I have always been very fond of Japanese culture, starting with my huge love for Hello Kitty as a child. As a teenager I fell in love with Anime. I thought I would share some of my favorites with you guys, if you love them as well tell me a fond memory you have or another awesome Japanese product, art form or etc I should know!
1. Furoshiki Gift Wrapping, I stumbledupon this cool Japanese Art Form which takes gift wrapping to a new level, allowing the giver to offer the gift in an eco-friendly yet beautiful fabric. It is truly amazing process to watch in the youtube link below.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bn6zdyCAwJs2. Ramune, A delicious carbonated drink that is well known for its unique design! Ramune is made of glass and sealed with a marble; in order to open the bottle, you must push the marble inside the neck of the bottle with a little device on the lid. Sounds complicated? It might be a bit tricky at first but its part of the fun! Well worth while since it tastes so good! Ramune is offered in a variety of places from your local Asian Market or Sushi Restaurant, but there is always Amazon!
http://www.amazon.com/Ramune-Japanese-Soft-Drink-Flavors/dp/B000VRLS5I
3. Botan Rice Candy, I grew up eating this tasty treat which is chewy and offers the unusual chance to eat rice paper! I loved it because it always comes with a little toy usually a sticker! I actually have one on my laptop right now, of Japanese Symbols, perhaps for yummy candy. You can also find this on Amazon but is very popular, you are bond to find it at your local Asian market.
http://www.amazon.com/Botan-Rice-Candy-0-75-Oz/dp/B0002656QK
4. Rinne (2005), Also known as Reincarnation is a Japanese Horror Movie, there are a lot of really great Japanese Horror movies but this one is my favorite because I love past lives and creepy hotels (Love The Shining). It is made by the people that brought you The Grudge, it is about a professor who videotapes a massacre in an experiment in hopes of revealing the truth of reincarnation. I am linking up a trailer but warn you SPOILER ALERT, as like many trailers it shows lots of juicy bits but some need that to be enticed! Perfect movie to watch for this coming Halloween!
http://www.traileraddict.com/trailer/reincarnation/trailer
5. Salux Nylon Japanese Beauty Skin Bath Wash Cloth/Towel, A popular item in our home, better than a loofah, why because loofahs seem to always fall in my shower because they are bulky! This wash cloth is perfect for reaching your back, dries quick and you'll have silky smooth skin! It comes in fun colors like pink, blue and yellow so you can have one for each family member. Also available at Amazon, because Amazon is amazing! However we were able to get it at our local Asian market, so keep your eye out!
http://www.amazon.com/Salux-Nylon-Japanese-Beauty-Cloth/dp/B000CSDDDG
Finally Try Flutterscape! What is Flutterscape? It may seem odd or complex but it is really fun! So it starts out with a random person in Japan, who take a photo of an item at store, they post it on Flutterscape, people bid on the item, once auction is over, they go back to the store purchase item and send it to Flutterscape Headquarters who send it to the recipient. You can find all sorts of crazy random merchandise that is fun to browse through and you might come across a dream item! It is where I got the top image,Nyanpire, and below are a two cute items I found there as well!
http://www.flutterscape.com/
