Nike Jordan Zion X Naruto Collaboration Basketball Shoes

 I am an anime fan and a basketball fan.  When I heard that Nike Jordan series will have collaborations with Naruto to make 3 different models of Jordan Zion basketball shoes, I knew I had to get one for my collection.

In Canada, it is hard to get our hands on any kind of new release, but I was amazed that I could get my hands on one pair on the date of release.

Nike Jordan Zion Naruto

The pair I got is the "Kyubi" model.  It has the orange and yellow theme.  The shoes have the Ninja patterns and dots.  It also has the Air Jordan mark and ZW sign.

Nike Jordan Zion Naruto in box

Nike Jordan Naruto wrapping

The wrapping paper was customized with ZW and Naruto ninja patterns.

Nike Jordan Zion Naruto left shoe

Nike Jordan Zion Naruto Kyubi 

As you can see from the side, it has the "zap" lighting style design and dot design on the sides.

Nike Jordan Naruto sticker

Inside the box, there is a small sticker.

Nike Jordan Zion Naruto Box

Even the box is customized for the collaboration as you can see.  It has the Naruto anime sign and leaves.

I think this is well done by Nike, and I hope they can release more collaborations with popular anime.  (Few suggestions:  Dragonball, One Piece, Super Mario, or even Streetfighter would be awesome!)

New Koala's March: Pokemon Collaboration

 

I found this one new Koala's March in the supermarket again.  

This time it is a Pokemon collaboration!

The box has Pikachu and Cinderace's pictures on it.  The taste is cheese cake.

Koala's March Pokemon with Cinderace

Koala's March and Pokemon

The interesting thing is that on each snack, not only it has different koalas on it, it has different Pokemon's drawing on it.

For example, it has Pikachu, Cinderace, Pinsir, Bewear, Marill, etc.

Koala's March and Pokemon collaboration

Taste-wise, I don't think it is anything special.  The characters are very cute though if you are a pokemon fan.

New Koala's March in Canada Review: "Bitter Chocolate" and "Milk and Cheese"

 Recently, I found two new Koala's March snack boxes in the nearby supermarkets.

There are two new kinds of tastes:  "Milk and Cheese" and "Bitter Chocolate".

Koala's March Milk & Cheese and Bitter Chocolate

Milk and Cheese:  It is tasty but I taste more milk than cheese.  It is good but I don't feel as much impact.

Bitter Chocolate:  I actually like this one better.  It feels like a thicker chocolate, different than the original taste.  It tastes more luxurious and mature.

Conclusion:  I think I will try the bitter chocolate again.

Vancouver: Imported Japanese Mandarin Oranges

We all know Japan produces the highest quality of fruits for the types they can produce.

In Vancouver area, we found a box of these imported Japanese oranges from Japan in Kin's Farm.

Imported Original Japanese Mandarin Oranges

Amazingly, these were nicely individually wrapped and are delicious.

Mandarin Oranges individually wrapped from Japan

Good quality indeed!!

100 Dollar Bag of Rice in Izumiya in Richmond, BC

Here is the "dream" bag of rice I saw in Izumiya.
These are 107.95 each bag...I wonder who is going to buy them?

The name sounds nice, and I bet it tastes wonderful!  (Just can't afford it.)
"Dream Weaver" or "Dream Maker" is the direct translation for the name "Yumetsukushi".

100 dollar bag of rice "yumetsukushi" "Dream Weaver"

I guess there are people buying them so that is why they have so many bags....
Amazing...it is like paying 10 dollars for a loaf of bread...outrageous!

My Father's Day Gift: Dragonball Soft Drink

For this year's Father's Day, my wife made a wonderful, tasty meal as usual.
On top of that, she bought me a Dragonball Soft Drink from Japan.

I didn't know that Dragonball is still popular and they are still making these products.
I guess the kids back then are adults now, and there is still a market for them!

The world still likes Dragonball right now, I guess the manga artist is having a great retirement right now.
haha...
I like the design of the cans:

There are nine types for series 1, and I know that series 2 has been release in Japan.

It is nice that we can still buy some of these in Canada since we far away.

Japanese Chocolate: Goncharoff Chocolate Gift Box

Goncharoff Chocolate is famous in Japan for its nice chocolate.
(They have thousands of chocolate makers.)

The company is set up by Makar Goncharoff in 1926 in Kobe, Japan.
He used to be a chef for the Russian Emperor but left Russia when the Russian Revolution happened.
In the 1930's in sold his company to a Japanese friend and left for Australia.

Goncharoff Chocolate Gift Box

We got a box from my mom who came back from Japan.
It is a very nice pink chocolate gift box.

The chocolate inside were colorful, tasty and not too sweet.

We finished it in a couple of days, and these were delicious.

bento Lunch Box: Omuraisu (Omelette Rice) with Gratin

Gratin is a French cuisine that is very popular in Japan and various style exists.
It is a local food from the Dauphine region of France and traditionally, there are 4 french styles exists.

Omuraisu, meaning Omelette Rice in Japanese, is very popular as well!
It can be seen in any western style restaurant in Japan and has become a set menu.

My wife has combined the two in my lunch box today (without the egg).

She mixed in different kinds of cheese in the gratin, and it was absolutely delicious.
The omuraisu contains mixed vegetables and slices of ham.
My co-workers kept staring at my lunch box as usual...

Too bad only my lunch boxes grab attention, not me...haha

Japan Trip 2011: Kumamoto City

For the last 12 years, I have visited Kumamoto in Japan a number of times, but I never get tired of it. 
Especially the castle, it is beautiful from all angles.  The castle ground gets more and more complete everyday.

Even though Himeji is beautiful from inside, I believe the castle ground and surrounding buildings of Kumamoto castle is the best in Japan.  The newly built "Honmaru" goten imitates the structure and craftsmanship of the original.  I believe it is rare in Japan to have castle ground this complete with "honmaru goten". 

Kumamoto castle

Kumamoto castle honmaru goten

Golden Room in Kumamoto Castle Honmaru Goten

Old Kumamoto Castle town

Trader Joe's Calbee Snack Salad Snapea Crisps

Japanese people love "mame", meaning peas and beans.
For breakfast, they have "natto", or "sticky soy beans".
For snack, they have "edamame", a kind of refresh pea, which you just peel the skin and eat what is inside.
They also have all kinds of snack peas.
In the weekend, we found a kind of "mame" in Trader Joe's and we were surprised.
We bought it and tried it at home.  It became one of my wife's favorite snack!!

Trader Joe's Snapea Crisps baked original by Calbee

I think it is like a baked "chips" type of snack that simulate the taste and shape of a "mame" or "peas".
This is a good snack if you like Oriental snacks and peas and Trader Joe's are close by.

Nintendo DS: Momotaro Dentetsu (Japanese Railway Monopoly)

In Vancouver, we also have "Book Off", a discount used bookstore, which sells books, magazine, games and dvds.  They are not as cheap as Japan, but they offer some deals and selections that we don't get anywhere else in Canada.

I bought the game, "Momotaro Dentetsu" for Nintendo DS.  It is a game similar to monopoly where a gamer will travel all through Japan or Tokyo by railway and buying its properties, using strategies and cards to out-compete other players.

Momotaro Dentetsu Nintendo DS

It is good to use this kind of game to pass time on the bus if one has a long commute.
I am not sure if it has a English edition of the game but it is a good source for Japanese geographical knowledge.

Cherry Blossom (sakura) in Burnaby / Vancouver Area

It is finally getting warmer in end of March and cherry trees (sakura) are finally blossoming.
We took this picture near by our place around North Burnaby.
I am assuming that mass blossoming will occur in Vancouver soon.

When it is really warm, they can blossom in early February just like in 2010 during the Olympics.

Usually, they blossom in early or mid-March during the Spring Break in British Columbia.
Cherry tree fields are beautiful.

In Japan, you will see mountains of sakura in the suburbs or along the river banks.

In big cities, you will see acres and acres of sakura blossoms in the parks.
For example, Ueno park in Tokyo.

Here is a picture of sakura in Nagano Prefecture:

Barbie Collection: Samurai and Geisha Barbie

I went to Toys' R US recently to walk around to look for deals and came across these Barbie sets.

They had the 80's singer collections and other movie collections but the Samurai collections caught my eyes:
Geisha and Samurai:

 I like this idea for collections.
They should have more cultural themed dolls like this.

Beard Papa: Paris-Brest (French Doughnut)

Beard Papa is a popular Japanese Patisserie (Doughnut and sweets shop) that also opened stores in BC, Canada.  They sell good eclair and cream puffs and other french sweets.

Recently, new menu items had come out:  Paris-Brest.
It is a kind of French doughnut if I want to describe it but it is more sophisticated than that.
It has a layer of cream inside and should be served cold just like e'clair.

Paris-Brest and Eclair

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paris%E2%80%93Brest

I tried it and I loved it!!  It is not too sweet like the North American sweet donuts.
The combination of the chocolate layer outside with the cream inside is perfect.
It is supposed to be an cold dessert, so it was just so good and chilly.
I would buy them anytime!  The eclair and puffs are of course top notch as well.

Why don`t they have these in Tim Horton's??????
Maybe it is too hard to mass produce.

Trader Joe's Swordfish Sashimi

Now, it is common in North American markets to sell Tuna or Salmon Sashimi.

But how about swordfish sashimi (called Mekajiki in Japan)?

Japan is a nation of seafood.
It is normal to see hundreds kind of fish and seafood (squid, octopus, sea urchin) on sale in the market.
It is unusual, at least in my experience to see swordfish sashimi here at the west coast.

It has a distinctive taste.  Fish such as saba also has a kind of taste.
A person may like it or not depending on his experience and understanding of sashimi.

Me?  I love sashimi!

I kind of wish Trader Joe's and others can sell more of different kind of fish.
However, we don't have a fish culture in US or Canada, so it is not ideal for merchants.

Too bad.  I guess I will have to enjoy when I fly back.

Trader Joe's Lobster Sushi Rolls and Eclair

Trader Joe's always sells different products than other stores.
You can find things like saffron and hollandaise sauce for a good price.

This time, we saw these lobster sushi rolls, which looked interesting and enticing.

We did not have the chance to try it but will next time.
We also bought their Eclair for a try.  (some of their desserts are so good, eg. macaron.)

8 decent mini eclairs for a snack for 5 dollars.  Not bad I would say.

Starbucks Japan: Sakura (Cherry Blossom) Cream Frappuccino, Latte

In the spring, Starbucks Japan releases Sakura Cream Frappuccino, Sakura Latte and all other products in Sakura style.
(cups, teddy bears, tumblers, cookies and cakes!)

I want to buy them!  I want to drink them!!
Too bad I am in Canada, and every time I go back, I miss the season.

http://www.starbucks.co.jp/products.html?cid=pc_wh_sakura

You can check the official website for their products.  Very interesting!!

Japanese Day for Kids: 7, 5, 3 and Thomas Cake

In Japan, there is a festival, a day for celebration for kids that turns 7, 5 and 3 years old.

I bought a Thomas the Tank Engine Cake from a local Coquitlam bakery for my son.

I am always amazed at the cake nowdays and how lucky the kids now are.

My son, me and my family all enjoyed the cake (can choose whipped cream and all ingredients when I ordered).
The cake even come with a Real Thomas!!
The bakery, Inno Bakery, actually allows its customers to order cake to different theme and sizes.
(Cost is around 30 dollars Canadian, reasonable for its quality without too much sugar.)

I tried to avoid sugary cakes sold at chain supermarket!  They are just filled with sugar and icing.

www.innobakery.com

Restaurant: Gyoza King Downtown Vancouver

On the Labour Day weekend, we went to Gyoza King on Robson Street Downtown Vancouver. 
The staff were Japanese and were okay courteous.  However, during the entire time, they did not come over to offer more tea.
The Gyozas were fine but did not offer amazing taste comparing to the price.  It was 6 for 6 pieces.
The pieces were really small.  I think I rather buy some frozen gyozas from the markets and it might taste better.

We ordered 2 bowls of rice for 1.5 dollars each.  At the end, we paid 18 dollars including tips.
It is totally not worth it at all.  We could get ramen set with gyoza and fried rice in Japan for 20 dollars.
You can also get similar deal in other ramen restaurant in Vancouver, so I don't think Gyoza King is anything special.

Japanese Food: Stamina Rice

In a Japanese city in Hokkaido called "Nemuro", there is a famous dish well liked by the fishermen in the small fishing town, called "Stamina Rice".  It is made of lots of scrambled vegetables and pork on rice, topped by a sunny-side up egg.  It sounds simple, but it is very delicious and a cuisine to be researched and cooked at home. 

My wife actually tried this at home last week.