HanryuKorean dramas not only catch China and South East Asian viewers by storm. They are popular in Japan too. This is a shelf displaying Japanese magazines on Korean drama in a bookshop in a small town in Japan.
Responsible farmersThe rest stations for motorists along the highway are now called ‘Michi no Eki’ (literally means ‘station of the road’). Travelers by car can take a rest, have some drinks and snacks and shop for local produce in such station. Some even have bathing facilities. The agricultural produce are supplied by local small time farmers. I notice many vegetable items and rice are displayed with the name, address and photos of the farmers or of the farmers with the family members. These farmers take pride of and responsibility for their produce.
Potato ManHokkaido is famous for delicious potato. 5-kg packs of Hokkaido potato are hot items at the souvenir shops at the airport. A human-like potato was displayed at the cashier counter of an eatery in a road station.
Squid catching boatsClick on the above photo for high-res imageNote the number of sodium lamps on the boats which are used to attract squids.
ShishamonClick on the above photo for high-res imageThe small fish with plenty of roes. Commonly called ‘pregnant fish’ here. The ’original’ or best ones are caught in the Pacific coast of Hokkaido. I heard those sold in South East Asia are ‘look alike’, not the real stuff. Keep this photo of the ‘real ones’ if you do not want to compromise for look-alike when you purchase the fish. In the supermarket in Japan, the prices of ‘good quality’ shishamon and the cheaper version differ by several times.
A friend told me of his experience in using toilets without partition in China. He was reading his newspaper while squatting on a toilet. A stranger came to squat next to him. The stranger stuck his head to his side to read the newspaper he was holding. 
