Pepsi Salty Watermelon and Dwarves

Although I tend to find that serious and somewhat controversial topics (or at least ones I am very honest about) get the most views on this blog, sometimes I just have to keep it light and fun. I can't always be serious.

Here are two videos I have made in 2012 about two very odd and distinctly Japanese products. Both deal with beverages and both were fun to make!



This video was sort of a cliched video if you will. Japan is known for many weird things such as strange seasonal flavours of Kit Kat chocolate bars and Pepsi Cola. It is almost a right of passage for all newbie video bloggers in Japan to make videos about these food products. Although I am one of the most grizzled veterans of the Japan blogging scene, I decided I still wanted to make a video about Pepsi Salty Watermelon.

Earlier in the Spring, there was a type of tea sold in Japanese convenience stores that came with a rather odd omakae. "Omakae" is essentially a free gift you get when purchasing something. You can see for yourselves why I thought the free gifts were odd if not a little gross!

Japanese Bicycle Polo

During my 4+ years in Japan I have seen many weird and wonderful things. Bicycle polo was definitely one of them. I saw these guys playing this rather unusual sport a few nights ago while out on an evening run. They were playing in downtown Kobe, Japan.



I'm glad I had my phone with me at the time to capture this odd, but cool looking sport!



You can follow me on Twitter: @jlandkev 

Japanese Eats: Pepsi Energy Cola

It is summer around the northern hemisphere of this big ole ball we refer to as "earth"! It is sumer and if you live in Japan (and many other places), it is freakin hot! It is really hot. In order to get us folks through the summer, the fine people at Pepsi begin getting a little creative. Each summer, Pepsi comes out with some new, and often whacky, summer special flavours.

A few years ago we had Pepsi Shiso. then there was Pepsi Azuki. Now there is Pepsi Caribbean Gold and well as Pepsi Energy Cola. I first saw Pepsi energy Cola a few weeks ago at my local Lawson convenience store and had to grab a can. i quickly realized that it was an energy drink akin to Red Bull. I HAD to try it.

Here is my review of a limited time "in Japan" drink:





Here is my 2 year old review of Pepsi Shiso:

Japanese Stalkers and Japan in Pictures

Another week of Japan in pictures. I take a lot of pictures everyday and many with the iPhone application, Instagram. Here are some images of Japan I captured.















I also wanted to share a little story. Yesterday, while out for a Sunday training run, I passed a young couple riding a bicycle. Shortly after passing them, the young man decided to hop of the bike and chase after me while his girlfriend took over driving. He followed behind me for more than a kilometer before finally stopping. he was by no means dressed for running and I have no idea why he did it. It was pretty weird though. I'm happy something like tat didn't happen at night or I would have had to practice my sprinting skills!

You can watch the story here:

Annoying and Dumb = Annoying and Dumb

As someone who has been a blogger and video blogger for about seven years, I have dealt with ten of thousands of comments and emails about my videos, blog posts and general questions about life in Asia. Most of the comments are supportive and kind. Some are rude and mean-spirited and some are simply annoying and dumb!


Supportive and kind comments = good!

Rude and mean-spirited comments = no worries (been online a long time and have a thick skin/don’t even notice them).

Annoying and dumb = annoying and dumb!


I want to take a look at some of the most annoying and repetitive comments I have found on my You Tube channel over the years. One of the most annoying and reoccurring problems is when people send you an email with a question that they could have easily found an answer to if they had just done a Google search!

A variety of annoying (so you all know, I have worked as an English teacher, elementary school teacher international school teacher in South Korea, Canada and Japan):

1. How do I get a job as a teacher in Korea and/or Japan? (Google it!)

2. How do I get a job in Asia? (What? What kind of job? Where are you from? What is your skill set? What? Be more specific and then Google it!)

3. I think Korean/Japanese girls are hot. How do I get one? (Come to Asia and try not to be a loser…then maybe you can get one!)

4. Can you recommend a recruiter? (No!....they are all scumbags!)

5. I know you said you don’t know anything about recruiter in you video/blog, but can you recommend a recruiter? (Drop dead!)

6. Which country did you like more, Korea or Japan? (Japan…my wife is from here…I’m biased.)

7. You shouldn’t make so many cuts in your video edits…it’s annoying. (I go to commenter’s channel and they have no videos, which means they know nothing and therefore I dismiss their opinion!)

8. Your walking videos are too shaky and they make me nauseas. (I go to commenter’s channel and they have no videos, which means they know nothing and therefore I dismiss their opinion!)

9. You suck! (…and I have more than 18,000 subscribers on You Tube so apparently I don’t suck as much as you!!!...that was smug…hehe…sticking my tongue out like a 4 year old!)

10. Get out of Korea! (I did many years ago….obviously you really didn’t pay attention to the part of my video where I aid I am not in Korea).

11. I hear English teachers in Korea/Japan make a lot of money. Is that true? (No it isn’t! Teacher often make very little. In Korea they make a low middle class income at best…Japan; not much better).

12. Promote my channel please. (Show me you have the goods and maybe I will. You better have at least two-dozen cool vids or a lot of great blog posts!)

13. Please make videos about anime/manga/otaku culture. (Sorry….none of these are interesting to me…I know nothing about them)

14. Make videos more like –other blogger’s name—(No! I’m not them.)



There are many more annoying and weird comments. These are some basic and very general ones. If you are a blogger or a vlogger you probably commiserate with this post.

Follow me on Twitter: @jlandkev

Unnecessary Hoarding Far Away from Danger

I've heard people talking about how folks in Tokyo and other areas close to the disaster zone in Japan are beginning to hoard items such as instant noodles, rice, bottled water and toilet paper. I've even watched videos taken by You Tube video blogger "softypapa" in Shizuoka of the same behavior.

I have to admit that I was a little surprised tonight though when my wife came back from our local supermarket (we actually have 2 small local supermarkets) and told me that all the rice, instant noodles and bottled water were sold out. I decided to go for a walk this evening and check out the state of affairs at the other local market. I was REALLY shocked to find the same thing.

It looks as if some people are beginning to panic buy. Kobe is located more than 800 kilometers from the nuclear disaster area in Fukushima. We are a very safe place. Just this afternoon I found out that the cities of Osaka and Kobe are supplying free housing to refugees from the Fukushima/Miyagi/Iwate regions.

Why are people beginning to hoard here? A few reasons I suppose.

First of all, Japanese people don't tend to shop as many of us, especially more rural living people, in Canada might. Growing up, my family lived quite far from a supermarket. Although we had some small shops in town, we would load up once every weekend and drive from Louisbourg to Sydney, about 40 kilometers away. We would fill the entire trunk of the car with groceries to stock our refrigerator and pantry. People in Japan simply don't shop that way. They don't have pantries. They have so many supermarkets and 24 hour convenience stores that they tend to shop as they need it.

Also when there are rumours that there may be food shortages (not an issue here) they panic. It's that simple. they are buying large amounts of unnecessary items!

Here is a video I discreetly took this evening with my phone at my local Daiei supermarket in Kobe, Japan:

Been Real Busy

Things have been busier than usual as of late, but I am enjoying updating my blog more and more. I suppose that's a good thing for the few good folks out there who read it!

Basically, I get home from work every night around 6:00 pm, then I give my awesome little kid his bath and then, if it's my turn, make diner. After dinner I head out for a run. By the time I get back, showered and sorted out, it's about 10:00 pm. I normally try to hit the sack by 11:00 pm at the very latest. It's a pretty tight schedule and doesn't allow much time for video-blogging, reading/responding to comments or even watching the videos of friends.

For the few awesome people who read my blog, you can see why I am so (happily) busy!

here I am with my little guy last weekend. He was looking mighty casual in this particular photo.


Some great friends of my wife gave Kai this really awesome jungle adventure set. He really likes it, but at this point seems more confused than anything when you plop him down under it!


You might have noticed that I added a Daily Mile widget to the side of my blog. That way, you guys can keep track of the silly amount of kilometers I'm logging each week. My running base isn't really back yet, but by October I hope to be putting back at least 70 km a week if not more (if I can find the time).

Now since I showed you guys my little kid in this post (I never plan to have him in a You Tube video...his agent won't allow it), I thought of diapers. I am up to my eyeballs in dirty diapers these days. Apparently, so was a thief in Tokyo:

Diaper-headed Man Robs Convenience Store
A man has been arrested in Tokyo for robbing a convenience store. At the time of the robbery, he was armed with a knife and wearing an adult diaper on his head: watch the video about it on Japan Probe


I also added a few more blogs to my "Must Read Blogs" list on the side of the page. Go check these fine Korea/Japan related blogs.


Oh yeah...

Apparently Autumn is soon approaching here in Japan. I can tell that by the sudden appearance of sweet potato chips on the stands in convenience stores!

Let's Eat Snacks

Let's eat Japanese snacks. Many folks who are interested in Japan based blogs and vlogs are more than familiar with the standard food test blog. I wanted everyone to check this one out because it is a little different. This Japanese snack review is done by a well-known and AWESOME Korea-based vlogger, "qiranger."

Eat You Veggies

Japan has a lot of very interesting seasonal foods. To go along with the interesting seasonal foods are the, "not so interesting" seasonal confectionaries. Check out the latest from Nestle. The Fruit and Vegetable Kit Kat candy bar.


Here's my take on it!

Weird Japanese Wheels

I am Skull

Just some silly Japanese diversions. that's all I have time to post today. I saw these socks in a shop in Sannomiya. Sannomiya is the main downtown core of Kobe.


I am Skull! WTF....



Saw this sticker for sale at Kobe's Tokyo Hands shop. Again...WTF????