http://www.city-cost.comSat, 18 Jul 2026 14:42:12 +0900Games, manga, and ramen. Those three things make up my Tri-force lol.enCopyright © 2015 - 2026 City-Cost All Rights Reserved.webmaster@city-cost.com (CC Team)http://img.city-cost.com/static/blog_campaign_icon.pnghttp://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MnybV-living_transportation_howtoAn experience that most foreigners living in Japan have to go through and most likely hate is the process of renewing their visas. It takes time, there is paperwork to fill out, and it is definitely anxiety-inducing. To help you with this, here is a handy guide on renewing your visa focusing on your visit to the Shinagawa branch of the immigration offices in Tokyo. I have found some Japanese guides but could not find a good English one, so hopefully, this will help make your experience smoother (and less frustrating). 1. Filling out the formsTo renew your visa, you could technically pick up the forms at the immigration office, but to save time and make your trip as smooth as possible, download the form from the website below, print it out at a nearby convenience store (if you do not have a printer), and fill it out beforehand. Make sure you print out the right form for the type of visa you are getting.List of forms on the Immigration Services Agency of Japan website (Japanese):http://www.moj.go.jp/isa/applications/procedures/16-3-1.htmlWith your form filled, I would also recommend you get your photo taken early at an automated photo booth, available outside many drugstores, supermarkets, bookstores and convenience stores in Japan. The shoot should cost you around 800yen. There are also photo booths at the Lawson near the Shinagawa immigration office and even at the Family Mart inside the office. Those are good backup options as well.Also, remember to bring your passport, resident card, copies of the tax document you get from your employer (they will keep whatever you bring them, so make photocopies, which you can do at the Family Mart inside the office), plus whatever other document you might need from your employer. 2. Getting thereThe easiest way to reach the immigration would either be taking a train to get to Shinagawa Station and then taking a bus from there, which the bus stop is on the East side of the station and is not difficult to spot (it will be the most multicultural bus you have ever seen in Japan).Another option is to get to Tennozu Isle and walk for about 15 mins. You can see the location of the office on the map below.https://goo.gl/maps/bMUNCn4WWRmZddhJ63. When should you arrive?If you want to get it over with quickly, then you would want to go there early. The bad news is that the immigration office is only opened between 9 am to 4 pm, and they are not opened on weekends. You might need to take a day off just to make this trip if you are applying for it yourself. The worst news is that if you want to get in at 9 am, you will probably have to line up from 8 am because everyone has the same idea.However, the good news is that to prevent the virus from spreading, they have been handing out timed tickets from around 8:15 am. The ticket will give you a time to return to the line, and they then let batches of people in every 15 minutes.For example, if your ticket says “come back to Line A at 10:00 am”, you can go back to line up from 9:45 am.From my experience and observation, prepare to wait for 45 mins to 1 hour before you are let in. There is, unfortunately, nothing fun to see around, but there are chairs set up at the waiting area so you can sit and chill with entertainment in your hands.4. Entering the buildingOnce you are in, head straight to the second floor, and you will see signs directing people to the correct counters. Photography is not allowed, so you probably will not find photos online on where to go, but there will be an officer you could ask for help as well. Have all your documents and ID in hand. With many people working at each stage of the counter, the lines do move fast.The first line will be for them to check that you have all the documents, then they will give you a number and tell you where to go next. From that point, it is just sitting around until your number is called (time really varies, but it was about 30 mins on my most recent visit), you give them your documents, fill out your address on a postcard for your notification, get your passport and resident card back (now stamped to show that you are in the process of renewing) as well as a receipt, then you go home and wait for 2 to 4 weeks.Sidenote 1: They are doing bag checks at the entrance of the building, so get ready to open your backpacks and bags to show them you did not bring anything dangerous.Sidenote 2: If you ever need to leave the building for whatever reason, ask an officer at the counter and they will write a slip of paper that will allow you to reenter the building again. Otherwise, you might not be allowed in and have to line up all over again.5. Picking up your visaWhen you receive the notification card in the mail, it means your visa is ready for pick up.You will need to bring the notification card you just got in the mail, the receipt from the previous visit (easy to forget about this one), your passport, resident card, and a revenue stamp (収入印紙). You can purchase the stamp at your local post office or convenience store. However, given how small this stamp is and it is not cheap (usually 4000 yen for most people), you can wait and buy it at the Family Mart inside the office instead. They even have a lane there just for selling revenue stamps.Go through lining up just like before. Get inside, get to a counter, receive a number, wait (90 minutes for me this time because I got there at 9:30 am), and finally get your new resident card!The process is nothing difficult, but it definitely does take time and test your patience a bit. Hopefully, now that you have this guide to help you, your process will be smooth and quick(er). Good luck! To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MnybV-living_transportation_howtoMon, 31 May 2021 10:26:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MnybV-living_transportation_howtohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MnyJE-foodI have to admit that I was sold on this because of the packaging. When you have Ultraman Seven, your 2nd favourite Ultraman on a bread, you just have to get it.I was not a big fan of the last Long Stick, finding it a bit dried and wishing for more filling. This strawberry and whipped cream one is an improvement, however.The filling is slightly more, but the strawberry jam is quite strong and tense in flavour.The bread itself remains a bit dried, but flavour wise it was not lacking, and I enjoyed it quite a lot.Thank you Ultraman Seven for always pointing me towards the right direction!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MnyJE-foodSun, 04 Apr 2021 21:08:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MnyJE-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wrQJX-foodIf you are a fan of these fermented beans that stink quite a lot, you probably know that they are rather cheap, as you can easily get 3 packs for 70-100 yen.However, I found the cheapest natto at a drugstore for just 38 yen.38 YEN! For 3 packs! So each one is less than 15 yen with tax included.To save cost, they do not include any soysauce or mustard so you have to provide your own, which is better for the environment as it saves a bit of plastic too.Even if you are not a fan of natto, you might want to try them again if you are looking for ways to save money!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wrQJX-foodSun, 04 Apr 2021 21:05:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wrQJX-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G6l7D-foodIf you want a sweet lemon sour that tastes extra fruity and keeps most of the lemon flavour, this maruoroshi lemon is a great choice.At 130 yen a can, it is slightly more expensive than what I usually get for 100 yen, but only slightly. And it is very much worth it.Maruoroshi is that they shred the entire lemon into the drink: peel, fruit, everything.As a result, the flavour is a very delicious and fresh lemon taste that I enjoyed a lot more than many other cheaper lemon sours on the market, while keeping it at 7% alcoholic.Will definitely drink again, and again!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G6l7D-foodSun, 04 Apr 2021 19:07:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G6l7D-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zKO4R-living_shoppingShopping arcades, or shotengai in Japan are honestly quite outdated.They are long streets with small shops on both sides, usually small businesses instead of chains.Sure, there are still some that are thriving in certain parts of Tokyo and other cities, but most rural shotengai are quite empty nowadays, some with more than half the stores closed.The reminding stores are also very old style futon shops, stationery stores, fried food specialty shops and other similar small shops focused on one or a few things, run by elders and serving mostly other elders in the neighbourhood now.They are obviously replaced by supermarkets and shopping malls, but I love walking through shopping arcades, imagining what they must have been like at their peak. To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zKO4R-living_shoppingFri, 02 Apr 2021 00:08:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zKO4R-living_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GyWB7-foodKoppepan is a heavy fluffy bread in Japan that is usually stuffed with some kind of cream, and I like them a lot.I have never seen this banana cream koppepan, so I had to give it a try when one was in front of me at a supermarket.There is always a lot more bread than cream in these, but this banana cream is quite rich and sweet. It tastes like a "banana flavour" instead of real fresh bananas, but it matches really well with the sweet bread itself. My favourite koppepan is still the brown sugar bread with whipped cream center, but something different once in a while is always welcomed.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GyWB7-foodFri, 02 Apr 2021 00:02:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GyWB7-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z1vl4-foodMy friend who loves beer always says that there is no point in drinking 0% alcoholic "beers". While I can see that some people who are trying to cut on alcohol can be satisfied with it.This product by Asahi, however, I do not understand.Called Beery (which I thought said Berry at first), this is a beer-like beverage with a tiny bit of alcohol.That is right, a tiny bit. Just 0.5%!In fact, there is so little alcohol that this is categorized as a carbonated beverage instead of an alcoholic beverage.It was also 160 yen, not cheap, and it did not taste that good either. It was a very flat and diluted beer. Slightly better than the 0%, but not worth the extra money. I tried it so you do not need to. To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z1vl4-foodThu, 01 Apr 2021 23:58:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z1vl4-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GoKJ2-foodSometimes you want some fresh leafy greens to eat as salad, and when lettuce is not in season, it can get expensive.During Spring in Japan, however, see if you can find these butterhead lettuce, or salada-na (salad veggie).They are very cheap, usually between 40-50 yen each. I was really lucky and actually found them for 20 yen per head!These are great because they are soft and delicious, perfect to be eaten straight. They are also not very dirty and quick to prepare. One warning is that they do turn bad quickly, so keep them in the fridge and enjoy them soon.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GoKJ2-foodThu, 01 Apr 2021 23:54:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GoKJ2-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z362O-foodHave you ever thought that the normal Fanta is not good enough, and you would rather pay a bit more for something better?Here is Premium Peach Fanta!While a bottle of normal Fanta is around 100 yen, you will find this usually for around 130 yen. Not just that, but it is also only 380 mL instead of the standard 500 mL.However, you will also get 11% of fruit juice in the bottle, so make sure you turn it upsidedown a couple of times before drinking.As a result, you get a really rich and delicious juice that is well blended with a carbonated soda. Although expensive, it is delicious and definitely premium. To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z362O-foodThu, 01 Apr 2021 23:51:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z362O-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MEA4v-foodThis advertisement really got to me in a negative way.To sell their Mac & Cheese burger, Mos Burger realized that they first had to show people what Mac & Cheese is, and they ended up with this tag line that says:"The cheese cuisine that 88% of Japanese do not know about".They probably did a small scale research somewhere, sure, but really, using this as an opportunity to "teach" the majority of Japanese people what Mac & Cheese while misrepresenting it by putting it on a burger is pretty wrong.It is like if I introduce sashimi to a country that is not familiar with it, but I put it on a plate of udon as I present it. Not to mention, the katakana just calls it "Makken Cheese".That is how it is pronounced, sure, but what the hell is a Makken. It removes the meaning of the macaroni, which for Mos Burger, they are totally fine with because they are TRYING TO SELL THIS AS A BURGER ANYWAY!So many things wrong with this. So many.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MEA4v-foodWed, 31 Mar 2021 23:58:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MEA4v-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GloQj-livingI had to look it up, but Potsun is the Japanese "sound" of being isolated and alone, and this photobook of that name has nothing but that.Specifically, each page you would find one animal standing in the middle of nowhere in the nature, or being weirdly outstanding among a bunch of animals of another species.This was an interesting book because it captures some really amazing moments. It is not a book I would buy, but to borrow it from the local library, it was a fun read.In fact, Japanese libraries have a lot of nature photobooks, some are actually small and short like this Potsun. Explore your local library if you have not done so!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GloQj-livingWed, 31 Mar 2021 23:52:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GloQj-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zD2Ej-foodIf you are not a fan of the cheese Ritz, then it is quite sad that Ritz does not have a lot of new flavours on the market often (and their spicy chicken flavour was horrible).One new product, however, recently released was this black pepper Ritz. Instead of having a cream filling, this is closer to the plain Ritz but has black pepper infused into the biscuits. The result is as you would imagine, but having the pepper in rather than on the biscuits help make less of a mess on my fingers as I ate it.This is also great if you have some cream soup on the side. Not a bad product at all.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zD2Ej-foodWed, 31 Mar 2021 23:48:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zD2Ej-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mv8Jr-money_transportationIf you are in Tokyo and are planning to take the Sakura Tram that goes between Waseda and Minowabashi, you might want to consider getting the 1 Day pass.One trip on the tram is 170 yen, but the day pass is 400 yen. The tram has plenty of stops so you might want to just hop off for a short walk, and since the trams come every few minutes, it is quick to hop back on to keep your trip going.We used the tram 5 times in one day, so we doubled the value of the pass, and we will definitely get the pass again the next time we use the Tram for a day trip.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mv8Jr-money_transportationTue, 30 Mar 2021 15:58:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mv8Jr-money_transportationhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w2qBX-foodThis series of lemon sour made by Takara the famous shochu maker has been great and has earned its name as a premium drink, especially while keeping it around 100 yen a can.This lemon sour is actually a mixture of lemon liquor and tea liquor, which is why this is a lemon tea.My first sip was not that great, as the 7% alcohol is a bit strong that confuses the flavour of the lemon tea. But the Takara shochu are very easily to drink, so I got used to that very soon and by my 3rd sip, I was enjoying this as a soft drink.The can was done in minutes, showing how delicious this drink is. I do not think this will be around forever, so try it if you find one!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w2qBX-foodTue, 30 Mar 2021 15:53:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w2qBX-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wkmQ7-livingIf you want a glimpse into the life of Japan between 1955-1964, this book, 3 chome no shashinkan is a nice book with a lot of photos showing you what Japan was like back then.The photos were all black and white, but they were very clear and real, showing many aspects of outdoor life.Kids playing, school, shopping around Nihonbashi, brides, matsuri...Most of the texts are in Japanese but with each topic, you will also get one paragraph written in English that describes what it was like.Being a book by Shogakukan, you might be able to find this at your local library as well. This might not be a book to keep but a good quick read.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wkmQ7-livingTue, 30 Mar 2021 15:41:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wkmQ7-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GWvr8-foodI have mentioned my love for this great chocolate biscuit snack you can get in Japan for just 100 yen a pack.Those who like their chocolate sweet would enjoy this Rich Milk flavour version.The taste reminds me of kinder egg chocolate. The milk was definitely strong.Compared with the cocoa biscuits, however, this standard biscuit is a bit boring. The extra texture is nice though, and it makes this a really fun snack to crunch on while focusing on something else.My favourite is still the Vanilla chocolate on cocoa biscuit one, but those who enjoy more milky and sweet chocolate, this is a great option too.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GWvr8-foodTue, 30 Mar 2021 15:35:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GWvr8-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MJOnJ-foodDonbei is a popular brand by Nissin for their cup soba. That is right. Cup soba, not cup noodles. The idea is basically the same though.But this one was especially interesting, as this was a soupless soba. After you have drained the water to cook the soba, it comes with a spicy tsuyu sauce to add into it for you to mix.It also has instructions to cool the soba noodles down first if you want it chilled, which is what I did.The sauce was surprisingly sweet and delicious. I really liked the texture and smoothness of the soba as well. I will definitely enjoy this in the summer over some hot soba.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MJOnJ-foodTue, 30 Mar 2021 15:29:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MJOnJ-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GQKd5-living_foodYou can probably see it in the picture but I will explain my experience.I used to pour soymilk for my cereal with the mouth closer to the bottom, and that would create some splashes as the milk comes out.I heard somewhere that the right way is the have the mouth higher, which sounded strange and made me nervous when I tried it the first time, but the result was that there was NO splashes at all. Not during the pour, not when I lifted it up to stop.The science is something probably to do with air bubbles, but regardless, this works really well, and more people should know about this!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GQKd5-living_foodSat, 27 Mar 2021 19:23:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GQKd5-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MpYg5-foodRather than the regular Cheetos, I really like the Cheetos puffs for the texture, and that is just not really a thing in Japan.However, this snack by Calbee simply called "Corn" is a great replacement.These cheese flavoured snacks are light and airy, just the texture I had been looking for.They are also quite sweet, but in a delicious way. The heart shape is a bit random, but why not, I guess. It helps with keeping the puff airy when you bite through.I hope these "Corn" will expand and come out with more savoury flavours in the future!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MpYg5-foodSat, 27 Mar 2021 19:19:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MpYg5-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXmao-livingThere are many Japanese restaurants that require you to take off your shoes when you enter, and at the bathroom, they would place slippers for you to use when you are "going".This is not just for restaurants, as some households do that too.However, I have found myself several times, after using the washroom, walked back out into the restaurant with the slippers on!This is of course a no-no, as the idea was to keep the restaurant floor clean, but it is sometimes hard to remember it as I do not have the toilet slipper custom at home.More importantly, if I am at an izakaya, expect me to be tipsy if not drunk, so it is very much a trap for me and others!With that said, I do appreciate this method of keeping the floor clean!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXmao-livingFri, 26 Mar 2021 21:33:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXmao-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wm1Ja-foodIn all honesty, I bought this out of nostalgia because I used to eat these imported Yan Yan Cups back home. 100 yen is cheap for a nostalgic trip. Opening the cup, you will see a bunch of long biscuit sticks, chocolate cream, and some candies sprinkles.Well, strictly speaking, the sprinkles are actually just labelled as "toppings", so it might not right to call them candies and something more mysterious instead.I did not have this when I was young, but they have quizzes printed on the sticks now. This quiz asks about holidays in Japan, with the Q and A both printed on the same stick.Unfortunately, I dropped the cup and some sticks broke, so certain questions did not really have the answers at the bottom.The whole dipping thing is fun. Does it taste good? Not really. The chocolate is super cheap tasting. The "toppings" had no flavour. The sticks were good though.But for kids and for me looking to time travel, this was a fun snack to have.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wm1Ja-foodFri, 26 Mar 2021 21:19:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wm1Ja-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GRYdp-foodOne of the few things you can get in Japan but many people would advise you not to is chicken sashimi, because of the risk if the chicken was not clean.But being a big fan of food, I just wanted to try it once, and at a very clean izakaya, I did.400 yen got me this small plate with just a few slices of chicken.They do not look completed raw, as the outside seemed cooked.They also came on sliced onions and was to be served with soysauce and wasabi.I ate it. The texture was smooth and chewy at the same time. The tendon was difficult to chew through. The flavour was bland. Not bad, but nothing eye-opening.While I am way more of a meat guy than a fish guy, I would take fish sashimi over this any day.My conclusion: it was okay. Not worth the risk.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GRYdp-foodFri, 26 Mar 2021 21:15:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GRYdp-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MYXax-foodIf you recognize this girl, it is probably because she is the mascot for Fujiya the cake shop at many stations, as well as the mascot of the milk candy that has been around for decades.So it makes sense that their collaboration with Yamazaki bread is a milky bread.This milky cream + whipped cream bread was the product.I do not really understand what "milky cream" is supposed to be. It is more like a sweet custard, and while delicious, it was not that impressive.It was also weird that the whipped cream and milky cream were lined horizontally instead of vertically. Overall, I did enjoy it, but perhaps Pekochan just hyped me up a bit too much.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MYXax-foodFri, 26 Mar 2021 21:10:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MYXax-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zKOnR-foodOx tongue or beef tongue is a delicacy in many countries, Japan included. But how does it taste in a Japanese curry?If you want to find out for cheap, this packaged curry will give you an idea for less than 300 yen.On top of the Australian ox tongue, it also uses apples from Aomori and cherries from Yamagata to make this curry, and the result is a curry sauce with a complex yet easy to enjoy flavour that is on the sweet side, and it is great.My one complaint would be that there was not a lot of ox tongue, and that is not an ingredient you can easily add yourself. However, a good curry is a good curry, and I enjoyed this a lot.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zKOnR-foodFri, 26 Mar 2021 21:06:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zKOnR-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GyWj7-foodIt is always impressive how companies continue to find different ways to bring out new lemon chu-hi, a drink that has been around for decades.Kirin's latest is this fermented lemon chu-hi, priced around 151 yen a can including tax, higher than average.At 7% alcohol, it uses 10% juice and no artificial sweeteners to keep the drink tasting natural.The result is a very refreshing drink with a rich sour lemon flavour. I do not think that this is for everyone, as many and myself included would prefer something sweeter. But this is definitely a great drink for those who prefer the clear refreshing type of lemon chi-hi.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GyWj7-foodFri, 26 Mar 2021 21:01:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GyWj7-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Glogj-livingI remember the first time I learned about convenience stores in Japan having photocopiers.It was when my friend was running a D&D campaign and invited me to join. He said "I will be back in 5 minutes", left the house, came back with copies of character sheets and icecream for everyone."Where did you go?"He explained that he went to the convenience store to make copies, and for just 10 yen a page, he really loved the accessibility.Thinking about it, he was right. In my years in Japan, I have used the copiers there countless times for things I needed to copy, and they are always available 24 hours. I am glad too that this is a thing in this country.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Glogj-livingThu, 25 Mar 2021 10:49:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Glogj-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zD2Qj-foodWhen I look for cheap bread to try, I like try choose something new everytime because there are always new creative items on the market.That is unless I find them for cheap.This is my 5th time eating this margarine sugar sandwich because I keep finding it in the half priced basket, often all on its own because no one is buying it!This is an absolutely delicious sandwich. The creaminess of the margarine and the texture of the crunchy sugar are perfect mixes, and it is one of my favourites!But it definitely does not sound good by its name, so people are not giving a try.More for me then!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zD2Qj-foodThu, 25 Mar 2021 10:43:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zD2Qj-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GB3kY-foodStrong Zero's recent line of limited drinks has been really good, and the latest is the whole green grape version.For just 110 yen including this, these 9% drinks will definitely give you a buzz and possibly ruin your night if you do not know how to stop yourself.The fact that this green grape drink is delicious also makes it dangerous/awesome. It tastes like green grape flavoured candies more than the real fruit, and I enjoy both.It is not to the level that makes me want to stock up (like the melon one), but is a good one to enjoy while it is around.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GB3kY-foodThu, 25 Mar 2021 10:40:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GB3kY-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zVXa8-foodI have tried the previous versions of the chocobits and I quite enjoy them, mostly because they are all really sweet and reminds me of the unhealthy cereal back home.Their strawberry white chocolate caught my eye as well and I just had to try it as a fan of sweet cereal.The smell really reminded me of strawberry pocky, but it was a surprise that this was not nearly as sweet as it looked or sounded. Overall, it was still plenty delicious, and the crunch was as satisfying as ever. Yes, this is one I would recommend!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zVXa8-foodThu, 25 Mar 2021 10:37:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zVXa8-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/weDBe-foodOn my search for cheap drinks, I also try to consider my health, so things with low sugar and no artificial sweeteners are always preferred, knowing that they would also not be as delicious.I am still trying out the Takara shochu highball series, because: - they are really low in sugar (not 0 though)- the 7% alcohol gives a good buzz - it is usually 98 yen a can (before tax)- they are widely available at most supermarkets- they have many flavours to choose from (and the ginger ale one was quite good)With all the good points, this grape one is another decent drink. For someone with a sweet tooth, this is not going to satisfy you much. But for an easy to drink chu-hi with a hint of grape flavour, this is a solid can to enjoy.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/weDBe-foodThu, 25 Mar 2021 10:31:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/weDBe-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zaD4D-shopping_money_fashionWhen you want cheap clothes, many people go to Uniqlo. If you want something even cheaper, there is GU. But when that is still expensive, look around your town and you might find a super cheap clothing store like this one, especially older towns and lower income areas with danchi complexes.These mega cheap clothing stores have crazy prices. 299 yen for a shirt, 499 yen for a jacket, 199 yen for jersey pants.None of them are refundable. Some jackets even have spelling mistakes on their patches, but cheap is cheap, and the quality while not great, was not too bad.With prices like that, it gives families of of all income a place to shop without breaking the bank. Check it out if you ever find one!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zaD4D-shopping_money_fashionWed, 24 Mar 2021 13:22:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zaD4D-shopping_money_fashionhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GbPRJ-foodWhen I picked this 100 yen drink up at the supermarket, I did not think much of it.Never heard of Top's, and it was only afterwards that I realized it this is a Japanese chocolate store based in Akasaka, and it is actually an expensive chocolate store that you would find at department stores.With that in mind, I really enjoyed this drink.The chocolate was very rich and creamy, and it mixed really well with the drink overall. The consistency was really even too, making this thoroughly enjoyable from the first sip to the last.As a chocolate drink, this was great, and now I am curious about their actual chocolates too.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GbPRJ-foodTue, 23 Mar 2021 18:32:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GbPRJ-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w5ZR8-money_transportationIf you are riding the bus in Tokyo for a day trip around the city, I recommend you get a day pass.For just 500 yen, you can ride all the Toei buses in the 23 districts in Tokyo for the whole day (only Toei ones, not buses of other companies). You can buy this on the bus by asking for the day pass. No pre-ordering needed. You can also get it directly on your IC card too.Considering that one bus ride is usually 210 yen and that is 420 yen for there and back, you can pay just a bit more for more options, and it is definitely a better deal if you are changing buses at a terminal. Keep this in mind the next time you plan a trip using buses!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w5ZR8-money_transportationTue, 23 Mar 2021 15:55:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w5ZR8-money_transportationhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GQKp5-food300 yen for a 300 gram cup of fruit yogurt is not that cheap, right?But what if it has a ton of crunchy fruits with different textures, such as this one with coconut, pineapple and peach?This yogurt is by far one of the best I have ever had in Japan, all things to the many fruit cubes included. Every spoon comes with a fruitful scoop of yogurt, and it was really satisfying and delicious!The price is the only factor, and I found myself almost finishing it in one go. I would say that it is worth it though!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GQKp5-foodTue, 23 Mar 2021 15:51:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GQKp5-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MpYa5-foodMy last Hyoketsu with mango and peach was a pretty bad one, despite being a regular item. However, when it comes to 100 yen drinks, I am easily sold, especially when berries is in the name.This berry mix with blueberry and raspberry did not give me high expectations, and that was the right call because it helped me enjoy it more.This was an alright drink. The smell reminded me of some berry flavoured candies, but the taste itself was not nearly as sweet.The buzz was definitely there with the 9% alcoholic content though, and for a cheap drunk like me, that is all I needed.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MpYa5-foodTue, 23 Mar 2021 15:49:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MpYa5-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wrQaX-foodAt a jirokei ramen shop, I saw something on the counter that I had never seen before.There was this bottle of yellow liquid, and the label said: "butter oil".So... was it butter? or was it oil?I poured some over my spoon to try with the soup. It tasted like butter-flavour items, specifically butter flavoured potato chips.So it definitely was not quite butter, but the consistency and transparency were really interesting.Overall, it did not match the noodles that much, but I always appreciate having new options to change up the taste in my noodles.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wrQaX-foodTue, 23 Mar 2021 12:26:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wrQaX-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G6l8D-livingThis was from a few months ago, but when I left a karaoke shop, the person passed me two receipts. One was for the money I had paid, but another was a super long receipt that I was not expecting.On the receipt, it was a list of all the songs I had sung that day.In fact, if I had turned one the scoring system, it would have included the scores I got for each song, for better or worse.I had never had this, so I guess this was exclusive to the Karazet system, which honestly is a horrible machine to use except this one thing.I wish all karaoke systems would keep track of the songs I sang. It would be great feedback or even souvenir afterwards!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G6l8D-livingTue, 23 Mar 2021 00:49:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G6l8D-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXmeo-foodAs a big fan of mango, I am easily sold on anything that uses that golden orange fruit.With the word refreshing on the packaging, I had high hopes for this mango blend juice which uses both mango and apple.However, in hindsight, I totally had the wrong expectation because this was only 80 yen for the 1L size, and it was sold at a business supermarket.Upon closer look, this also only had 10% juice. The product really shows that, as this tasted more like artificial flavouring than actual juice. It looked good, but it did not taste good.Instead of refreshing, this made me feel kinda sad. Better read the juice content before buying it next time.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXmeo-foodTue, 23 Mar 2021 00:42:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXmeo-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wm1ea-foodSometimes in Japan, you can find the most random advertisement on products that seem to have no relation at all.This is one example of such.Long Stick is a long bread with cream filling, and they were doing this advertisement of Ultraman on its packaging.This is the original Ultraman, so I guess this is a nostalgic ad aimed towards the older generations. However, this sweet bread is not necessarily a bread for that generation, but more of to the general public.On top of that, this packaging did not seem to advertise a certain movie or anniversary of Ultraman, not on the front anyway.In the end, I just enjoyed the bread without thinking about Ultraman.... how much did they pay for this advertisement/collaboration???To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wm1ea-foodTue, 23 Mar 2021 00:39:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wm1ea-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z82XW-foodSince I have not been out to any coffee shops for a year, I do miss a good coffee to sit down with that is better than the instant coffee I have at home.I found this can of Cafe Au Lait by Doutor and was intrigued for the exact reason above.For 150 yen, this was not necessarily cheap. However, I can tell you that this is worth it.The coffee flavour is rich, and the creamy texture and flavour are both more than satisfying.It is not fresh brew coffee as you would get, but for a canned coffee, this is quality stuff, and it did fulfill the good coffee gap I was having!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z82XW-foodTue, 23 Mar 2021 00:34:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z82XW-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MnyvX-foodYep, I had to give it a try, just because this seems like such a weird product in concept.The actual name of this product is actually more like "Oops, I drank the cheesecake", so I was expecting a very thick drink out of the bottle that would really give me the sensation of having a cheesecake in a drink form.The result was honestly disappointing. This was just like most other milky drinks out there, and not even on the thick side compared with a lot of other products.The taste was quite sweet, closer to a cheesecake milkshake and way less on the cheese. The first few sips were underwhelming, but it did grow on me.However, starting to like the taste did not make up for how underwhelming this ended up being. For 150 yen, there is no harm in trying, but there also is no need.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MnyvX-foodFri, 19 Mar 2021 10:56:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MnyvX-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wrQa6-foodI love karamucho chips. They are probably my favourite brand of chips in Japan over all.So whenever they have a new product, it always get me excited, even when it is called Demon karamucho.At 5 times their spiciness, this meat-miso flavour wavy thick chip lives up to its name and really kicked some butts. The spiciness was well experienced from my first chip, and I had to get a drink immediately.I was surprised that I was able to taste the delicious meat-miso flavour while my tongue was on fire, and I wish they would make this meat-miso flavour as a regular product as well.Overall, fans of very spicy chips will definitely get a kick out of it. Otherwise, protect your tongue and stay away.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wrQa6-foodFri, 19 Mar 2021 10:51:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wrQa6-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G6l8W-foodLa France pears are not that cheap in Japan, but they are absolutely delicious. I was happy to find this limited chu-hi from Asahi based on La France. At only 1% juice, I was surprised to find the fruity flavour to be quite strong, and the 4% alcoholic content was not overpowering it either.The result is a very refreshing beverage to have with a meal.This is one of those drinks that you can easily enjoy as a soda and forget that it is alcoholic.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G6l8W-foodFri, 19 Mar 2021 10:48:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G6l8W-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXme1-foodI was not sure whether to title this post like that due to a very limited misunderstanding some people have with the word bukakke, but that is the name of this product.This beef sauce topping is supposed to be put on udon and noodles, but you could also put it over rice. The broth also has ingredients of beef and other things, making this a very easy gyudon at home.Since the rice I made was hot and fresh, there was also no need to heat it up separately. Not only is it easy to eat and quite delicious, this also makes a great emergency food!Now, we just need people to stop laughing at the name...To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXme1-foodFri, 19 Mar 2021 10:44:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXme1-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z36K2-food99.99 series has its ups and downs with their limited products. Their regular line up has been great, but there are some lacklustre new flavours that are thankfully limited.Their sparkling wine chu-hi is fortunately pretty good.For just 100 yen, this 9% drink is a strongly carbonated chu-hi that tastes like, well, a sparkling wine, but is much less sour and less sweet.It is very easy to drink, a trend with this series of drinks, yet giving you a really strong buzz.If you are not looking the traditional fruity chu-hi flavours, perhaps this is a good change of pace for you!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z36K2-foodWed, 17 Mar 2021 15:33:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z36K2-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wNoqj-foodI find it very interesting that in Japan, people refer to spam as pork, when pork obviously has a much wider meaning that they should know. Anyhow, pork in Japan is also often seen as an Okinawa food and is limited to just a few brands, so it is always exciting to find a brand I have never seen before.Nozaki's spam, or pork, is really good. The flavouring is well balanced, and the over-saltiness makes this a great ingredient to add to different food like scrambled eggs.It is extra appreciated that this can of Nozaki's spam was just 380 yen when I found it, much cheaper than the commonly found 600 yen price tag.For me, I just dice them up and fry them up and eat them with white rice. If that is their regular price, then I will definitely get more from them!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wNoqj-foodWed, 17 Mar 2021 15:30:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wNoqj-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MxWPP-foodBack home, I knew pineapple and ham pizza as Hawaiian pizza. But in Japan, it is called tropical pizza.Either way, it remains a very controversial pizza even here.Personally, I love it, and I know a few Japanese people who have tried it to really like it too. However, a majority of people have simply never tried it and find the idea repulsive. Given how expensive pizzas in Japan are, I totally understand that no one wants to drop 1500 yen to get half of their pizza covered with pineapples, but at the same time, I really wish more people would just give it a chance!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MxWPP-foodWed, 17 Mar 2021 15:24:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MxWPP-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GB37O-livingI found this unstamped package in the mailbox the other day. It was not anything I was expecting either.Opening in the inside, there was a letter that was raising awareness about the spreading of the virus, as well as a reminder about the risk of eating out.The package also included a sticker about eating out and points of "speak quietly", "small plates" and other points. No idea where they expect us to stick this onto.There was also a pack of alcohol wipes, which is always appreciated.Finally, there was also a charm from the nearby shrine... I am not so sure about this one, as it is somewhat religious, and it makes me question how money was spent and given to the shrine just for this.At the end of the day, it is always nice to receive some sort of extra support during times of need like this.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GB37O-livingTue, 16 Mar 2021 00:55:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GB37O-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zVXe7-foodI love mint oreos so much that the last time I went home, I actually used luggage space to bring some back.In Japan, we have seen mint THIN oreos, and those were good but not great.Finally, I have found mint oreos in Japan. No thin. No half-mint half-cream bogus. Straight up mint oreos.And they are great! Just like what I have loved. Sweet and creamy. Minty but not overpowering.My worry now is for when they are no longer available... so, I am stocking up, and you should too.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zVXe7-foodTue, 16 Mar 2021 00:49:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zVXe7-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/weDa4-foodFirst off, this is straight up an amazing lemon drink.If you want to look for something that gives you a strong buzz but also a very delicious sweetness and sourness, this Giga Lemon has what you are looking for.I am not sure what Giga stands for, but this drink definitely feels very lemony, and that lemon goodness covers the strong alcoholic flavour really well.Just like other strong zeroes, this is also a 0 sugar drink, which blows my mind.Now, why is this a limited item? I have no idea, and that is the only problem I have with this other wise amazing 100 yen drink!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/weDa4-foodTue, 16 Mar 2021 00:44:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/weDa4-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wkmWZ-livingWhen I was exploring Ebisu, a fancy area of Tokyo, I walked by this interesting area with a shrine built in the center of an intersection.This is not the first time I ran into something like this. Sometimes in cities, you can find shrines at the most random spot.Surrounding this was a fancy fruit sandwich shop, an expensive restaurant, a hair salon and some low buildings.It was obvious that they had built around this shrine and not building the shrine there, but I can still not get used to seeing a shrine with traffic on all sides of it.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wkmWZ-livingSat, 13 Mar 2021 01:01:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wkmWZ-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GWvqe-foodWhile I am still not over the shock that this curry can be microwaved in its bag directly from the last time I tried the European Style Curry, I was ready to give this beef curry a try.Compared with the European style curry, I liked this one more mainly for having more chunks of ingredients.Potatoes, carrots and beef can be found throughout, as opposed to the mostly-sauce one last time.The convenience is unbeatable, and 100 yen is a very fair price for this curry as well. I will call myself a fan of this!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GWvqe-foodSat, 13 Mar 2021 00:59:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GWvqe-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MJOWk-foodThis brand of cheap wine must picked up in its popularity, as I am seeing more and more local supermarkets carrying it (and its Japanese printed label shows that this is for the Japanese market as well).I really loved the white wine and thought that their red wine was good too. The only one left to dry was this sparkling wine for 400 yen.For that price, this wine is an amazing wine.It is definitely on the strong and hard side, so it is less approachable than some of the sweeter choices out there. The bubbles are super fine, giving this a really nice fuzz.I enjoyed this bottle a whole lot, and I really hope this brand will be better recognized in Japan.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MJOWk-foodSat, 13 Mar 2021 00:56:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MJOWk-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MYX2B-foodJapanese tea cups are great. A tea cup like this is called yuu-no-mi, and it always sounds like English to me and some kind of pun.These ceramic ware tea cups are quite heavy and sit really well in the hand. They are usually quite thick so that the heat of the tea does not immediately burn your fingers.The thick edge is a bit surprising to the lips at first but you will get used to it. There is always a feeling that green tea tastes extra great in these cups.They are not that expensive, so if you drink green tea often, it is worth getting one for sure!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MYX2B-foodTue, 09 Mar 2021 20:52:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MYX2B-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zKO0N-foodIf you like chocolate snacks and find that Japan does not offer enough candy bars, I would recommend Alfort, a great product for just around 100 yen a box.You get I think 10 or 12 of these small chocolate biscuits (was not counting while I was eating, sorry), and this bitter chocolate one is really nice because they use a rich cocoa biscuit to pair with the dark chocolate.With just the right amount of sweetness that keeps you going, I find this to be a great snack to enjoy while walking around. They are easy to put away and store for later as well.For the price and quality, this is something I would recommend! To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zKO0N-foodTue, 09 Mar 2021 20:47:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zKO0N-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MxWeP-shoppingI was walking around Meguro the other day and spotted a very bright store in the middle of the rain. The store was called PicassoFrom a far, it looked quite messy but they were selling a lot of random items. That attracted me to check it out.As I walked through the store, I realized "hold on, this looks like a Don Quijote... wait, they sell things from Don Quijote!"I went outside and looked at the store name again. "Produced by Don Quijote". The store was smaller than a normal Don Quijote, but still a lot of cheap stuff to buy.If you ever want to find a Don Quijote but cannot, and you find a Picasso instead, they are basically the same.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MxWeP-shoppingMon, 08 Mar 2021 21:31:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MxWeP-shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GO1bb-foodThe 7&i brand's strong drinks have been great. They even got me to really enjoy their grapefruit one when I never like grapefruits!For just 96 yen a can including tax, I spotted one store had their yuzu lemon sour, which sounded amazing!I really enjoy yuzu drinks, so this one has to be good.The drink turned out to be average. It was hard to find the yuzu flavour as the lemon sourness overpowered it. I might actual enjoy the grapefruit one more than this.The 9% alcoholic can remains easy to down and is definitely good for the price.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GO1bb-foodMon, 08 Mar 2021 21:24:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GO1bb-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zD2W0-foodWinter is the best season for mikan, and if you want it as a drink instead, I found the best mikan drink I have ever had.This Maru oroshi mikan drink will available for around 150 yen. It is a time-limited product so you should hunt it down soon.Using the entire mikan to make this, this 7% alcoholic chu-hi is absolutely delicious.It feels like I was drinking fresh squeezed orange juice, as it was not overly sweet and the peel gave it a bitterness that makes it feel more natural as well.The drink was mind-blowing good, and this is definitely worth you checking out!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zD2W0-foodSat, 06 Mar 2021 23:58:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zD2W0-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zVX27-foodNaga nasu, as the name says, is a long eggplant.But I would have never guessed that the eggplant would be the length of my arm!For just 200 yen, you can also get this snake-like produce from Kumamoto prefecture.It is apparently cooked just like normal eggplants, so you can slice it up and use them for stir-fry, deep-fry and more.I find getting this eggplant quite intimidating, honestly, and I am surprised I have never seen this soon!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zVX27-foodSat, 06 Mar 2021 10:17:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zVX27-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/weDJ4-food_moneyThose who have lived in Japan should know by now that sushi is not as expensive as we may have imagined back home.The cheapest form of sushi I can find in Japan is these kaisendon, seafood on rice. This bowl is a mere 540 yen including tax!Instead of nigiri, they are the same thing essentially, with sashimi placed on a bed of vinegar rice.My favourite thing to order is the omakase-don. The chef chooses 7 items to put on top, but you can also tell them ahead of time if there are ingredients you do not want. I always skip the squid.It is always fun to find out what you get in a bowl. A delicious surprise for cheap!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/weDJ4-food_moneySat, 06 Mar 2021 10:12:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/weDJ4-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z4BWJ-foodSometimes you can find these low malt beers from big name brands like Sapporo and Asahi that are not sold at most places but seemingly limited to business-supermarkets.They are never good, but they always intrigue me enough to try because of the brands.This Sapporo Draft One I found at Don Quixote is such a drink. For around 130 yen, this seems worth trying just to test my theory out.The can says "refreshing and delicious", and I cannot agree with either of them. The carbonation was severely lacking, and the flavour was as bland as it gets.When the bag names have much better alternatives they produce, who are these made for?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z4BWJ-foodSat, 06 Mar 2021 10:04:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z4BWJ-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w2qWx-foodI have never been to Mexican and am not familiar with Mexican drinks besides some beers, so this latest entry in the international drinks series intrigued me with their Mexican Style Lemon Coke Amigo.I am sure the Amigo means nothing in relation to the drink. At 4%, this was not high in alcoholic content. I was hoping to slowly sip on it one night while working some stuff, but this turned out to be just a very delicious lemony coke, and I drank it as a softdrink and finished it quite sooner than I had expected. If you want to get buzzed, this is weak, but fans of softdrinks will definitely enjoy this one a lot.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w2qWx-foodThu, 04 Mar 2021 14:34:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w2qWx-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wkmYZ-foodWhen I saw this thing in the supermarket called Harajuku Dog, I thought it looked interested so I picked it up not knowing what it really was.Apparently it is a snack that was popular decades ago, and it has recently come back into popularity recently.Another name of it is Cheese Dog, but it definitely does not look like the deep fried Korean Cheese Dogs I think about.This is basically a rolled up waffle with a tiny stick of cheese in the middle. It is quite sweet, and it goes quite well with honey as well. But it also is not as special as the name might have suggested, so I will not be hunting it down anytime soon. To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wkmYZ-foodThu, 04 Mar 2021 14:28:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wkmYZ-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GWvRe-foodBefore coming to Japan, a friend told me to eat a lot of the fruit jelly in Japan."What? Fruit jelly?"She said that the one time she came to Japan, she realized how expensive fruits are here. However, her solution to getting some fruits was to get the cups of fruit jelly from supermarkets, which are usually 100 yen a pop, 200 yen for the nicer stuff.Since I had one, I have always really liked them too. My favourite is the variety fruit one, which usually includes pineapple, 2 kinds of peaches and maybe a cherry just to add more colours. Good price, good taste. Love them a lot!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GWvRe-foodThu, 04 Mar 2021 11:24:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GWvRe-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zVXv4-foodI have opened myself to the world of ojisan drinking.These 1.5 cup nihonshu are very affordable. You can get a 270 mL cup like this for less than 200 yen, and they are very easy to find anywhere.The drink is not that sweet and does not give a long aftertaste. I found myself slowly enjoying it, and because of how much there was, I was buzzed for a good half of the evening.It even comes with a cap so you can easily save it for later or another day.With that said, this drink really comes with the image of drunk old men drinking on the streets. Now that I have had my first 1.5 cup, I feel like I aged 10 years.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zVXv4-foodWed, 03 Mar 2021 13:26:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zVXv4-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MEARD-living_foodIt just occurred to me today that I have never used any of the auto settings on my microwave.One reason is definitely because they are in Japanese, but I understand them all.Another reason and probably the bigger reason is that my microwaves back home never had an auto button, so I would always choose the heat and time settings myself, and I am doing the same now.I tried it for the first time when I heated up a drink, and while it was very hot, I found myself questioning whether I can really trust their settings...... What about you? Do you rely on these auto settings?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MEARD-living_foodWed, 03 Mar 2021 09:14:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MEARD-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G02B1-foodThe Orge line up available at Don Quijote for 90 yen a can has been amazing. The White is one of my favourite cheap drinks ever, and the Black was a very impressive drink on its own.Finally, I tried their taste product, their standard low malt beer called Orge Premium.My expectations were extremely high for this can made in Vietnam. And this drink was... well it was average. It was not bad at all, especially for its price. This was a very strong and enjoyable happoshu. However, unlike the White and Black, nothing about this impressed me or made it stood out from similar products.I will probably pick it up when I pass by again, but unlike the other two, this would not be a reason for me to go to Don Quijote. To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G02B1-foodWed, 03 Mar 2021 09:14:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G02B1-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GB3yD-foodIn Japanese food, you can often find salmon used in different ways. Sushi, of course, is a very popular usage of this fish, but they are also often grilled and served with rice.What I find very interesting is that for sushi, people often use the English word "salmon", but they use the Japanese word "sake" 鮭 if the salmon was cooked.This onigiri, for example, contains sake. However, if you find raw salmon, it will contain "salmon" instead, despite both being the same fish.I find this rather weird and really question why it is.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GB3yD-foodTue, 02 Mar 2021 12:08:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GB3yD-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GloxE-foodKaramucho is one of my favourite lines of potato chips ever, and you would enjoy them too if you like spicy junk food.Recently they have been expanding on their flavours, and this yangnyeom chicken potato chip is awesome. With a perfect balance between sweet and spicy, this bag of chips is very addictive. The spicy does not overwhelm, so it is quite easy for anyone to enjoy.I am not sure how this compares with real yangnyeom chicken, but as a snack to enjoy between meals, this is definitely great for 88 yen.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GloxE-foodTue, 02 Mar 2021 12:08:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GloxE-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zD2Yx-foodI am a huge fan of packaged bread in Japan, as I can always find something new and fun at supermarkets, even when they are not all hits.This bread, chocolate bar and whipped cream bread, is by far the BEST bread I have ever had, after the hundreds of bread I have had!With a crunchy chocolate bar, a generous amount of whipped cream and even chocolate chips, this thing is so sweet but surprisingly average in the amount of calories. It tastes like a kinder egg surprise but way more amazing. I am on my 4th one this week as I am typing this. I really do not know if this will be around for ever, so I am going to eat as many as I can, and yu should give it a try too!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zD2Yx-foodMon, 01 Mar 2021 23:04:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zD2Yx-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MdBoK-foodLemon The Rich has been expanding their offerings by going into different versions of their lemon sour.The 5% Tokusei Lemon was great. It was sweet and delicious, and the same can be said about this 7% God Lemon version too.Comparing the two, the 7% is slightly less sweet but still tastes like a lemonade. The extra buzz is great too considering they are both the same price.I really liked the 5% but my own problem with that was that it got a bit too sweet for me near the end, so this God Lemon is at the perfect balance. Give it a try, I really like it!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MdBoK-foodMon, 01 Mar 2021 23:04:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MdBoK-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/weD1b-living_medicalNowadays, when you enter a restaurant or a store, occasionally they want to check your temperature. I have no problem with that. In fact, please do always check the temperatures of everyone walking in. However, what I have a problem with is the way they check the temperature using the "gun" as shown in the picture. I had that done to me several times, and I realize that my body uncontrollably tenses up, as if someone was really holding a gun right up to my head. I found myself sweating a bit too. Again, I am glad they are doing it, but I wish more places can have those auto scanners installed so I do not need to feel like I am being aimed at again. To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/weD1b-living_medicalSun, 28 Feb 2021 13:05:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/weD1b-living_medicalhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wZ6vq-foodIf you are looking for some very cheap happoshu that you can pick up from Don Quijote, the Orge line up seems to be really good.I was VERY IMPRESSED by their white ale, which you can read right here, and I can say that their black beer is awesome too.Using fine hops from Germany and malts from Belgium, this can made in Vietnam has a very rich and roasty flavour. Unlike some similar products made by Japanese brewers, this tastes really clean and very easy to enjoy.Again, this drink is only 90 yen before tax, and that makes this drink a reason for me to visit Don Quijote!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wZ6vq-foodSun, 28 Feb 2021 13:05:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wZ6vq-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wm1P8-foodSenbei are supposed to be simple rice crackers, but sometimes you also find these complicated mixture of flavours that makes you wonder if they really go well together.This shrimp chilli mayo senbei was just like that. Three things that I do not usually imagine together were put into one product.Very interestingly, this senbei was really delicious in the way that I was able to taste everything. The mayo was very prominent, the chilli was spicy, and the umami from the shrimp was there too, all while this was being a crunchy senbei.This was a gift I had received, but it has given me confidence in trying more mixtures of flavours in senbei in the future.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wm1P8-foodSun, 28 Feb 2021 13:04:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wm1P8-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MxW3B-foodI often enjoy cup noodles with the noodles made based on some famous shop somewhere, but so rarely do I get to eat one from a local store that was a shop I have actually been to.This Nyan Nyan Ramen cup noodles was one. This small shop in Saitama is awesome. Absolutely amazing, and I miss it a lot.So seeing how I could have a taste of my beloved nyan nyan ramen in cup form for 138 yen, I gave in to give it a shot.This was super disappointing, unfortunately. The thick soup texture was completely missing. The flavour resembled nothing from the shop. This also, on its own, was not that good of a noodle!I was really disappointed, and it only made me miss the shop even more.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MxW3B-foodSat, 27 Feb 2021 22:18:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MxW3B-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z828a-foodRecently, I have been seeing more and more people on the street drinking this Kouji lemon sour. At first, I was not sure why, because this 7% was not the cheapest option on the market, as this was 138 yen a can when other options were mostly around 100.I gave in and just had to give this a try, and wow, I immediately understood its popularity!This drink was sweet and delicious. On top of that and the strong lemon flavour, there was also some deeper flavour thanks to its fermented kouji rice ingredients. It was something I had never tasted in other chu-hi before, and it was delicious!I will definitely be better more of this once in a while!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z828a-foodSat, 27 Feb 2021 22:17:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z828a-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GO118-foodWhen something is sold from a product line called "bread selection", you would expect, of course, bread, right?But this looked like a roll cake to me in every way possible. The cream, the way it is rolled, the icing.I thought this was going to be another case where a product was just named wrongly because of a lack of understanding of an English word, and I very much expecting a sweet cake for my mouth.However, this was much less sweet than I had thought. Was it bread? No, but it also was not that much of a cake.It was a creamy and delicious bread/cake with very nice textures that I really enjoyed. I am very glad I gave this a try!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GO118-foodSat, 27 Feb 2021 22:17:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GO118-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GRYXY-shopping_moneyRecently I went to a big 2 floors BookOff in Ikebukuro to check out some games.Just out of curiosity, I looked at the price of Anthem, a game I already own. At this BookOff, it was being sold for 980 yen including tax.... Hold on, at a much smaller BookOff just a week ago, I saw that their Anthem was around half the price!I checked a few more cheap games like Call of Duty Black Ops 4 and outdated FIFA games, and dang, they were mostly more expensive at this big BookOff than small local shops!!!So if you are looking at buying games, it might be worth it to walk to one close by you instead of visit a big one in the cities, because they pricy them differently!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GRYXY-shopping_moneyFri, 26 Feb 2021 21:55:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GRYXY-shopping_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zaDD0-foodI am really happy to find that Haribos are getting more and more popular in Japan, as I really love how chewy their gummy candies are.You can find this bag of Happy Grapes from Don Quijote for about 130 yen. It looks very foreign, but the package is actually printed with Japanese words, so you know they are imports made to be sold here only.With 3 different colours, you get three different grape flavours to enjoy. The green grapes are my least favourite, but the other two are quite good.For a bag of 80 grams, the price is quite fair for gummy candies in Japan. I will definitely check out other Haribo at Don Quijote again, as they have a LOT of selections you would not find at local supermarkets.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zaDD0-foodFri, 26 Feb 2021 21:55:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zaDD0-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MJOOD-foodWhen you get a name like that printed on the package of your donut, you are setting yourself up with high expectations for a lot of, well, cream.This 100 yen donut delivered on its name by having a great amount of cream and custard inside from the very first bite.My pet-peeve of eating these kinds of food is when some bites give you no cream, and there was so much cream in this donut I could have saved some for later.It was also not too sweet despite the filling. I would happily pay double for a creamy donut like this.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MJOOD-foodFri, 26 Feb 2021 21:55:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MJOOD-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G6la8-food_moneyWhen you are out eating ramen and you want a side of gyoza, what seemed like a cheap meal can easily reach close to 4 digit: Ramen 750 yen + gyoza 250 yen.But what about if you were to do it at home?I bought a microwavable frozen tantan ramen (my favourite one). This was 220 yen including tax and it was very easy to prepare.The gyoza required frying so that was a bit more to do, but it was 110 yen for 15 gyoza, much more than the 6 for 250 yen many ramen shops do.So if you want to assemble a 6 gyoza + ramen set at home without caring as much about the quality, you can easily satisfy yourself for just 260 yen or so!I just hope that you are better at grilling gyozas than me who totally burnt mine. That might be the reason for me to order gyozas at shops instead.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G6la8-food_moneyFri, 26 Feb 2021 11:23:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G6la8-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w2qqn-foodI do not usually see Asahi in the market for strong 9% drinks, and one of the exceptions is this Mogitate Strong Grape 9% that I do see everywhere.It is never expensive either, often found at 98 yen before tax.If this is a long standing product, it must be quite good, right?And yes it is! A very delicious and sweet grape flavour that does not come with any weird alcoholic aftertaste. The carbonation was really strong too. I have never seen others of this Mogitate line up, but this grape one is a sure winner that deserves to be always available.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w2qqn-foodFri, 26 Feb 2021 11:23:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w2qqn-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wjPPv-foodWhat do you do when you want focaccia but also want a bagel and cannot decide on what to do?This question asked by no one in Japan ever was solved by this product that attempts to combine both: the flavour of focaccia but the texture of a bagel.In case the focaccia flavour was not enough, they also added cream cheese fillings, which made this quite delicious.The bagel side of the product was a bit lacking, however. The look and shape played the part, but the texture was still more like focaccia.Overall, I appreciate the attempt, although it was a solution to a non-question, and now I wonder what they will combine next.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wjPPv-foodFri, 26 Feb 2021 11:22:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wjPPv-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GyWk6-food_moneyI had my first encounter with Lemon The Rich with their salty lemon drink last summer and quite enjoyed it. Today, I came across this Lemon The Rich again with the Tokusei Lemon drink, and I have to say that I really enjoyed it.This 3% juicy and 5% alcoholic content drink is sweet and delicious. Using lemon juice, peel, oil and pulp, this drink is FULL of lemony goodness.In fact, it really reminds me of a delicious lemonade that I would really enjoy on a hot day. The 5% alcohol is also not that noticeable, making this a rather dangerous drink if you drink a lot of it.Who knows how long this will be around, so give it a try if you find one!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GyWk6-food_moneyFri, 26 Feb 2021 01:40:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GyWk6-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GoKPX-foodHaving lived in Japan for many years, I am now very used to karaage as my default fried-chicken. Only recently at a Burger King I picked up my long lost love of popcorn chicken, and the contrast between the two are quite interesting.Popcorn chickens are much more about the crunch outside and just that, and the meat is often dry, while karaage gives you the juicy meat underneath the crunch.The flavouring of popcorn chicken is also very strong, such as the very strong pepper taste with the BK popcorn chicken. Karaage relies more on simple salt and sauces that do not cover the taste of the meat.I used to love popcorn chicken, but now that I am used to fresh and semi-bite-sized karaage, it is hard to go back to popcorn chicken!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GoKPX-foodThu, 25 Feb 2021 20:59:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GoKPX-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GlooE-foodYokosuka Naval Curry is a well-recognized localized curry that uses both beef and chicken. Having never been to Yokosuka, I have always wanted to try it and saw this 100 yen curry bread to be an opportunity to get a preview of the taste.This curry bread is great. Unlike most deep-fried curry bread, this was only lightly fried, making it healthier but yet still gives a nice crunch.The curry was not lacking in volume or flavour either. With a rich sauce and chunks of potato, this was a very satisfying filling to go with the fluffy bread.If this is what the curry bread is, I imagine the actual curry might be awesome. Looking forward to trying the real thing someday!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GlooE-foodThu, 25 Feb 2021 20:58:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GlooE-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zKOb1-livingSince now is not really a good time to go out and stay at karaoke for hours on end, I have been missing my chances to sing to my heart's content.Today, I finally gave in and starting singing using youtube karaoke videos.If you search カラオケ on youtube along with the song title of the J-pop song, you can probably find several versions of them with the colour timing and everything.Besides the ads, the biggest downside is probably the fact that you cannot change the key to match you. The lack of a mic and speakers also means you are not getting the cool reverb, but singing in the shower would solve that.Have you been missing karaoke, and will you do youtube karaoke at home?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zKOb1-livingWed, 24 Feb 2021 21:43:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zKOb1-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z82dd-food_moneyRecently at a Tully's Coffee, I realized that they were selling their soy milk in the fridge right next to their sandwiches.Bought into curiosity, I wanted to find out how different their soymilk is compared to the one I normally drink. Afterall, the 300 yen Tully's T Soy Milk is double the price of what I usually buy!The result is a disappointing "Not much."Besides the T Soy Milk being a bit sweeter, the taste does not differ much. I want to say it is creamier but I feel like it was just my mind playing tricks on me to say that it was worth it.Well, at least now I am no longer curious and hopefully you are not be either.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z82dd-food_moneyWed, 24 Feb 2021 21:43:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z82dd-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z3669-foodI love french toast, sandwiches are always great, and Japan knows how to make red beans desserts, so an item with all three things combined is a sure win, right?This was definitely a case when things got too complicated.Packaged french toasts are never well done to start with because they get really cold and soggy. The red beans did not really match the vanilla and egg flavours of the french toast.And the sandwich part? It made this a bit too thick to be enjoyed. As great as the idea, I thought this was a missed opportunity that can be skipped.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z3669-foodWed, 24 Feb 2021 21:43:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z3669-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MxWWo-foodAs someone who refuses to grow up, I am always on the hunt for the new awesome chocolatey cereal to start my mornings with (and sometimes at night).This Chocogura is my new favourite and for very good reasons.The sweet cereal made with many kinds of grains is really crunchy and satisfying with every bite. It also means that there are many textures for you to enjoy.The flavour is great. The sweetness reminds me of coco rice puffs, which is a childhood food I grew up with and still enjoy, except this has many kinds of grains and not just rice alone.Is this healthy? I highly doubt it. But it is absolutely delicious and worth all fans of chocolate cereals a try!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MxWWo-foodWed, 24 Feb 2021 14:25:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MxWWo-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GB33D-livingI am not sure when I started having the image that in Japan, homeless people live under bridges.One day when I was walking across a big bridge, I realized these two huge blue tarps under the bridge.It was clear immediately that they were shelters of homeless person/people, and the person was also hoarding a lot of plates, pots, baskets and other stuff that people have thrown out.Right behind me when I took this photo above was a playground of many families playing next to the river with a ton of sakura trees.The contrast was quite strong, and I wonder what goes through the minds of these homeless people listening to the sound of families on a daily basis...To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GB33D-livingWed, 24 Feb 2021 14:25:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GB33D-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wNooK-foodMany foreigners would hear mochi and think of it as a dessert, most likely in a sweet red bean soup. However, did you know that there are savoury mochi, such as this ebi mochi with shrimps?With bits of dried shrimp infused, this pink rice cake is obviously not for desserts. You can put them into nabe dishes or bake them in the toaster oven for a crispy top.I really like it because it is savoury already. The shrimp bits also add texture to my chews, and it is a great item to fill my stomach up.If you have never tried a savoury mochi, this is a great one to try!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wNooK-foodWed, 24 Feb 2021 14:25:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wNooK-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MdBBK-food_medicalTanita is a diet and health conscious company, and the products from Tanita Shokudo are supposed to be designed in a way that helps you feel satisfied but keeping the food healthy.This particular senbei that I had received was one of such products.This was "healthy" with several of their designs:1. It includes 16 kinds of grains2. It is high in fiber3. The size of the bag makes sure you do not over eat4. The size of the senbei are for 2 bites so that you feel like you are eating more than you are5. They are very crunchy so that you will chew a lot more and feel more full from thatDid it work? Well, The flavour was not that satisfying. However, in the end, I was tired from chewing so I did stop eating. I am not on a diet but I can see that some people can take advantage of this to eat healthier.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MdBBK-food_medicalWed, 24 Feb 2021 02:08:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MdBBK-food_medicalhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wZ66q-food_moneyDifferent breweries have been renewing their happoshu line up recently.The NEW Sapporo Gold Star was awesome, and that made me wonder if one of my favourites would be just as good with the New The Rich.I can say that this is still the great low malt beer that I have been a big fan of. The rich flavour is very much there. It tastes deep and satisfying in many ways, matching the beautiful golden colour it has as well.While I do not have the old one next to this for a taste test, this is without a doubt the level of a drink that should always be available.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wZ66q-food_moneyWed, 24 Feb 2021 02:07:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wZ66q-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wkmmL-living_moneyI am used to (and sick of) receiving a bunch of garbage flyers in the mailbox that I just send straight to recycling. But one day, I noticed this one with a banner on top that says "Important information. Read it and don't throw away".Seeing that made me thought it was some local announcements, so I actually opened it to find...... information on freaking cash loans.I could not believe that I fell for it, and hating that dirty trick, I thought to myself that if I ever need to borrow money, I would find a company that does not trick you for your attention. To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wkmmL-living_moneyTue, 23 Feb 2021 10:29:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wkmmL-living_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MPyyn-food_moneyNagasaki is famous for their castella cakes, and it is something I know I enjoy a lot but do not eat much of.One reason for it is the price, as they are usually quite expensive, but I decided to treat myself to something next recently, so here is this 500 yen matcha castella cake.I really appreciate that this was pre-sliced, making my life easier.The bitter matcha flavour balanced with the sweet and eggy cake a lot. The cake was moist and soft, and it felt very natural with the simple ingredients they used.Again, this makes me think that I should eat more of these while I am in Japan. Not cheap, but worth it.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MPyyn-food_moneyTue, 23 Feb 2021 10:29:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MPyyn-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zVXX4-living_foodWith many beers being seasonal (autumn beer, winter beer, etc.), I had always imagined whether they were made to actually match the season you are in.To test and confirm, I had saved up this autumn happoshu to drink during this late-winter/early-spring season.My first thought upon drinking the low malt beer was "this is too strong for a refreshing Spring". Then I took another sip and thought about it again "hold on, but no one has ever said that strong beers are not enjoyable in Spring".I had more sips and thought about it harder and realized..."The only reason why I think this is not matching is because of the strong deep red can design! The beer itself is still great! I am enjoying this a lot!"I am now a believer that all great beers are great regardless of the season, especially when you do not look at the can when you are drinking.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zVXX4-living_foodTue, 23 Feb 2021 10:29:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zVXX4-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z4BB9-food_moneyI have recently been eating and enjoying Chinese canned saba. They tasted really good, a bit too good to be true.In contrast, I wanted to pick up a can of Japanese saba. For 120 yen, this was quite an increase from the 80 yen Chinese canned saba, but it was still cheap when there are other saba sold for 200 yen a can.I only realized why after I had purchased it: this was canned in Vietnam.So they caught the saba in Japan (or farmed it, who knows), shipped it to Vietnam to can it, then shipped it back here???The transportation makes me question the environmental cost of that. The can was not bad. It tasted fishier and possibly more natural, although honestly not as delicious as the Chinese saba. I will just assume it is healthier, but it also makes me want to try a canned-in-Japan saba next time.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z4BB9-food_moneyTue, 23 Feb 2021 10:28:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z4BB9-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wrQye-living_moneyWith the pandemic happening and things still not safe, some karaoke shops are looking for ways to attract customers.What better way to do that than to give discounts, right? This karaoke joint in Ikebukuro slashed their weekday day time prices to 500 yen for 3 hours or 700 yen for day time free time. This is really cheap, as many shops would cost you 1000 yen or more for free time, and this place even has drinks included and is placed right in the middle of a busy hang out spot!They are really trying hard to survive and for the sake of my passion for karaoke, I hope they will survive!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wrQye-living_moneyMon, 22 Feb 2021 16:40:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wrQye-living_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MYXnm-foodWhen I think jelly, I usually think of something with a fruity flavour (and most likely grape, for some reason), but Japan has this thing called Coffee Jelly and I absolutely love it.Coffee jelly is, well, jelly made with coffee and has the same consistency as all great chewy jelly. However, they are also covered in this rich thick cream that balances perfectly with the bitter jelly.They are a great dessert and I really like having them in the middle of the day to give me the caffeine boost. For just 100 to 150 yen each, you can get them at most supermarkets and convenience stores. Give it a try and you might be hooked just like me!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MYXnm-foodMon, 22 Feb 2021 16:40:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MYXnm-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/weDDb-food_medicalThe first time I had a shouga kuzuyu was the first time I had a high fever in Japan. A teacher visited me and gave me some food to eat at home. One of which was this shouga kuzuyu.What this is is a a mixture that you mix with hot water, and you get a thick gingery and sweet drink.This soup is supposed to be good for when you are sick, although I never understand why or how. I do not actually the taste, but the ginger does warm me up, and it soothes my throat a bit. That is the main reason why I have a couple at home especially during winter.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/weDDb-food_medicalSun, 21 Feb 2021 17:05:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/weDDb-food_medicalhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GWvvo-foodFried bread are always attractive, and the melty cheese and pizza filling made me even more interested in this 100 yen bread.However, there were a few strange things with this.First was the "stringy cheese sauce". Rather than cheese, they used a mysterious cheese sauce instead, hinting at a lack of real cheese (and it was not really stringy).The other was the pizza filling, which on the back of the package, it just said "pizza filling" as an ingredient. How is that allowed???Overall, it tasted decent at most, and not knowing what exactly it was eating did not help me enjoy it any more than I did.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GWvvo-foodSun, 21 Feb 2021 17:05:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GWvvo-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MqQQO-livingI will cut to the chase: Mahoujin Guruguru, or Magical Circle Guruguru, is an absolutely amazing anime that you should check out.Available on Prime Video and U-Next, this remake of an anime from almost 20 years ago is the best adaptation of the manga it was based on.The story is about a young "hero" boy and a mage girl going on an adventure to defeat the demon king. The story is very RPG game-like, but it is extremely adorable, heartwarming and funny.Condensing 16 volumes into 24 episodes also means that the anime wastes no time. The scenes are quick and the jokes keep coming. The humour gets me.I grew up with the manga and I absolutely love this. There are no English subtitles so that is a bit of a challenge, but the art conveys everything really well and there are a lot of physical comedy too.Please give this a try if you have one of those services!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MqQQO-livingSat, 20 Feb 2021 14:44:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MqQQO-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mv889-living_transportationIn the mail the other day, I received something that I had never seen before: an announcement from the local district a new flight path that passes by our city.The double-sided colourful spreads came with a lot of details, including noise level and their approach to things that falls off (people expect things to fall out of planes...?)It also occurred to me that citizens did not really have any say, and this was just an announcement and not asking us to vote, but I supposed this is important so that citizens do not start worrying when we suddenly start seeing planes flying by regularly. To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mv889-living_transportationSat, 20 Feb 2021 14:44:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mv889-living_transportationhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MgrrB-foodWe usually expect some fancy fillings for our sandwiches, and Lunchpacks have been quite good with those.Their latest new item, however, was interesting, as it was just a sandwich of sugar and margarine.The sound of that might be a turn-off for some people, but if you are into the creaminess of margarine, this is actually really good.The margarine was not too rich, and the sugar added crunchy texture to the sandwich, a nice texture many sandwiches do not have.The sweetness was very well balanced with the tiny bit of salt they had too. This was actually really good, and I will definitely get this alongside the jam and margarine sandwiches.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MgrrB-foodSat, 20 Feb 2021 14:43:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MgrrB-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GbPPW-food_moneyWhen you pick up a can of alcoholic beverage for 90 yen before tax, you cannot really have high expectations on it tasting good.This can of happoshu with fine hops from France and fine malts from Germany totally blew me away.It was brewed in Vietnam, but that does not stop this from tasting extremely delicious and fruity. The honey and sweetness from orange oil added were perfect in making this a super pleasant afternoon drink to enjoy.Again, given the price and that I got this from Don Quijote, I would have never expected this to be one of my favourites, but I am definitely going back for more.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GbPPW-food_moneySat, 20 Feb 2021 14:43:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GbPPW-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MAyyQ-living_shoppingWith Covid affecting many businesses, I have seen small shops here and there close down, but I had never pictured a department store shutting down.The SOGO at Kawaguchi Station has been there for quite a long time, and being one of the buildings you see the moment you come out of the station, it was a surprise to me that it will be closing at the end of February. It felt a bit sad to see it go, but it does make a lot of sense even without the pandemic. I do not know anyone around me that shops at a department store.I do really wonder what this big building will turn into next though.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MAyyQ-living_shoppingFri, 19 Feb 2021 15:54:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MAyyQ-living_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXmn4-livingThis year's Valentine's Day was really sad.Okay, for me, most Valentine's Days are sad without much happening, but being a year of staying home, I had no chances to receive any chocolates from coworkers, which I used to.My partner was sick so I got nothing from her either.The only chocolate I got was this one by the entrance of my apartment that the landlord has put out. It was nice, but it was really sad.Do I think that women have to give chocolate on Valentine's Day to be a good thing? No, I find it to be a stupid tradition, but I do really love chocolate. So this year's chocolate day did not happen and that is what I missed.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXmn4-livingThu, 18 Feb 2021 13:59:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXmn4-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z1v2A-food_moneyIf you are looking to get lit for cheap, I have written A LOT on 100 yen offerings to get you buzzed, but none have been as great as this in terms of alcoholic content for the yen.For around 110 yen, this small paper pack of nihonshu available at many big supermarkets is absolutely great because it has a 20% alcoholic content.While strong, this is actually not hard to drink at all. I found it to be quite sweet and smooth and liked every drop of it.Many of my non-Japanese friends can take a lot of beer but are weak to nihonshu because they are not used to it, so this will definitely give you a strong buzz (or more than that), so drink at your own risk!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z1v2A-food_moneyThu, 18 Feb 2021 13:59:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z1v2A-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MEAAD-living_foodIn Japan, when we think of Setsubun, many people think of the tradition when people toss beans out the door to chase the bad luck away and keep the good luck in the house.I am not a fan of it because it is an absolute waste of food, but to be a part of the culture, we did buy a bag of beans on the day of setsubun as well.For only 100 yen, it was not a big investment. To not waste food, however, we threw only one single bean out of the door (and we actually picked the same one up to throw it again repeatedly).Besides the food-waste problem, we also now have a bag of dried crunchy beans that are not necessarily the most delicious snack... perhaps I should just stop buying them for setsubun all together.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MEAAD-living_foodWed, 17 Feb 2021 00:42:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MEAAD-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zD22x-food_moneyI recently tried a canned saba that was made in China and was very surprised by how delicious it was."Was it the exception?" so I hunted down a different brand's canned saba from China.They are really cheap. This one was 69 yen before tax, as compared to the 100 yen or higher Japanese saba.And to my surprise, this one was also VERY soft and flavourful. Definitely on the salty side, but the greasy body made this really delicious.That was when my suspicion kicked in again... It was difficult to believe that they were just this good naturally, and I might be paying with my health instead of with my money. To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zD22x-food_moneyWed, 17 Feb 2021 00:42:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zD22x-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G0221-foodGabunomi sometimes comes up with very interesting mixture of soda flavours, and this X-Freedom Energy was one of those.With 77mg of caffeine, this drink was supposed to be an energy drink as much as a soda.The flavour was very much the typical energy drink sourness and sweetness taste like a red bull, but slightly less sweet. The carbonation was plenty strong too, which reminds me that this is supposed to be a soda. The problem comes however that this is somewhere in the middle. If I wanted a soda, I would want something sweeter; if I wanted an energy drink, this was a bit too carbonation. Delicious, it was, but it was a product in between stuck in an awkward gap.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G0221-foodWed, 17 Feb 2021 00:41:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G0221-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MYXXm-foodSometimes long selling products are not necessarily the best. One I want to point to is this pizza bread, or pizza pan. I have seen this for years in Japan, and while it looks like the size is a decent bite to get, the lack of toppings is really disappointing.Most of the flavour comes from the pizza sauce that uses actual tomatoes, but when the second main flavour comes from mayo, you have to question how pizza this is, and it really is not much.I ended up adding my own cheese just to make this more exciting, but even then, this was not that good. For 110 yen, I would not recommend this.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MYXXm-foodTue, 16 Feb 2021 17:00:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MYXXm-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zKOO1-food_moneyRecently, I tried the Black-beer version of this random can of cheap happoshu called Gugutto-nama. The big reason to give this a shot is of course for its price point, 96 yen including tax. Despite the Japanese can, this is actually quite an international beer with hops from Germany and produced in Vietnam.This is a good can to drink. A very clean and easy flavour to enjoy, and it has a very smooth ending to the taste. This is not very strong, and I think it is great to have with a meal. If you want to save some money, try hunting this drink down.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zKOO1-food_moneyTue, 16 Feb 2021 17:00:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zKOO1-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GoKKX-living_foodWhile I try to stay away from UFO catchers nowadays, I still walk through the machines once in a while to see what kind of new prizes and what the latest trends are.One of which I saw was a strange and probably terrible option. The Zone energy drink has been stacked in a way that you could possibly win multiple cans by a push.While this is not the first time of me seeing energy drinks there, this is the first time I see the sign that says "please be careful about opening it right after winning it".Seeing that made me realize how dangerous it is. They are basically getting a bunch of excited people holding shaken carbonated drinks, and that is just a disaster waiting to happen. I guess the winners are considered warned.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GoKKX-living_foodMon, 15 Feb 2021 18:34:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GoKKX-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MnyxR-foodTongarashimen is quite a special cup noodle. This series is unique because the spiciness is mostly not from the soup, but the fact that the noodles have chilli peppers infused. This tomato and cheese flavour is really nice. The sour tomato flavour makes the soup quite addictive, and it pairs with the spiciness well.The cheese could be stronger, but it is a welcomed addition too. The noodle itself is not a heavy one, so it is a nice quick snack or addition to a meal. For 100 yen or less, fans of spicy food should give this a try.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MnyxR-foodMon, 15 Feb 2021 18:33:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MnyxR-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXmm4-livingIn the middle of the night, when I was just watching TV and enjoying a drink, I felt the shakes.At first, I thought it was just me reacting to my drink, until I heard some glass hitting around, and I realized it was an earthquake, and a big one.It lasted for much longer than what was comfortable, and knowing what happened years ago, that was quite a scare.When it had stopped, all TV stations were doing breaking news on the earthquake and showing the 6M felt in Miyagi and Fukushima. Meanwhile, I went to put my passport and wallet into a backpack, just in case more was to come, and I hope none ever will.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXmm4-livingSun, 14 Feb 2021 12:55:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXmm4-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G6lq9-foodI am no stranger to packaged curry, and I really like them because they are quick and easy meals that are also filling.However, it is a tiny bit of a hassle to have to put the package into a pot of hot water then boil for several minutes to heat them up, so I was really excited to see that there is a microwavable packaged curry!After just a couple of minutes, the sauce was hot and ready, and this European curry is quite delicious. Not sure what is European about it, but the mushrooms were quite good.This is definitely a sauce more than a full on curry, so you will probably want to get your own toppings, but this is a convenience curry option for just 100 yen.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G6lq9-foodSun, 14 Feb 2021 12:55:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G6lq9-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GoKjv-food_money_tea_shizuokaAs someone who has enjoyed his fair share of Shizuoka tea, I have enjoyed a wide range of tea of different price points. Those on the cheaper side were around 300 yen for a bag of 100 grams of tea, and on the high end, there was some tea around 1,000 yen for the same amount. While the flavours and quality certainly differed, there was never a bag of tea that was disappointing. They all offered the deep delicious taste I expect from Shizuoka green tea.Then, I came across this tea...128 yen plus tax for a 100 gram bag of Shizuoka green tea!This was shockingly affordable, and of course, I was also quite suspicious of it when I picked it up.The tea was sold by Hagino Shouten company in Saitama but manufactured in Shizuoka City. The packaging was quite simple and did not give much information on the tea farm it came from. With the lack of information, I was not sure what to expect except that this was the cheapest Shizuoka tea I have ever come across.When I opened the bag, I gave it the very first sniff test. The tea was very... well, green tea! While it does lack the complexity of more expensive tea, it was a very clean and pleasant green tea smell that I associate with the traditional Japanese drink.The tea leaves were bigger in pieces, and there were pros and cons. The negative was that it took more time to get the flavours out of the tea from soaking, but the positive was that fewer leaf bits got out of the mesh and into the tea, which made it easier for me to drink using the tea ball. After a few minutes of soaking the tea in hot water, I gave it the first sip. Meanwhile, I was keeping in mind the entire time the price of this tea. Thinking about how affordable it is, this was a very delicious tea with a deep and delicious flavour. The bitterness was not overpowering, but it lasts in my mouth. While some Shizuoka green tea I have tried in the past were great to be enjoyed on its own or with a light snack (rice crackers, especially), this tea is one that goes really well with most Japanese meals. I had it with some sushi, and the warmth of this tea and the taste really helped cleanse the palate in between bites. I would recommend having this tea while eating.Overall, considering that this Shizuoka green tea was 128 yen plus tax for this whole bag, it is one of the easiest tea for me to recommend!This post is supported by Shizuoka Green Tea Guide, one of City-Cost's Supporters helping City-Cost bloggers to enjoy life in Japan and engage in new experiences.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GoKjv-food_money_tea_shizuokaSun, 14 Feb 2021 11:18:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GoKjv-food_money_tea_shizuokahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wm1jv-livingIn the past week, there has been a couple of times when a young man would ring our doorbell, whisper something, and after we responded they walked away.The first time they said "sorry, I made a mistake" and left. It was really really strange, so I watched the second person when it happened again.I realized the person was ringing the doorbells of apartments that do not have a NHK sticker outside. The person was also holding a big phone/device that was probably taking notes or shows which doors he has to ring.I suspect that it is about NHK but I am not sure, and I expect that they will be back. It is definitely shady as hell, so everyone be careful if this happens to you on more than one occasion.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wm1jv-livingSat, 13 Feb 2021 15:18:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wm1jv-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GRY12-food_moneySapporo's latest beer with the misspelt "Lagar" has been getting all the buzz. At the same time, Suntory has been not-so-quietly pushing their cheaper happoshu alternative.Rather than a beer, this is a low malt beer, so it is about 60 yen cheaper. The name is The Lager (with no spelling mistake), and the can itself is also a bright vibrant red.This is a delicious drink. It is more on the rich side with a strong and lasting aftertaste. Those who are fans of lagers will enjoy this.With the strong marketing push I am seeing with this drink too, I hope this one will be here to stay.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GRY12-food_moneySat, 13 Feb 2021 15:14:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GRY12-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z1vbD-food_transportationWhen I was walking around and went by Kawaguchi Station in Saitama, I was really surprised to see a vegetable pop-up shop inside the station.More specifically, it was right in front of where you would buy the tickets, and that was something new I have never seen.Occasionally, I would see people selling Japanese sweets or regional goods. This shop was selling fresh vegetables from Fukushima. The prices were reasonable, but since I was there late, they were mostly being half-priced, and that was awesome.The shop apparently goes around different big stations in Saitama. I hope I can run into them again in the future!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z1vbD-food_transportationSat, 13 Feb 2021 15:10:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z1vbD-food_transportationhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MYXmg-foodDon Quijote is a great place to visit when you want to buy snacks, toys, electronics, and many other random things, but one thing that I often overlook is their food, and I gave their handrolled sushi a try.Rather than spending 100 to 120 yen each at the convenience store, they sell them at 100 yen a pop.I tried the mayo salmon, mayo tuna and negitoro handroll sushi. While the price point was good, the fillings were not that good. They felt more like mashed ingredients, and due to that, the textures were quite similar across all three.The vinegar flavour is quite strong too which some people would like but not necessarily everyone.Overall, this is okay but I prefer supermarket and convenience store handroll sushi.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MYXmg-foodSat, 13 Feb 2021 14:51:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MYXmg-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MdBR0-livingI really like wack-a-mole kind of games at arcade centers, and recently I have found a new one that is bubble bobble themed and it is 100 yen a round.The pastel colour makes this really cute, but the nature of hitting things that pop out does not change.I played this by myself, and that let me duel-wield double hammers, thinking that I could out-smart the machine.The machine ended out-smarting me by having 3 things pop up at the same time, and occasionally they would have two on the same side, making things challenging.This was really fun, and while I did not get the highest score of the day, I will definitely challenge it again.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MdBR0-livingFri, 12 Feb 2021 11:39:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MdBR0-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zD2RL-foodLunch packs are always simple and delicious sandwiches, and I usually enjoy their sweet offerings over the savoury ones.One that I tried recently is the blueberry jam and margarine sandwich, and I really like it.The blueberry jam is sweet and delicious with a great jelly texture, and it balances super well with the creamy margarine. I always find it interesting how Japan does not really sell fresh blueberries, but there are plenty of blueberry jam fans here. This is a great one to get.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zD2RL-foodFri, 12 Feb 2021 11:39:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zD2RL-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wZ67m-food_moneyI do not usually get hyoketsu drinks by Kirin, but since I really enjoyed the recent limited blueberry drink, I thought I would try more.This hyoketsu strong mango and peach was the one I picked up. For just 100 yen, this 9% drink with no sugar sounded good, especially since I love mango.This drink, however, was... quite horrible.Simply said, it tasted really really cheap.Rather than peach or mango flavoured drinks, it also tastes like bad versions of those, and that did not help with the strong alcoholic taste either.I think I will give hyoketsu another try, but this one is definitely not a winner.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wZ67m-food_moneyThu, 11 Feb 2021 11:50:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wZ67m-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/weDkr-foodWhenever I have a choice for snacks, I always go for deep fried junk food like potato chips over the healthier grilled Japanese rice crackers.This particular senbei, however, is changing my mind.Made by a long-time maker since Meiji 35, Toyosu and their yuzu shichimi arare rice crackers are really addictive.The texture has a super nice crunch, and more importantly, the yuzu flavour goes really well with the spicy shichimi powders. It also does not taste greasy at all, making this one of the healthier snacks that satisfy my craving.I will definitely be on the watch out for more arare rice crackers from now on!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/weDkr-foodThu, 11 Feb 2021 11:50:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/weDkr-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zVXqJ-livingAs an Asian living in Japan, I always take on this on-going challenge with me whenever I go out.Try to find an Asian English teacher in mainstream eikaiwa language school ads.While there is a disturbing level of "white presence" in their advertisements, some schools try to include some people-of-colour (although still at a very low ratio and very selectively).However, I still have never seen any Asian teachers, and it is a constant reminder for people like me that eikaiwa schools would never have me as their poster person, and students would never sign up to have a teacher that looks like me.If you ever see one, let me know and let me be surprised!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zVXqJ-livingWed, 10 Feb 2021 14:51:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zVXqJ-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MAymv-foodI have always been a fan of the Alfort chocolate biscuits, which are great balanced pieces of chocolate on crispy cookies.Out of the many flavours they offer, my favourite is the vanilla chocolate version. The white chocolate has a lovely sweet vanilla flavour to it, much more than the standard bland white chocolate.The dark cocoa biscuit matches really well with it too, so you get a good balance of bitterness and sweetness.What more is the lovely texture both elements have, and they make each bite really fun to crunch through.For just 88 yen a box, this is a lovely sweet to get.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MAymv-foodWed, 10 Feb 2021 14:51:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MAymv-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GO19x-food_moneyStrawberries in Japan are amazing.They are always sweet and delicious, but on top of that, they also look perfect. The colour is a perfect red, they all look the same. They always look great.However, the price also makes each pack of strawberries really expensive, and that is why I love it when I find ugly strawberries but for much cheaper.This pack of monster-looking strawberries from Tochigi was just 300 yen, while the pretty ones are usually 500 to 600 a pack.With that said, they taste just as sweet and juicy. I wish more people in Japan would appreciate ugly yet delicious strawberries.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GO19x-food_moneyTue, 09 Feb 2021 19:02:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GO19x-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G02VR-foodWhen I think cheese crackers, I used to think Ritz by Nabisco, but since I really liked the made-in-Japan YBC Noir cookies and even more than oreos, I was quite intrigued by YBC's take on Ritz cheese crackers.For 120 to 150 yen, you get two packs of 9 crackers each.The shape looks interesting, with these squares but the corners were all cut off, but it is all about the flavour, right?My first impression was that the crackers were missing the salt I was used to, but after a few cracks, I realized that I was not missing the salt at all.The cheese was delicious and creamy, and maybe even better than Ritz. This is a great product, and I think I like this more than Ritz!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G02VR-foodTue, 09 Feb 2021 19:02:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G02VR-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MxW12-living_medicalWith hay fever season right around the corner, I have been looking for ways to make my nose feel better.One thing I tried last year was this nose gargling product.I am not sure if gargling is the right word. Perhaps nose showering is more accurate.The solution is made so that it does not hurt your nose in any way, and while you squeeze it up one nostril, it drips back out from the other side.It looks really ridiculous just like shown in this ad (which is also why I am not posting a photo of myself doing it), but it does help rinse out some pollen in my nose after coming home.Worth trying as long as no one is staring at you doing it!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MxW12-living_medicalMon, 08 Feb 2021 11:33:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MxW12-living_medicalhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z4Byo-food_moneyShin ramen is a Korean instant noodle, and it is popular in Japan for those who want a challenge for something spicy, because it is much spicer than 99% of the instant noodles made in Japan.This being in import, however, does come with an additional cost. Usually, you can get these in packs of 3 to 5, averaging out each noodle to be 80 to 110 yen, which is quite a lot more than the typical 60 to 80 yen Japanese noodles.However, given the level of spiciness that is not offered by most Japanese noodles, this remains a very popular product in Japan.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z4Byo-food_moneyMon, 08 Feb 2021 11:32:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z4Byo-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GloX8-livingAt my apartment, I saw that the landlord made something fun for the kids living here on the day of setsubun.At the parking lot, they put up pictures of several demons. Specifically, they put up the demons from the super popular anime Kimetsu no Yaiba.Instead of putting beans, they also used newspaper to make several balls that kids could pick up to throw at the demon faces stuck on the window.I did not take part in it, but I thought this was really nice, especially since it did not waste any food. I hope more people would do this, kimetsu or not.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GloX8-livingSun, 07 Feb 2021 20:41:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GloX8-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MEA8Y-food_moneyI have been enjoying cheap drinks whenever I go out on for a walk.With that said, I am quite surprised that I have never tried the Takara chu-his, which are usually really cheap between 95 yen to 105 yen each.For my first one, I decided to go for the ginger ale high-ball. With low (not zero) sugar content, this drink was surprisingly delicious.The fizz was really nice, and the taste was quite like a good ginger ale with a buzz. The 7% alcohol was also enough to help me enjoy my 2 hours walk even longer.Now that I have opened myself to the Takara high-balls, I am really looking forward to trying more!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MEA8Y-food_moneySun, 07 Feb 2021 20:41:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MEA8Y-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GB3bn-foodWhile out looking for some kind of carbs to add into my meal of nabe-dish, I was trying to look for something new instead of the usual udon or rice. I found this bag of noodle-looking starchy thing called maronii-chan. The bag is not very big for something around 200 yen, but I was very much in the mood of trying something new.This is mostly made from potatoes, and there is nothing you need to do except for tossing it into the pot of soupy meal for 5 minutes. It is chewy and takes on the flavour of the soup.Maybe not everyone would like it, but it is worth trying once.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GB3bn-foodSun, 07 Feb 2021 20:41:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GB3bn-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z1vB5-foodRecently, I had a bottle of passion fruit craft chu-hi from the Tokyo area and was blown away. I was also given a bottle of this fancy 300 yen Kyoto Aodani Plum craft chu-hi from the same series to try, and my expectations were high.There was a good amount of plum residue visible at the bottom of the bottle. It smelled really good too, and the taste was outstanding!Perhaps it is the Aodani plums, it was much more on the bitter and sour side than usual ume-shu, and it made this drink a lot more unique.Those who like umeshu and plum drinks should look for this in Kyoto!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z1vB5-foodFri, 05 Feb 2021 21:58:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z1vB5-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wNoYZ-living_moneyFamitsu is a video game magazine in Japan that costs money, but to help advertise the latest Playstation 5 (which is still out of stock everywhere), you can now pick up this free Famitsu talking all about PS5.I picked this copy up at a GEO. This book has a lot of editorial content, including interviews with Sony higher-ups, as well as discussions on the newest games on the PS5.While I am still struggling with reading Japanese books, reading something that I really like is very motivating. I am sure this will not stick around forever, to pick up your copy while they are still here.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wNoYZ-living_moneyFri, 05 Feb 2021 21:57:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wNoYZ-living_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MdB8e-foodWalking around Kamakura one day, one shop with a very green and natural looking sign caught my eyes. It was a store focused on making Japanese sweets using zunda beans, which are these green beans similar to edamame.Being interested in trying something I had never seen before, we purchased a zunda beans daifuku for 160 yen. It was not big, but it still interested us to try and share. It was... ehh... The beans were quite coarse and dry, and definitely not what fillings for daifuku usually are. It was also not that flavourful, and I cannot say it was money well spent.If you go to Kamakura and see this, I would recommend going to a different shop instead.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MdB8e-foodFri, 05 Feb 2021 21:57:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MdB8e-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MPy7g-living_moneyDuring the time when Softbank Hikari internet was having problems all over Kanto, we called to complain about how we could not work from home when their internet was disappointingly slow.From the phone call, they offered to lend us their mobile internet to use for a while for free. The thing arrived the day after the call, and while the speed was not the same as Hikari, it was surprisingly good.Plus, there was no limit to the data usage, which was an issue when I used to be on a data plan.However, the part that sucks was that they did not offer this automatically, but only after we called did they react. Good gesture that they should have offered actively.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MPy7g-living_moneyFri, 05 Feb 2021 01:34:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MPy7g-living_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MYX7o-foodI like puddings as well as jello, and never did I expect to find a product that is kind of in the middle.This big green grape pudding was exactly that. I was not what to expect when I picked it up, and the 100 yen price tag was not necessarily cheap, but I was too curious not to try.The dessert was... good, but intriguing.The texture was definitely pudding like, but flavour-wise, it quite reminded me of eating a green grapes hi-chu candy.It was honestly not bad, but I still could not get used to it after eating the whole pudding.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MYX7o-foodThu, 04 Feb 2021 17:45:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MYX7o-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GRY4k-foodThe good thing about packaged bread is that they are cheap (usually around 100 to 120 yen each), but I never expect them to blow my mind in areas of flavour. If you do find this strange looking beef stew packaged bread, however, I would recommend everyone to try it!Baked with french bread as the base, this bread was honestly delicious. The stew was so rich and deep in flavours, and the bread was really soft.The downside was that this bread was on the light side, so it was not as filling. But given how delicious this was, I would have been happy to eat two or three of this!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GRY4k-foodThu, 04 Feb 2021 17:45:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GRY4k-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GlopQ-food_money_medicalI really like canned saba. They are delicious and cheap, and they make a great additional to a meal.However, on the market you can easily find different prices on canned saba.Those made in Japan are usually 130 to 200 yen a can, while a can like this made in China was only 90 yen.I was wondering about the differences. The Chinese canned saba honestly tasted amazing. The fish was soft and fat. The flavour was salty. I enjoyed it a lot.But the salt was definitely much more unhealthy and the Japanese cans are more natural tasting. The can also seems muddier in this can, and it makes me wonder what was added to hide certain things...While it was delicious and cheap, I think I will pay just a bit more and stick with the more natural tasting Japanese saba.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GlopQ-food_money_medicalWed, 03 Feb 2021 16:37:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GlopQ-food_money_medicalhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GO1Rd-food_moneyRecently, there was an occasion to celebrate, but the country has yet to return to a state where it is safe for us to go out and drink.Still in the mood, I decided to get a bottle of Asahi beer from a liquor store. The price is great. This 500mL bottle was only 270 yen, which is quite a good deal compared to the canned 350 mL version and definitely a great price when this would be 500 yen if you were to order it out.It felt great drinking this bottle at home. The glass bottle kept the beer cold, the beer was great, and it really gave me the atmosphere of outside drinking. Definitely recommend!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GO1Rd-food_moneyWed, 03 Feb 2021 16:37:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GO1Rd-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z36Zk-shoppingWhen you shop at a supermarket, no matter how messy your basket is when you hand it over to the cashier, they would almost always use some master Tetris skills and organize your basket to something amazing looking.They make sure that they put the heavy stuff at the bottom and the soft things on top so that nothing gets squashed. That makes a lot of sense...... until you have to bag your items.If I bag things based on what is on top in the basket, then the heavy stuff would end up on top in the bag. Instead, I need to dig my hand into the basket to get the heavy stuff so they would be put at the bottom.I used to be amazed by this, but now this counter-intuitive approach has started to puzzle me instead...To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z36Zk-shoppingMon, 01 Feb 2021 13:28:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z36Zk-shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GoK4A-foodLast time, I tried the Koikeya "Strong" sour cream onion potato chips only to be disappointed by how the word "strong" was missing from the flavour.I think most potato chip brands deserve a second try, so I also got this Strong sour plum flavour bag of chips.I am happy to report that this bag is a lot better. It still is not as strong as the bag and name suggest, but the sourness is satisfying. There is also a good katsuo fishy flavour, which some would like and some would not.Overall, I quite enjoyed this bag, and I look forward to Strong releasing a 3rd flavour to see how it does.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GoK4A-foodMon, 01 Feb 2021 13:27:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GoK4A-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zKO9V-living_foodRecently, I gave in to my cravings and found a time around 3:30 pm to visit a McDonalds for a quick snack. I chose that time to avoid the busy lunch time, and after making my order, I went upstairs to the second floor seating area.I was surprised that there was a staff standing there, and he asked "just 1 person?"I said yes, and he led me to a seat, wiped the table down and let me sit down.Never had I expected to be seated at a McDonald's, but it was done to ensure social distancing. Still, I would still recommend people to avoid it if possible. I lost to my instincts on that day and I am glad they were being safe though.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zKO9V-living_foodSun, 31 Jan 2021 20:43:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zKO9V-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wZ6NR-foodI find this bottle packaging very funny. The series is called Kagoma Greens, but it is really not that green. The photo shows strawberries, aloe and tomatoes, but the name removes the tomato. But as a fan of smoothies, trying this for just 80 yen was not too bad.The flavour was not bad, but quite complex. I have never had anything that mixes strawberries and tomatoes, and both are quite prominent in this drink. On top of that, there was a strong carrot texture and flavour too. The Aloe adds some chewiness to it. This is definitely a drink that is not for everyone, but it is not bad at all.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wZ6NR-foodSun, 31 Jan 2021 20:43:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wZ6NR-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wNoxA-medicalI have really heavy allergies whenever Spring comes. Whenever March or April comes, I start to hate it because of how much sneezing I start getting.This year, however, feels like the hay fever came really early. In fact, so early that my nose started running since before Christmas! I had asked another friend who suffers from hay fever too and he said that his nose is also doing a marathon. I wonder what happened this year that caused this to happen, but I really hope this early allergy is just an exception for this year, or else I really want to slice my nose off.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wNoxA-medicalSat, 30 Jan 2021 19:09:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wNoxA-medicalhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zD20Q-food_moneyRecently with the happoshu (low malt beer) tax hike, I feel that breweries have been trying to find ways to revamp their brand to increase sales.Sapporo's Gold Star, for example, has been labelling their cans with the word NEW right on the can.The can describes how they have increased the hops they use for Yebisu and for black label into making the Gold Star, and it really made a huge difference. The flavour is really strong and vibrant. The taste is great, and it is still only below 130 yen. This was a great change and very much an improvement!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zD20Q-food_moneySat, 30 Jan 2021 19:09:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zD20Q-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MEA51-foodBlack Thunder is probably my favourite chocolate offering from Japan. They are usually 30 yen for a bar, and they are great.For the first time though, I found this pack of bite-size black thunder chocolate, and I thought it was great.For 100 yen, this bag was 60 grams, and that is very much the same ratio to the normal size. There was about 10 or so in the bag.The great thing though was that it was much easier for me to eat some and stop without finishing the whole bag. Great to know that there is another size to choose from from now on!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MEA51-foodSat, 30 Jan 2021 19:09:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MEA51-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GB3g7-livingThose internet users on Softbank Hikari in the Kanto Area has been experiencing horrible internet for more than a week now.The download speed has been consistently below 1mbps, and during a time of working from home, that has been nothing but frustrations. What really surprised me was also the fact that no mainstream media outlet has been reporting on this, and it is not too surprising considering how softbank is a huge advertiser for most if not all media outlets, so the complaints are just on twitter.We called Softbank and talked for more than an hour, and they just kept saying "we are still looking into the problem". This problem has no end in sight....To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GB3g7-livingThu, 28 Jan 2021 20:48:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GB3g7-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GyW69-food_moneyI started off really like this 99.99 chu-hi series, but certain flavours were lacking.This Clear Yuzu is one of their most recent limited items, and my expectation was tempered a bit knowing that they have both hits and fails.This 100 yen drink is undoubtedly on the hit side!Those who like yuzu citrus flavours would really like this drink, because it is a very clear and crisp fruity drink despite only having 0.1% fruit juice. The 9% alcohol, just as this whole series, is really easy to enjoy as well with no bad aftertaste.If I get a say, I would make this limited item permanent for sure! To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GyW69-food_moneyThu, 28 Jan 2021 20:48:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GyW69-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MpY3Z-foodThe Gaint Cone series has always been my favourite ice-cream in Japan, and the caramel offering is awesome too.This 100 yen ice-cream that can be found virtually everywhere is really rich in its caramel flavour.Not just the ice-cream itself, there is a great caramel syrup under the crunch plate of chocolate too.The sweetness is perfect as well. Nothing overpowers, and all parts just fit perfectly together!Gaint Cone really never fails me!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MpY3Z-foodThu, 28 Jan 2021 20:47:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MpY3Z-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zVXR2-livingAfter a few weeks of seeing how many other prefectures were experiencing snow, some heavy snow and causing a lot of problem, I had been expecting Tokyo to be hit with some snow too.However, after week after week, not precipitation came, and it honestly was a good thing because it made life easier. Finally, snow came today, and that was rather unexpected. The night before was quite warm, and the weather forecast showed that rain was to be expected. But suddenly the afternoon turned into something that looked like a storm. I could see quite an amount of people out there walking without umbrellas as well.Now that we have had our afternoon of snow, we can go back to crisp sunny weather.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zVXR2-livingThu, 28 Jan 2021 19:15:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zVXR2-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GWv8Q-food_moneyI have always been eyeing this can of Kirin Grape Sour, both because of its beautiful packaging as well as the fact that this is a 9% alcoholic can for only 98 yen.With my high expectations, however, this did not meet it at all. Not even close.The beautiful purple colour did not save this can from the biggest problem that many 9% strong drinks fall into: a strong alcoholic taste that leaves a bad aftertaste. The grape flavour was quite artificial as well. Compared with the delicious grape Strong Zero, which is just 10 yen more, this really loses badly.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GWv8Q-food_moneyThu, 28 Jan 2021 11:07:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GWv8Q-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/M9Zn2-foodAt a supermarket nearby, I was really surprised and delighted to find this bar of Hersey's Gold with peanuts and pretzels.If this was sold at a place like Kaldi Farm, I am sure this would have been 100-150 yen each, but I got this for 50 yen!This was delicious, crunchy, addictive, amazing...But more importantly, this was a flavour that you would just never find in Japan.I was also watching that a lot of customers were picking one up and putting it into their basket. This shows that there is market interest in these fun crunchy chocolate bars. I hope to see more of these brought to Japan!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/M9Zn2-foodThu, 28 Jan 2021 11:07:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/M9Zn2-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GLOdy-foodThe Coca-Cola produced Lemondou, and their first alcoholic drink, gathered a lot of fans with their sweet lemon chu-hi.I had stopped drinking it however because I found them to be a bit too sweet.Their latest offering goes the complete opposite way.For 138 yen a can, this "razer lemon" can is very low in sugar. In return, you are also giving up on the sweetness because this can is not sweet at all.Refreshing, yes, but if you expected the sweet lemondou walking in, you would be surprised.I need to mention though that this is still easy to drink and does not give any strange aftertaste, which is something the Lemondou is really good at.This is not really a drink for me but I am sure it will get its own fans.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GLOdy-foodTue, 26 Jan 2021 11:32:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GLOdy-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MqQrp-food_moneyWhen I was looking through the bread section at a supermarket, I was attracted by this package of almond castella.What made me interested in this was not just the golden colour and its almond shape, but the fact that this was only 64 yen when most other breads were 100 yen or more.Of course, I had to give this a try, and I was really surprised that this castella was just... plain castella.There was no cream or any kind of filling. It was just plain fluffy cake, which was great, but it explains why this was cheap.I really liked the flavour though and will pick it up again.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MqQrp-food_moneyTue, 26 Jan 2021 11:32:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MqQrp-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MJOqL-foodOne of my favourite chocolates back home, especially around Halloween, was Smarties by Nestle.In Japan, you can get something very similar by getting a tube of Marbles.This little tube was only 100 yen, and you get many of these delicious candy covered with a crunchy candy shell.I also love how colourful they are as well, even if they do not affect the flavour in any way.If that is not enough for you, it even comes with a sticker, although I would rather they not have it and save on some plastic.Eating this definitely brought me back to my childhood, and I am glad that Japan has their own Smarties!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MJOqL-foodSat, 23 Jan 2021 11:23:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MJOqL-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MAyWq-foodRecently, I have been frequenting the local butcher shop for their fried food.One that had always caught my eye and now finally got my hands on was their kushi katsu, which was only 100 yen each.This skewer looked great because of its size, more than double of what I would get at an izakaya if I was to order a kushi katsu there.However, biting in, I learned that 70% of the inside of this skewer was just onions. Generously huge slices of onions, and that was not really what I was looking for.The pork in between was really tender, but I was definitely hoping for more meat. Going back to their tonkatsu next time!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MAyWq-foodSat, 23 Jan 2021 11:23:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MAyWq-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mgrkd-food_moneyCheap black happoshus are quite rare to come by, and they are often not that good.However, this Gogutto Nama's black beer, or more accurately, low-malt beer, was really good!For just 100 yen a can, this black beer was really roasty and delicious. The colour is beautiful as well with a super deep brown. It was really easy to drink too, great for people who wanted to give black beers a try.Apparently this was made in Korea and it used hops came in Germany, then canned and branded and brought to Japan.It is amazing to think that this international can of drink was only 100 yen!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mgrkd-food_moneySat, 23 Jan 2021 11:22:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mgrkd-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MPyOy-food_shoppingJapan is famous for selling all kinds of things in their vending machines, and one that I walked by expectedly one day was this machine.This machine was selling their sauce. Yep, just sauces, the sauce you would use to make yakisoba or put on fried food.In the machine, you can get the different sweetness of the sauce, each for 400 yen. Rather than convenience for the consumers so that they can get sauce 24 hours, I think this was more so that the factory does not need to have anyone manning a store.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MPyOy-food_shoppingFri, 22 Jan 2021 11:24:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MPyOy-food_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w2qZb-foodIf you are a fan of fried squid, or calamari, you should know that most supermarkets actually sell the Japanese version of it.Often called squid (ika) karaage, you can get these crunchy fried squid and bring them home to toast them up.Although they are called karaage, I usually find these to be better flavoured than the chicken counterparts. Instead of rings, you will often find them in long strips instead.They go great with beer and other alcoholic drinks, and they are definitely one of my favourite fried snacks to have when I am out at an izakaya, so it is really nice that you can enjoy it at home too.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w2qZb-foodFri, 22 Jan 2021 11:24:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w2qZb-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mv85k-food_moneyI love sea urchins, or uni, especially when they are fresh.They are also admittedly quite expensive, so I was quite excited by this jar of preserved sea urchin for just 400 yen.I thought this would taste just like normal urchin but saltier.However, there was a really weird taste to this. It was the taste of alcoholic, and really strong too.It was so strong to the point that I questioned whether this was really edible. Not wanting to waste money, however, I sucked it up and ate a good half jar of it with rice.It was then that I had the thought of checking the internet, and some people suggested added soysauce to overcome the alcohol taste.That worked really well, and I wish I had read that sooner. Either way, I do not think I will get this ever again.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mv85k-food_moneyThu, 21 Jan 2021 16:03:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mv85k-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G6lBQ-food_moneyOver the winter, I found this green drink that caught my eye.At first, I thought this was a green-tea chu-hi, but upon a closer look, this was supposed to be an extra bitter happoshu.For just 120 yen a can, it did not cost much to give this a chance. I expected something super bitter like a black beer.The result was an extra bitter beer, but not to the level to call it demon (oni). It was actually quite easy to drink, and I do appreciate that this was 6% alcoholic. I think I will give this another try while it is still winter!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G6lBQ-food_moneyThu, 21 Jan 2021 16:03:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G6lBQ-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wjPp8-foodJapan's kit-kat are famous globally because this is the only country that constantly come out with new flavours of this simple chocolate snack.The latest offering, Sakura mochi flavour, has a really cute packaging.Other than that, however, I did not find anything special with this chocolate.It did not taste like sakura mochi in anyway. It was just a different sweet chocolate that did not stand out at all.Apparently, this is sakura mochi because it uses powders of red beans and the leaf too. But without reading the package, I would have never guessed.For that, I would consider this a fail attempt for Kit-kat.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wjPp8-foodThu, 21 Jan 2021 16:03:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wjPp8-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GbPO1-livingThis is something I never had back home and started noticing in Japan after a while.Many toilets here have this little window, often at a top corner.At first, I did not pay attention to it, but after a couple of years in this country, I had realized how smart of an idea this is.This window is there so we can tell whether someone is using the washroom or not!And we can find out without even knocking on the door! Such a great idea that I think should be adopted everywhere.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GbPO1-livingWed, 20 Jan 2021 22:47:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GbPO1-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GQKvl-food_moneyAt the butcher shop, I found that they were selling this 70 yen ham katsu.Being a fan of katsu and a fan of ham, I was really excited about this and I went home with 3 of these.For just 70 yen a pop, the pricing is very reasonable. It also makes sense that the slice of ham inside is not the thickest ham you will get.In fact, there is definitely more batter than meat with this katsu, and the ham adds flavour to it. But for the price, this was a great snack to have, and I really like eating it with white rice.If you have never had ham katsu, give it a try!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GQKvl-food_moneyWed, 20 Jan 2021 22:47:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GQKvl-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wkmPA-food_medicalSometimes when you are on the street with an empty stomach and wanted something to snack on, you are presented with a lot of options that are delicious but not so good for your health.One great option you might want to go for could be these organic chestnuts.For 100 yen, you get a lovely bag of 80 grams.These whole chestnuts are delicious, natural and easy to eat.I usually rip just a part of the top so I can squeeze one to the gap so I can just catch it with my mouth and got no need to use my fingers.This is a great snack option that you can probably find at many drugstores.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wkmPA-food_medicalWed, 20 Jan 2021 10:08:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wkmPA-food_medicalhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXmBx-food_medicalKirin caught the attention of many beer-lovers when they came out with the first zero sugar beer in Japan.There are low-sugar happoshu on the market, but they usually taste quite bad, and there has never been a zero sugar beer before.Kirin claimed that it tastes the same as their usual beer, and even though it was 180 yen a can, I thought I had to give it a shot.The result was unfortunately really disappointing. Really, really, disappointing. It tastes very different from real beer. The richness is missing. This beer is also only 4% alcoholic, which is something they hid with small text.I am glad that they gave this a shot, but this was not the nation-changing product many had hoped for.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXmBx-food_medicalTue, 19 Jan 2021 11:50:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXmBx-food_medicalhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z82qa-foodSometimes I miss things like twinkies back home, and this Custard Cake is the closest I have found in Japan.For around 200 yen, you get 6 of these little cakes individually packed.Each one is a fluffy and buttery delicacy, but more importantly, there is a creamy center.As the package says, there actually is a double cream - white whipped cream and a yellow creamy custard, and the two go really well together!If you also miss those packaged cakes back home, give this a try!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z82qa-foodTue, 19 Jan 2021 11:50:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z82qa-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z4Blv-livingDuring the week of New Years, many cities did not collect garbage.Unfortunately, that was also the week that many families generate a lot of garbage because of all the feasting and eating at home done over the few days.This created a situation where a lot of families had way more garbage than usual all stocked up, and all households just threw them all out at the same time.The garbage trucks would take them all, sure, but the nets and cans at the gathering spot could not fit them all, and that invited a lot of crows and wild cats to tear the bags apart, and this happens every new year.I hope local governments will find a way to fix it someday.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z4Blv-livingMon, 18 Jan 2021 15:21:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z4Blv-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G7Bpe-food_moneyI am always on the hunt for cheap drinks for adults, and this can caught my eye with its 98 yen price-tag.The packaging also reminded me of the Japanese flag. On top of that, with the name Ikinama Premium as well, I was caught off guard when I found out that this was made in Thailand.With that said, it did not change the fact that this was a very delicious and refreshing can of happoshu. If you see this at your local supermarket, this is one worth picking up.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G7Bpe-food_moneyMon, 18 Jan 2021 15:21:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G7Bpe-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zaDNN-food"Pork" is printed right in the center of this package of crunchy noodle snacks. On top of pork, the package also promises garlic.Obviously, this package was going after remaking a delicious tonkotsu ramen but in the form of a snack, and it delivered.The snack got bits of dried garlic and dried pork inside. The texture is not noticeable, but the flavour was really rich and delicious.The interesting thing is that if you suck on them instead of biting through them immediately, you can really taste the sweetness of the garlic chips, and it is delicious.Overall, I liked this snack a lot and would recommend this!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zaDNN-foodMon, 18 Jan 2021 15:21:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zaDNN-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w5ZB9-livingSince now is not the time to go outside, I have been filling that crave with the video game Yakuza Kiwami.This fun game with an engaging story is great, and I really love how realistic it recreated Shinjuku's Kabuki-cho.Going around town, you can engage in "normal" activities such as eating out...Or playing crane games at a game center...and a lot more, which are all not great ideas to do now.If you want to, you can get in street fights too.But for me, I have been getting really into this game because I feel like I could "go out" through playing this game while staying safe at home.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w5ZB9-livingSun, 17 Jan 2021 00:35:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w5ZB9-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MnyPj-foodThe package makes it very clear that this is a bowl of guilty pleasure.With garlic chips fused into the noodles and a rich pork flavour, the bowl promises some deliciousness that it really delivered.After soaking them in hot water for 5 minutes, I dumped the water out and added the flavouring oil and seasoning then mixed everything up. This was both filling and yummy.This heavy bowl of cup noodles would not be good to have right before a date, but it was definitely very delicious.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MnyPj-foodSun, 17 Jan 2021 00:20:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MnyPj-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wrQ5g-shoppingAt an Ito Yokado, I found these super adorable Doraemon room shoes!Not only are they adorable, they are also really warm inside, and each pair was only 1000 yen.At first, I thought they would only be for kids, but there was also a big one that fit up to 27cm, which was perfect for me.The one downside to it was that the bottom was not well cushioned, so if you are used to very soft and fluffy slippers that are light on your feet, then this would not do much for you.There are also disney versions and other popular characters too. Go check them out if you are interested!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wrQ5g-shoppingSun, 17 Jan 2021 00:16:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wrQ5g-shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wm16d-food_moneyIf you did not know, chu-hi is actually short for shochu highball, which is basically shochu plus soda water instead of whisky. However, it is somewhat rare to find a can of chu-hi without added fruity flavours in a can.TopValu has one if you want to try one, and it is only 86 yen before tax!The carbonation is nice, and the drink itself is not too sweet. The initial alcoholic taste might get some people to frown at first, but you will get used to it really soon and find this to be something that is really easy to drink!You can probably find this at many Aeon supermarkets.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wm16d-food_moneySun, 17 Jan 2021 00:04:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wm16d-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GRYQk-foodRecently, I feel like I have been seeing more sour cream onion flavoured potato chips in Japan, which has been a great flavour missing in this market for too long.The one I picked up was this Koikeya Strong sour cream onion bag for around 100 yen.Despite the name "strong", this was actually quite weak compared with what I was used to back home. This was not only not strong, it also was quite sweet.But the texture was great. This wavy chip feels like the pizza potato chips on the market, and that made up for the flavour.Hope this will bring in more interest to get better sour cream onion chips in the future.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GRYQk-foodSat, 16 Jan 2021 23:56:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GRYQk-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/M96A9-foodIf you are a fan of passion fruit, then this drink is not to be missed.Made from using passion fruits from Tokyo's Ogasahara Islands, you can pick up this craft chu-hi for around 250 yen. The product is said to be regional-limited, but you can always test your luck.Using both passion fruits and lemon, this drink is absolutely delicious. The passion fruit flavour is vibrant and refreshing, while the lemon adds layers to the taste.The golden colour of the drink is beautiful too, making this a treat to both the eyes and the tongue.I showed this to my friends and now they are asking me to stock up for when they visit me!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/M96A9-foodWed, 13 Jan 2021 17:10:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/M96A9-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gbkq0-foodAs a fan of sweet packaged bread, I am always open to trying new items I have never had before.When I picked up this "Strawberry Special", I was excited about it. It has both strawberry cream and "milk-flavour" cream, and I like both of those even though the latter sounded weird.I was expecting a sandwich with two layers of cream among soft bread.I was close, however. Instead of bread, the three layers were just cake. Very soft, fluffy and sweet cake.This thing was delicious. However, I picked it up for my breakfast the next day, and I was basically eating creamy cake from the morning. What a start.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gbkq0-foodWed, 13 Jan 2021 17:10:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gbkq0-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wrVpD-living_shoppingI have always hated cleaning the fence of the rangehood over the stove tops, as they do get greasy. New Years is always the time for me to soak them and then end up spending a long time just wiping the grease away.However, this year I bought a rangehood filter!For just a 100 yen at Daiso, this is going to last two uses as long as I cut the sizes correctly.Installing was a bit of trouble though. It came with a couple of small magnets, but I find using packing tape to work much better.It is sad that it took me so long to find this product, but I am glad that I did get it!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wrVpD-living_shoppingSat, 09 Jan 2021 11:28:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wrVpD-living_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G6q2E-foodAt first, I picked this bag of mint up partially for its ridiculous name.EAT MINT! It sounds almost threatening.But upon, well, eating one, it was actually really nice.I have always enjoyed the hard coating of chewing gums but not necessarily keeping the gum in my mouth forever, and this was basically just the outside with a chewy minty candy center that goes away really soon.The mint was much stronger than I had expected as well.Overall, this was a great product, and I will definitely be eating more mints.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G6q2E-foodSat, 09 Jan 2021 11:27:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G6q2E-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w5nWO-livingWhen I went to a 7&i owned supermarket, I realized a couple of interesting items on the shelf.There were first the "nicer to the environment cafe straws" that caught my eyes, then there were similar forks too.They were made to pass some kind of standards, likely making them biodegradable, so that these are "less bad" for the environment.However, it still does not change the fact that they are one-time-use items that most people would throw out. If they were not recycled properly, being biodegradable means anything as well.On the one hand, I am afraid that this is Green-washing, but at the same time, I am glad that they are thinking about the environment in a way.At the end of the day, Refuse and Reduce are both much better than Recycle.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w5nWO-livingFri, 08 Jan 2021 12:07:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w5nWO-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GojmW-foodOne Japanese snack that I always recommend my friends to get is Strawberry Daifuku.They are basically available at any supermarket and even some conbini stores, and most traditional Japanese sweet shops would have them too.For 100 to 250 yen a pop, you get a juicy strawberry (sweetness depending on the store and the season) that is wrapped inside some sweet red-bean paste and then also wrapped in a layer of mochi.Not only does the strawberry go surprisingly well with the red bean paste, but the triple texture with each bite is also purely amazing!I definitely need to enjoy this more!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GojmW-foodFri, 08 Jan 2021 12:07:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GojmW-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MpO6L-livingWalking around a random part of Tokyo's suburb, I found an apartment complex that had a cute sign in its bushes."To the dogs and cats, the grass, flowers and trees are crying. Please stop entering."At first, I thought "that is kinda cute, having a sign for the cats and dogs."Then I realized, wait, the bushes are too close together for kids and pet owners to go through, this REALLY is a sign for cats and dogs in the wild, who obviously have not studied enough kanji to understand the sign.So, what was the point of this, really?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MpO6L-livingThu, 07 Jan 2021 15:51:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MpO6L-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmjK2-foodWinter is the best season for nikuman, and this is also when you would see conbini come out with new products.Ministop recently had their Butter Chicken Curry nikuman.Now, I love butter chicken curry, so my expectations were high. My hopes were broken from my first bite, however.It was a decent Indian curry nikuman, but there was not really anything that made it feel like butter chicken.The chicken pieces, sure, but the sweetness and creaminess were both missing.It was still a decent curry nikuman, but the disappointment was there.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmjK2-foodThu, 07 Jan 2021 15:51:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmjK2-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MYm86-moneyIf you are a fan of buying lottery tickets to dream big, then you would likely want to give Loto 7 a try.By picking 7 numbers, you have a chance to win the jackpot of hundreds of million yen, with the number increasing with the jackpot carrying over into the next draw if no one wins it.Each ticket is only 300 yen, and you do need to be of age to buy them, but the process is as simple as filling out a scantron, and these lottery booths are everywhere. Each shopping mall will definitely have one.I know that my chances of winning is extremely slim, but it does give me a dream.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MYm86-moneyWed, 06 Jan 2021 11:53:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MYm86-moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G7Rq0-foodI have never tried a Kintoki carrot until I found one at the veggie shop before New Years, and seeing one really surprised me.These carrots from Kagawa Pref. are really really red. They are also the length of like 2-3 carrots of what I usually buy.To my surprise, they were really sweet. Comparing with normal carrots, they are on the dry side, so rather than salad, they would be better in nabe and other kinds of stewed meals.I bought one just because it looked so much like what Bugs Bunny chews on, but a cool carrot it was.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G7Rq0-foodWed, 06 Jan 2021 11:53:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G7Rq0-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MdvAJ-living_foodAround Halloween, my apartment put out some snacks for everyone, adults and kids alike. That was really lovely, and I enjoyed a couple of umaibo thanks to their kindness.During Christmas, they stepped the game up and put up full-sized snack packages.These would usually be 200-300 a pack at supermarkets. They put them out in front and just wrote "for kids up to elementary first grade".Obviously, I had to pass. It was interesting that they included first graders and said no to second graders.Either way, I thought it was really sweet they did that!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MdvAJ-living_foodTue, 05 Jan 2021 15:55:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MdvAJ-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wZ3XN-food_moneyI have been lovely the 7&i brand's chu-hi's lately, from their Strong 9% offerings to the 4-5% drinks, which are all below the average market price.This chardonnay sour is another great choice for less than 100 yen.Using a delicious green grapes taste, this delicious can of fuzzy alcoholic drink is sweet and yummy.It definitely tastes more like a great soda than an alcoholic drink to get drunk on, but it is still 5% alcoholic.If you go to Ito Yokado, seek this out and give it a try!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wZ3XN-food_moneyTue, 05 Jan 2021 15:54:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wZ3XN-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GQoBV-food_shopping_moneyOn Dec 31st, I went around a few supermarkets to stock up for veggies, knowing that many shops nearby will be close for at least a few days for the New Years.I had to go to a few shops because I was not happy with the prices at most of the supermarkets I went to.Cabbages have been around 100 yen each recently, but it was 128 yen at the one I found and another supermarket. 100 daikons have been bumped up by 30% as well.Then, I realized what was going on.They raised the prices because people who are stocking up for New Years would buy them even if they were expensive. Sure, a part of it could be said to maintain business too, but if cabbages were 100 yen the day before and will be 100 yen again a few days after New Years, then it is hard not to see it as a cheap move.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GQoBV-food_shopping_moneyMon, 04 Jan 2021 13:23:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GQoBV-food_shopping_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MnxRo-food_moneyRich Malt has been kicking butts with their awesome seasonal and limited brews.One recent release was this deep roasted Rich Malt.The flavour is more on the bitter side, and the roasted malt gave it a really unique flavour that reminds me of some Japanese tea.But what I also really enjoyed was this deep amber colour.It might be hard to tell, but the colour is similar to the brown on the can itself, and it was beautiful as well as delicious.Who knows how long this one will stick around, so pick one up while it is still here!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MnxRo-food_moneyMon, 04 Jan 2021 13:23:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MnxRo-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z83jL-livingGenerally, I do not enjoy Japanese TV. But during New Years when we had no plans and it was not a good time to go out, we found ourselves watching a lot of Japanese TV.My thoughts on most Japanese TV shows being lame and fake remain, but I did enjoy a few shows.Particularly shows when celebrities would travel to a random town, often countryside Japan, and just walk around to talk to whoever they run into.I really enjoy those shows because the reactions and conversations were the most real. I was glad that New Years had a few shows like that, and we spent about 12 hours of our New Years just watching those shows.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z83jL-livingMon, 04 Jan 2021 10:58:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z83jL-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MEP60-foodI always fall for packaged pastries that resemble danish, even when most of them are not even close.This huge cream danish was surprisingly successful for a few reasons.The size was satisfying, as it was quite a heavy one. The custard cream was at the right level of sweetness as well.But on top of that, they also suggest that you pop this into the toaster oven and heat it up, which made it crispy and even more delicious.This is a win for packaged danishes.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MEP60-foodMon, 04 Jan 2021 10:58:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MEP60-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wNWL4-livingKakisome is a Japanese New Year's tradition where people would take out these huge calligraphy brushes and write their new year's resolution on an extra long calligraphy paper.When I taught at an elementary school, I got really into doing this with the kids to the point that a teacher gave me a set of their extras brushes and mat so that I could do them on my own.This year, we brought it out and did some too.For me, I just enjoyed writing kanji using ink, so instead of my resolution, I wrote the kanji name "Dark Magician", the Yugioh Monster.Then I did another piece that says "All You Can Eat for 1490 yen".Surely they were not what people would write, but I had a lot of fun doing kakisome!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wNWL4-livingSun, 03 Jan 2021 23:08:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wNWL4-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXQYL-shopping_moneyIf you are a user of Merupay, you should check out the coupons you might be holding onto right now.When New Years came around, there was a wave of 200 yen off coupons. More specifically, these were coupons that when you purchase more than 201 yen at a store, you would get 200 yen points back the next day!I enjoyed my time going to the nearby drugstore with the coupon and looked for a couple of snacks that came closest to 200 yen. It felt really nice walking out with a drink and a bag of chips and think that I only paid 15 yen for them!The deadline for mine were until the 18th, so make sure you do not let yours go to waste.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXQYL-shopping_moneySun, 03 Jan 2021 22:50:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXQYL-shopping_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z1b71-foodI had always thought that shochu is some very spicy alcohol that would burn my throat, but given how much I enjoy chu-hi, which is very often mixed with shochu, I thought I had to try one on its own.Takara is one of the biggest, if not THE biggest shochu brands.The one I tried was 20% in alcoholic content, and this 220 mL cup was around 160 yen.I was ready for a burn when I took the first sip, but this was surprisingly easy to drink! Way too easy...... and within a few minutes, the alcohol got to me. After half the cup, I put it down and saved the rest for the next day.Obviously I need some time to get used to this, but this was really easy to drink, and here is my path towards becoming more and more like a Japanese old man by drinking shochu.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z1b71-foodSun, 03 Jan 2021 16:47:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z1b71-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MxLaW-livingEngrish is everywhere in Japan, and they never stop amusing us.The most recent encounter was from a LINE message from a karaoke shop that I visited once.The message came with a 50% off coupon, and it started with the seasonal greeting:"Mary Christmas"I laughed for much longer than this deserves, honestly. I thought that with this phrase being printed on basically everything green and red around the season, someone would have caught it before sending it.What sucks more for them is that I know each business LINE account can only send a limited amount of these mass-messages per month. Each message is an asset, and this was just embarassing.Anyway, I hope all Mary's had their Christmases. To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MxLaW-livingSun, 03 Jan 2021 16:46:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MxLaW-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MqRZa-livingNothing is locked down, but it definitely is not a good time to go out right now.Despite moving to a new city, I could not really gather with friends, could not explore and go to new places, could not even eat out. Even when Christmas came around, we had absolutely no plans.To make things worse, my partner got a pretty bad stomachache on Christmas Day, essentially cancelling the unhealthy but fun meal we had as well.The only thing I did besides taking care of her on Christmas Day was to go out for a walk around 10:30pm with a drink in hand. While walking, I realized that this year was the first time that Christmas absolutely sucked. New Years was better, but more on that later. For now, I am looking forward to a better Christmas next year!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MqRZa-livingSun, 03 Jan 2021 00:19:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MqRZa-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zak3E-foodThe packaging of this cup noodle boasted about it being approved by the Japanese Karaage Association, which really intrigued me because how could they have decent, let alone good karaage in a cup noodle?The answer is, they could not.The shio flavoured cup noodle was nothing special, and the "karaage" were tiny chunks of flavoured and dried meat, accompanied by a lot of fried flour bites to add to the "deep-fried" feeling, except they are all soaked and soggy.If this was a move to raise awareness of the association, then sure, now I am aware of them. But I also know that they are lame if this is what they approve of. To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zak3E-foodSun, 03 Jan 2021 00:18:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zak3E-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wjaeo-food_moneyStrong Zero has been on a roll lately for me. The triple grape was awesome, and the double melon surprisingly became one of my favourite chu-his of the year.Since I really love apple juice, I had really high expectations for this limited Double Apple. I do not think this is a new product, but I have never tried it before.And maybe that is why this did not catch me. Simply said, this drink has the problem that stopped me from drinking Strong Zeroes years ago. The alcoholic bitter taste was there, and the apple flavour was really cheap.Worse yet, it gave me a really bad hang-over and the headache continued for the whole day after. I gave a lot of points to Strong Zeroes this year, but this was step off. To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wjaeo-food_moneySun, 03 Jan 2021 00:18:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wjaeo-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wZ3bl-moneyWhen I was selling a couple of Yugioh cards through Merucari, I wanted to make sure that the cards would be protected well and not get damaged while being delivered.Given that the buyer paid like 800 yen, I looked for the best ways to keep the cards safe, and the best solution I came up with was actually to use the boxes of packaged curry!It was really easy to cut them to the right sizes to fit into envelopes. They did not make the package too big or too heavy and cost me extra to send. They keep the content invisible from the outside as well. This method also helped me recycle materials rather than getting to buy packaging materials! In fact, I am so happy with the results that I am saving up curry boxes as packaging materials now!—If you have not used Merukari but would like to sign up, consider using my referral code RNDTHH which should give both of us 500 yen points for free to start shopping immediately (1000 during the New Years campaign)! Check out my guides on how to buy and sell on Merukari as well!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wZ3bl-moneyFri, 01 Jan 2021 19:32:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wZ3bl-moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GLQZV-living_foodI really need to make this clear so people do not fall for this when going to an izakaya.If you see a plastic cup like this on the table that is empty, do not use them for drinks or even touch them.Instead of using to drink, they are there for you to place your skewers into. As you eat yakitori or kushiage, you place the skewers into the cup because it is a lot easier to gather them like that than to watch them fall out of your plates.Some shops would use bamboo holders instead, but if you did not know that, some people would definitely try to use them to share drinks instead, and you definitely do not want to do that.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GLQZV-living_foodFri, 01 Jan 2021 19:32:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GLQZV-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G6qme-foodNIssin, the makers of Cup Noodles have a line of these Dekauma huge cup noodles, or perhaps bowl noodles.They have some really good flavours, and one of such was this pork and garlic one.This delicious bowl of noodles was very savoury and gave off a delicious garlic aroma the moment it is ready.The soup was superb in that it felt less like instant soup than more noodles. The tonkotsu flavour was very much there as well.As long as you are not meeting up with people after eating, this is a great bowl to enjoy.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G6qme-foodFri, 01 Jan 2021 19:31:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G6qme-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MgaqY-foodWhen drinking a sake recently, instead of drinking it right out of the big cup like I used to do, I used a small sake cup that I picked up for real cheap.This was a great idea for several reasons.1. This made me feel like I was drinking sake properly as I would in restaurants2. The thin edges helped my tongue taste the sake at the right spots3. The small cup made it a lot of fun to go bottom-up4. Having to refill it cheap time helped me pace myself with this strong drink5. A great reminder that I am in Japan!You can pick one of these up from any 100 yen shop, and it will definitely elevate your sake drinking experience at home!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MgaqY-foodThu, 31 Dec 2020 23:19:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MgaqY-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmjD2-food_moneyOkay, I will first admit that my partner fried them instead of me, but I was so happy she did this because I have been really missing tater tots.For just 500 yen, we bought this 1 kg bag of tater tots, or "bite-size fried potato" at a commercial supermarket.This was a great deal, as we went through only half the bag and got really satisfied.If we were to order them at a restaurant somewhere, half the bag could have easily cost us 600-800 yen, and the restaurant would have called it "share size" or something. It was so much cheaper to fry them at home, and more importantly, I am glad that this is now one of the options for food at home!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmjD2-food_moneyThu, 31 Dec 2020 23:19:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmjD2-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zKPo4-shopping_moneyLast time I mentioned a 300 yen for 100 cards pack I got at a trading card store being absolutely disappointing. I actually went back for revenge by getting 2 of their 500 yen for 500 cards boxes.What I wanted was just variations and not just a done of duplicates. I would not mind older cards either, as they would just add more to the fun.Unfortunately, they packed EVEN MORE duplicates and unwanted Korean cards into this box. This really surprised me because my first purchase at the store was quite worth the price, and this was the complete opposite...So, they have also just lost a customer. Never going back, and I will probably end up selling them online at some point just to get some money back.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zKPo4-shopping_moneyThu, 31 Dec 2020 23:19:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zKPo4-shopping_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MpOBa-living_foodSometimes when you buy sashimi, you would get a layer of daikon at the bottom to help soak up the "juice" of the fish slices.In this pack of sashimi, however, they placed a piece of plastic instead.Called Iki-iki-sheet and actually trademarked, this piece of plastic sheet does the same thing. It even has some bubbles to help soak up more juice.However, not only am I missing some daikon to eat, this is more wasted plastic to be thrown out, and that made me really sad.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MpOBa-living_foodTue, 29 Dec 2020 13:10:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MpOBa-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z1b91-food_moneyI was walking Sugamo recently and went through this tiny veggie store.What caught my attention was that they were giving a discount to their Instagram followers.Those who purchase over 600 yen could get 100 yen off their purchase, which is a great deal.The question though, is, why? Who is this for?I am sure that the elderly living in the Sugamo area would not be using this. I imagine younger people would go to supermarkets instead.If this was a way to get customer loyalty, I think a stamp card would have done a lot more than doing an Instagram follower discount.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z1b91-food_moneyTue, 29 Dec 2020 13:10:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z1b91-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MYmQ6-foodAt a Chinese restaurant, I wanted to try something I had never eaten before.After scanning their menu, I landed on getting a plate of Sichuan Spicy Beef Tendon. This was supposed to be a main dish, and I had high hopes for it.What I was presented with was, as it was properly named, a plate of beef tendon in a spicy sauce...The beef tendon pieces were all soft and jello-like. The sauce was good, but with no rice to eat with, I was not sure how to finish the sauce up. There were also no other ingredients like vegetables to speak of.It was delicious, nonetheless, but it was just really strange as the main dish. In hindsight, I should have just ordered a bowl of rice.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MYmQ6-foodTue, 29 Dec 2020 13:10:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MYmQ6-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXQpL-food_medicalI cannot think of other cultures who just straight up eat chicken skin the way they are enjoyed in Japan.You can easily get yakitori skewers that are just plain chicken skins.This is definitely the most unhealthy skewer you can get with how fat they are.With that said, I have really been getting into them. The chewiness is unmatched, and they are flavourful too.When I eat fried chicken, the skin has always been my favourite parts, so it does make sense.Do you eat chicken skin? If so, how do you eat them?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXQpL-food_medicalTue, 29 Dec 2020 00:53:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXQpL-food_medicalhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mnxl4-food_moneySince I last had 7&i's Strong Lemon Sour and was impressed, I had been looking forward toward trying their drinks again.When I passed by an Ito Yokado, I picked up their Shikuwasa Sour with excitement. The lemon sour had a great citrus flavour, and I expected this to be just as good.For only 95 yen, this 9% strong drink once again really made me happy.It was easy to drink, but more importantly, the shikuwasa flavour was plenty. For having only 0.5% juice, it was honestly one of the more shikuwasa-y drinks I have ever had.Also, the package taught me that shikuwasa is also called "flat lemon". Anyway, this is another lovely drink. Definitely get it!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mnxl4-food_moneyTue, 29 Dec 2020 00:53:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mnxl4-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GR1mW-food_moneyI have recently been getting into black coffee. This is probably a sign of me getting old, but they do really help keeping me awake and giving me something fun to drink in the morning other than water.For 198 yen, this jar of Nescafe Excella has been my latest purchase for that purpose. Those who really love coffee might call this sewage water, but I thought that the flavour was good enough for me to enjoy.More importantly, I was glad to find myself enjoying this because this is much cheaper than the 350-400 yen coffees sold at coffee shops. Until I get pickier about my coffee, this will due for now.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GR1mW-food_moneyTue, 29 Dec 2020 00:53:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GR1mW-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MYmQL-shoppingThe last time I bought a 300 yen pack of 100 Yugioh cards assembled by a card shop, I thought I had a pretty fair selection of cards with some good rare cards.Recently, to give myself a small Christmas gift, I got another pack, and it was absolutely horrible.Besides the two decent rare cards showing on the outside of the pack, the inside was all normal cards with plenty of duplicates. Except I also got 7 copies of one rare card, but in Korean! I did not need Korean cards nor did I need 7 copies of them. It was not bad last time and this time was total garbage...To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MYmQL-shoppingMon, 28 Dec 2020 11:28:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MYmQL-shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GojEW-food_moneyI have been really getting into Strong Zero's recently. I used to dislike them because the alcohol flavour was overpowering, but with the drinks being more and more fruity, I have been enjoying them a lot more.Their latest seasonal offering for 110 yen, Double Melon is another homerun. Of course, you should not expect this to taste like real melons. Instead, those who are fans of melon-flavoured things will absolutely love this.The melon flavour really covers the alcoholic taste too, and I found myself finishing the drink way faster than I normally do because of how delicious it was.With this being a limited item, I am definitely getting a couple more to stock up.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GojEW-food_moneyMon, 28 Dec 2020 11:28:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GojEW-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G7RbA-foodI love soft-boiled eggs. These soft boiled eggs are amazingly perfect in textures, striking a great balance between a bouncy white and a creamy yolk. How else could you improve upon this perfection?By adding another texture by deep-frying it, of course!This deep-fried aji-tamago at an izakaya I went to quite some time ago was so good that I really question why this is rare.They basically coated it with tempura batter and fried it. My bite into it went through crunchy, bouncy, and finally creamy.It was absolutely amazing, and I just hope more shops would deep fried their eggs!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G7RbA-foodMon, 28 Dec 2020 11:27:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G7RbA-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmjDx-livingI have been wanting to watch The Office in Japan for a long time, and it is crazy how I kept hearing that The Office was on Netflix in other countries but was missing here...... until NOW!Well, until Dec 31st, actually. This is all going to change now as it is finally going to be available.We do not know how many seasons there will be quite yet, as it just says "seasons". We also have no idea if or when it will go away at some point.Either way, I already have it on my list and I am ready for the World's Greatest Boss!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmjDx-livingSun, 27 Dec 2020 00:23:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmjDx-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GyPYj-foodI found this interesting square spinach at a veggie shop. The package says it is winter-only and that it is also extra rich and sweet in flavour. For 100 yen, I was more than happy to get it to find out.To make sure we can taste it in its natural state, we decided to steam it to keep its nutrition too.This ended up being the best spinach I have ever had. It was super soft and it was not bitter at all! The flavour was really really rich and it was the best spinach I have ever had!I wish this replaces all regular spinach! I saw this at a couple different supermarkets recently too, so see if you can find it near you!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GyPYj-foodSun, 27 Dec 2020 00:23:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GyPYj-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z83vL-food_moneyIf you want to get into drinking nihonshu on the go, this paper pack might be a good option for you especially if you are new to drinking Japanese sake.For just 100 yen, this pack of 12% nihonshu made in Tochigi was really good. It does not leave a long aftertaste, and the sweetness is clean and crisp.It even comes with a plastic straw to help you drink this while walking around. I found this at a Maruetsu supermarket and again at another one. I am sure you will be able to find this easily in the Kanto area.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z83vL-food_moneySun, 27 Dec 2020 00:22:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z83vL-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G6qkl-shoppingThese mini-Santa Christmas cards that I found and bought at Tokyu Hands are so cute that I had to take photos and keep a record for myself.Not only are they all cute and full of detail, these cards also support some world medical organization, so they are partially a charity product!I do hope that they will available again next year too. There were so many other designs I did not get, I would not mind if they keep the same ones!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G6qkl-shoppingFri, 25 Dec 2020 17:30:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G6qkl-shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wrV0y-food_moneyThis might be one of the most expensive things I have featured on Cheap Drunk, but it is the holiday season, so it is okay to splurge a bit.For a whole whooping 440 yen, you can get this entire bottle of German hot wine. I found it at Hanamasa supermarket.With cloves and cinnamon infused, this was a pretty decent wine for the price. We heated it up by simply microwaving it. It could have more spice, but the sweetness makes this easy to drink, and I definitely have not had this for a long time.Surely this is nothing compared to homemade spiced wine, but for the price it is and being in Japan, we definitely appreciated it!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wrV0y-food_moneyFri, 25 Dec 2020 17:29:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wrV0y-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GQoyd-foodWhat do you do when you cannot choose which topping on your bento? Well, this Tokutokumanpuku Bento I found at the Create drugstore chain solves your problem!With 6 items in one, namely: chicken katsu, karaage, chikuwa, omelette, hamburg steak and a korokke, why choose when you can have them all?Not only were they all delicious, it was really interesting that there were also 4 different sauces used in one bento.The rice was extra large as well. Just like the name said, this bento was a tokutoku great deal and it got me manpuku full!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GQoyd-foodFri, 25 Dec 2020 17:29:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GQoyd-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z83v8-shoppingI did not want to spoil the Christmas cards for my friends because I know sometimes they read this website. But now that they have arrived, I want to share these two super adorable Japanese-themed Christmas cards that I got for them.Purchased at Tokyu Hands, there were more than 10 to choose from, and I ended up choosing this Tokyo Station one as well as the Kyoto one. For just 220 yen each, they were so cute that I wanted to get some for myself too! Maybe I should go back to Tokyu Hands soon and see if they will be on sale now that Christmas is over.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z83v8-shoppingThu, 24 Dec 2020 23:41:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z83v8-shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GWOXJ-food_medicalKombucha has been getting popular back home to the point that my mom was into it for a while. I was wondering how long it would take before it comes to Japan.Topvalu, aka the house brand of Aeon recently released a line-up of Kombucha!200 yen for 230 mL, it definitely is not cheap. They also used fermented tea powder rather than tea. The flavours all sounded interesting though, and I am sure that my partner would be interested.It is cool to see Aeon hopping onto the trend and bringing this experience to Japan instead of some softdrink brand. Are you a fan of Kombucha? Are you going to give one a try?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GWOXJ-food_medicalThu, 24 Dec 2020 23:21:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GWOXJ-food_medicalhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wNWR7-food_moneyAt an izakaya I went to alone quite some time ago (right before it closed so it was super empty), I noticed something interesting with the recipe.This cash-only restaurant would round up or down your bill to make sure your bill would end in a 0, making the situation with the coins a lot easier.For those finding up with a 4 or lower, you would feel like you came out on top. However, if your meal ended with a 5 and they rounded it up, it is difficult not to feel like you were charged extra for nothing.Another problem was that they did not write it anywhere so it came to me as a surprise. It was a win this time, but I am sure they will even out after several visits.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wNWR7-food_moneyThu, 24 Dec 2020 23:21:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wNWR7-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GbkJ9-foodIf you are craving some Thai curry, this Real Thai brand canned curry is really, well, real!For around 200 yen a can, I found this at a "pro's" supermarket aimed for commercial customers. I have tried other brands before, but this is probably my favourite!Simply open the can, boil it with some ingredients, and it is ready to go!Thai curry almost always uses coconut milk which is in this already, and this was absolutely delicious and a great alternative to the standard Japanese brown curry.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GbkJ9-foodThu, 24 Dec 2020 23:19:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GbkJ9-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zakgL-foodWhen I was at a cheap izakaya quite some time ago, I noticed a drink that I had never seen before.Vice sour. It was cheap enough at 400 yen that I felt comfortable ordering without knowing exactly if I would like it or not.What they brought to me was a glass with shochu inside and a bottle of a pink soft drink.This soft drink, also called Kodama Sour, was a drink from decades ago, and now they are around to be mixed with shochu.Taste-wise, it tastes a lot like plum-flavoured candies. I like how sweet it is and it helped balance out with the strong shochu in the glass. I really liked this!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zakgL-foodThu, 24 Dec 2020 12:26:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zakgL-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/M96JO-shopping_moneyWhen looking around at Tokyu Hands for gift ideas, I saw this mini roulette set that seemed really familiar...Oh, this looks familiar because I used to have this. In fact, I bought it back home at a dollar store for, well, one single dollar.How much was this at Tokyu Hands though? 1100 yen!?Wow, the cheap and light plastic was exactly the same. There was nothing fancy about this besides it being sold in Tokyu Hands. This was way overpriced!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/M96JO-shopping_moneyThu, 24 Dec 2020 12:26:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/M96JO-shopping_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w5n5q-foodWagyu beef is always soft and delicious. How they do go in ramen, or maybe even a better question, how are they used in a cup-noodle?Mensho turned one of their signature wagyu tantanmen into a cup-noodle.The beef aroma smelled great when I added the powder into the noodles. However, when I added the sesame tantan sauce into it too, the sesame totally covered the beef flavour.As delicious as this was, the wagyu was overwhelmed by other flavours.The chewy noodles were decent, but I must say that this did disappoint a bit when I was hyped up by the word "wagyu beef."To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w5n5q-foodThu, 24 Dec 2020 12:23:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w5n5q-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MxLmv-foodGiant Cones are always great, but by far the best thing they have ever released has to be this "berry chocolate giant cone for adults".With a delicious raspberry sauce in the center surrounded by rich chocolate icecream, this cone has a great balance between sweetness and tartiness!The chocolate texture on top and the crunchy cone make the ice-cream way more fun as well.For just 100 yen, this ice-cream is absolutely amazing. I am not sure if they will be around forever, so I definitely need to eat as much as I can while they are around!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MxLmv-foodWed, 23 Dec 2020 12:56:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MxLmv-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MqRDA-transportation_toshima_ku_tokyoWhen you wander around Ikebukuro and your legs start to retire, you might want to consider hopping onto one of these adorable Ikebus!These 10 wheels vehicles are not going to rush you anywhere. instead, they go slowly around the city so that you can enjoy the view.For 200 yen per ride, they definitely are more for touring around Ikebukuro than transportation. However, they are also electric buses with a focus on accessibility, making sure that anyone can use them.During Covid-19, I noticed that not a lot of people are riding them, so they are surprisingly safe right now!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MqRDA-transportation_toshima_ku_tokyoWed, 23 Dec 2020 12:56:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MqRDA-transportation_toshima_ku_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wk5AB-food_moneyMy colleague once said that instant coffees are all sewage water, but for someone like me who just wanted something quick and easy, they are lifesavers.One that I got quite into recently is the Nescafe's Excella's Deep Flavour instant Latte. They are cheap at around 10 yen a cup when you buy them in a box of 30.Compare to the regular, this stick of instant coffee is definitely more bitter and less sweet than average instant coffee sticks. The richness is quite nice. I really like seeing the foam form when you mix it.Overall, great affordable instant coffee that I really like!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wk5AB-food_moneyWed, 23 Dec 2020 12:56:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wk5AB-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GOW8X-shopping_moneyIf you are looking for a calendar but do not want to necessarily pay for one, you might consider picking up one of the free Cocoichi calendars they currently have.Not only are they free, if you have enough receipts for eating at Cocoichi, you can even send them in for a chance to find some meal tickets after reading the details in the calendar.The calendar comes with a plastic stand too so you can keep them on your desk.Sure, I guess this would require you to actually go get Cocoichi, but given how delicious they are, why not?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GOW8X-shopping_moneyTue, 22 Dec 2020 22:38:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GOW8X-shopping_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MJPEd-foodThis line of Kirin chu-hi has one thing great for it: it does not add any sugar or preservatives. Only juice and alcohol.However, not all of them are hits, mostly because of the drinks being not sweet enough.This can gave me high hopes because pineapple juices are generally pretty sweet, and the green apple juice would have only made it better.With 39% juice and only 4% vodka, this can was still not very strong in the sweetness.Sure, the pineapple juice was nice, but I could not help but feel like this was a can of pineapple juice diluted with soda water.Again, this was a great idea but poor in execution.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MJPEd-foodTue, 22 Dec 2020 22:04:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MJPEd-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wjaL1-foodIf you ever see the word Tsukune at an izakaya, either at a grilled skewer, an oden item or anything else, they are basically minced chicken meat mixed with other things.When I say other things, they are often ways to season the minced chicken. You will find things like black pepper, ooba leaves and other things. The result is that the chicken is way more flavourful than if they were not mixed. The texture is also much more like a meatball, and some people just like that a lot more than chicken pieces.So basically, if you are into chicken and/or meatballs, tsukunes are worth you trying!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wjaL1-foodTue, 22 Dec 2020 22:03:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wjaL1-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MEPNp-foodMcDonald's has been pushing their new dessert product lately: the Triangle Vanilla Pie.For 150 yen, you get this warm puffy pastry pie with a vanilla cream filling.This sounded great on paper, but very poor in execution. The first and biggest problem is that you first big bite will not reach the creamy center. The pastry is savoury and buttery, but it was not like a dessert at all.The cream was good, but there was not enough.The saddest part is that by the time you are done with the cream center, you know that there is one more angle of savoury buttery pastry waiting to wash out the sweetness in your mouth.This is a decent snack and much more of a snack than a dessert.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MEPNp-foodTue, 22 Dec 2020 10:09:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MEPNp-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/we9Ad-shopping_moneyIf you live in Japan, you have probably heard about how the government passed a law so that supermarkets and most other shops have to charge for plastic bags, in order to decrease the use of unnecessary plastic bags.If you are like me the other day though and went shopping, forgetting your eco-shopping bag at home, you might need to pay up and get a bag.Most supermarkets charge you 2 yen for a medium bag and 3 for a large with possibly a 5 yen extra large. Some shops would do 3 and 5 yen respectively for a medium and large instead.Certain shops go full on deterring by charging 10 yen. On the other hand, I saw a shop that charged 1 yen regardless of the size.Either way, they do add up, and more importantly, the point is to save the environment, so please bring your own shopping bag.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/we9Ad-shopping_moneyTue, 22 Dec 2020 10:09:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/we9Ad-shopping_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mvj0X-livingIt is already late December, but when I went to a random shrine in Tokyo, I was really surprised that some momiji and iccho trees still got beautiful red leaves on them!Sure, not all trees are holding onto the leaves. However, you can definitely still enjoy some beautiful reds and yellows on trees even now. At this point, we might even be seeing some of these colours through the New Years, which is something I have never seen before.As beautiful as these are, they do make me worried about the world.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mvj0X-livingMon, 21 Dec 2020 14:56:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mvj0X-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GBqNj-food_moneyIf you have not heard, now is a very good time to buy sashimi from supermarket and get some quality stuff for cheap.Since many izakayas are not doing business as normal, the demand for sashimi decreased, resulting in supermarkets being able to get some really good sashimi and selling them at the usual affordable price.For instance, this pack of fatty salmon sashimi from Chile was by far the best salmon sashimi I have ever purchased in Japan (except for the ones from Costco).There were plenty of really great looking sashimi at the supermarket that looked much better than the regular days. If you are missing sushi and sashimi, just go to the supermarket and get some to bring home!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GBqNj-food_moneyMon, 21 Dec 2020 14:56:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GBqNj-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w2l7V-food_moneyStrong Zero's recent new offers have been great in how delicious and fruity they are, and the Double Plum is along that line being very satisfyingly great.Instead of being overwhelmed by the 9% alcohol, this 110 yen can was really good. The carbonation was strong upon opening the can, and this really tastes like a standard umeshu mixed with soda water.It was fruity, delicious and satisfying. I should also remind you that this can being a Strong Zero, it gave me a really good buzz!I am definitely getting this again!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w2l7V-food_moneyMon, 21 Dec 2020 14:56:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w2l7V-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G0vNn-livingI saw this online before, but I had forgotten about it and had a really good laugh when I walked by Seibu Department Store the other day.To encourage people during these hard times, Seibu decided to send a warm message. Unfortunately, the message says "Stay Positive for Christmas".For anyone who had to get tested for Covid-19, you would not want a positive result, and definitely would not appreciate Seibu's wish in you staying positive.It is sad how even huge companies with an actual marketing department would still make such stupid mistakes, printed on windows and for the whole world to laugh at.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G0vNn-livingSun, 20 Dec 2020 23:40:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G0vNn-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zVPpx-food_moneyIf you are new to Japanese sake but want to give one a try, I would recommend this Kofuji sake.For just 100 yen for this jar of 200 mL, this 14% alcoholic drink from Fukushima is really easy to drink.It goes down really smooth. The taste is on the sweet side. It is almost dangerous because I was buzzed way before I had realized it.But for someone who is just trying to get into drinking sake, this cheap jar available at some supermarkets is a great start.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zVPpx-food_moneySun, 20 Dec 2020 23:40:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zVPpx-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MdvLE-foodMinced katsu are fried katsu using minced meat.An egg minced katsu, however, was... something I had never expected. On top of a thin later of delicious minced meat was an egg. With the two layers together, they then fried it like a normal katsu. The result was nice with a creamy egg yolk on top of minced meat.However, looking at the package again, the egg actually was not really "real egg". Instead, it was some kind of "egg-like materials which included eggs"...The texture did feel really like real eggs, but seeing that was a bit disappointing especially since it was rather delicious.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MdvLE-foodSun, 20 Dec 2020 23:40:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MdvLE-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zakqL-living_foodWhen I was walking through a drinking street (a small street with many affordable izakayas), a mid-aged man eating and drinking by himself saw me and waved at me.At first, I thought maybe he mistook me for someone else, but when I pointed to myself, he nodded and waved me again, inviting me to go sit down with him.I should note that I am Asian, so he probably assumed I was Japanese.If this was not during a time of social distancing, it could have been a fun time just drinking with a friendly-looking and semi-drunk stranger (as long as I make sure I was not paying for him). Unfortunately, I had to decline his offer with a gesture, and he showed understanding with a smile too. To this day, I still imagine what kind of connection we could have made.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zakqL-living_foodSat, 19 Dec 2020 20:27:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zakqL-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MPPmJ-shopping_moneyAt Uniqlo, I saw this basket in the store with a sign that said "if you bring in a Uniqlo down product to recycle, you will receive a 500 yen off coupon to use when you purchase over 5000 yen".500 yen off a 5000 yen purchase is not a lot, but it got me wondering: So they only want to get more down materials?I generally appreciate recycling programs. This, however, also got me wondering how many people who had perfectly fine down jackets would come to bring in a jacket to recycle just to buy a new one, rendering the recycle program more wasteful than environmental-friendly.It might look like a recycling-program, but I have too many questions about it before I can deem it to be environmental-friendly.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MPPmJ-shopping_moneySat, 19 Dec 2020 20:26:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MPPmJ-shopping_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zDqNZ-foodI still find it funny that corn dogs are called "American Dog" in Japan.They are more common than you would expect, as most convenience stores carry them regularly for 100 yen a pop.You can also find them at supermarkets at around the same price. It was weird how this supermarket just threw in a ketchup packet in the bag though, which totally made it greasy.The biggest problem with supermarket corn dogs is that the weiners used are usually super underwhelming. But I am usually eating it for the outside breading anyway, so they continue to be an item I regularly get.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zDqNZ-foodSat, 19 Dec 2020 20:25:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zDqNZ-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GLQKV-food_moneyYou know how sometimes you get sold by the can, thinking the drink would only be decent?This is one time when the drink itself really surprised me.The Amaou strawberry chu-hi is adorable in every way possible: the can design, the pink colour, the smell, and definitely the taste too.It is very sweet in a way that reminds me of strawberry gummy candies while somehow being very fruity, and I like it a lot.For just 100 yen, this can resembles some cocktail I would order for 500-600 yen at a restaurant and still enjoy.Since this is a winter limited drink, I would recommend you to try one and consider stocking up, like I will be doing!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GLQKV-food_moneySat, 19 Dec 2020 00:06:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GLQKV-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MAqNo-living_transportationWhile on a walk towards Higashi Jujo Station, I got lost and refused to use a map.I knew that as long as I can find the train line, it will lead me to the station, but when I found the track and walked for a few minutes, I had realized that I was following an abandoned train track.That really surprised me, because while I have seen abandoned tracks in more rural areas of Japan, I did not expect to find one in Tokyo.It was just left there and greens grew around it. In a way, this was space being wasted. On the other hand, however, this was a really rare and calming scene that reminded me that Tokyo really has all kinds of faces to it.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MAqNo-living_transportationSat, 19 Dec 2020 00:05:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MAqNo-living_transportationhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z42Nk-foodAt a Chinese restaurant, I was served a plate of "thousand year egg on tofu" for 350 yen."Thousand year egg", if you did not know, is just a Chinese preserved egg and it has a very strong tangy taste to it.However, it matches really well with the cold tofu it was on!The tofu was cold and refreshing. It cleanses any unusual flavours from the egg. If you go to a Chinese restaurant in Japan and find this, it is worth a try just so you can say that you have had "thousand year egg", with the assistance of tofu.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z42Nk-foodSat, 19 Dec 2020 00:04:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z42Nk-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gl5lq-shoppingIf you have never seen this series of cards, they are absolutely adorable.They are made by Sanrio, which is of course the company that makes Hello Kitty and My Melody, explaining how amazingly adorable these are.The mini-Santa Christmas and New Year cards are all cute pop-up cards. They usually have some Japanese element infused, such as the streets of Tokyo, Sumo wrestling, or Mt. Fuji.They make great cards and displays, so if you are still trying to get cards, these are great choices that will definitely make the recipient happy. To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gl5lq-shoppingFri, 18 Dec 2020 13:36:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gl5lq-shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wjaB1-food_moneyThis year, I noticed Strong Zero going into a new "triple" line up, such as the Triple Grapes that I really liked, and now I tried their Triple Peach.Infusing peach into the drink in 3 different ways, a spirit made with peach, another alcohol made with peach, as well as peach juice, this drink was a success in making this strong alcoholic drink taste fruity.The approach is great because the peachiness somewhat covers the alcohol taste that would often give me a frown.If the trend continues and they go for a quadriple peach in the future, that would be awesome!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wjaB1-food_moneyFri, 18 Dec 2020 13:36:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wjaB1-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MYmK1-foodI am sometimes sold by what the product looks like, and this pack of small danishes did look really good.100 yen for a pack of 4 is not a bad price. They are even made with "milk-flavour cream" inside, that sounded great, right?They did taste good, but as packaged bread, the texture was nothing like danish. They were more like moist cookies, or even the top layer of melon-pan.Again, not that they were horrible, but I just wish they called it something other than danish so it did not set my expectations for some fluffy pastry that these were not.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MYmK1-foodFri, 18 Dec 2020 13:35:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MYmK1-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MqRoA-livingI just really wanted to share this photo with everyone.When walking around a suburb town, I walked by an empty park and saw a cat laying on the ground.The cat was sleeping, enjoy the peace and quietness (until I got there anyway), claiming the whole park for itself.Meanwhile, a JR line was behind me, some Japanese houses were to the right, and an apartment was to the left.And that moment, I had one of those "wow, I am living in Japan" moments, which has decreased in frequency but I am happy everytime I still get that feeling.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MqRoA-livingFri, 18 Dec 2020 00:35:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MqRoA-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MvjRX-food_moneyHere is a cheap, cheap drink that I would recommend people would actually go hunt down.For less than 100 yen including tax, this can of acerola sour made by 7&i Premium is really good. Sure, the alcoholic content is only at 4%, which is not a whole lot especially by my standard. However, this is indeed a flavour that is unusual, unlike drinks like lemon and grapefruit based sours.It tastes really good too! The buzz is slight but is there, while keeping the drink sweet and delicious!If you have a Ito Yokado nearby or other supermarkets that sell 7&i stuff, see if you can find this there!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MvjRX-food_moneyFri, 18 Dec 2020 00:27:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MvjRX-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmjvO-foodI never really paid attention to the salt I use in cooking until I bought this Minami no Kiwami sea salt from Kaldi.I was sold mostly by the package, thinking this would look much cuter than the jar of salt at home, but this salt is great.This coarse sea salt is really flavourful. The texture is crunchy too but dissolves really well in soups and other things. Most surprisingly, for only 200 yen, this lasted me a very long time as well. The jar contains a lot more than I expected.If you have not been sold by what I said, I hope the penguins will sell you on it.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmjvO-foodFri, 18 Dec 2020 00:14:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmjvO-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wrVAr-food_medicalWhen I invited a friend over to drink (as drinking outside is not really a good idea right now), he picked up a couple of Ukon no Chikara for us.These drinks, if you are not familiar, contain turmeric, vitamin C and a bunch of other things that will supposedly help your body and especially your liver handle the alcohol so that if/when the hangover comes, it would not be nearly as bad as it would have been.For just 200 yen a pop, you can get them at most supermarkets, drugstores and convenience stores. To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wrVAr-food_medicalThu, 17 Dec 2020 11:48:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wrVAr-food_medicalhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXQyb-foodI love cream brulee. The sweet vanilla flavour, the creaminess, and of course, the crispy caramel top too.However, Japan usually does not do them well, always missing on one or more of the elements above.I tried a soymilk cream brulee at a restaurant, and to my surprise, they were actually decent at the three. The only way to make it even more proper would have been getting it at the right temperature.However, there was also nothing "soymilk" about it at all, and the tiny size was difficult to justify the 440 yen price tag on this small dessert.The word soymilk essentially meant nothing here, but otherwise, it was a rare cream brulee that was actually pretty decent, and that gave me hope to keep on searching.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXQyb-foodThu, 17 Dec 2020 11:48:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXQyb-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zKPA2-foodI was given a pack of seaweed for rice balls. The package says too that they are for onigiri, which made me question why they are categorized for just one purpose.Upon trying a slice, the answer came to me.The size is perfect for wrapping around riceballs. They are also really solid so you would not get seaweed stuck on your fingers after.Eating wise, this is by far the most crispy seaweed I have ever had. It is also not salted, since rice balls would take care of that.It is interesting how small details like this do make a difference.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zKPA2-foodWed, 16 Dec 2020 22:55:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zKPA2-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GR13E-food_moneySenbero is a term used in Japanese to describe getting drunk with just 1000 yen, but do you know which izakayas you can go to do that?The book, Senbero Sakaba Burari Junrei せんべろ酒場ぶらり is here to help!Most shops described are in Tokyo, but they have 70 izakayas in different areas that offer cheap drinks. Some are even in Nagoya and other prefectures. I like this book because not only do they show you the shops, they usually include a sample of how much you would be paying if you were to get a drink or two plus a couple food items too. Seeing that really helps me picture the cost of the meal if I was to go.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GR13E-food_moneyWed, 16 Dec 2020 22:54:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GR13E-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z836x-livingI do not usually take baths, but when I do maybe trice a year, getting something like bath salts can make the experience more special.I was given this sakura bath salt and this was my first bath of the season.My issue with sakura scented bath salts, or sakura scented anything is that I never know what "sakura" is supposed to smell like.When I opened this up, it surely smelled relaxing and comforting, but that is not the aroma I associate with flower-viewing.With that said, that is actually a plus because the scent is so unique that sakura scented items can make great souvenirs.The bath itself was great, and while I did not feel like I was doing hanami in the bathroom, I started to appreciate this sakura scent more.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z836x-livingWed, 16 Dec 2020 22:54:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z836x-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MqRLW-foodGarlic goes really well with most kinds of ramen, and you can find one type of garlic at most ramen shops and another kind only at some.The most common garlic you will see on counters are raw minced garlic.Most shops have them pre-minced (probably they bought jars of minced garlic), and other shops would have garlic on the counter and garlic press for you to use. The latter is great as they keep the garlic fresh and spicy.Another type, and much more rare, are the fried sliced garlic.They are crispy and delicious. The flavour is completely different and are usually not nearly as spicy.I cannot choose which I like more, as they are so different. I was surprised to find one shop that offered both.Either way, I was sure that I smelled horrible for the rest of the day.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MqRLW-foodWed, 16 Dec 2020 10:50:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MqRLW-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GLQP4-food_moneyIf you enjoy eating oden from convenience stores but find them a bit expensive, then you might want to get them from supermarkets from now on.I got this pack of 15 items for just 200 yen. 200 YEN!!!Getting 15 items from a convenience could have easily broke 1500 yen for me.Sure, I had to cook this myself, but it came with the soup base already. All I had to do was to add water, throw everything into a pot and wait. There really was not a lot of cooking from me, but the meal was both filling and delicious.Understanding the power of cheap oden at home, it is actually difficult for me to get them at convenience stores anymore.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GLQP4-food_moneyWed, 16 Dec 2020 10:49:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GLQP4-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MJPLo-livingJapan has a TON of awesome weekly planners, and a lot of people I know love using them to track everything happening in their lives.I used to use them too, but nowadays, I have switched to using just a desktop planner.The reasons are simple.1. I can get a desktop calendar for 100 yen, while good planners are around 1000 yen.2. I realized that my favourite pages in the weekly planners were actually the monthly schedules anyway.3. I got annoyed by having to flip through pages, even with bookmarks.4. The time I spent writing EVERYTHING down into my weekly planners actually gave me more stress.5. They just sit on my desk and are always visible without me having to flip any pages.6. 100 yen shops have plenty of cute desktop planners to choose from, including ones with Hello Kitty and Doraemon (at Seria or Can Do)After I had switched to using desktop calendars, I felt less professional at first as I was not writing everything on my schedule down. But it also helped me focus on writing down only the super important things and that removed some of the stress I have.Sometimes I do miss having a nice planner, but overall, I really enjoy the desktop calenders as planners.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MJPLo-livingTue, 15 Dec 2020 14:54:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MJPLo-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wk5km-foodAt an yakitori restaurant, I saw that one of the things they had on the menu was "nikomi", or simply "stew".I had no idea they had in it, but I knew it was a popular dish and it would really warm me up too, so I ordered one.For 400 yen, it was a decent sized bowl with a lot of super tender chicken in it. That was when I went "this is a yakitori shop, so OF COURSE it is chicken".But they really put a generous amount of chicken in it, and I was very satisfied with just the stew alone before eating anything else. I really loved the texture of the meat too. "Nikomi" is going to be something I will always order from now on. To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wk5km-foodTue, 15 Dec 2020 14:53:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wk5km-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MYmv1-living_foodI know that Japan tries to be really careful in making sure that a can of alcoholic drinks is clear so that people (especially kids) would not confuse it with a soft drink.However, I have never noticed that some cans even have the phrase "this is alcohol" printed on the top of the can.Just in case the kid somehow missed all the "this is alcohol" prints on the side of the can, they have one final warning on top right before they crack the can open. It is really cool that it is in Braille as well on top.I am glad they are taking extra steps to make sure.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MYmv1-living_foodTue, 15 Dec 2020 14:53:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MYmv1-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GWO1O-foodI found this interesting product at the supermarket the other day."Tofu hamburg patties".Checking the ingredients, I realized that it did not actually contain any meat.Instead, it was mostly tofu mixed with flour (?) and different chopped vegetables.Even with it being meatless, it was really flavourful with the sauce.The texture was soft on the inside and slightly crispy on the outside.Overall, I was really surprised by how much I enjoyed this! With the eggs and fish products used, this is unfortunately not vegan-friendly, but I would be very happy to eat more of this! To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GWO1O-foodTue, 15 Dec 2020 14:53:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GWO1O-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mnx8q-foodI had a couple of very ripe kiwis in the fridge as well as half a bottle of this cheap 300 yen red wine. So logically, I thought "maybe the sweetness of the kiwi will make this red wine better, kinda like a sangria."I mashed them up and put them into the bottle and fridged it for a few days before enjoying it.Enjoy, was definitely not the right word, as it was really bad. The kiwi somehow emphasized the bitterness of the wine while adding a mush of a texture into the drink that made it even harder to drink. It was simply disgusting. Total fail.But I still finished it in big glups and it still got me buzzed, so nothing was wasted!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mnx8q-foodMon, 14 Dec 2020 22:22:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mnx8q-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mgab6-food_shopping_moneyVegetables are not that cheap at supermarkets. If you find a veggie shop, however, the story could be completely different, especially around this time of the year.Everything you see in the photo cost me a total of 520 yen.I got 10 mikan for 200 yen.The whole heavy Chinese cabbage was also only 100 yen and that is going to last me for days.The bag of moyashi was only 10 yen at the shop I always go to.The other komatsuna and chingensai were really cheap too, much cheaper than they were around summer.If I bought them at a supermarket, the prices could have easily doubled. Veggie shops for the win!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mgab6-food_shopping_moneyMon, 14 Dec 2020 10:54:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mgab6-food_shopping_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w2lKg-living_foodLet me start off by saying that persimmons are delicious.I really liked them, especially when I first came to Japan.However, around the second year, a co-worker one day brought 2 cases of persimmons and said "my mom got these off the persimmon tree at home and sent me these and there is no way I can finish them all, so please take as much as you want".I had a few from that bunch, and I had never more when another colleague brought MORE the week after.And this basically happened every year from then on. I had received and ate so much free persimmons that I actually grew sick of them, despite me still recognizing that they are very delicious.This year, when someone offered to send me some directly, I ate "just a few would be great". I have had enough of persimmons!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w2lKg-living_foodMon, 14 Dec 2020 10:54:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w2lKg-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wNW7k-food_shoppingI know that lemon sour is a popular drink, but it was interesting that I was able to find a book just talking about lemon sour. The book is great as it introduces several izakaya shops that introduced Japan to different types of lemon sours.In fact, until I read this book, I had no idea there were like 7-8 types of lemon sours! "hyoketsu", "nama lemon", "oroshi", and etc.The book actually explains the differences in details and I feel like I learned a lot.The part that made me sad was that the book actually runs out of things to talk about half way and they start introducing recipes and other kinds of sour drinks. That was when the book got boring for me.Still a very fun read, especially if you can find a used copy or one at the library.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wNW7k-food_shoppingMon, 14 Dec 2020 10:54:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wNW7k-food_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z83Ax-living_foodDid you know that some cup noodles' container and be partially recycled?Most specifically, the outside packaging of some cup noodles are actually paper.You can rip it off and recycle it with other hard paper, while the inside plastic is still unfortunately wasted plastic.However, every little part counts, and I hope this will raise some awareness so that people do not just toss the paper part into trash as well.So, how many of you knew about this, and how many of you already do this?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z83Ax-living_foodSun, 13 Dec 2020 16:23:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z83Ax-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MvjVN-foodOne day I went crazy and bought way too much vegetables because they were so cheap, and the problem came when I realized that I did not have enough space in the fridge.Knowing that they will easily go bad if I just leave them at room temperature, I placed the komatsuna in a bowl filled with water, with the root covered in water.'This kept the vegetables from drying out, and I was able to store and enjoyed them for much longer.I imagine that this works better in winter than in summer, but it was definitely a great idea and much easier to execute than buying a new and bigger fridge. To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MvjVN-foodSun, 13 Dec 2020 16:22:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MvjVN-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G0vWO-food_moneyWhen low-malt beer prices went up with the tax hike, my eyes (or rather, my mouth) have been on strong sours as they are mostly around 100-110 yen, but at 9% alcoholic content.I tried the 7&i Premium brand's, which was 96 yen including tax, and this was a great can.Very fruity, very lemony, and the vodka was really pure and easy to drink too!My mind was blown because I actually liked this lemon sour more than many big branded ones which are more expensive by 10-30 yen a can.If you pass by a 7-11 or a supermarket that sells 7&i holding stuff, pick one up and I think you will enjoy this too!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G0vWO-food_moneySun, 13 Dec 2020 16:22:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G0vWO-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wrVrr-shoppingI have been to different department stores, but Ito Yokado is my favourite.There is nothing fancy about Ito Yokado, which is owned by 7&i Holdings, but actually that is why I like it.They are usually small and calm, located close to stations. The fashions are not the coolest things, but they are often on discount. I have scored several great T-shirts when they were on sale for 500 yen each, which made great souvenirs. There is of course also a food market, different departments for toys, electronics and stuff. They usually have restaurant floors too, serving affordable food.As someone who does not shop a lot, I really enjoy all my visits to Ito Yokado.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wrVrr-shoppingSat, 12 Dec 2020 14:38:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wrVrr-shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gl5Yb-foodI have always been a huge fan of Karamucho, the brand of potato sticks and chips that does a great spicy flavour.Their latest product takes their regular to the next level by adding seaweed into the formula.This change, however, was not for the better.I did not really taste the seaweed, even though it did taste more savory. At the same time, the spicy level actually got toned down, and that is where things went wrong in my books.It was a fun experiment and I am glad to see them trying new things, but I will stick with the regular for now.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gl5Yb-foodSat, 12 Dec 2020 14:37:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gl5Yb-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmjRO-food_moneyThe Strong Zero Triple Grapes is a new product, and it is awesome.I remember that years ago, I had and really liked the double grapes, and I thought that the triple means that they are using even more grape juice in the drink.What the triple refers to, actually, is that they use 3 different kinds of grape products to make this, namely: grape juice, grape alcohol, and alcohol with grapes soaked in (not too sure how the latter two differ).The result is great. This drink is absolutely delicious, especially for people who enjoy grape flavour products!For just 110 yen, grape Strong Zeroes will never fail you.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmjRO-food_moneySat, 12 Dec 2020 11:14:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmjRO-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w5naW-food_moneyYakitori is apparently gaining popularity overseas in recent years. My brother took my parents to one then complained to me how expensive the meal was ($300 for 3 people).That was surprising because yakitori is supposed to be quite cheap in Japan.On the low end, you can get one skewer for about 90 yen (including tax). On the high end, the price might be more than double being around 220 yen each.It also depends on what skewers you order, but the standard stuff would be between the prices above.All together, you can expect to spend around 2000-3000 yen per person at yakitori shops including a drink or two.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w5naW-food_moneyFri, 11 Dec 2020 16:30:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w5naW-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MAqg9-foodAt an Indian curry shop, I saw that they were selling something called chowmin, aka Nepal yakisoba.It was interesting they compared them to yakisoba. Sure, they were both fried noodles and served with no soup, but I really wondered how different chowmin would be.The first thing that surprised me was that the chowmin used a special kind of noodle that was really chewy and delicious. It definitely was more fun texture-wise compared to yakisoba.I really liked the spice they used, which is something missing in yakisoba. The complexity of the flavours is very different from the sauce used in yakisoba, and I think it also makes chowmin drier, which is nice as I find yakisoba to be soggy at times.As much as I enjoy yakisoba, I cannot help but to enjoy chowmin more!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MAqg9-foodFri, 11 Dec 2020 16:29:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MAqg9-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/M96rn-living_foodI went to an izakaya recently, and to minimalize human contact and to make ordering easier to manage, they gave me a QR code as I sat down."Use your phone to scan the code, and you can make your orders directly."The process was really smooth. The prices were also shown clearly as I ordered. Without having to talk to any waiters, I placed the orders, a ding would go off, and someone from the kitchen would yell "got it!"A few minutes later, someone would bring me the food!This process was so smooth that I wish all restaurants would adopt it, and I would not be surprised if this becomes the case in 2-3 years.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/M96rn-living_foodThu, 10 Dec 2020 23:12:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/M96rn-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wjaWV-food_moneySpaghetti squash is just simply not a thing in this country, so they are definitely hard to find.With that said, I did find them at a foreigner-targetted supermarket in Hiroo in Tokyo.They were not cheap at all. I remember getting one for $4 back home, but here, each one was 3500 yen! Wow!With that price, I was not surprised that not maybe people bought them, so they had to price it down by 50%, which was still really expensive.For people who miss spaghetti squash, I guess this is a rare chance for you to eat them. The one time I had a spaghetti squash, I really disliked it, so for me, I am not missing out at all. To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wjaWV-food_moneyThu, 10 Dec 2020 23:11:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wjaWV-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zaknY-food_moneyTo drink less soda, I have been drinking more carbonated water.Sure, I might as well get a soda stream at this point, but I have not yet done that and mostly get carbonated water from supermarkets. Price-wise, they are generally not bad. You can often find 500 mL bottles for 50-90 yen, but you can also easily find 1L bottles for 90-140 yen each.Compared to soda, they are actually more expensive, which is kind of mind-blowing. However, they are definitely healthier, so I might be paying more from my wallet, I am also paying less from my health.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zaknY-food_moneyThu, 10 Dec 2020 23:11:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zaknY-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXQ2b-shoppingThe latest Doraemon gacha product is a great one.For 300 yen, you can get a figure of either Doraemon or Nobita with one of their famous quotes floating physically behind them.These quotes are really encouraging too, such as "It is fine even if you fail. I will lovely watch over you." and "Have confidence and just go for what you want to do!"My favourite is actually Nobita's quote that says "I will do my best at relaxing" as he naps.I like this set so much that I am going to hunt down a full set at a shop and avoid duplicates, because I know I would not stop until I get them all!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXQ2b-shoppingWed, 09 Dec 2020 15:18:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXQ2b-shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GyPba-foodAt a supermarket, I bought this interesting looking thing on a stick called "imo mochi".After heating it up in the toaster oven, the butter sauce smelled really really good.When I bit into it, I expected it to be like mochi outside with mash potato inside, but instead, this was like a soft savory cake.The mochi is absolutely delicious, and I guess potato was blended into it? The texture is unlike anything i have had, and I liked it a lot.I guess this is more of an izakaya food than a supermarket thing. Going to make sure to order it from now on!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GyPba-foodWed, 09 Dec 2020 15:17:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GyPba-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Goj3l-foodInteresting that Asahi made a product is basically called "the lemon sour that is popular at izakayas". I had no idea that izakayas use Asahi's products for lemon sours, but apparently they have been serving their products at izakayas for more than 35 years.Either way, seeing it as a product in a can and sold for just 120 yen, I was happy to pick one up to try.With a good amount of ice in a glass, this really felt like a drink from the izakaya.Cold, sweet, really strong carbonation, and easy to drink, even though it was 8%.I can see why this is popular, regardless where I will be drinking it.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Goj3l-foodWed, 09 Dec 2020 15:15:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Goj3l-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MxL96-food_moneyIf you have never heard of this term, it is a combination of the Japanese word for "thousand" (sen) and "drunk" (berobero).So the idea is that a shop where you can go for "senbero" is one that you can enjoy without breaking your wallet.Usually the senbero is talking about the drinks, so you still CAN break your wallet depending on how much you eat, but some shops would offer sets like "1000 yen for 3 drinks", "drinks under 250 yen" and maybe even "1000 yen all you can drink"If you want to drink on a budget, look for the word Senbero せんベロ next time!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MxL96-food_moneyTue, 08 Dec 2020 20:12:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MxL96-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gbk72-living_money_medicalIf you want to keep yourself warm during winter but save some electricity from using the heater too much, get yourself a yutanpo.For just 2000-3000 yen, you can fill this thing up with hot water, and it will keep your body warm for HOURS! Since I work at home, I am basically always hugging one while I work.You can also put it into your bed before hopping in to pre-warm it. It is so versatile and personal that it is really is my favourite way to warm up in winter, not to mention it being energy saving.The only thing to warn you about is to not put your exposed skin on it directly in case of burns. Otherwise, everyone should get one at home! To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gbk72-living_money_medicalTue, 08 Dec 2020 10:35:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gbk72-living_money_medicalhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MpOXB-food_moneyI found this can stored in my cupboard and totally forgotten about, so I enjoyed it on a Sunday evening.Just like the White Sour, I never liked the Gatsuunto can's design, but the last drink was pretty good.I cannot say the same about the Cider sour, unfortunately. Cheap? Yes, 110 yen. But it tastes cheap too.The cider flavour is really sweet but more candy like rather than a ramune. The alcoholic is really strong and fights with the sweetness too.And I cannot believe that I had never noticed it before, but this series is actually a part of the Strong Zero line up. They clearly lose to the fruity Strong Zeroes, unfortunately.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MpOXB-food_moneyTue, 08 Dec 2020 10:35:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MpOXB-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GR19E-foodGuchoku is a tonkotsu ramen shop in Tokyo, and they turned their rich tonkotsu ramen into a cup noodle.This ranked #1 and won some kind of award, so I thought it was going to be one of the best.The noodles themselves are really good. There is quite a lot as well, and that was nice.Topping-wise, however, there was hardly any.The soup was really rich and creamy, but not necessarily in a good way. I felt like the soup was very foamy and did not go well with the soup.Being number 1, this was a bit disappointing. I am sure their ramen at the shop is much better than this.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GR19E-foodTue, 08 Dec 2020 10:34:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GR19E-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GQo58-living_foodDue to the recent spike in corona cases, izakayas are back to closing early at 10pm.However, I totally forgot about that when I headed out to have a meal by myself around 9:20pm one night.The person working politely informed me that last order would be by 9:30pm. I did not feel like going home, but I also knew that I would not be able to really relax, so I asked "would it be okay to order just food and no drinks?" and he replied "yes".By the time I walked in, the shop was pretty quiet already. They checked my temperature and had my hands sanitized before seating me down.I ate a couple of dishes before going home and was going to drink at home instead (much cheaper anyway).So yes, make sure you remember the early closing time if you are heading out for drinks, but it would be much safer to do it at home for sure.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GQo58-living_foodMon, 07 Dec 2020 16:23:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GQo58-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zVPWV-foodIt is easy to find hot dog buns, English muffins, and even packaged pancakes in Japan, but I never thought I would be able to find crumpets in Japan.If you have never had one, you can get to Seijo Ishi to pick some up.They are kind of like English muffin, but more airy and softer. The air holes are great for trapping jam and peanut butter. The other side of the crumpet is actually complete flat, and it gets crispy if you toast it up.If you like English muffins and/or pancakes, you should give this a try too!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zVPWV-foodMon, 07 Dec 2020 16:23:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zVPWV-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zKP62-shopping_money_fashionYou all should pick this up from Uniqlo which it is on sale!This fleece jacket is the softest thing I have ever put on my body.Being wrapped in this is like being embraced by a super soft blanket, but it also fits really well and keeps me really warm.Usually, this jacket goes for 1990 yen + tax, but right now it is on sale for 1290 yen + tax. This is absolutely my favourite winter room wear.With many colours to choose from as well, I hope you will find one you like!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zKP62-shopping_money_fashionMon, 07 Dec 2020 02:10:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zKP62-shopping_money_fashionhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z1bk6-food_moneyI am sure that you already know that restaurants put a good amount of ice into your drinks so that they can put less of the drink itself.However, when I recently used this proper izakaya glass and filled it up with 6-7 ice cubes before pouring a drink in, I was really surprised that I could only fill half of the 350mL can into the glass!If we think about how you can buy a can of Lemon Sour for 120 yen and shops are basically selling you half the can for 300 yen or more, that is quite a massive rip-off.This encouraged me to drink more at home and order beer instead when I drink outside to get the most out of my yens.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z1bk6-food_moneyMon, 07 Dec 2020 00:30:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z1bk6-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zDqy9-food_shoppingThis is interesting. I have been eating this brand of Korean seaweed that I thought was made in Japan and sent over here.But one day, I realized that the package actually says "Made in the country", the country being Japan!Specially, the pre-processed seaweed comes from Korea and then it is made in a factory in the Kanto area.So in a way, I am actually supporting local businesses? That actually makes me like this more!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zDqy9-food_shoppingMon, 07 Dec 2020 00:30:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zDqy9-food_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z3BvX-shopping_moneyIf you or anyone in your family is into Nintendo games, you should go to game shops or electronic stores once every season and pick up the Nintendo magazine.Sure, the magazine is basically just advertisements for all the games coming or already on the Switch, but it is still a really fun and cool magazine to go through,This winter's edition is especially thick and well made. There is a special talking about Mario for the anniversary special.The last page is also a calendar with but cool Nintendo art. Considering they are free, there is not a lot of reason not to pick one up for some Japanese-reading practice with official Nintendo materials every season!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z3BvX-shopping_moneySun, 06 Dec 2020 11:37:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z3BvX-shopping_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G6qje-food_hokkaidoI know that Hokkaido is famous for their milk products, and I love them, but sometimes they go a bit too far.My body reacted negatively just from seeing this can on the shelf. "Hokkaido Milk Sour"Let's be clear. This is alcoholic.At 3%, the alcohol is not very strong. As for the milk, it is either that 20% of the milk used is from Hokkaido, or the can is 20% milk and the milk is from Hokkaido.Either way, just from imagining in, my gag reflex is reacting. If some brave soul out there can take one for the team and report back, I would really love to hear your thoughts so that I can experience it through yours!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G6qje-food_hokkaidoSun, 06 Dec 2020 11:37:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G6qje-food_hokkaidohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GOWpQ-shopping_moneySince it is Doraemon's 50th anniversary, the marketing department has been going full force in selling new products to celebrate.One of which was this special edition of a manga magazine.I love Doraemon, and I was very tempted because of all the "gifts" (that you pay for) that comes with it!A paper Nobita's room, a paper mask, a paper box, a Doraemon Game of Life, and more! Wow, that really is a deluxe package.But.... it was also 2000 yen!!I can buy some really nice Doraemon merchandise for that price that are NOT paper based and would actually last.As much as I wanted a paper version of Nobita's room, I just could not let myself buy this. Sorry, Nobita!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GOWpQ-shopping_moneyFri, 04 Dec 2020 23:21:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GOWpQ-shopping_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wZ3qj-food_moneyThe 99.99 series has been a hit, mostly thanks to how they managed to make it really easy to drink but still high in alcohol content being at, well, 9%.Occasionally they release limited flavours too.The cola one was great, the lime was underwhelming, and I am sad to report that this lychee one falls in the latter camp.The lychee flavour was very subtle. It also was not very sweet. Overall, it was not much of a fruity can.Sure, I was still buzzed, but I had higher expectations that was not met.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wZ3qj-food_moneyFri, 04 Dec 2020 23:12:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wZ3qj-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MdvDO-food_moneyAt a supermarket nearby, they are doing a promotion for Strong Zeroes.If you buy 4 cans, regardless of them being 350mL or 500mL, and you can mix and match the flavours as you want, you can get this cute little plastic basket.The side actually says Suntory, but the build is actually quite solid, as good and maybe even better than baskets from 100 yen shops.There are different colours to choose from too, but that is just the handle. I think there was a bigger basket for those who buy 6 cans as well.I needed a container at home as well as some fun drinks to have at home, so this was perfect!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MdvDO-food_moneyFri, 04 Dec 2020 23:08:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MdvDO-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MEPKy-foodMicrowaved fried rice are not that good in the sense that come out really soft and soggy (although you do have the choice to fry it in a pan, but that is a real hassle). Therefore, I did not have high expectations when I bought this pack of yakimeshi fried rice for a quick meal.This was really interesting though, and that mostly is because of the kamaboko minced fish cakes they added in the rice.I am used to having meat, but there is a lot more of these fish cakes than any other topping in the rice. Hard to say if it made it better or worse... just different.One thing that is good is that this pack of fried rice has a rich egg flavour.Overall, it was a bit underwhelming, but to be fair, most microwaved fried rice are mostly underwhelming.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MEPKy-foodFri, 04 Dec 2020 23:04:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MEPKy-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GBqoW-shoppingEven though I was not able to buy a PS5, I did purchase a controller to pair it with my computer so that I can feel like I am being a part of the next gen gaming.After using it for a few days, I can say that this is a solid controller. Quite solid, in fact, as it is kind of heavy.But it feels great to hold in my hands. The buttons are responsive and the shape of the controller sits well even for long sessions. The battery life can be better, and since it uses USB-C, I do not have a lot of cables around my house just yet.Either way, I am glad I got this, and I cannot wait until I actually get a PS5!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GBqoW-shoppingFri, 04 Dec 2020 22:50:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GBqoW-shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXQAv-foodMr. Ito failed me with their chocolate chip cookies, but I am willing to give brands a second try, so I picked up their chocolate cream sandwiches because the packaging did look quite nice.Well...Let me just get to it: the cookies were really disappointing.The chocolate was weak. The cookies were really dry. Again, just like their chocolate chip cookies, the crunch was nice, and they also had a nice egg flavour to the cookies, but a chocolate cream sandwich really cannot get a passing grade when the chocolate is super lacking!Mr. Ito, I have given you a second chance, but I think we will part ways here.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXQAv-foodFri, 04 Dec 2020 21:22:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXQAv-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmj7m-foodLunch packs are always delicious, even if they are more of snacks than lunches for me.One I picked up (because I found it half-priced) was the maple and margarine sandwiches.I always enjoy margarine in sandwiches, but what I really liked was the maple jelly inside.That is right. Instead of maple syrup, they used some kind of maple jelly so that the bread does not just soak it all up.It was also less "maple" as maple syrup, but it does not take away from the fact that this was really sweet and delicious!I am now a fan of this lunch pack!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmj7m-foodFri, 04 Dec 2020 21:21:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmj7m-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MYmPy-livingIf you do not know what hostile architectures are, wiki explains it as "an urban-design strategy that uses elements of the built environment to purposefully guide or restrict behaviour in order to prevent crime and maintain order."They are everywhere in the world, even in a safe society like Japan, especially in the big cities.One of the best examples is the benches. The divider in the middle is not an armrest. No one really uses it as an armrest.What it really is is a bar in between so that homeless people cannot sleep on it, thus chasing homeless people away as they find for another bench to sleep on.It is really sad that things like this exist and have a need to exist. Now that I have pointed it out, I am sure you will start to notice a lot more of these hostile architectures.Have you seen others? Please let me know.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MYmPy-livingThu, 03 Dec 2020 00:42:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MYmPy-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z83Bb-foodI had no idea that rainbow kiwi's are a thing, but apparently they are a type of kiwi grown in Japan.They are really sweet and juicy with no tartness at all, making them some of the best kiwis I have ever eaten.It is called rainbow kiwi because the center is red while the outside is green. (My apologies for not having a photo because my hand was a complete mess when I ate it).Something that sounds that good must have been expensive, right?No! This box of 6 was also only 200 yen!I have no idea why this is not more well-known, but you should definitely try it if you can find some!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z83Bb-foodWed, 02 Dec 2020 11:32:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z83Bb-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GyPqD-food_moneyAt a Maruetsu, I saw this plate of Indonesian fried rice and Indonesian fried noodles (Mi Goreng and Nasi Goreng).For 400 yen, that was quite expensive, but I have literally never seen this in Japan so I wanted to try it.It looked nice, but upon a closer look, I realized that there was not really any toppings besides the few shrimps on top.The flavour was also super lacking. They tasted like nothing, so I had to add my own fish sauce to make it good.Sure, the flavour was probably toned down for the Japanese market, but considering the price too, this was not what I was promised.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GyPqD-food_moneyTue, 01 Dec 2020 17:06:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GyPqD-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wZ34a-food_moneyI have never had "nori bento", but they are always the cheapest things at bento shops, so my expectations had been very low.This Volume Nori Bento did catch my eyes, and for 350 yen at the drug store, there was no harm in trying, right?It was definitely volume with a potato korokke (with corn inside), a fried white fish and a chikuwa tempura. The nori seaweed on top of the rice was there and it added some texture, but I was surprised that under the seaweed was some dried katsuo seasoning to make the rice even more delicious!This was an amazing bento, and now my expectations for nori bento just jumped all the way up to being super high instead! To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wZ34a-food_moneyTue, 01 Dec 2020 12:31:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wZ34a-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G0vaE-foodFor 170 yen, this pack of chocolate chip cookies is not really that cheap, so I thought it was going to be great.In fact, it looked great. The chocolate chips are visible and there seemed to be a good amount too. The first bite, unfortunately proved the opposite. The chocolate chips lacked in its chocolate flavour. The cookies were crispy, but kinda dull and dry.I tried eating them with soy milk and that made it a bit better, but they still did not stand up to my expectations at all.Mr. Ito, you disappointed me.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G0vaE-foodTue, 01 Dec 2020 12:30:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G0vaE-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z1bjV-food_moneyI never cook katsu at home, and I usually get my pork katsu from supermarkets and heat them up in the toaster oven. Those would usually be 200-300 each, so they are not that cheap.Walking by the local butcher shop the other day, however, I saw that they were selling their katsu for just 100 yen each!I was surprised and I actually asked "100 yen each? That is really cheap!", and the old man running the shop said "yea it is, and that why they are really popular at our shop!"Being a butcher shop, the meat is actually Japanese pork as well. Not only was it cheap, I was also shopping local.Go check out your local butcher shop next time you want katsu!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z1bjV-food_moneyMon, 30 Nov 2020 17:18:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z1bjV-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MxLv8-food_moneyThis is great.It is rare to find blueberry flavour things in Japan, let alone a cheap drink for just 100 yen.The Hyoketsu line is never bad, but they also do not often impress me as this can did.This has a great delicious blueberry sweetness to it!It is yummy and easy to drink. Very easy to drink so even those who are just getting into drinking would enjoy.The downside is that this is not a flavour that will stick around forever, so if you are interested, better try it now while you can buy one.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MxLv8-food_moneyMon, 30 Nov 2020 17:18:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MxLv8-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zKP5D-food_money_medicalAs my drinking at home increases and exercise decreases, I have been checking the sugar contents of the drinks before I get them.So I want to suggest everyone to avoid this Top-Value 5% lemon chu-hi at Aeon.It is cheap for less than 100 yen, sure, but for this 350 mL can, you are also drinking 17.5 g of sugar.17.5 grams!!!!!!! WHAT!?????Ironically, the 9% strong only contains 2.8 grams instead. More buzz, same price, and way less sugar. Please, avoid the 5% can!Just as a reminder, Top Value's happoshu are also crazy high in sugar content too. I have no idea what they are doing...To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zKP5D-food_money_medicalSun, 29 Nov 2020 17:52:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zKP5D-food_money_medicalhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GojQb-foodOn a hungry day, I walked into Seijo Ishii and picked up their Strawberry and margarine pancake.The pack comes with 2, which is basically 4 pieces of pancakes with each pair sandwiching some creamy margarine and some delicious strawberry jelly.What I really love about it though is how sweet the pancakes themselves were. Even without the fillings, they would have been really yummy on their own!I can see that some people will find them too sweet, but with sweet-tooths like me, this is a great choice!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GojQb-foodSun, 29 Nov 2020 17:51:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GojQb-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GR128-living_transportationWith this year being Mario's 35th anniversary, I have been seeing that Italian man everywhere.One place I see him is actually at JR stations.As a collaboration with East JR, they have been putting these signs of Mario characters/enemies in many stations.With the QR code, you can do the digital stamp rally (which is great as it saves paper). You can also take a photo too, of course. But I wonder how many people are getting off at random JR stations just to do the rally...To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GR128-living_transportationSun, 29 Nov 2020 17:51:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GR128-living_transportationhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GOWJn-foodGomaryu is a ramen shop in the Okubo area in Tokyo, famous for their extremely spicy tantanmen.I was curious as to if spicy their packaged noodles get.To soup itself is not spicy. To make the spiciness, it comes with a bag of chili powder that includes jalapeno pepper.In fact, the sesame based soup was super mild by itself. It is definitely one of the sweetest soups I have ever eaten!With the whole pack of chili powder in, it gets spicy and it punches you in the face, but the mild soup also washes it away immediately.I was a bit disappointed in how unexciting this ended up, but it still is a delicious noodle.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GOWJn-foodSat, 28 Nov 2020 22:34:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GOWJn-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MEP3W-food_moneyIf I had 26 Yugioh cards of mostly super rare or higher and I sell it on Merukari for 300 yen, it would usually sell IMMEDIATELY.However, if the cards are in Korean, good luck.Even though you can use the Korean cards when you play the game as they are part of the OCG, no one seems to want them in Japan.I have had my listing up for quite a while and no one even showed any interest at all, even if they are shiny rare cards.So if you want to start a cheap Yugioh collection, you can consider learning Korean and start there.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MEP3W-food_moneySat, 28 Nov 2020 22:34:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MEP3W-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z3BA8-shopping_moneyI could not get a PS5 because of jerks who used bots to buy all the stocks for reselling.However, wanting to be a part of the next gen hype, I decided to buy a PS5 controller to pair with my computer, even if I will only play small indie games for now.Some would say it is not worth the 7300 yen, and I was questioning it too until I saw a listing on Amazon from Amazon Outlet.It was in "very good condition". The package supposed to be "slightly damaged", but it was also 6300 yen!When it arrived, the package was not really damaged but it was definitely opened. There is a sticker that says "checked" as well.I checked for finger prints but could not find any. This was probably that someone bought and returned it after they could not get a PS5.For me, I am just really happy about the 1000 yen discount on this basically new controller! To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z3BA8-shopping_moneyFri, 27 Nov 2020 21:40:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z3BA8-shopping_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wNWgB-food_moneyCafé au lait is not a drink I usually get because I prefer my coffee sweet, but this little bottle caught my interest.How much better would a Café au lait be when the milk is some super high quality delicious milk straight from the farm?This tiny 220mL bottle was about 130 yen, but the milk is from a great farm from Fukuoka.Just as the package says, no sugar is added, and it is just coffee and milk, and the blend is quite nice.The milk is really creamy and delicious. The hint of coffee is there but more of a sideshow to the milk itself.I would enjoy drinking more of this, but only if it was cheaper. To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wNWgB-food_moneyFri, 27 Nov 2020 21:40:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wNWgB-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MdvKm-food_moneyForeigners visiting Japan probably know the power of Strong Zeros.They are the $1 delicious drinks available everywhere that some call "the Gaijin Killer".I never got into them, so this Dry is actually my first Strong Zero in years.I expected the Dry to mean that it was not going to be sweet, but I was surprised that it was actually really sweet.Not only was it sweet, but I could also taste the flavours of lemon, lime and grapefruits from the spirit it used, and it was delicious.The Strong is definitely not kidding, and this hit me probably harder than me drinking two beers. This honestly rekindled my interest in Strong Zeros again, so expect more on them soon!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MdvKm-food_moneyFri, 27 Nov 2020 00:54:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MdvKm-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gl5nR-food_moneyIf you go to an izakaya and looking for something affordable yet filling, but you also do not want any carbs like riceballs or fried noodles, motsu-nikomi is an excellent choice.Okay, motsu usually refers to pig intestines. So if you are okay with that (and you should try it at least once as nikomi), this is a dish with bits of motsu, stewed for hours and made very soft and cooked alongside daikon, carrots, tofu and topped with green onions. The veggies are definitely healthier than many other foods on the menu.A dish like this is usually between 250-450 yen. It is cheap, it is delicious, it is hot, it is a definite must-try!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gl5nR-food_moneyFri, 27 Nov 2020 00:42:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gl5nR-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zakjg-foodWhen I get a bread roll, I expect the fillings to be, well, fillings. Not something that I would usually eat on its own. You do not eat strawberry jam or tuna fillings on their own, right?That is why this castella cake bread roll, or castella sandwich really confused me.With a layer of cake and a bit of cream sandwiched in a roll, I was not sure who is looking for it instead of just castella cake.How did it taste? Surprisingly good! The cake was moist and really felt more as much of a filling than a slice of cake!But I am still not convinced that this has to be a regular product!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zakjg-foodThu, 26 Nov 2020 18:58:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zakjg-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wjale-food_moneyThere is a ramen chain called Haruki. Before I continue, I do want to point out that I have been to it twice and they are really not that good.However, I do need to point out that their tsukemen (dipping noodles) is a really good deal in terms of the amount you can order.For 880 yen (which is actually slightly higher than average tsukemen), you can choose how many grams of noodles you want.350 grams (after boiling) is the lowest, then 550.... then 750... and even 900!!!! All for the same price.However, what shocked me the most was that you could actually get REFILLS on the tare (dipping soup)! That is unheard of!So why did I not try it? Well, the shop really is not that good, but for those looking for an eating challenge, this could be fun. To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wjale-food_moneyWed, 25 Nov 2020 21:45:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wjale-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MqR8o-foodAt a nearby Summit supermarket, I saw that they actually sell onion rings at their deli!I feel like it is just difficult to find this even at fast-food restaurants, so I found this immediately.The pack in the photo was about 250 yen. After heating it up in the toaster oven, it was ready to be enjoyed, and the texture and flavour were surprisingly good! The batter was crunchy and delicious.The only thing I found funny was that the label actually said "onion ring fry", as if someone out there is selling unfried onion rings somewhere...To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MqR8o-foodWed, 25 Nov 2020 21:45:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MqR8o-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MvjnV-food_miyazakiA while ago, I received some Miyazaki beef from a city-cost contest. I kept it in the freezer for a while until an evening when I decided to reward myself.This beef was a beauty. The cut was great, and I grilled it up for a couple of minutes on each side.That was not a good idea because I way overcooked it. However, despite me being a horrible cook, it was still amazingly delicious!The flavour was great, and it was really soft!It was also really fat, which over the years in Japan, I have learned that fatty Japanese beef goes really great with rice.I am really glad that I still have another slice to save for my enjoyment another time!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MvjnV-food_miyazakiWed, 25 Nov 2020 15:53:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MvjnV-food_miyazakihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w2l52-living_foodDomino's pizza has been doing their social distance pizza delivery for a while where they would put an empty pizza box on the floor and place your order on top.Now, they have this special "drop and go" box, which is much thinner than a full box, saving paper.It is also much easier to recycle, so that is another plus.The person did just drop it down, rang the doorbell, and walked away. The process was smooth and safe.With that said, I just find it very interesting that they trademarked the name "drop and go" for some reason.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w2l52-living_foodWed, 25 Nov 2020 15:53:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w2l52-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wk5or-food_moneyI have been liking Suntory's Rich Malt quite a lot lately, and while they have seasonal special brews, their standard one is just as good.With that said, I saw this standard Rich Malt at a CO-OP supermarket, and that I found interesting is that they have the CO-OP name printed onto the can itself on the side.The drink itself is nothing different at all, so I am not sure what kind of "collaboration" this is. I imagine that CO-OP's delivery services will push Rich Malt over other happoshu.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wk5or-food_moneyWed, 25 Nov 2020 15:44:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wk5or-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GR10e-food_shopping_tea_shizuokaIt has been getting cooler lately and while I am switching out the clothes in my closet, I am also storing away my cold brew teas and coffees to prepare for some hot drinks to help me get through the months of indoor time to come. This also gave me the prefect reason to head out and pick up another new tea to refill my cabinet.While looking for tea at the supermarket, my attention was caught by this fancy looking silver packaging. This Chagusaba Shizuoka Sen-cha from Shizuoka has great packaging but, more importantly, this specific bag of tea is produced by farming methods designated as Globally Important Agricultural Heritage Systems, or GIAHS.The GIAHS system, set up by The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, rates and approves agriculture that pays attention to how farming is set up to coexist with the local environment as well as utilize the benefits of the local bio-life while contributing to their existence, rather than disturbing them.With that in mind, this tea is made from the farms' centralized in five designated towns within Shizuoka Prefecture that are using the said-approved traditional Shizuoka tea farming methods. Without much detail, the package did also inform me that the farming method somehow involves susuki (miscanthus) and sasa (bamboo grass). Thinking about those two grasses growing alongside the green tea really raised my expectations for the taste of this tea.So, this essentially UN-approved tea sounds like it should be pricy, but I got this bag of 100 grams for just 600 yen. Not only is this an approved sustainable tea, it is also affordable!How good is this unique yet affordable bag of Shizuoka green tea then?If you are attuned to Shizuoka green tea, you would expect a deep and rich flavour from the tea. That is exactly what we have here -- a heartful and warming flavour that spread through my whole body. The profound flavour was there with every single sip of the hot beverage.The aroma is a joy as well, as a quick swirl of the tea by turning the cup will fill your nose with a relaxing smell. I enjoyed the tea while imagining miscanthus and bamboo grass under a starry night sky, and it was a very good way to enjoy my evening after dinner.This bag seems rare, as I have only seen it at only one supermarket so far that did not always have it. If you ever find this bag of GIAHS-approved Shizuoka green tea, please do not wait for it and give it a try!This post is supported by Shizuoka Green Tea Guide, one of City-Cost's Supporters helping City-Cost bloggers to enjoy life in Japan and engage in new experiences.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GR10e-food_shopping_tea_shizuokaTue, 24 Nov 2020 12:34:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GR10e-food_shopping_tea_shizuokahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zVP5P-living_foodNot sure if you know this, but pizza boxes are not recyclable.This is because of the large amount of grease that the box has absorbed already. The grease would actually ruin other paper if they get mixed into the recycling.In fact, I have seen several times that paper recycling was rejected because the person throwing out the paper had pizza boxes mixed in. I saw once that the recycling people actually picked out the boxes and left them back at the door.Domino's pizza boxes actually do tell you to toss it into the trash after folding it up.If you really want to, I do believe that the pizza box lids are generally clean enough to be recycled, and I think that would be a good thing to do.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zVP5P-living_foodSat, 21 Nov 2020 13:17:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zVP5P-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MPP6O-foodIt is really rare to see dairy free ice-creams in Japan, so seeing this chocolate ice-cream mochi that did not use any dairy really intrigued me.For only 100 yen at Natural Azabu, the investment was not deep to fulfill my curiosity, and wow oh wow.This ice-cream mochi was amazing!The outside mochi was soft and stretchy. The ice-cream was chocolatey and delicious, and.... it actually had bits of chocolate chip!How was this dairy free, and why does this taste even better than most chocolate ice-creams on the market!?I had it on a night that was pretty cold, but I am definitely going back for more regardless of the temperature because it was just that good!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MPP6O-foodSat, 21 Nov 2020 13:17:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MPP6O-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MJPyy-foodGansha is a big name in the world of Tsukemen, because this shop in Saitama basically started the style of tsukumen that uses a rich dried sardine soup.With that in mind, I was very excited to try their packaged noodles!The soup was definitely where it was at. Besides the soup base, they had a bag of dried fish powder to add into the soup. This was one of the fishiest packaged soup I have ever had, as well as one of the richest ones to add noodles into.As long as you do not mind the smell, this is a great one to try if you can find it at your local supermarket!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MJPyy-foodSat, 21 Nov 2020 13:17:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MJPyy-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z42br-livingRecently, I could not hold it in anymore and just had to go to karaoke and sing.I went to Karaoke no Tetsujin for the first time. When getting set up, I asked if I could choose the machine, Dam or Joysound, and the person said, "Oh we use our own systems here."The system is called Karatez, and it is by far the worst karaoke system I have ever used in Japan.The English support is horribe. If you type an English artist name in the Japanese menu, all songs are written in Katakana.If you use the English search, less songs would pop up!Many basic searching and sorting functions are missing too even in Japanese.It is supposed to have songs from both Dam and Joysound to have the most song choices, but you also miss out on a lot of music video.Overall, it just told me to avoid Karatez whenever I have the choice to.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z42br-livingFri, 20 Nov 2020 11:28:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z42br-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mgael-foodAt a restaurant recently, I saw that they had nankotsu karaage (fried chicken cartilage). I thought "hey, I have not been to an izakaya for a long time. Maybe this can satisfy me".I expected something that looks like popcorn chicken, but instead, I got these strange arrowheads...They were chicken cartilage alright, but with no meat attached at all.I am not sure which part they are from exactly, but they were also very dry and not that fun to chew on.They end up being one of the strangest things I have eaten in Japan, and I did not enjoy them at all. A disappointing way to spend 550 yen.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mgael-foodFri, 20 Nov 2020 11:28:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mgael-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w2lp2-food_moneyRecently, I have been very impressed by Suntory's RIch Malt happoshu.While cheaper, their recently autumn and winter brews have been amazing.So I was excited to see their 2nd winter Rich Malt product, the "kaori no yoin Ale Type" happoshu.Personally, these Ale types are not really for me, and while I enjoyed the 6% buzz, this did not do it for me in terms of flavour. It is sweeter but still very rich in the wheat taste. It is difficult to pair this with my meals.Maybe you are someone into ales, but I will pass on this and stick to the other Rich Malts.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w2lp2-food_moneyFri, 20 Nov 2020 11:28:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w2lp2-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GBqe3-living_foodI have learned this lesson the hard way, so I just want to share it so no one else will waste their mochi by leaving them in room temperature. I left mine or just a few days, and they molded into some really scary looking that none could be saved.Since mochi was just rice, I did not think too much about them. Doing some research on the internet, people say that you should freeze your mochi once the bag is opened.Well, throwing them out broke my heart, and I hope this will help you be careful when you open your bag of mochi.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GBqe3-living_foodThu, 19 Nov 2020 10:52:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GBqe3-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zakag-food_money_aomoriYou can get 1L of apple juice at a supermarket for 100 yen.OR, you can get 1L of Aomori Premium Apple Juice for 400 yen like this bottle right here!Just looking at the colour and the residue at the bottom tells you that the two are not even comparable, and they really are not.Every sip of this Aomori apple juice feels like eating an actual apple. It is so fresh and delicious, but also naturally sweet.This is what ALL apple juice should taste like. If only this was more affordable...... and that was when I went back to 100 yen apple juices.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zakag-food_money_aomoriThu, 19 Nov 2020 10:52:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zakag-food_money_aomorihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/we93k-foodThose who cook tsukemen noodles at home have probably experienced the problem of noodles sticking together.This is largely unavoidable because the noodles are not placed under hot soup. But here is a simple thing you can do to help.After you place the noodles into a bowl, just drizzle some olive oil over.The oil will prevent the noodles from sticking together. I recommend olive oil as the taste is not too strong, but sesame oil works too.Just a quick simple trick that could change how you eat tsukemen at home!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/we93k-foodTue, 17 Nov 2020 20:23:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/we93k-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MqREo-foodI am a huge fan of Yamazaki's Nice Stick, and in the past couple of years, I have noticed that Fujipan has been really pushing their Long Sticks. They look the same at a glance, but the long sticks are less fluffy and look more like actual toasted bread.I tried their peanut butter long stick, and sure enough, rather than fluffy, the bread was quite dry.On top of that, the peanut butter cream was quite sweet. There was a bit of peanut texture but not a lot. The sweetness and saltiness (from the bread) were also fighting each other.Based on this one experience, Long Sticks are not even close to how great Nice Sticks are!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MqREo-foodTue, 17 Nov 2020 20:23:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MqREo-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GLQYv-food_moneyHaruki Ramen is a chain ramen store you can find in Tokyo, and let me tell you this first: it is not good.However, if you can catch their 500 yen brunch deal, then it is a slightly different story.Those who visit on weekdays between opening to noon can order their shoyu tonkotsu or shio tonkotsu for only 500 yen including tax.Rice is free as well (all day), so you can really fill up for just that price.The ramen is definitely not worth it at its regular 730 yen price. You can get MUCH better ramen paying that.But when it is only 500 yen, it is worth going just for a cheap meal that is still ramen.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GLQYv-food_moneyMon, 16 Nov 2020 22:41:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GLQYv-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GWO59-food_moneyFruits are very expensive in Japan, but some would argue that they are very much worth it.One fruit I often go for is apples. For just around 100 yen each, I have never had an apple that tasted bad in Japan. These red jewels are always sweet and juicy, tasting like some high quality apple juice but without any alterations at all.Sure, back home, I could get 2-3 apples for the same price, but I just cannot ignore how good they always are in Japan!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GWO59-food_moneyMon, 16 Nov 2020 22:41:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GWO59-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/M96W1-foodOne day I just randomly craved some oshiruko while staring at the bag of mochi I had at home.Luckily, I also had a can of sweetened red beans from not sure how long ago. I looked up how to make oshiruko, and it was really easy.All I had to do was basically open the can, put it into a pot, add like 100 mL of water, boiled it up, and the soup is ready.I then popped the mochi into the toaster oven, and this was all super easy. It makes me question why I do not make this more often!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/M96W1-foodMon, 16 Nov 2020 22:40:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/M96W1-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G0vpE-living_medicalThis screenshot has been going around my circle of friends recently.The government blames foreigners for not understanding the language and culture of Japan and therefore are not practicing virus preventions.This is of course all B#*(%#@t because those living here are a part of the society and understand at least the culture and language partially.More importantly, just as many, if not more Japanese people are also being careless about preventions. The claim they are making is irrational.And probably most importantly, this is also a time when the government itself is pushing go-to-travel and go-to-eat campaigns that basically encouraged people to go out and have human contact, THEN they put the blame on foreign residents.Of course, my friends and I are enraged by this. As a community of foreign residents here, what was your reaction to this?EDIT: Some friends are telling me the conference itself was not THAT bad. However, the fact that no one would suspect the government of making such a message speaks volume.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G0vpE-living_medicalMon, 16 Nov 2020 11:37:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G0vpE-living_medicalhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MAq45-food_moneyI was really happy when I found out that Lawson was selling their own happoshu, making it the cheapest "beer" at that convenience store chain.This Gold Master had a nice packaging. 6% alcoholic content is a nice number too."Beer like alcoholic beverage" did make me laugh though. Why did they not just call it low-malt beer, which is what happoshu is?..... oh, because it is not a low-malt beer.Besides happoshu that used wheat, corn and oat, which is never good, they also used this oat spirit into the mix, which I think made it even worst.The taste was a mess and the aftertaste was even worse.Lawson, I appreciate you trying, but this was a bad step.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MAq45-food_moneyMon, 16 Nov 2020 11:36:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MAq45-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wjaDe-foodCheesy bread in Japan are usually disappointing. There is either too little cheese, or the cheese tastes gross.This Kongari Cheddar by Oopan totally flipped my expectations.Putting a good amount of cheese on the bread before baking make sure a lovely cheesy aroma was released when I opened the bag.The cheese filling inside was also really, REALLY delicious!The package says that more than 97% of the cheese used was cheddar cheese, and I think it really made a huge impact on how good this was!Let's hope this will stay on the shelf forever so that everyone can give this a try!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wjaDe-foodMon, 16 Nov 2020 11:36:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wjaDe-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MEPDW-living_food_moneyI used the Go-to-eat campaign once about two weeks ago. To get 1000 points back off my 2000 yen meal was a great deal.When I tried to make another reservation this afternoon, I saw a message on the website."Due to the campaign reaching its budget of 61billion yen already, the campaign has ended."That is 61,600,000,000 yen if I write out the zeros!Way ahead of its planned end date early next year, those who made their reservations before 6pm of Nov 14th will still get their points.Your points of course are not disappearing, but they are done handing out money to encourage people to go out to eat, during the 3rd wave of a pandemic.In terms of safety, this is probably a better thing to do.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MEPDW-living_food_moneySun, 15 Nov 2020 22:29:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MEPDW-living_food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MvjEV-food_money_medicalHaving enjoyed 7-11's collaboration with Asahi to make some coolers, I was quite happy to see that 7-11 teamed up with Suntory to make a happoshu.Suntory's Rich Malt line up is amazing, so I was very confident when I picked up this 7-11 The Brew for only 124 yen. And then I looked at the sugar content...10.9 grams in a can!!!!!!Oh wow, even more than Aeon's happoshu which was also ridiculously high. This is even higher? And it was made by Suntory? How, and why!?Lawson's happoshu tasted horrible (post coming in the future). 7-11's happoshu is crazy high in sugar. It is sad that convenience stores' happoshu offerings so far are quite bad.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MvjEV-food_money_medicalSun, 15 Nov 2020 21:55:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MvjEV-food_money_medicalhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zDqBY-livingJapan has an obsession with cats, and thanks to that, you can find some really interesting photo albums of cats.One book I borrowed from the library and thoroughly enjoyed was this book called "nobi neko", or translated as "stretching cats".It really was just a book of cats stretching their bodies. Sometimes they are asleep, sometimes they are stretching between steps, sometimes they are extending their bodies in the middle of a jump.I wish the book focused a bit more on each cats so I could know the models better, but this was definitely an odd book that was also 100% adorable.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zDqBY-livingSun, 15 Nov 2020 21:55:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zDqBY-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w5n9o-living_shoppingI went shopping at a veggie shop recently, and on my way out, I saw a sign posted on the wall saying "check out our live stream on youtube!"I was like, "what live stream?" so I looked it up at home.Sure enough, the store was really just live streaming shoppers shopping in the store! No commentary or anything. It just looked like security footage.There was also not really an audience and less than 50 views when I checked. However, it just really rubbed me the wrong way, especially when the sign was visible only on my way OUT.I want to keep going there because they have great prices, but this was weird. What do you all think?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w5n9o-living_shoppingSun, 15 Nov 2020 00:27:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w5n9o-living_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GbkjE-foodIf you visit the Tokyo Skytree, I want to recommend you to check out Rapoppo Farm and their selection of sweet potato products.I bought this bag of sweet potato chips, which are vegan friendly, and they really impressed me.The bag was about 350 yen for the 140 grams. While not the cheapest thing you can get, the chips were very delicious!Each one was crispy and tasty, and the thin slices keep the crunch really fun and satisfy while keeping the sweetness of the chips.This is a great souvenir to get for sure.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GbkjE-foodSun, 15 Nov 2020 00:27:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GbkjE-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wk5Er-food_moneyNow that I have found out that 7-11 carries some 110 yen chu-hi that are made with Asahi, they have became one of my sources for getting drunk for cheap.Their latest offering is this Asahi Clear Cooler Grape Chu-hi, and this is a lovely one to get.With 6% alcohol and only 1% grape juice, I thought this was taste more like cheap alcohol than juice. However, to my surprise, the grape flavour was quite promenent.This was a delicious can, and remember the price point, I have no complaints about it at all except for the fact that this is a limited product.Hope it will stick around for as long as possible!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wk5Er-food_moneySun, 15 Nov 2020 00:27:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wk5Er-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z1b3v-food_shoppingI have received this many times in the past from friends who visited Tokyo. I also had a friend who requested this when I went home to visit.But these Tokyo Bananas, in my opinion, are super overrated.With the sponge cake wrapping this banana goo, the sponge cake gets moist. The banana mixture tastes more like custard than bananas. Sure, they are cute, but taste-wise they are really not that good (and I do not see anything TOKYO about them).I would eat them but they would never be my first choice.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z1b3v-food_shoppingSat, 14 Nov 2020 13:58:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z1b3v-food_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GyPEk-foodWhen you are craving donuts, where do you go in Japan?Mr. Donut is the most popular choice, but I always prefer Krispy Kreme donuts.The original glaze, especially when heated, is just so soft and delicious. Sure, they are not as cute and creative as the Mr. Donut donuts, but I like them way more.However, they are not as popular in Japan. One is the visual and marketing appeal, and another is probably the price.At 172 yen a piece, they are not too filling, but they are still my go-to option.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GyPEk-foodSat, 14 Nov 2020 13:58:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GyPEk-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G6qbR-food_moneyIf you frequent McDonalds but you have not been using this, you are missing out.For those who fill out their KODO survey on their app, you would receive a coupon the next day that is valid for 2 weeks.With the coupon, the next time you buy anything, you can get a free small fries, a twist cone, or a small drink for free.And yes, anything works. You can get an apple pie for 100 yen and use the coupon to redeem the small fries which would have been 150 yen. Good they only limit the survey to once a month, or else I would end up eating too many fries for my own good because this is such a great deal.Tip: the survey is all multiple choice and in English as well. Takes me less than 1 minute usually.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G6qbR-food_moneyFri, 13 Nov 2020 19:50:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G6qbR-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GR1re-foodFirst, let me admit that the name of this product does not sound good in any way.Now that is out of the way, I love Cream Collons!This "adult" version basically makes it so that they are less sweet, and sure enough, I could taste more of the bitter caramel from this besides the vanilla cream.For 100 yen, this box of 48 grams is rather light and lacking, but the crispy rolls and creamy fillings are always delicious. I just wish that they had changed the name to something better.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GR1re-foodFri, 13 Nov 2020 19:50:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GR1re-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmjOQ-food_money_medicalThe big brand soymilks are usually 150-200 yen a pack, so seeing that the Create Drugstore has one for 120 yen, I had to try it to see the difference.Before tasting it, I checked their ingredients. The Create brand added vegetable oil for some reason and the fat content was almost double. There was also less carbohydrate.Texture-wise, this was less cream from the moment I poured it out.The taste was also not that good. Quite watery, lacking in soy flavour and even sweetness. It was.... not good.I am ready to shell out the extra 40 yen again next time for better and less fat soy milk.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmjOQ-food_money_medicalThu, 12 Nov 2020 21:52:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmjOQ-food_money_medicalhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MnxEV-food_moneyWe all have an expectation for omelette rice. A hot fluffy omelette covering some ketchup fried rice and some kind of sauce poured over.This omelette rice, however, was nothing but shocking disappointment. The wet omelette was more like scramble eggs. The sauce had no ingredients whatsoever. But the biggest offensive must be how they just used plain white rice!And this was 750 yen plus tax!????Sure, this was at a restaurant inside an APA Hotel, but this was extremely sad and something I could have made at home in 5 minutes.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MnxEV-food_moneyThu, 12 Nov 2020 16:05:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MnxEV-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GojNj-food_moneyI found this can at a commerical supermarket recently. It says Draft, it is made by Asahi, and at 140 yen, it was cheaper than a beer but higher than a low-malt beer, so my expectations were mid-range as well when I cracked it open.The first sip: "Oh, this can is cold enough and it.... ew, it tastes disgusting. So many strange flavours.... what is this after taste?.... Crap, I still have a whole can to finish?"Labelled as a low-malt beer, they used wheat, hop, rice, corn and many other things to brew this one, and it is not good at all.Avoid this Asahi and get their better stuff instead.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GojNj-food_moneyThu, 12 Nov 2020 16:05:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GojNj-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MYmb2-living_moneyLiving in Tokyo must be expensive, people say.Generally yes, but if your standards are low, really really low, you could rent one of these apartments for 25000 yen a month. Close to Yamanote Line too!Just know that they are only one room with no baths. The 25000 yen one does not appear to even have a bathroom so I assumed it is shared. 1000 yen more than you get your own toilet and a sink and some what a kitchen. Either way, you would be paying to go to public bath houses for showers.Honestly, this is not something I would ever voluntarily choose, but for those needing to live in Tokyo on the tightest budget, these are the solutions I suppose.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MYmb2-living_moneyThu, 12 Nov 2020 01:25:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MYmb2-living_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXQ9X-foodSince Yamazaki turned their oreo factories into their own brand of cream cookies, I have been enjoying their cookies more.But recently on their packaging, they straight up explained the 3 changes they had made to the cookies.1. The cookies are indeed thicker to bring more of a crunch and more cocoa flavour2. The balance between cookies and cream has been adjusted to maintain the crunch and creaminess3. The new mold with Mt. Fuji and cherry blossoms is very detailed and helps the cookie melt in your mouth..... Oh wow, I had never noticed that it was Mt. Fuji!I agree with all these points they had suggested, and I think these subtle changes do in fact improved their cookies.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXQ9X-foodThu, 12 Nov 2020 01:24:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXQ9X-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zKPK3-food_moneyThe Sora Machi mall at the Sky tree is a bit higher-end than your average malls, so the food and drinks at the food court are slightly pricer too.What do you do if you want to drink on a budget while you are there then?KALDI!There is a Kaldi coffee farm in Sora Machi. I grabbed a can of low-malt beer from their fridge for 130 yen (there is one even cheaper, but this one is good), stepped outside and enjoyed the view of the Skytree with the drink in hand.Sure, you can walk around the mall while drinking too but I did not want to be that guy. Either way, this is probably the cheapest way to drink there, even cheaper than the convenience stores.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zKPK3-food_moneyWed, 11 Nov 2020 02:08:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zKPK3-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z83J7-food_educationWhenever I eat the corn flakes from the Siscorn brand (not sure if that is how they are romanized), I always see the packaging with the meaningless instructions for kids."If you are right handed, hold here. If you are left handed, hold the other side of the bag."At first, it might look like a way to teach kids how to pour their own cereal.But on a second thought, you would realize that they can hold whichever side they want as long as they tilt the bag right.This is only made to make sure the bag's packaging is FACING the kid as they are pouring it. Sounds more like brainwashing advertisements than instructions.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z83J7-food_educationWed, 11 Nov 2020 02:08:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z83J7-food_educationhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wrVEq-foodI feel like olives are not very popular in Japan, so this bag of olive oil flavour potato chips really intrigued me, especially since it was made by Koikeya, a good chips maker.The chips had a very subtle olive flavour to them. They are also only lightly salted, added to a feeling of these being healthier (could be an illusion though).But they also tasted kind of sweet, and it was difficult to pinpoint why they were sweet at all.Overall, I found this to be a decent bag of chips, but when I eat chips, I prefer stronger flavours, so likely I will not get this again.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wrVEq-foodWed, 11 Nov 2020 02:08:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wrVEq-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wZ3l5-food_autumnfood2020Autumn is the best time to enjoy sweet potatoes. I have covered three of my favourite ways to eat sweet potatoes, and many other users on this website have also shared different sweet potato products. This is just the season where everything involving sweet potatoes are extra delicious.One of those foods that I really like is daigaku imo. Daigaku imo is a traditional dessert where you get big chunky pieces of sweet potatoes, occasionally with the skin attached, get deep fried and then rolled around this honey syrup while they are warm. Then, black sesame is often sprinkled over as well. The dish is served warm, ideally, but they are just as good at room temperature. Sure, this is something you can get from many supermarkets and Chinese restaurants (because Chinese cuisine has something similar, but not the same as daigaku imo), but there are also specialty shops that focuses on just daigaku imo, believe it or not.Regardless of where you end up getting them, they are just so much better in autumn because of the extra sweetness during this season!Anyway, price-wise, they are usually between 100 to 200 yen per 100 grams at supermarkets. At the specialty shops for daigaku imo (such as the one that I am about to introduce), however, you are looking at paying 250 yen for 100 grams. So while sweet potatoes are cheap during autumn, daigaku imo is a premium item.One of the best daigaku imo I have ever had was from this shop called "Daigaku imo no gokaku ya", which I guess translates into "The Passing Shop of Daigaku Imo". I think their name is a reference to how daigaku imo translates into "university sweet potatoes", so maybe they have the meaning of that if you eat their imo, you will pass your university exams...?Apparently this is a famous shop, because I saw a lot of autographs outside the shop being displayed. One was actually talking about how the shop was mentioned in the popular TV talk show that involves Matsuko DX. Being such a small shop that did not stand out, I would have never expected, but daigaku imo is kind of a niche and traditional product, so I guess that makes sense.The shop owner was this gentle mid-age man who warmly welcomed me the moment I walked in. I ordered the cup size to go (picture above), which was 250 yen for the 100 gram, he wrapped it up for me and gave me a pick as well.Enjoying it at home, the daigaku imo was amazing. The glaze on the outside was sweet and complimented the sweetness of the sweet potatoes. They also came to a crisp and it was really good!The 100 grams was only 5 pieces, and I finished them before I had even noticed, but the sweetness remained as an aftertaste in my mouth, and it reminded me of how much I enjoy sweet potatoes during the season of autumn.If you are getting bored of plain sweet potatoes and you do not want the new sweet potato fusioned modern products, this traditional snack of daigaku imo is worth trying!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wZ3l5-food_autumnfood2020Tue, 10 Nov 2020 14:44:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wZ3l5-food_autumnfood2020https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mdvlk-foodAs the title suggests already, I am totally in love with this bag of spicy peanuts that I got at a supermarket.The CGC brand made, or maybe they just licensed it as this snack is identical to a very popular Chinese snack that also has spicy peanuts, dried chili peppers and dried sichuan peppers.The crunch is lovely, but more importantly, the spiciness is unbeatable. This is not for those who cannot handle spicy food, but those who can, you will enjoy the unique paralyzing sensation from sichuan peppers, especially if you eat these with a spoon (not kidding, it is great).I am going back for more!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mdvlk-foodSun, 08 Nov 2020 00:35:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mdvlk-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GBqx8-food_kyoto_shi_kyotoIf you are ever in the Kansai area, see if you can find this shop, Horai 55.They sell some amazing Chinese steamed food, and one that I really enjoy is their siumai.The siumai is very big and meaty, with also onions and other ingredients mixed in for the perfect blend.The seasoning is really good too so you do not need to add anything, but they do also give you some mild mustard that adds another layer onto the siumai.They are ready to be microwaved at home and they taste really fresh even after a couple of days. Give it a try someday!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GBqx8-food_kyoto_shi_kyotoSun, 08 Nov 2020 00:34:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GBqx8-food_kyoto_shi_kyotohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gl5y2-livingI do not see Dance-Dance-Revolution machines that often anymore, and they are kind of dated when they are limiting with directional pads to step on. More importantly, playing DDR does not look like real dancing.But here comes the latest type of arcade dancing games!Without the limiting pads, they are very free flowing because you can step anywhere on the ground. At the same time, you are following the instructions on screen to steps to the right, left and more based on timing.I watched someone play, and it was just like watching someone dancing hip-hop while he was playing an arcade game. It was really cool, and I would love to use this to learn how to dance!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gl5y2-livingSat, 07 Nov 2020 01:40:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gl5y2-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MEPxN-food_moneySometimes I look at the curry katsu bentos at supermarkets being priced at 500 yen, I wonder why I would get that rather than going to a fast-food restaurant and get their katsudon for also 500 to 600 yen.To answer the question, I picked one up, and it really surprised me!There was a LOT of rice in this bento as well as a lot of curry sauce with potato in. The katsu was really soft too even after I heated it up with a microwave. Sure, I would prefer crispy and fresh katsu, but now I can see the appeal of supermarket curry katsu too if they are all made this satisfying.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MEPxN-food_moneySat, 07 Nov 2020 01:40:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MEPxN-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zDqxy-moneyI found this pack of Houjicha cookies alongside a mint chocolate variation.While I found the mint chocolate ones decent, I did not like these houjicha ones at all.Houjicha should be a deep and calming tea, but these were really really sweet.The tea was mixed into the cookies, and just to make them sweeter, white chocolate chips and chocolate chips were added too.The tiny size of the cookies also did not make them satisfying in any way.Unfortunately, these products are ones I would suggest skipping.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zDqxy-moneySat, 07 Nov 2020 01:40:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zDqxy-moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GyPxb-living_food_familylifeIt has bothered me a LOT that most Japanese restaurants do not allow customers to bring their leftovers home, even if they had paid for the food already (at a restaurant that is not all you can eat). The excuses have always seemed poor to me."Well, it is for food safety." Hell, no. You can get sushi as takeouts in the middle of summer, so that is definitely not it. I have NEVER once bought into that lame excuse."Well, they do not have containers ready." Since some restaurants do takeouts, they DO have containers, and I am sure some customers would be happy to bring their own. Moreover, what if I bring my own containers? The answer would still have been no.There are other excuses I have heard over the years, but regardless, I am really glad to see that since October this year Royal Host has been taking action, allowing customers to bring home their leftovers in order to tackle the problem of food waste, a rather big problem in Japan.I see that they have a lot of incentives in doing so as well, besides decreasing food waste.For customers with families, I can definitely see this being a way to encourage them to order more food. If a kid wants one thing while another kid wants another, and they know they could not finish them by themselves, the old reason of "we do not want to waste food" is now removed as they could always just pack them home. They could end up ordering more things than before.Some restaurants also have a requirement that each customer order at least one item, which could be troublesome for kids with very small appetites who might have to get something that the parents end up forcing themselves to finish. Imagine how much better it would be if they could just bring it home?A big part of eating out with your family is so that you can all share food and try different things. Without the worry of wasting food, I believe this policy will actually encourage families to order more things to enjoy.The next problem then is of course the plastic waste instead. If families like mine back home would also keep a set of containers in the car in case we have food leftover, that would be great, but since this is Japan and "bringing my own container into the restaurant looks bad," the food waste problem will probably turn into plastic waste instead.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GyPxb-living_food_familylifeFri, 06 Nov 2020 15:09:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GyPxb-living_food_familylifehttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zVPl5-livingWhile I do not have any cats, I find them extremely adorable even though sometimes mysterious. So I found this book "Dictionary of the Cat's Language" at the library to see if I could learn something from it.The book does go down and explain when cats make certain sounds, they are expressing a certain emotion or desire.Going beyond just noise, the book also explains poses and other body languages.In terms of cute photos, this book is a bit lacking, unfortunately, just like a dictionary. I do not see this as a book to own. For cat owners though, this book might be worth a short trip to the library for.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zVPl5-livingFri, 06 Nov 2020 11:27:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zVPl5-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/we9ZP-food_moneySometimes you just want something more than the standard 350mL can without wanting to pay a whole lot more.For just 120 yen, you can go to any Aeon supermarkets to pick up this tall can of 500mL Lemon Chu-hi.This can tastes good. The sweetness is not overwhelming, and the lemon flavour is there too. With the alcohol being only 5%, it was easy to drink even if some people might find this a bit weak. However, being a 500mL, the buzz does build up to a fun evening, but with more to sip on.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/we9ZP-food_moneyFri, 06 Nov 2020 11:27:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/we9ZP-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MAqx6-food_moneyYou know me. I am always out looking for the cheapest way to get drunk, and sometimes the quality of the drink itself is not guaranteed.I had very low hope when I picked up this Senda Morena white wine for 300 yen at a local supermarket. A Spain wine imported by a place in Saitama, it should not be anything special.Sure, it was not special, but it was a really smooth and delicious wine. I chilled it first and this just tasted quite good for my standards, making me forget this was only 300 yen!If you can track this down and you are on a budget, this one is worth a try for you too.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MAqx6-food_moneyThu, 05 Nov 2020 18:19:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MAqx6-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GLQl3-shoppingIt is near the end of the year, and I am on the market looking to buy another desktop calender. I really like the Doraemon (collaboration with Sanrio in character design) one I have now, so I was hoping they would update with a new version for next year.Looking online, however, I found out that they do infact have a 2021 version, but most of the pages will be looking exactly the same as the one now with only like 2-4 pages updated.I am also not a fan of the updated pages, so they look more like they are using rejected pages from the past to make a "new" product.They have lost a sale from me, and I am sure I am not the only one.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GLQl3-shoppingThu, 05 Nov 2020 18:12:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GLQl3-shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wjaor-foodI rarely go to Hotto Motto for their quick-made bentos, as I would also prefer eating in when possible.Their new item, mapo katsudon did catch my eye enough to give them a try though. I like mapotofu, I like katsudon, this has to be a win, right?Well, for 590 yen, this bento was lighter than I had expected. This was also mid-high tier there price-wise. The mapo tofu was flavourful and delicious, even though it was lacking tofu so it ended up just being a sauce.The katsu was thin and very dry, so it did not go well with the mapo sauce at all.Overall, this was a disappointment for something that just sounded so good on paper.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wjaor-foodThu, 05 Nov 2020 18:07:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wjaor-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G6qxR-foodJapan has always struck me as a country that values appearance over many other things, which is why almost every product looks as beautiful as possible.So I was rather surprised to find this bag of kirehashi mochi, which is just normal mochi, but they were cut rather randomly. As a result, no pieces are the same.Honestly, I do not see any advantages to this over normal mochi. However, having mochi that is not perfectly shaped does feel refreshing.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G6qxR-foodThu, 05 Nov 2020 18:03:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G6qxR-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MgaEj-foodWhen I bought this Mega Karaage Bento, my focus was of course on the delicious-looking karaage. But I did not expect that the maker also only focused on the karaage and let the sidedishes to be absolutely depressing.First, there were the few pickled daikon that did not know how to stay in place.Next, the bed of shredded cabbage that was like giving a tiny blanket for a giant to sleep on.Finally, there was the mayo-based pasta salad that turned into something completely different after microwaving the bento.They were so sad that I would not have been disappointed if they had left them out of this mega karaage bento. The karrage were great though.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MgaEj-foodThu, 05 Nov 2020 02:21:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MgaEj-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/M96x0-food_moneyWhen you see this can for 84 yen (before tax) and a can of the famous Strong Zero for 102, which one would you pick up?I had to give it a try and see if saving the 18 yen was worth it, especially since this brand's low-malt beer was a complete dud.Being 9% alcoholic, this was surprisingly easy to drink. The sweetness was there as well as the lemon flavour with its 2% juice.But I also suddenly realized that this can was really flat eventhough it should have been carbonated. However, that was my only compliant, so while not perfect, this can be a good choice for those trying to save a few extra yen.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/M96x0-food_moneyWed, 04 Nov 2020 15:25:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/M96x0-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MJPNV-foodAt the Indian curry shop I frequent, I was feeling like trying something different, so I opened their grand menu and I found their vegetable pakora.Not too familiar with Indian food, I was not sure what it was, but the description read:"Indian-style tempura using vegetables"For 600 yen, the amount was decent. There were mainly three kinds of pakora in the pack: bundles of different vegetables just like kakiage, thin potato slices/chips, and green peppers.Compared with tempura, pakora have a thicker batter. More importantly, they were super flavourful as spices and herbs were mixed into the batter. They were absolutely delicious even without the ketchup it came with.As a fan of tempura, I can now call myself a fan of pakora as well!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MJPNV-foodTue, 03 Nov 2020 23:17:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MJPNV-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GbkEB-living_transportation_medicalI have not been on any public transit unless necessary lately, but one morning when I was waiting for the Metro, I saw just a whole line of cleaners at Metro working hard and wiping everything down.They were working hard at cleaning every inch on the gate before the train arrives, and I suppose they would then move onto the next station and clean there instead.It was good to know that a lot of cleaning was taking place during a time of pandemic. It gave me slightly more confidence in riding metro (even though I am still going to avoid it whenever possible).To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GbkEB-living_transportation_medicalTue, 03 Nov 2020 23:17:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GbkEB-living_transportation_medicalhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zakEA-living_foodOne thing I still have not gotten used to is the idea of using microwaves not just for reheating, but to actually cook!For example, I bought this bowl of spicy Korean soup from the supermarket. Before microwaving it for 3 minutes as instructed, I realized that the Chinese chives and bean sprouts inside were not cooked.So I was supposed to let the heating process also cook these vegetables. It worked, but it still felt weird to me.I have heard of people using microwave to cook fish and meat as well, and that is something that I just cannot get behind.What are your thoughts on using microwaves to cook food?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zakEA-living_foodTue, 03 Nov 2020 23:16:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zakEA-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GWOE2-foodI am used to the taste of energy drinks by now, especailly the super sweet Red Bull.This White Edition, also called Fresh Breeze, was something I had never seen.With less in the can, this energy drink contains no fruit juice at all. The flavour was actually much less sweet than I had expected. It was more like a softdrink than a typical energy drink.I was quite energized from this small can though and it helped me get through the day of work. I guess for those who want to get the energy but do not enjoy the taste of red bull, this could be an alternative. To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GWOE2-foodTue, 03 Nov 2020 23:16:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GWOE2-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w5nDe-livingSony has confirmed to gamers that on the PS5, the X button will be used universially as the confirm button while the O will be for cancelling/back.This was a surprise and for a lot of gamers in Japan and enraged many of them, who are obviously used to O meaning yes and X meaning no, while the rest of the world has been ignoring that as O does not really mean anything.For me, I welcome this move. When I buy a game in Japan, even if it was a Western game, the buttons are switched for confirming and cancelling. It trips me up a few times every session. It will take time for Japanese gamers to get used to, but I think universial is the way to go.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w5nDe-livingMon, 02 Nov 2020 13:47:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w5nDe-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/M96d0-food_moneyAt supermarkets, you can easily pick up karaage so you do not need to fry stuff at home. You could also pick up a karaage bento instead which saves you the time to even cook rice.But how much difference are you paying for the extra rice?At this supermarket, the karaage of 8 pieces were priced at 368 yen, and a bento with also 8 pieces (that I think might be slightly smaller) was being sold for 398 yen.30-50 yen seems to be the price range makers count for the rice. If this bento has more sidedishes, maybe it would have been a 100 yen increase instead.Seeing how they were half off though, I bought both.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/M96d0-food_moneyMon, 02 Nov 2020 13:47:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/M96d0-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wk5Z0-foodNow that it is autumn, choco-mint is starting to go away to make way for more autumn-like flavours.The one final go I had was with these choco-mint country maam cookies.A bag of only contains 10 tiny cookies (9 grams each), but it was sold for 200 yen. It was not the best deal.Despite having chocolate chips and "mint chips", the cookies were also not very choco-minty. They were definitely cookies first and choco-mint second.Being likely the last choco-mint of the year for me, it was kind of a dud than a hit. To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wk5Z0-foodMon, 02 Nov 2020 13:47:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wk5Z0-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wrVXq-food_moneyNow that the tax for happoshu has gone up, I have been looking for the best supermarket-brand happoshu, which have gone from 84 yen (before tax) to 98 yen but are still cheaper than the now 115 yen big brand low malt beers.This Star Select brand low malt beer I bought at Life, however, is one I will never have again.Despite the can saying it is rich and flavourful and the colour is good, this Guimugi tastes like nothing other than a super watered down beer.In fact, there might be some zero-alcohol beer that tastes better. Here is one where I should pay the extra 17 yen and get a better happoshu.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wrVXq-food_moneySun, 01 Nov 2020 11:19:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wrVXq-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z83x7-living_foodSince Halloween this year is not necessarily a good time for kids to go out and meet neighbours for candies (that sounds weird), the apartment I am in did something nice for the kids.At the entrance of the apartment, they left a box of treats and a message board.The message basically says "happy halloween. Feel free to take one and enjoy the season. Adults can enjoy it too!"I do not know who set it up, but I thought that was really sweet!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z83x7-living_foodSat, 31 Oct 2020 19:34:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z83x7-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/we9pO-food_moneyI have not been to an izakaya (or any restaurant) for a long time, so when I was at one, I was feeling adventurous to try new things. When I saw the name "kitsune-yaki stuffed with cheese", I was intrigued. Of course, the kitsune was definitely not fox meat, but instead, abura-age tofu-skin. I love that, and I love cheese too, it should be great, or so I thought.What I was presented with was something really sad looking.It was a lightly grilled piece of abura-age, which is sold at around 15 yen a piece at supermarkets.Next to it was a pile of sad cheese. Not stuffed, just sitting there, depressed.The cheese did not taste good and the abura-age was flavourless, and this was.... 500 yen!?Definitely not worth it and it did ruin my mood a bit (so I got another beer).To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/we9pO-food_moneyFri, 30 Oct 2020 21:09:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/we9pO-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MqRa4-shopping_moneyRecently, I bought a 300 yen for 100 cards variety trading card pack and found that the value was pretty good.Going back to the store, I found that they had a BOX of cards for 1000 yen!It was heeeeeeeeeeeavy, and I just had to get one to check it out.Opening it at home, they literally filled as many cards as they could. Many of the cards are old (in terms of release date) and a few are even in poor conditions. English and Korean cards are mixed in too. However, I also found some cards that I had never seen before. For just 1000 yen, getting this was a lot of fun.The card shop I went to also sold Pokemon cards. If you want to get something fun for your kids, these boxes of cards could be a cheap way to do it!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MqRa4-shopping_moneyFri, 30 Oct 2020 21:09:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MqRa4-shopping_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MvjZd-food_moneyKirin's Hon Shibori series is great. Using only juice and alcohol and no added preservatives, sugar and other weird stuff, they try to make the drink as natural as possible while making something only adults could enjoy.This double grapes can is really nice as it mixes grape juice and green grape juice for a total of 40% of the can's content.The two grape juices do not necessarily mix well, but they brought a really nice sweetness to the drink.In fact, with only 4% alcohol content, this is one of the easiest drinks to have for those not used to the taste of alcohol. For just 120 yen a can, definitely worth a try!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MvjZd-food_moneyFri, 30 Oct 2020 21:08:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MvjZd-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wZ3yZ-foodYou would think that the fatty karubi grilled meat would be a great alternative to chasiu as a ramen topping. I have tried it, and it is not.The karubi meat you can get from supermarkets for yakiniku are usually very thick, and while chasiu for ramen are soft and easy to eat, these are not.So you will end up spending quite some time chewing through the meat while your noodles start to get soggy.The yakiniku flavours also are not the best matches for ramen, so you are creating a conflict of flavours too.If you have chasiu or yakibuta-grilled pork, stick with those instead.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wZ3yZ-foodFri, 30 Oct 2020 21:07:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wZ3yZ-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wjagE-living_shopping_fashionI have just recently learned that there is something called "mag-chan", which are these small balls of magnesium that people put with their laundry, and the grease and stuff would be removed because of the magnesium (or by magic, I am not sure).To try it out, we bought a "knock-off" version from Amazon and a net from 100 yen store for our laundry.We have used it a few times so far, and we are quite happy. The clothes do not smell like anything afterwards, but avoiding all the chemicals and not washing them down the drain do sound like a good idea for the environment.The magnesiums are reusable as well, so even though we bought a big bag, we are still reusing the small amount we started with.Make sure you get a net though. You would not want them getting into pipes and stuff!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wjagE-living_shopping_fashionThu, 29 Oct 2020 14:31:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wjagE-living_shopping_fashionhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MEPpg-foodIf you are a common consumer of packaged curry and you are getting bored of curry and rice, let me recommend you trying curry and noodles.All you need to make this change is to get a pack of chuuka noodles from the supermarket for 50 yen-ish.Cook the noodles up, heat the curry up as well and pour it all over!The standard 180 grams of curry should be enough to coat the noodles well, making them flavourful but also adding the curry texture to them.In fact, I like doing this so much that it is difficult to choose whether I like curry and rice more or curry and noodles more. Definitely give this a try for a change!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MEPpg-foodWed, 28 Oct 2020 19:57:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MEPpg-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z42Ap-foodAt a tofu restaurant, we found something interesting on the menu."Fresh yuba you can pick up with chopsticks"That was awfully specific, we thought, but we like yuba, so we ordered one to try.The staff placed a stove in front of us and a pot of what looked like soymilk. "Please wait for about 10 mins", he said, as he turned the stove on.After 10 mins, we saw that the surface of the soymilk started to form a sheet. We really were able to just pick a whole sheet of yuba up to eat, and it was delicious! You could dip it into soysauce, but we liked it as it was as well.We then had to wait for another couple minutes for the next sheet, but it was great food that also entertained!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z42Ap-foodWed, 28 Oct 2020 19:56:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z42Ap-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GOWvv-food_moneyWhen you see that a 1.5 L bottle of soy sauce is around 300 yen at the supermarket (or cheaper), you would question who would get a 1300 yen bottle of soy sauce in a glass bottle instead.We did that, and there are good reasons to do that.One reason is that these expensive soy sauces use higher quality soy beans so the soy sauce tastes less artifical. The other reason is that these soy sauce are usually quite rich in flavour, so we end up using much less to get the same flavour when cooking. A bottle like this can last us a LONG time, so we think the price actually balances out.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GOWvv-food_moneyWed, 28 Oct 2020 12:00:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GOWvv-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wjaZr-livingMedal games are just getting more and more "creative" with their concepts.For those who are not familiar, medal games are basically soft-core gambling that kids can and do enjoy alongside adults, as they would put in medals/coins into the machines for a chance to win more medals/coins (or lose them all).This kaiten sushi machine looks like it was one aimed to attract kids.By putting in coins, you can try and snatch up the sushis on the conveyer belt. If you succeed in getting certain sushi combos, then you can net yourself a good bonus of medals, but if you lose your combo, then it is all gone.I can totally imagine kids getting addicted to playing this and having all their future trips to kaiten sushi restaurant ruined, as they can only see sushi as combos for winning medals.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wjaZr-livingWed, 28 Oct 2020 12:00:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wjaZr-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MqRNl-food_moneyOne thing I really enjoy about seasonal drinks is that we can get these special fruity flavours that are usually unavailable on the market.Asahi's juicy line up recently introduced a pear chu-hi, and it is awesome.Being 37% pear juice, this can of 4% alcoholic content was way more of a can of a juice. The refreshingness and sweetness of pear juice are unbeatable, especially when the can is properly chilled.The only sad part is this can will not be around forever, and I am definitely considering stocking up...To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MqRNl-food_moneyWed, 28 Oct 2020 11:59:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MqRNl-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mdv7y-foodRecently, I bought a 1kg wheel of smoked cheese, and I still have not finished it.Trying to find more creative ways to consume it, one of the methods I tried was using the smoked cheese as a pizza topping, and that did not go so well.The flavour was fine, although the smokiness was mostly gone while heated up.But the real problem was the outside dried edges of the smoked cheese. They were dry and did not melt, resulting in these rubbery bits on my pizza.It did add some texture but not a texture that I would have enjoyed. If you think you are being creative, I would recommend sticking with regular cheese for pizzas.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mdv7y-foodWed, 28 Oct 2020 11:57:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mdv7y-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GLQWD-foodMost ramen shops have the option of getting oomori so you get more noodles. That is obviously not possible at home since packaged noodles are, well, packaged. But let's compare them.At a ramen shop, depending on the style, most ramen are between 120-170 grams of noodles (Tsukemen not included). If you get oomori, it would be an extra 50-100 grams of noodles, again, depending on the shop. On the high end, you are eating 270 grams of noodles.Packaged ramen at home are usually around 110-130 grams each, so if you cook two, you would get 220-260 grams of noodles.So in conclusion, if you want "oomori" at home, you can just cook both noodles and enjoy yourself!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GLQWD-foodTue, 27 Oct 2020 20:23:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GLQWD-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z1baj-living_foodWith the Ginza packaged curry I have been eating, I noticed that they were trying to do something cute with their packaging by printing them with many different designs.They kind of look like karuta with short poems starting with different Japanese characters.However, these poems made absolutely no sense...This one in the picture, for instance, says "If the dog walks too, it will reach a shop that is opened at night."Here is another one:"At late times, there are cafes"What?I showed these to a couple of Japanese friends and they all ended up scratching their heads too.Whoever was on the designing team must have been drunk while writing these.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z1baj-living_foodTue, 27 Oct 2020 20:22:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z1baj-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zDq7n-foodKoikeya's potato chips are usually great, but the packaging of this one just had my attention the moment I saw it.Roasted seaweed, soy sauce and... EEL (anago, not unagi)? My imagination went wild with how good this must taste.Sold by the package and the promise of a great taste, the flavour was slightly underwhelming. I could taste the soy sauce and that sweet and savory flavour was absolutely delicious, but I could not taste the anago.But then, I realized I would not know how anago taste like anyway. Forgetting about the initial expectations, I really enjoyed the rest of the bag.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zDq7n-foodTue, 27 Oct 2020 20:21:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zDq7n-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w2lDJ-food_moneyI stocked up on a lot of the autumn versions' Rich Malt before the tax increase for low-malt beer, but even with the stock at home, I was still super happy to see that the winter Rich Malt is back and immediately grabbed one.I had it last year and was instantly captured by its richness. It instantly became my favourite low-malt beer of all time. This is also just 125 yen at supermarkets.By using 1.3 more malt in making, the flavour is extra strong and delicious but somehow still maintaining to be easy to drink.I am definitely going to take advantage of this and have it often before it is gone!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w2lDJ-food_moneyTue, 27 Oct 2020 09:49:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w2lDJ-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gl5Wd-food_moneyRecently, I went to a new restaurant for dinner, and they had this ordering system that I had never seen before.For 2000 yen per person, you could get 5 items from the list of food. You could only order one thing from each category. The categories were not like appetizers, desserts, but they were quite randomized, so you could order 5 main-dishes if you want!They also gave each of us 5 cards from A to E, and when we order, we would give them one of our cards and use it up.It was a new way of ordering that I had never seen before. Not only was it a good deal, it was fun too. I wish more restaurants to have something like this!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gl5Wd-food_moneyMon, 26 Oct 2020 10:42:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gl5Wd-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GBqrR-food_moneyRecently, Kaldi's got some interesting wines. We picked up this "golden" wine for a 1000 yen for a nice weekend.We chose it because we were sold by the sign on it that said "a delicious sparkling wine made with apples and pears". We expected something very sweet and fruity from the bottle and thought it would be great as an after-meal wine.The wine was actually much dryer than we had expected. There is a very fruity aroma to it, but the flavour was definitely more of a during-meal wine rather than after. I think it would go well with fried food, actually.For just 1000 yen though, it was nothing to be sad about.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GBqrR-food_moneyMon, 26 Oct 2020 10:42:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GBqrR-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z3BLQ-foodGoya (bitter melon) is one of the foods of summer, and now that it is autumn, I am starting to miss it.My favourite way of eating goya was frying them up as "goya chips", and it is very easy to make at home. Here is how you can do that:1. cut it in half and unseed the goya.2. slice them up super thin with a slicer.3. cover them with salt 4. let it sit for 5 mins before rinsing the salt off5. put them into a bag with flour and shake them up to they are covered with flour6. fry them for a minute or twoAnd finally, enjoy the super crispy and delicious goya chips. Warning, they are extremely addictive and you will not want to eat goya in any other ways.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z3BLQ-foodMon, 26 Oct 2020 10:12:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z3BLQ-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GojvY-livingI recently learned about this app called 3D雨雲ウォッチ and I downloaded it immediately.This new app apparently uses tech to always keep watch on rain clouds so that you would be warned of sudden rain falls 5-10 mins BEFORE the rain starts.This 3D app also makes it so that you can observe the movements of the rain clouds so you know just how much longer you would have to wait before you can walk home without getting wet.The downside is that this app is only useful for Tokyo at the moment, but I did try it last month when it was raining more, and I was impressed.I set it so that I would get notifications before heavy rain falls, and they were quite accurate.Let's hope this app will expand to the rest of Japan soon.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GojvY-livingMon, 26 Oct 2020 10:12:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GojvY-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MAq60-shopping_moneyMost video games are multiple language options, with some exceptions, but some people just want to get a game of their region for collecting's sake, even if the game is exactly the same.However, one more reason you might want to consider getting an overseas version is that sometimes they could be cheaper, a LOT cheaper.I purchased this brand new unopened copy of Team Sonic Racing on Switch on the app Merukari. This was an English version, and I got it for 1600 yen.Looking it up on the app, Japanese versions of the game, opened and used ones were going for 3000 yen each! Oversea versions are not always cheaper but they could be. Keep and eye out and save!---If you have not used Merukari but would like to sign up, consider using my referral code RNDTHH which should give both of us 500 yen points for free! (750 points thanks to a NEW campaign until 10/31) to start shopping immediately! Here is a guide on how to shop on Merukari as well.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MAq60-shopping_moneySun, 25 Oct 2020 11:50:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MAq60-shopping_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wk5J8-food_moneyI have been enjoying Japanese snacks for old people lately, specifically different types of karintou.I found this peanut karintou on sale because it was close to the expiry date. I thought "I like peanuts, I like karintou, this is on sale. Perfect!"The karintou is fried sticks with dipped into a sweet coating as usual, but this one is also covered in tiny peanut bits. The peanut bits did not add much to the flavour but instead to its texture.Oh, did I mention that they were on sale for 58 yen a bag? I ran back and grab 4 more immediately. I am set for autumn.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wk5J8-food_moneySun, 25 Oct 2020 11:50:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wk5J8-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wNW2l-foodWhenever I am walking around town, my eyes are always out for new ramen shops.I saw this one ramen shop, which looked just like any other ramen shop at first, until I noticed a small menu on the window besides the ramen menu."Banana juice, chocolate banana juice, ginger banana juice, kale banana juice..."I do not even know where to start, but first off, what is ginger banana juice?Next, who is getting a rich thick glass of banana juice to go with their bowl of shoyu ramen!?And the juice is 450 yen??? That is not even a price that I would drop to try for fun.I respect the owner for their bravery, the bravery that I lack in trying banana juice at a ramen shop.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wNW2l-foodSat, 24 Oct 2020 10:15:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wNW2l-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GWOem-food_moneyThis was not at all cheap.Rather than my usual 100-yen drinks, this was 6 times more expensive, but my friend said it was worth it and recommended me to get one while I can.This 21st anniversary celebratory special brew of this brewery is a dark beer with a raspberry sourness and a lovely roasty aroma. Despite it being a stout, the bitterness comes and goes away, making this very easy to enjoy while adding a great amount of complexity. I did not really see the "milk" part though, but I had no complaints.In fact, I will say that this is easily one of the best stouts I have ever had. Very much worth the price!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GWOem-food_moneyFri, 23 Oct 2020 17:23:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GWOem-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MPPqY-living_moneyRecently I went to a Round 1 and had some fun with bowling (which I was horrible at), and upon leaving, the staff handed us some coupons."Come here 3 times, and your 4th visit will be free!""That is such a great deal!", I thought. Then I read more..."Come here 3 times with 10 days"I am not going to go to Round 1 3 times within 10 days. I could go play darts or karaoke and they would still count, but as someone working a full time job, I just do not have the time to go even if I would absolutely enjoy it!Needless to say, the coupons went straight to the recycling bin.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MPPqY-living_moneyFri, 23 Oct 2020 17:23:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MPPqY-living_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zak6W-foodI have only started watching Evangelion recently, and knowing that a movie is coming out soon, I have noticed promotions as well.One such promotion was with the Koikeya potato chips.Named "shocking consomme", the promotion was a kick-ass packaging that shows off one of the robots in the anime.The potato chip was not really shocking in terms of flavour. Texture-wise, however, they reminded me of kettle chips and that was great.When I was done, I almost wanted to keep the bag just because it was really cool! (But I threw it out at the end.)To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zak6W-foodFri, 23 Oct 2020 17:23:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zak6W-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mvj4x-shopping_moneyFans of trading card games know how crazy expensive booster packs get. 165 yen for FIVE cards? Even if you have a chance to get something very rare that can be resold for a lot of money, chances are that you would need to buy a lot until you get to that one.This card shop had these variety packs at 300 yen for ONE HUNDRED cards, with at least 2 unpopular-yet-rare cards guarenteed. I bought one to see what they would include. Out of the 100, 95 of the cards were recent common cards.In addition, they also included 5 rare cards, including 3 very cool English cards (that no one in Japan really wanted) and the two visible from the outside.Ratio-wise, this is basically like buying booster packs, but price-wise, this was great, and for sure a cheap way to enjoy getting new cards without breaking your bank.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mvj4x-shopping_moneyThu, 22 Oct 2020 21:54:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mvj4x-shopping_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zDq5n-foodCocoichi has a product of cheese curry. Looking at it, it really is just putting cheese onto the curry and let it melt, and I do not understand it.I never ordered it, but instead, I made it at home myself. The mistake I had was that I put the cheese on the rice instead of the curry sauce.However, the curry I used basically ended up overpowering the cheese completely. The gooey texture of the melted cheese was also covered by the sauce. I knew that cheese was there, but I just could not find them.If anyone can explain to me the delight of cheese on curry, please let me know. But for now, I will stick with my fried karaage on curry.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zDq5n-foodThu, 22 Oct 2020 21:54:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zDq5n-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GBqpR-foodThose who follow my blog probably know that I enjoy my occasional walks with a drink in hand, and while drinking, sometimes you just want to be munching on something.One time, I found this bag of edamame beans at an Aeon supermarket. For 250 yen, the price was not too bad.It was quite fun walking around chewy on edamame beans, although I must have looked really weird.Another downside was that it got messy, so I was lucky to have a wet wipe in my bag. I could put the shells of the edamame back into the bag and seal it, but the problem was that I had no way to separate the bean-less shells from the bean-ful ones. I ended up occasionally reaching into the bag, grabbing one that turned out to be empty.Despite all the downsides, this was definitely a fun experience!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GBqpR-foodThu, 22 Oct 2020 21:54:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GBqpR-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GQoA2-foodAs much as I enjoy packaged curry for their ease of prep, they are definitely lacking in ingredients.So one day, when I had some leftover yakiniku (grilled meat) in the fridge that was not enough to warrant a whole meal, I had the idea to combine the two, and I had zero regrets. The flavourful curry covering the also-flavourful meat was just a harmony of tastes. They basically upgraded each other which would have tasted cheap alone.The best part was that the grease of the meat that I poured onto the curry simply made the plain curry luxurious. Next time you make yakiniku at home, consider giving this a shot!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GQoA2-foodThu, 22 Oct 2020 19:03:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GQoA2-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zVPyk-food_moneyMy first encounter with honey plus cheese was at a pizza shop in Japan, where they put honey on the cheese pizza.I thought it was strange at first but I eventually grew to it, but at the time, I had no idea that honey cheese nans are where it really is at.Many Indian curry shops let you upgrade your plain nan to honey cheese for 300 to 350 yen.Besides the generous amount of cheese inside, the basically just dunk a year-consumption of honey on top.The sweetness of honey mixing with the creamy and stringy cheese on the steaming and crispy hot nan... there is nothing quite like it, and it is definitely my favourite nan to get!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zVPyk-food_moneyWed, 21 Oct 2020 20:02:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zVPyk-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/M96Y3-food_moneyI had criticized it cheap drink for being sexist before, and I thought I had found another one when I saw this Otoko-ume Sour.Otoko-ume, or "manly plum" (or perhaps men's plum) sounded sexist for being yet another product that implies only men can take on these stronger flavours, but I learned upon researching that otoko-ume is actually a type of sour plum.So, the drink itself is not sexist, but it is using a type of plum that is sexist, and it actually tastes pretty good if you enjoy sour plum flavoured candies more than actual umeboshi.Ironically, the drink is a beautiful pink.Overall, I quite enjoyed this drink for 130 yen.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/M96Y3-food_moneyWed, 21 Oct 2020 20:02:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/M96Y3-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gl5qd-livingIf you have never played Bishi Bashi, it is a really fun arcade game.The machines usually allow 3 players to play together, 100 yen per person.It has a series of mini-games that test your reaction speed or your hitting speed of the huge colourful buttons in front of you.One game, for example, has a series of balloons of alternating colours, and you need to hit them in the right order as quickly as possible to pass (ex. blue, red, red, green, blue, red, blue... and go on for another 50 balloons or so.)Another game just asks you to hit any button nonstop until the house on the screen blows up. If you pass, then you move onto the next randomized game.It is a lot of silly fun, and I would highly recommend you to try it next time!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gl5qd-livingWed, 21 Oct 2020 20:01:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gl5qd-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MpOAY-food_moneyConsidering how much Japan values the packaging of products as much as the product itself, I have come across discounted products due to packaging several times.Sometimes, the box it flattened a bit or that the packaging itself got partially ripped off, or in this case, these Campball soup got their cans slightly dented, so they were put on sale.The dent was so small that I had to turn it around twice to find them, but thanks to that, these 180 yen per can soup became 130 yen. It is not like the dent will make the soup any less delicious. I hope more supermarkets will do this to benefit people like me who do not care about the packaging.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MpOAY-food_moneyWed, 21 Oct 2020 20:01:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MpOAY-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zVP4k-food_medicalI was in the mood for some steak, and at the restaurant, I saw that they had "diced steak" and I ordered one.The plate of diced steak was quite delicious, being presented on a hot plate and covered with a garlicky sauce.But... what was diced steak, really? They were really soft and consistent. Too consistent. So I looked it up.I found out that if a shop does not grill and dice a steak in front of you, they were most likely using processed meat where they also added things to solidify the fat and removed some bad flavours. Definitely not that natural and not healthier than actual steak.So the next time you see "diced steak", think twice before ordering.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zVP4k-food_medicalWed, 21 Oct 2020 15:06:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zVP4k-food_medicalhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w2lje-food_moneyThe Wilkinson's brand will also catch my eyes because I am just such a huge fan of their soda water. However, what I am even more of is their ginger ale!So seeing this Wikinson's Ginger Ale highball using Nikka whiskey and sold for 120 yen, I had to try it even if I am not a big highball fan.I expected more of their ginger ale, but unfortunately, the ginger ale was rather weak. Instead, this was closer to a regular highball and did not have the sweetness I expected from ginger ale. The carbonation was great as usual though, so I still enjoyed it, especially for its price.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w2lje-food_moneyTue, 20 Oct 2020 19:56:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w2lje-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MxLxZ-shopping_moneyFans of trading card games know that booster packs are evil, because you just cannot stop getting more.However, those who are not familiar might not understand why we cannot just be satisfied after one or two packs. Well, here is why.With games like Yugioh, you need synergy among cards within your deck in order for them to work well with each other.One single booster pack only comes with 5 cards (for 165 yen, by the way!), and even if you are lucky enough to pull a rare strong boss monster, you are actually lacking its non-rare support cards to use them, rendering it unusable in your deck.It is pretty evil and it is also why some people buy them by boxes just to get all the cards they would need. For me, I choose to buy single or bulk cards from card shops or Merukari instead. This way, I can choose exactly what I want and hunt them down.----If you have not used Merukari but would like to sign up, consider using my referral code RNDTHH which should give both of us 500 yen points for free! (750 points thanks to a NEW campaign until 10/31) to start shopping immediately! Check my blog for guides to buy and sell things on it!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MxLxZ-shopping_moneyTue, 20 Oct 2020 19:56:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MxLxZ-shopping_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GWOKm-food_utsunomiya_shi_tochigiUtsunomiya is famous for their gyozas, but I have never tried it.Their fame, however, gave me confidence when I saw this packaged curry with gyozas. I had to buy it just because I could not imagine how this whole thing is microwavable.With the two packages inside, one pack was a good 180g curry, and the other contained 4 gyozas inside.I was surprised by the colour of the gyozas, and biting into it, the texture was really moist.However, they tasted amazing! The gyoza was not overpowered by the also-delicious curry sauce.As strange as this combo was, this turned out to be one of the best packaged curry I have ever had!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GWOKm-food_utsunomiya_shi_tochigiTue, 20 Oct 2020 19:56:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GWOKm-food_utsunomiya_shi_tochigihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G0vqj-shopping_moneyIf you are using merupay to pay for things at convenience stores, you would usually show them your phone and they scan your code and charge it.When I used it at the supermarket, however, the process was the reverse.Rather than them scanning my phone, I had to scan a QR code they had sitting on the counter. I then put in the cost of my groceries, showed it to the cashier and hit confirm. They then would hit confirm on their end too and the transaction was done.This user-scans-the-store's-code system is actually what is used in China with wepay and alipay. It is a very smart system that makes it easier for vendors to use their systems.---If you have not used Merukari but would like to sign up, consider using my referral code RNDTHH which should give both of us 500 yen points for free! (750 points thanks to a NEW campaign until 10/31) to start shopping immediately! Here is a guide on how to SELL things on Merukari as well.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G0vqj-shopping_moneyTue, 20 Oct 2020 10:21:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G0vqj-shopping_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/we9bO-foodHershey's Choco-bits cereals are not even trying to hide the fact that they are just sweets for breakfast. One quick look at the back and you would see that sugar is the top ingredient.But the caramel choco-bits are just so darn delicious! 500 yen for the 340 g, just for your information.The outside shells are caramel flavoured and the filling is a sweet chocolate sauce.The shells do soak up milk fast, so I only put a handful into the milk each time, making sure that they stay super crunchy while being eaten with the cold milk.Personally, I love this caramel choco-bits cereal, but just know that this is basically eating candies for breakfast.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/we9bO-foodTue, 20 Oct 2020 10:21:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/we9bO-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MqRP4-foodIf you have never heard of Meihou Ham, it is a brand of ham from Gifu that is made of very high-quality pork. I really enjoy them.However, I had no idea that they have sausages as well. Receiving some as a gift, I was very excited to try them.The sizes were straight-up hot dog sizes. I heated it up with a toaster oven, and the outside got crispy.The best thing about these sausages is how flavourful they are. It shows how high quality the ingredients are.One downside would be that the meat is not very fat, so it is more of the tough and dry side for sausages. Chewing actually tired me out.If you get a chance to try Meihou ham, I would recommend normal ham over their sausages.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MqRP4-foodTue, 20 Oct 2020 10:21:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MqRP4-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z424p-food_moneyWhen I get Indian curry, I am always faced with the difficult question of: "Am I upgrading the nan to cheese nan today?"Most shops offer the upgrade for 200 to 300 yen. If it is 300, I never get it.200 yen, however, is a very tempting price to change a piece of delicious but plain nan into something super delicious.The price is actually not that bad, especially when I realized that cheese nans are really filling too. I can get through a whole nan no problem, but I often stop half way through a cheese nan and save the rest for the next day.Considering that, I do think it is generally worth it for 200 yen!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z424p-food_moneyMon, 19 Oct 2020 11:52:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z424p-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wk5v8-foodAs the temperature drops, now might the last chances to enjoy cold noodles this year.This package of soupless tantanmen that I got for 200 yen was one that I really enjoyed lately.After boiling the noodles, I had to cool them down. The sauce and chili oil were served cold, so it was good that I did not have to do anything to prep that.The best thing is that the sauce was actually meaty! This was really delicious!I was too lazy to prepare other things, so I was really happy that the sauce itself had ingredients included.If I come across this again, I am going to get more for sure.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wk5v8-foodMon, 19 Oct 2020 11:52:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wk5v8-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MEP9g-livingUndertale is a video game made by mostly one person, and the lo-fi music in the game captured the hearts of millions of players around the world to the point that it had its own concert last year in Tokyo.This year, to celebrate the game's 5th anniversary, the concert was streamed online and you can find it on Youtube. Here is the link:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=srZdDAJbHfcEvery track is a masterpiece. You can hear the original in-game music early on in the video before the actual concert, and since this was uploaded, I have been listening to it at least once in a few days.Fans of Undertale or video game music, you just got to check this out!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MEP9g-livingMon, 19 Oct 2020 11:51:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MEP9g-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MAq70-foodBaby star noodles are a type of fried noodle snacks that come in different flavours, and in the pack, you would usually find peanuts as well.However, recently I found a special version that not only had noodles and peanuts, but also kaki no tane.This triple pack sounded great, but I did not enjoy it nearly as much as I had expected.Adding the kaki no tane ended up introducing another texture into the mix that ended up being even crunchier than the noodles, overshadowing what should have been the (baby) star.It also meant that the peanuts were decreased, which I found disappointing too.I will be sticking with the standard from now on.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MAq70-foodMon, 19 Oct 2020 11:51:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MAq70-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wja2E-livingIf you ever get a choice, I think it is always better to live on the top floor of an apartment building.The neighbours living right above us have kids, and they seem to really love running in the house at times.After months of enduring, thinking, "they are staying at home, it must be tough for them too", I held back with the daily noise which started from 6 am at times until 9 pm.When I could not hold it anymore, I sent an e-mail to the management company, explaining to them the situation.A couple of days later, all mailboxes had a letter inside that "reminded" everyone about how it is important to be aware of the noise we make.From that day, the noise reduced heavily, and I was really happy that the management company dealt with it for me.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wja2E-livingSun, 18 Oct 2020 22:19:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wja2E-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GLQ3D-food_money_medicalAs I have been trying to drink less milk to health reasons, I have turned to soy milk as an alternative.There are two types of soy milk on the market: processed and unprocessed.The prices are usually the same, if not very close. However, I am not a fan of the unprocessed soy milk because they... just do not taste good to me.Processed soy milk, on the other hand, is lovely.They are sweetened, and the texture is silky. They taste great on their own, but I use them for cereal and other kinds of drink mixing as well.If you want to try them, a 1L pack is around 130 on the lowest end and close to 200 on the higher end, depending on your supermarket.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GLQ3D-food_money_medicalSun, 18 Oct 2020 22:19:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GLQ3D-food_money_medicalhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zakpW-foodKarintou is a wheat based snack that is deep-fried and covered with sugar. They are really crunchy and addictive.Soba karintou, however, is something that I had never seen before. Instead of just flour, it uses soba flour.On top of that, they were traditionally made by rolling, stepped, and slicing just like actual soba noodles before frying them, so this bag of soba karintou that I bought for 200 yen were also shaped like soba noodles!Surprisingly, they were not that sweet and did not feel too greasy, which made it even easier to eat.I ended up finishing the whole bag of 180 grams within a couple of days.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zakpW-foodSun, 18 Oct 2020 22:18:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zakpW-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w5nov-living_foodGetting takeouts is much cheaper than getting deliveries, but there is also the risk of spilling the food on the way back, especially when they are things like curry or noodles.One tip that works for me on a rainy day is to hook the bag onto the handle of the umbrella.When I am walking normally, the arm swings at a much wider angle than when my arm is holding an umbrella.Also, as the umbrella is higher above ground, it is less affected by my steps.I have found this to be really useful, and perhaps you will too!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w5nov-living_foodSat, 17 Oct 2020 22:04:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w5nov-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GbkQR-food_moneyI am not sure why Japan keeps getting these cheap happoshu (low malt beer) from Belgium, but for people like me looking for cheap drinks, they are always welcomed.When they are good, anyway. This can of Bel-Malt (malt from Belgium, I guess?) was only 98 yen + tax, even after the recent tax increase on low malt beers. I found it at a higher-end supermarket.It was really bitter, however, with a long-lasting after-taste to keep it going. Maybe some people are into it, but it was not for me.Considering the price though, there is no harm in trying to see if this bitterness is for you.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GbkQR-food_moneySat, 17 Oct 2020 22:04:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GbkQR-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MvjKx-food_wakayamaOne thing that I really love about this season is the cheap and delicious mikan, especially when winter is here.If you want to get some good mikan, those from Wakayama are usually good. However, it is still slightly too early. The bag of mikan I got was mostly green. The smell was great, the inside was juicy, but they are definitely still on the sour side.Give it another month or so, then the best season for mikan will truly be here! Very much looking forward to it!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MvjKx-food_wakayamaSat, 17 Oct 2020 22:04:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MvjKx-food_wakayamahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MgaJO-food_autumnfood2020One of the iconic foods that I always associate with autumn in Japan is sweet potato. Since the days of me watching anime and reading manga, I have always remembered how in Japan, there are trucks that would drive around town selling roasted sweet potatoes while playing a song that goes like, "Ya-ki-i-mo~ oishii yo~".Not only are yakiimo a healthy and natural snack but they are also usually served hot as well, perfect to deal with the temperature as things get cooler and cooler. I also remember how most comedy manga would have a scene of farts due to eating too much sweet potatoes!When autumn comes I buy a good amount of sweet potatoes, and there are three types I enjoy getting:1. Supermarket yakiimoI live in an apartment and I would not be able to roast my own yakiimo even if I wanted to. Luckily, most supermarkets in Japan have yakiimo roasters in the store. They roast the sweet potatoes, keep them in a paper bag and keep them warm by placing them over some hot stones and under some heating lights.If you want it super fresh, some supermarkets even have signs telling you exactly when the next fresh batch will be ready, if you plan to stick around until then.One sweet potato will usually cost you around 200 to 300 yen, which is not that cheap, but they are hot and ready. If you are on the road and getting hungry, this is definitely a hearty autumn snack to grab on your way out of a supermarket.2. Supermarket's bulk-sale yakiimoAlright, so you want roasted sweet potatoes but would prefer to enjoy them at a lower cost, a few supermarkets do have small baskets of the smaller sweet potatoes roasted and sold as a bulk.The sweet potatoes are roasted in the same way so they are just as delicious. If your timing is right, you can even get them hot and fresh. They are just cheaper because their sizes are not big enough to be sold as a single item. I believe they might also be a different type of sweet potato, but I have yet to master sweet potatoes enough to understand.One basket in the picture above is 300 yen and it usually carries 7 to 8 small potatoes. The sign also reminds you that you can freeze them, and a toaster oven will be perfect for reheating them when you want to eat them again (please use foil though). 3. Uncooked sweet potatoesLastly, the uncooked sweet potatoes are the cheapest. The bag shown in the picture below was only 138 yen. Sure, they are not big, but they are dense and filling enough to satisfy me. Rather than roasting them, I cut them into rings and steam them in my steamer. This is the easiest way to cook them at home without losing any of the flavours, and they are also easy to store afterwards if you want to freeze the extras.I would recommend this for a handy snack for yourself or your kids.While it is the season of sweet potatoes, enjoy this sweet and warming treat! (Just remember that you have been warned about the gassiness, if that really is true.)To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MgaJO-food_autumnfood2020Sat, 17 Oct 2020 08:44:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MgaJO-food_autumnfood2020https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w2lAe-living_foodNow that it is October, Autumn is fully on, which means Winter products are coming...?Halloween has not even passed yet but I already got my first encounter with a "season limited" product at the supermarket.This "winter's rich milk" chocolate cake looks great, but the false marketing actually stopped me from picking it up. It is just way too early!Now that I think about it, the "season limited" actually did not say it was winter limited. Is this "winter's rich milk" actually an Autumn limited item, and we will see the spring version in winter?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w2lAe-living_foodFri, 16 Oct 2020 21:29:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w2lAe-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MqRbR-livingI remember when people started staying home earlier this year, many people talked about how they wanted to take this time to learn a new skill.While I have not really learned something new for myself, I have been utilizing the time to teach my girlfriend how to play Yu-gi-oh (just so that she could play it with me!)With a combination of English and Japanese cards, she has been slowly learning the game, and after each game, I give her a couple of new cards to make her deck stronger.I know I am enjoying this more than she is, but since we are both spending a good amount of time home, this was probably the best and only timing I could find to teach her how to play Yu-gi-oh with me.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MqRbR-livingFri, 16 Oct 2020 21:29:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MqRbR-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zak1D-shopping_moneyI was really excited when I saw that Mario was coming out with an official lego set.It was extra cool because you actually pick up Mario and physically run him through the course, and the screen on Mario reacts to the course too.This all sounded super cool until I saw the price tag.Separately into a main set and several side sets, it takes quite a lot to build a long course with all the moving parts.What you see in this photo is easily several man yen.I really was excited about it, but I doubt I will ever buy them unless I can find some second hand ones for cheap.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zak1D-shopping_moneyFri, 16 Oct 2020 21:28:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zak1D-shopping_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXQZo-foodIf you are looking for eating healthy but want a twist on the same old white block of tofu, goma tofu, or black sesame tofu is a good choice.I bought this block for 120 yen from a tofu specialty shop. It is to be eaten as it is. No need to heat up or anything.It also comes with a small pack of a sweet soy sauce tare to pour over. It goes really well with the creaminess of the tofu and it brings out the roasted flavour of the black sesame. I would highly recommend every tofu fan to give this a try!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXQZo-foodFri, 16 Oct 2020 21:27:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXQZo-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXQJo-shopping_money_howtoI have been using Merkari -- or "merukari" -- for quite a while. I am there often to look for and shop for second hand things (mostly games, trading cards and other fun stuff). In the past year or so, I have also been selling things that I no longer use or need, and I would like to share how you could also do that, as getting rid of your unwanted items can sometimes be a challenge here in Japan.The money you make from selling things on Mercari can be transferred to your bank account (for a fee), but I usually end up shopping on the Mercari app instead or using them at convenience stores or supermarkets.Here is how you sell things on Mercari:1. Take photo(s) of the item you are sellingThe app has filters and editing tools so you can make it look attractive.2. Write the name and description of the itemThis is key as including key words would help people discover your post. I would recommend including details such as "brand new", "set of 3", etc here.3. Select catogoryAgain, this helps people find your item after you post it. The app has an auto detect feature that is mostly accurate but not always.4. Select conditionFrom brand new, like new, no visible damages, etc all the way to poor, you choose the condition that describes your item so that the buyers know what to expect.5. Write the description of the productThis is also where the potential buyers get more information about what you post. Some people post things with just the name but no descriptions, but I think that makes the items harder to sell.Besides the descriptions of the product, people may also write things like, "you can click buy without asking", "feel free to bargain", "no bargaining", "will be packaged using cardboard boxes and bubble wraps" and other rule s/ non-product details you, as the seller, might have.Personally, rather than writing it from scratch, I find posts that others have made on the same item and I just copy all or most of them for my post.6. Select shipping methodAre you paying for the shipping or is the buyer paying for it? Are you using standard post or one of two special shipping services Mercari has (via Kuroneko Yamato or Japan Post)?Also, the special shipping services have the advantage that the fee will be deducted from the money you make from selling. PLUS, these two methods hide the name and addresses of the buyers and sellers, so they are more private. PLUS PLUS, they can be tracked.7. Set your priceJust remember that a 10% fee will be deducted, but set the price for your item. You can always change the price as long as the item is still unsold.8. PUBLISH!Finally, hit the red button and it will be published!You will likely receive likes and comments on your post, but the notification you would want to see is, "___ has purchased your ___!"This is a good way to get rid of things you do not need in Japan while making a few hundred yen as well. Be patient with selling, and good luck!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXQJo-shopping_money_howtoThu, 15 Oct 2020 11:29:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXQJo-shopping_money_howtohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GbkoJ-food_educationWhen I saw these animal crackers, I thought it was great that they tried to put English phrases there for kids to learn.But at a closer look, it also hit one of my pet peeves of them using katakana-English.So when a kid tries to read this out loud, they are reading Katakana, or basically Japanese.I just thought that this was such a missed opportunity."Well, the kids cannot read them otherwise."But I believe that if the packaging is attractive enough, the kids would have more interest in finding out how the sentences are pronounced, and it becomes a chance for them to learn English as English, rather than English with Japanese pronunciation.This is also teaching kids that they could use Katakana to read English, which I do not agree with.It is a pet peeve, but please stop it with katakana-English!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GbkoJ-food_educationWed, 14 Oct 2020 20:02:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GbkoJ-food_educationhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmjna-food_medicalOne problem with most ramen noodles is that they usually contain eggs, which causes problems for people with allergies as well as those looking for vegan options.I am happy to report that if you can find the one I am showing, this one is indeed suitable for both above.This raw noodles, while containing wheat, does not contain eggs. At the same time, it still has the yellow colour, great texture and a good flavour.Above all that, I found this for 108 yen for 4 noodles! The one tip I have is that you should raise the distinct flavour off these noodles before putting them into the soup. Other than that, this is a great noodle.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmjna-food_medicalWed, 14 Oct 2020 20:02:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmjna-food_medicalhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G6qQD-shopping_moneyI was looking online for a pair of headphones to use for music, and when I was shopping on Merukari, I found that someone had just posted this pair that they had opened but not used for 850 yen.It was not any good headphones, I could tell as much, but it was interesting as some people were also successfully selling it for close to 2000 yen.Thinking I got a good deal, I bought it. After about 5 minutes, I realized that it was horrible. The sound quality was probably slightly better than ones you get on airplanes but that was it!So immediately, I put it back online for about 1650 yen and it was sold within a week. Deducting the shipping fees that I had to pay, I basically earned 200 yen off this bad purchase. No buyer regrets there, haha!------If you have not used Merukari but would like to sign up, consider using my referral code RNDTHH which should give both of us 750 yen points for free! (Usually 500 yen, but there is a special campaign until Oct 31st). Here is a blog on how to SHOP on Merukari.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G6qQD-shopping_moneyWed, 14 Oct 2020 14:38:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G6qQD-shopping_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GBqZY-living_shopping_moneyNow that I do not get plastic bags from supermarkets anymore and I have run out of my backups, I had to look for a place to buy some bags just to hold the trash at home.Not to go back to harming the environment, we did some research and found this supposedly bio-degradable set of garbages on Amazon.They are not cheap, as this box of 80 35L bags was about 1500 yen. But even if I toss out garbage twice a week, it would last us a good part of a year.They are not ideal, as there are no handles, and the bags were wrapped in one piece of plastic too. They are also made in China, so as much as the information I found said that these are good for the environment, there is also carbon-footprint.But I hope we are doing something better for the plastic problems by choosing this.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GBqZY-living_shopping_moneyTue, 13 Oct 2020 19:17:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GBqZY-living_shopping_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zDqZj-food_moneyFor 110 yen, it is always nice to know there are so many strong 9% drinks on the market for me to choose from.Suntory this year released this gatsuun white sour drink. The sell point of it is the strong carbonation it has, as printed on the package. I tried it, but I feel like the carbonation is not that strong. The drink was very sweet, which reminds me of how sugary the drink is. The good thing is the the sweetness covers the otherwise too-strong alcoholic flavour.The packaging itself is also not the prettiest, to be honest.Overall, this is a decent drink, especially if you want a calpis-like drink with a strong buzz, but nothing to sing about either.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zDqZj-food_moneyTue, 13 Oct 2020 19:17:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zDqZj-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MAqP8-shopping_moneyFans of trading cards should probably know how certain cards can have very different prices based on how rare they are, or even which version they are.Here are 4 DIFFERENT Dark Magician cards. They all have different rarities with the lowest one being an "ultra rare" card for 800 yen.The highest "ghost rare" is all the way up to 5800 yen instead!Is that the biggest gap? Definitely not. There are much rarer ones going into few tens of thousands of yen, while a common Dark Magician can easily be found for... well, 10 yen.Function-wise, all Dark Magicians are exactly the same, but this is how collectors see value in rare versions of the same card.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MAqP8-shopping_moneyTue, 13 Oct 2020 12:50:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MAqP8-shopping_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mvj2r-foodThis packaged product is a mixture of two trends: toripaitan (a very rich chicken soup) and mazesoba (a soupless mixed ramen).You can find this at supermarkets for about 350 yen a pack, which includes 2 noodles. I was lucky to find a pack half priced.The flavour was mindblowing delicious! It was rich and savory. The grease was perfect in that it adds to the meal without being too much.The flat noodles were also chewy, and its shape makes it quite fun to eat.350 yen for two is not that cheap, but if you can find one for cheaper, this is very much worth it!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mvj2r-foodTue, 13 Oct 2020 12:50:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mvj2r-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wNWZ0-foodI love butter rolls, particularly the ones with margarine filled inside, and particularly not the ones that are just plain boring butter rolls all around.I bought a bag thinking they were what I was looking for. Heated a couple up. Took a big bite and found no margarine.Confused, I looked at the package and itsaid:"There is no margarine filled inside the baked rolls."It was a huge disappointment, but even more, I did not know that I should have read the fine print on the package! I was careless, regardless.At least this was the healthier choice, I suppose! To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wNWZ0-foodTue, 13 Oct 2020 12:50:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wNWZ0-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MPPLY-shopping_moneyRecently, I purchased a tech product from Amazon.This was some China-made China-design product, but the reviews were quite high, so I bought it based on the good reviews and its price tag of 4000 yen.The product came in super underwhelming packaging. The manual was not even accurate to the product with plenty of typos. How did it receive such high reviews?Then I found it. A card at the bottom of the box said "if you like our product, considering giving us a 5 star review! If you review our product, send us a screenshot and your order number, and we will give you either 2000 yen via Paypal or Amazon Gift Card."It did not say that the review must be 5 stars, but based on the wording, most people would probably do that and try to get 2000 yen back from this 4000 yen product.What about you? Would you write a good review and get the 2000 yen?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MPPLY-shopping_moneyMon, 12 Oct 2020 17:39:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MPPLY-shopping_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gojp2-foodWhen I think of an-man, I picture myself on a cold winter day, walking into a convenience store and walking out with a hot steamy bun with a sweet paste inside.Rather than a convenience store, I recently bought some from the supermarket.I could have steamed them, but microwaving was easier so I went for that. This 400 yen for 3 buns pack was not cheap (more expensive than convenience stores, perhaps!), but they were delicious.The filling was made of black sesame, and the bun was soft yet chewy. This is a great way to enjoy an-man but skipping the part of me being out on a cold winter day.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gojp2-foodMon, 12 Oct 2020 17:38:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gojp2-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w2l3X-food_moneyI found this 3-pack tsukemen for 300 yen. That is a pretty good price for packaged noodles, so my expectations were not high.The package was quite simple, but I am glad to report that the noodles are really good! Thick and chewy, I would not be surprised to eat the noodles at a ramen shop.The soup was definitely lacking, unfortunately. It was a very simple and bland flavour.But once I remember how much I paid for it, I was happy once again and my complaints went away.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w2l3X-food_moneySun, 11 Oct 2020 18:25:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w2l3X-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/M96bN-shoppingIf you have built a Gundam, you have probably seen this before.When you are done with your build, there are usually a couple of extra joint parts!I have had a collection of these as a kid, and they are absolutely not necessary. I used to think that they were given to you as backups, but honestly, you never need them since they do not break."Is it for when you lose one?" Well, there are much smaller parts, but they do not provide extras.The only conclusion I could come to was that it was much easier and cheaper for them to make these generic parts in 6s so that it was a lower cost to make extras than to have to sort them out. Definitely not the most environmental friendly decision.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/M96bN-shoppingSun, 11 Oct 2020 18:25:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/M96bN-shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MgaRA-shopping_moneyThe baseball gameboards have been a super long selling toy. One of the attractive reasons of that being a long time seller is that it is a family-friendly two player game, and you can usually get one between 1500 to 4000 yen, depending on size.What about a small 100 yen one from Seria?I bought one to give it a try. It is quite smart how they managed to use really simple systems to make different kinds of pitches. The hitting works too, making this a truly functional 2 player game.I quite liked it, but the big downside is that the batting uses a rubberband that wears out. While this is a good cheap toy, the materials make it not able to last long, unfortunately. To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MgaRA-shopping_moneySun, 11 Oct 2020 18:24:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MgaRA-shopping_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wrV9X-foodThis was something I had back in summer and I had a pack frozen and stocked up until now.Zaru ramen is a rare term, but you have probably heard of zaru soba, aka chilled soba dipped into a cold tsuyu.That is basically what this is, but in ramen form and a more exciting sauce to dip into. In this case, it is a delicious tantan soup with a decent level of spiciness.What makes this different from tsukemen, since they both dip, is that the soup for zaru ramen is cold rather than hot.Since it is very much a summer food, you probably cannot find them on the market now. Get on it next summer!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wrV9X-foodSat, 10 Oct 2020 23:53:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wrV9X-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GQo75-livingI learned this very recently and it blew my mind. If you are sending a letter, and the letter has the word as shown in the picture, you are SUPPOSED to cross it out with two lines and then write 御中 (Onchuu).It is some kind of mannerism to politely address the other party.Now, of course, the most ridiculous thing is that THEY PRINTED THE ENVELOPE FOR ME! So basically, they printed it in a way that is not fully polite so that I had to fix it.In fact, reading online, if you are applying to a job or writing to something in a very formal way, you are actually supposed to write the 行, THEN YOU CROSS IT OUT YOURSELF AND WRITE ONCHUU AGAIN!Whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GQo75-livingSat, 10 Oct 2020 10:58:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GQo75-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GLQx7-foodSince I started adding eggs into rice bowls, I have been enjoying eggs with rice, even if the rice was just plain white rice.When I mixed a raw egg into white rice, the flavour of the egg is actually not that noticeable.What changed, however, is that the colour becomes a really pretty golden yellow. Another thing is that the rice becomes slightly more slimy than just white rice.With soy sauce, it becomes tamago-kake-gohan, but I enjoy the luxury of add raw eggs into white rice without the soy sauce as well.All the end of the day, it is just the easiest and cheapest way to upgrade my rice!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GLQx7-foodSat, 10 Oct 2020 10:57:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GLQx7-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wjar4-living_foodWhen you buy a packaged noodle or even some snacks that are packaged into small packs, it is quite common that you would find a plastic tray in it.I really believe that no one needs these trays. The only reason I can think of them being there is so that it helps the package stand upright on the shelf, rather than laying the packs down.The tray is there to help the package keep its attractive shape, which means that the plastic tray is wasted only for marketing purchases, from what I have concluded.It is truly a waste of materials, if you ask me.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wjar4-living_foodFri, 09 Oct 2020 14:41:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wjar4-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MpOQ5-living_transportationWhen I took my scooter license plate to the local city hall in Tokyo to change, the person handling it commented on my old license plate."Oh wow, that's really cute! What kind of bird is that?""Oh, it's a cormorant bird""Ah, because it's Gifu. Cormorant fishing, of course! That's so much cuter than the plain license plates we have in Tokyo!""Do different cities have different shapes?""Yea. Working here, I have seen different characters and shapes, but this is probably my favourite so far."I had never appreciated the license plate I had, but after what she had told me, I started to miss it.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MpOQ5-living_transportationFri, 09 Oct 2020 10:44:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MpOQ5-living_transportationhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MYmWx-shoppingRecently, I bought some entry-level music equipment on Merukari, and during the process of saying "yoroshikuonegaishimasu" after the purchase, I started chatting with the buyer about how I wanted to learn how to play music.When the item arrived, it came with a letter inside.Due to the privacy setting, the buyer did not know my real name and only used my handle in the letter, but it was really sweet to get a letter of encouragement.Unfortunately, I could not reply to the letter because the settings also made it so that we did not know each other's addresses (for the better).This is definitely a rare thing to get when buying second-handed things online, but it made me really happy too.---If you have not used Merukari but would like to sign up, consider using my referral code RNDTHH which should give both of us 500 yen points for free! (750 points thanks to a NEW campaign until 10/31) to start shopping immediately! Here is a guide on how to shop on Merukari as well.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MYmWx-shoppingThu, 08 Oct 2020 14:26:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MYmWx-shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z1b64-foodWhen you want to go to a very famous store but the store is too far away for you to travel to, sometimes packaged noodles can bring them to you.Tomida Chuuka-soba is a shop all the way in Chiba, but their fame nets them such opportunities.This 2-noodles pack is usually 300-400 yen, but I bought it on sale for 160 yen! (I bought 4 packs, actually, so 8 noodles)The noodles are made using their exclusive flours, and the texture and flavour are great.The soup is definitely "packaged" and nowhere like what the real thing would taste like, but still very much enjoyable with its seafood + tonkotsu flavour.Given that I would not go to Chiba just for this, this noodle is great to have at home.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z1b64-foodThu, 08 Oct 2020 14:25:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z1b64-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mnx7E-foodXO sauce is a Chinese sauce that has a generous amount of seafood (mostly shellfish) put into it. The sauce is often used in expensive cuisines but also making fried rice.The sauce is not common in Japan, but if you go to Kaldi and even some supermarkets, you can probably find this can from Lee Kum Kee, and this is probably the best you can find in Japan.A small jar like this is about 700 yen, so definitely not cheap, but the sauce is very luxurious being full of flavourful fillings.If you are eating some Chinese food or even gyoza, this is a lovely condiment to pair it with, if you do not mind the price!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mnx7E-foodThu, 08 Oct 2020 14:25:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mnx7E-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z3BnO-foodNow is not the best time to go out to eat ramen, but you can always rely on supermarket packaged noodles to get your serving at home.I bought this pack of 2 shoyu tonkotsu tsukemen for 250 yen, and it is one of my favourites for dipping noodles.You boil the noodles for 5 minutes and dilute the soup into 100mL of hot water, and it is ready to go.One tip I would give is that instead of mixing the pack of oil into the soup, mix them with your noodles instead. This will help your noodles not get stuck together while coating the noodles with the flavour.Enjoy!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z3BnO-foodWed, 07 Oct 2020 17:29:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z3BnO-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wk5n7-food_okinawaI recently a pineapple from Okinawa, and that was when I was reminded that Okinawa is so famous for pineapples that they even have a theme park based on pineapples.This was easily the best fresh pineapples I have ever eaten!Cutting it open, the pineapple was extremely juicy with ever bite. The golden yellow was beautiful and perfectly matching how amazingly sweet it was.I enjoy canned pineapples too, but this is both delicious, fresh and natural.If you ever have a chance to go to Okinawa and if the season is right, I would definitely recommend you to try one!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wk5n7-food_okinawaWed, 07 Oct 2020 17:29:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wk5n7-food_okinawahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GyPv7-living_foodHave you ever made too much miso soup and not sure what to do with it?Here is one quick way you can do to turn them into a decent ramen soup.All you need are 4 things:- The miso soup- Garlic- Sesame oil- Toubanjian (Chinese spicy paste)First, fry the garlic up with the sesame oil.Once crisp, add the miso soup in and heat it up.Add 0.5-1 table spoon of toubanjian. Mix and heat.And you will have a pretty decent bowl of spicy-miso ramen! Toppings come from miso soup already so all you need is to add a noodle!Of course, it is not like a real "spicy miso ramen" from a store, but it is definitely an easy way to finish up extra miso soup!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GyPv7-living_foodWed, 07 Oct 2020 11:25:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GyPv7-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MJPRJ-living_shoppingAt a nearby shopping arcade (shotengai), I have always been curious in how this super sad game arcade is staying in business.Right across from a supermarket, this place is open every day. The AC was on full blast throughout summer as well.But inside, all the UFO catchers and other prize-winning games are all really sad. They are all old and outdated.The saddest part is that the prizes are also old and unwanted! Who is trying to get a keychain of a coffee mug from these machines?I walk in once in a while for its retro feel, and for that, I hope it never closes down. Not that hopeful though.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MJPRJ-living_shoppingWed, 07 Oct 2020 11:24:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MJPRJ-living_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zKP8R-foodThere IS indeed a huge difference between Japanese cheetos and North American ones: The former is much milder and sweeter at the latter.That statement is true for the cheese Cheetos and very much true for these BBQ flavours too.The corn snacks are so sweet that I did not feel too sick after finishing the whole bag at one go, even though it was getting 30% more in the bag as a promotion.But I also did not enjoy them nearly as much, as they felt less "junky".I have come to realize that I always buy Cheetos in Japan not because of what they are, but what I wish them to be instead.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zKP8R-foodWed, 07 Oct 2020 11:24:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zKP8R-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXQxo-living_moneyI had no idea that the library gives away old books as recycled books, but it makes sense.The library near me put two carts full of books outside sometimes. These books have a sticker that says "recycled" so that there would be no mistake of being unreturned books.Selection-wise, besides a bunch of random books, the biggest scores are probably the travel books. Since they update them annually, it makes logical sense that the old ones would be retired. Not that the information is outdated necessarily, but why keep the 2018 version when they just bought the 2020 one.Monthly magazines are there as well. I do not buy magazines in Japan, so it is great that I could pick up a couple for free instead.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXQxo-living_moneyTue, 06 Oct 2020 20:12:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXQxo-living_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MnxNX-living_foodOkay, let me explain the title first. This 9% lemon sour has a 7% version that is considered the standard.Now, I guess this company is saying that ladies cannot handle their alcohol as well, or that being able to drink more alcohol is considered "manly", so this 9% one? Kiritto OTOKO MAE! So manly!Besides that being absolutely BS, this 100 yen drink is actually not that good. It is bitter and does not offer nearly as much of a refreshing lemon flavour as many other brands at the same price point.So, you can totally pass on this one.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MnxNX-living_foodTue, 06 Oct 2020 20:12:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MnxNX-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wNW60-foodI saw a pack of shirasu, these tiny white fish, at the supermarket and they are ready to be eaten as sashimi.With the concept of "most foods are worth trying once", I bought it home.The pack was 360 yen, and please do not ask me how many fish there were.The suggested way to enjoy it was with ginger + soysauce or yuzu ponzu. I made the former and dug in.And it was by far the fishiest thing I have ever eaten. (What did I expect, right?)I like sashimi in general, but this was so strong that I felt like I was eating the ocean, but with a slimy texture that was whole fishes.Needless to say, I did not enjoy that experience, with not wanting to waste, I did finish the whole pack. Never again.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wNW60-foodTue, 06 Oct 2020 20:11:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wNW60-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z83RW-livingWhat do you do when you have leftover rice?One method I learned in storing the extra rice I cooked is to freeze them then microwaving them up. They taste just as fresh afterward.But I used to wrap the rice up with plastic wrap, and recently I wanted to be more aware of the plastic I throw away. So instead of plastic wraps, I have been putting the rice into plastic containers instead. This way, I waste nothing while still being able to store and shape the rice into blocks. Please give this a try. Store your rice and reduce plastic waste!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z83RW-livingMon, 05 Oct 2020 18:00:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z83RW-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w5np8-foodI have been living in Japan for about 8 years by now, and only recently I realized that I have been enjoying the chocolate covered treat eclair for about 8 years as well.Meaning that I had never eaten eclairs before coming to Japan!They are delicious. I love cream puffs. I love chocolate covered stuff. This is just both.But that just got me thinking why eclairs were not a thing in my home country, and more importantly, how did it get so beloved in Japan?What about you? Did you grow up with eclairs?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w5np8-foodMon, 05 Oct 2020 17:59:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w5np8-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MxLqy-livingJust finished watching the Ni-no-kuni movie, and it was definitely one of the worst movies I have ever seen. Here are 10 spoiler-free problems why it was horrible.1. Exposition non-stop. Rather than showing you things, they explain everything with exposition followed by a few other expositions immediately. This was the biggest sin in my books.2. The voice actress for the princess had zero emotions, even during the scenes that should have been emotional.3. Plot holes everywhere. Too many to count.4. The first plot twist could have been seen about 1/4 into the movie.5. The second plot twist near the end made no sense and broke the rules of the world setting.6. The use of 3D animation was bad and ugly. It was just a cheap way to save on the animation budget.7. The music was by Joe Hisaishi because they were taken from the game, but they were not memorable and dialogue and sound effects often overlapped so there was no time for them to shine.8. Most of the characters were stupid. Really dumb.9. Some side characters that seemed interesting but unexplored, rendering them "who-cares".10. There was potential for several deep messages. All dropped.Considering how good the video games were, this was a shame. The art was Ghibli-inspired and Joe Hisaishi was involved. This COULD have been good, but turned out the opposite. I watched it so you do not have to, but it could be fun to get drunk and laugh AT the movie with friends.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MxLqy-livingMon, 05 Oct 2020 10:46:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MxLqy-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G7R5W-foodI have reviewed quite a good amount of these raw noodles, and this is one that I quite liked.The "For Pros" brand is not that expensive, so you can get this bag of 5 noodles for about 250 yen.I like super-thin noodles a lot. They bring a generous amount of soup into your mouth when you slurp, and they are also really quick to cook, as this one takes only 50 seconds.The noodles are strangely shiny, but given how good they taste, I have no complaints.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G7R5W-foodMon, 05 Oct 2020 10:46:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G7R5W-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MEPov-food_moneyWhen I walk around town and wanting a drink in hand, the convenience stores are the last places I walk into because I have no interest in paying 30-40% more for the same drink that I can get for cheaper at a supermarket.But I found out that 7-11 has a line of cheap 110yen coolers that are made by Asahi!My first encounter with these was the mango and pineapple cooler that is time limited.With 9% alcohol and only 1% juice, I would not call this juicy but it is a sweet drink that you would expect from cheap coolers. The alcohol was there but did not taste too strong.But the reason why I would get them again would for sure be the reason that they are 110yen strong drinks at convenience stores. Good for you, 7-11!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MEPov-food_moneyMon, 05 Oct 2020 10:46:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MEPov-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G6qKW-shoppingWhen my friend asked me to order some stuff from the Japan Disney store and ship them overseas to him for gifts for his girlfriend, I was wondering what was so special about these tsumutsumu plushies.But when they arrived and I opened the box to check the contents, I understood right away as they were the most adorable plushies ever!These Disney character sushis were not only cute, but also super fluffy to hold!For 800 yen each PLUS shipping, they were definitely not cheap, so I am glad I got to do a quick photoshoot before putting them back into the box for international shipping.Disney fans, however, will definitely love these!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G6qKW-shoppingSun, 04 Oct 2020 10:21:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G6qKW-shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wrVx6-living_transportationWhen I saw button while waiting at the red light to cross, I had to take a snap shot to share it.This button that you could press to keep the green pedestrian light on for longer is great. It is necessary for older folks and those who walk slower, while the light would change quicker otherwise so that cars would not need to wait forever and get frustrated.I guess not every interaction would need one, but definitely in the more family-oriented areas and when you need to cross 8 lanes of traffic, this is a terrific option to have! To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wrVx6-living_transportationSun, 04 Oct 2020 10:20:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wrVx6-living_transportationhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z839W-food_moneyRecently, I rejoiced over the fact that I could find and purchase some Chinese icy mooncakes for cheap to celebrate Chinese mid-autumn festival.With excitement, I tried the "chocolate cheesecake" flavour one.I cut it into 4 parts and tried one corner, and as the title suggests, it was absolutely horrible.Rather than a mochi-like outside and a creamy/soft filling, it was hard on the outside and hard on the inside. It also did not taste like chocolate, but just cocoa powder. The only cheesecake part about this was the word printed on the packaging.I still finished it, and while I enjoyed it for the season, there was no enjoyment for the flavour itself.I should have expected as much when this was so cheap.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z839W-food_moneySun, 04 Oct 2020 10:20:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z839W-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GWOZ8-living_foodAs a kid, I was always told that plastic is not microwavable, and even if you use the wrap and stuff, the plastic wraps should not be in direct contact with the food.Here is a frozen noodle where the sauce is put in a plastic bag and it asks me to have the bag face up as I microwave it for 6 minutes.In fact, the bag was designed so that the steam could escape while it heats up.But at the end of the day, it was still a plastic bag I was heating up for 6 minutes... I do not know what is real anymore.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GWOZ8-living_foodSun, 04 Oct 2020 10:20:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GWOZ8-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GR1xp-shopping_moneyI do not use Line Pay or Pay Pay, so it was great news to me that my local supermarket started using Merupay as a format of payment.Unlike the other two mentioned which I would link to a bank account or credit, or I recharge them somewhere, I use Merupay because I sell things on Merukari the second-hand market app, so now I can use that money to shop for groceries!Which means, I am basically selling off my Yu-gi-oh cards and Playstation games and turned them into noodles and tofu! That is an interesting thought.---If you have not used Merukari but would like to sign up, consider using my referral code RNDTHH which would give both of us 500 yen points each for free! (Currently 750 yen points thanks to a special campaign they are running until oct 31)To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GR1xp-shopping_moneySat, 03 Oct 2020 12:31:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GR1xp-shopping_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MnxNE-shoppingWhile looking at UFO catchers (just looking, not playing), I saw this super cute Doraemon lunch plate that was tempting me to open my wallet.Shaped like Doraemon riding a time machine, even if the plate is too small for me to use realistically, this would have been one of the best displays to have on my shelf!But what stopped me was the fact that this was a boxed item, and those are really difficult to catch without sinking at least 10 tries to slowly move it towards the edge.It is sad when the items exclusive to UFO catchers are the best...To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MnxNE-shoppingSat, 03 Oct 2020 12:31:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MnxNE-shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wZ3kV-food_moneyBesides the many topping choices at Cocoichi curry, did you know that you can order "extra curry sauce"?For an extra 111yen, you can get more curry sauce for your meal.The question is of course, how much more sauce do you get?The flyer indicates "1 ladle", and some online research tells me that a regular 300g rice Cocoichi curry is 2.5 ladles regularly.So that is quite a substantial increase, especially if you enjoy the curry more than the toppings.For me, I usually order more sauce and save the left-over sauce for the next day for round 2!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wZ3kV-food_moneySat, 03 Oct 2020 01:01:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wZ3kV-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MxL2y-living_foodOct 1st this year was Tsukimi day. More specifically, it was Mid-autumn festival.In Japan, some people eat dango while they enjoy viewing the moon, and instead of buying premade ones, we made them ourselves.All you need to get are the shirodama-powder and an equal amount of water.Once you have kneaded it to the texture of your earlobe (don't ask me, that's what I read online), shape them into 10g balls.Boil them for a few minutes, and once they surface, let them boil for another minute and then cool them into cold water.They are then ready to be enjoyed, and we had kinako powder + sugar to go with it. It was easy, tasty, and the moon was beautiful too.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MxL2y-living_foodFri, 02 Oct 2020 22:25:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MxL2y-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MdvyW-food_moneyThe low-malt beers I usually enjoy are from Japanese brands, but once in a while, I walk into Kaldi and I am reminded that they carry some cheap and good happoshu too.Engelchen was one of such. This Belgian happoshu is priced at only 100yen (before the tax raise), and it is great.The beer is quite light but it also carries a really fruity flavour to it. Sure, the can is smaller at 330mL, but it is very much worth the cheap entry point.The best thing? You can find them at the fridges at Kaldi so the drink is ready to go! I would definitely recommend this!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MdvyW-food_moneyFri, 02 Oct 2020 22:25:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MdvyW-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wrVxX-living_money_educationExtensive Reading is a great way for students to build up their reading skills, but with students having no access to school libraries during online classes, the other way to get free graded readers would be to visit the local libraries.They usually have a decent selection with varying topics. The point is that students should not be buying graded readers because they are so freaking expensive.It is not just for students, but so childcare too if you want to develop children's English reading ability.I hope that with enough need, their graded readers collection will continue to grow!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wrVxX-living_money_educationFri, 02 Oct 2020 13:39:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wrVxX-living_money_educationhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zDqb0-food_shopping_moneyMany of us here have probably experienced this: we walk into a import store, sees so many things that are not Japanese and we go crazy, ended up buying much more than we thought.For Westerners, those places were probably Kaldi, Seijo Ishi or Costco.For me, I go crazy at those places, but recently I found a Chinese import store and I lost it.My backpack was filled with hot pot soup bases and chili oil, both of brands I grew up with and ones I had never tried before.Everything in the picture came to 4400 yen, which is not bad at all for a taste of your hometown.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zDqb0-food_shopping_moneyFri, 02 Oct 2020 13:38:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zDqb0-food_shopping_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmjla-foodI had this pork kimchi snack sandwich pack a while ago, and I picked up a couple because it was half priced. That was a mistake because this was not good at all.Pork and kimchi are usually great combos, but somehow this product dropped the ball by making it really sweet in an artificial way. The ingredients were also missing, so it was just a saucy wet sandwich.The strange thing is that this was actually a collaboration with a kimchi brand. Instead of making this better though, now I just end up avoiding that brand of kimchi too.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmjla-foodFri, 02 Oct 2020 13:38:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmjla-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GyP07-foodSometimes I find the most random imports in Japan. At Okashinomachioka, a chain candy store, I picked up a couple rolls of these Portuguese cream cookies.Of course I had to, they were 60 yen each, which should tell you how well they were selling.The package is actually printed in Japanese too rather than being labels put on the package. Strange that I have never seen this anywhere else.The taste is fine... the cream could be stronger, so this is definitely a cookie that emphasizes its biscuits. To snacks to have to munch on, but I would not be seeking them out.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GyP07-foodFri, 02 Oct 2020 13:38:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GyP07-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MYmxB-shoppingBeing Mario's 35th anniversary this year, one of their ways to celebrate was to release this special collection for the Switch. For 7000 yen-ish, normal price for a new game, you get Super Mario 64 from Nintendo 64, Super Mario Sunshine from Gamecube, and Super Mario Galaxy from the Wii.Super Mario Galaxy 2 is missing for some weird reason. They also run on emulators rather than remade for the Switch.But by far the weirdest thing is that this packaged game will stop production by Mar 31st 2021, and the game will be delisted from their Digital Store too, making this a limited product for no particular reason.Get it while you can, and I am excited to start playing mine!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MYmxB-shoppingThu, 01 Oct 2020 13:02:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MYmxB-shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z426J-foodSince its release a few years ago, I have found myself coming back to this premium granola again and again, particularly this Choco-Nut variation.The price is somewhere between 500-600 yen for this 500g bag.I really like this line of cereal because the crunch is supreme, but on top of that, the added almonds, cashews and walnuts really make this texture of this even better.Is it healthy? No, but really, no sugary cereal is healthy, but it is definitely a delicious treat that I would have in the morning or sometimes after a meal as dessert.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z426J-foodThu, 01 Oct 2020 13:02:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z426J-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wjady-foodIf you are a fan of dimsum, you might know that one of the more filling things you could order is a chimaki.There are different versions to the Japanese word chimaki, but the dumsum variation, such as the one I found in a frozen form is typically a layer of soy sauce flavoured sticky rice (mochi kome) wrapping some ingredients such as chicken and shiitake mushroom.It is then wrapped with bamboo leaves or lotus leaves before getting steamed.I was really happy to find this bag of 10 small chimakis for only 500 yen. You could either microwave them or steam them at home. They are not the best, especially since they are a bit strong on the soy sauce side, but considering how difficult/expensive it is to haev dumsum in Japan, this frozen version is a great option to have.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wjady-foodThu, 01 Oct 2020 13:01:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wjady-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w2lJx-food_tea_shizuokaI have had different experiences with Shizuoka green tea chu-hi in the past, but my problem with them usually is that they were good drinks but not so much for the tea. However, I want to introduce one that I really enjoy for the flavour of the tea.I have been noticing this can at local Aeon supermarkets lately, and it does stand out because Aeon is a massive nation-wide chain, and this is the only green tea chu-hi they carry, so it must be good, right?And it is!Finally, I can say that this is truly a can of Shizuoka green tea, and it just happens to have an edge that adults can enjoy. One thing that most green tea chu-hi's do not do well is to cover the bitterness of alcohol in the drink, but in this case (or rather, in this can), the 4% alcohol is not prominent in any way, yet it is enough to add some more joy to my peaceful evening.The star is definitely the tea itself, or themselves. You see, the two kinds of tea used to make this drink are both from Shizuoka, which is hinted by the beautiful painting of Mt. Fuji that is on the can itself.The first of the two teas is a Shizuoka kabuse tea, and this first flush tea that was covered during its growth is usually used to make expensive tea. The process is said to give it a hidden and unique aroma, and I think it plays a big part in making this tea delicious.The other Shizuoka green tea counterpart used in this drink is a fukumushi tea, which is a steamed tea that has gone through the process of being steamed for two or three times longer than usual. The downside of this tea is that it loses a bit of its flavour (which I believe is why the kabuse tea was brought in to add to that element), but it does also break the tea leaves into much smaller pieces and brings out the sweetness of the tea.The effort of using fukumushi tea is apparent in how the tea does not have any noticeable residue, which is common in other green tea chu-hi I have tried. Instead, the tea is a beautiful green that is what I would expect from quality Shizuoka green tea, except, again, this is a chu-hi.After all the good words I have about this, let me also inform you that this widely available green tea chu-hi is only 120 yen a can. If you have been wanting to try green tea with a buzz, this is a can I would highly recommend.This post is supported by Shizuoka Green Tea Guide, one of City-Cost's Supporters helping City-Cost bloggers to enjoy life in Japan and engage in new experiences.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w2lJx-food_tea_shizuokaWed, 30 Sep 2020 14:20:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w2lJx-food_tea_shizuokahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MgaxA-foodAt the local supermarket, I saw this bento that was half mapo-tofu and half fried rice.Now, usually mapo-tofu pairs with normal white rice, but that does not make bentos look attractive, so many bento upgrade the plain white rice to a more flavourful fried rice.I looked at both sides and either of them had a lot of ingredients, but when you have the thick mapo tofu sauce on the salty and oily fried rice, they were an awesome match!So delicious that I can totally overlook the lack of ingredients for this regular priced bento of 400 yen. I need to be careful because if I get too used to this, it will be hard to go back to mapo with white rice.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MgaxA-foodWed, 30 Sep 2020 10:44:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MgaxA-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GbkxJ-foodThe Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival is almost here, and one of the ways to celebrate is by eating mooncakes, a lot of them, because people just keep gifting them to each other.In Japan, this culture does not exist, so while my relatives are having mooncakes, I felt left out.Until I found these "icy" mooncakes at a Chinese imports shop!I have always like these newer and more modern mooncakes over the old traditional kind, but they were also really cheap being 110 yen each!Happily, I bought some and showed them to my relatives, and I feel like I am part of the family celebration again.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GbkxJ-foodTue, 29 Sep 2020 20:30:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GbkxJ-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zKPqR-food_medicalRecently, I was told how some people eat prunes to help your bowels, and they are also a more natural snack to have, so I went to Kaldi Coffee Farm and picked this up.I was lucky in that they were running a sale, so I got two bags for 300 yen, so it was about 1 yen per 1 gram. At drugstores, I can find them for 300 yen for a bag of 200 grams instead.It is difficult to say how they have affected by body so far, but they are definitely a better go-to instead of chocolate and cookies all the time.Just be warned that too much prunes can apparently make your bowel TOO good. I will leave that up to your imagination.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zKPqR-food_medicalTue, 29 Sep 2020 20:29:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zKPqR-food_medicalhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G6qKD-living_money_educationReading manga is a good way to practice Japanese reading, but sometimes I just want to read to enjoy without thinking about the language.It is nice that some libraries, depending on the area, do have a decent collection of English manga. They are otherwise quite expensive, even if you purchase them in Japan.The one near me had Dragonball, Naruto, Doraemon and even some obscure titles that I would have never expected to be translated.In fact, I have been telling students to pick them up as English reading practice. If you want some English manga, check out the library sometime!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G6qKD-living_money_educationMon, 28 Sep 2020 22:18:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G6qKD-living_money_educationhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXQx1-foodIt is impressive how creative companies get in creating new items to sell. One that really surprised me was this line up of alcoholic veggie juice...When I saw them at the supermarket, I thought they were basically put on the wrong shelf, but looking closely, each of them has at least 10% veggies juice, 10% fruit juice, and 4% alcohol.I was not brave enough to try one, but if I had to pick one among the tomato based, kale based or the carrot base... I guess I would try the carrot one?But still, I do not understand who was asking for this!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXQx1-foodMon, 28 Sep 2020 22:18:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXQx1-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GBq5O-food_moneyI would have never thought that one day I would purchase a wheel of cheese, let alone doing that in Japan.But when I saw this wheel of smoked cheese at the supermarket, I just had to, especially when it is usually sold elsewhere for 3000 yen, and this was only 1111 yen on that day, which is also the only time I have seen it sold there.Why was it so cheap? It was getting close to its expiry date, but I was planning to freeze a good half of it anyway.This Germany import is pretty good too. Very creamy with a nice hint of smokiness. For 3000 yen, I would pass on it, but for 1111 yen for 1kg, it is a steal!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GBq5O-food_moneyMon, 28 Sep 2020 22:18:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GBq5O-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmjlg-shopping_moneyRecently, I bought on Merukari a box of "pre-searched" booster packs for Yugioh.For 1333 yen, there was supposedly no rare cards in the bunch, but when I opened one of the packs (which I open one a day), there it was!A holo Cybernetic Mining!!!!Not only is it a rare card, it is also a card that is considered really useful in a lot of competitive decks, so the demand is quite high! Immediately, I checked the prices on Merukari and sold it within 2 hours for 1250 yen profit. I only play casually so I don't NEED this utility card, especially when I could let it go for a good price.If you have not used Merukari but would like to sign up, consider using my referral code RNDTHH which should give both of us 500 yen points for free! (750 points thanks to the campaign until 9/30) to start shopping immediately! Here is a guide on how to shop on Merukari as well.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmjlg-shopping_moneyMon, 28 Sep 2020 14:02:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmjlg-shopping_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MAq2N-food_money_hokkaidoI drink mostly Hokkaido milk nowadays.After the very first time I bought a carton of that instead of normal milk, there was no going back.It is so much richer and sweeter, and it feels very different in all the best ways possible, except for the price tag.It is a premium price to enjoy this premium milk. Typically, a 1L pack of Hokkaido would be between 170 to 210 yen before tax, whereas other local milk are around 140 to 170 yen for the same volume.Is it worth it? It depends on the person. If you want to support local farmers, then no. If you are mixing them, maybe not, but if you drink it straight or with cookies/cereal, I think the difference is enough for me to shell out a bit more.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MAq2N-food_money_hokkaidoMon, 28 Sep 2020 14:02:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MAq2N-food_money_hokkaidohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zVPx7-foodI have tried the Chinese iron chef's other frozen dim sums in the past, but the xiao long bao is probably the one that I have come back to the most.This microwavable frozen pack is really nice. Just a minute or two in the microwave and you are presented with these soupy gyozas.The fillings are really juicy, to the point that you should be careful when you bite into them.A pack of 6 is around 200 yen. They will not fill you up for a meal, but it is a nice side-dish when you want something Chinese. The winner is, Chen Kenichi!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zVPx7-foodMon, 28 Sep 2020 14:01:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zVPx7-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MEPjP-livingI generally dislike watching Japanese TV shows, but there is one show that I have loved since the first time I watched it.Tsurube no Kazoku ni Kanpai is absolutely lovely.It is the famous Tsurube-san peacefully walking around the countryside with a guest. He would reach out and talk to random people he sees and get to know their life story.Why do they live there? What do they do for a living? What's their family like?There is no "oh wow this is so delicious sugoi~~~~" BS. The show is so genuine in showing how people just live and connect with each other, I love this more than anything else on TV. Usually on Monday on NHK from 7:30pm. Please give it a watch.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MEPjP-livingSat, 26 Sep 2020 19:23:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MEPjP-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GR1xg-food_moneyI have been seeing this "quick lunch" option at some Indian curry shops in Tokyo.Instead of having rice and curry on separate containers, you basically have a big plate of curry and rice like how Japanese curry and rice are.Nan is also not a choice, as they would have to make them and all. The great thing is that these quick lunches are usually cheaper by at least 100 yen. This massive plate with a TON of rice and a TON of curry was only 750 yen. I got a salad on the side too.In fact, I think this had more curry than when I order the single curry or two curry sets...When I am in the mood for rice over nan, quick lunches are what I will go for from now on.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GR1xg-food_moneySat, 26 Sep 2020 19:23:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GR1xg-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MYmxx-foodWithin the line of cream sandwich rolls you can get from supermarkets, there are the many flavours to choose from, then there is the Silver Roll which is usually 10 to 20 yen more.The silver roll stands out with its packaging that is often aluminum foil rather than transparent plastic (and I cannot tell which is better for the environment, honestly).They are the premium product because other than the whipped cream AND chocolate cream inside, the sandwich roll is also covered with a layer of chocolate.I can tell that I would have loved this as a kid, but even as an adult now, this is a still delicious.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MYmxx-foodSat, 26 Sep 2020 19:23:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MYmxx-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gojl2-shopping_moneyRight now, Merukari the big second-hand shopping and selling app is doing a 1.5x referral bonus.Usually, when someone signs up using your code, you would each receive 500 points (= 500 yen) to start shopping on the app.But from now until Sep 30, you would each get 750 points instead, and Merukari is currently encouraging people to share it on their SNS. (You can get up to 7500 yen points with this bonus)For those who are already using Merukari, now is a good time to get your family and friends onto it just for the bonus. If you are not yet using it, here is my code ;) RNDTHH to get a head start to get the most out of this bonus. Then feel free to use YOUR code to share with your friends!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gojl2-shopping_moneyFri, 25 Sep 2020 22:02:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gojl2-shopping_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MYmJB-foodSoymilk is definitely a healthier alternative to milk, so I thought it would do myself good by using soymilk instead to make my Campbell's mushroom soup.But silly me, not thinking through, I let the soup boil and for a good couple of minutes too.The result was a gooey tofu soup that was more like a porridge than a cream stew. It was really strange as it was a Japanese texture to a western flavour, and not in a good way.What was funnier was that I actually made yuba, tofu skin!!!It was a complete failure, and if you are using soymilk, remember not to let them boil and definitely not for minutes.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MYmJB-foodFri, 25 Sep 2020 22:01:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MYmJB-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MPPr1-foodIn the past, I have found and really enjoyed these bite-size fried gyozas from the supermarket. But the one I had before was packing two kinds of ginger, and this one is filled with shrimp instead, so I had to try them.Usually, shrimp gyozas are more expensive, but I was glad that this was the same price as others. After reheating them up, I was presented with an amazing plate of crunchy snacks.Every mini gyoza was delicious, and the texture of the fillings was great too! Flavour-wise, I preferred the ginger gyoza, but this is definitely not far behind.If you find this, please do give it a try!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MPPr1-foodFri, 25 Sep 2020 22:01:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MPPr1-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MxLdP-food_medicalAny potato chip lover would understand my problem with opened potato chips. If a bag is opened, it is finished.But that is definitely not a healthy snack to have regularly, so I started this new habit.Instead of eating chips out of a bag, I put them onto a plate.But I also had the problem that I would just pour more and more and the plate basically becomes the whole bag.So, I am also using a kitchen scale. Then I check how much this bag weighs, and I measure exactly half of it. Being someone stubborn on numbers, I would limit myself to the exact gram that I will be eating, and I think this is a good idea.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MxLdP-food_medicalFri, 25 Sep 2020 12:25:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MxLdP-food_medicalhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/we9d4-food_transportationOne of the things that Domino's regular customers are used to now is watching the GPS tracker that shows were your driver is as they are on the way to deliver your pizza, but this was the first time I saw that it just straight up did not work.Presented with this screen of "Oops", I was not as happy since I had to wait without a way to expect when the pizza is coming.Looking it up online, it seems like the GPS in some other countries (ex. US) is just bogus, as it shows "what customers want to see" rather than what is really happening. But I think it generally works as they should in Japan, so perhaps the one time failure is an off case.Have you seen this screen before?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/we9d4-food_transportationFri, 25 Sep 2020 12:25:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/we9d4-food_transportationhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G0vRZ-foodAs summer is ending, mint chocolate items are slowly going away, and this is one of the last ones I found.This white chocolate-mint super cup is sold for about 110 yen. I thought: "I like mint, I like white chocolate, this should be good!"But to my surprise, the chocolate chips were just normal milk chocolate. They also did not taste like white chocolate.So what was white about this?Well, instead of the blue-green ice-cream, the mint ice-cream itself was white. I guess it was vanilla but I was not even sure. It was also milder than standard mint chocolate ice-cream.This was kind of a strange product.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G0vRZ-foodFri, 25 Sep 2020 12:24:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G0vRZ-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zKPgN-shopping_money_howtoIf you are looking for a method to purchase second hand things from sellers directly, be them used games, old toys, collector items or even clothes, electronics or furniture, the app Mecari is a good option.Since things are sold directly, the price is usually cheaper than what you would find in stores. You can also negotiate with the buyer if they are open to that. And the best part is that you do not need to go to a store, as they will ship them to you directly.I have saved plenty of money using the app, so I want to share how you can buy things on there too.1. First, sign up for an account.You would need your name, phone number, address, method of payment, etc. to sign up for an account. I remember it not taking a lot of time, and nothing I have never done before.2. Search for the itemIn the search bar, put in what you are looking for, and you will see all the listings available. Those sold would have a red banner next to them. The prices would be visible too.Make sure to check what the condition is: brand new, good, poor, etc.Also, pay attention to who is paying for the shipping. Most of the time the buyer would, but it also depends on how big the item is. If you are paying for it, then the shipping would be included in the final price or set as COD.You could also bargain in the comment box if you want to. Usually I can get the item to go 5-15% down, depending on what it is.3. Decide on one and click purchaseOnce you have found the one you fancy, the big red button at the bottom is to buy. Don't worry, as this is not the final step yet.4. Choose the method of paymentThere are several options.I have my credit card linked so that is how I pay. You could also pay at the convenience store or do a bank transfer. If you have money/points from selling items on Merukari (which I will write about in the future), you could use those too.5. Write a quick message to the buyerJust a quick arigatougozaimasu/yoroshikuonegaishimasu would do.6. Check the item and reviewFinally, once it has arrived, check the item to see if everything is included. If it is what you have expected, you can then leave a review (positive or negative) by clicking it. Writing is optional. Then the transaction is done!It is really simple, and in many ways, I have more fun shopping on the app than going to a store, as options are basically limitless!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zKPgN-shopping_money_howtoThu, 24 Sep 2020 16:20:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zKPgN-shopping_money_howtohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zDqa0-living_medicalI walked by a Toho Cinema in Tokyo, not to watch movies but just to see what was on.Then I saw this sign that Toho Cinema offers barrier-free services if you ask for them.One they have is a set of glasses that displays the subtitles in front of you as the movie goes on.Another is a smartphone with an audio guide.In related note, the poster also says that support dogs for audio/visual impairments can be brought in.Good on you for being inclusive, Toho Cinema!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zDqa0-living_medicalWed, 23 Sep 2020 22:23:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zDqa0-living_medicalhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z3BX2-food_moneyTopValu is of course a chain supermarket brand, so I did not have much expectations picking up this can of 9% for 78 yen.Seeing how this also had only 1% grape juice, I chose it only because it was a cheap way to get drunk on my walk home.But I was really surprised by how decent this was! Those 108 yen more expensive 9% Strong drinks have a weird alcohol aftertaste, and this one surprisingly did not!TopValu's Strong lacks in variety, but this grape drink is 100% satisfying and more than its worth. I will be going back for more of this!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z3BX2-food_moneyWed, 23 Sep 2020 22:23:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z3BX2-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GLQ8P-food_moneyOne of the best ways to save money on pizzas is by baking your own pizzas at home.Now, unless you plan on making your own dough, the next easiest way would probably be buying crusts and topping it off yourself.This milan style pizza crust is commonly found in plenty of supermarkets. For 400-500 yen, you get 5 crusts, and they are... okay.The thickness is good so you can get a pizza that is slightly crispy at the bottom. I enjoy that part.Some would prefer the no-edge shape, but it also means that it is easier for cheese to slip off as you bake.The bad thing is that they feel quite factory-made. Not the best, but given its availability, it is not a bad one either.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GLQ8P-food_moneyWed, 23 Sep 2020 22:23:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GLQ8P-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GOW6b-foodI bought this pack of green veggies just because I have never heard of "Tsurumurasaki", and hey, it is healthy, so why not give it a try?Looking it up online before cooking it, I learned that this is a slimy vegetable.After you cook it, it is just slimy in a similar way to the inside of okra, and it is just weird...I am okay with veggies but this was definitely not my jam. I had to suck it up and finish it. On the positive side, this is a really nutritious vegetable that is even better than spinach. So if you can stand slimy food, you might like this, but I will pass.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GOW6b-foodWed, 23 Sep 2020 10:05:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GOW6b-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MdvdB-livingI bought a meal from Wendy's the other day, and I always have a bit of guilt in using plastic cups and I felt that while drinking my lemonade on my way home.Then I thought "wait, no one ever said that these are one-time use only and cannot be reused."So for the rest of the day, I started drinking iced water and tea out of this cup.There is something about drinking from a plastic cup that makes it more fun. Instead of wasting plastic and money on buying them out, I am going to save this cup and drink out of it for at least another week.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MdvdB-livingWed, 23 Sep 2020 10:05:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MdvdB-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wZ3Wv-food_medicalI bought this pack of udon because it was on sale, but also because of it being zero salt.Since I was using it for a nabe which is quite high on sodium, having less salt would be good.The flavour was totally fine and I enjoyed it, but... why should a zero salt udon be more expensive? This is originally 75 yen just for one udon noodle, while cheaper udon are as cheap as 20 yen each.I never really thought about noodles like udon and soba having salt, but a healthier option that tastes the same is always good. If only it is cheaper.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wZ3Wv-food_medicalWed, 23 Sep 2020 10:04:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wZ3Wv-food_medicalhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zKPRN-foodA tofu shop would be the last place I walk into when I am looking for some pizza crust.Shigezo Tofu, however, made some, and they are both very affordable and really delicious!For 200 yen including tax, you get 5 crusts that feel like they were hand tossed.The center is thin and crispy after toasting, and the edge is really fluffy and filling. Compared to similar products I have bought from supermarkets before that were more expensive at around 250 yen for only 2 crusts, this tofu shop's offering is way superior.Shigezo Tofu products are not necessarily easy to find and the pizza crust might be a limited product, but I hope they will always carry them.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zKPRN-foodTue, 22 Sep 2020 14:25:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zKPRN-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GR17g-food_moneyAt a Round 1 arcade, I saw a pretty intriguing machine.It was a bunch of Monster energy drinks stacked on some claws, and the claw machine would open up if you land the light on it.Looking at how it was stacked, basically you have a 50% chance of landing your light on winning the price, which means 50% of losing too.Considering it was 100 yen a play, and a can of Monster is around 200 yen, it was either you lose 100 yen and get nothing, or you save a 100 yen on your can of Monster.It is a fun way to gamble for a drink, and for once, it sounds pretty fair!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GR17g-food_moneyTue, 22 Sep 2020 14:25:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GR17g-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wNWXj-foodKaramucho is always my favourite Japanese potato chips, but I found that the brand has a weird spin-off called Seafood Mucho.This spin-off is quite good, surprisingly. The salty seafood flavour of this bag is delicious. You open the bag up and you are presented to a great aroma that feels more expensive than normal chips.The texture, being Koikeya, is great as usual, but it is definitely the flavour that stands out!If Seafood Mucho becomes more of a brand, I would love to see what other seafood flavours they will create!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wNWXj-foodTue, 22 Sep 2020 14:25:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wNWXj-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GBqvO-livingI grew up with Digimon and always saw it as superior to Pokemon. The monsters were cool and the story was actually deep with character growth.So I was excited for the 2020 Digimon Adventure reboot, based on the same characters.The first three episodes... I have very mixed feelings about.It was an homage of Digimon Our War the movie and it is obvious. The plot was not really explained though, and instead, they get to put the focus on the beautiful fight scenes. Visually I was very satisfied, but plot-wise was minimal in the first three episodes. It was basically "this is the threat, and they are resolving it".Spoilers:What made me unhappy was that Omnimon appeared in ep.2 already. That was the strongest Digimon, so where will they go from here?The show is on Netflix for anyone interested.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GBqvO-livingMon, 21 Sep 2020 22:48:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GBqvO-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GyPd3-shoppingMy partner is still using an iphone 5s, and we wanted to get a new glass protector to replace to old.That is not as easy as I thought, as most electronics shops do not carry things for such old models anymore.Dollar stores do not have them anymore either, which would have been a great place to get one cheap.Second-hand sites like Merukari also gave me no luck.And the only place I found was Amazon, with a few affordable but definitely choices that were leftover stock some shops have. I mean, this one says "Galss Protector".But hey, we are the ones with iphone 5s, so we cannot be choosers. To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GyPd3-shoppingMon, 21 Sep 2020 22:47:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GyPd3-shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gojd9-foodI remember that I was once at a relative's house when I was little, and they made instant noodles for lunch for everyone. To add protein, they added a raw egg into each bowl. I forgot how good it was, if it was even good, so I tried it again recently.Mixing in the raw egg into the noodles, it disappears almost immediately. With the slurps, however, some slurps felt like they were coated with something slimy.Flavour-wise, the egg was not there at all, so this was more about the texture.I would definitely recommend you frying the egg or making a soft-boil egg over cracking in a raw one.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gojd9-foodMon, 21 Sep 2020 22:47:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gojd9-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GR1aY-shopping_moneyIf you shop on Merukari, there are some products called サーチ済 booster packs.These are card booster packs that the sellers have used a special tool to search through without opening the packs. They can identify the rare cards and remove them from the pile, and then they resell these packs for cheap, knowing they contain no rare cards.Of course, they make it clear on the post as well.So why did I buy them? Because they were really cheap!I bought this box of 60 packs for 1333 yen. It is basically 22 yen a pack, and a usual pack would have been 165 yen a pack!Sure, I will not be getting any rare cards, but I bought them to enjoy the feeling of opening packs, so this was satisfying enough.If you have not used Merukari but would like to sign up, consider using my referral code RNDTHH which would give both of us 500 yen points for free!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GR1aY-shopping_moneySun, 20 Sep 2020 12:07:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GR1aY-shopping_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GyP73-food_moneyAs much as I enjoy cheap Indian curry for take-outs, sometimes I do want to upgrade my nan to something more premium.One option I went for for the first time was to get the garlic nan for an extra 100 yen.I got home and opened the package to find myself welcomed by a delicious swift of a garlicy flavour.The nan was well covered with chopped garlic!The garlic was rather uncooked though, so I was glad that I was not planning to see anything after lunch. I would also recommend putting the slices into toaster ovens to roast the garlic a bit.For a 100 yen, this is worth making the otherwise plain nan more exciting, given that you had no plans to meet people afterwards.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GyP73-food_moneySun, 20 Sep 2020 12:07:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GyP73-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wZ30q-foodGetting a little bit bored of curry, I went back to my other favourite: hayashi rice (aka hashed beef).But I got one from my recent favourite Ginza brand, which is usually 200 yen a pack.The flavour of this package was really satisfying. It felt like it was cooked for hours upon hours.I was happy to find several solid chunks too, but digging deeper, I found that it was only 1 slice of beef and 2 big slices of mushrooms.Being hashed beef, I was hoping it was more beef...Great flavour though! I would get this again!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wZ30q-foodSun, 20 Sep 2020 12:07:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wZ30q-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z83pY-living_money_educationIf you are planning to pick up a Japanese textbook but did not want to spend, one option could be checking your local library.I found that at my library, they have a good selection of popular Japanese textbooks, including one that is super commonly used in Japan and overseas: Minna no Nihongo. Ayumi is another I have seen being used.However, the one that I used, Genki, which unlike the others all written in Japanese as it actually contained a good amount of English was not there.But still, being able to borrow it for free is always great, and it could motivate you to improve your Japanese.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z83pY-living_money_educationSat, 19 Sep 2020 16:59:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z83pY-living_money_educationhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mnx1J-foodI have just learned recently that the cheap transparent warabimochi that I buy for 100 yen are not real warabimochi.Instead, there are Japanese desserts of the real warabimochi that includes actual warabi-powder, which I still do not understand what it is exactly.What I know though is that they are double the price, as I bought this pack for 200 yen.They are also a whole lot more chewy and bouncy! It was a lot of fun to eat in terms of texture, and it was also really delicious!This pack served as two desserts for me, and they are so much better than the 100 yen "fake warabimochi". This is definitely worth it!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mnx1J-foodSat, 19 Sep 2020 16:59:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mnx1J-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gl5dX-food_shopping_moneyUsually, Ramen Walker, Ramen Pia and other similar magazines are great.Not only do they give you information about hundreds of ramen shops in your region, they also give you tons of coupons for bonus toppings. In fact, Ramen Walker even has several coupons for you to walk in for a FREE bowl of ramen from certain shops. The 900 yen book is not much at all for several bowls of free ramen.But this year I will be skipping it simply because I have not been able to go out to eat ramen at all!Having a magazine like this would only make me want to go out even more...To avoid the temptation and risking myself, I will unfortunately not purchase one this year.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gl5dX-food_shopping_moneySat, 19 Sep 2020 11:27:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gl5dX-food_shopping_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmjo8-living_foodI saw this package of 3 tororo, which I love, at the supermarket the other day. I bought it to enjoy it, but seeing the package says "honnori ajitsuki", I thought it included some seaweed too.Nori could be seaweed, and the "hon" part I thought was just referring to it being great, just like how there is "dashi" and "hondashi". Tsuki usually means "included" as well.So imagine my disappointment when I opened the package to find no seaweed included.Asking a friend, however, they told me that the honnori ajitsuke actually just meant that this is really flavourful.I still cannot help but to feel that I was tricked by the packaging!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmjo8-living_foodSat, 19 Sep 2020 11:27:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmjo8-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G0v41-foodI love takenoko chocolates, and recently I found a bag on sale, so I bought some as a treat for myself.The bag I got contained 8 small individual packages, which is horrible for the environment.What also sucked was that each individual package only contained 5 of these tiny bamboo-shoot shaped chocolates, so I usually end up eating two instead.For kids, I can see why this packaging style is good, despite the fact that it is still a huge waste of packaging.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G0v41-foodSat, 19 Sep 2020 11:26:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G0v41-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MYm3B-living_food_medical_healthThere is always the question of what you should eat when you are sick, and if you are a fan of Japanese anime/manga/drama, you should have probably witnessed a scene of the main character getting sick, and their love interest visiting them and cooking rice porridge for them.The great thing about having rice porridge when you are sick is that:1. It is hot food.2. It is easy to eat because it is quite watery, so you do not really need to chew.3. It is easy to digest.4. You can make a big pot and save some for later, as they are also easy to heat up again.It might seem complex, but it is extremely easy if you have a rice cooker at home, and that is another good thing to add to the list!If you did not know, most rice cookers you can get in Japan have the function of making porridge.With the "okayu" (おかゆ) button, you can put the rice and water in and it will cook a fluffy delicious meal for you. The amount is usually half of the size of the rice cooker itself.Just be aware that it takes a considerable amount of time to cook (1 hour plus on my machine), so it is better to put things in earlier and set a timer instead.Personally, I also prefer my porridge with more water, so I would put less rice to balance it out. People who like more gooey porridge (Chinese style) can cook it earlier and let the porridge sit in the cooker for a couple more hours.I actually like rice porridge without anything added, especially when I am sick, but those who find it way to plain to enjoy could add salt or have tsukemono on the side.People even put vegetables and even meat into the rice cooker when they make porridge, and that is an option to make them tastier. You can definitely find plenty of recipes online for how you can make your porridge fancier, but just remember that it might not be as healthy, and also make sure you do not put too much and cause it to overflow.This is a function that I do not use enough, but it is definitely an easy option for a hot filling meal that is especially perfect for when you are sick. If you have never used that function before, give it a try and you might be opened to a new world of Asian food.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MYm3B-living_food_medical_healthFri, 18 Sep 2020 15:43:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MYm3B-living_food_medical_healthhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/we9g4-shopping_moneyI have been up and at the computer refreshing the pages on amazon because I really wanted to pre-order and get a Playstation 5 on Day 1 when it comes out on Nov 12th.With its price at 49800 + tax, I was more than ready.It took 10 minutes for the pages to pop up, and another 5 for the pre-order buttons to show up. I know because I was refreshing nonstop.And when the button was finally available, I got through adding it to my cart and up to the point of choosing the payment method, and..."the item you have selected is no longer available from the seller"EDIT: I was checking it out in less than 30 seconds and I still could not get one. Just heard that it was because people used bots to auto-purchase when it was up.Another 15 minutes later, resellers are already posting them for MAD prices! I just wanted to game!Scalpers go to hell!!!!!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/we9g4-shopping_moneyFri, 18 Sep 2020 10:54:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/we9g4-shopping_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gojy9-food_moneyOne thing I LOVE doing is to add a raw egg into rice bowls that I eat.If you order a raw egg when you eat beef bowls or similar food, they usually cost you 50 yen for an egg.If you do it at home, however, each egg is just 20 yen for less. The eggs are not any different anyway, as eggs in Japan are really clean so you can eat them raw in general.It is so much cheaper that I basically never add eggs when I eat out. Instead, I get my serving for raw eggs whenever I make a rice-bowl dish for myself at home. To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gojy9-food_moneyThu, 17 Sep 2020 23:08:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gojy9-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wrVRe-living_shoppingIn the midst of remote work, I had a need for another small table at home.The one I ordered on Amazon was this Yamazen folding table that requires no assembly.For about 4700 yen, this table is not big but it does fit my laptop, a glass of water, and a book I need.The best thing is that since the table is foldable, I can easily store it away to make space when I no longer need to work at home as much.Decent price, good build, and the option of putting it away too, this is a pretty good foldable table!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wrVRe-living_shoppingThu, 17 Sep 2020 17:25:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wrVRe-living_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GOWg8-foodThe packaged meat by Ito Ham are usually pretty good, so I had faith in this premade grilled chicken with a butter soysauce.Without needing to cook, you can actually pop this whole package into the microwave to cook.I then put it over a bowl of rice to utilized the sauce too. The flavour of the peppery butter soysauce was delicious. A little sweet though.But what surprised me for better or worse was how tender the chicken thigh was. It was really soft, but it got to the point of being "too soft" that it was strange.For a easy meal though, this was quite nice.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GOWg8-foodThu, 17 Sep 2020 17:24:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GOWg8-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/we90b-foodI always find it funny (and lame) when a company names their product as a sentence, such is the case of this "warabimochi is a drink" drink for 250 yen.It did make the point clear and intrigued me to pick up this drink based on the sweet and chewy Japanese dessert.The drink is gooey, and you put the syrup and soy powder in and mix it for about 30 times before you drink.The texture is weird.... it is just really slimy. And within the slime, you might get small balls of soy powder that you did not mix well.But the biggest problem is that the drink itself is REALLY sweet.So, no, warabimochi is NOT a drink.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/we90b-foodWed, 16 Sep 2020 16:17:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/we90b-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MYm3m-food_shopping_moneyRemember my previous posts about the happoshu tax hike coming from October?I made sure I stocked up on some before the price goes up.... Well, maybe more than some. I bought 10 in one go (the Kohaku no Aki time limited happoshu which is absolutely delicious), and I plan to go back for more.If you think about how one can is usually 100 to 110 yen, the increase of 10 yen a can is quite a lot.So make sure you go pick up your favourite happoshu before the price goes up. I am planning to go pick up some White Belg next.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MYm3m-food_shopping_moneyWed, 16 Sep 2020 16:17:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MYm3m-food_shopping_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G6qv8-foodJapanese just loves having mayo on bread, don't they?Besides mayo and sauce on a hot dog bun, there is also this bacon + mayo on bread that you can find at most supermarkets for about 100 yen a piece.To make things better though, they actually had some baked cheese on top, and that helped add more texture so that the bread was not just creamy mayo.The bacon bits were quite good too, and the process of toasting the cheese also toasted the mayo, making it more delicious.This is not on my priority list, but I did enjoy this mayo-ful bread more than I thought, thanks to the cheese and bacon.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G6qv8-foodWed, 16 Sep 2020 16:17:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G6qv8-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mvj6E-food_moneyI walked by a Wendy's/First Kitchen the other day and saw that they were doing an anniversary sale this week.For 500 yen (including tax), you can get a Crispy Chicken or Spicy Crispy Chicken set, which would usually cost you 900 yen!Besides the burger, it comes with a medium drink and also medium flavoured fries, which they have some interesting flavours right now.However, instead of fries, you could also switch it for a bowl of chili!!!!!! It is pretty good too, and that is hard to find in Japan!This sale is only until 9/16, but it also says "part 2", so there might be something even better coming after that, hopefully.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mvj6E-food_moneyTue, 15 Sep 2020 22:45:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mvj6E-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zDq3x-foodYamazaki used to produce the oreos sold in Japan, but when their contact expired and Oreo productions turned to being China made, Yamazaki started to use the factories to make their own versions of oreos.Called Noir, this cookie looks very much like oreo, except the sakura pedals printed on the cookies.The flavour is where it matters, and I found this to be less sweet than oreos. That also helps me enjoy the taste of the cocoa cookies. What I really appreciate too is that the cream felt less "junky".Never thought I would say this, but knowing this is made in Japan and oreos sold in Japan are from China, I think I will give up on oreos for this!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zDq3x-foodTue, 15 Sep 2020 15:53:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zDq3x-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXQR4-foodMikuchu Juchu is a creamy drink that is supposed to be "fruity", just as how "fruity milk" is not really fruity.But I was intrigued by the bread offering that turned this softdrink into a cream.Sandwiched between the bread, I still do not understand which part of this drink is "fruity", but it did make for a really delicious sweet cream!In fact, the cream tasted like nothing that I have had before. This was really good!The sad news is that this is a limited item, so I hope I will come across this again.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXQR4-foodTue, 15 Sep 2020 15:53:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXQR4-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z83ad-foodI have been wanting to enjoy some beef dish, or better yet, delicious steak.But to save money, I found a nice pack of "butter pepper beef" at the supermarket.For about 130 yen per 100 gram, this pre-flavoured pack was really quick to cook and it was really delicious.The pepper sauce was great and the butter flavour really added another layer.Usually I do not enjoy corn with meat, but this actually reminds me of steak restaurants like Big Boy or Ikinari Steak.Instead of garlicy flavours or soysauce marinates, the butter pepper is now one of my new flavours!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z83ad-foodTue, 15 Sep 2020 15:52:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z83ad-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GyP76-foodRecently when I went to Cocoichi, I just wanted something different from their usual curry so I got their "spicy curry".The spicy was not about how hot it was, but that it used a good amount of spices with the cooked chicken.What made it really special was that the curry was also cooked with tomato, which me was actually a downside.The tomato flavour took away from the usual delicious Cocoichi curry, so as delicious as the spices were, I decided to go back to normal Cocoichi from now on.Not to mention this was more expensive, so I will have a cheaper and more delicious take out next time.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GyP76-foodMon, 14 Sep 2020 16:13:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GyP76-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MxL6o-shoppingI found this in my collection of random Doraemon things that I had saved up for years, so I designed to build it when I had a moment of down time.Thinking it would have been easy, it was actually slightly challenging because I could not understand which fold to use when the instructions were in Japanese.But I was really impressed by the details. They had a separate piece just to have standing engines!Oh, and it flies too! Toss it and it will be in the air for a good few seconds. This would have been a great build for kids to have fun with, or adults who love Doraemon such as me!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MxL6o-shoppingMon, 14 Sep 2020 16:13:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MxL6o-shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GojyX-foodKoike-ya has been making some corn snacks of interesting flavours.The Karaage flavour is one they recently released, and being a fan of karaage, I had to drink it.The "Rich black pepper" on the package was right. It really was peppery and that became quite spicy.The negative part was that it was lacking in everything else. Nothing about it reminded me of Japanese fried chicken, besides the fact that they are both unhealthy for me.As cool as the packaging looked it, this was a failure in getting the flavour right.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GojyX-foodMon, 14 Sep 2020 16:13:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GojyX-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z3B49-foodI saw a bottle of strawberry milk at the supermarket, and I had no had one in a long time, so I picked one up.But I did not look at the packaging carefully enough to notice the "Mild" on the package. It was indeed really mild, as it did not have nearly the same sweetness as standard ones.Maybe it was a good thing, as it seemed healthier, but it also was not that good so I was not sure how to finish it.Then I had the great idea of putting it into cereal, and the normal corn flakes become a real treat!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z3B49-foodSun, 13 Sep 2020 22:49:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z3B49-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zKPg1-foodKaramucho has been my go-to for spicy potato chips, but I recently picked up this bag of Karabi chips from Calbee.They are wavy, so compared to Karamucho, the texture is quite different.It was a good level of spiciness that I think most people could enjoy.But what blew my mind was how delicious it was. The savory flavours covered each chip equally, and I enjoyed every single chip in the bag!I think I still prefer thinner chips, but when I want something wavy, this will be my go-to from now on!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zKPg1-foodSun, 13 Sep 2020 22:48:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zKPg1-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z1bgA-foodSometimes I miss having a meal of just fried chicken, especially since I have not been out at all recently.So I tried to fill that void with this pack of spicy chicken fingers.After putting them in the toaster oven for about 7 minutes, they built up a crisp, and I enjoyed them with some ketchup.They actually tasted more like chicken nuggets from McDonalds, and at 260 yen for 260 grams, the price was not too bad either.But I definitely felt unhealthy for eating it. I would allow myself something like this but only once in a while.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z1bgA-foodSun, 13 Sep 2020 22:47:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z1bgA-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wNWbK-livingI was just walking next to a big road the other day, and I saw a young woman in her 20s do something I had never seen.She was crossing the street, and as she was crossing, she saw a cicada in the middle of the road, picked it up, and put it back onto a tree.Not only would I not pick one up myself due to a fear of bugs, I was surprised that the cicada also did not scream being picked up.Thinking about how cars would have run over the cicada, I thought she was did was really cool!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wNWbK-livingSat, 12 Sep 2020 21:57:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wNWbK-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zVP04-foodAs Autumn draws closer (while we are all still sweating like crazy), breweries are releasing autumn versions of their beers and happoshus.Asahi's Clear has their fall version with a beautiful can.It is also 6% rather than the usual 5%.The colour is a muddy brown, which is not as refreshing as the usual golden colour of the Clear.The taste reflects as much. I like Clear for the crisp but this Autumn ver is more rich, so it stops at an awkward middle. I would recommend the usual Clear over this.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zVP04-foodSat, 12 Sep 2020 21:57:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zVP04-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gl50E-food_shopping_moneyI went to a nearby drug store to buy noodles the other day, and I found a bunch of snacks being sold at a discount.All the snacks had in common was the "2020 Limited" design, with the Olympics mascots on the package.I checked the expiry date and they still have at least 9 months before expiring, but they were already on a 30% off sale, all "thanks" to this time sensitive logo.Maybe they are already making a new batch that says "2021 Limited" with the exact same design?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gl50E-food_shopping_moneySat, 12 Sep 2020 21:57:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gl50E-food_shopping_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z42e9-food_moneyKnowing that the tax of happoshu will be going up around 10 yen a can from October, I went to a drugstore to stock up but was faced with complete BS.The drugstore, Create, had already increased their happoshu prices by 10 yen, or maybe even 12 yen!Hold on, the sign they put up even says that the tax hike is happening from October, so basically the extra you are paying is only going to the store's pocket right now.Taxes are going to be bared by the customers and not the store anyway. Knowing people are planning to stock up, this is just plain evil.So I walked out immediately.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z42e9-food_moneyFri, 11 Sep 2020 17:49:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z42e9-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mdv0K-foodThis series has been a big hit for me, both for being delicious and for being cheap for 100 yen a can.Their Shikuwasa offering, unfortunately, fell a bit short.I expected more of the fruity flavour like their lemon, or a sweeter drink like their grapefruit.But this was either, and I could not help but feel like it was just lacking. It was like a club soda with vodka poured into a can that had something citrus earlier.It was not bad and still gave me a good buzz, but it is at the bottom for me.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mdv0K-foodFri, 11 Sep 2020 17:49:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mdv0K-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MEPXD-living_shoppingI signed up for an Yamato account forever ago, and I think at some point, I linked my LINE account with it too.It turned out to be a good idea, because it is quite handy.Not only do I get notifications a day before packages arrive, I can also have a "conversation" to schedule the delivery.By putting in simple inputs like "Friday morning", "Monday after 6", their AI gives me some options and reschedules it for me.It was weird talking to a bot and have consequences, but it was really easy, and definitely better than me logging into their website and all.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MEPXD-living_shoppingFri, 11 Sep 2020 11:14:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MEPXD-living_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z1bgo-foodIf you want something sweet and fluffy that also has a Japanese flavour, this brown sugar steamed cake is a good option.Using brown sugar from Okinawa, this cake sold for about 160 yen is pre-cut and it is heavy enough to satisfy you multiple times.You can simply rip a slice off for an afternoon snack, especially if you enjoy with some Japanese tea.I really like how simple the flavour is. It is definitely on the sweet side, but the brown sugar adds uniqueness to this.Decent price, good amount, this is a dessert/snack that I quite enjoy.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z1bgo-foodFri, 11 Sep 2020 11:14:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z1bgo-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GBqRD-foodSuntory's Rich Malt happoshu came out with a 6% autumn edition, and it is excellent.Called Kohaku no Aki, the dark can design signals the roasted wheat used to make this delicious drink.It is so rich and profound that it did not taste like a 110 yen can at all.The amber colour is also a beauty.Please give this a try, and if you do like it, stock up before it is gone and/or before the October tax hike.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GBqRD-foodThu, 10 Sep 2020 23:24:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GBqRD-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MxLOo-foodI am not a fan of Japanese breakfasts. Rather than rice and savory items, I prefer toast and jam.The jam I always go for is this St. Dalfour brand, which is from France, apparently.Besides having a sweet delicious flavour, it also contains a good amount of fruits for texture.But the main reason why I prefer this is that it contains no added sugar. Of course, it does not mean that it is healtht, but healthier than the cheaper jams out there.It also means that this jar is not cheap. For 500 yen a jar, you can find it from Kaldi Coffee or Seijo Ishi. It is great though and I have not found anything better.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MxLOo-foodThu, 10 Sep 2020 23:24:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MxLOo-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MPPJn-food_moneyAs you may or may not have heard, there are some tax changes coming from October. Beer will be getting a tax cut so they will get cheaper by about 7 yen per 350mL, meanwhile, low malt beers (happoshu) will be getting more expensive by about 10 yen a 350mL can.So you know I will be crying about that.But I was also kind of disappointed when I went to Aeon the other day and saw their sign.They wrote that happoshu will be getting more expensive, so you better stock up. Sounds like a friendly note, right?BUT, they purposefully NOT tell you that beers will be getting cheaper, just in case that will deter you from buying.They might seem friendly but they are not your friends.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MPPJn-food_moneyThu, 10 Sep 2020 00:24:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MPPJn-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wZ31q-foodDuring the summer season, we see the mizu, or water, variations of Japanese snacks. Mizu-yokan, mizu-manju. They are more jelly or gummy-like versions of the normal variants, and usually having the same red bean fillings.But I had never seen mizu-daifuku until passing by it at a supermarket the other day.The pack of 5 was about 200 yen, each filled with a red bean paste filling that is also slightly salted, because it is summer.It is the outside that is different. The gummy-like wrapping was very fun to bite into as you reach into the sweet paste.I can see that this would not be everyone's thing, but when you are in Japan, everything is worth at least one try.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wZ31q-foodThu, 10 Sep 2020 00:24:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wZ31q-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GojoX-foodAcerola has always been a good flavour to have in alcoholic drinks. It subtle sweetness goes well with carbonation, and I enjoy them.This can of Okinawa chuuhi is no different. It is sweet (and sugary), and it went well with my dinner.But what I found really interesting was when I turned the can around and saw this drawing of a woman's face. She is supposed to represent the farmers, I guess? I just did not expect it and that made me spill the drink a bit, revealing that this drink also has a pale pink colour to it. Anyway, I have yet to try an acerola drink that is bad.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GojoX-foodThu, 10 Sep 2020 00:24:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GojoX-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MYm0m-foodLast time, I shared how I add milk into miso ramen at times for extra creaminess. I hope some people did try it.Today, I want to share another trick to make your miso ramen more exciting at home.It is as simple as getting your bottle of mixed herbs and adding a shake.The flavour of the herbs spread in the soup and its fragrance mix with the sweetness of miso ramen broth. They are surprisingly well matching.If you trust me enough, add some milk AND herbs into miso ramen. Let me know how you like it!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MYm0m-foodTue, 08 Sep 2020 21:25:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MYm0m-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z1b4A-foodApple House is not a great name for a pastry, but it did make a bit more sense once I ate it.This supermarket pastry has everything: danish outside, apple filling, and a spongecake in the middle.So I guess the danish is housing everything else inside...?Anyway, I was really surprised that this turned out to be really delicious! The apple fillings were tasty, and the sponge cake melts alongside the apple fillings to turn into some kind of delicate dessert, but housed in a buttery pastry.Getting all three flavours and three very different textures in one was great. I highly recommend this!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z1b4A-foodTue, 08 Sep 2020 21:25:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z1b4A-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z3Br9-foodI remember eating Ottotto as an imported snack when I was a kid. They are corn snacks that are just shells with nothing inside, so each one has a big crunch, and they are shaped like sea creatures for some odd reason.The SUPER Ottotto I found was basically the same thing, but they were all twice as big.The spicy mala flavour was just an add-on that did not contribute much to my experience. What I enjoyed the most was as always, the satisfying crunch with each sea creature shaped snack.This is a snack that is more fun than yummy, plus a bit of nostalgia for me too.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z3Br9-foodTue, 08 Sep 2020 21:24:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z3Br9-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zKPQ1-shopping_moneyI was in the market for a good pair of earphones that would fit my ears, especially for when I sleep (I need to listen to something to fall asleep).My recent purchase did not fit well for sleeping, so after doing a good amount of research, I landed on these Panasonic Real Bass Mix earphones.For 1000 yen a pair, they come in some funky colours that I enjoy.The deep fit is also true. They go rather deep so not a whole lot is sticking out of your ears.The bass was lacking and the sound quality is what it is for 1000 yen, but I got them more for the form factor and they are good earphones to sleep with.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zKPQ1-shopping_moneyTue, 08 Sep 2020 16:45:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zKPQ1-shopping_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wNWpK-foodThose who know of the Orion beer brand probably recognize it as the beer from Okinawa with a refreshing taste.As a fan of cheaper alternatives, I am quite fond of their low-malt Southern Star.Made in the same factory as their beers, this can is just around 110 yen, half of what normal beer would be.But it gives me the same clean and crisp taste I expect and enjoy from Orion beers.If you see it as a local supermarket, give it a try!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wNWpK-foodTue, 08 Sep 2020 16:45:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wNWpK-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MdvnK-living_moneyBowling is not cheap, but more importantly, it is not easy.While I enjoy knocking the 10 pins over, it is difficult to put money into practicing something that I am really bad at and would hurt my wrist for days to come.At DECKS in Odaiba, however, there is this retro mini bowling machine that you can play a full game for 100 yen.The balls are small. Bigger than a skeeball but still palm size.You do not actually knock the pins over, but you roll over the guards under the floating pins instead, and the game removes the pins you have knocked over.To be honest, since I am bad at bowling, I actually enjoy this way more, and I play it every single time I go to Odaiba.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MdvnK-living_moneyMon, 07 Sep 2020 21:30:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MdvnK-living_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MEPYD-foodIt is commonly known how crazy expensive melons in Japan can get, so while I never buy them, I was really glad to have received one as a gift.This Fukui melon was rather heavy, and when we cut it open, the juice just poured all over the cutting board. It was really sweet, so we saved it up to enjoy later.Cutting them into cubes turned out to be the best way to enjoy them now and to store for later by freezing them. Every bite was so juicy, I really understand why this is more of a rare delicacy than a daily enjoyment.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MEPYD-foodMon, 07 Sep 2020 21:30:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MEPYD-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXQv4-foodIf I was to rank my favourite donuts, French crullers would definitely be within the top three. The sweet grazed chewy donut with the chocolate dip is almost perfect, but this Yamazaki ring did not do it for me.Everything sounded perfect on paper, including the part about the whipped cream filling, but it was also the cream that failed the hardest with it being super dry and tasteless.The chocolate also lacked in flavour and did not tie everything together as it should. It was quite a broken donut in terms of taste.I need to go back to Mr. Donuts to get a better one next time to make up for it.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXQv4-foodMon, 07 Sep 2020 21:30:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXQv4-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G7RQn-living_transportationI saw this poster and stopped for about 5 minutes to read everything on it.This poster of "stop violence" describes how "one punch" (lol) could change your whole life.Then it gave some stats, particularly that in 2019, there were 581 cases of violence towards train conductors.That got me thinking:- Why are train conductors targetted?- How often were the attackers drunk?- Does this amount of cases warrant a campaign specifically for train conductors?- I mean, DV and violence against old people are probably really serious too, right, but I have seen more posters about protecting train conductors than about DV in Japan.My thoughts kept coming, but the message of the poster never left my head. It was quite effective for its purpose after all. To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G7RQn-living_transportationMon, 07 Sep 2020 00:30:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G7RQn-living_transportationhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmjW8-foodWhat I purchased for 100 yen and thought was a steamed bread turned out to be a steamed cake. The moment I realized my mistake, I did not know what to expect of this anymore.But this cute soft dessert was also really delicious.This "egg cake" is layers of super soft cake sandwiching rich sweet custard. The sweetness is satisfying but not too much. Just perfect for me.It was also quite filling even though it was soft and airy. It must have been the rich custard. Would definitely get again!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmjW8-foodMon, 07 Sep 2020 00:30:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmjW8-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GyPr6-foodKit-kat is huge in Japan, especially when Japan has a lot of creative flavours for this snack.One that I have been seeing lately as a regular was the houji-cha, as a part of the "sweetness level for adults" line, implying that it is generally more bitter and not necessarily something the kids would like.But from the first one, I found that this houji-cha kit-kat to be really sweet, extremely sweet!So sweet that I could not tell what part of it was the "tea" flavour!I will be sticking with the dark chocolate from now on.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GyPr6-foodSun, 06 Sep 2020 10:11:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GyPr6-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G6qO9-living_moneyThere once was my favourite Wani Wani Panick, my favourite arcade game...... and then I discovered Kani Kani Panick!The idea is basically the same, but rather than the alligators (or crocodiles? Still don't know) coming to bite at you, you see crabs running from left to right or vice versa.What I really like about this is that you are watching both the left and right sides. You can also memorize how many crabs you have on each side to help anticipate. If you get the timing right, you can even do a downward Thor smash and hit two or three crabs at a time for maximum satisfaction. 100 yen per round, but I can play this all day!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G6qO9-living_moneySun, 06 Sep 2020 10:11:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G6qO9-living_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GOWQ8-foodI would not call myself a huge fan of senbei, as I like snacks to be junkier. So the one senbei that I really love is Kabuki-age, where senbeis are deep fried, and it is just so oily and delicious.This bonchi-age is a mini-version of kabuki-age. I suppose the bonchi is the basin shape that each one takes.I loved this. With each one being a mini bite-size snack, I enjoyed every piece I tossed into my mouth for a crunch.Each package comes with 4 littles bags and it only costs 100 yen. A good snack to have!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GOWQ8-foodSun, 06 Sep 2020 10:10:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GOWQ8-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z835d-food_shopping_moneyDue to the prolonged rainy season followed by the heat, vegetables have been really expensive lately and only started to drop in price very recently.With veggies being so darn expensive, I have been taking advantage of the near-expiry vegetables at local supermarkets.Sometimes they pack together some bad-looking vegetables and even chop off parts that have turned bad already and throw them into a bag to sell for cheap.This bag, for instance, had two halves of goya, one carrot, three cucumbers and even asparagus. If bought normally, it would have cost me about 450 yen, but this was 60 yen!60 yen!I had to cook them soon, but definitely worth it! Keep an eye out in the future!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z835d-food_shopping_moneyFri, 04 Sep 2020 17:54:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z835d-food_shopping_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MYmom-foodThere is something about umeboshi rice balls that make them feel cheap, but I always end up getting one.Umeboshi on rice with nothing else is like the saddest bento you can ever find someone eating. I am also not that good with umeboshi as I find them too sour.But when they are onigiri, the salted rice, and the seaweed somehow neutralize the overpowering sourness and manages to turn it sweet.There might not be any meat or fish, but I am drawn to umeboshi onigiri more than I can explain.What about you? Do you go for umeboshi rice balls?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MYmom-foodFri, 04 Sep 2020 17:53:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MYmom-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MnxkJ-food_shoppingI enjoy those "lunch pack" sandwiches a lot, especially their sweet offerings.So I was excited to try this Craft Boss Latte coffee variation, especially as breakfast. Bread and coffee, two in one, what could go wrong?And nothing did. It was delicious. The cream was delicious and even slightly bitter as coffee should be. I was very happy about this Craft Boss Latte collaboration.... Until I read this line at the bottom of the package: "Craft Boss Latte was not used in this product".???So it was only there for the name? Where should my praise for the coffee cream go? What was the point? Craft Boss you liar!!! (Still delicious though)To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MnxkJ-food_shoppingFri, 04 Sep 2020 10:31:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MnxkJ-food_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GyPO6-foodWhen I think about savory fried junk food in Japan, my mind usually goes to two things: potato chips and corn snacks.But there is another thing that has always been my favourite: Baby Star fried noodle snacks.These deep fried crunchy noodles are flavoured and chopped up into pieces. They really are small so they are difficult to pick up, so I usually open the bag and just pour them into my mouth directly like a savage.With peanuts added into the bag (which I heard that some versions sold outside of Japan do not have peanuts), these make a perfect snack to have with a beer.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GyPO6-foodFri, 04 Sep 2020 10:30:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GyPO6-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wrVOe-foodI bought a can of simmered salmon for 100 yen and I was really happy about it, until I read the package again to find that I missed a word: bones.Nervously, I opened the can and really picked up, well, the bones of the salmon with some meat surrounding it.Not sure how to enjoy it, I just put some into my mouth...... Slap me silly, this is amazing!The simmered bones were super soft and so was the meat around it. Being cooked only in salt, there was also no other flavours to distract them!Suddenly, I was glad that I bought this by mistake, and even more glad that I actually bought two cans.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wrVOe-foodThu, 03 Sep 2020 12:35:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wrVOe-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MpOvn-livingYugioh's official free app, Neuron, has an impressive feature that I just discovered.You can use the camera on your device to take a picture of a card, and the app will recognize what card it is!It worked really well with single cards, and while it is supposed to work with multiple cards too, it was buggy when I tried it.But yet, this was such an amazing feat as this can make decklist sharing super simple.Heck, this could even be used to developed games in the future where you can scan in your physical cards to unlock cards in a game, or see your card show up as AR monsters!This could be the next big step in card game tech!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MpOvn-livingThu, 03 Sep 2020 12:35:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MpOvn-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G6qp8-foodGoing through the packaged bread aisle, you would for sure see the sausage on an opened bun, almost like a hot dog.However, you would also often find the version with mayonnaise all over the sausage and bun.Sometimes the mayo is toasted and that makes it better, but usually they are not, and they just make the hot dog really slimy.Compared with ketchup and mustard, I really cannot say that mayo goes well with a wiener despite my general fondness of mayo on food.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G6qp8-foodThu, 03 Sep 2020 12:34:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G6qp8-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GR1A2-foodThis is perhaps the best way to level up any melon-pan you bought at the supermarket.All you need are:- good old boring melon-pan (mine was chocolate chip melon-pan)- ice-cream (I prefer vanilla for this)First, toast your melon-pan until it is slightly browned on top.Next, enduring the burning sensation on your hand as you attempt to cut the melon-pan in half.Then, place a beautiful amount of ice-cream in between the melon-pan.Close it. And finally, take a bite of heaven.This is so easy to do it makes me question why it took me 8 years to finally do it myself. Don't be stupid and waste time like I did, and enjoy!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GR1A2-foodWed, 02 Sep 2020 14:51:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GR1A2-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GR1bY-food_medicalI have been eating slightly less packaged curry, but this has been one of my recent favourites.Partially it is for the reason that each package comes with one meal's worth of veggies, but it is how each package, like this one, actually have satisfying chunks of veggies.The rings of eggplants were cooked soft and fun to chew into. The tomato flavour adds a lot to the otherwise blend curry sauce. This was one curry that I would not be surprised to be served at a restaurant for 800 yen or so!Consider the nutritions and price, this is one curry I should eat more of.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GR1bY-food_medicalWed, 02 Sep 2020 14:51:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GR1bY-food_medicalhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z1bXA-foodI was disappointed when I recently went to a Goncha to find that they removed a lot of their milk-less options, which was crazy thinking about this hot season!Instead, they started this new fruit vinegar line up.With a fruity vinegar and fruity konnyaku jelly, you can get it with milk (ehhh) or with carbonated water.I got the latter with pineapple fruit vinegar and a passion fruit jelly.It was actually really really refreshing! Not what I go to Goncha for, but nonetheless a delicious drink for the summer.The downside was that there was no large size available, so the 600 yen drink was over quite soon.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z1bXA-foodTue, 01 Sep 2020 14:40:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z1bXA-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MnxXR-moneyWhen the consumer tax went from 300 yen to 400 yen, there was a fear that it was going to kill gachapon because these coin-operated machines cannot really increase their price by 2%. So started the pricing point of 400 yen gachapon toys!Until recently, I have only seen 200 yen, 300 yen and the occasionally rare 500 yen (usually super high quality Gundam toys).With the new 400 yen toys, which is still not common yet, the quality is also pretty good, but I can also see this to start to become a new common and 200 yen ones start to fade away...To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MnxXR-moneyTue, 01 Sep 2020 14:40:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MnxXR-moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmjmv-foodAs the package suggests, this fried bread contains an entire fried minced meat katsu. Compared to most supermarket bread, this was definitely one of the heaviest (and highest in calories too).As I always do with fried bread, I gave it a slight toast to make it better.After a bite in, it sure did have a whole fried katsu inside.Then I realized that the texture was really fun, because I was biting in a crunchy outside, then into soft bread, then another crunchy coating, and finally into the meat.I was quite full after just this one bread, so if you are not thinking about health, this is one bread that is worth the yen.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmjmv-foodTue, 01 Sep 2020 14:40:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmjmv-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Goj2X-shopping_moneyPikachu is overrated. I love Raichu. Okay, that strong statement should explain why I spent about 1000 yen to try to get this Raichu plushie, although I also walked away empty-handed.However, after me, there was this high school boy who was out with a group of friends, like about 10 high school kids, with 6 girls and 4 boys in the group.He started to try for it too, and failed, and again, and failed, and again, and failed.I walked around and came back and he was still there. By that time, he must have tried at least 15 times.But he could not give up and walk away. Why?1. He was with a group of friends and he was already invested.2. Another boy had won a prize and other girls were surrounding him.and 3, perhaps the most important one, when the group walked else there and he was still there, one particular girl stayed and witness his effort!With the girl, possibly the love of his life there, of course he could not just give up. I did not watch to the very end, but I hope he did get it at the end, and bonus points if he gave the Raichu to the girl at the end of the day.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Goj2X-shopping_moneyMon, 31 Aug 2020 19:10:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Goj2X-shopping_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zKPr1-foodPreviously I tried and really enjoyed this special "yellow" ramen from Sapporo, Hokkaido. The yellow comes from its unique colour created by the infused onion.But last time I had the salt soup, and this time I picked up the soy sauce version, and it is by far the best-packaged noodles I have ever had.As mentioned in the past, the noodles themselves are superb in texture and flavour, but this time it was the soy sauce soup base that really impressed me.Rather than a blend soy sauce, this had plenty of flavours as well as the perfect amount of lard to make the soup feel premium. It really was a noodle I would expect from a shop and not just a package.But again, considering how they are 500 yen for two noodles, they have to be THAT good to justify the price.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zKPr1-foodMon, 31 Aug 2020 19:10:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zKPr1-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXQd5-living_moneyIf you are a fan of retro arcade video games, particularly ridable ones, you would be pleased to find the Super Hang-on arcade machine at Decks in Odaiba.For a 100 yen a round, this old but working arcade machine has you riding on your motorcycle to race through check points for added time.But the big draw is of course the fact that you actually ride on them and tilt your body left and right to turn, and despite how old it is, the game is surprisingly sensitive too!Just for a taste of physical retro gaming, this is worth seeking out.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXQd5-living_moneyMon, 31 Aug 2020 19:09:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXQd5-living_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z83VA-foodIn Japan, canned tuna is also sometimes called "sea chicken", and someone had the twisted mind to make a bread using canned chicken and sea chicken and call it a "collaboration". The package made it look it the bread would be split half-half, but it was actually just one bread with both "chickens" mixed together with mayo and other seasonings.As a fan of mayo-tuna, this was actually really delicious. Although less fishy, the texture was more solid and satisfying than just one type.I got to express my surprise and say that I whole-heartedly enjoyed this! Definitely would get it again!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z83VA-foodMon, 31 Aug 2020 19:09:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z83VA-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wrV70-living_medicalI laughed really hard when I saw this at Diver City in Odaiba there the lifesized Unicorn Gundam is, and it was just so perfect.The cardboard cut out of Unicorn Gundam has its hand placed over this automatic hand sanitizer.The line on the board even uses a line similar in the anime but changed to say "Let's keep our hands clean. Show me how you sanitize your hands!"Kids would definitely clean their hands with this!Whoever came up with this deserves a raise for their creativity. To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wrV70-living_medicalSun, 30 Aug 2020 01:10:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wrV70-living_medicalhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wNWVZ-foodI feel like there are plenty of fried chicken specialty shops that have won some kind of fried chicken award as if the awards are being handed out easily to help each other boost sales, but it was my first time seeing award-winning chicken wings at a supermarket.The wings I picked up at Summit were not necessarily cheap, being almost 100 yen per wing.Immediately I was faced with the downside when I realized that they were cold, and I had to pop them into the toaster oven.While hot and crispy, the wings were good but not great. Too peppery but surprisingly not salty enough. It made me question the awards once again.It is hard to trust supermarket wings. I will go back to izakaya's in the future, as they will at least be served hot.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wNWVZ-foodSun, 30 Aug 2020 01:09:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wNWVZ-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GyPJ5-foodI had been craving for Mexican food lately, and that was when I came across this taco and cheese packaged bread.The bread was fried, so I gave it a light toast before eating it. With most Mexican food I can find in Japan, I had a very low expectation. The result was decent but nothing mindblowing. A chili flavour was there with tiny bits of meat and small chunks of cheese, but there was really nothing much to the texture.The fried bread itself was probably the best thing about it. Overall, it did not really resolve my craving for Mexican food.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GyPJ5-foodSun, 30 Aug 2020 01:09:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GyPJ5-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z1bOD-shoppingI always enjoy looking at Gachapon machines even if I had no plans to get anything.One day, however, I saw that there was an abandoned gacha toy sitting on top of a roll of gachapon machines. It was really sad. Opened, but still kept in a package, so after confirming it was there even an hour later, I picked it up to give it a home."Who would have just spent 200 yen on a gacha and immediately left it there?", I thought.I opened it for a closer look at home. It was a little green frog. Quite realistic looking, very detailed... hold on.What's wrong with its teeth!??!??!?!??!?!?!??That must have given a shock to whoever got it if they did not expect these explosive front teeth. Now I understand why it was abandoned. (But I am still going to keep it)Also, what's wrong with the designer? Who came up with this?? One of the numerous unsolved questions about gachapons.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z1bOD-shoppingFri, 28 Aug 2020 21:44:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z1bOD-shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Goj6v-foodShine Mascot, for those who do not know, is this crazy delicious type of green grapes that goes for 2500-4000 yen a pack at supermarkets. A true delicacy. So this melon-pan filled with shine mascot cream really caught my eyes. How good could it be?It was, unfortunately, not really good.As a melon-pan, it was really flat and wet. The cream kept the bread moist but not in a good way. And the cream tasted... kinda like green grapes but not really?At the end of the day, this just took the name of shine mascot and hyped me up to disappoint. To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Goj6v-foodFri, 28 Aug 2020 21:43:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Goj6v-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MYmjg-foodMy body trembled a bit when I picked up this bottle at the supermarket.The Tabasco brand Scorpion Sauce. Using Scorpion peppers, this is 10 times spicier than standard Tabasco pepper sauce, and I got it for 200 yen.Looking at the ingredients, it actually added guava and pineapple to probably make it LESS spicy.Went home both excited and scared, I put one thick drop on a slice of pizza toast...... and it absolutely kicked my butt. It was so spicy that I started sweating immediately and stood up to get some grape juice.One single drop and it destroyed me, and I still have a whole bottle left to finish...EDIT: I put a couple of drops into a mild packaged curry, and it completed changed the taste and got me jumping. Not sure how I am going to finish this bottle!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MYmjg-foodFri, 28 Aug 2020 00:25:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MYmjg-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z3BOP-foodOne particular Japanese food has always intrigued me: Yakisoba-pan.This double carb combo of yakisoba (fried noodles) on a hot dog bun is always sold as a favourite for highschoolers, but if you look at the fried noodles, they have almost no ingredients other than the noodles.With that said, they really go well together!The sweetness of the hot dog bun somehow brings the flavour of the noodles out really well! While it might be a mess, eating it is really satisfying too.But I just cannot help but think about this carb-on-carb combo.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z3BOP-foodFri, 28 Aug 2020 00:24:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z3BOP-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zKPVK-foodOkay, some might argue that the pudding in Japan are more east than west, but this was the concept of this line of desserts.This pudding dorayaki had two fluffy pancakes sandwiching a layer of pudding and whipped cream, and it was absolutely delicious!The pudding was more on the chewy side to add texture, and it alongside the caramel sauce were great with the taste of the dorayaki pancake.The cream was a bit underwhelming but I assumed it was there to keep the pudding in place.As much as I love normal dorayaki, I would go for this instead anyday. To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zKPVK-foodFri, 28 Aug 2020 00:24:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zKPVK-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmjYv-livingBeing stuck at home is not great, especially during summer and spent the whole obon holiday at home without going out.To cope with the lack of adventures, I have been coping with video games.Specifically, I have been playing more First-Person Games on my projector with the game displayed on the wall.After closing the curtains and laying on the futon, I felt like I was visiting planets in Star Wars Battlefront 2 for a couple of hours, and then fought closely with my team in Overwatch to capture the location.I might not be going out in real-life, but it does help me a bit to feel that I have been adventuring.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmjYv-livingThu, 27 Aug 2020 16:26:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmjYv-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zKPaK-food_moneyI have found a new favourite sake!This Shika Cup Sake is available at a lot of places. I bought it at an Aeon supermarket for around 100 yen.And in terms of nihonshu of this price point, this was one of the smoothest sake I have had.It went down really well while packing some alcoholic kick to it. I enjoyed it so much that it was gone before I had realized.Again, for just 100 yen, this is hard to beat! I would recommend everyone to give it a try!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zKPaK-food_moneyThu, 27 Aug 2020 16:25:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zKPaK-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Goj8v-food_medicalBeer and low-malt beer are not necessarily high in sugar content, but you better check them before buying them, particularly the cheapest 80 yen range stuff.Many of them are fine, but this can of Gent Plus blew my mind.A whopping 13.5 grams of sugar!Oh wow... that is the highest I have seen in a can of happoshu, or possibly any canned alcoholic drinks!Sure, the "rich" stuff usually use more sugar, but most are at 4 grams, 6-7 on the higher end, and this is double of that!Avoid this at all cost!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Goj8v-food_medicalWed, 26 Aug 2020 14:42:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Goj8v-food_medicalhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wNW0Z-foodI would have ever expected to find a junk food snack that is fried kasho pepper, chicken and nuts.Peppers and nuts, sure, but not fried puffs made of actual chicken meat. This was basically a dish of Chinese food turned into a snack!And this snack is absolutely delicious! The chili pepper and kasho peppers are really spicy, and the nuts and chicken are salty. It really satisfied my taste buds on many fronts.In fact, I enjoyed it so much that I stopped myself halfway to save some to pour over rice the next day, and it was excellent.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wNW0Z-foodWed, 26 Aug 2020 14:42:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wNW0Z-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z83bA-livingIt seemed like there was a typhoon that just went by Japan several days ago. While the storm was quite intense with super frequent lightning and thunder for over an hour, it also brought the prettiest gift of nature that I have seen in the past few months.Looking out the window at home after the storm had passed, I saw two full rainbows across the sky.This was one of those moments that I felt appreciative of the wonders of nature. I definitely need more positivity like this in my life right now.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z83bA-livingTue, 25 Aug 2020 11:31:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z83bA-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z1brD-living_shoppingAs I bring reused plastic bottles or stainless bottles with me when I go out on walks, I find that the condensation on the bottles sometimes gets my bags wet.So my partner got me this super adorable bottle cover.Bought at Can-Do, a 100 yen job, this Shiba dog fits over most of the bottles I have.Best yet, it is just so cute that even when I bring room-temp bottles out, I put this over just so I can see it.Add a fold on the mouth to make it 3D and it can take my heart.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z1brD-living_shoppingTue, 25 Aug 2020 11:31:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z1brD-living_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GyP95-foodUnlike Cheetos with their standard flavours, Koikeya has been exploring different flavours for their corn snacks, one of which is this Genovese cheese flavour.I opened the bag and was welcomed to the aroma of basil. I appreciate that the ingredient did not list "basil powder" or "basil seasoning", but just straight up "basil". Garlic was the same too.It smelled really good, and unfortunately, that is where it stops.Taste-wise, it was okay. The cheese was not really there, and for a bag of snacks like this, I expected it to be a bit saltier.Of course, I finished it in no time, but it did not impress me like how its aroma did.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GyP95-foodTue, 25 Aug 2020 11:31:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GyP95-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gl5K8-foodThis is one of my favourite things to do when eating miso ramen at home.Just go to your fridge, take out your pack of milk, and add just 30-50mL into your miso ramen, regardless if it is instant, packaged or even cup noodles.In return, balance it out by using just a bit less water than usual.It adds this delicious creaminess to the soup, and a bit of white or black pepper draws out the miso from the milk even more.In case you think I went crazy, milk miso ramen IS a thing, particularly some Hokkaido ramen shops, but you can easier do this at home too.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gl5K8-foodMon, 24 Aug 2020 17:22:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gl5K8-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GR1V2-foodIf you go to a Japanese Chinese restaurant (or Chuka restaurant) and order yuurinchi chicken, you would be treated to a plate of super crispy and freshly fried chicken topped with green onions and a very light soy sauce.This yuurinchi bento totally missed the mark, unfortunately.The chicken was not crispy in any way. By putting the sauce and green onion on top, the outside of the chicken was wet and soggy before I even microwaved it.The sauce was also strangely sour, a flavour used for some other types of Chinese food and not this one.Because I enjoy yuurinchi chicken so much, this was a disappointment. To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GR1V2-foodMon, 24 Aug 2020 17:22:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GR1V2-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z3B7P-foodWhen I first came to Japan, Calbee was my go-to for potato chips. They are probably the biggest chips brand in Japan, but slowly I have found myself drawn to Koikeya's chips more and more.Koikeya is great for one thing: rich flavours. Their Rich Consomme chips, for example, have every chip evenly flavoured, and each chip satisfies what I wanted from a bag of junk food.I also really like how thin and crispy they are. Calbee might the biggest, but Koikeya's quality might just be a bit higher in my book. To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z3B7P-foodMon, 24 Aug 2020 17:21:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z3B7P-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/we9Nr-shopping_moneyIf you frequent a Namco Arcade and have not downloaded their app, it is worth it.By logging in to get points and physically checking in there to get points too, you can spend your points for free rounds.At the location close to me, I received offers to spend points on either free rounds on UFO catchers (which you can use multiple coupons if you have them) OR play a free round of Taiko no Tatsujin.The first download should get you 2000 points, which would be enough to do a first free round.The best part is that you do not need to sign up for a member. Just download it and it is ready to go!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/we9Nr-shopping_moneySun, 23 Aug 2020 19:59:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/we9Nr-shopping_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MxL52-food_moneyIf you have read my previous posts, you might remember that I usually prefer low-malt beer over standard beer because they are much cheaper. So it intrigues me that I often find the Premium Yebisu to be 10-20 yen more expensive than other brands of beer in Japan.I decided to give it a try, though not sure why I hopped in for the tall boy.It does indeed taste different. Rich, profound, and deep...In fact, a bit too deep for me as I would have preferred more of a crisp aftertaste. For someone like me, this did feel like a "premium" beer, but perhaps a bit too high-class for me.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MxL52-food_moneySun, 23 Aug 2020 19:59:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MxL52-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GOWax-food_moneyThere are two ways to get smoked cheese: one is to smoke them yourself, and two is to pay a price that you usually think is more than what you want to spend but you still bought it because smoked cheese is so good.If you can ever find Hoko brand's smoked cheese, this is an affordable smoked cheese that tastes pretty good.I bought this bag for around 300 yen for the 222 grams, which is a good discount compared to buying smoked cheese from Seijo Ishi, for instance.They are individually wrapped (aka wasteful), but it makes them easy to eat. I often find myself eating 3-4 while watching TV.Fans of cheese, smoked or not should give this a try.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GOWax-food_moneySun, 23 Aug 2020 19:59:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GOWax-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GBqan-shopping_moneyOne of the things I hate in life is advertisements that play with the consumer's negative emotions such as fear.At GEO, I saw that they had some portable batteries on sale, and next to it was a sign that says."Did you know that portable batteries have a lifespan? After 300 uses, they can only charge 70-80%, and after 500 uses, they only have 50-70% left."Regardless if that is true or not, it is very difficult for the consumer to check. It is not that they want you to check anyway. Instead, they were hoping you would fear that a 70% battery is not good enough, so that you would toss (aka waste) it out and buy a new one from them, which they just happen to be doing a Buy-2-Get-500yen-Off deal!Nope. Please do not fall for this and just keep using your portable batteries until YOU feel like it does not work well anymore.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GBqan-shopping_moneyFri, 21 Aug 2020 23:31:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GBqan-shopping_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wZ3jm-food_moneyIf you think sushi is expensive, it is really worth it considering getting sashimi from supermarkets and enjoying them at home.The point is to get the pre-cut ones, as they are much cheaper than the sliced ones that are placed nicely. It is not difficult to slice them yourself either.Apparently, due to the virus, supermarkets have been able to stock better quality sashimi than usual but selling them at the usual price. So they are not any worse than what you get at cheaper sushi restaurants.If you could get them half priced at the right time, you could have yourself an awesome meal!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wZ3jm-food_moneyFri, 21 Aug 2020 23:31:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wZ3jm-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G0v6R-foodKaramucho is a great brand of potato chips and fries, and they usually only do spicy flavours, but I got to try this ginger chicken pot flavour some time ago.Getting a ginger punch from junk food is quite rare, and strangely welcoming. It complemented the chicken flavour well, and it was quite delicious.In fact, the package said you could use this as actual hot pot ingredients by putting them into your nabe dinner, which I did not and would not.The bad news is that this is time limited so I have not seen them for a while, and it is also more expensive at 200 yen a bag. To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G0v6R-foodFri, 21 Aug 2020 23:31:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G0v6R-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MEPaY-food_moneyI had no idea that Domino's offers Pan Pizza until a friend told me recently, and there is no going back.Without any additional cost, you can change your pizzas from "hand tossed" to pan pizzas.Pan pizzas would get them to have a bit of cheese on the crust too, and the cheese would touch the edge of the pan and crisp up, making the crust actually delicious!Also, unlike the Pizza Hut pan pizzas I knew back home, they were not greasy at the bottom either. It is so good. Please give it a try!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MEPaY-food_moneyFri, 21 Aug 2020 23:30:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MEPaY-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GLQAN-foodI was given some Okinawa premade soups, one of which was this goat soup that took me a long time to make up the courage to try.I have never heard of goats being used as food, but I guess I also should not be surprised.After heating this whole package up, I poured it into a bowl and the smell took the whole room over.Those who do not like lamb would definitely leave the room immediately.The chunky meats were cooked to become very tender. The downside was that it also had a lot of bones and bits of bones to sort through.Overall, as a fan of lamb, I enjoyed this, but it definitely is not for everyone.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GLQAN-foodThu, 20 Aug 2020 13:52:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GLQAN-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mdvj0-foodAt some point of my life, I stopped being a fan of chocolate flavour ice-cream. I thought they taste like fake chocolate when I could eat real chocolate instead.However, I also became a fan of Giant Cone products at some point, so I had to try their standard chocolate offering.And honestly, I liked it more than I thought. I appreciate the cookie crumbles up top and the crunchy chocolate on the side. The chocolate flavour was deep enough too that it tasted really nice.I still prefer other flavours, but this is one chocolate ice-cream I would not refuse to a second helping.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mdvj0-foodThu, 20 Aug 2020 13:52:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mdvj0-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MAqEv-foodCurry and nan are made for each other, but not in this packaged bread version.With some curry filled inside the nan and some cheese sprinkled on top, this nan sounded good but was disappointing. The first problem was that it felt quite... wet. The nan was kinda wet and it kept getting stuck between my teeth.The second problem was that the curry did not taste that good.I would recommend any fried curry bread on the shelf over this.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MAqEv-foodThu, 20 Aug 2020 13:52:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MAqEv-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w2lnY-foodI had a bag of tapioca gummy candies that tasted horrible, and it has been sitting on the shelf staring at me for weeks because I did not want to finish them.So I got the idea, what if I treat them as actual tapioca by putting them into iced milk tea?I made some instant milk tea, but I am sure bottled ones would be fine too. I tried with a few first, and wow! It was actually really good!Of course, these gummies were supposed to be milk tea flavour but was lacking it, so the actual milk tea helped in that department, while the candies also became more chewy because of the cold milk tea!It was a great way to finish up your bag of horrible tapioca gummies, which I hope you do not have in the first place.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w2lnY-foodWed, 19 Aug 2020 10:58:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w2lnY-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wja1m-foodMy new-found fondness for packaged curry continues, and the Kinkei brand's Ginza curry continues to be one of my flavours.Just to add a bit of variation, I decided to try their keema curry for a change.For 200 yen a pack, this curry was not too different from similar products of about half its price.You get some nice chunky minced meat but so does others. The flavour was good but nothing outstanding either.Given how much I like their curry, this was a bit of a surprise and not in a good way.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wja1m-foodWed, 19 Aug 2020 10:58:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wja1m-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MqRXk-foodI have seen the name of this "Terry" guy on TV before, but I did not know that he owns a huge karaage chain.On a day when I was craving for fried chicken, I passed by this and decided to get their bento for lunch.For 400 yen, you get rice plus 3 big pieces of crispy karaage, one of each flavour (salt, soysauce, and spicy miso). Spicy miso is the best, in my opinion, so next time I order, I would ask for only spicy miso.They also sell their karaage for basically 100 yen each if you want a street snack too. Decent size, decent price, very crispy. I like it!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MqRXk-foodWed, 19 Aug 2020 10:57:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MqRXk-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z42po-shopping_moneyIt is summertime and I felt like I have not done much that is fun, so I have been letting myself loose a bit when I walk by the arcade nearby, specifically with UFO Catchers.I saw this absolutely adorable Doraemon plushie, and being a huge Doraemon fan, I thought I had to give it a try...It got much closer, another try might be it if I was lucky...It is right on the edge!....And finally!......It hit the edge and bounced back to when it started.By the time I realized it, I made 7 tries already, 700 yen poorer, and walked away empty-handed.At least I had fun, right? :) If anyone would like to cry with me, please let me know.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z42po-shopping_moneyTue, 18 Aug 2020 00:21:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z42po-shopping_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zVPdJ-livingI do not know how many of you are out there, but Konami has released the best official Yugioh app on the Japanese app store.Called Yugioh Neuron, this free app is the best Yugioh life points calculator I have ever seen!Super stylish and smooth with plenty of quick short cuts, a log, and even background music!It also works for both players so you do not need individual calculators.There have been fanmade calculator apps before, but this official app definitely kills it!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zVPdJ-livingTue, 18 Aug 2020 00:20:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zVPdJ-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zakB9-foodRecently at Aeon that was not in Okinawa, I found this "Okinawa limited" Acerola and Shekwasha Chu-hi.The question about what "limited" means aside, I was attracted by the package and decided to pick it up for about 110 yen.The can only contain 0.2% juice, and we do not know how much of each fruit, but the flavour was sweet and refreshing. The acerola's sweetness and the shekwasha's sourness contrasts really well.One thing I did not like was how the colour of the drink was completely clear, when I expect something pink. Good drink, though!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zakB9-foodTue, 18 Aug 2020 00:20:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zakB9-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MvjpJ-foodSekigohan, "red rice", or as written on this package, "glutinous rice with black-eyed peas", is one of my favourite rice dishes in Japan. It is a slightly salted rice using sticky rice with red beans added, and often it is served on a day with something to celebrate.And you can have this celebration on the road by getting it at a local supermarket or convenient store!Since it does not really contain any "fillings", you can usually find them for a decent price too.Take my word and give it a try if you have never had it before!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MvjpJ-foodTue, 18 Aug 2020 00:15:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MvjpJ-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G6qW9-foodI bought a bottle of 300 yen from a drug store that got me drunk well but did not satisfy my taste buds in any way, and I was stuck thinking about what to do with it.Of course, there is the option of cooking with it, but... well, I do not cook that much. So I went with another way that kept its alcohol buzz.Get some cheap grape jelly, pour this cheap wine over, and it became one of the best desserts I have had at home.The jelly was missing a complexity that the wine added, and the wine was not delicious which the jelly covered for.Oh my, it was so good that I think I will actually get more of the wine so I can have more buzzed jelly!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G6qW9-foodMon, 17 Aug 2020 00:15:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G6qW9-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MpOm7-foodFans of berries like blueberries, raspberries and blackberries are usually not satisfied in Japan. You can find frozen packs in supermarkets, but fresh ones are rare except at Costco.So I was quite surprised to find this box of fresh American blueberries at the local veggie shop.This 350 gram pack was sold for 450 yen, so it was not the cheapest but also not bad.The berries were also really good. The big ones were sweet, and there was nothing rotten inside.I was just happy to have a summer with blueberries again. Keep your eye out!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MpOm7-foodMon, 17 Aug 2020 00:15:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MpOm7-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MgajK-foodJapan has a few standard potato chip flavours, namely salt, consomme and seaweed. So I was quite intrigued by the seaweed soysauce flavour to see how much it is better than regular seaweed flavour chips.The quick answer is a whole lot better! Normal seaweed chips depends on the seaweed to add some flare to the otherwise bland salted chips, but these chips are flavour with shoyu.Each chip is fried and covered with a delicious soysauce flavour that blends perfectly well with the evenly covered seaweed. It is so rich and delicious that I was sad I had not discovered this earlier!If you have never tried this, I would say this is worth hunting down.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MgajK-foodMon, 17 Aug 2020 00:15:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MgajK-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GbkDP-foodNiku no Hanamasa is a supermarket chain, and they sell some products under their own brand.One of which is the shoyu ramen they have. For 200 yen-ish a pack, I thought it was worth a try.The noodles were decent. Pale in colour, decent texture, and nothing much to complain about. Interestingly it also was not too floured, so it did not create too much bubbles when cooking.The big negative point would be the soup. Super plain, super bland, and extremely lacking in any uniqueness. I got to the point of thinking about how to eat the rest of the noodles without using their soup... So everyone, I tried this one so you do not have to.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GbkDP-foodMon, 17 Aug 2020 00:15:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GbkDP-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G7R9p-living_foodI had a random encounter at the supermarket. While looking at a large pack of natural gouda cheese, an old lady started talking to me."Hey, do you want to go halfsies on this?""Sorry?" I replied as I took my earphones off."This pack of cheese is delicious, but this is way too much for me to finish. How about we share this, and we open it and split it outside. They are pre-sliced anyway, and I have an extra bag with me."I realized that the 1kg case was indeed too much for me as well, so I agreed to it and we split the cheese outside before we parted ways thanking each other.I thought these random encounters with old ladies only happen in TV dramas and manga. To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G7R9p-living_foodSun, 16 Aug 2020 13:57:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G7R9p-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MnxLR-foodIt is difficult to find good lasagna in Japan. It is just not a popular dish compared to more saucy pasta, so I get these easy lasagna packs to make something similar at home.But this pack was interesting because it was "tomato chili", and the back explains that this is a Mexican style flavour. You can get this pack for about 300 yen. It makes 2 bowls of what is in the photo, and you would need to provide your own meat.Although not spicy, it sure has more of a salsa spin to it, and after the quick 10 minutes of cooking and another 5 of baking it, I really enjoyed this chili/lasagna intercultural meal. To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MnxLR-foodSun, 16 Aug 2020 13:57:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MnxLR-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmjLv-food_moneyAfter using up a bottle of Kagome's expensive pizza sauce (about 200 yen for 200 gram), I had to look for a cheaper alternative.The "Pro" brand that you can find at restuaurant-use supermarkets is very cheap. You get a 290g bottle for below 200 yen.Of course, you should not have high expectations, but I find it pretty good for a cheap sauce.In fact, its flavour really reminded me of Lunchables pizza sauce, giving me a trip of nostalgia. I know that I will stick with this one for a while to save money on sauces so I can spend them on toppings instead.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmjLv-food_moneySun, 16 Aug 2020 13:57:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmjLv-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXQ75-foodThere is something about bentos that I have always questioned about.I understand the idea is to get a balanced meal with variety within one container, but I never understood why there is tomato sauce spaghetti, or "Neapolitan", as a tiny side dish.Not that they taste bad, but they usually come in super tiny portions. It is also another carb to add to a rice-based meal. I used to think it was because someone made too much spaghetti, but I see it so often nowadays that I feel like people go out of their way to make this just to add a bit into a bento box.If anyone has an answer, please let me know!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXQ75-foodSat, 15 Aug 2020 11:30:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXQ75-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GQoVm-foodI ran out of miso at home and had to pick up another one, and this "kouji miso with no additives" caught my eyes with its cheap 270 yen price tag, but it was a huge disappointment. This Hanamaruki miso, while cheap, also tasted really cheap. I made several miso soups with it but the flavour was so bland and lacking that I end up adding random condiments just to make it a tasty soup.It is also a miso that is common in many supermarkets I see, but I would recommend you to stay away from this one. Now I need to think about how I can finish this big pack of sucky miso.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GQoVm-foodSat, 15 Aug 2020 11:30:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GQoVm-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wrVL0-foodI had a minor heat stroke the other day (everyone, please take care), and with the headache I was having at home, I wanted to hydrate myself but with someone more delicious than tap water.I found my stash of instant salty lichee drink, and that saved my life (not literally). I added the powder into a glass and it dissolved immediately into the water. A few ice cubes too and it became a great refreshing drink that also kept me hydrated and well.I felt better by night, which I am sure the air conditioning helped too, but this was also a good handy instant drink to have at home.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wrVL0-foodSat, 15 Aug 2020 11:29:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wrVL0-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z831A-foodMazesoba is a type of soupless mixed noodles that is full of flavour, similar to abura soba but usually stronger and more complex. If you want to give one a try without walking into a ramen shop in the midst of the times now, Menya Musashi's frozen spicy mazesoba is a good one to try.For 250 yen, this noodle is a meal ready simply by popping it into the microwave for about 7 minutes.It is rather spicy, just so you know, and it is full of seafood flavour too! The texture of the noodles were great as well, and it was a heavy pack that filled me up.Personally, I really enjoyed it, and I would recommend this to everyone!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z831A-foodSat, 15 Aug 2020 11:29:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z831A-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GR182-foodOn my usual supermarket trip, I spotted a pack with the half-priced sticker on it. Picking it up revealed that it was a back of chicken neck skin...Chicken neck skin...???I know how delicious chicken skin gets when fried until they are crispy, but I did not expect to see them sold as packs like that. I had to give it a try, right?I brought it home, and with a bit of salt and pepper, I fried the heck out them.And they were the most delicious thing I have had the whole month! As strange as they might look, I will be more than happy to buy them again.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GR182-foodFri, 14 Aug 2020 12:02:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GR182-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MYmpg-food_moneyI understand the concept of "you get what you paid for". But when you see a bottle of wine with a nice looking label sold for 300 yen at a local drug store, you got to be curious enough to think "you get drunk enough regardless of what you paid for".This bottle of wine that is always priced so cheap at Create was, in simple terms, pretty bad.It starts with a fine taste when it touches your tongue, but it immediately follows with the strangest aftertaste that makes you question if it was worth it.Well, I got drunk, so the answer was yes.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MYmpg-food_moneyFri, 14 Aug 2020 12:02:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MYmpg-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zKPWK-foodSomething you just want a cup of something creamy and sweet in the morning or after lunch, and I usually go with the Blendy Stick's milk tea.With just hot water and maybe ice, depending on if you want it hot or cold, these instant milk tea is sweet enough to satisfy me. However, one stick does not make that much, especially if you want it cold, so I usually use two sticks at a time, and from where I buy them, they are about 20 yen a stick.What is your choice of instant milk tea or coffee? I want to give your recommendations a try too!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zKPWK-foodFri, 14 Aug 2020 11:55:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zKPWK-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GyPK5-foodI have raved about how awesome the 9% Lemondou by the Coca-cola company is, but the truth is that I have not tried their standard 5% can, until now.Sold at the same price, around 138 yen a can, the 5% is noticeably weaker in several ways. The alcoholic punch is not there, the lemon is not as sour because of it having less lemon juice.However, it also contains less sugar, so strangely it is also less sweet. It is like a watered-down version of the 9%, for better or worse.Personally, I will stick with 9% and add ice to water it down myself.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GyPK5-foodFri, 14 Aug 2020 11:52:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GyPK5-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G6qWQ-foodTo counter products that claim to be of a certain fruit flavour but actually has little to no actual juice of that fruit, Asahi has this line of products with a generous amount of fruit juice.The grape one contains 37% grape juice, and it tastes amazing. The sweetness is gentle, and it covers the 4% alcohol flavour too. In fact, if I was not the one who purchased it, I would not have known that this is not just a glass of grape juice....... and this is where it gets dangerous because I can easily be drinking them as juice, forgetting about the alcohol part until I fall asleep on the sofa. Overall, great flavour, low buzz, but going for normal grape juice would be cheaper.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G6qWQ-foodThu, 13 Aug 2020 13:55:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G6qWQ-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXQ7x-foodPassing by an izakaya and finding free plates and glasses on the street is a great way to build up more wares at home without having to pay for anything, but after using the beer mug for a few days, I appreciate this a lot more than I thought I would.These mugs are so sturdy!It gives the drink a great weight when I lift it off the table, which is not necessarily a good thing except it reminds me of the feeling of going out drinking with friends and having fun.I even put the mug into the freezer first so it is cool and frosted. So glad I can enjoy this izakaya experience without going out right now.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXQ7x-foodThu, 13 Aug 2020 12:17:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXQ7x-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmjLd-foodIf you do not mind shelling out a bit more money, Kagome's "Loads of ingredients" pizza sauce is an excellent choice.Trying to make more pizzas at home (rather than ordering deliveries), this 200-gram bottle costs around 200 yen and it is a good investment.The sweetness and sourness balance out well, but it is all about the chunky ingredients including tomato, onion, green pepper, garlic and mushroom.The only problem is that I always end up putting more and more sauce to get more chunks onto the pizza, so the bottle runs out quickly.The Kagome is famous for their sauces, particularly ones with tomato, and this product is definitely one of their best.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmjLd-foodThu, 13 Aug 2020 12:15:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmjLd-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z3Bbk-living_money"Free time" at karaoke is not free, but it is more of "all you can sing" for a set price. The question is of course "When is it a better deal to choose Free Time?"The golden rule is to ask, are you exceeding 2.5 hours or not?Basically most shops' pricings have it at that if you are singing for 2.5 hours or less, paying for "Free Time" would be a waste, but if you are going for 3 hours or more, you might as well opt-in for "Free Time".It is also why that shops have a guarantee for at least 3 hours if the shops get crowded. Personally, I usually sing for 6 hours or more, so I almost never not go for free-time, haha.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z3Bbk-living_moneyWed, 12 Aug 2020 10:20:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z3Bbk-living_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GojeA-foodWhen people in Japan think of tapioca, they think of the big black gummy tapioca in milk tea. However, there is another kind of tapioca dessert that has been popular in east Asian for a long time.You can try it with this coconut milk tapioca dessert for around 130 yen.Personally, I am a huge fan of these too. They are much smaller and way less chewy, so the texture is very different.But they also go really well with the sweet coconut milk. Rather than a straw, you would eat them with a spoon.Give this a try if you have never had it!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GojeA-foodWed, 12 Aug 2020 10:20:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GojeA-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GOWKd-foodWe all have days when we just do not want to cook and wish we can just crack open something delicious to immediately enjoy.My go-to option is always the boiled-in-water saba fish cans!Not the miso ones or flavoured ones, these boiled saba are simply boiled, salted and canned. They are so simple yet delicious, not to mention filling.When I eat them, I just add a bit of soy sauce right into the can and dig in. You can find some for 100 yen but they are sometimes made in China. There are made in Japan stuff between 100 to 140 yen too. Give it a try if you have never opened one before!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GOWKd-foodTue, 11 Aug 2020 12:17:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GOWKd-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wNWyA-foodI know that seared bonito is a thing (katsuo tataki) common in Japan, but with my favourite fish being salmon, I was a whole lot more excited about finding salmon tataki at the supermarket!With the salmon imported from Chile, they were obviously from frozen before seared. Since I bought mine half-priced, fresh would not have been the right adjective.I got the feeling that they basically had some salmon sashimi that were unsold the day before, so they seared it to put them back onto the shelf as another product.It was delicious though so I got no complaints, and I hope salmon tataki becomes more of a thing in Japan!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wNWyA-foodTue, 11 Aug 2020 12:17:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wNWyA-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G0vQK-shopping_moneyLast time I used the plastic bag that held paper envelopes to pack things to sell online, and I think I took things to the next level this time.With no paper envelopes at home and not wanting to buy them just to ship a couple of video games, I used the paper boxes of packaged curry, ripped them open and taped them over the two PS4 games as protection.Sure, they did not look good, which is why I added this "Thank you from the bottom of my heart" note which I got and kept when I ordered a ramen take-out!Bubble wrapped it and it was ready. The buyer commented that the packaging was well done. Saving money without wasting materials. I am proud of myself!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G0vQK-shopping_moneyMon, 10 Aug 2020 16:55:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G0vQK-shopping_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wZ3QR-foodDon is not my friend, but the name of this affordable Japanese sake.This nishonshu costs just around 100 yen for this 180 mL pack. The good thing is definitely how light the pack is. Flavour-wise, it is pretty good too! More on the spicy than the sweet side, and while drinking it with the provided straw is fine, I found it a bit strong and opened it to pour it over ice instead. Not sure if that is approved by real nihonshu drinkers though!For the cost of this nihonshu, I think it is a good value.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wZ3QR-foodMon, 10 Aug 2020 16:55:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wZ3QR-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MdvOe-foodAunt Stella is apparently a famous but expensive chocolate chip cookie brand. For this box of 4 cookies, I paid 100 yen and apparently that was considered a really good deal.The cookies were individually packaged (waste of packaging, if you'd ask me), and the size was definitely not big. One would hardly satisfy me, but if I think of the cost I was eating, I held back from finishing the whole box in one go.Part of that was because these cookies were also really delicious! The crunch was great, the sweetness was well balanced, and it was definitely the best packaged chocolate chip cookies I have ever eaten.If only they are cheaper, I would be more than happy to have them daily.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MdvOe-foodMon, 10 Aug 2020 16:55:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MdvOe-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MEPQ1-living_moneyAfter the hours of daily gaming done at home, it is nice to get a change of pace to something more mechanical when spending time outside.The one machine I play every time I pass by one is Wani Wani Panic!It is essentially whack-a-mole but with alligators (or crocodiles?) popping towards you so you would hit it with a hammer for getting the high score.The one shown in the picture is Wani Wani Panic 2, which the gators come out at a slight angle, and as you can see, the machine is quite old too.Have you tried this before?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MEPQ1-living_moneyMon, 10 Aug 2020 14:28:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MEPQ1-living_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gl5LQ-foodWhile summer is still hot, mint chocolate products continue to go strong.I picked up Meiji's mint chocolate parfait to give it a try. It has chocolate sauce on the top layer of ice-cream and chocolate chips in the bottom layer.The mint was not as cool as I hoped, but the chocolate textures were fun. I was not sure whether it was my freezer malfunctioning, but the ice-cream also seemed extra soft for these packaged ice-creams.For 100 yen a cup, it is a decent mint chocolate product, and I am sure there are better ones I would recommend over this.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gl5LQ-foodMon, 10 Aug 2020 14:26:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gl5LQ-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zDqpQ-foodMost packaged noodles are between 200-300 yen for a pack of two noodles, but there are even pricier things, such as this Sapporo Yellow Ramen being 500 yen for two noodles!The name refers to how the noodles are extra golden because of the onion that is infused into the noodles. In fact, this is the first noodles I have tried that instruct you to re-use to water you cooked the noodles in for the soup, as it adds another layer of flavour.The kani shio (crab and salt) soup base is great. Very flavourful for a shio based soup, although the crab part was lacking. The noodles were certainly amazing. Chewy, bouncy, and did not get soggy. Is it worth the price tag? I would say so.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zDqpQ-foodMon, 10 Aug 2020 14:22:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zDqpQ-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mga9d-foodI need to start off by telling you that I grew up on Shigekki X's candies. The super sour super hard gummy candies were extremely addictive that I had my relatives buy me a bunch and ship them to me whenever possible.So I was very surprised to see this candy made an alcoholic collaboration in the form of a 7% drink for about 130 yen.My first sip was like this: ".... oh WOW this tastes exactly like the soda flavour candy! This is quite sour and very sweet too! I am feeling the buzz!"By the time I was half done with the can, it was more like this: ".... this is soooooo sweet.... sugar, sweeteners, I feel like I just drank the whole bag of candies, and I still have half to go...."While it was a nice nostalgic trip and evening fun, this drink did not make me feel good about my health...To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mga9d-foodSun, 09 Aug 2020 15:23:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mga9d-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gbkn1-shopping_moneyPeople say everything has a price, I guess that statement excludes this box of plates and bowls and glasses sitting out on the street one day!I saw this on my way to the supermarket, and while looking at what they had, I realized I was standing in front of a local izakaya.Does this mean bad news for the izakaya? I am not sure. They could be just getting new glasses and I have not been back to check. However, I decided to take a couple of glasses home to drink with.Several other people stopped by to examine what was there too. I think I was quite lucky, but perhaps this happens more often than I think. Have you ever seen something like this before?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gbkn1-shopping_moneySat, 08 Aug 2020 14:22:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gbkn1-shopping_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MJPmL-food_moneyThis product caught my eye for two reasons: 1. It was in the bargain bin for 68 yen a pack, quite cheap for curry packages, and 2. it is "for restaurants", so it should not be too bad, right?The curry was actually very disappointing. There was the smallest piece of meat in it somewhere, and other than that, it very much was just sauce.I suppose they are for restaurants that make katsu or something, so restaurants can serve the toppings with the curry without having to cook their own curry.I dug through the fridge and found some fried chicken, and that made the otherwise boring meal more fun.The sad news is that I actually bought 4 packs, so I need to think about how to upgrade each of them now...To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MJPmL-food_moneySat, 08 Aug 2020 01:10:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MJPmL-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w5n09-shopping_moneyPokemon is the massive franchise that it is, but I must admit that I grew up as a Digimon kid, and I always have that feeling in me that wishes Digimon was more relevant.So imagine my joy when I saw the latest Digimon plushies at a Sega arcade!Agumon, Patamon, and... even Gatomon!They were all so adorable, and I like how they are all blushing too.I gave them a few tries to no luck, but I also had to run. Hopefully I will be able to go back to get the Gatomon before they are out of stock, which I am sure will be soon (not because they are popular, but more of the fact that they probably did not make a lot of them).To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w5n09-shopping_moneyFri, 07 Aug 2020 16:44:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w5n09-shopping_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GQoQl-shopping_moneyGiven the extreme popularity of Yu-Gi-Oh the card game, it is surprisingly difficult to find Yu-gi-oh merchandise.Recently, I found some at a JUMP Store, which included some overpriced character plushies that did not look that good (around 1700 yen each!), a duel mat based on Yugi from the manga, and...... a plastic folder with Yugi and Kaiba!I picked the last one up because it was only 300 yen, and I really appreciate that it is based on the manga artwork rather than the anime. Still, you would think that such a big franchise with so many characters and designs to draw from would release more goodies!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GQoQl-shopping_moneyFri, 07 Aug 2020 16:43:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GQoQl-shopping_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/M9602-living_food_shoppingIf you are looking for cheap nihonshu, Gekkeikan's "Tsuki" is another 100 yen-ish option on the market. The taste is quite on the weak side and it does not leave an aftertaste, so it is very easy to drink but it might not satisfy some people (such as me).However, one reason why I might want to get more of this is to support their eco approach.By making the glasses lighter, the CO2 created by the transportation for the products is decreased by a good amount. This is all explained in the inside of the packaging, and I forgot to take a photo AFTER I finished the drink...I am sure it is not significant, and the lit is still plastic, but I do appreciate one step over none.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/M9602-living_food_shoppingFri, 07 Aug 2020 16:43:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/M9602-living_food_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MpOeZ-foodAs the title suggests, you can get dried insects at Seijo Ishi, although they are not cheap.Crickets, waterbugs, grasshoppers, and even scorpions! Oh boy.The prices are not cheap, as you can see. If you are lucky though (?), you might be able to find them half priced like I did. It seems like they did not sell too well, and I wonder why.If you wanted to try several types of insects at a time, you might want to consider this.... bug....kebeb....Of course, I did not purchase any. No freaking thanks. Not even if they were free.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MpOeZ-foodFri, 07 Aug 2020 00:41:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MpOeZ-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G7R0e-foodI was hot, and I was out after the morning of an annual health check. I passed by a Baskin Robbins and thought that I would give myself a treat, perhaps the seasonal Pikachu ice-cream.Happy and excited, I ordered a small for 300 yen, and got this ball of ice-cream that looked great.The yellow resembles Pikachu's colour, of course, with the red pops as the cheeks, and brown like.... oh that's a creepy Pikachu face buried in ice-cream.How was the taste? It was very underwhelming. Besides "sweet", I could not further describe this "fruity" ice-cream. The Pikachu chocolate pieces also tasted very cheap.As cute as it is, I would not recommend this one.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G7R0e-foodFri, 07 Aug 2020 00:35:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G7R0e-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MnxAj-foodFor those who are allergic to wheat and eggs and other ingredients typically used to make noodles, you might be interested in the product called Tofu Noodles that you can pick up at supermarkets for about 100 yen.I gave it a try as a fan of tofu and of noodles, and it was really strange.The noodles were super soft and it did not really taste like tofu. The texture was especially the dealbreaker because I could not "chew" them as I would with noodles.But the fun of slurping is there, and that would be the one of the advantages besides allergy reasons to at least give this a try.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MnxAj-foodFri, 07 Aug 2020 00:35:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MnxAj-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GojAA-livingI should have written about this during the rainy season that is now over, but I had only started doing this myself this summer.This year, I started to notice how much plastic is being wasted just on one-time-use umbrella plastic bags when people enter a shop. They put it on, walk in, buy their groceries and toss the bag into the trash can.Then it popped into my head... why are those plastic bags one-time-use?So I started to reach into the can of bags and pick up one from there when I had to walk into a store."But those bags are wet inside!", one may say. But umbrellas are meant to get wet!"But they are dirty!", another may say. HOW dirty can they get from just being wrapped around an umbrella!?So please, let's put an end to the wasteful umbrella bags together... perhaps next rainy day.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GojAA-livingTue, 04 Aug 2020 11:51:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GojAA-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z3B0k-foodThe Chinese iron chef's shrimp gyoza was not that good, as I have reviewed before and explained how strange the shape and textures were.I am happy to say that his frozen siu mai are excellent in comparison!The problem with most siu mai in Japan is that the meat are waaaay too minced and it loses the texture siu mai should have. Not this pack!For 200 yen, the 6 pieces are juicy, flavourful and filling. I was very satisfied especially since there was no effort required besides popping it into the microwave.The winner this round is Chen Kenichi!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z3B0k-foodTue, 04 Aug 2020 11:51:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z3B0k-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wNWnA-foodI bought some amazing tofu mozzarella from this tofu shop before, so I was intrigued to try their other offers, one of which was their shio tofu (salted tofu).The package claims that it has a "cheese-like richness" to it, and if it was sold for about 150 yen a block, it had to be special, right?Wrong. Unfortunately, it really was just a slightly salty block of tofu. Unlike the mozza tofu that felt like a totally different kind of food, this was nothing cheese like and could not be used in ways other than as normal tofu.They still have other things that caught my eyes, so I will go back for more and report on them. Afterall, tofu is healthier than other things I usually eat.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wNWnA-foodTue, 04 Aug 2020 11:41:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wNWnA-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GBq07-moneyI used to hate it when I need to make a copy of the front AND back of my ID, because getting it copied on another page means another 10 yen gone to the machine at the convenience store.However, I recently discovered that if you select ID/免許証 as the type of things you are copying, the machine would automatically ask you to place the front of the card, then the back of the card.Then both sides will be printed on the same piece of paper! Life changer!!!Please use your newly gained power responsibly. To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GBq07-moneySun, 02 Aug 2020 22:20:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GBq07-moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zVPJ2-foodThe 99.99 is currently my favourite strong canned drink (9%) priced at 100 yen at supermarkets. They do not have any strange aftertaste, and no hungover so far.They have also been producing some new flavours. After the limited cola, they just released a cider as well, and it is great.The sweetness is not overpowering, and the vodka goes down really smoothly while giving me a good buzz. The carbonation is excellent too!Knowing that this is "limited" makes me kinda sad. Hope it will gain enough support to become a regular item.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zVPJ2-foodSun, 02 Aug 2020 22:14:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zVPJ2-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/we9QJ-food_medicalI was planning to "invest" in a big 2L box of nihonshu, so I was comparing the options at the supermarket. I tried the nihonshu called "Ten" before and thought it was good, then I realized they got a "0 sugar" version as well, so I looked at the back of the box.Sure enough, 0g of sugar, and then I wondered how much sugar the regular contains.... hold on, it does not say...So when the company thinks that it is NOT advantageous for them to share the nutritional information of the drink, they do not have to???Besides thinking about the sugar, I just thought that it was a jerk move, so I put to back down and walked away.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/we9QJ-food_medicalSun, 02 Aug 2020 22:08:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/we9QJ-food_medicalhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wZ3DN-shopping_moneyRecently I sold something on merukari that just blew my mind.I had these early Yugioh card sleeves on my account for quite a while. They are rare for collectors, apparently.For 12 sleeves that are not necessarily in their best condition, I put them up for 799 yen.And they were sold!After deduction of processing fee and shipping, I got 635 for them, basically 50 yen a sleeve.They were not even cards, and 12 sleeves were not useful to me in any way. I was happy that I was able to turn something worth nothing much to me into some money I can spend on groceries. What I sell on Merukari continue to surprise me!If you have not used Merukari but would like to sign up, consider using my referral code RNDTHH which would give both of us 500 yen points for free! I think they are doing a campaign recently to make it 550 yen!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wZ3DN-shopping_moneyFri, 31 Jul 2020 17:06:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wZ3DN-shopping_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GyPnj-foodSapporo is a big name, and jokki nama always sound good at an izakaya.So I had high hopes for this cheap 110 can when I picked it up, until I realized that this was categorized not as "beer", not as "happoshu", but "other brewed liquor".What does "others" mean!?The ingredients showed that many things were added: sweetener, yeast, fiber, corn protein, artificial colouring... and by that point, I was already disappointed.The taste was not too bad. There were definitely noise in the flavour, and knowing its strange list of ingredients did not help.I will stick to other cheap but more natural stuff instead.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GyPnj-foodFri, 31 Jul 2020 17:05:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GyPnj-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z83eL-food_moneyAt a supermarket, I picked up a jelly because I was craving for some. This melon soda flavour jelly was 200 yen, quite pricy for supermarket products.While the blue and green colours were nice, the cream was quite dry and bad. The jelly tasted okay, but the cherry and melon were some of the worst fruits I have ever eaten in my life! It was definitely not 200 yen level.It was a treat to the eyes more than the mouth. For the price I paid for, I should have gone to a convenience store for better sweets instead. Expensive supermarket desserts are not to be trusted!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z83eL-food_moneyThu, 30 Jul 2020 13:07:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z83eL-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GR1DW-foodChen Kenichi, the famous iron chef lend his name to this frozen shrimp gyoza, and it was disappointing in a big way.They shape nothing like what the round shrimp gyoza are supposed to be! Instead, they are shaped like normal gyoza!While the flavour of the shrimp and bamboo shoot was nice and the texture was really good too, the gyoza skin was way too thick and chewy.They actually tired me out from chewing, and that is not what shrimp gyoza should be like.The iron chef did not win this round.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GR1DW-foodThu, 30 Jul 2020 13:07:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GR1DW-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MYmD6-foodIf you are ever stuck with a bag of mediocre miso ramen like I am, there is something easy you can do to make it awesome.Get a pack of fatty meat slices, aka karubi, and either beef or pork would do.Next, grill them with yakiniku sauce. If they are pre-marinated, it is ever better.Now just add the grilled meat onto the noodles. Make sure you get a good amount of fat and the yakiniku sauce in there too. Miso ramen is a bit sweet in nature so it goes perfectly with the sweet yakiniku sauce, and I turned the crappy miso ramen into a meal that I truly enjoyed!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MYmD6-foodWed, 29 Jul 2020 16:58:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MYmD6-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z3Bkj-foodMy local 100% Japanese supermarket sometimes carry these unexpected foreign products for cheap and very limited quantity.Recently, I found this super random cheese spread they were selling.For just 50 yen each, I thought it was a cheap adventure to try.However, I then realized that one cheese spread was good for about one slice of toast...It was delicious and creamy, but it was a bit more pricy if you add it up. However, I am still not sure why they had it in the first place, a local supermarket!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z3Bkj-foodWed, 29 Jul 2020 16:57:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z3Bkj-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z1bZ1-foodAs a fan of bubble tea, I was quite intrigued by the boom it has had in Japan, including the wild spin-off products I have seen.One was which was the tapioca gummies. Supposed to taste like milk tea, it did smell quite nice when I opened it up.However, they tasted nothing like milk tea. In fact, they tasted like nothing... it was sweet and nothing else. The chewy texture was good but the flavour was repelling. After a few, I am not sure if I want to finish them. I will, but I will not be happy...In fact, I might go buy some milk tea and put them in so that I would drink them up instead!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z1bZ1-foodMon, 27 Jul 2020 20:51:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z1bZ1-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Goj1W-foodLEE has always caught my eyes for their curry that seems extremely spicy, but I had never tried one until now.Picking up one of their packages, I was surprised that the curry was spicy but nothing sweat-inducing. For 10x, it delicious and the spiciness was not bad at all. (Although I do not know what their 1x was based on).Then I looked up and realized that their 3 regular products are the 10x, 20x and 30x.So I had their mildest one! Next time I will challenge myself to the 20x, but I think my tongue would not be as happy with that.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Goj1W-foodMon, 27 Jul 2020 16:17:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Goj1W-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wNWD4-living_foodMaybe it was just that one McDonalds I went to recently, but I thought that McDonalds used to just play random music in store.One I went to recently for a quick snack was playing music, but only 1/3 of the song before they cut to their own original radio program.The worst thing is that the radio program then spends a couple of sentences talking about the song, then they talk about their latest special burgers...... if I am eating there already, I do not need reminders on what burgers I did not order! That was rather annoying, and I will bring my earphones next time.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wNWD4-living_foodMon, 27 Jul 2020 16:08:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wNWD4-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MxLrW-foodMany low malt beers are either made by the big named breweries in Japan or are some supermarket brands, but CO-OP had something interesting. Their 84 yen happoshu was something I have never found anywhere, but a quick check of the label shows that it is made in Korea!The taste was good but nothing mind-blowing. The Korean origin did not make it any better or worse than other supermarket brands. It was rich and tasty without a bad aftertaste, but for the environment, I think I will taste to local brews to avoid supporting the shipping of cheap happoshu overseas.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MxLrW-foodMon, 27 Jul 2020 16:07:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MxLrW-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GOWDW-living_foodOne problem I encounter often when street drinking in summer is that the drinks warm up way too quickly. Before I am halfway done with the can, they often get lukewarm and disgusting. So the solution that works awesome for me for years? Bring your insulated tumbler mug with you on your walks.Of course, fill it up with ice first. I find that 6-7 cubes of ice go great for one can of drinks. I then go into a supermarket to grab a can, fill up my mug and continue my night walks.They make my summer nights so much better. Also helped me enjoy any festival so much more, but those are not happening now, so sticking to drunken night walks for now.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GOWDW-living_foodMon, 27 Jul 2020 00:03:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GOWDW-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zKPD4-foodAt a supermarket that sells things to daily consumers and restaurants, I picked up this miso ramen for "pros". It was not expensive at all. It was 150 yen ish for 3 noodles.The noodles themselves were great, although a bit pale in colour. But it was the soup that was super underwhelming. Blend and flavour-less.It did not taste nearly as good as fried instant noodles. Definitely do not deserve the "pro" name in the branding. I will definitely be adding other flavours so that I can finish the noodles.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zKPD4-foodMon, 27 Jul 2020 00:03:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zKPD4-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mdv6J-shopping_moneyAnyone who has been to a UFO catcher center would have seen crane pushers like these.I have always thought they were impossible for a first try so I have never touched one until today, but I saw this cute Yoshi at a machine that seems like someone has set up for me for just a bit more to get.I gave in to the temptation for my first try at one of these one-armed pushers.The arm went down, pushed the weight at where I thought was great, and it did not do anything at all.It is using a toothpick to lift a nail on a piece of wood. At least UFO catchers can be one-try if you are lucky enough. Not these guys.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mdv6J-shopping_moneyMon, 27 Jul 2020 00:03:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mdv6J-shopping_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G0vkV-food_shoppingWhen I visited an Aeon supermarket recently, I saw this cocktail mix that had a terrible packaging design.They are supposed to be things for you to mix shochu with to make your own chu-hi, but the brand was called CockTess.Worse yet, they put a logo right in between the word, separating the C part to be alone, and I could not stop laughing on the spot.They continue to amuse. Nothing thought of just making a quick check on the internet before making them official logos.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G0vkV-food_shoppingSun, 26 Jul 2020 09:43:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G0vkV-food_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GWOdx-foodI have been eating less cup noodles for health reasons, but when I had this Stamina Ninnikun bowl noodles, I was thoroughly impressed.Having a slight spicy punch but a great level of garlicy taste, the soup is outstanding from the first sip.The flat noodles are chewy and filling as well. They pick up the soup with every slurp you take.The garlic flavour of the soup was soooooooo good that I wanted to save the left overs for dinner (but ended up finishing it).When I went back to the supermarket the next day, it was sold out already. Hope they will bring it back!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GWOdx-foodSun, 26 Jul 2020 09:43:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GWOdx-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wk5O6-foodWhat do you do when you need to eat more veggies but are too lazy? How about a veggie-filled packaged curry?To get this meal ready, you just need to prepare your own rice and microwave this curry for a few minutes.This curry alone contains the amount of veggies you need for one meal, and the cooked veggies actually add a cool texture to the curry sauce. You can also find chunks of different veggies in the curry too.Rather than a standard packaged curry, I felt proud that I had a good amount of veggies!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wk5O6-foodSun, 26 Jul 2020 09:43:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wk5O6-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MvjDK-shopping_moneyFor those who are into selling things online on apps like Merukari, here is a nice tip.Rather than buying specific packing materials, you can really use ANYTHING you have!When I ran out of envelopes to sell the two games, I actually used the plastic packaging of the envelopes to pack the games!Then, I put a layer of bubble wraps outside for shock absorption, which were of course wraps I got when I bought stuff in the past.Sure, it did not look that good, but most users on these 2nd hand market apps really do not care. They know that when you save money on packaging, you would mark the item cheaper too.Best yet, it is a good move for the environment! Everybody wins!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MvjDK-shopping_moneyFri, 24 Jul 2020 18:57:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MvjDK-shopping_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MJP0Y-foodLemondou's Oni 9% is currently my favourite canned drink on the market, and their 5% has been proven popular too, so I tried their 7% brother with high expectations.This salty lemon drink is supposed to be refreshing and great for the summer. However, I made the mistake of having it with a meal, which overwhelmed any salt in the drink.The lemon juice content is lower than the 5% and the 9% as well, so the flavour was a bit underwhelming. This explains why the 7% is hardly to find, and I am convinced to stick with the 9% from now on.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MJP0Y-foodFri, 24 Jul 2020 18:57:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MJP0Y-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MgaBW-foodThere is not a whole lot of microwavable frozen ramen out on the market, and I got used to the same ones I have been eating, so I expanded my reach to ones without soup!This 200 yen soupless tantan noodles has one thing going for it immediately for lazy people: it comes with a tray already so you do not need your own plate.The presentation is not the best but it is a good meal.The noodles are chewy and delicious although a bit on the dry side. The flavour is great too! Don't worry about the spice either because this is not that hot.I only wish it was bigger, but I will go back to this for sure.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MgaBW-foodFri, 24 Jul 2020 18:57:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MgaBW-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/M96R9-foodI am always happy when a famous ramen shop collaborates with a noodles maker so that we can purchase their ramen at the local supermarket and having it at home.Santouka, a Hokkaido ramen chain did one with Kikusui to bring their tonkotsu shio ramen to us, and I tried it, and... well......First of all, the 318 yen for 2 noodles is not the cheapest.Next, I made it with the recommended 270mL of water to make the soup and I found it quite light in flavour. I had to add other seasonings on top of it.And finally, the flavour itself is a bit boring too. I have found better noodles for cheaper.While it is exciting, it did not live up to my expectations at all.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/M96R9-foodFri, 24 Jul 2020 01:13:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/M96R9-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GQoLV-food_moneyAfter trying and enjoying the Kprice budget brand's 100 yen energy drink, I had a whole lot more confidence in picking up their series of low malt beer too.Their 6% Gran Rich is only 78 yen a can.After getting burnt by TopValu's extremely sugary beer of the same price, I was happy to see that this had a normal level of sugar.And the taste is pretty good too! It is easy to drink and comes with a deep flavour. There is a good finish for the aftertaste too, and I became a fan.It might be hard to find, as I have only found this at one liquor store chain so far, but it's worth a try. (In fact, I went back to pick up 3 more cans immediately.)To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GQoLV-food_moneyFri, 24 Jul 2020 01:13:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GQoLV-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w2lV3-living_foodRecently I did one of those order online and pick-up later services for Matsunoya, and I walked in, picked up my katsu bento to enjoy it at home.After 10 minutes of walk, I sat down on my couch, opened it and... there was no sauce!The receipt even says "2 sauces, 2 mustard", and they were definitely missing!I was so unhappy that I actually called the shop to say that forgot to give them to me, to which they answered:"Oh, we are sorry that we did not tell you that the sauces were actually self-served"Why the heck did they not inform at all!? The person just handed it to me and watched me walk out with a super dry bento... I was not happy, but I also learned the lesson of always checking your order. To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w2lV3-living_foodThu, 23 Jul 2020 19:48:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w2lV3-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w5n1O-foodBesides the non-sensical name, this is a drink I would happily recommend to most people.This Sapporo drink is really delicious! The salt and lemon blend well for a refreshing drink in the middle of a hot day. The 5% alcoholic content makes it a nice drink without making it overpowering either. The 3% juice is also surprisingly delicious too!Oh, and this is only 100 yen a pop! It is new and I am sure this theme makes it a summer limited drink, so pick it up while you can!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w5n1O-foodThu, 23 Jul 2020 19:48:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w5n1O-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GbkZ0-foodWhen you are craving noodles but are too lazy to head out for ramen (or when it is not yet safe to do so), microwavable frozen ramen comes to save the day!I tried this ankake ramen. It is about 250 yen each.You have to microwave the sauce and noodles separately, and it actually takes about 10 mins to make, but still easy nonetheless.The noodles are thin and chewy, the soup is surprisingly gooey and delicious, I was quite happy with this!It is light on flavour, and I would recommend you added a bit of rice vinegar to make it even better.Easy to make, good to eat, definitely will get it again!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GbkZ0-foodThu, 23 Jul 2020 19:48:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GbkZ0-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GojDW-foodIf you are a fan of plum wine/umeshuu, you got to give this a try!This yuzu citrus infused umeshuu is sold for only 500 yen a bottle and available in many supermarkets, and it is straight up amazing.I have been drinking it on rock, but next time I will be mixing it with soda water. It even recommends you mixing it with black tea. My partner and I are both enjoying it lot, and I would very much recommend this to everyone!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GojDW-foodThu, 23 Jul 2020 00:50:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GojDW-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MxL0W-foodIn Japan, the word "Taiwan" is usually associated with spicy minced meat because of Nagoya's Taiwan ramen, which is not from Taiwan.This Taiwan donut had no spicy minced meat, and to be honest, there really was nothing Taiwanese about it!There was a layer of icing and... that was it, and I often eat packaged donuts in Japan like that too.It is disappointing when words are used just for marketing, especially when they falsely use country names for it.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MxL0W-foodThu, 23 Jul 2020 00:50:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MxL0W-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wZ3VN-foodSince McDonald's has their icecreams for 100 yen a cone, I often forget how much I like McShakes. Seeing their recently discount from 120 yen to 100 yen for a small, I got a strawberry mcshake to go.It is quite nice to find that the flavour is no different from what I was used to back home. It is also surprising that it is just as difficult to drink it up though. Let time help with that as the summer heat will melt it almost immediately. Next time, I think I will be getting an apple pie with it and dipping it in!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wZ3VN-foodThu, 23 Jul 2020 00:50:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wZ3VN-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zDqJl-food_medicalI have been drinking a bit more lately, so I had to think a bit harder about my health when I was choosing drinks, which led me to this 70% less sugar happoshu.For only 84 yen a can, I believe this "Kurashimoa" brand is Create Drug Store's own brand.Compared with their regular one, this has only 0.9 grams of sugar.It is, unfortunately, also very lacking in flavour. It felt like a water-diluted beer, and I basically ended up wanting to crack over another one (but didn't!)The buzz is low too at 4%, so while it is healthier, you would also be giving something up until I find a better one anyway.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zDqJl-food_medicalWed, 22 Jul 2020 14:20:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zDqJl-food_medicalhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gl5N1-food_moneyI was recently going to get a double cheeseburger at McDonald's, and right before I ordered, I was checking the price.340 yen for a double cheeseburger.And a standard cheeseburger is... 140 yen?Hold on, so if I get two cheeseburgers, it would be 280 yen total and I get an extra layer of buns too?Confused by it, I ended up walking out with two standard cheeseburgers instead. I have either figured out the puzzle or I was missing something. Anyone?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gl5N1-food_moneyWed, 22 Jul 2020 14:20:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gl5N1-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zKPvk-foodWhen I picked up this can, I thought it was a can of umeshu (plum wine) mixed with carbonated water, not noticing the packaging even says "shochu with soda" in English.It was pretty good though. The 8% alcohol (which is a mix of shochu and umeshu) gave me a strong buzz on my evening walk, and the carbonation was quite strong too.The best part? No calories and no sweeteners, which usually means the can would taste disgusting but not in this case. If you can stand shochu, this is worth a try for its 120 yen price tag!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zKPvk-foodTue, 21 Jul 2020 18:23:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zKPvk-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wrVBy-foodPackaged noodles are much healthier than instant noodles as the noodles are uncooked rather than deep-fried, but packaged noodles are often more expensive.This brand, Koedo Kawagoe from Saitama makes some good noodles for cheap! For 150 yen, you get 3 noodles in the bag. I tried the "tanmen" flavour which is basically a salt soup base, but they called it "tanmen" because it is marketably more attractive than "shio ramen".It was surprisingly good for its price. I thoroughly enjoyed the noodles, and they will definitely be my cheap go-to over fried instant noodles.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wrVBy-foodTue, 21 Jul 2020 18:23:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wrVBy-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z3BJj-shopping_moneyWith the rain falling recently, I finally got a scooter cover to cover my bike for now. Instead of getting a nice one like a responsible adult, however, I picked one up from the 100 shop.It is light and waterproof, so it is great... except that a couple days later, I found that my mirror already went right through it.Lucky for me is that I have no plans to ride it for some time, so I can just leave it on and hope that the rainy season will be over by then!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z3BJj-shopping_moneyMon, 20 Jul 2020 14:59:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z3BJj-shopping_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GOWLW-foodI recently bought a cup of nihonshuu just to change things up. For just 120 yen, I thought this was worth a try to see how much I enjoy sake.This 200mL nihonshuu called Ten was extremely easy to drink, especially if you add some ice to it too (not sure if you're "supposed" to do that). I think you can even microwave the bottle, but now is not the season for hot sake, if you ask me.The flavour was crisp and smooth. It gave me a buzz without overpowering my taste-buds. Considering the cheap price too, this is a good entry point to trying nihonshuu!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GOWLW-foodMon, 20 Jul 2020 14:59:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GOWLW-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MdvVJ-food_shoppingI bought another omelette rice from the nearby old lady's sushi shop. Her omelette rice are not the best, but she is really kind.This time, when she was getting ready to bag the food for me, I said "I don't need a bag""Oh, it will be easier to carry""It's okay, I have my own" and I pointed to my pocket."Are you sure? It's free!""It really is okay. It's a waste of plastic anyway""Hold on..."And she went to the back and grabbed a senbei and handed it to me! That was not something sold in the store, so surely it was one of her personal snacks! So sweet!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MdvVJ-food_shoppingMon, 20 Jul 2020 01:09:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MdvVJ-food_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G0vJV-food_moneyI do not usually buy smoothies because they are small and/or expensive, but at the supermarket, I found the Kagome's Green smoothie for 58 a bottle........ with a half priced sticker on it! 29 yen a bottle!I snatched all 4 bottles into my basket immediately.Oh boy, they were actually really tasty too. The kale made it feel healthy, but I definitely tasted mostly pineapple and kiwi.Whenever I return to the same supermarket now, I am always keeping my eye out for the same smoothie. Wish me luck!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G0vJV-food_moneyMon, 20 Jul 2020 01:09:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G0vJV-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GBqWA-foodConsider how I can get a 1L carton of coffee milk for 100 yen, I was curious how good this 500mL carton of Hida coffee milk would be.The reason why I had high expectations is that Hida beef is an awesome delicate beef in Japan, so a drink made with milk from Hida must be great, right?I was correct in that this coffee was extremely creamy and delicious. The bitterness and sweetness are both there, and it made the drink so hard to put down.It might be a challenge to find this, but if you get lucky and find one at the supermarket, give it a try!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GBqWA-foodMon, 20 Jul 2020 01:08:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GBqWA-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GyPVY-foodPudding is a lovely dessert especially popular with kids, but instead of eating it, have you ever wanted to drink one?Apparently some people did, so the product of the drinkable pudding was made! For 78 yen at the supermarket I went to, this hand-sized cup came with a straw for you to sip up the sweet creamy dessert.I actually liked it quite a lot. There is a level of confusion when you sip the pudding up: should I be chewing this? Other than that, I can see this being an occasionally fun alternative to normal pudding, especially for fans of chewable drinks similar to bubble tea.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GyPVY-foodSat, 18 Jul 2020 17:25:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GyPVY-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G6qEl-foodI am a fan of McDonald's cheap snacks, and recently I realized that they have this shakashaka chicken for 150 yen. When I ordered, they asked which powder I wanted. There are cheese and red pepper to choose from, and they are seasonings to add into the paper bag holding the chicken so you then go "shaka shaka" and shake it up and down.Compared with Fami-chicken ahd Lawson's L-chicken, I find that the McDonald's chicken is rather dry. The seasoning tastes good but I would prefer the other fried chickens where the flavours are cooked in and not sprinkled on top. For 150 yen, I will go to convenience stores instead.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G6qEl-foodSat, 18 Jul 2020 17:25:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G6qEl-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXQWQ-food_medicalSince I have realized how much sugar the TopValu low malt beers contain, I have been checking sugar and calorie content more often, and I found something very surprising.When I was comparing the three TopValu low malt beers, the sugar contents are as follows:Clear: 14 gramsRich: 8 grams50% less sugar: 7 gramsHold on, the 50% less sugar one was 50% less from the clear!? The rich and less-sugar have about the same amount of sugar!? Keep in mind that most beers have 3-4 grams of sugar, this less-sugar can is still full of sugar!Rather than getting tricked by their name, it is more important to really check and compare.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXQWQ-food_medicalSat, 18 Jul 2020 01:51:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXQWQ-food_medicalhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z1bPn-shoppingJapan loves vending machines and the convenience of how they are everywhere, but the point is that they were spread out everywhere and not all concentrated at one location.So, can anyone explain to me why this one street corner store had 5 vending machines all packed together?The shop is unattended, and while three of the vending machines are more than enough, there are two outside too.It is also interesting that they would sell competing products such as both Dekavita and Real Gold. You can also get bottled coca-cola AND canned coca-cola... which comes back to my initial question.Why is this needed?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z1bPn-shoppingFri, 17 Jul 2020 22:12:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z1bPn-shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GojbZ-foodI love creampuffs, and while you can easily get ones for 100 yen from supermarkets, the good ones with delicious pastries usually cost you much more.At Seijo Ishi, I was lucky enough to find their normally 250 yen caramel creampuff at half price, so I gave it a try.The caramel was on the outside. The top reminded me of the top of a creme brulee, topped with some sugar crystals too.The cream was absolutely rich and delicious. Sweet without being overwhelming. As they are a bit small, I can easily eat 3 of these at one go!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GojbZ-foodFri, 17 Jul 2020 22:10:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GojbZ-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G0vPn-foodMy girlfriend really loves oranges and mikan, and she was delighted when I brought home this can of summer oranges blend. With 24% juice, this had to taste good right? To make things better, it also had no sugar added! Natural all the way.But it was not good... the juicy was diluted. The sweetness from the juice alone was not enough at all. Given how great the idea of mixing several kinds of oranges sounded, we were both very disappointed. Besides it being relatively healthy, I would not recommend this.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G0vPn-foodFri, 17 Jul 2020 22:10:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G0vPn-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wNWA4-shoppingI have been using my old 900 yen earphones for about two years now, and I even lost an earpiece months ago so I have been using one ear that did not fit.I finally bit the bullet and ordered the most expensive pair of earphones I have ever bought!... for, 2200 yen on Merukari.Sony's current model of XB55 Extra Bass is about 3200 new, so this discount for a brand new unopened though discontinued model made me quite happy.The earphones are quite good. It does have a nice punch to the bass and it is helping me pick up on sounds that I have never found from songs before! There is no going back to 1000 yen earphones!Edit: One complaint I have after using it for a week is that they are rather big and hurt my ears after prolonged usage. Still great otherwise though!As usual, of you have not used Merukari but would like to sign up, consider using my referral code RNDTHH which would (usually) give both of us 500 yen points for free!Money To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wNWA4-shoppingFri, 17 Jul 2020 19:30:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wNWA4-shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MEPb0-foodOn my way to the supermarket, I often pass by this tiny sushi shop that sells omelette rice outside. For 500 yen or 600 yen each, depending on the size, I finally tried one after months of waiting.Upon ordering, the old lady said "choose the heavier one.... probably this or that one!" and recommended me to weight them by hand before choosing.She also told me to make sure I put my mouth close to the tray while eating because it is quite packed.The omelette rice itself is quite... um, boring. There was mostly the flavour of ketchup and nothing else. The eggs are nice, but there was nothing by tiny chunks of minced meat.So while it was not the best meal, I appreciated how nice the obaachan was and I want to go back just for that.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MEPb0-foodFri, 17 Jul 2020 15:25:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MEPb0-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MYmdL-foodAs a fan of fried chicken, I enjoy all kinds of them regardless if they are from fast food shops, convenience stores or even supermarkets.However, the supermarket had this spicy chicken strips that I tried, and I made me turn my head.For about 100 yen per 100 grams, it did look good on the outside. After toasting it up, it even smelled good, but tasting it, I realized two things.1. It was really spicy2. It was kinda bitterI got the feeling that the spiciness was to cover up its un-deliciousness. Checking the package, this was made in China. Not that all made-in-China food taste bad, but this one was particularly disappointing. To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MYmdL-foodFri, 17 Jul 2020 01:37:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MYmdL-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GR1gv-foodWilkinson is known for their carbonated water. Their alcoholic drinks are more about the great sparkly feeling over the drink itself, and I quite like them.This year, they released this Dry Seven Lemon-Lime drink. The seven refers to the 7% alcoholic content, and the lemon-lime was actually just a flavour, as it did not contain any real fruit juice.The carbonation was great as expected, and as for the taste of the lemon lime, it reminded me of Seven Up, and I quite enjoyed this can of what is basically a spiked soft drink.... hold on... Dry Seven.... Seven Up? Is that a reference? I wonder.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GR1gv-foodFri, 17 Jul 2020 01:37:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GR1gv-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmjBx-foodWhen I think about snacks on the road, I think of getting something from the convenience store or even the supermarket, but recently I found another great option.Almost all Indian restaurants sell a thin crispy flatbread called Papad. They cost about 200 yen for 3 pieces, and they are so easy to eat without filling me up, giving me something to crunch on but leaving space for a proper meal later.I have been popping into Indian restaurants to order their papads. I ask them to skip the plastic bags or packaging of any kind too, as I know I will finish them soon. Delicious, cheap and no maintenance, papads are great street snacks.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmjBx-foodThu, 16 Jul 2020 15:06:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmjBx-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z3BeY-moneyFor those who hate losing at UFO catchers and do not mind spending a bit more for a prize, I saw this new One-Try-Win UFO catcher at the local arcades.With the price placed right by the edge already, just one quick grab and you will most likely (although not guaranteed) to catch your price in one go.The "catch" is that each attempt is 500 yen, and this is actually the arcade's way to get rid of the last few stocks of some outdated prizes. But if it happens to be what you want, then 500 yen will probably be less than what it would cost you normally to catch it.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z3BeY-moneyWed, 15 Jul 2020 21:20:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z3BeY-moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GOWdX-food_shoppingFor a summer that I have so far spent mostly indoor and have no plans to go out in the near future, any designs that make me think of a Japanese summer have been extra attractive recently.That is what happened with the Asahi Clear's can. The drink inside was not different from their normal low malt beer, but the packaging was so beautiful and refreshing. The yellow and blue colours on a white background and the water balloon design is my favourite can of all time.I was sold by the package, enjoyed it on the road, recycled it when I finished it... then I realized: oh wait, I was planning to bring it home. I guess I need to get another one!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GOWdX-food_shoppingWed, 15 Jul 2020 21:20:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GOWdX-food_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wZ3Bl-foodIn my recent ventures into packaged curry for lazy meals, I got attached to the Ginza curry packages for their store-made feel, despite their 200 yen price tags.While I like spicy food, I thought I would get one medium hot one just for a change, and it was actually a change for the better.Not only was it not as spicy, the curry was actually sweeter. I tasted more of the onions than the hot one, and the couple pieces of meat were just tender.To add the punch, I could easily put in my own chili pepper. Either way, the Ginza curry packages are definitely good stuff.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wZ3Bl-foodWed, 15 Jul 2020 21:19:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wZ3Bl-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MdvgE-foodI quite enjoy this fruity series by Asahi, and their time-limited Passion Fruit and Mango is one to stock up on.Using vodka as the base, this drink is very sweet and delicious. You can taste a perfect blend of passion fruitiness and rich mango flavour with sparkling action. I bought one can to share between two people and I should have prepared two cans per person instead.8% juicy is very generous too considering the fruits used. For only 110 yen, I need more of this in my life.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MdvgE-foodWed, 15 Jul 2020 21:19:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MdvgE-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z83l8-living_tokyoWhen I lived in more rural areas, cats run away the moment they see me walk by. It was always a challenge to take photos of street cats before they escape.After moving to Tokyo though, I realized that the cats here are not as afraid of people.They do not approach me, but they also walk away slowly rather than running away full speed.Sometimes I would also see cats that just sit outside the shop. They were not as camera shy either. Perhaps this is a difference between big-city cats and small-town cats.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z83l8-living_tokyoMon, 13 Jul 2020 21:49:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z83l8-living_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MEPvp-foodBlack beers are usually pricy, but Sapporo made a black low malt beer to try to satisfy the fans of black beers but at a fraction of the price.I am not too experienced with black beers, but this 108 yen can definitely lacks the thick consistency that one would expect from proper ones. The flavour reminds me of black beers, but it also reminds me of black coffee and not in a good way.It is not bad while it is still cold, but the moment it warmed up, I started to question what I was drinking.I would recommend paying more for a real black beer instead.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MEPvp-foodMon, 13 Jul 2020 21:48:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MEPvp-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w2jew-foodI'm a fan of time-limited cup noodles, as they offer a unique flavour often in association with a famous ramen shop somewhere in Japan.I picked this little guy up because I love spicy noodles, Nissin does pretty good instant noodles, and again, this is a time limited that I've never seen before.After 4 minutes of waiting, the aroma of the yuzu citrus welcomes my hunger the moment I opened the lid. The soup was light, but the red packet it came with provided a good spicy punch that pleasantly surprised me. The thin noodles also match the soup really well, and overall making this a very very satisfying cup noodle.Unfortunately this is time limited, and Nissin's collaboration noodles aren't as well stocked as other ones. If you're interested and see this in a shop, pick it up before it's too late!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w2jew-foodMon, 13 Jul 2020 21:47:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w2jew-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mv4xG-foodWhile some foreigners don't understand it, I LOVEEEEEE tofu and claim it as one of my favourite foods of all time (along side unhealthy items like ramen. potato chips and fries....)One of my favourite tofu to purchase at the supermarket is the Super Creamy Tofu, Kuchidoke Oboro, which really just means that it melts in your mouth.The name totally matches up. This is the creamiest tofu I've ever had, and I've tasted a lot. The texture is one thing to love it for, but the flavour is also very rich. The best part is that these 120g tofu comes in a pack of 4 for likely below 140yen, which is extremely reasonable!It can be eaten warm, but I prefer serving it cold. My favourite way to eat it is with yuzu-vinegar, sesame and sliced seaweed. Thanks for its taste, however, it actually works well as a dessert with honey or brown sugar too!If you're into these healthy white soy products, this creamy tofu receives my highest recommendation for something awesome you can pick up from the supermarket, so you should definitely give it a try!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mv4xG-foodMon, 13 Jul 2020 21:47:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mv4xG-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GOWkO-foodI have been falling for the hype recently. First the Gu-bo, and now cheese dog. I know cheese dogs have been around for quite some time, and this Korean street snack usually go for 350 yen and up. Thus, the Lawson 250 yen-ish version was quite attractive just for its price point, and I got one to try.The outside was covered with dried potato crisps, and they were sweet and delicious. The cheese was tasty but not quite gooey like how I had imagined it. Also, the end of the stick was a piece of sausage, when I actually was hoping to end up with cheese.For the price I paid, I guess it was okay, but this was another item that fell flat due to the "conbini fried food are not served fresh" problem.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GOWkO-foodSat, 11 Jul 2020 21:46:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GOWkO-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MxLVv-foodI found a new product at a local supermarket that I have never seen before: bite-size deep fried ginger gyoza.These cute dumplings were filled with juicy minced meat and chopped up ginger, and they were straight up amazing. After popping them into the toaster oven again, every dumpling was crispy and delicious with no sauce needed. They made such a great meal, and I can see them go really well as a snack with a drink on the side too. Definitely going back to the supermarket for more in the future!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MxLVv-foodSat, 11 Jul 2020 12:41:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MxLVv-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wNWJ7-living_fashionWalking around a Seiyu at a station recently, I found my new favourite hats. For only 1000 yen a piece, these cool looking hats has great air circulations so that heat would not be trapped under the hat.Wind can easily go through too, you can keep your head cool while blocking the sunlight from directly burning through your hair or skin.For your fashion statement, they also offer a different "ribbon" (?) around the hat. I have not decided on which ones to get yet. I am thinking on getting the beige one AND the blue one (which would be just 2000 yen total), but let me know if you think other ones are better.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wNWJ7-living_fashionSat, 11 Jul 2020 12:41:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wNWJ7-living_fashionhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gl5eq-food_medicalI was quite pleased by the 78 yen Rich low malt beer by TopValu when I tried it, but then I realized something.Their regular low malt beer is crazy sugary! Per can, you get 14 grams of sugar and 165 calories. To compare, the same brand's rich low malt beer had about 8 grams, and most low malt beers and normal beers on the market average around 3 to 3.5 grams of sugar.The worst thing, it is not even that sweet! Even though it is only 78 yen, I am sure that I will not pick up a can ever again. To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gl5eq-food_medicalSat, 11 Jul 2020 12:41:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gl5eq-food_medicalhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GBqLj-shopping_moneyThe idea of UFO catchers is to play on the sunk cost fallacy. They attract you with something you want, and once you are 100 or 200 yen in that you cannot recover them, the only way you get a return would be to keep going until you win.Considering that, I should be glad that when I was attracted by the Doraemon cushion the other day, my first attempt actually dropped it so far that I knew to give up immediately.If it went closer to the exit, I would have kept trying. Instead, I stopped after the 100 yen, so.... thank you for stopping me?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GBqLj-shopping_moneyFri, 10 Jul 2020 11:15:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GBqLj-shopping_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zVPVx-food_moneyWhen Monsters and Red Bulls and similar energy drinks are 200 yen a can, a cheaper alternative is always welcomed, such as this Kprice can for 100 yen.This 250mL can tastes kind of like red bull, but it has a strange aftertaste that most people would not enjoy. It did a good job at getting me to wake up immediately and charged me for a few hours of work I had though.Personally, I would have liked it if there was more volume, but again, this is a case where the cheap alternative does a good job in what I wanted it to do.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zVPVx-food_moneyFri, 10 Jul 2020 11:14:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zVPVx-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/we9vd-living_shoppingAfter a few days of working on different parts of the Gundam, I finally got it all assembled.Consider I only had a nail clipper as the tool with no additional paint, I was quite happy with how it turned out. I was able to switch its weapons and pose it with different angles. It is definitely not as flexible as many other full sized and more expensive models, but I have always liked the SD Gundams more for how cute they are.This might be a restart of a hobby that I have forgotten for a long time!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/we9vd-living_shoppingFri, 10 Jul 2020 11:14:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/we9vd-living_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w2lRV-foodSometimes when you eat udon, soba or soumen at home, you do not know what kind of sauces to use besides tsuyu. Recently I discovered this spicy mazemen sauce, and it was great.Made by the chain restaurant Akakara, they released these packs of spicy sauces you can mix noodles with. They pack a good kick that made me sweat. The flavour would definitely make you think of Korean food.For 100 yen per pack of sauce (and 2 packs in one bag), it is not the cheapest so I would not give it high recommendations, but it is a way to spice up your home noodles when you get bored.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w2lRV-foodWed, 08 Jul 2020 22:18:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w2lRV-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wk52B-living_foodI am so used to walking into a ramen shop and seeing its machine full of options and variations, so seeing this one made me stop, laugh and take a picture before walking.It does sometimes make sense that some ramen shops only do one type of ramen, and they offer a handful of toppings. But at the same time, there are not small versions of these ticket machines. The result is this funny machine with more empty spots than choices.To make things worse, it is hard to see it in the picture but most of the topping options were actually not available, probably because they ran out. It was so sad that it was funny.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wk52B-living_foodWed, 08 Jul 2020 22:18:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wk52B-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GbkX9-foodAs you can see from the title, the name of this particular cup noodles was absolutely ridiculous in both length and concept. It was like someone threw all the words they came up with into one product.Let's not beat around the bush. The taste was... not bad. It was definitely a mix of a mess. I could taste curry, but not the cheese. I think there was garlic, but could not find the chicken broth flavour. The soup was rich though.Personally, I saw this as more of a gimmick product than anything that would ever become regular. Just for the fun of it, try memorizing the name and then read it three times. Rich Spicy Chicken Broth Garlic Cheese Curry Flavour Cup Noodles, Rich Spicy Chicken Broth Garlic Cheese Curry Flavour Cup Noodles, Rich Spicy Chicken Broth Garlic Cheese Curry Flavour Cup Noodles....To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GbkX9-foodWed, 08 Jul 2020 22:17:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GbkX9-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zDqvZ-living_foodI get irritated every time I pass by a shop that offers "Lady's ramen", which is either smaller and cheaper, or smaller but sold at the same price but comes with a small dessert.Why is this offered only to ladies? Why is there the assumption that women cannot, do not want to, or even should not, eat more?This shop offering a smaller ramen that only women and kids can order also says at the bottom "don't worry, you can get rice for free!" in case you are hungry.What kind of message are they trying to send??? To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zDqvZ-living_foodTue, 07 Jul 2020 16:06:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zDqvZ-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GWONJ-food_moneyAs I am still worried about dining in at crowded restaurants, I was doing takeouts at more places than before, one of which was a Chinese restaurant nearby.I had never paid attention to their bento take out, but considering it was only 500 yen and I was not in the mood for cooking, I ordered a yodare chicken bento.While I appreciated them having side dishes (aka salted cucumbers), the bento itself was a bit lacking in the amount. I am so used to being stuffed to the top when eating at Chinese restaurants that this delicious bento was not satisfying. I guess this made me recognize that I go to Chinese restaurants more for the quantity than quality. To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GWONJ-food_moneyTue, 07 Jul 2020 15:46:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GWONJ-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MgapY-foodJapan is not big into BBQ sauce and they usually see it as an American thing, so imagine my surprise to find this random German cranberry BBQ sauce at the local supermarket.Not sure why it was there, I looked it up online and found it being sold for 720 on Amazon, so I put it in my basket since it was only 340 yen for a glass bottom. Taking it home, I used it mostly as dips for pizza crusts. It has a nice smokey flavour and it is not strong at all. However, as I was eating it, I still could not help myself from questioning who else is buying it, who decided on importing this niche product, and what Japanese cuisines would go good with it...To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MgapY-foodTue, 07 Jul 2020 15:46:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MgapY-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/M967O-food_moneySince I tried the prepared hayashi rice a few days ago, I had been looking around for more easy (aka lazy) pre-packaged curry sauce to eat at home.One that caught my eye was the Ginza curry. Instead of カレー (karee), the packaged said カリー (karii), which apparently was what curry was called in the old times in Japan, which also sounded closer to the pronunciation of "curry".This spicy Ginza curry was not cheap, as it was 200 yen. The flavour was worth the price though. It felt like it was cooked for a long time, and the flavours of the spices and onion were well blended together. It was quite spicy too. I added some weiners to make it even fancier. This is definitely a good alternative to cocoichi when I want to have curry for cheap.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/M967O-food_moneyTue, 07 Jul 2020 15:46:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/M967O-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MnxV4-foodI thought I had hit gold when I found the sapporo 99.99 series for the best 9% drink, but that was not the very top, and of course it was Coca-cola and their only alcoholic product that took the crown.I had heard about their new venure into drinks with a buzz in the form of the "Lemondou". The standard version of Lemondou is 5%, but I found this demon-lemondou with 9% alcoholic content instead, as well as 1.5 lemons worth of lemon juice. If I was paying the same 138 yen (plus tax) for either, I might as well go for the stronger one.The drink was straight up impressive. The lemon was flavourful but not too sour. It was like drinking lemonade but for adults. Even for its price, I was so happy with it I bought more the next day.The interesting thing is that the price of the drink is 138 at supermarkets and 150 at conbini, which is not that much of an increase. If there can only be one drink I could recommend to you, this Lemondou is the one to go for.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MnxV4-foodMon, 06 Jul 2020 11:24:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MnxV4-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zKPBk-foodOne of my favourite things to eat at restaurants is cheese fondue, and that always ends up me holding my stomach going "I don't want to have cheese for a month". However, I have never done it at home, until I found this pack of cheese!Using just milk and this package, I made a whole pot of lovely gooey cheese. The flavour was perfect, especially when I think about how cheap this was compared to eating out. Another awesome thing was that I could split this into two meals.I dipped some sausages and uncooked veggies into it to great results, but the best thing I found to dip with was toast. Just cut toast into small cubes, and it was absolutely lovely. Definitely will do this again!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zKPBk-foodMon, 06 Jul 2020 11:23:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zKPBk-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MJPdd-foodWhen a trend picks up in Japan, you will find it at the most unexpected forms. One of such was the mint chocolate lunch pack sandwiches, which usually have things like jam or peanut for its sweet versions.(Sorry for the blurry picture.)The mint chocolate lunch pack had oreo-like cookie crumbs as well as a sweet minty cream. While I was very doubtful when I picked it up (and only had the courage because it was half priced), it was a delicious sandwich!The cream was sweet, the mint was not too much, and it was really satisfying. It was so good that I ran back to the supermarket to pick up a second. Hoping to find more in the future!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MJPdd-foodSat, 04 Jul 2020 15:32:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MJPdd-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wrV2y-foodI had very high complements for the Sapporo 99.99 drinks before, mostly for how it did not leave me with a bad aftertaste while giving me a good buzz, but I was not as sure going into this one.Personally, I am not a fan of grapefruits or grapefruit flavour stuff. I find them to be too bitter to enjoy. I was surprised to find that this can to be very refreshing instead!Probably because how it did not contain that much grapefruit juice, the expected bitterness was not there. Instead, the hint of the fruity flavour just added more to the drink, and definitely the best grapefruit drink I have ever had.With that said, I would still go back to the cola one, or maybe try one of their newer flavours that are apparently harder to find.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wrV2y-foodSat, 04 Jul 2020 15:29:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wrV2y-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w5nXq-moneySometimes you just never know how much something is worth to collectors.I recently put up a Yu-gi-oh card for sale on Merukari. I have had this card since almost 17 years ago. It was the ace card in my deck, and this is extra special because there is a slight misprint on the holo parts. You can see that the stars are a bit off.But the card has been outpowered since, and I have other less-rare versions of the same card, so I tested my luck. After several weeks, someone bought it for 4500 yen!Minus to fees and shipping, I basically got 3800 yen out of this one card (well, in meru-points). Some might say that I should have saved it, but this card also basically paid for my electricity bills for a month, which is hard to argue against!As usual, of you have not used Merukari but would like to sign up, consider using my referral code RNDTHH which would (usually) give both of us 500 yen points for free!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w5nXq-moneyFri, 03 Jul 2020 11:05:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w5nXq-moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GQoNd-food_moneyRecently I have been getting sick of my own cooking, which was mostly grilled pork using yakiniku sauce. To have something different (and lazy), I bought a pre-made hayashi-sauce to try.For just 100 yen, this was really easy to prepare, as I could microwave it or boil for whole package for several minutes. I made the rice myself and just poured this next to it.The taste was not bad. Cannot compare it with ones at restaurants or even food court. It tasted more like a stew than hayashi rice, and I found only 1 or maybe 2 pieces of beef in there.But remembering its price and how easy it was to make, no complaints, will have it again.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GQoNd-food_moneyFri, 03 Jul 2020 01:50:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GQoNd-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MpO2a-food_moneyRecently I had been drinking a bit too much of the coca-cola's Lemondou, and as delicious as it is, 150 yen a can of a bit more on the high side. To balance out, I had been trying out cheaper happoshu.Instead of the 100 yen cans, the TopValue happoshu available at most Aeon supermarkets was only for 78 yen. This 6% Rich can was pretty good for its price. It has a strong malt flavour to it, and it goes down well.The one thing I did not like was that the carbohydrate content was between 7g-14g. I mean... how can there be huge a big difference between cans? Either way, it was cheap and good, and I will go back for more.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MpO2a-food_moneyFri, 03 Jul 2020 01:49:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MpO2a-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G7RrA-foodSometimes when you buy a bread, you wonder "how did the manufacturer come up with this strange idea?"The inverted korokke bread was one of such. It was basically a fried korokke bread, but instead of the bread wrapped korokke inside, it was reserved to have the korokke on the outside and bread on the inside.Before eating it, I toasted it up just like how I would with korokke, although this was a bread. The product was quite good, to be honest. I felt like I was eating potato more than bread though. But still, what inspired the person to make this?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G7RrA-foodFri, 03 Jul 2020 01:49:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G7RrA-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmj2x-living_foodRecently I received a delivery from a former neighbour who was nice enough to ship me a package full of local veggies. Inside she included a couple canned saba as well.The saba was great, but what I wanted to talk about was this character on the back of the can."Aiko-chan".There was no mention of it being their mascot or if the manufacturer's name is Aiko. The passage next to the picture was more about how "It is OUR motto that WE want KIDS to enjoy the delicious and safe food we make".So, is Aiko part of the "WE", or is she the representation of the "KIDS" being referred to.Or was it a curse the company got from watching TV one night that cursed them to have to put Aiko on anything they sell? The mystery of Aiko lives on the packaging of canned fish...To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmj2x-living_foodWed, 01 Jul 2020 14:03:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmj2x-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GR1Nv-foodBefore coming to Japan, I always thought inari sushi is the fried and sweetened tofu skin with the light yellow colour. However, at the supermarket, I found its alternate colour choice.If you search for it, you might sometimes find a brown-sugar inari sushi. When I eat and compare the two, I find the brown-sugar one to have a stronger sweetness, but the flavour is not that much of a difference.I enjoy having the two together, because it adds a bit of joy in the otherwise plain sushi. I usually eat the normal inari first, then the brown sugar, then back to normal. If you find it, give it a try!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GR1Nv-foodWed, 01 Jul 2020 14:02:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GR1Nv-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXQNQ-foodIn my head, Ritz only takes two forms: the cheesy crackers, or plain crackers without the cheese that no one should ever get unless they cannot eat cheese or if they are putting smoked oysters on top. But at an Aeon supermarket, I found this spicy chicken flavour. The fact that I only saw this at one supermarket and never at others should have been a bad sign that this was going to be not good, and it was bad.The "spicy chicken" flavour was more about the spices used to make spicy fried chicken instead of an actual chicken flavour. The flavour was mostly onion powder, actually. The "cheese" was not really "cheese". I could not taste any other spices.If they named it "onion flavour" then it would have been accurate, although still not delicious. To me, labelling it as "spicy chicken" was straight up false advertising, and I hope they will give up on trying new things if this was what they came up with.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXQNQ-foodMon, 29 Jun 2020 23:07:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXQNQ-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z83n8-foodLast time I enjoyed the sapporo lemon 9% chu-hi a lot that I recently went back to the supermarket for a second can. Then I found that they had a limited cola version.I enjoy cola a lot, and this one hits the spot as a vodka cola mix. Some would argue that it tastes more like cola-flavour candies than actual cola, but the nice 99.99 branded taste that leaves no bad aftertaste makes up for it.Also being 9%, the buzz was at the perfect level for me to enjoy my night walk around town (although I am sure the sugar in the can basically un-did the exercise of the walk itself.) Knowing that this will not be around forever, I am going to stock them up!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z83n8-foodMon, 29 Jun 2020 23:07:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z83n8-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MYmNL-food_shoppingI used to read the kanji on packages of vegetables to learn their names, especially since there are so many vegetables I find here that are not available back home. One day recently, I came across one that got me laughing out loud at the supermarket at its very lame dad joke.The salad-veggies (it is known as salad-na in Japan) packaging had its name small in the corner. Instead, the packaging just wrote in a huge font "tabetai-na", with the tabetai being "I want to eat" and na being a play on word of either "veggie" or something like "~".So the package basically says "I want to eat it~".Okay, now that I tried to explain it, this is super lame. Jokes are never funny when you explain it, but I had a good laugh and they also made me buy it, so that is smart on their end.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MYmNL-food_shoppingMon, 29 Jun 2020 23:06:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MYmNL-food_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GyP3Y-shoppingWith only so little to do as I am avoiding going outside until the second wave calms down, I am looking for things to do at home, particularly things that does not involve me staring at a screen. I bought this gundam model over a year ago when I was half drunk, and this was the perfect timing.When I was a kid, I was super into building gundam models. My parents and grandparents spoiled me with a lot of them, but I have not assembled a new one for over a decade. It felt really good breaking out small pieces and turning them into 3D parts of a robot again.I spent about an hour and a half and I only got the head and body of this Unicorn Gundam. This made me realize how gundam building must have been a great way to keep my quiet and occupied for hours. I will share the result again when I have it done!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GyP3Y-shoppingSun, 28 Jun 2020 16:45:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GyP3Y-shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z1ben-living_foodI saw this packaging in the store the other day and I got confused. The kanji on it says 饂飩, which was new to me, so I took a picture and sent it to a Japanese friend who told me that it is the kanji for udon.Then a Chinese friend told me that the same kanji is actually one of the ways to write wonton in Chinese, with the other set of kanji being 雲呑 also for wonton. However, in Japanese, wonton is almost always written in katakana. So at some point in history, when Japanese people invented udon, they used the kanji of wonton, so they used to equate them to wonton but gave it a different pronuncation...? If anyone knows what happened, let me know!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z1ben-living_foodSun, 28 Jun 2020 16:35:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z1ben-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Goj7l-foodI found one of my latest flavour traditional Japanese food: Miso-peanuts!I asked about it and this is a traditional food, and it is basically crunchy peanuts covered with sticky sweet miso paste with sesame added. There are two ways to eat it: one, and typical for Japanese elders, is to serve it as a snack alongside green tea. It presents you several textures with salty and sweet flavours, very satisfying.The other way I enjoy more is to eat it with white rice. Simply putting it on top and tossing a big scoop of rice into your mouth, the sweetness of the miso peanut adds so much to the otherwise boring white rice. I went through a good two bowls of rice with just this.If you have never tried it, see if you can find it at your supermarket. It is not expensive, and I would recommend it to anyone!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Goj7l-foodSun, 28 Jun 2020 16:19:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Goj7l-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z3BVX-foodWhile the frog beers are usually a bit too pricy for me at about 200 yen a can, my friend is a massive fan of them and he lives and dies by them.The frog beers often come out with seasonal and time-limited drinks, and with their purple-canned Belgian pale ale, my friend enjoyed it so much that he gave me a can to try too.For a pale ale, I was surprised by how flavourful it was. The taste and aftertaste were both super rich, and compared to anything cheaper, this felt like a beer that is worth its price in how it taste.The frog beers have always been great for its price, and their pale ale is no exception. I will look forward to their new one so I can buy one and give back to my friend.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z3BVX-foodSun, 28 Jun 2020 16:19:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z3BVX-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wNWBk-foodFor only 100 yen a bottle, you can get one of my favourite condiments that I would be happy to use on basically any fried food.The Thai sweet chili sauce is awesome. Based on tomato sauce (and an unhealthy amount of sugar, to be honest), these sauces bring a sweet and slightly-spicy addition to any food you eat. My favourite is to pour it over fried food, but it is also a great dip for pizza crusts.In Japan, I feel like this is quite underrated for how delicious and how affordable it is. If you find one for about 200 yen at the supermarket, try searching your local 100 yen shop, commercial supermarkets, or even liquor store. You will very likely be able to find it for 100 yen. Let me know what you think of it!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wNWBk-foodSat, 27 Jun 2020 11:12:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wNWBk-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z1be6-foodWhile it is hard to find imported cheetos in Japan, many Japanese snack companies release their own similar corn snacks.One of such companies is Koikeya, who recently released new flavours to their line up of corn snacks. I gave their BBQ flavour a try, mostly because I was sold by the pictures of steaks on the packaging.However, the promised meaty BBQ flavour is not there. It was just a typical BBQ flavour that is mostly salty with some sugar too. I was not too sad since it was just a 100 yen-ish snack and not an actual BBQ meal, but this is a case where the packaging built up too much hype that ended up with a disappointing product.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z1be6-foodSat, 27 Jun 2020 11:12:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z1be6-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MxL46-foodHoroyoi has always been more of a soft drink than an alcoholic drink for me. At only 3%, I hardly get a buzz from it and my partner agrees. However, it is usually really delicious.One great can I have tried recently was the green grapes Horoyoi. For people who has ever enjoyed a green grapes flavour drink, this delivers exactly that. It is sweet and refreshing, perfect for dinner time on a hot day.Another reason why I like horoyoi is that they never break your wallet. For only 100 to 110 yen a can, this is one of my favourite horoyoi flavours that I would definitely recommend to anyone who is at legal age to drink.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MxL46-foodSat, 27 Jun 2020 11:11:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MxL46-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GOWBQ-shoppingI noticed something quite interesting recently. When I went to a Seijou Ishi supermarket, I could not find their mirin anywhere. I thought it would have been next to the soy sauce, but no. Instead, when I browsed through their alcohol section, I found a bottom of mirin. Of course, you would not drink mirin like the other drinks on the rack. However, apparently mirin is placed there because it contains alcohol.I also remembered that there was a supermarket I went to that did not sell alcohol, so it also did not sell mirin, but only mirin-flavour alcohol-less condiment. Who would have thought?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GOWBQ-shoppingThu, 25 Jun 2020 00:05:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GOWBQ-shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G0vLO-shoppingBefore I moved to a different prefecture, I was looking for some souvenir to buy to give to some people I knew as a farewell gift.I entered a high-class senbei shop for a purchase and I bought something worth about 1000 yen, which was definitely on the lower end of their senbei gift boxes.What I did not expect was that after I finished my purchase, the cashier pointed me towards a corner of a store where a clerk just put out a cup of tea and a couple of the store's signature snacks for me to enjoy.Based on the price of the snacks sold in the store, they gave me something around 130 yen. There was nothing really for me to stare at, but it was a really nice relaxing time I was able to enjoy, particularly one I did not expect.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G0vLO-shoppingThu, 25 Jun 2020 00:00:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G0vLO-shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wZ3Rj-foodGiant cone has always been one of my favourite ice-creams. However, they come in many kinds, and I have recently found my new go-to.For only 100 yen-ish (or 140 at conbini), the yellow Gaint cone is one with chocolate layers twisted right into the rich vanilla ice-cream. The chocolate adds a crispy layer in your ice-cream journey, and it is absolutely delicious!With this, you get both the enjoyable of a great vanilla flavour and yummy chocolate without the two conflicting with each other. It also adds another texture to the enjoyable, on top of the creamy ice-cream and the crispy cone. This is so good that I have been stocking up at home, and you should give it a try too.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wZ3Rj-foodWed, 24 Jun 2020 23:52:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wZ3Rj-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mdv1O-foodI have been seeing this as a challenge on the internet: the Korean spicy noodles challenge.This is recognizes as one of the most spicy instant noodles ever, and people taking it as a challenge more than a meal, and since my brother tried it too, I had to one-up him with the 2x spicy chicken instant noodles that is twice as spicy as the standard one that is already known to kick butts.Interestingly, the noodles do not look that dangerous upon it being done. The colour is not that red. However, once you take a bite... oh snap. The kick comes upon your first chew. I was sweating from my nose by my third bite. This noodles is no joke, and I never waste food, so I forced my way through finishing the noodles. With that said, it definitely is not for everyone.You can find this for about 110 yen at most Korean supermarkets. Let me know if you decide to give it a try!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mdv1O-foodWed, 24 Jun 2020 23:47:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mdv1O-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MEPLy-foodAs a fan of cider, I find it annoying in Japan that cider is both a word that is often used for non-alcoholic soft drink (ex. Mitsuya cider) and it is a drink that is not common enough here. So when I found this regional-limited Hida craft apple cider, I got to give it a try.It is interesting how this cider is considered a chu-hi. The Hida label comes from the drink being made using apples from the Hida area in Gifu, making this limited to mostly that area.The drink itself is great. The apple flavour is there, and it goes well with the alcoholic flavour. The carbonation could have been stronger, but it was also really easy to drink.I would say that this is worth a try for everyone for about 250 yen, but you might have a hard time finding it at your local supermarket.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MEPLy-foodWed, 24 Jun 2020 23:41:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MEPLy-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G0veO-food_shoppingThis happened almost two months ago during the very early stages of stay-home. As we were gathering resources and stocking up food at home, I passed by a Kaldi farm and their sales corner.What really caught my eye was the stacks and stacks of mint chocolate tim-tams they had there, as well as the price tag of 138 yen per pack. Given how one pack of tim-tam is usually close to 380 yen, I grabbed a basket and bought 5 packs immediately.They are so delicious that I feel I could have bought more than 5 packs. I am now half way through the stock, by the way, and I will be really sad when I eventually run out.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G0veO-food_shoppingWed, 17 Jun 2020 14:46:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G0veO-food_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wZ39j-foodIt is a challenge to find vegan-friendly food items in Japan. In most instant noodles, for example, soups would almost always include some kind of animal-based stock. I am not vegan myself, but a friend of mine gave me this vegan instant noodles, which she told me was sold in a super random vegan shop in the middle of nowhere in the countryside.I tried it one night, and I was impressed. This soysauce flavour noodles was awesome! It was vegan, sure, but it tasted identical as any other soysauce flavour instant noodles I have ever eaten. The noodles themselves were great too. Chewy and filling.If this product is widely available, I would be happy to get this instead of non-vegan instant noodles!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wZ39j-foodWed, 17 Jun 2020 14:33:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wZ39j-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wZ3pa-food_shopping_teaUp until recently, all my tea adventures have been done at either supermarkets or drugstores. While those places offer products at fair prices, they often carry similar products and brands across shops and mostly from the same few green tea makers. I realized that my selections were limited in terms of maker, and I wanted to explore more.Then one day I walked by a small tea shop at the local shoutengai (shopping market street). I realized that after almost 8 years in Japan, I have never entered these small tea shops, as they often intimidate me. It is like how if you were someone who only drinks cheap instant coffee, it is hard to walk into a legitimate coffee bean roaster. That thought is kind of silly, though, and was I glad that I decided to walk in!The shop had so much to offer: many packaged teas that work as gifts or for self-use, and plenty of unpackaged tea that you can buy by the gram, on the spot. Teas came from many different brands too, including a lot from Shizuoka, most of which I have never seen in supermarkets. Somewhat overwhelmed, I picked up a small bag of Shizuoka powdered green tea, because we have been using them quite a lot lately.This Shizuoka green tea is made in Kakegawa, but the distributor is Chaho Hayashi, which I realized is the small Tokyo tea shop I bought it from. This means that it is quite unlikely that you'll find this exact tea sold in big shops. The price point was great too, as the small bag costs just 550 yen with tax included.As the back of the package explained, we only get to drink 30% of the tea from brewing tea leaves, whereas powdered green tea gives us 100%. That is why I always make 2-3 brews from the same leaves, but powdered green tea is definitely more convenient. This tea was extremely fine, and it made it easy to dissolve with hot water. If you are making a cold tea, I would recommend dissolving the tea with a bit of hot water first before adding cold water and ice. The colour was a beautiful bright green that made me question my eyes. I had no idea the colour could be so stunning, when the ingredient was 100% Kakegawa tea!The flavour was very refreshing too, though the aftertaste was a bit lacking, and I feel like that might be an issue with powdered tea in general. It was also not too bitter even though it felt very rich in consistency, so it might not be what everyone expects based on its powerful colour. On the other hand, there were also no bits and pieces of the tea leaves as I drank, which was a very welcoming change. Overall, this was a very enjoyable tea and a great first experience buying tea from a small tea shop, and I look forward to stepping in again to try other Shizuoka teas they offer!This post is supported by Shizuoka Green Tea Guide, one of City-Cost's Supporters helping City-Cost bloggers to enjoy life in Japan and engage in new experiences.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wZ3pa-food_shopping_teaWed, 17 Jun 2020 10:29:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wZ3pa-food_shopping_teahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MvjYN-foodSuntory recently released a new edition to join the war of happoshu (low hop beer). This "BLUE" is cheap, for only 100 yen a can, and it is a great refreshing drink for the summer. Using the suntory natural water (which I never drink, because I never find a need to buy water, which is a free resource), they made this happoshu. What was surprising was that this happoshu has a sweetness to it. It makes the drink super easy to drink and very enjoyable.It is low on bitterness, so for those looking for a beer-like drink, this may be weak, but it also makes this is great entry-level drink at summer BBQs and parties (when it is really safe to go out, anyway).To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MvjYN-foodMon, 15 Jun 2020 12:02:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MvjYN-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w2l1g-foodTaking advantage of a recent 50% off coupon I found, I ordered pizza-hut for the first time in Japan. I loved it back home, and with the coupon, this was still more expensive than my usual go-to (Domino's), so my expectations were high.Unfortunately, it was rather disappointing for the 2600 yen Lovers pizza, which is one of their premium items. First, the good is that the cheese was generously put. However, the same cannot be said for the other toppings.The crust was also thin and flat. It felt like the restaurant did not give it enough time to rise and it was flattened by machine. I might consider giving it a second try someday, but for now, that can wait.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w2l1g-foodMon, 15 Jun 2020 11:53:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w2l1g-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wk58m-foodThe local tofu shop has a very interesting product that I always see getting picked up by customers every time I visit. This package of tofu cream slices is not cheap. A case like the one you see is for about 330 yen.However, for those who cannot stand dairy, this is an alternative to cheese. It tastes that creamy flavour and texture in your mouth, and after toasting it, it turns into gooey melty mozzarella cheese that you can spread on toast. If I do not tell you, you might never guess that this is soy.This is also a great product for vegans. Personally, I love cheese, but I would also hope to see this product being spread around so more people can enjoy it.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wk58m-foodMon, 15 Jun 2020 11:49:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wk58m-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GWOBO-foodOne problem the strong 9% alcohol drinks have is that they do not taste good. The alcohol is too, for a lack of words, strong and it gives this bitter aftertaste that make people's faces cringe.However, the Sapporo 99.99 Chu-hi is an exception. This 9% drink using distilled vodka that goes really well with the lemon flavour. The outcome is a refreshing taste with a strong buzz.In fact, for only 100 yen a can, I can only wish that they will come out with more flavours so that I can ditch all the other similar products on the market. They have earned themselves a loyalist with this!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GWOBO-foodMon, 15 Jun 2020 11:44:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GWOBO-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wNWjx-living_sustainablelifePersonally speaking, I do not enjoy the time I spend washing dishes. There is always somehow a large amount of plates and chopsticks to wash, and this is an activity I have to engage in multiple times a day. Thinking about the time and energy I have spent in just the past year alone, they really add up. However, it is not just the time that is used. The amount of water we let down the sink just for dish washing is also not to be scoffed at. While I agree that this is something that is not easy to avoid, there are ideas to make our everyday dish washing more environmentally friendly, and here are three ideas to share.1. Saving your shower waterBefore you get disgusted and click away, hear me out. I am not asking you to save the soapy water that come off your body as you shower and shampoo and then use that for washing dishes, because that is gross. Instead, if you have a basket at home, put it in the shower room with you. For many of us, when we turn the shower on, the water does not heat up for the first couple of minutes. Some people just leave the shower on and let the water go down the drain until the water warms up. What about using that water for washing dishes later? Use the basket to gather the water, then bring it to the kitchen later. Sure, the water is cold so it might be harder to use against greasy dishes, but they are perfectly fine for soaking bowls with rice stuck on top or for rinsing plates. We actually do not have a basket, so we have turned our extra laundry basket into this.2. Choosing your spongeYes, I know, the sponges at hundred yen shops are really cheap. 100 yen for 8 sponges is unbeatable, and even the nicer sponges are just 100 yen a pop. However, they also create a lot of micro-plastic that is quite harmful for the environment. Lake Biwa, for example, has suffered from sponge plastics, and that beautiful lake is not the only one.One alternative and environmentally friendly option is the Vegetable Fiver sponges. These sponges are made entirely out of vegetable fibre so that they can be degraded and return to earth when you throw them away with burnable trash. The texture feels different, but they work well. 440 yen for 2 on Amazon is not the cheapest thing you can find, but you are doing it for the Earth.3. Investing in a dish washerI have yet to get to this stage of my life because dish washers are bulky and expensive, but this is my dream one day. Not only does it remove the responsibility of washing dishes away from my daily to do list, they are also designed to help conserve your water usage. I wish I can share the experience but I do not have one yet. One day!Do you have other ideas to share regarding sustainable dish washing? Share them with us!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wNWjx-living_sustainablelifeFri, 05 Jun 2020 09:49:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wNWjx-living_sustainablelifehttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmjJQ-foodCalbee has been doing a fun series recently, "the special flavours from the 47 prefectures in Japan". I picked up the Gifu flavour designed after gohemochi. Gohemochi is a rice cake that is skewered, covered with miso and grilled over an opened flame.How did it taste as chips? They tasted great. It was savory and sweet that does remind me of the traditional Japanese snack it imagined after. The crisp of the potato chips did not really match and created a disconnected in my head, but halfway through the bag, I was not thinking about it anymore and the bag was done before I realized.The first prefecture I tasted was a success, so I will be looking forward to tasting other prefectures' specialities.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmjJQ-foodSat, 30 May 2020 12:41:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmjJQ-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zKPn3-foodI was craving some summer-ish dessert the other day and picked up this little cup from Kaldi's Farm.I got to tell you first though that this sangria jelly is not alcoholic, so it might not be giving you the "good time" you had wanted, but it is definitely delicious.Each spoonful was soft and sweet, and full of red wine flavour. The fruity flavour comes from the peach and apple, which you can find bits of throughout the cup too.For 100 yen, this was definitely worth it!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zKPn3-foodSat, 30 May 2020 12:41:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zKPn3-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z8377-foodIt is a treat whenever I get a bento from conbini because it happens only once in three years (as I would always go for ramen instead), but I got one on the day I moved.After 5 minutes of decision-making in Family Mart, I landed on this half-half garlic chicken + stamina bento. One reason was for the extra large 300g of rice.The chicken was delicious and garlic-y, but the pork slices on the stamina-don side were there it was at! Each slice was grilled to hold onto flavour so I could enjoy the rice alongside the meat.While I wished there was more meat to balance the large amount of rice, it was definitely a good lunch!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z8377-foodTue, 26 May 2020 18:24:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z8377-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gojgj-foodI love how the name is just "White Chocolate Drink" because they do not know how to classify this beverage, but it did catch my attention for me to pick it up, and was I glad I did.For just 100 yen, I got this at the supermarket and it was really good! There was a rich white chocolate flavour that made me feel like I was drinking actual white chocolate. The consistency was just right as well.It was a drink that tasted way better than how much it cost. The cup is not big, but I think I am going to stock up on this!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gojgj-foodTue, 26 May 2020 18:24:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gojgj-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GR1de-foodHersey and their chocolate entered the cereal market in Japan. They started with the standard chocobits and then a caramel version, so this is their third.The matcha white chocolate chocobit is different to the previous two, because this one actually uses more flour than sugar in the ingredients. I expected this cereal to be more "for adults" because of the matcha, but in reality, this was just as sweet as any other. The white chocolate is subtle, the matcha is not strong, and overall it was just sweet.While I am not enjoying it as much as I had hoped, it is still delicious!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GR1de-foodMon, 25 May 2020 11:25:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GR1de-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GyPjk-food_moneyAs someone who is always on the lookout for cheap drinks, I expect to win some and lose some. Happoshu from big brands are usually quite good for the price, but cheap imported liquor, on the other hand...I could not resist this bottle of 40% mojito rum that always has lemon, lime and peppermint flavours added, especially when the whole bottle was just 700 yen.With high excitement yet low expectations, I opened the bottle, added some peppermint, soda water and ice for a night drink.The result was... underwhelming. The flavouring was weak, it was not sweet, and I basically felt like I was drinking rum and water despite the packaging selling this as mojito.The one good thing is that it is quite easy to drink, so I imagine shots of this would be easy to down, and that might be how I end up finishing this.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GyPjk-food_moneyMon, 25 May 2020 11:25:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GyPjk-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z1bKv-food_shoppingA received a cute little gift the other day. A Japanese friend gave me a cube of rice. The rice was uncooked, and it is nothing unlike what you would buy in a bag. It is just that the shape is a cube!Actually, my friend showed me the box of 6 cubes, all different brands of rice and I got to pick one. Despite its small shape that fits in the palm of my hand, it actually packed 300 grams, or 2 cups for rice cooker standards.It was so adorable and space efficient that I now have a new idea the next time I have to look for gifts.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z1bKv-food_shoppingSun, 24 May 2020 11:27:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z1bKv-food_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G0vor-foodRecently I have been seeing different breweries releasing different low-malt drinks, and as a fan of the 100 yen range drinks, I have been happy.The Sapporo Mugi to Hop Aka can was one of them. This red can was a 6% beer-like happoshu. I found the flavour to be on the bitter side, with a lasting aftertaste that is quite strong too. I quite like the normal Sapporo happoshu too, and this one actually did less for me, mostly because of its complex taste instead of a crisp one.Perhaps some people out like would prefer this, but I will be sticking to other ones for now, such as Asahi's The Rich.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G0vor-foodSun, 24 May 2020 11:26:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G0vor-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G6q8R-shoppingWith my recent craze to find simple entertainment from 100 yen shops, I picked up yet another simple pachinko/pinball like toy, and this one is actually quite good!The purpose is to shoot the ball at a good strength so that it spins all the way through and get the highest score possible. I sometimes play something similar at the local arcade using medals too. The one difference between the arcade big machines and this tiny toy is that the arcade ones have 0 point value at the very end, whereas the toy gives you 100. The former makes a lot more sense as it makes you be aware to not put in too much strength.I quite like the build of this toy because it uses metal balls, and the automatically fall into slots to show your point value. The downside is that it uses a rubber band rather than a spring for the shooter, meaning it will die out quicker. Still, it is some good short simple fun for 100 yen!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G6q8R-shoppingSun, 24 May 2020 11:25:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G6q8R-shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G7RmP-foodWith the increased opportunities for takeouts recently, I have been enjoying Cocoichi curry quite a lot, and their beef katsu is one of my favourite toppings to get.In Japan, pork katsu (or tonkatsu) is common, but their beef variation is really good too. It is processed so that it is very soft, and the last thing you want is tough beef as a katsu. The flavour is meaty and it goes well with their curry.The downside is that it is not cheap as a topping, but given that I have been eating out much less recently, I guess I deserve this!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G7RmP-foodSat, 23 May 2020 18:41:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G7RmP-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z3BR1-food_moneyI do not frequent McDonald's often, mostly for health reasons, but when I do, I never go crazy either.However, I do have the urge to spend more than usual once in a while, and my "go crazy" at McDonald's is like this.2 hamburgers2 chicken crisps1 apple pie2 ketchupWith each item being 100 yen + tax (except for the free ketchup), the total came out to be 540 yen and also a very satisfying dinner. I open a hamburger, put the chicken crispy and ketchup in between, and it is a burger bigger than the Big Mac.If fries are on sale, I would switch out 1 burger each for a large fries, but the price would still be about the same. Give it a try sometime! To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z3BR1-food_moneyFri, 22 May 2020 23:36:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z3BR1-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wZ3e5-foodApparently it is a big deal when a conbini adds a new fried food item, because I kept seeing it everywhere. Eventually I gave in and bought one of Lawson's Gu-bo just to see what the deal was.Gu is for filling and Bo is for stick. These fried sticks with fillings at just below 200 yen a piece came in two flavours, and I went with the mentaiko and cheese one. When I opened it, it was essentially a deep-fried spring roll.It tasted good (would have been better if it was fresh). The mentaiko had a bit of a spicy kick, and while the ends of the stick had no fillings, the center was bursting with deliciousness. I wish the stick was bigger because I was not really satisfied, so it is to either get 2 next time or to get something else.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wZ3e5-foodFri, 22 May 2020 19:16:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wZ3e5-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXQeX-foodIt is extremely rare to find Mountain Dew in Japan, and the only time I get it is when I go to Costco. I was quite surprised to find this Mountain Dew Violet (with a grape flavour) at the local supermarket the other day, so I bought one immediately plus some for my MD-loving friends.The grape flavour was noticeably artificial, which was expected. What I did not expect t the lack of an after taste. The flavour quickly disappear after the sip, and because of that, I prefer the normal Mountain Dew, and I think this soda is ultimately a skippable one. To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXQeX-foodFri, 22 May 2020 18:14:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXQeX-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z83X7-foodOccasionally I get to try a new type of senbei, and it is rarely because I bought it myself, but rather someone travelled and got me something from there, and my expectations are not high.However, this Echizen octopus senbei was absolutely mindblowing! The flavour was strong and the crunch was extremely crunchy! Holy wow, what made this so good?I looked at the back of the package and surprisingly, the leading ingredient used to make this was octopus. There was more octopus used than flour and other things, and it was fried to perfection that I finished the whole bag in one go (then realized I had no more and got sad).While not for people with allergies, this was no doubt the best senbei I have ever had!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z83X7-foodFri, 22 May 2020 18:14:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z83X7-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G6qo3-food_tea_shizuokaWhen I was out exploring town and some new shops with my partner we came across a brand of green tea from Shizuoka that we had never seen before. Okuraen is a brand from Kakegawa City of Shizuoka Prefecture. They produce, logically, the type of tea called "Kakegawa tea" which has more than 400 years of history. I have had my fair share of Shizuoka green tea up to this point, but they had one product that particularly piqued my interest.Out of the three teas the shop carried, on one package it wrote “Kakegawa tea, the aroma of matcha arare, night time tea bag”. If you do not know what arare is, it is a type of fried bit-size rice cracker that is commonly served as a snack. It would make sense if the tea was fitting to go alongside arare, but this one has the arare in there with the tea leaves, and I just had to try it.For slightly under 600 yen, you get a packet of 20 tea bags. It is not necessarily a steal, so the value was all up to the quality. I waited until night time to open the bag up, because, well, it is a “tea for the night”. When I finally opened the bag up after dinner, however, what I could smell was very intriguing. “I smell… tea… oh wait, rice crackers?” It smelled like something I could just eat out of the bag directly, and I would have tried if they were packaged into these pretty individual tea bags. Overall, it smelled really nice.In each little tea bag, you would see tens of little rice pops that are thoroughly covered with matcha powder sitting next to a batch of ground green tea leaves. I tried shaking the tea bag, and none of the green leaves fell out, reassuring me that I will not need to be drinking a swamp of green tea residue from the bottom of the cup.I poured hot water over the tea bag, and it really brought out the aroma when my put my nose closer to the cup. The color of the tea was a beautiful green, thanks to the matcha. The arare added this hidden layer of rice flavour that comes after the initial green tea bitterness that Shizuoka green tea is known for. The mixture of the two blended perfectly, and this was truly a tea I enjoyed.The tea bag was good for two brews. The arare probably meant that each tea bag had less tea leaves than average, but when the tea is this good, I should not complain and just go make another cup.All in all, would I recommend this? Definitely, especially if you want your Shizuoka tea to be just slightly different but not away from being traditional.This post is supported by Shizuoka Green Tea Guide, one of City-Cost's Supporters helping City-Cost bloggers to enjoy life in Japan and engage in new experiences.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G6qo3-food_tea_shizuokaWed, 20 May 2020 15:19:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G6qo3-food_tea_shizuokahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wrVaq-food_shoppingWith so much time at home, I find myself drinking more at night and often while I do work (look, I need something to help with the stress, alright?)So I bought my very first six-pack the other day, partially to stock up but also to decrease my supermarket trips.I ended up with the new Asahi The Rich low-malt beer. For about 100 yen per can, this 6% drink is actually quite good. Both me and my partner felt that this drink reminded us of outdoor drinking parties, hanami for me and BBQ for her. I am now halfway through the pack and really enjoying it!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wrVaq-food_shoppingWed, 20 May 2020 11:35:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wrVaq-food_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GQopL-foodI love cereal, especially when it is covered with chocolate. With that said, Choco Flakes is actually a cereal that is advertised more as a crunchy snack, and recently I found this ball version.For 100 yen a bag, it was nice that it came with a resealable bag so you can save some for the next day. Because they are bundled up into balls, I find them less crunchy than the normal flake versions, but the flavour remains the same, and there was really nothing else unique otherwise.The fun is with the shape but otherwise it offers nothing new. I would give this a 7 out of 10 in the realm of chocolate cereals.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GQopL-foodWed, 20 May 2020 11:34:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GQopL-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmjeQ-shoppingI have never played Pachinko, but I do miss my arcade visits during the #stayhome days. Thus, I have been keeping my eyes out whenever I visited 100 yen shops to see if there were anything at the toys section to keep me entertained at home.I picked up this simple pachinko-like toy the other day. With the 6 balls available, the goal is to shoot the balls up and hope they land somewhere with high point values. There is almost no skill and all luck. The design is simple, and it is very easy to reset. It is quite nice to play with something this simple once in a while. If I was my young self, this would have kept me entertained for weeks no doubt.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmjeQ-shoppingMon, 18 May 2020 23:00:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmjeQ-shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MpOax-foodAfter a long day of work, I decided that i deserve a nice drink on the shinkansen trip home. When I saw that the Premium Malt's Kaoru Ale, I realized that I have never tried this because I usually go for the normal Premium Malt instead.This kaoru ale promises amazing beer foam alongside its extra aroma. Honestly, I found this beer to smell better than it tasted, especially when the beer was getting less and less cool. The foam was nice and the colour was beautiful, but it did not make up for the distracting flavour. Being the same price as other normal beers, this is low on my list and I would recommend getting the original Premium Malt instead.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MpOax-foodMon, 18 May 2020 15:08:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MpOax-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MnxvV-foodI had my first Cocoichi in years recently, and my 3rd out of my years in Japan. Since it has been so long, I hardly remember what was on their menu, and I was intrigued by the new vegan-meat croquette that is for about 170 yen.Since it is rare to see vegan options in Japan, I got one for the experience. With it fried to a crispy in the store, I was very surprised by this because it was really good! So good that I questioned again and again whether it really was made from soy and not actual meat!With a great flavour and a great crunch, this is a must-try for anyone wanting to try something vegan and be satisfied! To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MnxvV-foodMon, 18 May 2020 13:37:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MnxvV-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GR1ee-moneyRecently I came face to face with my Animal Crossing addiction. The problem was not so much that I spent too much time playing it, but it was the anxiety whenever I had a day of not playing it, thinking "I wasted another chance to dig fossils for bells".I finally got to the point of "that's it, I need to clear this out of my mind" and decided to sell it on Merukari. Considering I bought the game for 5700 yen with the Preorder discount (otherwise 6300 ish), I was very happy that I got to sell it for 5500 yen!!!Now, with the 10% transaction fee Merukari takes plus 200 yen shipping, I got to pocket about 4750, which is not bad at all. Not only did I got to enjoy the game for the hours I put into it, I am glad I sold it for a good price too.If you have not used Merukari but would like to sign up, consider using my referral code RNDTHH which would give both of us 500 yen points for free!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GR1ee-moneyMon, 18 May 2020 00:59:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GR1ee-moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MYme2-moneyI have only seen this Eurohop sold at Kaldi, so I associate this with Kaldi, and it stands out whenever I go because it is the only 100 yen beer-ish drink there. This Eurohop is a happoshu, or low-malt beer, which means the price is super friendly at only 98 yen before tax.Unfortunately, it is not the best and I would go for any of the Japanese big brand happoshu any day. WIth that said, it is very often that I would pick one up on my way out of a Kaldi (which is often too) so that I can crack one open on my way home. Cheap drinks for the win!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MYme2-moneyMon, 18 May 2020 00:53:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MYme2-moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zKPp3-moneyIt has been getting hot lately so I have been making ice in the freezer. However, there are certain drinks (aka. beer, beer and beer) that you just do not want to add ice into to dilute it. I found the solution at the 100 yen store when I found this cooling mug. All you have to do is to put it into the freezer in advance, and the mug itself will keep the beverage cool!The idea was great and the execution was not bad. For 100 yen, it definitely did keep my beers cold until the last drop. I would recommend this to people who have freezer space!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zKPp3-moneyMon, 18 May 2020 00:48:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zKPp3-moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GyPgk-foodI try not to drink too much of energy drinks, but sometimes I just need the morning kick.As a fan of soft drinks, I had high expectations for the Coca Cola Energy. Advertised with a "coca cola taste", I was a bit disappointed to report that the flavour was more like coke flavour candies or coke flavour anything instead of actual coca cola.For 200 yen, it was also a small can, which either makes it easier to finish or leaves you wanting more. I would usually be the latter except that I had it while I was on the Shinkansen early in the morning, so less fizz in my tummy was better biz.Overall, this will not be my go-to, but more competition is always better!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GyPgk-foodMon, 18 May 2020 00:45:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GyPgk-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z1b1v-foodIn Gifu, there is apparently a new "species" of bananas. The gimmick of this banana named "Seisui banana" is that the peel is super thin, so thin that it is edible.I received one from a friend, and it looks like the bananas are not yet purchasing in stores yet. They are at the stage of putting the name out there first.I tried it and sure enough, the peel is edible!... but, it is not good. The texture is strange. It does feel like eating a banana peel. It is a bit tough and slimy, and the peel itself is not sweet.Again, it is edible, so they were not lying, but I did not really see the point. In conclusion, my mind was blown until I ate it.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z1b1v-foodMon, 18 May 2020 00:40:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z1b1v-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MJP5k-food_tea_shizuokaThanks to this Shizuoka tea project, I have gained a lot of insights into the flavour and uniqueness of the green tea of the Shizuoka Prefecture. However, my focus has been mostly on green tea, so I was glad to see that Co-op was carrying an in-house brand of Shizuoka houji-cha, and it encouraged me to pick it up to try something different from the same region that I am now quite familiar with.For those who do not know, Co-op is a nation-wide supermarket that carries a lot of high quality and locally grown products. They are usually more expensive than average, and many richer households enjoy their products because quality is often ensured. Knowing that gave me confidence upon choosing the tea, which was very reasonably priced at 205 yen including tax.As described on the package, this delicious tea is Shizuoka-grown “bancha” that was dried and roasted. Houji-cha is different from normal green tea with its roasted flavour, which is great for winter. In fact, the package has instructions for hot tea but nothing for cold brews. Unlike other green tea I have been drinking, this package suggests brewing the tea with 100 degrees water instead of the 70-80 degrees. After you wait 30 seconds, it is great to be enjoyed. Okay, I got it. This is a tea served hot, and the temperature is still cold enough for me to enjoy this.I opened the package, and the aroma of the houji-cha was very compelling. It was refreshing in that it smells very different from the usual tea I drink. It reminds me of the nice smell I pick up walking pass tea shops in Japan that roast their tea outside, but this tea smells more calm and sweet. The novelty made me really looked forward to the tea being ready. The first sip of the tea was really hot because I did not blow on it. However, once it dropped to a drinkable temperature, I got to enjoy this houji-cha slowly. The tea is profound without overpowering. The aroma maintains even when I was half way done with it, which made the drink double enjoyable.Actually, since I usually find Shizuoka green tea to be more on the bitter side, I was caught off guard by how easy to drink and sweet this tea is. It made it very easy for me to finish the whole pot in an hour, and the hot tea also got me heated up and I felt warm the whole night.Considering the price, this Shizuoka houji-cha is an excellent deal. Moreover, having a different type of tea to enjoy at home is great, and I think I will be coming back to this occasionally.This post is supported by Shizuoka Green Tea Guide, one of City-Cost's Supporters helping City-Cost bloggers to enjoy life in Japan and engage in new experiences.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MJP5k-food_tea_shizuokaWed, 22 Apr 2020 11:02:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MJP5k-food_tea_shizuokahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zay39-food_teaSometimes I see that a few users on City-Cost try to use Shizuoka green tea to make some kind of recipe, and I am always impressed by their idea of making this traditional Japanese drink more than a drink. However, with my lack of cooking knowledge, I knew that I would have little luck with it unless it was something as simple as 'pour ingredient A over ingredient B.' Then an idea came into my head.I have always wondered why ochazuke is called ochazuke when it always tastes more like a fish broth than tea, meaning that daijzuke seems to be a more fitting name. As I was looking at a pack of cold rice in the freezer, wondering how to finish it, both ideas popped into my head: I could make real “ocha”zuke by pouring A, Shizuoka green tea, over B, this pack of rice! Given how rich Shizuoka green tea is, I imagined it being a warming and healthy-tasting snack that I could have for lunch one day.So the one day arrived, when I had decided to execute the plan. I microwaved the rice up while waiting for the Shizuoka green tea to get ready. I was using the Itoen Shizuoka Green Tea because I did enjoy how flavourful it was, because without the tea flavour, it would have just simply be the saddest way to eat rice.I also realized that ochazuke works as a meal because it has some sodium in it, so I heated up a random grilled fish in attempt to fill that gap. Pouring tea A over rice B and fish C still is not too difficult. I was able to combine everything, and the result was... well... underwhelming.My immediate thought was: I would rather enjoy the tea on its own than diluting it with rice. The flavour of the tea was there, especially from smelling it, but seeing how the rice turned green just made me wish I had not done that. Quickly, I opened my drawer for a fix, and luckily I found a pack of opened salmon furikake that I had forgotten about. It was no longer flaky and dry, but I realized, if I was putting it into hot tea anyway, it really did not matter.That turned out to be my best idea of the day. It added the fish flavour that ochazuke usually has that was missing. The process did grow to involve ingredient D, but the meal was also a delicious and hearty bowl of Japanese goodness that satisfied me for the rest of the day.I was also glad that I made a second run with the tea leaves. As usual, Shizuoka green tea is so rich that its second and third runs would still be delicious. Would I recommend this to everyone? If you have some rice and furikake at home that you want to finish, then it is a maybe. Otherwise, I think it would be a better idea to have the tea on its own, or try one of the more successful recipes from other bloggers on the site like these ones!Making Shizuoka Matcha-Flavored Chocolateshttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Bella/GyyX9-living_food_tea_saitamaMaking Shizuoka Green Tea Pancakeshttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/hellonihon/GQm53-food_teaThis post is supported by Shizuoka Green Tea Guide, one of City-Cost's Supporters helping City-Cost bloggers to enjoy life in Japan and engage in new experiences.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zay39-food_teaTue, 17 Mar 2020 12:34:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zay39-food_teahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z1mk1-food_teaWell, this is kinda awkward.I bought this new green tea I found in a drugstore with excitement. It was my first time seeing the internationally popular green tea brand Itoen produce and sell tea from Shizuoka, but of course, others shared the excitement too, and JTsuzuki reviewed it already. You can check it out here.Since Itoen is widely available nationwide and even internationally, I am going to take a second shot at reviewing this tea as well.I mentioned how this brand is quite global, and you can see that from the packaging immediately. The instructions on the back of the package are written in Japanese and English. The steps are clearly explained with the help of illustrations too, so even those unfamiliar with Japanese green tea can enjoy it too.What really impressed me was that a video is available for those who need an extra into virtual assistance. Great idea, Itoen.The tea itself is nothing short of impressive. Upon opening the bag, the smell fills my surroundings. This high grade Shizuoka green tea is quality stuff. Maybe it is my mental expectations knowing the brand already, but I felt that this Shizuoka green tea smelled more like the typical visitor-friendly green tea than the strong and characteristic Shizuoka green tea I have learned to love.The colour was a brighter green as well. I believe one thing that makes this tea’s first impression so strong and positive is the fact that the tea is very finely grind. This allows the smell and flavour to come out at an instant, and the package comes with a resealable opening too to help keeping it fresh. Again, the small touches that big companies are experienced with. The aroma, the taste, and the colour were all amazing, which is expected not only from the brand, but also the fact that this bag of 100 g costs over 900 yen. You are getting what you are paying for, however.If there is one big downside (other than the price) about this tea is that because the tea is so fine, when I used my tea mash ball, quite a lot of the small grains of green tea escaped from the ball and went into the tea. It also made a bit more of a mess on my desk when I was preparing the tea. It does add more flavour into the drink, but when my drink got closer to the bottom, it was a bit too sandy until I added more hot water. A very fine mash is recommended if you are drinking this Itoen Shizuoka green tea. Maybe the price will hold you back, but if you want some green tea to treat yourself to a nice taste of Japanese tea, Itoen’s Shizuoka green tea is definitely one to consider.This post is supported by Shizuoka Green Tea Guide, one of City-Cost's Supporters helping City-Cost bloggers to enjoy life in Japan and engage in new experiences.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z1mk1-food_teaMon, 10 Feb 2020 10:25:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z1mk1-food_teahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MgXeY-living_teaIn the last Shizuoka green tea post I let my non-Japanese colleagues have a taste of what green tea from Shizuoka is like, and they all provided me with fabulous feedback about how much they enjoyed the rich and deep flavour of the tea. You can read more about their reactions here:Colleagues Trying Shizuoka Green TeaThat inspired me to do a little experiment in the office.We always have a hot water dispenser ready next to some instant coffee and instant green tea. I noticed that no one refills the coffee in the office and my colleagues would drink whatever is the next available thing, which is usually the tea. So the research question is:Is the Shizuoka green tea delicious enough for my colleagues to choose over un-branded instant green tea?I put the rest of the bag of Shizuoka green tea in our drink corner, which was the over-1000 yen bag by Ocha no Maruko. I also put the handy tea ball I got from a 100 yen shop there. I then told my colleagues: "Feel free to drink the tea whenever you want to, and you can use the tea ball, provided that you will wash it for the next person."Of course, I was in the office daily during this trial so I was able to see the consumption of each tea and my colleagues' tea-drinking habits. I had 4 colleagues in the office and the "research" was planned for 3 weeks based on the expiry date of the tea.What I have noticed was that 3 of my colleagues went towards the Shizuoka green tea from the very first day and they continued to enjoy the green tea since then. 2 of them would often share the tea ball starting with one proposing: "I am going to make some green tea. Would you like some of the tea I make if you are okay with washing the ball afterward?" The 4th colleague started drinking the tea too after a month in. On the other hand, the instant green tea consumption was close to none! I casually interviewed them about the green tea without telling them that it was for research, which is a move that definitely would not pass any research ethics committee.When asked about their choice of drinking the Shizuoka green tea over instant green tea, the first thing they had mentioned was the fact that they had tasted the tea before and knew that it was "good stuff". The novelty of having a high quality tea in the office also convinced them to drink the tea while it is there, whereas the instant green tea is available all the time. One colleague mentioned that they had somewhat replaced coffee with the Shizuoka green tea, because they would make a cup in the morning and make it more dense and extra bitter.My colleagues did mention that they wished the green tea-brewing process would be easier but knowing them personally they are lazy and they want everything to be easier. Therefore, the fact that they would go through the brewing and washing says a lot about how much they liked the tea.The research was planned for 3 weeks but lasted only for 2 purely because they had finished the whole bag of tea sooner than I had expected. After that, they went back to drinking instant green tea, but the two colleagues who shared the task of brewing and washing would occasionally ask if I will be bringing them any more of the "good stuff". Since I was just an observer during this research, I did not drink any of the tea myself, so I need to have my own fair share of green tea first before I feel generous enough to share again.This post is supported by Shizuoka Green Tea Guide, one of City-Cost's Supporters helping City-Cost bloggers to enjoy life in Japan and engage in new experiences.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MgXeY-living_teaTue, 14 Jan 2020 12:58:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MgXeY-living_teahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G6YJl-foodI noticed something when I was looking at the collection of Horoyoi I stocked at home.Just look at the designs. If you are not fluent in Japanese or Fruitese, you might not know that one is a pear, one is an orange of some sort, and the last one is Yuzu. They all used a warm yellow and light green colour scheme, and every fruit had a green leaf attached. Imagine trying to tell someone through the phone which one you want!The upside is that they all taste great.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G6YJl-foodTue, 07 Jan 2020 13:53:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G6YJl-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wrvmy-shopping_moneyWhen I was wandering around a random town near Yokohama, I walked into a Family Mart to pick up a cheap drink to accompany me. To my surprise, that Family Mart had a crazy collection of Craft Beer! Most of them were things I have never seen in Japan before, and on the high-end, there was a can being sold for over 900 yen!I know that they exist, but I just did not expect to find them in a conbini. Talking to my friend afterward, I learned that some conbini managers who are fans of craft beers would import things they like so they can share the joy of craft beers with the locals. Very cool, and I wish I could afford them.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wrvmy-shopping_moneySun, 05 Jan 2020 10:10:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wrvmy-shopping_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z1mQ1-living_shoppingDo you also sometimes find it hard to make it until Friday?Recently I bought something new for myself to reward myself when I get through another work week. A box of Yu-gi-oh booster pack costs about 2300 yen, and the box comes with 15 packs. So, on every Friday, I would open a new pack to see what new cards I got inside, with hopes for a rare card!So far, luck has not been on my side. However, it definitely makes Thursdays more bearable as I feel that "I am almost there". 2300 yen might seem like a big investment, but that is just 150 a week, so definitely worth the price of a reward.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z1mQ1-living_shoppingSun, 05 Jan 2020 10:09:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z1mQ1-living_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MnmK4-foodWith the craze of tapioca in Japan, I started finding stranger and stranger products. This steamed cake was one of them.This bubble-tea-like steamed cake was interesting. The flavour was a good milk tea taste, but the weird thing was the tapioca pearls which had a very unique texture.Looking at the ingredients, I realized that the pearls were indeed konnyaku, rather than tapioca. Overall, I thought it tasted good, but I would not say that I am a fan of eating cakes with konnyaku inside.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MnmK4-foodSat, 04 Jan 2020 20:02:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MnmK4-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GokYW-foodYou know how trading cards are ridiculously expensive? For 150 yen a pack, you open it just for 5 cards inside. While there is a chance for a shiny rare card, you might also just get all common cards.Well, at a hobby shop, I found and immediately bought this box of Yu-gi-oh cards. As written in front, it contained only common cards, meaning that the shop opened a full box, removed all the rare cards and put them back into the box as a product. However, for a mere 100 yen, cheaper than a pack of unopened cards, you can get basically 60 cards there!For casual fans who are not playing competitively for the rare cards, this is a great and affordable way to collect some cards just for fun!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GokYW-foodWed, 01 Jan 2020 19:31:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GokYW-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXrbQ-foodFor those who enjoy juice more than alcohol but wants to get buzzed, here is a nice recommendation. The Aomori Fuji Apple Chu-hi by Nippon Premium is a very nice can of apple beverage. Although the juice content was only 15%, it felt a lot more. The 3% alcohol content also makes sure that this one can does not ruin your night immediately. I have never heard of Nippon Premium before, but now I think I will start looking for it.For about 130 yen, this is one I would get again!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXrbQ-foodWed, 01 Jan 2020 19:13:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXrbQ-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmxyx-moneyI have never played the scratch lottery in Japan, but I know they are huge. I thought I would test my luck by buying one over the new year while also learning how to play.For 200 yen, I had the slim chance to get 5 million yen. What I needed was to get one of the outside symbols to match the one in the center, which did not happen.While it was short-lasted, it was exciting scratching off each box thinking about the potential 4,999,800 yen I could get from the lottery.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmxyx-moneyWed, 01 Jan 2020 19:04:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmxyx-moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z8rk8-food_moneyRecently I was in a ramen shop in Yokohama. While the ramen was great, there was something I had never expected when I was leaving.By the door, they had bags of vegetables with the sign "feel free to take!". As I was leaving, I asked "Um, is it really okay to take one?" and the clerk replied with a huge smile "of course! Please enjoy it at home!"I walked out and opened the bag to find it full of celery! To be honest, I asked out of curiosity more than wanting free celery, because I then spent 2 hours on the Shinkansen wearing a suit with a bag of veggies in hand, but that is really cool for them to share their products with their customers like that! To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z8rk8-food_moneyWed, 01 Jan 2020 19:00:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z8rk8-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MgXE6-transportationAt Takatsuki Station in Osaka, I saw something I had never seen before. The platform was gated off, but instead of traditional gates, some platforms had these ropes!When the train comes and stops, the ropes would be lifted above our heads so that we could walk under the through. It kind of felt like walking under the badminton net to get to the other side of the court. On hindsight though, it is a very smart and cost-effective design. It also makes it really easy to be replaced, if someone walks into and breaks the flexible ropes somehow. I would like to see more stations use them, even if they are not the coolest looking things.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MgXE6-transportationFri, 06 Dec 2019 15:50:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MgXE6-transportationhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gb3E2-foodSometimes in the middle of the night, I find myself craving for something sweet. Not quite like a cake, so something traditional and Japanese would be great; but creamy would be good too, especially if it is chilled.So the strawberry dorayaki I had recently was perfect. This 100-yen-ish dessert from the supermarket was filled with red beans and strawberry cream, and the two were perfect together.What was more impressive was how fluffy the "pancakes" of the dorayaki were! I definitely would not have expected that from a supermarket sweet, but it was so good that I would recommend others to try too!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gb3E2-foodFri, 06 Dec 2019 15:50:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gb3E2-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/M9ldn-foodIt just hit me recently that while I eat conbini nikuman as often as as weekly, I rarely actually have nikuman (meat bun), but almost always something new and random. I noticed it when I ordered the beef curry-bun at Family Mart. I just really enjoy the non-traditional fusion of flavours. The beef was hot and rich, and it actually contained several chunks of soft beef inside!I was walking around while eating it, and without a doubt the smell of the curry got a couple of by-passers hungry too. As long as convenience stores keep making these delicious fusion buns, it is difficult for me to get a standard nikuman!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/M9ldn-foodFri, 06 Dec 2019 15:50:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/M9ldn-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w5lPW-food_moneyIt is December, which in Japan, it is fried chicken month! And this is the monthly reminder for both myself and everyone that Family Mart's Famichicken is still in my opinion the best out of all the convenience store chains.It is hot and juicy with every bite. The crunchy shell holding the flavour is just the perfect thickness, and I enjoy every piece I eat.They are doing a 20 yen off promo at the moment (160 yen instead of 180), but you can get one for free if you use the LINE End-of-the-year coupon, although it does block you out from other offers, and it seems like what is offered is varied. Definitely worth it though!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w5lPW-food_moneyWed, 04 Dec 2019 15:26:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w5lPW-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GQPa8-living_moneyWhen I checked in at a business hotel in Osaka the other day, the receptionist suddenly asked me for 100 yen. "What for?", I asked, and he told me that it is the new accommodation tax in Osaka to help improve the city's attraction for travelers.I had no idea what it was, and more importantly, I was surprised that he asked for me over the counter when I made the whole payment online. It almost sounded like a scam if they did not have a poster explaining the new tax right behind me. Apparently the fee is based on how expensive your hotel room is as well. Just a heads up to everyone!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GQPa8-living_moneyWed, 04 Dec 2019 15:21:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GQPa8-living_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MpkqB-foodI had something at an izakaya another that and it was so mindblowingly interesting that I just wanted to share with everyone!This is the oden daikon karaage!Yes, that is correct. It is both an oden and karaage. The daikon was stewed for hours and fully absorbed the flavour of the delicious dashi before lightly coated and deep-fried. It was crunch on the outside and juicy on the inside, and one was definitely not enough and I wish I got another.It was just also beyond my imagination until I had it, so if you ever run into this someday or feel like making it yourself one day, I can tell you that it is great!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MpkqB-foodWed, 04 Dec 2019 15:18:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MpkqB-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G7EeN-foodWhen I was at Kyoto Station and running from one platform to another to change trains, I was stopped by a really pleasant festive smell. Looking around, I saw Manneken Waffle, and before I knew it, I started lining up.It was not until then I saw that their seasonal items was caramel apple waffle, which must have been what my nose picked up, and I got one of those for 172 yen.It was delicious. The sweetness put me in joy, and the apple bits inside the waffle was fun to crunch on. My only regret was that I did not try to ask for a warm one, but it made for a great snack while I waited for my next train.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G7EeN-foodWed, 04 Dec 2019 15:14:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G7EeN-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmxaO-food_teaSince the beginning of this Shizuoka Green Tea collaboration, I have gradually increased my knowledge and experience in green tea. I went from a non-Japanese tea drinker who considers green tea as "green tea" to someone who can comment on the tea! And now, I find it my mission to share my knowledge and appreciation with people around me.Last time, I brought the tea back to Canada to share with my family. This time, I thought I would let my colleagues try it and see what they think about the green tea from Shizuoka, my two colleagues who have both been in Japan for over 10 years, in particular. Although this was not full-on research I thought that in order to get the relevant feedback and understand them, a little pre-testing interview was in order. The questions included:- Do you like green tea?- How often do you drink green tea?- Where are green tea in Japan produced? (please do not answer “Japan”)- Which region of Japan have you tasted green tea from?With my two participants, both of them expressed that they like green tea but they have never been the ones making the purchases. Someone in the family would always prepare the tea and they take part only as drinkers, which also means that they have no clue where the tea is from. With that said, they both drink green tea on a weekly basis at home and almost daily at the cafeteria at work.One colleague named Kyoto when discussing green tea production and the other named Uji plus Nishio as another green tea production area. When I mentioned Shizuoka as the area having the top production of green tea in Japan, they both reacted with, “Oh, I didn’t know that, but it fits the peaceful image of Shizuoka”.Then, it was time for the taste-testing. The particular green tea I shared was from Ocha no Maruko, which is a distributor that produces quite a lot of tea in Shizuoka of various price ranges. The tea was also the most expensive tea of the series (I believe) that my girlfriend bought, priced over 1,000 yen for the bag. The good stuff, no doubt! I brewed a cup for each of them, and one of them offered to share some cookies, which was really nice.First, they tasted the tea. “What do you think?”, I asked.The first reply was, “Different.” To one colleague the tea was quite different from the tea they usually drink. When asked again, he mentioned that this tea had a very “deep” flavour to it, and that it lasts in his mouth and throat longer than the normal green tea he was used to.The other colleague finished half the cup before commenting, and he said, “I really like this. The tea is so rich and I don’t feel like I am drinking tea for the sake to quench my thirst, but it really is a taste for me to savor and appreciate.” As to how he would describe the tea, he threw a bunch of adjectives including “rich”, “deep”, “bitter” and “delicious”.Overall, both of them really enjoyed the Shizuoka green tea and said that they would love to drink this regularly. I have a second part of my experiment with my colleagues, and I will hopefully be able to report back on that in the future!This post is supported by Shizuoka Green Tea Guide, one of City-Cost's Supporters helping City-Cost bloggers to enjoy life in Japan and engage in new experiences.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmxaO-food_teaMon, 02 Dec 2019 14:52:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmxaO-food_teahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXr3b-shoppingI have no idea why it took me 7 years to finally get myself one of these handy tea balls from the 100 yen shops, but my life has been changed.You can put some loose tea leaves into this little cage and soak it in hot water for some fresh tea. I usually use it for my earl grey, but recently, I used it a few times for green tea as well (as you will see from a Shizuoka green tea post). The holes are a bit wide so some leaves fell out, but definitely useful. I also really like the hook it has on the side that helps you fish it up when you are done. This is a must-have for tea drinkers!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXr3b-shoppingFri, 29 Nov 2019 22:16:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXr3b-shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z4y9r-foodIf you are in Tokyo, you will have probably seen Menya Musashi's shop somewhere. This popular ramen shop also has a cup noodle version, and someone gave me one to try.The thick noodles paired quite well with the soup, which is a rich chicken soup with dried fish powder. This "animal" and "seafood" mix is always a treat that gives you a complex taste.This premium cup noodle is also quite heavy. I was well satisfied by the end of the it, which is good since it is about 200 yen each. If their cup version is this good, I look forward to trying their real ramen in the store! To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z4y9r-foodWed, 20 Nov 2019 15:53:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z4y9r-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wj7Xe-shoppingRecently I started playing FIFA 17 and its single player mode, and I have been hooked by the story of Hunter playing into the ranks of the higher leagues, so before I have finished the mode, I already went out to look for the sequel that continues the story.Lucky for me, since these soccer games are quite big in Japan and they come out every year, their prices drop quite quickly. I found FIFA 18, used, for just 500 yen, because the latest game is already FIFA 20. Since I am playing for the story mode more than anything else, I do not really need to have the latest fine-tuned mechanics. 500 yen for a good game is perfectly fine with me!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wj7Xe-shoppingWed, 20 Nov 2019 15:53:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wj7Xe-shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GBbZ3-foodI love getting nikuman from convenience stores in this season. They are the perfect food that warms both your stomach and your hands.Sometimes, you just want to have it at home though, and they are usually rather boring in terms of flavours available.Recently, I found this Taiwan nikuman, and it is awesome! The Taiwan part is not so much the country but instead the food that inspired this, which is Taiwan ramen from Nagoya.The nikuman is actually quite spicy, which I really appreciated! I suspect that this will not be around forever though, so I should stuff myself up while I can.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GBbZ3-foodWed, 20 Nov 2019 15:52:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GBbZ3-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zVqZP-foodHave you ever had the problem that you had too much food and not enough rice in a bento? That happens to almost no one ever in history, but I had that experience in the double-katsu bento.The heavy bento contains not one, but two layers of fried pork cutlet. There is one thin layer of rice at the bottom and another layer in between the two pork slices (and some cabbage). I believe that there was more katsu than rice, and it was absolutely awesome.It was definitely an issue I would not mind having again. I only wish that they have a normal katsudon version with the eggs too.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zVqZP-foodFri, 15 Nov 2019 11:55:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zVqZP-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MAmP5-foodMartens Blue Beer is a strange beer. It is not really widely available in Japan. I found it at a regional drugstore chain, and it seems like they have recently stopped selling it, probably due to its poor sales.I picked one up to try recently because it is a beer, but it is priced cheaper than normal beer being around 138 yen a can. With that said, a can is 330mL, 20 less than the standard 350mL.The flavour is nice. Crisp and cold, as you would expect from a pilsner. It is just too bad that no one knows or cares about this unknown beer, and it will be difficult for me to find this cheap beer from now on.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MAmP5-foodFri, 15 Nov 2019 11:55:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MAmP5-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GLymv-foodIf you want a freshly prepared soft-served ice-cream, Ministop is the convenience store to visit. But if that is not available around you at the moment and you are just craving for some vanilla goodness, Lawson's milk ice-cream is a good one to go for too.I bought it a month ago and actually forgot about it in the freezer until recently. The ice-cream was surprisingly intact when I opened it, and it was still as delicious as I thought it would be.The only issue is that it is not really a soft-served ice-cream without some patience to let it melt, and this is not really the season to help with that. Regardless, a good ice-cream is a good ice-cream!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GLymv-foodThu, 14 Nov 2019 13:35:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GLymv-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wekRk-foodI do not really know why, but I have been eating ice-cream more often despite the temperature getting colder. The latest one I picked up was Mow's Royal Milk-tea Ice-cream. I am usually not one to get these cup-based ice-cream because I love the cones, but milk tea!I had no idea that mow's ice-cream are so creamy and smooth! The flavour was great, but it was the texture that really surprised me. I loved it, and seeing that they have many other rare flavours, I know I will be picked up more soon... despite it getting colder and colder.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wekRk-foodWed, 13 Nov 2019 15:55:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wekRk-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gb3oE-foodYou might know that I sometimes prefer happoshu over beer, not for the taste but purely for the price.When I was out walking with a friend the other way, we wondered into a convenience store for a quick drink. I noticed this winter limited edition of the Suntory Rich Malt and picked it up, and it turned out to be the best happoshu I have ever had.Rich in flavour, a good crispy aftertaste, this can has it all, and it was only 200 yen for the tall boy instead of the 280 for a beer!Gotta drink more of this while it is still winter!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gb3oE-foodTue, 12 Nov 2019 14:09:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gb3oE-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/M9lb1-foodWhen I go to Chinese restaurants in Japan, one of the more difficult choice is whether I will get the mapotofu or the maponasu (egg plant) with my meal. I saw this bento at the supermarket the other day, and it had BOTH!!! I was excited to get the double goodness within one box.To make the flavour more suitable for everyone, it was not too spicy but the bento was definitely satisfying! Getting some egg plants with the tofu on the side on the same spoon was the level of luxury I had never tried before. For 400 yen, it was not cheap but it is good to have once in a while.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/M9lb1-foodTue, 12 Nov 2019 14:09:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/M9lb1-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G7E5Y-shoppingThe FIFA series has been picking up steam in Japan in the recent series. Winning Eleven, or Pro Evolution Soccer by Konami had always been the go-to in the Japanese market because of its exclusivity deal with J-League teams, but to attract the Japanese crowd, FIFA has been including the J-League teams recently.Personally, I never really cared about which one I have, as long as I have one. Recently I picked up FIFA 17 for about 300 yen, and I am quite satisfied. The J-League 1 teams are there, and I had a fun match having Urawa Red playing against Manchester Unitied (and won!). The game also has a Story mode that I had just recently started. As long as you do not mind the game not being the latest version, this is a fun one to pick up.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G7E5Y-shoppingTue, 12 Nov 2019 12:20:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G7E5Y-shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mnm7O-shoppingGamers are probably aware of the game Anthem. Released by EA and won tons of "Best of E3" awards when it was just teased, the game generated a lot of hype as the Destiny killer, and we saw a lot of marketing push in Japan too.Skip ahead to its mediocre release, this online-only game did not live up to even a fraction of its excitement and is almost abandoned by the gaming community. I was very interested in the game but decided to hold back as people were bailing on it too, until very recently when I found the game at GEO for just 100 yen during its sale!Cheaper than a boiled egg topping on my ramen, I picked it up and I am actually having more fun than I thought I would. The sale has been over since, but it is still below 500 yen regularly. If you skipped on it, 100 yen would be a good reason to pick it up and give it a shot.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mnm7O-shoppingTue, 12 Nov 2019 12:20:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mnm7O-shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w5lpo-foodThe go-to energy drinks in Japan seem to be either Monster or Red Bull, but sometimes they do not have the flavour I want. Therefore, when I saw the Pepsi Refresh Shot, I thought this would do the same job when I want something cola flavoured. After a long day, I cracked this little can open. The flavour was nice and the carbonation was well kept with every sip. The caffeine was unfortunately a bit lacking, and I did not really wake up from the drink. It was more like a small dose of cola rather than an energy boost. Back to the other ones for me, I guess!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w5lpo-foodFri, 08 Nov 2019 13:10:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w5lpo-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GQP7Z-foodSummer is over, but the trend of spicy noodles has not gone away. Many cup noodles are still releasing their version of spicy noodles, and the latest one I tried was the Shibire MAX produced by Sugakiya.The package promises that your tongue will be paralyzed by the peppers, so I had high expectations. This was a soupless noodles, so after it was ready, I put in the sauce and mixed them up. The pork shown in the picture was not included, by the way!Maybe my expectation was a bit too high. Although my tongue was not all that stimulated, the noodles were still delicious. I only wish that I had more than just one!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GQP7Z-foodFri, 08 Nov 2019 13:06:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GQP7Z-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MpkQQ-foodSay what you like, but Mint Oreo is the best version the cookie has ever released. It is, unfortunately, not a thing here in Japan, but I did find a Oreo Mint Crispy! Was it just as good?Well, no.My issue with the crispy series is that the cookies are too thin, and it throws off the balance between the cookie and the icing. In fact, I believe that to maintain the crispiness, the icing is more of a foamy cream. As a result, the mintiness is lacking.It is really unfortunate that Japan never gets to taste the original, and even more unfortunate that the first introduction of a minty oreo was not that good.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MpkQQ-foodFri, 08 Nov 2019 12:59:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MpkQQ-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wrv9R-shoppingThis game was supposed to be the long await sequel for the New Gundam Break series. Dropped the number from being the 4th entry, the name actually adopted the "New" into the name to signify a fresh take on the series, but the game came out to be a huge disappointment. Commonly labelled "boring", "repetitive", and "ugly", the game came out to receive a lot of criticisms from fans and games alike. The Bandai Namco game became a total flop on the market.I remember seeing the game released for 6,500 yen-ish, and within two months, used copies dropped down to 980 yen. Nowadays, you can easily find this for par 400 yen at used game shops, if you were ever interested in giving it a shot. Just a warning, it is rather repetitively boring and ugly.Just to compare, Gundam Breaker 3 that came out years before is still above 3,000 yen. The lesson here is that New is not necessarily better.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wrv9R-shoppingFri, 08 Nov 2019 12:44:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wrv9R-shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wj7vE-foodI have form a new habit after coming to Japan. If I travel for work or something related to my career (aka. not necessarily fun), I would go to a supermarket or convenience store close by and grab a beer to drink on the street as I walk around before heading home.Not only is this illegal in my home country, the beer and haposhu in Japan is just really accessible since shops selling canned alcohol is everywhere. Places to recycle the can can also easily be found since vending machines are everywhere too! With that, now I often find myself with a can in my hand on the streets after a long day of work, especially if I was walking the streets of a different city, and I quite enjoy it.Anyone else?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wj7vE-foodFri, 18 Oct 2019 16:04:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wj7vE-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MAmX0-food_moneyThe 100 yen happoshu market is very important to me because they give me an affordable drink that I can still quite enjoy, especially the ones made by big name brewers which are often quite good quality.My recently favourite is the gokujou happoshu by Asahi. This guy packs quite a rich flavour with no lack of hops in the taste. It goes down really easily but is quite satisfying both during the drink and with the delightful aftertaste. Sure, it is not as good as the real Asahi beer or beer of other brewers, but hey, for half the price of a real beer, I am definitely down for more of this!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MAmX0-food_moneyWed, 16 Oct 2019 08:43:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MAmX0-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GLyJD-foodA new ramen shop opened around my house sometime last year, and I have been loving it for one very good reason: they have a chuuka-soba for 500 yen.Not only is it crazy cheap, the noodles are great! You get a full size slice of pork, and you can also get extra noodles (oomori) for free! I also really appreciate that I can get extra lard to make the noodles more flavourful for free too. Plus, they also do a stamp card that every 10 visits will earn you a free bowl of ramen, and the bowl can be from the more expensive options on the menu! Now I just hope they will stay in business long enough until I get sick of them from going so often.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GLyJD-foodFri, 11 Oct 2019 12:03:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GLyJD-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GyyO7-food_teaWhen I visited Canada this summer, I thought I would bring some souvenirs to my family, and one of the many random Japanese cultural goods I brought back was a the bag of Shizuoka green tea that I have been drinking. The tea, is in fact, the Shizuoka green tea enjoyed by the famous Tokugawa Ieyasu. I just fancy this tea a lot, so I wanted to share it with my family as well.They are not new to green tea. However, most of the green tea they have tasted in their lives have been either those made from powder and served in local “Japanese” restaurants here in Canada, or the Itoen tea bag sold in Costco. In comparison, this roughly 600-yen-per-100-grams bag of green tea from Shizuoka is quite luxurious, and I was curious to see what they had to say about it.On a random Sunday afternoon after a family hiking trip, I brought the tea out and brewed it with the teapot at home. I thought they would appreciate the tea cold but my mom prefers hot tea, even when it's the middle of summer. She was excited about it and was the first to take a sip.“Ohhh…. Huh? This…. *another sip*… nice! This is strong!”She was rather pleased about the full flavor of the Shizuoka green tea. Before the tea was poured, she noticed the dark colour of the tea and questioned whether I had put too many tea leaves into the pot or not. I explained to her after the first taste that Shizuoka tea just tends to be stronger in both appearance and taste. It was obvious that she liked it, especially when she downed the first glass in no time.Seeing my mom’s pleasant reaction, my dad decided to try it after her.“Uuaaaahh… this is bitter! … the aftertaste is…. still bitter, but very complex as well. It is difficult to explain. Not bad, I would drink it in winter or with some more ice. Yea, I like it. Just a bit strong for me.”I can see how Shizuoka green tea could be an acquired taste. I am now quite accustomed to Shizuoka green tea, but I remember that my first reaction when I had it for the first time was also about how impacting the flavour was.Now that I have given the rest of the bag plus a brand new one to them though, I would not be surprised if this starts a new habit for them and that they will be asking me for more soon.This post is supported by Shizuoka Green Tea Guide, one of City-Cost's Supporters helping City-Cost bloggers to enjoy life in Japan and engage in new experiences.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GyyO7-food_teaThu, 10 Oct 2019 11:49:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GyyO7-food_teahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zayQW-shoppingPurely because of the price, I rarely take the shinkansen, but when I do, I try to make the most out of it. On one of my recent trips, I decided to grab a tall-boy to enjoy on the bullet train. A thought came to my mind, and I asked the clerk if I could get a plastic cup with that, just like what you get when you are on a flight.She politely turned around and got a plastic cup and put it into the bag. I was really grateful because I am not a fan of putting my lips on the metal can if I have a choice, and getting a cup, although definitely not environmental friendly, really helped me enjoy my trip back homeTo view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zayQW-shoppingWed, 09 Oct 2019 15:41:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zayQW-shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MqjY4-foodFamily Mart has good packaged sweets, and one that caught my eye recently was their Cream Taiyaki. I always think of taiyaki as something freshly made from the shop, but when it was still hot last week, I wanted something cold, and this was it.This taiyaki can be heated up or enjoyed cold, and I tried the latter as it was more rare for taiyaki. To my surprise, the packaged product actually tasted really good. The crust was sweet and fluffy, and the cream was rich and fulfilling. Since it is kind of a traditional sweet, I am definitely recommending this to my friends who are visiting Japan to pick up when they visit!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MqjY4-foodWed, 09 Oct 2019 15:37:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MqjY4-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mvr6x-livingDid you know that some department stores have their rooftops open to public?I had never noticed until I wondered into a random Sogo in Yokohama and saw the "R" option in the elevator. My experience of the roof of department stores and malls is that they are usually for parking, but this said that it was the roof garden, so I went up there. What was there was first, a stunning view looking over the bay-side city. Then, some benches set up for families, couples and friends to just sit and take a break while getting some fresh air. Some vending machines if you want a drink too. Actually, there was a small futsal court as well with classes going on. I had never noticed that such spaces existed in big cities with department stores, and I will make sure I will keep an eye out from now on for these free observation decks with rest areas!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mvr6x-livingWed, 09 Oct 2019 15:34:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mvr6x-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mvrmx-foodMy lovely girlfriend saw that I was getting stressed by work and responsibilities recently, and she went and bought me a time-limited Parm ice-cream from the supermarket. I do not usually eat Parm since it lacks the crunchy chocolate, but she knows that I love both chocolate and berries, plus it is still ice-cream.I ate it after dinner one day when I was extremely exhausted. While still thinking about work, my attention was suddenly on the delicious sweetness I had in my mouth. The flavour balancing was superb, with no chocolate or berry overpowering one another. The lack of crunchy chocolate shell actually made it much smoother. I finished it in minutes and I enjoyed every moment of it. It is time-limited so if you see it, get it.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mvrmx-foodTue, 08 Oct 2019 13:49:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mvrmx-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wk408-foodI was recently given a bunch of green grapes. These were not just ordinary green grapes, however, but Shine Muscots, a type of cultivated green grapes in Japan, and let me let you that these are some of the best fruits I have ever tasted!There is this sweetness that you only get from artificial green-grape flavours, but this is real and natural! Each one is massive and super juicy. I can easily finish half the bunch, but I wanted to savour them knowing that I will not be having them again anytime soon. Part of the reason is that a bunch like the one in the photo can easily be over a couple thousand yen, if not higher. Thank you, my generous friend for sharing this delicious juicy greenness with me!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wk408-foodTue, 08 Oct 2019 13:49:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wk408-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zay0W-shoppingI enjoy complex board games that take you time to understand, but they are not always the best choices for parties since people want to play without having to sit through a lecture for the rules. Recently a friend brought this game called Gokiburi Poker, and I really liked it, so I wanted to share with you guys too.The idea is simple: you have some cards in your hand and you give one card to another player of your choice. You claim that the card is one of the 8 types of creatures, and the recepiant has to decided weather you are lying or not. If they get it wrong, they keep the card, and when they have too many cards of the same type or one of each 8 types, they lose.This was so simple and fun that I decided to get one for myself too. All the suspecting and doubting was intense and exciting, and its pick-up-and-play nature was perfect for parties. To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zay0W-shoppingFri, 04 Oct 2019 11:26:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zay0W-shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w2o4e-foodMy friend swears by the akiaji beer by Kirin to the point that he would stock them up when autumn comes by. He could never explain it well so I thought I would try it myself. If someone lives by something you can purchase for 300 yen, you just got to give it a shot, right?The can itself explained that it uses 1.3 amount of hops to make the flavour stronger. Its effect definitely comes through as the beer does give more of a rich flavour than the usual draft beer, and moreover the aftertaste lingers for much longer. For fans of the stronger stuff, this might be their cup of te...beer. For me who prefers more of the clear and refreshing type, I would drink this once in a while but not every time. Its pretty can design did put me in an autumn mood though, so I will give it another go next year.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w2o4e-foodFri, 04 Oct 2019 11:25:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w2o4e-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gb30R-foodYou know how in Japan, you can get something labeled "extremely spicy!!!" and you would still break just a single sweat, even if you are not the most spicy-tolerant person? I was happy that I found a pack of sausages that actually got me sweating for real!This pack of sausages did not look like much from its package, and I bought it just because it was on sale, but boy, does it give you a good punch!My first bite was deceiving, as the peppers did not activate until a few seconds in. I went from "yea this is just another case of..." to "...uh-oh this is good stuff!" by my second bite. Fans of spicy food, keep an eye out!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gb30R-foodFri, 04 Oct 2019 11:24:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gb30R-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mqjy4-foodI have no idea who Terry is, but definitely some kind of a celebrity who is into food, which sounds like 70% of the people on TV. But since he made a potato chip product that Calbee approved, I decided to give it a try and gave them my 85 yen.Based on the type of chili-oil he sells, the bag of potato chips looked promising in triggering your taste buds with its spiciness. Just like most foods in Japan, however, the bag of chips did not pack the punch. It was quite delicious though, with a nice garlic-y flavour and a bit of a sansho paralyzing feature. If it was spicier as the package made it seem like, I would have loved it. Terry, you were close.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mqjy4-foodThu, 03 Oct 2019 10:04:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mqjy4-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/M9l43-foodSince earlier this year, Nissin's been releasing these single-pack fresh ramen for 200 yen each. The price is not cheap, but I thought I would give it a shot anyway. It is still much cheaper than the 700 yen per bowl price outside.This grilled flying fish ramen intrigued me with its ingredient alone. Using ago-fish to make a dashi, the boiled noodles sat in one of the best smelling light broth I have eaten from this type of noodles. The soup was flavourful enough that it made all the vegetables I added extra delicious too. If only it was a 2-noodles pack, I would have eaten both of them for sure!I don't know how long these will stick around for, but grab it while you can!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/M9l43-foodThu, 03 Oct 2019 10:04:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/M9l43-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w5ldv-food_moneySome people enjoy mixing alcoholic shots with energy drinks. While it is not really a trend in Japan, Lifeguard, a brand of energy drink flavour soda has a vodka infused cocktail.I gave this 100 yen can a try, thinking that I like both energy drinks AND vodka, so on a Sunday night when I wanted some fuel for my video gaming session, I cracked it open. The taste was very much like what you would expect: the ultra sweetness of an energy drink, but also comes with a bitter punch from vodka to make you frown. If I was drinking for just the flavour, then the normal 50 yen Lifeguard is much better, but the 7% did give me a good buzz to wrap my weekend up, so I would recommend this who like the idea of energy drink with a spike.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w5ldv-food_moneyTue, 01 Oct 2019 17:51:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w5ldv-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GQPW2-foodGiant Cone is one of my favourite ice-creams to get at the drugstore or the local supermarket. Priced at 100 yen, they can never go wrong.Then one day I saw this "adult" variation of Giant Cone. I was hesitant about it at first solely for its 150 yen price tag, but I bought it anyway as a treat for myself, and to find out what is so "adult" about it.The maturity refers to its bitterness. This dark chocolate Giant Cone with a chocolate center was rather bitter for ice-cream, and kids would definitely prefer the normal kind more. It was a good ice-cream, without a doubt, but for the extra 50 yen, I will stick to my regulars.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GQPW2-foodTue, 01 Oct 2019 17:42:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GQPW2-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mpk1Y-foodI thought I had been mean towards Lawson's spicy karaage-kun before. After all, it is still extremely and it must be for a good reason, so I wanted to give it a second try and of a different flavour and went for their cheesy variation.It was... meh. The fried chicken balls were dry and there was no crisp to it. The cheesy flavour was lacking. There was no melted cheese inside or anything, but instead it tasted like some cheese I left in the freezer for forever and had forgotten about it.Sorry Lawson, I gave you a second chance, but it still did not do it for me. To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mpk1Y-foodTue, 01 Oct 2019 17:35:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mpk1Y-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G7E4R-foodIf you are a fan of noodles and shrimp, Ichigen's ebisoba definitely something you would enjoy. However, their shrimp-y soup ramen is mainly located in Hokkaido, and while you can find the shop in Tokyo too, it is not necessarily widely available. If you want to give it a try but you do not have easy access, then check out their packaged noodles.For 300-400 yen per bag, which comes with two, you do get a taste of their very strong ebi-soup. While the ramen shop offers shrimp plus shoyu, miso or shio, the package itself is ebishio only (or at least the one I can find), and it is absolutely delicious.This is much cheaper than a flight to Hokkaido, so if you find this in a supermarket nearby, do pick one up!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G7E4R-foodTue, 01 Oct 2019 17:32:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G7E4R-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w2oVn-living_tea_shizuokaThe heatwave hit Japan hard the rain season earlier this year. Parts of Japan reached temperatures in the high 30s, and it is definitely not what I look forward to in the Japanese summer.One thing that really helps me fight the heat and cool me down during the hot weather in Japan is to have some cold green tea down the throat in the middle of the heat. The lovely thing about green teas is that they are perfect when served hot or cold, and getting a big jar of cold brew stocked up in the fridge at home and another at work is one of the most refreshing things I find nowadays.I really like using green teas from Shizuoka for their unique bitterness. Perhaps it is the same reason why people like goya (bitter melon) -- I find the bitterness an essential part of the drinking experience as it lingers in my mouth longer and cleanses my taste buds of the damped, gross moisture that the summer humidity brings. Compared with other green tea that comes and goes at an instant, Shizuoka green tea definitely has an edge as a cold healthy drink.The tea I have been drinking recently is the Shogun's tea. This tea enjoyed by the famous Tokugawa Ieyasu ranks quite high in my taste for Shizuoka green tea for its complexity. Its flavour is so strong that I can be more conservative in the amount I use and still get great results. You can find out more here:https://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Jackson/Go46b-foodSpeaking of healthy, the fact that it is completely natural and contains no sugar means I can take big gulps at a time with absolutely no guilt. Unlike soda which I am conscious about the tens of tea spoons of sugar per bottle I am putting into my system, or the hot green tea which is simply too hot to chug and is meant to be sipped on, cold green tea goes down like a cooling waterfall, and I can feel the heat in my body getting neutralized as I drink up a glass before pouring myself another (straight out of the fridge, no need for ice!)By the way, I have also written an article about how much money you save by making cold brewed green tea at home vs. buying bottles at the supermarket. Take a look and it might inspire you to save some money this summer!https://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Jackson/G6Zql-food_shopping_money_tea_shizuokaI do recognize that many people make mugi-cha, hoji-cha or even oolong-cha for the summers and periods of hot weather and, personally, I find myself coming back to green tea over the black tea every time. The fact that it has since built up to be a seasonal habit speaks volumes to how much I enjoy them in a hot season. Hopefully, you will give cold green tea a try and let it be of your company throughout the next summer!This post is supported by Shizuoka Green Tea Guide, one of City-Cost's Supporters helping City-Cost bloggers to enjoy life in Japan and engage in new experiences.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w2oVn-living_tea_shizuokaMon, 30 Sep 2019 10:35:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w2oVn-living_tea_shizuokahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmxWa-shopping_moneyI know I have said that I am done with giving money away to crane games because they just suck the money out of my coin purse in a matter of seconds, but I saw this machine with yugioh card packs, and that was quite new to me.With low hopes, I put a 100 yen in and aimed for a pack with a rare card I wanted. With my skills, the crane went to the perfect spot, dropped right onto the pack, the cranes closed at the perfect angle.And it did not move a bit.The cheap crane gave no effort to pick it up at all, and there went my hopes and my 100 yen, once again confirming that these are just things to trick you out of your coins, even if you have the skills.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmxWa-shopping_moneySat, 28 Sep 2019 18:53:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmxWa-shopping_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gok7A-food_moneyIf you have visited drug stores in Tokyo at some point in the past year, you would have probably noticed the gummy candy Kororo is very often placed front and center outside the shop.They have been wildly popular souvenirs recently, with some customers I have seen purchasing a basket full of these gummies.The candies are made so that they have a juicy center. In a way, it is to replicate the feeling of eating a fruit (though still far from it), but they are delicious nonetheless. For just a 100-yen per bag, they also would not break anyone's wallet. The next time you need some gummy goodies to go, or to bring home to hand out, the Kororo series might be a good and affordable choice.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gok7A-food_moneyTue, 02 Jul 2019 15:30:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gok7A-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z31Vk-shoppingAt the Namco Arcade Center the other day, I found this awesome game stuck in the corner. Now, I love all these games where there is a physical element to triggering the mechanics and skills is very much involved. I also like it when the machine is not too digitized, so this caught my attention and took 100-yen from me.By pulling the big metal bat in front of me, I was also controlling the bat on the field. At the right timing, I would let go to swing and hit the ball into one of the pits, or better yet, a homerun. For each runner that gets back to home base, I get a point, and the game is over when I have 3 outs.The best part of the game is that with 8 points, I could get another free round, and anything else would still reward me with tokens to spend at other medal game machines nearby. It was very fun and my skills felt rewarded, and for sure I will go back to play again!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z31Vk-shoppingTue, 02 Jul 2019 15:26:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z31Vk-shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wNYBA-food_moneyRecently I made an order with Domino's and upon opening it, I had realized that they had made a mistake with my order. I had ordered and paid extra for a cheese crust but that was missing, but we had already arrived to the karaoke place with the pie.We made a call to the shop and explained the mistake plus the fact that I was already eating the pizza (which is how I found out). We also expressed the fact that we did not want to waste food and was asking what can be done, expecting that we could get a coupon for free cheese-crust the next time we order or something.What they offered was surprisingly generous, however! They delivered a new fresh pizza to the karaoke shop (and my original order was a pick-up), said that I could keep the first pizza, and they gave me a 500-yen cash coupon for my next purchase! I was not happy with the mishap initially, but I got a free pizza and a 500-yen off out of it. Not only was I not mad, now I am always hoping that they will make a mistake the next time I order!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wNYBA-food_moneyTue, 02 Jul 2019 15:19:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wNYBA-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mx14B-food_gifuSushi comes in all shapes and forms, but there are of course some that we are all more familiar with. Sushi with a piece of fish on top, sushi rolled up in a sheet of nori, for example. Recently I was given some hoba sushi, and that was my first time seeing it as well. This is a specialty in the Northern Gifu area. The sushi were individually wrapped by these large pieces of leafs that were giving the rice more flavour.When I opened one, each flattened sushi had a slice of egg, a slice of saba, tuna, and some red ginger too. Rather than the standard sushi, this reminded me more of chirashi sushi. To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mx14B-food_gifuTue, 02 Jul 2019 15:00:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mx14B-food_gifuhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MdRXJ-foodThis is one of my bad experiences with snacks in Japan. Sold by the cool package of an alien, I bought this lemon gummy without reading that it contains methanol. If it is a drink, lemon plus mint would be refreshing. However, as a gummy snack that also has a crunchy candy shell to contrast with the soft gummy, the outcome is just... strange.It is not disgusting as I did eventually down them all, but I did also pass it around for a second and third opinion, and everyone gave me this confused face going "why did you give this to me?", despite my warning.So yea, this is definitely one to skip... except I bought the grape flavour one too that I have not opened yet...To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MdRXJ-foodWed, 19 Jun 2019 17:15:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MdRXJ-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GlXQ1-medicalI did a health check for my work place recently, and part of the examination was a urine test. The name of the prop used for the urine test really cracked me up.The little pole was called the "Pee Pole", which given its shape and its purpose, was the perfect name. However, at work we just kept asking each other "don't forget to bring your pee pole with you tomorrow", "you got your pee pole ready?", and the worst of all, "I peed on my pee pole".We were so childish but we just could not help ourselves.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GlXQ1-medicalWed, 19 Jun 2019 17:09:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GlXQ1-medicalhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GBb4A-foodYoshinoya is of course the gyudon chain that is not only everywhere in Japan, but also has branches internationally. Besides their beef bowls, however, I also appreciate them for their kimchi, which you can buy at the supermarket.Unlike some cheaper kimchi options, the yoshinoya one comes with quite a strong flavour of seafood that goes well with white rice. It is also slightly spicy but not overpowering, making it quite easy to be enjoyed by anyone. I want to use it for cooking too, but I always end up eating it directly to fully enjoy its flavour. Overall, it is the pack of kimchi that has a very good balance. To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GBb4A-foodWed, 19 Jun 2019 17:01:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GBb4A-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wrvey-foodLawson's karaage-kun is often considered as the best karaage from all convenience stores, but after trying it for the first time, I do not see the hype.The packaging is very cute and thoughtful. There is a little sleeve to put the toothpick. The size is bite-size too. They also come out with new seasonal flavours too.However, I find the chicken to be just decent. They are more like Mcnuggets than karaage, but they are also less crunchy and without the always-awesome sauce from McDonalds. Since they are not necessarily with only 5 pieces for 216 yen, I think I will be having something else next time.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wrvey-foodFri, 07 Jun 2019 12:57:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wrvey-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G6YXl-foodThe time is here. The heat is rising, the air is getting more humid. Some call this season Summer, but many food companies call it Mint Chocolate.It is strange since not everyone in Japan (or the world) enjoy this flavour, due to whatever teethbrushing trauma they must have gone through, but you can start to see racks and racks of blue-green packages in convenience stores and supermarkets alike.I do love the flavour, so I hope this would not just be a seasonal thing in the future, and instead be available and celebrated all year around.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G6YXl-foodFri, 07 Jun 2019 12:29:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G6YXl-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXraQ-foodCheetos has been trying hard to break its way into the Japanese market with effort such as making flavours targeted at the Japanese consumers. However, the corn snack market is not necessarily vast.As a fan of Cheetos, I find an issue with the Cheetos in Japan. The cheesy cheetos, even with the recent "NEW" and "Double the cheese!" labels, still make it nowhere close to the western Cheetos level! The orange fingers is nowhere nearly as orange as they should be, as one lick would take care of most of the cheesiness.Not only that, it is also sweeter than usual, and that is quite strange. Therefore, instead of buying the small Cheetos bags, I would recommend you getting the imported Western Cheetos which is commonly available too so you can enjoy the original flavour of this cheesy snack.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXraQ-foodFri, 07 Jun 2019 12:22:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXraQ-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmxJx-foodHyouketsu is one of my favourite series of drinks in Japan. Not only are they affordable at about 100 yen a can, they are also working hard every season to bring out new flavours to the market.Their Tabisuru series is one of the fruits of their effort. The themed drinks are based on different locations, and while you might argue about how authentic the themes are, they are new refreshing.Their Hawaiian Style is a recent release with its flavour focused on pineapple. The scent of the golden fruit is there upon cracking the can open. The taste is a bit on the light side, as if you used the canned pineapple juice to mix with some spirits and soda water. I would prefer normal canned pineapple juice, but I am happy to support the pineapple-flavour which is underappreciated in Japan!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmxJx-foodFri, 07 Jun 2019 12:17:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmxJx-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z4yVL-living_galleriesDuring Golden Week this year, my girlfriend and I were looking for a new place to visit and hopefully get a short road trip out of it. One place we decided on was Monet’s Pond in Seki City in Gifu Prefecture. From what I had heard, this pond is a small, nameless pond in the middle of nowhere that apparently looks amazing in photos. The photos are as if they were paintings by Monet, and the evidence I have seen on social media did support that claim. However, I was also told that while the pictures come out really beautiful, the pond is somewhat underwhelming to the naked eye. Since we were simply wanting to explore, we kept our expectations low and headed towards the site.The drive took us up and down some mountains, and after a couple of hours to driving through fields and farms, we suddenly saw a lot of people and several parking lots that were full with cars. We knew we were at the right place then.After we had parked out car at one of the lots nearby, we started walking towards the pond. The pond, upon arrival, definitely is not big. The entire body of water was surrounded by people shoulder to shoulder, each with a camera or a phone in hand. From the back, you would think “why are people so crazy about just a tiny body of water?”When we got ourselves a nice spot, however, we took our phones out and the pond did look very artistic on our screens indeed! What I had forgotten was the fact that the stars of the pond were the big and colourful koi fish swimming around! Within a minute, I saw quite a few fish travelling between the flowers in the water. It was also then that I realized the water, while not deep, was very green due to the vegetation in the pond, and was actually surprisingly clear!A sign nearby stated that the pond does not actually have a name. It is just commonly referred to as the Monet’s Pond through the word of mouth. With that said, you probably would not stand around the pond for hours on end. Good news is that nearby there is also a little shop for you to buy some potted plants to bring home. From flowers to edible vegetables, you can pick a couple up to living your home up.We spent probably about 30 minutes there, which was not a lot at all for a road trip, but we decided to head back home. To our surprise, we drove by a beautiful river bank and decided to stop there to touch the water. It was quiet. The water was fast but clear. The contrast between this random river bank and the pond was huge, and I would say that we enjoyed this nameless river bank just as much as the named pond before. This little adventure was a fun and refreshing way to spend one of our Golden Week days!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z4yVL-living_galleriesSat, 01 Jun 2019 11:37:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z4yVL-living_gallerieshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z1mEn-shopping_moneySince I made my account on Mercari for shopping, I have been turning to the app for a lot of my hobby-shopping before buying them on amazon, particularly video games.The buyer-seller direct service makes things cheaper because those selling want to compete with others or sometimes they just want to get rid of the item soon, so a 3400 yen + 250 shipping video game on the used second on Amazon can often be found for around 3200 with shipping included.For those who enjoy used-item shopping at places like Bookoff or Geo, definitely sign up and take a browse.Oh, and if want to get a bonus when you sign up, consider putting in my invite code RNDTHH when you sign up. It will give you 300 yen to start with and give me the same bonus too. Win-win!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z1mEn-shopping_moneyFri, 31 May 2019 15:07:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z1mEn-shopping_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MnmWq-shoppingI found this in a bargain bin of a shop I walked by the other day and immediately decided I wanted to have it. My girlfriend was against it until she saw how happy I looked, so I bought this sign (on the right) that says:"Please purchase the food-ordering-ticket from the machine"You can find this in most ramen shops and cafeterias alike. Fast food restaurants like gyudon shops as well.The original price was 1208 yen including tax, according to the price tag on the back. I bought it for..... 50 yen!!!!!!I do not own any restaurants, so now this is sitting at my desk at work. While my colleagues think that this is 50 yen wasted, I consider it 1158 yen saved. (Although I do agree that this is utterly useless to me right now)To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MnmWq-shoppingFri, 31 May 2019 12:32:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MnmWq-shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wrvWr-foodThe season for ice-cream is here, which is the perfect excuse for me to fill my freeze with a bunch of new flavours I find at the supermarket.However, it finally hit me like that bat that after so many years in Japan, I had never tried this classic Homerun Bar ice-cream which apparently has been around since 1960.The normal box comes with 10 bars, 5 chocolate and 5 vanilla. Each bar is not big, so I have been eating two each time (one each). The vanilla flavour is very artificial and reminds me of those vanilla milk baby formulas. The chocolate is those cheap chocolate tastes too...... but they both feel surprisingly nostalgic! These are the flavours I used to eat when I was a kid! I love how this nostalgia is somehow intercultural.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wrvWr-foodFri, 31 May 2019 12:10:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wrvWr-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXr4b-food_moneyI am glad to report that I have finally come across a cheap drink that got me rejoicing for the discovery! This Rela "Berry and Red Wine" fruit wine comes in a plastic bottle. At first sight you would have a very low expectation, but when my friend bought it and snuck it into the karaoke, we were all so impressed by it. The 400 yen bottle comes with 700 mL of this fruity goodness. The drink is on the sweet side and is VERY, VEEERY easy to go down with just some ice. If you want to mix it into some cola, mitsuya cider or even just sparkling water, it would be awesome too.I went to the supermarket immediately to grab a bottle for myself, and I am ready for another very soon!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXr4b-food_moneyFri, 31 May 2019 12:04:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXr4b-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mx1e6-living_foodJapan still has a lot of catching up to do when it comes to gender equality, and ramen shops are some of the worst offenders.This ramen shop I visited the other day offered an extra noodle for free for all highschool students and those younger. In the smaller text, you can also find the statement:"For the female students who cannot eat an extra noodle, you can get a boiled egg as a present."Wait... why is this offered only to female students? Why can't male students get the same offer if they also happen to have a small appetite on that day? There are many similar cases at ramen shops everywhere. As much as I love ramen, I wish that can be addressed someday.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mx1e6-living_foodWed, 29 May 2019 16:15:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mx1e6-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GO9bQ-foodJapan loves certain breads, and some have been around for decades!The sandwich roll, especially, is one that you have probably seen even if you have not tried. These "sandwiches" are usually stuffed with cream, and that is it!The soft fluffy bread does not have any outstanding flavours, but that is part of the nostalgia as these are big among all generations when they were kids. For just 60 to 80 yen each, they are very affordable snacks to satisfy children with indeed.My favourite is the chocolate cream, by the way :)To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GO9bQ-foodWed, 29 May 2019 16:11:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GO9bQ-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G0VgO-food_moneyAt a matsuri, we are prepared to get ripped off. When a can of 100 yen chuu-hi is sold at 300 yen a pop, we tell ourselves that it is just the festival tax.There are some items that just too much of a money grab and makes us feel bad. The cucumbers are the worst of them.These 30 yen cucumbers get some slice marks on the side, put into a bucket of cold water and be placed next to a bottle of salt. Just like that, they are sold for 150 to 200 yen a pop. That is a 400% mark up we are looking at, ladies and gentlemen!However, they are very refreshing in the middle of a summer and at a crowded event...... To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G0VgO-food_moneyWed, 29 May 2019 16:05:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G0VgO-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wZ72j-foodWalked by the golden arch the other day and decided to treat myself to an ice-cream after a long day of work. When I walked in, however, I noticed the Berry Shake they got as a new seasonal item.My first reaction was to open up the app and of course, there was a coupon to bring the 200 yen M size cup down to 150 yen. I exited the shop with a cup in hand and took a sip. The berry flavour was very much one of those artificial ones, but you would not expect more from McDonalds, would you? It was also much sweeter than it needed to be, which made me think about the sugar intake I was having.I wish their shakes are colder, but this drink did satisfy me with the sugar rush. Next time I think I will stick with their normal vanilla shakes though.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wZ72j-foodWed, 29 May 2019 15:56:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wZ72j-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MP74V-foodOne of my students walked up to me with this in hand the other day. "Look at this marker" he said as he pulled the cap off "and smell it!"Sniffing a marker is something I have not done in ages, but I did just to make this kid's day. Little did I expect that the market would smell fishy. Taking a peek inside showed that the marker was filled with furikake!It was surprising and kind of cute too. This would be perfect for teachers to bring to class and sprinkle over their school lunch just to surprise all the students. I do not really eat furikake but I want it just to prank people now.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MP74V-foodTue, 28 May 2019 16:17:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MP74V-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GLye4-food_moneyIn an attempt to cut back on my cup noodles addiction, I have turned to microwavable frozen noodles. The soup are more "real", but more importantly the noodles are not some deep fried or space dried noodles.The Co-op offer is lacking in toppings, but it does feel like a real noodle much more enjoyable than cup noodles. It also comes in a pack of two for about 350 yen and is cheaper than the big brand ones which would be 200-250 each. The down side is that you need access to a microwave AND hot water in order to prepare it.Since I could save money on the noodles, I can easily put that budget into buying some karaage nearby to go with the meal... but I suppose that loses the purpose of avoiding fried stuff.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GLye4-food_moneyTue, 28 May 2019 16:13:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GLye4-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wj7nV-educationI would be amazed if you can find someone in Japan who does not know the word "pokemon". However, probably less than 0.1% of the population can answer you about the main character's name... in English.That gave me the idea to teach one of my listening classes using the English pokemon theme song. Not only were the students shocked that the songs were different, it also became the perfect chance for me to tell them about more of the differences: character names, pokemon names, catch phrase, etc.Also, the face that I could use pokemon in English was another teacher goal that I have now checked off.(The image is of the rarest pokemon ever existed: Dorachu).To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wj7nV-educationTue, 28 May 2019 16:08:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wj7nV-educationhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zayJY-food_moneyKirin's Strong Cola was the latest of my search for an affordable way to get tipsy. This 9% can was promising coming from Kirin, a soft drink maker, but ended up flat.I do mean flat, as the flavour is like a flat coke that you forgot to close to cap on. The carbonation is also not as strong as I had hoped.With that said, by the time i was half way done with the can and stood up to grab a snack, I was definitely walking under the influence within my house. The taste might not have satisfied, but I got what I wanted. For that, this is a go on the list!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zayJY-food_moneyTue, 28 May 2019 16:04:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zayJY-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GBb2W-shoppingIf you or your kids play any collectable card games, then I would highly recommend you investing some protective card sleeves. For about 350 yen (on the low end), you can get 60 to 80 of these little card sleeves to put cards into to prevent scratches and damages.Just check the size before you order. Small size sleeves would fit Yugioh cards perfectly, but Pokemon cards, for instance, are bigger.Not only would it help preserve the cards so your kids (or you) would not cry when you spill orange juice all over them, it also help maintain the collectors value if you want to keep them for reselling in the future! A must-have, I tell ya!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GBb2W-shoppingFri, 17 May 2019 12:34:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GBb2W-shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zVqYV-foodLasagna is one of those foods that is hard to find in Japan, and even when you find it, they are almost never made right and that fact saddens me. As my exploration in Japan continues, I found the lasagna cup noodles, which I knew I had to try. The BIG size could have been a mistake though.Opening the cup, I saw the dried meat and even dried cheese in the cup. Adding hot water into it brought some nice herbs and tomato flavours to my nose. It did not feel too bad.Then I tasted it, and.... it was okay, I guess? The flavour was decent, but it feels strange that I was having cup noodles soup with tomato and herb at the same time. It also did not feel like lasagna in any way, which I should expect by now.So in short, it was a quick meal that I would not feel sad when I eventually forget about.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zVqYV-foodFri, 17 May 2019 12:29:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zVqYV-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wekJn-food"Hey Jackson, do you eat hotaru ika?""What is that???""Hotaru ika. Um..., firefly squid?""Whatttt???"I was given a box of firefly squid for dinner. These tiny squids are boiled and are supposed to be served with freshly grind ginger (which was given to me too. Thanks!) and soysauce. It looks kinda creepy and it is definitely weird to think that in one bite I bit into an entire squid, but they are extremely soft and if you like the squishy parts of shellfish, there is plenty.I did not finish the whole case as that is quite a lot of baby squids I would have just eaten, but it is good and would be even better when I eat the rest with a drink.Firefly squid. Another new thing in Japan I have now tasted!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wekJn-foodFri, 17 May 2019 12:22:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wekJn-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z4yWL-foodIf you have been to a carnival recently, you would have passed by at least one food truck that offers the trendy fried goodie that is the tornado potato. These spiral potato are fried in the same way curly fries are, so they are pre-seasoned with some spice and is presented in a very fun way.However, they are usually 300 yen, so when I saw it being offered at the local supermarket for 100 yen, I gave it a try.The cuts are much thicker than you would get at the carnival, which makes it less crispy. However, that was probably the only way it would fit on the tray.The flavour was great too, but it feels very strange eating this at home. Quitely. Alone. At the end, the 300 yen premium price is for the festival atmosphere over the food itself.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z4yWL-foodFri, 17 May 2019 12:17:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z4yWL-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w2ooJ-shopping_howtoWhen I first came to Japan, I had an issue with buying games online because I did not have a local credit card. Many of my digital accounts did not accept my card back home, and since indie games were not available physically, I could not really play them as they came out. Buying a pre-paid credit card also did not work as they were blocked. If you are facing the same issue for your Nintendo Switch, particularly from the Japanese Nintendo e-Shop, I would like to turn your attention to Amazon and buying digital games there.Not all games sell their digital codes online but the bigger profile games so -- both AAA and indies. When you buy them from Amazon, they do not ship you a code, but instead you immediately receive the code via e-mail.The process is quite simple and convenient, but I was indeed a bit nervous the first time I tried it, as I was buying something non-physical from a seller after all. So here is how you do it:Find the game you want on the Amazon page. I was buying Stardew valley and was pleasantly surprised by the 12% off that Amazon was offering for this and many other digital games. Before you buy a game from the Nintendo Store, check the prices here too. The red box shows this is a digital version and not physical.Check out the game and purchase it as you do with anything else you buy there, and it will take you to the next page.Before you are finished, you will see this button that says, “Use this item digitally,” on the page with the receipt. This brings you to a page with the code. Alternatively, you could also wait a couple of minutes for the e-mail from Amazon with the code displayed directly.Back to your Switch now. Open up the Nintendo e-shop and log into your Japanese account. Here is where you would click to redeem your code/games. Put in the code you have received.Tadaaaa - The download would start and very soon Stardew Valley was installed and there I was spending five hours of my evening farming and talking to my digital town folks. Simple process and it saved me a bit of yen as well. Thanks to this method, I have yet to need to connect my credit card with my account, and I would like to keep it like that.Of course, this also means you can use your Amazon points to buy games! I know where all my saved up amazon points will go to from now on.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w2ooJ-shopping_howtoWed, 08 May 2019 14:12:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w2ooJ-shopping_howtohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z8rdb-living_fashionHave you ever had the string of your pants, hoodie, jacket, etc fall out? You try so hard to insert the string back in but it does not go through.When I had this issue happen to me recently, my girlfriend took me to the 100-yen shop to get this secret gadget I had never seen before.This little rod is simple yet genius. You connect the string to one end, and because it is strong and made of metal, it is a lot easier to put it back through the string hole and force this all the way through the pants and have it come out from the other end.You will then find the string out from the other end as well. It went all the way through the pants and just like that, it is fixed!I wish I knew of this as a kid so I did not have so many pairs of gym pants stringless and loose! To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z8rdb-living_fashionTue, 07 May 2019 16:10:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z8rdb-living_fashionhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GRqX8-foodI love my cones when I eat ice-cream, particular waffle cones and sugar cones that give a good crunch.European sugar cones came out with a time-limited product recently: the triple berry ice-cream cone. For 200 yen-ish, you get 5 mini-cones to stock your freezer with. Overall, it is quite delicious. I think that the chocolate distracts the berry flavour a bit, and honestly so does the cone itself, but being a time-limited product, I know I will enjoy it while it is here.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GRqX8-foodTue, 07 May 2019 15:50:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GRqX8-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MY5ny-food_moneyIf you have read some of my other similar posts, you would see that I am not a man of delicate drinks, but rather one more about getting a good buzz for cheap.The latest find is the Gent brand's new product, the Gent Strong 7% by CGC. At a stunning 79 yen, I picked up a can to see how it is.The drink itself is not that tasty. The bitterness left a dull aftertaste. I did not find the drink enjoyable, and I had to force it down.With that said, the 7% did give me a good buzz and my cooking session itself became more enjoyable. I think next time I would pay a little bit more for a strong one that tastes better.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MY5ny-food_moneyTue, 07 May 2019 15:46:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MY5ny-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GlXxR-food_moneyIn order to promote their new service, Merukari pay is still giving out some sweet coupons and their latest is to offer you a latte or coffee for just 11 yen.Now, you need to have your pay ID connected with their service and a bit of money/points in their service in order to use the coupon, but you would pay in cash anyway.For 180 yen, I find the coffee latte (regular size) to be very much overpriced because I finish the little cup within minutes. However, for 11 yen, I have no complaints at all! Just make sure you take advantage of this before the 5/6 deadline. I also hope they will have something else to follow this one!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GlXxR-food_moneySun, 05 May 2019 01:21:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GlXxR-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zDRYY-living_foodIf you are into travel around Japan to enjoy its nature, one thing to keep your eyes out for is the local famous water.You probably know by now, but drinking water straight from the tap is "usually" not an issue. If you are in a region famous for their clear natural water, you can even find water spots around the town or hiking trails to taste it. Watch out for the kanji 名水 in the area.I usually would dump out the water I brought and fill my water bottles up. A good natural water often tastes more sweet, and more importantly, it makes me really feel that I am in the nature and absorbing a part of it, literally!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zDRYY-living_foodSun, 05 May 2019 01:17:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zDRYY-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GBby3-foodJapan usually has very high standards when it comes to food and how they are presented. My ice-cream from Ministop this morning (yes, I had ice-cream this morning) was very much the opposite.It was made by a non-Japanese young man who knew so little about how to make the ice-cream cone that it took him about 2 minutes to pour it, with one instance of him coming back outside to look at the poster of the ice-cream to see what it looks like.The result was so sad that my girlfriend was shocked, and as I was walking out, the other older Japanese lady saw the disaster and actually offer if I wanted her to fix me another one. I told her no thanks as I did not want to waste it. Instead of apologizing to me, the young man just let out a huge laughter recognizing his failure. Oh well, it tasted the same anyway, and I guess I earned a pretty good laugh too. I would rather eat an ugly ice-cream than to think that they would throw one out just to make me a more beautiful one.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GBby3-foodSun, 05 May 2019 01:12:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GBby3-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zVqvP-foodWilkinson's name is synonymous with a well carbonated drink. Their soda water is some of the best and their spiked ginger ale drink is still one of the best drinks I have ever enjoyed in Japan.This new and time-limited product, however, was extremely disappointing. This 9% lime and gin was light on the flavour, which is not an issue. However, there was very little carbonation when I cracked it open. I wish it was just a bad can I got, but I could not enjoy the drink at all.With that said, this 108 yen drink still got be very buzzed and was a fun way to spend one of my golden weeknights!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zVqvP-foodSun, 05 May 2019 01:06:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zVqvP-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wek1k-food_moneyIf you have not taken advantage of it yet, Ministop is giving everyone a 50 yen discount on their soft-served icecream! Taking it from 220 yen to 170, the very delicious and surprisingly refreshing ice-cream flavour that is offered now is white peach. Personally, I prefer having it mixed with vanilla! Not sure how this relates to Reiwa at all, but ice-cream is ice-cream! Just make sure you get there and get yourself one before the end of the golden week. With the temperature warming up recently, nothing is better than an ice-cream for a quick cool down. 5/6 will be the last day of the discount, so do not miss out. To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wek1k-food_moneySun, 05 May 2019 01:01:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wek1k-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mvr8V-livingI received the most amazing origami as a present from one of my students.Using a SINGLE piece of paper with no cuts no slicing but purely folding, he created this robot that looks fantastic from all angles.He said that it took him about 40 minutes to fold this little masterpiece. His classmates were all amazed by it, but I had my mind blown completely.Now when he showed it to me, he did not fully plan on giving it to me. But his classmate urged him to let me have it as a present, so he said goodbye to his creation and gifted it to me with a bittersmile.I now own this origami robot and it will never stop being amazing.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mvr8V-livingThu, 02 May 2019 23:53:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mvr8V-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w2oq2-living_food_okinawaI miss a lot of fast food chains back home (Tim Hortons, especially). Japanese fast food is nice too, but sometimes I just want to have the same flavour as ones I used to eat as a high school student.So I had that wish fulfilled when I visited Okinawa and saw that there were many, MANY A&W restaurants around!The menu is slightly different but they do have chilli fries and mozza burgers!Most important, root beer is their main push of drinks, and if you are having that, you can get unlimited refills in the store! The 3 refills fueled me for the entire year need of rootbeer, and as silly as it may sound, A&W is now one of the reasons why I want to visit Okinawa again! To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w2oq2-living_food_okinawaThu, 02 May 2019 23:47:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w2oq2-living_food_okinawahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wk4mr-foodYou know that if they use the word "fuu" to describe a flavour, it is not authentic and the maker knows it too. By saying "fuu", it merely claims to be "like" something and not the actual flavour.Have I ever seen one that is more impressive than this though. This cup udon is "Thai fuu", or "Thai style" if you want to give it a nice translation.But at the bottom, it just says that it was made with the image of red curry in mind to deliver a strong ethnic taste.Wait a moment, did someone just print their meeting memo onto the packaging as the advertising slogan?The product itself is not too bad, but it may have been that the slogan had set a really low expectation for me to start with.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wk4mr-foodThu, 02 May 2019 23:40:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wk4mr-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GW4v9-foodI get the sense that foreigners are not familiar with anmitsu, which is an awesome dessert in Japan.These bowls of desserts are simple on paper. Blocks of kanten jelly fills the bowl, and on top you place pieces of fruits, syrup and a red bean paste. By mixing them up, you get a very refreshing yet sweet dessert that is best enjoyed chilled.You can easily grab one at the local supermarket for below 200 yen, but most of my friends are either unaware of it or just have never tried them. I hope you will give it a try. Even if you end up not liking it too much, at least you will have tried anmitsu while many others have not!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GW4v9-foodThu, 02 May 2019 23:35:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GW4v9-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wrvQR-livingDuring the last moments of Heisei, all the instagram posts and stories of people I followed to kept posting the final Heisei moments. Their last meal, their last hang out with their friends, their last walk with their dog.I am very sure they will forget about it half a year later, and personally, I would rather focus on the first. A new beginning. A restart, even.(at this point of typing, I just had my first Reiwa sneeze.)Minutes into the new era, I have yet to feel any differences, but here is to hope that the new era will be a better one for everybody.Cheers everyone, and welcome to Reiwa.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wrvQR-livingWed, 01 May 2019 00:07:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wrvQR-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmx1m-foodThe latest happoshu (those beer-like alcohol that is much more affordable) is a new entry from Suntory. This 6 percent drink is sold for 108 yen at most places so this became my golden weekend Sunday night drink.Advertising how "dry" it is, I can confirm this is one harder to drink for people not fans of beer. The bitterness is quite strong, and it leaves an extinctive wheaty aftertaste. Personally, I do not find this go down too smoothly as I am typing this post.This definitely is not beer, but for the price being half of most beers, it is difficult to complain. With that said, I prefer other happoshu over this.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmx1m-foodMon, 29 Apr 2019 23:55:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmx1m-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MY5Xy-food_moneyTo enjoy the golden week, I ordered a large pizza for myself from domino's and as I always do, with a side dish of egg tarts.A couple minutes after I have ordered them, they called me from the shop and told me that while a normal order is 3 egg tarts, they only had 2 left in the store.Maybe someone dropped one or ate one at work, not sure how that happened. But while I was getting ready to be disappointed, the lady said "so if you don't mind, we will give you the 2 egg tarts for free. We are so sorry."Not only was I not disappointed, I rejoiced over the free eggtarts. Never expected these kinds of things in Japan as they are "outside the box", but I guess they do happen sometimes.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MY5Xy-food_moneyMon, 29 Apr 2019 13:42:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MY5Xy-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zK1OD-living_foodI saw this new hand written sign on one of the ramen shops I used to frequent."If you're not eating, then wait outside. Every person coming in must order a bowl of ramen, or else shut up and get out."My first reaction was "wow I mean it is true, but that's really bossy."Thinking about it again, I realized that is an issue some shops face, especially the shops opened in a night area with many drunk customers barging into the shop with friends.Maybe the wording was not necessarily polite, but it could not have been any clearer, and that is needed for those without a clear head.Get out so we do not need to take the argument any further.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zK1OD-living_foodMon, 29 Apr 2019 10:36:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zK1OD-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mx1XZ-food_medical_healthI used to be a huge fan of cup ramen, but I am trying to be better to my health nowadays, and the cup noodles are a big challenge that I need to prioritize. The magic about cup ramen in Japan is that they always come out with new flavours. New soup and versions made by different companies, or even better, made by new famous ramen shops from places of Japan that I will never visit just for a bowl of ramen. So, when the soup of the cup noodle is supposedly similar to the original shop and I quite enjoy it, of course I want to finish it.The health concern here is obviously the sodium intake. The noodle itself is already unhealthy as the noodles are typically deep fried, but the soup contains so much sodium that is quite scary, and I used to consciously ignore that as I drank it to the last drop with guilt. This cup noodle, for instance, contains 4.3g of sodium. That is quite a lot of sodium in this little cup that alone does not fill me up as a lunch! And that is honestly another issue. Since I am not quite full from just the noodles, drinking the soup is another way to help make the meal for filling, even though it does no good to my body and more harm instead. The irony here is that the name of the cup noodles series is actually “until the very last drop”, and I am trying to hold back from it.You might think: just stop eating cup noodles then! Yes, that would be the easiest way, but when I am stressed with work and is low on time (and money!), the noodles are the easiest go-to for some quick food so that I can get back to focusing on work, or at least I do not need to head out just for food. That convenience is hard to beat.Both for the flavour and hunger, I am always tempted to finish up the soup, but I have decided that this habit shall stop!My method of self-encouragement is that I have downloaded an app on my phone called “thing counter”. Each time I do not finish the soup, I add 1 to the counter. It does not really do much except giving me the satisfaction of seeing the number go up, and I know that I am doing a good thing for my body.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mx1XZ-food_medical_healthMon, 29 Apr 2019 09:33:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mx1XZ-food_medical_healthhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/ME8AW-foodThe new flavour of Monster just hit the market, and the name means meaning really. So I got one to give it a try.This passion fruit, orange and guava infused drink is not bad. It also contains 16% juice, and the juice does come through.Compared to the neon green standard, I think I would choose this one over the original.At the same time, it is still as sweet as ever, and it definitely is not good as a casual drink. I like the flavour and I also sometimes can use the extra boost, but I also know that it is indeed one of the worst, if not the worst drinks I can put into my body. Only on days that I need that wake up do I drink them, and it is good to have another flavour available.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/ME8AW-foodFri, 26 Apr 2019 15:35:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/ME8AW-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MgXal-shoppingI bought the Nintendo Switch Labo VR a week ago. It was the starter kit, and it came with the VR googles and the blaster. The catch is that these cardboard contraptions require you to build them yourself, but that is half the fun. I might talk about them another them when I am actually done.What has been holding me back is that I am having too much fun with the tiny bits of trash that is coming from the cardboard. Many of the pop-up bits that are supposed to be thrown out just somehow make the best and funniest faces!Here is Momotaro's grandpa!By the time I realized it, I just spent 2 hours of my precious weekday evening playing with these alone! Now imagine if you have this with a kid...Nintendo, even your trash is fun.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MgXal-shoppingFri, 26 Apr 2019 12:18:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MgXal-shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gb3kE-foodI have been eating yogurt on a daily basis to fight the hay fever, and frankly, I am getting bored of eating it with cereal every day. So when my friend gave me some homemade Irish Cream, I had the idea to make a milkshake with it and the yogurt.To upgrade it, I even put in a couple pieces of chocolate chip cookies. Into the blender all the ingredients went, and the result looked quite good.Yes, it LOOKED quite good. Tasted like a disaster. Yogurt and alcohol do not go well together, especially when the drink your friend makes is extra strong.To not waste food, I did down the drink, but never ever again.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gb3kE-foodFri, 26 Apr 2019 11:59:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gb3kE-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/M9l61-livingWhen I was eating a Tokyo Banana I received a while ago, I was very impressed by the packaging. As the plastic indicated, I could open it from anywhere, and that was true! The package was designed with so many tear-able openings that you do not need to look for where the gap is. In fact, I went ahead to test just how easy it was to rip the bag open, and I ended up with something like an elementary student's art project.Omotenashi refers to exactly this, does it not? To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/M9l61-livingFri, 26 Apr 2019 11:56:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/M9l61-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w5lno-foodIf I think about the classic potato chips flavour back home, I would think of, let see... salt (original), sour cream onion, all-dressed, salt and vinegar, ketchup (yes, Canadians).If I do the same for Japanese chips, seaweed and consomme come to mind.One more we often miss out though is butter flavour potato chips. Perhaps it is because of the popularity of putting butter on steamed potatoes, butter chips are a thing and they are quite awesome.The creaminess of the butter are often quite profound in the chips. They are not overpowering and extremely addictive. I particularly like the "shiawase butter" (happiness butter??) flavour for an extra sweetness from honey.If you say that you have never tried it, pick one up for some shiawase!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w5lno-foodFri, 26 Apr 2019 11:52:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w5lno-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GQPoZ-food_moneyIf I think about frozen food back home, they were all pretty bad. Soggy meat, gross pasta... I only ate them because I was lazy and had no money to eat out.In Japan, however, the frozen foods are quite impressive. When I want pasta, my go-to is the creamy bolognese pasta. The nama mochimochi pasta is genuinely chewy after you heat it up, unlike any frozen pasta I had back home. The flavouring of the sauce is awesome as well, by frozen food standard anyway.The best part is that the package is only 160 yen. It was not quite enough to fill me up by itself, but it would not punch a hole in my wallet even if I was to have two!For those looking for a lazy meal option, I would recommend you to give this a try.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GQPoZ-food_moneyFri, 26 Apr 2019 11:48:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GQPoZ-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmxjQ-foodIf you had never tried age-pan, it is this legendary deep fried bread covered with sugar or other sweet sprinkles that most Japanese people associate with being the best school lunch item ever. There are the rare shops that sell age-pan (literally fried bread), but for those who do not have access to one, try this age-pan snack instead.The crunchy biscuit sticks are covered with cinnamon sugar. The flavour is very close to what I expect from the school lunch age-pan, and for a quick snack, it is not bad.They are also very addictive. By the time I had realized it, half the bag was gone. I immediately gave in and finished it up in no time.Of course, we all know that nothing beats the real thing, but unless you are teaching at public schools, there are no many chances to enjoy age-pan now, and definitely you would be missing seeing the students rave about getting them at lunch.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmxjQ-foodTue, 23 Apr 2019 15:36:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmxjQ-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z8r37-food_moneyAs different services are trying to start their own paying system, Merukari is having their own meru-pay currency. I am not a fan of using these many different systems, but meru-pay did intrigue to sign up as a good coupon.For a while, they were having a 11 yen coupon for Seven-Eleven. Any onigiri under 200 yen became 11 yen, which was sweet. Now they are doing another coupon with fried food, and I definitely enjoyed that benefit too.What I found weird though was that the two Seven-Elevens I visited actually did not take the meru-pay currency, so I had to pay the 11 yen in cash.... what was the point of having that coupon if it does not force the customers to use the currency then? Strange, but not complaining as I still got my good deals.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z8r37-food_moneyTue, 23 Apr 2019 15:31:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z8r37-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GRq1e-foodHiroshima is famous for their oysters, and while this seafood is appreciated in Japan, I definitely find them cooked more than raw, and it is a shame. I enjoy cooked oysters too, especially Kakifry. But steamed oysters or the yaki-oyster is in my humble opinion much inferior to it being fresh and juicy.Even in restaurants where they want to have oysters but not to serve it raw for avoid the risk of food poisoning, like this restaurant I went to that grilled it with curry seasoning and added ikura on top, nothing beats raw oysters.I start to wonder: is it that the sea is not clean enough to have the oysters eaten fresh, is it that the transportation process is too long to keep them safe, or is everyone just being extra careful? Ummm...To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GRq1e-foodTue, 23 Apr 2019 15:24:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GRq1e-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MY5m2-foodWhenever someone heads out to Tokyo and come back, I would say that over 50% chance they will bring back Tokyo Banana as a souvenir. I think they taste decent, good at best, and it makes me wonder: how much do people actually like them?Sure they have the occasional different prints and patterns so they look cute, but I would have a real banana instead of the mushed cream inside a cake any day, especially when there are so many high quality Japanese souvenir that in my personal opinion taste better than Tokyo Bananas.Is it because not many things are called "Tokyo" that "Tokyo Bananas" seem to be one of the defaults to choose? I wish there are better souvenir choices, or again, or give me a real banana.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MY5m2-foodTue, 23 Apr 2019 15:19:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MY5m2-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GyyPk-foodTo make my lunch time quicker, I have been turning towards frozen food. Luckily, I have a microwave about 10 steps away from my desk. But after all the frozen pasta and fried rice I have had, I wanted something different, something I love... something that starts with "ra" and ends with "men".Enter the frozen tantan men I purchased the other day! I had low expectations but they result turned out great, especially considering its 200yen price point. The soup was rich and spicy, and the ka-shou (Japanese pepper) stocked a good punch too. It was so nice that I finished the soup using a pack of rice too.The downside is that you do need a plate PLUS a bowl PLUS a source for boiling water, so it is not as simple as popping it into the microwave oven. Nevertheless, I will be having this over other frozen meals anytime now.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GyyPk-foodTue, 23 Apr 2019 15:14:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GyyPk-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MAnV8-transportation_jalThis February, when I was choosing my flight from Japan to Hong Kong and back, I decided on Japan Airlines (JAL). It was not because of the price or the flight time. It was purely because of the special relationship I have and the feeling of flying back to Hong Kong with JAL that I wanted to keep having. The in-flight entertainment, the service, the manners, the warm feeling that accompanies the excitement I have for traveling overseas has not changed after so many years. It is quite amazing as I would think that our appreciation for such things would gradually lessen, but when I flew back to Hong Kong earlier this year to visit my relatives, I realized that the quality of JAL has never decreased. Thanks to that, I have built a special relationship with JAL that I really appreciate. I have been flying with JAL for years, particularly when I used to live in Canada and would go back to Hong Kong annually to visit my relatives. For a kid, flying always felt so cool and fun. You get to be in the sky, get served a meal (that comes with a toy!), and I got to brag about flying over the ocean to my friends afterward. However, flying long distance is also quite painful, in many ways. You do not get to run around or stretch your body much. Movies and books are not really options for people like me who get motion sickness easily. And of no fault of anything and is just the nature of the fact that the globe is round, I always had a terrible time with jet lag. So flying, for me, was both a mixture of excitement but also a physical torture.With that said, the young me would always get more excited to hear from my parents that the flight was going to be with JAL instead of another airline. As a kid from Hong Kong originally, Japan always has this novelty to it that we always appreciate. To hear Japanese spoken on the plane used to give me this sparkly feeling over hearing other languages, regardless if I understand what's being said, or not. Nowadays I can actually communicate with the flight attendants in more than one language, so I am glad that I can finally speak to them in Japanese.With JAL I was also ready for a better in-flight experience. For one, the in-flight music was always awesome and I still love it now. Having tons of music to listen to, particularly the J-pop station, was like the best refreshment I could get on the plane. Granted, this was before YouTube and before music could easily be accessed through the Internet, so it really was special. Nowadays, such as on this latest trip, I appreciate it not for the novelty but the familiarity I have with Japanese music, and JAL was a big part of introducing me to Japanese music.The food too, was always lovely. My addiction for soba began from flying JAL. When you are high in the air and pressurized, a bowl of cold soba is something to die for. The wasabi will clear your nose as well! I still remember how much I cried from eating the wasabi while enjoying it at the same time. No food in flight really surprises me anymore. Instead, to be served soba during a flight feels more like food from home now.Another perk of flying with JAL from Canada to Hong Kong was the lay over. Typically lay overs are not fun, but when the lay over is in a Japanese airport (namely Narita), it was fulfilling a part of my dream of “visiting Japan”. The great thing too was that Japan being the home of JAL, the gates were always quite close and easily accessible. The quality of the in-flight service is always well ensured. The smiles, the manners, the attention and care of the JAL cabin attendants have never, and I repeat, never, disappointed me!Finally, and perhaps one of the most important thing, the free drinks. No, not just the juice and soda, and I am not even talking about the delicious Sky Time served in-flight, but free alcohol: wine, sake, beer… when you fly internationally with JAL, that is one thing you get to enjoy!And my memories of flying with JAL as a kid still encourage me to fly with them whenever I have the chance. In fact, I have already booked my next ticket. Going back to Canada in the summer, and of course, with JAL too. Flying JAL is still as magical and remains my top experience in the sky.This post is supported by Japan Airlines (JAL), one of City-Cost's Supporters helping City-Cost bloggers to enjoy life in Japan and engage in new experiences.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MAnV8-transportation_jalMon, 22 Apr 2019 11:34:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MAnV8-transportation_jalhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wk440-food_moneySupermarkets can be cheap or expensive, so it is crucial to find a trustworthy supermarket that will always give you good prices. A good way to see and remember which supermarket is good would be to check out their cheapest beansprouts.For cheap supermarkets, their cheapest offers are often 9 yen for 200 grams regularly or on sale dates. 19 yen would be average. On the high end, the cost of beansprouts can get to 35 yen for 200 grams. Of course, better beansprouts would be even more expensive, but forget about those and based your price-checking on the cheap beansprouts. This has yet to fail me.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wk440-food_moneyFri, 19 Apr 2019 12:11:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wk440-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GW442-foodFor those who think nihonshu are difficult to enjoy because of its burn or the bitterness, I have one recommendation for you so you can give sake another try."Mio" is a carbonated nihonshu. Not only is it bubbly, it is also sweetened and has a lower alcoholic content, making it smoother and easier to drink. The flavour of the "rice" is still there though, so it is still a sake experience.The blue bottle is the original, but I have been enjoy the Dry version for something slightly less sweet (but still sweet). If you are new to sake or want to give it another shot (pun intended), Mio would be my recommendation. To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GW442-foodFri, 19 Apr 2019 12:05:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GW442-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MJooV-food_moneyAt the end of one of my work nights, I walked by the supermarkets and saw their normally 160 yen rice balls getting 50% off. Being 80 yen after discounted, it must be better than the normally 99 yen rice balls, I thought, so I bought a couple for dinner.The ikura and karaage onigiri looked good. They were sticking out on top so I thought they must have stuffed a satisfying amount within each onigiri, so I had high expectations when I took the first bite.And boom, after the first bite, all the ikura was gone. I was faced with a sea of plain white rice... THE APPEARANCE WAS JUST A LIE!If I had paid 160 yen each, I would have been furious. Not to mention, this hand-wrapped onigiri was really just wrapped in plastic wrap without any of the fancy magic tricks for the seaweed, meaning that the seaweed was super soggy and had no crunch.Not only were they disappointing, I would prefer a good old 99 yen tuna mayo onigiri over these any day.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MJooV-food_moneyFri, 19 Apr 2019 11:25:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MJooV-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MJoq4-living_howtoI love medal games, or coin pusher games. The first time I got into them, I was immediately addicted. From afar, it looks like another form of gambling similar to pachinko, but I have never played pachinko, and, for me, the image is quite different. Medal games in Japan are usually more family-friendly. You can often find them in arcade centers next to the UFO catchers, so it is very different from the typical image of the smoke-filled room with lots of jobless men gambling their lives away. Also, you do not win money from such games so it really is just something to enjoy with no actual reward other than the excitement you have had.Anyway, if you are interested, how do you get started?In medal game centers you will find a machine in the middle. By inserting money you exchange this for gaming "coins" by touching the value on the screen. Make sure you have one of the cups next to the machine at the bottom ready so that the coins will fall right into the cups and you are ready to go. Just a tip, the game center people want you to stay for longer so usually exchanging a higher value will net you more medal coins in ratio. For example, the one I go to gives you 150 medals for 1,000 yen, but just a 100 yen more and you get 400 medals. Yes, it is a consumer's trap, but if you are there for the fun, this is a trap you might want to fall into voluntarily. After that, choose any machine available that looks attractive to you and you can start putting coins into the machine to see them being tossed down to the pile and hopefully cause other coins to be pushed, resulting in some of those coins falling into the endless pit at the bottom. Those coins that drop into the pit will then come out in front of you and they are yours to play with. Each machine has different rules and different play styles, but instead of thinking about winning, I think it is best to start off by just choosing the machines that look attractive to you.You will find some newer machines as well as some retro ones at the game centers here in Japan. Some are also obviously geared towards kids, which some people would find questionable because the act of this is undoubtedly very similar to gambling, but not all parents mind, I guess, as I see many families playing together.When you are done for the day (or when it is time for them to close up even though you are still playing), there is another machine somewhere in the center for you to store your coins. They might require you to sign up so you can have what is essentially an account in their coin back, but then you can come back on a different day, put in your pass code, get your coins, and keep playing.Enjoy!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MJoq4-living_howtoWed, 17 Apr 2019 12:13:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MJoq4-living_howtohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wkpN7-living_badexperiencesMany people have seen that video floating around social media, the video where a group of non-Japanese people enter and sit down at a table in a restaurant in Japan, and the waitress continuously attempts to address only the one Asian person in the group, despite every other foreigner at the table explaining to the waitress in perfect Japanese that the Asian cannot understand Japanese.Being Asian, I can tell you that this is real in Japan, and this happens to me often. Very often.Many of my friends have watched the video and related to it themselves on the issue that their Japanese skills and attempts to communicate in Japanese are being ignored and disregarded as Japanese people tend to continue to interact with them in broken English, or that somehow their decent-to-great Japanese is incomprehensible just because they are foreigners.I watched the video and saw the harassment I sometimes face when some Japanese people look at me and expect Japanese to come out of my mouth, even though I was trying to get away from it. I believe that there is a mental block in the Japanese people I was dealing in. No matter how hard they think about the situation, they could not come up with the solution of speaking English to me, simply because I did not fit the visible image of an English speaker to them.Part of the issue is also from education. Even if you see an expanding level of diversity in public education in Japan, the amount of English-speaking Asians is extremely low in English textbooks. Even if they have them, English would almost never be that character’s first language, so they too are represented as learners of English rather than users of English, which would lead people to think away from using that as the common language. In fact, I have never seen an Asian-blooded character from an English-speaking country in English textbooks in Japan. I would not be surprised if the whole Asian-blood-English-speaker concept is non-existent in most people’s minds.I had a very interesting situation happen to me a few years back too, and it started as if it was a classic racist joke: three guys were standing outside a pretzel shop, a white guy, a black guy, and an Asian guy (that was me). We were thinking whether we would get a pretzel or not, and after a clerk came out from the store to offer us samples, the black guy walked in to order one. The clerk inside and the black guy had an exchange in broken Japanese and English and the black guy came out with a fresh pretzel and the clerk was relieved that the interaction was over. Then the Asian guy (again, me) saw the nice pretzel and walked in. The clerk greeted me in fluent Japanese only to be met by my broken Japanese, and another exchange of broken Japanese and English began and resulted in another pretzel sold and another sigh of relief from the clerk. The white guy saw that everyone got pretzels except him, so he walked in and the clerk was ready this time. He greeted the white guy in English, “How may I help you?”, only to receive an order of a pretzel in the most fluent level of Japanese ever. The third pretzel was sold, and I will never forget the extremely confused face of the clerk. This incident taught me how much it boggles the minds of many Japanese people here when our language does not match what they expect to hear. It is very difficult for them to switch their mindset to carry on with the communication. The situation is quite unfortunate for everyone involved. Non-Asian foreigners get their Japanese efforts undermined and Asian foreigners receive the strange pressure of “Why can’t you speak Japanese? How else can I communicate with you then?”I often go out to restaurants with my friends here in Japan and find that the clerk always turns to me automatically to take the order or hand me the receipt rather than to my visibly-foreign friends. In those moments I always make a gesture and let my friends handle the order. Even if my Japanese is good enough, I don't want the opportunity for my friends to use their Japanese be stolen by me, just because I am Asian and standing next to them.For more on the experiences of being Asian in Japan, here are two more articles about them.Being a "Ninjin" in Japanhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Jackson/GbKnR-living_badexperiencesWhy was I Santa???https://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Jackson/wkpqm-livingTo view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wkpN7-living_badexperiencesFri, 12 Apr 2019 10:12:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wkpN7-living_badexperienceshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wNxK0-livingI recently watched a video on the Vox YouTube channel titled “Why you are recycling wrong”. In the video, it mentioned how often we think we are doing the right thing by throwing some things into the recycling bin when in reality, the items should not go in and would actually contaminate the rest of the batch of material. The video blew my mind and it got me thinking, how often am I doing it wrong and is actually wasting more things and ruining other people’s effort in recycling due to my own ignorance?I remember working at an elementary school and the principal was telling another teacher not to put the colour paper in the same paper recycling bin as white paper. I was thoroughly confused when I heard it as I thought paper was paper, and white paper would have colours and ink printed on it anyway. Days later, I saw another teacher removing all the staples from the paper before tossing them out, and another teacher walked up and explained that recycling machines nowadays would remove the staples during the process of recycling. Then I thought, so if machines can remove the contamination, would they not be able to remove the contaminating elements of the colour paper, too? I felt like I have become more careless in recycling since then.From the video, I learned that much of the contamination removal process is still done by hand, and so understandably things are missed at times. At the end, we are still responsible for how we recycle things, and if we can make the jobs of the recyclers easier, they can then focus and make less errors, thus leading to more effective recycling. We can play our parts too.For example, removing the packaging and caps from plastic bottles is one of the easiest things we can do to help. I see a lot of people tossing the whole bottle out, but it is definitely adding unnecessary work for the recyclers. Another example is with paper. Some paper is coloured and some is white, and while there is still confusion involved, something more clear is that we can and should separate the different types of paper. The super glossy (and wasteful) paper used for flyers are definitely different from the A4 paper we use for documents. Newspaper cannot be mixed into normal paper either. Cardboards are also of their own type, and from what I have learned from the video, greasy cardboards would contaminate the batch of paper, so pizza boxes are out and should be thrown to the trash instead. I should keep that in mind the next time I order pizza. Tin cans and aluminum cans should probably be separated as well. They may look similar and we might think it is fine as the machines “should” be able to separate them, but there might not be machines involved, and why risk ruining it when I can just divide them up at home?In the aforementioned video, their advice as well as the advice from many recycling campaign, was “when in doubt, throw it out”. I am not that big of a fan of this concept as it still results in wasting things, but I suppose it is the quickest way to avoid contamination. There is also the danger of “in doubt” vs. “lazy”. The best approach, I believe, would be “when in doubt, go find out”. I still have a lot to learn, but it is worth it if it makes the society more sustainable. Here is the video I was referring to. Worth watching for sure. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7N5a476DKQTo view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wNxK0-livingTue, 09 Apr 2019 12:25:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wNxK0-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/ME8qg-foodA Gaint Cone at the supermarket is about 100yen.McDonald's soft-served are also 100yen.Getting a frozen yogurt at Mini-stop is about 220yen.Going to Basket Robins, I am looking at 350yen and up.So if I was to buy ice-cream to stock up my freezer from the supermarket, it should not be that expensive. What makes Palitte, this ice-cream at the supermarket worth 160yen then?This ice-cream turned out to be awesome. I love the layers of crunchy chocolate perfectly blended into the creamy vanilla ice-cream so that every bite comes with delicious chocolate. The cone itself is not as fresh, but it is weighty and satisfying.Needless to say, if you are looking a more fancy ice-cream that you can enjoy at home without having to head out to the nearest ice-cream shop, this will do the job much better than the small ice-cream cones you buy by boxes.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/ME8qg-foodFri, 05 Apr 2019 15:01:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/ME8qg-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zVqOk-foodAs a fan of gummy candies, my top criticism towards ones in Japan would be that they are not tough enough. Just a few chomps in, and they are already broken into bits. That is why Haribo is my go to, but I wish Japan has some tougher gummies too.Enters.... well, Tough Gummy!The name itself cannot be any clearer. It is from my experience the toughest gummy you can get. The 3 flavours (cola, soda and ginger ale) are good but not great, and I always enjoy the later of sourness coating each gummy. It satisfies me well when I want something to chew on.One more good point is that the bag is quite heavy. 100g for about 180yen, I know I will not be running out anytime soon.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zVqOk-foodFri, 05 Apr 2019 14:51:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zVqOk-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wrv83-foodRegular visitors of ramen shops would know that condiments are typically on the table for you to toss into your noodles. It was the first time I went to a shop that had their "spiciness" sold separately. I thought they would add things into the noodles to make it spicy. When I ordered it, as I like my noodles hot, the waitress told me that they serve the spicy sauce separately and if that is okay with me. Personally, that is great as I can adjust it as I eat. She then asked if I want it "slightly spicy", "medium spicy", "very spicy", or "extremely spicy".What I realized was that I paid the 50yen already, and if it was on a different plate anyway, I might as well get the yen worth by getting more with the extreme spicy. The plate came and it was a lovely plate of in-house made rayuu made with ginger and garlic. I enjoyed it thoroughly, ate it all up, my bowl of ramen became real red and I went home happy.........Then I spent the next morning in the washroom summoning a fire demon.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wrv83-foodThu, 04 Apr 2019 12:18:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wrv83-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G6Y33-foodI have always enjoyed the flavour of lychee, which is not a common fruit in Japan at all. My favourite lychee product in Japan is the salty lychee drink, which is more commonly found during hotter days and it is a good way to stay hydrated.What I prefer nowadays is to get the drink mix instead of the bottled drinks. Besides sustainability reasons with plastic bottles, I also enjoy the versatility with the mix. It is 1:4 mix to water ratio, but you can also use it with carbonated water for a fuzzy version, which is yet to be a product they sell. Better yet, you can spike it up with the liquor of your choice ;) When it gets warmer, give this a try!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G6Y33-foodThu, 04 Apr 2019 11:59:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G6Y33-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXrqB-foodI am a firm believer that more cheese equals more awesome, so when I get pizzas, I almost ALWAYS get cheese crust whenever I have the chance.Domino's, however, offers more ways to add more cheese to the pie, and one way is their mille-feuille crust. What it is is thin ultra-thin crusty pastry crust pull together with a layer of camembert cheese spread in between.It sounds really good, but as a fan of the thick crust, it is a give-and-take. In addition, the crust feels more like a cheese sauce instead of actual cheese. Overall, for fans of thin crusts, this is the best way to cheese it up, but I think I will go back to the classic cheese crust instead to get the thicker base.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXrqB-foodThu, 04 Apr 2019 11:54:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXrqB-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z8rqv-shoppingHave you ever thought that the plastic capsules in gacha are wasted? Do you sometimes wish that the prizes are bigger?Well, here is the latest trend in the Gachapon industry and I love it!More and more characters are using their HEADS as the capsule itself!With the parts hidden inside, you open the head and assemble the character yourself.The result are usually full body versions of whatever character you are getting. I have been collecting, of course, Doraemon, but I have been seeing Sanrio and SanX characters getting this treatment as well.And the cool thing is that the result product is significantly bigger than the standard gacha, and I think it really makes it worth the price of 300yen. Oh no... my gacha addiction is coming back.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z8rqv-shoppingThu, 04 Apr 2019 11:48:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z8rqv-shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GokXY-foodI remember going to a Japanese all-you-can-eat restaurant as a kid with my family one time. Instead of the delicious sashimi and tempura I could have eaten, I kept ordering cold soba, bowl after bowl after bowl after bowl to the point the chef came out and asked "should I just make you a big bowl of it?" to which I said yes and enjoyed.Soba is great, but there are not many ways to eat it. It would usually be either hot or cold, but in tsuyu anyway.Udon is usually in tsuyu too, but sometimes you see people have it with cooked in miso, curry or tossed into a nabe. Why does soba not get the variety?So I tried putting curry onto soba, and the result was absolutely awesome. I think there is a lot of room for soba to expand to have other ways to eating, and I hope everyone here will give it a try and let your creativity flow with soba!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GokXY-foodWed, 03 Apr 2019 09:31:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GokXY-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z31EQ-foodThe first time I saw this was on a kitkat. There was a space on the bag of an individually packed kitkat chocolate for people to write messages to personalize the kitkat when you pass it to a friend or co-worker.Then I started to see it on more things: cookies, candies, gummies... typically sweets that are individually packed. It is a smart move. It suggests to you that this snack is to be shared, which means you will finish the bag quicker and will have to buy more!However, from the hundreds of snacks that I have received over my years in Japan, I had never received one with a message written on it. It makes me wonder, how many people actually use it? Even if no one writes it though, it still reinforces the idea of sharing. Smart move, snack companies, smart move.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z31EQ-foodWed, 03 Apr 2019 09:25:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z31EQ-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wNYQl-foodJapan has a few classic flavours to potato chips that we do not really have overseas, like seaweed, consomme, plum... One that stands out in many ways is the pizza chips. This to me is always the premium potato chips in Japan, because of its premium price of being around 100yen in shops where others are around 60. But it is not just that, but also the cheesy bits you can physically see and feel on the chips, and that extra layer is just something we do not get on other chips.Nowadays, however, I am starting to like it less and less because of the cold greasy cheese, but nonetheless, this is a novelty item that will never stop being a classic here.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wNYQl-foodWed, 03 Apr 2019 09:22:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wNYQl-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zayOW-foodWhen I order pizzas from Domino's nowadays, what I look forward to the most is not the pizza, but actually my side order of their egg tarts!They call them egg custard tarts, and they are closer to the Macau version instead of the Hong Kong egg tarts, but they are essentially these hot sweeten egg baked with this fluffy pastry tart, and for about 270yen for 3, they are both a great value and one of the best tasting egg tarts you can get in Japan.The struggle I have is that I know they taste the best when they are hot, so while they are desserts, I actually eat them in between slices of pizza, and I end up with no desserts. Next time I guess I will just have to order more!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zayOW-foodMon, 01 Apr 2019 16:51:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zayOW-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wk4P8-livingWhen the new era name was announced today, the first thing I thought about was the name itself. "Commend peace", that quite a strong demanding name there.My next thought was on the R vs. L. The new name will be written as Reiwa but pronounced in a way closer to Leiwa, and this is going to be force all the English speaking foreigners in Japan to learn how to pronounce the R in the Japanese way as we write down R.1 for the year. R was one of the last choices I would have guessed. Interesting...What do you guys think of Reiwa?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wk4P8-livingMon, 01 Apr 2019 12:42:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wk4P8-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GW48m-foodThere was a boom for coconut oil in the past few years for its health benefits. Personally, I just love the taste of coconut milk, so I bought a few of the coconut milk coffee before even tasting them. I thought that every single word of the product is something I enjoy, so I must love it.The result is not bad. There was a slight conflict of the two flavours of coconut milk and coffee, but that also means one was not necessarily overpowering the other.It also was less sweet than normal coffee milk, so I assume it is healthier. Overall, no buyer's regret on this one, and I am glad because I still have 4 more bottles in the fridge right now.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GW48m-foodMon, 01 Apr 2019 10:55:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GW48m-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MgXkO-food_moneyIt was not until my hunger struck me earlier this week that I realized the once most awesome Wednesday's buy 1 get 2 free deal is now legendary, and it has been replaced by a still great but less exciting buy 1 get 2 deal.See, when they first introduced it, it was limited to only M size pizzas but the first pie could have been anything, ANYTHING on the menu. Even the latest new seasonal hotness was part of the deal, then you get 2 happy-range 1-2 pizzas for free, so the not as fancy pizzas. I used to get pizzas that were 3000 yen to start with and got 2 for free, and paid 2700 at the end!Nowadays, it is 3 happy-range 1-2 pizzas for 2400yen. Yes, it is cheaper, but you cannot use it on the seasonal stuff like The Roast anymore. Instead, you would have to use the 50% off deal to enjoy it. The deal is still crazy considering the traditional prices of pizzas in Japan, but I guess they realized it indeed was TOO good.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MgXkO-food_moneyMon, 01 Apr 2019 09:29:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MgXkO-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MnmPm-foodRoyce is a famous chocolate maker in Hokkaido, and I received a chocolate bar around Christmas time. The packaging is just so cute that I would have kept it for longer if the expiry date was approaching. This chocolate turned out to be one of the best chocolate I have ever tasted in Japan!Upon breaking the chocolate apart, you find chunks of apple inside. The chunks of apple were soaked in brandy or some other kind of liquor. Usually I am not a fan of those, but whatever they used made the apples sweeter and made them stand out from the milky chocolate. Everything blended together so perfectly that by the time I realized it, 1/3 of the bar was already gone and I was more than ready to devour the whole thing.If I can find this again, I will definitely be stocking up!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MnmPm-foodFri, 29 Mar 2019 13:45:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MnmPm-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wrv53-foodI used to love the string cheese back home, which is not really a thing here. Recently, one of my private students told me about these string gummy candies, so I went hunting for them and bought a grape flavour one.When I opened it, the smell of the grape came through and it was quite promising. Looking at it, however, it reminded me of those rubber mats you would put at the bottom of your chair legs to protect your floor from scratches. Not quite what you normally eat as candies.The candy was indeed tear-able and a whole lot of fun. The flavour was great too! However, I just need some time to get over the idea that I am eating a piece of rubber so that I can further enjoy the candies.100 yen is not too pricey for candy, but a bag is only 35 grams, which is not a lot. For the fun though, it is worth it.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wrv53-foodFri, 29 Mar 2019 13:41:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wrv53-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G6YB3-moneyIt is visa season, so I went to the photo booth to take another self-portrait for my application. This time, I realized that I had been fooled this whole time.I always just looked at the style that says "residence card" and choose that option. It comes with two 4cm x 3cm photos plus a couple of larger ones. Then I looked up, the style for "resume/CV" also has 4cm x 3cm, except it comes with SIX of them!!! With the extras, I really could have used them for job applications!!! For the larger ones, they were the size of applying for your "my-number card" but that one has a restriction on how big your head must be in the frame anyway, so I have a collection of those extra large photos at home. This time I went for the "resume" one, submitted one photo for the visa application and now I have 5 more to use. Tricky tricky machines!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G6YB3-moneyFri, 29 Mar 2019 13:36:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G6YB3-moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXrBB-foodChingensai, or bok choi is one of my favourite vegetables. I like how meaty and crunchy it is. At the supermarket, I saw that they were selling "salad chingensai", so I picked one up to test out how different it is from normal chingensai.The package claimed that it is less bitter, so it is more suitable for raw consumption. I gave it a taste right out of the bag and sure enough, it did feel less bitter! However, it was also less sweet, so I guess the flavour overall the lessen.The crunchiness was top notch though, perfect for salad. One more thing I realized was that these chingensai had much less dirt than the usual, making the washing process much easier! Now THAT is a very good reason to keep me buying the salad chingensai! To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXrBB-foodFri, 29 Mar 2019 13:28:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXrBB-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gy6Lb-foodI have just been on a roll with disappointing products lately. Something must be not right with my life. Perhaps I have been cursed.When I saw the Chicken noodles yakisoba, I thought that was something nice. I like chicken noodles, I like yakisoba, and I like easy meals, so what can go wrong?While the normal chicken noodles can be made just by soaking the noodles in hot water for minutes, the yakisoba requires you to actually take the pan out. Then it requires water too! After a minute or so, you end up with this soggy noodle they called yakisoba, which to be just felt like I did not put enough hot water into a package of chicken noodle then I forgot about it.The flavour is not great, even if you add in the tamanori furikake. I never want to waste food though, so I finished the 5-bags pack just by eating them as crunchy snacks as it also suggested on the message, and this once again shows why time-limited products are never that good if they are not good enough to be regular.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gy6Lb-foodWed, 27 Mar 2019 16:24:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gy6Lb-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MnaRE-food_medicalJapan is the land of Calbee, and Calbee is the king of potato chips. My body would tell you that Calbee and I are very close friends. However, as I get older, I have been thinking that I should take better care of my body.The difficulty comes when I want to find a savory snack as a replacement. I have been trying to eat nuts, particularly cashews to fulfill that snacking need.The issue is the price. Cashews are quite pricey and costs a lot of... cash. The 100 g I bought was about 400 yen. I have been shopping online as online shops tend to be cheaper than ones sold in supermarkets, and I am telling myself that it is healthier for my body.I know I cannot and will not say goodbye to potato chips forever, but I do want to decrease the amount I am having. If you have good recommendations for healthy savory snacks, let me know!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MnaRE-food_medicalWed, 27 Mar 2019 12:08:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MnaRE-food_medicalhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wr3pX-food_moneyI bought another seasoning package from the supermarket recently, and it is starting to hit me how much cheaper it is to cook Chinese food at home using these and still have them taste good.The seasoning package this time was 98 yen, and it called for 300g of pork, a whole chingensai, a pack of atsuage plus other things. The ingredients would be cost around 450yen, but it came out as 2 meals and took me only 10-15 minutes to fry them up. Comparing the 550 yen to a plate of something similar at a Chuuka restaurant selling it for 700 yen, it is not bad to make it at home at all.The taste is weaker but for a good reason. There is less salt and seasoning with this package than the ones I am eating outside. Again, if it takes me an hour to cook it, I would prefer to eat out, but given how cheap and easy it is to cook at home, I might have these more often.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wr3pX-food_moneyWed, 27 Mar 2019 12:00:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wr3pX-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXkYo-foodI bought this package of nabe soup because of how attractive it looked. The red spiciness, a "rich spicy flavour", and with a name like Oninabe (the demon's hotpot), it must be able to satisfy my love for spicy food... so I thought.The soup was indeed a thick red colour, and it did look great. However, after I put the tofu, green onion, pork and green veggies into the soup and cooked it for a while, I gave it the first taste test and...Well it just was not spicy AT ALL. Sure, my standard for spicy is higher than average, but even for normal standard, this is nothing but a tiny kick.I had the whole meal and did not drop a single bead of sweat, and that alone should tell you that this oninabe does not live up to its name. When you can get other kimchi nabe for 150 yen, it is hard to say that this 250 yen soup pack is worth it.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXkYo-foodTue, 26 Mar 2019 15:05:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXkYo-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmVKa-living_shoppingI have been seeing this tossed around a lot lately:"It is the last new year's eve of the Heisei era.""The last graduates of Heisei.""Have your last Heisei party here!"And to those, I honestly ask, who CARES????????I went around asking many Japanese people why they care, and they answered because it is the change of the emperor. I then asked them what the full name of the emperor is. Some people were unsure about his first name, and even more people do not know of his last name.I then asked again, if you know so little about the emperor, why does this matter? And they often replied with "huh..... that's very true."It is a great marketing term, yes. But serious, how would this affect any of us except for when we fill out forms!??? And if it does not really affect our lives, then who the heck cares if it is the last of Heisei!???Anyway, there is my unnecessary rant. Have a good day!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmVKa-living_shoppingTue, 26 Mar 2019 14:31:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmVKa-living_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z88jW-living_foodIn a previous post 2019: Fighting Each Season, I talked about my plan of eating yogurt to fight the hay fever, and here is a quick update. Since January, I have been eating 1/3 or 1/2 jar of the bibitas yogurt every day. It was said that the yogurt would build up your immune system so that you would not be affect by pollen as much.Now that it is near the end of March, I have found myself to be sneezing much less than the same time last year. I know that the worse has yet to come, but at least it seems to be working so far! However, since I cannot stand the sour yogurt by itself, I have been eating it with a lot of cereal, and that makes it more expensive and is increasing my sugar intake. Give and take, I guess?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z88jW-living_foodTue, 26 Mar 2019 14:20:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z88jW-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GR4lp-foodIf you know Skal, then you would know it is one of those "white yogurt-ish drinks" similar to carbonated Calpis. I like them a lot, personally, so I picked up the Skal White Sour when I saw it on sale.The drink has 4% alcohol content, but the alcohol flavour does not really stand out at all. On the other hand, if I compare this to the horoyoi white sour, this Skal one is notably sweeter to the point that I think some people will find it too sweet.For a weekday night where I wanted a sweet drink with a kick after my dinner, this was perfect. With that said, the 138yen pricetag is higher than the commonly 100 horoyoi, and it having 1% higher alcohol content is not really worth the mark up, so I might just stick with the other brand.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GR4lp-foodTue, 26 Mar 2019 14:15:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GR4lp-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Go4m2-foodJapan is famous for presenting your ordered food to look as nicely as it appears in photos, but sometimes certain items can be all lies, especially packaged bread.I was very disappointed by this Maple Melon-pan that advertised itself as "the flavour that was once popular in the Heisei area", which is still now and was not that popular and immediately feels like it is falsely advertised.In the photo on the package, it says that "the space in the middle is the key to deliciousness" with the "maple sugar filling". So imagine my disappointment when I ate it and found no filling as everything inside was basically absorbed by the bread, and the empty space was definitely not the key deliciousness. It was more like the key to the disappointment.Just look at how sad this looks.We can't believe everything we see, especially packaged bread.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Go4m2-foodMon, 25 Mar 2019 16:09:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Go4m2-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mx3ay-foodWhile the whole work is moving away from eating shark fin, Japan still hasn't dropped its image of shark fin soup as a Chinese food.I think it is clear that no one really enjoys eating the shark fin, but it is done only for the novelty. Shark fin has no flavour anyway, so the soup is basically a chicken broth.With that said, I really do enjoy these "chicken broth" because it is one of the easiest meals I can make in Japan for an authentic flavour. There are many brands of these packages for you to add water, boil, and add an egg for a rich soup with a good consistency. I would also add some vegetables to make it healthier. This makes a great meal during the cold seasons.The only thing is that it still "includes shark fin", which might be one tiny string that I never found plus the thin noodles that kinda look like shark fin. and I wish they will just drop the shark fin all together and just have the soup as a Chinese soup.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mx3ay-foodMon, 25 Mar 2019 10:24:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mx3ay-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GORP7-livingIf someone know the answer, please enlighten me.I always find these posters made by my local fire station, and on the poster is a haiku. This one briefly says:"You didn't forget?Your wallet and your smartphone,Check the fire at home"Well, there's my attempt in translating a haiku.Anyway, these posters with a message always come with this massive photo of a young cute girl on the most boring background ever. What is with this combination of having a photo of a cute girl that appears to have nothing to do with firefighting or not to leave things at home??I just don't understand and I hope someone can enlighten me. To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GORP7-livingMon, 25 Mar 2019 10:18:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GORP7-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G09rk-foodI love myself some fro-yo, especially the frozen yogurt, but that is a thing quite rare to find in Japan. If you want a good one though, Ministop has you covered.Their strawberry frozen yogurt cone is flavour-ful and absolutely delicious, and it is also a great sweet after a meal. I would have wished the cone was a waffle cone, but since I eat it for a quick switch of flavour, the lighter cone is not bad either.Now, one advice I have is that if you fill up gas at Cosmos Gas Stations, they occasionally have promotions for Ministop's frozen yogurts. I did that so the 220yen dessert became 170yen.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G09rk-foodMon, 25 Mar 2019 10:13:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G09rk-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wZNXV-food_tenri_shi_naraThere is this famous ramen shop in Nara called Tenri ramen, and it is from the city of, well, Tenri. The flavour is a garlic-y shoyu soup, and while that sounds incredibly delicious, I can't really make my way down to Nara just for ramen.So I was quite delighted to see the packaged version of the ramen sold at my local supermarket. 260yen for 2 noodles, and all you have to do is fry up the vegetables yourselves before cooking the noodles for 90 seconds to a minute.The result is not bad and I am sure it would taste better in the shop. It was also less spicy than what I had imagined. While it was a good bowl of noodles at home, it only made me want to go to Tenri more to eat the real thing!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wZNXV-food_tenri_shi_naraMon, 25 Mar 2019 10:08:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wZNXV-food_tenri_shi_narahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MqenR-foodConvenient stores has one good reason that keeps me visiting: the convenient store exclusive potato chip flavours that you cannot get anywhere else. Since they are exclusive, it makes me feel better when I dish out the 150yen premium price for a bag.One day, I was craving for some seaweed flavour chips in the middle of the night, and I was surprised to see the chips set at the premium price despite the flavour being an all-time classic. I can get this for 70 yen from the supermarket, so how they can charge me double the price for it?Then I noticed: "convenient stores exclusive size, 85g".These chips are always sold as 60g bags, so to make me feel better, I was getting an exclusive... even if the exclusivity had little to no meaning to it.You got me, convenient stores, you got me once again!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MqenR-foodFri, 22 Mar 2019 14:21:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MqenR-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mvvkr-food_kyotoThis sable was a great souvenir. It was perhaps just a cookie from Kyoto, but it was not until I opened the package was I surprised by how cute it was.The package of this sable has a very cute character, but I was confused how it was "Kyoto" besides just the name.When I took the snack out though, I realized that there was a dot of a cream in the middle, then it hit me.The sable itself was making the kanji 京 itself!!!That made this souvenir sooooooo much cooler than the standard cookies with the name of the place printed on. The next time you travel to Kyoto, consider picking this up as your souvenir to bring back!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mvvkr-food_kyotoFri, 22 Mar 2019 14:16:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mvvkr-food_kyotohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w2XQX-foodTake my word for it, the Matcha Jelly by Ito en is really bad.When I saw it, I lost my common sense to my curiosity and picked it up. Sweeten green tea jelly in a bottle...? You would be intrigued too, would you not? This jelly that asks you to shake 10 times before opening slowly was a big disappointment. The jelly was very flavour-less as if I was having a bottle of water-jelly, and it ended with the bitter aftertaste of matcha. Sure, it was sweetened, but still not that sweet. It definitely is not what you look for when you get a can of jelly. The texture was rather inconsistent as well. Overall, it was just really really strange and I was not sure what I was drinking exactly.Also, it turned my tongue green. I should not have been drinking this at work...So yea, SKIP IT! To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w2XQX-foodFri, 22 Mar 2019 14:10:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w2XQX-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G6ZkD-foodYes, this is finally being introduced in Japan. People always look at me like I am crazy when I tell them that my favourite drink in the morning is a cup of yin-yong, then they look at me as if I am a freak when I explain that yin-yong is a drink from Hong Kong that is basically half milk-tea and half coffee.So yes, you are basically mixing coffee and tea, and the result is not as strange as you might have it in your head. It is just another milky sweet drink that tastes like coffee but leaves you with the aftertaste of tea. If you want to give that combination a try, I will tell you that the Wonda tea coffee is more on the mild side so it wouldn't flip you upsidedown. As a fan of yin-yong, I am just so glad to see this in Japan even as a temporary fade. To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G6ZkD-foodWed, 20 Mar 2019 15:51:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G6ZkD-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXkpo-food_moneyI am semi-addicted to apple juice (semi due to self-denial). It does not matter what kind it is. I enjoy the 100yen 1L packs as well as the 500yen 1L bottles, just in different ways.Today I want to introduce what I think is the best apple juice for the buck. This Nomu Kajitsu (drinkable fruit) series is my go to. Unlike the cheap 100yen packs, this does taste more like juice made from real apples and you can see the difference in colours too.Price-wise, it is only 160yen, which is very reasonable compared to the premium stuff that is often double of this price. This is not breaking my wallet, but definitely worth its price.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXkpo-food_moneyWed, 20 Mar 2019 15:47:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXkpo-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G09a1-food_tea_shizuokaThroughout my journey of Shizuoka green tea (or green tea, or even just tea in general), I have always been drinking tea brewed from tea leaves, which always required me to wait patiently until the flavour is well dissolved into the water.And that is also why I never really believed in instant tea. I see some co-workers would who rip over a little tube of tea powder, add hot water, stir, and come out with a cup of English Breakfast. “No way”, I thought, “would this be as good as the “real” stuff. Then one day, I found this pack of instant Shizuoka green tea at the local drug store, and since I have been very satisfied with every Shizuoka tea I have had so far, hot or cold, from leaves of bottled, I felt that I should give it a try.The powder of this tea is very fine, and dust floats up when I dig into the bag with the tea spoon. I sprinkled it into a mug nearby and added some hot water. Thanks to how fine it is, I feel like there was no need to stir the tea and it was automatically dissolved and brewed. It is quite nice and comforting especially since it took me merely seconds to prepare, though it is not as rich as the normally brew tea.The package advertised the selling point of “instant”, even if you are using cold water. That is indeed very convenient, since my cold brew green tea always takes overnight so I would always have to plan ahead and get my bottles ready. It would also free up some fridge space. Personally I find the flavour of cold brews more robust than hot brews. The flavour of this instant cold tea, however, confirms that it is indeed not as rich and sophisticated as the cold brew I make. The colour is quite light, and there is an evenness to the consistency that reminds me of instant noodle soup (good, but still different from actual ramen soup).400 yen for 70 cups seems not bad, but each cup is only 100mL according to their measurement. Therefore, I can make only 7L with this whole bag, or 14 servings of my usual cold brew. It is not a lot at all, so considering what is more cost effective, I will keep this bag as a back up for when I forget to prepare the night before.Lastly, I got to point out that this package does have English instructions, which I have never seen anywhere else.Patience is still key, especially if you want quality or want to save money.This post is supported by Shizuoka Green Tea Guide, one of City-Cost's Supporters helping City-Cost bloggers to enjoy life in Japan and engage in new experiences.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G09a1-food_tea_shizuokaWed, 20 Mar 2019 10:19:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G09a1-food_tea_shizuokahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wZNqq-living_transportation_badexperiencesWhy on earth are there so many bad drivers in Japan!?I feel the risk of getting into 2-3 accidents per day from just my scooter ride to work and back, which is a total span of 40-50 mins. In such a short time I would encounter cars running lights, cutting lanes with no indication, and a lot of other issues. And here I thought that in Japan, most people are kind, polite and safe.Okay, to be very fair, my compliant is mainly targeted towards the drivers in the Chuubu area, particularly Aichi and southern Gifu. Maybe it is just bad road designs that piss everyone off and make all drivers lose their patience, but even when I travel around Tokyo or its neighbouring prefectures, all the drivers have been polite. Whenever there is a vague situation of the right of way, they would let the other person go first, especially pedestrians. They would gesture the other to go first, the other would bow, and they bow back. It is an exchange of politeness that I have gotten used to in Japan now.However, the same cannot be found in Aichi. The drivers I encounter everyday are absolute jerks, and it bothers me a lot why and how they got their license at all. Yes, driving schools in Japan are essentially businesses, huge businesses, in fact. Therefore, they will pass people who should not be getting licenses as long as they went through their school and have shown the bare minimum of how to control a car under a simulated situation with no traffic at all. Unlike back in Canada where we get a real road test, Japan does not test the drivers in an authentic situation before they get their license and are let loose. More importantly, if a school has too high of a failure rate, no one will choose that school. That is one big reason why there are so many bad drivers on the road.Back to my experience, one of the most shocking things ever was when I was at the scooter school (a 1-day course, pass a writing test, and you can get on the road on your 50CC scooter, by the way), and it was me and another young man taking the course. The instructor asked us, “Okay, this is really simple but I just have to go through these questions. What does red light mean?”. “Stop”. “How about green?”. “Go.”“Okay, what does the yellow light mean?”, and the other guy immediately said, “Go.” My mind was blown and the instructor was shocked for a moment too. However, I understand where he got his idea from because the majority of drivers in Aichi and southern Gifu think that green means go, yellow means go, and red means you can go if you are the first 2 cars to pass the red. It absolutely frustrates me that it is how most people drive here.The turn signal is another thing. The effort to use the turn signal is just a flick of a finger. A literal flick of a finger, and so many drivers cannot even bother to do that before they switch lanes or turn. For a lot of drivers, they would turn on the indicator as they turn. Who the heck can react to that!? If they would do it even 2 seconds earlier, that would avoid so many dangerous situations. A flick of a finger and they can communicate with all the other drivers, and no one bothers to do it.The last thing of my rant is about the attitude of the drivers after they have put you in danger. They would pop out from a small street without checking, almost hitting you, you may have almost gotten hit, fallen off your bike, whatsoever, and they will pretend that they did not see you, stare dead straight ahead, and keep going.This level of ignorance is absolutely disgusting, and it is very much the opposite of people I interact with in person in Japan. When they are in a big vehicle sealed away by doors and windows, however, they act so differently.I can go on ranting about dangerous driving in Japan forever, so I shall end it here and save the rest for next time. It really surprised me since I believed that most Japanese people are very polite, but the opposite it true when it comes to driving. Wish you all road safety on the roads in Japan, particularly the Chuubu area. To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wZNqq-living_transportation_badexperiencesMon, 18 Mar 2019 10:04:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wZNqq-living_transportation_badexperienceshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GORJ8-transportation_jalI previously shared my experience flying with JAL to Okinawa over the New Year to spend time with my girlfriend’s family, but another reason for my trip was to fly back to Honshuu with the ashes of her father who passed away not too long ago. We accompanied her mother on the trip and witnessed how JAL handles a trip at a time of bereavement like this -- it is full of attention and respect.Due to the subject matter, I did not take photos of the in-flight trip, but we do think that JAL’s care was so admirable that we want to thank them by sharing our experience.On the day of us leaving Okinawa to fly to Nagoya (from there we went to Kyoto), we headed to the airport with our luggage and the remains of my girlfriend's father. The purpose of the trip and the arrangement had been made beforehand by her mother when she bought the ticket. She was told to bring the ashes as a carry-on item and the crew would handle the rest. With little details, we were thinking that the flight attendants were going to receive the ashes and keep him in a secured cabinet to avoid any possible damage. That means that we would have to part with my girlfriend’s father during the flight, but we thought that this would have been much better than putting him at any risk of an accident.When we got the airport to check-in, the member of ground staff at the check-in counter noticed the special note on our (or my girlfriend’s mother’s) ticket and confirmed the situation with us. She greeted us politely, and personally I found her gentle way of interacting with us very respectful and professional.My girlfriend’s mother held onto her husband’s ashes carefully as my girlfriend and I pushed our luggage through the airport towards the gate. The people working at the security scan at Okinawa Airport did their best to be polite, but compared to the service we were getting from the JAL ground staff, there was quite a difference in their professionalism that shows how well trained the staff of JAL are. At the boarding gate, one of the flight attendants was there ready to meet us. She politely explained that the seat next to my girlfriend’s mother had been reserved for her husband’s ashes. He could be placed there, but they would like us to pay extra attention especially in the instances of turbulence. That surprised all of us there on the spot, as we were not paying for another seat on the flight. At the same time, this shows that Japan Airlines was fully prepared to treat her husband as a person, while we expected, and had accepted, that they would be treating him as a package with care. That immediately moved us to tears.Now, I honestly cannot say that every bereavement flying experience with JAL will be the same, and I do not know if there would be changes based on how full the plane is or the distance of the flight (if you are flying internationally, for example), but based on what I alone have witnessed, I am very certain that this level of care and manners is something that many other airlines, and definitely the budget airlines, will not provide regardless if they can or can't. We were very grateful and impressed by the experience that JAL has provided us with. The flight ended up being very uneventful in the best way possible and we got to Kyoto safely.We definitely wish that no one will need to be using this service, but if you or someone you know is flying with the ashes of a loved one, you should consider flying with JAL for their care and respect.This post is supported by Japan Airlines (JAL), one of City-Cost's Supporters helping City-Cost bloggers to enjoy life in Japan and engage in new experiences.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GORJ8-transportation_jalTue, 12 Mar 2019 14:33:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GORJ8-transportation_jalhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MJ5XD-living_food_sustainablelifeI thought that the packaging of bentos was always wasteful. They use so many separate pieces of plastic just to assemble a lunch, and every time the office does a "bento day" for lunch we always end up with several huge bags of garbage to toss away.Because of that impression I had always assumed that bringing your own bento to work would be a much better idea for the environment, and it generally is true. However, I was given a bento recently that got me thinking about the inedible waste INSIDE a homemade bento box for the first time.I have a private student who is always so nice and would make a dinner so I could go home after our late lesson at night and be able to immediately have something to eat. Her latest creation was a pack of maki sushi and inari sushi, which according to her, are both very easy to make and she knows that I like both items.When I saw it, I immediately realized that it was in thin plastic packaging similar to the ones food stands use during festivals. I wish I could just give her a reusable plastic bento box, but maybe that would be impolite as I would be implying that I expect free food every single time.Upon opening it, what was in front of me was a very neatly arranged pack of sushi plus some greens to balance my eating habit. I was very grateful for the food and I picked up the first piece of the sushi roll.“……huh, the aluminum foil is attached to it.” Then I realized she made the sushi roll, sliced it up into pieces, then individually wrapped each piece of the sushi with aluminum foil! For minutes sitting there I could not understand the rationale behind going through such a hassle. Then it hit me that she put in the extra effort just so that the sushi would not stick together!“….. but that’s what the seaweed is for!” I thought. Then I realized she did not even want the seaweed to stick to each other. Since I am the type of a person who would rather have a bowl of sushi rice with the stuffing spread on top just because I am too lazy to fill it up, I understand the effort she put in is admirable.At the same time though, she used quite an amount of aluminum foil just to separate each item. I went back to look at previous meals she had made for me and they all had quite a lot of aluminum foil and plastic wrap INSIDE the bento itself to keep the food pieces apart! I really appreciate each meal I got, but it did surprise me quite a bit.It all got me thinking about how much waste is thrown away every day from the consumption of homemade bento, and more importantly, how many people in Japan are actually aware of it. To fix this, we need to not only bring reusable bento boxes to work, but also reusable dividers like the silicon ones you can purchase from 100 yen shops. Better yet, just forget about separating them because they will all go down my stomach anyway.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MJ5XD-living_food_sustainablelifeFri, 08 Mar 2019 15:27:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MJ5XD-living_food_sustainablelifehttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/M9mr8-foodAt some ramen shops, you will find two types of spoons on the table. One is the usual spoon you would get and use to drink the soup, but some shops also have this stain-steel drainer spoon.If you find it, it would be a shop serving tantanmen or Taiwan ramen, both include cooked minced meat. The spoon is used for you to net up the minced meat that are at the bottle of the soup so you can finish it without wasting the meat.The problem is that the spoon is usually stain-less steel. If you are using your chopsticks to pick up the meat, that is all fine. However, if you are using it as a normal spoon, it doesn't make your lips feel too good.Either way, now you know!!!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/M9mr8-foodMon, 25 Feb 2019 10:35:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/M9mr8-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GlpYE-food_educationDuring high school and university examination season, you will see all kinds of industries advertising their products to "support" the students taking exams. And by support, all they mean is that they will change their product packaging/name for good luck, just like how katsudon has the word katsu (win).The latest is the 100yen fukkura burger you can get from any supermarket. Inside is a patty, mayonnaise and tomato sauce that tastes like ketchup. The buns are quite decent though, so I sometimes go for it for a cheap snack.The packaging was changed just so that U, K, A, R, E would pop out, meaning "get accepted". It is kinda forced, if you ask me, but if it is a burger that many students eat often, I guess having the message like that is kinda nice.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GlpYE-food_educationWed, 20 Feb 2019 09:50:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GlpYE-food_educationhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GBgoD-foodOne of the best cup noodles of recent memories: niboshi spicy noodles.Niboshi is a dried sardine soup, and this cup noodle mixes the niboshi with a spicy miso soup for a rich and thick soup base for your instant cup noodle.The amount of redness is not a joke, as I was sweating throughout my meal. However, the soup was too bad to be thrown out so I added some rice into it to finish everything up.Fans of spicy food, pick one up if you can find it in store next time!(Oh no, I am salivating just from thinking about it.)To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GBgoD-foodTue, 19 Feb 2019 12:41:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GBgoD-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zVRW4-foodWhen you are in eating at Chinese restaurants in Japan or even at some ramen shops, the go-to dessert is most likely annin-tofu, this almond flavour jelly that is sweet and smooth.Little do most people know that this Chinese dessert in China is not eaten as a normal dessert. It is more of a medical supplement and is eaten for your health, and it is not nearly as sweet or fruit-ed up as the ones in Japan are, nor is it as creamy or soft. More importantly, it is definitely not as cheap as they are in Japan.So the next time you eat one of these white almond jelly, remember that you are eating a Japanese version of a Chinese food, and do not expect to be served one of these when you go to China.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zVRW4-foodTue, 19 Feb 2019 12:37:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zVRW4-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/we8lb-food_moneyThe first time I bought this tofu was because of its strange packaging. Kenchan, the Kyoto men's tofu, and they got this fabulous man winking at you.Okay, despite its questionable image and weird packaging, this is one of the best tofu you can get for a reasonable price. It is sold for about 100 yen for the 3 packs, and what you get is this extremely creamy soft tofu that tastes great right out of the package. The package also gives you some simple items on how to dress it up for more flavours.Instead of the standard tofu blocks, I highly recommend you to give Kenchan a try for quality and affordable tofu. I still do not understand the packaging though.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/we8lb-food_moneyTue, 19 Feb 2019 12:32:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/we8lb-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mqe8k-food_tea_shizuokaRecently I came across this very interesting pack of green tea at the local supermarket. The name of it was “the Tea Factory’s Makanai Green Tea”. Makanai, if you have never heard of it, usually refers to the meal that the people working at a restaurant or food-related workplace get to eat for free. The package also says “the tea leaves may be small and not uniform, but we drink this every single day at the tea factory, and this is a flavour that we never get bored of”. On top of that, it also says that the tea is “sent directly from the tea factory in Shizuoka”.The idea of getting to taste what the tea factory workers enjoy every day was pretty cool and I was immediately sold. For about 700 yen, this heavy bag of 320 grams green tea was definitely worth the price just based on its quantity. I was paying roughly 300 yen per 100 gram on the cheap side, often double for the nicer things, so if this tea was satisfying, this would make me and my wallet happier for sure.I bought a bag to try, and when I opened it for a sniff, the tea flavour filled my senses. Having a big bag like this in front of me sure is different. I took a spoon to see how “small and un-uniform” the leaves were, and to my surprise, they did not appear as “un-presentable” as the package may have made it seem. This is Japan after all. Even the makanai that was designed for internal use is still pretty nice and enjoyable.I brew the tea and the colour seemed muddier than usual, despite me putting the same amount in as I always do, and I believe this is due to the smaller tea dust getting through the tea mesh. Flavour-wise, this is more on the light and refreshing side than the rich and hearty side. The smell does not flourish as much after it is brewed, but the taste is clear and vibrant. It is definitely good tea, and I envy the tea workers who get to enjoy it every day for free. I agree that this would be a flavour that I will not get bored of anytime soon. It is pretty cool that they are proud of it enough to share it with the market.In fact, I enjoyed the tea so much that I brought the pack to work to share with my co-workers. This will not be replacing all the green tea I drink, especially since the richer and more bitter type is preferable once in a while. However, for the quantity that it is, I will always keep stock of this makanai tea from a Shizuoka green tea factory.This post is supported by Shizuoka Green Tea Guide, one of City-Cost's Supporters helping City-Cost bloggers to enjoy life in Japan and engage in new experiences.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mqe8k-food_tea_shizuokaMon, 18 Feb 2019 15:22:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mqe8k-food_tea_shizuokahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mg6dB-foodI know that for Valentine’s Day, there are different chocolates for different meanings. Honmei chocolate for your true love, giri chocolate for obligation (which is absolutely stupid that women feel like they must hand out chocolate just because the market has set this tradition), and for the first time, I learned and actually received an "apology chocolate."Working at the school, us English teachers have offered the staff a chance to practice their English if they want to improve it, and we have a few dedicated fans who come quite regularly. On the morning of Valentine’s Day, one member of staff who comes regularly and signed up to chat with me in the morning got caught up with other work, so she couldn’t make it and told another staff to convey the message to me, which I really appreciated. 20 minutes after the usual session time, she came running into my office and started to apologize profusely.“I am so sorry I couldn’t make it. We had a sudden meeting and I wasn't informed of it until this morning. So sorry that I couldn't come tell you earlier. Sorry I had to ask someone else to tell you and I had to cancel it. So here is some chocolate for Valentine’s Day. Happy Valentine’s Day and I am so sorry. Sorry. See you next time. Sorry again. Bye bye.”So in the midst of a super long and repetitive apology, I found myself holding a bag of chocolate. Hersey’s Kisses, to be exact. Maybe it really was for Valentine's Day but all I could remember was her apology and felt like the chocolate was a part of it. And just like that, I received the very first apology chocolate in my life.The bag of 8 Kisses chocolate was shared among me and the other English teachers, and we jokingly said that if we get chocolate AND we get to work less, then by all means everyone please cancel your appointments more often!That was actually the only chocolate we had received on that day from anyone in the school. That is fine, but too bad I don’t actually like Kisses. To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mg6dB-foodMon, 18 Feb 2019 10:16:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mg6dB-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wNx8Z-food_shopping_money_okinawaWhile I was in Okinawa over the winter holiday, we visited the Glass Museum there. The place was quite amazing. You can experience glass-making, check out their museum, and get something nice as a souvenir from their glassware outlet.We were there a few days after New Year’s Day, so what they also had available were the New Year’s Lucky Bags. There were 3 types available, each being 2000 yen, 3000 yen and another 3000 yen. The glassware inside the boxes were not necessarily the same as the ones displayed, and the higher grade bags, or boxes, meant that you would get more glassware and accompanying items.We picked up a 2000 yen box and brought it home. When we opened it up that evening, we found some Okinawa ginger syrup and ginger brown sugar inside as they had displayed. Each one would have been 350-550 yen each, I estimated. Personally, I am not a big fan of brown sugar or ginger infused sweets, but since I needed to get some souvenir to bring home anyway, these two did the job.As for the glasses inside, we got a nice little blue glass with some bubbly patterns, and then another pink one that was identical. They are both quite sturdy (and I know because I accidentally dropped one onto the kitchen counter already and resulted in no chips), and the size was great for sharing a drink at night. It was perfect for me and my girlfriend to each have one. In Okinawa, each one of this quality would have been 750 yen to 1000 yen, based on what I saw while I was there.Overall, the box was definitely worth the money if you were looking to bring home some new Okinawa glassware and perhaps some edibles too. If you want to pick out the glassware of your liking, then heading to their extensive shop would be more satisfying to you, but I am quite fond of the two glasses we got, so I consider this Lucky Bag purchase a success.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wNx8Z-food_shopping_money_okinawaThu, 31 Jan 2019 11:52:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wNx8Z-food_shopping_money_okinawahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GR4r2-livingI know we see ridiculous naming conventions in Japan all the one, but this one topped all the other ones I have seen.This apartment complex is called "Rest Place".As long as I am still breathing, I definitely do NOT want to reside in my Rest Place. Unfortunately for the people living there, most of them probably had never thought about what the name of their building means besides "well, I guess that makes sense, I do rest here and it is a place."To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GR4r2-livingWed, 30 Jan 2019 11:24:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GR4r2-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zK9KK-shopping_moneyRecently I went into Book-Off, and while browsing which of the many tiny toys am I going to bring home this time, I started reconsidering my addiction for gacha-games.One the rack, there was this full set of Doraemon fluffy keychains, being sold at 108 yen each.If I was to get them individually from gachapon, it would have been 200 yen each, so 800 yen total. That is, IF I somehow get all 4 in just 4 rolls. If it took 10 times, that is 2000 yen for the same items that I could just buy for 432 yen from Book-Off.Yes, it does take away the excitement of opening it from the capsule, and that is where a big part of the fun is from. However, I do have to reconsider how often I do gacha again, for the sake of my wallet. To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zK9KK-shopping_moneyWed, 30 Jan 2019 10:04:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zK9KK-shopping_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gy6E5-foodI almost never buy those "season limited" snacks anymore because they bomb way more often than being actually delicious.At the supermarket, however, I saw that they had this whole bin of Christmas caramel corn. I was interested, mainly because the season is over, so each bag was only 30 yen (compared to the 88 yen of the regular ones).The flavour was exactly the same as the original. The only difference is that you can find these mini Christmas trees inside! "That's really cute", I thought, and it is a great idea that does not alter the flavour to something inferior. The downside is that the Christmas tree pieces do not have the same crunch as the normal ones because it is flat rather than puffed, proving once again that if their season limited idea is so good, it would not be limited then.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gy6E5-foodWed, 30 Jan 2019 09:46:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gy6E5-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z1B3D-shoppingJapan loves miniature things, and they have so many items so impressive that always blow my mind away.Recently I saw this gacha machine that was selling miniature classic toys, and it had in bold letters saying "actually playable!" So I put in the 200 yen and got myself one of these tiny mazes.For size comparison, here is a small nail clipper.And yes, it actually works! The stick there tilts the whole board in 360 degrees, directing the tiniest metal ball I have ever seen from the start point to its goal.Is it fun? Well... for a couple of minutes I guess. I do not think I will be going to it every night, but at least it makes a cute little display, that actually works.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z1B3D-shoppingWed, 30 Jan 2019 09:41:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z1B3D-shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z3ZQP-living_foodJanuary has been a party month with all the end-of-the-year parties and new year parties happening with the different social groups around me.I am not a party person nor am I good with drinks. While some people exercise something called self-control, I am also not so good with that especially when I know I have paid my portion of the all-you-can-drink, only to have the regret kicks in the morning after.Recently my friend has been encouraging me to get one of the "ukon no chikara" at the convenient store first for about 200 yen each. This turmeric drinks will apparently help with your liver and how it handles alcohol, and it sure did. I had a couple of parties where I drank the same amount as usual and felt relatively fine the next morning. For those out drinking often, I would recommend this to you as well.By the way, the one I get is the Cassis Orange flavour, which is much better than the normal yuck flavour type.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z3ZQP-living_foodWed, 30 Jan 2019 09:36:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z3ZQP-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mg6eK-living_transportationAs much as I love Japan, there are certain things that bother me on various levels. One of the things that I would love to avoid in whatever way I can is the harsh condition that each season comes with.Spring: Hay feverSummer: HeatAutumn: TyphoonWinter: ColdIt feels like there is always something with the nature to make me enjoy my everyday life slightly less. Of course, there are many things to appreciate as well, such as drinking under cherry blossoms and swimming in the beautiful ocean. But in all honesty, those are things I would happily give up if that would take away the negative aspect of each season.Since that is impossible, obviously, I have to find my own way to deal with it, and I have my 2019 planned out that I am ready, hopefully.Spring:This is the big one. I used to love spring. The temperature is nice, the flowers are blooming. It used to be the perfect time for me to head out, that is, until a couple of years ago when I suddenly started suffering from hay fever. Since then, it is just runny noise on a daily basis and always looking like I am about to cry.I have tried nasal sprays and medicine but nothing really helped. However, I have read (on the internet) that some people started eating yogurt and that somehow gave them super power (or built up their immunity) to fight against the hay fever. They have said, however, that it takes time for it to work, so they would start their 100-200 grams of yogurt at least a couple months before spring comes.I am not a big fan of yogurt myself, especially not the ones that the internet recommended. They are just so sour, but if it means relieving me of my hay fever pain, I would be more than happy to give it a try. Therefore, cereal and yogurt every morning for a while for me!Summer:What can I do about heat besides staying in air conditioned rooms all day? It is definitely not environmentally friendly, and I end up being in-doors the whole day. Not to mention, it racks up your electricity bill at the end of the month.The best way to handle it in the summer, if your job/time/money permits, is to take a trip to somewhere cooler. Nagano and Hokkaido are two places that are often recommended, and even if I can be there for just a week, that is a week away from the heat hell I am in right now. This year, it looks like we have quite a nice long Obon week, so on top of that, I am going to try to take a week off to avoid the heat.Autumn:Honestly, autumn is the only season that I can stand outside and feel okay. When a typhoon arrives, I guess I will just have to appreciate the indoor days and plan the rest of my events around them.Winter:The problem with the cold is similar to summer: I end up spending most of my free time under my futon, in the kotatsu, or in heated rooms. My electricity bill tripled last month due to my reliance on them. At the beginning of this year, however, I got a yutanpo so you can fill it up with hot water and keep it around you to provide you some warmth.As for the outdoors, my lovely girlfriend bought me these wind-blocking gloves and a face mask for when I ride my scooter, and they worked amazingly well. For the coming year, I am going to slowly assemble the rest of my riding gear so that no wind will ever come through when I stroll around town.Like this year, I also went to Okinawa during winter, and that was just awesome.I have a complaint (at least one) with every season and so far, I have done little besides complaining. 2019 is going to be the year that I will do something about them!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mg6eK-living_transportationTue, 29 Jan 2019 17:04:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mg6eK-living_transportationhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w2Xjb-transportation_jal_okinawaThis year, I spent New Year's in Okinawa with my girlfriend and her family. It is rare that I get to do the countdown with a family here, so when the invitation came, I was more than happy to go. Given the season, the flights were crowded and we looked around for tickets. In the end, we decided on flying with Japan Airlines for several reasons, the main reason being that I have always had a great experience using JAL, and I wanted to make sure that the flying experience would be as comfortable as the time at the destination.We booked our tickets online from the JAL website. Unlike many cheap airlines' sites, the prices are very clear and straightforward on the JAL booking site. There were no crazy limitations and extra charges on every little thing (check-in luggage, choosing a good seat, choosing any seat at all, food on the plane, drinks on the plane…). Sure, some may say that they prefer the latter for the cheap price, but I undoubtedly had a much better and happier time booking the flight and eventually being on the flight thanks to that.I flew from Nagoya to Okinawa and the flight took about 2.5 hours. It's not long, and the time flew by. Before I realized it, I had arrived. While being on the plane, despite it being the small plane, I appreciated the leg room I was able to use. The flight attendants were as friendly as always. They welcomed everyone warmly every moment they interacted with us, and I really like how professional they were, even during the extremely dull (yet important) safety procedure demonstration that most people rather ignore. I also felt that there was no problem using English at all, which is something I cannot say when flying with the more budget airlines on domestic flights.Thanks to the comfortable flight, I had a great time in Okinawa. Okinawa was muuuchhh warmer than Honshu, so while people visit Hokkaido during the summer to avoid the heat, I would definitely recommend the same for Okinawa during winter to get out of the freezing weather.The food was also great. Having a bowl of soki soba around winter is absolutely fantastic. I had about 4 bowls throughout the trip, and while I liked one of them much more than others, every single bowl was satisfying. I feel like I am slowly learning the spirit of soki soba as well. As a huge fan of ramen and noodles in general, this is one that I cannot enjoy on the main islands of Japan but always look forward to coming to Okinawa for.Another highlight of my trip was visiting Shuri Castle, which was a monorail ride away from my girlfriend's family's house. The castle was great, especially in the sense that it was different from every other castle in Japan. It is an offspring of Japanese and Chinese architectural styles, and it had this warm, welcoming feeling of a small kingdom that was the Ryukyu Kingdom. During New Year's they also had free traditional Ryukyu performances, so I was able to watch some people perform the traditional Ryukyu lion dance.With that said, I would also highly recommend you to go back to the castle for another visit at night. The castle is closed at night, but the walk around the park surrounding the castle was both peaceful and refreshing. The castle itself, lit up at night, was also magnificent making it a perfect date spot or a great place for a night photo shoot.The trip only lasted for less than a week, but it was without a doubt one of my best New Year's experiences in Japan. From booking the flight to landing back in Aichi, it was a lovely trip that I will remember for years to come.This post is supported by Japan Airlines (JAL), one of City-Cost's Supporters helping City-Cost bloggers to enjoy life in Japan and engage in new experiences.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w2Xjb-transportation_jal_okinawaWed, 16 Jan 2019 10:21:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w2Xjb-transportation_jal_okinawahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/M9md2-living_transportationDid you know that there are an open-door and a close-door button on train cars? If not, then it shows you are lucky enough to be living in a place of civilization.If you live in the rural, and I mean, RURAL areas of Japan, many train doors do not open upon arriving at the platform until you press the button.The first time I visited a place like that, I just stood in front of the door like an idiot waiting for the operator to open the door so I could get on. 5 seconds later, the frustrated lady behind me walked in front of me and hit the button. I got on after her, and another lady walked up to close it because the wind was coming into the train.Little did I know that it was a blessing not to know of the train's open and close buttons.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/M9md2-living_transportationFri, 11 Jan 2019 16:11:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/M9md2-living_transportationhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w5jD9-food_shoppingI find edible omiyage in my drawer once or twice a week, and they often are cookies and manju from some random place a co-worker went to. Yesterday, however, I received the cutest omiyage ever.This was not from a co-worker, but rather, a private student who likes Doraemon and more importantly, knows the fact that I LOVE Doraemon. The manju itself had a cute Doraemon face printed on it, and that is the whole point of this souvenir. Flavour-wise, it was nothing unique, and I had a really difficult time biting into the face of Doraemon and knowing that I will not be seeing it again once it goes into my stomach.With that said, this was the very first time that I was genuinely happy about receiving omiyage!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w5jD9-food_shoppingFri, 11 Jan 2019 14:50:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w5jD9-food_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GQmEl-foodJapan is great for soft drinks, and they always come out with new flavours. If there is a brand that is often overlooked, however, is Mets by Kirin. They come out with different flavours all the time, so everything we enjoy about Fanta can be satisfied by them too.More importantly, I love Mets because of how strong their carbonation is. After a heavy meal, the carbonations (and the burps that come with it) is really satisfying, and I find that Mets give me better bu.... enjoyment than other brands.For less than 100yen a bottle in supermarkets, definitely give it a try if you are a fan of fizzy drinks!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GQmEl-foodFri, 11 Jan 2019 14:40:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GQmEl-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MpVZZ-shopping_moneyWalking around some gaming arcades, you might find this Dynamic Visual Acuity machine. Put in 100yen and you get about 1-2mins of the buttons lighting up randomly, and you only have a split of a second to hit it before it goes away.The machine is apparently something that professional racers and athletics use to train their reaction speed and accuracy. So rather than fun, it is more of a challenge.However, if you do want to play it for free, go to the Toyota Megaweb in Odaiba where Toyota showcases their new cars, and they have this machine there that anyone can play with for free. 100 yen might not be the best, but free is definitely worth it!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MpVZZ-shopping_moneyFri, 11 Jan 2019 14:33:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MpVZZ-shopping_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXkEx-food_shoppingA co-worker's mother taught me about this when I was still new to Japan. We were talking about the milk students drink at school, and I mentioned how there are so many kinds of milk in Japan that are labeled with different names.She told me that if I was looking for whole milk, I just simply seek for the little dent on the very top of the package.On the other hand, if the top is flat, then it may be skimmed, or sometimes extra creamy. Even if the fat content is the same as whole milk, they are still processed. This trick was so simple yet it saved me from having to learn all the words and names on every milk package.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXkEx-food_shoppingThu, 10 Jan 2019 12:28:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXkEx-food_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmVZd-foodI understand that mint chocolate is not for everyone, and many people compare it with eating toothtaste. For those who are on the chocomint camp, however, this is the best mint chocolate item ever (minus the legendary thin chocolate girl guide cookies not available in Japan).These crunky mint chocolate ice-cream bars go for 70-110yen, depends on whether you find it at a supermarket or at a convenience store. The crunch of the chocolate shell melts perfectly with the refreshing minty ice-cream, and I immediately went back to the shop to stock up on 7 more of these. Team choco-mint forever!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmVZd-foodThu, 10 Jan 2019 12:20:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmVZd-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z88Da-foodThis is easily my new favourite drink in Japan: The JELLY SPARKLING!It is a combination of my favourite things when I look for a sweet drink after a meal or for a happiness boost. The little can contains the perfect mix of carbonated soda, jelly, and also chewy coconut jelly! It blew my mind how the three very stimulating feelings/texture match so perfectly.A can is about 100yen, and while it is smaller than a bottle of soda, the satisfaction you can get is levels above.Just make sure you shake it 10 times before opening it. Anything less might result in big chunks of jelly that does not come out, and way over would just break down all the jelly into tiny slimes.Give it a try!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z88Da-foodThu, 10 Jan 2019 12:13:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z88Da-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wNx24-living_foodAfter visiting a fellow teacher’s family on a New Year’s Eve one year here in Japan, she handed me a box of food on my way out. I watched her going into the kitchen, opened up several boxes and took a bit from each to assemble the bento that she handed to me. “This is osechi ryouri”, she said.I understood the word ryouri, which is cuisine. But osechi? Seeing my puzzled face, she explained to me that osechi ryouri is a special kind of New Year’s food that housewives often prepare throughout the couple of days building up to New Year's in Japan, and the food is supposedly easy to be preserved so that it can be enjoyed through the first few days of the New Year. The idea is that if the housewife has everything prepared before the New Year, she could then have a few days “off” because she would not have to cook for a few days, which is almost like a vacation away from the stoves, I supposed.“That is pretty nice,” I remarked, “if that gives you a few days of rest."“Yes, but making these is not easier either," she replied.I opened the box, and it had different foods of different colours. Black beans, roasted pork, sweet potato, egg roll… each one obviously required quite some time to prepare, and when she showed me the big boxes she filled with each item, I realized that she must have worked really hard on the days before New Year’s Eve just to prepare them.“Does that not lose the point of resting?” I asked. She does admit that she finds it a little bit ironic that the break comes after some extra difficult work. It is as if someone paid extra money just to get a discount on their next purchase. With that said, she was very proud of what she had prepared.“Honestly, I would prefer that we just order delivery sushi every day instead, just like what we had tonight,” she said. But of course, that is not cheap at all, and that reminds me of the osechi ryouri I see that convenience stores often take pre-orders for. Those are not cheap either with prices going as high as tens of thousands of yen per box, depending on how luxurious you want it to be. If convenience stores are not good enough for your taste, restaurants often offer them as well, of a higher quality. The question then comes back to that of if the preparation process that earns the wife a few day-offs can be purchased, does that not make it even less meaningful?And more importantly, if osechi ryouri made by someone else is accepted, is there a need for it to be osechi ryouri at all? After tasting osechi ryouri for the first time, I recognized that it was definitely not my favourite kind of Japanese food. The meat is tough, the things are either too sweet or too salty, and most importantly, basically everything is cold! The lovely teacher packed them in one of those Japanese-style square bento boxes for me that is not for microwaving, giving me the idea that it was not meant to be warmed up, and I definitely prefer my food warm.I asked the Japanese people around me, and none of them were particularly fond of the taste of osechi ryouri anyway. They too would also prefer ordering sushi or katsudon, but they take it for granted that they will be eating osechi ryouri throughout the New Year, simply because it is the New Year food, regardless if it was cooked or bought.The conversation definitely taught me a lot about osechi ryouri, or more importantly, how some Japanese people follow certain traditions despite not being very happy about them. I guess the same argument can be made against eating turkey on Christmas or Thanksgiving. If it is such a pain to prepare and the meat is much tougher than chicken, why eat turkey then? Well, tradition is tradition after all.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wNx24-living_foodSat, 29 Dec 2018 17:11:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wNx24-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GORvW-livingI remember the first time I was invited by a co-worker to go for a New Year’s shrine visit with her family here in Japan. It was something that I had always heard about but never tried on my own. Why didn’t I? Well, it is cold during this time of the year, it is a holiday so I want to just stay home and stay warm, I do not even want to change out of my pajamas, to be very honest, but most importantly, I am not religious, and going to the shrine to pray and buy charms is the most religious thing I see here in Japan, so I never went until this invitation.At the same time, I do recognize that this is more of a tradition than a religious practice. The people I have met here are not religious at all, despite their annual effort to leave the warm house for shrine visits in the early mornings every year. I always find that very interesting and conflicting. If they are visiting the shrine to pray, who are they praying to? If they are praying to “God”, they must believe in God or Gods, yet they don’t. It is like sending an e-mail out knowing that the recipient’s address does not exist, yet they keep sending the e-mail out every new year. Also, they do not receive those charms for free. They are paying money, good money for them! The money is of course a way to support the shrine and to keep it running… but if they do not believe in the religion, why do they even care? All these queries I have, of course, came to me immediately as a foreigner who did not grow up with the tradition, but many of my local friends simply tell me that they do it because they have always done it every year, and that I would understand and perhaps even appreciate it more if I would tag along and see it for myself.So finally, I had my first New Years shrine visit. The shrine was packed with people! It was on the third, so it definitely was not the “worst” day there, but it was also the biggest shrine of the area which explains its popularity. I went with my co-worker, her husband and her three kids. Along the way, they explained to me what people were doing, the different kinds of charms, the tradition of bringing back the charm from the previous year to return it to the shrine (which is also very strange to me because it makes me feel like they are renting the charms rather than buying them).Along the way, I realized that she was explaining to me a tradition. There really was nothing religious about her way of thinking. She was telling me about her New Years prayers for her sons’ health and studies. The kids were telling me about how they want this year to be even better than the year before. Her husband went to get some amazake (hot and sweet rice wine) for us to drink and to warm our bodies up (which I could feel the alcoholic effect and was surprised that the kids were allowed to be drinking amazake too). It was just a simple family and cultural event that I was invited to take part in. I actually did not make a prayer, nor did I make any donations or purchase any charms. I still believe that I did not want to do any of those acts unless I believed in that religion. A part of me thought that the talk about new year wishes can be done at home too and not necessarily at the shrine. However, I also did really enjoy my time there with her family, and since I was not forced to do any particular religious traditions, I see no harm in doing that, especially if it helps me enjoy the atmosphere of the Japanese New Years.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GORvW-livingFri, 28 Dec 2018 17:43:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GORvW-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmVdO-living_food_teaThe season is here. By now, you probably have your summer clothes packed away and got your scarfs out. Bottles of sunscreens are likely replaced by hand creams. And if you are like me, you are probably enjoying your tea hot instead of cold now.After picking up the habit of preparing bottles of cold rich Shizuoka green tea at work over the summer, it is now time for me to venture into the other side and see if the hot green tea will become my new habit, and it is not as simple as a switch-over. I am a big fan of cold drinks, so there are a few major differences I have noticed as I am in the early stages of trying out daily green tea.1. Warming rather than refreshingThe first and foremost difference is that I am no longer drinking it for refreshment, as a warm (or hot) cup of green tea is more about comforting my body. It is a very different feeling. While I might seek for a cold boost to wake me up at work, the warm green tea is more fitting in helping me relax at home. This is already a big reason why I have to reevaluate the possibility of forming the new habit at work. Perhaps I will be having my daily green tea upon getting home instead.2. Less flavor?I don’t know about you, but I find that my tongue tastes less of the flavour of a drink when it is warm rather than hot. I really enjoyed the richness, sweetness and bitterness of the cold green tea, but for the warm green tea, all those flavours of the tea would attack my taste buds at once and leave very soon. The lasting aftertaste that I get from cold green tea is not there. I find that this makes warm green tea to go well with meals, but less as a drink alone. A new lunch time habit then?3. No more big gulps I used to fill up my 500mL bottle with the cold green tea and take big satisfying gulps from it. With the warm or occasionally hot tea though, that is no longer an option without burning my tongue. The cold green tea habit used to be a way to make sure I was drinking enough water throughout the day as well, so now I have to find a different way to make sure I am hydrated.4. No need to waitA very positive change, however, is the little wait time I need for hot green tea. To make the cold brew green tea, I had to wait overnight before I could enjoy the tea from the fridge. Now if I want to drink the hot tea, it would take me mere minutes! (plus a few minutes to let it cool down, I guess). This is a big plus, allowing me to enjoy it anytime I want. Initially I had thought that the change in my green tea habit was going to be just changing the temperature of the drink, but after trying it for a bit, I realized I enjoy the two drinks in completely different ways. Time will be needed for readjustment, but I think this will eventually be something I enjoy daily, especially as the temperature continues to drop.This post is supported by Shizuoka Green Tea Guide, one of City-Cost's Supporters helping City-Cost bloggers to enjoy life in Japan and engage in new experiences.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmVdO-living_food_teaThu, 27 Dec 2018 17:28:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmVdO-living_food_teahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zVRKV-living_money_transportation_sustainable_lifeFriends often tell me this: Japan is a very safe country, nothing ever gets stolen, except for two things. Umbrellas and bicycles. I guess an unguarded bicycle, in a way, is the best target to steal because it is also an immediate getaway method. It probably explains why bikes usually come with locks.However, I also see an issue with bicycles, particularly abandoned bicycles. At my apartment, there are often bicycles that have not been touched for months or even years, and they seemingly just pop out of nowhere. Some of their have their tires popped or many parts rusted, and I assume they are simply left behind when the tenant moved out, but sometimes I also see beautiful bicycles that look even better than mine being thrown out because they were unclaimed. Seeing that, I think it is just wasteful.Another place where this happens very regularly is universities. Students often leave bicycles on campus to get around the school quickly (which I think is usually unnecessary), and at the beginning of every school year, there would also be a whole lot of abandon bicycles. This is my deduction, but I think that many students, upon entering the university or moving to the city close to their university bought a brand new bicycle immediately. They would use it almost daily for the four years as a student. As they graduate, they either think that they have gotten enough use out of the bicycle and will get a new one in the future, or that the hassle and cost of moving an old bicycle back to their hometown or their new city where they will work at is not worth it. In addition, throwing it out costs money because it is a “large trash”, so being the frugal university student like most of us once were, they chose to leave it for the school to handle. Ultimately, the result is that thousands of abandoned bicycles are trashed every year, and I have some thoughts on that.They are not really trash. As I have mentioned earlier, some of these bikes are way better than mine! They are bicycles that I would be more than happy to pay money for. However, due to a lack of information on where they can sell old bicycles or out of sheer laziness, they are considered trash. This, in my opinion, is a complete waste. If there is a system in the school or the community to gather the good bicycles and have them up for adoption, not only would it decrease the amount of “metal trash”, many new students, new residents, and those in need alike would benefit from such a system.They are being considered trash being of the barriers, costs and hassle there are to throw out old bicycles. What if the cost of throwing a bicycle was included upon purchasing or registering for a bicycle? I know many people would be against that at the moment, but it does help the environment as people would be more willing to take responsibility of it if they did not have to shell out extra cash just to throw them away.And lastly, and it may sound crazy, if those who are abandoning their bicycles would just simply leave their key on the bike to indicate that it is available for the next person who wants it, and I do not see strong reasons why it cannot be done. I believe that alone would save a lot of bicycles from being trashed.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zVRKV-living_money_transportation_sustainable_lifeSat, 01 Dec 2018 16:32:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zVRKV-living_money_transportation_sustainable_lifehttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wkpqm-livingSometimes, the idea of an English speaker can be so blinding that people in Japan would decide on things that make absolutely no sense to anyone. There are roles that I automatically fall into simply because I am an, or THE, English speaker. One year, for instance, I was asked to be Santa Claus in front of the entire elementary school. The reason why it still makes no sense to me? I am Asian.As Christmas was approaching, the school wanted to have a special appearance from Santa Claus during the morning assembly. The appearance was not necessarily random. The first year students were performing Jingle Bells that they have been practicing for weeks in music class. Unbeknown to them, Santa Claus was supposed to show up, surprising both the first graders and the rest of the school watching. Santa would say something Christmas-y in English, then leave.So one evening, right as I was about to leave school, one of the first grade teachers approached me and asked: “Would you mind being Santa Claus tomorrow?”I went “… What do you mean?” and she explained the plan. I also saw that she was already holding a full Santa costume that apparently another teacher used at a party before. I was thoroughly puzzled, because there is one fourth grader teacher who looks exactly like the image of Santa Claus we often hold: jolly belly, gray hair, a red nose that matches his commonly red face that got me suspicious if he drinks at school. HE would have been the perfect embodiment of Santa Claus, his students would have gotten a kick out of it, but due to the unexplained requirement of having English, I was the default and the only candidate to fulfill this job.Full of confusion, I knew I had no choice, so I asked for more information.Me: “So what am I suppose to say?”Teacher: “Umm……. Something like ‘enjoy Christmas and I hope you get what you want’…. Something like that? Please say it in English.”Me: “Wait… if it is in English, no one would understand anything.”Teacher: “Right. That’s okay.”Me: “…”The point was obvious. Santa just had to speak English. It did not matter if the person filling the role was a skinny young Asian, as long as he was using English, he was “Santa”. It made zero sense to me and still makes zero sense to me now.The next morning, I arrived at school early just to put the Santa outfit on. They stuck a grey bread onto my face, too. I also stuffed my winter jacket around my stomach just to fluff the costume up, pretending that I had a tummy. I asked the teacher in charge ...“So I am planning to say ‘To all the students and staff, have a happy season with your family and friends. May you receive what you wanted, and I wish you all a Merry Christmas!’, how is that?”Without understanding what I said, the teacher replied “Oh that is WONDERFUL!!!! The students will understand the Merry Christmas part! Okay, let’s go hide behind the stage now!!”In the end, I did my job as Santa, possibly the only time in life that I would be asked to do that, and the children were pleasantly happy to see me. For the next few days, they kept asking me, “You were Santa during the morning assembly, weren’t you?” and I would reply “Oh? I don’t know what you are talking about.” In the end, I did not lose anything. However, this Santa = English speaker thing will always give me a strange feeling that I will remember. I am sure some people will take offense to it, even though the teachers who asked for my help will likely never think twice about it.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wkpqm-livingWed, 28 Nov 2018 10:50:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wkpqm-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z1B8n-foodAnother couple of weeks have passed, so it was time for me to reward myself for the hard work by opening a Doraemon Egg with the surprise toy.FINALLY, I GOT DORAEMON!!!! Well... kinda.....I am not very happy with this one, because it gave me this 2D Doraemon printed on a transparent plastic, rather than an actual Doraemon.The bigger issue I got with it is the fact that the door is small, much smaller than the standard size of the other models of the same series. It doesn't quite fit in when I have it displayed.Here is to hope that the next one is a real Doraemon figure.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z1B8n-foodTue, 20 Nov 2018 16:15:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z1B8n-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Go46b-foodI was intrigued by this bag of green tea I found at the local drug store: The Rich Green Tea Used by the Shogun, and as the package described, this tea from Shizuoka was enjoyed by the one and only Tokugawa Ieyasu during the Edo period. I was not there hundreds of years ago to enjoy the tea with the Shogun, but to think that I can enjoy the same tea now, I picked up the pack to give it a taste.This tea farmed the mountains near the Abegawa River in Shizuoka City, apparently absorbs the mist that comes from the river and gets embraced by the warm sunlight, adding to the sweetness and its delightful scent.The instructions on the back also gave some points on how to brew the tea well. One that I had never thought about is the advice of keeping the water boiling for 5 minutes to remove any unpleasant scent of the water. Another piece of advice, however, that got me laughing is the “point” to add more tea leaves based on your mood. I guess that means you should add more than the recommended 5 grams to make it even better. That is no surprise since it simply makes the flavor even richer.So I made the tea as usual. I added a couple tea spoons of the leaves into the cup I got and added 500mL of water before I stuck it into the fridge. After a few hours and some shakes, the usual dark yellow-green color appeared, but even less transparent than the other ones I have had.Upon my first sip, the flavor honestly wowed me. I did not insert extra leaves to make them richer, but the flavor by default was stronger than what I have been drinking lately. The smell was deep and pleasant, and when I tasted it, the green tea had a very strong and impacting flavor to it. It is more on the bitter side but it does not last. Instead, a very natural aftertaste comes in to cleanse the bitterness out, making the entire experience very refreshing. This is definitely one of the teas I will return to.I paid 600 yen for the 100 grams pack, which is quite reasonable when compared to the other Shizuoka tea I have been purchasing lately. For more details on the cost of brewing your own cold green tea, especially comparing it with the cost of buying bottled green tea, check out this other post I wrote!https://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Jackson/G6Zql-food_shopping_money_tea_shizuokaThis post is supported by Shizuoka Green Tea Guide, one of City-Cost's Supporters helping City-Cost bloggers to enjoy life in Japan and engage in new experiences.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Go46b-foodSun, 04 Nov 2018 12:37:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Go46b-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wkpRr-foodPeople like me who cannot drink much but enjoy the sweeter drinks often find joy in cocktails, and I am a fan of the Cocktail Partner brand for their variation of flavours that are easy to drink and is relatively low in alcohol content. I saw this in the supermarket while I was talking around town the other day. Halloween season is here, so it is time for orange, purple and green products. This vanilla melon was one of them, so I got a drink in my hand for my afternoon walk.The flavour was, well, an even sweeter version of melon soda with a hint of alcohol. It was too sweet even for my sweet tooth. With that said, my point was just to have a drink in hand, and 108 yen was more than reasonable. With halloween parties coming soon, this will be a great product to enjoy while I'm out in costume!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wkpRr-foodFri, 26 Oct 2018 13:36:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wkpRr-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GQmeZ-foodI procrastinated on my previous post about the chocolate egg system that I have set up to reward myself every couple weeks of hard work, so the first two weeks have already passed and the first egg has been opened.The chocolate, as I already know was not impressive in anyway, but that wasn't the point anyway. I took the capsule out and opened it and... I got a Singing Gian! Definitely not my favourite character of the series but I quite like the singing Gian. He sucks at it, absolutely sucks at it, but he enjoys the act of singing and performing more than anything else. He forc.... invites his friends to watch him perform all the time. He even goes out to make his own costume, writes his own songs, does his own photoshoot. The level of effort he puts into his passion is admirable, and that is perhaps my favourite aspect of this otherwise villainous character.7 more to go, and let see when or if I finally get a Doraemon!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GQmeZ-foodThu, 25 Oct 2018 13:49:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GQmeZ-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmVmm-food_shoppingRecently I purchased 8 of these Doraemon chocolate eggs where you get a little capsule with a toy, just like Kinder egg surprises. The reason why I dropped the money for it despite the chocolate being very mediocre is to use it as my own motivator at work.The 8 eggs are now sitting on my desk, so every 2 weeks I will eat one and find out what the next egg is. Being around 200 yen each, it is a 1600 yen investment but I believe that my love for Doraemon and these little bi-weekly rewards will help my work weeks go faster! They will also permanently be displayed on my desk to make me smile every morning.Do you give yourself any small rewards like this to help you get pass your weeks? I will be sharing the things I find in each egg, so stay tuned to see if I will actually get Doraemon! (I've had 4 of them before already and didn't get any Doreamons!)To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmVmm-food_shoppingWed, 24 Oct 2018 16:58:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmVmm-food_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GbKnR-living_badexperiencesNinjin, that is a term I came up with. When people in Japan use the term 'gaikokujin' or the more offensive alternative 'gaijin,' the standard image is the blonde hair, blue eyes Caucasian, then maybe it would be a black person, then… the stereotypical image tends to stop there for a lot of Japanese people. Well, I'm Asian. From looking at me, most people would not know that I too am a gaikokujin until I attempt to speak Japanese. Thus, I consider myself a Ninja Gaikokujin, or in short, a Ninjin.It is quite a unique experience that my friends from western countries do not share. Many of them have been in Japan for as long as I have, and they often share stories with me of how they were stared at as they walk on the street (especially in rural parts of the country), how they were recognized anywhere in town, how random people would try to strike up an English conversation with them, either to be friendly or to practice English, and they tell me that they got used to it.For me, despite my Canadian nationality and my job as an English teacher, my Asian blood and appearance has made it so that I have never experienced any of that. Sure, it might be nice that I could blend in, but I also become a part of an even more mixed identity that creates confusion for the locals. They approach me with full speed Japanese, only to be surprised to find out that my language skills are way off from what they expected. When I go out to restaurants with friends, the staff always direct everything at me, even though I had never spoken a word and my white friend was speaking fluent Japanese to them. I just have an appearance that always sets up for a false impression in every little interaction I have with a stranger, and it feels rather awkward.I am also often faced with a question that my friends never get: "So, have you faced any discrimination in Japan for being Chinese?"Um… I never know how to answer that, and it confuses me even more about my identity in Japan. I often explain that because I present myself as an English teacher from Canada, I do not get as much of the prejudice and the "normal Chinese person" faces in Japan. Being from Hong Kong, a special district with a different international image also helps.Ironically, it also gives me an identity that is in between two "foreign" identities, one that I would not experience anywhere else, and one that I cannot get out of. I might look very similar to locals, but I feel like that I can never be fully immersed into this society truly as a local.In regards to discrimination, there is the huge disadvantage I have career-wise in that I do not have an "image" that sells English. For schools or companies looking for teachers, they often want those who might catch a customer's eyes instantly, not someone who has to explain his/her background to earn students' trust. Even after hearing me speak, some students/customers/parents still have doubts, despite my experiences and qualifications being beyond other teachers. I do believe that I have missed a job opportunity before due to being not advertisable. That is often what I explain when people ask me about the discrimination I face, which always surprises them. They reply that they had never even thought about it, but when I ask whether they would more likely be sold by an ad with a visible foreigner or a 'ninjin,' they got my point.What I get is definitely not as much discrimination as many of my friends receive. People do not keep their eyes on me as I walk around town, or as one of my friends new to the country put it, being stared at like a zoo animal out of the cage. However, it is definitely not that the non-visible foreigners like me are accepted, and many Chinese and Korean residents here would have tons of stories to share. Rather, it is simply the fact that ninjins like me blend in perfectly, with our existence remaining unknown to many.(As I was typing this, I talked to a foreign gentleman on the train in fluent English, surprising him and the Japanese business men next to us. Then I spoke to the business men in Japanese to ask them a question, surprising them again. The life of a ninjin, full of surprises.)To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GbKnR-living_badexperiencesMon, 22 Oct 2018 11:18:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GbKnR-living_badexperienceshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GLbA3-foodI walked by this shop in Gujo Hachiman the other day and saw this little guy outside a shop that for a moment I thought was a restaurant. This Godzilla figure was covered in batter and presumably deep-fried, so while I thought it was cute, I also guessed that the shop was a place to see fried food.It was, however, actually a shop to experience making your own food samples, and that Gozilla was just to display the fried shell sample they make. Gujo Hachiman, after all, is famed for soba, delicious water, and food samples.You got me, Gozilla, you got me good.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GLbA3-foodFri, 19 Oct 2018 17:56:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GLbA3-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wj81r-foodRemember the Clear drinks hype that kept coming out with new flavours of these invisible drinks that claim to be just as good as what it was supposed to be but was never as good or even good because there was always something missing in the taste such as the Clear Latte that I tried?Yea, most of them sucked, didn't they? Yet I keep falling for it just to give it another attempt, and it is quite irrational why I even tried when experiences told me again and again that they are never good.The Clear Latte tastes like... well, imagine someone bought a pack of Coffee Milk, drank it, filled the container up with water again, put it into a package and labeled it "Clear Latte". That is how I feel about the Clear Latte, so you do not have to feel it.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wj81r-foodFri, 19 Oct 2018 17:51:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wj81r-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wr36q-foodAt a local Yokohama-iekei style ramen shop, I saw something on the counter that I had never seen in other shops before.There were two jars of garlic, one labeled “garlic”, and another labeled “stink-less/scent-less garlic”. The supposedly stinkless garlic is the type that we usually see, whereas their “normal” one was this beautiful turquoise color that we might hesitate from putting into our mouths. I tried it, of course, a whole lot of it.The two both went well with the ramen, but the turquoise garlic definitely had a much stronger punch. I was certain that I stunk until the next morning because of it. It was nice for the ramen shop to offer the two types, one for customers who plan to social with people after their meal, and the other for customers like me who stays home and stink all night afterwards.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wr36q-foodWed, 17 Oct 2018 13:45:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wr36q-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G6Z5R-foodI prefer sumeshi, or vinegar rice over white rice any day, so one day when I had some salmon poke at home that I wanted to bring for lunch, I decided to bring my bottle of sushi vinegar to work. Together I brought a pack of frozen rice, microwaved it up, and poured some vinegar in to mix it up. It was great and went perfectly with the salmon.Now, the funny thing that happened was that a couple of weeks later, a colleague of mine saw the bottle on the desk and asked: “why do you keep a bottle of sushi vinegar on your desk?”I guess no one ever makes sumeshi at their work office.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G6Z5R-foodWed, 17 Oct 2018 13:43:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G6Z5R-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXkjX-food_moneyI finally tried this cheap "beer" that I see sold everywhere. Hoppy, which is apparently popular for nostalgic reasons, can be found easily for something between 100-150 yen. I have even seen an izakaya offer that on their menu. So I tried it...... and it was terrible. It tasted like some super watered-down beer that someone put ice in and let the ice melt too. It was cheap, sure, but the taste was not enjoyable in any sense. Basically it wasn't satisfying.However, Hoppy is 8%, so a bottle of 330mL that tastes more like water might be an easy option for those looking for a easy method to get drunk. The bottle looks like a beer too. I can see it as an easy option for weaker drinkers trying to fit in, but I won't be Hoppy-ing anytime again soon.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXkjX-food_moneyWed, 17 Oct 2018 13:42:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXkjX-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zK9LR-living_food_sustainablelifeIt feels like generating a bunch of paper and plastic waste is simply unavoidable when you are eating at fast food restaurants. I used to be against 'take-out' when given the choice, because of the extra bags and cup holders and whatnot that would not have been needed if I was to dine-in, but now that I am more self-conscious about generating waste, it just hit me that eating in created a huge amount of trash too, and it was unavoidable.I had a light lunch at a 'kopepan' restaurant nearby for the first time. The restaurant itself was great, way beyond what I had expected. It was clean, the food was delicious, and I was well satisfied until I was about to stand up and leave. I had a tray full of garbage.My lunch was a simple set meal so what you see is basically what it came with, besides the cup of water that I got afterwards. Let's count the trash:1. Paper for the kopepan sandwich2. Paper for the nuggets3. Plastic cup for the BBQ sauce for the nuggets4. Plastic lid for the cup, for the BBQ sauce, for the nuggets5. Plastic cup for the coffee6. Plastic lids for the coffee7. Plastic straw for the coffee8. Tissue x19. Wet napkin10. Wrapper for the napkin11. (Bonus! The paper cup for water)That's a whooping top 10 list just from a simple lunch that cost me about 500 yen, but it cost the environment much more than that while we enjoy our food. And again, this is what the set "included", so it increases with each item I order on top. And during my time in the restaurant, I saw at least 40 other customers entering, many of whom had their food to-go, adding plastic bags onto the list. That is at least 400 pieces of trash, within the 25 minutes I was there for (I eat really slow).So how can we avoid the trash without limiting ourselves from enjoying these affordable and efficient businesses? I really do not have a good solution. I can bring my own water (which I often do), use my own towels for wiping or wash my hands rather than using the wet napkin, I can even ask to skip the drink lid, I suppose, and I guess that is the best we can do. It seems insignificant, but at the same time, I want to believe that every little bit helps, especially when everyone participates in it.What this also tells me is how environmentally unfriendly fast food restaurants are. As much as I appreciate all the little things, like a lid for the BBQ sauce so it feels more prestigious than a sauce I get from the sauce bar myself, the lid is, essentially, unnecessary. For the business to create the feeling of detailed care, or "omotenashi", we are essentially paying for the extra items with our wallets as customers, and paying for the additional trash in the lifespan of our world.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zK9LR-living_food_sustainablelifeTue, 09 Oct 2018 10:46:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zK9LR-living_food_sustainablelifehttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MvvqE-food_money_transportation_galleries_hokkaidoSummer is the perfect time to go to Hokkaido. The sunflowers are there. The weather is nice. Most importantly, you get the escape the heat that the rest of Japan is suffering from. My friend and I made a trip there too, and it was a trip that I want to share with you guys as it is definitely the most memorable trip I have had in Japan.What made our trip special was one thing: spontaneity. On the Sunday right before our week-long holiday, we still have not decided where to spend our vacation in, and most hotels in popular tourist vacation spots were either all booked or too expensive for what we wanted to spend. That afternoon, my girlfriend suddenly suggested: “How about Hokkaido? You have always wanted to go to Hokkaido. We can rent a car, bring a blanket, sleep in the car, and spend the money we save from accommodation on enjoying ourselves.”Ladies and gentlemen, that was the Best Idea of the Year. We immediately went online. She booked a little Honda Fit for the two of us and I found some decent tickets (as decent as you can get booking the day before), then we headed off to the bookstore to pick up a travel book. The internet has, of course, unlimited resources and information, so it was nice to rely solely on limited printed material for a change of pace.The next morning, we flew to Hokkaido, picked up our car, and our trip began. The theme of our trip was, again, spontaneity. We decided on the major cities and towns we wanted to visit based on what was recommended in the book, what we wanted to have for dinner, where we wanted to get to by the evening, and started driving towards Otaru, our first destination.So where did we stay? We used a crowd source wiki (written in Japan) to help us find the best parks and michi no eki for us to spend the night. The website gave us information on the parks that were opened at night, as well as user comments such as “this park is quiet at night, but also pitch dark, so bring a flashlight”, “the washroom is a bit dirty here, but there is water source”, “very close to the main road so you hear a lot of trucks at night”. Choosing the most peaceful one as our destination, we were able to spend our evening in the most relaxed way without having to worry about check-in and anything else.Did we stink? Well the website also gave us directions to bathhouses and onsen along the way, so we could easily stop by one to clean ourselves and recharge before continuing our road trip.The money we saved from accommodation went right into our stomachs. Wanted the best kaisendon? Sure! Grilled lamb for dinner? We have the cash for it. In many ways, that trip was the most liberating trip I have ever been on, and it gave me such a great impression of Hokkaido too that while I want to do another spontaneous trip like that, I want to do it again in Hokkaido.Here is the lovely wiki. https://syachuhaku.fxtec.info/To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MvvqE-food_money_transportation_galleries_hokkaidoSat, 29 Sep 2018 13:38:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MvvqE-food_money_transportation_galleries_hokkaidohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z88OY-food_money_teaSince I began writing for this series on Shizuoka Green Tea, making and drinking green tea has become a regular habit. With this habit, there are also several benefits I can relate to, and perhaps would make you consider it too.1. Cools me downOne big reason why I got so into drinking the cold green tea I made at home was because of how hot this summer has been. With the green already chilled in my fridge, it was the easy go-to when I wanted, or rather, needed something to lower my body temperature and resolve my thirst.2. Skips my sugarRelated to the point above, I used to rely on soda to do the job, which meant a lot more sugar intake. The habit was hard to cut because of how delicious those sweetened drinks are, even though I knew they were no good for my body at all. The habit of drinking green tea instead has replaced that reliance on soda. I wanted something that is not water, and green tea could accomplish just that.3. Saves moneyThis is huge and I wrote another article calculating the ridiculous amount of money I saved by making the tea myself instead of buying them in bottles from stores. It is very cheap (and easy to make) compared to other bottled drinks too, so not only has the green tea been good for my body, but it is treating my wallet well too.4. Gives me energyAfter drinking green tea, my body honestly feels better. Maybe it is because of the antioxidants or the nutrients from green tea, and it could very much be a placebo effect, but if I feel energized from it, I am not going to question it. (By the way, is it still a placebo effect if I know that it is placebo?)5. Environmental friendlyI have been giving more and more thoughts into sustainable living and environmental issues lately, so I was very glad that this new habit of mine supports it well. I cut down on my plastic bottles usages, and with the green tea I buy, there is no fancy individual packages or tea bags, saving a lot of plastic. I can simply pour the tea leaves into my drinking cup, put cold water in, and done.6. There and readySince it is now a habit, every time a bottle of tea green is finished, I simply add more cold water (and maybe tea leaves too) into my drinking jar, and back into the fridge it went. This means that whenever I want some green tea, it is there and ready in my fridge at home or at work. I have no need to walk to the vending machine or konbini for it (not that I would want to pay the price anyway).7. A hot topicAnd lastly, it became a conversation piece when I bring my transparent cup around with the green tea. People around me comment on how smart it is to brew my own tea, or that they want to pick it up too. It helps me connect with the people around me, a side effect I never expected.The green tea habit has been giving me more and more benefits that I am drinking it very regularly. To keep up with how much I drink, my latest order was this 5-pack set of Shizuoka tea. For 378yen per 100g, it is quite reasonable, and it lasts me a good while. The flavour is calming yet rich, and I quite like it. I added a link below: ￥ 1,890 (￥ 378 / 本)葉桐 良く出る静岡茶 まとめてお得な5本セット 100g×5本入 
by 葉桐 
Permalink: http://amzn.asia/d/eZl5CFQThis post is supported by Shizuoka Green Tea Guide, one of City-Cost's Supporters helping City-Cost bloggers to enjoy life in Japan and engage in new experiences.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z88OY-food_money_teaWed, 26 Sep 2018 14:23:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z88OY-food_money_teahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GORdb-living_transportation_badexperiencesThis is a story that I had never shared with anyone else, until now. Not that it had any lasting negative effects on me, but rather it was just so shocking that I could not shake it off until eventually I felt like I was over it so I didn’t think about it anymore. I didn't even get around to tell my girlfriend as I think it would make her worry. At the same time, it is quite an interesting story to share, so there is no reason to keep it to myself. A yakuza(ish) guy picked a fight with me in the middle of a busy road.The story is quite simple, from my perspective at least. I was riding my scooter home from work as usual. For those unaware, scooters in Japan come with a bunch of restrictions, such as the speed limit being 30km/h, we must stick to the most left lane when we ride, etc. Now, I was riding on a pretty major road with about 4 lanes, and it was leading onto a bridge crossing a river. The most left lane was a left turn lane, right lane to turn right, and the other two where in the middle. I had to cross the bridge, so as usually, I made sure it was safe. The next car behind me was really far away. I shoulder checked twice before merging from the most left lane onto one lane over. Little did I realize that the car behind me from quite a distance away was going fast, quite fast, and he overtook me and cut in in front of me. Both of us stopped at the red light right before heading onto the bridge, and he got out of his car.Towards me came this skanky looking man in his mid to late 40s, dressed casually with a black blazer, and he had this stroll with his knees slightly bend and feet facing outward. He was giving me a message that he was not the type to mess with. Was he a Yakuza? I can never confirm, but at least he was posing as one.He started yelling at me with the typical tongue roll that you would hear in the Yakuza movies. “What the **** were you doing in this lane? You were ****ing in the way! Get the **** out of the way!!!” (my translation). And as he approached, I also stopped my scooter and stood it up. He came close enough for anyone to feel uncomfortable, and spit from his mouth started to become visible on the visor of my helmet.I was staring at him thinking what I should do. Cars began to queue up around us with the red light as well, and it was a major intersection, so not only there was a considerable amount of cars, the red light lasted forever for him to keep screaming at him. Before I could do much, his right hand was already grabbing the front of my helmet, and he kept on yelling at me while shaking my head through the helmet. In my head, my first thought was: “I am being assaulted. This could be considered self-defense. My first punch would be towards his guts, then a kick to his balls before a punch to his face. Then I can probably push him onto the ground and sit on him, then….”Then the next thought came to me: “If things don’t go the way I imagined, what would happen to me…? Deported…” I wasn’t worried about losing the fight, but about losing my place in this country. So I held my fist no matter how much I wanted to fight back, and I opened my mouth.“I had to merge in to get onto this lane, and I can’t stay on the left to get onto the bridge! I had to get onto the bridge!” Keeping my stern face staring right back at him, I started yelling back, but in English “I had no choice! I had to get onto the bridge so I cut into this lane!”I was simply repeating my words, but I never broke eye-contact. His yelling eventually stopped, and his took his hand off my helmet. The man took a tiny step back and said, in Japanese “Oh gaijin ka (Oh it’s a foreigner)… gaijin ka…” and he said in English “Sorry. Sorry!” and walked back to his car.I knew this miscommunication would resolve the problem, as ironic as that sounds, but I never expected him to apologize to me, in English for that matter. He got back into his car and drove off. The light had turned green by then. The three minutes wait felt five times as long, and at the time, no one else in their cars came to help, though I did not know if anyone had their phones ready to contact the police or to take evidence. As he drove off, I also saw this old lady sitting in the back of his car. It could have been his mother, who he just left in the car to start a fight with a man on a scooter. My heart was pounding the whole way back, and for weeks afterwards, I couldn't help but to imagine what would have happened if I fought back. But at the end, holding my fist back and creating confusion using a language was apparently the best thing I could have done.This was my story, and a situation that I hope you will NEVER find yourself in. Take care.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GORdb-living_transportation_badexperiencesWed, 12 Sep 2018 18:13:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GORdb-living_transportation_badexperienceshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MY76m-living_shopping_money_sustainablelifeJapan loves giving out plastic bags. You can go buy the smallest ice-cream bar from the convenience store that you will obviously be eating immediately, and the clerk will kindly hand it over in a little plastic bag. One big reason is that Japan does not have many garbage cans installed, so these plastic bags are for you to keep your garbage in so you can easily bring it home and throw it away there. The gesture is really nice and it is, from my perspective, one of the reasons how Japan is kept to be so clean. But if we think about how many extra bags are being thrown out just for each little piece of garbage, that is a lot of plastic we are tossing out unnecessarily. I have realized that supermarkets have been taking steps to fight against the usages of plastic bags. Since a few years ago, some supermarkets provide a little monetary incentive to those who do not need bags. In the Kanto area, many supermarkets will give you a 2-yen discount if you skip the bags, which I think is a good but tiny amount to support the movement. In the Chubu area, from what I have seen, they actually go the other way and charge customers for the bags. Often they are 3 yen or 5 yen, but depending on the size, they could be up to 10 yen for a plastic bag. Well, I have three problems with this approach. 1) This leaves a bad taste in my mouth at the end of the shopping experience.2) They are obviously overcharging for the bags.3) And my biggest issue, some places, to justify them charging you 3 to 5 yen for a bag, actually give you plastic bags that are thicker than what they used to provide for free, which actually wastes more material and defeats the point.With either approach, I do believe that a big part of it is a business decision. If giving you the incentive of 2 yen saves them the manpower and storage space to stock and prepare bags, plus it shortens the time at the cashier, the supermarket would of course be in favour of doing it, in addition to the environmental reasons.So what do I do? Well, I try to bring my shopping bags with me if I am heading out from home for my grocery shopping. However, I often stop by the supermarket on my way home from work, so I always make sure I have a couple of rolled up plastic bags in my work bag. They are light and compact, and I can simply pull them out to bag my groceries. Upon going on, I fold the same bags and return them into my bags, so each plastic bag gets reused about 5 to 10 times before I turn them into a garbage bag. Thankfully I am not in one of those cities where I must purchase designated garbage bags.I have a belief that decreasing the wasting of plastic bags is one of the easiest things that everyone can contribute to on a daily basis, and even if it is one bag a day, it makes a difference.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MY76m-living_shopping_money_sustainablelifeThu, 16 Aug 2018 09:52:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MY76m-living_shopping_money_sustainablelifehttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G6Zql-food_shopping_money_tea_shizuokaThis campaign of Shizuoka green tea gave me a new habit of making and bringing my own green tea to work. From my friend’s recommendation for “research”, I got this new bag of Shizuoka green tea at home for myself, so I might as well start enjoying it and go get more while I am in Japan. In the beginning, I was recycling copied water bottles for cold green tea to go, just by brewing green tea and letting them sit in the fridge. Eventually I dug out this fancy tea defuser double lid bottle that my girlfriend received as a gift. It looks really fancy, and I can clearly see how the green tea defuses into the water as the colour of the water changed. My colleagues all thought I was suddenly a green tea master because I had this cool looking bottle sitting on my desk at work.It got me thinking: if a bottle of home-made green tea (in a cool cup) looks so nice and tastes great, why do I need to buy bottled green tea from supermarkets? It also led me to think: if I just make green tea every time and avoid buying bottled green tea, how much money can I save? So I did some calculations. An average bottle of cold green tea in Japan costs about 85 yen including tax if you buy them at supermarkets (and even more expensive from convenient stores). Some cheaper shops might give you a bottle for 68 yen before tax (73 after tax). Off brand green tea might be even cheaper, but we will go with the 73 yen for the price representing the bigger brands out there. Thinking back, I picked up my bag of green tea because it was the one in front of me, but there must be some more affordable green tea available somewhere, so I looked it up on Amazon.co.jp. One extremely popular choice I came across was 茶の大胡 やぶきた静岡深むし茶 (link below), and this Shizuoka green tea is available for 699 yen including tax for 200 grams, even cheaper than the 570 yen for 100 gram pack I bought before. So we shall use this better deal for comparison (which I just ordered and is now on its way).To make cold green tea, most instructions asks you to use 3 tea spoons of green tea per 500mL of water, which would be about 6 grams. If 6 grams makes the amount of 1 bottled green tea, the 200 gram package makes 33.3333 bottles.So what we have here is:Bottled green tea: 73 yen x 33 bottles = 2,409 yenvs.Homebrewed green tea of 33 bottles = 699 yenEven if you want to include the fee for water and gas for boiling and round it up to a thousand yen, you are still paying less than half of the price. Not to mention, the package of this Shizuoka green tea recommends you to make two brews with each patch of leaves, doubling your value to 699 yen for 66 bottles of homebrewed green tea vs. the 4,818 yen to buy them as bottles!With this great value calculated and understood, it will be really difficult to me to shell out the money for green tea at supermarkets again!
茶の大胡 やぶきた静岡深むし茶 200g 
Permalink: http://amzn.asia/jhpYVcy This post is supported by Shizuoka Green Tea Guide, one of City-Cost's Supporters helping City-Cost bloggers to enjoy life in Japan and engage in new experiences.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G6Zql-food_shopping_money_tea_shizuokaMon, 06 Aug 2018 10:23:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G6Zql-food_shopping_money_tea_shizuokahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gy6Wj-medical_education_healthMost people would assume that for anyone who entered, studied through and graduated from the most difficult faculty of university would be extremely masterful and their field. Therefore, it is quite reasonable for us to assume that all doctors would be able to speak English to a certain communicative level, especially since they had to study English to enter medical school, they studied English in university, and they even had classes like medical English.The truth is far more disappointing and maybe shocking to some. A lot of doctors in Japan simply cannot communicate in English well enough for non-Japanese speaking patients. From my experience, and from stories from colleagues, we realized we have mostly interacted with three types of doctors here in Japan:1. Those working in big hospitals, doing conferences locally and internationally, who speak really good English2. Those working in their own clinics, avoiding all usages of English even if you demonstrate that you don't understand what they are saying3. Those working in their own clinics, trying to speak English but you cannot understand what they are trying to explain to you because their pronunciation is horrendous and the sentences might not be making senseThe latter two are the family doctors I want to focus on, and they really demonstrate how the English education in Japan gives very little value to the communicative aspect of learning the language. We must remember that to get into medical school, these prospective doctors had to pass the university entrance exam which must have included an English test, but what those tests entailed are mostly reading and listening components, maybe some writing, and virtually never speaking, so passing that exam, even with flying colours, does not mean that they can speak English.However, they might not know that because Japan and Japanese exams are so knowledge-focused with little attention paid to learning skills, and from my own observations, that actually gives medical students the opposite results. Many university students studying medicine actually have TOO MUCH confidence that they are less open to learning. The medical students might have higher knowledge and know more words, but they were also the ones who disregard the importance of the speaking classes the most. Even after they failed the midterm due to a lack of communication skills, they still thought that the class was too easy simply because the words used were not as complex as the ones they studied to enter the university.Unfortunately, this false sense of confidence does very little to nothing to help these future doctors in learning how to speak English. Rather than hoping my doctor can explain my body's situation, it might just be easier for me to improve my Japanese.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gy6Wj-medical_education_healthFri, 03 Aug 2018 10:08:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gy6Wj-medical_education_healthhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mnax4-living_galleries_kawasaki_shi_kanagawaDoraemon is one of the most recognized characters in the world. Doraemon manga and anime has moved many kids and adults alike. It is a shame that the great creator of the beloved robot cat, Fujiko F. Fujio, has passed away, but his legacy remains in all our hearts, and the work of his lifetime is celebrated in the city of Kawasaki in Kanagawa Prefecture, just south of Tokyo.Being the town that he lived in during most of his career, the city of Kawasaki not only built a museum to display Fujio's creations of Doraemon, Pa-man, Q-Taro and many others, but his work can also be found all over the city from the moment you arrive. Upon getting off the train at Kawasaki Station, you will hear one of the famous tunes from the Doraemon anime playing as the station’s melody. The city runs decorated buses that take visitors from the surrounding train stations to the museum, but I have never taken the buses because I prefer the walk. As you head towards the museum on foot, you will see statues, road signs, and even panels on the ground related to works by Fujiko sensei, most of them pointing you towards the museum. Even the rail guard telling you not to climb the fence has Doraemon on it! With the displays spread across paths within the city, the city itself becomes a part of the exhibition and the walk of discovery is a part of the journey.The Fujiko F. Fujio Museum itself is, of course, full of gems to look at for fans of Fujiko sensei. You cannot find any corner in the building without seeing a reference to his work. A big part of the exhibition is his actual work, but numerous easter eggs are very well hidden for true fans to discover. For many non-Japan visitors, they might not recognize those characters besides Doraemon, but since the blue robot cat is a world famous figure, just knowing him alone will already give you plenty to look at inside and outside of the museum.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mnax4-living_galleries_kawasaki_shi_kanagawaThu, 02 Aug 2018 10:23:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mnax4-living_galleries_kawasaki_shi_kanagawahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MvvgJ-foodI still remember the first time I went into a supermarket here in Japan, looking for ice cream. I was standing in front of this freezer, though not a big as ones in Canadian supermarkets, it was filled with boxes of ice cream that I had never taste. Any box I picked up would have been a brand new adventure, and I had an entire freezer full to choose where the adventure begins. So I decided, I will get the most "Japanese" ice cream that was available.That led me to pick up this green box of popsicles. I studied the box for a long time. Green tea, red beans, shaved ice, condensed milk, many of these things just had "Japan" all over them, and this combination was something I had never seen, and never even imagined, so finally the decision was made. My first ice cream experience in Japan was, little did I know at that time, one of the most popular combinations of two flavours in Japan.I happily bought the box home. Back then, I did not own a real fridge. Instead, sitting at home was a 2nd hand white mini fridge that I picked up for 3500 yen. The thing did not, I repeat, did not have a freezer, and instead it just had a little corner on the top right section of the fridge that would keep things extra cold, and with luck, frozen.I didn't know that. Upon returning home, I threw all 6 green tea red beans popsicles into the little corner immediately, thinking "yes, this is only the beginning". By the time I had my first one, I realised that the greej tea shaved ice inside the creamy shell had mostly melted due to the fridge being too weak. So then, I did what I had to do, I ate all of the popsicles in one go, and I had no regrets (because they were delicious).To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MvvgJ-foodFri, 27 Jul 2018 22:13:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MvvgJ-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gy6g5-living_moneyWith the recent hot wave hitting Japan, we have been seeing record high temperature everywhere. Places around me have been reaching 39 degrees, which is a number I find bonkers. If I have a fever when I go over 37, how can the place I live in be constantly having a fever!? I am sure no one would argue with me when I make the claim that no one enjoys the heat as it has been lately.To combat the horrendous temperature and humidity, I have been staying under air-conditioning daily and for almost 24 hours. Be it at work or at home, just being in a room without AC is insufferable regardless of the hour of the day. At the same time, I know that when the electrical bill comes by, it is going to hit me hard. More importantly, when everyone is blasting their AC at max, it only contributes to the issue of global warming that has been affecting the climate of not only Japan, but the whole world. So I tried to turn my AC at least to a higher temperature.When I got it up to 28, however, I was greeted with a new icon on the remote control that I had never seen before. It said "eco" with a smiley face. I didn't know my remote could smile! But seeing that made me want to test if I would be able to sleep comfortably at 28 degrees, because I wanted to keep that encouraging icon on. I made sure the wind was pointed at me and I had a thin blanket on (to avoid being under the wind directly for the whole night) and sure enough, I had a great night of sleep. The wind was even set to the lowest setting and it was cool enough! With that, I am going to keep my AC at 28 when I sleep, and perhaps even 29 when I feel brave enough.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gy6g5-living_moneyThu, 26 Jul 2018 00:13:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gy6g5-living_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z1B1D-food_moneyA colleague and I recently had a conversation. We both are not big drinkers, and he said "the most delicious beer is the first three sips, then the beer does nothing for me after that." I kinda agree. I was never a beer person (grew up drinking wine out of my mom's glass during dinner time) and after coming to Japan, it had been umeshuu all the way until a beer master friend taught me how to enjoy beer. But even with his enlightenment, I am still not huge into beer, and while the beer after a freshly opened can is sweet, 350mL is too much for me to enjoy all the way, let alone people drinking 500mL cans.So I was very delighted when I found this mini can of asahi in the supermarket. One, I almost never drink asahi Super Dry because of the price (so I always buy those 100 yen haposhu which, I know, is not beer), and two, this can is only 250mL, which means I get to enjoy the first few sips of the beer without having to force the rest down, especially after they begin to warm up.Being 166 yen per can from the supermarket I found it at, I thought it is reasonable enough for me to treat myself to a real brew. It definitely was great for me because by the time I have had enough of the beer, it was near the end already. Maybe I wouldn't mind a 200mL can either. I know, for many of my friends and you guys out there who can hold your beer well, this is little to nothing. It's just a blink of an eye, but for me, someone learning to appreciate beer and trying to, this size was perfect for me.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z1B1D-food_moneyThu, 26 Jul 2018 00:00:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z1B1D-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MP8dy-fashionI read a lot of manga, and often I hop on and notice some outstanding ones before they break into being mainstream. So yes, I consider myself a manga hipster who began reading series before they are cool.One of those series that everyone should really pay closer attention is BEASTARS. Don't worry, I am not going to spoil anything major here because I do want you to discover the many themes of this manga by yourself.Essentially, this manga takes place in a world where carnivores and herbivores live peacefully together. The carnivores don't eat meat anymore, but rather they consume processed plant-based products that replaces meat in the meals. Although they form a society together, there are differences between animals who eat meat and animals who eat plants, due to their physical differences and "animal instincts". The story revolves around one of the schools in such a society, particularly a gentle wolf in the school and his relationship with a senpai in his drama club as well as a little white bunny girl he met. I will stop there.This manga is absolutely magnificent. The themes get deep and dark as they talk about racism, violence, drug-use, sex and other social topics, but at the same time, the amount of smart humour balances everything out and makes it a manga that I read for the intense plot in a strangely relaxing way. Despite the serious themes, I would still recommend this for those looking for a semi-light hearted read.The art took me some time to get used to but now I realized how this mix of Japanese manga and western comic style fits perfectly for the story and the type of jokes, especially when the characters are all animals. It has already won a huge award this year for being an outstanding piece of art, and I am very certain it will continue to gain popularity and be turned into an anime or even a movie in the soon future!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MP8dy-fashionTue, 24 Jul 2018 10:57:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MP8dy-fashionhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G6ZAQ-educationI moved to a new city and started working at the local elementary schools, and after I sat down at my desk in the staffroom for the first time, I noticed this piece of calligraphy right above the staffroom's meeting blackboard with the 3 words: honest, modest, giving your best. It really caught me and got my immediate respect. The words were simple and clear, and it is so modest that the author did not even write their name on it. Having it hung in a visible spot in the staffroom also made sure it is a constant reminder to everyone working, and it is extremely appropriate for those working in the field of education.To be teaching children, honesty is essential. With honesty comes heart. By being an honest model, you show children how they too can live in peace without having to tell lies. They can accept others and be accepted without having to hide or make things up.Modesty is huge for teachers. Just because you are teaching a class, it does not mean you are superior in every way. Teachers are human beings too, and humans make mistakes. The important part is to be humble enough to accept your mistakes, and then continue your days with modesty. Surely, there are tons of things that we can all learn from children too.Upon becoming a teacher, one would have accepted that this is a very selfless job. We are essentially working for the future of others more than ourselves, and if we have fully accepted it, there is no reason to hold ourselves back from helping others achieve their future and success. With that in mind, we should be doing our best every single day for the sake of those we teach.I really loved this piece, so much to the point that I made a version of it myself and hung it in my room. It is very much fitting for a staffroom, of course, but I believe these 3 words are also fitting as reminders for every single person in this world.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G6ZAQ-educationSun, 22 Jul 2018 13:17:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G6ZAQ-educationhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z1BE5-shopping_moneyFinally, here is one more type of those catcher/crane game type machine that I want to talk about (the last one for now, I promise... until the next one anyway). Interestingly, you don't really find these at the typical game centers where tons and tons of prizes can be won. Instead, you might find them outside some shops with products aimed for youths like Village Vanguard, at a video game store, or even at an airport. The point of these machines is not to attract a bunch of people and have them go from machine to machine and let them go home satisfied with a prize or two. Instead, they are catching the one or two idiots who think they have a shot at it and start putting in coin after coin for chances towards the impossible. Idiots like me.What makes these machines impossible is the design. The idea might be as simple as pushing a ball into a hole, or shooting 5 sticks down, but there is always more than what meets the eye. Pushing the ball down isn't that simple, because the pusher you are using actually has several stacks of various sizes. The smaller end of the stick might be able to push the ball at first, but to get it all the way, you gotta hit it with the thick end, which I believe should just barely fit into the hole but has never successfully proved. It is, in other words, extremely extremely extremely difficult.So why do people (like me) try it? It's because of the prizes. When the Nintendo Switch just came out and was out of stock almost everywhere, a store had one of them inside the display cases right next to these impossible machines! So there I was, trying and trying until a couple thousands of yen have been spent, and I still fall for them.Oh by the way, if you see an empty box and think "hey, someone managed it recently!" Let me tell you that the shop left one of the display cases empty just to give you hope, so that they can then destroy it.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z1BE5-shopping_moneySat, 21 Jul 2018 22:32:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z1BE5-shopping_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Go4WA-shoppingDo you like the challenge of UFO catchers? Do you also like the excitement of opening a lucky ticket to see your practice? Would you like to experience both at the same time? Here is a machine just for you, but definitely never for me again!I always see these UFO catchers filled with rolled pieces of papers with just a few capsules on top. They are also always placed right next to a whole display case of rewards, showing you the prizes of the different tiers. Considering you might be able to get a handheld video game console worth 20,000 yen with just the entry price of 100 yen, I see how it is attractive but I had never tried it, until just now.From the looks of it, it looked easy enough. There is the capsule, and there is the hole. There is a ticket inside, and there is the display case full of games and other prizes. So went in the 100 yen that I saved from not ordering extra large for the ramen I just had as my dinner, and the crane gave that little shake to tell you that it is now under your command.I aimed for the capsule that was the closest to the crane with the logic that if (or when) it falls out of the crane before the end, it has a higher chance of bouncing off the ledge and into the hole. Little did I know, there was also a pusher that activated the moment I started moving the crane. The pusher on the left informed me that even if I manage to hold onto the capsule, it was going to be moved all the way back to the slide good old medal coin game fashion. If you wanted another level of excitement, there you go!"Forunately", I didn't need to worry about the pusher at all, because the capsule I caught fell off pretty much immediately. Upon its landing, one of the lucky tickets fell into the gap and I retrieved it.With the excitement that maybe I won at least a stick of chewy candies, I opened it to see the words of "too bad, maybe you will win next time?"Sorry, game, but there will be no next time and I will have my ramen extra large instead. At least it gave me an experience to share.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Go4WA-shoppingSat, 21 Jul 2018 22:09:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Go4WA-shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wZN2R-livingAs one of the many addicted people who can't live a day without playing a game or at the very least watch something on YouTube about one, there are issues we deal with as a foreigner playing and buying games in Japan. Language is of course a big one, and region exclusive games is another. Region lock used to be a big issue too that is now more of a historical limitation. However, there is one more "problem" that I deal with on a daily basis that to those who don't know is hardly an issue when I try to explain it to them. It is, of course, the problem I face with the PlayStation controller's buttons. Particularly, the O and X buttons.In Japan, O is a symbol for correct, affirmative, or yes, while X carries the meaning of wrong, rejection, or no. So when playing with the PlayStation controller that has the circle, cross, square and triangle, the former two of course mean Affirmative and Negative relatively, especially since PlayStation is made by Sony, which is a Japanese company.However, the O symbol does not mean Yes internationally, and often it does not have any meaning. So when the PlayStation was introduced globally, many of the western game developers did not assign the confirmation button to O, but to the button most naturally closest to a relaxed position, the X. Games released in Japan would have you pressing a different button from a game that was released internationally, even if you change your language settings of the game or even the system. This, of course, confuses the heck out of me when I am in the heat of playing and forget whether I bought the international release of the game, the digital version (off the North American PlayStation network store), or a physical Japanese copy that I changed to English. I keep cancelling when I mean to say Yes, and I keep speaking to the character because of the wrong button. Most people wouldn't consider this an issue at all, and for me, it is the smallest problem that I deal with every single day.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wZN2R-livingSat, 21 Jul 2018 20:14:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wZN2R-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Md8qe-food_money_educationI love ramen, and there is rarely a day that I would choose any other food over a bowl of hot noodles. However, depending on where you live, delicious ramen is not always available, even when my cravings are on.At the local university, there is a couple of cafeterias that serve hot food, but they only do rice dishes like curry and rice as well as mapo-tofu. Right above one of the cafeteria, however, a "ramen shop" also ran by the university. When my body NEEDS some ramen, I do go there for a quick fix, but the quality. well.The ramen shop serves all types of ramen, tonkotsu, miso, soysauce, etc., which is immediately a bad sign. Upon getting a tray and ordering a ramen from one of the friendly ladies working there, they would grab a ladle to scoop some of the soup-base from one of the pots nearby, toss them into a bowl, and add some water from the constantly-boiling pot of hot water. Right after they mix the soup up, the freshly boiled noodles would be placed into the soup, and the lady then carefully places the toppings onto the noodles. Watching exactly how it is done tells me that the noodles are nothing like ones from ramen shops that take hours and days to master their soup. Instead, they are more like the packaged noodles you can buy from supermarkets.Taste-wise, the texture of the noodles is pretty good, but the soup is definitely on the salty side. So why do I keep going back? One reason is that it is the only ramen shop I have easy access to on campus, but another reason is that the noodles cost about 500 yen. If I was going to spend the same money on a rice dish, as I have mentioned before, I would always go for noodles. Simple as that.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Md8qe-food_money_educationSat, 21 Jul 2018 18:48:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Md8qe-food_money_educationhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/ME5W1-food_shoppingIf I was to choose my favourite donburi (rice bowls) in Japan, it would be.... Katsudon. However, one that I really grown attached to after I came to Japan is Stamina-don. I had never heard of it before walking by one of the chain restaurants that sell it, and for those who do not know, stamina-don is this rice bowl dish topped with sliced pork that was stir-fried with soy sauce, garlic, green onion, garlic, and garlic.This definitely is not the meal you want to enjoy right before a date, and it got its name because of the POWEEEEER you get from garlic. Being a garlic fan, I love it.At Kaldi coffee farm, they started selling this sauce package so you can easily make your own stamina-don at home. All you need to prepare is pork and green onion (or Chinese chives), fry them up in a pan and mix the sauce in. The whole process took about 10 minutes, which is lovely for my hungry stomach. Personally, I like my food with a spicy punch, so I always add some chilli pepper as well. I also like to add a raw egg to the stamina-don (and basically all donburi I eat) so I can mix it in with the rice, making everything even easier to down.So how is the taste? Compared to the ones I eat outside (which you can usually find in Tokyo, which is its origin city as far as I know), this home-made one is more on the salty side and the sauce makes the meat not as crispy as I would like, but considering how the package is slightly over a 100 yen and each bowl costs about 400 yen to make (and 650 yen from shops), there is very little to complain about!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/ME5W1-food_shoppingSat, 21 Jul 2018 18:33:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/ME5W1-food_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MAn8q-living_gero_shi_gifuI can't swim, I don't know how to fish, and in general, I am not a fan of entering bodies of water. However, I love watching water, particularly. ocean waves and waterfalls. Upon arriving to Japan, I quickly learned that the Japanese word for waterfall in Japanese is Taki 滝 so that I can go on trips to look at my favourite natural scenery, but to those who have been on several trips into the nature in this country, you should understand my issue. Waterfalls in Japan are literally and simply water falling, without necessarily any sense of grandiosity that I enjoy from waterfalls.I come from Canada, and even though I have never visited the huge famous Niagara falls, I have been to my share of waterfalls enough to fall in love with them. Now imagine the first time I got excited when I saw the word waterfall on the map I got from the city hall of the place I just moved to. "Yes! There is a waterfall from a bikable distance (which was about 40 minutes away from my house)". Now imagine my disappointment when I saw that the waterfall was a mere 3 meters free fall...This disappointment has already reached the point of irony. If I visit a town and there is a waterfall written on a sign, you know that I will make my way there just to make fun of it. During a recent trip to Gero, I checked out their Kaeru no Taki (the Frog's Waterfall). And without disappointing my expectations of being disappointed, I saw a fall of about 2 meters tall. If I connect a hose from my kitchen sink to the window outside and turn the tap on, I would have more of a waterfall than the one this town advertises about. This particular waterfall, however, did serve me the opportunity to wash my hands. My joy for waterfalls in Japan has changed from an impressive sight of nature into a chance for satire.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MAn8q-living_gero_shi_gifuSat, 21 Jul 2018 10:38:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MAn8q-living_gero_shi_gifuhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GLbey-livingWhen I was exploring around a random inaka town the other day, I walked by a traditional Japanese soba restaurant and came across a sign that stopped me for a quick snap of a photo. The shop itself looked fine, but I noticed two familiar kanji on their door: 自動, meaning automatic. Oh right, it's the automatic door, and there is nothing out of the ordinary about that, except for the little piece of white paper right above it with two less familiar kanji.I looked closer and it appeared to say: 牛勤..... cow work???Now, as I have mentioned, this restaurant is not a yakiniku joint where customers enjoy beef, and a quick peak inside shows me that only human beings were working the floor, so I stood there thinking what that could have meant. Suddenly, remember how horrendous my own hand-writing is, I realized it was merely a mistake in my comprehension, as whoever wrote this sign has the habit of writing the top side way swipe on the left as a downward stroke instead. The kanji that I thought was 勤 (work) was of course, 動 (move) but just written in a slightly strange way.However, even after I know of the person's habit, I still could not see the kanji on the left as anything other than 牛 (cow). Yes, I know it should be 手, with the whole thing 手動 meaning hand controlled because their automatic door must be broken, but the left kanji is just so strange that from that point on, I just imagined the shop's door being opened and closed by a cow. This really reminded me how important a legible handwriting is, regardless of your language.The next day, this question came to my head:Why didn't they cover the "automatic door" sign with this sign, but put it right above???There are too many things in life we just don't understand.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GLbey-livingSat, 21 Jul 2018 10:25:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GLbey-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z4rvq-food_fashionIn the past decade or two, "tapioca drinks" started to become more popular in Japan. They are usually sold at 350 yen each, and often you can find them at shops that also sell crepes. However, in the last few years, bubble tea slowly gained traction in the country, especially in the past two years when many worldwide bubble tea chains from Taiwan opened their own shops in Japan, with a majority of them in central Tokyo. These bubble teas are not cheap as they are sold at 500-750 yen a pop, yet on a hot day like the recent couple of weeks, you would see young people holding plastic cups of these colourful drinks with "toppings" everywhere (interestingly they are called toppings even though they all sink to the bottom).How did this trend start? Besides the fact that these drinks are absolutely delightful and delicious, I believe that this trend is a result of social media. With more and more young people on the social media, documenting their every moment, they are constantly looking for things to show off. There are tons of restaurants and unlimited choices of desserts to post about, but when it comes to drinks, the selection is limited. Starbucks used to the be to-go as people would post about the latest seasonal frappaccino they had, but these would likely overlap with another friend who might have beat you to make the post on instagram and Twitter.This was when bubble teas came in. Suddenly, young people got these new options of iced (or sometimes hot) drinks in clear cups. These bubble teas come in all flavours and colours, and the toppings of black pearls, coconut jellies and milk-foams are still mysterious to many, making these social media posts even more intriguing. With that said, whether you are big into SNS or not, definitely give one of these a try this summer! They are popular internationally for good reasons!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z4rvq-food_fashionTue, 17 Jul 2018 14:33:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z4rvq-food_fashionhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmVjx-living_transportationAdvertisements are everywhere in the world. You are constantly surrounded by marketing messages that are trying to sell you their latest products or services, and they use some very eye-catching ad campaigns to catch your attention and hopefully make a spot for themselves in your short or hopefully long term memory. In Japan, however, printed advertisement campaigns are.... wordy. Japanese TV commercials are renowned for being creative and outside the box, but the printed ads, especially the ones on the train are often the complete opposite. They are so boring, PLUS they have so much text... why!?Advertisements in Japan are like reading comprehension exams for me, especially the ones on trains. They might have a simple photo of something on one side, a popping title font for one thing, then it is just paragraph after paragraph of heavy text in boring standard black fonts. In this day and age when people prefer starring down at the phone instead of up when they are in a train, who is going to lift their head and be looking at an advertisement long enough to read everything?Not to mention: those who are not standing close enough to the ad are simply too far away to read the text! The seated people are, of course, blocked by everyone else who are standing too. So for everyone except the passengers standing super close to the advertisement (and are tall enough), the wordy advertisements are simply not effective if the goal was to convey most or all of the messages the poster had written on it... are they? Actually, I wonder if those ads are working? In the western culture, ads are often simple and clear, but those ads might miss out on things that Japanese consumers would appreciate, such as carefulness and attention to detail. Those are just speculations, so if you have some insights or thoughts, please share them with me below!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmVjx-living_transportationWed, 11 Jul 2018 14:04:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmVjx-living_transportationhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z8838-living_transportationI'm sure you know this already, but Japan has an obsession with the idea of "moe". I have heard moe being defined as this innocent and non-sexual cuteness of humanoid characters. Many anime and manga aimed towards the otaku demographic obviously strive with this unique characteristic, and it has been widely accepted as a sub culture of Japanese pop media. But from a moment I don't know when, moe characters began spreading into different daily life organizations we interact with.I theorize it first started with the widespread fever of creating uru character (mascots) following the mysterious explosion of Kumamon's popularity. After that, every organization seem to have needed a mascot. Every prefecture, every city, every piblic company, every governmental arm… yes, I see that they are great chances to sell merchandise, and that has definitely brought in tons of money for different groups who never thought they had a chance to take a cut of the sanrio character (ex. Hello kitty) pie. However, what is an elementary school trying to do by having a mascot character, especially when they aren't even good because they were designed by that young teacher who was free during 5th period every Monday?Particularly with the latter point, the issue with designing mascots is that they should reference something from its origin, be it a historical figure or a locally grown product. However, not all organizations have something to show and push, and that's when we start to see laziness come out. A common example is bus companies that rather than thinking of smart ways to incorporate a bus into a mascot design, they just went with a random bus guide lady that was moe-fied. Since the demographic of the moe characters is only a subset of the public, it makes me question who the people caring about having a "moe character" are. I don't imagine a random moe girl for a local bus company will attract a fan base, so, why bother? Perhaps there is something I'm missing.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z8838-living_transportationWed, 11 Jul 2018 13:33:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z8838-living_transportationhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MPOeO-food_tea_shizuokaI love tea. I’m particularly fond of Chinese tea since I grew up taking huge gulps from my father’s cup of pu’er whenever he was not looking, and my cupboard hosts several other types as well. I like western tea a lot as well, especially with the selection of fruity tea my friend gave me when I visited Canada last year. However, my image of Japanese tea had been quite monotone. Green tea is green tea… that was it. Because of the lack of variation, I always thought that green tea is extremely straightforward and never bothered too much to look into how I can enjoy green tea more properly. With this opportunity, I tried green tea again and learned a few things that I’d like to share.1. Shizuoka grows green tea tooThe biggest surprise upon deciding to write on this theme was the fact that Shizuoka grows green tea, in fact, quite a lot of it! I always see the name Uji paired with green tea, which is in Kyoto, but Shizuoka produces a lot of green tea, and it is one of the most important industries of the prefecture. Knowing this now, I feel more of the urge to look for Shizuoka grown tea to support it, especially when the market appears to be dominated by tea from Uji.2. Hot but not boilingOn the package of Shizuoka tea I bought, the instructions stated that I should use water of about 70°C to brew the green tea. When I drink Chinese tea, I tend use water that is as hot as possible. This is great news, since it means I wouldn’t need to re-boil the water in the kettle before making green tea, and it will be easier to drink without scorching my tongue. I also learned that it only takes about 40 seconds to prepare the green tea, much faster than the few minutes I’d wait with most other tea.3. You don’t actually “boil” cold green teaThe package also says that to make green tea, I can simply add the green tea pack into room temperature water, let it sit, and add ice before serving. Maybe it was just ignorant, but I always assumed that even cold green tea was brewed hot, then let chill in the room before adding ice, just as you’d do with cold brew coffee. This is called mizudashi green tea.4. Green tea has caffeine tooI used to think that green tea has no caffeine, as I see families on TV (kids included) drinking green tea around the dining table after dinner. Maybe Japanese restaurants here serve green tea too, which led me to think that it wouldn’t keep me awake because it is decaf. After all, you don’t see families sharing a pot of coffee after having dinner together. However, a closer look at the package told me that there is in fact some caffeine, about half of what black tea has, which is not a significant amount.It is rare that I would try out green tea on my own, so I really appreciate this opportunity that encouraged me to give it another go. I’ve heard of the benefits of drinking green tea regularly, so I do want to pick this up as a habit. Since summer is coming up, it would be nice to have some pots of mizudashi green tea in my fridge ready to go.This post is supported by Shizuoka Green Tea Guide, one of City-Cost's Supporters helping City-Cost bloggers to enjoy life in Japan and engage in new experiences.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MPOeO-food_tea_shizuokaWed, 11 Jul 2018 10:11:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MPOeO-food_tea_shizuokahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wZN7l-food_shopping_moneyA few months ago, Suntory was doing this promotional campaign where by collecting 24 stamps that comes with the purchases of their bottled soft drinks, I could send in a postcard with the stamps for a prize. Usually these stamps collection postcard campaigns will give you a CHANCE to win something, but this was a "sure-win", so I gave it a try. After all, it was one of the cutest Doraemon plates I have ever seen, and it is not available for purchase on the market.So I was in. I got one of the postcards in the supermarket which had 24 empty slots, bought my first bottle of Dekavita C W-charged and got my first mark on the card. Then I thought I might as well buy another bottle for 2. That was about 180 yen including tax. And I took out my calculator and looked into the rest of the road I just journeyed onto, getting another 22 stamps would have required about 3960 yen more...... wait, what happened to the FREE plate? I was essentially spending over 4000 yen on a plastic plate. Good thing was that I was quite addicted to sugary drinks (not a good thing, actually), but even so, it seemed a bit ridiculous. However, with the help of some very friendly colleagues who heard about my wish to obtain this plastic plate, they saved up the stamps that they received for buying green tea and gave them to me. Within a month, my stamp card was filled thanks to their kindness. I went to the post office to buy a stamp (which is also kinda outrageous that I had to pay another 42 yen after giving them 4000+ yen worth of business) and sent it off. A couple months late, the campaign ended and I got my plate. I am very glad of this plate that I got for almost free, but also props to those who bought 24 drinks just got a plate.https://www.suntory.co.jp/softdrink/doraemon/2017spring/To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wZN7l-food_shopping_moneyTue, 10 Jul 2018 15:15:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wZN7l-food_shopping_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/ME58p-living_shopping_moneyDo you remember the first time you walked pass a UFO catcher, seeing the prize being a doll of a character that you have always adored or a doll of something you don't really care for, but it looks like it is about to fall? Then you stopped from your track towards the next shop and decided to put in a single 100 yen to test your skills in getting the reward in one go. It falls. But hey, it got even closer than before, so another coin must do the job. Another 100 yen rolls into the machine, and the prize continued to make its progress towards the goal but is always just so close, but not close enough. Another coin goes in and it kept getting closer until you ran out of coins, so you exchanged the 1000 yen bill for 10 more chances, so the battle continued.Perhaps you walked away with the prize in your arm or a stomach full of frustration after the minutes of thrill. Then you recall putting in about 1500 yen worth of coins into the machine just because the prize looked easy enough to get on a first try. The entertainment only lasted you about 10 minutes, for better or for worse. Then you start to think that 1500 yen could have bought you that plastic model you have always longed for, with a 100% chance of success if you simply bought it from a store, and you start to question: was it worth it? A friend of mine who is a UFO Catcher Master tells me that he never does it for the prize in the machine, but simply for the fun and thrill of the process, even if he fails as the end (which is rare). It is the analyzing and the idea of it getting closer each time that makes it so exciting for him, even if the prize is less so. Having that said, he keeps all his prizes at home as trophies, and thanks to him who got me started, I also have a few of my own, but I also blame him for the 8000 yen I have spent on UFO catchers so far, which rewarded me with a few lovely dolls and an addiction.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/ME58p-living_shopping_moneyTue, 10 Jul 2018 11:43:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/ME58p-living_shopping_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G7vjN-living_shopping_tokyoI remember that many years ago when I was still new to the country, I met a friend at the company who was also fresh to Japan. I came to the country with two luggage full of things I needed (which was pretty stupid in its own right considering I brought an old rice cooker to the country that invented rice cookers!), and he came to Japan with just a small suitcase and cash, ready to buy things upon landing.One thing he did not prepare for, however, was shoes. He thought he could easily find shoes here, but being a tall black guy, none of the shoes at the local department stores fit him, so during our first trip to Tokyo, a part of the mission became looking for his shoes.We did the research online and found that there was a shoe called Big-B that sold extra large shoes, so we took a train in the afternoon to Gotanda for the shop. Gotanda did not really have anything else interesting for us, so we literally went there just for his shoes.The shop was not as big as the name would suggest, and it was rather in the middle of nowhere, but we (or rather, my friend) knew that whatever we could find in this shop were his best bets. Looking through the good but not great selection of shoes, he found a pair of runners that he liked for slightly below 10,000 yen. To this point, he had been wearing his work leather shoes everywhere he went, so he was more than happy to shell out the cash for his new pair of colourful shoes. As I met more and more people with big feet in the country, I realized this is an issue and they often stock up on shoes when they go back to their countries. I am just glad that I can walk into any local shoe shops and walk out with fitting shoes!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G7vjN-living_shopping_tokyoThu, 05 Jul 2018 21:29:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G7vjN-living_shopping_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mna5q-living_foodLiving in Japan, chances are that we will be in at least several situations a year that we have to get a bento or be served one. Be it some ceremonial event, work-related meeting, getting onto the shinkansen, school lunch canceled due to the typhoon, or even just that there are no better options around than the bentos nearby. I see why bentos are attractive: they look colourful, the foods are balanced, you have different flavours in one single box, and probably most importantly, they are convenient. However, I do also have my reasons for not liking them.1. Cold riceThis is probably my top reason. While I love sushi and the occasional onigiri, I generally despise cold white rice. I like my rice served hot. Rice cookers have the keep-warm function for a good reason. The moisture and sweetness are just not there when the rice is cold. Not to mention, you are likely eating some greasy food in the bento with the rice, so the cold rice definitely do not go as well as hot rice would.2. Gimme more of thatOn the other hand, there are certain things I really like in the bento, like the grilled chicken or the fried shrimp. But getting a single slice of chicken is a bit sad when I am a fan of it, and I don't really need the grilled fish next to it. Sure, it might lose the point of the balanced meal and the variety, but sometimes I do just want more of the certain something in the bento.3. Plastic, plastic, plastic...This isn't necessarily a food reason, but you probably know of the insane amount of garbage that comes with each single bento. The plastic tray itself is to be tossed out when you're done, but if you had some soysauce for the fish, that came with garbage. Every little paper tray for each little side dish was extra trash. And what I realized is, the fancy the bento is, the more garbage it generates. The world shouldn't be paying for our bentos.I do appreciate a good bento once in a while, but as I chow down on the food, I just can't ignore the issues I have with bentos.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mna5q-living_foodThu, 05 Jul 2018 20:37:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mna5q-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/we8mn-living_foodFor the fans of potato chips like me out there, you probably remember the tragic event last year of the typhoons hindering the farming of potatoes, resulting in a low production of potatoes thus affecting potato chips too. For months in 2017, many supermarket shelves had to leave their potato chip racks empty with hopes of new stocks coming, only to realize that the affect was more severe than expected. Then they restocked the same shelves with non-potato junk food instead.This year, the potatoes are back! And to celebrate and/or apologize for the "trouble" of the lacking potatoes, many potato chip manufacturers started doing this "celebrating of the potato revival" campaign with their products. Since a couple of months ago, I realized on many bags of potato chips that they wrote something along the line of "potato festival", and that the bag came with extra chips between 10% to 30%. So a normally 60 grams bag may have been increased to 66 grams to even 78 grams for the same price! It was truly something to rejoice about. I was definitely sold on it and bought more bags than normal to stock up and enjoy.It was also interesting to see because this apology/celebration with a mess is also very personable, and I feel like something like this would never been seen in Western products. I don't see oreoes or lays giving us extra cookies because of a festive production of ingredients. However, I am always skeptical about marketing schemes, so it made me wonder: is this really an apology, or is this done because there is a surplus of potatoes? Perhaps it was simply one manufacturer's smart advertising scheme that other competitors had to follow in order to catch up. However, either way I am happy to know that our potato chips are back in full force with a bit extra. To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/we8mn-living_foodWed, 04 Jul 2018 16:09:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/we8mn-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z4rlL-foodConvenience stores seem to be in a frap war lately. They have been introducing different versions and flavours of the icy drinks, perfect for the summer. The one with the most successful advertisement, from what I witnessed, was Family Mart's Galactica Grape Frap. It was essentially a grape flavour icy drink, but because of the green and purple colours the cup held and perhaps more importantly, the genius name that gave this drink a space-y mysterious name, I was immediately intrigued in trying it at least once.So on one of the recent hottest days, I passed by a Family Mart and thought it was the perfect timing for me to give it a shot. I walked up to the fridge in the back and picked up one of the colourful frozen cups. Not sure what to do, I walked up the cashier, who took my money and then pointed me towards the coffee maker. I was confused by the coffee maker for a moment: am I adding hot water or coffee into it? Then I saw the button for Frap. The machine started dripping steaming milk into the fruity block of ice, and when it finished, I realized that I forgot to crush the ice up by squeezing the cup as the package demanded. Oops.I mixed the milk with the fruity ice, then I put the cap back on. My first impression of it was that it was delicious, and it reminded me of cotton candies, which I am a fan of. 5 minutes later, however, I was getting a bit bored by the drink. The biggest issue I had with it was the conflict between the fruity flavour and the creamy milk, so while I expected something juicy and refreshing, the milk countered it. With that in mind, I immediately knew that I won't buy it again, but again, props to their advertisement campaign that got my 290 yen!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z4rlL-foodWed, 04 Jul 2018 15:57:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z4rlL-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MP8OV-food_nagoya_shi_aichiHere is a fact for you: Taiwan ramen is not from Taiwan. In fact, if you travel to Taiwan and try to order "Taiwan ramen", no one will know what to bring you. It is like if you travel to Canada and order "Canadian waffles", it would only result in confusion. Taiwan ramen is in fact a Nagoya origin food, made by a Taiwanese chef who was living and working in Japan.The shop that the chef worked in is called Misen, a popular Nagoya joint for Chinese food. To understand this now widespread noodle style, I visited a branch of the shop that began it all.Given that the branch I went to was inside Nagoya Station, it was rather busy to no one's surprise. However, it was casual Chinese food after all, not really a type of cuisine that people eat and chat for hours over, so I was seated quickly. I made my order of just the noodles, but everything else on the menu looked quite attractive too. They were definitely more authentic than most Chinese restaurants you would find. The food, however, was not necessarily cheap. You get what you paid for, I suppose.The bowl was brought in front of me quite quickly, and my first reaction was: "this is a small bowl". When I dug in with my chopsticks, however, I found that the bowl was filled with quite a good amount of noodles. It was just the shape of the bowl that made me doubt it at first, and upon tasting it, wow it sure was delicious! The soup was really really hot (temperature-wise) but also quite spicy too. It would be if you ordered the "extreme spiciness" Taiwan ramen at standard Chinese restaurants, which for me was not an issue at all. Very quickly I finished it up and even the soup. The minced meat was chunky and the garlic flavour was strong, and I loved every part of it. If you like spicy noodles, you should give Misen a try!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MP8OV-food_nagoya_shi_aichiWed, 04 Jul 2018 15:43:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MP8OV-food_nagoya_shi_aichihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G7j2Y-living_food_galleriesI made a rule to myself quite a while ago: if I enjoy the bowl of ramen, I must walk away with the bottom of the bowl visible.The idea is simply that the soul of a bowl of ramen is in the broth. A ramen master often takes tens of hours to make the broth, a recipe that took them years to fine-tune and perfect. The noodles, on the other hand, are slightly less significant, as most shops would simply import noodles from their trusted noodle factories.With that in mind, I always think that I am ordering a bowl of delicious soup with noodles as ingredients, thus I drink it all up.Of course, I understand that the soup is also the unhealthy part due to its high sodium content, so when I eat at a shop that turns out to be below my expectations, I would leave the soup at the end. Otherwise, it is all the way until the last drop.Another reason why I often drink the soup up is simply the satisfaction of seeing the bowl completely emptied at the end, especially when the shop appreciates it too. One yokohama-iekei ramen shop I go to has a stamp card system that you would get a stamp for finishing up the ramen including the broth, and 10 stamps will net you a free bowl (which you can also finish up to earn another stamp!)Some shops with customized ramen bowls also hide little cute messages at the bottom of the bowl. Sometimes it is the logo or the name of the shop, sometimes it is a little “thank you as always”, and the one that stood out to me is the famous noboshi (dried fish soup) shop Nagi hiding a message at the bottom of the ramen bowl, saying “we (the fish) never regretted becoming dried fish!”. Whether that is really how the fish felt is another issue, but it is the idea that I wouldn’t have seen it if I didn’t drink the soup up, and of course, I drank it all up because they showed quality. I like to think that the shop owner would be happy to see how much I appreciated his mastery.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G7j2Y-living_food_galleriesWed, 04 Jul 2018 10:15:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G7j2Y-living_food_gallerieshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GBgX3-food_shopping_kyoto_shi_kyotoAsk yourself this question: what wouldn't you put on ice-cream? You probably have a long list of food and ingredients that you wouldn't add to the summer dessert for good reasons. Japan tends to disagree. You may have heard of wasabi icecream and natto icecream being things available in Japan, but when I was walking around Nishiki Ichiba in Kyoto, I ran into the latest surprise of my adventures: sansho icecream!For those who don't know, sansho is often called Japanese pepper, and it is a relative of kasho, the type of Chinese chili pepper that will straight up paralyze your tongue, lips, or whatever else comes in contact.Imagine my surprise when I saw the rare combination available at this pepper shop. The shop sells different blends of grind peppers like ichimi, shichimi, sansho... so in a shopping and tourist-heavy distract that many people enjoy walking and eating, naturally sansho ice-cream is their to-go food, right...?I thought to myself: well, I have never seen this before, and I like ice-cream, plus I love sansho, so I HAVE to try it. I spoke and paid the obaachan 330 yen, and she asked: "how much sansho do you want?""What do you mean 'how much'?" I was confused. Apparently, the sansho icecream is basically a soft vanilla icecream that she then sprinkles their signature freshly grind sansho onto, so I could choose from little, standard, or extra, all for the same price.Being the frugal person, of course I went with extra. She turned the white icecream cone green with the powdery pepper. I took a bite and... "oh this is delici.... oh my lips are paralyzed." My girlfriend gave it a try too, and gone were her senses as well.Personally, I LOVED it. That paralyzing sensation from kasho and sansho is great, and to have it available as a dessert is awesome, but I understand if most people aren't fans. The next time I go back, I'm trying their shichimi icecream.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GBgX3-food_shopping_kyoto_shi_kyotoTue, 03 Jul 2018 11:26:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GBgX3-food_shopping_kyoto_shi_kyotohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Goxmb-educationBefore I was an elementary school ALT, I never had any experiences teaching, let alone teaching English, let alone teaching little kids, and let alone teaching in Japan. Very often I was not sure if my lessons were fun or entertaining, and I would go back to my desk afterwards, thinking how the lesson wasn't capturing the students because of my lack of understanding of Japanese students plus the language barrier.So I thought really long and hard on how to appeal to the Japanese students, first to show them that we can connect despite the language barrier, and then it hit me.... Pokemon!Well, one part of it was to appeal to students, but another part of just simply that I wanted to incorporate things I like into my lessons. As a fan of video games, I saw the perfect opportunity when the lesson for animals arrived. Rather than using the same boring flashcards at school, why not make them more memorable for the students.I went online to find reference photos for a collection of the Pokemon related to the animals I was going to teach them. Then, I took a bunch of A4 white paper and started drawing and colouring them. I also took this opportunity to inform students of the name differences between the Japanese and English names.Teachers walked by my desk and saw me drawing. They commented on how thoughtful I was that I evolved the lessons (see what I did there?) to make it more memorable and interesting for the students. The lesson was a blast. Students loved it and ran up to me after class to see the drawings. Some teachers would point out overtly that each card was hand-drawn. I was so proud that I had them displayed on my desk for the next couple months for the students who would come visit the staff room.So why didn't I simply print pictures out? Well, at that time I hadn't figured out the computer and printer system in the school yet. If I did, I wouldn't have earned all the respect as I did. The hearts of the students and other teachers, gotta catch them all!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Goxmb-educationSun, 01 Jul 2018 23:00:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Goxmb-educationhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MEq6W-living_educationIt always surprises people when I tell them that I have practice Japanese archery for two years. While it is somewhat common or at least less rare for foreigners to study karate, kendo or aikido during their stay in Japan, kyudo is a lot rarer. To many, kyudo is less of a material art and more of a ceremonial practice, and honestly, it was all a coincidence that I decided to learn this art, and I wasn't sure what I was walking into at all.On a peaceful Sunday afternoon, I was riding my bicycle around town as usual, venturing into other streets and roads that I hadn't been through. Somehow my ride towards the East brought me to this big park, and within the park, I saw a modest yet stunning building. Little did I know, it was the Saitama Prefectural Matiral Arts Center (Budoukan). I walked around the building until I got to this open field behind the glass wall. It was a clean wooden hall on one side, and a row of targets on the other."Ahh this is probably Japanese arche...."Before I could finish my thought, an elderly lady in hakama walked into the dojo slowly with a bow in her right hand and two arrows in her left. She walked in starring down, then made a right angle turn towards the target. The bow was slowly risen with an arrow nocked, and her arms spread evenly as her attention all focused on the target right in front of her. The air froze. Time around me stopped, and before I could notice, her right hand opened and the arrow hit the target with a clean and sharp *thud*, and the sound allowed time to flow again.I waited patiently for the second shot. Another clean *thud*, and right there and then, I thought to myself, "I want to make that sound with my own hands" and headed into the budoukan to inquire about beginner's lessons.Nowadays, I don't have the time or easy access to keep practice, but I look forward to the time I start shooting again.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MEq6W-living_educationSun, 01 Jul 2018 20:44:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MEq6W-living_educationhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zVOoP-livingDuring my early days in Japan, every mistake was a learning experience. I never lived alone before coming to this country, so many things that were considered "common sense" by locals were not yet in my head, such as the disaster that I found under my futon... story time!Upon moving into my first tiny apartment, someone from my company brought me to the nearby home center to buy some living essentials, including a futon, a thin mattress pad, and a pillow.The mattress pad was definitely not thick. My back could feel the floor, but since I was new to "living alone", I thought I would get used to it, and I did.My futon was my spot of paradise after every day of work. I would go home, lay down on my futon and pillows and start watching TV or YouTube. I didn't have any chairs or real sofas, nor did I have the space or money for that. The futon with the pillow was quite soft anyway, so I spend hours on the futon every day.Fast forward 4 months later, and maybe you can already see where this story is heading, I was doing some cleaning around my house with my newly bought vacuum cleaner. I vacuumed around the apartment and when it was time for where I slept, I lifted up the mattress pad for the first time, and......Pitch dark. Molds everywhere. I was staring at a whole layer of hell.I had never thought about the humidity of Japan plus how I wasn't elevated, so my body heat and sweat went through the thin padding and were trapped under the pad for months for the mold to grow. No pictures are included for good reasons.Trust me, it was disgusting. It took me hours to wipe and clean the spots up. I threw the mattress pad out and bought a new one, and from then on, I made sure I made the bed in the morning plus place some cardboard underneath, thinking that the extra layer would help with ventilation and moisturization.Learning how to live, one mistake at a time.Follow me to read more about my early embarrassments that hopefully YOU didn't go through. To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zVOoP-livingSun, 01 Jul 2018 16:03:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zVOoP-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wem4k-living_food_moneyWhen I start set foot in the country and settled in my first little apartment, I was pretty lost. I was my first time living by myself, and I was staying in a country where I couldn't really speak the country. I didn't really know anyone here, and I hardly knew where I was. Most importantly, I wasn't sure about how much money I would be making and how much I would be saving. As a result, I was extremely cautious about everything, including how I spent money.Looking back now, I used to eat some pretty pathetic meals. For one, I was trying to save money so I didn't eat out much, and for another, I wanted to experience real local ingredients, stuff from supermarkets that every family would get and cook at home.With my extremely limited knowledge of cooking, here are some "food" I "cooked":"Miso Soup" Hey, I didn't really drink miso soup back in Canada, so who was I to know that miso soup had actual ingredients? I bought a pack of miso paste, boiled it with water, and boom! Miso soup. Eventually, I began experimenting miso with tofu on days that I was feeling adventurous. Each bowl probably cost me 10 yen, if even!"Noodles at home"Cooking noodles at home was great. I could buy a package of noodles for 200 yen, which came with 2-3 noodles. I boiled it up, made the soup, and it was done and ready! Compared to the 750 yen bowls out there, I was having noodles for 10% of the cost! The only thing was that I had no pork, vegetables, or any other toppings..."Korokke and furikake"Eventually, I bought some rice to cook at home and I would go to the supermarket's deli for some Japanese style fried food. My favourite was getting a korokke to put on rice, but of course it didn't give enough flavour, so furikake for the rescue... each meal was about 70 yen each, and yes, that is in fact miso soup in a mug.It is quite funny to look back at my humble beginnings. DId you start off like me too? Let me know!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wem4k-living_food_moneySun, 01 Jul 2018 15:42:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wem4k-living_food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z4lgr-livingThis is probably a common story for a lot of us who have been in Japan for years:"I'm going to live in Japan for a year and explore. I'll experience the country and have my fun, then I am coming back to continue pursuing my career."When I left Canada to go teach in Japan, I thought I would be here for a year or two. I had always been interested in Japan and its culture before coming, but I was certain I would leave soon enough because of several reasons:1. I couldn't speak the language.I came to experience Japan and its culture, but I was never too interested in learning the language, or any languages. I took some Japanese classes in high school and university, but those were all forgotten before I got onto the plane. Since I had no passion forlearning the language, I would only stay for so long... so I thought.2. I wasn't built for teaching.Sure, the opportunity that brought me to Japan was to teach English, and I had never thought about teaching, let alone teaching English as a foreign language. In fact, I was extremely shy, hated talking to people, had a fear of public speaking, so given that I came here for the place and not the job, I would only stay for so long... so I thought.3. I studied criminology.For certain individuals, they used the job of English teaching to enter the country and then looked for other career opportunities in the country during their stay. I, however, studied criminology back in Canada, so what can I ever do in Japan besides teaching? I can't be a police officer, immigration officer, customs officer, or do any government job as I planned with my degree. Since I can't get a real career in Japan, I would only stay for so long... so I thought.Six years later, I am still in Japan, still teaching English, and built a real career in the field I never thought I would be so passionate about. More on that next time.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z4lgr-livingSun, 01 Jul 2018 15:22:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z4lgr-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mp7Bx-food_shinjuku_ku_tokyoWe went by Shinjuku Gyuen the other day to see the beautiful garden, but our stomached demanded for lunch first, so we explored around to look for something. We found this Chinese restaurant that looked pretty legitimate, as in, they looked like they sold authentic Chinese food rather than Japanese-Chinese food, so we went in without doing research.The shop did offer a nice section including many dimsum. The menu was undoubtedly authentic by Japanese standards.The food, however, was not so good. They looked great, but the beef noodles I had came in a soup that had mostly a soysauce flavour. The noodles resembled the type you can find in supermarkets. The beef was great, but overall it wasn't nearly as appetizing as it looked.My girlfriend's deep fried noodles was also disappointing. It had pork stomach and squid as you would often get if you were to order it in China, but the flavour was… well, not there. It was simply tasteless.This is a shop that everyone should skip.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mp7Bx-food_shinjuku_ku_tokyoTue, 19 Jun 2018 16:06:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mp7Bx-food_shinjuku_ku_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MEqNN-foodThis cup noodle is possible the most poorly named product I have even seen in Japan. To celebrate the turning of the year from the year of roosters to the year of dogs, some genius at Ace-Cook came up with this genius name.Tori karai nudooru (chicken spicy noodles), all written in katakana. The point, if the ugly red font didn't make it obvious enough, is that the name contains Tori (chicken/roosters), and if you forcefully take the i and the nu from the other two words, you make "inu" (dogs) .Ugly design apart, the "spicy chicken soup" noodle isn't that good. Despite the very Chinese/Japanese theme, the flavour was strangely middle-east asian. The soup was also very powdery. I know that ace-cook noodles go for cheap over delicate, so I didn't expect much anyway. Regardless, I'll just tell myself that I ate a word puzzle.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MEqNN-foodFri, 15 Jun 2018 21:54:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MEqNN-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zD6Ny-food_moneyWhen you want to get your drinks on, you can never go wrong with big names like Suntory. However, when you want a quick buzz but you're low on party funds, sometimes you just have the settle with some generic brands.To celebrate the end of the work week, I got a pineapple chu-hi from the drugstore nearby. They sell products of this brand called "On 365", which I've never seen anywhere else. The good news is that it's cheaper, 88yen including tax. "Better" chu-hi out there would cost you at least 108yen. Sure the alcohol and the pineapple juice taste cheap, but cheap was what I was going for anyway, so I got no complaints.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zD6Ny-food_moneyFri, 15 Jun 2018 21:43:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zD6Ny-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wN9g0-food_shopping_tea_shizuoka_shi_shizuokaDuring a trip to Shizuoka to visit a friend, my friend invited me to his house. It has been a couple of years since I last saw him before he moved, so it was a great opportunity to catch up and chat. An hour into our chat, he suddenly stood up from his sofa and said:“Where are my manners? You must be thirsty.” and he walked towards the kitchen.He came back with a little tea pot and two small cups, and he proceeded to fill the cups up.“Green tea, huh? Knowing you, I was expecting beer or plum wine. Since when did you get into drinking tea, not to mention, hot tea during Spring.”“Only after I moved here.”“To Shizuoka?”Until he explained it to me, I didn’t realize that Shizuoka is a region with a large production of green tea. That role and the image of green tea in my head have always been associated with Uji, the district in Kyoto that seems to dominate most green tea related products in Japan.Then it hits me that I did in fact see a lot of green tea and green tea infused products from the station to his house: green tea ice-cream, green tea soba (buckwheat noodles), green tea dorayaki (red beans pancake)…… that’s true. I did see a lot of products of or related to the green leaves everywhere in town.With a little impromptu research (aka. Googling), I learned that Shizuoka produces 40% of the green tea in Japan! Where have my eyes been looking at this whole time? I suppose that is the influence of marketing and presumption that I only thought of Uji when I thought of green tea.I tasted the tea that he served, and boy, it definitely is nothing less than anything I have tasted in Kyoto by any means. In fact, I felt that the Shizuoka green tea had a unique sense of freshness to it. The warmth from the drink smoothed my throat as our catching up continued.My friend told me that his new fondness for the local green tea has replaced his less healthy choices of daily beverages. In fact, the electrical hot water pot in the kitchen is now regularly set at 70 degrees Celsius (the lowest setting) because it is the best in bringing out the flavor of the green tea, as well as making sure that it does not burn his tongue.After another few hours of catching up and a nice dinner (which we had beer after all), he walked me back to the station and recommended me to pick up some green tea chocolate and traditional Japanese sweets as souvenir for my colleagues. I took his suggestion and bought some reasonably-priced green tea for myself too. That was my first experience with the green tea from Shizuoka, and I do wish that more people will know about it. It is less-known, but it definitely doesn’t lose to its other green tea neighbors in any way.This post is supported by Shizuoka Green Tea Guide, one of City-Cost's Supporters helping City-Cost bloggers to enjoy life in Japan and engage in new experiences.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wN9g0-food_shopping_tea_shizuoka_shi_shizuokaThu, 14 Jun 2018 11:25:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wN9g0-food_shopping_tea_shizuoka_shi_shizuokahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mn5EE-foodPepsi recently came out with a new flavour. It's not just a cola, but it's a J-cola (J for Japan AND Joy, apparently). It's also midnight flavour, which means cassis, apparently.As a recent cola fan, I bought one to try. It was…… a pretty good standard Pepsi. However, the cassis flavour was so insignificantly weak that I had to read the package again to make sure I grabbed the right bottle. If you are eating simultaneously, it would be even harder to taste it.Overall, it's not a bad soda by all means, but it just won't be so strong.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mn5EE-foodFri, 18 May 2018 13:09:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mn5EE-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gyp09-food_seki_shi_gifuOne day my friends and I drove past a ramen shop in Seki, Gifu Prefecture. The outside has a board with a black and white cow pattern with their name Asahigawa Ramen on it, and it said "milk ramen." We went, "What??!?" and decided to try it on our way back.3 years later, it is now one of my favourite shops and I love bringing my friends there because they are always so shocked. "Milk, you mean, like the milk we drink?", and they always end up impressed.The shop's specialty is the miso milk ramen. Personally, I'm not a big fan of miso ramen, but here, the two ingredients match and balance each other perfectly. The miso doesn't get too sweet, and the milk adds the richness that I really love.But to make it even more unique, they have a "miso milk basil ramen" where they just toss in a generous chunk of basil butter (which I believe to be homemade), and when the block melts into the rest of your bowl and gives it the herb flavour, you start to question the culture in the bowl, but you would have no doubt about the fact that it is absolutely delicious.Their gyouza are great too, as they buy them from a famous local shop, but what surprised us even more is the karaage. Their freshly fried chicken is marinated with flavourful herbs, giving it an amazing and refreshing flavour that goes surprisingly well with the sweet-ish miso ramen. My friends were impressed by the noodles, and their jaws dropped when they tried the chicken.The shop, unfortunately, is in the middle of nowhere for most people, and it is a family business rather than a chain. However, as milk and miso are both specialities of Hokkaido, and Asahigawa being a place in Hokkaido, I'm sure you can find something similar if you travel north.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gyp09-food_seki_shi_gifuFri, 06 Apr 2018 09:27:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gyp09-food_seki_shi_gifuhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MY4xo-transportationI'm riding on this train that is uniquely labelled a 'one-man' train, which has o my two cars, and the driver of the train also checks your ticket when you get off.Why? Because the train goes to some super rural locations where the stations are simply unguarded with no gates or personnel to check your ticket (or to touch your IC cards). So when you get off, you can only get off through the very front door from the first car.As I watch from the train, there are many other travellers like me who don't know how this works. Even though they announce it before every stop, many people still stand in front of a door waiting for it to open, only to realize that they had to get to the front of the train. Then they'd run because if they miss the chance to get off, it'll be a long way and a long wait to get back using these rural trains.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MY4xo-transportationSun, 01 Apr 2018 13:23:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MY4xo-transportationhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zK7qV-living_tokyoWhile it is still cherry blossom season, you should check out the Mori Garden in Roppongi Hills if you are in Tokyo.The sakura is currently blooming beautifully, and at night, the spot lights shine on them from below, illuminating the light pink colour of the flowers. It is absolutely romantic right now if you are looking for a good dating spot.There's also a heart standing in the lake, so bring your significant other there and snap a lovely shot for this spring!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zK7qV-living_tokyoSun, 01 Apr 2018 12:57:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zK7qV-living_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zVOAx-food_okinawaWhen you travel, there are certain local food dishes that can appear as "must trys" on your list, even if you know you might not like them. But sometimes you might be surprised by how much you like it as well, and chanpuru in Okinawa is a perfect example of a simple local dish that catches many people's heart upon trying it, and is definitely one of the 'soul foods' of Okinawa.Chanpuru is a dish that is often found in Okinawan restaurants, but it is also a family food thanks to how simple it really is. If I was to describe chanpuru to you, it is basically a plate of stir-fried vegetables plus a specific ingredient. It doesn't sound that unique in just words, does it?However, this simple concept is always cooked to perfection. Every time I eat it, no matter eating it outside or at home, it never disappoints. There are variations to chanpuru, and the main ingredient is usually written as a part of the name: goya (bitter melon), tofu, ofuu (this interesting chewy thing made from wheat gluten, I believe), soumen (a type of thin noodles), simply veggies, and many other options. Given how goya is often associated with Okinawa, many people outside of the island assume that all chanpuru has the bitter melon sliced and included. However, that is not quite the case, just as not all ramen comes with cha-siu on top and katsu can be done with food outside of pork as well. It is just a common misconception. (Having that said, I looooooove bitter-melon and I would highly recommend anyone to give it a try). Besides the main ingredient, the other common components include cabbage, bean sprout, fish cake, carrot, tofu, and perhaps spam. With all the ingredients sliced up and prepared, you would simply heat up the fry-pan or wok, grease it up, toss all the things in and fry them up. As for seasoning, it is as simple as salt and pepper, plus the one key: dashi, or basically the fish powder.Some people serve it up on the dining table as one of the dishes of a meal, and some would have it with rice on the side, treating it as the main dish of the meal. Whichever it is that you prefer, the sheer volume of a plate of chanpuru is usually enough to satsify.As I mentioned earlier, Chanpuru is one of the 'soul foods' of Okinawa. It is filling, it is delicious, it is healthy with all the vegetables included, and most importantly, it is extremely easy to make, yet every family has its own particular set of ingredients, sizes and ratio in the way they make a plate of chanpuru. It also means that those who left the island to live elsewhere can easily learn it and make it for themselves, using whatever ingredients are available or affordable.If you go to Okinawa, this plate is a local specialty that you ought to try. You might be taken back by its simplicity at first, but each restaurant does it in their own style, and you might find this to be a dish that you want to try making even after return home.For more must-try Okinawan food, check out my list of the 5 that you should look for during your visit to the islands: https://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Jackson/wr8a6-food_okinawaTo view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zVOAx-food_okinawaFri, 02 Mar 2018 10:13:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zVOAx-food_okinawahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mn5Vm-shopping_moneyNot long ago, I wrote an article on 5 excellent souvenirs you can get from any 100 yen shop to bring home that really display the culture of Japan. 100 yen shops are great places to seek gifts because they are cheap (108 yen including tax), lightweight, and they have a lot to choose from. To exhibit even more great ideas, here are 5 more ideas that I will recommend for when you need to bring some gifts home to your family and friends:-----------------------------------------------------------------------1. Coin purseSouvenirs are supposed to represent the culture, but practicality is very important too. Coin purses are definitely useful in everyday life, so consider these little colourful pouches for small change. They are also great ways to step your souvenir game up, as you can place some local coins in there, or better yet, get some delicious candies (also available at the 100 yen shop) and place a few in each purse before you hand them over!2. ChopsticksIn my previous article, I mentioned the idea of getting hashioki (chopstick stands) which also act as decorations. Of course, you can bring actual chopsticks back to share the culture with them, and it’d be fun to try even if they won’t get used to using chopsticks anytime soon. The best thing is that 100 yen shops easily have dozens of designs, so you can choose the pairs you think match them, and let them keep them as private chopsticks.3. Traditional ToysFor the little ones, nothing will make them happier than toys. 100 yen shops actually have many traditional Japanese toys (especially wooden ones) to choose from, so you can find something to bring home that will impress the kids because they have never seen them before. One of my favourites is this anti-gravity dragonfly, and some other great ideas are the bamboo-copters and kendama. 4. Memo standThese little stands are quite regular but extremely adorable. For friends at work, this is a great choice because they can keep them on their personal desks without taking up too much space and look at them every day. The manekineko (fortune-drawing cat) shown in the photo is a great traditional design, and the daruma doll is another common design that is excellent.5. Japanese bowlsThe first year I went home, I brought with me as souvenirs these Japanese rice bowls. Part of the reason was because of the pretty designs, but the bigger reason was that they were the types of bowls that I began to get used to in Japan, and I wanted to feel that my family was using the same kind as I did despite us living in different countries now. Those sold in 100 yen shops might not be the best of quality, but they are definitely sufficient and worth the price.6. (Bonus). Soy-sauce platesI said 5 but I just wanted to add one more idea: the soy-sauce plates. We’d normally use them for soy-sauce and wasabi, but in reality, you can use them for ginger, mayonnaise, ketchup, and whatever the heck you want! They are small and easy to bring too, so definitely a great choice as well!Souvenirs don’t always have to be expensive. With these 6 ideas plus the 5 from my previous article, it should be apparent that 100 yen shops are actually great places for sourcing some Japanese gifts to bring home. What are your favourite choices of souvenirs from 100 yen shops? Leave your recommendations in the comments!---------------------------------Enjoyed the post? Follow for more like this!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mn5Vm-shopping_moneyFri, 19 Jan 2018 10:15:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mn5Vm-shopping_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GRvge-foodRecently one of my students who is an elderly lady shared with us this little snack that I've never seen being sold anywhere. Although I was surprised to see these mini dried natto handcone snacks, I guess they aren't that rare since no one else was surprised.It is as it looks. There's a bundle of dried fermented beans wrapped by a little sheet of seaweed. Just as most snacks in Japan are, each cone is very well made and the product is as it looks on the package.Taste-wise, it is as you would expect what a mixture of natto and seaweed would be. The shock comes with the texture, however, as the dried natto absorb the moisture in your mouth and turn into something closer to real natto that was in the fridge for a few days too long so they were on the way to dehydration.Personally I liked it, and for fans of these beans, go for it. If not, stay far far far far away.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GRvge-foodFri, 12 Jan 2018 11:20:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GRvge-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MY4d2-foodCup noodles come in all sizes and colours. Red for spicy, white for milk, yellow for curry, green for green tea, and now I have tried another that is, black for squid ink.While you wonder what squid ink flav anything would be, it's actually a squid ink seafood cup noodle, so the base is the usual seafood flavour. What makes it apart is, of course, the package of squid ink that you would add into the product.A quick sniff told me that the noodles would taste the same as the seafood cup, but once I added the squid ink and mixed it up, there was a strange aroma coming out from it, so I dug in...Um....... I felt like I was tasting plastic. It felt like there was just a stale taste as if the noodles were covered in a light coating of wax or something, and I think that was the squid ink. Simply said, I felt like the squid ink ruined what would have been a standard tasting cup noodle. This is one to pass on. The green tea cup noodle was much better in comparison.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MY4d2-foodFri, 12 Jan 2018 11:11:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MY4d2-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wr823-shopping_moneyAfter you have spent hundreds of dollars flying to Japan, hundreds more on accommodation and food, it might be quite stressful to put another portion of your travel budget aside to bring gifts home for your expecting friends and family. No need to fear, however, as you can find some of the best souvenirs that represent the Japanese culture for just 100 yen each (108 yen including tax, I suppose). You don’t need to travel far from them either because you can find a great selection from any 100 yen shop near you! You have a lot to choose from, but below are my top 5 recommendations for your consideration:-------------------------------1. Handkerchiefs Adorable and practical, handkerchiefs are great choices because they are light and easy to carry. It is not a gift that the receiver will thank you for but then just put aside, as they are so versatile. The best thing is that each shop often carries several designs, so you can easily pick up different patterns for your family and friends without them getting the exact same thing, making your affordable gifts more personal. With cultural patterns like dango, sushi, Shiba-dogs and many more, handkerchiefs are a great choice for 108 yen.2. Origami PaperThe culture of paper-folding is passed down from generation to generation in Japan. Students learn and practice origami at school (and it is exactly why whenever I ask any of my students to fold their paper, they make their folds as precise as possible, whereas I would just casually press the paper’s ends together). This well-known tradition calls for some beautiful papers, and you can pick up a pack for cheap from one of Japan's 100 yen stores, and bring them home. To take a step higher, you can sit down with your family and friends and fold some cranes together to show them what you’ve learned from your travels. Feel free to get a pack for yourself to practice on the plane.3. StrapsStraps are a staple for souvenirs from Japan, and they will definitely take up very little space in your luggage even if you were to bring a bunch back. Another great thing is that they come in all styles and sizes, so you can easily buy one of each type and let your friends choose whichever they want. They can strap them onto their bag, keychain, phone, car’s rear mirror… the choice is theirs, and you have done your part!4. Hashioki (chopstick stands)For something more unique, consider bringing some back some hashioki, which are small stands set on the dining table upon which you rest your chopsticks. They are definitely unique to the culture, and even if your family doesn’t use chopsticks, they are also great decorations. Just look at this adorable mini Mt. Fuji!5. MagnetsAnd my last recommendation goes to the magnets. It’s a bit of a corny choice but Japan has some of the most fun magnets I have ever given/received. Personally, I love to get these throwing star magnets because they make your fridge look like a ninja left a memo on there.Another great one is the sushi magnet, and it is a little souvenir that resembles the famous detailed food sample models you can see everywhere in Japan.These are my favourite souvenirs to bring back from Japan, as they are affordable, lightweight, and easily obtainable. And even though they are only 100 yen, they really display Japanese culture, so I hope these ideas will help you out the next time your family and friends are expecting some gifts from Japan!---------------------------------------------Enjoyed the post? Follow for more like this!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wr823-shopping_moneyMon, 08 Jan 2018 15:50:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wr823-shopping_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXqNB-food_shopping_moneyAs a consumer, you are here ready to spend your money. Usually the process is that you will see something you like, pick it up to check it out, see the number that should represent its price in yen, and you pull your wallet out. Such a simple transaction can often bypass language gaps, so buying things usually is not too difficult even if you don’t speak Japanese.However, there are some English words that might create more confusion than being helpful. We will discuss 3 below and my own silly stories on how they confused me.1. “Free” フリー"Free" has two meanings: one is that you don’t need to pay a dime, and the other is closer to the concept of having no restrictions. In Japan, they use the word “free” for both meanings, but they can be rather confusing. For example, the first time I went into a karaoke shop created quite a memorable confusion for both me and the clerk.On a Sunday afternoon during my first year in Japan, I decided to venture into a karaoke-joint by myself to practice my Japanese in front of a mic and a TV. Having been to a party that someone else organized, I thought I knew enough to at least try going alone. I walked into the shop and here’s the rest of the story:Clerk: “Welcome to our karaoke shop. How many is it for today?”Me: “For just 1, please.”Clerk: “Okay, how long would you like to stay here?”Me: *reads the menu and spots the phrase ‘FREE TIME’* Oh, it’s free time?Clerk: “Free time, okay. For one person… so that will be 880 yen.”Me: “Wait, but… isn’t it free?”Clerk: “Uhh… yea, it’s free time. 880yen per person.”Me: “Uhh… what happened to ‘free’?”Clerk: “Uhh….”Me: “Uhh…”------------------So, the “free time” actually means “all-you-can-sing” or that “you can sing without limits”, just like if you see “free time” at a parking spot, it means you can stay there for as long as you want (until the set time), The more ridiculous moments were when I was at a restaurant in Japan with “free drinks” that cost 400 yen per person. If you see “free ___”, think of which meaning it might hold and check if there’s a number beside it that’s greater than 0 yen! 2. “Service” サービス"Service" in English refers to what someone else does for you, but it has a very different meaning in Japan. I went into a restaurant for a nice dinner, and at the end of the meal, the waitress came by with a small ice-cream and said “this is ‘service’ “. I looked at her and replied:Me: “Well, thank you for your nice service, but I didn’t order ice-cream.”Waitress: “Ah, this is ‘service’.”Me: “Um… I see your service, but I didn’t order this.”Waitress: “Yes, ice-cream is ‘service’ if you ordered a main dish.”Me: “Okay….? So how much is this?”Waitress: “Oh, it’s free. It’s service.”Me: “??????”------------------So in Japan, rather that which others are doing for your convenience, ‘service’ often means that something is complimentary, so if you see something is “service”, that’s something you don’t need to pay for. For some reason, you will see “service dessert” or “service drink” more often than “free dessert” or “free drink”, likely for the confusing reason that is number 1. 3. “Price down”This one might be more obvious to most and it became obvious to me post the silly story that follows. It often means “on sale” or “a new lowered price”, but to hear it used by a clerk saying it aloud in English the first time got me quite confused when I was looking at a pair of runners. The sales clerk came to sell me on the shoes and told me that they don’t have a lot of stock left.Me: “Do you have this in size 9?”Clerk: “Yes, this is the last pair.”Me: “Uhh, okay. Umm, 4800 yen…”Clerk: “Yes. Price down, price down! (said in English knowing that I’m not fluent inJapanese).”Me: *literally looks down to stare at the price tag*---------------------------------------A moment later I immediately understood she meant that it is now on sale, but I can’t believe it got me. Nowadays I have started to notice the phrase “price down”, but my first time reacting to it is a story I will continue to share for ages.For those visiting Japan, I hope these will help you navigate the coutry as a consumer. Do you have a funny story to share? Leave it in the comments below!----------------------------------------------------------Enjoyed this post? Follow for more like this!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXqNB-food_shopping_moneyMon, 08 Jan 2018 11:07:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXqNB-food_shopping_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G63L3-living_education_okinawaOkinawa has a different culture from the rest of Japan. From the 15th to 19th centuries, Okinawa used to be its own kingdom called Ryukyu Kingdom. Many aspects of this Ryukyu culture can still be found in Okinawa right now, and the BEST place to experience it is at the popular tourist park called the Ryukyu Village.I went there with my relatives who were on their second visit to Okinawa, and it was my first visit despite having lived in Japan for a few years. I knew little to nothing about Okinawa (except for the food - read about the Top 5 Okinawan Must-Eats here: https://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Jackson/wr8a6-food_okinawa ), so I was really excited about going to Ryukyu Village to see and experience the traditional cultures of Okinawa. From the entrance, this park is full of Ryukyu culture. You see the Okinawan Shisha Lion welcoming you, the person at the entrance is dressed in traditional Okinawa dress, and even the “Please show your ticket.” sign is written in kanji that resembles more ancient Chinese than modern Japanese. There was also this mascot of the village with a sign that says “mensoure”, which is Okinawan for “Welcome” (it is “yokosou” in standard Japanese). This really got me into the mood, preparing me to see something different from the rest of Japan.Upon entering the park, I was immediately surprised by what I saw. All the buildings here were so different from what I was used to. They had straw rooftops or red-brick rooftops, and the walls of the main body were built using both wood and stones. However, inside some of these buildings there were tatami mats. It really was a mixture of Chinese and Japanese culture. Most of these buildings were open so you can enter (after taking your shoes off) and sit inside. Without any exhibitions acting as distractions, you can really soak in the atmosphere of visiting or living in a traditional Ryukyu house.While we were just enjoying the tatami and chatting about the things around us, we heard some drums from afar and so decided to follow the sound. What we found was music performances in one of the houses. Some performers were on the Okinawa taiko drums, a few had shamisen, and there were also a few dancers, all of them dressed in traditional Okinawa clothes. It really immersed us in the feeling of the village being a trip back in time.As they finished up, a huge group of dancers appeared in the center court yard so many of us left the house to watch dances under the clear sky. However, the performers also invited us to join them and follow their dances and chants, so we got to learn and be a part of the tradition.If you are into souvenirs and exhibitions, a few of the houses also had things for you to read about or even purchase to take home, but the value I found from this place was all in the immersive aspects of the village. It really shows you what life was like in the traditional Ryukyu time. The Ryukyu kingdom is no longer around, but the culture is very well preserved, and this Ryukyu Village is one of the best places you can go to learn all about it.To find out even more about Ryukyu Village, you can visit their website: https://www.ryukyumura.co.jp/en/------------------------------------------------*Follow my blog for more posts like these!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G63L3-living_education_okinawaWed, 03 Jan 2018 15:17:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G63L3-living_education_okinawahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MJ974-living_money_gifu_shi_gifu20 minutes train ride north from Nagoya, you can reach Gifu City, the capital city of Gifu prefecture. This little town balances the city side and the countryside and while it perhaps won’t be bringing you excitement to be remembered for life, it is a great one-day getaway from the busy city life or if you are on the way up north towards other famous locations like Shiragawa-go, Takayama, or Gero.If you are in town, there are definitely a few spots that are worth your time, especially when they are completely free. As a resident of Gifu City, I would like to recommend a few places that you can enjoy without paying a single yen.1. Mt. KinkaGifu City is famous as the hometown of the greatest Japanese warlord, Oda Nobunaga, and his castle stands tall on the mountain that is the Kinka Mountain. You can spot the castle from most parts of the city, especially when it is lit up at night. While entering the castle costs 200 yen, you can choose any of the many trails to hike up the mountain and reach the structure for free. The paths differ in difficulties, so find one that matches your skill level and walk down the mountain with a different trail for a different perspective. It will take you somewhere between 40 minutes to an hour each way, which is definitely doable for most people. Don’t miss out the open-air observatory deck above the restaurant that you can go to, which gives a view as spectacular as you would get from the castle, but for free. And once you get back down from the mountain……2. Gifu ParkNow that I got you to visit Mountain Kinka, spend some time at the Gifu Park that the mountain is in. Filled with greenery, this lovely park is extremely relaxing as you stroll through it on a peaceful afternoon. During the right seasons, you can see an impressive view of cherry blossom in spring or the stunning red leaves in fall. Especially for those travelling for a nice family time, the park will give you what you are travelling for. Oh, Gifu Park has more than just greenery……3. Nagara RiverRight beside the Gifu Park is the clear and wide (by Japanese standards) Nagara River. The traditional art of cormorant fishing still goes on here regularly between late spring to early autumn, and while getting onto one of those boats to experience the traditional culture is rather costly, you can see the boats parked by the river during the day time, or better yet, you can watch them light up, carrying passengers as they row into the center of the river at night. One of the loveliest aspects of Gifu City is that it has both a famous mountain and a beautiful river, and you get to enjoy both right next to each other. During summer time, many people also come here for BBQ. Speaking of summer……4. Nagara Fireworks FestivalsIf you are a fan of fireworks, festivals or better yet, firework festivals, two of the best firework shows happen right here at the Nagara River. For two consecutive Saturday evenings in the summer, two firework festivals take place above the river as hundreds of thousands of people gather on either side of the river to enjoy it. Tons of food stalls line up on either side serving popular festival staples such as karaage fried chicken and shaved ice so you don’t need to prepare, but feel free to head there a bit early and bring your own feast so you can grab a spot and enjoy the show sitting down. Being right by the river really brings you close to the fireworks, feeling every thump that comes from each bang, and you can enjoy it twice each year! I’d just recommend you to either start heading back to the train station right before the show ends due to the insane traffic or arrange accommodation ahead of time. Oh, if you are heading to the station……5. Tower 43My final recommendation is this “little” gem called Tower 43 that is literally right by Gifu Station. Standing 43 floors high, it is the tallest structure in Gifu City that brings you near to the height of Gifu Castle too. Oh, of course, this is free to enter as well. There is an elevator that takes you directly from 2nd floor to 43rd floor, and both the North and South observatories are free to enter, so you can get a 360 degree view of the entire city. You can see surprisingly far in the day time, but if you ask me, the night view is where it is at. Once upon arriving to Gifu City and once more before you leave, you should definitely pay Tower 43 a visit (and by pay, I mean enter for free).---------------------------------------------------------------------------Gifu City might not get you to stay for days as many other tourism-heavy cities in Japan can, but what it has to offer definitely warrants a nice day-trip for those travelling around the Chuubu area. With these free locations, I hope they will help you enjoy your trip even more! Hope to see you here!*Follow me for more posts like these!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MJ974-living_money_gifu_shi_gifuTue, 02 Jan 2018 17:48:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MJ974-living_money_gifu_shi_gifuhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zK7xA-food_tokyoFukuoka has tonkotsu ramen, Hokkaido has miso ramen, Nagoya has Taiwan ramen.... how about Tokyo? Being the biggest city and most global city of Japan, of course you can find ALL KINDS of ramen in Tokyo, but does it have its own speciality?Yes, it does, ladies and gentlemen, and it is called Abura Soba.When you see the bowl, you might go like: "Umm... excuse me, but where is the soup?" and you might be wondering if it comes later on the side like tsukemen, but you can wait as long as you want and no soup will come, because this abura soba, translated as 'oily noodles' has no soup.This soupless noodle dish was invented in the 1950s in Tokyo. The chef puts a special blend of sauces that includes soy sauce and pork grease at the bottom of a bowl before they put the freshly cooked thin noodles right on top and carefully place the toppings on. The way you eat it is to mix the heck out of it first so the noodles are well coated with the sauce, then you dig in.However, the magic is with the assortment of condiments on the counter that you will find at any abura soba restaurant in Tokyo. The standard is chili oil and rice vinegar, which essentially all eaters will put a rich amount into the noodles before and as they eat. The saltiness, sourness and spiciness all mix together perfectly and harmoniously.Shops often encourage customers to add more as you eat to up the level. As for those who like to experiment with tastes, you can also add the black pepper, garlic, sesame and whatever else they have prepared on the table. Also, take another look at the ticket machine for inspiration, because you can get creative with the toppings. Many shops offer things like cheese, kimchi, green onions, curry powder, mentaiko, tomatoes, and a whole lot of other options to prepare newer and fresher tastes, and it's a great way to keep customers coming back.One thing I want to note is how most shops will give you abura soba in normal size or large size for the same price. The reasons?Well, for one, they know that the cost of making abura soba is much cheaper than a traditional bowl of noodles because they save money on all the ingredients used in making soups, so they can't really justify a much higher price, yet they don't want to necessarily charge less, so they would charge it at a standard ramen price but offer you the option to get more for free, while they would also benefit from those who opt for the smaller portion.And two, since the noodles don't come with soup, they are not as filling as a traditional bowl of ramen where customers would drink up at least half, if not all, the soup. It wouldn't be good if customers walk out after a bowl of ramen unsatisfied, so to fix that, they kindly offer you more noodles without necessarily charging more.Money aside, I am personally a HUGE fan of abura soba. They are delicious and satisfying, and for those health-conscious eaters out there, they also contain much less sodium and fat than normal ramen. So if you have ever wondered if Tokyo has its own brand of ramen, abura soba is what you are looking for! To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zK7xA-food_tokyoTue, 02 Jan 2018 06:06:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zK7xA-food_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G6363-foodRecently I've been quite into desserts with whipped cream, so I picked one of these up at the supermarket for 138yen. I've had the marugoto banana, which was a thick unsliced banana wrapped with sponge cake and filled with whipped cream.Personally, I'm not a fan of using banana in desserts (except banana cake, and I do like bananas), so I thought I would like this strawberry version more.It was really really creamy and the cake was spongy, both things you'd expect. What I didn't expect was how this "marugoto ichigo", literally translated as "whole strawberries" had only 3 strawberries, and it was disappointing that they weren't that sweet.The good thing is that the unsweetness of the strawberries mean they weren't processed with artificial sweetness, and that would have made it too sweet considering all the cream. Plus. strawberries are much more expensive than bananas, so I understand the numbers. So it's just that those getting it should be getting it for the cream, and not so much for the strawberries. To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G6363-foodSat, 30 Dec 2017 00:28:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G6363-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gypmb-living_shoppingHow some people either ignore or simply are unaware of the power of spell-check continues to amaze me, even when they are professional products on the market.I saw this cook book at the bookstore a while ago, titled in huge fonts "HOW TO COOK". When the title font is bigger in English than in Japanese, you'd have a certain expectation of its English as an English speaker. However, disappointment came before I even had to open it, as the subtitle says "Easy, quick, cheap and tasty recipes for BIGINNERS."Beginners, by the way, is a junior high-school level word. The super-popular AKB48 song "Beginner" was also already realized by that point.When I opened the book and saw the word "CONENTS", I just decided to stop reading and put the book down. That is a word on SO MANY books in Japan. Even if the writer made a mistake, someone at some point SHOULD HAVE caught it. But of course, they didn't, and it was released.I only wish they had their English in smaller fonts so the mistakes would look less stupid.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gypmb-living_shoppingSat, 23 Dec 2017 21:03:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gypmb-living_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GoxrY-food_shoppingI'm a fan of instant noodles and spicy food, especially those of the ma-la (麻辣) variety that is supposed to paralyze your tongue by the power of Szechuan peppers. At Kaldi Coffee Farm, my favourite place for imported food items, I found this little noodle in its fancy package and the premium price of 100 yen each (that's expensive for instant noodles when I can get 5 for 250 yen), I picked one up with high expectations.Unfortunately, it was quite disappointing. The noodles were exactly the same as Demae Iccho, which is good but much cheaper. The soup was very much just a powdered spicy soup that had no personality.Most importantly? Yea it just wasn't all that spicy. The package advertised its Szechuan pepper flavour, but there was very little of it that it was straight up unnoticeable. You can easily find more satisfying spicy noodles for half the price.However, they did attract me enough to give it a try, so good job to them, the got me. To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GoxrY-food_shoppingSat, 23 Dec 2017 19:49:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GoxrY-food_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z3lyQ-food_shopping_moneyMami is one of the yogurt-taste drinks in Japan that is extremely popular with kids. They have been on the market for decades, and one of my friends swears by it as his favourite beverage in the country.If it wasn't for him, I would have never noticed, but when we were going through the supermarket one day about a year ago and he was about to pick up another pack of Mami as he always does, my super-peaceful and calm friend suddenly got angry."They changed the size! It used to be 1L, but now it's only 900mL.... and they are selling it at the same price!"The thing that pissed him off the most was that the company dared to have the words on the package (not shown in the photo) saying "Now it comes in a new size!", even though the new size was actually less than before. I wonder how many people noticed that they were getting ripped off by 100mL while thinking that the company did something new for the better. Lesson of the day: new is not always better.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z3lyQ-food_shopping_moneySat, 23 Dec 2017 19:40:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z3lyQ-food_shopping_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wN95l-foodBentos are treasures of the country, bringing you a balanced assort of delicacy in a little box. However, it's not always a win, as I just had the worst cheap bentos I've ever tasted in Japan.This omelet rice bento I bought from the drug store Welcia sounded decent. Omelet rice and teriyaki chicken might be strange to exist in the same box, but I like them both , and the half priced sticker convinced me.I heated it up at home as dinner, and boy, let me tell you.If you've ever eaten omelet rice, you probably understand that dish better than this factory that just put a wet pile of scramble egg on top of a super sour ketchup rice and called it omelet rice. The "tomato sauce" on top tasted like, well, ketchup too. Besides one single tiny piece of onion I tasted I couldn't find any tomato or meat or any other ingredients we would expect.The super dried chicken slices had little to no taste and the meat was super rough. Why were they placed on top of these absolutely flavour-less and ingredient-less orange spaghetti, by the way? It's like they pulled out random slips of paper out of a head to call it bento.To make this more like a real bento, they added some veggies too which include: dried corns worse than ones out of a can, these extremely salty spinach that overpowers anything you eat, a tiny slice of potato slight bigger than my thumb nail, and the "best" part of the bento which was a piece of cooked carrot, and I've never thought carrot can be the best.Since the bento was made in Aichi, those living in other parts of Japan might miss out on this bento. Lucky you.I actually bought two.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wN95l-foodSat, 23 Dec 2017 19:29:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wN95l-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wZPav-money_transportationWhen travelling in Japan, many visitors appreciate the speed and convenience of the Japanese bullet trains and include them into their travel plans, while also clenching their fists as they pay for each one-way ride that might be more expensive than the hotel cost for the night. If you have shared the same thought, then I would like to recommend you an alternative that is the Highway Buses!There are many good reasons why you might want to consider this option more often than you have had, as the benefits can outweigh Shinkansens from several perspectives. Let’s compare and take a look at why highway buses are awesome!1. CostYou can save a TON of money by going with highway buses. Shinkansen tickets often cost above 10,000 yen per 1 way trip, even if you choose the non-reserved seats to save you several hundred yens. Highway buses, on the other hand, can be as cheap as 4,000 yen for the same distance if you travel during the day time. If you want a more spacious environment by taking a 3 row seat (more on that later) and if you prefer to travel at night, it would still cost you around 7,000 yen-ish, saving you extra cash for your traveling budget to discover Japan! With such a clear advantage, highway buses win right out of the gate!Winner: Highway buses2. TimeShinkansen is famous for its speed, taking you from Tokyo to Osaka in 2.5 hours. That speed is unbeatable, but where highway buses can win is its night-time rides. Many cross-prefectural night buses leave the station from after 10, and in some cases, after midnight! This means you have a LOT more time to spend and enjoy the nightlife of the city before you are off the travel. Feel free to get a couple of drinks on before you get onto the bus for some good night sleep. And the best part? You are going to arrive between 6-8am in the morning, fresh and ready to start your next adventure in the new city, giving you extra hours before the first Shinkansen even arrives! Personally, I definitely took full advantage of that when I travelled from Nagoya to Tokyo Disney Resort and had a full day of fun!Winner: Highway buses3. ComfortThe latest Shinkansen model heading up to Nagano is awesome. Every seat has a usb plug, the middle seat is extra wide, and the toilets even have washlets! However, that is not the standard, and the older trains running now can be lacking, to be honest. Only the window seat can charge electronics, and the seats can’t recline far even for a quick nap. Highway buses, on the other, can make up for all those things. I highly recommend paying the extra little money for the 3-seats-row buses. Each seat has a plug, you can recline far back for a good night sleep, blankets and slippers are provided for you feel warm and comfortable, and some buses even have curtains and pull-down headpieces for even more privacy. If you ever see me on one, I’d for sure be in my PJs and holding my Doraemon pillow as I drift into my dreams.Winner: Highway buses--------------------------------------------------------------------------The winner is, of course,…. subjective. The main point is that there are so many advantages to riding highway buses over Shinkansen that this option definitely should be in your considerations as you plan your Japanese travels from now on! Hope this article has been inspiring!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wZPav-money_transportationSun, 17 Dec 2017 11:05:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wZPav-money_transportationhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wN9r0-foodWinter is the perfect season for convenience store meat buns! Many chains are doing 100yen sales, and these steaming buns act as both food and a hand warmer.But sometimes you want something unconventional, and the usual meat just doesn't make the cut, so today, I got a butter chicken curry meat bun from mini stop from Mini Stop for 118 yen. It was so warm that my hands immediately unfroze from holding it.I wish there was more meat, but the flavour was plenty. What's more is that the meat bun was actually kinda spicy, which is rare in Japan. As I ride around town with my scooter, I will definitely pick up more of these to warm myself up.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wN9r0-foodThu, 14 Dec 2017 18:52:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wN9r0-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MdJXW-foodBurgers aren't always made with two slices if bread, if you live in Japan. If you're looking for an Asian twist on this western classic, rice burgers have you covered! They don't have to be expensive either, as I have picked one up from the super market for 140yen.I popped this 130g baby into the microwave with the bag for two minutes, and just like that, the yakiniku beef in between two "slices" of rice were ready to go.The result? The meat is tasty and I like how the rice is flavoured and sticky. I wish there was more meat, but the rice was delicious enough to make up for it. If I want something better, I can go to Mos Burger, but for the other days I want a cheap quick snack, these will do just well.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MdJXW-foodWed, 13 Dec 2017 23:12:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MdJXW-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z8QXY-moneyTravelling to a new country is an amazing experience, but we understand that international flights aren’t necessarily cheap. A big part of your budget is not just considering about your time in the air, but also your time on the ground, particularly when you are laying down for some rest. Hotel costs can build up very quickly, even if you revert to the cheaper hostels and capsule hotels.However, there are some EVEN cheaper options that you can easily get without needing reservations. Here are the top 3 accommodation options in Japan that perhaps have never crossed your minds but can make your wallet very happy!3. KaraokeEveryone should go and enjoy karaoke at least once during their time in Japan. Getting a little private room for hours, well equipped with food and drinks delivered into your room as you sing your heart out with your friends (or alone), is one of the most popular pass times in Japan. You can take full advantage of it with a “night free time” package where you can essentially be singing from 8pm to 5am the next morning non-stop for less than 2,000 yen per person, or if you are like me, sing until I feel like it’s time to adjust the air-conditioning to sleeping temperature and bring out my blanket from my luggage so as I catch some snooze on the flat couch. The best part would be to do this on a partying night where you enjoy their all-you-can-drink alcohol plan for about 1,200 yen, drink and sing and have no need to worry whether you can make your way back to the hotel safely. Wake up in the next morning and you’re off to your adventure! 2. Manga-caféA mange-café is full of manga, magazines, movies… all sorts of entertainment, and it’s also an excellent place to stay overnight for an incredibly cheap price! For about 2,000 yen for a 7-10-hour night pack, you can rent a little flat and cushioned space for you and your belongings as you drift yourself to sleep. If you can’t fall asleep yet, grab any of the numerous books to help you relax your mind, or do some internet surfing to catch up on news for a while. Pillows and blankets are provided, and the best part is that shower rooms are also available, so you can clean the travelling dust off yourself and feel refreshed for your next day of explorations.With so many manga-cafes available everywhere in Japan and often close to the stations nowadays, I no longer stress myself with rushing to hotels for check-in times, as I can always just pop into any of these joints to rest up.1. Rental carsIf you are going to be renting a vehicle to discover the more rural side of Japan, highly consider the option of staying in your car overnight especially when the season is right. In a country as safe as Japan, finding a resting area or a park for some in-car camping is a great option to spend your night without any extra costs. Cars in Japan are much wider than we would imagine, so even a little light-car would be great for two.Use the Shachuhaku Wiki (https://syachuhaku.fxtec.info/ ) where thousands of minds alike share their experiences, recommendations, and reviews about places all across the country where you can park overnight for free to guide your trip. They even tell you where the closest washrooms, water sources, and cheap bathhouses are. During my road trip this summer, we had a completely stress-free trip thanks to this option, and the money we saved went into enjoying delicious local cuisines!----------------------------------------------------------------------------With these awesome options to help make your trip in Japan more affordable, you can potentially save tens-of-thousands of yen so your budget can be spent on discovering the country. Hope these helped and have a great trip! To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z8QXY-moneyWed, 13 Dec 2017 20:18:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z8QXY-moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Goxg2-foodFrom early 2017, Nissin started to introduce cup noodles that were exclusive to various countries to the public of Japan, the homeland of cup noodles. One of the very best is the XO sauce seafood cup noodles from Hong Kong, a flavour that I used to eat all the time and was overjoyed when I saw it on shelf here.For those who aren't familiar with XO sauce, it is a fancy chili sauce made with a lot of shrimps and scallops, which is usually several times more expensive than standard chili sauce. Having this rich flavour in a seafood cup noodle is just double win.As if to make you understand the power of XO sauce, I felt like the noodle had more dried seafood than usual but it might just be my projection. What's real was seeing the bits from the sauce stick to the noodles as I slurp them up. This is the most popular flavour in Hong Kong for good reasons, and I am so glad that Japan finally got a taste for it. Pick one up before they are all gone!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Goxg2-foodThu, 07 Dec 2017 02:00:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Goxg2-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wr8a6-food_okinawaOkinawa is quite a different region compared to the rest of Japan. Being its own kingdom being joining Japan, Okinawa has its own Chinese and Japanese influenced cultures that remain even now. One of the best ways to enjoy the Okinawa culture is through Taste. With cuisines quite different from the traditional Japanese food we are used to, there are certain items you HAVE to try while you are there, and here is a list of 5 that you don’t want to miss out on!1. Soki SobaRamen isn’t really a thing on these southern islands, but what is available everywhere is soki soba, where you can get a bowl of thick and flat noodles in a clear and flavourful fish-based soup. Topped with green onion, red ginger, and most importantly, the slow-cooked chunks of soft pork with bones, this is a regional “soul food” that locals turn to for a peaceful and satisfying meal. If you’re a fan of noodles, this should be on top of your To-Eat list!2. Grilled Agu Pork on RiceEach region has its meat, and Okinawa is famous for their agu-pork. This type of pork is tougher in texture but strong in flavour. One of the best ways to enjoy it would be to get a rice bowl where they grill the pork over charcoal and lay them over the rice. As the juice of the meat sink into the rice, this is one bowl that you can’t resist and can’t put down until the last grain is gone.3. Goya ChampuruHave you ever tasted bitter-melon? If you have and didn’t like it, it probably wasn’t prepared right and here is the best dish for a goya-ful revenge. This stir-fry includes egg, meat (often pork, spam or corned-beef), tofu, and the star of the show, sliced goya (bitter-melon). The generous amount of fish powder matches the slight bitterness of the goya so everything blends perfectly in your mouth. I promise you that once you have tried this, you are going to look up the recipe so you too can make this simple dish at home!4. Yukishio (snow-salt) Soft Ice-creamOkinawa is not only about main dishes, and we all need a little dessert to refresh our taste-buds in between meals. One that I highly recommend is the snow-salt ice-cream where they use salt cultivated from the Okinawa-ocean and blended with a rich milky flavour. The slight saltiness makes the milk taste so much richer without being overpowering. Considering how hot Okinawa gets in the summer and how comfortable even their winters are, this is an icy treat that I’d recommend for all seasons.5. Taco-riceA twist on our traditional sense of the Mexican or American tacos, we can find Okinawans putting the same taco toppings onto a warm bed of rice. Taco-beef, lettuce, diced tomatoes, cheese, and salad, this healthy and balanced meal is great for any time of the day. Okinawa’s version of taco toppings, however, are much sweeter than the North American counterparts, and there is a bigger focus on the freshness of the ingredients rather than having strong flavours, so this little plate of culture-fusion is more refreshing than you might expect!---------------------------------------------------------------------As your hunger grows during your trip exploring the beautiful seaside and rich culture in Okinawa, don’t forget to treat it to some local delicious greatness while you are on the islands. Hope this list will help you out as you enjoy the most unique corner of Japan![Follow for more tips and tricks about travelling in Japan, especially about food!]To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wr8a6-food_okinawaMon, 04 Dec 2017 12:19:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wr8a6-food_okinawahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MJ9rk-foodIt shocked the country when it first came out. After milk-seafood proving creaminess matches instant noodles well, Nissin tried for another success with adding green-tea into the noodles. As a huge fan of cup noodles and lazy food, I HAD to try it so I could live with a tale to tell.Upon opening the lid, I saw the green colour seasoning powder, but that wasn't it. The NOODLES themselves were green as the green tea powder was infused into the process of making them. The taste of it was surprisingly rich with seafood soup while the green element was much weaker than the colour suggests. I was able to taste it but only slightly, and that is not a bad thing with the noodles itself being quite delicious.Overall, it was a decent noodle that was sold more for its shock factor. Nowadays, I don't see it in supermarkets anymore so I guess they aren't making it anymore, since the news was made and gone. To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MJ9rk-foodFri, 01 Dec 2017 20:04:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MJ9rk-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mp7a1-food_shinjuku_ku_tokyoFans of cheese tarts must know about this shop. Recognized as one of the best, if not THE best cheese tart in Japan, there is always a long line at the shop inside Shinjuku Station. For about 250yen a tart, there are only two options on the menu: Are you getting 1, or are you getting 6? Of course, you can order any number of tarts though. I got one to try, and the tart is rather small. However, it is also the CREAMIEST cheese tart I've ever had. The softness balances with the hard tart perfectly.Being the size it is and super fluffy, it is rather light and I can easily eat 6 right there on the spot. For the taste, it is top notch, but in terms of satisfaction, you will need way more than one.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mp7a1-food_shinjuku_ku_tokyoFri, 01 Dec 2017 13:33:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mp7a1-food_shinjuku_ku_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mn5vX-food_shoppingRecently I've been really into these chocolate eggs. Not for the chocolate, but for the prize inside.As a huge, HUGE fan of Doraemon, this series of collectables with 16 different figures meant that I had to try my luck.The chocolate itself is like the good-old Kinder Surprise. Too sweet for chocolate fans; who-cares for kids and toy-fans.One cool thing about this collection is that many rare characters like Jai-ko and even Dekisugi are included! Where else can you get a Dekisugi!?Unfortunately for me, while I was hoping for a rare character or a Doraemon, I've been getting repeats of the future gadget collections. After 4 tries at 200yen an egg (which for the same price, I could have bought 4 dozens of real eggs), I had to give up. Someday, Dekisugi, someday.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mn5vX-food_shoppingFri, 01 Dec 2017 12:35:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Mn5vX-food_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zK7pN-foodThe Family Mart Chicken has commonly be regarded as the best affordable fried chicken you can easily get in Japan, and with Family Mart owning Circle K now, it means these pieces are more widely available than ever. Having lived in Japan for almost 6 years and never tried one, I figured it was finally time.With the various flavours to choose from, I walked in and came out with the original and the cheese flavours because they looked the "freshest" at the time. I immediately bit into the first piece and I thought: There is a good crunch, the meat is juicy, the flavouring is well balanced too, there's a layer of artificial-feeling fat in between but it goes well with the rest. This is pretty good.The only issue I had was that it wasn't warm enough, so I popped them into the toaster oven (a novelty you don't get when you're on the go) and they came out even crispier.Having that said, would I crown it the king? Only by a slight margin above the Lawson chicken which is delicious too and cheaper, but definitely way better than the horror that is the luke-warm and not-crispy KFC in Japan. Therefore, my search for the next best fried chicken continues.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zK7pN-foodFri, 01 Dec 2017 10:40:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zK7pN-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MxXPP-foodRa-ou is one of the top quality brands when it comes to both packaged instant noodles and cup noodles. With their non-fried noodles that come out smooth and silky without the usual grease, they are great choices for a quick simple meal.To celebrate their 25th anniversary, the brand decided to re-release one of their old production with a limited run: the Summer Ra-Ou cup noodle!For some reason, Japanese people think spicy is perfect for summer, so this product was released around the summer months. I snatch As theed and kept one so I could give it a try. The cover says "rich and spicy: the flavours of chilli pepper and sesame", and I'm a fan of all the words above.I added a few sausages just to make my lunch less sad-looking, and they went well with the noodles. The sesame taste is definitely there and spread in my mouth once I tasted the soup. Spiciness, however, was lacking considering how beautifully red the soup looked, but it was delicious nonetheless and nothing some extra chilli pepper can't help with. Most importantly, the smooth noodles matched the rich soup really well, and I finished everything in no time.This cup noodle is a definite-pick-up, if you can still find them around. The good news is that if you do see them, they'd probably be in discounted racks due to the season, so pick them up and stock them!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MxXPP-foodFri, 01 Dec 2017 02:18:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MxXPP-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z8KWM-livingI was at the subway station of Omotesando the other day, and they got a little food court. There, I discovered a new system that I've never seen elsewhere in Japan.Since it is a food court, solo-eaters might leave the seat once in a while to get more food/services. To avoid your plates being taken away, you can leave this card on the table facing up.On the other hand, the red side notifies the staff to clear the table for you and that you're done.And this means that at this food court, cleaning after yourself is totally not necessary. I've seen the card system used at all-you-can-eat/drink places, but this is my first time to see it applied to a food court.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z8KWM-livingMon, 22 May 2017 22:12:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z8KWM-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z1L4M-foodI'm usually not a fan of big chain restaurants when I have other choices available, but one day recently, I visited Hitakaya for a quick meal.They serve various kinds of Chinese food, focusing on noodles with a few choices of rice and gyoza (as well as alcohol). It's been a while since I've been there, and I was in the mood for something crunchy, so I ordered the Crispy Yakisoba."Where are the noodles?", you might be thinking. The thick ankage sauce covers all the crispy noodles, so all you can see are veggies, loads of veggies, with a quail egg, a bit of pork and some fish cake.Dig for it and you will find the crispy goodness beneath.As I chowed the noodles down, I added some chilli-oil and rice vinegar on the table occasionally to switch the taste up. It was a really satisfying plate and surprisingly healthy thanks to the veggies (though a bit on the salty side). For a 590yen, it's a pretty decent choice when my mood is right.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z1L4M-foodMon, 15 May 2017 19:40:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z1L4M-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z3LQG-living_shoppingFinally the long-waited weekend is coming. You are about to call up your date to set up a fun time together, but before you dialled, you checked the weather forecast and…. Oh snap, it’s going to rain throughout the weekend…Don’t let that get you down. This is Japan, and Japan offers you plenty of indoor fun that you can spend a whole day in without needing to get yourselves wet. Here are my top 5 picks (in no particular order):1. KaraokeIf you and your crew enjoy projecting your voice and soul through music, karaoke is definitely for you. Virtually established EVERYWHERE in Japan, you can sing to your hearts’ content at any chain you can find. Japanese, English, Chinese, Korean songs and more, once you’re in the room with the mic in your hand, language barrier is no longer an issue.Better yet, you can order food and drinks right then and there, so there’s no need to run under the pouring rain to get food. If this is your thing, go for Free Time and sing for up to 10 hours nonstop. Also, karaoke is just as fun alone. Trust me on this one.2. MovieThe good old typical first-date choice is of course a practical option on a rainy day. Not only are you protected by shelter and air-conditioning, when you and your partner(s) are watching the latest action flick and the main hero kicking butts, who cares what the weather is like outside anymore? Sure the popcorn and soda might be overpriced, but you’re ensured a safe and dry entertainment, so it’s hard to say no!3. Crane gamesI’m sure you know of the UFO catchers, don’t you? These little machines with prizes locked away behind the glass windows are there to challenge you right in the face, so you will put in coin after coin until you get the latest Pikachu plushie. For a skilled catcher, however, you won’t need a whole lot but you can walk out with a handful. On a rainy day, go find a machine with your favourite prizes and hone your skills.4. ArcadeMost often than not, arcade games are in the same building with a wide collection of crane machines. Arcade gaming is no longer bounded to the traditional image of joystick and insanely fast reactive button inputs to counter the enemy’s fireball, but nowadays, you can find plenty of games friendly to beginner gamers. Music games like Taiko no Tatsujin is a popular choice. Mario Kart is another great option. There is also a Luigi Mansion arcade game recently. All these choices are not only fun, but you can play them with a friend so you can share the joy!5. BowlingIf you are looking for something more skill-based and (slightly) more active, head to a bowling center for a couple of rounds of bowling. No need to worry about gears, as you can rent everything you will need at the bowling alley. How much time you will spend there depends on how fast you bowl, so it’s also a great location to sit, chill and socialize as you applause and/or laugh at your friend’s toss. Rain won’t affect you here at all.There are other choices but I picked these five because they are everywhere in Japan, no matter if you’re in the heart of a city or somewhere more rural. Either way, you can have plenty of fun at these places without letting the rain ruin your day off. Enjoy!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z3LQG-living_shoppingTue, 09 May 2017 17:10:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z3LQG-living_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GoL2w-living_shoppingI walked into the supermarket today, with plans to refill my stocks of unhealthy delicious snacks.What awaited for me was a scene of horror.....The shelves normally filled with colours bags of chips of different flavours were mostly empty! And it wasn't because of a sudden rise in popularity with these thin oily crisps, because there was a sign posted."Due to a lack of ingredients, only ONE bag per customer for the following potato chips"Apparently, we are having a potato crisis, and it is affected the chips industry hard! This reminds me of the butter crisis last year, so if you're like me, you better stock up on the chips because who knows when they will come back for good! As you may know, I have an addiction for chips and snacks: https://www.city-cost.com/blogs/Jackson/wXg4G-living_foodI only have about 12 bags at home right now.... hope these will be enough to last me a while.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GoL2w-living_shoppingMon, 08 May 2017 20:27:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GoL2w-living_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gy87z-food_shoppingOne of the things from supermarket that I often purchase to prepare myself for easy meals at home at the fried-rice seasonings.With soooooooooooooooooooo many kinds to choose from, you can always try a different pack and explore some new flavours that would make your rice a whole lot more exciting.With only around 100yen per packages and you get 3 packs inside to make three meals, you can imagine the money you can save instead of going out for fried rice.I've tried a good amount of them, and my top 3 are the followings:1. Garlic fried rice2. Dry curry fried rice3. Black pepper garlic fried riceAll you have to do essentially is to add a pack of the seasonings into your rice as you fry them and other ingredients together in the fried pan. Super cheap, super simple, super delicious.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gy87z-food_shoppingSat, 06 May 2017 16:17:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gy87z-food_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wkJ8G-foodI've been eating this chocolate since I was a kid and loved every single piece of it. There's something about the perfect balance between the chocolate and strawberry flavours this Apollo chocolate contains.For around 100yen, you can get 46 grams of these milky sweet goodness. Not sure how long that will last you, since a box like that would last me for less than an hour. These are highly addictive!There's also something about its shape that provides you with an awesome crunch when you bite through it. Letting it melt around your mouth is just as great. If you've never tried this chocolate that has been around the market for decades, make sure you pick one up the next time you see it at any local supermarket or dagashiya!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wkJ8G-foodFri, 05 May 2017 23:28:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wkJ8G-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zV4kw-living_tokyo_shinjuku-kuI am a huge gamer. When I came to Japan, I took my Resident Evil Xbox360 and took all my North American region games with me. The controller lands in my hands every night, and time flies away without my knowledge or my regrets.There was one game series that I missed out on until I got it on my Playstation 4 earlier this year: the Yakuza series, or as it is originally called in Japan, Ryuu ga Gotoku, which translates to, 'As a Dragon'. This Sony exclusive franchise is one of the most popular Japanese series with several titles brought to the West gaining a cult following. So today, let me introduce what makes this game so special, especially for those who are living in Japan.The story follows the main protagonist, Kazuma Kiryuu, who is a Yakuza member but surprisingly warm-hearted and has a strong sense of justice. His relationship with his friends and his connection to his Yakuza gang change and evolve with each entry of the series. Without spoiling anything, the game is presented very much like a Yakuza TV drama, with about 15 chapters in each game and plenty of surprises and twists ready to surprise you. Don’t let this narrow your impression of the game, however, as it also has a very humourous side. More about that later.Yakuza takes place in a 'fictional' area of Tokyo called Kamurachou, and by fictional, I mean that it is almost identical to the real like Kabukichou in Shinjuku, Tokyo. The attention to the details of almost every street and building is incredible. It is simply the best way to experience a part of Japan virtually that you can get right now. In fact, I visited the real life Kabukichou AFTER I finished one of the entries of the game, and boy, was I surprised by how well I could navigate the real life location without having even been here.If you don’t know much about Kabukichou, it is a rather shady part of Tokyo with the brightest nightlife. It isn’t the cleanest part of Japan by far, but for those seeking for certain services and entertainment, this is the place to go.Back to the game. The gameplay is a combination of several styles. Overall, it is an open world adventure action game. You run around Kamurachou (and sometimes other real-life inspired locations, such as Osaka and Hiroshima) as Kiryuu to reach the next story point. At each critical moment, you are presented by a long and beautifully made extended cut scene that will keep you on the edge of your sofa.During key moments of the story, you might (very often, actually) have to fight your way out of a situation or to defeat a boss. The fighting mode becomes a small arena brawl with one or more enemies surrounding you and you must finish the fight right then and there. You can imagine the fights in Assassin’s Creed or recent Batman games, but much less focus on counters and much more on using your fists. These fights will also happen randomly as enemies spot you on the street when you are running from point A to point B, which you can easily avoid if you are not in the mood for trading punches.Another main element of the game is the mini-games. These change throughout each iteration of Yakuza, but they are beyond what you would imagine from a game about gangsters. Mahjong, shogi, karaoke, fighting rings, darts, batting cage and cabaret (to talk to ladies, of course) are some of the staples in the series. Some more obscure activities include deep-sea fishing, disco dancing, chanting for someone as they sing karaoke, planting vegetables in your garden, body training, old school Sega arcade games (awesome for the retro gamers out there) and even….. babysitting? Yes, you read that right.Remember when I mentioned humour earlier in the post? This game might be a serious crime drama at times, but it also finds plenty of opportunities to make you laugh. Besides the nonsensical mini-game collection you can play on the way to fight your next gang boss, there are also a ton of random encounters for side-missions you can take on to help random people on the street. From helping a boy get his stolen video game back to resolving some high-school romance, there are no reasons for Kiryuu the yakuza member to step in besides the ton of fun and humour there is to see.Overall, this game is a collection of fantastic elements ranging from serious to ridiculous. The attention to details is incredible, and I haven’t even mentioned the shopping and eating mechanics in the game where you can visit shops and restaurants that are really available in real life! But that might be for another time, and meanwhile, for those who have visited Kabukichou or want to experience Japan virtually before actually landing your feet there, Yakuza, which is up to the 6th main game with several spin-offs, is one not to miss for any gamer who is interested in Japan.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zV4kw-living_tokyo_shinjuku-kuTue, 02 May 2017 15:23:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zV4kw-living_tokyo_shinjuku-kuhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GRPpM-foodI'm a huge fan of the HongKong/Macau/Portuguese pastry, Egg tarts. I live by them to the point that I stopped eating birthday cakes and replaced them with egg tarts.So in Tokyo, I found the genius named shop, Eggcellent and their egg tarts. For 200yen a pop, I gave it a try.It was much smaller than what it should be (in my head), but I just assumed it was the foreign-food-tax that we have to pay for a taste of home.The result was unfortunately disappointing. The pastry was good, the egg was good too, but the balance was off in that there wasn't nearly enough eggs to cover the buttery taste of the pastry. And with the small size it already was, I wasn't satisfied.What I did appreciate is that I got a fresh one. The trick is to ask for a "dekitate" (出来立て) one, which is one right out of the oven!If you've never eaten egg tarts, it's worth a try, but if you're like me and got your eggtart standards in your head, this one won't satisfy.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GRPpM-foodSun, 30 Apr 2017 21:32:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GRPpM-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GWemM-living_medicalI was wandering around Gifu JR station and I saw this intriguing vending machine that has an eye-catching sign. Take a look:It sells the usual drinks and some energy bar if you're in for a quick snack. Nothing special, right? But did you notice the green sign? "Life Line Vender""This vending machine will provide necessities for everyone during a time of emergency"So I guess if there was a major earthquake or other disasters, people stuck at the station can come here and this will unload all its drinks and food for everyone to live, for free, I assume!Thanks in advance, Otsuka Med Supplies.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GWemM-living_medicalFri, 28 Apr 2017 12:51:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GWemM-living_medicalhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmaaw-living_tokyoJapan is famous for being clean, and it boggles the minds of many in how the country can do that when there are essentially no public garbage cans on the streets in almost anywhere you go, even in a huge city like Tokyo.So imagine my surprise when I found these along Omotesando. Public garbage cans!!! Judging from the Chinese and Korean written on it that say "welcome to Tokyo", perhaps it is for the Asian shoppers who aren't used to the bin-less streets, and it would make sense to have it at a high-brand area like Omotesando.Also, Free Wi-fi!!!! OMGLOLBBQ! Omote-sando, you are awesome.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmaaw-living_tokyoThu, 27 Apr 2017 19:55:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmaaw-living_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MJg4z-foodI'm a fan of cup noodles, for their convenience and the taste too. However, having noodles all the time can get boring, so this item of an instant cup curry and rice caught my eyes as it seems to offer a change. I gave it a try, and the result was.... interesting.This little quick meal is sold for around 200yen, and is available in most supermarkets and convenient stores too. All you need is some hot water and a patience that lasts around 5 minutes before you can dig in.Open the package, and you can find a block of Japanse curry, some "beef like things", and some rice that looks like space food.While the curry tastes pretty good after a quick stir, what I couldn't get over with was the space rice. It felt like some air-dried rice that got soaked up with hot water, not in a good way. For a quick meal, it tasted not bad, but if you're looking for some fluffy rice, the instant cup rice option is still not that feasible yet, unfortunately.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MJg4z-foodThu, 27 Apr 2017 10:08:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MJg4z-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GRPKM-living_saitamaCity or rural, that is the question. When foreigners look towards the East and see Japan, the most common image that comes to mind is Tokyo: The Shibuya crossing, Akihabara, Shinjuku station, the night scene of the lit-up Skytree. Those who dug deeper into the culture of Japan see a different picture: the grandmas working in the rice paddies, the trees along the little creek, the old wooden houses with paper doors and the children playing outside as the cicadas sing (or scream, depending on your perspective).These two images resemble the two very different sides of both. Both are part of the country, but they don't co-exist close to each other, so many visitors in the country as well as local citizens all have this question to settle on: Do they want to live in the city, or the rural side of Japan?Living in the city is of course, all about its conveniences, energy, and opportunities. To reside in a place like Tokyo means that the city never sleeps, literally. Any part of the city is within the reach of a couple train transfers, so there are always activities for you to do. You can spend your morning in Ueno park, hop over to Shibuya for a quick lunch and shopping, then travel to Roppongi for a beautiful and romantic dinner. And if you're not quite ready to go home yet, you can stay out and keep drinking until you've had enough and want to spend a night at karaoke or a manga cafe. These can all happen spontaneously, because that's just how convenient the city is.There are, of course, a whole lot more job opportunities too in cities. While English teachers are needed all over the country in private and public institutions, jobs of other fields, especially the more focused careers will likely have their headquarters in cities like Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka and others. Many choose to live in or at least close to these places just to open themselves up to opportunities to fulfill their ambition in life.Life in the countryside, on the other hand, just isn't the same, because people who live there aren't seeking for the same. At least, I hope they weren't. Living in the rural side of Japan is all about the peace, harmony, and nature. Being satisfied with what is around you so you can focus on the blessings you have in life and earth, rather than chasing after the shining lights and booming echoes. Surely it isn't convenient, but when peace and time is what you have, there is no need for convenience and there isn't anything that cannot be handled. People in the countryside are also much nicer and more open to each other because they understand the importance the humanity better when they don't live a life that requires you to squeeze your arm and leg onto the next rapid train to attend the next business meeting. A few people may have chosen the rural side for saving money, but even more people are there to save time and space in their heart for peacefulness.As a man who has lived in both, I have experienced and understood the merits of each. They are entirely different from each other, and being as greedy as I am, it is really difficult to select one over the other. Deciding where I want to go next is a constant struggle, and I imagine this struggle applies to people alike not only in Japan, but anywhere in the world with a developed city-side. However, I also believe that there's the third option, the Suburban area. The outer edges of Tokyo, for example, provides some of the nature and peace that I long for from the rural side of Japan, but at the same time, a quick hop onto the train with some extra minutes will take me out into the heart of the city, where I can feel rushed and energized until I've had enough and decide to head back home to calm down.I used to live in Saitama, and personally, that was the perfect balance for me. I didn't have the extremes of either side, but I also didn't want them. It was convenient enough, it was peaceful enough, it was just enough for me, and I imagine that other surrounding prefectures like Kanagawa and Chiba, or other prefectures or outer edges around other major cities in Japan can offer similar feelings for those who have experienced the goods of both the city and rural side and just couldn't give up either. Thanks for reading.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Follow me for more of the little everyday magic I encounter in Japan.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GRPKM-living_saitamaWed, 26 Apr 2017 09:38:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GRPKM-living_saitamahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MYR9z-living_moneyUpon moving into the country of Japan, one of the biggest concerns on any newcomer's mind is of course, housing. Where will you live, how much is the rent here, and even if you can live by yourself or not are still questions easily resolvable, as compared to the bigger question: HOW can you get a place. If you come into Japan as an English teacher, especially as an ALT with a company (aka not the JET program), chances are that the companies will have all the things settled for you by providing you a little apartment called Leopalace.I've lived in a couple Leopalaces as well as a couple more places that aren't, so today, let's talk about the pros and cons. The biggest advantage and the biggest reason why ALT companies look for Leopalace for the employees is the ease to moving in. Leopalaces are designed to be easy to move into. The whole guaranteer thing is a non-worry (especially with your company backing you up), for starters. You also don't need to run around looking for cheap furniture, because these apartments come furnished: microwave, fridge, washing machine, stove, a bed frame of sorts, and even a TV! Granted, these appliances aren't the top of the line or even new. The TV is the smallest I've ever used (so I bought my own), the table is attached to the wall, and the chairs have absolutely no back support (so again, I bought my own), but it does come with the comfort that you can move in and start living pretty much immediately.With the furnished apartment also comes another perk that many people don't think about: the ease of moving out. In the case of your work contract ending and you are moving to a different location, you are responsible for moving or getting rid of your appliances like fridges and bed frames, and when you're in Japan, that isn't free. You have to purchase some "big garbage tickets" and call to arrange a date for you to put these huge trash out to be picked up, and it is a hassle! At a Leopalace, you can just leave them be and walk out like a champ as you move out. Internet is also in place and ready to go within a couple of days upon moving in, so you don't have to go through the entire process (which is also in Japanese) of setting up your own internet, which in Japan, will sometimes take you up to a month. Believe me, I've done that twice and it was a pain in the attic. The space of a Leopalace isn't too tiny either, compared to some other options out there. You got a washroom, a kitchen, and a living/bedroom, so if you're coming into the country for a year or two and you live by yourself, a Leopalace is a feasible option. The cons, are there too, of course. The biggest complaint that I always hear about from my friends (and myself included) is the rent. To subsidize for the utility, renting a Leopalace will cost you likely an extra 20% or so. For example, the Leopalace in the Saitama area that I was in when I first came to Japan cost around 55,000 yen per month, and the tiny non-furnished place that the company found for me upon my request was only 32,000. Sure, it was smaller, but that was quite a difference in price, and I spent probably 50,000 to 60,000 yen to furnish my place up, so by the 4th month, I was saving about 20,000 a month.In Gifu now, the Leopalace I rented was about 50,000 per month, and since I moved out to look for a different place, I was able to rent a much nicer place for about the same price, but a much bigger kitchen, an actual living room and an actual bedroom with several closets. As my time in Japan continued, my living standard increased (while my income too, only slightly), so I was looking for a better, bigger, nicer place to live in, because a Leopalace just couldn't satisfy anymore.So, is a Leopalace worth the price? Well it all depends on your plans. If you're staying here for just a year or two and you don't want to deal with the whole hassle, a Leopalace will handle most of the trouble for you, if you are living alone. If you plan to set foot into the country and grow your roots here, then maybe the extra cost can be put into better use to look for either a cheaper or a nicer place to live in. I didn't regret my time in a Leopalace because it was what I needed at my stage back then, so now, I've moved on. Hope this helps!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MYR9z-living_moneySun, 23 Apr 2017 10:04:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MYR9z-living_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wX3oG-livingI saw this on the street the other day and I'm not sure how I feel about, so I'd like to get some opinions...The small soba shop put some food displays outside, showing the meals of the day.I'm used to seeing the plastic displays, as you can see with the bowl of noodles on the top left. But everything else was real food that they cooked up and wrapped.On the one hand, it's nice that I get to see exactly what the food looks like before ordering it, so I wouldn't blame the too-good-looking plastic models when the results come out differently. I understand it's also impossible for them to purchase those expensive plastic displays for every dish they have.On the other hand, seeing the wrapped up doesn't look appealing, and more importantly, it feels like a taste of a few perfectly cooked up meals to imagine that they will toss them out at the end of the day.So I'm not sure where I stand on this non-issue. What do you guys think? To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wX3oG-livingThu, 20 Apr 2017 21:21:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wX3oG-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MYRxz-living_shoppingDuring my recent trip in Japan, I came across this intersection in a random district of the city that confused me. More precisely, I was confused by the marketing strategy of Lawson, the convenient store.I went into Lawson to take a look, came back out empty-handed because there wasn't anything I wanted. I looked across the street and....Another Lawson. Well, it's not that I've never seen two Starbucks right across from each other, so that's fine, but I know I don't need to pay another visit since they would stock the same products. So I turned the other way and looked down the street, and I saw.....Down the road from the first Lawson, there is a 3rd Lawson!!! Why, Lawson, Why!??? That makes three of the same convenient stores lining up in a straight line!I was so dumb-founded, so if someone understands their purposes, please enlighten me....To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MYRxz-living_shoppingWed, 19 Apr 2017 16:29:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MYRxz-living_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zK2RM-foodYou might have heard of or even tried the popular children's snacks, umaibou. They are these rice sticks with various kinds of flavour seasonings, and I like them too much.Only very recently, I found this spin-off product that they have.The umaiboshi snack!Being a fan, I, of course, bought one for testing.They are all star shapes, and I find them surprisingly adorable! This chicken-curry flav snack tastes exactly the same as their stick form, the only difference is the shape, but it does make the texture more interesting when you chew through them.They are rather rare, from what I see, so snatch one for a try next time you see it!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zK2RM-foodTue, 18 Apr 2017 18:41:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zK2RM-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gl7jz-foodI'm a fan of cheese, and a fan of burgers. People like me are easy to find, and if you're one, then you gotta try out the Cheese cheese burger with cheese fondue at First Kitchen, or CCBwCF for short.(Just kidding, I made the last part up.)I've never had a First Kitchen nearby, so when I got to check out their menu for the first time recently, this was my immediate pick.The burger comes wrapped with the squeeze-out fondue on the side, both warm.To my surprise, the chedder of the two cheeses (hence the name) in the burger was the crispy kind! And it really adds to the flavour.When you eat it, you squeeze the fondue onto the burger directly. Weird? Admittedly yes. Delicious? Oh heck yessssssss.It's all the cheesiness that a cheese lover would long for in any burger, and while it isn't top grade, this is affordable at just 390yen. If you're a believer of "there's never too much cheese" like me, you have to try this out!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gl7jz-foodTue, 18 Apr 2017 17:43:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gl7jz-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wjr4w-food_moneyUmaibo is the super popular kids corn puff snack that offers 15 different flavours excluding seasonal/local special ones. Sometime last year, they came out with a new line of Premium Umaibo. With three flavours, these premium sticks of snacks cost double the price of a standard umaibo: from 10 yen to a WHOOPING 20 YEN!The three flavours are: spicy mentaiko, wasabi-steak, and rich cheese. I tried them all, and while the texture doesn't different enough to note on, they were in fact very tasty. Each flavour, while artificial, was quite delicious and I would definitely choose them over the standard ones.With the price being doubled, though, kids who can afford them must be high-rollers, or love them enough to give up 2 umaibo for 1 premium snack.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wjr4w-food_moneySun, 09 Apr 2017 10:43:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wjr4w-food_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GlrXM-food_kyotoWhen you visit Arashiyama in Kyoto, I'd highly recommend you to check out this little corner shop on your way to or from the mountain to the station. The shop serves what are two of my favourite ice-cream flavours in one cone: Tofu icecream and black sesame icecream.The creaminess of vanilla blends perfectly with each flavour, and yes, the two match fantastically too. You won't be overwhelmed by the sweetness like with some other icecream choices, and this peaceful sweetness is perfect for a spiritual place like Kyoto.Kyoto is famous for its tofu, and this little dessert option is one not to miss, especially when you're visiting Kyoto in summer!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GlrXM-food_kyotoMon, 27 Mar 2017 16:16:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GlrXM-food_kyotohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MqbRz-living_transportation_gifu_gifu-shiOda Nobunaga is the most famous warlord of Japan for his ambition to conquer the country during the time of sengoku jidai, and Gifu-city, the city that holds the castle where his legacy began takes pride in it. Sights of Oda Nobunaga can be seen from all over the city, and there is a golden statue of him standing right outside of the train station.But not just that, the other most prominent sight of the famous samurai is on the city's buses. There are two loop lines that run in the city, and they are all painted green and feature different heroic poses of Oda Nobunaga in action.And with the loop line being the line on the quickest rotation (which is 15mins per bus, not an impressive number, I know), we can see Oda Nobunaga running around the city all the time.The inside of the bus is also designed to look like the interior of a castle, welcoming any visitors on the bus and reminding the locals of the pride that we have in being the home of the warlord that changed the country.Do you have any local historical pride like that being on display everywhere?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MqbRz-living_transportation_gifu_gifu-shiThu, 23 Mar 2017 14:56:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MqbRz-living_transportation_gifu_gifu-shihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GLx7G-foodOshiruko is the traditional new year food where you have a nice slice of a grilled mochi inside a bowl of hot steamy sweet red bean soup. If you don't want the hassle, there is in fact an instant version of this traditional food available at supermarkets. All you need is hot water and patience of about 1 minute.These were sold as a pack of 3, costing around 200yen total.Open it, and the inside looks like fish feed and stylophone.You pour the hot water into the little bowl, and this is how it looks like after a full minute of waiting.Give it a good stir, and you will find the melted mochi inside the red bean soup.The taste is decent but the soup was rather watery. The rice cake was very (and too) soft. Overall, it was disappointed considereing how much I like oshiruko. For a quick sweet red-bean snack that required little to no prep, this choice isn't the worst, but yea, it just doesn't come close to the real thing.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GLx7G-foodWed, 22 Mar 2017 21:57:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GLx7G-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GOrbz-foodAs you guys may know, I'm always look for snacks to munch on. (In fact, it's an addiction! Read about my snacks addiction)At the snack shop, one of my fav crunchy snacks to pick up is the ninjin-pop-rice.These little adorable carrot packages contain some incredible crispy (and extremely addictive) sweetened rice. For only 30yen a pack and the cute packaging, kids love them, and so do adults. The ingredients are also very simple too: rice, sugar, mizu-ame, and salt.My only "problem" with them is that each bags has only 13g of them, so they will be gone way before you realize it and you will be looking for more snacks. Regardless, this is a good snack to have at home, and one that kids can eat and still have dinner afterwards.As to why is it "carrot"? Sorry, that's a question I don't have the answer to.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GOrbz-foodMon, 20 Mar 2017 13:17:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GOrbz-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/za1Dz-living_moneyI'm a karaoke addict. I used to go there every weekend by myself or with friends, and each session, solo or group, would often range between 6 hours to 10 hours at a time. My longest record of solo-karaoke is 9 hours, from the moment the shop opened to it closing. Having been to most of the karaoke chains in the country, there's one that I always go back to.Ban Ban karaoke tops of my chart of karaoke chains. Its extremely reasonable price is unbeatable. I went there with friends recently, and on a weekday, free time (we sang from 11am to 8pm) and drink bar included, we paid about 500yen per person with the help of the 20% coupon that's often in the local coupon magazines. The drink bar in also included, so there's no one-drink requirement BS.Granted, the ones I go to are in the suburbans. It would cost more if you're in the city, and Ban Ban is rarely in the center of the city. But Ban Ban is indeed nation-wide, and their machines are very updated too. If I have access to a Ban Ban, I rarely visit others. Look up if you have a Ban Ban near you!How often do you go to karaoke, and do you have a favourite chain?To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/za1Dz-living_moneySat, 18 Mar 2017 15:42:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/za1Dz-living_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zDA0G-foodI usually complain about how "spicy" food in Japan are never spicy enough, but this experience changed my mind.At the local ramen shop, their latest "extremely spicy ramen" had a choice between 1-10, and with my arrogance, I went for level 5 on my first try, after they have warned me. I thought: "I know what spicy is in Japan and it is nothing!"What arrived at the table was a pool of redness. The rich thick spicy soup covered every single inch of every single ingredient in the bowl, and boy, eating it while it's hot will burn you in more ways than one.I'd like to say that it was delicious, but the truth be told, my tongue was more paralyzed by the hotness to know better. It definitely didn't taste bad, but I just couldn't tell anymore.By the time it cooled down, the noodles was much easier to consume, and eventually, I ate everything in the bowl and drank up a good portion of the red pool too.And the following day, I summoned a demon in the toilet.From that day on, if a ramen shop offers level 1-10, I'd go for 3, maybe 4 max if I know the shop, with the risk of summoning only a minor-demon the next morning.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zDA0G-foodThu, 16 Mar 2017 15:33:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zDA0G-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zVb7z-livingI love video games, both western and Japanese games. I play everything!At home, I got myself a Japanese PS4, and with the console being region-free, I play games of both languages.There is one cultural gap that really annoys the heck out of me, however...In western games, X is for "confirm/yes" because it is the closest to our right thumb, and O, being the other closest is used for "reject/no".In Japanese games or Japanese versions of the games, however, O is for "confirm/yes" as this symbol is used in the country, and X means "reject/no"!This may not be much for those who don't game, but for someone like me who games every day, the confusion that occurs when I switch games is annoying."Do you want to purchase this item?"*X*Ah curses, this is a Japanese game and I just canceled it!This problem especially in the way when I'm switching between the game and the system's menu. Those who don't game or who don't play games from two languages probably won't encounter this issue, but this is the smallest cultural-gap issue that I encounter every single day.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zVb7z-livingTue, 14 Mar 2017 23:13:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zVb7z-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z41JG-living_transportationTo many of your knowledge or surprises, having your earphones in while riding a bicycle is, in fact, illegal in Japan. The police may stop you and give you a fine if they see you doing it.I learned about that law on my way home from work one day, listening to my favourite music, and the police standing at the street corner signaled me to stop my bike."Sir, you can't have your headphones in while riding a bicycle."Even after I've explained my ignorance, I was given a warning ticket and promised that I'd change.From that day on, I started riding my bike with only ONE earphone in.Fast forward a year, I was stopped again. Apparently, ONE earphone is also not okay, and there I got another warning ticket from a different police officer. Lucky for me, I was let off with just a warning, but they had all the rights to fine me for the "dangerous behaviour", so you bicycle riders out there, watch out!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z41JG-living_transportationSat, 11 Mar 2017 10:16:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z41JG-living_transportationhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wex4G-living_shoppingFor years in Japan, I never knew this little trick until I saw someone do it...Did you know that the small supermarket shopping carts are designed so that the height can fit right above the table where you pack your groceries?BOOM! Just like that, and the little space-saver cart is now right beside you at the table. You don't need to twist your body around to reach for the pack of pork and the head of lettuce just to twist yourself back again to stuff them into your bag!More importantly, the cart is no longer sitting behind me and tripping everyone who is walking out from the supermarket. It's both space-efficient and good manners. If you didn't know that, give it a try next time!~To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wex4G-living_shoppingThu, 09 Mar 2017 22:43:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wex4G-living_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MdyBz-food_kyoto_kyoto-shiUsually I share about the ramen shops I tried and enjoyed, and I am pretty good at picking good options before putting my money down, but there are exceptions.This shop, Ichibankan (not to be confused with the Chuubu tonkotsu chain, Ichibanken, which I've never tried but looks not bad) around 4-cho of Kyoto, was an absolute disaster.I went in around 5 for an early dinner, because it had been 3 days since I've had noodles. No one was in the shop, which is fine, given the time of the day, but the shop's decoration from a mixture of different Asian cultures already struck me as something strange.Then I ordered the standard ramen, and I realized I hit a LANDMINE when I saw the man cook.He was using his hands to see if the noodles were cooked firm enough!Again, instead of knowing how long the noodles should have cooked for, HE HAD TO TOUCH IT TO KNOW IT!And what came out was a chaos. The soup was between thick and thin, but overall tasted muddy and dirty. The cold cha-siu had nothing to be proud of. And the noodles, the freaking noodles that he didn't know how long he should cook for, were of course, too soggy.It was a complete mess for a ramen shop I would expect to find in a busy district like 4-cho of Kyoto, and I had to rush to the Kyoto station right afterward to eat another bowl of ramen 2 hours later to cleanse my palate. (Check that much more successful eating experience here:Tokushima Ramen)So if you are ever around the area and want to get some noodles, by ALLLLLLLLLLLL means, avoid this tragedy that is called Ichibankan.To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MdyBz-food_kyoto_kyoto-shiWed, 08 Mar 2017 11:45:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MdyBz-food_kyoto_kyoto-shihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G0XZG-living_foodYou may have seen this little guy around in supermarkets and convenient stores. The milk seafood ramen is one of the most popular ones in their line of products, and the taste is surprisingly good.In fact, this started quite a craze in Japan that people started making their own version of milk cup noodles, and you can easily do it too by following some simple instructions:1. get a cup noodle of your choice (seafood is ideal, but other flavours like shoyu are fun to experiment with too)2. instead of water, boil milk instead3. put the milk in and wait 3 mins as you would with water4. enjoy!Quick and simple, and it comes out even creamier than this! The noodles soak up the milk and the outcome is wonderful. If you're cheap on the price of milk, you can do half-half instead and the result is still pretty decent.Give it a try next time!~To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G0XZG-living_foodSun, 05 Mar 2017 21:58:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G0XZG-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GBjOG-foodNabe is the best way to get kids to eat vegetables and other food they don't like, because you can hide anything in the soup and let the flavour do the rest. Kids, however, can still be picky about the soup-base, and this is one that will win any kid over.The Cocoichi cheese curry soup is a mild flavourful nabe base that matches with almost any kind of veggies you want to put in. Curry standards like cabbage and carrots are of course welcomed, but mushrooms, green peppers and eggplants (aka what kids hate) also go surprisingly well with this!With this, kids would no doubt eat it all up. Meat-wise, I'd recommend pork and/or sausages, but chicken would match perfectly as well. The "cheese curry" actually lacks the cheese flavour, so add your own cheap brand cheese to cheese it up.Afterwards, put in some rice and cheese for curry-risotto, or bake some toast sticks and dip the rest of the soup up. Either choice, you will have a healthy, satisfying and warming meal for sure!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GBjOG-foodFri, 03 Mar 2017 19:12:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GBjOG-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GQxqz-foodJapan is renowned for the delicious ramen, and each region has its own specialty that makes the place proud. Fukuoka is famous for tonkotsu, for example, and Hokkaidou's miso ramen is loved by many. But do you know about Tokushima's specialty noodles? Although not as famous as others, it's one that ramen lovers shouldn't miss. The Tokukshima ramen!It is a rich shoyu-tonkotsu soup base and chew thin noodles, but that's only the start. What puts Tokushima ramen apart from others are two things: Beef and Raw Eggs.It's rare to see beef being used as the main meat in ramen, and the thinly sliced beef aren't simply boiled, but cooked with flavours and seasonings too. Kinda like the kind you'd eat with sukiyaki.On top of that, you will find raw eggs on the counter ready for you to crack and mix into a separate bowl. You can dip the beef (or everything) into the eggs (again, like sukiyaki), or mix the eggs into the noodles. It's all up to you, and these are definitely options you won't find with other kinds of ramen.These are relatively rare, but I found a shop at the Kyoto station's ramen street. Try to find one around you and give it a try!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GQxqz-foodFri, 03 Mar 2017 15:14:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GQxqz-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zaQ0z-foodWhen I was in Kindergarten back in Hong Kong as a little boy, my mom would often buy me this sweet creamy bread from the Yamazaki bakery. I loved it so much, but once I moved to Canada, the same bread was, of course, nowhere to be found.Fast forward, 17 years later when I came to Japan for work, walking around the supermarket on my second day in the country and there it was. "Nice Stick", by Yamazaki, selling for 93yen. And that was the moment that I thought "I will survive in this country."The long stick of soft bread has a creamy and sweet margarine inside. It is easy to eat on the go and the sweetness reminds me of my childhood. Despite its seemingly inappropriate name (especially when you read it quickly) and its appropriately wrong shape and ingredients, this bread is still my go-to whenever I'm grabbing a supermarket bread for a quick breakfast or snack. Forget all the seasonal flavours though, the original is the best.Please do give it a try the next chance you see it!-----------------------------------------Follow for more everyday magic I encounter in Japan!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zaQ0z-foodWed, 22 Feb 2017 20:11:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zaQ0z-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmd8G-food_shoppingDrinking alcohol is very affordable in this country, as it is a lifestyle for many. My favourite drink of choice in Japan is most definitely Ume-shuu, aka Plum Wine. It packs a very sweet and thick flavour with a slight sourness that the fruit brings and it is one of the easiest drinks for people for those who aren't fond of the bitterness of alcohol. Out of all the ones I've tried from the supermarket, I have one that I purchase again and again.The Makkoi Umeshuu by Mercian is one of the richest and tastest ume-shuu I've ever tried. Mixing it with cold water, soda water, or my favourite, having it on rocks are all great options that doesn't take away any of its deliciousness. And the best part? The price. The 1000mL pack shown in the picture would cost you just around 600yen, and nowadays I store the 2L version at home, which is usually just under a 1000yen and it lasts me quite a good while.If you're looking to try an affordable ume-shuu or a delicious drink that's worth your buck, this is my recommendation and I don't think you'd be disappointed. Enjoy drinking (responsibly)! -----------------------------------------Follow for more everyday magic I encounter in Japan!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmd8G-food_shoppingFri, 17 Feb 2017 00:16:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmd8G-food_shoppinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXg4G-living_foodI fell right into this bottomless pit soon after I arrived to Japan. The snacks, and by snacks, I'm referring to the junk food, are delicious. Japanese potato chips, caramel corn, pocky, and oh so many more that I couldn't stop enjoying even when I used to buy them from import stores back in Canada.But now that I'm in Japan, I see all those seasonal time-limited flavours, and there's that voice in my head that goes "if I don't try it, I'd never know what it tastes like!" For only 90yen-ish a bag, I find myself purchase one after another whenever a new flavour is introduced, before I even finish the stock that's already at home. And my stock often ends up like this.It's a guilty pleasure that I can always open a new bag of snack, not knowing what it'll taste like. The excitement to finding out how the taste matches the expectations I got from its package is the biggest reason I can't stop. To fulfill the curiosity is even more important than fulfill my stomach with tasty (unhealthy) snacks. I do finish them all eventually and none goes to waste (except for that one flavour that was an utter disaster and I had to surrender. I'll save that story for another post).At least this addiction is much more affordable than other ones I could have picked up, like pachiko, haha.-----------------------------------------Follow for more everyday magic I encounter in Japan!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXg4G-living_foodSat, 11 Feb 2017 00:30:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXg4G-living_foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zVK4G-foodI really got a thing for cute bakery goods, and this one apparently is a traditional choice that kids love. Behold, KANI-PAN!Unlike the previously introduce Kamelon-pan baked fresh at the bakery, this crab-bread is one of the packaged goods that you can easily find and pick up at many shops for about 80yen. Its sell point?.... well, it's a bread that looks like a freakin' crab and it's adorable!Taste-wise it doesn't offer any surprises. It doesn't have any filling at all, just a sweetened bread. The reason why kids love it is because of how the bread was made, each leg can easily be ripped apart and consumed with ease. For kids, that's fun! So let's not take the whole ripping and tearing a living creature thing too seriously....-----------------------------------------Follow for more everyday magic I encounter in Japan!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zVK4G-foodWed, 08 Feb 2017 22:35:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/zVK4G-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GWYoM-living_transportation_gifu_gifu-shiSome of you might know that the great warlord who conquered and united Japan originated from Gifu Prefecture. More accurately, Gifu city is exactly where he established himself and his ambition. For that, Gifu city is very proud of being the home of arguably the most historical figure of Japan, and signs of Oda Nobunaga can be seen everywhere in the city.One of the most prominent appearances of Oda Nobunaga is his golden statue that stands right outside of the Gifu JR station. In the center of the station square, it stands tall, holding his helmet and his signature rifle. A huge part of his victory in war came from his trades with western businessmen and installment of western firearms in the army.That figure is what you will see the moment you step out from the station. The great Oda Nobunaga welcomes you to explore his hometown and discover the history of Japan's sengoku era.And now, I live here.-----------------------------------------Follow for more everyday magic I encounter in Japan!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GWYoM-living_transportation_gifu_gifu-shiTue, 07 Feb 2017 15:02:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GWYoM-living_transportation_gifu_gifu-shihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GQq3G-food_tochigi_ashikaga-shiOne of the most impacting ramen experiences I've had in Japan happened in Ashikaga of the Tochigi prefecture. When I told a colleague who I consider a master in the art of ramenry that I was moving to Ashikaga, knowing my preferences, he told me that I should visit the shop called Kiryuu ramen and that it would surprise and satisfy me.The little shop with neon signs outside had a very Chinese feel to it, and their signature dish "stamina ramen" was the one I was recommended to order. When the bowl was presented in front of me, I understood.This massive bowl of steaming deliciousness was big enough to wash my face in! (not that anyone should ever do that with a hot bowl of noodles). Chewy noodles were topped with a thick sauce that was fried in a wok with various ingredients, bringing a mixture of two textures perfectly together as you slurp up the noodles.The extremely flavourful noodles were cooked with a great amount of green onion, Chinese chives, and even whole cloves of garlic. It packs quite a punch is the taste is definitely not lacking. Just make sure you eat a whole case of mints afterwards.What about the two karaage (fried chicken) that came with the noodles? Oh yea, massive as well. No wonder my colleague guaranteed that I'd be satisfied, and I definitely walked out with a belly full of stamina!Does that look like something you would like to try?-----------------------------------------Follow for more everyday magic I encounter in Japan!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GQq3G-food_tochigi_ashikaga-shiSat, 04 Feb 2017 23:31:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GQq3G-food_tochigi_ashikaga-shihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wegbz-food_tokyoTo be frank, I can't really afford the 3000yen plus sushi offered at Tsukiji, but it doesn't stop me from walking around the area, enjoying the atmosphere that is the world-known fish market.One of my favourite seafood is oysters, and as much as I love them raw, they have their health risks and are difficult to come by in Japan. The next best thing, however, can easily be found right in the market.For about 450yen, you can snatch yourself a hearty grilled oyster that is cracked open and cooked right in front of you. Pick up the chopsticks and you got an awesome snack to go (even though you might want to eat there so it's easier to throw the garbage away afterward).The jumbo oyster is very satisfying, and you can taste the flavour as it is, without other added ingredients or seasonings. And the best part? No line up!-----------------------------------------Follow for more everyday magic I encounter in Japan!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wegbz-food_tokyoThu, 02 Feb 2017 21:47:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wegbz-food_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GB6DG-livingIt's almost Feb 3rd, the Beans-throwing Festival, or as it's actually called, Setsubun. This festival of tossing beans at demons to call for good luck is a Japanese tradition, but if you're living in Japan, you can easily take part in this culture with the one essential item: beans.Head to the supermarket right now and you'd find yourself bags and bags of dried beans on sale. Pick up a cheap bag and head home. On Feb 3rd, just open your door and toss some beans outside to cast the bad luck away. Remember to save some though, as you should also eat some of the beans too. How many? It should be the same amount as your age, and this is to wish you good health for the rest of the year.For extra fun? Grab yourself one of those demon masks too and have a friend (or yourself) be the demon. Others will enjoy tossing (or in most cases, full-power throwing) the beans at the demon to chase it out the door.It's just a little tradition that anyone living here can easily take part in. If you're living in Japan and never tried it, pick up some beans and let this Feb 3rd be your first Setsubun!-----------------------------------------Follow for more everyday magic I encounter in Japan!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GB6DG-livingTue, 31 Jan 2017 01:12:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GB6DG-livinghttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z4k9M-food_money_tokyoWhat comes to mind when you think of Tsukiji? That's right, "fresh sushi!"What comes next after fresh sushi? For me, "no money!"The sushi served at the renowned fish market is definitely quality, but they for sure don't come cheap. However, you can have a happy tummy at Tsukiji too without breaking your wallet, as long as you have your eyes (and mouth) open to options beyond seafood.During my first visit to Tsukiji, I noticed that there were a couple of tiny shops with exceptional long lines, and everyone walked away with a little plate in their hands.These slices of grilled Japanese omelette costs you only 100yen, and they are likely the best tamagoyaki you've ever had. The sweetness and freshness are outstanding, proving to anyone who tastes how a store like this can survive for tens of years by selling one single item.Considering tamagoyaki is one of the things often served on a plate of sushi, I totally count this as a genuine Tsukiji experience!-----------------------------------------Follow for more everyday magic I encounter in Japan!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z4k9M-food_money_tokyoTue, 31 Jan 2017 00:41:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z4k9M-food_money_tokyohttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G73nG-living_food_shopping_moneyIf you are living in Japan on a budget and didn't know about this, you are missing out. Supermarkets here sell a great selection of delicacies for you to bring home and eat. Fried pork cutlet, grilled chicken, bento boxes, salad, and even sushi. They aren't expensive, but definitely not cheaper than cooking at home, yes. But what do they do with the cooked food if they don't sell by the end of the day?That's right. They go on a big sale, because an unsold item is as good as a wasted one, so this way the supermarket can at least get the product cost back. Now, if you go at the right time......Massively discounted, indeed! So when is the right time? Go about 2-3 hours before it closes and you can likely net yourself 20% off. An hour or two before it closes and you might see the love "half priced" sticker on them. Those that still aren't sold by then might go as low as 70% off, from what I've seen.Personally, these discounted food aren't bad, especially if you're the type to freeze your food. So if there was always that pack of expensive sushi you've wanted, find the right timing to go. If you're living on a budget, stock up when the opportunity is right!Just be ready to battle with the housewives the salarymen who are on the hunt too.-----------------------------------------Follow for more everyday magic I encounter in Japan!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G73nG-living_food_shopping_moneySun, 29 Jan 2017 10:49:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/G73nG-living_food_shopping_moneyhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z8adG-education_aichi_inuyama-shiThanks to video game series like "Samurai Warriors", "Sengoku Basara" and "Nobunaga's Ambition", my interest in Japanese sengoku history has made its foundation long before I came to Japan. Throughout my visits to Japanese castles all over the country in search of the path of the samurai, Inuyama Castle remains being my favourite.Standing tall on a little hill overlooking the beautiful Kiso River, the castle is one of the rare few in Japan that remains in its original form, while many other castles have been destroyed in war or by natural disasters throughout history.For that reason, it is listed as one of Japan's National Treasures.The little castle is 19m high, which is not very tall for a castle. But thanks for its locale on top of the hill, the view from the observation deck is magnificent!Look at that! Absolutely stunning.If you're travelling around the Chuubu area of Japan and you're interested in Japanese history and traditional architect, Inuyama Castle is a must-see!-----------------------------------------Follow for more everyday magic I encounter in Japan!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z8adG-education_aichi_inuyama-shiSat, 28 Jan 2017 11:15:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z8adG-education_aichi_inuyama-shihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MpKnw-food_fukuokaI'm a (self-proclaimed) ramen connoisseur. I love trying out new shops whenever I have a chance on my travels, as each shop has its own style and passion that they put into the soup (i.e. soul) of the ramen. There is one shop, however, that is available all across Japan and gets my highest approval for its quality.Ichiran (一蘭) Ramen. Originated from Fukuoka back in 1960, this tonkotsu (pork bones soup base) ramen chain is now regarded as one of the best shops in the country. It is renowned not only for its extremely high quality flavours, but for two more things:First, you have a ton of customization options when you order. A richer soup? Less greasy? Half clove of garlic? Extra firm noodles? Sure, just circle your choices on the ordering sheet, and no worries, English options are available too.Second, when you eat (alone), you will be seated at something like a library booth, with no other person visible around you. Not even the staff! It's just you, your bowl of ramen, and a delicious time together.The shop is on the higher end in terms of pricing, but it's definitely worth every single yen. If you are looking for a nice shop to visit yourself or to bring your visiting friends to, Ichiran would be my top recommendation, hands down.Is there one around you? Have you ever tried it? Let me know in the comments.-----------------------------------------Follow for more everyday magic I encounter in Japan!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MpKnw-food_fukuokaFri, 27 Jan 2017 10:21:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/MpKnw-food_fukuokahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXR4z-foodEveryone should know by now that red beans are a staple in Japanese desserts, and one of the forms it is incorprated into a snack is youkan.This little solid block of jelly-ish sweet has a very distinct texture that's not too soft but you can chew through easily. Perhaps what's more surprising about it is how SWEET it is. Hands-down one of the sweetest things I've had in Japan.For some reason it is beloved by the elders and not so much the younger generations. My friends find it way too sweet for their liking, but personally, I love it. You can also find ones with chestnuts or green tea as well.Have you ever tried youkan before? What did you think about it?-----------------------------------------Follow for more everyday magic I encounter in Japan!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXR4z-foodWed, 25 Jan 2017 18:38:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wXR4z-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w52XM-food_saitama_ageo-shi"Janken (rock,paper, scissors) with our staff.If you WIN, you get 4 extra fried shrimps for FREE!"I read that ad in the local magazine for this little seafood restaurant inside the fish wholesale market in Ageo city of Saitama and was instantly intrigued. Play rock, paper, scissors for free food? That idea itself is funny enough for me to make a visit.At this little shop with the most laid-back atmosphere I've ever entered, I presented the coupon to the staff and she smiled and said "Only one attempt, a draw is a loss. Are you ready?" At a 33.3% probability for victory, luck was on my side and my scissors beat her paper!"Here you are, you Champion of the Galaxy!" (She didn't actually say that.)And wow, was I not prepared for this! I was so focused on winning the shrimp, I totally forgot to mention above that the meal itself included a negitoro (minced fatty tuna and green onion) rice bowl, a bowl of miso soup cooked with crab, and 4 very promising-looking fried shrimp. That's before you win and net yourself the double shrimp bonus, and the meal was only 1300yen! What. A. Steal!That meal was definitely the most unique dining experience I've had alone in Japan, and the only one time that me winning at janken rewarded me with something delicious! (Note: I lost all the other times I revisited the shop. She must have seen through my technique.)Here is the restaurant if you want to go try it yourself. http://www.hanaichi871.com/docs/shop.html-----------------------------------------Follow for more everyday magic I encounter in Japan!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w52XM-food_saitama_ageo-shiTue, 24 Jan 2017 00:06:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/w52XM-food_saitama_ageo-shihttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmo8z-foodOne of Japan's favourite household dishes has to be the deep-fried pork cutlet, also known as, Tonkatsu. This simple yet delicious dish is loved by people of all ages. The pork is breaded then fried, resulted in a juicy slice of meat wrapped in an extremely crunchy shell. You can easily make it at home, and there are some really really good restaurants out there too.It is often served with shredded cabbage and rice. You can also pour Japanese-style worcestershire sauce of it, which in Japan is also known as: "sauce" (admit it, learning how to pronounce that name properly is as much a challenge as to chug it). Other areas may use different condiments, such as the Nagoya variation which tops it with a miso sauce instead.Both equally delicious. You can take my word for it!Also, the word "katsu" comes from the word "cutlet", and it is the same pronunciation as the Japanese word for "to win". Therefore, many students eat it the night before, or better yet, the morning of their big exams for good luck.Does eating tonkatsu help with tests? Who knows, but it sure helps with my empty stomach!-----------------------------------------Follow for more everyday magic I encounter in Japan!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmo8z-foodMon, 23 Jan 2017 17:52:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/wmo8z-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GRaYz-foodAs a fan of spicy food, an issue living in Japan is how difficult it is to find spicy food that can sting your tastebuds enough. Very often the food labelled "extremely hot" is nowhere up to the standard, and you are once again back on the search.One cup noodle that I am very happy with is the Toukarashimen series.As the name implies, the noodles are infused with grinded chili pepper, maximizing the spiciness with every single slurp. Unlike most other spicy instant noodles, this unconventional method makes sure that the star isn't the soup, but the noodles. In fact, the soup isn't that impacting at all, especially after it cools down. Nevertheless, it is delicious. The Toukarashimen series also loves to surprise us with their unique flavours, including Mapo-tofu, Hot & Sour Chinese Soup, and even Jerk Chicken. To be honest, the soup made very little difference, because the noodles truly steal the show everytime.If you're a fan of spicy food or a challenger of extreme tastes, this cup noodle is one worth picking up!-----------------------------------------Follow for more everyday magic I encounter in Japan!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GRaYz-foodSun, 22 Jan 2017 21:20:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GRaYz-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gy76M-foodCurly fries are hard to come by in Japan, as the very limited selection of fast food restaurants here mostly sell standard-cut fries or potato wedges. McDonald's started 2017 with a time-limited run of curly fries, available from mid-Jan to early-Feb. So how are these fries? I gave it a try today.320yen by itself or add 50yen to upgrade your medium fries that came with the meal, the curly fries are presented to you in a box. The weight is pretty good and holds more than you'd expect. Just remember to ask for the ketchup because they never give that to you in Japan unless requested.As someone who likes fries a little bit too much, I was very satisfied with the extra crispiness with these curly fries. The extra flavour and the touch of spiciness put them at a level higher than the normal fries, and unless those chocolate-sauce french fries strange inventions, I'm sure everyone would enjoy these curly creations.When you hit a curly-fry with multiple rings, you know you've hit jackpot. Good news is that you can expect multiple jackpots in your box, as mine was full of them!The cost isn't high but these (very regrettably) won't be around forever. If you miss the North American fast food back home, go get your filling of curly fries before they stop curling!-----------------------------------------Follow for more everyday magic I encounter in Japan!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gy76M-foodSat, 21 Jan 2017 12:46:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/Gy76M-foodhttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z1gAw-food_saitamaI love Japanese bakeries. They are always so creative in how to make their already delicious bread even more appealing.On one of my visits, I walked through the bakery inside the supermarket again. Although I knew I wasn't buying anything right before dinner time, it always puts a smile on my face when I see they come up with something new.And this time, what I saw was absolutely adorable.Look at how adorable these little turtles are. Laying on the sheet, waiting to be picked up for just about 180yen each. How can you not want to bring them home?And their name! Kame (turtle) + melon-pan (the name of the delicious bread) = Kamelon-pan. While many may facepalm to such oyaji humour, I loved it. The taste may have been standard, but that's obviously not the reason why I bought it.The biggest issue with such a cute delicacy is of course, where do you start eating, if you can bring yourself to devour it at all.-----------------------------------------Follow for more everyday magic I encounter in Japan!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z1gAw-food_saitamaSat, 21 Jan 2017 11:33:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/z1gAw-food_saitamahttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GoyXM-living_tokyoYou would expect a snow day to ruin your trip at a theme park. Cold breeze hitting your face, outdoor rides closing, and the worst yet, shoes being soaked and wet.But when you're at Tokyo Disney Resort, the caring staffs can turn even the freezing downer weather into a heartful warmth, with a little bit of Disney snow magic.....HI MICKEY!!!!!!!!!!Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww~~~~ Look at the two lovel mice!!!Did Elsa just pass by?I swear everyone has been taught at least a bit of snow magic from the queen of Arendella.The weather may have been freezing, but the little surprise touches kept the dream in both the park and our hearts.-----------------------------------------Follow for more everyday magic I encounter in Japan!To view the full contents of this page visit www.city-cost.comPostshttps://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GoyXM-living_tokyoSat, 21 Jan 2017 10:47:00 +0900https://www.city-cost.comhttps://www.city-cost.com/blogs/JapanRamen/GoyXM-living_tokyo