Picture of the Week
18 Apr 2006 | Comments (1)The long lost picture of the week is back! I took this picture in Nagahama at the beginning of cherry blossom season. The tree isn’t fully in bloom, but I thought the old fellow made for a nice picture. What do you think?
Cherry Blossoms
17 Apr 2006 | Comments OffIf there is one season Azusa and I look forward to all year long it must be spring. Spring is very beautiful in Japan as the weather gets warmer and cherry blossoms… Umm… Blossom?
Cherry blossoms are very famous in Japan. Japanese travelers and people from all over the world come to cities like Kyoto and Nara to view the cherry blossom lined streets. It’s so beautiful.
Well, at least usually…
This year cherry blossom season seemed to end before it even got started this year. I guess it’s because the weather was pretty bad in Shiga all throughout April. Azusa and I really only made it out to see cherry blossoms once, but we had to brave cold winds and rain to so. It was still a pretty fun day though. I think we’ll always remember running 2 kilometers back to our car to escape the rain! We also discovered a beautiful mountain road on the west side of Lake Biwa. It’ll be nice to go back there for a drive when the weather gets a little better.
Potion
09 Mar 2006 | Comments (1)Final Fantasy XII, the latest installment of the popular role-playing game series, is scheduled to release in Japan just one week from today, but I’ve already had a little taste of the action!
On my way to work the other day I stopped at my local convenience store and picked up a bottle of Final Fantasy Potion. Suntory, a Japanese beverage company, has teamed up with the creators of Final Fantasy to produce the fictional health restoring drink from the series.
When I was a kid playing Final Fantasy, I always wondered what potion must taste like. I don’t know how Suntory found out, but I imagine they got the formula just about right. The verdict? It’s yucky!!! Just like I imagined. Good job, Suntory!!!
To be fair though, Potion fits into the health drink category of Japanese beverages although it’s hard to imagine any blue liquid being good for you. Potion has a fairly herby taste that kinda reminds me of Absinthe. I did feel a little bit of an energy boost after drinking it, but I doubt that it restored my HP like it does in the game.
All things considered, Potion is becoming a great commercial success. It launched two days ago, but it’s already sold out nationwide! Potion comes in single 120ml bottles, six-packs and in deluxe bottle sets.