Koborebanashi

Trivia, Tidbits and Tales about Japan

  • The Latest ‘Character Shinkansen’ Train

    For a few years now, JR West seems to have been into ‘character’ Shinkansen: Shinkansen trains in a livery that evokes the character in question.
    The first of these was the Evangelion 500-series Shinkansen (still the best, in my opinion), and then came the Hello Kitty Shinkansen (which is great if you like kawaii).
    And now there’s a third ‘character’ Shinkansen: the ONE PIECE train. Actually, there are going to be three of these ONE PIECE Shinkansen, unveiled roughly one month apart. Only the first train, in the ‘Setouchi Blue’ livery, is running yet. The remaining two trains are due to be unveiled in May and June respectively.
    The Setouchi Blue train makes one round trip between Hakata and Shin-Osaka a day, and it’s quite striking. If you’re waiting for a Shinkansen somewhere between Hakata and Shin-Osaka, keep an eye out for this train!

  • Easter’s Low Profile in Japanese Culture

    It’s Easter this weekend. I’m expecting some chocolate from the UK in the post any day now.
    But one thing intrigues me. Why isn’t Easter bigger in Japan?
    Looking at it superficially, the answer is obvious. Easter is a Christian festival, and Japan isn’t a Christian country. But just look at Valentine’s Day, admittedly not particularly Christian. It’s huge in Japan, perhaps even more so than in the Western countries where it originated.
    And then there’s Hallowe’en. There might not be so much trick-or-treating or dressing up, but there are whole shelves of Hallowe’en chocolate and sweets on sale in the supermarket in the weeks before the end of October.
    On the face of it, Easter should be a perfect festival for Japan: it has chocolate, and it has the all-important kawaii factor in the form of cute Easter rabbits. It should be up there with Christmas as a major Western day absorbed into Japanese culture.
    And yet each year, Easter passes basically unnoticed in Japan. I wonder why?

  • Interesting Japanese: 成金

    Here’s a good Japanese word you’re not likely to find in a textbook. It’s 成金 (narikin).
    Looking at the kanji characters, the word literally means ‘become money’. So any ideas what it might mean?
    If you guessed something like ‘nouveau riche’, then you’re correct. And just like the English (or French, to be more exact), it conveys an air of slight vulgarity.

  • I’m Curious: Why Do Smokers Wear Masks?

    Outside the supermarket near my house, there’s an ATM- or a cash machine- in a little building. And close to this, there’s the supermarket’s smoking area. As the name would suggest, It’s just a small area behind a fence where people can indulge in their nicotine fix. Why they can’t even go to a supermarket without needing to have a cigarette is beyond me, but that’s another story.
    Anyway, today I was waiting to use the ATM, and idly watching the smoking area. In the five or so minutes I was there, every single person who finished their cigarette immediately put a mask on.
    Don’t they realize that given that they’ve just been smoking, using a mask is probably a case of too little, too late?

  • The Scenic JR Kisuki Line: A Hidden Gem in Hiroshima

    If you’re in Hiroshima and looking for somewhere very scenic, and very off the beaten track, then the journey between Miinohara and Izumo-Sakane on the JR Kisuki Line is a wonderful journey with some spectacular views. It’s a long journey from Hiroshima, more because of the slowness of the trains than because of the distance, but a day trip is possible- and well worth it.


  • The Shocking Habit of Makeup on Trains in Japan

    Here’s something I don’t think I’ll ever understand about Japan.
    Why do so many young women use the train as a place to put on their makeup? First of all, is makeup really something you should be doing where anyone can see? Wouldn’t some privacy be preferable?
    And secondly, is a train (or a bus, for that matter) really the best place to be putting on makeup? After all, even a train is not that smooth, not really. Just think about it: one bump at the wrong time, and you could be putting mascara on your eyeball, rather than your eyelashes!

  • Unexpected Car Washing: A Supermarket Surprise

    I saw a man washing his car in the supermarket car-park this morning. Just a normal man, washing a normal car. Not someone who worked for the supermarket or anything- in fact, he looked like he was waiting for his wife to come back from doing the shopping.
    What was really eye-opening, though, was that he’d got a whole bucket of water and a sponge from somewhere!

  • The History of Genbaku Domu-Mae Tram Stop

    In Hiroshima, there’s a tram stop called ‘Genbaku Domu-Mae’. The name means ‘Atomic Bomb Dome’, and the stop is situated (appropriately enough) right by the Dome.

    Which begs the question: given that the tram stop is named after the ruin created by the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, what was it called before August 1945?

    Well, actually the tram stop had several names. When it opened in December 1912, it was called ‘Yagura-Shita’, referring to its location close to where one of the turrets of Hiroshima Castle stood. Then around 1929, it was renamed to Aioi-Bashi (Aioi Bridge), again referring to its location close to the bridge of the same name.

    Surprisingly, the tram stop wasn’t renamed a third time, to ‘Genbaku Domu-Mae’, until 1974!

  • Karasawa’s Cream Zenzai is a Must-Try in Onomichi

    If you’re in Onomichi, be sure to try ice-cream from Karasawa, a shop on the street nearest to the sea. It’s hand-made, and delicious. My particular favourite is the cream zenzai: ice-cream with red beans. You may have to queue on busy days, but trust me- it’s well worth the wait.

  • Challenges with Mobily Days Payment Service for Hiroshima Transit

    Anyone in the Hiroshima area using the Mobily Days payment service for trams and buses? What are your opinions?

    Personally, I find it incredible (and immensely irritating) that almost every time I open the app, it requires me to log in again. Definitely not good when I need to get off a tram in a few seconds, and I’m scrambling to re-enter my password.

    Wasn’t the app tested before release?