of my co-workers wears sunglasses, so I asked him about it. He said that all Japanese have dark-colored eyes, and they are not sensitive to sunlight. He had LASIK surgery less than a year ago, so now he is really sensitive to the sun. It sounds like an acceptable theory to me because I really need my shades after LASIK as well!

Another airport guy. He is clutching his man-purse, which is also a must for any guy. I was in a store today that had an entire wall of the Men's Dept dedicated to bags and man-purses in a rainbow of pretty colors!

Ladies walking on a Saturday afternoon. The woman on the left has over-the-knee socks on paired with high-heeled boots and a short skirt. I see many belted coats that, likes hers, is not utilizing the belt and tied in the back.

Two ladies on the subway. Age is indistinguishable. Maybe early 20's. (I'm terrible at guessing Asian ages, and they love to test me about it at work!!) Colored tights are seen every where, and even better if they are patterned with argyle, plaid, stripes, or flowers! Boots, of all types (cowboy, heeled, rain, furry), are supremely common as well.

Hi, welcome to the Men's Dept of the local UNIQLO store :) No joke, you can get any color you like! On the bright side (pun intended) if I ever need clothes in the Japan, I will be shopping in the Men's Dept, so I should be happy with these cool choices!!

They don't carry my size in Japan... seriously... EVER! I found Nagoya's only American clothing store today: Gap, and their sizes are exactly the same as America!! BUT, pants only come in 0, 2, 4, or 6. Shirts are available in XXS, XS, S, and M. Shoes only go up to size 24, which is a 7 in the USA. I better be losing a lot of weight if I ever intend to fit into authentic Japanese clothing!!

A casual weekend stroll... in a short skirt and HIGH heels!! Some ladies have such short skirts that they must cover their bums with their purses when they go up stairs!! (That would be me, if I try to fit my butt into a size 6 stretchy skirt!!)

Finally, I don't have any pictures, but turtlenecks are wildly popular (Mom would love it!) with both men and women! As I mentioned, I don't think anyone judges me for my clothes, but I have been asked a few times if I was cold wearing my "half-sleeves" or why I was still wearing my "summer clothes". Umm, maybe because the thermostat is set at 82, and I'm a girl from Michigan who is notoriously warm blooded!!

I don't need to feel self-conscious about my limited, living-out-of-a-suitcase wardrobe because I see repeat outfits every week. I also have the sneaky suspicion that the ladies will be wearing the same jumpers and dresses in the summer, just without the turtlenecks underneath!!