Yu-chan no Megane

The QR Code is essentially a 2D barcode that looks like this:

The code for this blog, YuMe.

The nifty image above contains the url for this blog. You can pretty much store anything on it… urls, text, contact details, etc. Don’t ask me how it’s encoded or decoded though as I really have no idea. You just need a QR Code reader like Quickmark (Google it) in your mobile phone to help you decipher the code. Most Japanese keitais come equipped with a QR Code reader and generator (e.g. Softbank Toshiba and Sharp phones) and the Japanese make use of it for a variety of purposes.

The main selling point of this code is its convenience. If you’ve flipped through Japanese magazines, you’ll have noticed the plethora of such codes scattered all over advertorial pages. It provides the Japanese with the ability to capture a single url or information and store them easily on their mobiles for future reference.

And as we’re all aware, the Japanese do everything on their keitais.

While I don’t expect Singapore to move towards the typical keitai way of life (look at how i-Mode, made popular by NTT Docomo, flopped majorly over here - much to my chagrin), we really should make use of good technology. As QR Code readers are becoming more accessible such that anyone can get a copy of the free software on their mobiles, we should really utilise it.

Unfortunately, some things are just slow on the uptake over here.

Nonetheless, I’m really starting to do everything on my mobile, Singapore style. Despite my love for exotic keitais, I realised it’s quite pointless to trade function for style. I still yearn for their messaging system though. How convenient is it to have an email address tagged to your mobile number?

Besides, I can read and enter Japanese text just fine on my device.

I’ve been working on another post the past two weeks, but that has barely made it past a few lines, so in the meantime, I’ll wax lyrical on my latest obsession, Kimura Takuya.

Rather, Kimura Takuya in cheesy Gatsby ads.

Let’s put it this way, I don’t really know who Kimura Takuya is or what he does despite my love for JEntertainment (JDoramas and JPop, I suppose), but whatever it is, I’m pretty sure he’s better known for his Gatsby ads.

For those of you not in the know, Gatsby is a brand of beauty products for men. Well, if that isn’t an oxymoron… Anyway, hair wax, hair colour, deodorant, etc etc. So, the reasonably pretty Kimura is the main focus of these ads with the ridiculously funny jingle (you’ll hear it shortly), while using these products with complete abandon. And I do mean complete abandon.

That’s his ad for the Gatsby Biocore Deodorant Spray. Almost convinces you that you’ve got to have it. Although, my primary observation would be that it’s such a counterproductive way to keep yourself smelling fresh.

If you’ve got the time, check out the ads at the Gatsby website. They load pretty quickly so you can watch the 30s ones which are double the hilarity.

Kimura’s ads are so popular that there are spoofs out there, like this one. (I’d embed the YouTube vid here, but unfortunately my plugin doesn’t allow me to post more than one video per post. I’ll work on it.)

While I did spend some time converting the ads into nice little videos to watch on my phone, that spoof above operates on a totally different level of Pathetic.

I’ve always been fascinated by Japanese drinks and sweets, quite likely due to my attraction to gorgeous packaging. Nonetheless, some Japanese do have funky taste buds (e.g. dango, natto) and I wanted to try something different from the typical Singaporean diet.

So this time, I tried a natural flavoured yohurt drink, aptly named OHAYO オハヨー, literally meaning “good morning”. That’s probably not terribly adventurous, but believe me, when you’ve had nothing but sweet yoghurt drinks in chocolate/strawberry your entire life, it’s pretty far fetched.

OHAYO just makes you want to wake up in the morning, for the amazing price of S$4.20!

The first thing about OHAYO that struck me was the sourness that is typical of yoghurt, which is even more pronounced when it’s not flavoured. The next was the semi-creamy texture. I thought it was pretty tasty and filled me up reasonably. Which, for the whopping price of S$4.20, it bloody well should. That’s pretty expensive for a quick breakfast! I’m guessing it goes for ¥180 or thereabouts without export costs.

The next thing I purchased at the supermarket at Isetan Scotts was this package of caramel which looks fairly dubious. It looks like a pack of cigarettes or else a condom package, especially with the word “milk” emblazoned on it and a tiny shy angel in the bottom left corner.

Enjoy the creamy taste of milk in this dubious little package of caramel

I think I was drawn to the caramel since I’ve watched too many anime that reference it. So I thought I’d pick up a package. There was another one that appeared a little too… oriental… and I skipped that.

The taste is typical of caramel, creamy and very tasty. It’s remniscent of Werther’s Original butterscotch candies, except soft like a chewy candy, not at all unpleasant. Quite on the contrary, really. Grab your pack today!

While I realise it’s easy to be cutesy and sprout all sorts of quotes from favourite manga and doramas (e.g. “Iku iku! GO! GO! Ore GO GO! — Nakatsu Shuichi, Hana Kimi), it’s not quite the same kettle of fish trying to communicate in Japanese to a native.

I came to this conclusion after doing my hair at Komachi Hair Cult at Liat Towers.

I’ve only been to Komachi twice, by reservation of course and it is replete with Japanese hairstylists and customers. Amid the snipping, buzzing and occasional comical antics, you do hear a background of steady Japanese flowing back and forth. My requested hairstylist, Nakamura Minako-san, is a sweet gentle lady who really knows what to do with my hair despite the fact that I don’t.

I suffer from two ailments when it comes to opening my mouth and sprouting some good ol’ Japanese. Firstly, what if I say something stupid or completely wrong… or even worse, RUDE? Secondly, will I be able to catch what they’re saying? The first time I went, it was purely English communication, with the aid of an assistant who tried his best to interpret for me. The resultant hairstyle was brilliant although frankly, that had nothing to do with me making any requests.

The second time, however, I managed to ask Nakamura-san whether she was doing okay. And that started a whole string of Japanese conversation. Mind you, I didn’t speak very much, but we communicated in Japanese throughout though I got stuck in a few places. Like when she asked me what I wanted to do with my hair. Well, I didn’t quite know what either.

I must also mention Jirou-san, an assistant who washed and massaged my scalp. He’s a slight fellow, but his fingers are so strong. The head massage was just fantastic. My scalp felt all hot after that purely from the resultant blood circulation.

Sooooooo… next time I head to Komachi, which should be in three months time or less, I will hopefully have gained even more confidence to speak up. In a couple of years, you might hear my voice on some anime playing a cutesy fangirl.

Ehehe!

Miyano Mamoru 宮野 真守, notable seiyuu from series such as Death Note and Gundam 00