Haruka Ayase (綾瀬 はるか Ayase Haruka), born in Hiroshima Prefecture, on March 24, 1985, is a Japanese actress.

Mariya Takeuchi (竹内 まりや Takeuchi Mariya, born March 20, 1955) is a Japanese singer-songwriter.

Encouraged by commerce, the secular celebration of Christmas is popular in Japan, though Christmas is not a national holiday.

KFC‘s specialty is fried chicken served in various forms

Sapporo Ichiban (サッポロ一番) is a brand of instant noodles (most of them ramen) made by Sanyo Foods, and rivals to other Japanese ramen brands like Nissin and Maruchan.

Sapporo (札幌市 Sapporo-shi) is the fifth-largest city in Japan by population, and the largest city on the island of Hokkaido. From the year 1966, a food company named Sanyo Foods began to sell instant ramen under the brand name “Sapporo Ichiban”.

Instant noodles are often criticized as unhealthy or junk food. A single serving of instant noodles is high in carbohydrates but low in fiber, vitamins and minerals. Noodles are typically fried as part of the manufacturing process, resulting in high levels of saturated fat and/or trans fat.

E Mobile is a cell phone operator in Japan offering 3G/HSPA data services. As they used to offer only data service, they were not widely known, but now after teaming up with NTT docomo to offer voice service, they are becoming more popular.

Tomomi Itano (板野 友美 Itano Tomomi, born July 3, 1991) is a member of the Japanese idol group AKB48, as well as a soloist.

In Japanese culture, idols (アイドル aidoru) are (usually female) media personalities in their teens and early twenties who are considered particularly attractive or cute and who will, for a period ranging from several months to a few years, regularly appear in the mass media, e.g. as singers for pop groups, bit-part actors, TV personalities (tarento), models in photo spreads published in magazines, advertisements, etc.

A gang signal is a visual or verbal way gang members identify their affiliation. This can take many forms including slogans, tattoos or hand signs. Many of these, especially slogans and hand signs, have become part of popular culture.

[Akihabara] is frequently shortened to Akiba (アキバ) in Japan. [It] is a major shopping area for electronic, computer, anime, and otaku goods, including new and used items.

Moe (萌え) is a Japanese slang word. It means “a rarefied pseudo-love for certain fictional characters (in anime, manga, and the like) and their related embodiments.”

Boss (ボス Bosu) is a brand name of canned and plastic bottled coffee and coffee-flavored beverages sold by Suntory in Japan. It was released in 1992 and is one of many brands of Japanese Canned Coffee.

Tommy Lee Jones (born September 15, 1946) is an American actor and film director. Jones has been a spokesperson for Japanese brewing company Suntory since 2006. He can be seen in various Japanese TV commercials of Suntory’s Coffee brand Boss as a character called “Alien Jones,” an extraterrestrial who takes the form of a human being to check on the world of humans.

Omurice, sometimes spelled “omu-rice” (Japanese: オムライス, Omu-raisu), is an example of contemporary Japanese fusion cuisine consisting of an omelette made with fried rice and usually topped with ketchup.

Hanami (花見, lit. “flower viewing”) is the Japanese traditional custom of enjoying the beauty of flowers, “flower” in this case almost always meaning cherry blossoms or ume blossoms. From the end of March to early May, sakura bloom all over Japan, and around the first of February on the island of Okinawa.

Green tea (緑茶 Ryokucha) is ubiquitous in Japan and therefore is more commonly known simply as “tea” (お茶 ocha).

On July 14, 2009, Kirin announced that it is negotiating with Suntory on a merger. On February 8, 2010, it was announced that negotiations between the two were terminated.

Subaru (スバル) is the automobile manufacturing division of Japanese transportation conglomerate Fuji Heavy Industries (FHI).

A sumo wrestler leads a highly regimented way of life. The Sumo Association prescribes the behavior of its wrestlers in some detail. For example, in the wake of a serious car accident involving a wrestler the Association banned wrestlers from driving their own cars.

The Subaru Forester is an all-wheel drive station wagon, now crossover, manufactured since 1997 by Subaru. The Forester was designed and built with four-wheel drive (AWD) as standard equipment.

Encouraged by the commercial sector, the secular celebration of Christmas is popular in Japan, though Christmas is not a national holiday. Gifts are exchanged and children’s presents are left next to their pillow at night. Christmas parties are held on and around Christmas Day; the Japanese type of Christmas cake is often a white whipped cream cake with strawberries.

The most famous dessert made with shortcake is strawberry shortcake. Japanese-style strawberry shortcakes use a sponge cake base, and are a favorite Christmas or birthday cake in Japan.

[McDonald's] McFlurry is a vanilla ice cream dessert that has pieces of candy, fruit or cookies mixed into it.

The Shinkansen (新幹線, new main line), also known as the bullet train, is a network of high-speed railway lines in Japan operated by four Japan Railways Group companies. The popular English name bullet train is a literal translation of the Japanese term dangan ressha (弾丸列車), a nickname given to the project while it was initially being discussed in the 1930s.

The Tōhoku Shinkansen (東北新幹線) is a Japanese high-speed Shinkansen rail line, connecting Tokyo with Aomori in Aomori Prefecture for a total length of 674 km, Japan’s longest Shinkansen line. [On] December 4, 2010 the extension from Hachinohe to Shin-Aomori opens.

Aomori (青森市, Aomori-shi) is the capital city of Aomori Prefecture, in the northern Tōhoku region of Japan. Aomori literally means blue forest. The name is generally considered to refer to a small forest on a hill which existed near the town.

Unagi (うなぎ) is the Japanese word for freshwater eels, especially the Japanese eel, Anguilla japonica. Unagi is often eaten during the hot summers in Japan. There is even a special day for eating unagi, the midsummer day of the Ox (doyo no ushi no hi).

Kabayaki (蒲焼) is a generic Japanese term for a dish of seafood which is filleted, boned and dipped in a sweet soy sauce-base sauce before broiled on a grill. In general, kabayaki refers to the dish made with unagi.

Hokka Hokka Tei (ほっかほっか亭) is a bento take-out chain with over 2,000 franchises and company-owned branches throughout Japan. Hokka Hokka Tei [was] the major brand name of Plenus Co., Ltd., which used to be engaged in office equipment sales before it changed industries to the food industry in 1980 [and then in 2008 split from Hokka Hokka Tei to form the HottoMotto bento chain in 2005.]

Taiko (太鼓) means “drum” in Japanese (etymologically “great” or “wide drum”). Outside Japan, the word is often used to refer to any of the various Japanese drums (和太鼓, wa-daiko, “Japanese drum”, in Japanese) and to the relatively recent art-form of ensemble taiko drumming (sometimes called more specifically, kumi-daiko (組太鼓)).

Suntory was one of the first Asian companies to specifically employ American celebrities to market their product. One of the most notable is Sammy Davis, Jr., who appeared in a series of memorable Suntory commercials in the early 1970s.

Samuel George “Sammy” Davis, Jr. (December 8, 1925 – May 16, 1990) was an American entertainer. Primarily a dancer and singer, Davis was a childhood vaudevillian, and became known for his performances on Broadway and in Las Vegas, as a recording artist, television and film star, and the only black member of Frank Sinatra’s “Rat Pack”. In the 1970s, he appeared in commercials in Japan for Suntory whiskey.

A blended whisky (or whiskey) is the product of blending different types of whiskies.

Cup Noodles is a brand of instant ramen noodle snack manufactured by Nissin, packaged in an XPS foam, hard plastic or paper cup. The product is known for being inexpensive and easy to prepare. Other brand names are used in specific countries, such as Cup Noodle in Japan.

Reiko Takagaki (高垣麗子)(born October 11, 1979 in Tokyo, Japan) is a fashion model and actress. She is married to Japanese speed skater former Hiroyasu Shimizu (清水宏保).

Asashōryū Akinori (朝青龍 明徳, born September 27, 1980, as Dolgorsürengiin Dagvadorj, Mongolian: Долгорсүрэнгийн Дагвадорж) is a former sumo wrestler from Ulan Bator, Mongolia. During the January 2010 tournament, a tabloid magazine claimed he punched his personal manager after getting drunk during a night out in downtown Nishiazabu [Minato Ward, Tokyo]. Subsequently, on February 4, 2010, he announced his decision to retire, after discussing the matter at a meeting with the Board of Directors of the Sumo Association.

Fanta has its origins in Germany, when a trading ban was placed on that nation by the Allies during World War II. The Coca-Cola company therefore was not able to import the syrup needed to produce Coca-Cola in Germany.

Pachinko (パチンコ) is a Japanese gaming device used for amusement and gambling. A pachinko machine resembles a vertical pinball machine, but with no flippers and a large number of relatively small balls. In Japan, gambling within the private industry is illegal, but pachinko parlors are tacitly tolerated by the Japanese authorities as “semi-gambling” and are not categorically considered as centers of illegal activity.

The Matrix is a 1999 American science fiction-action film written and directed by Larry and Andy Wachowski; starring Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano, and Hugo Weaving.

Bullet Time refers to a digitally enhanced simulation of variable speed photography used in films, broadcast advertisements and video games. It is characterized both by its extreme transformation of time and space.

Soba (そば or 蕎麦) is a type of thin Japanese noodle made from buckwheat flour. Chilled soba is often served on a sieve-like bamboo tray called a zaru, sometimes garnished with bits of dried nori seaweed, with a dipping sauce known as soba tsuyu on the side.

Daiichi Sankyo Co., Ltd. (第一三共株式会社, Daiichi Sankyō Kabushiki-kaisha) is a Japan-based major pharmaceutical company, which ranks number 22 in the world in sales.

Lotte‘s current marketing slogan in Japan is お口の恋人ロッテ (o-kuchi no koibito Lotte), which is translated as “your palate’s sweetheart, Lotte”.

Dreams Come True (ドリームズ・カム・トゥルー, Dorīmuzu Kamu Turū) is a music duo from Japan, formed in 1988 that has sold more than 50 million records worldwide.

Ghana, known for its gold in colonial times, remains one of the world’s top gold producers. Other exports such as cocoa, timber, electricity, diamond, bauxite, and manganese are major sources of foreign exchange.

John Joseph Travolta (born February 18, 1954) is an American actor, dancer and singer.

Shōchū (焼酎) is a distilled beverage native to Japan. It is most commonly distilled from barley, sweet potatoes, or rice.

Takara Sake USA Inc. holds the rights to distribute Kirin Brewery Company products in the United States, but have not started importing Chu Hi for distribution in North America.

Kirin eventually, somewhat belatedly, in early 1996, gave in to consumer preferences and changed Kirin Lager to a less bitter, draft beer.

Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO) is an influential Japanese technopop band formed in 1978, and renowned as a major influence in popular music and for pioneering the technopop music genre. The principal members are Haruomi Hosono (bass), Yukihiro Takahashi (drums and vocals) and Ryuichi Sakamoto (keyboards). The band have reunited in 2007 for an advertising campaign for Kirin Lager which lampooned their longevity and charted No.1 on various Japanese digital download charts (including iTunes Store chart) with the song “Rydeen 79/07″, released on Sakamoto’s new label commmons.

Moog synthesizer (pronounced /ˈmoʊg/, rhymes with “rogue”) may refer to any number of analog synthesizers designed by Dr. Robert Moog or manufactured by Moog Music, and is commonly used as a generic term for analog and digital music synthesisers.

Wakame (わかめ ,ワカメ, 若布), Undaria pinnatifida, is a type of sea vegetable, or edible seaweed. In Japan it is most widely used in miso soup.

石立 鉄男（いしだて てつお、1942年7月31日‐2007年6月1日）は、日本の俳優。芸能事務所其田事務所、鈴木とし江事務所、アクターズプロモーション、アンクルベイビーに所属していた。

Translation: “Tetsuo Ishidate (July 31, 1942 – June 1, 2007) was a Japanese actor.”

エースコック株式会社は、大阪府吹田市江坂町に本社を置くインスタントラーメンの製造販売をおこなう企業である。フライパンを持ったコックの姿をしたこぶたのシンボルマークで知られている。

Translation: “Acecook Co., Ltd. is a Esaka-cho, Suita-shi, Osaka-based company which manufactures and sells instant noodles.”

Nissin recognized that the bowls traditionally used to package instant noodles were not common in the U.S, so they instead turned to the paper cup; in 1971, they introduced instant ramen packaged in a foam cup. Nissin subsequently introduced this to Japan.

Nissin Foods are also Purveyors to the Japanese Imperial Household Agency.

[Arnold] Schwarzenegger is considered among the most important figures in the history of bodybuilding, and his legacy is commemorated in the Arnold Classic annual bodybuilding competition.

Momofuku Ando (安藤 百福, Andō Momofuku), (March 5, 1910 – January 5, 2007) was the Taiwanese Japanese founder and chairman of Nissin Food Products Co., Ltd., and the inventor of world’s first instant noodles and cup noodles. He was dubbed as Mr. Noodle and The Noodle Papa.

A mammoth is any species of the extinct genus Mammuthus. These proboscideans are members of the elephant family and close relatives of modern elephants. They were often equipped with long curved tusks and, in northern species, a covering of long hair.

Calpis (カルピス) is a Japanese uncarbonated soft drink, manufactured by Calpis Co., Ltd. (カルピス株式会社) , headquartered in Shibuya, Tokyo. The beverage has a light, somewhat milky, and slightly acidic flavor, similar to plain or vanilla-flavored yogurt, or Yakult. Its ingredients include water, nonfat dry milk, and lactic acid, and is produced by lactic acid fermentation.

In English-speaking countries the beverage is sometimes called “Calpico,” because “Calpis” may sound like “Cow Piss”.

Japan belongs to the temperate zone with four distinct seasons, but its climate varies from cool temperate in the north to subtropical in the south. In winter, a high-pressure area develops over Siberia, and a low-pressure area develops over the northern Pacific Ocean. The result is a flow of cold air eastward across Japan that brings freezing temperatures and heavy snowfalls to the central mountain ranges facing the Sea of Japan, but clear skies to areas fronting on the Pacific.

For some time it was believed by many that whisky made in the Scotch style, but not produced in Scotland, could not possibly measure up to the standards of the traditional Scotch distilleries. Until fairly recently, the market for Japanese whiskies was almost entirely domestic.

Suntory operates two museums, the Suntory Museum of Art in Tokyo and the Suntory Museum Tempozan in Osaka, in addition to a number of cultural and social programs across Japan.

[Sean] Connery has “Scotland Forever” tattooed on his arm, and used his fee from Diamonds Are Forever (1971) to establish a charity to support poor children in Edinburgh, as well as Scottish film production. He has said that he will return to Scotland when it is granted independence.

The Epoch (Super) Cassette Vision was a video game console made by Epoch and released in Japan on July 30, 1981. Despite the name, the console used cartridges, not cassettes, and it has the distinction of being the first ever programmable console video game system to be made in Japan.

Epoch Co., Ltd. is a Japanese toy and computer games company founded in 1958 which is best known for manufacturing Barcode Battler and Doraemon video games. Its current Representative President is Road Yutaka Maeda.

イモ欽トリオ（いもきんとりお）は、日本のテレビ番組起源のコミックソングユニット。

Translation: Imokin Trio [was] an television comedy musical group [active between 1981 and 1983].

The development of a girl’s breasts during puberty is triggered by sex hormones, chiefly estrogen. This hormone has been demonstrated to cause the development of woman-like, enlarged breasts in men, a condition called gynecomastia, and is sometimes used deliberately for this effect in transwomen who receive hormone replacement therapy.

Takashi is a [male] Japanese given name.

The [Intel] Core 2 brand refers to a range of Intel’s consumer 64-bit dual-core and 2×2 MCM quad-core CPUs with the x86-64 instruction set, based on the Intel Core microarchitecture, derived from the 32-bit dual-core Yonah laptop processor.

Lotteria is a chain of fast-food restaurants similar to McDonald’s, and now with branches in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, China, and Vietnam. It takes its name from its parent company, Lotte. Lotteria opened its first shop in Nihonbashi, Tokyo, Japan in September 1972.

Recent years have seen the increasing popularity of new types of “burgers” in which alternatives to ground beef are used as the primary ingredient. For example, a turkey burger uses ground turkey meat, a chicken burger uses either ground chicken meat or chicken filets.

TOTO Ltd. (TOTO株式会社, Tōtō Kabushiki-gaisha) was founded in 1917. It is a company based in Kitakyushu, Japan, and Japan’s largest manufacturer of flush toilets. The company invented and patented the Washlet.

The modern toilet in Japan, in English sometimes called Super Toilet, and commonly known in Japanese as Washlet (ウォシュレット, Washlet) or as warm-water cleaning toilet seat (温水洗浄便座, onsui senjō benza) is one of the most advanced type of toilet worldwide, showing a dazzling array of features.

The Mega Mac [is a Big Mac variant consisting of] four 1.6 oz (45.4 g) beef patties and an extra slice of cheese. Available in Ireland, Japan,New Zealand and South Korea

The tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) is a plant in the Solanaceae or nightshade family, as are its close cousins tobacco, chili peppers, potato, and eggplant. The tomato is native to Central, South, and southern North America from Mexico to Peru.

Chicken eggs are widely used in many types of dishes, both sweet and savory.

In the mid-1980s Kirin maintained a domestic market share in beer of about 60 percent, with Sapporo holding 20 percent, Asahi at 10 percent, and Suntory Ltd., a whiskey distiller that had entered the beer market in 1963, at 8 to 9 percent.

The 1990s brought [Harrison] Ford the role of Jack Ryan in Tom Clancy’s Patriot Games and Clear and Present Danger, as well as leading roles in Alan Pakula’s Presumed Innocent (1990) and The Devil’s Own (1997), Mike Nichols’s Regarding Henry (1991), Andrew Davis’s The Fugitive (1993), Sydney Pollack’s remake of Sabrina (1995), and Wolfgang Petersen’s Air Force One (1997). During production of The Fugitive, he reprised his role as Indiana Jones in an episode of the television series The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles. Ford has also played straight dramatic roles, including an adulterous husband with a terrible secret in both Presumed Innocent (1990) and What Lies Beneath (2000), and a recovering amnesiac in Regarding Henry (1991).

「技はいろいろ、カードはひとつ。」 “Many techniques, one card.”

Judo (柔道, jūdō), meaning “gentle way”, is a modern Japanese martial art (gendai budō) and combat sport, that originated in Japan in the late nineteenth century. Its most prominent feature is its competitive element, where the object is to either throw one’s opponent to the ground, immobilize or otherwise subdue one’s opponent with a grappling maneuver, or force an opponent to submit by joint locking the elbow or by applying a choke.

There are a variety of techniques recognized by Kodokan (講道館) judo (柔道) and other budo (武道).

Credit Saison Co., Ltd., commonly known as Credit Saison or simply Saison, is a Japanese financial services company affiliated to Mizuho Financial Group. Founded in 1946, Credit Saison is the 3rd largest credit card issuer with over 20 million cardholders in Japan, behind JCB and Visa Japan.

A life size statue of the Colonel stands in front of most [KFC] stores in Japan. Fried chicken is an especially popular dish at Christmas time and on Christmas Eve many families (who have made reservations weeks in advance), have their traditional Christmas dinner of Kentucky Fried Chicken at home. KFC is so prevalent in Japan that many Japanese unknowingly consider it to be a Japanese company.

Mariya Takeuchi (竹内 まりや, Takeuchi Mariya, born March 20, 1955 in Taisha, Hikawa, Shimane, Japan) is a Japanese singer-songwriter.

Robert Malcolm Sapp aka Bob “The Beast” Sapp (born September 22, 1974) is an American kickboxer, mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter and former world champion professional wrestler and professional American Football player. Sapp currently has an MMA record of 8-2-1 as of September 2007, mostly fighting in Japan. He is well-known in Japan, where he has appeared in commercials, television programs, and has released a music CD entitled “It’s Sapp Time”.

Pizza-La (ピザーラ, Pizza-La) is the highest-grossing pizza chain in Japan. Franchises of the chain are located in 34 of Japan’s 47 prefectures. The company’s slogan is “All the taste and toppings you want on a pizza, straight from our oven to your door!”

Authentic Neapolitan pizzas are made with local ingredients like San Marzano tomatoes, which grow on the volcanic plains to the south of Mount Vesuvius and Mozzarella di Bufala Campana, made with the milk from water buffalo raised in the marshlands of Campania and Lazio in a semi-wild state (this mozzarella is protected with its own European Protected designation of origin).

The Nova Group is the largest of the Big Four eikaiwa (or private English teaching companies) in Japan. Many of Nova branches are located near train stations, and the company uses the term ‘ekimae ryūgaku’ (“study abroad near the train station”: 駅前留学) in its promotional materials. On June 13, 2007, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry imposed a six-month ban on Nova from soliciting, accepting or finalizing new contracts for long-term courses that last for over a year or 70 hours. The ban was imposed because of issues regarding refunds for the cancellation of contracts

EFL, English as a foreign language, indicates the use of English in a non-English-speaking region. Study can occur either in the student’s home country, as part of the normal school curriculum or otherwise, or, for the more privileged minority, in an anglophone country which they visit as a sort of educational tourist, particularly immediately before or after graduating from university.

Kirin Brewery Company, Ltd. (麒麟麦酒株式会社, Kirin Bīru Kabushiki-gaisha) is a Japanese company. It is a member of the Mitsubishi core group of companies.

Some Japanese find social importance in going to public baths, out of the theory that physical proximity/intimacy brings emotional intimacy, which is termed skinship in Japanese. Others go to a sentō because they live in a small housing facility without a private bath or to enjoy bathing in a spacious room and to relax in saunas or jet baths that often accompany new or renovated sentōs.

Harrison Ford (born July 13, 1942) is an Academy Award nominated American actor. He is best known for his performances as the tough, wisecracking space pilot Han Solo in the Star Wars film series, and the adventurous archaeologist/action hero, Dr. Henry “Indiana” Jones in the Indiana Jones film series.

Casio was established in April 1946 by Tadao Kashio (樫尾 忠雄, Kashio Tadao), an engineer specializing in fabrication technology. Kashio’s first major product was the yubiwa pipe, a finger ring that would hold a cigarette, allowing the wearer to smoke the cigarette down to its nub while also leaving the wearer’s hands free. Japan was impoverished immediately following World War II so cigarettes were valuable, and the invention was a success.

After seeing the electric calculators at the first Business Show in Ginza, Tokyo in 1949, Kashio and his younger brothers used their profits from the yubiwa pipe to develop their own calculators.

In the mid-1970s the first calculators appeared with the now “normal” LCDs with dark numerals against a grey background, though the early ones often had a yellow filter over them to cut out damaging UV rays. The big advantage of the LCD is that it is passive and reflects light, which requires much less power than generating light. This led the way to the first credit-card-sized calculators, such as the Casio Mini Card LC-78 of 1978, which could run for months of normal use on a couple of button cells.

Coors Light, the “Silver Bullet”, a 4.2% abv beer first brewed in 1978 as a low calorie beer. It is Coors top selling brand, and the third-best selling beer in the United States. It has won several medals for “American-Style Light Beer” at the Great American Beer Festival, and is the official beer sponsor of the NFL and the NFL Network.

Takeru Kobayashi (小林尊, Kobayashi Takeru) (b. March 15, 1978) is a Japanese competitive eater and a member of the International Federation of Competitive Eating (IFOCE). He held the world record for hot dog eating for nearly six years, and holds several other eating records, and is the second ranked eater in the world according to the International Federation of Competitive Eating.

「ビーフ天国！メガマック！」 “Beef Heaven! Mega Mac!”

In some restaurants, McDonald’s also offers a “Mega Mac” with four patties and an extra slice of cheese. In Canada, this is commonly available in most McDonald’s restaurants under the name “Double Big Mac”. In the United Kingdom, the “Mega Mac” was once available but has since been discontinued along with the Super-size option as a part of the healthier McDonald’s menu. The “Mega Mac”, however, has been for sale in Ireland since at least some time in 2004 and remains on sale. The Mega Mac began sale in Japan on January 12, 2007.

Obesity is a condition in which the natural energy reserve, stored in the fatty tissue of humans and other mammals, is increased to a point where it is associated with certain health conditions or increased mortality.

[Eddie] Murphy has received Golden Globe nominations for best actor in a comedy or musical for his performances in Beverly Hills Cop, Trading Places, and The Nutty Professor. In 2007, he won the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor for his portrayal of fictitious soul singer James “Thunder” Early in Dreamgirls, and received a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for the same role.

Through all generations, Celicas have been built around Toyota’s high-performance inline-4 engines, although some Celicas are powered by more economical, lower performance 4-cylinders.

The EyeToy is a color digital camera device, similar to a webcam, for the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable. The technology uses computer vision to process images taken by the camera. This allows players to interact with games using motion, color detection and also sound, through its in-built microphone.

For more videogame commercials, jump to Commercial Heaven.

Konishiki Yasokichi (小錦八十吉, Konishiki Yasokichi, born Saleva’a Fuauli Atisano’e on December 31, 1963), is a Hawaiʻi-born Samoan sumo wrestler, nicknamed “The Dump Truck.” He was the first foreign born wrestler to reach ozeki, the second highest rank in the sport.

Evance Corp. (株式会社エバンス) is a Tokyo-based Japanese purveyor of timepieces.

Rolex SA is a Swiss manufacturer of mostly mechanical wristwatches and accessories renowned for their dependability, prestige, and cost (from a few thousand to more than one hundred thousand U.S. dollars). Rolex watches are considered status symbols by many in the general public. Rolex is the largest single luxury watch brand by far, with estimated revenues of around US$ 3 billion (2003).

[Brad] Pitt was born in Shawnee, Oklahoma to Jane Etta (née Hillhouse), a high school counselor, and William Alvin Pitt, a truck company owner. Brad, brother Doug, and sister Julie Neal, grew up in Springfield, Missouri, where the family moved soon after Brad’s birth. Pitt was raised a Baptist. He attended Kickapoo High School, where he was involved in sports, debating, student government, and acting. He attended the Missouri School of Journalism at the University of Missouri – Columbia where he was a member of Sigma Chi fraternity.

HitBit（ひっとびっと）はソニーが1980年代に使用していたパソコン及びその周辺機器・対応ソフトのブランド名。 由来は「ヒット」するように＋コンピュータの記憶単位である「ビット」、及び「人々」。TVCMや雑誌広告での謳い文句は「人々のヒットビット」。イメージキャラクターに松田聖子を起用したことでも知られる。

Translation: HitBit is the name of a personal computer series that Sony marketed during the 1980s. A “hit” is what Sony wanted, “bit” refers to the computer memory unit, and “[the] people.” The catchphrase used in television commercials and magazine advertising was “[the] people’s hit bit.” Seiko Matsuda was the spokesperson for this marketing campaign.

Seiko Matsuda (松田聖子, Matsuda Seiko, born Kamachi Noriko, 蒲池法子, on March 10, 1962) is a Japanese pop singer-songwriter. Born in Kurume, Fukuoka, she rose to fame in 1980 as a teen idol, making her debut with the song “Hadashi no Kisetsu”. Later in the same year, “Kaze wa Aki-iro” became the first of her 24 consecutive #1 hits in Japan.

While the [Honda] Civic is sold in largely the same form worldwide, differences in the name of the models exist between markets. In Japan, the hatchback Civic is just called “Civic” while the sedan model was called the “Civic Ferio” during the fifth and sixth generation. In Europe and the United States, “Civic” generically refers to any model, though in Europe the coupe is branded the “Civic Coupe”.

[Leonardo] DiCaprio was inspired to become an actor after Adam Starr (a stepson of his father’s from his father’s re-marriage), began appearing in commercials. DiCaprio began looking for an agent at the age of twelve, but was initially turned down several times.

Sanyo got its start as a manufacturer of bicycle lamps. In 1952 it made Japan’s first plastic radio and in 1954 Japan’s first pulsator-type washing machine.

Bon Jovi is a hard rock band originating from New Jersey. Fronted by lead singer and namesake Jon Bon Jovi, the group originally achieved large-scale success in the 1980s.

Namco was founded in Tokyo in 1955, by Masaya Nakamura under the name Nakamura Manufacturing Ltd. It began by producing mechanical rocking-horses and similar children’s rides, which were installed in a number of department stores in Yokohama and Nihonbashi. It continued this line of production through the 1960s, and expanded with the addition of rides modeled after Walt Disney characters in 1966.

Karnov is a video game by Data East from 1987. It was originally released as an arcade game; an NES version followed, along with various other versions. The game puts the bulging muscled, fire-breathing, ex-circus strongman east-Russian (Asian) hero on a quest to search for treasures. However, between him and the treasures were several horrendous monsters, including sword wielding monks, jinns, foot hopping giant fishes and ostrich-riding skeleton warriors.

The description seen on all CalorieMate products reads:

CALORIE MATE (product name) is a nutritionally balanced source of the energy needed for daily activities. CALORIE MATE (product name) is naturally suited for people on-the-go who need an easy source of energy and nutrition-at breakfast, work, sports, study, or any busy time.

[Kiefer Sutherland] has starred in Japanese commercials for Calorie Mate, performing a parody of his Jack Bauer character.

Shinjuku (新宿区, Shinjuku-ku) is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. It is a major commercial and administrative centre, housing the busiest train station in the world (Shinjuku Station), and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, the administration center for the Tokyo Metropolis. The area around Shinjuku Station is home to a large concentration of department stores, specialist electronic and camera shops, cinemas, restaurants and bars. Many international hotels have a large presence here.

Yamato Transport Co., Ltd. (ヤマト運輸株式会社, Yamato Un’yu Kabushiki-gaisha) is Japan’s largest door-to-door delivery service company and a 100% owned subsidiary of Yamato Holdings Co., Ltd ( ヤマトホールディングス株式会社, Yamato Hōrudingusu Kabushiki-gaisha). Their head office is located in Ginza, Tokyo.

The company’s logo is a yellow oval with a black mother cat carrying her kitten in her mouth, symbolizing the company’s promise that they take care of items entrusted to them as though the items were their own family. The logo is as familiar in Japan as the Coca-Cola logo is in the United States.

Tokyo Metro Co., Ltd. (東京地下鉄株式会社, Tōkyō Chikatetsu Kabushiki-gaisha) is a private company jointly owned by the Japanese government and the Tokyo metropolitan government. It replaced the Teito Rapid Transit Authority (帝都高速度交通営団, Teito Kōsokudo Kōtsū Eidan), commonly Eidan or TRTA, on April 1, 2004. TRTA was administered by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, and jointly funded by the national and metropolitan governments. It was formed in 1941, although its oldest lines date back to 1927. [It] forms part of one of the most complex public transportation systems in the world. It is extremely well maintained and clean, although some stations on older lines are beginning to show their age.

Yu Yamada (山田優 Yamada Yū, born July 5, 1984 in Okinawa, Japan) is a model, actress, singer. Yamada also appears in advertising for instant spaghetti, yogurt, Vodafone mobile phones, Kanebo’s T’estimo line of cosmetics and most recently Canon Ink Jet Picture “PIXUS”.

After church Homer [Simpson] takes Bart and Lisa to the Springfield dump, where they find a box of Japanese dishwasher detergent known as Mr. Sparkle. The face on the box of detergent greatly resembles Homer. Homer, disturbed by the box of Mr. Sparkle, contacts the manufacturer in Japan for information. He is sent a promotional video for Mr. Sparkle, which consists of a bizarre TV commercial. At the end of the video, the mascot is shown to be a result of a joint venture between two large Japanese conglomerates whose mascots, a fish and light bulb, merge together to form Mr. Sparkle.

大日本除虫菊株式会社（だいにほんじょちゅうぎくかぶしきがいしゃ、Dainihon Jochugiku Co.,Ltd.）は、殺虫剤など衛生薬品の製造・販売を行っている日本の日用品メーカー。

Translation: Dainihon Jochugiku Corporation manufactures and sells insecticide and medicine.

Cockroaches (or simply “roaches”) are insects of the Order Blattodea. The name of the order is derived from the Latin word for “cockroach,” blatta. There are roughly 3,490 species in six families. Cockroaches exist worldwide, with the exception of the polar regions.

Samurai (侍, Samurai) was a term for the military nobility in pre-industrial Japan. The word “samurai” is derived from the archaic Japanese verb “samorau”, changed to “saburau”, meaning “to serve”; a samurai is the servant of a lord.

Kiefer William Frederick Dempsey George Rufus Sutherland (born December 21, 1966 in London, England) is an Emmy and Golden Globe Award-winning Canadian television and film actor, currently well known for his role of Jack Bauer on the series 24.

CalorieMate (カロリーメイト) is a brand of energy-supplement foods produced by Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., in Japan. CalorieMate products are labeled, apparently without irony, simply as “Balanced Food.” Their packaging is quite plain, almost generic.

Modern instant noodles were invented in Japan by businessman Momofuku Ando (安藤百福), the founder of Nissin, one of the biggest manufacturers of instant noodles today. His noodles were boiled with flavouring, deep-fried with palm oil to remove moisture, and dried into a noodle cake. Other preservation methods have been tried, including preservation with salt and smoke, but Ando concluded that palm oil is the most efficient.

吉岡 美穂（よしおか みほ、1980年2月3日）は日本のタレント、女優。元レースクイーン。 元トリンプ下着キャンペーンガール。

Translation: Mihi Yoshioka (born February 3, 1980) is Japanese talent and actress, and formerly a race queen as well as a former Triumph underwear campaign girl.

“Race queen” (katakana: レースクイーン – rēsu kuiin) is a Japanese term for a type of promotional model found as part of a pit crew in certain kinds of motor racing, such as F1 races.

For more ramen commercials, visit Commercial Heaven.

Acuvue is a popular brand of disposable contact lenses. They are made by Vistakon, a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida. Acuvue, Acuvue 2, Acuvue 2 Colors, Acuvue Advance, and Acuvue Oasys are designed to be replaced every two weeks, or after 14 to 15 days worn.

It has been estimated that about 125 million people use contact lenses worldwide (2%), including 28 to 38 million in the United States and 13 million in Japan. The types of lenses used and prescribed vary markedly between countries, with rigid lenses accounting for over 20% of currently-prescribed lenses in Japan, Netherlands and Germany but less than 5% in Scandinavia.

The Japanese junior and senior high school uniform traditionally consists of a military style uniform for boys and a sailor outfit for girls. These uniforms are based on Meiji era formal military dress, themselves modelled on European-style naval uniforms. While this style of uniform is still in use, many schools have moved into more western pattern parochial school uniform styles. These uniforms consist of a white shirt, tie, blazer with school crest and dress trousers (often not of the same colour as the blazer) for boys and a white blouse, tie, blazer with school crest and tartan skirt for girls.

Pizza or pizza pie is the name of an oven-baked, flat, usually round bread covered with tomato sauce and cheese with other toppings left optional. While originating as a part of Italian cuisine, the dish has become extremely popular all over the world.

Pizza-La (ピザーラ) is the highest-grossing pizza chain in Japan. Franchises of the chain are located in 34 of Japan’s 47 prefectures.

You’ll find even more beer commercials at Commercial Heaven.

Michael Gerard Tyson, (born June 30, 1966) is a former American World Heavyweight Champion. Tyson, the youngest man to have won a heavyweight title belt, was rated in 1999 by Ring magazine as the fourteenth greatest heavyweight of all time. Tyson unified the belts in the splintered heavyweight division in the mid-eighties and quickly disposed of all rival contenders.

[Dry beer] is considered a niche category of beer with it not achieving great success outside Japan and Canada and to a lesser extent Australia.

[Cameron] Diaz [appeared] in an ad campaign on Japanese television for SoftBank: October/November 2006.

A grocery store is a store established primarily for the retailing of food. A grocer, the owner of a grocery store, stocks different kinds of foods from assorted places and cultures, and sells them to customers.

Hitachi was founded in 1910 as an electrical repair shop. Today it is one of the leading retailers in new technology.

Kuroyanagi Tetsuko (Japanese language: 黒柳徹子), born August 9, 1933 in Tokyo) is a well-known Japanese TV personality.

Due to its lack of dialog, Tom and Jerry was easily translated into various foreign languages. Tom and Jerry began broadcast in Japan in 1964. A 2005 nationwide survey taken in Japan by TV Asahi, sampling age groups from teenagers to adults in their sixties, in 2005 ranked Tom and Jerry #85 in a list of the top 100 anime of all time, while their web poll taken after the airing of the list ranked it at #58 – the only non-Japanese animation on the list (it should be noted that in Japan, the word “anime” refers to all animation regardless of origin, not just Japanese animation).

Canned coffee (缶コーヒー) or “can coffee” is ubiquitous in Japan, with a large number of companies competing fiercely and offering various types for sale. Japanese canned coffee is already brewed and ready to drink. It is available in supermarkets and convenience stores (コンビニ or “kombini”), with vast numbers of cans being sold in vending machines that offer heated cans in the fall and winter, and cold cans in the warm months.

[Brad] Pitt has appeared in television commercials in Asia, such as for Edwin Jeans, the Toyota Altis, and Japanese canned coffee, ROOTS.

C.C. Lemon is a Japanese soft drink created by Suntory. It is the third most popular soft drink in Japan behind Coca-Cola and Pepsi. It is known for its lemony taste and for its commercial advertisements featuring characters from the popular American cartoon The Simpsons.

A towel can act as a make-shift garment or blanket. There is a variety of uses when a towel is applied in this manner. For example, the towel can be used as an extra layer of clothing for cold conditions; or can be worn on its own around the waist (similarly to a kilt or skirt) or just under the shoulders (similarly to a long dress), usually in a warm environment.

In an interview on the Tonight Show, [Hulk] Hogan acknowledged that the George Foreman grill was originally offered to him, but he failed to respond in time, thus allowing Foreman to use his endorsement. This was backed up by an episode of Hogan Knows Best, in which his wife Linda and the family were worried about Hogan’s wrestling career (after watching a bloody match between Hulk and Shawn Michaels at SummerSlam 2005) and pleaded with him to take up a career in marketing. Hulk explains about turning down the Foreman grill, and his choice to invest in a shake-mixer instead, saying that whenever he thinks about investing in something “big”, he thinks about what happened with the grill and the shake-mixer. However, he has since endorsed a similar product known as “Hulk Hogan’s Ultimate Grill”.

Hitachi, Ltd. (株式会社日立製作所, Kabushiki-gaisha Hitachi Seisakusho) is a Japanese global company headquartered in Marunouchi Itchome, Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. The company forms Hitachi Group.

National is a brand used by Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. to sell home appliances, personal appliances, and industrial appliances and was the first name used by Konosuke Matsushita’s electric firm to sell his battery-powered bicycle lamps, hoping that they would be a product used by all of Japan, hence the name “National”. It was arguably the first well-known brand of Japanese electronics.

MSX was the name of a standardized home computer architecture in the 1980s. It was a Microsoft-led attempt to create unified standards among hardware makers, conceived by one-time Microsoft Japan executive Kazuhiko Nishi. Despite Microsoft’s involvement, MSX-based machines were seldom seen in the United States but were hugely popular in other markets. Eventually 5 million MSX-based units were sold world-wide.

King Kong is the name of the fictional giant ape, from the fictional Skull Island, who has appeared in several works, most of which bear his name, including the groundbreaking 1933 film, the film remakes of 1976 and 2005, and numerous sequels and paraphernalia.

Due to wartime shortage of World War II, Kotobukiya [the company that would become Suntory] was briefly forced to halt its development of new products. In 1961, Kotobukiya launched the famous “Drink This Whiskey and Go to Hawaii” campaign. At the time, a trip abroad was considered a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Duran Duran is a British pop/rock band notable for a long series of popular, synthesiser-driven hit singles and vivid music videos. They were the most commercially successful of the New Romantic bands, and a leading band in the MTV-driven Second British Invasion of the United States. They are still often identified as an “Eighties band” despite continuous recording and chart success over their twenty-eight year history.

“Is There Something I Should Know?” is the eighth single from the British pop band Duran Duran. It was released in March 1983 and became the band’s first UK Number One record. In New Zealand, it was the longest-running Number One single of 1983, staying atop the charts for nine weeks. It also reached #4 in the United States.

Jerry Wallace, [an] American country singer who succeeded at billboard hot 100 in 1950s sang theme song for a Japanese TV ad starred by Charles Bronson in 1970. It became [the] biggest hit single for him through[out] his music career. The song title “Mandom” is [the] name of the company…advertised.

His better-known songs include Primrose Lane (1959), Shutters And Boards (1964), In The Misty Moonlight (1964) and “Otoko no Sekai” ( “The World of the Man”, English title: “The Lovers of the World”, “Otoko no Sekai”) (1970, his biggest selling single that [was] released in Japan only).

Sony’s Betamax is the 12.7 mm (0.5 inch) home videocassette tape recording format introduced in 1975 and derived from the earlier, professional 19.1 mm (0.75 inch) U-matic video cassette format. Like the video home recording system VHS introduced by JVC in 1976, it had no guard band, and used azimuth recording to reduce cross-talk. The “Betamax” name came from the fact that when the tape ran through the transport it looked like the Greek letter “Beta”.

Benjamin Edward Stiller (born November 30, 1965) is an Emmy-winning American comedian, actor, film producer and director. He is the son of Jerry Stiller and Anne Meara, both of whom are veteran comedians and actors themselves.

The traditional Chuhai is lemon flavored with a shochu base, though some modern commercial variants have a vodka base. The flavors available have recently also multiplied, including lime, grapefruit, apple, orange, pineapple, etc.

Nissin Food Products Co., Ltd. (日清食品株式会社, Nisshin Shokuhin Kabushiki-gaisha) is the name of a company in Japan that makes instant ramen noodles. The company was established in 1948. Instant noodles and cup noodles were both invented by Nissin’s founder, Momofuku Ando in 1958.

For another steaming serving of ramen commercials, check out Commercial Heaven.

Sanyo Electric Co. Ltd. (三洋電機株式会社, San’yō Denki Kabushiki-gaisha) is a major Japanese electronics company and Fortune 500 company whose headquarters is located in Moriguchi, Osaka prefecture, Japan targeting the middle of the market, with over 324 offices and plants worldwide and about 100,000 employees.

Candies (キャンディーズ) was a famous Japanese idol group of the 1970s. Candies was composed of three girls: Ran Ito (伊藤蘭） called Ran, Yoshiko Tanaka （田中好子） called Sue and Miki Fujimura (藤村美樹） called Miki. Candies was formed in 1973, and starting with the song “あなたに夢中” (Anata ni muchu. crazy for you in English). They had overwhelming popularity with Japanese young people because of good harmonies.

Residential air conditioning is ubiquitous in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore and Hong Kong, especially in the latter two due to most of the population living in small high-rise flats in warm climates. In this area, with soaring summer temperatures and a high standard of living, air conditioning is considered a necessity and not a luxury.

The first subtitle is strangely incorrect. The van actually reads:
「ひっこし野郎」 “[The] Moving Guys”.

Tokyo Stadium (Japanese: 東京スタジアム) is a multipurpose stadium located in Chofu, Tokyo, Japan.

The stadium was founded at Kantō Mura, the redevelopment area formerly used by USFJ, in March 2001. It was the first stadium in Japan that offered its naming rights, which were sold to Ajinomoto Co., Inc. with a 5-year 1.2 billion yen (about 10 million United States dollars) contract, from March 2003 to February 2008. As a result, it is currently named Ajinomoto Stadium (Japanese:味の素スタジアム).

Laryngitis is an inflammation of the larynx. It causes hoarse voice or the complete loss of the voice because of irritation to the vocal folds (vocal cords).

Ajinomoto Co., Inc. (味の素株式会社, Ajinomoto Kabushiki-gaisha) is a Japanese company that produces food seasonings, cooking oils, foods and pharmaceuticals. The literal translation of Aji no Moto is “Essence of Taste”, used as a trademark for the company’s monosodium glutamate (MSG). Ajinomoto currently produces around 33% of the world’s MSG.

Mao’s line is: 「伊藤ハム大好き。」 “I love Ito Ham.”

Mao Asada (浅田 真央, Asada Mao, born 25 September 1990 in Nagoya) is a Japanese figure skater and 2007 World silver medalist. Asada won the 2006 Japanese Figure Skating Championships with a total score of 211.76, and owns the highest ISU-recognized point total of 199.52 for the Ladies, received in her 2006 NHK Trophy win. As of the 2006-2007 season, Asada is now currently ranked as the number one female figure skater in the world by the ISU, acquiring a total of 4,205 points.

Sentō (銭湯, Sentō) is a type of Japanese communal bath house where customers pay for entrance. Traditionally these bath houses have been quite utilitarian, with one large room separating the sexes by a tall barrier, and on both sides, usually a minimum of lined up faucets and a single large bath for the already washed bathers to sit in among others. Since the second half of the 20th century, these communal bath houses have been decreasing in numbers as more and more Japanese residences now have bathrooms.

At the wall on the far end of the [bathing] room is usually a large picture for decoration. Most often this is Mt. Fuji … but it may be a general Japanese landscape, a (faux) European landscape, a river or ocean scene.

Miso (味噌, Miso) is a traditional Japanese food produced by fermenting rice, barley and/or soybeans, with salt and the mold kōjikin (麹菌, kōjikin) (the most typical miso is made with soy). The result is a typically thick paste used in sauces and spreads, to pickle vegetables or meats, and mixed with dashi soup stock and served as miso soup called Misoshiru (味噌汁, Misoshiru), a Japanese culinary staple. High in protein and rich in vitamins and minerals, miso played an important nutritional role in feudal Japan. Miso is still very widely used in Japan, both in traditional and modern cooking, and has been gaining world-wide interest. Miso is typically salty, but its flavour and aroma depend on various factors in the ingredients and fermentation process. Different varieties of miso have been described as salty, sweet, earthy, fruity, and savoury, and there is an extremely wide variety of miso available.

Slurp up more ramen commercials at Commercial Heaven.

The Roland Juno-106 was a hybrid digital/analogue polyphonic synth manufactured by Roland Corporation in 1984. It featured digitally-controlled oscillators (DCOs) for tuning stability with analog filters and envelopes, for their (subjectively) better sound quality.

In addition to the standard Juno-106, Roland produced a synthesizer called the HS-60. This synth was simply a Juno-106 with integrated speakers and a slightly redesigned enclosure, aimed specifically at consumers rather than professional users.

1991 was a year of the Sheep.

The end of December and the beginning of January are the busiest times for the Japan Post, the Japanese post office. The Japanese have a custom of sending New Year‘s Day postcards (年賀状, nengajō) to their friends and relatives. It is similar to the Western custom of sending Christmas cards.

The Sheep (未) (also known as Ram or Goat) is one of the 12-year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar.

Kimono (着物, Kimono literally “something worn”, i.e., “clothes”) are the traditional garments of Japan. Originally kimono was used for all types of clothing, but it came to refer specifically to the full-length garment that is still worn by women, men, and children.

「バイエルン。バイエルン。Yeah! 伊藤ハムだから美味しい。」
“Bayern. Bayern. Yeah! Since it’s Ito Ham, it’s delicious.”

[Sylvester] Stallone did not gain world-wide fame until his starring role in the smash hit Rocky (1976), the film was awarded the 1976 Academy Award for Best Picture. On March 24, 1975, Stallone saw the Ali-Chuck Wepner fight which inspired the foundation idea of Rocky. That night Stallone went home, and in three days he had written the script for Rocky. After that, he tried to sell the script with the intention of playing the lead role. Robert Chartoff and Irwin Winkler in particular liked the script (which was suggested by Stallone after a casting), and planned on courting a star like Burt Reynolds or James Caan for the lead role.

Ham may also refer to: An actor who overacts or exaggerates.

Despite golf‘s popularity in densely populated East Asian countries such as South Korea and Japan, the citizen of average means is limited to hitting balls on driving ranges as play on an actual course requires memberships priced at several times the average worker’s annual salary.

Namco Ltd (株式会社ナムコ, Kabushiki Gaisha Namuko) is a company based in Japan, best known for developing video games. Some of the company’s most famous games include Galaxian, Pac-Man, Klonoa, Rally-X, Galaga, Bosconian, Dig Dug, Pole Position, Xevious, Mappy, Soul Calibur, Time Crisis, Tekken, and the Ridge Racer. As of September 29, 2005, Namco was merged with leading Japanese toymaker Bandai to form Namco Bandai Holdings Inc, one of the largest entertainment companies in Japan.

Lupin the 3rd (ルパン三世, Rupan Sansei) is a manga and anime series created by Kazuhiko Kato in 1967. The series follows a gang of thieves, led by Arsène Lupin III, as they steal treasures and escape from the law.

Michael J. Fox (born Michael Andrew Fox on June 9, 1961) is an award-winning, Canadian-born film and television actor. His best known roles include Marty McFly from the Back to the Future trilogy (1985-1990), Alex P. Keaton from Family Ties (1982-1989), and Mike Flaherty from Spin City (1996-2000).

Michael has been given one line, but it’s rather clever line: 「かっこインテグラ」(kakko integura). The first bit of the second word “Integra” is an almost sound-alike replacement for 「良い」(ii) in the Japanese expression 「こっこ良い」(kakko ii) “cool”, as in “This is so cool”. The result is a cool-sounding “Cool Integra”.

[Honda] is perhaps most notable for its automobiles and motorcycles, but it also produces a long list of other products: trucks, scooters, robots, jets and jet engines, ATV, water craft, electrical generators, marine engines, lawn and garden equipment, and aeronautical and other mobile technologies.

“The Power of Love” is the title of a 1985 single by Huey Lewis & the News written for and featured in the film Back to the Future. It gave the band their first number-one hit on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and later appeared on UK editions of the band’s fourth studio album, Fore!. The song was nominated for an Academy Award at the 58th Academy Awards.

A microwave oven, or microwave, is a kitchen appliance employing microwave radiation primarily to cook or heat food. Microwave ovens have revolutionized food preparation since their use became widespread in the 1970s. However many chefs find microwave ovens to be of limited usefulness because the Maillard reactions (a type of browning) cannot occur due to the temperature range.

ハウス食品株式会社（ハウスしょくひん）とは日本の食品メーカーである。本社は、現在2本社体制で、大阪府東大阪市と東京都千代田区にある。英文社名は、House Foods Corporation。

Translation: House Foods Corporation is a Japanese food product manufacturer. It has two head offices one in Higashi Osaka, Osaka and one in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo.

河合奈保子、1963年7月24日、は大阪市住之江区粉浜（こはま）出身の女性歌手、女優。1980年代の人気歌手・アイドルの一人である。

Translation: Naoko Kawai (born July 24, 1963) is a singer and actress from Kohama, Suminoe Ward, Osaka. She is one of the notable pop singers and idols of the 1980s.

A malocclusion refers to the misalignment of teeth and/or incorrect relation between the teeth of the two dental arches. The upper arch is called the maxilla and the lower is called the mandible.

Nicknamed “The Austrian Oak” in his body building days, “Arnie” or “Ahnold” (playing off his accent) during his acting career, and more recently “The Governator” (a portmanteau of Governor and Terminator, referring to his internationally popular film role), [Arnold] Schwarzenegger as a young man gained widespread attention as a highly successful bodybuilder, and later gained worldwide fame as a Hollywood action film star.

Coffee is a widely consumed beverage prepared from the roasted seeds—commonly referred to as beans—of the coffee plant. It is usually served hot but can also be served cold. A typical 7 fluid ounce (ca. 207 mL) cup of coffee contains 80–140 milligrams of caffeine, depending on the bean and method of roasting and preparation.

From the early 1990s, Suntory has collaborated extensively with Melbourne biotechnology firm Florigene to genetically engineer the world’s first true blue rose, a symbol often associated with the impossible or unattainable. In 1991, the team won the intense global race to isolate the gene responsible for blue flowers, and has since developed a range of genetically modified flowers expressing colors in the blue spectrum, as well as a number of other breakthroughs extending the vase life of cut flowers.

Toshiba Corporation (株式会社東芝, Kabushiki-gaisha Tōshiba) is a multinational high technology electrical and electronics manufacturing firm, headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. It is the 7th largest integrated manufacturer of electric and electronic equipment in the world.

Aguri Suzuki (鈴木 亜久里) (born September 8, 1960 in Tokyo) is a former Formula One driver from Japan. He participated in 88 grands prix, and most notable achievement in racing was 3rd place at 1990 Japanese Grand Prix. Aguri is now the owner of Super Aguri F1 team, which has been participating in F1 since 2006.

Ichitaro (Japanese: 一太郎) is a Japanese word processor produced by Justsystems, a Japanese software company. It is the main product of the company.

Kumi Koda (倖田 來未, Kōda Kumi) (born Kumiko Koda (神田 來未子, Kōda Kumiko) on November 13, 1982) is a Japanese pop singer who debuted in Japan in 2000 with her first single, TAKE BACK. She did not achieve success until her seventh single, real Emotion / 1000 no Kotoba, which was a hit because of its connection to the videogame, Final Fantasy X-2. Her popularity skyrocketed in 2005 after the release of Butterfly and being named one of the best selling artists of 2005 from the success of BEST ~first things~.

Kumi says her one line “Diet Coke please” in her best Katakana English: 「ダイエト・コーク・プリース」(Daitto Kouku puriisu).

Diet Coke (sometimes known as Diet Coca-Cola) or Coca-Cola Light (sometimes known as Coke Light) is a sugar-free soft drink produced and distributed by The Coca-Cola Company. It was introduced in the United States in July 1982 as Diet Coca-Cola, and was the first new brand since 1886 to use the Coca-Cola trademark. The product quickly overtook Tab in sales.

For more cola commercials, check out Commercial Heaven.

By popularizing the idea of a quick restaurant meal, [James L.] Watson’s study [published in Golden Arches East (Stanford University Press, 1998)] suggests, McDonald’s led to the easing or elimination of various taboos, such as eating while walking in Japan. McDonald’s also flattens the social strata during dining — there is no problem of losing face for certain customers (who might be embarrassed when someone else ordered a more expensive item in a restaurant); the food at McDonald’s is all similarly priced.

For more on McDonalds, check out Commercial Heaven.

A drive-through or drive-thru is a business, most commonly a restaurant, that serves customers who pull up in their vehicles. Orders are taken and goods or services are provided using a window or microphone, while the customers remain in their vehicles. The format was first pioneered in the United States in the 1940s but has since spread worldwide.

Leonardo Wilhelm DiCaprio (born November 11, 1974) is a three-time Academy Award-nominated and Golden Globe Award-winning American actor well known for his roles in blockbuster movies such as William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet (1996), Titanic (1997), Catch Me If You Can (2002), Gangs of New York (2002), The Aviator (2004), The Departed (2006), and Blood Diamond (2006), and was, as a young man, famed for his global celebrity influence dubbed as ‘Leomania’ in the late 1990s. More recently, he has worked regularly with director Martin Scorsese which has lead some to compare their partnership to that of Scorsese and actor Robert De Niro.

株式会社オリエントコーポレーション(Orient Corporation)は、日本の大手信販・クレジットカード会社である。略称は「オリコ」。

旧株式会社第一勧業銀行（現在の株式会社みずほ銀行）を中心とするみずほフィナンシャルグループと親密である。

Translation: Orient Corporation, Inc. (Orient Corporation) is a major credit and credit card issuing company in Japan. Its name is abbreviated as “Orico.” The company has ties with the Mizuho Financial Group and the old Dai-Ichi Kangyo Bank, Ltd. (presently known as Mizuho Bank, Ltd.).

To reduce the risk of spilling Champagne and/or turning the cork into a projectile, a Champagne bottle can be opened by holding the base and rotating the bottle (rather than the cork). By using a 45 degree angle, the surface of the champagne has the maximum surface area, thus minimizing the excessive bubbling. The cork can ease out with a sigh or a whisper rather than a pop. The flavor will be the same, irrespective of the method used, but the volume left in the bottle will differ.

Stevie Wonder (born on May 13, 1950), is an African American singer, songwriter, record producer, musician, and social activist. Wonder has recorded more than thirty Top 10 hits, won twenty-two Grammy Awards (a record for a solo artist), plus one for lifetime achievement, he has won an Oscar for Best Song and been inducted into both the Rock and Roll and Songwriters halls of fame.

While best known as a brewery and maker of whiskey, Kirin also makes soft drinks, and has diversified businesses in foods, pharmaceuticals, logistics, engineering, real-estate and restaurants.

Minolta was a Japanese worldwide manufacturer of cameras, camera accessories, photo-copiers, fax machines and laser printers. Minolta was founded in Osaka, Japan in 1928 as Nichi-Doku Shashinki Shōten (日独写真機商店; meaning Japanese-German camera shop). It is perhaps best known for making the first integrated autofocus 35 mm SLR camera system. It was not until 1933 that the brand name appeared on a camera, a copy of the Plaubel Makina simply called “Minolta”.

Panties are female undergarments. The term spread through American culture in the 1950s after women’s underwear became flashier and more colorful than traditional white cotton hygiene undergarments. Many people would agree there is a large cultural difference between typical underwear and panties, since the latter tends to carry different, more feminine influences.

[Brad] Pitt has appeared in television commercials in Asia, such as for Edwin Jeans, the Toyota Altis, and Japanese canned coffee, ROOTS.

The Sharp Aquos is a range of LCD televisions and component screens made by Sharp Corporation. It encompasses small, portable models (e.g. the 13″ B series) through to large, state-of-the-art screens (e.g. 65″ high-definition widescreen models) as well as component screens for many mobile devices such as the Sharp Aquos [911SH] phone distributed in Japan by [SoftBank Mobile].

SoftBank 911SH product page (Japanese)

Bent Fabricius-Bjerre (b. December 7, 1924)—better known for many years as Bent Fabric—is a Danish jazz and pop pianist and composer whose long career spanning numerous genres, and spare, lyric piano style, has often been overshadowed by his longtime signature composition and hit, the 1962 instrumental “Alley Cat.”

The 21st Century saw him make a comeback in pop music, under the stage name by which he’s best known, with a dance/pop project that leaned in part on modernising many of his earlier songs including “The Alley Cat.” The title track from the project, Jukebox, became a hit in his native Denmark, a chart-topper in Japan, and a sleeper hit in the United States; its title track was used in a Coca Cola campaign in Germany and now used on ten different soundtracks for American movies.

Suntory was started by Torii Shinjiro, who first opened his store Torii Shoten in Osaka on February 1, 1899 to sell imported wines. In 1907, the store began selling a sweet tasting red wine called Akadama Port Wine. The store became Kotobukiya company in 1921 to further expand its business. In December 1924, Yamazaki Distillery, the first whiskey distillery in the country, began its production of malt whiskey. Five years later Suntory Whiskey Sirofuda (White Label), the first single malt whiskey made in Japan, was sold.

The Rat Pack is the nickname given to a group of popular entertainers most active between the mid-1950s and mid-1960s. Its most famous line-up featured Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford and Joey Bishop, who appeared together in films and on stage in the early 1960s.

William James “Bill” Murray (born September 21, 1950) is an Academy Award-nominated, Emmy-winning and Golden Globe-winning American comedian and actor. He is most famous for his comedic roles in Groundhog Day, Caddyshack, Ghostbusters, and What About Bob?. He has gained further acclaim for recent dramatic roles, such as in the acclaimed films Lost In Translation, Broken Flowers, and Rushmore.

Lost in Translation is a film released in the United States on October 3, 2003. It was the second writing and directorial effort of Sofia Coppola, after The Virgin Suicides. It was nominated for four Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actor for Bill Murray, and Best Director for Sofia Coppola. Coppola won Best Original Screenplay.

William Bradley “Brad” Pitt (born December 18, 1963) is an American actor and film producer. He became known during the mid 1990s, after starring roles in several major Hollywood films, including Interview with the Vampire in 1994 and the thriller Se7en in 1995. Pitt has been nominated for an Academy Award and has won a Golden Globe Award, both for his role in Twelve Monkeys (1996).

SoftBank was established in Tokyo, Japan on September 3, 1981, and had a market capitalisation of approximately US$32.8 billion at 28 February 2006.

“Walk This Way” is a song by American hard rock group Aerosmith. It was written by Steven Tyler and Joe Perry. It was originally released as the second single from their 1975 album Toys in the Attic. It peaked at #10 on the Billboard Hot 100 in early 1977, part of a string of successful hit singles for the band in the 1970s.

An auto rickshaw (auto or rickshaw or tempo or tuk-tuk in popular parlance) is a vehicle for hire that is one of the chief modes of transport in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka and is popular in many other countries. It is a motorized version of the traditional rickshaw, a small two- or three-wheeled cart pulled by a person, and the velotaxi. A small number of auto rickshaws and tuk-tuks can be seen on the streets of China Town in London, although used mainly by tourists and not the local population. The auto rickshaw is also related to its Thai, Lao, Cambodian cousins, the tuk-tuk and the Bajaj in Indonesia and Sri Lanka, whereas in Brighton, England auto rickshaws are called tuctucs.

Shochu (焼酎, shōchū) is a distilled alcoholic beverage popular in Japan. Typically it is 25% alcohol by volume, making it weaker than whisky, but stronger than wine and sake.

Gregory Hines (February 14, 1946 – August 9, 2003) was a Tony Award-winning American actor, singer, dancer, and choreographer.

Charles Bronson (born Charles Dennis Buchinsky on November 3, 1921 – August 30, 2003) was an American actor of tough guy roles. In most of his roles he starred as a brutal police detective, a western gunfighter, vigilante, boxer or a Mafia hitman.

株式会社マンダム(mandom corp.)は、日本の化粧品メーカー。男性化粧品に強みを持ち、シェアは国内トップ（資生堂が奪回した年もあり、攻防が続いている）。本社は大阪府大阪市中央区十二軒町5-12。ナリス化粧品、明色化粧品、フルベール、オッペン化粧品、エルセラーン化粧品と並ぶ在阪化粧品メーカー。

Translation: Mandom Corporation is a Japanese cosmetics maker. Their strength is in male personal care products and they have largest share of the domestic market (in one year Shiseido captured the top market share and the battle continues between the two companies). Their head office is in Chuo Ward, Osaka.

Bruce Willis (born Walter Bruce Willis on March 19, 1955) is an American actor and singer. He came to fame in the late 1980s and has since retained a career as both a Hollywood leading man and a supporting actor.

[Nippon Oil Corporation] was established 1888 as the “Nippon Oil” (日本石油, Nihon Sekiyu). In 1999, the company merged with and absorbed the former “Mitsubishi Oil” (三菱石油, Mitsubishi Sekiyu). The merged company was called “Nippon Mitsubishi Oil” (日石三菱, Nisseki Mitsubishi) until 2002, when it adopted its present name.

Edward “Eddie” Regan Murphy (born April 3, 1961, Brooklyn, New York City) is a Golden Globe-winning and Academy Award-nominated American actor and comedian. He has also enjoyed a minor singing career, and was one of the most popular cast members in the history of Saturday Night Live, on which he was a regular from 1980-1984.

In a 2005 poll to find The Comedian’s Comedian, he was voted amongst the top 50 comedy acts ever by fellow comedians and comedy insiders.

The Toyota Celica name has been applied to a series of popular sports cars made by the Japanese company Toyota. The name is derived from the Latin word célico (IPA ['θeliko]) meaning “from the heavens” or “celestial”.

[Cameron] Diaz attended Long Beach Polytechnic High School. During her school days, she was called Skeletor by her classmates because she was so thin.

Sharp Corporation (シャープ株式会社, Shāpu Kabushiki-gaisha) is a Japanese electronics manufacturer, founded in 1912. It takes its name from one of its founder’s first inventions, the Ever-Ready Sharp mechanical pencil, which was invented by Tokuji Hayakawa(早川 徳次) in 1915.

Pantone Inc. is a corporation headquartered in Carlstadt, New Jersey, USA. It is known for its Pantone color matching systems, used in a variety of industries, primarily printing, although it is sometimes used in the manufacture of colored paint, fabric and plastics. The company is most well known for their Pantone Matching System (PMS), a proprietary color space.

At the end of 1979, [The Nolans] released the disco-flavoured single “I’m In The Mood For Dancing,” which became their signature tune, as well as a huge hit for the quartet. It shot to the U.K. Top 3 and became a success all over the world, particularly in Japan (where the group would remain popular for many years). Their self-titled album followed shortly thereafter, and made the U.K. Top 20. Shortly after this time Anne Nolan left the group to have a baby, once again making The Nolans a four-piece.

812SH product site (Japanese)

キグルミは、赤色のたらこの着ぐるみを頭にかぶった小学生の女の子の2人組ユニット。所属レコード会社はビクターエンタテインメント。

Translation: Kigurumi is a group comprised of two elementary school students that wear stuffed animal-like red pollock roe on their heads. They are signed to Victor Entertainment recordings.

Kewpie is also a Japanese food manufacturer, famous for its popular brand of Japanese mayonnaise sold in plastic squeeze bottles with a Kewpie doll logo.

There are also members of the Theragra genus that are commonly referred to as pollocks. This includes the Alaska pollock or walleye pollock (Theragra chalcogramma) and the Norwegian pollock (Theragra finnmarchica). While related (they are also members of the family Gadidae) to the above pollocks, they are not members of the Pollachius genus.

Roe is the fully ripe egg masses of fish and certain marine animals, such as sea urchins, shrimp and scallop. As a seafood it is used both as a cooked ingredient in many dishes and as a raw ingredient.

Kigurumi Official Site (English)

Cameron Michelle Diaz (born August 30, 1972) is a Golden Globe Award-nominated American actress and former fashion model.

“Sugar Town” was a 1966 song performed by American singer Nancy Sinatra, the daughter of Frank Sinatra.

SoftBank Corp. (ソフトバンク株式会社, Sofutobanku Kabushiki-gaisha) is a leading Japanese telecommunications and media corporation, with operations in broadband, fixed-line telecommunications, e-Commerce, Internet, broadmedia, technology services, finance, media and marketing, and other businesses.

日本が好きです、Nihon ga suki desu, “[We] love Japan”
平和が好きです、Heiwa ga suki desu, “[We] love peace”
海上自衛隊。Kaijo Jietai. “[We are the Japan] Maritime Self-Defense Force.”

The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (海上自衛隊, Kaijō Jieitai), or JMSDF, is the maritime branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, tasked with the naval defense of Japan and formed following the dissolution of the Imperial Japanese Navy after World War II. The force is based strictly on defensive armament, largely lacking the offensive weapons typically handled by naval forces of equivalent size.

A homophone is a word which is pronounced the same as another word but differs in meaning, for example: carat, caret, and carrot. Homophones may be spelled differently, but the term also applies to different words that sound the same and are also spelled identically, such as “rose” (flower) and “rose” (past tense of “rise”). However the more precise term for the latter class of words is homonym. Neither of these words should be confused with homosexual or homophobe. The term may also be used to apply to units shorter than words, such as letters or group of letters which are pronounced the same as another letter or group of letters.

Canon Inc. (キヤノン株式会社, Kyanon Kabushiki Gaisha) is a Japanese company that specializes in imaging and optical products, including cameras, photocopiers and computer printers.

Kiss (sometimes typeset “KISS”, to fit the official logo) is an American rock band formed in New York City in 1973. Easily identified by their trademark face paint and stage outfits, the group rose to prominence in the mid-1970s on the basis of their elaborate live performances, which featured firebreathing, blood spitting, smoking guitars, and pyrotechnics.

Tokyo Tower (東京タワー, Tōkyō tawā) is a tower in Shiba Park, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan (35°39′31″N, 139°44′44″E). It is 332.6 m (1091 ft) tall, making it one of the world’s highest self-supporting steel towers and the tallest man-made structure in Japan.

The titles read:

0 to 400m in 18.7 seconds
57 horsepower
DOHC engine
4 cylinders 4 carburators

Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (本田技研工業株式会社, Honda Giken Kōgyō Kabushiki-gaisha, Honda Technology Research Institute, Co., Ltd.), or simply called Honda, is a Japanese engine manufacturer and engineering corporation.

The Honda S600 is an automobile manufactured by Honda. It was launched in March of 1964. It was the first Honda car to be offered in two versions, as convertible, bearing strong resemblance to the Honda S500, and as a fastback coupe introduced in March of 1965. During its production run up to 1966, the model styling would remain pretty much the same, with the most notable changes coming to the front grille, bumper, and headlights.

Jackie’s one line is: 「旨い！」 “Delicious!”

While best known as a brewery and maker of whiskey, Kirin also makes soft drinks, and has diversified businesses in foods, pharmaceuticals, logistics, engineering, real-estate and restaurants.

The height of the crown cap was reduced and specified in the German standard DIN 6099 in the 1960s. This also defined the “twist-off” crown cap, now widely used in the United States. This bottle cap is pressed around screw threads instead of a flange. Such a bottle cap can be taken off merely by twisting the cap.

Chan Kong-Sang (陳港生), also known as Jackie Chan Sing Lung (陳成龍) or Jackie Chan SBS, (born on April 7, 1954) is a Chinese martial artist, action star, actor, director, screenwriter, film producer, singer and stunt performer.

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Sony Corporation is an operating-holding company. It is the electronics business unit and the parent company of the Sony Group, which is engaged in business through its 5 operating segments — electronics, games, entertainment (motion pictures and music), financial services and other. These make Sony one of the most comprehensive entertainment companies in the world. Sony’s principal business operations include Sony Corporation (Sony Electronics in the U.S.), Sony Pictures Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment, Sony BMG Music Entertainment and Sony Financial Holdings.

Oasis are an English rock band, formed in Manchester in 1991. Led by lead guitarist and songwriter Noel Gallagher and his younger brother, lead vocalist and songwriter Liam Gallagher, they are one of the most successful and prominent English groups to emerge during the 1990s Britpop movement.

Japanese National Railways (日本国有鉄道 Nippon Kokuyū Tetsudō), abbreviated Kokutetsu (国鉄) or “JNR”, was the national railway network of Japan from 1872 to 1987.

The tea’s name Nohohon (のほほん) has a similar meaning as “happy-go-lucky” or “laid back”.

Meg Ryan (born Margaret Mary Emily Hyra on November 19, 1961 in Fairfield, Connecticut) is an American actress who specializes in romantic comedies, but has also worked in other film genres.

Suntory Limited (サントリー株式会社, Santorī Kabushiki-gaisha) is a Japanese brewing and distilling company. Established in 1899, it is one of the oldest companies in the distribution of alcoholic beverages. Its business has expanded to other fields, and the company now offers everything from soft drinks to vintage wines. Suntory is headquartered in Dojimahama, Kita-ku, Osaka, Osaka prefecture.

Sumo (相撲, Sumō)(in Chinese callled “相扑”) is a competition contact sport where two wrestlers called rikishi face off in a circular area. The sport is of Chinese origin, popular in Japan and is surrounded by ceremony and ritual. The Japanese consider Sumo a gendai budō: a modern Japanese martial art, even though the sport has a history spanning many centuries.

David Robert Joseph Beckham, OBE (born 2 May 1975) is an English professional footballer who currently plays for Real Madrid. Beckham was named as a member of Pelé’s FIFA 100. In addition to his success on the pitch, Beckham has been recognized by Time magazine as one of 2004′s Time 100 (Heroes & Icons), as well as an elite global advertising brand.

Roberto Carlos is known for his trademark powerful free kicks. He is also known for his speed and his aggressiveness at joining the offense, often leading counter attacks from the back of the field. He is regarded as one of the best full backs of all time. He finished second to countryman Ronaldo in the 1997 FIFA World Player of the Year award poll and was named by Pelé as one of the top 125 greatest living footballers in March 2004.

With the successful expansion of McDonald’s into many international markets, the company became a symbol of globalization and the spread of the American way of life. Its prominence also made it a frequent subject of public debates about obesity, corporate ethics and consumer responsibility.

The tomato (Solanum lycopersicum, formerly Lycopersicon lycopersicum) is a plant in the Solanaceae or nightshade family, native to Central, South, and southern North America from Mexico to Peru. It is a short-lived perennial plant, grown as an annual plant, typically growing to 1–3 m in height, with a weak, woody stem that usually scrambles over other plants. The genus Solanum also contains the eggplant and the potato, as well as many poisonous species

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