Hello from Japan, where a corn dog is known as an “American Dog.”
Starbucks continues their expansion in Japan, bringing their upbeat coffee and other beverages to all corners of the country. Most popular areas of Tokyo have several Starbucks, and it’s still quite common to find branches with no empty seats — so Japanese, who are used to crowds, drink their coffee while standing up. It’s interesting to compare the menus in Japan and the U.S. The Japanese have no love of eggnog, and so I never get to enjoy eggnog lattes around Christmas time. However, Starbucks Japan offers local variations for their Japanese customers, such as this month’s special, White Chocolate Mocha, offered because March 14 is White Day, the day when men who received chocolate from women on Valentine’s Day are supposed to give something back. Matcha Frappachinos are also very good, and especially refreshing in the summer.
There are many interesting service-related customs in Japan that I think would work well in other countries, too. In most Japanese restaurants, waitresses give you a steaming hot towel to clean your hands (or if you’re a little ill-mannered, your face). Similar to the hot towels they hand out in airplanes, the steamed towels are just the ticket to make customers feel pampered and positive about the meal they’re about to enjoy. Another interesting custom are radio-controlled call buttons on tables, which you press to let your server know you’d like to order. Like the men’s urinals that automatically flush when a patron walks away, which originated in Japan, these handy amenities might be appreciated by customers in other countries, too. Another Japanese innovation I’ve watched for a long time: Japanese taxi companies called “dai-sha” (“replacement car”). If you’ve had too much to drink at a bar, call one of these special taxis, which have two people inside: one to drive you home in the taxi, and a second to drive your car home, so you don’t have to leave it at the bar.
The Star Trek replica models from Furuta are off to a great start, which makes us happy, since these highly detailed toys are really the coolest thing we’ve seen in a long time (I’ve got my set on display). Meticulously crafted replicas of all the famous Star Trek ships, the detail is so fine you can read tiny words on the ships in the most unlikely places. They’re sturdy, assemble easily, and come with stands for displaying.
