Is it wrong that I'm 22 and I still laugh when I see a building called the International Seamen's Hall?
The Japanese seem to love using the contraction "let's," and most of the time, it's not paired with a verb.
I saw kiosks at a train station called Let's Kiosk.
I saw a brand of ramen called Let's Quiq.
I saw a commercial on television for a concert tour called the Let's! Power to the Music Tour.
My favorite sighting of the contraction was in a clothing store on a sweater that said —Let' Punk. No S after the apostrophe.
Let' laugh at Engrish!
At the airport, the immigration area had a sign that said —Fraudulent passports re-inforced.
In one of our hotel rooms, the window had a sticker that said —NOTICE: Do not open window to prevent a dewdrop or harmful insect entering.
I think video game console manufacturers should switch the L and R buttons on controllers in Japan.
In Asakusa, I found a store that sold toy guns that looked like actual handguns. I wanted to buy one, but feared Customs would confiscate it. The store also had latex Bob Sapp masks and a plastic sinking submarine play set that was rather inappropriate for children. Two seamen (haha) dejectedly watched a damaged submarine sink. The surface of the water was completely covered in black oil and the part of the submarine still above water was on fire.
I saw honeydew melons on sale at a supermarket for 8000 yen ($80 U.S.) apiece.
Everything in Japan is like a portion of food at a French restaurant — small and expensive.
I felt like Will Ferrell in Elf at (name withheld)'s house. The doorways of her house were just high enough for a 5'8" person to walk through comfortably. I'm 6'3."
Navigating the house even frustrated Jon, and he's, well, Asian.
I meant to see how big the Big Gulps at 7-Elevens in Japan were but I forgot.
Fun fact: Asahi Breweries designed their building in Asakusa to look like a giant beer glass.
At a convenience store, I saw a candy bar called Crunky and Men's Pocky (—for the type of person who enjoys the finer points in life). Some of you may have seen these products before at Asian food stores.
There were also snacks called Pocky G. and Crunky Biscuits, both of which I think would make great band names.
—Hey we're the Crunky Biscuits from Montreal. We'd like to thank Pocky G. for taking us out on the road with him.
My favorite snack name was Ghana (a chocolate bar). One wrapper read —Dark Chocolate Ghana.
Lotte should produce a line of white chocolate bars called America.
All the homeless people in Japan have the same-colored (blue) nylon tents. I think homeless people in America should color-code themselves too. In red. When I stab them.
The most kickass thing I saw in Japan, hands down, was a washer and dryer in one at the Panasonic Center in Odaiba. How cool is that? Kevin from work says that washer and dryers in one have existed in America for a while now, but I'd never seen or heard of one until last week.