Sometimes without any effort whatsoever – the best of days can be had.

All it takes is good weather, good food and of course good company.

shinjuku crepes

At last – spring has arrived!

You know what’s inefficient? Buying different snack food for both your baby and your dog. Don’t you wish one purchase would satisfy two hungry beasts?

Japanese food engineers to the rescue! Introducing: Bean Stalk Liver Biscuits!

Yes that’s right, kids. Now you too can enjoy that same great taste that Fido has been relishing all these years. Liver Biscuits are chalk full of meaty, chicken liver goodness in a convenient, “mess free” format that’s sure to please! I know I for one have a hard time resisting anything with liver in it. *

… but what about Naoki?

Will it make his fur coat shinier than ever? Or will it leave him with unsightly doggie breath?

Naoki reviews.

* Lie.

Dear Mom & Dad,

Alas, Christmas this year is yet another one abroad for us – but fret not for Japan has us covered!

Kaldi, our favourite neighbourhood international foods store, has started stocking a few seasonal Ganong treats… so I hope you haven’t wasted any of that valuable care parcel space with these!

They’re a bit pricier than back home, but certainly in line with prices of any other holiday treat here:

Ganong Marshmallow Santas – 100 yen (~ $1.25 CND)

Ganong Fruitfulls – 498 yen (~ $6.00 CND)

Admittedly neither of these were our favourites of Ganong’s line-up, but I’m not holding my breath for nougatines! This is still a nice touch from home in our neck of the woods.

Oh Azuki, do all Japanese people love thy great beany taste?

I dare say they do… some so much so that they are willing to wash their balconies in carbonated versions of you. But what about in “O” form?

Introducing Azuki Os!

Ok – in reality the product is Wakodo あずきのパフリング (Azuki Puff Rings) – but that’s a terrible name.

Take it from genfab, Wakodo – your product will have much more widespread appeal being known simply as “Azuki Os”. Do you think SpaghettiOs would have been even half as successful had it been called “Spaghetti Pasta Rings”? What about Cheerios? “Oat Cereal Rings”? Never forget the fun factor, people.

True enough – Naoki has no concept of product names at this point – but he’s not the one buying these snacks now is he?

Nope, just reviewing them.

Naoki reviews.

What do Operating Systems and Burgers have in common? I was trying to come up with something witty – but the truth is: nothing.

But who cares!

Burger King has released the Windows 7 Whopper exclusively in Japan and it has been all over international news since inception. 7 layers of meaty goodness – matching the 7 versions (are there really 7??) of Windows. Who wouldn’t love that?

Actually – plenty of people. Myself included. Give me one, maybe two meat patties and I’m a happy man. But seven? Sick. (And if you watch the video – you’ll see I can’t stop saying that ).

None the less – it’s entertaining. I also found the perfect guinea pig to devour one – my good buddy Jc. He’ll do anything for internet stardom!

Happy Birthday, Jc – genfab solutes you!