Souvenirs from Asia: Really Random Stuff

My husband and I have gone off the beaten track (sometimes WAY off) in our Japanese pop culture travels, so our friends have sometimes accused us of going out of our way to get bizarre stuff. However, all of these following items my husband bought at Narita Airport. Meaning that the Japanese want visitors to buy these as souvenirs, and you can’t blame my husband for picking them up when the airport authorities made it so convenient.

[image error]So first of all we have that favorite Japanese dish—curry!  Inside this box is a single serve pouch  of curry; just heat and serve. However, thing that makes it interesting—and therefore worthy of occupying space in an airport souvenir shop—is the meat they used. That’s not an ordinary pig on the box—it’s a wild boar!

Yes, folks, it’s wild boar curry. You, too, can pick up a box at Narita Airport and enjoy this novelty for a mere  ¥600!

Also, at that same store for the same low price is another curry. It’s a little more difficult to tell from the package illustration, but this is “Bakayarou Curry.” Or to translate: “Idiot Curry.”

[image error] Now this is a pun that requires explanation, so much so that I’m surprised they put it in the airport with the intention for foreigners to buy. As mentioned above, “bakayarou” translates into “idiot” or ”fool.” The jinchuuriki Killer B from Naruto often uses that term in his raps. However, the word bakayarou is written by putting together the kanji characters for “horse”and “deer.” (Don’t ask me why, that’s just how it is.) And the meat used in this particular curry pouch is—you guessed it— a blend of horse and deer meat.

And you can bring it home from Narita Airport for just ¥600!

[image error]Moving on from curry, we have a snack that looks like it was inspired by the west but took on a life of its own in Japan: Tohato Bacon Sticks!

This he picked up at the airport convenience store. I kind of thought it would be a shorter version of a slim jim, but this snack actually has a texture closer to a Pocky or potato chip. It’s definitely not a 100% meat product, but it still emits that enticing smoky aroma that is distinctly bacon.

We put it out during our last Bible study gathering, and it was a massive hit. There’s just something irresistible about bacon, and Tohato has harnessed its qualities into an unexpected crowd-pleaser.

And finally, my husband brought home this:

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In case you’re not familiar with it, “The Wave” is an iconic piece of Japanese art, and the creators inserted Godzilla, another Japanese icon,  into the scene. Even though it’s been about a half century since Godzilla first stormed onto the scene, he remains popular around the world. He’s certainly popular with my husband, and we had a little fun superimposing Godzilla onto our kitchen noren.

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