The poet Bashō is named after the Japanese word for a banana plant. The “bashō” planted in his garden by a grateful student became a source of inspiration to his poetry, as well as a symbol of his life and home.
[Bashō's] disciples built him a rustic hut and planted a banana tree (芭蕉, bashō) in the yard, giving Bashō a new haigō and his first permanent home.
Fundoshi (褌) is the traditional Japanese underwear for adult males, made from a length of cotton. Before World War II the fundoshi was the main form of underwear for Japanese adult males; however it went out of use quickly after the war with the advent of new underwear, such as briefs and trunks, on the Japanese market.
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.
Udon (饂飩 （うどん）, Udon) is a type of thick wheat-flour noodle popular in Japanese cuisine. Sanuki (讃岐) udon is a thick and rather stiff type [of undon] from Kagawa Prefecture.
Pankun, (sometimes spelled pan-kun) is a young chimpanzee in Japan often featured on the NTV television show “Tensai! Shimura Doubutsu-en” (“天才！志村動物園”, lit. “Genius! Shimura Zoo”) and the TBS program “Doubutsu Kisou Tengai!” (“動物園奇想天外!”, lit. “Unbelievable Animals!”). Most of the segments feature him and his bulldog friend, James, embarking on a variety of “human” tasks, like buying groceries, planting a rice paddy, or catching insects.
Nattō (なっとう or 納豆, Nattō) is a traditional Japanese food made from fermented soybeans, popular especially for breakfast. Many non-Japanese find the taste very unpleasant, while others relish it as a delicacy.
Tamori (タモリ) is a Japanese celebrity. His real name is Kazuyoshi Morita (森田 一義) and the screenname Tamori is an anagram of his surname. He was born on 22 August 1945 in Fukuoka City in Fukuoka Prefecture. Along with Takeshi Kitano (Beat Takeshi) and Sanma Akashiya, he is one of the big three television comedians in Japan.
Tetsuko Kuroyanagi (黒柳徹子, Kuroyanagi Tetsuko) (born August 9, 1933 in Tokyo) is an internationally famous Japanese actress, a talk show host, a best-selling author of children book,a World Wide Fund for Nature advisor, and a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF.
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.
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.
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).
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.
