Sometimes it’s like, ugh, so what if we have tacos in Doritos shells? Who even cares that the McRib only shows up once a year (that is rhetorical, please refrain from McRib-related hate mail)? Other countries get to have all the fun. Like a 2-ring circus pizza with a cherry on top in Singapore or the Nacho Whopper of the Netherlands, cocktail pairings with your Burger King will only be happening across the sea, this time in Tokyo. [More]
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Cocktail Pairings At Tokyo Burger Kings Prove Yet Again That Other Countries Have More Fun
By 6.27.13
Without An Address, FedEx Still Tracks Me Down In Tokyo
By 5.9.13 — Updated: 1.9.14
Jeff is an American who currently lives and works in Tokyo, Japan. Tokyo is a dense and baffling city, and his bank, USAA, created a huge problem when they sent him a check using FedEx but sort of forgot to include his street address. In a city of millions and in a neighborhood of 300,000, FedEx’s challenge was to find one foreign dude. They could have just sent the envelope back to USAA. Instead, they accepted the challenge and got the package to Jeff before the original delivery estimate was up. [More]
Nobody At Brother USA Knows How To Forward An E-Mail
By 3.26.13
Fifty years ago, while her husband was in the military and stationed in Japan, Lance’s grandmother bought a lovely Brother sewing machine. She has now handed it down to Lance’s wife. The nice thing is that she still had the manual, but that manual is only in Japanese, since the machine was only sold on the Japanese market. The machine has all kinds of advanced features that Mrs. Lance can’t access, because she can’t read Japanese. Maybe, Lance thought, Brother has the manual available for purchase, or even in digital form. [More]
Domino’s Japan: Have A Synthetic Pop Star With Your Chain Pizza
By 3.7.13 — Updated: 9.8.16
Here at Consumerist, we’re fond of cross-cultural exchanges that involve fast food. Okay, we just like anything that involves fast food. We particularly relish news of menu items and promotions that American fast-food joints don’t offer in their home country, like the seven-patty Whopper. Domino’s Japan has taken a great step forward by combining a famous artificial pop star, an iPhone app, an incredibly awkward YouTube video, and what we can only guess are songs about pizza. [More]
Unless You’re Of The Teenage Mutant Turtle Variety, You Likely Can’t Make A Living As A Ninja
By 1.21.13
While the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles would surely disagree, the masked fighters on a half-shell are an exception to some very upsetting news: It is probably impossible to make a living as a professional ninja nowadays. That shattering you hear is the sound of innumerable broken hearts formerly set on a life of ninjaness. [More]
The Burger King Pumpkin Burger Is A Thing – In Japan
By 10.22.12
Pumpkin is the fast-food flavor of the season, with pumpkin ice cream and coffee confections available in various delicious locations and an ever-growing selection of marshmallow pumpkins available. You’ll have to go all the way to Japan, though, to try Burger King’s newest pumpkreation: the pumpkin burger. [More]
Burger King Japan Now Selling A "Pizza-Size" Whopper
By 11.2.11
Some of you may remember the BK Whopper Bar in New York City’s 9.5″ diameter Pizza Burger from 2010. Well, a version of that monster has crossed the globe to hit the stomachs of Japanese eaters. [More]
Burger King To Offer "All The Whoppers You Can Eat In 30 Minutes" Deal To Customers In Japan
By 10.25.11
Think you can scarf down a pile of Burger King Whoppers with the best of them? Well then you’ll probably wish you were visiting Japan in the next couple weeks, as Burger King is set to launch a promotion that offers customers all the Whoppers they can devour — in the span of 30 minutes. [More]
Big Sony Bravia TV Fire Recall Is Only In Japan, But US Models May Be Affected
By 10.12.11
Headlines are blaring about the 1.6 million 40″ Sony Bravia TVs getting recalled for fire and smoke risk, but they’re overlooking a key fact. The recalled models were only sold in Japan. No recall has been issued in America. However, there are 400,000 models that were sold in the US that contain the same component that prompted the Japan recall. Here are the Sony Bravia TV model numbers you should check to see if you have. [More]
Japan Proposes Offering 10,000 Free Round-Trip Tickets To Boost Tourism
By 10.11.11
In order to boost flagging tourism after the nuclear disaster, earthquakes and tsunami, the Japan Tourism Agency has proposed a bold plan. They’re going to give away 10,000 free round-trip tickets. [More]
Meat From Radioactive Cows Sold In Japan
By 7.12.11
Four months following the massive earthquake and tsunami that devastated parts of Japan and caused a disaster at the nuclear power plant in Fukushima, the Japanese government has confirmed that a bit of cesium-contaminated beef from that region has made its way to groceries and likely to the dinner plates of consumers. [More]
Verizon Sends Software Updates To Man While He Helps Sick Grandma In Japan, Charges $600
By 6.13.11
Chris had to go to Japan recently to help out with his deathly ill grandmother. He brought his new Verizon iPhone4 with him. While he was there, Verizon pushed a series of updates to his phone, and that racked up over $600 in global roaming charges. When he called customer service, they told him the charges were valid and nothing could be done. He couldn’t even get retroactively added to an international plan as Verizon says they don’t have one anymore that covers Asia/Japan. [More]
Toyota Announces Lower Production Until November
By 4.22.11
Toyota says it will take until the end of the year before post-quake production levels return to normal. [More]
Burger King Combines Beef, Bacon & Chicken Into "Meat Monster"… But Only Sells It In Japan
By 4.11.11
What do you get when you take a cheeseburger, slap some bacon on it, pile on another hamburger patty, and then finish it all off with a chicken breast? In my home it would be called a “snack” but at Burger King, it’s now known as the “Meat Monster.” Unfortunately, this monster will only be attacking the hearts of burger buyers in Japan… for now. [More]
Radiation Found In US Milk Supply In Trace Amounts
By 3.31.11
Great, now kids have a new excuse for not drinking their milk: US milk samples from Spokane, Washington have tested positive for a radioactive iodine blown over from Japan, the EPA announced Wednesday. The amounts are small, only 0.8 pico-curies, according to tests taken March 25 by the agency, and are 5,000 times below the FDA’s “intervention level.” [More]
Toyota Warn Its North American Plants Of Possible Shut-Downs
By 3.24.11
The earthquake and subsequent devastation in Japan has prompted Toyota to warn its U.S. plants that they may have to shut down, due to parts shortages from Japan. [More]
Food From Four Japanese Prefectures Barred From Entering U.S.
By 3.23.11
Following the news that radiation has been detected in tap water and food products in areas closest to the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan, the FDA has announced that many imported food products from prefectures near the plant will not be allowed to enter the U.S. [More]
Radiation Detected In Tap Water And Food From Farms In Japan
By 3.19.11
Cause for more worry in Japan, as the latest news about the damaged nuclear reactor isn’t good — traces of radioactive iodine have been detected in Tokyo tap water, officials said Saturday. Radation was also detected at spinach and milk farms near the Fukushima Dai-ichi complex. [More]
