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

Obake (お化け) and bakemono (化け物) are a class of yōkai, preternatural creatures in Japanese folklore. These words are often translated as ghost, but primarily they refer to living things or supernatural beings who have taken on a temporary transformation, and these bakemono are distinct from the spirits of the dead. However, as a secondary usage, the term obake can be a synonym for yūrei, the ghost of a deceased human being.

A one-way mirror, also known as a two-way mirror, one-way glass, or two-way glass is a mirror which is partially reflective and partially transparent. When one side of the mirror is brightly lit and the other is dark, it allows viewing from the darkened side but not vice versa.

A practical joke (also known as a prank, gag, or jape) is a mischievous trick played on someone, typically causing the victim to experience embarrassment, indignity, or discomfort.

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.

“Haru Ichiban” (春一番, First Storm of Spring) is the ninth single release by Japanese girl group Candies, released on March 1, 1976. This was the group’s trademark song.

Yoshiko Tanaka (田中 好子 Tanaka Yoshiko, April 8, 1956 – April 21, 2011) was a Japanese actress. She was also famous as a member of the pop group Candies. While a member of Candies, Tanaka was known by the nickname “Sue” (スーちゃん Sū-chan). In 1991, she married golfer Kazuo Odate, and was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1992. In October 2010, Tanaka’s cancer relapsed and she died on April 21, 2011. She was 55 years old at the time of her death.

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.

A car parking system (also referred to as multi-level stacked parking system, or car stacker) is a mechanical device that multiplies parking capacity inside a building or a parking lot. In Europe, Japan and Asia, hundreds of mechanical garages were built between the mid 1950’s and the late 1980s. Most are still in operation. It has only been recently that much more advanced car parking systems came into operation. The technology involved has been developing over the last 75 years, and has now reached the stage where it can be utilized on a wide scale.

Top Gear (referred to as Old Top Gear when mentioned on the present version of the show) was a car-based BBC television series produced by BBC Birmingham, and broadcast on BBC2 from 1977 to 2001.

Jeremy Charles Robert Clarkson (born 11 April 1960) is a British Television presenter, journalist and writer who specialises in motoring.

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.

Nigirizushi (握り寿司, lit. hand-formed sushi) consists of an oblong mound of sushi rice that the chef presses into a small rectangular box between the palms of the hands, usually with a bit of wasabi, and a topping draped over it. Unlike sashimi, which is almost always eaten with chopsticks, nigirizushi is traditionally eaten with the fingers, even in formal settings

Wasabi is often served with sushi or sashimi, usually accompanied with soy sauce.

Soy sauce is a condiment produced by fermenting soybeans with Aspergillus oryzae and Aspergillus soyae molds, along with water and salt. All varieties of soy sauce are salty, earthy, brownish liquids intended to season food while cooking or at the table. Soy sauce has a distinct basic taste called umami (旨味, literally “delicious taste”) in Japanese.