Japan Japan Japan Japan Japan!

OK so we’re still in Switzerland, but all I can think about is our upcoming trip to Japan. I’m so exciting my head is about to explode. I’ve never been to Japan before, but I suspect it will be something like this (turn your speakers on – you’ll want to sing along).

I don’t want to make any cultural faux pas while I’m there, so could someone please explain to me what is going on in the video? It made perfect sense until the cat hung himself. I didn’t see that one coming at all…

Eternal thanks to Jack for this link.

7 thoughts on “Japan Japan Japan Japan Japan!”

  1. Oooooh…we loved loved loved Japan and would happily go back again someday (our blog has some stuff in the March 2005 archive). Have a great trip!

  2. That is soooo typically Japanese hehe.

    I have no idea why the cat hanged himself, and unfortunately I only know a few Japanese words. I’d speculate that Kikkoman (soy sauce) won in a superhero battle against the other condiments, ketchup and, erm, sugarcubes? It’s kind of like that old Yatta! video, who knows what the heck is going on, just sing along and enjoy it 🙂

  3. http://verthandi.livejournal.com/231063.html

    This just in… English translation of the Kikoman song! Informative, but also takes a little of the fun out of it. Still no word about the cat’s apparent suicide, but I’m guessing it has to do with loss of face (we learned about that in my Cross Cultural Communications class at business school…).

    Off to check out your archives now, Kirk!

  4. What a crazy video! I lived in Nagoya, Japan from 1999-2004 and never caught that ad. lol But I like the explanation about loss of face or perhaps indecision over soy sauce vs. other condiments? And that Kikkoman superhero spoke to the cat rather harshly too.

    As for cultural faux pas:

    1. Don’t eat while walking.
    2. Don’t blow your nose in public.
    3. Queue queue queue!

  6. Wait, did someone say that Japans is obsessed with queueing (hsien lei)? That’s definitely a lesson the Swiss could learn. This is your chance, Jil, to bring milk chocolate to the Japanese and ability to queue back home…then again, maybe you should just enjoy the culture shock-I can’t wait to hear all about it.

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