Puccho (ぷっちょ Putcho) is a chewy Japanese snack made and sold by UHA Mikakutō Co. Ltd. (味覚糖株式会社 UHA Mikakutō Kabushiki Gaisha, UHA – Unique Human Adventure). The gummi puccho squares are a unique consistency similar to a combination of gummy bears and taffy. They often contain gummy “balls” of flavor that are more chewy then the rest of the square. In addition to these balls, there are also “fizz” balls that mimic the carbonation of their soda derivatives.

AKB48 is a Japanese female idol group produced by Yasushi Akimoto. AKB48 is named after Akihabara (Akiba for short), the area in Tokyo where the group’s own theater is located. AKB48 holds the Guinness World Record for being the world’s “largest pop group”. Currently, it consists of four subgroups: Team A, Team K, Team B, and Team 4 with 16 members each, summing up to a total of 64 girls.

The “lesbian kiss episode” is a sub-genre of the media portrayal of lesbianism in television media, created in the 1990s.

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

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.

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).

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.