unforth | What Do Americans Think...

So, my friend

ireneadler is a teacher in Japan, and she's coming back to the states for the summer. She offered to find out things for the students, and so they concocted a list of questions that they want to know the answers to - basically, they want to know what Americans think about a bunch of stuff. I thought some of you might get a kick out of this, so I figured I'd pass the questions on - answers as few or as many as ya feel like.

So...what do Aemricans think about...

1. About Uniqlo in USA. (Uniqlo is a super-popular cheap clothing store here, and they recently opened a store in New York. Guess I'll be visiting!)
2. Some Japanese words which many Americans know
3. Is there some Japanese Boom? (as in trends)
4. We are afraid few people know where Japan is in a map. Do they know the place of Japan?
5. What kinds of menu are there in MacDonald in US?
6. We Japanese do "Peace!" as a gesture when we take pictures. What do Americans do when taking pictures?
7. Do they know Japanese actors, actresses, musicians, and talents?
8. What do they think about Japan?
9. In restaurants where they serve Japanese dishes, is there any differences from Japanese restaurants in Japan?

1. About Uniqlo in USA. (Uniqlo is a super-popular cheap clothing store here, and they recently opened a store in New York. Guess I'll be visiting!)

While I don't have any particular opinion of Uniqlo, it's funny that this should get asked now, because I kept noticing people with bags from there yesterday! Like, in one evening, I saw at least 4 people with bags from Uniqlo - they're very noticeable because they've got snazzy anime images on one side. And I'll say, they make me curious - I never cared much either way to go to Uniqlo when I was actually in Japan, but now that I'm in NYC, I might just wander over.

2. Some Japanese words which many Americans know

Again, I can't answer this one well, cause I actually know Japanese - but judging by my family, I'd suggest the answer is basically none - though "konnichiwa" seems relatively familiar to people.

3. Is there some Japanese Boom? (as in trends)

Definitely. Manga is selling like crazy here, and Japanese culture seems way popular...but once more, I'm biased. ;)

4. We are afraid few people know where Japan is in a map. Do they know the place of Japan?

I'd guess everyone I know does in fact know where Japan is in a map. :)

5. What kinds of menu are there in MacDonald in US?

Much more boring! No Teriyaki burgers! Cheeseburgers and triple beef things and hockey pucks (chicken mcnuggets)...

6. We Japanese do "Peace!" as a gesture when we take pictures. What do Americans do when taking pictures?

Uh...I do "peace," also, though I tend to think of it as V for Victory! Because of the anime I watched as a teen. But I'd say mostly we just grin like idiots and say cheese...

7. Do they know Japanese actors, actresses, musicians, and talents?

In general, I'd guess not really, though some of the horror movie directors have gotten pretty well known because of the popularity of Ring and Grudge and such.

8. What do they think about Japan?

Everyone I've spoken to, myself included, think Japan is a damn cool place that is utterly intriguing and a bit mysterious.

9. In restaurants where they serve Japanese dishes, is there any differences from Japanese restaurants in Japan?

Yes. Like, I was in a place called Haiku in Columbus, OH, the other day, and they were serving soba noodles cold with a dipping sauce, and I asked, "is this zarusoba?" and they had NO CLUE what I was talking about (it was.) I can't find good daifuku anywhere, and while it's really easy to find udon noodles in a broth, it's very hard to find the staples of this dish as it's served in Japan - the only places I know to get kitsune udon are Japanese restaurants in NYC. And don't get me started on inari or onigiri...(though I went to one of the only places I know that serves onigiri last night, and it was heaven...) ...in general, I think that Americans do a better job at Japanese food than they do at Chinese food, but they always feel the need to add meat to everything, and the name thing is annoying - and a lot of really basic Japanese food is hard to find. The sushi at Tsukiji is still the best I've ever eaten, and sushi is much more expensive here. I don't think an American who hadn't been to Japan would know this, though.

And I miss mochicreams...

(I made some generalizations, which hopefully aren't wrong.......

In other news, I'm making lasagna tonight - have all the ingredients now - and I'm very excited about it. :)